Chicken City Classic 11/26 Player Notes
Cam Foster (Westminster)- Although Westminster ended up losing in overtime to MLK, I thought Foster was good at multiple points throughout the contest and showed a multi-faceted game. Foster poses matchup problems for other teams as a 6’5” combo forward…
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Continue ReadingCam Foster (Westminster)- Although Westminster ended up losing in overtime to MLK, I thought Foster was good at multiple points throughout the contest and showed a multi-faceted game. Foster poses matchup problems for other teams as a 6’5” combo forward who can slash from the wing and has the body to bang and be effective down low. In this game, Westminster wasn’t hitting shots like they had in others this season, so it was big that Foster gave them another dynamic offensively. He finished with a solid double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds, putting together a steady performance. Foster will be a tough cover this year for a lot of teams in Westminster’s region.
Micah Bell (Chapel Hill)- Chapel Hill took home an impressive win over another Top 4A in Denmark, and Bell had the best individual performance of anyone on the day. There wasn’t a defender that could contain Bell off the dribble, his combination of quickness/shiftiness with the ball and length/size got him open looks throughout the game. Bell converted on some tough shots once help came inside as well; he has great athleticism that allows him to elevate over guys or adjust his body to finish. Once Denmark started playing him for his ability to penetrate, Bell hurt them from deep with some huge shots down the stretch. He scored 15 points in the 4th quarter alone and was the key in securing the victory. Bell has been putting up some big numbers early in the season and should boost his stock even further with more performances like this game.
Corey Thomas (Cherokee Bluff)- Sadly, Thomas suffered a severe injury over the weekend when Cherokee Bluff was set to play Denmark. Earlier in the week, he was really good for the Bears in their win over Forsyth Central, adding to his already strong start to the season. Thomas showed more consistent effort and more of a willingness to play physically on the inside than I had previously seen from him. There were a few that he should have finished, but overall Thomas was still pretty good around the basket. His rebounding was there all game, grabbing 14 boards in total and playing like the biggest guy on the court should. Hopefully Thomas has a speedy recovery and can come back at full strength because it looked like he was really starting to hit his stride and elevate his status.
Ethan Underwood & Devin McGlockton (South Forsyth)- The War Eagles ended up beating Gainesville pretty handedly by 12 points in the last game of Day 2, but they probably wouldn’t have been there without the efforts of McGlockton and Underwood. They combined for 45 of the team’s 69 points, and did so in an efficient manner by shooting a high percentage and making few mistakes.
I quickly became a fan of Underwood’s over the summer as he displayed a steady, well-rounded game and proved to be tough and fearless despite his height. Although he contributed in multiple areas as usual in this game, it was his shooting that especially stood out. He connected on 4 3’s in the 1st half to bust the Gainesville zone and then kept it going in the 2nd half for a total of 25 points and 7 3’s. He didn’t just jack shots once he got hot, and made a lot of nice passes once the defense keyed in on him in the 2nd half. Underwood didn’t slow down in South’s next game either, scoring 31 with 5 3’s a few days later. Although his demeanor is calm, quiet, and he doesn’t do anything that will jump off the page, he just gets the job done. He isn’t well-known yet, but that should change soon; Underwood is producing at a high level and gaining more confidence in each game.
McGlockton just recently came back to the hardwood from the football field, but has quickly gotten into form. A lot like his showing at the Top 250 in September, McGlockton proved to be too much for opposing forwards to handle. I was really impressed with his passing ability on the block; Gainesville sent multiple bodies at him but he stayed calm and consistently kicked out to open teammates. McGlockton uses his big, wide body very well and gets it in between guys when finishing. He takes contact well and is decisive when scoring. His longs arms and soft hands are an asset on both ends, using them to swat shots, snag rebounds, and convert at the rim. He is also a capable shooter but does not hang around on the perimeter excessively. McGlockton is starting to catch the attention of numerous schools and that trend should continue.