About The Hoop Vibe
The Hoop Vibe (www.thehoopvibe.com) is the leader in boys and girls high school, and boys middle school basketball coverage, events, and prospect recruitment in the Southeast. Our team provides top notch articles focusing on prospect upside, talent and more. Through our 20 plus events (in-season high school tournaments, individual high school and middle school showcases, AAU tournaments, fall leagues) and more, we make sure every player that steps foot into our host gyms leaves with something gained whether it’s through a social media post after a good game or an article. We are here to help all the talented athletes get seen.
Meet Our Team
Jake Perper
Founder/Scouting Director
Jake Perper, the Founder/Scouting Director of The Hoop Vibe (www.thehoopvibe.com). Perper has been a sports media member since 2010 and a basketball scout since 2015. He was previously the Southeast Scouting Director for the Prep Hoops Circuit and the lead scout for Prep Hoops’ Florida site for seven years. In 2017, he launched Sun Bash Tampa Bay, a regular season holiday boys basketball event. It has since expanded to three other locations (Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville). Read more about the Sun Bash Series at www.sunbashtourney.com.
Helping kids on and off the court is Perper's No. 1 goal with The Hoop Vibe events, and he can do just that and more with this event and media platform. Perper is in constant contact with college programs ranging from Division I down to JUCO. Follow all the latest news on social media, Twitter: @thehoopvibe and Instagram and Tik Tok: @the_hoopvibe
Learn more about Jake Perper in this exclusive interview with Canvas Rebel. (Read here).
Barry Bartlett
Middle School Director
Barry Bartlett, Middle School Director of The Hoop Vibe, Hoop Vibe Future. Bartlett is a basketball lifer. He has 30-plus years of experience as a player, coach and director. He has built a deep network across the travel basketball community and has served as team director for high level independent teams and on the Nike EYBL circuit.
Bartlett is the author of the basketball recruiting seminar 'Pump the BRAKE', which is focused on eligibility, recruitability, personal brand and the recruiting landscape at the collegiate level. He has been delivering the message to high school programs across the state.
You can contact Bartlett directly at barry@thehoopvibe.com.
Hank Hurst
Video Coordinator
Hank Hurst, Video Coordinator. Hurst is a former college player, who also has experience coaching high school as well as running his own travel basketball program for seven years.
On the video side of things, Hurst has covered a ton of middle school and high school events/games over the last 10 years. Hurst has been contracted by Prep Hoops to cover events on a national level. He’s also worked with the NFL covering regional combines, the national scouting combine and the NFL owner's meetings. You can follow all of Hurst's work on Instagram @Team100Tampa.
Jay Nelson
Girls Scout
Jay Nelson, our South Florida Girls Scout grew up playing basketball in the NYC/NJ area. He competed for prestigious coaches and programs including Riverside Church, and The Patrick School. Also earned athletic scholarships to Wilmington University, and Montreat College. As an Assistant Coach for Florida Pro AAU, spent time working with Division 1 and NBA talent. Having formerly been a Scout and Journalist for Prep Girls Hoops, Nelson joins The Hoop Vibe in a return to the industry.
You can follow all of Nelson's work on Twitter and Instagram @JayNelsonHV.
Sam Gold
Scout
Sam Gold is a passionate sports journalist currently studying at the University of Florida. As a lifelong basketball fan, he brings a deep knowledge of the game to pair with his strong writing skills. With The Hoop Vibe, Gold will be a scout/writer providing his analysis and writing to the team.
You can follow him and all his work on Twitter @samuelagold
Max Mesman
Scout
Wesley Bartlett
Multimedia Producer
Wesley Bartlett, Multimedia Producer. He provides top notch content both through videography and photography for athletes, teams and our events.
Bartlett is currently a senior at Palm Harbor University High School and a part of the basketball team. He has been around sports his entire life and loves to capture key moments on the court for athletes around the country. You can follow all of Bartlett's work on Instagram @ClipsByWes