Alex Schwartz, Cincinnati Recruiting, Clemson Recruiting, Georgetown Recruiting, Indiana Recruiting, Iowa State Recruiting, Kansas Recruiting, North Carolina State Recruiting, Providence Recruiting, Rutgers Recruiting, Seton Hall Recruiting, South Carolina Recruiting, UNC-Wilmington, VCU Recruiting, Villanova Recruiting, Virginia Recruiting, Virginia Tech Recruiting, Wichita State Recruiting

HOOP GROUP’S SOUTHERN JAM FEST: DAY THREE

by Alex Schwartz

HAMPTON, Va. – Sunday was the final day of the 2012 Hoop Group Southern Jam Fest and champions were crowned in the afternoon. Team Takeover beat BWSL Woods, 77-53, to win the U15 Gold championship and Team Takeover also won the U16 Gold championship with an 82-75 victory over the SC Raptors Elite. The U17 Gold title went to Garner Road, who beat UA Baltimore’s Fines, 49-44, in the championship.

TOP PERFORMER

Therence Mayimba: While the Team Takeover U16 team has several players who are more well-known, Mayimba was terrific in both the semifinals and championship. A 6’7 combo forward who attends Montrose Christian (MD), Mayimba is a bouncy player with a great frame. The 2014 prospect repeatedly sliced right down the lane past defends and to the rim, where he showed nice body control in air. He handles the ball pretty well and also does a nice job of getting rebounds. Mayimba has room to continue to improve as a player and will be someone whose stock will rise as time goes on.

TOP SLEEPER PERFORMER

Scott Spencer: BWSL Kelly made a surprise run to the championship game of the U15 Gold bracket and Spencer used that contest to show what he can do. He was the game’s top scorer, with 15 points, which accounted for nearly 30% of his team’s total in the lopsided defeat. Spencer is a 6’4 shooting guard who has great length and nice athletic ability. He is a bouncy wing who can really jump, but he is by no means only about his physical tools. Spencer has a nice midrange jumper from the baseline that he utilizes as well.

OTHER TOP PERFORMERS

Phil Booth: The 6’3 shooting guard out of Mount St. Joseph (MD) was fantastic for Team Takeover in its U16 championship game victory, leading all scorers with 23 points. Booth has a strong build and quality athleticism, allowing him to be effective around the rim amongst bigger players. The 2014 prospect can hit shots from beyond the arc as well as handle the rock.

Walter Broddie: A 6’2 shooting guard who runs with the U15 Maryland’s Finest team, Broddie is a superb scorer who just finds ways to put the ball in the cup. Broddie, a 2015 recruit out of St. John’s (DC), had 22 points in his team’s semifinal loss to Team Takeover. He is capable of hitting jumpers as well as attacking off the bounce and finishing at the rim.

Dante Buford: Now a class of 2014 prospect at the Oakwood School (NC), Buford was impressive for the SC Raptors Elite in both a U16 quarterfinal win over Sports U and the title game loss. He is an undersized power forward at 6’6, but he has major athletic ability and he can really leap. Buford is pretty active, rebounds, scores, and can block shots.

Bryant Crawford: On a loaded Team Takeover U15 team, the 6’2 shooting guard from Gonzaga (DC) is not one of the bigger names, but he is a talented kid. A 2015 recruit, Crawford has nice length for his position and is adept at scoring the ball and can really get to the cup off the dribble.

Jawun Evans: A 5’11 point guard in the class of 2015 playing for the SC Raptors Elite U16 team, Evans is a major talent who looks to have a bright future. The Southside (SC) star might be a touch undersized, but he has a superb feel for the game, terrific handles, and nice quickness. Additionally, he can knock down shots from beyond the arc and was the leading scorer in the U16 championship, with 23 points, including 6/6 shooting at the line.

Ken Grant: The 6’8 power forward is reclassifying to 2014 and will transfer out of East Orange (NJ), according to his Sports U U16 coach, Eric Harrield. Regardless of his class, it is clear that Grant has improved as a player and he has become a monster on the glass, grabbing rebounds left and right in his team’s quarterfinal loss to the SC Raptors. A well-built pure post player, Grant finishes well and contests shots at the other end.

Franklin Howard: Although he did not put up huge numbers in the scoring column, the 6’4 shooting guard from Gonzaga (DC) seemed to put up more points than he actual did due to his effectiveness. A member of the stacked Team Takeover U15 team, Howard has good height for a young guard to go along with nice athleticism and court vision. He actually has some tools to play the point if needed and is a major prospect in the 2015 class.

Justin Jenifer: Despite being only 5’9, the point guard from John Carroll (MD) is a superb player who can both score and distribute the ball. A 2015 recruit who plays for the Team Takeover U15 group, Jenifer led his squad with 24 points in the semifinals and tied for the team-high with 11 in the title game. He can hit shots from beyond the arc and has nice court vision that allows him to hit the open man.

Tyrone Outlaw: The 6’5 class of 2013 small forward was a big part of Garner Road’s blowout of Team Philly in the U17 quarterfinals. Outlaw, who attends Person County (NC), is an athletic wing who makes plays at the offensive end. He can throw down a nice dunk as well as connect on shots from midrange.

RECRUITING NOTES

Dante Buford listed scholarship offers from UNC-Wilmington and Wichita State. He said he is receiving interest from Clemson, Virginia Tech, Iowa State, North Carolina State, and VCU. Buford has no favorites and is thinking that he will likely commit during his final year of high school. Iowa State, Clemson and UNC-Wilmington were the three programs he said are pursuing him the hardest right now.

Marcus Derrickson, an elite 2015 recruit for the Team Takeover U15 squad, said he has offers from Indiana, Georgetown, Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina State, Villanova, and about five others. A 6’7 power forward from Paul VI (VA), Derrickson has no favorites and is “keeping all options open.” He has no timetable for a decision.

Jawun Evans is still in the early stages of his recruitment and does not yet claim any scholarship offers. He said that Clemson and South Carolina are the only two schools that have shown interest in him thus far. Evans mentioned that he grew up a Kentucky fan.

Quadri Moore, a class of 2014 prospect out of Linden (NJ), listed scholarship offers from Seton Hall, Providence, Rutgers, Cincinnati, and Georgetown to go along with interest from Kansas. A 6’8 power forward who plays for Sports U’s U16 team, Moore said he has no favorites and no timetable for a commitment. As for who is recruiting him the hardest, he remarked, “Well Rutgers has been lately, the past couple weeks, but mainly [it has been] Seton Hall and Georgetown and a little bit of Cincinnati.”

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