Crusaders Elite 17U Scouting Report (Video)
Crusaders Elite has a few players that can really put the ball in the basket and they put their talents on display in the Exposure HoopFest Tournament on May 19 and 20 at George Washington Carver High School.
They went 3-2 with wins over Mississippi Elite, 75-60, Dreams 2 Reality, 65-56, and Hustle Hard Elite, 64-51, while losing to Adidas Louisiana Supreme, 69-56, in pool play and Red Cloud (TX) in the semifinals, 76-66. We’ll take a look at their top players from the tournament and you can also check out their highlights at the bottom of the post.
Kalil Thomas — Holy Cross 6’4” SG
Thomas was among the top performers of the tournament knocking down shots at a high rate. He’s one of the best shooters in the area both in spot-up situations and off the dribble and his size allows him to get his shot off over bigger players both on the perimeter and in the paint. He hit a handful of tough stepbacks and also created opportunities for himself off the dribble getting to the rim where he finished with both hands. A couple of local schools are very high on Thomas but have yet to pull the trigger on one of the area’s most under recruited prospects. He had outings of 21 and 20 points in the tournament and is without question a next-level player.
Elijah Morgan — Jesuit 6’0” PG/SG
Like Thomas, Morgan has flown under the radar as one of the area’s best shooters and scorers. He has a beautiful jumpshot that finds the bottom of the net more often than not but his development at the point guard spot was what impressed me the most. Morgan’s ball handling has really improved throughout the summer and he was comfortable as a lead ball handler keeping his teammates involved while also getting his shot off. He attacked the rim well off the bounce and was able to finish through contact on multiple occasions scoring 24 and 22 points in his best games.
Donte Mitchell — Bonnabel 5’10” PG
Mitchell was the floor general for Crusaders Elite creating opportunities for others with his penetration off the bounce while scoring when opportunities presented themselves. Like Thomas and Morgan, he’s a good shooter from long distance and is improving as a lead guard who can get others involved. Mitchell has always played with a score-first mentality that led to a 24-point outing and the versatility he’s showing in his game is a big plus.
Tyler Beaver — Holy Cross 6’1” G
Beaver is a solid guard who continues to showcase his value. He was nearly automatic from midrange territory for Holy Cross and has extended his range out to the 3-point line with Crusaders Elite. He also ran the floor and finished with both hands in transition scoring 21 in his best game of the tournament and he competes hard on both ends of the floor.
Myles Sanders — Holy Cross 6’0” G
Sanders brought a much-needed mix of offense and defense to Crusaders Elite. He’s a stocky guard that can hold his position in the paint when necessary and he’s a good enough shooter to make open shots or get to the rim and finish.
Dante Smith — St. Augustine 6’0” G
Smith did the dirty work for Crusaders Elite bringing a ton of energy and hustle to the court. He battles inside to get rebounds for a team lacking much size and is the first to the floor for loose balls while defending at a high level. Smith plays the same role for his high school team at St. Augustine and truly takes pride in what he brings to the floor.
Malcolm Coleman — De La Salle 6’1” G/F
Coleman played his role well for Crusaders Elite in limited action. He’s working to improve his skill set as a playmaker at the guard spot and did a good job pushing the ball and finding shooters on a few different occasions.