Basketball Spotlight Future Phenom Camp 8th Grade Top Performers Part 1

Jaquan Harris

The Basketball Spotlight Future Phenom Camp Class Of 2022 was loaded with top talent. Here’s Part 1 of our top performers. 

Basketball Spotlight Future Phenom Camp Top Performers Part 1 

Jaquan Harris Guard (New Jersey) – Harris is a strong wing guard that can play both ends of the floor. He teamed up with Bradley to help his team bring home the championship trophy. Very strong and athletic at this level he can score in a variety of ways. We saw him hit a nice mid-range pullup coming off a curl and also drive to the cup and finish through contact with his left. One of the most impressive plays was on the defensive end when he came from behind and glassed an opposing team’s shot.

Jalen Duren Forward (Delaware) – Standing at about 6’9 looking like he has a few more inches to grow Duren was an easy choice for the top prospect in the camp. Very mobile with some athleticism he is a problem on both ends of the floor. Defensively he is a rim protector that blocks and alters shot the entire game and also clears the defensive boards. Offensively he tries to dunk everything as we witnessed back to back dunks in traffic in half court sets one dunk coming off the catch and one dunk coming off the bounce. Jalen also showed his improved skill set as he was putting the ball on the floor and we saw him knock down a 3 pointer.

Jayden Pierre Guard (New Jersey) – In the day and age of the combo scoring guard it is hard to find true point guards anymore. Pierre is just that a true point guard that led his team to the championship by making winning plays for his team. He pushes the ball surveying the floor trying to find his open teammates for easy baskets. One of the best passers in the camp you better make sure you are watching with your hands ready or Jayden might hit you in the face with a pass you are not ready for. He is also a capable scorer with range out to the 3 point line. We also saw him use his elite handles hitting a defender with the hesitation driving to the basket and finishing with the left.

Rodney Rice Guard (Maryland) – Rice is a combo guard that can really score the ball. He has nice size and strength and plays the game the right way. A very efficient player that we project to continue to rise up the national recruiting boards because his game translates all the way to the college level. Very fundamental we saw him box out which allowed him to get the rebound and push the ball up the court showing he rebounds his position very well and can lead the break making point guard decisions. We saw him make a very difficult shot hitting the defender with a nice crossover pull up with a hand in his face. Rice is known as one of the better shooters in the country as he knocked down multiple threes and he is almost automatic from the FT line.

Antonio Hamlin Guard (Maryland) – Hamlin is a strong athletic guard that is tough and has a high motor. His energy level makes him a lead by example player that his teammates feed off of. He has the ability to guard all three perimeter positions and we see Hamlin as a lock down defender at the high school level. Offensively Antonio thrives in transition and is fearless when attacking the basket in the half court. He sustained a shoulder injury so he had to sit out the All American game.

Alex Karaban Forward (Massachusetts) – Standing at around 6’6 Alex is a match-up nightmare for opponents. He is fluid handling the ball in space so he will take his defender out to the perimeter where he can hit the jumper as we saw him drain a step back 3 pointer or he can drive to the basket finishing over smaller defenders. We also like that he defends as we saw him challenge and block a 3 point shot.

Prince Samuels Guard (Virginia) – A combo guard about 6’4 with college ready size and a high IQ is a recipe for success. Prince plays the game the right way he is a really good passer and has a good feel for the game. He seemed to always be around the ball grabbing a bunch of rebounds and leading the break many times setting up his teammates for easy buckets. Most campers didn’t want to get in his way when he was attacking the basket. Samuels was fun to watch as he is a competitor with a great demeanor always seemingly making the right play.

Sonny Johnson, Jr. Guard (Ohio)- Sonny is Point guard that balances scoring and getting his teammates involved. We like that he always has his eyes up and hits his teammates with lead passes for easy baskets. He has range out to the 3 point line and can score with floaters in the lane. Right now he is at his best running his team and surveying the floor, getting into the teeth of the defense and either kicking it to an open shooter or dropping it down to a big for a finish around the basket.