Louisiana Exposure Camp Fresh Faces
During the month of August, exposure camps were the focal point for prep players around the state. For the established prep stars, it was a chance to solidify their standing. For other players, these camps gave them an opportunity to play against other preps and measure their talent. The players who are unknown before some of these camps became known names afterwards. Such is the case with the following five players. They are some of the fresh faces from the exposure camps I covered in August.
Nickalus Weaver / 6’1″ / 2020 / Arcadia High
During the Prep Hoops Top 250, I got my first look at this guard from Arcadia. Weaver struck me as a player who can do multiple things on the floor. Nickalus is able to handle the ball but played more off the ball on this day. On the floor, he showed that he can slash and shoot. Two definite qualities a player needs at an event like this. Weaver also displayed an ability to defend taller, longer wings with his athleticism. With his ability to defend three positions and play the guard and the wing, Nickalus was definitely one of the faces that stuck out at the Top 250. Look for him to be a factor for Arcadia and their battles in class 1A.
Robert Holloway III / 5’9″ / 2019 / BTW-Shreveport
The Off the Bench Sports exposure camp presented some fresh faces and Holloway was one of them. The Booker T. guard was a pleasant surprise during the day. He showed the ability to play solid man-to-man defense when guarding during drills. When they moved to three-on-three skill work, he was able to shoot the ball from deep with accuracy. Holloway also handled the ball in the open floor making good decisions with his passes. For a player who may be called upon to play some point guard, his showing at the OTBS camp proves that he can do that and more. With the quality of guards in 1-4A, he will need to be ready to step up to the challenge.
Lajarrion Spinks / 6’5″ / 2019 / Wossman High
Fresh faces are not usually upperclassmen. However, Lajarrion Spinks is one of those rare cases. Spinks came into the OTBS exposure camp and put the players on notice that he can play the post and play it well. He was hard to keep off the boards because he is long and springy. His quick second jump mixed with his rebounding prowess game him and edge over other players on this day. Spinks also displayed an ability to play with his back to the basket. He backed players down and shot short jumpers over his defenders. With all state performer Darrell Comanche gone, Spinks will be that post anchor inside. With his athletic ability, making a difference in the paint will be a needed asset for Wossman this season.
Benjamin Ponder / 6’1″ / 2021 / Calvary Baptist Academy
At the Prep Hoops Top 250, there was no one who worked harder on the floor than Ben Ponder. Ponder is one of the fresh faces because nobody does what he does on the floor. His basketball IQ is extremely high and he constantly showed the ability to make the right play. Ben displayed a knack for grabbing offensive rebounds. Whether it was tipping the basketball to a teammate or grabbing the board and resetting the offense, Ben did this during every game he played at the Top 250. That was not the end of his contributions. He hit jumpers out to 15 feet, he set screens, and he did any other dirty work that needed to be done. Because of the energy he expended along with the hard work he showed, Ben is a fresh face that will be making his mark during the season to come.
Cameron Steward / 6’5″ / 2020 / Southwood High
Cameron came into the OTBS exposure camp as a player not many people knew. He left the camp as one of the fresh faces moving into this year’s basketball scene. Steward is a lefty who has a smooth stroke from anywhere on the floor. During game play and drills, Steward kept draining jumper after jumper. When he elevates for his shoot, it is pure beauty. He has range to 21 feet and his consistency from deep is steadily improving. Cameron also rebounds the ball in traffic and is not afraid to bang with other wings and forwards. Steward has strengthened his perimeter defense too and can move better laterally in assignments when a switch occurs. Everything about Steward’s game screams improvement. The Cowboys will need his improved play as they attempt to repeat their quarterfinal run in 5A. If he helps improve the team’s fortunes, the individual fortunes of this player will see a rise as well.
These fresh faces are players who are expected to make a contribution to their individual team’s fortunes. They will be helping some of the better north Louisiana basketball teams make runs for district and state titles. If they perform to the level that they did in these various camps, they will make their team rock solid going into the future.