WarB4TheStorm Event: 2029 Standouts!

Now that the high school season is over, I am starting my spring grassroots season locally in Texas. Last weekend, I spent about 14 hours over two days in the gym in Fort Worth at The WarB4TheStorm.

The first piece I’m going to write about is on the current freshman class (2029) in Texas, where several guys stood out to me. So let’s dive right in.

Ajani Jones, 6’2 PG – Gulf Coast Blue Chips: Mature poise with good positional size for his age group. Lanky guard that changes speeds well and gets to his pull-up jumper with ease. Dependable on-ball defender that uses length to bother ball-handlers.

Tyson Jackson, 6’4 SF – Gulf Coast Blue Chips: Hard playing forward that was in every possession. Fighting for rebounds, running the floor, straight line drives to the rim with athletic finishes. High activity level player that has an intriguing solid foundation.

Aydin McLinton, 6’1 PG – 99ovr: Confident scoring guard that’s an adequate pull-up shooter. He’s quick with the ball, generates gravity from the defense because he can score it in bunches. Shot selection could be better, but he’s young and a natural scorer with upside.

Niles Neumann, 5’5 PG – RL9 (2030): Has the green light and makes the most out of it. Southpaw guard that needs minimal space to get his shot off. Crafty player, smart relocator that finds the openings to launch.

Collin King – Sumberlin, 6’4 SF – Southern Assault: Broad shouldered wing that uses size and strength to score. Capable 3-point shooter off the catch, holds a functional handle and a good athlete with a lot of upside in his vertical pop. Has an array of skills.

Photo: __5hunnatt

Kaden Bryant, 6’0 PG – Southern Assault: An outside dog. Gritty guard that defends full length, puts pressure on the defense because he’s actively looking to get a paint touch. Adequate passer off drives. He finds the open man on kickouts but I just like how Bryant plays hard every possession.

Dexter Gbedemakou, 6’5 SF – Texas Impact 4:13: Skilled wing with long arms, wide shoulders and has an overall strong frame. Handles it well for size, decent play-maker and finisher in traffic. Could be a legit point forward down the road. A lot to like about this kid’s game.

Brooks Richmond, 6’4 Wing – Texas Impact 4:13: An athletic wing that has big-time vertical pop. Protects rim well for position, drives with either hand and can make open threes with his feet set. Excels in transition but someone that’s also lethal off the swing pass, where he can attack the closeout and score.

Bowdy Gardner, 6’3 SG – Utah Prospects: Two-guard that made shots from deep and can score off the bounce. Attacked closeouts, was an active offensive rebounder and was an efficient shooter off the catch.

Harry Hendrix, 6’3 CG – Utah Prospects: Very impressed with him. A pg with good positional size. Excels in ball-screens, made shots from deep, but I was most impressed with his feel and passing acumen. Knows how to set-up his teammates to score.

Brayden James, 6’5 SF – Utah Prospects: An intriguing prospect that looks to still be growing. None of these freshmen have it figured out, but James could be a really good player one day. Long armed, good motor, has a solid shooting touch with upside as a self-creator. It’s spurty, but there’s a ton of upside there if he can unlock it.