Phenom puts on a ton of events every year but few hold as warm a spot in our hearts as the David Rose MDC. Part of this event goes to help the Wounded Warrior Project so that means we get great ball for a great cause. As a vet myself, I am very appreciative of what Phenom does with this event so it is always an honor to be in for this event. If you missed out on the talent in the gym this weekend don't worry, we got you covered. Some of the names and games to know from day 2 of this event are as follows:
Trey Cousin, 6'4 2019 G with Mid-State Magic 17u – Strong wing player got in done in every way you can on the offensive end. He can hit from deep, off the bounce, or muscle it up in traffic as needed. Has the needed strength to hold up at the point of attack and to finish through contact. Can lose focus on D at times and can be a bit of a bull in the china shop but we'd rather have that aggression than not.
Jamal Walden, 6'3 2019 G with Mid-State Magic 17u – Handled the pressure on D pretty well while we were watching as primary ball handler. Has decent handles and decision making skills but could stand to tighten both up moving forward. Showed toughness in his drives, found his guys for looks, and scored as he needed to in this one. Had it ripped from him a few times as he did not have the speed/feel for pressure behind him but saw enough to know he could be a solid contributor at the next level in the right fit and at the right level.
Garrett Bohannan, 6'2019 G with Team United 17u – Do not help off this kid or leave him alone as he will bury you from the outside. Even when he misses it looks good out of his hand and in flight to the rim. Did not put it on the floor much showing an area for development but if you are looking for a 3 and D specialists off the wing who has played against and with high level talent then this is a kid you need to take a long hard look at. Kid is dangerous from outside.
Taurus Ragin, 6'7 2019 F with Team Loaded 17u – Long athlete runs the floor very well and looks comfortable playing with speed. Has enough bounce to get the job done but did not show off any explosive plays while we watched. Not the strongest kid in the gym but he holds his own inside and showed several nice moves in the paint to help him get clean looks. Shows signs of having a solid face-up game but this needs to be developed a bit more.
Jordan Byrd, 6'7 2019 F with Mid-State Magic 17u – We have seen Jordan work the last 2 weekends in a row now and each time he has been solid. He has started to grow on us as a prospect in the process. He's not your D1 big/wing but if he went lower levels he'd be a great get. He is reliable, rebounds, scores inside on the ones he should, and has a spot up jumper that's effective. Not the kind of kid that's going to roll up and give you a 20p/15r type performance on the regular but one that could be a solid 8/8 at the next level.