NCAA College Basketball Academy Stock Risers – Day 2
The second day of the south region of the NCAA College Basketball Academy was a great way for coaches to find new talent. We will dive into some of the talent from the day’s action at the University of Houston.…
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Continue ReadingThe second day of the south region of the NCAA College Basketball Academy was a great way for coaches to find new talent. We will dive into some of the talent from the day’s action at the University of Houston. Once this session is over, some of these players should see a spike in their rankings in their respective region.
SF Toneari Lane / 1997 Arizona Wildcats / 6’4″ / 2020 (pictured above)
Lane is a 6’4″ small forward who has the power and strength of a power forward and the skills of a combo guard. He was one of the most fundamentally sound athletes on the day. Every move he made was on balance and in control. He is a three level scorer who picks apart whomever his defender may be. His jab step creates so much separation for his lefty jumper its insane. He used post ups, jumpers off the glass, and the drive to score while defensively he held his own. Lane is one of the most complete offensive players I have seen this summer.
PG Carvell Teasett / 1997 Arizona Wildcats / 6’1″ / 2020
Teasett was one of the myriad of guards who played well on the Wildcats team on yesterday. Although he has traditional point guard size, he is not one. Yesterday he got the chance to bring the ball up and initiate offense like a lead guard. For the most part, he handled those duties satisfactorily. Off the ball is where he excelled. Teasett knows how to slide into open areas and get his shot. He also has range to 26 feet so he is dangerous in the half court. Teasett also makes it hard for guards to score the way he defends. Those last two assets should interest coaches looking for a combo guard who can shoot.
PG James Kostel / 1999 UConn Huskies / 6’2″ / 2020
Kostel is a point guard who constantly applies pressure on the defense. Whether it is in the open court or the half court, Kostel fines a way to gain the advantage on his defender. During several transition possessions, Kostel attacked the primary defender in one-on-one or one-on-two situations. Each time he scored or got fouled. Kostel also was able to collapse the defense by dribbling through, fanning out, and then finding cutters for easy baskets. Because he caused the trouble he did with his attacking style, he was able to knockdown some threes as well. Kostel is a very heady lead guard who can make plays.
PG Robert Bonham / 2000 Michigan State Spartans / 6’0″ / 2020
Bonham had a rough go during his first game of the day but more than made up during the night session. He is a player who plays tenacious man-to-man defense and has a gift for thievery. When he is guarding someone, Bonham has a gift for reading the dribblers movement and motion. He got three steals from different guards in his game last night in just this manner. He also created a fourth turnover by contesting the passing lane causing an over and back violation. Offensively, if he turns the corner, the defender is toast. Bonham attacks the rim and finishes with strength. His defense alone should draw interest from schools in attendance on last night.
SG Ryan Elzy / 2001 Duke Blue Devils / 6’1″ / 2021
Elzy was another basketball player who raised some eyebrows with his defensive play. He grabbed four steals in limited action due to an ankle injury. Elzy knows how to play the passing lanes while guarding his defender. Three of his steals were reading the eyes of the passer or having the proper hand in the passing lane. He then had another steal while guarding man-to-man. Elzy also found one of his teammates in transition with a beautiful underhanded drop off for a dunk. Those are the two things Elzy showed during his game action. The ability create assist situations and the ability to play off the ball defense. Hopefully his injury will allow him to come back and show his talent on offense.
PG Keyonte George / 2002 Maryland Terrapins / 6’3″ / 2022
George was one of those players whose game play kind of jumps at you. His smoothness on the court made me think that he was a senior. It was shock to find out he was going to be a sophomore. George has skills that make the game look effortless. He has the ability to drive by or jump over defenders. He has a flair for the dramatic like his eye-popping steal and dunk during play yesterday. George can also shoot it from distance. There were segments of the game where he would rebound the ball on one end and be the finisher on the other end. He is super atheltic and has the floor game to be a very effective floor general. His game will definitely appeal to schools looking for an athletic point.
SF Jordan Walsh / 2002 Maryland Terrapins / 6’5″ / 2022
Walsh is another sophomore who made an impression on Tuesday. He is a small forward who has an inside game like a larger forward and poing guard vision. Walsh made several plays on yesterday that made you say whoa. In his early game on yesterday, he had a pinpoint pass to a teammate on the break from right behind half court which resulted in a layup. Later he grabbed a floating pass and finished on the other in with a thunderous dunk. Coupled with these plays was his ability to rebound and finish on the offensive end. Walsh was a leader on the floor by example. He makes winning plays in the post and on the break. Walsh will be a player the DI coaches has their eyes on for years to come.
These players, and others, will continue to show their talents this afternoon and Thursday morning in front of the coaches in attendance. Games will be played in the Fertitta Center, Guy Lewis Center, and the Wellness and Recreation center at the University of Houston.