Utah Prospects Persevere on Day 1 of Tip-Off
By Robert Alfonso Jr.
Cumming, GA – Utah’s state nickname is Beehive for its “industry and the pioneer virtues of thrift and perseverance.” When you are a basketball program traveling across the country to the Tip-Off Classic
The Utah Prospects/Team Kessler program arrived with three teams and finished with a combined 5-1 record. This is after the team arrived in Atlanta well after midnight and didn’t get to sleep up until almost 3 am.
They beat the jetlag and went into the Woodward Academy gym for some shots. Getting the shots up after the flight across the country comes courtesy of Walter Kessler. Since he is an Adidas-sponsored athlete the Prospects joined forces. This is when the Atlanta native, who plays for the Utah Jazz, helped them get into his old high school for shoot around.
The Prospects are the reigning 3SSB champions. While this is the organization’s first tough tournament of the travel season, they looked equipped to defend the Three Stripes title.
Its 17U team opened up the tournament in dominating fashion. The first two games were against Under Armour-sponsored teams in Bmaze Elite and Atlanta Xpress. Utah never looked back once it was able to get into a rhythm.
The Prospects are not just fundamentally sound they play with a little bit of an edge. They also can knock down shots from any area on the floor, which is exactly what happened against the Xpress.
In the last game of the night, Utah nailed 11 three-pointers. Leading the way was Jalin Holland, who finished with 33 points. He is a 6-foot-4 shooting guard with a strap. The Los Lunas, New Mexico product holds offers from Arizona State, Cincinnati, Missouri, New Mexico, Southern Utah, Texas, TCU, Oklahoma, and New Mexico State.
Ikenna Alozie chipped in with 23 points. The Class of 2026 shooting guard is built like a grown man. He was locked in on both ends of the floor, which was putting pressure on the Xpress. This Dream City Christian, Glendale, AZ product has caught the eye of several notable programs with offers from Kansas, Villanova, Oregon, UCLA, Kansas State, Georgetown, St. John’s, Bryant, Creighton, Akron, and Arizona State.
The Prospects went undefeated against Under Armor in the 16U division. Utah just dominated both ends of the floor and never let up. They were efficient and aggressive.
The 15U had its hands full in its opening game. Jet Academy’s length and speed were too much for the Utah team to handle. The Prospect regrouped for its second game by putting on a shooting clinic against the Atlanta Xpress.
Leading the way was Ashton Shewell. The 2027 guard scored 22 points knocking down six three-pointers, which included an 80-foot heave just before the halftime buzzer sending his teammates into a frenzy. Crew Forheringham joined the shooting exhibition scoring 17 points and hitting five three-pointers. They hit 14 three-pointers as a team against the Xpress.
The only thing to slow down the Prospects players was a Southern staple, Waffle House, which didn’t sit well with some. If they can avoid any late trips to the greasy spoon and continue shooting as it has been, the Prospects will head back to Utah leaving its mark at the Tip-Off Classic.
About the Author
Alfonso
Robert Alfonso Jr. is a graduate of Mount Sait Mary College. He has more than 20 years of journalism experience. Alfonso has helped build a basketball web brand in Georgia and has covered high school through college sports for publications in New York, North Carolina, and Georgia. His mission has always been to uplift the athletes who play sports providing them the exposure needed in this new media platform.