EYBL: Saturday Standouts
PrepHoopsIllinois evaluated the Nike EYBL Atlanta Session 4 on Saturday. Lots of elite players played up to their names. Here are our standouts from the day. PG Da’Monte Williams (Mac Irvin Fire) The Illini 6’3” combo guard commit played…
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Continue ReadingPrepHoopsIllinois evaluated the Nike EYBL Atlanta Session 4 on Saturday. Lots of elite players played up to their names. Here are our standouts from the day.
PG Da’Monte Williams (Mac Irvin Fire)
The Illini 6’3” combo guard commit played one of his best games of the spring on Saturday. Williams was in attack mode throughout. He had several powerful and athletic slashes to the hoop off the bounce in the half court. Got to the rack on a consistent basis. Worked well in the pick and roll making sound decisions with the ball either passing or turning the corner and attacking. Jump shot was solid hitting several threes including a turnaround three for the game winner over Southern Stampede. Tough and physical guard played up to his immense ability going for 24 points. Williams is one of the top two prospects in the state’s 2017 class.
PF Christian Negron (Mac Irvin Fire)
It wasn’t an eye popping stat sheet, but the Larkin power forward definitely left his impact on the game. The 6’6” four man played with a lot of energy on both ends of the floor. Snatched rebounds and was active defensively blocking shots. He made 3 of his four attempts from the field mostly on slams including a huge tip dunk. Struggled at the foul line. High major prospect in the right system.
PG Alonzo Verge (Meanstreets)
Meanstreets got down huge early in their game against Team Takeover. Proviso West 2017 point guard Alonzo Verge helped lead the comeback which came up just short as Meanstreets lost by two to Takeover. His ability to put points up in a hurry was a major reason Meanstreets made a run in this one. He took the ball to the cup strong in the second half off the bounce in the half court on multiple straight line drives. Slick ball handling and floaters got him points. Jumper was inconsistent throughout the game although he did make a big one late to tie it off the catch from three. Played fairly under control and didn’t force things or get too fancy with his passing. He had a few assists including a couple skip passes for jumpers. Verge had 18 points and 3 dimes. Mid-major plus recruit.
SF Brian Bowen (Meanstreets)
Bowen was one of the major reasons Meanstreets came back to win against All Ohio Red. The 6’7” long and angular guard has a smooth game. He didn’t really take a ton of deep threes which we are accustomed too. Instead Bowen attacked the basket in both transition and finding lanes in the half court to get in the paint where he would score or get to the line. He made a ton of free throws. Also got on the offensive glass for put backs. Defensively Bowen has potential with his length. Even got a couple blocks. The La Lumiere (IN) star had 17 points. Five-star talent.
C Wendell Carter (CP3)
The Georgia native was more than comfortable in his home state going head to head with a pair of fellow top 10 big men in DeAndre Ayton and Brandon McCoy. Carter made his case for the top spot nationally. The physical 6’10” center mauled his taller opposition on the offensive glass for put backs and second chance opportunities. As a post scorer his combination of strength, quickness, agility, and skill is unmatched in the high school game. He makes quick moves with the ball in the paint and finishes with monster slams. Defensively his post defense was solid against the twin towers from California. He did a nice job holding his ground, forcing tough shots, and getting blocks. Faded away from the paint a little as he shot a few too many perimeter shots. Can hit from mid-range, but wasn’t good from three. Serious consideration for #1 overall nationally. Carter had 30 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 blocks.
C Brandon McCoy (Cal Supreme)
The 7 foot center who is originally from Chicago and moved to California before high school was also very impressive on Saturday. McCoy has tremendous length and mobility around the hoop. Quick to the glass and has skilled moves including a nice hook shot in the paint. His ability to face up at his size makes him a special prospect. McCoy can knock down 15-18 footers with ease and even stretch it out to three on occasion. Runs the floor like a guard and finishes around the hoop with thunderous slams. Defensively he is a presence with his length and timing altering shots. He had 24 points and 10 rebounds. Top 5 prospect nationally in 2017.
C DeAndre Ayton (Cal Supreme)
Many people have Ayton as the top prospect nationally in 2017. He has the size at 7’1” with a NBA type frame that makes him very intriguing long term. Ayton likes to face up and shoot the ball from the perimeter. He hit a couple threes and mid-range jumpers. Falls in love with it however. At times in the post he can be a little mechanical. Good hands however which allows him to catch passes in traffic and stuff them home. Runs the floor well for his size. Huge potential for Ayton who is a consensus top 3 player nationally. He had 19 points and 10 rebounds.
PG Chris Lykes (Team Takeover)
Lykes is really small, but he makes up for it with his heart and huge game. The quick and shifty point guard has the ball on a string getting in and out of traffic with ease. Slippery through traffic and gets to the charity stripe at a high rate. Takes and makes tough contested jump shots. Great passing feel and knows how to be a leader on the floor. Lykes had 26 points, 5 dimes, and 5 rebounds in the win over Meanstreets. High major lead guard.
C Mitchell Robinson (Pro Skills)
This was my first opportunity to evaluate the 7’0” center from Louisiana. I had heard a lot of good things and he definitely impressed. Great frame along with his height. Strong body and rebounds the ball well on both ends of the floor high pointing the ball consistently. Plus rebounder that is quick to the glass. Finishes with strength on the interior on dump off passes and offensive rebounds. Strong hands. I like how he keeps the ball high when making post moves. Flashes some skill, but it is not all the way there yet. Defensively he is a game changer with his length and shot blocking ability. Robinson recently decommitted from Texas A&M and will have high majors coast to coast knocking on his door. The rising senior post had 14 points and 17 rebounds.
SF Jarred Vanderbilt (Houston Hoops)
The 6’8” small forward from Texas is among my favorite prospects to watch nationally in 2017. The wing is electric with the ball in his hands. Most effective in the open floor. Vanderbilt is a plus rebounding wing which plays right into his strength of being able to grab the ball off the glass and go end to end for a score. Tremendous handles in the open floor and has elite vision as a passer finding teammates. Also crashes the offensive glass from the perimeter to get several buckets a game. Plus plus wing rebounder. Has the ability to take over a game with his versatility and beat a defense in so many ways. Vanderbilt had 16 points, 21 rebounds, and 7 dimes.
SG Collin Sexton (Southern Stampede)
Sexton is a 6’2” shooting guard from Georgia who is among the top scorers in the EYBL. He got buckets against the Mac Irvin Fire on Saturday. The smooth wing has deep range on his jump shot that he loves to use pulling up from three. Athleticism and speed attacking the basket make him a difficult cover. Finishes with acrobatics around the rim. Gets to the line at a high rate. He had 34 points. High major prospect and top 30 type player nationally.
C Kaleb Wesson (All Ohio Red)
The 6’9” Ohio State Buckeyes commit was a complete force early in their contest against Meanstreets. The big bodied center knows how to use his size to clear space and box out. He scored on his first three touches showing great footwork and a soft touch around the hoop. Huge mitts allow him to grab the ball in traffic especially on high/low feeds. Effective offensive rebounder that has a feel for where it is coming off and tapping it in off the glass. Tough post D anchoring and although not overly athletic he can block a shot from time to time. Had a quiet second half. Wesson went for 20 points and 14 rebounds.