HoopSeen Tip-Off: Out-Of-State Standouts
A plethora of regional out-of-state teams came down to Georgia for the HoopSeen Tip-Off this past weekend. These teams brought lots of talented prospects who performed at a high-level. Here are some of the best non-Georgia prospects I saw at…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingA plethora of regional out-of-state teams came down to Georgia for the HoopSeen Tip-Off this past weekend. These teams brought lots of talented prospects who performed at a high-level. Here are some of the best non-Georgia prospects I saw at SSA.
My appreciation of the EAB program as a whole has been well-documented over the last two years. Their 2021 group was one of my favorite teams last summer and it looks like they’re going to have another successful season. They have multiple pieces but I felt like Grant Slatten and Matthew Schneider helped themselves the most this past weekend. Slatten has continued to improve and develop; he has nice size at 6’4” and is really active and skilled. When his outside shot wasn’t falling, he looked to create off the dribble and made some unique, unorthodox shots. Slatten put up 24 on a very talented Hype team and also had some impressive above the rim plays throughout the weekend. I think he’s going to be in line for a lot of regional D1 recruitment soon. Schneider is an efficient, no-nonsense player; you know what you’re going to get from him every game. He makes quick decisions and doesn’t waste dribbles on offense. He has improved as a ball-handler and has a nice in-between game. Schneider has a knack for getting offensive rebounds and doesn’t mind getting dirty inside. Sam Specht also had a good weekend for EAB; he is a tall shooter who excels from 3 but hits pull-ups as well. Specht is one of those guys who doesn’t need any time to get hot and also helps an undersized EAB team with rebounding. Matthew Sells battled through injury the entire weekend but still had some good moments. He is a quick-twitch athlete with great overall scoring ability. Zion Swader was consistent throughout the weekend. The strong, speedy PG gets in the paint often and creates a lot for the team. Reed Kemp had a solid final game for EAB when they were down to 6 guys too.
Another Tennessee product, Will Montana, is suiting up with Stackhouse Elite this summer and had a good weekend. In a tight, high-level matchup with Upward SE, he led Stackhouse in scoring with 16 points. Montana hit 2 3’s in the game, looked to connect from mid-range, and wasn’t afraid to go up against the trees inside. He also had a solid game in Stackhouse’s win over Garner Road. Montana has a lot of value as a scorer; he keeps things simple, is comfortable at all 3 levels, and stays in attack mode.
Will Montana
I was able to see 4 different teams from the Upward program at the tournament- Both 16U and 17U SE, as well as 16U and 17U Upstate White. All 4 teams had successful weekends at the event. Starting with the 16U groups, Dessie Canty and Jared Rogers both had nice weekends for Upstate White. I saw their game against a good MATT’s Mustangs and Canty had a great outing. He shot better from the perimeter than I thought he was capable and had some good moments in transition. Canty was an active rebounder and creates problems for opponents with his length and athleticism. Rogers hit 4 3’s in this matchup and also racked up 3 steals. It looked like he continued his hot shooting throughout the weekend, helping the team go 4-0 on the weekend. Rogers is a threat to heat up at anytime.
For the 16U SE group, I liked Josh Beadle, Cesare Edwards, and DaVeon Thomas in their game against Stackhouse. Beadle didn’t have hist best scoring game but didn’t force things and rebounded well. He picked it up the following day, scoring 22 points against EAB. Edwards is a tremendous prospect who should get a lot of attention moving forward. He has a sturdy frame at 6’8” and impacts the game on both ends of the floor. Edwards stepped out and hit 2 3’s against Stackhouse with really nice-looking form. Thomas wasn’t hitting outside shots in this matchup but got himself going on the defensive end and pushed the pace in transition. He has a nice build for a young PG and seeks out contact on his way to the basket.
Cesare Edwards
The Upstate 17U group had a high-scoring matchup against the Smyrna Stars that was played a hectic pace. Every player for Upward scored at least 4 points, 5 were in double figures, and the 3 others scored 6+. Ty Briscoe, Christian Chambers, Case Roach, Sam Brown, Tyrik Ward and Nick Brenegan are perimeter players who are all capable of going for 15+ in any game. If one guy isn’t having a great game, it won’t have a huge impact because of their balance among the guards. Maddux Harrell and Tony Hauser provide them with inside presences who rebound and will chip in on offense in spurts. Zay Bruster rounds out the group; he provides good minutes off the bench as a PG who balances scoring and distributing. They’ll have a wide-range of programs coming to check in on them throughout the spring and summer.
Sam Brown
Upward SE’s 17U team is one of the deepest teams you will find. They have 6 of the top 10 2020 prospects in SC along with some solid out-of-state pieces. They do not care who gets the points and have great chemistry among each other. SC products Raekwon Horton, PJ Hall, Dillon Jones, and Myles Tate all played well in Upward’s Sunday morning matchup against Stackhouse. I really liked what Tate did for the team in this game. His only points came from late FT’s but he made a huge impact. He helped ignite a huge run to start the 2nd half with suffocating defense and made lots of nice passes as well. You hear a lot about his scoring ability but ability to distribute is excellent also. Jones isn’t a shabby passer himself. He is essentially a positionless player on the court, doing a multitude of things that helps the team. His ability to handle the ball and make the right read in transition at his size is rare. Horton came to life for Upward in the 2nd half, catching multiple lobs and knocking in a 3 in a short amount of time. He has been rising steadily as a prospect and should see more offers roll in soon. Lots to like about him as a 6’5” wing. Hall’s 3 point shot wasn’t falling against Stackhouse but he produced in ways you’d expect from him. Running the floor and finishing, being an enforcer on defense, rebounding, Hall always makes an impact.
Myles Tate
MATT’s Mustangs brought their 16U and 17U teams down for the tournament and went a combined 6-2. In the 16U’s game against Upward Upstate, Ben Johnson, Scotty Draud, and Kai Vance combined for 53 points and 9 made 3’s. Their performances kept the team in the game. Every time Upward would make an adjustment on one, another would step up and knock down a long ball. I liked Johnson’s build, rebounding, and mindset to not settle for just outside shots. Draud and Vance both have nice size for guys who can shoot the ball, allowing them to not be impacted by contesting defenders. They contributed to rebounding as well and did not hunt their own shot.
Ben Johnson
Following a night where he went head-to-head with KD Johnson in a narrow loss to Game Elite, Dayvion McKnight had a solid performance against Team Forrest. He came on in the 2nd half especially and finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds. He is a downhill lefty PG who plays physically and is a committed defender. McKnight created a lot of buzz this weekend and is being recruited by a host of programs. Also against Team Forrest, Luke Morrison had a really good showing. People throw around the term shooter a lot, but Morrison really is a pure shooter. He has a quick release and every shot he puts up looks like it is going to drop. Morrison hit 5 3’s in the game, with a few being tightly contested.
Luke Morrison