By: Patrick Paul
Passion Driven Sports has been a pillar in the Pee Dee/Grand Strand area for the past two years. Gyms Gems heavily focus on small-town kids with big talent. Got a chance to slide in and see Blake Walker’s Rising Stars Open Run. Blake Walker is establishing himself as another pillar in the Pee Dee area by putting together one of the best middle school teams in the state of SC. Rising Stars Open Run has been tremendously successful. Here are some of the standout performers from this past weekend.
Justin Purvis-Blenheim Middle 2025
Justin is a physically strong point guard who plays at great pace. A great defender who can guard multiple positions and plays the passing lanes really well. Justin will be a great asset to Marlboro County in the next few years.
Jamarie Brown- South Florence High 2024
Jamarie is a super skilled combo guard who has deep range. Great basketball IQ with a knack to score the ball from all 3 levels while still being able to distribute the ball really well. Defends really well and has quick hands for deflections. Once his body develops he will be a big-time player.
Jamisen Wilds- Timmonsville High 2025
Jamisen is a scoring point guard that plays at great pace. He operates really well out of the pick and roll. Shoots the mid-range extremely well at his age. Jamisen also defends the ball really well. A pesky defender with great footwork who picks up 94 ft and the willingness to guard anybody.
Tristan Thompson- Trinity Collegiate 2025
Tristan is already the definition of a lockdown defender. Long, lengthy arms that allow him to sit in passing lanes while also having great shot-blocking timing. Tristan has a unique ability to guard 1-5. While being such a good defender, he still has the ability to get to the rim on a consistent basis. As his jump shot develops, Tristan has the potential to be special.
Dominic Cotton- Darlington Middle 2025
Dominic already has a motor that is unmatched. Rebounds outside of his area, Take charges, Run the floor, and also has the ability to push the ball after grabbing the rebound. Soft hands, that equals him to finishing well in traffic. Dominic isn’t a big-time scorer YET, but he does all the little things right.
Here are the Highlights from the run. Provided by Dreamschaser Media