Post by less1brain on Sept 30, 2021 8:44:38 GMT -8
There were a lot of these guys, so I'll just focus briefly on 15 I saw:
1. Malick Diallo, 6-9 2024 Draper (UT) Juan Diego: He's pretty athletic and might be in the 225-230 range. The height seems legit if Tee Campbell is 6-9 (best guess is he's at most 1/2 inch shorter than Campbell). Very good hands, but he needs a lot of work on his skills and his fundamentals. Doesn't seem to have the same level of feel for the game as some of the other bigs here. I heard buzz he might relocate for basketball development.
2. Zoom Diallo, 6-4 2024 Issaqua (WA) Elite Prep: No relation at all to Malick, Zoom has a great name but better yet he at times looked like he belonged in the same group as Elzie Harrington and Seven Bahati for best PG prospect at the Showcase. He has a very powerful build, truly elite athleticism, can score and make plays for others and showed a good 3-point shot usually off the bounce rather than the catch and shoot. Sometimes dominated games in a way that Harrington and Bahati didn't and he was on the winning team in the Top 30 All-Star Game. I find it hard to believe he's still just 15, but if he's 16 so what? A lot of top players in 2024 are likely more in that age range (e.g., Dallas Washington is 2025 and he's 15).
3. Adam Njie, 6-2 2024 Gilbert (AZ) Eduprize Prep: He's listed at 6-3, but I tried very hard to figure out his height and I take an inch away from him. He was MVP of the All-Star game and I would say of the Showcase itself based on his earlier play. He really sliced and diced a team with Harrington, Bahati, Campbell, M Diallo, Mercy Miller, Bonham and a cast of hundreds or so it seemed. He showed good touch from 3 and from pretty much everywhere else. Excellent playmaker, penetrator, scorer from mid-range or taking it inside, d, left nothing to be desired. 3.6 GPA. Can't see how he won't be a High D 1 recruit.
4. Austin Maurer, 6-10 2024 Medford (OR) Cascade Christian: Listed at 6-11, he was the tallest player in this event. Excellent hands and an excellent scorer with a nice J out to 3 range and a soft touch around the basket. Right now, just a solid athlete who doesn't stand out as a rim protector or a real force in the paint. His size and shooting ability combined with his ability to clearly run the floor and keep up with the pace of play in most offenses tags him as a High Major player down the road.
5. Terrence Hill, Jr., 6-2 2024 Portland (OR) Jefferson: He was one of the best pure scorers in the camp and played better d than some of the very highest level players, but didn't play in the Top 30 game for reasons known only to Dinos Trigonis. He can shoot very deep 3s, has a strong dribble with both hands and at least 3 speeds and pretty much scored at will, but never played out of control or selfishly. Hard to see how he doesn't wind up High Major.
6. Miles Goodman, 6-8 2024 Seattle (WA) O'Dea: Listed at 6-9, looks like he might be in the 230-235 range. A tall face-up guy who will shoot 3s and step-back Js, but seems to have little impact in the key as a rebounder or rim protector. He didn't show any appetite for trying to score down low or any low post skills. He only played one game before he started the Top 30 All-Star Game and in that game he was 1-3 from the floor including a 3 and finished with 3 points, 4 fouls and 0s in everything else in 15 minutes, but I guess Dinos decided that made him a Top 30 player at the expense of a guy like Hill.
Maybe because former UCLA hero Cam Dollar, who coached him in the Top 30 game, also brought him down along with one of his sons? Guys this big at this age who can stretch the floor will find a place. I was told that he just turned 15 in August and has a 3.98 GPA heading into his SO year. Those two factoids will boost his recruitment.
7. Styles Phipps, 6-3 2024 Phoenix (AZ) St. Mary's: He's listed at 6-2, but I was able to check out him and Njie standing next to each other and Phipps is taller (I also compared both to players like Harrington, Bahati, Z Diallo and others standing at an elevated position and from the floor and I'm exactly 5-9.125 in the shoes I was wearing). He's a terrific prospect in every aspect of the game and can play on or off the ball. Very skilled, a very good athlete who's basketball IQ makes him look even faster because he knows when to push it and when not to, made some outstanding defensive plays throughout camp and in the Top 30 game and caused 8 turnovers in that game, all of which led to conversions for himself of his teammates. I was told that he's also a very good student. Hard to see why High D 1 schools won't recruit him.
