Tournament Stock Risers: 2018
A few players made an impression during the five games I saw last week. Admittedly, there’s more future Division I players included in this series than you’ll usually find on this site. However, there’s plenty of Division III talents, including prospects who were previously off the PHO radar.
Regardless of what level we project these players to land at, these are the players who played better than expected last week.
(Check back in for some individual Recruiting Reports on a few of these guys in the coming week. Not to mention, Thursday’s updates on Carl Banks.)
Carl Banks, 5’8” PG, Toledo Waite
We knew that Lima Senior’s length and defensive skill on the perimeter would be a challenge for Carl Banks. However, he performed much better than expected against it. Banks missed from NBA range, but was great everywhere else. He was able to force some turnovers by intercepting passes. On offense, Banks was incredible with a hesitation move. Adding weight will be crucial for Banks.
Jaiden Woodley, 6’5” F/C, Maumee Valley
Maumee Valley ran the offense through Jaiden Woodley in Tuesday’s loss to Edgerton. He was able to rack up buckets in the low post. He’s pretty raw, but if the offense isn’t going for Woodley, he affects the game as a rim defender. Woodley has upside, and it will be interesting to see him again this summer.
Darius Bazley (2018), 6’8” W, Princeton
If Bazley adds consistency to the jump shot and maybe a few pounds, he’s an NBA prospect. The Ohio State commit was incredible defensively against La Salle. His ability to cover ground at the back-end of their press gave Princeton’s guards the ability to completely sell-out for steals. Bazley is the most athletic player I’ve watched this year.
Darweshi Hunter (2018), 6’4” G, Princeton
Darweshi Hunter is instant offense coming off the ball. Although Hunter didn’t shoot the ball efficiently on Friday, he’s able to create a clean look at any time. Hunter shoots a nice pull-up in the mid-range and can hit from deep off the catch. Pretty good size for a 2-guard.
Josh Whyle (2018), 6’7” F, La Salle
Josh Whyle’s ability to move his feet against Bazley was maybe the most pleasant surprise this week. He stayed in front of Bazley almost every time he matched up against him. Although he didn’t get many touches on offense, his ability as a defender allowed for a lot of freedom defensively for La Salle — they switched almost every screen.