2018 Rumble in the Bronx Top Performers - 17u

By Mack Muller, Doug Scott and Emma Yavel


Despite competing with various things like finals week, regency tests, graduations, the start of prep school summer breaks, and great weather outdoors, Jim Hart’s Rumble in the Bronx has always drawn massive levels of talent from all over. This year was no exception.


This weekend is not a D1 live period, so D1college coaches were not in the building, but many of their proxies, in the form of scouting agencies were. That included the legendary NYC scout, Tom Konchalski who was parked at the Basketball City court all day long. The D3 coaches were there as well, with some of them actually working the event as Rumble staff.


The 17u division, being the players closest to college harvest age, was as usual of great interest. Here’s some of the guys who caught our review.


Carius Key (2019) 6’3 guard High School: Irving McArthur HS (TX) AAU Team: Crab5 Elite - An outside linebacker’s body, a running back’s ability to hit the hole, and a shooting guard’s range and release point. His ability to elevate stuffs many basket drives.


Austin Brewer (2020) 6’9 forward High School: Abilene Wylie HS (TX) AAU Team: Crab5 Elite - C5E should be imposing again next year, when Brewer, a sophomore repeats with them. A big man who can run the floor and has great presence in the lane. A face up scorer. A killer on the boards and as a mobile shot blocker.


Jarius Hicklen (2019) 6’3 guard High School: Desoto HS (TX) AAU Team: Crab5 Elite - A combo guard who can score off of the dribble, stop n pop in the midrange and stretch them out from three ball range. Solid on defense.


Jalen Gorhem (2019) 6’5 guard High School: York CDS (PA) AAU Team: York Ballers - custom-built to play today’s position less game…on both ends of the floor. Fast off the ground for rebounds, tenacious in transition defense. Well coached on the fundamentals. If he adds a three ball threat to his game, he will be an All Conference player at the next level.


Jacob Toppin (2019) 6’5 swing High School: Woodstock Academy (MA) AAU Team: Minutemen NYC - Played the forward on his undersized team, but but projects to be a big guard at the next level. Great basketball length and wing span, athletic and mobile. Quick off the floor and a nose for the rebound. Pretty, high-release jump shot.


Dylan Wusu (2019) 6’3 wing High School: Sacred Heart (NY) AAU Team: Minutemen NYC - Broad shouldered strength. Sweet “hand down - man down” ability. When his shot is challenged, he is happy to power by with either hand.


Isaac Butler (2019) 6’1 guard High School: Ithaca HS (NY) AAU Team: GIAC Firebirds - Wears the #23 like he earned it. I.e., Best player on the squad status. Scored the ball frequently and from multiple places on the floor. Plays with energy and pride.


Tyler Mitchell (2018) 6’0 guard High School: All Hallows (NY) AAU Team: Minutemen NYC - “ Shooter!” A lefty with both lethal range and excellent shot-selection judgement. Good motor in his defensive rotations, will take the charge from the help read and rotate.


Jacoby Decker (2019) 5’9 point guard High School: Bossier High (LA) AAU Team: Louisiana Select Team Milsap - “ Playmaker” Short but power-packed. Key to making a transition offense over-achieve. Will go under and past the help defense rotations. Ambidextrous ability to finish. A true pest in the defensive dribble and passing lanes. Will win games for his team.


Dom Laffitte (2019) 6’1 guard High School: Leman Manhattan Prep (NY) AAU Team: King Hoops - Fearless, gymnastic and ambidextrous basket driver, both as a scorer and a kick out assist man. Elusive in his stop n go, head fake, change of direction arsenal of moves. Will make the Floor Burn Hall of Fame someday.


Zach Nedell (2019) 5’11 guard High School: Brooklyn Tech (NY) AAU Team: King Hoops - Nedell is a shoot first PG with capabilities of filling it up quickly. He can run a team, showing good leadership qualities. He is strongest coming off of ball screens and getting his shot off.


Zach Hayn (2019) 6’0 guard High School: Xaverian HS (Brooklyn) AAU Team: King Hoops -  Hayyn is effective both with the ball and off the ball. His coach says he is the most coachable player in the program, and an extention of the coach on the floor. He is a solid shooter and a capable defender.


Calvin Goodwin (2018) 6’0 guard High School: New Britain HS (CT) AAU Team: New England Playaz South - Has some shake n bake in his offensive attack, attacks the gaps as he should. Nice high release point on the deep ball. Competes on defense, quick into the passing lanes.