8. Noel Davis, 5-10 2024 Seattle (WA) O'Dea: One of the best PGs at this event. He might not be 6-2+, but he scored a bunch of points off 3s (both catch and shoot and off the bounce), penetrated at will (his quickness, ball-handling skill and change of speed moves made for an entertaining and almost ridiculous spectacle of destroying opposing defenses all weekend, including in the Top 30 game) and showed excellent playmaking and defense. Despite his size, a lot of colleges will find it worth their while to check him out. He will keep Miles Goodman happy at O'Dea and though I didn't ask, a lot of the players there have good to better than good academics.
9. Cameron Hiatt, 6-3 2025 Seattle (WA) King's: A Showcase teammate of Davis's as they went undefeated and beat teams with much more highly-rated players on it (he was also on the winning Top 30 All Star game team). He had 11 steals to go with 16 points and 11 rebounds in the first game he played. He had 3 steals and caused 5 additional TOs in the Top 30 game. I'm not sure what position he will ultimately play (one never knows how tall young players will get) and he needs to prove he can hit the perimeter shot effectively, but he does everything else at a very high level. Incredibly high basketball IQ, especially at the defensive end. He can definitely guard very quick backcourt players.
10. D'andre Harrison, 6-4 2025 Gilbert (AZ) Percy: Showed some nice form on his J from deep and from mid-range, as well as some pretty good playmaking ability and has the size to make an impact on the glass. Very intriguing for a 2025 prospect, I'd need to see more.
11. Isaiah Cunningham, 6-2 2025 Tacoma (WA) Silas: Again, I need to see this guy a lot more to really give some insights, but when I did see him I saw athleticism, a handle, a J, the ability to finish and at times good d. Other times, out of control and not so much d.
12. Lonnie Bass, Jr., 6-6 2025 Las Vegas (NV) Rancho: One of the most impressive 2025 prospects, might be 215, showed off a lot of the same abilities that James Evans of Santa Clarita West Ranch: Big, powerful body with a handle, strong hands, the ability to go coast to coast and hard to stop when he has a head of steam up. Didn't show as much range as Evans, but I imagine that's just a matter of time. Looks very much like a High D 1 prospect.
13. Mercy Miller, 6-3 2024 Minneapolis (MN) Minnehaha Academy: Listed at 6-4, but not that tall. A high-level athlete, he played extremely well at times and showed some nifty one on one scoring moves with okay touch from 3, but was plagued by poor shot selection and overall decision-making at times and often made no effort to play defense. Refused to pass the ball to wide-open teammates on several occasions and probably stood out more in that regard than any of the other "name" prospects here. He's already verballed to Houston.
14. Connor Sheets, 5-11 2025 Sparks (NV) Spanish Springs: Highly-skilled guard who showed a lot of poise and toughness against much bigger players. I need to see him more, but what I saw here I really liked.
15. Trevor Henning, 6-3 2024 Snoqualmie (WA) Mount Si: I'd like to see more of him. When I watched, he hit some 3s and finished strong inside against very tall, strong guys and he made a couple of gorgeous passes.
16. Jaden Steppe, 6-7 2024 Tualatin (OR) High School: Tall face-up forward with a very good touch out to 17 feet and hit a 3. Not a high level athlete, but shooters are much prized. I would need to see him more to see if he has the consistency and range needed yet to play High D 1.
17. Lattimore Ford, 6-5 2026 Seattle (WA) King's: Very nice 8th grader, big feet, good body type, might be 200, ran the floor well and competed well on glass against bigger, older players. Someone to watch more often.
18. Christian Warren, 6-4 2024 Chandler (AZ) Basha: Showed off very good athleticism and scoring ability when I had a chance to watch, knocked down a 3 and a couple of long Js. Pretty good handle and size for a young player, definitely a guard. I will need to see him more to say more.
