OTR Hoops: Who Wants the Smoke – Day 1 Top Performers (Sandy) – May 13, 2024
Who Wants The Smoke: Day 1 Top Performers
By: Kyle Sandy
2026 6-1 G Terrance Badio – Upward Stars Carolinas – Butler (Pictured)
An explosive 23-point first half set the tone in Upward Stars Carolinas’ 72-53 win over the South GA Tarheels. Terrance Badio was all over the floor, a one-man wrecking crew that the Heels struggled to contain. Badio consistently converted defense into offense, hounding ball handlers before turning them over and scoring in transition. Terrance scored with both hands and played above the rim. While the fastbreak opportunities supplied the highlights, Badio was effective in the halfcourt as well. He netted a pair of corner threes, scored on putbacks and looked smooth getting into his jump shot. Badio finished with 27 points, 9 rebounds and 6 steals. Colleges coaches will like what they see with the hard-playing slick guard.
2026 6-3 W Kameron Walker – South GA Tarheels – Monroe
Standing around 6-foot-3 if not slightly taller, Kameron Walker has the physical tools and an interesting skill set to become a college prospect. Walker passes the eye-test with his size, strength and athleticism. The bouncy swingman punishes the rim and elevates to swat away shots. Kam scored from all three levels on Friday night. He sank a pair of threes, scored on a putback, a dunk, a drive and hit two jumpers, one via a post turnaround. Walker is capable of defending in the post and on the perimeter. Playing hard for the duration of the game will allow him to reach his intriguing ceiling.
2025 6-8 F Daniel Daramola – Team Forrest – Greenforest
Daniel’s length and leaping ability eventually wore on the smaller Bo Bell Elite as Daramola recorded 13 points, 12 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks. Daniel is a great athlete for his height, a gazelle running the floor and a jumping jack off the ground as he soars to snag rebounds and alter shots. Daramola will occasionally clear rebounds and push the ball coast-to-coast. Daniel’s defense and rebounding are still ahead of his offense, but he shows upside in developing post moves with a hook shot as a valid weapon. He scored on a putback, a dunk and a steal for his three field goals while shooting 7-11 from the foul line.
2025 6-1 G KJ Harper – Team Forrest – Greenforest
KJ is a sharp athlete. He makes quick, decisive moves and gets great separation as he loses defenders. Harper breaks off eurosteps to split the defense and finishes with both hands on his floaters. KJ posted 6 points, 5 rebounds and 1 steal in an overtime win against Bo Bell Elite. Expect a big senior season as Harper will have plenty of chances to both score and distribute.
2026 5-10 PG Bryce Howson – Bo Bell Elite – Decatur
It’s hard not to like Bryce Howson. He is a floor general at the point guard position. The playmaker elevates those around him as he creates scoring chances. Howson thrives as a drive-and-kick facilitator as he gets into the paint and either swings the ball to the natural pitch man in the corner or jumps and rotates to find the safety valve man behind him for open threes. Howson utilizes changes of speed to slip past defenders and finish in traffic. In a tough 47-45 overtime loss to Team Forrest, Howson tallied 7 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal.
2026 6-5 F Joseph Taylor – Hoop Avenue Black – Chapel Hill
New to the game of basketball with just one year of structured ball under his belt, Taylor flashes potential with his raw athleticism. Joseph has very good size and gets off the floor quickly. What really makes Taylor effective is how hard he plays. He goes after every rebound and is a strong rim protector. Most of his points come off garbage work, converting putbacks, but Taylor also showed he could score out of the pick-and-roll and short drives, finishing with dunks. In a shortened 24-17 win over Up Next, Taylor still managed to double-double with a robust 10 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
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