The Grassroots Summer Championships Day Two Notebook from @JustinByerly
ORLANDO, FL - The final live period is here. The last chance for college prospects to show out on our HoopSeen stage in front of college coaches. Here in Orlando, Florida our Grassroots Summer Championships is where we will crown the top independent team in the country.
Team United in Final Four
With a 13-1 overall record coming into the Final Four here at The Grassroots Summer Championships,Team United out of Charlotte, North Carolina is one of the hottest teams in the country. No team this weekend has played with as much energy as Jermaine Walker's program. With Team United director Ced Canty taking in the action this weekend, the boys from Charlotte have been playing at a high-level. A lot of the energy starts with forward Daniel Hankins-Sanford.
The 6-foot-8 forward is a monster on the glass and loves to try and destroy the rims. Louisville football commit Chance Morrow has been super. He showed he can knock down shots from the outside and he also has that ability to try and break rim. Louisville Head Coach Chris Mack may want to give him a call when he lands on campus and get him on the squad as a two-way practice guy on the hardwood. North Mecklenburg High School guard Maxwell Coles has been as steady as they come all weekend and made big shot after big shot to propel Team United to the Final Four with a big match-up in the 10:40 slot against Wisconsin Swing-DePouw.
Big Game Big Performance
Tennessee Tigers forward Bakari Johnson had to get some college coaches talking after his performance against 3D Empire. The 6-foot-5 wing knocked down shots from the outside and gave his all against one of the top independent teams in the country. He scored against guys that have high-major to mid-major offers easily and has a good feel for the game. He didn't back down and that is what I like to see when evaluating guys against top teams. Chip Smith's guys always bring it and it seems like the Tennessee Tigers always have a different guy that steps up on a daily basis.
Judah Nation Has The Guys
Jonathan Isaac's Judah Nation program is full of prospects at all age divisions. One guy that really stood out during my time watching them was Jah Quinones. The physically sturdy guard looks like a college running back with his build but moves so well with the ball in his hands. He can get by defenders and has the size to overpower taller guards. He is fun to watch. Against Reach Legends, Quinones scored 15 points and dished out 7 assists.
2023 prospect Eddrin Bronson is the goods. The 6-foot-3 guard out of Tampa, Florida was impressive all weekend. He can score from all spots on the floor, he has that Florida athleticism that I rave about and against Next Level SC, which features some Division One talent in their own right scored 27 points, knocking down seven there-pointers in the win 59-57. He is going to be one of their premier prospects over the next year.
All-Carolina. All The Time
The All-Carolina program will be a program over the next few years that coaches will continue to track. The 15's, 16's and 17's have guys.
On the 17U squad, 2022 guard Justin Monden brought it every game. The silky-smooth shooter is a mid-range assassin and can hurt you with his quickness. He is getting recruited at the Division II and Division III level.
The 16's have another guard that has been steady all weekend, Jordan Cooper. The 6-foot guard out of Wayne Country Day can light it up from the outside and can get into the paint. 6-foot-6 Josh Randolph who is playing up a year has the size and the skillset to be a Division I guy. He can score from all points on the floor and can get baskets in the paint with his length. His rebounding may be the most impressive attribute to me so far.
The 15's have guard Brandon Callahan, one of the best scorers I saw over the weekend in that age group. Callahan also has the size and natural ability to create space that always translates to the next level. Jaden Whitaker put on one of the best shooting displays as a whole over the weekend as anyone. He is a threat to knock down shots form the outside as soon as he gets on the floor.
