HOOVER, Al—It feels great to be back in the Finley Center for another year of Bama Jam. One of my most anticipated events on the HoopSeen calendar, this one never disappoints. 

Throughout Friday and Saturday, I’ll be posting live updates from the gym, so keep it locked here on HoopSeen to view Bama Jam through my eyes. 

If you want to follow the action from home, visit BallerTV to stream the action. You can find that link below.

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7:05

After getting settled in, I stopped by court 3 during the 7:05 time slot to check in on a HoopSeen staple, the Tennessee Tigers, and We Play Basketball in a 15U matchup. This is a weekend of prospect discovery for me, and this game provided me to see plenty of fresh faces. 

Not only was it good for seeing new players, but it was a sudden-death double OT game that the Tigers came back from a double-digit deficit to win. Those Tennessee Tigers are always tough. They’re never out of a game. 

A guard and a big were the standouts in this one. 

Starting with the Tigers, Keilen Dalton was a beast around the basket. He thrives in a physical game. Dalton was a monster on the glass and seemingly had his hands on every rebound. 

While his bread is going to be buttered in the paint, he showed some perimeter bright spots, especially on defense. 

This is the kind of player that the Tigers win with. He’s tough, he’s tenacious. I look forward to seeing more of him this spring and summer. 

For We Play Basketball, Drew Mears stole the show at the point guard spot. He did everything when he was on the floor and made a tremendous first impression. 

It was Mears’ toughness and never-quit mentality on defense that immediately separated him in my eyes. He plays relentlessly on D and picked up several steals. 

Offensively, he showed that he can score on multiple levels. There’s a calming presence when he has the ball. He gets to his spots and sets his guys up with good looks. 

He reminds me of some of the guards that have come out of the Stars Basketball program like RJ Casey or Jett Montgomery.

8:05

In an effort to get eyes on some of the stars of tomorrow, I stuck around court 3 to catch Alabama Fusion’s 14U squad. They had a comfortable Friday evening to say the least, as they finished with a 84-36 win. 

Devon Pruitt was the star of this game. The big fella was dominant and overwhelming. He was bigger, longer and stronger than anyone else. He should be a name we hear from plenty in the future. 

Braylon Hurt has a ton of upside as well. He’s more of the lean and long wing build right now. Hurt has some bounce, and the skill parts of the game should continue to round into form with continued work. He led with 18.

Kevin Davis is a physical guard on this Fusion team that finished with 16 points. He was able to bully other guards throughout the game.

This group has to be the favorite to win 14U at this point. They were that impressive to open the weekend.

In the same time slot, I was able to catch some of OTP National's game. They won handily, and Bryson Andrews led the charge with 14 points which included four 3-pointers. He also made some outstanding passes. 

This OTP squad shares the ball well. They were impressive to start the weekend. I look forward to seeing them plenty this spring. 

9:15

Alabama Fusion capped the night on court 11 in emphatic fashion with a 69-50 win. 

Adrian Wooley got going in the second half when he scored 12 of his 22 points. His athleticism was on display when he highlighted his surge with a big-time dunk. Wooley was one of the most interesting prospects of the day for me. When we reflect on the AAU season, Wooley could be one of the stockrisers we talk about. 

Also on this Fusion squad, Caleb White had a big opening game. He's long been one of the most fun, explosive guards in Alabama. He finished with 18.