CBG Winter Series II: 2022 Standouts (Part 2)
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Sunday marked the second session of the CBG Winter Series, a club team event that was started by the Commonwealth Basketball Group to give kids and teams that don’t have a chance to play high school ball this year a…
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Continue ReadingSunday marked the second session of the CBG Winter Series, a club team event that was started by the Commonwealth Basketball Group to give kids and teams that don’t have a chance to play high school ball this year a chance to compete in front of a live stream for college coaches and other media. The event featured 12 teams from across the state of VA, and each team played two games with 20 minute running clock halves.
There was tons of talent in the building with some teams returning from session one and some new ones as well. We will take a look at the standouts and need to break them up due to the amount of talent in the building.
We continue by taking a look at part two of the top juniors in attendance, and there’s plenty of talent in VA in the class!
Anyone wishing to watch the replays of the game can check it out on the CBG Live Network at https://cbglivenetwork.com.
Greg Williams Greg Williams 6'4" | SF VA Academy | 2022 State VA | 6’4” SF | VA Academy
VA Academy was a new group to this session of the CBG Winter Series and Williams was a name I’ve been hearing plenty about and he showed why with his high motor and athletic play on both ends. Williams has great length and brings it on both ends of the floor as he can guard multiple positions and uses his length to cause deflections and contest shots well, he thrives in transition with his ability to finish at and above the rim and he showed a solid base skill set with the ability to shoot it when set and drive in straight lines. He should continue to get better with his work ethic, and he had a good day as he brought energy and production to his team in both games.
Lorenzo Nichols | 5’8” PG | VA Academy
Nichols may be the smallest guy on VA Academy, but he’s the straw that stirs the drink as he’s a lead guard that can make shots at a high clip and can make others better with his vision and playmaking ability. He’s a smooth guard that doesn’t get sped up, makes good reads and can touch the paint and has a flamethrower from deep when he gets it going. In their first game against CBG 434 Nichols was 5-for-5 from deep, and in their win over Blue Magic he had 4 assists to just one turnover.
Ta’Zir Smith | 6’3” SG | VA Academy
Smith is another intriguing 2022 prospect for VA Academy that is as underrated after reclassifying and transferring from Colgan last year. A wing that can play both on and off the basketball, Smith had some very good moments as a slasher as he showed explosion around the rim with some big time throw downs, he played with a good motor and aggression on both ends and he has the feel and vision of a lead guard too. He’s a good rebounder and brings a little bit of everything to his team, and he has a lot of room to continue to get better as well.
DeJuan Campbell DeJuan Campbell 6'1" | PG Kecoughtan | 2022 State VA | 6’0” PG | 522 Warriors
Campbell’s Warriors’ group had a couple of tough matchups against the Chesapeake Jaguars and Peanut City 460, and it was two tough guard matchups with some of the best in the state and he more than held his own showing why he already has multiple offers. Campbell is a dual threat guy that can run the show and sees the floor and puts his teammates in positions to succeed, but he also has an elite scoring package as he can get to spots and he can make tough shots at all three levels with the ball in his hands. He finished the day averaging 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists per game, and went for an efficient 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting against Peanut City.
Alphonzo Billups Alphonzo Billups 6'7" | SF Varina | 2022 State #154 Nation VA | 6’6” SF | CBG East
Billups continues to be one of the best players in the CBG events since it started with the Fall Series, and the 6’6” Swiss-army knife wing was all over the place as CBG East beat two very good teams in Peanut City and the Chesapeake Jaguars. “Fatts” is one of the most versatile players in the state as he’s able to play every position on the floor for East and he’s their best threat as a scorer, rebounder and playmaker. His length and athleticism makes him able to make plays in the paint defensively and he can also guard on the perimeter, and he stuffs the stat sheet on both ends every time he plays. He averaged 15 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3 assists per game in their two wins.
Christian Carden Christian Carden 6'4" | PF Varina | 2022 State VA | 6’4” F | CBG East
Carden is starting to look like his old self now that he’s getting back healthy and acclimated with his teammates, and his presence on the court changes them with his versatility and ability to stuff the stat sheet in every way. He has an unorthodox style to the way he plays but he’s able to play on and off the ball, make shots from multiple levels, make plays for others and rebound well. He averaged 7 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists per game, giving them an elite glue guy on both ends.
Amari Baylor | 6’4” PF | CBG East
Baylor is another key piece to East as he’s their physical presence in the paint and all around tough guy on both ends. Despite being a little undersized in the paint he uses his body extremely well to clear out space, he pursues the ball on both ends and fights for 50-50 balls as well. His impact goes well beyond the stat sheet and they’re a much better team with him on the floor.
Wendell Tomlin Wendell Tomlin 6'6" | PF Church Hill Academy | 2022 State VA | 6’5” F | Circle Sports
Tomlin played in his first CBG event this past weekend and showed a lot of intriguing qualities to his game at his size. At 6’5” he’s a hybrid forward that’s comfortable on the perimeter and can make shots at a high clip from deep, he can bang in the paint and rebound with the big men and he moves his feet well and can use his length to the defend multiple positions as well. He finished the first game against CBG Select with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds and showed good ball skills throughout the event.