2019 Global Elite Report
February 23-24, 2019
From MBA
Jackson, MS
Another year goes by when you think the talent can’t get any better you get surprised again. Every year there is a theme and this year wasn’t any different. Last year it was the really high level guards. This year it was the bigs, and I mean a lot of size coming up. This is one of my favorite camps to attend and It can’t get here fast enough as the high school season winds down. The camp was a two day event with some kids playing both days and some only being able to play one day due to other conflicts. I will provide some notes that I jotted down on several players that caught my eye. Every player there was top quality but here are a few that stood out to me. They are listed in no certain order in the report.
2023
Jacob Smith 6-4 C West Memphis (AR): My two words, long and raw. He has good size and length. You can see a bright future with him when it clicks. His raw potential is what caught the eye of all the scouts over the weekend.
James Dukes 5-11 SG Booneville: My thoughts, when his height catches up to his shoe size??? He is 5-11 wearing a size 15 shoe. His father is around 6-7 so logic says he’ll hit that same range. He’s a natural 2 guard now that shot the ball well this weekend.
Tavares Aldridge 6-5 C Houston (TX): My two words, big and long. His wingspan looked like it might be nearing upper 6’s or 7. He should be a premier shot blocker and rebounder in the future.
Kedric Osby 6-5 G/F Meridian (Kemper County): My two words, solid and potential. Why solid and not spectacular? I’m going with solid because he had a near mistake-free weekend. He does everything at a higher level, not greater but higher. He also does everything with high efficiency. The Coaches son plays with a high basketball IQ. He looks like he has been there and done that. His motor is pretty high but it’s at a calm pace. Now for potential. That is very high. He could’ve possibly took over the camp and dominated it. His ceiling is extremely high and he will be fun to watch develop in the following varsity years.
Samuel Gaylor 5-6 G Jackson: It’s was easy to see that he is a shooter. In one of the most intense and interesting games of the weekend he stepped up big with 3 three’s in a row during the 20 point comeback.
Roy Darden 5-4 G Hazlehurst: My two words, smooth and tough. He is so smooth that I actually wrote that he is on two different times in my notes. He is one tough little guard too. He can shoot and he scores smoothly around the basket. He was one of the nicer guards at the event.
Brayden Hughes 6-5 C Jackson: My two words, strong defender. When I say strong, I mean beastly strong. He is so powerful and was a huge presence on the defensive end. He will be a high end rebounder. He has potential to be a big-time post player dow nthe road.
Brendan Brown 6-1 G Raymond: One key word here, PLAYER. He can flat out play. He only showed up for day two but really stood out. He can score when he needs to. He is a next level passer. He runs the break really well and has a good feel for passing lanes. He rebounds solid and is a good defender. He has a chance to be one of the better players in his class in Mississippi.
Sam Stogner 6-3 F Brandon: My thoughts were solid and steady. He was consistently solid all weekend. He seemed to have the knack for being in the right places at the right times. He scored steady when given the opportunity.
Matthew Stokes 6-7 F/C Collierville (TN): He could’ve possibly been the best player at the event. He is super long and his ceiling is way up there. He is very active on both ends of the court. His on and off-court personality was felt anytime he was around. He is athletic and could even develop into a wing in the future.
Joshua Holman 6-5 G Jackson (Germantown): My two words are versatile and potential. He can play any position on the court. The big-body lefty handles the ball very well. The sky is the limit for him. He didn’t have the best weekend but he showed he has the potential to do whatever he wants to. He can easily be the best in his class.
Trevon Taylor 6-3 G Jackson: He is a long guard that’s a player. He can score when he needs to and does a little bit of everything on the court. He is another player that has a chance at being one the the best in his class.
Jacob Gazzo 6-7 F/C McComb (Parklane Academy): Two words, total package. He was another day two only guy and he was the most dominant player at the event. He played mostly down low but also showed that he can handle and get out in the open court. His skill was very advanced for his age. He showed that he has been very well trained with his play around the paint.
Rashad Williams 6-6 G/F Memphis (TN): Two words, energy and everything. He brought high energy to the court and was all over the place. He could handle. He scores with ease. He runs the team and controls the defensive end with his electricity. He has a chance to be as good as he wants to. He also has the ability to reclass to 2024 if he wants to.
