Class of 2020 Summer Superlatives
As the first high school football scrimmages wrap up its time to close the door on the summer grassroots season. Following is a list of superlative categories and skill sets to try and encapsulate a summer full of showcases, circuits…
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Continue ReadingAs the first high school football scrimmages wrap up its time to close the door on the summer grassroots season. Following is a list of superlative categories and skill sets to try and encapsulate a summer full of showcases, circuits and big-time tournaments. I wasn’t able to get out of state as much as I hoped so there some omissions and plenty of our teams traveled this summer and I got to watch a few through BallerTV so this evaluation is from players that I personally seen.
Best Overall Prospect/Dominique Clifford — Colorado Miners
There were plenty of options that we could have went with for having a dominant summer but what it came down to was seizing the moment. Clifford became more of a household name this summer as he put himself in a position to standout with one of the best grassroots teams in the state that also made waves on a national scale as well. The Miners were everywhere this summer and Clifford was being his productive self in the process which led to various division I offers and also jumping on the radars of plenty more. At a showcase this summer a Division I school walked up to me and said, “If Clifford wanted I would sign him right now just based off of highlights alone, no questions asked.” Clifford then went on to have a great summer as he solidified himself as a top-5 player in the state and in my opinion jumped into Top-3. There is not hole in his game. He is a two-way player that gets what he wants and is always ready for an explosive play. He is a defensive nightmare that will take that play into the regular season where I expect him to up his play and pick up plenty more offers along the way. He was my pick for Grassroots MVP.
Dominique Clifford with another poster bang out tonight pic.twitter.com/vSrCL3jCY1
— Colorado Miners (@ColoradoMiners) April 21, 2019
Runner Up – Javonte Johnson — Billups Elite (Division I offers aligned for him as he had a big summer. Can dunk, shoot, score, rebound and defend at an elite level.)
Best Handle – Kobe Sanders – Billups Elite
Sanders is not going to wow you with crossing defenders over and dribbling too much but one thing is for certain, you won’t see him out there getting ripped or the ball stolen in the open court. He uses smart moves and quick movements to get to his spot and he has plenty in his arsenal to add some flair. His footwork is what sets everything up as he has a lethal step-back, a quick first step and he has a set of go to moves that gets the job done. When Sanders is in a rhythm you will be hard pressed to see another guard with the confidence to do the moves and passes that he gets off. He is creative with the ball in his hands and is a playmaker that gets what he wants.
Runner Up – Lian Ramiro — Hess Elite (Best set of go-to moves that frees himself. He is also the most likely to get a defender to fall while finishing it off with the right play. Ramiro is a player that really used this summer as one to get better and is very difficult to stay in front of that is a complete offensive player.)
Best Athlete/Leaper — Kwaheem Brown – Colorado Hawks
When I think of a player that “gets on that rim,” the first player that comes to mind is Brown. Brown is a player that is able to alter the momentum of a game with his athleticism. He is not afraid to go up with others to finish above the rim and he is dangerous in the open court. He is one of those players that excels in grassroots with a free-flowing offense because he has a launch pad. He receives the outlet pass and is finishing with a highlight dunk. He also has an endless motor as he is capable of pulling off multiple dunks in the same half. What I like about it is he uses his athleticism in different ways, he soars for rebounds although I would like to see him try and average a few more rebounds a game during the season, he creates mismatches to finish over smaller defenders, even if it is not a dunk and he is also able to keep plays alive by deflecting passes to an open man. Brown was undoubtedly the best leaper in the class this summer.
Runner-Up: Christian Speller – Colorado Miners
Good athletes are usually come one of two forms; wiry long as day leapers, or powerfully built bowling balls who overpower opponents. Speller combines both as he has one of the most athletically gifted bodies in the state matched with power. Going up with him is difficult and he finishes at the rim.
Best Shooter – Jaden Stoffel – Colorado Hardwood
Stoffel is a combo-guard that finally played his grassroots season in Colorado. He typically goes out of state to play in the summer but chose to give it a run with a few teams in-state. In that time, he really stood out. One venue that stood out more than others was his run in the Spring Kickoff where he was shooting it from distance. He knocked down multiple jump shots and carried his team to a couple of wins off of his shooting alone. He had some NBA range jump shots with a defender in his face and showed that he has a consistent shooting stroke in which he can get it off in multiple ways. What separates Stoffel from other shooters is his ability to switch it up. He is not only a player that you have to run off of screens or call plays for but he is able to get his own, either off of the dribble, in catch and shoot situations or simply by swinging it an extra time. With a pass first guard next to Stoffel he will be a dangerous scorer who can light it up.
Runner Up: Tristan Hurdle – Billups Elite (Hurdle is a shot-maker in every sense of the word. He shoots it lights out, has range and can create for himself. Hurdle moves well without the ball and is efficient from deep and when you add in has good size he becomes more of a threat as he displayed this summer.)
Best Post – Ike Graham – Colorado Hawks
Graham was in the running for having one of the best summers overall. He completely came out and dominated for the entire summer. He is a traditional big and one of the best this way since De’Ron Davis a few years back. Graham is an impressive athlete who cannot be stopped on the block. He uses his 6’9 frame to shoot over defenders and he also uses his size to get inside and disrupt the defense. He is one of the most difficult players in the state to defend on the block and can shoot down low with either hand with a soft touch from deep. Graham has also gotten his body together and is an agile big that runs the floor and is able to dunk. He is an aggressive scorer that does not shy away from contact and is able to take over the game on the inside. He has a good feel, passes well for his size and also cleans the glass and alters plenty shots at the rim. Graham has put in his bid at being a top-3 player in the state in my opinion and this future Division I athlete showed it with a big spring/summer.
https://twitter.com/RL_Hoops/status/1161432607315386369?s=20
Runner Up – Caleb McGill – Colorado Chaos (McGill came back from an injury as if nothing happened. Maybe even stronger. He added new parts to his game and plays with a bit more patience before which is saying something coming from the Grandview offense. McGill is a big man that you can force-feed and he is going to get the job done. He is also a player that you can put out on the wing to space the floor and he will knock down shots. Was one of the standouts of the summer with a few colleges asking about him.)