AAU, Hoops Festival set stage for prospects
It’s the hottest month of the summer for college basketball recruiting and college coaches will brave Orlando’s scorching temperatures to set their sights on elite prospects at travel ball tournaments this week.
One of the most coveted is Kissimmee Osceola’s blossoming big man,
who will play for Team Parsons 2019 Gauntlet at this weekend’s Orlando Hoops Festival, which tips off Friday at The First Academy (2667 Bruton Blvd.).
Payne, a 6-foot-9 power forward, missed his freshman high school season due to back surgery but returned to help Osceola win the Class 9A title in March and has been climbing recruiting ratings ever since. Both Rivals and 247sports list him as Florida’s No. 5 Class of 2019 prospect.
Payne has gained seven D-1 offers since April: UF, FSU, Miami, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Pitt, USC and Wichita State.
His travel team, sponsored by Lake Howell, UF and current NBA forward
features two other Osceola rising juniors in mighty mite point guard and wing
They are scheduled to play one game on Friday (5:40 p.m.), two on Saturday (10:50 a.m. and 9:20 p.m.) and one Sunday (1:10 p.m.) at TFA’s new fieldhouse.
Admission for spectators is $15 per day ($5 for ages 12 and under) or $25 for a three-day pass; children 5 and under free.
Orlando’s nationally-ranked Team Breakdown 17U squad, with prolific Edgewater alum and Louisville commit plays Louisiana Elite at 1 p.m. and New York Lightning at 8:10 on Saturday; and meets the Mobile (Ala.) Warriors on Sunday at noon.
Simons, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard who will play a prep school season at IMG Academy of Bradenton in 2017-18 before starting his college career, was the leading scorer on the 2017 Under Armour Association circuit with a 20.4 points per game average for 12 games played. Event organizer
of SourceHoops.com said 70 major college coaches attended the festival last year, including head coaches of Louisville, of UF and of Auburn. Rollins expects a similar count this weekend.
A number of recruiters will start the NCAA’s second July “live” evaluation period tonight at the AAU national tournaments for 16U and 17U age groups, which will be played through Sunday at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex and the Orlando Sports Center.
The AAU tournaments don’t draw the individual star power they once attracted, as Atlanta has become this week’s hoops hotbed. But the numbers for wall-to-wall basketball are still massive.
According to AAU, some 360 teams and more than 5,000 players will participate in their tournaments held this week and July 26-30, which holds Super Showcase events for all four high school grade levels in the third and final live period.