2023 Best of the South: 16U Standouts III
ATLANTA, Ga.—In a few days, the 16U division of Best of the South will take a step forward as the travel season ends and the current 17U guys move on.
We spent a lot of time in 16U in order to get prepared for next season. We continue to discuss the division’s standouts with this group of notable players.
Related: 2023 Best of the South Content Hub
Well, we’ve seen Florida Pro have a lot of success with twins in the past, and they have another duo in their organization that can hang points on the board in a hurry. One half of the Maxon Twin tandem, Christian Maxon lit it up at Best of the South. He’s as deadly of a 3-point shooter as there is in Florida, and limiting that statement to a state-specific scope may be doing him a disservice. It wasn’t a surprise to see him hit 6 3-pointers en route to 31 points. The surprise came when he missed a shot. What I love about Maxon is that I seldom see him take unnecessary or bad shots. - Josh Tec
From one shot maker to another. Rhett Broussard was another in the 16U division capable of going on a heater from beyond the arc. His 3-point shots is one of his best assets, but Broussard isn’t limited to that. He also showed that he can handle primary creation duties when needed. Broussard is a player that keeps impressing with each viewing. - Josh Tec
Team Scoot TJ’s big men got a lot of love throughout the weekend for good reason, but point guard Jaylen Richardson was tremendous for them throughout the weekend. He can get to where he wants to go with the ball via crafty drives. He has good feel at the PG spot and is a good decision maker when he gets into the teeth of defenses. Richardson is a guard we’ve been high on for a while, and he looks poised to be able to take a step forward during the high school season. Richardson is a player that could keep climbing up state rankings with coming updates.
2026 guard Jason Welborn has spent a lot of time playing up this year, and he’s proven himself time and time again. At Best of the South, Welborn added another notch in his belt with an explosive weekend with Champions Chance. Welborn is a naturally gifted scorer. He’s at his best when getting downhill, and when he’s cooking, he’s hard to keep from getting all the way to the basket. He’s young, but he’s not afraid to test his athleticism by rising up for dunks. He’s been a 2026 guard that has impressed since March. His story is developing in a significant way ahead of his sophomore year. - Josh Tec
I guess this has become the inadvertent shooters portion of our 16U coverage. The Jax Eagles had plenty of success over the weekend and guard Will Moore was one of the reasons why. He can rattle off several threes in a row, which opens up the rest of his game. Moore uses his threat as a shooter to attack closeouts and get easier looks at the rim.
Garrett Shoemaker, Corey Brewer Select Titans: Garrett Shoemaker emerged as a prospect with plenty of potential with the Corey Brewer Select Titans. He’s a wing with size and a developable skillset. Shoemaker has good shooting touch and can keep growing in that department. For his size, he’s a solid ball handler and can make some plays with the ball in his hands. He had multiple double-figure scoring games and was one of the most consistent players on this 5-1 team. - Josh Tec