1. Malick Diallo, 6-9 2024 Draper (UT) Juan Diego: He's pretty athletic and might be in the 225-230 range. The height seems legit if Tee Campbell is 6-9 (best guess is he's at most 1/2 inch shorter than Campbell). Very good hands, but he needs a lot of work on his skills and his fundamentals. Doesn't seem to have the same level of feel for the game as some of the other bigs here. I heard buzz he might relocate for basketball development.
2. Zoom Diallo, 6-4 2024 Issaqua (WA) Elite Prep: No relation at all to Malick, Zoom has a great name but better yet he at times looked like he belonged in the same group as Elzie Harrington and Seven Bahati for best PG prospect at the Showcase. He has a very powerful build, truly elite athleticism, can score and make plays for others and showed a good 3-point shot usually off the bounce rather than the catch and shoot. Sometimes dominated games in a way that Harrington and Bahati didn't and he was on the winning team in the Top 30 All-Star Game. I find it hard to believe he's still just 15, but if he's 16 so what? A lot of top players in 2024 are likely more in that age range (e.g., Dallas Washington is 2025 and he's 15).
3. Adam Njie, 6-2 2024 Gilbert (AZ) Eduprize Prep: He's listed at 6-3, but I tried very hard to figure out his height and I take an inch away from him. He was MVP of the All-Star game and I would say of the Showcase itself based on his earlier play. He really sliced and diced a team with Harrington, Bahati, Campbell, M Diallo, Mercy Miller, Bonham and a cast of hundreds or so it seemed. He showed good touch from 3 and from pretty much everywhere else. Excellent playmaker, penetrator, scorer from mid-range or taking it inside, d, left nothing to be desired. 3.6 GPA. Can't see how he won't be a High D 1 recruit.
4. Austin Maurer, 6-10 2024 Medford (OR) Cascade Christian: Listed at 6-11, he was the tallest player in this event. Excellent hands and an excellent scorer with a nice J out to 3 range and a soft touch around the basket. Right now, just a solid athlete who doesn't stand out as a rim protector or a real force in the paint. His size and shooting ability combined with his ability to clearly run the floor and keep up with the pace of play in most offenses tags him as a High Major player down the road.
5. Terrence Hill, Jr., 6-2 2024 Portland (OR) Jefferson: He was one of the best pure scorers in the camp and played better d than some of the very highest level players, but didn't play in the Top 30 game for reasons known only to Dinos Trigonis. He can shoot very deep 3s, has a strong dribble with both hands and at least 3 speeds and pretty much scored at will, but never played out of control or selfishly. Hard to see how he doesn't wind up High Major.
6. Miles Goodman, 6-8 2024 Seattle (WA) O'Dea: Listed at 6-9, looks like he might be in the 230-235 range. A tall face-up guy who will shoot 3s and step-back Js, but seems to have little impact in the key as a rebounder or rim protector. He didn't show any appetite for trying to score down low or any low post skills. He only played one game before he started the Top 30 All-Star Game and in that game he was 1-3 from the floor including a 3 and finished with 3 points, 4 fouls and 0s in everything else in 15 minutes, but I guess Dinos decided that made him a Top 30 player at the expense of a guy like Hill.
Maybe because former UCLA hero Cam Dollar, who coached him in the Top 30 game, also brought him down along with one of his sons? Guys this big at this age who can stretch the floor will find a place. I was told that he just turned 15 in August and has a 3.98 GPA heading into his SO year. Those two factoids will boost his recruitment.7. Styles Phipps, 6-3 2024 Phoenix (AZ) St. Mary's: He's listed at 6-2, but I was able to check out him and Njie standing next to each other and Phipps is taller (I also compared both to players like Harrington, Bahati, Z Diallo and others standing at an elevated position and from the floor and I'm exactly 5-9.125 in the shoes I was wearing). He's a terrific prospect in every aspect of the game and can play on or off the ball. Very skilled, a very good athlete who's basketball IQ makes him look even faster because he knows when to push it and when not to, made some outstanding defensive plays throughout camp and in the Top 30 game and caused 8 turnovers in that game, all of which led to conversions for himself of his teammates. I was told that he's also a very good student. Hard to see why High D 1 schools won't recruit him.
