As we prepare for the coming high school season, fall leagues across the east coast have begun! This weekend, I pulled up to the Icon Cuts Fall League sponsored by H3 Grind and Savage Academy in Florence, SC. Week 1 of this fall league was full of known and unknown talent. Here are the six players that I thought really performed very well.
6’4 Janyle Pittman 2021 has a great body and frame accompanied by a great feel for the game. He uses his body and strength to really dictate the offense and get to his sweet spots. He attacks the rim hard and finishes very well around the rim. He has the ability to create offense not only for himself but for his teammates as well. He showed the ability to knock down tough shots from the midrange and knock down open shots from three. Division 2 college coaches should be all over him, he has a chance to be a very good guard at the next level.
6’4 Merel Burgess 2023 has the chance to develop into a pretty good player. He is very strong with a good size body that allows him to be very effective in the paint. He positions himself well to be a great rebounder on both ends of the ball. He has the ability to handle the ball in which he uses along with his strength to bully his way into the paint and score. He also showed the ability to pass the ball and get it to open teammates. He has a soft touch on his jump shot that extends to the three. Look for him to be a big contributor to his high school team. He will be one to keep an eye on as he continues to develop over the next few years.
6’10 Cesare Edwards 2021 absolutely took over the game for his team. He has a unique combination of size, skill, and athleticism that allows him to dominate games on both ends of the court. To start, he absolutely controls the boards for his team racking up double-digit rebounds on a game to game basis. He has the ability to really handle the ball and push it in transition; he has a high IQ and makes the right plays. He has a smooth consistent stroke that allows him to shoot it with range extending out past the three-point line. He has a sneaky quick first step that allows him to get into the lane and finish. He is committed to Xavier University, eager to see how he develops at the collegiate level.
6’5 Corbin Pack 2021 is an elite level shooter who can absolutely light it up from three. He showed the ability to shoot it off the catch with little space and off the dribble. He moves very well without the ball as he continuously finds gaps in the defense. He has the ability to also attack from the wing and get to the basket showing that he can finish in a variety of ways. He rebounded the ball well for his team and really set up his teammates in a position to score. Look for him to put up big numbers for his high school team this year. College Coaches looking for an elite-level shooter, this is a good guy to take a look at.
6’3 Edmundas Doviltis 2022 is fresh from Lithuania and did not disappoint today. He has a knack for plugging himself in perfect positions to score. He is very active on the floor as he always seems to be in the right place at the right time. He excels in transition as he runs the floor well and is a craft finisher. He showed the ability to be a great shooter as he ran off screens and knocked down a few from three. This being our first look at him, eager to see how he performs during the high school season.
6’3 Taevean Fatimu-Brown 2023 is also new to the states and showed that he has the chance to be one of the best guards in the SC 2023 class. He plays the game with great pace and poise and really creates well for both himself and his team. He has the ability to change speed in the blink of an eye and really put the defense on their heels. He gets into the lane at will and has the athletic ability to finish above the rim. He uses his length and quick hands to be a pest on defense and causes a lot of turnovers that lead to easy points for his team. College Coaches this a guard you will want to get on early. He has the chance to be a high-level guard!