Holiday Hoopsgiving Court 2 Stock Risers
Caleb Golden & Zawdie Jackson (Shiloh)- Shiloh went 2-0 on the weekend at Hoopsgiving to keep their undefeated record, thanks in large part to Golden and Shiloh. Both senior guards, they provide the Generals with leaders who are vocal, energetic,…
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Continue ReadingCaleb Golden & Zawdie Jackson (Shiloh)- Shiloh went 2-0 on the weekend at Hoopsgiving to keep their undefeated record, thanks in large part to Golden and Shiloh. Both senior guards, they provide the Generals with leaders who are vocal, energetic, and intense. In each of the team’s wins, they produced at a high rate and did it on both ends. Golden moved to Georgia from Texas for this school year and has already cemented himself as one of the main options on this Shiloh team. He attacks the basket with aggression and fearlessness, going strong and fast to the basket while taking contact well. Golden has also showed some mid-range ability and will step out beyond the 3-point line. He proved to be a microwave scorer at different points during the weekend.
Jackson lives for big moments and plays with as much passion as anyone. He won’t blow you away with athleticism or any one skill, but he does a little bit of everything as the PG of this group. You can tell that the rest of the team follows his example and trusts that he’s going to lead them in the right direction. Jackson has speed and a sturdy body to go with playmaking and scoring ability. Against Webb School, he came on late and drained a dagger 3 as time expired to win the game, and then he took the game into his hands when South Shore tried to make a comeback effort against the Generals the following day. Jackson excelled in both Thanksgiving events that Shiloh played in and seems hungry for more.
Caleb Golden Zawdie Jackson
Kendall Campbell (Meadowcreek)- Over the summer, Campbell impressed with his size, physical attributes, and motor for a rising sophomore post. Fast-forward to today and he has rapidly expanded his perimeter skill and proved over the weekend that he is very capable of playing either the 3 or 4 effectively. In the Mustangs’ 2 games at Hoopsgiving he averaged 18.5 PPG, 10 RPG, and 2.5 bpg. Campbell asserted himself inside and out, leaving his imprint on both games. The confidence and effectiveness that he displayed on his shot at the event was what stuck in my mind the most. He hit contested pull-up jumpers, his form and touch were solid, and he didn’t hesitate when he got an open look. Adding this to the inside production he always gives makes him a really difficult guy to plan for. These improvements in his game leaves me wondering what he’ll add next.
Ryan Mutombo (Lovett)- Saturday at Holy Innocents’ provided Mutombo with the perfect opportunity to gain national recognition, and he took full advantage of it. His bloodlines are well-known and he had shown flashes of what he could be come over the summer (like his 13-18-8 game against Upward SE), but it looks like Mutombo is turning the corner early this season. If he can consistently be a dominant force on both ends, he’ll quickly add to the 4 offers that he currently has. Against Meadowcreek, he finished with 24 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks, producing the whole game. Mutombo was much more decisive on the block and did not miss many bunnies. He ran the floor pretty well, gave effort rebounding, and also showed his shooting ability from around 15 feet. At 6’11” with soft hands, great defensive instincts, and a growing offensive game, Mutombo’s ceiling is extremely high.
JoJo Peterson (Mt. Pisgah)- Peterson’s performance at Hoopsgiving on Friday helped to keep his upward trend going. In the very first game of the morning, he came out with great energy and impacted the game in pretty much any area you could want. At 6’4″+, his ability to handle and act as a lead guard is a huge asset. He sees over the defense and consistently makes accurate passes, even after drawing multiple help defenders. As a defender, he frustrates opposing guards with his size, length, and anticipation skills. Peterson defends well both on and off the ball, giving lots of effort on that end. It seems like he has added to his speed and leaping ability over the last few months, which helped him on both ends. Peterson rebounded very well and pushed the break often against Meadowcreek. He was able to get downhill whenever he wanted and a positive result came most of the time after his penetration. His jumper is also coming along nicely and as that develops into a consistent threat, he’ll be nearly the full package. I think he’ll add to his lone offer from Elon pretty soon.
Uriah Powers (Webb School)- Powers and the Webb School weren’t talked about at all during the event but they went toe-to-toe with 2 7A Georgia teams, going 1-1 on the weekend with their one loss coming on a buzzer-beater. Alongside UAH signee Luke Burnett, Powers was a really good perimeter piece for the Spartans, averaging 19.5 PPG and 5.5 RPG on the weekend. He’s 6’4” with a strong, mature body and fundamentally sound skillset. Powers has an effective shot, plays under control off the bounce, and will post up on smaller guards. He wasn’t a guy who hunted his shot throughout the weekend, but always seemed to come through when Webb needed him to. While many high school players don’t play off of two feet and have patience in the lane, that is something Powers does well and it resulted in good things for his team. He’s a quality unsigned wing for schools to take a look at.
Ben Burnham (Carmel Christian)- Burnham was at Nation Ford last year and although I saw them play twice in 2018-19, he was used sparingly. Burnham has now transferred to NC power Carmel Christian and is making noise quickly. Carmel easily beat Heritage in their opening game, but Burnham had a difficult individual matchup going against NC State signee Ebe Duwuona. That didn’t impact his production, going for 16 and 10 while sitting a good chunk in the 2nd half. Burnham may be thin but he’s aggressive, athletic, and doesn’t play soft at all. The way he crashes the offensive glass and gets up to the rim quickly is a nightmare for defenses. Burnham uses those attributes on the defensive side as well, while also showing the ability to go out on the wing and put the ball on the deck offensively. His transfer and reclassification is paying off quickly and should continue to do wonders for him as he’ll keep gaining exposure and have another year to add strength to his frame.
Toby Harris (Durham Academy)- Representing another NC team, Harris had a nice weekend for Durham Academy. The Cavaliers dominated Mt. Bethel on Friday and then took on Therrell on Saturday, losing 54-48 after trailing 31-12 at halftime. Harris is a lethal shooter from the outside, and at 6’6” he can get clean looks even when defenders are nearby. He gets his shot off quickly and has a high release point that comes off his hand softly. Against Mt. Bethel he could not miss and probably would have put up bigger numbers than his 12 points and 4 made 3’s if the game was close. Harris followed up Day 1 with a 13-point outing against Therrell. Although he is still fairly thin, Harris gives effort rebounding and has the length and athleticism to secure boards even in traffic. He’s one that I’ll certainly be tracking going forward.