HAMPTON, Va. – Throw out the sneaker affiliations and prove your worth; that seemed to be the theme at the Southern Jam Fest this past weekend in Virginia. From off-brand circuit to three-stripes to swoosh, stars proved their mettle at the Boo Williams Sportsplex.
To that end, we managed to zero-in on the 10 prospects who stood out above the rest over the three-day event.
More Southern Jam Fest: Jordan's takeaways | Mykel Jenkins
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Edgecombe has been making his claim as one of the top-tier prospects in the class all year and he showed no signs of slowing at the Southern Jam Fest. Edgecombe is a special blend of motor, skill set and athleticism, and brings an alpha energy on both ends of the floor.
He’s also an underrated passer and playmaker with an elite IQ as a lockdown defender on the perimeter. Edgecombe is fresh off winning Player of the Year in by far the toughest high school conference in the country, the NIBC.
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McNeil is known as a multidimensional scorer, but showed growth as a playmaker all weekend. McNeil doesn’t let the ball stick and doesn’t waste movements; he makes quick decisions at the point of attack and has become absolutely automatic from all over the floor.
As gifted a scorer as he’s been for quite some time, the NC State commit has found ways to improve his attack, whether it’s moving without the ball or shooting over the top of smaller guards. His stock continues to rise.
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Jenkins is a super athlete who uses his 6-foot-6 frame and length to maneuver into the lane, a high IQ to make plays for his teammates and speed bursts to leave his defender at a standstill. His high-wire act was one of the best at the Southern Jam Fest and he plays with a motor that remains in overdrive.
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Brown is one of those players that the game just seems to come extremely easy to; his ball handling ability is remarkable, and he knocked down contested shots with the same efficiency as wide open longballs.
Brown has had a big reputation for the better part of a year now and he seems primed to make good on all of the projections. Brown hung 26 points on 2024 five-star guard Ian Jackson on Saturday.
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Sutton was masterful at using his length and versatile skill set to blow by defenders or create separation to launch efficient jump shots. Sutton’s energy was impressive, and at 6-foot-9 with his elite ball handling and playmaking ability, he proved to be one of the toughest defensive assignments for opposing guards all weekend.
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Queen has been arguably the most productive big in the class this spring and used his trademark blend of footwork, skill and size to dominate the competition at the Southern Jam Fest. Queen is a gifted passer out of the double team and has nose for the ball on the offensive and defensive glass.
When Queen got the ball in the post, it was two points, two foul shots or a wide open shot for a teammate.
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Moore lived up to his billing as, arguably, the top marksman in the class, connecting from everywhere NBA 3-point line extended. Moore’s ability as an efficient catch-and-shoot marksman was unmatched this weekend, but he also showed capabilities as a playmaker.
That said, Moore will see time as a freshman at Syracuse because of his ability to extend the defense and in that regard he’s one of the best.
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Rooths came into the Southern Jam Fest with a big reputation for scoring the ball, leading the adidas 3SSB in scoring, and whether it was stretching the defense or using a combination of his 6-foot-7 frame and elite footwork to get to the mid-range and the basket, Rooths was a devastating defensive assignment all weekend.
His motor remains in overdrive and he doubles as a feisty defender and glass cleaner on both ends of the floor.
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Quaintance more than lived up to the hype all weekend, showcasing his trademark rim-rocking dunks and high IQ as a playmaker on the wing and in the paint. Quaintance uses his size and elite footwork to maneuver past slower bigs and his length gives small guards and wings fits on the perimeter. Buy the hype here.
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Jackson brought his trademark blend of speed, athleticism, elite IQ and three-level scoring ability to Virginia in a big way. No one was able to keep him out of the lane when he attacked and he made masterful reads once he got into the paint, whether it was kicking it out to a teammate or finishing at the rim.
The North Carolina commit unleashed the full repertoire.
