Sunrise Christian goes undefeated at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest
One out of state team that made its Dallas, TX debut at the 10th Annual Thanksgiving Hoopfest was the Buffaloes of Sunrise Christian Academy. Sunrise Christian is located in Bel Aire, Kansas and plays a national schedule to get their athletes ready for Division I basketball. The Buffaloes roster contains plenty of nationally ranked talent, some of whom used to hoop in the Lone Star State. This article highlights some of those prospects who stood out in Duncanville this weekend.
Buffalo Recaps
Noel Coleman / 6’1″ / PG / Sunrise Christian / 2019
Hidden Gem
It was my first time seeing Noel, but I knew he had to be the real deal if he was a starting guard for a national powerhouse. Noel immediately let me know who he was from the jump. The Belgium native played on and off ball while making shots from the perimeter. He proved to be a reliable shooter with playmaking instincts in both games. He is currently without an offer, but if he continues to play as he did this weekend on the national stage, that will soon change.
Bryce Cook / 5’7″ / PG / Sunrise Christian / 2019
⭐⭐⭐
It was great to see Bryce back in action after suffering a MCL tear in the spring. The crown favorite came back with the same amount of toughness and energy he left with. The SMU signee also put on a passing clinic while he was on the floor. It is easy to see he has not found his legs on his jumper off his creative dribble combinations yet, but he definitely gave 100% effort while guarding on-ball.
Austin Crowley / 6’4″ / SG / Sunrise Christian / 2019
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Crowley is my favorite perimeter player to watch on this Sunrise squad. His size for position and nice basketball body gives me all the confidence in the world that he will do big things at Vanderbilt. He is an athletic guard with skill that plays with a chip on his shoulder. I look forward to seeing him again at the Dallas National Hoopfest event in early December.
N’Faly Dante / 7’0″ / C / Sunrise Christian / 2020
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The highly touted big man was as good as advertised. I love his ability to use his long arms to extend over opposing bigs and finish with a soft touch. He is an active glass cleaner and rim protector who will receive compensation for his production on the court in a few years. The crazy part about Dante’s game is that he is not a finished product. The top ten nationally ranked prospect is currently being recruited by almost every high major school in the country.
Grant Sherfield / 6’2″ / SG / Sunrise Christian / 2019
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The former Mansfield Summit and North Crowley standout came back to do what he does best, which is scoring. He gets a chance to focus mainly on that aspect of his game by playing with other nationally ranked point guards. The UCLA signee was making shots on all three-levels and has a great chance to be effective in the PAC-12 conference next year.
Jordan Turner / 6’7″ / SF / Sunrise Christian / 2019
⭐⭐⭐
Jordan is one I have always been critical of because I felt he does not utilize his tools as much as he should. However, he shut me up these past two days with his ability to stretch the floor with his stationery shooting and his transitional play above the rim. He has a chance to be very productive in Waco with his skill and intangibles.