Adidas Invitational (Class of 2019 Forwards)
Here are some of the top Class of 2019 forwards from last weekend’s Adidas Invitational in St. Louis:
Jason Montgomery 6’4″ Arsenal Hoops: This young man has developed into a well-rounded basketball player who can excel at just about any spot on the court. The base of his game as always been scoring in the post and rebounding at a high rate, especially at the offensive end. Combine that with the perimeter skill set that he has developed into quite an all-around talent. His 3-point stroke is good, plus his ball handling and passing skills are also excellent. A strong work ethic goes a long way.
Dominique Hardimon 6’3″ SEMO Bulls: The bullish combo forward led his team to the Silver Division championship in the 17U division in his usual workmanlike style. He was excellent at his bully-ball where he just outworked everyone around the basket. He is also a matchup problem because he has the ability to put the ball on the floor and take defenders off the drive. He is also working on a perimeter shot as well.
Sekou Dembele 6’8″ Gateway: It was my first look at this big man and I was impressed with his aggressive play and toughness around the basket. He enjoys playing the power game. Whenever he got the ball around the rim, he was trying to dunk everything. At about 230 pounds, he has a robust body and he puts it to good use with his motor and activity in the post.
Cole Laurence 6’7″ TEM Select: A very good post player who has the ability to score inside in a variety of ways. He has excellent footwork and a nice shooting touch around the basket. His fundamentals are excellent in the post as he uses his big body to seal and get position. He can use pump fakes when he has to and he can finish with both hands. He can also step out and hit the high post jumper.
Erik Lahm 6’10” Arsenal Hoops: We only got a chance to see this young post for the first day before he got injured and missed the bracket round. He continues to get better the more he plays. He is tall and thin, but he is very mobile and he goes to the basket strong. He had a couple of plays where he dunked on multiple defenders in traffic. He has solid moves and a nice shooting touch around the basket.
Keith Kiner 6’6″ IL Bears: A bouncy combo forward from Southern Illinois who caught my eye during the weekend with his athleticism and activity. He rebounded well, blocked some shots and had some impressive dunks. He also displayed a nice shooting touch, especially from the baseline in which he made several short jumpers off the catch.
G.T. Nicholson 6’7″ Fury: A finesse big who was impressive during the weekend with his mobility and skill set. He displayed the ability to score in the low post or stepping outside and knocking down mid-range jumpers off the catch. He can also put it on the floor and scored on a few drives as well.
Moses Opkala 6’7″ STL Knights: