SBWKTS Mini-Camp Series: Top Performers
It’s been a rough four months not being able to get in the gym due to the pandemic. Thanks to creative coaches and trainers Prep Hoops was invited to SBWKTS Mini-Camp Series hosted by trainer Stanley Boateng. There were many…
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Continue ReadingIt’s been a rough four months not being able to get in the gym due to the pandemic. Thanks to creative coaches and trainers Prep Hoops was invited to SBWKTS Mini-Camp Series hosted by trainer Stanley Boateng.
There were many players in the gym from the class of 2022 and 2023. Here we will cover the top players from the event.
Kam Craft Kam Craft 6'5" | SF TSF | 2022 State #54 Nation GA (Buffalo Grove – 2022)
Craft was terrific in workouts and game play. He didn’t miss a shot whether someone was guarding him or standing alone. His ability to score was amazing. Kam made threes from about any spot you can think of on the day. Craft is a three level scorer who really surprised me with his athleticism a couple times. There was no doubt Kam was one of the best players in the gym with no arguments to be said about that. In a workout with mostly top players he was head and shoulders above most of the guys on the court.
Robbie Avila Robbie Avila 6'9" | PF Oak Forest | 2022 State #225 Nation IL (Oak Forest – 2022)
Avila was his normal self. A really good stretch four player who can do a little bit of everything on the court. He has confidence to put the ball on the floor with bigger and smaller defenders on him. Robbie was smooth taking drives to the rim. Finishing with both hands. He has a really good touch around the rim. It didn’t stop there he made some shots from three showing his touch. Avila has only been in high school for two years and I have yet to see him play bad. This was another example of his game getting better and better. High-major conferences will definitely have him on the radar.
Patrick Robinson (Oswego East – 2022)
Patrick was a new kid today at SBwkts series. A stocky wing forward that can make shots and take guys off the dribble when needed. Robinson bounced guys off his body when driving to the rim. Pat showed he was more than offensively gifted as on defense he kept smaller guards from getting to spots and crowded them on shots without fouling ultimately disrupting normal shot motions. Robinson should be a contributor right away on the varsity level next season with his size and ability to shoot and defend. He has a great upside to him. A player to keep an eye on the next two years.
Xavier Lewis Xavier Lewis 6'7" | PF Tf South | 2022 State IL (TF South – 2022)
The X-man (Xavier) was very active in the workouts. Since we last saw him he has grown an inch or two and has continued to be bouncy in the process. Lewis did a lot of work from above in the games. He is very quick off his feet when grabbing boards on defense or put back scores on offense. But he uses good timing to block shots or dunk on you of you try to jump between him and the rim. Xavier wasn’t a one trick pony either as he has shown much improvement ball handling. I can see down the line him becoming a wing and not just a stretch 4 guy. He has big hands which sometimes makes it tough on guys to shoot, but Lewis has consistently shown he can make a jumper 15 feet and out. One big play he made today was when a guard tried to go around him at mid court Xavier stripped him clean and dunked the ball with two hands on the opposite end. A mid plus guy with upside who can definitely become high major if continues to add to his game.
Jordan Woods (Hammond, IN – 2024)
The freshman from Hammond, Indiana didn’t play around in 5 on 5 games. He was tough as nails and mixed it up often with opposing players defensively. Woods was fearless driving in the lane at times with so many guys taller than him and finishing through contact. Jordan was also very instrumental with facilitating the ball to his teammates. Hitting guys at the right time for easy baskets. Again as a freshman Woods will be a good player to keep an eye on even though he’s a state line away. Tough guards are always fun to watch and coach.
Nick Martinelli Nick Martinelli 6'6" | SF Glenbrook South | 2022 State #235 Nation IL (Glenbrook South – 2022)
The younger brother of Dom was by far the best consistent player in the gym today. With a skill set similar to his brother Nick has the size and great footwork to go along with an IQ of how to play basketball. Martinelli was beating players with hard drives and spinning finishes at the rim. You don’t see very often younger players using their IQ, but Nick is a court savvy wing that’s not one dimensional. The more I watched Nick certain things kept occurring. He was showing his ability to shoot from all three levels on the court and in a couple of possessions he made it known he is athletic. Nick played so well he earned the MVP of the day award from Mr. Boateng. With a good group in the gym that’s a pretty good trajectory of how a summer in AAU would have done wonders for him this year. Martinelli should be getting attention from mid-major schools if he continues to ball out like he did today. Will be fun to watch his growth and knowledge of the game the next two seasons.
Check back with Prep Hoops as I talk about some more players who had good showings at SBwkts Series!