The Generation Next Invitational hit the hardwood in Wisconsin and a stellar cast of talented middle school prospects made their presence felt.  Here’s a quick look at some more of the standouts from the 7th grade division in Wisconsin…

Reece Jordan Jr. – 2027- Dual Forward – NESYB – The lengthy wing was one of the more versatile players that I watched this weekend. Jordan flashed some great abilities this weekend. Whether it was rebounding, shooting it from deep, or distributing the ball, he was able to do anything to help his team out on the floor. Played extremely well in hard fought victory over Meanstreets Select in bracket play.

Noah Emmanuel – 2027- Hybrid Post – Meanstreets –  Already standing about 6’5”, Emmanuel was a force down low for Meanstreets in their run to the championship game. He is very raw offensively and will need to improve on that part of his game. Defensively, he blocked a ton of shots throughout the weekend and altered countless others. He will be a name to watch moving forward as his body and game starts to fill out. 

Michael Rogers Jr. – Point Guard – CBA Elite –  A very skilled guard that was one of the top players of the weekend. He is a playmaker that can both score and distribute the ball based on what his team needs at the time. Rogers already shoots the ball extremely well from deep and can use his dribble to create his own shot or dish to the open teammate. The guard has good feel and knows where to go with the ball.

Tayte Cordova – Small Forward – Illinois Central Elite  –  Cordova is a pure scoring machine. He can shoot it, He can drive it, He can attack the basket. Exploded for 31 points in a Saturday morning victory. As much as he scores, he also distributes the ball to open teammates once the defense collapses on him.

Jayce Cook – 2027- Shooting Guard – 24:UP –  Cook can flat out shoot the basketball. I’ve watched him play many times this year on the NY2LA GNBA circuit and he averages around 4 threes a game. He’s a smart guard who is hunting his shot but doesn’t force the issue. He moves well without the ball and doesn’t shy away from contact. 

Mateen Cleaves Jr.- 2027- Combo Guard – The Family – A solid impressive young guard with range, Cleaves ripped the nets from long range and made positive things happen for his team.  A solid young leader on the court, Cleaves can control the game delivering passes and he has excellent form and range on his shot.  Coming from a high major D1 pedigree, I look forward to seeing how his game evolves in the future.

Landon Mays – 2027- Power Forward – Meanstreets Select White – Young bigs are always a work in progress and this big strong interior talent continues to take nice steps forward.  This past weekend he attacked the glass (18 rebounds in one of the games I watched), finished around the basket, and brought solid energy and activity to both ends of the court. Standing 6’4”, around 230, Mays is  Still growing and developing, and is a solid young prospect with a huge potential upside.