Hoops City Highlights

PM Hoops got a chance to chat with 5 star class of 2012, big man William "Shaq" Goodwin moments after his SW DeKalb Panthers faced off against Memphis Ridgeway in The Memphis vs. Atlanta Roundball Classic.

Senior Guard of Eads,Tn.'s Briarcrest Christian, Chris Jones talks with PM Hoops after the Saints victory over Atlanta's Westlake HS.

Briarcrest Christian's (Eads,Tn) standout big man, Austin Nichols (2013) chats with PM Hoops after his amazing performance against Atlanta's Westlake HS in the Memphis vs. Atlanta Roundball Classic.

Matt Butler is by far one of the most impressive prospects at the Super 80 Fall Showcase. While Butler may not be the flashiest player or have the sexiest game, he kills you with good ole' fashion fundalmentals. Butler has one of the sweetest strokes from beyond the stripe that I've ever seen on the high school level. Butler also impressed with his ability to free himself up by using sceens and picks. Once he catches the rock the battle is over because he's going to find a way to score.

The first thing people notice about Skal Levissiere is that he is tall. He has a shot shooting touch from 17ft in. He's not very physical, but he runs the floor like a 6'6" wing plus he blocks and changes alot of shots. The one thing that you won't notice at first glance he his amazing story of how survived one of the worst earthquakes in modern history. Skal, a native of Hati, was at his home when the quake hit causing his entire house to collapse on him. Skal talked about how he was trapped in a small cramped space under the rubble that was his home. After three hours, Skal was rescued by his father and neighbors.

Markel Crawford is magic with the rock. At 6'5", Crawford has tremendous play making ability with the ball in his hands. He also has the ability to play off the ball. Markel was one of many talented players on the Memphis YOMCA 17u team that finished second in the Nike Peach Jam and AAU Nationals.

Leron Black's, 6'7" Small Forward 2014, game is morphing into beast mode. Black is the perfect combination of size, length, skill, and plus he has the will to want to be great. Leron's White Station Spartans lost three key players to graduation, but he feels that he and fellow 2014 team mate Davell Roby are ready to step up.

Alex Anderson works harder than any prep basketbball player I've ever seen. Over the Summer, Alex Anderson wanted to become more of a floor general than a scoring point guard. At 5'9", Anderson is naturally quick and his handles along with his strength allows him get his shot off on any defender. Going into his senior year, Anderson's Woodale Cardinals have a chance to make some noise and surprise a few teams.

After transfering to Woodale, 6'7" combo forward Tavin Askew is ready to make his mark on Memphis High School basketball. The athletic four-man is always active around the paint. Askew has quick lift, meaning he jumps high and quick. Add post moves and an expanding wing game, Askew is poised to have a break-out year. The name Askew is familiar to old Memphis State fans from the mid 80s. Former Tiger, Vincent Askew is Tavin's uncle.

The last time PM Hoops talked to Austin Nichols it was during the 2010-11 basketball season. At the time Nichols was averaging about 15 point and 12 rebounds near the end of his sophmore year and had two offers from colleges hoping to land the talented big man. What's changed since then? A lot! Nichols took advantage of playing along side 2012 Nationally ranked stud big man Jarnell Stokes during the Summer and for lack of a better term,"He Blew Up!" Nichols turned heads during the Nike EYBL. Most importantly, he was able to catch the attention of some major college coaches. Nichols took what was two offers for college scharlorships and turned them into fourteen. Now all eyes will be on the 6'8" big man from Briarcrest Christian.

Jarnell Stokes has had an interesting Summer. Stokes head-lined a team full of prep all-stars as the Memphis YOMCA travel team won the Real Deal in the Rock, The Tennessee State AAU Championship, finished runners-up in the Nike EYBL and AAU Nationals in Orlando, Fla. Stokes did more than solidify his status as one of the Nation's premier prep Basketball players. With so much going on in his life at this moment, it was a pleasure to get a chance to talk to the young man about it all. Stokes was kind enough to discuss his work-out regiment, his diet, his over-all preparation, and he even broke down his list of top five potential universities. After talking with Jarnell, it's apparent that he's a bright young man and he is just as good of person as he is a basketball player. Thanks to Tigersportsreport.com's Leroy Watson for conducting the interview.

Danielle Ballard is one of the most breathtaking talents to come out of the Memphis girls' prep scene in the past decade or so. Ballard, ranked #24 in the nation by hoopgurlz.com, teamed with Aaliyah Whiteside (Georgia Tech commit, #21 on hoopgurlz.com) to lead Central to a Tennessee AAA state title last fall. She was invited to the Team USA 16-under trials during the summer of 2010. After an intense recruiting battle, Ballard selected LSU over Auburn, Ole Miss, Duke, Rutgers, and UCLA. The lefty dynamo is expected to play both the point and shooting guard for coach Nikki Caldwell and the Bayou Bengals.