2023 6’0 Brock Harding – MidPro Academy 17U

Fresh off his commitment to Iowa, Brock Harding was in total control at Best of the South on MidPro’s run to the 17U championship. Harding does a great job of running the show for his team and knows where and when to get his guys the ball for them to be successful. He has shown major growth as a shot maker this grassroots season and was hitting jumpers off the dribble, getting into the paint and making plays all over the court. Outside of his skillset and feel for the game, Harding’s competitiveness stood out. He embraces the biggest moments and plays every game with a chip on his shoulder, a trait that will serve him well in the Big 10.  

2023 6’2 Nasir Whitlock – Gain Elite 17U 

Nasir Whitlock put together some big time scoring efforts in Atlanta, including multiple 30 point games, and helped lead Gain Elite all the way to the championship game before falling to MidPro on Sunday. Whitlock is silky smooth with the ball in his hands and excels at taking and making jumpers off the dribble, able to get defenders off balance and use an array of pull ups, fall aways and step backs to get clean looks at the rim. Whitlock was the best shot creator I watched at Best of the South. Whitlock took an official visit to Lehigh in June and I expect his phone to be busy with new interests after his perfomance in Atlanta. 

2023 6’3 Corey Hadnot – Team Temple 17U 

Corey Hadnot continues to see his stock rise and is better each time I watch him play for Team Temple. Hadnot has always had the physical tools - strength to finish through contact and impact the game defensively, athleticism to play above the rim, quickness to get into the paint – but the two things that stood out in Atlanta were improvement to his jumper and playmaking ability. Hadnot has the wiggle to break guys down and get downhill and was making some great reads finding teammates for open looks when drawing help. His jumper was consistent over the weekend and he is shooting it with a ton of confidence from deep. The best performance of the weekend from Hadnot came on Thursday as he exploded for an efficient 34 point scoring effort. Hadnot has a couple low major D1 offers but I expect his recruitment to expand over the rest of July. 

2023 6’6 Garwey Dual – George Hill All Indy 17U 

Garwey Dual is one of my favorite prospects I have covered in the last couple of years and does so many small things to impact winning. The 6’6 combo guard can dominate a game without taking a ton of shots and was the best defender I saw at Best of the South. He has great hands and instincts defensively – playing passing lanes, blocking shots and creating havoc with his length and energy. Dual has a tight handle and a quick first step that makes him almost impossible to stay in front of. I continue to believe he projects as a primary ball handler down the road and is a player I think we could see on draft boards in a couple of years. Providence fans should be very excited for him to step on campus as they may only see him in a Friars jersey for 1-2 years. 

2023 6’6 Gehrig Normand – 3D Empire 17U 

Gehrig Normand has seen his recruitment blow up over the last 6 months and had a ton of coaches following him in Atlanta. The 6’6 wing is a big time shot maker who can knock down threes off the dribble with good elevation, catch and shoot, and heats up in a hurry. Normand has the athleticism to play above the rim on both ends of the floor - blocking shots and finishing highlights lobs - and is a high IQ player who doesn’t force the issue offensively, trusts his teammates and is a willing passer. Normand looked the part of an instant impact wing at the power 5 level and will be a big time addition for whichever college program he selects. 

2023 6’5 Gavyn Hurley – Wisconsin Swing 17U

Gavyn Hurley is a tough and physical combo guard who was all over the place for Wisconsin Swing. Hurley is a swiss army knife defensively with his ability to guard multiple positions and was dominant at times on the glass, able to grab defensive rebounds and push in transition. The biggest question mark for Hurley has been the consistency of his jumper, but he shot it really well in Atlanta including a 29 point outburst on Friday, and has seen steady improvement as a shooter over the last 6 months. Hurley has the physical tools, skillset and motor which looks the part of a D1 prospect and wouldn’t be surprised to see some schools jump into his recruitment over the next couple of weeks. 

2023 6’4 Jacob Dunham – MTXE Premier 17U 

Jacob Dunham is a prospect I have been high on all spring but may have played his best basketball of the grassroots season at Best of the South. At 6’4 Dunham has good size on the wing, is a knockdown shooter, had some strong takes to the rim, and was locked in with high intensity from the first game to the last. He has great instincts as a cutter moving without the basketball and his footwork around the basket and in the midrange stood out, allowing him to create open looks. Dunham should be a top priority for D2’s around the Midwest and is another kid I wouldn’t be shocked to see a D1 take a chance on. There will always be a place at the next level for prospects with his skillset who play hard and value winning. 

2023 5’11 Arhman Lewis – Movement Hoops 17U 

Arhman Lewis was electric for Movement Hoops in Atlanta and was one of the top pure floor generals at Best of the South. Lewis’s biggest calling card is his ability to create advantages off the dribble – whether breaking his defender down one on one, or in PNR actions – he can get into the paint and draw help defenders, open up clean looks for shooters, and he made great reads knowing when to kick out, look for lobs, or finish at the rim. Lewis has been a bit inconsistent as a shooter over the grassroots season but caught fire on Saturday hitting 7 threes over two games – including some impressive step backs creating space on the perimeter with his quickness to get clean looks at the rim. Defensively, Lewis does a great job of applying ball pressure and making opposing guards uncomfortable and is a prospect that will help win a lot of games at the next level. 

2024 6’8 Sekou Konneh – Team Haliburton 17U

Sekou Konneh is a prospect that has all the physical tools and natural ability – 6’8 with length, bouncy, fluid athlete - but what stood out the most at Best of the South was his motor. When he is playing hard he can impact the game in so many different ways – finishing above the rim, blocking shots, rebounding ,and running the floor in transition. He has nice touch on his jumper, can elevate for midrange shots off the dribble, and can finish with either hand around the basket. Konneh has a high ceiling and if he can stay engaged defensively and keep his motor running high could end up in the conversation as a top 50 prospect nationally in the 2024 class.