Next Gen Academy 2025 Awards
Congratulations to Next Gen Academy 2025 award winners
NEXT GEN Academy
Worthy's C/O 2029-2030 Prime Performers - NEXT GEN Academy PT1
Vance Wilder 2029
Wilder is quite the scoring guard that a lot of coaches would love to have on their team. He scored the ball effortlessly at the Next Gen Academy and did so with a smooth hop to his game. Off the catch when his feet is set he's a knockdown shooter that showed no hesitation in any of his attempts. When catch the ball, Wilder knew he was either letting it fly, attacking his man or making an extra pass to his open teammates. Being the King of the Court champion speaks for itself as he was easily one of the best isolation players in his class. One of the areas where Wilder most impressed was his ability to dominate from the mid-range area giving me the feel of a young Tyler Herro.
Jackson Teal 2030
Teal is a shifty guard that had it going from the outside during day one and continued his hot shooting during day two. He has such a quick release that made it easier for him to get his shots off. It didn't matter if it was a catch and shoot or off the bounce shot, Jackson looked comfortable and under control with every release. In the open floor, Teal always had his head up and made some strong on time deliveries. On the defensive end, I was also impressed with his awareness to be in proper positioning often to come away with steals or to put guys in tougher situations. His quick and active hands along with his ability to cut guys off turned defense into offense often.
Ryan Dalton 2029
The small guard played with such a calm feel for the game and didn't show any signs of being uncomfortable when big, taller or stronger defenders pressed up on him. Dalton kept things simple when the ball was in his hands and did what it took for him to see success. He read defenses well, used his eyes often to throw his main defender off with hard push cross dribble moves or jab steps which allowed him to dominate using his soft touch floater. The southpaw guard also showed an ability to push the ball up the court with either hand and get his teammates involved really well.
Treu Taylor 2029
Taylor is a guard that showed some true game. He's a shifty ball handler out on the perimeter and a nifty finisher around the basket. Taylor kept defenders off balance all weekend long and showed a smooth pull up jump shot from behind the arc. He was able to show what it's like when a player like himself heats up. Taylor was also selfless by making on time passes to his teammates and being apart of his team's spark of energy defensively. He racked up steals nonstop turning defense into offense and evenly spreading the ball around making sure everyone eats. His stellar play allowed him to move up with the older guys during day 2 where he was able to hold his own.
Eric Foster 2029
Foster (featured photo) is another guard that showed how much he truly understands the game. Making plays on both ends of the floor, always being the aggressor and doing a good job at leading his team. Offensively, Foster had the ball on a string and used that well to get to his spots on the court. Dribbling with a purpose of getting to the basket, taking the open shot or setting his teammates up. He showed good body control once he got to the basket and finished acrobatically. Defensively, Foster was always defensively aware of rotations on the court and often times read plays before they happened which allowed him to rack up steals or create weak side blocks. His outstanding weekend earned him the leadership award as he did all the right things while displaying a winning attitude.
Marcel Morris 2029
The quick, energetic, and athletic Morris came out with a point to prove during day one action. The guard was completely locked in making plays all over just off of hustle alone. Morris was one of the best offensive rebounders at his position and one of the very few guards that was willing to bang inside when defending bigger opponents. Morris was able to finish through contact and in traffic on most offensive rebounds. If he didn't finish he was likely at the charity stripe. Morris was also one of his team's best defenders if not the best. He made it tough for bigs fighting for positioning and didn't allow them to get any clean entries or easy finishes at the rim.
Sanders Mitchell 2029
Mitchell is a southpaw forward that had a strong showing of playing well out of the pick and pop action that revealed a nice soft touch from deep. Mitchell's smooth outside shooting touch caused for defenders to close out hard and fall for his shot fake that allowed him to attack close outs for finishes at the rim. He didn't get shot happy when he was open but instead made strong attacks to finish or assist to his teammates. Defensively, Mitchell did an amazing job at talking to his teammates and keeping them aware of what was going on around them. He contested shots well at the rim, sent a few backwards and was one of the most consistent guys when it came to boxing out to win rebounding battles.
Malachi Hill 2030
Hill was one of the best off ball shooting guards that stood out during both day 1 and day 2 action. A solid passer but he plays the game with the intentions of putting the ball in the bucket. He had his three ball falling more during day 1 than day 2 but he didn't let that bother him during day 2. He relied heavily on his floater game which was a beauty to watch. Often times, young players hit a few threes and tend to settle from behind the arc but he showed he understands there's more than one way to put the ball in the basket. Hill also showed a tight handle when scoring the ball off the bounce and his underrated pass skills.
Nicholas Philpot 2029
Philpot is one of the bigger guards that could play multiple positions due to his strength and size. He handled the ball just as well as anyone in his class and was a tough cover once he got too deep in the paint as he was able to just shoot over smaller defenders after putting them on his hip. He wasn't afraid to show was he's been in the lab working on as he made a couple of tough buckets off the bounce. Philpot was also a solid defender that was willing to fight inside for rebounds and be that physical guy that was needed to make a statement. He had the potential to be a special player as he further expands his game.
Isiah Robinson 2030
Robinson was one of the first guards that stood out during the opening day drills with his tight ball handling to go along with pretty good security to keep the ball protected. During gameplay, Robinson displayed great composure when being pressured and showing his ability to operate an offense at his own pace. Robinson did a good job at knifing his way through defenses for strong finishes at the rim and being able to make drop off passes when help defense appeared. The toughness he brought to the game offensively was major key in his success on that end.
