Oladipo Skills Academy Superlatives
HYATTSVILLE, MD – With the conclusion of the annual Oladipo Skills Academy, its time to take a look at some of the standouts. Here, we run down our list of superlatives.
BEST POINT GUARD | XAVIER CASTANEDA | WHITNEY YOUNG ‘18
Xavier Castaneda found ways to constantly impact the game in a variety of ways throughout the week. One thing that is consistent about his game is his ability to get into the lane, where he is equally effective at creating for himself as he is for others. Castaneda led the camp in assists.
BEST SCORING GUARD | LUTHER MUHAMMAD | HUDSON CATHOLIC ‘18
Luther Muhammad poured in an efficient 27 points to close out camp, but this wasn’t his only big game. He demonstrated the ability to score well from all three levels. A lot of Muhammad’s points were a result of sheer hustle. He finished as the camp’s leading scorer with over 18 points per game.
BEST WING | TALEN HORTON TUCKER | SIMEON ‘18
In a camp full of extremely talented wings, none could match the versatility and production of Talen Horton Tucker. The sturdily built 6’5 wing exhibits a magnificent feel for the game, and is a gifted offensive talent. Tucker finished top five in scoring and rebounding.
BEST BIG MAN | JACK HEMPHILL | RAVENSCROFT ‘18
One thing that stuck out about Jack Hemphill was his high work rate. He is also very skilled, has great footwork, and can do some things with the ball in his hands. Hemphill led the camp in rebounds, and a lot of them came on the offensive end.
BEST COMBO GUARD | ANTHONY NELSON | SOUTH KENT ‘18
Anthony Nelson finished third in camp in assists, and showed that he can consistently create off the dribble for himself and others. The lefty demonstrates good quickness, and is a crafty ball handler. Nelson can score from three levels, and defend both guard spots.
BEST UNDERCLASSMEN | JEREMY ROACH | PAUL VI ’20
Jeremy Roach was absolutely tremendous throughout camp. He was the only player to finish top five in scoring and assists. Roach played with good pace, defended well, and constantly finished from difficult angles. As his impressive resume grows, we continue to be amazed by his ability.
BEST ATHLETE | JOSH ROBERTS | MONTVERDE ACADEMY ’18
This camp was loaded with talented athletes, but none more impressive than Josh Roberts. The 6’9 native of Georgia had several emphatic put-back dunks to go along with a handful of forceful rejections. Roberts shot 75% from the field.
BEST DEFENDER | DEMETRIUS MIMS | POLY ’18
While Demetrius Mims showed improvements offensively, his defense was the trademark of his play at camp. He’s versatile enough to lock up on the perimeter, and tough enough to man up and protect the rim. Mims gets off the floor quickly, and anticipates very well.
BEST SHOOTER | SLOAN SEYMOUR | SHAKER ’18
There were many talented shooters at camp, but none more deadly than Sloan Seymour. The 6’8 forward can get his shot off in an instant, and it always looks good even when he misses. Seymour moves well without the ball, and displays ideal shot mechanics.
BEST FINISHER | RJ BLAKNEY | ST. MARIA GORETTI ’19
You won’t find many guards who can explode and finish at the rim like RJ Blakney. One thing we really liked about his game is that he didn’t need the ball to be effective. Blakney knew where to be, and was always available for a dump off. On several occasions, Blakney finished those off with emphatic dunks.
BEST BREAKOUT PERFORMER | CHRIS FORD | LC BIRD ’18
Heading into camp as a relative unknown, CJ Ford was dominant at times. Ford’s staggering 80% field goal percentage was good enough to lead the entire camp, and he finished in a variety of ways. Ford earned well deserved praise from his coaches, as well as some division one coaches in attendance.