Las Vegas live periods: San Diego stock raisers
With literally hundreds of basketball teams converging on the Mecca of summer basketball, Las Vegas lived up to the hype.
My colleagues Frank Burlison and Joel Francisco were flanked across the region, capturing as much of the action as humanly possible, from Dinos Trigonis’ Las Vegas Fab 48 (perhaps the strongest field in the even’t history), Bigfoot Hoops’ Las Vegas Classic, the West Coast Elite UA Finals and Rising Stars Invitational and the Rebound Hoops Las Vegas Finals.
For my part, I’ll be breaking down the showing of the large San Diego contingent in a series of reports, starting with the 2019 standouts, with the 2020, 2021 and 2022 classes to follow. This report will touch on players I believed raised their stock, regardless of class.
Las Vegas live periods: San Diego stock raisers
Elijah Height, 7-1 C, NP4 Elite
Throughout the weekend, Height received a ton of attention from Division 1 coaches due to his impressive physical metrics. Blessed with great length, solid athleticism and natural instincts, the unknown prospect left his mark in Vegas. He still has a way to go in terms of his feel for the game, but he showed flashes of face-up and post game, and the potential to be a high-level shot blocker and rim runner. He reportedly received an offer from Evansville in the process. Headed to Kenneth Roy’s Nation Wide Academy for a post-grad year, it wouldn’t be surprising if he receives many more offers.
Patrick Roberts, 6-8 F/C, Gamepoint 16u Elite
The wiry, long 6-8 prospect missed last year with a back injury, but appears well on his way to having an impact year. Roberts does many of the things you need your big to do: he runs the floor, fights for rebounding position, blocks and alters shots, can finish plays above the rim, possesses good hands and can pass out of the double team. He’s got to get stronger holding position on the block, and his scoring acumen is raw, but the upside is there. Eastern Washington and Boston University have both expressed interest.
Malcolm Little, 6-3 G, California Select
Little was a standout at the SDSU camp in June, and he continues to improve his stock. The scoring guard has nice length, athleticism and a nose for the basket. He scored it capably from all three levels, and thrives in the paint. Little’s decision making and handle against pressure, however, must improve, to capitalize on recruiting interest.
Christian Wilson, 6-5 F, California Select
The explosive, albeit undersized, four man received his first college scholarship offer, from Menlo College. Expect more to roll in, as Wilson would be a terror at that level. Wilson’s motor and relentless pursuit of rebounds really stand out. He does most of his scoring on short, quick drives to the hoop, but can step out and hit the three from 21 feet.
Miles Williams, 5-8 PG, San Diego All-Stars
Williams was an absolute menace this weekend for SDA on the defensive end. In one 10-minute stretch, I counted him having 10 steals or deflections. Williams plays so hard on the defensive end, always looking to trap ball handlers and turn them over with his quick hands (and surprising length). Once he has the ball, he makes sound decisions and can score in traffic or hit the open three. While not super quick with the ball, Williams is assertive and gets to his spots on the floor.
Wayne McKinney, 5-10 PG, Coastal Elite Slayers 15u
McKinney didn’t have a great shooting game vs Nightrydas Elite, but through July the Lake Oswego product really elevated his stock. He is excellent changing speeds in the halfcourt and gets into the paint seemingly at will. McKinney is also a confident shooter and can hit shots from NBA range off the catch, and has a reliable mid-range pull-up. Like all of his Coastal Elite teammates, McKinney plays with a chip on his shoulder and gives a great effort on both ends. If he were in So-Cal, he’d be among the top point guard prospects in the 2021 class.