OTR 2027 Freshman Orientation

I had the privilege to go check out some of the new incoming 2027 talents at OTR Freshman Orientation held at Houston Jack Yates High School. The showcase consists of skills, drills, a couple of games, and then a Top 20 game at the end of the event. The evaluations that we conducted all came from the games. Here are our 10 players who stood out at the event. Players are not listed in any specific order.

Adam Coates 6’2” PG | Legacy School of Sports Science

I got to see this prospect last year at Rucker On Wood as he was snuck in as an 8th grader and was one of the top players at ROW the previous year as he was here on vacation. Adam is very athletic and has a really good feel for the game. He is from Michigan and has that immense innercity grit to his game. He is very ball dominant and can go get a bucket. Strong guard with a quick first step.

JD Williams 5’11” PG | College Park

JD is a flat-out competitor. He refuses to play second fiddle to anyone on the court and has that playing mentality that allows his game to speak for itself. He can shoot the long ball and get to the basket. He is a tough on-ball defender and will do what it takes to get the W.

Keshav Vijakumar 6’3” SG | Fort Bend Clements

Keshav is a new face in the city. This prospect is coming from San Antonio, TX, and will be attending a senior-heavy squad at Fort Bend Clements. He is a shooters shooter. He was hitting trey balls from the volleyball line. His perimeter game opens up the floor for him to beat his opponent to the rim.

Zionne Alfred 6’2” W | Salt N Light

I had the privilege of seeing this prospect first last season at the Ball So Hard Prospect EXPO in October of 2022. He had good measurables and played okay against the varsity kids that were at the event. He shined at the Freshman Orientation as he displayed his athleticism and ability to score on all levels. Very active on the defensive side of the ball as well.

Dylan Jones-Bynum 5’10” PG | Cinco Ranch

I caught a glimpse of what this player could be in June at the Rice Team Camp playing with Cinco Ranch. He didn’t disappoint then and didn’t disappoint at the Freshman Orientation. He showed his ability to play at multiple speeds. He scored around the rim and hit jumpers. He buys in defensively as well.

Chase Richardson 6’0” PG | Friendswood

Chase is a smooth operator with the ball in his hands. He is a skilled lead guard that can blow by opponents. He finishes nicely around the rim and looks to get his teammates involved in the game. He will be the varsity starting point guard as a freshman. He displayed his abilities at the TABC Boys Showcase this past June 2023 and was a significant factor in their success as they went 2-1.

Jamal Nailor 6’1” G | Houston Yates

Sneaky athleticism is what Jamal brings to the table. Calm demeanor sometimes just seems like he is coasting by and then he just hits you out of nowhere with his athleticism. He also is a really good shooter and you will hear a lot of (YEAT) from the Jack Yates crowd this season as he drains trey ball after trey ball. Will be big on Varsity from the start of the season.

Sean Mayberry 6’4” F | North Shore

Sean ran the floor well. He didn’t complain he just worked hard on every possession regardless if he got a touch or not. Camp/Showcase settings can be tough on forwards and bigs. He was very active on the glass. He finished well around the rim. He showcased a solid handle on the ball at times also. Knocked down some jumpers as well. It was refreshing to see this player work hard at this showcase.

Royce Shelton 5’10” PG | Cypress Park

Royce is a tough left-handed guard. He has really good ball speed and was tough for opponents to contain him. He was making some tough passes that were right on the money every time. He can finish through contact as well. He should play a big role for Cypress Park this upcoming season. Once he gets as comfortable going right and becomes more of an ambidextrous player good night.

Jae’Qurian Lincoln 6’5” SF | Humble

Jae’Qurian is a long athletic prospect that has a solid motor. He is a driving wing player. He went coast to coast a couple of different times and finished with a one-handed jam every time. Has pretty solid timing defensively to alter shots and pretty good lateral movement. Once he develops a perimeter game he will be very tough.