July AAU Superlatives: 2020 Class
The month of July is perhaps the most important period of basketball in the entire AAU season. The three NCAA live periods allows players to get looks from a ton of coaches, which in some cases translates into offers. Kids from Kentucky spent the three weeks traveling everywhere from Myrtle Beach to Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Here are some of our July Superlatives:
Tightest Handle (Best Ball handler): James Taylor (Hoop Dreams) – A pure point guard coming from Louisville St. Xavier, Taylor is capable of leading a team and executing offense or taking the ball to the rim. Thrown into the fire as a freshman starting varsity at St X last season, Taylor has fought to prove he deserves the early accolades that have come his way. If he continues to develop and hits a growth spurt in the next couple of years, Taylor could wind up at the mid major or better D1 level.
Most Likely to Succeed (Best Prospect): Justin Powell (Atlanta Celtics) – Possessing a high major offer (from Xavier) before starting your sophomore year of high school is rare, especially in Kentucky. Standing 6’4 and capable of playing either guard position, Powell has a very high ceiling. He possesses sneaky athleticism and a nice shot from the perimeter. Playing alongside David Johnson at Trinity, Powell figures to continue to garner national attention over his high school and AAU careers.
Hand Down, Man Down! (Best Shooter): Jalen Scott (KY Defenders) – Scott has a pure stroke and a quick release. I saw him hit 4 straight 3s in a game in July. Three of them didn’t even hit the rim. He is definitely a guard to keep tabs on in the 2020 class.
Most Underrated: Matthew Taylor (Lexington ICE) – His older brother Andrew gets most of the attention, but Corbin‘s Matthew Taylor is a nice player in his own right. He played in every game as a freshman and averaged 4 points a game but expects a larger role this season for the Redhounds. With the ICE, Taylor was consistently in double figures as a scorer and frequently led them in rebounding.
Walking Bucket (Best Scorer): Marcellus Vail (KY Defenders) – I may be a victim of recency bias, but the last 15u game I saw all summer was the Championship at the All In Hoopfest. Vail was unguardable for stretches of the game. The opposing team had to end up guarding him with a box and one defense and fully deny him the ball for the most of the second half. There are several kids who can really score in the 2020 class like Amari Taylor, Cody Potter, Jackson Sivils and TJ Toney. Recency bias or not, Marcellus Vail is a name to know in the 2020 class.
Human Eraser (Best Shot Blocker): Riley Bodner (Pulaski Thunder) – Standing 6’9″ already and projected to keep growing, Bodner is an early favorite for best post player in the 2020 class. The Lincoln County big man blocks or affects a lot of shots in the paint. I haven’t been able to put eyes on a lot of the bigs in the rising sophomore class, but Bodner should be considered at or near the top of the list.
Best College Prospect No One Talks About: Ray Surratt (CKY Magic) – Already 6’8″ and still growing, the Lafayette big man projects as a pick and pop 4 man in college. At this point, Ray seems more comfortable as a jump shooter than as a back to the basket post. As he continues to develop and add muscle to his skinny frame, Surrat will probably be a low Division 1 player at worst. Highly skilled and big bodied, Big Ray is one to keep tabs on over the next 3 seasons.
The Best College Prospect You’ve Probably Never Heard Of: Luke Morrison (Louisville Legends) – I had never seen or heard of Luke Morrison before the All In Hoopfest in Louisville and you probably haven’t either. I left the Legends’ semifinal contest against the West Virginia Wildcats incredibly impressed. Morrison had over 20 points and I’m not sure he missed a jump shot or free throw all game. Already standing 6’4 and coming off a freshman season where he averaged almost 8 points per game for the South Oldham Dragons, Morrison is definitely a player to keep up with over his high school career.