2023 Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions Top 16U Performers
SUWANEE, GA - Truly, the 16U division of the Bob Gibbons TOC always, always provides must-see action for hoops heads. The talent is always high level, and there are plenty of opportunities to see players that may emerge as risers over the next year or so.
These are some of the top overall players we saw in 16U over the weekend.
Gibbons is such a great evaluator because of the bracket-style format, and it’s a platform with history. The games have a bigger feel, more magnitude. When someone leads a team to a championship at Gibbons, it elevates their profile, and 2026 guard Jacob Zhu did that for Team Person while playing up an age group. Zhu showed that he can thrive in pressure situations and on big stages. Example: down two with only enough time to get a shot off in a semi-final game, Zhu drills a 3-pointer to call game and advance Team Person. He’s confident in his game, and he has every reason to be. Zhu plays the PG role well with his vision and adept handle. He also has proven time and time again that he can light up a scoreboard from all over the floor. - Josh Tec
This Upward Stars 16 and under team is fun to watch because the entire roster is full of young dudes with length and versatility. Moore is one of them. He was the beneficiary of his team’s lineup because he had a lot of one on one opportunities. From there, Moore attacked the rim with fervor and purpose. He’s a great slasher with size who can finish above the rim with ease. When he’s open, he can hit perimeter shots with ease. I love his positional size. Charleston’s Porter Gaud program is no stranger to great collegiate players and Moore has the tools to be in that lineage of players from the prestigious private school in the Palmetto State. - Justin Young
Another impressive weekend from this Bad Boys group. They made a championship-game appearance in 16U, and Alex Pierre-Louis was at the core of their success yet again. It’s like clockwork with this guy. He delivers every weekend. Pierre-Louis is a potent scorer capable of filling it up from all levels. He’s option A when this group needs a bucket, and he has shown a knack for making clutch plays. In an OT semi-final game, Pierre-Louis was the one who came up with the game-deciding steal and bucket. One good weekend is great, a good weekend at Gibbons is even better, but this wasn’t a one-timer for Pierre-Louis. He’s been as consistent of a player as anyone on the HoopSeen platform this spring, and he proved it again on one of the biggest stages. - Josh Tec
Moustapha Diop is building out his resume quickly. Chapters in his story are filling up. The 6-foot-10, 2026 forward added a stellar outing at Gibbons this past weekend while playing up an age group. Anyone who watched him raved about him. It’s his size and length paired with his advanced foundational skill that had everyone buzzing. Most players his size and age don’t move the way he does. They don’t have the footwork or touch either. His entry point is further along, and he’s still far from reaching his potential in terms of physicality and skill. He protects the rim and routinely grabs somewhere around double-digit boards. Diop’s offensive game is vast already. He creates separation in the mid-range well and can knock down those shots consistently. He takes and can make shots consistently from deep too—that part of his game will keep getting better. He showed a little bit of everything for Game Elite this weekend. Expect to keep seeing more and more about him during the coming years. - Josh Tec
Fleming has gained some national notoriety this spring with his impressive scoring and nothing was different this weekend. In fact, the sophomore may have had one of those legendary Gibbons performances that we look back on in a few years, as he scored 30 points — 21 in the second half — to help his Atlanta Celtics team overcome a double-digit deficit against Team Huncho in the quarterfinals. The wiry, 6-foot-4 wing just has a knack for getting a tough bucket. He excelled at getting to the rim with his slithery slashing ability and finishing with contact at the rim, but he also showed he can score from the mid-range and beyond when needed. Either way, Fleming put together a prolific scoring weekend and etched his name in the ever-growing Gibbons top performance book. - Garrett Tucker
