Under the Radar 2023s: MSU Denver Team Camp
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Ozzy Vigil – Pueblo Central Vigil came as a huge surprise from this weekend due to his electric pace setting and high energy defensive intensity. Standing roughly 5’10, Vigil was a consistent defensive instigator both one on one or in…
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Continue ReadingVigil came as a huge surprise from this weekend due to his electric pace setting and high energy defensive intensity. Standing roughly 5’10, Vigil was a consistent defensive instigator both one on one or in press situations, directly leading to multiple turnovers. Speed and lateral quickness were the keys for Vigil, whose size had little effect on the defensive impact he spearheaded last weekend. When he caused turnovers, he was immediate in getting an outlet pass up in transition. A big part of the guard’s success came from passing off the dribble.
Keean Lloyd Keean Lloyd 6'4" | CG Cherokee Trail | 2023 CO – Cherokee Trail
Lloyd strook me as a swiss army knife on both ends, possessing no major flaws in his all around game. The 6’2 shooting guard is already strong enough to take lots of contact and has no issues creating easy looks for cutting teammates. He had multiple instances of scoring out of the triple threat, even hitting a couple threes coming out of jab steps. Lloyd may not possess the quickest first step, however he is never sped up by the opposition. Seemingly always making the right read without leveraging a turnover. On the opposite end, Lloyd is dependable defending both 1s and 2s on the perimeter due to his combination of foot speed, lateral quickness, and aggressive hands.
King Jones – George Washington
Jones brings a level of strength not often found in 6’2 guards. The wiry guard truly plays bigger than you would expect from his slender frame. He does all the little things on defense, staying aggressive and allowing no airspace between him and opponents. Although he shared the floor with 6’7 Carson McDonald Carson McDonald 6'8" | PF Vista PEAK Prep | 2024 NLG , Jones was active on the glass, notably on the offensive end. Another highlight from the weekend was Jones’ off-ball cutting volume, where he made the extra effort to get looks without forcing driving lanes. Jones was excellent defending both one on one or as a energizing help defender. Continuing to improve his ballhandling equity with both hands should open up the halfcourt a bit more.
Christian Drummond Christian Drummond 6'2" | CG Doherty | 2023 State CO – Doherty
Drummond was one of the top paint scorers in the building, largely due to his quick first step, long strides, and uncanny strength. Versus nearly every opponent, Drummond got to the rim at will. There was nobody who could handle his first step and it was always on the help defense to contain him. At 6’ tall, Drummond is one of the more capable drivers from this weekend, given his confidence with the right hand. One area of improvement needed for Drummond will be scoring volume with the left hand, especially in traffic where he tends to force tough attempts with the right hand.
Vail was a pleasant surprise for the small school, possessing unique strength and passing vision at 6’2. Although deployed as a high post passer, Vail had a big impact through multiple assists to cutters. A big part of his skillset comes from his positional strength, which he leverages on both ends of the glass. Continuing to improve his lateral movement should aid his versatile defensive potential as a big bodied perimeter defender.