Who stood out: Future Elite All-American Camp

LARGO, Fla. – Bay Area Hoops LLC hosted the Future Elite All-American Camp Sunday at The Basketball Warehouse with 20 high school players going through drills before some five-on-five games in front of scouts, photographers, travel team coaches and parents during a two-hour event.

Here is a breakdown of who stood out:

Ramses Melendez had the best performance of the day. The Central Pointe Christian Academy wing is skilled and can score at all three levels. Melendez has good size and length, better than average athlete who does not hesitate to finish above the rim when he gets to the cup. He made things look easy, especially with his deep and consistent shooting stroke. Currently ranked the No. 125 prospect in the 2021 class, Melendez showed a high basketball IQ and made a case for breaking into the top-100 in Rivals next rankings update.

Jamille Reynolds committed to UCF in August so it was impressive to see the Lakewood senior at this camp. It’s a testament to Reynolds’ desire to continue to improve his game. He played with a quiet confidence, showed improved back-to-the-basket skills as well as the ability to knock down open 17-footers if his feet are set and he gets time to get the shot off. Defensively the three-star big man’s shot changing abilities will earn him early playing time in the American Athletic Conference.

Emanuel Sharp got off to a bit of a slow start Sunday morning but once the highly skilled Blake High School guard got into the flow he did not disappoint. Sharp, the No. 44 ranked prospect in the 2022 class, has an advanced feel for the game, he got his teammates involved and showed that he can really score the basketball. He looked leaner than when we watched him during the FIBA U16 European Championships in August.

Each time I see Mike Trigg Jr. play I wonder why the 2021 Seffner Christian shooting guard does not have more offers. Trigg is a strong, skilled, productive guard who can score at all three levels and finds open teammates. Trigg is also a football prospect but he is not a football player who plays basketball, he knows how to hoop.

Berkeley Prep's C.J. Hawkins is an intriguing sophomore that we first saw in September 2018. An above average athlete with a strong frame, Hawkins is a capable defender on the perimeter and against bigger foes in the paint. At times Saturday the 6-foot-6, 200-pounder held his own while guarding 6-foot-10, 240-pound Jamille Reynolds in the post. You have to close out on Hawkins with a hand high or he’ll knock down shots out to 20-feet. We’ve never seen Hawkins give less than maximum effort on a possession.

David Delancy was one of the youngest prospects at the camp. The Somerset Academy 2023 guard has good size for either backcourt position and has some wiggle to his game. He can create off the bounce but he also made some questionable decisions with the ball. Having said that, we’re talking about a young guard who hasn’t played the first game of his freshman season. Delancy is definitely one to watch.

Sunday was our first real good look at Brandon H.S. sophomore Joshua Watkins. At 6-foot-5, 155-pounds he is a hard playing, active lean wing. Watkins picked up concepts quickly and tried to win every drill. Despite his thin frame, Watkins challenged shots and also displayed an ability to grab rebounds and push the ball up the floor on his own to initiate transition scoring opportunities.

Modibo Sanogo just arrived in the U.S. three weeks ago but he is one to keep an eye on. Listed at 6-foot-9, 240-pounds, Sanogo is a strong, mobile post player who runs well. His defense is ahead of his offense right now but, his basketball instincts and athleticism are both good, which should lead to a quick learning curve on post moves and counter moves for the Central Pointe Christian Academy big. We definitely want to see more of Sanogo.