PrepHoopsTN Recaps: Part VI
MURFREESBORO-
Class of 2021 wings Caleb Wilson and Jalen Qualls made their bids for additional playing time at Cane Ridge and Stratford respectively. Of the two Jalen is more game-ready for varsity as Qualls showcased a smooth mid-range game at the Fall Combine. Wilson plays the role of a high school forward currently.
Tray Swift ventured all the way east from Dyer County High School with a spectacularly speedy game.
Caleb Wilson 2021 Cane Ridge Wing Guard
At 6-foot-2, Caleb Wilson has nice size for a sophomore wing. The upper body needs to feel out. Of course most players his age still have three-four years of physical maturity remaining. Cane Ridge High School helps young men play efficiently at high speeds, so Caleb’s basketball mind moves fast. He needs better change of direction in his game. The wiggle isn’t where it needs to be yet.
Tray Swift 2020 Dyer County Point Guard
Dyer County junior Tray Swift recorded the second fastest sprint time. His straighline speed glistened.
Watch Tray’s sophomore highlight reel.
Standing 5-foot-10 Tray Swift shared his athletic gifts with the intense coaches at the Above the Rim Gym / PrepHoopsTN Fall Combine.
Swift’s 36 inch one-step vertical supplanted 95% of the competitors. That explosion helps make the hooper compete above his defending guards.
While Swift will try to finish in the lane a handful of times each game, that explosion shows up more frequently in the open floor on the horizontal plane.
Tray Swift dances beyond the trap with small, impressive strides in quick repetition. Tray’s court awareness is good and he would be perfectly paired with an athletic post beyond high school. He played well last season with former Dyer County forward Rico Quintan.
One aspect of Tray Swift’s game that escaped this evaluator was his outside shot. His catch-and-shoot game is generally very strong, but too few opportunities presented themselves Sunday. Leaning on his sophomore season film Tray Swift deserves the benefit of the doubt that he can hit shots in the face of guards closing out.
Jalen Qualls 2021 Stratford Wing Guard
A slendor shooter, Jalen Qualls had a surprisingly quiet day Sunday. His movement off the ball was not dramatic enough to encourage passes from the typically selfish camp guards. In every camp setting guards dominate the ball and over-penetrate or shoot too much. While teams did pass with a decent frequency, Jalen is the perfectly sized wing shooting option. His ceiling is a Richard Hamilton type. Qualls needs to move much more without the basketball in his hands though. Velvety touch.
If there is an area in which Jalen can improve it is change of direction and bounce. Still growing into his 6-foot-1 frame, likely adding height too, Jalen Qualls recorded a 28-inch one-step vertical. With his natural athleticism that will almost certainly improve in the coming years, but the Stratford sophomore needs to work on moving his hips more quickly with the dribble.
Currently, Jalen Qualls is a wonderful catch-and-shoot guy. He can take 1-3 steps directly at the basket with a certain amount of elegance though his ability to reset his attacking lane and probe again lags a bit from other guards his age. As me moves up the basketball ladder help defenders will adjust more quickly and deny that first slashing option. What will Jalen Qualls do at that instant? Preparing for that certain eventuality should occupy a significant amount of his personal training.
Jalen Qualls was interviewed during summer AAU and talked about his basketball ambitions.