by: Ethan Reece
2025 Jerquarius Stanback (NLPB)Length is something every coach wants and Jerquarius has so much of it to utilize. It impacts the game even more at his age, and he takes full advantage of it. Everything in the lane is his, defensively and offensively. His reach really helps him finish from all over and around guys. Showed awareness moving through the lane amongst others and finding teammates. I expect him to have a big spring and huge growth once he hits the weight room this summer.
2026 Aidan Rousseau (WCBA)Aidan was a major beneficiary of his teammates knowing where he was and him naturally following the ball. There’s less post up to his game and more catching dish offs and spotting up. His jumper is reliable and he finds his spots settling into the holes of the defense. Not truly a big, but he plays big for their style of guard-heavy small ball that relies on unselfish ball movement. He fills his role nicely and shows room for promising growth.
2026 Nate Jones (Carolina Legend)I really enjoy watching Nate play and know that every time I’ll be in for some good basketball. The young guard is a bucket getter that naturally fills it up but also just looks to always make the right play for his team. It’s amazing how easily he operates on the court and how quick he can get going. His team provides a lot of balance so that there’s no pressure on him to score, but he’s so dangerous with the ball in his hands as a constant creator.
2028 Trent Moody (RDC Lakers)There’s something about watching these really young kids that was enjoyable with how they competed. Trent brought a lot of energy and showcased sheer dominance. At this age, a clear separator in skill level is the ability to handle the ball. And Trent can do it plus more, combine that with his size and athleticism and he creates a force that’s too much to handle. They ran a press and allowed him to play right into his strengths, gets to the basket a lot and puts you in foul trouble, then cashes in at the line.
2026 Nick Arnold (EAT Academy)Nick was instrumental in his team’s success this weekend, in what was a strong competitive 14u bracket. He’s someone who won’t be denied, plays hard, and makes a lot of tough hustle plays. Finds the ball naturally filling his role as a rebounder but strikes as someone who just flat out competes. He made play after play getting whatever the team needed done and is trusted to handle the pressure. He’ll be a pain in opposing coaches’ sides this spring.