OTR Hoops: Sweet 16 Standouts (JPM) – May 22, 2025

Thomas Thompson 6’6 G Garner Road Elite 2026 

Plays with a high motor and possesses a nice frame early. Had an effective jump shot and showed the will to do all the dirty work and take on any matchup assignment to win the game. Physical guard, effective with minimal steps and can defend multiple positions.

Hendrix Loughridge 6’10 F PSB 2026 

HL was a force in the paint and showed good flashes. Physical, good length and dunked everything around the rim. Showed off his touch with an acrobatic lay on one possession and also displayed some nice feet allowing him to switch on d easy and run the floor well.

Noah Banks 6’2 G Aj Bouye Elite 2025 (Unsigned) 

Strong defensive presence, good grit and showed the ability to be an impact player on that end of the ball. Understood his role well early and did his best to maximize it. Didn’t shoot or attempt to score much but capitalized on a heavily contested lay that showed a bit of the offensive ability and what he can contribute. Worth another look and can be a sneaky add for a team needing a defensive presence.

Trevor Manhertz 6’7 F Garner Road Elite 2026 

Might have been the one of the weekend’s top watch due to size and ability to score the ball. Long wing with a good feel for the court, knows his spots well, doesn’t second guess his abilities and has a good understanding of how to use his size to score the ball. Still a bit of a wiry frame, he will need to continue to work and devolve his body to handle that next level bump and more physical wings. Solid introduction to the circuit.

Caden Jackson 6’2 G Team Scoot 2026

Eyebrow raising guard with nice skill, a wide scoring bag and some loud athleticism. While getting caught up in the matchup and trying to make a statement he missed a couple of monster jams off the sheer strength, but still seeing that, had me intrigued due to confidence and his will to get 2 points. Shot the ball well and has the ability to score on 3 levels. Consistency and building his court iq will be key to his development.

Carter Turnbow 6’1 G Georgia Legacy 2026 

Tabbed him as a pure hooper earlier in the circuit, CT continues to show up and show out. Nothing fancy, nothing extra, just pure basketball and routine winning styles of play. He’s very competitive, does a good job leading his team and is willing to take on any role for the win. CT plays through contact well, displays good vision, and knows his sports on the court to score.

Jakobe Williams 6’0 G Team Tatum 2026 

is as smooth as they come at the guard spot and is one of the circuit’s smoothest players. He has a strong will to compete and as the game gets competitive more of his dog side comes out. In the matchup against WR All Stars that came down to the wire, it wasn’t a question of if he was going to take the last shot. Gets to the rim with effortless ability, has a tight handle and finishes at a high rate. Not one to overlook much longer.

Jacaiden Cone 6’3 G D-Lab Celtics 2026 

Had some deceptive length as he was able to get to the rim with quick steps due to his long strides. Tight handle, defends well and is able to disrupt ball handlers with his length. Knew that he was his team’s size as he fought for multiple rebounds and showed he’s willing to battle in the trenches for second chance points. Smooth player and worth another watch.

Rico Williams 6’4 G B4 Academy 2025 (Unsigned)

Williams is an unsigned talent, I like the efforts he played with especially in a live period. He did a lot of little things well with energy plays, defense and diving for loose balls. He seemed to be all over the court and have a hand in everything for B4 Academy. Good energy player that can provide momentum shifting plays and a second gear at the next level.

Dominion Bunch 6’5 F HESE 2027 

One of the more intriguing players on the weekend. His size stood out out the gate and he helped lead a big second half charge when the team decided to play through him. Sturdy in the post and displayed good vision out the block, along with showing a nice touch around the rim.

Nate Perry 6’2 G Flagler United 2026 

Had that stocky frame you look for in a guard/wing type of player and used it to his advantage. Strong, effective midrange game and does a good job attacking and getting to the ft line for easy makes.

DJ Hines 6’2 G Oviedo Magic 2027 Masters Academy 

Caught the attention early. Good energy on both sides of the play and plays with a high motor. Created well off the dribble and had some nice wiggle getting to the lane. Confident performance and worth another look

Jermichael Stewart 6’1 G Dirty South Elite 2027

JS brought good energy on both sides of the ball and set the tone in his Friday night matchup. Active defensively he liked to pick up full court, active hands and was always disrupting the ball handler motions. Offensively he could get to the rim with ease, played quick, got two feet in the paint with ease and played fast. Quick twitchy guard whose motor alone will be too much for kids his age.