OTR Elite 32 – Friday Standouts (Rickers) – July 11, 2023

MARIETTA, Georgia, – The Elite 32 is always one of the marquee events on the OTR calendar and this year didn’t disappoint. Top teams from across the country gathered in Atlanta and the baselines were lined with college coaches from every level. Here are a couple of players that embraced the big stage on Friday.

By: Cam Rickers

2025 PG Tylan Lewis – Team Mookie

Team Mookie brought the dogs out this weekend and while Tylan Lewis played with the 2025 team, he was still one of the top point guard prospects in the 17u division. Lewis first caught my eye last summer and he’s added some muscle to his frame since then, polish to his skillset as well. He thrives in the mid-range and scored a ton of points off pull-up jumpers. It’s a scary sight when Lewis can get to the launch pad and one defender learned that the hard way on Friday. It’s only a matter of time before Lewis begins picking up D1 offers.

2024 G Damon Folds – AOI

We’ve gotten to see AOI a healthy amount on this year’s OTR circuit and Tyson Wilson has typically been the showstopper but his backcourt accomplice Damon Folds was the one getting it done on Friday. Coaches often say that undersized point guards need to be particularly elite in one facet of the game. For Folds, it’s his passing. He’s got special vision, able to find teammates out of the corner of his eye or anticipate defensive movements before they happen. His three-ball is also affective and was working for him on Friday. Folds walked away from the event with his first offer from Rivier University.

2024 C Stefano Alleso – Game Speed Elite

It didn’t take long for buzz to build around Stefano Alleso, a 7-footer with unique passing ability and some clear European influence in his game. His style of play is very Jokic-like, not the best athlete but a big body that can score in a number of ways or zip it to an open set of hands. Several times we saw Alleso run the fast break and he was excellent, moving defenders with his eyes and making quick reads. Based on what I saw this weekend, Alleso has high-major written all over him but he told me that he’s yet to receive any offers.

2024 G Jaeden Rush – SW Illinois Jets (Rush)

There aren’t too many players that upped their stock the way that Jaedan Rush did this weekend. We got a 2OT thriller on Friday night between the SW Illinois Jets and Wood Elite South, Jaeden Rush going for 27 and hitting the buzzer-beater to force OT with one shoe on. Yes, one shoe. Rush is a skilled and crafty ball-handler that can create his own look. He’s got deep range and a ton of confidence behind his jumper. The next step for Rush is adding some bulk and proving he can defend at the next level. Offensively, he’s got the talent.

2024 SF Jemeh Jones – Q6 All-Stars

The Q6 All-Stars came to Atlanta and pulled out one gutsy win after another which really speaks volumes about their coaching and conditioning. While each player had a vital role, I thought Jemeh Jones carried the most intrigue as a college prospect and he helped himself a lot this weekend. Jones is a big, athletic wing that can play all over the floor. He’s a great on-ball defender, times up shots really well when contesting. Offensively, he shot it well from both the mid-range and beyond the arc. Jones also added a couple of highlight dunks to the weekend’s resume. He surely added his name to a number of boards.

Cam Rickers has lived in Georgia his whole life and joined OTR as scout/evaluator this spring. He spent the year prior scouting for PrepHoops, working hard to make a name for himself within the grassroots scene. In addition to his work for OTR and PrepHoops, he is also the Recruiting & Scouting Director for Wood Elite. You can reach him at camrickers12@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @CamRickersHoops