Two New Names That Left The Rims Dented and Backboards Shaking
Everyone notices high fliers. However, all the players coaches and fans in attendance were talking about
6’3” Jr. Zavian Jackson and 6’4” Jr. Devonte Barker. Jackson, from Burlington Cummings High School, was taking off from all over the court. He had a certain flair and verticality to his game that was fun to watch, not to mention he put an assault on the rims both in traffic and transition.
Where Jackson leaped with flair, Barker took off with shear strength. Barker, from Faith Assembly, is built like a middle line backer, Barker’s dunks and blocked shots would leave the backboards shaking for multiple possessions.
With Ball is Life on the seen, I feel fairly certain there will be a mix of these two coming out. Make sure that you check those out.
Unexpected PGs Bring Excitement
Even with the rim rattlers in play, the two most talked about players at camp fit this mold. 6’3” Jr. Marshall Langeand 5’10” Fr. Kody Shubert left each game with all onlookers asking “Who’s That'!” Neither kid passes the look test, but within minutes on the court they far surpass he play test.
Lange, who attends Westchester Country Day, has great size and looked like a wizard in the open court. He did a great job creating angles and making plays for his team.
Lange was able to step out beyond the arc and knock down shots consistently, but he was also able to get into the lane and finish among the trees. His head is always up, surveying the floor, and he delivers a good catchable pass. Lange averaged 16.7 Points in the event connecting on 7 threes.
Shubert, who attends Lincoln Charter, is a little different; he is like an orchestra conductor on the floor. He sees the action two and three plays ahead and makes the game easy for his team mates. He will throw a flashy pass or dribble and flamboyant handle, but only because it is what the play dictates. Shubert averaged 9.3 Points on the day, but more importantly he got three wins and his team averaged 86.7 Points.
Another name to watch out for in this category is 5’11 New Burn HS Soph. Camden Hughes. The lefty, left multiple defenders in their tracks with his various cross overs and inside out dribbles. He made shots beyond the arc and with the floater/pull up averaging 9 Points on the day.
Bigs With Upside
The old story always goes, “If you’re under 6’ you have to prove you can play. If you’re over 6’6” you have to prove you can’t”. This camp was not short on guys above 6’6” who showed both versatility and upside.
Perhaps the name that stood out the most was 6’8” Prominence Academy Fr. Jude Akubeze. The native Nigerian, by way of Mississippi, was a man amongst boys in the paint. He rebounded with a high motor and seemingly dunked everything within five feet. The upside here is immense, and he will be fun to watch grow.
6’7” Charlotte Latin Jr. Parker Julian showed an advanced skill set that is becoming more popular with the stretch four position. Julian passed the ball and made shots along the perimeter that caused mismatch problems throughout the day.
6’7” Orange HS Soph. Logan Vosburg battled on the boards but also scored consistently at all three levels. 6’11” East Forsyth Soph. John Kerr sported a long wing span, but also showed the willingness to do the right things in the paint. As confidence and strength grown this one could explode forward.
6’7” Fort Mill HS Soph. Donaldson Fanord,6’10 Prominence Academy Soph. Ubong Okun, 6’9” Winston Salem Christian Soph. Jacob Brown, 6’7” King’s Mountain Jr. Jacob Skidmore, and 6’8” Christ School Soph. Morgan McKay all had great moments throughout the day. Don’t say you can’t find size, as we had 16 over 6’6” at camp.
Middle School Kids Got Game
In a showcase that carries kids from 7th-12th grades, as our Fall NC Phenom 150 does, it can be tough for the Middle School kids to get show out. However, there were a few who were able to.
5’3” Myrtle Beach Christian 7th Grader Kassius Williams displayed some elements that reminded some of a young Shelton Mitchell. 6’5” Leesville Road MS 8th Grader Roger Wilson Jr. dominated in the paint. He used a high motor, and touch within five feet. 6’ Concord 1st Assembly 8th Grader Jordan Minlend has great bloodlines (both on the court and academically) and used a downhill motor and great frame to find consistent success. 5’11” Victory Christian (Elizabeth City) 8th Grader Shawn Walker Jr. was a late addition to the roster, but his father is a D1 head coach and he has the frame and athleticism to produce.
Unsigned Seniors Can Play
With their final High School Seasons ended, unsigned seniors are looking for their next step. Various Phenom events have always been a stepping stone to help bridge the gap between high school player and college program. This event was no different, as there were multiple unsigned seniors that had great days and deserve multiple looks at the next level.
6’2 Eastern Wayne Micah Smith finished the day scoring 24.7 Points. He did so from multiple levels, attacking from the wing and posting the smaller guards. Smith is a high motor, high octane player on defense and on the boards. He scrapped for his scholarship and had the look of a kid that deserves one.
6’4” West Brunswick Gray Cheers finished his high school year with only one loss. He was the leader of that team, and parlayed that over to camp where he averaged 12.3 Points on the day.
Cheers is a gritty leader, that defends the wing with purpose, and scored at multiple levels. Cheers has a college level game, and should be recruited as such.