Next Up Camp: Top Point Guards
This past Saturday, 60 freshmen (and a handful of 8th graders) traveled to Taylor County for the annual Next Up Recruits camp. Here’s a break down of some of the top point guard performers from camp.
- One of only a couple of out of state participants in the camp was Jeffersonville, Indiana’s Kobe Stoudemire. Kobe showed flashes of being a really good prospect with his ability to penetrate the lane and finish or kick out to the perimeter.
- Louisville Collegiate 8th grader Jack Edelen had a good day at camp. Jack was originally a freshman at Ballard this year but re-classified to 2023 after playing summer ball with the Bruins. Edelen is super skilled and has a high IQ but he’s hindered by his size. If Jack can reach his dad’s size at about 6’2, he could be a really good prospect in 2023.
- One of the top point guards at camp was Boyle County’s Aden Slone. Slone was the lone 2022 prospect to make the top 40 all star camp back in June at the high school Next Up camp. Aden is a bit flashier than he needs to be sometimes but he is hard nosed and knows how to play. I’d like to see him improve his post entry passing as he gets older.
- Ballard freshman Austin “Rico” Carr-Cole was like a tiny Kyrie Irving at camp as he showed an impressive ability to finish at the rim with either hand and use the glass to score the ball over taller defenders. Carr-Cole is small at only 5’8 but he will be a contributor at Ballard this season and should score a lot of points in the next 4 years.
- Henry Clay’s Jevon Adams really impressed me during drills. Adams showed his impressive skill level and scored consistently against competitors. In the afternoon games, Adams disappeared for long stretch as he allowed others to be more aggressive and push him off the ball.
- In a gym full of 2022 point guards, 2023 Reed Sheppard had a good day at camp. The son of the former Kentucky great Jeff Sheppard, Reed is going to play a lot of varsity for North Laurel this year. Reed was strong in drills and showed that he wasn’t afraid of competition in the afternoon games. Look for Reed to be highly ranked in the 2023 class.
- Another 2023 point guard, Dallas Roberts of North Oldham was perhaps the flashiest player at camp. Roberts went out of his way during games to make the difficult pass when a simpler pass would have done the job. Just an 8th grader, Roberts should outgrow that and develop into a good prospect over time. He definitely caught my eye for a kid I had never heard of before Saturday.
- Harlan Independent point guard Jordan Akal is strong and athletic and could be a big time sleeper in the 2022 class moving forward. Akal shined brightest in the individual drills and should be the main scorer at Harlan this season.
- Bowling Green’s Turner Buttry is a pretty well known player in the 22 class at this point but he showed up to compete on Saturday. Buttry is tough and can really shoot the ball from distance. His ceiling, like most of these point guards, is going to be determined by if he grows or not. Look for Turner to play a ton for the Purples this season and be given the keys to the offense fairly early in the year.
- The point guard who really caught my eye all day long was Butler’s Turrell Cleaves Jr.. Cleaves has outstanding length and athleticism for the position. He’s already 6’2 and looks like he is only going to get taller and longer as he ages. Turrell has a crazy high ceiling and has the look of a future big time recruit.