8. Noel Davis, 5-10 2024 Seattle (WA) O'Dea: One of the best PGs at this event. He might not be 6-2+, but he scored a bunch of points off 3s (both catch and shoot and off the bounce), penetrated at will (his quickness, ball-handling skill and change of speed moves made for an entertaining and almost ridiculous spectacle of destroying opposing defenses all weekend, including in the Top 30 game) and showed excellent playmaking and defense. Despite his size, a lot of colleges will find it worth their while to check him out. He will keep Miles Goodman happy at O'Dea and though I didn't ask, a lot of the players there have good to better than good academics.
9. Cameron Hiatt, 6-3 2025 Seattle (WA) King's: A Showcase teammate of Davis's as they went undefeated and beat teams with much more highly-rated players on it (he was also on the winning Top 30 All Star game team). He had 11 steals to go with 16 points and 11 rebounds in the first game he played. He had 3 steals and caused 5 additional TOs in the Top 30 game. I'm not sure what position he will ultimately play (one never knows how tall young players will get) and he needs to prove he can hit the perimeter shot effectively, but he does everything else at a very high level. Incredibly high basketball IQ, especially at the defensive end. He can definitely guard very quick backcourt players.
10. D'andre Harrison, 6-4 2025 Gilbert (AZ) Percy: Showed some nice form on his J from deep and from mid-range, as well as some pretty good playmaking ability and has the size to make an impact on the glass. Very intriguing for a 2025 prospect, I'd need to see more.
11. Isaiah Cunningham, 6-2 2025 Tacoma (WA) Silas: Again, I need to see this guy a lot more to really give some insights, but when I did see him I saw athleticism, a handle, a J, the ability to finish and at times good d. Other times, out of control and not so much d.
12. Lonnie Bass, Jr., 6-6 2025 Las Vegas (NV) Rancho: One of the most impressive 2025 prospects, might be 215, showed off a lot of the same abilities that James Evans of Santa Clarita West Ranch: Big, powerful body with a handle, strong hands, the ability to go coast to coast and hard to stop when he has a head of steam up. Didn't show as much range as Evans, but I imagine that's just a matter of time. Looks very much like a High D 1 prospect.
13. Mercy Miller, 6-3 2024 Minneapolis (MN) Minnehaha Academy: Listed at 6-4, but not that tall. A high-level athlete, he played extremely well at times and showed some nifty one on one scoring moves with okay touch from 3, but was plagued by poor shot selection and overall decision-making at times and often made no effort to play defense. Refused to pass the ball to wide-open teammates on several occasions and probably stood out more in that regard than any of the other "name" prospects here. He's already verballed to Houston.
14. Connor Sheets, 5-11 2025 Sparks (NV) Spanish Springs: Highly-skilled guard who showed a lot of poise and toughness against much bigger players. I need to see him more, but what I saw here I really liked.
15. Trevor Henning, 6-3 2024 Snoqualmie (WA) Mount Si: I'd like to see more of him. When I watched, he hit some 3s and finished strong inside against very tall, strong guys and he made a couple of gorgeous passes.
16. Jaden Steppe, 6-7 2024 Tualatin (OR) High School: Tall face-up forward with a very good touch out to 17 feet and hit a 3. Not a high level athlete, but shooters are much prized. I would need to see him more to see if he has the consistency and range needed yet to play High D 1.
17. Lattimore Ford, 6-5 2026 Seattle (WA) King's: Very nice 8th grader, big feet, good body type, might be 200, ran the floor well and competed well on glass against bigger, older players. Someone to watch more often.
18. Christian Warren, 6-4 2024 Chandler (AZ) Basha: Showed off very good athleticism and scoring ability when I had a chance to watch, knocked down a 3 and a couple of long Js. Pretty good handle and size for a young player, definitely a guard. I will need to see him more to say more.
