Standouts: Chance Harman Day Two (Part 2)
Every year some of the best teams across VA, NC and WV descend upon the quiet mountain town of Floyd County, about 30 minutes outside of Christiansburg. The 11th Annual Chance Harman Classic, which is a nonprofit event that raises money for Pediatric Brain Cancer, all through good basketball.
The second day featured nine, yes nine, games that started at 9:30 AM and ended around 11 PM. Of course there was a ton of talent, so we’ve broken the standouts into three parts. Here’s part two featuring seven players from games four through six.
- Sasha Sukhanov | Teay’s Valley (WV) 2018
With 2019 post Mirambeaux Anderson, who was the day one standout, leaving early with an apparent foot injury, Sukhanov stepped in and stepped up playing a big role and helping Teay’s Valley pull away late for a win over Roanoke Catholic. A very skilled big man, Sukhanov can score in the paint and can stretch the defense, he can run the floor and finish and he’s much more physical than many give him credit for. He finished with a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, and dominated inside on both ends as he pitched in four blocks as well.
- Mason Shifflett | Teays Valley 2019
Shifflett didn’t point up crazy numbers on either days, but a lot of the things that he does that helps his team doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. The 6’3” wing finished with 10 points in their win over Roanoke Catholic, but his leadership, IQ and communication on the floor was key for a young but talented Teay’s Valley team. He was always communicating with and encouraging his teammates, he understood and executed in situations he needed to and he was incremental in their win despite not being a big time scorer.
- Julien Wooden | Northside 2019
The best part about Northside’s blowout win over EC Glass was how aggressive Wooden was. A mid major prospect that holds three offers, Wooden’s big knock has been that he doesn’t always seem to have that killer instinct that you want to see out of the best player on a team, but he played that way against Glass. The 6’6” wing was a walking highlight reel, with four big time throw downs including a windmill on the break, and throughout the game he took advantage of mismatches and made sure that when he got his opportunities he took them. He finished with 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field, and pitched in nine rebounds and four assists as well. If he can put up those kind of numbers, he’ll see his recruitment pick up here soon.
- Kasey Draper | Northside 2019
Draper has stepped up in a big way ever since senior Shey Webb went down with a knee injury that will keep him out for the entire season, and boy is Northside happy about that. The 6’3” forward is extremely crafty around the basket, as he uses his body well to keep his defender at bay and score over top of bigger guys. He isn’t a great athlete but he’s a smart player on both ends, and his production level this season has been terrific for the Vikings. He finished with 24 points on 11-for-15 shooting from the field, and pitched in 11 rebounds, four assists and three steals.
- Ian Lee | Mount Mission 2019
Early in Mount Mission’s win over Calvary Day, Ian Lee had back-to-back possessions where he hit a three, then drove baseline and made a nice pass to one of his big men for an easy finish. As soon as that happened I told the guy next to me, “Ian Lee is a little hooper man,” and he helped prove me right the whole time. The 5’9” guard made shots from all three levels, got the the free throw line regularly and made plays for his big men to help them win. He finished with 17 points, three assists and two steals off the bench for Mount Mission.
- Flo Thamba | Mount Mission 2018
He announced that he will make his decision here soon before the tournament, and he showed why he’s one of the best available big men in the country as he went for an easy double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds as he dominated the paint in their win. He showed toughness with some big finishes above the rim, but also showed some nice finesse finishes including a couple of jump hooks over the left shoulder. The 6’9” post dominated the paint, and the way he has improved over the past few seasons bolds well for whatever of his final four schools gets him.
- Jackson Gammons | Calvary Day 2019
I love this kid’s game, as he can really score the basketball but also has a great feel for getting others involved as well. The 6’1” combo guard showed that he can score it from all three levels, and if he had made a couple more shots than Calvary Day likely would have taken Mount Mission to the wire. He plays with good pace, is surprisingly shifty and explosive and he seems to make the right play consistently whether he’s on or off the basketball. He finished with 20 points, and shot over 50% from deep as he went 6-for-11 from behind the arc.