After a lot of stressors throughout the last twelve to fourteen months, the grassroots basketball landscape has finally returned to normalcy. The shoe-circuits and high school LIVE periods were restored for the betterment of these young prospects who are simply fighting for an equal opportunity to advance to the collegiate ranks. Although this presents Division I programs with the chance to start attending events, most non-D1s have already been allowed to travel over the last year or so. So, with the July LIVE periods quickly approaching, we figured it would be beneficial to take a closer look at the expected talent on display. This article will look at FIBA…
It pretty much goes without saying, but Lebron Thomas remains the focal point of this program after numerous years of remaining loyal. His calm, somewhat emotionless presence on the court seems eerily reminiscent of Jajuan Carr—who was consistently doubted because he didn’t offer enough flair or constant clapping. Although folks are well-aware of Thomas, it doesn’t need to happen again. His unselfish, passer-friendly game just naturally seems to make his surrounding teammates better. Thomas utilizes his quickness and aggressive downhill sense to consistently set up himself or others for scoring opportunities. He’s become a much-improved shooter over the last year or so, but still places emphasis on his overall strengths. Additionally, Thomas is a strong defender with great instincts for forcing turnovers—which leads to a ton of transition opportunities.
His primary running mate, Xzavier Thaggard, is another proven scoring option with the ability to find success with or without the ball in his hands. He’s quick and has the tools to apply pressure in a variety of different ways. Thaggard can create for himself, move without the ball, or find chances in transition. He provides nice energy defensively and understands how to effectively operate within the flow of the action on either side of the ball.