by: Ethan Reece
2024 Richard Goods (Carolina Clutch)
Richard impresses me in an abundance of ways every time out on the court. Was able to see him in both games today, and one thing he did really well was run the court. He makes it easy for his teammates to find him in transition which creates so many opportunities as he’s also a gifted passer with soft touch when he finds his teammates right back. Whenever the offense gets a little stagnant for Carolina Clutch, the typical answer is to feed Richard inside and let him go to work, takes what the defense gives and can score in a variety of ways.
2026 Kendre Ross (CSB Elite)
Kendre is really young, but already poses a legit post up threat and could easily be a double-double machine. He’s got a long reach, which he utilizes as a rebounder and shot blocker inside, towering over defenders. Nothing easy came inside, he had several blocks swatted hard out of bounds in just the first few minutes of the game. One of his best traits though, was as an outlet man. He had really good court vision to push the ball ahead right off the board to his guards.
2024 Cooper Jackson (Team BOND)
I’ve seen Cooper several times this season and was surprised to find out he was only a 2024. He spent most of the spring and summer with the 2023 team, and was easily the most physically mature guy on the court no matter the matchup. He was even more dominant this weekend, finally playing his age group and putting his big body to work. He really has the all around type game you want to see out of posts nowadays, with the ability to make moves down low and step outside to stretch the floor. Needless to say, big things ahead for Cooper at Reagan High.
2025 Jerron Blackwell (Team BOND)
Jerron impressed again today, as he led his team to a convincing 4-0 weekend playing up a grade. There’s not much he doesn’t display on a game to game basis, being a big time shotmaker and floor general. It’s really just his competitive spirit that seems to drive everything, playing with an unmatched intensity that is only furthered by his athleticism and strength. Showcased a scoring array of getting downhill today in a win over a good Carolina Riptide team, and simply doesn’t make mistakes.
2024 Andrew Newton (Carolina Riptide)
The whole team had a balanced showing, but Andrew stood out with his toughness and versatility as the constant down low presence. He has good range and made 2 threes in the first half, but really starred as a rebounder for this group. Relentlessly pursued the ball and made the right plays with it, also hitting several teammates on cuts to the basket. I wouldn’t call him a true post, but he’s going to battle hard and give other bigs problems this upcoming season for Coach Hodges at Lake Norman.