By: Nicholas Chapman

2025 Sadiq White (15u Team United)

A team that a lot of people were excited to watch today was Team United’s 15u squad. And one of the players that created a lot of that hype is 6’6” forward Sadiq White. He is insanely athletic, making highlight plays every time he touches the ball. He overpowers the defense in the way he drives to the hole to get a bucket. He’s a great rebounder and always gives his team second chance points on the offensive glass.

2025 Kohi Strickland (15u Team Curry)

One of Team Curry’s ball handlers, Kohi Strickland keeps the game in control for his group. The 6’5” wing loves to command his team’s offense and will not let any group’s defense stop him from getting a bucket. He drives to the basket with so much energy and doesn’t let anything get in between him and the goal. He displayed a great passing ability that let the rest of his team get involved. His handles and his strength are some of the things that make him truly outstanding in the way he keeps the ball on a string when losing his defender to get into the paint.

2025 Nick Hailey (15u Team Curry)

When watching a great circuit team like Team Curry, it’s easy to focus on the flashy shooters and electric dunkers. But someone who I think plays an amazing all around game is 2025 Nick Hailey who plays for Team Curry 15u. The 6’6” wing is uber athletic and dunks with ease. With a great wingspan, he’s able to guard positions one through five and do so very effectively. He drives to the basket with emphasis and a strong finish every time. His outside jumper is also very solid as he displayed in his game this afternoon. He’s the kind of player every team wants. He gives his all every play, plays elite defense, and is always looking to take a charge in defensive rotations.

2024 Austin Swartz (17u Team Charlotte)

I was excited to watch Team Charlotte’s 17u team play today because I know they have a really deep team with a ton of talent. But no surprise to the people that know him, rising junior Austin Swartz played great today. In a win over 17u HYB Raps Extreme, he scored 20 points on great efficiency. It wasn’t an easy 20 either, it was full of tough layups and step back threw pointers. It’s no question he’s one of the best shooters in the state, he throws up deep threes as if he was playing on a mini hoop. His confidence and handle makes him an extremely hard player to guard and he can shoot and score from anywhere.

2023 Evan Montanari (17u PSB Elite)

Pro Skills Basketball is known for producing very fundamentally sound teams that are capable of winning at a high level. Their point guard, rising senior Evan Montanari, stood out to me as an embodiment of their team in that he is a fundamentally great player but also very flashy and fun to watch. I’ve always loved watching and keeping up with Evan’s journey and he definitely didn’t disappoint today. He notched 18 points in a 66-52 win over Flight 22. He was a huge leader for his team and passed the ball exceptionally well. His dribbling creates so many opportunities for him and his teammates to score the rock. He has a very fluid jumpshot and can be relied on consistently to score for his team. He’s an extremely entertaining player to watch and will be very successful at the next level.

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