Noble Notables: Tall Shooters
Goodnews Kpegeol, TaylorMade
Before the 6-foot-5 guard becomes a quick, inevitable punchline for the media, more coaches should discover the strong and well-rounded guard. Kpegeol has a feathery touch from beyond the arc, yet his methodical ways of fending off defenders have molded him into a special scoring threat. He’s got a wealth of manipulative weapons with stepbacks, fakes, and pull-ups.
Kpegeol recently received his first Division-I offer from Iona College in New York. A fixture in the NCAA tournament and reputable mid-major power, Iona is traditionally fueled by tough guards such as Rickey McGill, Sed Casimir, A.J. English, Scottie Machado, and Sean Armand. The lineage of hard-edged, high-scoring guards is certainly a powerful recruiting tool for recruits of Kpegeol’s make-up.
Filip Petrusuv, Montverde Academy
The consistent 3-point touch of the floor spreading 6-foot-10 forward catalyzed undefeated Montverde Academy in its 2018 GEICO National Championship. While everyone is well-versed on transcendent talents such as R.J. Barrett (Duke) and Andrew Nembhard (Florida), Petrusev’s perimeter game and how it opens up Kevin Boyle’s entire offense was majorly significant.
The Gonzaga-bound senior drilled his first four treys and spurred an early gut punch, en route to a 21-point performance over Findlay Prep of Nevada. He followed this performance up with 15 points, as Montverde’s second half 3-point hailstorm walloped University School (FL) in the GEICO national championship.
Louis Bleechmore, Scotland Campus Sports
The 6-foot-6 Australian sharpshooter entered the program as a bone-thin 15-year-old with length, 3-point range, and an ability to get hot in clusters. After adding bulk to a once spindly 165-pound frame, Bleechmore has become a more explosive open court finisher. He displayed enticing flashes of what he’s capable of this season, with several emphatic dunks in traffic. Improving his on-ball defense and becoming more active on the glass has mirrored his development.
Bleechmore recently received his first Division-I offer from Bryant.
Connor Vanover, Findlay Prep
The sight of a 7-foot-3 Center launching straight away 3-pointers and deep jumpers may have jolted some fans out of their seats about 20 years ago. With the way today’s game is structured, especially given the emergence of culture-changing talents such as Kevin Durant, Vanover’s tendency to look for his shot first is standard.
Vanover, out of Little Rock, Ark., has committed to CAL. Those who have recruited Vanover toyed with the idea of redshirting him. The move would allow him to focus on gaining weight and tone up his body. The problem Vanover poses for defenses are his length and uncontainable downtown stroke. The sky scraping prospect oozes of potential.
Milan Stakic, NTSI Orlando
The big Bosnian has made strides to becoming lighter and adapting to the physical rigors of the American game. With a fluid 15-18 foot jumper and a work-in-progress 3-point shot that’s really evolved these past few years, he’s got a lot to offer at 7-foot-2. He brings a quintessential European forward’s game to the Division-I level. Dropping close to 40 pounds and becoming lighter on his feet have paid dividends as he’s gained weight on the Division-I market.
Coty Jude, Tolsia High (W.V.)
At 6-foot-8, Jude has the pure shooting form, release, and shot creation ability that is translatable to consistency in Division-I basketball. His progression has entailed becoming more active around the rim, boxing out and supplying tip-ins and stickbacks.
As a perimeter-centric four-man with a guard’s skill set, Jude has the potential to garner immediate tick at UNC-Asheville. He committed to the program in December, in the midst of a post-graduate season which saw him ply his trade against tougher competition daily.
At UNC-Asheville, Jude will play alongside a similar source in Elev8 Prep product Jax Levitch, a 6-foot-7 3-point marksman who recently transferred in from IPFW.
Solomon Uyaelunmo, Calvary Christian
The Towson-bound Class of 2018 product has long been known as an interior scorer. The Miami area native’s back to the bucket game, knack for creating space, and point blank scoring were initially his trio of calling cards.
The 6-foot-8, 195-pound forward has steadily developed a reliable touch. He’s mobile, smooth, and constantly running on a never-ending supply of adrenaline.
Emanuel Hernandez, The Master’s Academy
Out of Oviedo, Fla., Hernandez was a key role player who averaged 10.9 points and 7.7 boards and 1.4 blocks this past season. Perhaps Hernandez’ best performance was in the program’s wild 4A semifinal win over PK Yonge, a performance which saw them stymie a ferocious comeback bid. Hernandez turned in an efficient account of himself in that one, scoring 14 points on a scalding 7-for-10 clip.
The senior will prolong his career at Division-II Belmont Abbey in North Carolina.