2025’s that proved at Who Wants the Smoke they deserve a close look from college scouts. By: Bilal Benjamin Jackson Robinson | 6’7” | Upward Stars (Pictured Above) Jackson Robinson, epitomizes the term “paint beast”. His style of play is characterized by physicality and a deliberate pursuit of contact on the court. Robinson’s proficiency around the rim is remarkable, boasting a high shooting percentage. He also demonstrates exceptional defensive prowess by effectively controlling the paint, showcasing his aggressive yet composed approach to the game. Robinson having zero offers is surprising, coaches don’t......
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These young hoopers left it all out there on the floor and put their teams on their backs to help capture the Spring Battleground Championship. By: Bilal Benjamin Casen Dowd | Team United | 10U MVP (Pictured Above) The young bully was a mismatch nightmare all throughout the Battleground Session lll as he was able to dominate the paint area. Taking advantage of everything that was given to him inside and not complicating the game by going away from what worked best. His hustle on the boards was unmatched, his concentration to......
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Shaquan Worthy’s Battleground Finals Evals 7th & 8th By: Bilal Benjamin Blaze Johnson | Atlanta Celtics | 2028 (Pictured) Johnson is a southpaw guard that showed his true shooting ability in championship action against a well-coached Handlelife team. Burying threes both off the catch and off the bounce, Johnson did it at his own pace. He created good separation out of isolation situations and made good reads to pull up out of the pick and roll action. The guard wasn’t one dimensional as he also made some strong attacks to the basket where......
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Shaquan Worthy’s Battleground Finals Evals 6th By: Bilal Benjamin Messiah Lancaster | Decatur Blazers (Pictured) Lancaster is a combo guard with strength and size that showed his unique ability to score the ball from all three levels. Off the bounce, Lancaster displayed a strong attack while properly using his body to play through contact and draw foul. He also showed off his court vision when it was time to dish the rock off to his teammates. When the ball wasn’t in Lancaster’s hands, he showed a nice shooting stroke from the outside......
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Shaquan Worthy’s Battleground Finals Evals 4th & 5th By: Bilal Benjamin Derrick Tatum Jr | J Smoove Celtics | 2031 Tatum Jr had it going in the championship game against Game Elite. The ball smothering guard wasted no time picking up his man full court, applying ball pressure and being a bug to his opponents. On the offensive end, Tatum Jr showed an ability to get a bucket whenever his team needed him to do so. He has a tight handle, a smooth floater game and also knows when to keep things......
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Here are underclassmen and middle schoolers who shone brightly at The Gauntlet. By: Bilal Benjamin Markel Holmes | 904 Elite | 6’0“ | 2027 | San Jose Prep (FL) (Pictured above on the left) Holmes had a 40 ball at The Gauntlet! He was on an absolute heater. In that game he set the tone with 22 points in the 1st half & picked up where he left off. Holmes is a two-way prospect and a three-level scoring threat. He is the full package at the guard spot. In transition, Holmes was......
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Here are the Prime Performers in the class of 2026 who opened eyes at The Gauntlet with consistent play. By: Bilal Benjamin Demari Bailey | Team Forrest | 6’0” | Griffin HS (GA) Bailey has been remarkable early in the travel season. He’s been a force for Team Forrest. Bailey is a crafty guard with good slashing abilities. Bailey has a habit of taking games over and not settling for the jumper but keeping pressure on defenses and relentlessly attacking the cup. Bailey has two years left and we expect him to......
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The younger groups are always fun to evaluate due to their nonstop competitiveness. 5th and 6th grade group energy and effort were unmatched. By: Bilal Benjamin 6th grade Isaiah Kelly | Tre Mann Elite Kelly made it rain all weekend for Tre Mann Elite. He had multiple games with 4+ threes made and one game he hit 5 threes. His sharpshooting wasn’t the only thing on display. Kelly used his body well as he drove to the basket and finished through contact. He leads by example with this group. They click on......
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As the 7th and 8th grade groups play for positioning at the Finals, these players looked to make a bigger name for themselves. By: Bilal Benjamin 8th grade Alexis Fuentes | Rivera Sports Black Although Rivera Sports Black had mismatches all over the floor, Fuentes was utterly dominant. The best player on the best team throughout Florida Battleground Session two. His on-court communication and footwork left defenders in awe. Fuentes would not be denied. A big that can score on all three levels with finesse and flare. Jordan Rivera | Rivera Sports......
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We highlight a few players from the class of 2026 who continuously position themselves to be highly sought after. Also, a lone 2027 prospect whose name has been buzzing. 2026 Emerson Mitchell | Tier 2 Elite | 5’8” | Dunwoody HS (GA) The Giant Killer! Mitchell is the real deal. Don’t let his diminutive stature fool you. He is an extremely humble and talented lead guard, who has a good balance of scoring and facilitating. His court vision has teammates loving to play with. Mitchell’s ability to read defenses and make quick......
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