Indianapolis Day 2: Joplin Breaks Out
INDIANAPOLIS — Session 2 of the Nike EYBL and Under Armour Association continued on Saturday. On day two, both Phenom University squads won their pools, but fell in the quarterfinals of the Midwest Takeover…
Joey Baker – 2019 – SF – Team Felton
This kid is the real deal. The Duke commit made some very difficult shots look easy in Saturday’s win over the Playground Warriors. A highly skilled shot maker, Baker’s ability to make NBA-type shots is extremely impressive for his age. At 6-foot-7, defenders often can’t get a good contest, especially when Baker turns his back to the basket and goes to his sweet fade away game. In just 19 minutes, Baker dropped 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting. He also added seven rebounds and three assists.
Larry Canady – 2019 – G – Playground Warriors
Canady continues to hold his own in the UA Association. The Racine Park standout wasn’t fazed facing a loaded Team Felton squad. Canady scored 11 points, knocking down some tough, contested shots. Proving he’s arguably the top two-way player in the state, Canady cooled off Duke commit Joey Baker in the second half, accepting the challenge and face guarding him up the floor.
Jordan Davis – 2020 – SF – Playground Warriors
Davis has quietly had a solid weekend in the Under Armour Association. He may not always lead his team in any statistical category, but Davis always shows up and it’s very rare that he ever plays poorly or hurts his team. The 6-foot-5 wing continues to slash and shoot the ball well. Making gains offensively, Davis has a very quick first step that he uses to rip through and go baseline. He’s not an explosive athlete, but gets off the ground quickly, not giving shot blockers a chance to react in time. A terrific mid-range shooter, Davis is comfortable even with a hand in his face. Davis may end up playing football at the next level, but he’s definitely boosted his stock on the hardwood in Indianapolis.
Jalen Hardy – 2021 – G – Las Vegas Prospects
Hard was a killer on Saturday. Playing up in 17U, Hardy looked to dominate offensively. The fearless freshman guard is very aggressive and relishes playing through contact. He had 19 big points in a win over Mokan Elite, going 7-of-12 from the field. Hardy was 4-of-8 from 3-point range, but rarely settles. At 6-foot-4, Hardy likes to put his head down and make the defender man up and stop him. Long way to go, but Hardy has the makings of a premier guard in the 2021 class.
Jalen Hill – 2019 – SF – Las Vegas Prospects
Hill is a really good fallback option for a lot of top programs who may miss on their Plan A guys. Facing one of the top teams in the EYBL, Mokan Elite, Hill went for 20 points, eight rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in Saturday’s win. A high motor, athletic forward, Hill sparked the Prospects on both ends of the floor. Not only can Hill create offensively, but he’s willing to stick his face in a fan, doing the dirty work on the interior. Hill is still a little raw skills-wise, but has enough to size his man up and take the ball to the rack or pull-up for the jumper. Defensively, Hill was a stud. Whether it was defending on the perimeter or inside, his man got nothing. Minnesota, DePaul, UNLV, and Florida State have offered. He’s also picking up interest from California, Arizona State, Oregon, and Wisconsin.
Kobe Johnson – 2021 – G – Phenom University
Kid keeps on getting better and better. The light came on for him earlier this spring and Johnson continues to steadily put it all together. The Sun Prairie native did a little bit of everything in Saturday’s blowout win over MEBO Team Hood. Johnson finished with nine points, five assists, and three steals. Johnson was fantastic as a facilitator, drawing defenders and threading the needle inside. Using terrific touch, Johnson floated assists just out of the reach of defenders and putting the ball where only his teammates could get it. A plus-length guard that’s in store for a big growth spurt, Johnson played the passing lanes very well and quickly turned defense into offense.
David Joplin – 2020 – F – Phenom University
In Saturday’s quarterfinal loss to Team Durant, Joplin had his best performance of the spring. Joplin has always kind of flashed his high upside, but the Brookfield Central standout really put it together. Going for a game-high 28 points, Joplin scored from all over the floor. The 6-foot-6 freshman knocked down triples, went coast-to-coast in transition, drove and pulled up from mid-range, and even against perfect defense, unleashed some nifty footwork to score going away from the basket. Joplin’s never been a guy that’s hunted a lot of shots, but Phenom rode him most of the game as Joplin started to breakout of his shell.
Cameron Palesse – 2021 – SF – Phenom University
Palesse is a nice slashing wing that has the ability to live at the rim. While he’s slowly expanding his range, Palesse makes his mark going to the rim. Using a quick first step and a long wingspan, Palesse has blow by ability and can hang and finish in traffic. He had 15 points in a win over MEBO Team Hood, including a poster dunk in transition. Palesse is lanky, but don’t mistake that for a lack of strength. He works hard on the offensive glass and powered home some finishes off second chance opportunities all weekend. Also a terrific defender, Palesse uses his length well on that end of the floor and makes it hard for ball handlers to generate straight-line drives to the rim.
Tanner Resch – 2021 – G – Phenom University
Resch shot the heck out of the ball in Saturday’s win over MEBO Team Hood. The freshman sniper went for a game-high 19 points in short work. Resch caught fire and never let up. An excellent spot up shooter with deep range, Resch has a beautiful, high-arcing shot. While he does most of his damage from beyond the arc, Resch scored in other ways on Saturday, finishing nicely in traffic around the basket and pulling up from mid-range, something new to his arsenal.
Julian Strawther – 2020 – G/F – Las Vegas Prospects
This is going to be one of the best shot makers in the 2020 class. Strawther is a 6-foot-7 wing with a smooth stroke. He scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds in Saturday’s win over Mokan Elite. Already holding offers from Illinois, Oklahoma, Gonzaga, USC, Florida State, Washington, UConn, UCLA, Arizona, Florida, and more, Strawther excelled on Saturday with a one-dribble jumper. Using a quick jab step and go, Strawther can easily get in rhythm and just has a knack to make shooting the basketball and creating space off the bounce look effortless.
Lance Ware – 2020 – PF – New York Renaissance
Second consecutive day this kid has been a beast. Ware took it to Phenom University on both ends of the floor during Saturday’s loss. The bouncy forward was active as a shot blocker and rebounder. He gets off the floor quickly and has a knack for playing physical without fouling. A high-motor prospect, Ware cleaned up second chance opportunities and finished well around the rim. He has good hands for a big man and can maneuver in traffic under the rim. The lefty can shoot it a bit from mid-range, but is better as a slasher right now. Very under the radar in the 2020 class, Ware has put together a big weekend.