NEO 1st Day Recap

7th Grade Top Performers 

Garfield Heights High School played host this past weekend to what is quickly becoming one of the top youth basketball events in the country. The 2016 NEO Youth Elite Showcase did more than lived up to the hype as over 280 student-athletes from across the state and midwest poured into Cleveland, Ohio to put on a show. Here's who stood out among the middle school performers!

Omar Abuhamden (#239)
During the drill session Saturday morning, Abuhamden was virtually impossible to stay in front of. He used a deadly left to right crossover to create enough to space to attack and create easy opportunities for teammates. 

Ramelle Arnold Jr. (#303)
Over the last two years, Arnold has developed a reputation across NE Ohio as being one of the top up-and-coming athletes at the youth level. After his performance this weekend, the 5'8 guard from Warrensville may have solidified himself at the top of his class. Arnold has the tight handle and passing ability that you like to see in a lead guard, but he also possesses an explosive first step with the strength to finish at the rim. At times, he settles for jumpshots or makes one too many moves, but at the end of the day, he proved that he can play with anyone in the state.

Luke Chicone (#65)
The 5'5 guard from Mentor became a fan favorite at the 2016 NEO Youth Elite Showcase. The flashy lead guard provided excitement to every game that he was in; his performance in the 7th Grade Top 20 game was one of the signature highlights of the event. 

Jaden Hameed (#320)
Hameed possesses a rare combination of strength and quickness at the guard position. This was evident in his performance during the Top 20 All-Star Game when he seemed to get by anyone who stood in his path. Hameed was also amongst the best finishers through contact that I saw this weekend among the guards in attendance.

William Jeffres (#281)

You will be hard pressed to find a 12 year-old who has more upside than 6'2 William Jeffres from out of Erie, Pennsylvania. Even though the 7th Grade division featured more than 80 athletes, it wasn't too difficult to spot Jeffres among the crowd. Not only does he pass the eye test, Jeffres can play. The forward out of PA possesses a skill set that could be out done by only a few athletes in attendance. More often than not, whenever Jeffres would secure a rebound, he would handle the rock and go coast to coast for a scooping score. 

Mechie Johnson (#1)
Little Meechie Johnson is capable of getting a shot that he wants however and whenever he wants. Johnson has a yo-yo like handle to pair up with his picture-perfect jumper. Even though he struggled at times to get his shot to fall, the guard from Garfield Heights made up for it with his elite vision and showmanship.

Enavell Lighty (#212)
Evavell, nephew of former Ohio State Buckeye David Lighty, is a long wiry big man who makes his living running the floor and cleaning up 50/50 rebounds.

Noah Peoples (#359)
Peoples, one of the top middle school athletes in the country, stands at 6'0 and looks like he should be playing defensive end at the high school. Peoples , along with Jeffres, was in the discussion for the top forward in the loaded 7th Grade division. Whether he was flying towards the hoop and finishing with an acrobatic putback, or bullying defenders with his back to the basket, Peoples was dominant all weekend long.  

Tae Perie (#300)
Tae Perie, an Akron-native, was one of the more explosive scorers in the middle school division who was in attendance throughout the course of the weekend. On Saturday, Perie connected on 6 of his 7 triples en route to a 28-point effort. The 5'5 guard is shifty with the rock and he doesn't need a ton of space to get off his jumper. 

MarSaun Robinson (#244)
Robinson is an exciting guard who has confidence that is unmatched. His speed and craftiness with the ball allows him to lead the break effectively.

Other Notable Standouts:

Collin Albert (#313)
Damaryea Gadson (#329)
Jimmy Salamone (#102)
Jamere Sheron (#86)
Cameron Ray (#374) 
Darryl Peterson (#368)
Joe Labas (#246) 
Sam Siegel (#211)
Josiah Mobley (#191)
EJ Farmer (#4)
Trent Jakacki (#233)


Recap Written By:
T.J. Peatross
NEO Youth Elite Blogger
Twitter - @tjpeatross

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