Tye Gholar 6-3 G Jackson: Smart player. He is a guard with size that has a nice looking shot. He is a very smart player that was even doing something uncommon for a camp setting. He was coaching his teammates from the bench. He has a chance to be another top of the class guy in Mississippi.
Tyler Nichols 5-6 G Clinton: My two words, fast times two. He is smooth getting up and down the court. His hustle stands out going for loose balls and on the defensive end.
Isaiah Spencer 6-1 G Madison: He brought the most energy and hustle to the camp. The muscular guard does all the garbage stuff on the court that his teammates don’t want to do. It was a big disappointment that he was only there the first day. I was looking forward to seeing him the second day too.
John Kelly 6-5 C New Orleans (LA): My two words are size and length. He looked good roaming around the paint.
2024
Blake Reed 5-8 G Maysville (KY): Player, passer, shooter. This dude can do it all. The kids from Kentucky don’t really just say ball is life, they live it. He has heart and determination to not lose.
Rhodes McCarty 5-8 SG Tupelo (TCPS): If you let him get his feet set, it’s automatic. His mid-range jumper and long range shots were falling all weekend.
Trey Alexander 5-6 G Clinton: Smooth and solid. The guard brought hustle on both ends of the court.
Kidade Strode 4-3 PG Clinton: Third year watching him play, third year walking away as one of my favorite players. He has more heart and confidence than any player there. His ball handling is at a high level. He defends and hustles harder than any other player on the court. He has a high basketball IQ. He might always end up being the smallest guy on the court but he plays like he’s 6-3.
Jamaal Henderson 6-1 G/F Jackson: He has length with potential to develop into a very nice player over time.
Carter McClanahan 5-6 G Augusta (KY): Another one of the Kentucky guys that will catch you by surprise. He scores easy around contact at the basket. He has a high basketball IQ.
Carter Mullins 6-3 PG Clinton (Hillcrest Christian): He was only able to be there the first half of the day on Saturday because he was playing in the MAIS AAA State Championship game that night. Yes, as a seventh grader. He has quickly becoming my favorite player in the state to watch. He’s kinda got that Larry Bird look to him with a mixture of Pistol Pete. He has the look from the hair to the blonde spotty mustache. On the court, I see a little bit of both too. He has a mixture of both of their games too. He has the handles of Pistol Pete. He has rebounding of Bird. He scores from all areas on the court from his pull up three’s to finishing around contact. His passing is more on the showtime side. He still has a long way to go with his development but he is so far advanced at this stage. He is going to make waves in Mississippi over the next five years. He has potential to be a triple-double machine.
Terry Patton 5-8 G Pass Christian: He brought a defensive presence on Sunday that was unmatched.
Eric Paymon 6-5 G Terry: Size and skill. There is no limit to how high he can go. He rebounds, gets the ball up the court, finishes around the rim or can shoot from outside. His skills are way above where they should be and will continue to rise to unseen heights. He still has plenty of growing to do too.
Trey Petty 6-2 G Starkville: The player with the highest probable upside of any player there. He had a bad weekend after coming off a foot injury. He was a little slower and out-of-shape. Everything was coming up short for him. Don’t worry, let him get fully recovered from his injury. He will be a top guy in the state and possibly in the country. He is playing on a high school level already at such a young age.
Rocquez Thompson 5-6 G Jackson: He has that kinda “it factor.” He does a little bit of everything on the court and he plays with a swagger.
2025
Emajai Horton 5-7 PG Jackson: Strong guard with size for his age. He is very muscular. He had more of the true point feel with his game. He liked setting up his teammates to score.
Darrin Davidson 6-1 C Richland: Good size and length for his age.
Cayden Reed 5-7 G Maysville (KY): Here’s another Kentucky kid that lives for ball. He is skilled and can play. He can shoot and runs the breaks really well. You will be hearing about the Kentucky players for a long time.
2026
Sam Funchess Jr 6-1 Madison: Massive amount of potential to go with his size 15 shoes. He has a chance to be really good size and you can tell he is getting good training around the basket. He has some good length too.
Magnolia Hoops 