East Coast Bump: Standout Shooters
On Saturday night inside the UMBC Event Center, history would be made. Two Baltimore teams in St. Frances and Baltimore Polytechnic Institute took down two top-5 teams in the country in Oak Hill and IMG. Prior to the two prime…
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Continue ReadingOn Saturday night inside the UMBC Event Center, history would be made. Two Baltimore teams in St. Frances and Baltimore Polytechnic Institute took down two top-5 teams in the country in Oak Hill and IMG. Prior to the two prime time games, Rock Creek Christian Academy and New Hope Academy faced off.
For this article, we’ll take a look at the standout shooters from the event.
Kwame Evans | Poly ’23
If you didn’t know of Evans before this event, you do now. The long, 6-foot-9 freshman had an incredible performance in a win over IMG by logging 16 points. Evans cashed in one three triples that all came in catch-and-shoot situations. He’s a lefty that can get his shot off quickly, but his height and length were crucial to counter the athletic, long IMG defender who were closing out and contesting shots. To see Evans out there on the floor loaded with high-major prospects was impressive in itself, but to see him standout and be an integral piece to Poly coming away with the 62-60 further showcases why he has the chance to be a special prospect.
Kyree Freeman-Davis | Rock Creek Christian ’20
Freeman-Davis had an event-high 24 points on Saturday as he helped lift his team to a win over New Hope Academy. The 6-foot-2 senior guard came off the bench determined to let it go every time he had space on the perimeter. That aggression resulted in five made three’s, which also opened up driving lane opportunities after beating defenders on wild close outs. Freeman-Davis’ release is a little unorthodox as he brings the ball over and behind his head, but he gets good lift and the fact that his release is so high further helps his shot from being blocked by taller defenders.
Khyrie Staten | St. Frances ’21
Another important game and another successful outing for Staten. It’s becoming a common theme to see the 6-foot-2 junior not only step into the spotlight, but completely own it. Staten poured in 20 points and played a huge role in St. Frances’ dismantling of Oak Hill. Staten made two three’s to get things started. After that, Oak Hill defender were chasing him off the three-point line. Staten calmly took 1-to-2 dribbles before rising up and knocking down multiple mid-range jumpers. Confidence is the key to being a great shooter and when you look how Staten lets it go, you know he and his teammates have plenty of confidence that the shot is going to drop.
Jaylen Hall | New Hope ’22
Hall put on a shooting clinic in the first game despite his team coming up short. He finished with 18 points including three three’s. Hall showcased deep range on his shot and ability to shoot from off the catch or off the dribble. He has great form and gets textbook rotation on the ball after his release. I haven’t seen much of Hall in the past, but it didn’t take long to realize that he’s a pure shooter.
Brandon Murray | Poly ’20
Murray was the talk of the event with his 21 points in the win over IMG. The 6-foot-5 guard’s recruitment has sky-rocketed since earning offers from the likes of Virginia Tech and Ole Miss. There were questions from high major coaches as to whether or not Murray could get his shot off against taller, athletic defenders. Murray didn’t just look comfortable. In fact at times, he made it look easy. Murray gets tremendous lift on his jump shot and didn’t allow the longer IMG defenders to cut his follow through short or rush his shot in any type of way. He cashed in on two three’s and had a number of pull-up jumpers in the mid-range off the dribble.
Matthew Murrell | IMG ’20
Poly emphasized not leaving Murrell free anywhere on the floor and for good reason. The 6-foot-4 guard has a smooth shot and it doesn’t take much for him to fill it up. The Ole Miss pledge finished this game with 10 points, but the two times Poly was caught sleeping defensively he made them pay from deep. Murrell has a nice mix of size and strength that will help him be an impact for the Rebels.