Midwest MSA: 2027 Top-20 All-Stars
July 31, 2023 by Max Feldman
A loaded Midwest MSA in Romeoville has come to a close. Plenty to break down, here we'll dive into the 2027 Top-20 All-Stars.
Baba Oladotun
Monster weekend for one of 2027's very elites. The flashes have long been there, but it was the most consistently dynamic he's shown offensively, all against national competition. 6-8 with an elevated shooting stroke, he filled it up as a mid-range pull-up scorer and even when defenders knew it was coming, he managed to get it off and converted with efficiency. Hard to come by many 6-8 14-year-old's who score it as well off the bounce as the DeMatha (MD) wing.
Scottie Adkinson
Adkinson has lived in the paint since the initial viewing in early spring with Brad Beal Elite, but has come along quite a bit since. The explosive southpaw continues to grow more consistent as a catch & shoot threat, especially from the corners. The Illinois native mixes speeds exceptionally well and pressures the rim as well as anyone in the class to this stage.
Peyton Kemp
Highly productive weekend on the ball for Kemp, but was at his best playing against the best come the All-Star game. In a matchup loaded with talent from the around the country, the highly skilled guard routinely got the defense in rotation and put his teammates in positions to thrive. There aren't too many ball-handlers in the class who play with as much confidence and flair as the Michigan native.
Devin Cleveland
Cleveland capped an enormous spring and summer with another positive weekend. Comfortable on or off the ball, the Kenwood (IL) G is potent firing from deep and is fearless attacking the cup. His best basketball is well ahead of him, but he's already producing at a high level.
Jaxson Davis
Davis has backed the early buzz all spring long, but the sample size had been low in terms of playing against his 2027 peers. A slow-burn type of game in many ways, but his feel for the game and smarts shined bright all weekend. In contrast to most guards at this stage, he doesn't demand usage to make an impact and is extremely comfortable playing within the flow of offense. The Warren (IL) G has an approach beyond his years.
Eden Vinyard
After playing up at the E15 this spring and summer certainly paid dividends for Vinyard, as he came out assertive in gameplay all weekend. 6-6 with a sturdy frame and strong ball skills, he scored it well in deep and had impressive coordination as a roll man. Rebounds, finishes through contact and flashed spot up shooting ability from three.
Josiah Nance
After a big showing at Finale in early July, Nance put together a very solid weekend in his home city of Chicago. 6-5 with pass, dribble and shoot ability, he's able to shoulder the load offensively when asked to do so but can also scale down and provide value as a closeout creator. He's continued to grow more efficient as a shooter, which will be key to monitor moving forward.
Quincy Wright
Wright arose this spring and has an intriguing skillset at 6-7+. A high energy athlete with an impressive rebounding prowess and soft hands around the rim. The Michigan native runs the floor exceptionally well and is impactful with his length defending in the paint. Continues to grow in polish, but has plenty of tools to build on moving forward.
Malachi Jordan
Jordan came hot out of the gates on Sunday, showing much of what made him one of the Spring's breakout prospects. 6-5 with a rugged approach, he played above the rim and finished through contact extremely well. The Nashville native plays through contact as well as any wing scorer in the class at this stage, and is a stalwart defensively when dialed in. Ton to like moving forward.
Isaiah Marino
A late riser on the weekend, Marino got hot through the final few sets of gameplay. 6-5 with plus length and a frame that should continue to fill out, he's capable of scoring it at all three levels and seemed to steadily grow in confidence as the weekend rolled on. Another Michigan native to keep tabs on.
Jaylan Mitchell
After a very strong spring playing up at the E15 level with Brad Beal Elite and thriving there, Mitchell's shined bright in Romeoville. 6-7 with a naturally versatile skillset, functional athleticism and ball skills, he provided pass, dribble, shoot productivity and popped as a creator off the bounce utilizing his physicality to carve out advantages. Early on, but one of the class' elites.
Cayden Daughtry
After torching the nets at Finale and landing on the All-Tournament team, Daughtry continued to orchestrate offense at an elite level at Midwest MSA. The Florida native has the ball on a string and picks apart defenses in ball screens with nuance beyond his years. From beyond the arc, he remained hot and routinely punished defenders for lackadaisical closeouts and casual defense out in space. Dynamic guard with a mature balance of shot-making and playmaking.
Ryan Hampton
Hampton's upside has been palpable from the jump, but the weekend in Chicago was his most consistent stretch of highly impactful play. 6-5+ with a rangy frame and quick-twitch athleticism, he turns the corner in a hurry and is tough to disrupt once he carves out even the slightest of advantages. Flexible at the rim and willing to attack through the chest of bigs, he draws fouls at an impressive rate. Streaky at times as a shooter previously, but was in a groove all weekend. Productivity aside, Hampton's confidence seems to be rising with each viewing as he inches towards high school.
Davion Thompson
The productive few months of play rolled on for Thompson, but the big takeaway was how well his skillset scales up and down regardless of the talent alongside him. The 6-2 spent most of the spring with the ball in his hands, dictating pace and breaking down defenses in ball screens. This weekend, while playing alongside a wealth of talent, he thrived off the ball. Relocating to space, driving closeouts, knocking down open looks and spurring offense with his off-ball movement. Skilled and thinks the game beyond his years, Thompson will find himself in good company in 2027 rankings debut next month.
Bryce Curry
An impressive introductory weekend for Curry, a 6-2 guard whose generated buzz over the last few months in the Midwest. Long and explosive with an aggressive approach attacking downhill, he did the bulk of his work filling the lane in transition, scoring out of the mid-range and cutting off the ball alongside other guards.
Mason Collins
Collins broke out in a big way this past spring and put together a high level weekend against other national talent. 6-5+ with a unique approach and cadence on the ball, he creates advantages with his feel for changing gears and manipulate defenses with polished footwork. The South Carolina native seems to never be sped up and makes the right play to set the table for teammates more times than not. Size, smarts and a mature feel for the game.
Greyson Pierce
As consistent as they come, Pierce produced at Midwest MSA as he has each step of the way. 6-6 with a soft touch shooting stroke, he filled it up off the catch and had impressive sequences driving closeouts to get to his pull-up. Skilled catch and shoot scorer with size on the perimeter.
Tyler Sutton
He's often gone under-discussed these past few months, but it was an exceptional weekend for Tyler Sutton. 6-2 with a low center of gravity and plenty of explosiveness, he has a knack for getting into the heart of defenses to either convert or get fouled on the way. He has the ability to live in the paint when he chooses to do so and has grown more heady in terms of picking his spots in half-court offense. Dynamic athlete with ball skills and toughness.
Isaiah Hill
It was hard to miss Hill from the jump, standing at 6-10 with impressive comfort firing from three off the catch. The Indianapolis native plays with a strong work rate for a young big, willing to mix it up inside the paint and pursue rebounds outside of his area. Still growing and adding strength, but surely one to monitor given his monster tools.
Camron Riggs
Riggs showed well with Mac Irvin in early June and backed it in his home state this weekend. 6-5 with quick-twitch and an explosive first step, he starred in transition and as a multi-positional defender. The Normal, Illinois native covered ground as fast as any wing in the building, generating deflections and steals in bunches. Finding his way fast.