G.Day's Notebook | #Hoopsgiving
RCS Sports Hoopsgiving Classic has been a staple in the Houston Basketball community for a decade. This year marked the 10th anniversary of the event. Jim Hicks, the owner of RCS Sports, has also been giving away free Turkeys and Hams for families in need in the community and at the event. The day was filled with a lot of top-ranked players from Greater Houston as well as Nationally notarized players, and lastly top-ranked players in the Lone Star State from San Anotion and the DFW Metroplex. Here is my notebook from the event.
Featured in this article are 30 Ball So Hard ranked prospects. All player rankings are private for collegiate coaches only.
BSH80 - Top 80 [2024] - 16 Prospects
BSH40 - Top 40 [2025] - 12 Prospects
BSH20 - Top 20 [2026] - 2 Prospects
Westbury Christian - which features Jason Scott 6’3” Jr. BSH40 did not play in the game. The Wildcats utilized Sebastian Mackey 6’1” Sr. who paced the way with 19 points and received great contributions from Cooper Harwerth 6’4” Sr. who was a menace on the glass with 11 rebounds and interior defensively as he had 6 blocked shots.
Little Cypress Mauriceville - star player Alantheon Winn 6’5” Sr. BSH80 displayed his athleticism and was hard to keep from getting to the rim. He is one of the top unsigned seniors in the area. The Bears look to be a playoff team in 4A I feel that if Jonah Fuller 5’9” Jr. can give them more consistent play from the lead guard position, it will make a huge difference down the stretch. There are still a lot of games left to be played.
St. Thomas Episcopal - took care of business. They are favored to return to TAPPS 4A State this season. Their early team success is easy to see as they sit at 8-1 on the season. They were led by Aiden Law 6’3” Jr. BSH40 who has been on a tear lately. Very consistent shooter and brings a lot of toughness to the table finished with a game-high of 27 points. The return of his older brother Nathan Law 6’6” Sr. BSH80 is signed with UTRGV and had 18 points in the game against Kashmere. This is not a team to overlook if they are on your schedule this year.
St. Francis Episcopal - was up by 20 early on in the third quarter of the game and lost by 2 in overtime. Could this be the potential identity of this team next season? Also saw them the day before at a different event and they lost that game handily. Nationally ranked Nigel Walls 6’10” Jr. BSH40 is out with flu-like symptoms for both games. He could potentially be gone next year to one of the EYBL High School Circuit teams. I did like what I saw from these two John Laboy II 6’3” Jr. BSH40 and Christian Hodge 6’3” Jr. Laboy with his play-making abilities, his teammates have to finish. Hodge has aggressive play and his motor is always on go mode. He is super active on the court at all times.
Klein Cain - was down on the roster with a lot of players out due to the flu season. The Hurricanes made a valiant effort to come back and win their game, after being down by 20 points. Nationally ranked John Clark 6’9” Jr. BSH40 was a handful as he never checked out of the game. He utilizes his strength on the interior to be dominant. If he can stay off the perimeter and play on it maybe 15% of the game and 85% in the paint good night opponents. Words from a wise college coach, “I agree.” Braden Fobbs 6’2” Sr. was big for them as well. Scoring the ball on the perimeter as well as knocking down every single free-throw attempt.
Fort Bend Clements - the Rangers have the biggest starting line-up in Greater Houston with the shortest starter being 6’3”. Divine Ugochukwu 6’3” Sr. BSH80 is among the top unsigned seniors in the area. Showcased his ability to run the show for the Rangers and score when needed. The biggest improvement for the Rangers has to be Joshua Clark 6’11” Sr. BSH80 who is also unsigned but has been producing double-double numbers all season. He has a JuCo offer but if he keeps playing the way he has been. He will play himself into an NCAA D1 scholarship. I like the play of these starters as well, Aziz Olajuwon 6’3” So. and Keshav Vijaykumar 6’3” Fr. will be huge this season for the Rangers.
Fort Bend Elkins - the Knights are still looking to find a leader for the team early on this season. They’ve had their moments looking like a well-oiled machine and other times looking like they have no identity. This team has a lot of varsity experience at the guard position. It’s still early in the season but the Knights have some work to do, and I feel they will be okay down the stretch.
Fort Bend Marshall - although Jaland Lowe will not be entering through those doors to play the Buffs are rolling early on this season. They are our top team in 5A, and right now, looking to be one of the top teams out of Fort Bend ISD regardless of classification. Kevin Sargent 6’4” Jr. is a Swiss army knife he does a little bit of everything for the Buffs and helps to bring about wins, He is one of the rising prospects around the area. Eian Lowe 5’8” Jr. also makes a lot of good plays for the Buffs. They also feature Air Force Academy commit Chris Catchings 6’5” Sr. BSH80
Madison - The Marlins like to get out-n-run and push the tempo. They just couldn’t get the ball to fall in the first quarter of the game. They also struggled offensively in the fourth quarter as well. With that said the Marlins will still be a tough team in 5A this season and could make a nice run towards San Antonio in February. The Marlins feature Jayden Gambrell 6’3” Sr. BSH80 signed with Lamar University.
