LC Bird Summer League Wednesday Standouts
The annual LC Bird Summer League is well underway at LC Bird High School in Chester, VA just south of Richmond. The two week long event features a number of teams from south of the river in the 804 and this year features a couple of teams from the 757 as well. There were five good games on Wednesday, and here’s a look at 11 guys who stood out on the day.
Tyler Henderson | 5’7” PG | LC Bird 2020
Henderson may only be about 5’7”, but he looked absolutely phenomenal yesterday and looked like he could be one of the best point guards in the Richmond area regardless of class. After being thrown into the fire as a sophomore and playing 17U this summer with Team Loaded 804, Henderson has turned the corner. On both ends he sets the tone, getting into the lane at will offensively, showing the ability to score at all three levels despite his size and he loves to get under ball handlers and pressure them full court. After every made basket, Henderson went to find the point guard and dog him as soon as he touched the ball. He finished with 16 points and six assists in their blowout win over Class 3 power Hopewell.
Jamon “Doc” Battle | 6’5” WG | LC Bird 2019
We’ve been watching Battle since he was a freshman at Meadowbrook, and knew that he was a talented and athletic wing with good size that had a chance to be pretty good moving forward. Now, he’s a legitimate mid to high major prospect, and it all came after a year of improvement and confidence building. Let’s start with this, he’s one of the most physically gifted prospects in not just VA, but possibly on the east coast. He’s 6’5” and cut, he jumps way out of the gym and he’s a strong finisher in traffic. He can put the ball on the floor, he rebounds on both ends both in and out of his area and regardless of what anyone tells you, he’s a pretty good shooter off the catch from deep. He finished with 21 points and 9 rebounds in their win over Hopewell.
Mack Burgett | 6’7” F | LC Bird 2019
Another guy who has improved steadily in his time at Bird, Burgett came in as a goofy 6’4” kid with a decent skill set who needed to polished. He’s now a super long 6’7” utility guy who can do a little bit of everything and likely still has an inch or two left when you look at his frame. Burgett is a lefty who can shoot the trail three, he runs the floor well and he showed off above average athleticism with a dunk and a couple of impressive rebounds. He knows how to use his length to contest shots and jump passing lanes, and his unique blend of size and skill set allows the Skyhawks to play him all over the court, even at the 5. He finished with a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds in their win.
Marlon Lancaster Jr. | 6’2” WG | LC Bird 2019
The Skyhawks are going to need some shooting off the bench, and Lancaster Jr. is one of the options they will likely consider for that role. The rising senior has waited his turn, and in the game yesterday he looked confident on the floor and was looking for his shot when he was on the floor. He has good length and effortless range, and he can shoot the ball in both the half court set on ball reversals and in transition. He finished with 11 points, hitting three from beyond the arc.
Tyrese Tingle | 6’7” PF | Matoaca 2019
It should be Tingle’s team this year, as the 6’7” big man has a unique skill set that will make him hard to match up with. First off, he’s a big bodied guy who takes up a lot of space in the paint. Second, he can run the floor decent, not great, but you don’t have to slow it down for him. Finally, he can score with both hands in the paint, and he can step out and knock down jump shots out to the three-point line. If he can figure out how to find the right mixture of these traits, and not just hang around the perimeter, he’ll likely be one of the most productive big men in the Richmond area. He finished with 27 points as Matoaca beat LC Bird 2 last night.
Kaleb Coleman | 6’1” PG | Matoaca 2020
Coleman is entering his third year as a starter at Matoaca, and he’s likely going to be leaned upon heavily this season if Matoaca is to compete for a playoff run. He’s sprouted to about 6’1”, making him a lead guard with good size who can also step off the ball and play on the wing as well. He gets downhill especially well, as he can turn the corner in the half court or get out in transition and use his size and athleticism to finish. He showed creative finishes with both hands, got to the line regularly and helped on the glass instead of leaking out. He could be a two way impact player if he buys in on both ends. He finished with 18 points and 5 rebounds in their win over LC Bird 2.
Allen Strothers | 6’2” PG | Menchville 2021
One of the best young point guards in the state, Strothers has a poise and moxy about him that goes well beyond his young age. He’s super long at 6’2”, and he’s a big time athlete which he showed with a two handed lob and a couple of blocked shots that you wouldn’t expect out of point guard. He plays with good pace, he sees the entire floor and has good size to see over defenders, he makes good decisions and he sets the tone on both ends of the floor. He’s a natural leader that can score when he needs to but also makes others better and uses his athleticism on the glass and defensively. He finished their first game with 20 points in a win over Petersburg.
Jaden Keasey | 6’5” PF | Menchville 2020
Keasey isn’t a true big man, but he’s going to have to play the role of one for Menchville this season who lacks size on the interior. He can be a mismatch problem though, as he has the size of a high school big man but can also step out and shoot, and he attacks closeouts well off the bounce. He finishes well with both hands, he buys into whatever role they need him to play and he’s a good team player who’s unselfish and takes coaching well. He finished with 11 points and six rebounds in their win over Petersburg.
Antwone Blackwell | 6’6” PF | Hopewell 2020
Hopewell always seems to have some raw big men with a lot of potential, and Blackwell is the next one in line. At 6’6” he’s extremely long and very athletic, and while he needs to fill out he’s wiry strong and he’s a absolute jumping bean. He can protect the rim and rebound on the defensive end, he can run the floor and finish offensively and he keeps plays alive and plays with tremendous energy. He still needs a lot of polishing, but you can’t ignore the physical attributes he has that you just can’t teach. He finished with 17 points and six rebounds in their loss to LC Bird.
D’Monte Brown | 6’0” G | Petersburg 2019
Brown showed that he may be a diamond in the rough in the 804 area, erupting for 29 points in the Crimson Wave’s close loss to Menchville to open the day. The 6’0” guard is bouncy as all can be, he plays with crazy energy as he barely came out of the game and he has an awkward, but effective, jump shot. He worked on and off the ball, attacked the rim hard and finding his way to the free throw line and he was a leader on both ends of the floor. He’s one to watch as his senior season comes around.
Lorenzo Minter | 6’0” G | Colonial Heights 2020
The breakout name that I came away talking about was Minter. Colonial Heights isn’t the most hotbed of spots for basketball players in the 804 area, but there’s no doubt that this rising junior can really play. He played a little on and off the basketball, but when he touched it good things happened. He showed the ability to score the basketball from all three levels, hitting a couple of deep three-pointers and having some tough and crafty finishes with both hands around the rim. He isn’t super explosive as an athlete but he’s smooth and has a good feel for the game, and he can really fill it up in bunches. He finished with 27 points in their loss to Menchville.