March 27-29, 2026 – Greenville, SC
This is my 13th year covering the Ashton Arnold Opening Day Memorial in Greenville, SC. This event gives me a chance to cover some of the best young talent in SC every year. This year was no different.
Below is some of the standout players:
2028 Kaleb Allen (Carolina Premier UA 16U)
When this young man’s engaged, he is one of the best players in his class nationally. He has the tools to do it all. He has good length and he’s very athletic. When playing downhill, he is almost unstoppable. When he gets everything rolling at once, he can be electric. He has the ability to knock down the deep 3 or finish at the basket above the rim. He is a versatile defender that can cause major problems with his length. The sky’s the limit for Kaleb.
2029 R’Javion Booker (RJ) (Carolina Premier 15U UAA)
RJ is the catalyst for his team. The team goes as he goes. He plays with a good understanding of the game and plays with great pace. He is hard to speed up. He does most of his damage when he gets in the paint and makes plays for his teammates as well as for himself. He gets his teammates involved and understands when he needs to step up his scoring. On the defensive end, he is an outstanding on-ball defender.
2028 Tyler Bradley (Carolina Premier UA 16U)
Tyler plays with high intensity and competes from start to finish. His on-ball defense is outstanding, and he puts the pressure on a full 94 feet. On the offensive end, he is most effective playing downhill and attacking the basket.
2029 Eli Howard (Carolina Premier
15U UAA)
When I first started watching him, his shooting range was the first thing that impressed me. He has a good range in the gym. As I continued to watch him, I realized all the other good attributes he had. He’s a very good passer and he knows how to attack the rim and score using angles. He also brought a toughness to the team.
2030 Ja’Kobe Cowans (Carolina
Premier Upstate Future)
This young player was the catalyst for the team that won the championship. The lefty really knows how to control the game for his youthful age. He plays with good pace and patience. He can get to the basket at will and has very good court vision. When the team needed him to take over, he had no problem scoring at will.
2030 Karter Hartwell (Carolina Premier Upstate Future)
Hartwell is long, athletic, and an active player. He affects the game on both ends of the court. I like the way he handles the ball and finishes at the basket. I really like his skill set for his age. He has a tremendous upside.
2029 Davyn Giger (Carolina Day (Asheville, NC) – Carolina Premier 15U UAA)
He is the glue guy for his team. He makes big shots when asked. He gets clutch rebounds and makes timely steals. He can score at all three levels and is effective in the paint against taller players. You can tell he was taught to play the game the right way and at a very high level.
2028 Kiishawn Farrow (Carolina Premier UA 16U)
He is the key to success for his team. He’s a tough, hard-nosed PG that makes big shots and is not afraid of the big moment. He understands the value of getting his players involved before getting himself going offensively. He is a tenacious on-ball defender that will pick you up 94 feet.
2029 Charlie Cothran (Carolina Premier 15U UAA)
The big fella had to grow on me. I like how he moves without the ball and puts himself in the best position to score. He runs the floor well and is an incredibly good passer out of the double team. He really impressed me with his ability to stretch the floor and knock down the 3-ball. He plays very good position defense and is a good help defender.
2028 Jaylin Brewer (Carolina Premier UA 16U)
He is a physical wing that has no problem getting in the paint and mixing it up. He is a crafty scorer in the paint and has the ability to knock down the open jump shot. He is highly effective getting out on the break, filling the lane, and finishing at the rim. He showed the ability to guard multiple positions.
2028 Riley Lail (Carolina Premier UA 16U)
When i first started watching him, I thought he was just a great outside shooter. After watching multiple games, I realized he could play both guard position. He showed he could run and offense and get his teammates involved. He also showed when ran off the 3-point line, he could put the ball on the floor and make good things happen for him are his teammates.
2030 Austin Landy (Blue Jays)
The big fella impressed with his energy and his physically on the boards on both ends. He was relentless the whole game. Even though his team was outmatched he continued to compete. He still a little raw offensively, that didn’t stop him from being effective scoring around the rim. I amgoing to watch his progress.
2030 Tre Lattimore (Carolina Premier Upstate Future)
The young man oozes potential. I love how active he is and how hard he works. He is raw, so it iseasy to write him off as a below average player, but the attributes he has you cannot teach.
2030 Ashton Hudson (Carolina Premier Upstate Future)
He was a pest on the defensive end and on the offensive end, he is jet quick and has no problem getting to the basket.
His toughness showed on both ends.
2031 Legend Adams (Carolina Premier Black Future)
Legend impressed me with the way he competed. When his team’s back was against the wall and the game got tight, he stepped up his play. He has no problem getting in the lane and finishing amongst the trees. He is crafty with the ball and knows how to get to his spots.
2031 Maddox Bolden (Carolina Premier Black Future)
He is quick and crafty and plays most effective when the balls in his hands. He scored at all 3 levels and had no problem getting past his man. Teams were forced to trap him. His game translates to him playing early in high school.