About
Meet The Hoop Vibe
The Hoop Vibe is the leader in Florida prep basketball coverage, events, and prospect recruitment.
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 The 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.
Max Mesman
Scout
Max Mesman is an energetic sportscaster currently enrolled in Dan Patrick’s School of Sportscasting at Full Sail University. Having followed the sport of basketball closely all his life, he combines a fine tuned pen with a strong grasp for the hardwood spectacle in order to create in-depth player profiles. With the Hoop Vibe, Mesman will be a scout/writer providing his writing and analytical abilities to the team in the Central Florida region.
You can follow him and all his work on Twitter @maxwellgmesman
Eddie Moore
Scout
Eddie Moore Jr. III (he/him) is a middle school educator based in Southwest Florida. In addition to teaching, Moore works as a tutor, trainer, coach, and writer. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature with a minor in Philosophy from Florida Gulf Coast University. He has professional experience in social justice–focused nonprofits and has also served as a mental health advocate. Moore is deeply committed to hard work, personal growth, and helping people achieve their goals both on and off the court. He will serve as a scout for the Hoop Vibe in the Southwest Florida region.
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.
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
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