South Carolina Jr. Phenom Evaluations

 

Team 2

Coach: Michael Wilson

 

#6: 5'2 '24 Ladontae Felton (Aiken, SC)

Starting things off, we look at a player that turned some heads with his offensive approach, Ladontae Felton. He's a guard with great quickness, able to break down opponents off the bounce and effectively enter the paint. Felton scored the ball fairly well, but his vision and passing ability stood out even more. He displayed a solid understanding for the game and provided excellent effort on both sides of the ball. Next in his development process is continuing to add strength, as it'll help the consistency of his jump shot from distance. Coach Wilson on Felton: 'Ladontae is a very good athlete with a nice overall skillset. He can develop his mindset and mental toughness. Ladontae should still focus on the process of getting better while maintaining a positive attitude and giving great effort. Also, he should utilize his quickness by getting to the rim and continue to develop a midrange game (i.e. pull-up and floater). Ladontae is a hard worker with potential!' Felton provided great effort on both ends of the floor, forcing turnovers and scoring in transition throughout his day at camp.

 

#8: 5'2 '26 Talan Stanley (Blythewood, SC)

Next, we look at one of the youngest, yet intriguing, players in attendance, Talan Stanley. Though young, the guard prospect took on every challenge in his path and showed no fear of bigger/older opponents. Stanley has a great sense for the game on both ends of the floor and his poise would make spectators think he's at least a year or two older. He was able to enter the paint quite often and shot the ball well from midrange throughout camp. Stanley is small, but his determination on defense was clear. He welcomed opponents to attack him and did a solid job of shutting them down through quickness and quality positioning. Next in his development process is simply continuing to grow, as it would help him establish a rebounding presence in the future. Coach Wilson on Stanley: 'Talan is a very solid overall basketball player, given his age. He's a good on-ball defender and has a nice feel for the game. Talan has a soft touch on his shot, and his range will increase in time. He knows the game and should challenge himself to be a leader. If he keeps up the positive attitude, keeps working hard, then he will be a very good basketball player.' It's easy to see the upside with Stanley, who displays a natural ability to make plays on the court. He's only in the fifth grade and has already shown a lot of impressive qualities; he'll certainly be one to watch.

 

#12:5'3 '24 Dorian Hart (Elgin, SC)

Moving onto a player that highlighted his quickness and penetration ability throughout camp, Dorian Hart. He's a guard with solid strength, able to utilize his frame to absorb contact and fight for rebounds on the glass. Hart did an excellent job of initiating offense, getting downhill, and finishing strong at the basket. He was able to make an impact on defense, as an on-ball threat with fairly quick hands and feet. Next in his development process is improving as a passer, because he has the necessary vision to make plays, but he needs to tweak his timing a little bit. Coach Wilson on Hart: 'Dorian is a solid point guard with a nice court sense. He's strong with the ball while dribbling and knows the right play to make. Continuing to develop his passing and overall touch on passes will benefit him greatly. Dorian worked hard while maintaining a positive attitude and providing strong effort.' Hart showcased a pretty intriguing skillset, so it'll be interesting to see how he builds off his quality performance at camp.

 

#14:5'4 '23 Brandon Jamison (Irmo, SC)

Continuing onto a player that brought a constant flow of effort and positivity to his team, Brandon Jamison. He's a guard with a decently well-rounded game on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Jamison does a nice job of attacking and deferring to teammates; he doesn't look to force the action and displays a great shot selection. On the other end, he was able to make an impact with his consistently high motor, allowing him to wreak havoc and get stops. Next in his development process is continuing to improve the range of his jump shot, as a reliable three-point shot would make him a headache for opposing guards. Coach Wilson on Jamison: 'Brandon is a very good teammate with a nice skillset. He should continue to work hard and develop his jumper. If he keeps up the positive attitude and continues to give great effort every time out, he should have no problem improving into a quality guard.' Jamison doesn't have an overly physical presence, but that should come with time. He already displays a competitive streak and strong feel for the game, which should allow him to contribute during the upcoming season.

 

#26: 5'6 '23 Buddy Thompson (Florence, SC)

Next, we look at a player with sharp quickness and the ability to really disrupt opponents, Buddy Thompson. The guard prospect could be typically found with the ball in his hands, creating scoring opportunities for himself and teammates with consistency. Thompson broke down opponents and entered the paint whenever he desired, where he was able to score or kick out an assist. He defended well and forced turnovers at a strong rate, but also possesses plenty of attainable upside on that end of the floor. Next in his development process is improving his ability to spot-up and knock down three-pointers off the catch, as it would allow him to seamlessly toggle between guard positions. Coach Wilson on Thompson: 'Buddy is a very good athlete with a nice basketball skillset. He should continue to utilize his explosiveness on both ends of the floor while developing his shot and midrange game. If he continues to bring effort and have a positive attitude, Buddy should have no problem establishing himself as a leader.' There were numerous guards that made an impact on this squad, but one could argue that Thompson played the most vital role.

