The high school basketball landscape has become so fluid over the years, allowing for more player movement, potential development, and coaches in control of their program. Take Legion Collegiate Academy in Rock Hill, South Carolina for example. We were able to get an early sneak peek during the June LIVE periods, where their impressive flashes as a team was on full display. Last year marked their first season as a team and although they didn’t have a ton of success (8-9), one would only expect this collection of players to continue improving. Aside from Roman Bowie, the Lancers are set to return every single player from last season—which is certainly worth getting excited about.
Losing Bowie will be a tough obstacle, giving the scoring punch he consistently offers from the wing. However, this group is still set to retain three of their captains in Amarion Turner, Isaac Hawkins, and Ryan Thompson. Although their production is all but assumed, it’ll be interesting to see who else emerges as a leader for this team. Marcus Kell is a noteworthy forward prospect due to his length, shooting prowess, and overall skill level. At 6-foot-6, the rising junior should start garnering a lot of attention from college coaches. Chris McCullough is a tough two-way guard with IQ, defensive intensity, and quality instincts as a perimeter shooter. While there will be various other contributors, Kanye Nelson is arguably the most intriguing prospect of the remaining group. Not only does he possess an exceptional overall feel for the game, Nelson is young and already capable of inserting himself within the action on both ends of the floor.
Between the aforementioned names, this group has the chance to rapidly progress and stand out as soon as this upcoming season. They have a lot of enticing prospects for college coaches to pursue over the coming years and a head coach, Otis Wilson, who should be able to continue getting the most out of this group. Additional pieces could be on the way, but this roster is already ready-made to surprise plenty of opponents.