GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Our high school season officially tipped off this morning at 8 a.m. as the first jump ball was thrown here at Proehlific Park at the Phenom Hoops Jamboree. These three thoughts jumped off of my notepad from the action on Saturday.

1.     Is it possible to not be a McDonald’s All-American level player right now but potentially a long-time NBA player? Yes. And all you have to do is look at future Virginia forward Jay Huff. Nearly 7-feet tall, Huff is a terrific face-up big man that can stretch the floor out to the three-point line. When he was matched up in a physical situation, the 210-pounder threw his ultra-thin frame into the fray and didn’t back down from a test of manhood. His swagger was showing. And that was great. Huff’s passing is tremendous. He’s a great shot-blocker. He moves very well. There’s a lot of boxes that get checked off here. Let’s talk about where the pundits have Huff slotted in the class. The majority of the national opinion-makers haven’t seen Huff play. He didn’t play travel ball or hardly any events where the traveling herd of media goes. That probably explains why Huff checks in at No. 124 on the 247 Sports Composite Rankings for the class of 2016. That might just be 100 spots too low. Seriously. Huff is all about upside. But the gap between potential and production is closing. It is time we start discussing this more.

2.     With the early signing period opening on Wednesday, things will change for uncommitted class of 2016 prospects. One player in particular started off his recruitment 2.0 strong on Saturday. Jaylen McManus of North Mecklenburg (NC) was one of the best overall players of the day at the Jamboree. The 6-foot-6 forward was a match-up problem inside and out. Already a strong mid-major prospect, the active forward consistently produced in quality match-ups. The College of Charleston and UNC Wilmington are the highest on the list – right now. Charlotte rolled out a three-man staff, including head coach Mark Price, to see him in action. McManus was great and it will be interesting to see how his recruitment trends upward after his showing here.

3.     We have next. The youngsters in the state of North Carolina have a chance to be very, very good. The best of the sophomores and freshmen was Cannon School’s Jarius Hamilton. The 6-foot-7 sophomore is built like a truck but skilled enough to be a fluid wing. He was very comfortable with the ball in his hands to be a set-up guard. Upon first glance, such a thought is hard to fathom. He looks like an experienced low-post banger. The high-majors logged some hours watching him closely. Hard to argue with them about it. Hamilton, at least today, was the best of the youngsters. We’ll have much more on the rest of the pack this week.