Hoops and Dreams Day 2 Standouts (Part One)
Both the Vantage Hoops and Prep Hoops NC team were in Fayatteville, NC for the inaugural Hoops and Dreams Showcase. It featured some of the top teams in both the area and the country, including Oak Hill Academy (VA), Huntington Prep (WV), Liberty Heights (NC), Northwood Temple (NC), Word of God (NC) and more. It also marked the start of the basketball season for many of these prep schools, which in itself is something to celebrate!
Here’s a look at part one of the standouts from Day 2, written by Vantage Hoops’ Jack Herron, featuring eight standout players from four of the teams.
- Mike Wynn | 6’6” WG | Liberty Heights 2018
In the opening game between Liberty Heights and Freedom Christian, ECU commit Mike Wynn got off to a slow start, but he settled in after the early morning tip and finished with a solid 17 points and 9 rebounds to lead his team to victory. After a big summer where he helped Team Loaded VA win the Adidas Gauntlet Finale, Wynn showed he can be the go-to guy and the leader on a talented team that can compete against anybody. At 6’6” he can handle the ball and get his team into sets, create shots for himself off the bounce and is a good rebounder and defender. His versatility and production makes him the perfect guy to lead a team like Liberty Heights.
- D’Marco Baucom | 6’7” PF | Liberty Heights 2018
Baucom came out active early and his big frame was tough for Freedom Christian to handle in the paint. Early in the game he put pressure on them, showing an array of back-to-the-basket moves and forcing them to foul him in the paint to avoid easy layups. He showed a soft touch out to 18 feet, good hands and feet in the post and he kept help at bay for the guards to get in the lane and finish. He was somewhat limited by foul trouble, but his 13 points were on just seven shots from the field, and his impact was much bigger than what the scorebook showed. If he can continue to produce he could see a lot of late division one interest turn into offers moving forward.
- Chris Martin | 6’0” PG | Liberty Heights 2018
I loved the overall production this kid had splitting point guard duties with junior Davion Dixon, and despite being just 6’0” he played like a giant in so many ways. Martin is a big and physical guard that gets downhill and throws his weight around in the paint, allowing him to finish through contact and in traffic. He not only plays well through contact, he thrives on it. The senior point guard finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds, three assists and two steals. He’s quick off the bounce, plays with a high motor on both ends of the floor and is a matchup problem because of his strength and speed. He’s seeing interest from a number of low majors but has yet to pull an offer.
- Davier Dixon | 5’11” PG | Liberty Heights 2019
Dixon didn’t put up huge numbers on the stat sheet but he did so much to help set the tone and the tempo to help Liberty Heights pull away in the second half. He’s crafty and quick with the ball in his hands, he’s able to break down defenders off the bounce and get in the lane to suck the defense in. He showed crafty finishing ability around the basket, made some tough shots off the bounce and was a lock down on ball defender. he has a great feel and understanding of the game which makes him such a good lead guard that teammates like to play with.
- Jamahri Harvey | 6’3” WG | Freedom Christian 2019
An extremely active wing with good size and length, Harvey was the best shotmaker for Freedom Christian in their loss as he finished with 14 points. He showed the ability to make contested shots from all over the floor, including a nice step back three-pointer. He’s athletic on both ends, finishing with two blocks and a number of tough finishes in traffic. With continued improvement he could be a solid two-way player that coaches should keep an eye on.
- Miles Ray | 6’2” WG | Freedom Christian 2019
Ray was a high motor wing that did a little bit of everything and didn’t mind doing the dirty work for his team. At 6’2” he played much bigger than that, leading Freedom Christian with seven rebounds on the day. He was more aggressive in the second half looking for his shot, and showed the ability to get in the lane and get out in transition and score for his team.
- Josh Nickelberry | 6’4” WG | Northwood Temple 2019
Despite being game planned for by Huntington Prep and losing 91-69, Nickelberry showed his tremendous scoring prowess by leading all scorers with 25 points. He didn’t get it going until the second half, but when he did he showed his ability to score it in bunches by ringing off 10 straight for the Eagles at one point, including hitting three straight three-pointers on three straight possessions. His ability to shoot it from deep was shown as he hit six deep balls in the game, and he got to the line often as well. He’s a true scorer that can fill it up from all over the floor at a high level.
- John-Michael Wright | 6’0” PG | Northwood Temple 2019
One of the breakout candidates from the event, Wright was solid on both ends of the floor against one of the top teams in the country in Huntington Prep. He’s quick off the bounce, guards both on and off the basketball, is a crafty finisher and has a toughness about him that can’t be taught. He finished with 17 points and five rebounds, and the fact that he didn’t back down from anyone was great to watch.