Timesland Invitational: Underclassmen Standouts (Part 2)
I took a trip to Roanoke, VA (my third home) on Sunday for the fourth annual Timesland Invitational at North Cross School. Event host David Williams ran it this year under his new company ESD (Exercise Skill Development LLC), and while the name was different the event still was a great opportunity for kids to go through developmental drills, specific game situations and live games in front of myself and double digit college coaches in attendance. It was a great way to see a lot of talent from the Roanoke, Lynchburg, New River Valley and SWVA parts of the state.
With that being said, here’s a look at five underclassmen who stood out on Sunday.
Michael Green | 6’5” F | Jefferson Forest 2020
Green is still a project but he has a lot of potential moving forward and looks like he’ll be a next level player when he graduates. At 6’5” he’s bigger than a lot of people in his area, but he has a budding skill set on the perimeter that’s going to be intriguing to watch develop over the next year. He has good length to defend on the perimeter and he needs to work on his footwork and ball handling, but his length, athleticism and shooting ability are impressive for his size.
Chris Littlefield | 5’9” G | Rockbridge 2020
BOMBS AWAY! Littlefield wasn’t the biggest guy or the biggest name at the event, but what he did was shoot the basketball at a high clip throughout the day. He showed a quick release, good footwork and effortless range, and he was confident every time that he let it fly. He showed a decent handle to play on the ball as well, but when it comes to shooters he was one of the best in the gym.
Ty Farrow | 6’0” PG | George Wythe 2020
An athletic and strong point guard out of Wytheville, Farrow was up and down throughout the event but he showed flashes of major ability that should make him very hard to guard in that part of the state. He has very good burst in the open floor, he has good body control with his strength that allows him finish through contact and he has the chance to be a very good on ball defender. He was inconsistent with his shot but he did have a moment where he hit about three or four from deep in a row.
Cade Looney | 6’7” PF | Grundy 2021
The other guy that I came away very happy to have found was Looney, who was one of the most productive big men in the event. He has a great feel for the game and nose for the basketball, he can use both hands in the post and he’s a good passer out of it as well. He showed a good motor both in the drills and the gameplay, and he was all over the glass rebounding everything in his area. He’ll be a guy to keep an eye on moving forward in that part of the state.
Daveon Cossaboom | 6’3” F | William Byrd 2022
He was one of the youngest guys at the event, but Cossaboom’s potential was on full display as he competed and was effective against all older guys. He has a really strong frame and good body for his age, and while he’s still growing into it he can get up and down the floor easily. Offensively, he showed he can play on the perimeter and in the post, showed a good midrange game and finished well in transition. He should be an immediate impact at Byrd as a freshman.