Jaelen Gallimore (2018) 6’8 forward High School: Basich HS (CT) AAU Team: Gauchos -Turkson - Long and active rim defender who just completely closes down the opponents’ drive to the hoop game. Also rebounds a lot with those same physical advantages. On the offensive end, he picks up all the hustling big man points. If he would add the low post seal and back to the basket scoring element, he would be the full package as a collegiate big.


Cameron Odidi (2018) 6’3 guard High School: All Hallows (Bronx) AAU Team: Gauchos - Turkson = Nice big guard body, who can stick the three. Overwhelms smaller guards and collects fouls on them on every basket drive.


Jordan Gallimore (2019) 6’6 wing High School: Basich HS (CT) AAU Team: Gauchos -Turkson - Strong and willful. Tremendous athlete that completely controls the floor. Pesky defense and controls the offensive ball with confidence. If he will add the three ball to his nice floater game, he could create matchup problems at the next level.


Michael Green (2019) 5’10, point guard High School: Mt. Saint Michaels/(Bronx) AAU Team: NYC Gauchos - Maestro of the floor, can easily break press with handle and control. Good Shooter and finisher around the rim, finds teammates for easy baskets. Goods on ball defender from end to end.


Nicholas Johnson (2019) 6’3 swing High School: All Hallows (Bronx) AAU Team: NYC Gauchos - Crafty left hander who finds a way to the basket by any means necessary Draws fouls and/or scores drawing a foul and can bury the jump shot. He can guard from 1-4 with his hunger for the ball.


Luke Townsend (2019) 6’0 guard High School: Holy Cross HS (Queens) AAU Team: LI Lightning - Luke was the most successful long ball shooter that we saw all day.  He and his teammates did a great job finding him with the ball before the defense did. Obviously a gym rat, competed on defense like one as well.


Brandon Taylor (2020) 5’10 guard High School: Coppel HS (TX) AAU Team: Dallas Hoyas - Trying to avoid the temptation to go Texas gun slinger metaphor here, but Taylor is a lethal sniper.  The compact built lefty has a gorgeous, high arcing shot delivery that splashes the nets.


Antonio Taylor (2021) 6’1 guard High School: Peekskill HS (NY) AAU Team: East Coast Panthers - Taylor is a very gifted three sport athlete, a freshman who was just blowing by 17u defenders at will. He plays the game like anyone who has those gifts. The issue with three sport athletes in basketball, is that they never have the time to invest in their jump shot skills. At the high school level, they don’t need to. But if its hoops, that Taylor chooses as his path to a free college education, then he will need to make that investment.


Jordan Kellier (2018) 6’4 guard High School: Redemption Christian Academy (MA) AAU Team: NY Lightning - If we had to guess, Kellier’s explosive lift has enabled himself to dunk the basketball since he was about 12 years old. This native Jamaican combines that lift and agility into a Euro-step and cross-step package that is unguardable. We get to watch his dunkfest show a lot because of his predatory skills in the passing lanes fuels turnover run-out opportunities.


Quentar Taylor (2020) 5’10 point guard High School: Trumbull HS (CT) AAU Team: CT Premier - A quick, physically well-built PG. Very effective at driving to the rim and drawing contact. Needs to increase defensive intensity. College coaches will need to see more three point shot production.


Timmond Williams (2019) 6’3 guard High School: Trumbull HS (CT) AAU Team: CT Premier - Lengthy sharpshooter. Can also protect the rim very well. If he hits the weight room, college coaches will call.


Quintin Sneed Lott 6’2 (2019) swing High School: Kolbe Cathedral HS (CT) AAU Team: CT Premier -  Very strong and unafraid of contact. Loves to take charges and defend the post. Vocal on defense.


Gavin Green (2020) 6’3 forward High School: St. Joseph HS (CT) AAU Team: CT Premier - Strong defensive player with a nice handle. Also has good post moves and attacks the basket. Should have a great season in FCIAC play.


Joe Girard 6’1 guard High School: Glens Falls HS (NY) AAU Team: City Rocks EYBL -  NY State’s all-time leading scorer as just a junior. Sharpshooter who Avg. 50 PPG last season. High-Major D1 recruit with offers from Duke, Villanova, Michigan and Syracuse.


Posh Alexander (2020) 5’10 guard High School:  Our Savior Lutheran HS AAU Team: NY Lightning - Alexander is a sophomore playing on a 17U squad. This guy has some serious talent. Already catching the eyes of many D1 scouts, Alexander continued to show off his multi-tool arsenal this weekend in NYC.