Shadow Creek - the Sharks are a team full of juniors. They have been playing well early on this season. Michael Collins 6’1” Jr. BSH40 is a physical downhill guard and probably the best on-ball defender in the area. He has been the anchor this season. They also get good contributions from Kaden Tate 6’6” Sr. BSH80 who is a really good rebounder for his size and position.
Bellaire - is one of the only HISD teams I have seen that plays solid in the half-court. Led by Shelton Henderson 6’6” Jr. BSH40 is nationally ranked, and he’s tough when going downhill. If Anthony Andrews III 6’6” Jr. BSH40 would focus on dominating the high and low block offensively it will help the Cardinals out a lot and his recruitment as well.
St. John’s - the Mavericks feature nationally ranked Sebastion Williams-Adams 6’8” Jr. BSH40 who played well as the play initiator for the Mavs. He also had a double-double. It was a big coming-out party for Malachi Booker 6’5” Fr. who seemed to be unstoppable the entire game. The Arlington Sam Houston fans were saying as they were leaving “Man that kid was only a freshman.” Booker finished with a game-high 28 points in the win. The SPC will be a fun conference to watch this season. P.S. They also play with a shot clock [:35].
Episcopal - another SPC team that was state champions the year before last. Early on this season, they are looking to take the crown back, but it won’t be an easy task. With these three players, they will be tough all season long. Justin Begg 5’10” Sr. BSH80 signed with George Mason University is a phenomenal lead guard, Jakeel Registe 6’5” Sr. BSH80 is another top unsigned prospect and is a rim punisher, and Alim Olajuwon 6’3” Fr. is the new face to the squad that shows all the flashes in the world.
Silsbee - the Tigers will be a force in 4A this year. The football team is still on its run in the playoffs. They have a lot of key contributors on the gridiron that will make the Tigers a force to be reckoned with once again. Even without those pieces they still look good with their star player Jared Harris 6’5” Sr. BSH80 signed with the University of Memphis is a supreme bucket-getter and also makes a lot of winning plays in other areas of the game. He also has Payton Jones 5’10” Fr. starting guard who looks like he's been playing varsity for years. I also like the energy that Troy Rice 6’6” Jr. brings to the table.
Houston Washington - looks to get back to UIL 4A State Tournament and this season claim the championship. They will have to meet up with Silsbee in the Regionals which is set to be another epic matchup. The Eagles get a huge addition in Abraham Kirksey Jr 6’4” Sr. BSH80 who comes over from Spring Dekaney. His contribution has been noticed since fall ball for the Eagles, making an instant impact, and talking about a right fit within the system. We’ve known about this prospect since his 16U grassroots spring season with Viper Select. He’s a ranked unsigned senior but we sleep on him, right? Onto other prospects on the team with the biggest unsigned senior on the board Chris McDermott 6’7” Sr. BSH80 is a walking double-double. Odis Carter Jr 5’10” Sr. BSH80 is a pit bull on the defensive end of the ball. I also like what Jalen Webb 5’6” Jr. brings as a shooter to the team excited to see how far they will go this season.
C.E. King - with Damien Mobley at the helm, the Panthers are looking like what people have been hopeful for, for the past 3 years. The Panthers can play in both the half-court and transition. I like the dynamic that they bring and the energy of the coach is efficacious. Logan Alexander 6’9” Sr. BSH80 is another top unsigned senior who has the tools to be a big-time role player in college right away with the right choice, and a future featured player at a program. Jmar Franklin 5’11” Sr. BSH80 is a head conscience lead guard for the Panthers. We told you guys in the preseason in an article featuring top point guards from the senior class that he was one of them, but y’all don’t hear me though. Christian Thomas 6’7” Jr. BSH40 is dangerous when he gets going downhill.
Atascocita - the Eagles have so much depth that you never know who is going to be the standout in the game. It makes them a hard scout because anyone is liable to have a big game. This season Jordan Maddox 6’5” Sr. has been the most consistent in his play for them. As of late Luke Martinez 6’2” Sr. has been a big-time three-point threat at a really good percentage. Last weekend we watched him hit a buzzer-beating three-point shot to get a win. They also feature these highly touted players Jerrell Barron Jr 6’4” Sr. BSH80 who is signed to Brown University, Jaylen Fenner 6’4” Jr. BSH40, Jachai Cantave 6’1” So. BSH20, and Adam Boyd 6’2” So. BSH20
Houston Yates - was able to apply pressure with their full-court press which led to their success in their game against Dallas Lincoln. The Lions will have their hands full in district play this season. They will lean heavily on Jaquan Brandon 5’10” Sr. who feels like he’s been on varsity for ages. If he can score at a higher percentage it would help them tremendously. They also will utilize Jordan Andrus 6’5” Jr. who is a rebounding machine and interior presence. Once DeShon “Gucci” Scott 6’4” Jr. comes back it will help push them in the right direction.
Here is our top game of the evening to watch back.
Article by: Geoffrey Day
Ball So Hard Owner / National Scout
November 24, 2023
