By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

BIRMINGHAM – The second annual HoopSeen Alabama Elite Preview took place in Birmingham on Saturday, March 5, and had 80 of the best high school basketball players in Alabama participating, per Hoopseen.com. Of those 80, three players from Shelby County, Pelham’s Alex Reese, Helena’s Jon Brown and Montevallo’s DaShaunte (Te’) Smith were among the top 10 performers at the camp, according to the coaches and evaluators present at the camp.

Brown had a good camp, per HoopSeen’s Carter Wilson, who said Brown’s physicality put him a cut above his competition. Wilson had the following to say about Brown.

“Brown is a big, physical shooting guard who was one of the most physically imposing guards at the Elite Preview,” Wilson said on the website. “He started his day using his size to his advantage and getting into the paint, where he showed he could finish strongly. He even put a defender on a poster with a thunderous dunk in the first set of games. As the day went on, however, he proved that he could score it from the perimeter and put on one of the best three-point shooting displays that we saw all day.”

Reese has been consistently appearing on lists like these for the past year. The rangy power forward once again showcased why he is one of the most coveted prep players in Alabama.

“Reese was able to showcase the unique skill-set he has as soon as he walked through the door,” HoopSeen’s Garrett Tucker said on the website. “The 6-foot-8 big man excelled in one-on-one drills with his rare mixture of size, skill, and ball-handling. Reese showed why all of the SEC is chasing him, as he stretched the defense with his perimeter shooting throughout the day. He played above the rim and continues to add more facets to his game.

Smith on the other hand is still a relatively unknown prospect, but will more than likely break on to college radars soon, if he continues to play like he has been playing.

“Smith is an intriguing player that is still an unknown to many college coaches,” Tucker said on the website. “In fact, he didn’t report any college interest – and it’s safe to say that’s going to change over the next few months. The 6-foot-5 wing has a strong frame and embraces contact at the basket. He struggled shooting from the perimeter on Saturday, but he has proved during the high school season that he can make shots. Instead of getting discouraged, he did a good job of attacking the rim and making plays off the bounce. He’s a sleeper to watch going forward.”

All three players just finished their junior year high school campaigns, and will look to come back to lead their respective schools in the 2016-17 season as well before graduating.