Hidden Gems Showcase 2031/2032 Standouts

Lucious Jones’ Hidden Gems Showcase jumped off on Sunday at Central Crossing High School near Columbus, Ohio and proved to be a great platform for many of the area’s top ballers. Although the event hosted boys and girls from grades 4th through high school, we concentrated our coverage on the 4th/5th grade division, where several players logged in standout performances.

On Sunday, no one played better than David Johnson III (4’10″/SG/2032/Worthington, OH), who lived in the paint, finished at the basket at a high rate and was a straight bucket! Although he can knock down the perimeter shot if left unguarded, the best part of Johnson’s game right now is his ability to get to and finish at the cup. In addition, Johnson’s defense was elite, he played hard and grabbed a ton of offense rebounds.

Robert Jameson (5’0″/PG/2031/Columbus, OH), had a big day on Sunday as he slashed his way to the basket at will. Jameson is a fluid athlete with solid ball skills and a good feel for the game. In his opening game, Jameson scored the heck out of the rock and was active on both ends of the court. If he continues to hone his skills, Jameson has a chance to be an early contributor to a varsity squad.

Jordan Taylor (4’9″/PG/2032/Gahanna, OH) played his typical brand of team-oriented basketball, as the pass-first floor general distributed the rock and consistently found teammates for easy buckets. Taylor really came alive in the 3rd game, where he knocked down a pair of treys and converted a couple of baseline floaters. In addition, Taylor handled the rock under pressure, played with great pace and poise, while playing the game the right way! Taylor also defended at a high level, made few mistakes and typically made good decisions with the rock in his hands.

Ju Harris (4’9″/PG/2031/Columbus, OH) is a bulldog, who despite his size, plays physical and is a solid on-ball defender. That’s not all, as Harris can also raise up and knock the jump shot when open. From what we saw, with more skill work, Harris has a chance to be really good going forward. King Lancaster’s (4’11″/SG/2031/Columbus, OH) is an athlete, who continues to get better every time we see him. Not only can he get to the basket when he wants, he can also shoot the ball when left open.

Jedi-Haynes-Lee (5’1″/WF/2032/Columbus, OH) opened the showcase with a bang, as he proceeded to put up big numbers. In addition to several point blank put-backs, Haynes-Lee made a couple of impressive moves to the basket. With his size and strength, Haynes-Lee has a solid backdown game and he rebounds at a high rate.

All in all, it was a well run event and a solid day of basketball for Central Ohio ballers. Congratulations to Lucious Jones and his staff for their efforts!

Standout Players

Standout Player Pictures

David Johnson III

Robert Jameson

Jordan Taylor

Ju Harris

King Lancaster

Quincee McCants

Jedi Haynes-Lee

Durant Smith