 

#30: 5'8 '23 Joshua Daniels (Florence, SC)

Moving onto a player that was able to consistently make an impression on both ends of the floor, Joshua Daniels. He's big, strong, and mobile, which makes him a bit problematic for opponents to contain. Daniels is a decent ball-handler for his size and made numerous plays in transition, both as a scorer and passer. He was a constant threat to secure a defensive rebound and then immediately push the break, which happened on numerous occasions. Few players were able to provide a better blend of shooting and rebounding than Daniels, who has clear upside as a two-way prospect. Next in his development process is getting quicker, as it would enable him to breakdown opponents off the dribble and penetrate with ease. Coach Wilson on Daniels: 'Joshua has a solid skillset and nice touch on his shot. He should look to develop a signature post move and counter post move, in order to keep opponents on their toes. Joshua has the ability to shoot, so he should utilize the pick-and-pop while working on his timing off the pick-and-roll. He will continue to improve, especially if he maintains his positive attitude and great two-way effort on the court.' Daniels will be one to watch grow, especially after his strong showing at camp.

 

#31: 5'7 '23 Trelyn Joyner (Columbia, SC)

Continuing onto a player with a lot of natural ability and potential, on both sides of the ball, Trelyn Joyner. He's fairly versatile at this stage, allowing him to play a variety of different roles and positions on the floor. Joyner shoots the ball very efficiently from all three levels and is able to penetrate by defenders at high frequencies. It seemed like he was always around the ball, whether in pursuit of a rebound or loose possession, and made one play after another in transition. In many ways, Joyner was the glue-guy of this team. He did a lot of work on both ends of the floor and consistently stood out as a result. Next in his development process is working on his overall motor, as he's very bothersome for opponents when engaged. Coach Wilson on Joyner: 'trelyn is a very talented basketball player with a solid skillset. His mentality and mindset need to improve, in order to maximize his abilities. He should continue focusing on the process of getting better while putting forth great effort. If he keeps working, Trelyn will have the opportunity to be a very good player.' Anyone in attendance could see the upside with Joyner, so it'll be interesting to see how quickly he develops.

 

#40: 6'2 '23 Nyrell Stradford (Camden, SC)

Next, we look at a player that made an incredible impact at camp with his terrific athleticism and defensive versatility, Nyrell Stradford. He's a forward with phenomenal rebounding ability, able to secure multiple boards on the same possession and simply outwork opponents for the second-chance points. Stradford plays with an excellent motor and understands how to utilize his length to block shots and force turnovers. He attacked well in transition and showed the willingness to make the extra pass whenever possible. Next in his development process is sharpening his ball-handling and jumper from three-point territory, as those additions would make him a two-way force. Coach Wilson on Stradford: 'Nyrell is a great athlete with the ability to impact the game from inside the paint. He's a strong rebounder with great strength. It would benefit Nyrell to develop a signature post move and counter move in the post. Also, working on pick-and-roll play and a midrange jumper would make him a beast. Nyrell will continue improving if he works hard and maintains his positive attitude and effort on the floor.' Stradford's value cannot be overstated, as he was among the top two-way players on display. That being said, his growth is far from finished, so we'll be watching his development closely.

 

#41: 5'9 '23 William Darwin (Spartanburg, SC)

Moving onto a player that showcased a variety of intriguing skills on both ends of the floor, William Darwin. He's a forward with an unselfish approach to the game, able to change roles based on whatever the team needs. Darwin pursues rebounds with intensity and plays really hard at all times. He was able to finish a majority of his opportunities inside the paint, both on rebounds and dump-off passes. Defensively, Darwin moved his feet well and was able to contain his assignment fairly well. Next in his development process is becoming a better shooter off the bounce, as it would open up his offensive arsenal tremendously. Coach Wilson on Darwin: 'William does a really good job of finishing around the rim and is always active on either side of the ball. He has a great attitude and plays hard, which are both great attributes to possess. As William continues to develop, he should learn to slow the game down when he has the ball. He worked hard and gave a positive attitude throughout camp.' Darwin possesses the right mindset and approach to the game, which should allow him to compete in almost every setting. He'll be one to watch develop going forward.

 

#45:5'10 '23 Jordan Allen (Charlotte, NC)

Finishing up with a player that has quality upside as a two-way prospect, Jordan Allen. He's big, strong, and able to fill a variety of different positions. Allen has decent ball-handling ability and is able to effectively create scoring opportunities off the bounce, both for himself and others. He absorbs contact really well and displays an unselfish approach to the game, usually willing to make the extra pass whenever available. Allen rebounds the ball exceptionally well for his mobility and has no difficulty boxing out to clear out space on the glass. Next in his development process is continuing to improve the consistency of his three-point shot, as it would make him a more dynamic offensive player. Coach Wilson on Allen: 'Jordan has good size and strength for his position. He also has good hands and a quality feel for the game. Developing a signature and counter post move would benefit him against smaller opponents. Jordan was a very good teammate and passer. He can grow into a nice player with continued hard work and his positive approach to the game.' Allen has been on the Phenom radar for quite a while, so it was nice to see him raise his game for camp.