CBG Fall Series 2: 2022 Standouts (Part 1)
The Commonwealth Basketball Group held their second session of their Fall Series at Guardian Christian Academy in Chesterfield, VA. The goal of the event was to get kids back in the gym in a grassroots setting, and provide a live…
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Continue ReadingThe Commonwealth Basketball Group held their second session of their Fall Series at Guardian Christian Academy in Chesterfield, VA. The goal of the event was to get kids back in the gym in a grassroots setting, and provide a live steam to college coaches to be able to evaluate the talent in a structured environment.
The event had 16 teams and was loaded with talent, so doing the standouts in just one article simply isn’t possible. Here’s a look at part one of the 2022 standouts, featuring six guys to keep an eye on.
Jayden Epps Jayden Epps 6'1" | CG Combine Academy | 2022 State #41 Nation NC | 6’0” PG | CBG 460
The national guys are starting to see Epps as a big time national recruit, but seeing him in Richmond play the way he did it gives off serious Frank Mason vibes. He’s super compact and strong, he’s dynamic and crafty off the bounce and he has deep range off the bounce, but it’s his competitive nature and his go getter personality that makes him so different than others. He’s a guy who came in ready to compete on both ends and loves it no matter what the competition is, and that’s why he routinely looks like one of the best players on the floor.
Donald “DJ” Hand | 6’4” G | CBG 757 VA Beach
It was Epps and Hand as not only the big name newcomers for session two, but we matched them up and they both competed tough against each other and everyone else. Hand was a little tired in the matchup, because in the first game he scored 31 points in what was one of the top individual performances of the day. He played well in both games, showing that he can create shots on the ball and work off the ball to get open, and he has the rare ability to make contested and tough shots from multiple levels.
Alphonzo Billups Alphonzo Billups 6'7" | SF Varina | 2022 State #154 Nation VA | 6’7” WF | CBG East
Billups had the gauntlet with match ups this weekend and he took it in stride and brought it throughout the day. He played well in both games, but particularly in the second game where he showed his total package of being able to score and shoot, playing above the rim and making plays for others off the bounce. His versatility coupled with his physical tools makes him an intriguing prospect, and when he plays the way he did you can see where the potential could take him.
Amari Baylor | 6’4” PF | CBG East
While Billups is the star of East and the best long term prospect, Baylor is a guy that is just as important and there’s no way you can’t love the way he plays the game. Baylor’s a little undersized but he doesn’t play that way, he’s physical, he plays with a great motor and he’s super productive. He started picking it up in game one with them losing by double digits in the second half, and by the end of the day East was 2-0 with wins against two very good teams. Baylor averaged 20 points and 13 rebounds in the two games, just for good measure.
Christian Carden Christian Carden 6'4" | PF Varina | 2022 State VA | 6’5” F | CBG East
Carden was hurt for session one and only played in one game in session two, but you can see what makes him so important to this team as brings a little mix of the two guys above to the team and makes them very hard to guard. He’s far from 100% and didn’t play his best game, but he showed his ability to score in a number of ways, his great feel for the game and his versatility and toughness that makes him the x-factor.
Justin Taylor Justin Taylor 6'5" | SG IMG Academy | 2022 State #156 Nation FL | 6’6” WF | CBG 434
Taylor was one of the top standouts in session one, and while some other guys may have taken that title in session two that’s no knock on him as he still played well throughout the day. He had some tough matchups against some tough teams, but he still made shots at a good clip and made enough shots in big situations to keep his team in it. The way he continues to grow and round out his game from being just a shooter to a guy who can do a little bit of everything is helping his confidence and making him a very intriguing prospect moving forward.