East Championship: 2027 Wing Standouts

March 22, 2023 by Tony McNiff

Nick Harken (DPS): Harken was another unsung hero for DPS en route to them taking home an East Circuit championship. He struggled with foul trouble in the championship game for a short-handed squad, however I was most impressed with his composure. He continued to play hard without fouling and he was productive on both ends of the floor. Harken is a tough finisher at the rim who displayed evident touch with his dominant hand in the lane. He’s a heady cutter without the ball in his hands and he has a strong understanding of floor spacing for a prospect his age. Defensively, he was often matched up with bigger players over the weekend, however he held his own and anchored down the paint. 

Marquis Newsom (DPS): Newsom was another big producer for DPS while helping them secure an East Circuit championship. A long and wiry athlete who has been known as a prolific slasher off the bounce, although he looked much more confident shooting the ball during this past weekend. He flashed his spot-up shooting value on the perimeter by converting some timely three-point shots for DPS. Newsom also showed off his improving handle while proving he had the versatility to effectively play on or off the ball. A capable grab & go threat who has the handle + speed to push the ball himself in transition. Defensively, Newsom covers ground quickly and he has a knack for using his length to force turnovers whenever it’s possible.

Patrick Otey (Expressions Elite): Otey was another prospect who had a strong circuit season and he’s another notable prospect to track in the Northeast. He’s a well-built and tough wing whose displayed a potent pull-up game this entire winter. He thrives in the mid-range area where he’s comfortable settling into one & two dribble pull-up jumpers. Otey has the handle and feel to play on the ball, however he’s effective playing off the ball as well. He has a knack for leveraging his size and strength in the paint against smaller opponents as well. 

Josiah Johnson-Freeman (Team United): Johnson-Freeman appears to be steadily developing on both ends of the floor based on his performance this past weekend. He’s a well-rounded wing who popped out with his malleability, as he was able to play + defend multiple positions.  He’s a fluid athlete who also showed off an improving handle by pushing the ball himself in the open floor. Thrives in a secondary creator role where he can attack the rim off the wing, plus he flashed improving pull-up touch inside the arc today. Highly versatile defender who can defend in space while bringing tons of energy to his team. Another notable 2027 prospect to track moving forward in North Carolina.

Baba Oladotun (Team Durant): Oladotun was a heavy contributor for Team Durant en route to their final four appearance. He’s a long and fluid athlete who has taken noticeable steps as a shooter, creator, & decision-maker during this year’s East Circuit. He’s still far from a finished product physically, however there’s intriguing tools due to his blend of positional size, length, and fluidity for a prospect his age. Oladotun is a capable shotmaker with appealing touch and mechanics given his age + positional size as well. He’s a highly versatile wing scorer who has been a mismatch nightmare for opponents on our East Circuit. Still has a ways to go defensively, although he definitely put together some intriguing spans of play on the defensive end of the floor, particularly when using his length to jump passing lanes.

Rasheed Morrison (UPLAY Canada): Morrison has been a notable standout during this year’s East Circuit and he had some strong showings during championship weekend. He’s a physically imposing point of attack ball handler who uses his strength to create angles downhill. He’s a hard-nosed finisher at the rim who has a knack for using his frame to absorb & finish through contact in the paint. Morrison is still developing as a shooter, however he certainly showed some growth throughout the winter. He’s a well-built prospect who leverages his strength and physicality to keep opponents out of the paint. 

Joshua Rivera (PSA Cardinals): Rivera showed some intriguing flashes over the weekend and he caught my eye during Saturday’s action. He’s a long and fluid athlete who displayed his spot-up shooting prowess against NY Rens. He also flashed growth as a ball handler with improving ball security and space-creation skills. Rivera has the physical tools to develop into a high-level wing as he continues to progress. Defensively, there’s appealing intangibles given his blend of size, length, and fluidity. 

Cahron Wheeler (Team Melo): Wheeler is a physical wing who had himself a strong circuit season throughout the winter. He’s a strong slasher who thrives at leveraging his strength to work his way downhill to the rim. He’s a smooth face-up scorer in the mid-range area who has flashed some catch & shoot shotmaking from three-point range. Wheeler’s a downhill force who understands how to use his frame + physicality to an advantage. He’s a versatile and switchable defender who has the physical tools to defend guards + wings. 

Munir Greig (The Ivy): Greig is another intriguing prospect given his blend of positional size, length, and athleticism. He proved to be a capable grab & go threat as he was able to secure rebounds and take the ball up the floor himself. He’s an explosive finisher around the rim who demonstrated some touch with his dominant hand. Greig is still developing as a shooter, however he knocked down a few shots outside the paint over the weekend. Excels playing in transition using his athleticism and tools to an advantage in the open floor. 

Troy Tomlin (Team Takeover): Tomlin is a high-level athlete who popped out with his aggressive driving and explosiveness off the bounce this past weekend. He’s a bouncy finisher in the lane who has the verticality to finish plays above the rim if given a runway. He flashed his versatility throughout the winter by knocking down some stand-still jumpers off the catch from three-point range. He’s a blur in the open floor and he loves to use his explosiveness to beat opponents off the bounce. Tomlin was a highly instinctive defender who used his quick feet and hands to apply constant pressure on opposing ball handlers as well.