Midwest Spotlight Standout Performers

With the 2022 travel basketball season winding down, the unofficial camp/showcase season is well underway. First up is the 5th year Midwest Spotlight camp, which was held this past weekend at the Town and Country Athletic Center located in Wilder, Ky.  Almost 200 campers from several states attended this 2-day event, which was co-sponsored by Coast 2 Coast Prep and Camp One, and featured both skill and drill station work and 5-on-5 games.

In terms of talent, there were a number of ballers in the gym. Below is our complete list of standout performers over the course of the weekend. As a special note, 2029’s Deloni Pughsley is a problem, and he proved yet again this weekend that he’s one of the best players in his class. Pughsley as an absolute BUCKET, with his ability to change speed and direction, create space and score at 3-levels.  Offensively, he puts tremendous pressure on his defender as he is always probing for driving lanes, and if he does get all the way to the cup, he drops if off to a teammate.  In all honesty, the kid is almost unguardable!

Another pair of 2027 guards that got us excited included Torrence Sanford (KY) and Kingston Hunt (MI), who went at each other hard in a game we watched, and showed exceptional skill and toughness.  Both of these guards can score the ball at the rim or from beyond the 3-point line, and both are crafty,  and are pesky defenders. We also really liked Max Joiner (OH), who displayed elite athleticism, the ability to score near the rim and rebound at a high level.  Tristian Breland (IN) has high major college ball written all over him! He has good size for his position; he’s highly skilled, fluid, and he has a good feel for the game.  Additionally, his ball skills are elite, as is his ability to go get a bucket. Also, he can’t be sped up, he plays with good pace, and when he is not creating offense for himself, he’s making plays for teammates. Zander Pughsley (OH), much like his older brother, is a wizard with the rock in his hands, and he is always in attack mode.  Pughsley is a blur in transition and communicates well with teammates. If he does not finish at the basket with a floater or layup, he’s dropping it off to a cutting teammate. In addition to his ability to score, Pughsley is a lock down on-ball defender and a high-energy player. Depending on his continued growth and development, Pughsley should play college basketball at some level.

Although the 2032 class was small in numbers, the rising 3rd grader division was well represented by several players including: Jordan Taylor (OH), Elijah Mathieu (TN), Jordan Bowles (KY), Dre’Shuan Prospers (TN) and Aden Johnson (MI). Taylor separated himself from the pack offensively on Sunday, scoring  32 points in the final 2 games (18 & 14). In addition to his offensive output, Taylor displayed the ability to lock down defenders, find open teammates, and block shots. Moreover, starting early in station work, Taylor’s skill level was on full display.

In terms of defense, Mathieu was a serious problem for ball handlers. He’s super quick, aggressive and gets up under ball handlers for easy steals. His ball skills are solid, as is his ability to score from the perimeter or at the basket.  Bowels also scored the rock, played solid defense and appeared to be skilled. Prospers is a quick and scrappy PG with excellent ball skills and ability to get in the paint. Johnson was only a second grader, but he was not afraid the let the ball fly from beyond the ark.  If left open, Johnson can hit the 3-ball! We also saw some good things from Maddox Perry (MO), including the ability to score from beyond the ark and find open teammates. All-in-all, the event was well run, competitive, and the kids appeared to enjoy themselves.

Standout Performers

Deloni Pughsley

Max Joiner

Torrence Sanford

Kingston Hunt

Zander Pughsley

Tristian Breland

Khamani Pressoa

Khamari Riddick

Miles Alexander

Andre Booth

James Humphreys

Amuari Wharton

Kamar Rainey

Jordan Taylor

Elijah Mathieu

Jordan Bowles

Dre’Shuan Prospers

Aden Johnson

Jeff Williams

Jarrod Denard

Julius Jones

Nukeise Minor

Bo Hogeboom

Elijah Booth

Chase Godfrey

Brian Tate

Andre Booth