2022 Jordan Holiday Classic Standouts

By David Cordova,

On Tuesday, December 27, we were visiting the Gauchos Gymnasium in the South Bronx for the first day of the inaugural Jordan Holiday Classic, which is sponsored by MADE Hoops and the Jordan Brand. This event is a showcase which has plenty of elite teams from the Tri-state area that came out to compete in front of college coaches on a legendary court. Here are the standouts from the games:

Badara Diakite 6-8 Forward, Northwest Catholic High School (CT), Class of 2025 - A forward that is aware of everything that is going on in the post area on both ends of the court. Is a defensive stopper that can block shots and obtain rebounds. Loves to run to the other end and can get to the basket with ease. Aside from dominating at the rim, he also has a nice shooting touch from about 15 to 20 feet.

Jesse Segura 6-4 Small Forward, Wings Academy, Class of 2023 - A forward that has plenty of size and is an imposing figure on the court. Knows how to use his body to absorb contact when it comes to drawing fouls. Is able to put the ball on the floor and is able to drive to the basket at all times. Is also a solid rebounder.

Preston Brown, Jr., 6-1 Shooting Guard, Paterson Eastside High School (NJ), Class of 2023 -A guard that has the ability to anticipate a pass and will run to down court to score with ease. Has great defensive posture and is always able to obtain steals that lead to offensive possessions for his team. Has plenty of athleticism on both ends of the court.

Bryce Stokes, 6-4 Shooting Guard, Paterson Eastside High School (NJ), Class of 2023 - A guard that has a penchant for distributing the ball to his teammates and has the ability to slow down the tempo of the game when his team is out of control. Has a good jumper, which he is not afraid to use at any moment. Can back his man off the dribble and is also able to get past his opponent and get to the basket easily.

Omari Moore 6-0 Point Guard, Hudson Catholic High School (NJ), Class of 2025 - A guard that is very skilled and knows what to do on both ends of the court. Is a player that has the ability to distribute the ball to his teammates. Is great when it comes to shot selection, as he knows when to take the right shot and when to go to the basket.

Alex Massung, 6-1 Point Guard, Hudson Catholic High School (NJ), Class of 2024 - A guard that has the ability to make nice plays on the court. Has plenty of speed, which he uses to his advantage on the offensive end. Loves to shoot from the perimeter, as he is able to catch and shoot once he gets a pass. Is able to make strong drives to the basket at all times and is fearless.

Thomas Batties, 6-7 Forward, Gonzaga College High School (DC), Class of 2023 - A forward that is able to impose his will in the post area and possesses plenty of strength. Is able to show plenty of athleticism in the paint area by throwing down vicious dunks. On the defensive end, he can alter or block shots in the post area and then obtain rebounds and kick it out to his teammates.

Rahmir Barno, 6-0 Point Guard, Imhotep Charter Institute High School (PA), Class of 2023 - A guard that loves to get to his teammates involved, but is also a scorer himself. Has great court vision, as he knows when to speed up the game or slow it down for his teammates. Has good body control when driving to the basket, as he is a good scorer at will. Is able to shoot jumpers from the perimeter.

VJ Edgecombe 6-4 Shooting Guard, Long Island Lutheran High School, Class of 2024 - A guard that has plenty of athleticism in his game and is very quick in transition. Has a nice shooting touch from the outside, as he can cause damage in plenty of ways on the offensive end. Loves to run on the fast break, as he is most effective on the open lane.

Jayden Reid 5-11 Point Guard, Long Island Lutheran High School, Class of 2023 - A guard that has the ability to make great plays on the court, as he can make sure that his teammates get the ball int e right places. Is very fearless when it comes to taking on the opposition 1-on-1. Finds a way to get past the opposition for a basket. Is a player that is counted on to rise to the occasion when the moment presents itself for him and his team.