HOOVER, AL – The opening night of the 2021 #BamaJam tipped off on Friday evening at the state-of-the-art Finley Center with some of the South’s best travel programs in attendance. Multiple states throughout the Southeast are represented, and, as expected, the competition did not disappoint to start the loaded weekend of action.

Here are the top storylines from Friday night from our own Alabama set of eyes, Garrett Tucker…

NEXT UP AT RAMSAY

It didn’t take long to like what I saw from 2023 Birmingham (AL) Ramsay forward Kerrington Kiel. The 6-foot-5 forward was extremely impressive for the Steel City Gators 16U bunch in a convincing win over Hawks Elite to start things off at the Bama Jam.

Kiel (pictured above) did a great job of utilizing his length, size, and skill-set and taking advantage of the mismatch problems that presented themselves on the floor. The lefty has a well-rounded game and offensive arsenal. He mixed things up by hitting some mid-range shots from the floor, but Kiel’s bread-and-butter was his ability to finish around the rim and get to the free-throw line. His leadership traits were evident, too.

Kiel was a quality role player for 5A state runner-up Ramsay during the high school season. The sophomore averaged 10 points and seven rebounds per game for the Rams, but his team will require more from him next season. After losing Mississippi State signee Keshawn Murphy to graduation, Denton Johnson’s squad will have some opportunities present. I think it’s safe to say Kiel slides into a more important role for Ramsay during his junior campaign, and he’s a guy college coaches will want to familiarize themselves with. He sports a 4.0 GPA and is someone I could see playing in the Atlantic Sun or Big South conference.

PSB ELITE NASHVILLE IMPRESSES IN THE 17U DIVISION

I hope to see more tomorrow, but after I quick couple of glances, I feel pretty confident in saying that PSB Elite Nashville is going to make a deep run into tournament play this weekend.

The UA Rise squad is littered with talented prospects up and down, led by point guard J.J. Wheat. The 6-foot floor general is a quality prospect and above all else, a great winner. Pair him with Kristian Shaw and David Giddens on the wing and several quality pieces off the bench and you have a formidable lineup.

PSB Elite Nashville cruised to a 82-65 victory over All-Alabama to start their weekend at the #BamaJam.

PRO ONE FENDS OFF A SCRAPPY NORCROSS HEAT SQUAD

The Norcross Heat and Pro One tangled horns in what turned out to be one of the most entertaining games of the opening night of action in the 17U division. The Heat set the tone early with their scrappy play and defense and jumped out to an early lead over Pro One.

However, a couple of strong performances from the Pro One backcourt allowed the Alabama-based group to prevail in the win column. 2022 Oxford (AL) wing man Rylan Houck was phenomenal down the stretch, as he finished multiple times around the basket with contact. The athletic, bouncy wing embraces and relishes the physicality of the game and it showed on Friday. He led the way with 17 points to lead Pro One to the victory.

While those 17 points were important, no performance was more important than that of 2022 point guard Calen Lightford. Playing with no other point guard on the roster, Lightford was able to hold down the fort and keep control of the game from start to finish and ultimately seal the deal for Pro One.

The 5-foot-10 floor general from Sparkman (AL) High School made good decision after good decision throughout the game, not getting rushed or sped up by the opposing defense. He knocked down three 3’s in the first half, followed by another in the second half and finished with 15 points. Lightford’s sharp-shooting and ability to handle the basketball in high pressure situations helped the Pro One 17U group start off on the right foot for the travel season.

OTHER NOTES

• As we have said time and time again here at HoopSeen.com, there’s a lot to like about 2023 Vestavia Hills (AL) guard Win Miller. The sophomore impressed with his passing and playmaking ability for Pro One on opening night of the Bama Jam.
• 2022 guard Caleb Smith had a strong game for the Norcross Heat 17U group. I will admit, I didn’t know much about him coming into the even – however, after Friday night’s performance, I’m excited to catch his team again over the weekend.
• M.J. Jones had a quality night for Hawks Elite 17U in their loss to the Atlanta Timberwolves. He finished with 25 strong points.
• Keep an eye out for the name Christian Johnson. The long, lanky 6-foot-6 forward was an intriguing prospect for All Alabama in the 17U division.