Standouts: SLAM January JamFest (Part 2)
One of the top events I’ve been to all season took place at Bishop Sullivan last weekend, with the January JamFest presented by SLAM Magazine. It featured seven games with teams mostly from Virginia, the exception being Mount Zion out of North Carolina. It was a great place to watch some high level basketball, as their had to be close to 50 division one prospects in the event. We’ll take a look at some of the standouts, although it’s hard to get to all of them. Here’s a look at part two, featuring eight guys in the final three game sets.
- Dereon Seabron | Lake Taylor 2018
Lake Taylor deleted their second team ranked in the top 10 of our Vantage Hoops Top 30 Power Poll in a week as they took down #7 Blue Ridge handedly 78-57. The best player on the floor was hands down 6’6” wing Dereon Seabron, as he dominated from about midway through the first quarter until he was pulled about midway through the fourth. The tallest player on the Titans, Seabron is asked to do a lot and this year, he’s answering that. He creates mismatches with his quickness and ability to handle the ball on the perimeter, and he was virtually unguardable and extremely productive throughout the game. He finished with 29 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks, leading the Titans in every one of those categories except for steals.
- Joe Bryant | Lake Taylor 2018
In their win over LC Bird in the VA Preps Classic last weekend, Bryant wasn’t much of an impact. This weekend, he made sure that wouldn’t be the case as he came out the gates on fire and was all over the court on both ends of the floor making plays. The 6’1” point guard set the tone on both ends of the floor, scoring early and often and jumping passing lanes in the press to create easy scoring opportunities for himself and others in transition. Bryant showed his knack for making shots off the bounce, finishing with 21 points and scoring from all three levels, and showed his savvy defensively coming up with a game high five steals. He’ll be a welcome addition on both ends of the floor for Norfolk State next year.
- Bryan Phillips | Maury 2019
In on of the most heated games of the day, Phillips continues his big junior season as he hung 27 points on a very talented John Marshall team as #16 Maury was able to pull away late for a 67-54 win. When things got chippy late in the third quarter is when Phillips was at his best. He showed his talent on both ends, making some big steals and showing his versatile scoring ability when attacking the basket. He constantly got downhill and showed that he can finish at the rim through traffic, has a pull up game and shot a number of different floaters over the John Marshall big men that left you shaking your head.The biggest thing that impressed was his toughness, this kid is a gamer who steps up most when his team needs him to.
- DeMarr McRae | John Marshall 2019
A two way impact player that gets it done with toughness and athleticism, McRae was by far the best player for John Marshal throughout the game and they likely wouldn’t have been in the game without him. The only player to score in double figures for the Justices, McRae came out hot, hitting his first four shots and bringing energy with a couple of big time throw downs. He had a few highlight reel finishes, but it was the blue collar work he did that was most impressive. A stocky 6’1” guard, he did a great job banging in the post and flying all over the place in their press. McRae finished withe 22 points, five rebounds and three steals in the loss.
- Jason Wade | Trinity Episcopal 2018
The ODU commit was right down the road from his old school and he did not disappoint the fans that came to see him. The 6’5” guard was dominant in a number of different ways, showing his versatile stat sheet stuffing abilities, but he’s also shown improvement in his one big area of concern: Shooting. He knocked down an early three ball in the first half, a couple of midrange pull ups throughout the game and when Bishop Sullivan tried to extend the game by seeing him to the line, Wade knocked down four straight free throws to help them win the game. He was also extremely tough off the bounce, working his way into the lane and finishing around the basket efficiently throughout the game. He finished with 27 points, four assists, four rebounds and three steals.
- Henry Coleman | Trinity Episcopal 2020
There aren’t many sophomores that have the impact on the game that Coleman does, and the most impressive thing about the 6’6” forward is that he’s active and productive, but also efficient and smart. He doesn’t force things, he plays with energy on both ends of the floors and finds a way to get shots within the offense even if it means crashing the glass or running the floor. He finished with 22 points on 10-for-12 shooting from the field, and showed his monster athleticism with a few big time dunks in traffic. He still has some improvements he needs to make, but Coleman’s size, strength and athleticism are things you cannot teach a 15 year old prospect.
- Antwan Epps | Bishop Sullivan 2019
There wasn’t many players who stepped up bigger in the event than Epps, who helped Bishop Sullivan come back from an 11 point halftime deficit to eventually tie things up before falling just short against #2 Trinity Episcopal. The 6’0” Epps scored 26 of his game high 34 points in the second half, as he took the game over and was unguardable down the stretch. He showed craftiness off the bounce, working ball screens and changing pace well to get in the lane and make shots that included all sorts of floaters and pull ups. He got to the line well, and while he was ball dominant and took a lot of shots in the second half they were all good shots and were important for his team in their come from behind efforts.
- Kenan Sarvan | Bishop Sullivan 2019
Sarvan was a great second option for the Crusaders, providing a secondary scoring punch and an inside presence against one of the best front courts in the state.The 6’9” Dutch big man showed his range early in the game with a three ball, but it was the way he banged inside and kept 2019 five star Armando Bacot from getting comfortable that was really impressive. He finished with a healthy double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds, and it will be interesting to watch how he adapts and how he looks this summer in a more fast paced style when more coaches are going to get a chance to see him.