Southern jam fest hampton va 2022

The Hoop Group tipped off their annual Southern Jam Fest at Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton, Virginia last night. As usual, the field of teams offers plenty of talent at all levels and the Friday night sessions are always a good way to set up an exciting weekend of basketball. Let’s take a look at the headlines from opening night.

Caden Diggs

Caden Diggs 6'7" | SF Bullis | 2024 State MD was the find of the night

I hadn’t seen 2024 wing Caden Diggs

Caden Diggs 6'7" | SF Bullis | 2024 State MD live prior to last night, but he immediately catches your eye as a high major prospect. The 6-foot-7 New World standout recorded 23 points in a convincing win over Cecil Kirk. Diggs was fluid in the open floor with the ball where he used his blend of length, athleticism and mobility to get to the rim as he dodged defenders in a variety of ways and either finish with a rim-rattling dunk or a smooth finger roll. He also showcased great balance and body control on his pull up jumpers from mid-range. Diggs converted on multiple as he quickly got to his spots with 1-to-2 dribbles and had sound technique on his release. He holds an offer from Xavier, plans to visit George Mason soon and is hearing from DePaul and Temple. Diggs has a chance to be special.

Durant trio impresses

Team Durant 16s defeated the VA Playmakers in their Friday night game led by a trio of ’24 Machi Chester

Machi Chester 6'3" | SG Gwynn Park | 2024 State MD , Royce Parham and Malcolm Thomas

Malcolm Thomas 6'8" | C DeMatha | 2024 State MD . Chester led the way with 20 points as the 6-foot-3 guard asserted himself right away by getting to the free-throw line and burying back-to-back triples. From there the defense was at his mercy as he attacked close outs, forced defenders on the help side to commit and located open teammates for clean looks. In the second half he got back to looking more for himself on drives and did a nice job at finishing through bumps.

Parham and Thomas set the tone inside. Defensively they were controlling the glass and helping limit their opponent to one-shot possessions. While Parham sparked transitions opportunities on multiple occasions himself, Thomas showed his ability to score inside/out as he knocks down a couple of shots from beyond the arc. They’re both bigs who can hold their own on switches in ball screens and make a consistent effort on protecting them rim when they’re down low.

NJ Scholars flex their muscles

The Scholars took on a NOVA Cavs team that refused to go down easy. It wasn’t until the 8 minute mark of the second half where the Scholars pulled away, but there was never a doubt that they would walk away with a win even when the game was close. Headlining a star-studded roster is ’23 DJ Wagner who is regarded as the No. 1 player in his class nationally. Wagner scored 19 points and converted on three triples, which is the most criticized part of the dynamic guard’s scoring skill set. The shot looked fluid, Wager looked confident and when he’s hitting those shots on top of his acrobatic finishes at the rim, the No. 1 label fits perfectly.

Wagner’s high school teammate, Aaron Bradshaw

Aaron Bradshaw 7'0" | PF Camden | 2023 State #10 Nation NJ , also plays on the Scholars and acts as the anchor with his 7-foot frame. Bradshaw is a pogo stick that had over a handful of two-handed flushes on his way to 15 points in the win. He was blocking shots into the stands after rotating from the weakside, holding his own rebounding clinic and consistently running the floor.

Duke bound Mackenzie Mgbako

Mackenzie Mgbako 6'8" | SF Roselle Catholic | 2023 State #5 Nation NJ showed his versatility at 6-foot-8 as he led the break on a routine basis where he’d bully his way to the rim and comfortably finish through contact. He led all scorers in this contest with 21 points and while he made his mark from outside in the first half, the second half was dedicated to drives for tough lay ups or punishing the rim. There’s a lot to like with Mgbako and even though the Scholars didn’t face an elite opponent in this game, you could still see the reason why blue bloods were courting his services.

New World escapes a dog fight

New World 17s capped the night off with a tough win over a scrappy PSB-DMV group. New World won by 11, but the game was close throughout. ’23 wing Jamie Kaiser

Jamie Kaiser 6'6" | SF IMG Academy | 2023 #67 Nation FL has been one of the biggest stock risers in the country and while he couldn’t get into rhythm with his shot, he didn’t let it impact his willingness to score in other ways. The 6-foot-5 wing led his team with 13 points.

It was good seeing ’24 Jaeden Mustaf back in action. He scored 12 points in the win and supplied his most exciting buckets in transition where the 6-foot-5 guard showcased his above-the-rim talents. He was active in passing lanes where he caused deflection for those run out opportunities. While he was scoring when he wanted by the basket, he also made good decision as a distributor on drives when the defense overhelped.

southern jam fest hampton va