2024 All American City Tournament Report
Saturday April 13, 2024
From Tupelo HS and TCPS
Tupelo, MS
Here is some notes on the top performers I saw on Saturday at the All American City Tournament.
2024
Dallas Pounds (6-5 F New Site) Ballers: Dallas is an unsigned senior that I would hate to see his playing career come to an end. He is way too talented to not be playing on the next level. He was the best player I saw Saturday. Dallas plays the 2 or 3 with his great outside shooting. He has very solid handles for his size. He rebounds at a high level. He can clear a defensive rebound and get the ball up the court in a hurry. He finishes after contact around the rim.
2025
Sanchez Brooks (6-1 SG Starkville) Day 1: Brooks is a lights out, knockdown shooter. He was always ready to fire the ball up when it swung his way.
Baylon Middleton (5-9 SG Tishomingo County) ISSA Flash: Baylon connected on some really long range shots. She was able to shoot the ball well and she got her shots off fast.
Michael Banks (5-10 PG Lake Cormorant) Mississippi Falcons: Banks is about the perfect definition of a true point guard. He is a high level ball handler and a very skilled passer. He was a team leader distributing the ball around to his teammates. He was also able to get to the rack when he needed to.
Tim Holliday (6-2 G Itawamba) Mississippi Falcons: Holliday is a really great player. He uses his athleticism to explode on the rim. He erased shots all day long on the defensive end. He even had a block that erupted the crowd. He chased the opponent down from behind and pinned the ball against the backboard. He has a good outside shot and he showed he can score in multiple ways. He is a must see player for next level coaches.
Kyland Morgan (6-0 F Ingomar) ESD Elite: During the game I usually take my notes and jot down all the info I see from the game. I go get names and schools after the game to match up numbers with notes. When I got his name and school it all made sense. My notes were #3 is a garbage man. He cleans up all of the offensive boards and does all the small stuff other players don’t want to do. I put he was always in the right spot and moved well without the ball. He also played with a lot of hustle. When I found out he was from Ingomar it all clicked. He was playing like a typical Ingomar player and it was a nice surprise seeing that in AAU ball.
Brayden Jumper (6-0 SG Ingomar) Ballers: Another Ingomar player doing what Ingomar players do. He also shot the ball really well from behind the arc. He also knocked down mid-range jumpers.
Jer’Kel Ivy (6-1 PG East Webster) Tupelo Saints: I first saw Ivy in the division tournament this season and I really liked him. I saw him Saturday and I liked him even more. Let me make this known right now. He needs to be in the rankings somewhere. He has really good handles and can stop and pop a jumper on a dime. He has the fastest pull up J that I may have ever seen. He is a pure scorer that can score easily on all levels. One thing I found out Saturday was this man has hops. He caught an alley where he had to elevate high above the rim to get it then he killed the rim when he threw it down. That was a part of his bag I didn’t see before. His game reminds me of DeAnthony Tipler with hops. Next level coaches need to see him and get on him ASAP!
2026
Wilson McDonald (6-2 G Alcorn Central) Magnolia Pressure: It’s no surprise here. Wilson had a lot of steals. He just has a knack for getting the ball from the opponent. He is also a smooth guard on the offensive end when getting to the rim.
Charlie Burdette (6-1 G Starkville) Day 1: Charlie first got the attention of several people in Hoover a few weeks ago and he did the same thing in Tupelo. Here are some of the things I heard about him that I agree with. “He is a really smart player.” I agree, he has a very high basketball IQ. He understands spacing and being in the right spot on the court. He is also a very wise passer. “He can shoot the ball.” Yes he can shoot with a very quick release. He also plays gritty on ball defense. He plays full speed with a lot of hustle.
2027
Claire Ray (5-4 PG Tishomingo County) ISSA Flash: Ray is a very good point that can handle the ball at a high level. She is really good at playing the passing lanes on the defensive end. She could’ve easily been the starting point for most of the teams in northeast Mississippi this season as a sophomore. She was a key piece to the State Champions from Tishomingo coming off the bench. She should take over a starting role next season trying to help the Lady Braves repeat.
2030
Ocie Brown III (5-7 G Port Gibson Middle) Mississippi Celtics Elite: I watched the current Dandy Dozen and MS/AL All-Star Kameron Brown early in his career and I loved his potential. I would say he reached that potential and even surpassed it in some areas. I can see even more potential in his younger brother. The sixth grader has a bright future. He can shoot really well from the outside and looks like a man playing with boys on the court. He scored easily around the basket after snagging offensive boards. I project him to be a really big sized guard that could easily be one of the top players in his class if not the best.
Kaleb “Tank” Anderson (PG Northwest Rankin Middle) Mississippi Celtics Elite: Tank is a true point guard. It looked like he had more fun when setting up his teammates to score. He has really good handles and has an understanding of how games should flow. He defended hard and has really quick hands. He is going to be a good one to keep an eye on over the years as he develops and hits the high school ranks. As good as he was running the court he was even better off the court. I had an opportunity to speak with him for a few minutes after one of his games and he has a bright future off the court. He is very well spoken and extremely polite with a great attitude.
Magnolia Hoops 