Hoops 4 The Cure Classic Standouts Part 1
I was at Milton on Saturday for the Halftime Sports Hoops 4 The Cure Classic, which featured 8 different teams with a lot of solid players. Here is the first portion of guys who stood out on Saturday.
2018 F EJ Montgomery (Wheeler)-
Montgomery may have been quiet early on Saturday night, but as the game progressed and Mt. Bethel began to make it competitive, he really turned it on. A big dunk in the 2nd quarter seemed to energize him and he kept it up after that. He imposed his will in the paint on both ends, ran hard in transition, and mixed in some pull-up jumpers. After decommitting from Auburn, it will be interesting to see who jumps into Montgomery’s recruitment.
2018 F Austin Johnson (Wheeler)-
Johnson, a Tennessee State signee, gave the Wildcats a huge boost on Saturday. Johnson converted inside often, and threw down some huge dunks that sparked the team. He positioned himself well for drop-offs, was active on the glass, and was efficient on offense. Johnson also made an impact on defense, swatting and altering shots throughout Wheeler’s game. He will continue to be a key player for the team this season.
2020 PG Christian Wright (Milton)-
Wright continued his hot start to the season against Sacred Heart. After having a huge lead in the first half, Milton had to withstand a comeback from the Cardinals, and Wright delivered. He was nearly impossible to contain off the dribble, getting into the lane whenever he wanted. Once he got there, he displayed excellent finishing ability and made good decisions when kicking to teammates as well. Wright also connected on big free-throws down the stretch and showed impressive poise for a young player.
2018 G Tony Johnson (Berkmar)-
Johnson came to Milton with a determined approach and it paid off for him. He was quite aggressive, but also knew when to pick his spots. He hit some perimeter shots, attacked in transition, and rebounded very well for a guard. One thing I really liked about Johnson was how he played through contact and went after his own misses inside to create extra opportunities. Johnson will be a good leader for the Patriots throughout the year.
2018 F Jamari Dean (Cedar Grove)-
Although Dean and his Cedar Grove team lost on Saturday, he had a very good showing. Dean was in attack mode the whole day and proved to be difficult to handle. He used his size and length against an undersized Berkmar team to draw fouls and finish down low throughout the game. Dean handled the ball on the wing at times and also showed the confidence to step out and take face-up jumpers, adding more to his versatility. He should be a serious problem in his region this year.
2020 F Jordan Meka (Mt. Bethel)-
The big stage against Wheeler did not have much of an effect on Meka, who tried to go at the Wildcats the whole game. He had some struggles to start the matchup, but adjusted and made solid contributions. Meka is extremely mobile and athletic for a big man, and uses these attributes to his advantage well. He played above the rim in transition, forced Wheeler into a bunch of fouls, and gave nice effort on defense and the boards. He has loads of potential and should be tracked closely.