Stock Risers from the SAAU Championships – Guard Edition
The Southern AAU championships in Pineville, Louisiana did not have the number of teams past editions. However, the teams that played had some quality athletes showing off their basketball skills. These four players saw their stock rise during the event and will definitely be players to watch moving forward.
Travon Arvie / 5’7″ / 2019 / Louisiana Shooters / CG
Arvie has a smooth stroke and shot the ball well from behind the three point line. He is small but very quick. Travon is especially quick when pushing the ball up the floor. Because of his quickness, defenders were caught between rushing out to defend the three or play the drive. Arvie displayed a calm demeanor when on the break or the half court set. He never seemed to be in a rush and made the right play repeatedly. Travon projects to play on the NAIA or junior college level.
Calvin “C.J.” Carpenter / 6’1″ / 2019 / Louisiana Roundballers / CG
C.J. had his full game on display during the SAAU championships. One game he showed his shooting prowess by making four threes. In another game, Carpenter used his speed to jump out on the break and run the lane like a true finisher would. Guards and wings caught him in stride for layups repeatedly. He even caught an alley-oop that he turned into a reverse layup. C.J. is super athletic. There were some instances where he soared to the rim and finish amidst contact from the other team’s big men. Some of those plays came from steals or rebounds he gathered and took coast to coast. Carpenter even played point guard during stretches and facilitated the offense getting players open shots and layups. While C.J. projects to be a low DI or DII player, he can work his way into mid major status with some advancement to his game.
Tylan Sanders / 6’0″ / 2019 / Team Cenla / SG
Sanders put on a shooting performance during the championships held in Pineville. If SAAU was giving out an award for the best shooter, Sanders would have won the trophy. Against the Louisiana Roundballers and Lake City Elite, Sanders kept frustrating players with his ability to find open space to get his shot off. With his ability to slide to open areas coupled with his quick release, he frustrated defender after defender. Sanders was also able to put the ball on the deck and drive past defenders who did not close out properly. While he projects to be a player for the Division II level or lower, continued work on his ability to drive will move him further up the rankings (presently #45) and closer to Division I consideration.
Sadarionne “SD” Ellis / 6’2″ / 2019 / Louisiana Roundballers / SG
Ellis was pivotal in the Roundballers run to qualifying for the Division II AAU championships. SD used his ability to handle to the ball in assisting the guards with pushing the ball up the floor. He found teammates running their lanes for layups on several occasions. What was most dangerous about Sadarionne’s game was his ability to make shots at the mid-range level. Between 13 and 16 feet, Ellis made shot after shot. His quickness gives him the ability to attack from multiple positions on the floor and creates nightmares for the defense. He also hit some long distance jumpers which opened up his driving and pull up game even more. With his game improvements, SD may begin to garner low Division I offers. Right now he projects to be a player at the Division II or III level.