Top Performers: Program Changers Open Gym
1. Xavier Adams (Wakefield, 2016) During the course of the open gym, nobody was more productive than Xavier Adams. “X”, as he's referred to by his teammates, certainly has the makings of an “X” factor due to his absurd motor.…
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Continue Reading1. Xavier Adams (Wakefield, 2016)
During the course of the open gym, nobody was more productive than Xavier Adams. “X”, as he's referred to by his teammates, certainly has the makings of an “X” factor due to his absurd motor. Adams was all over the court on both ends. He did well to position himself for rebounds inside, and snagged a number of boards both on the offensive and defensive glass. Offensively, he scored it in bunches. He featured a nice one-dribble mid-range pull up in half court. He's not a bad ball handler, either, and was comfortable advancing the ball against pressure. He's a willing and able passer too, and did well to get his teammates invovled both in half court and in transition. The Woodbridge transfer could be in for some huge games at Wakefield this year. It would be a smart move for more schools to get on board with the multi-faceted wing.
2. Ibrahim Kamara (Woodbridge, 2016)
Ibrahim Kamara was consistently seen making impact plays on both ends of the court. Defensively, he was locked in. He harassed his opponents on the perimeter and repeatedly and effectively contested shots at the rim. He was responsible for causing deflections and simply creating havoc on that end of the floor. Kamara is a graceful athlete who had some very athletic finishes in transition. At 6'5, he has the skills to play the 2 or the 3 comfortably. Most importantly, he can defend the 1 through 4. And he can do it to great effect. Following the event, Kamara pulled in a scholarship offer from division 2 West Virginia Wesleyan. With his stock currently on the uptick, it wouldn't be too surprising to see others get involved.
3. Deng Nhial (Wakefield, 2016)
Even though he got to somewhat of a slow start offensively, Deng Nhial did not let up on the defensive end. Per usual, he was a force down low, as he blocked a number of shots in both on-ball defense and help-side defense. He was relentless on the perimeter, using his quick feet, and long arms to lock up his opponents. In the final game, his offense caught up to his defensive efforts. Nhial attacked the basket aggressively, finishing off a number of baskets at the rim, including a one handed jam in traffic. He showed he is becoming more consistent as a perimeter jump shooter as well.
4. Rashaan Bean (Forest Park, 2016)
Forest Park Senior Rashaan Bean quietly put together a very productive performance on Sunday. The 6'4 forward has a solid set of low-post moves to go with his smooth jumper with range out to the arc. He owns a strong base and extablished good position inside for defensive rebounds. He ran the floor extremely hard, and finished efficiently around the rim. He's a finesse type big who should produce consistent double-doubles in his final campaign.
5. Shonari Street (Battlefield, 2017)
As far as long-term ceiling, you could argue that Shonari Street has the highest among all who were in attendance. A 6'6 forward who owns very good length, Street showed signs of an improving inside-out skillset. Defensively, he did a great job of boxing out, securing rebounds, and quickly dishing out accurate outlet passes. He also showed he is versatile enough to defend on the perimeter and in the paint. Like his father Kamau, who was a stand-out during his playing days at Howard CC, Shonari has the potential to play a number of different positions on the basketball court. The improvements have been encouraging, and he should only continue to get better.