Pt. 7 City of Basketball Love underclass exposure camp:
Bobby Rosenberger 6’3” ’22 Quakertown, PA HS – This young man has been on the radar for over a year and he continues to make strides in his game as evidenced by his play here. They list him as a guard but he can slide inside in a pinch and he did so today due to his size. He can run the floor and make plays at the basket but he can also pull up in the wing area and drop in smooth jump shots and today he did a little of both. At times he played downhill getting to the rim for in traffic layups and then he would drift outside and knock down a perimeter jumper to keep the defense guessing. He can also get involved in the passing game and he had a couple nice feeds that led to baskets including one where he turned the defender around and dropped off a nice bounce pass for a bucket. He came in handy as a board man as well getting several defensive rebounds and at least two on the offensive glass that he converted into a basket and an assist. Defensively he got caught in the open court a few times guarding smaller opponents and he struggled there but overall he acquitted himself well in protecting the painted area. He’s a talented guy though who will get a chance to play there as Quakertown has struggled recently in the Suburban One league.
Naim Walker 5’8” ’21 Overbrook HS (Philadelphia, PA) – Talk about good things coming in small packages and Walker comes to mind as this wiry jet of a player performed rather well here. He has a solid handle with a low center of gravity that makes it hard to separate him from the ball and he drove opponents crazy trying to stop him from darting all over the court with his quickness. He has a velvet touch on his jump shot as he knocked down several treys including a beauty at the halftime buzzer but he also gets into the midrange area and drops in 12-15 foot jumpers with that fluid release. His quickness is a weapon that he uses to keep his defenders off balance and he can drive the ball to the hoop or stop on a dime and pull up to knock down the jumper. He does sometimes over dribble and at times penetrates too deep to make a play but his ability to keep his dribble alive allows him to keep the play going and reset. As a defender he is relentless in hounding his man and his quick hands net him plenty of steals and deflections leading to fast break chances. This young man is very good and despite his size should be one to watch in the 2021 class.
Ryan Schaefer 6’5” ’22 Boyertown, PA Area HS – Watching this young man in the ball handling drill station I could see the determination in his eyes as he focused a lot of energy in mastering those drills and I marked him down as a player to keep an eye on. In viewing a game and a half I determined that he will be an interesting follow over the next few years. During the one full game I saw he was surprisingly good shooting the ball from the outside with range to the arc. He was opportunistic as well moving without the ball and getting several feeds down low that he turned into baskets. He was a fine passer as well making crisp feeds to open teammates and at times having the offense run through him. He was a help on the glass getting several rebounds mostly at the defensive end but the effort was there in his pursuit of missed shots which can’t be overlooked. His motor was a huge help on defense as he worked hard especially in the paint to make positive plays And I can see this talented youngster cutting his teeth on Boyertown’s varsity roster this year for sure.
James Ashford IV 6’1” ’21 Bensalem, PA HS – Sometimes a kid will sneak up on you and Ashford certainly fits the bill on that as he was pedestrian for about 5 minutes of game time before he woke up and started making plays which in turn woke me as well. I first took notice when he pulled up and drained a left wing trey with a defender actively trying to get a hand in his face as he drilled the shot and from that point on he was a problem for the opposition. He has a fluid stroke with range to the arc and he was not shy about pulling up from 20 feet and letting one fly but he also had some dribble drive moves that got him to the basket for quick strike scores. His handle was good and he moved well without the ball setting himself up for off the catch jump shots or a slick ball fake where he could show off his dribbling skills on his way to the basket. He was a competent rebounder from the guard position and he also played credible defense helping his team out from different spots on the floor. The one area where I find fault was his passing game which was rather mundane in that he made safe but short dishes and missed quite a few cutters that he wouldn’t take the risk in trying. Still he has mice upside and he should make some plays for this years Bensalem squad.
Qudire Bennett 6’3” ’23 Colonial MS (Plymouth Meeting, PA) – This 8th grader was really impressive in his overall skills package and definitely played beyond his years. He proved to be a strong finisher when driving to the basket using straight power type moves to score it at the rim but also worked at creating space to drain short jumpers in that 10-12 foot range. He plays hard inside using his strong frame to fight for rebounding position and more times than not he would come up with a board through sheer will and determination. He also proved his worth as a low post passer that can kick the ball out against the double team and get it to a shooter with an open look. As a defender he used said frame to body up anyone who would dare challenge him in the paint and he was surprisingly quick enough to close out on perimeter shooters when the need arose. As he continues to fill out and mature his stock will surely rise to a higher level.
Zaakir Williamson 6’6” Woodrow Wilson HS (Washington, DC) – Baby Shack as he’s affectionately known was a force down low all day and numerous defenders were given chances to stop him mostly to no avail. He was scoring inside at the rim with power moves mixed with a few finesse drives thrown in. The thing with him is that he is strong with the ball and has improving footwork that allows him to score it at the basket but he can also step out and drain a perimeter jump shot even with a hand in his face. Williamson is also a strong rebounder when motivated and today he was grabbing them in spurts while kick starting his teams transition offense. He is a willing passer who is adept delivering the ball to his teammates in scoring positions and was especially good with low post kick outs to open shooters. He defends adequately in the paint where he can use his stout frame to bang with his opponents around the basket but he does struggle if pulled away from the hoop against quicker players. This Philly native is prepping down in DC this year and it will be interesting to see his continued development in this new environment. That wraps up our coverage of the CoBL underclass exposure camp.