By: Noah McKenzie
5’10 2026 Zamarius Gladden (Team Loaded NC 13u) is talented way beyond his years. He led the way today for a talented Team Loaded squad doing everything on offense and defense. On both ends, he relentlessly pursued rebounds, and goes to the floor often. On offense, he’s primarily a slasher and rim attacker utilizing his athleticism, but he can knock down the 3 as well. What impressed me most was his passing in the lane. He has the unique ability to infiltrate the paint and find his teammates in close spaces. The already well-rounded guard will do nothing but get better as he continues to grow and develop.
6’2 2024 Wyatt Kohout of Team Hickory 15u displayed his versatility extremely well today. He can score in a myriad of ways, guard many positions, and he brings so much to the court. The guard knocked down multiple heavily contested threes and his form is textbook. However, his bread and butter is the drive as he can finish with both handles and possesses many moves to score over shot blockers. Defensively, his passion for the game and teammates really shows. His the first to dive on a loose ball and pick up his teammates. Overall, a well-rounded player, with plenty of time to mature his game.
6’3 2024 Oliver Roberts (Juice All-stars NC Whitehead) was one of the most efficient players today. The lengthy and athletic guard does it all on offense and defense. He can knock down the three, but his pull-up jumper is his go-to shot. He’s a menace when attacking the rim, and his bounce makes him hard to stop. Roberts displays a stellar basketball IQ, always making the right pass. Defensively, his athleticism enables him to guard many positions. When he gets a few more years of growth under his belt, he’ll be a great addition to a college program.
5’10 2024 Chance Gladden (Juice All-stars NC Whitehead) simply has the scoring gene. Gladden’s offensive game has all the tools to compete at the next level. His stroke is pure and quick, so he cannot be given any space as he demonstrated tonight knocking down 7 threes. He showed his ability to finish acrobatically not only with his dominant hand but also flipping in tough layups all night with his left. To complement his scoring abilities, he holds great passing vision, and the ability to take care of the ball. Given a few years to get taller and stronger, this kid will be hard to stop.