Throughout the week, we've unveiled our All-HSA teams. From 15U to the third and second 17U teams, we've covered some of the best of the best when it comes to the association's talent. We conclude our week's celebration with the HSA MVP and the 17U first team nominees. 

 

Catch up on the rest of the coverage below. 

 

17U Second Team | 17U Third Team | 16U | 15U

 

MVP 

 

 

 

What else can we say about the Atlanta All-Stars point guard that we haven’t already said? He has been an absolute killer on our platform for a number of years and only leveled up along the way.

 

Rechsteiner was the best shooter we saw all season long, regardless of league or affiliation. He was clutch from deep and was a force to be reckoned with on the perimeter. If the shot was open, the ball barely touched the net. 

 

His recruitment skyrocketed after a big spring, earning offers from all of the mid-major powers. When June hit, his recruitment took on a high-major flavor. From there, Rechsteiner listened to a lot of pitches from a number of programs from the Power 5 level. Ultimately, he chose Virginia Tech. Coach Mike Young and his staff are no strangers to finding players on the HoopSeen platform. The Etowah (GA) HS product is a perfect fit for the Hokies head man and his style of play. 

 

The toughness, work ethic and mindset that Rechsteiner plays with should make him a fan favorite in Blacksburg. - Justin Young 

First team

 

 

 

Team Trezz was a trending team all season long and one of the reasons why was the play of the 6-foot-6 wing from XX. Byrd was one of the most impressive prospects playing independent basketball this season across the country. He was a mixture of size, versatility, shot-making and high-flying athleticism. 

 

If there was a constant to this season, his inclusion in our top performers was it. Byrd made the top lists at the Best of the South, Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions, Grassroots Showcase and the Carolina Jam. That’s a gauntlet of events to be considered one of the best. Those were some of the biggest events of the season as far as number of teams and the depth of talent. - Justin Young 

 

Byrd was at his best, perhaps, at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions. Justin Byerly had high praise for Byrd after his play on the most historic stage in grassroots basketball. 

 

Byerly wrote: 

 

“Not many guys have come through the first two live periods and The Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions in recent memory that have been able to score as consistently as Byrd. He has been a guy that has willed the game on his shoulders for Team Trezz. Whenever they needed a big bucket for the last two events, Byrd has been that guy. At the collegiate level, Byrd is an impact guy at the right fit. He has the length and the natural scoring instinct to translate over to the next level. He can shoot it from the perimeter but he is at his most dangerous when he is attacking the rim. With his length and size, there are not many guys that can guard him. He is a full qualifier at the Division I level.” 

 

 

 

If one guy showed what our stage can do for recruitment, it was Alston. Coming into the travel season, Alston held one offer. When the travel season ended, he would walk away with six offers to play at the next level. 

 

Alston is a long and lanky wing prospect that can cause a lot of damage on the floor with his length and his skill-set. He can stretch the floor and pull defenders out of the paint while trying to halt all of the ways that Alston can hurt you. - Justin Byerly

 

Throughout the travel season, Alston was named a top-performer in Louisville at our Grassroots Showcase and The Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions earning this write-up. 

 

“Alston is one of those guys that isn’t really flashy or loud, he just gets his work done on the floor. I love this Team Trezz team and how hard they play, a lot of that comes from Alston. He brings the energy when he is in the game by playing hard, every play. He is always around the ball, whether it is rebounds, blocking shots, loose balls or getting out in transition, you can guarantee that Alston is going to be near the play. He was battling all weekend with some big men that have committed or are getting interest at the highest level.”

 

 

Not many players saw a spike in their stock throughout the spring like Brigham Rogers. The Atlanta Allstars forward went into the spring as a no-brainer for mid-major programs, but he was still waiting on the offers. That changed quickly at the Grassroots Showcase in April when the dam broke and Rogers saw offers flow in for the remainder of the spring and summer. 

 

We saw Rogers as a high-level, physical rebounder and rim protector. This Allstars team prides itself on defense, and Rogers presence down low certainly anchored that. Where he impressed the most was in his offensive versatility. At 6-foot-9, Rogers is a skilled forward that can hurt you from all over the floor. From the paint to the perimeter, Rogers can score and make plays from anywhere. 

 

When Rogers committed to Casey Alexander and Belmont in June, we couldn’t have loved the fit more for both parties. The Bruins have made a reputation as one of the best mid-major programs in the country with guys like Rogers.  - Josh Tec

 

Justin Young had high praise for the big man after the Grassroots Showcase. He wrote: 

 

“Rogers had one of the best showings of any big man here in the field at the Grassroots Showcase. He’s tough around the rim, active above it and productive in transition. From a consistency standpoint, the post from Atlanta was tops in his position during the four games of action. What a weekend from him. The Atlanta All-Stars consistently place talented post players in college. Rogers is certainly next. His recruitment has legs and will continually grow into a priority player. Head coaches from Belmont, Lipscomb and Indiana State were on hand to see him - and the rest of the All-Stars - on the final day of action.”

 

 

Saran has been one of our favorite guards during the HoopSeen travel season. He made a case as the best point guard that we saw throughout the year. The 6-foot-3 lead guard was poised, understood his role and made the most of every opportunity that was in front of him. 

 

He played his way into multiple offers during the travel season and the June scholastic period. He ended up raking in new offers from Denver, Winthrop, Binghamton and UNC-Wilmington. 

 

What did he do in front of us? Just impress every event he was at. 

 

In April he was named to the first team of The Grassroots Showcase Top Performers, “Saran is a skilled prospect who is always under control. Saran is a good passer with court vision and is a good positional rebounder with a high basketball IQ. Saran is a member of the Turkish National Team and is now at Asheville School in North Carolina. He was a double-digit scorer most of the weekend and when he was on the floor, the game seemed to flow better,” our Justin Byerly wrote. 

 

At the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions, Saran earned a spot on the second team of the top performers list. We wrote, “For the last two weekends we have been out, Louisville and The Bob Gibbons, one thing for 1 of 1 Elite has been a constant, Derin Saran is going to keep them in games. He has a high basketball IQ and handle, coupled with size at the guard spot. When the ball is in his hands, the game flows better for 1 of 1 Elite and he is the reason. He can break down defenders, he has the height to score over smaller guards and he is either getting fouled or he is making the shot when he penetrates the lane. With a broken wrist, Saran knew that his shot was going to be off from the perimeter so all weekend, he made it a point of driving into the lane, either scoring or finding the open teammate. Saran has the tools for the mid-major level of college basketball and with a strong summer, he can start to scratch the surface of some high-major programs with his toughness and his ability to lead a team.” 

 

 

When you are counted amongst the best of the best from two of the biggest and best events of the 2022 season, you are doing something right. Montgomery was in that category. He did so by being a major problem in the backcourt for Florida PRO as a creator, scorer, defender and interchangeable guard for one of the toughest teams in the HSA. 

 

He is, in my opinion, the most criminally underrecruited player that I saw this season. That said, Montgomery will be at Hargrave Military Academy this season and should be a major target for college coaches when they hit the road again in the fall. - Justin Young

 

Our Brianna Patton had high praise for Montgomery after his showing in Louisville for the Grassroots Showcase. She wrote: 

 

“Florida Pro collected three statement wins over some of the top independent teams in the country, and De’Shayne Montgomery was a large reason why. The 6-foot-5 wing is crafty, versatile, athletic, and has the intangibles you want to see out of a prospect. My first game watching him against 3D Empire, he opened the game up with two powerful back-to-back dunks that left the gym buzzing. As you can imagine with most athletic wings, he shines in transition. Defensively, he caused a ton of turnovers with his disruptive play on that end.”