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2023 Roundtable: WHO HAD THE BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW THIS SEASON?

16, Aug 2023

2023 Roundtable: WHO HAD THE BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW THIS SEASON?

The HoopSeen stage has seen some memorable moments over the last decade and some of the most important prep stars have chapters on our platform. When we look back on our history guys like Jaylen Brown, Anthony Edwards, Zion Williamson, Scoot Henderson and the Thompson Twins have written big chapters of their story. 

We asked our staff in the 2023 roundtable the simple question - Who had the best individual performance this season from your point of view? 

JUSTIN YOUNG: In 2023, we saw the Eli Ellis book add some big chapters. At the Carolina Jam, he and his Team Loaded squad were paired up with Team United. This was adidas vs Nike. This was a grouping of some of the very best players from the state of North Carolina in the center of the state, right on the floor of the Raleigh Convention Center. 

You had to find a square foot to stand out to see the game. It was shoulder to shoulder, back to front and up and down. The size of the crowd and energy surrounding the floor matched the expectations. 

We saw Ellis put on an epic show. Ellis pumped in 21 straight points for Team Loaded and opened up the game in a big way. He finished with 27 points and was viral (big surprise) nationwide that weekend. It was a brilliant effort on the most exciting stage we had all season long. Click HERE for the game story.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Brent Hammer (@hammergfx)

 

JOSH TEC: I don’t know how often a player from the 15U division has earned postseason superlatives outside of division-specific categories, but TNBA’s Rylan Kelly is certainly deserving of a place in the discussion after the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions performance that cemented his place on our radars.

On championship Sunday, Kelly put on performances that had our staff and the rest of the onlookers buzzing. His natural ability and developable skill were on display en route to hoisting a trophy at the prestigious event. Kelly was a star under the bright lights while going up against similarly talented players. It was a day that opened plenty of eyes and marked him as a prospect to follow moving forward.

 

GARRETT TUCKER: I thought No Guts No Glory forward Isaiah Otyaluk had one of the most impressive outings of the spring back in April at the Atlanta Jam. The long, wiry forward put on a shooting clinic making seven three-pointers and scoring 24 points — all in the first half. 

Otyaluk, a First Team All-HSA honoree, ultimately ended the game with 34 points, but his shot-making and scoring ability was on full display in the first frame. Whether it was in transition or in the half-court, the sniper was locked in and couldn’t miss. That was the game that Otalyuk really burst onto the scene for me, and, as you can probably tell, he never looked back.

 


Justin Young
Editor-in-Chief

Justin Young has been the editor-in-chief of HoopSeen.com since 2013. He manages the day-to-day operations on the site and in conjunction with our national and regional events. He was the national basketball editor for Rivals.com and a contributing editor at Yahoo! Sports. Young has been earned numerous awards for his work in sports journalism, including the Georgia Press Association Columnist of the Year. His Justin Young Basketball recruiting service has been in existence since 2002 and worked with over 300 schools from all levels. He is the director of HoopSeen Elite Preview camps and our national Preview camp series.