OTBS Exposure Camp Top Performers
North Louisiana had its first exposure camp in quite some time at Southwood High School this past weekend. Off the Bench Sports founder Hobert Grayson III conducted the camp which brought players from schools such as Wossman, Simsboro, Crowley, and of course the host Southwood. All of players who participated displayed high level prep talent. Here are some of the top performers from the camp this weekend.
Rayson Robinson / 6’2″ / 2019 / Wossman High
Robinson, the director’s choice for MVP, played consistently well throughout the day. The 6’2″ senior showed combo guard skills that should make Coach Jones a happy individual. Rayson was a long distance bomber the whole day making shots out to 25 feet. As far as top performers go, he had a great shooting day. When Robinson played point guard, he played under control and made the proper passes to open teammates. If Robinson continues playing like this during the season, Wossman will definitely make plenty of noise in class 3A.
Braeden Board / 6’5″ / 2020 / Crowley High
Louisiana has some long, thin wing players around the state seemingly at every level of play. Boyd adds to that list. The 6’5″ junior has the skill set many wings would kill for. Boyd can step out on the perimeter and drain a jumper. He can take other wings off the dribble and he can play above the rim. There were a couple of occasions when he garnered over the back calls while securing rebounds. What impressed me about those calls were that his elbows were over the rim easily. Braedon was a scary cover for participants at the camp and will be during the season to come.
Daniel Ortiz / 6’0″ / 2021 / Southwood High
Ortiz was one of the most consistent players at the camp. Daniel displayed true point guard skills when he played on the ball. His handle is top notch for any guard no matter the grade or classification. Getting into the lane and finishing is as easy as breathing for him. Ortiz also has an accurate three point shot that he hit during drills and game play from multiple spots. Adjusting to varsity game speed may have been a slight hiccup for him on defense. However, as the day progressed, he was able to adjust. Daniel showed he is definitely ready to take the next step to that level and used his performance at the OTBS camp to show he can be one of district 5A’s top performers.
Nickolas Traylor / 6’3″ / 2020 / Wossman High
I think Traylor is a 6’3″ version of Antonio Gates when he played at Kent State but looks like he can play the position Gates is most known for. His game is a throwback to an earlier era. Traylor punishes lighter defenders when rebounding and finishing at the rim. He completes baskets through all types of contact. Using the tight end reference, he runs his lane or makes a rim run like a tight end going out for a pass. He is brute strength with nimble feet. Coupled with his strength was a mid-ranged jumper he consistently made between 10 and 12 feet. With the skill set he displayed at the OTBS camp, he proved that he was one of the top performers. Traylor will be a strong force for the Wildcats during the season.
Sadarionne “SD” Ellis / 6’3″ / 2019 / Southwood High
He might not have been selected as the camp MVP but he was definitely the day’s top performer in my eyes. Ellis showed an offensive game that left defenders bewildered. He was a shot maker all day. Contested layups, jumpers, you name it he made them. His use of the dribble to gather himself for his shot or to create separation was absolutely on point. Ellis was too quick for most of the players defending him. On defense, “SD” disrupted ball handlers throughout the day. His quickness was an asset again hampering people he defended. His game has improved since season’s end and he truly showed that at the camp. Look for his improvement to continue during the basketball season.
The Off the Bench Sports Exposure camp in north Louisiana brought together some of the best players from various parts of the state. These top performers were some of the best players seen during the last two weeks of exposure events I have attended. Look for more from these players, and others, as the exposure camp season moves into the month of September.
*Photo cred: Off the Bench Sports logo