Anthony Nelson (2018) 6’4 guard High School: South Kent (CT) AAU Team: NY Lightning - Nelson is a big shot 2018 prospect who committed to Seton Hall at the end of last year. Excellent at penetrating and drawing the foul. Aggressive true point guard - generates points for players down low.


Zach Light (2018) - 6’3 guard High School: Northfield Mount Hermon HS (MA)  AAU Team: NY Lightning (17U) - (verbally committed to Colgate) - Smart player, tactical defender, selfless player. After garnering interest from a variety of schools, Light has committed to play for Colgate in the fall. He is expected to add a huge defensive element to their game.

Jordan Dingle (2019) 6’3 guard High School: Blair Academy (NJ) AAU Team: NY Lightning - Dingle is playing a year up and already has offers from: Boston University, St. Louis University, Penn, Princeton, and Dartmouth. Those are impressive offers for a 16 year old high school ball player. He has 3-point range, excellent ball handling skills, and shoots from everywhere on the court. Basically, he is a monster on offense.


Jared Rhoden (2019) 6’6 guard High School:  Our Savior Lutheran HS AAU Team: NY Lightning - Along with his teammate Nelson, Rhoden recently committed to Seton Hall for this fall. Rhoden is not only expected to be the prototypical position-less weapon that is typifying today’s college game.


Jade Tse (2019) 6’2 point guard Post Grad: Deerfield Academy (MA) AAU Team: 60 Elite - Tse runs his team with vision, IQ and vocal leadership. Loves to defend the opponent’s best player. Has Ivy League grades and test scores. Holds multiple offers including Manhattan and Yale.


Derrick Paige (2019) 6’4 guard High School: McCreary Central HS (KY) AAU Team: 60 Elite - Per his coach, Paige has only played two years of varsity basketball, but is getting better every day due to great work ethic. He is a big time two guard prospect, very explosive and can create for others.


David Balfour (2019) 6’7 forward High School: Next Level Prep (KS) AAU Team: 60 Elite - A big time motor and D1 athleticism. Coachable and can shoot the 15 footer. Major prospect.


Luis Kortwright (2019) 6’3 point guard High School: St Raymonds (NY) AAU Team: 60 Elite - A big point guard with a high IQ and can run his team. He will dunk on you.


Gabe Johnson (2019) 5’9 point guard High School: Union City HS (NJ) AAU Team: Team Rohan Elite - A rising star at the PG position. He is quick off of the dribble, can shoot the 3 well and run a team. Needs to work on his ball defense and his midrange scoring.


Andrew Olden (2020) 6’4 wing High School: St Joseph HS (NJ) AAU Team: Team Rohan Elite - A high energy sophomore playing up a year to speed his development. Good mid-range shot, a solid rebounder with a IQ for the game. Needs to upgrade his handle to raise his stock even further.


Xavier Wilson (2019) - 6’7 forward High School: Archbishop Stepinac HS (NY) AAU Team: Riverside Hawks - Not afraid to draw the foul and compliments that by being an accurate free throw shooter. Aggressive down low in the paint. Above average defender. Ivy leagues showing interest in him already. Uses height to his advantage.


Valdir Manuel (2018) 6’9 center High School: The Patrick School (NJ) AAU Team: NE Playaz - Big guy who controls the game on defensive blocks. Manuel makes the game look easy on offense - and maybe it is when you’re 6’9”, but he makes it work well.


Ethan Wright (2018) 6’2 guard High School: Newton North HS (MA) AAU Team: NE Playaz - (verbally committed to Princeton) Wright is verbally committed to Princeton University in the fall. Wright not only succeeds on the basketball court but also in the classroom as well. Excellent mechanics and great execution of shots on the floor.


Moses Flowers (2019) 6’1 guard High School: Thayer Academy HS (MA) AAU Team: NE Playaz - Excellent guard who control the point, never ceases to amaze with his dribbling and passing abilities. Executes accurate shots from all over the floor. Can finish.


Aboubakr Gbane (2019) 6’3 wing High School: KIPP NYC (NY) AAU Team: King Hoops - “Slicing through…” was the number one description that comes to mind when watching Gbane. He is long, thin and athletic with a track man’s ability to accelerate. His long and rapid strides fed an abilty to continuously lose defenders on blow by, Euro-steps and jump stop maneuvers. His very long arms also added to that hard-to-guard package.