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Grassroots Finale Day 2 Notebook from Mekhi McKinney

20, Jul 2024

Grassroots Finale Day 2 Notebook from Mekhi McKinney

 

It's the last live period of the travel season and we are in Virginia Beach, Virginia for The Grassroots Finale at The Virginia Beach Sports Center. This is my second time at this event and it is a premier complex right at the beach. We have two events going on this weekend, The Grassroots Finale and Florida Jam in Tampa. Follow along with Garrett Tucker and HoopSeen on X and our website to read about both. Let's get to the day two action from Mehki McKinney. 

 

Grassroots NC finished the day 2-0, led by 2027 point guard Kareem Anderson. Anderson plays beyond his years with his pace and ability to stop on the dime for pull up jumpers. In both games, he was the best guard on the court despite probably being the youngest. College coaches, if you're in the building on Sunday, check him out.

 

Kareem Anderson

Wilmington, NC

Class
2027
|
Position
CG
|
Height
6' 1"
|
School Team
National
WL
National Pos. Rank
WL
State
WL
State Pos. Rank
WL

 

District Basketball Club played some of the best basketball I saw all day. The wing/guard combo of JJ Massaquoi and Patrick McDonough caused fits for opponents due to McDonough's ability to run the show, get paint touches, and control the pace of the game. At 6’5, Massaquoi's skill and strength caused matchup problems all day, and defenders couldn’t sag off him because he is more than capable of knocking down the three-ball.

 

Josiah Massaquiou

Lanham, MD

Class
2025
|
Position
PF
|
Height
6' 5"
|
School Team
National
WL
National Pos. Rank
WL
State
WL
State Pos. Rank
WL

 

The Wellington Wolves' unsigned senior Toney Collins was impressive last weekend at The Best of the South, and he carried that momentum into today. Collins' size at the guard position helped him finish through contact and get to the line consistently, where he converted his free throws. Collins is deserving of a late opportunity if there are any coaches still with their doors open.

 

Toney Collins

Wellington, FL

Class
2024
|
Position
SG
|
Height
6' 4"
|
School Team
National
WL
National Pos. Rank
WL
State
WL
State Pos. Rank
WL

 

 

I love watching this PK Flash team play because of their unselfishness and how well-coached they are. Trevor Rehm was the anchor on the defensive end for PK Flash today, blocking shots and moving his feet when switched onto guards. Rehm has a slim frame but doesn’t lack finishing ability around the basket, showing nice touch and finding a few above the rim. He had a few coaches on the baseline in to see him today.


Justin Byerly
State Editor

Justin Byerly has spent the past 15 years covering North Carolina prep and grassroots basketball. He has previously worked with The Recruit Scoop and Rivals.com. In addition to that he has contributed to The USA Today, Charlotte Observer, The Asheville Citizen-Times and The Sun News. He has held The Justin Byerly Upstate/WNC Showcase the past two years and has helped student-athletes from North Carolina and South Carolina receive college scholarships. He owns The Byerly Report scouting service that has over 100 college subscriptions. Justin resides in Asheville, North Carolina with his wife Danielle and four children.