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#Gibbons Top 16U performers, part 1

Devin Gilmore plays basketball HoopSeen
6, May 2015

#Gibbons Top 16U performers, part 1

It became quite evident during the 2015 Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions that the talent at the 16 and under level was off the charts. Our staff will look back at the top performers from the age group all week here on HoopSeen.com. Here’s our first round of player spotlights.

Deaundre Ballard, SG, Georgia Stars, 2017: With a combination of size and natural offense, Ballard was one of the most difficult players to defend in the 16 and under division. He was one of the best natural offensive players in the field and should be a no-brainer top 50 national prospect in the rising junior class. He has ideal high-major size and can fill up a scoreboard in a hurry. Ballard continues to terrorize defenses on the circuit. - JY

Devin Gilmore, SF, New Orleans Elite, 2017 (pictured above): I heard rave reviews of the long and athletic 6-foot-7 forward coming into the event and the flashes he showed lived up to the expectations. Many believe he’s the top rising junior in the Magnolia State and it would be hard to disagree with the natural abilities he has to work with. Gilmore was a tough player to match-up with at the 16 and under level. With a nice mix of size, athleticism and range, Gilmore will be a coveted player in the coming years for high major schools. - JY

Mario Haskett, PG, River City Reign, 2017: The Richmond, Virginia guard led his River City Reign team this weekend by carry the scoring load and being team's main distributor. His physicality at the guard position really allowed him to make plays across the board. I'd expect low-major-plus Division I programs to start knocking on the door. - KK

Ikey Obiagu, C, Georgia Stars, 2017: I’ve tossed around this thought for the last couple of months and after watching the 7-footer in action once again and changing the way teams play inside the paint, I’m not afraid of tossing this out there - Obiagu is the best shot-blocker I’ve ever covered. High praise, yes. But it is true. He’s better at this age than Greg Oden, Nerlens Noel and Anthony Davis. His timing is incredible and his length keeps the opposition out of the paint. At this level, he’s legitimately worth 10 points on defense. In between the semifinals and finals, Obiagu blocked 33 shots against some of the best teams in the field. Obiagu grades incredibly high on the unique scale. A strong summer could, and should, supplant him as a five-star prospect in the class of 2017. - JY

AJ Oliver, CG, Upward Stars Southeast, 2017: It’s easy to see that Oliver is the son of a coach and former college basketball players. He is very smart on the court, as he understands how to get himself open off cuts and screens. From a physical standpoint, he has great length for a shooting guard and he hits shots from the 3 and mid-range. USC Upstate is his only offer, but that won’t be the case for long. - GT

Evaluators: Kory Keys (KK), Garrett Tucker (GT), Justin Young (JY)


Justin Young
Editor-in-Chief

Justin Young has been the editor-in-chief of HoopSeen.com since 2013. He manages the day-to-day operations on the site and in conjunction with our national and regional events. He was the national basketball editor for Rivals.com and a contributing editor at Yahoo! Sports. Young has been earned numerous awards for his work in sports journalism, including the Georgia Press Association Columnist of the Year. His Justin Young Basketball recruiting service has been in existence since 2002 and worked with over 300 schools from all levels. He is the director of HoopSeen Elite Preview camps and our national Preview camp series. 

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