Louisiana Tech Team Camp Standouts: Day 1
Ruston, Louisiana was the team camp hub in north Louisiana on Friday. Teams from East Texas, Louisiana, and east Mississippi converged on the Thomas Assembly Center (and other courts) to work on team chemistry ahead of next season. In the midst of team building, some individual players showed that their game is already in full season mode We will highlight some of those players here on Prep Hoops Louisiana.
Courtland Lundy / 6’4″ / 2019 / Tensas / F & C
The last time a lot of us saw Courtland Lundy, he and Albert South were leading Tensas to the 1A semifinals where they lost to White Castle. That was the Panthers second loss during the 2017-18 season. Even though we have not seen him, his game has not taken a break. On day one, Courtland showed that he has an abundance of game left. Against Natchitoches Central, Lundy had his full game on display. He played lead guard setting up the offense. Lundy would grab the rebound and make the outlet to a guard. On the next possession, he would play the passing lane and grab a steal. Courtland even dribble drove and found cutters with nifty passes like a point guard. Even though Tensas came out with a loss, Courtland displayed his limitless potential on the floor. Watch out for this guy moving into his senior season.
Paul King / 5’10” / 2019 / Ouachita / PG
In the Lions two victories, Paul King was the best guard on the floor hands down. King wowed onlookers with a standout shooting performance against Pleasant Grove High (TX). At one point during the first half of the game, he hit five three pointers in a row. This was while facilitating the offense. Pleasant Grove guards left him open over and over again and he made them pay dearly. However, that was not all he did. Against both Pleasant Grove and Huntington, he played outstanding full court defense robbing guards on several occasions. The icing on the cake were his fast break and half court passes. Whether it was a lob, bounce pass, or no look pass, he found the right guy time and time again. If Paul King plays point guard in this fashion during the regular season, Ouachita is going to be a hard team to beat in class 5A.
Mylik Wilson / 6’3″ / 2019 / Rayville / CG
Being the top player in the state, Mylik Wilson is expected to dominate on both ends of the floor every time he steps on it. Well, day one at Louisiana Tech was one of those days. Wilson played both ends of the floor in supreme fashion leading Rayville to wins versus Peabody and Natchitoches Central. On defense, Wilson played great help side defense blocking layup attempts at the rim. His on ball defense was outstanding forcing guards to go where he wanted them to go. In the open floor, he ran his lane time and time again to score a layup or find another player running the opposite wing. When his intensity level is high, so are the rest of the Hornets. When his defense is causing disruption and creating open floor opportunities for himself and his teammates, there is nothing the opposing team can do. Wilson played at an elite level on day one. He definitely earned standout status on this day.
Darius Smith / 6’4″ / 2019 / Peabody / W & F
Smith was locked in from the first moment he stepped on the floor at Louisiana Tech. Darius is known as a top level defender that lets his offense come to him when needed. On day one, Smith came out the gates smoking. Against Rayville, he knocked down the first six threes he hoisted. When the Warhorses got down in that game, Smith went to the boards to grab rebounds and stepped up his on ball defensive pressure. Smith left no stone unturned in an effort to help Peabody in their attempt to beat Rayville. Smith did not cool off from behind the arc however. Against Airline, Smith hit another five three pointers. His shooting has been a definite improvement to coincide with his stellar defensive chops and his offensive movement. As far as standouts are concern, Darius Smith proved to be just that for the Warhorses in Ruston.
Jamarkus Wilson / 6’5″ / 2019 / Rayville / F & C
For a quiet guy on the floor, Jamarkus Wilson has a game that speaks volumes when you see him. He is not as flashy as his cousin Mylik nor does he run the floor like his twin Jamichael. What Jamarkus does do is make winning plays time and time again. During the Hornets victories on day one, Jamarkus embraced a game Kevin Love would be proud of. On makes or misses, he found his teammates time and time again with outlet passes. When the offense setup in the half court, he went to the post and used several post moves to score. On occasion when the defense got back, he was the trail guy who shot the three or found another play for a better shot. Simply put, this Wilson makes all of the plays that keeps this offense rolling. Jamarkus stuffs the stat sheet. His smart play allows Rayville to go out and dominate other teams.
These players stood out as the cream of the crop on day one. With more teams and more games scheduled for Day 2, look for other top players to showcase their talents. If they do, look for Prep Hoops Louisiana to have them covered.