BJ Hall (NY Lightning)
The 7th Grade Division was packed with some fresh faces and usual suspects. Here’s our first look at the top performers from the MDC in Neptune, NJ.
Basketball Spotlight MDC 7th Grade Top Performers Part 1
BJ Hall Forward (NY Lightning)
Posh Alexander won the MVP honors but Hall had to be one of the top prospects in the building. Standing 6’5 Hall is a total matchup nightmare. His guard skills make him deadly inside in terms of scoring in the paint and hitting the face up jumper foul line extended. He finishes through contact, in transition and spends a lot of time at the charity stripe. He’s naturally a wing player and probably will max out about 6’9 which means he could big time look for the college scouts down the road. His best outings were 20 points versus NY Rens and 22 markers against CIA Bounce.
Young was the inside force for the Lightning. The hefty lefty clogged up the lanes and used a soft touch around the cup. He’s wide frame makes it difficult for shot blockers to time his release. This menace on the glass had a 16 point outing against the Rens and 18 markers against Brooklyn Rens. His inside presence was a big piece of their success.
Spears ran the show for the Lightning and made sure the rock got distributed equally. He doesn’t have a flashy handle as most NY guards but he protects the rock and gets into the lane with ease. On the defensive end he guards his position well and is known to force a few turnovers.
Bounce has been putting out top notch players the last few years and Patterson is next in line for the Class of 2020. The big guard simply does it all. He scores the ball at will at times (29 points versus NY Lightning) while also adding a ton of assist and rebounds. He stands easily 6’4 therefore he looks over the defense with ease. He’s size, fluid motion and natural feel for the game reminds me of a young Shaun Livingston. This kid has a chance to be a real good one.
Shemar is a combo guard with an attacking style. He has good ball handling skills, a knack to score and the strength to get through the defense. When he gets out in transition he’s a true load to stop because of his sharp moves and power. He gets the scoring naturally from his brother Florida State star Xavier Rathan-Mayes.
Elvis is a sharp shooter and lit the net up all weekend. He opened the event up with five treys against NY Lightning. Even in transition Kobe is likely to fade to the corner to knock down a trey ball. This kid’s shooting really opened up the offense for CIA Bounce.
Morgan’s versatility had my staff calling him Draymond Green all weekend. His frame allows him to turn bully when attacking the basket but he also has the soft touch from 3 point land if you decide to back off him.
