Big Shots Myrtle Beach Live Session 2 Standouts
It’s the July live period, and while much of the attention is focused on the shoe company tournaments there’s good basketball to be found in a lot of places. One of my personal favorite events is Big Shots Myrtle Beach Live, which has two sessions with teams from all over the country. The first session was Thursday and Friday, and they had a second session that weekend. We saw some kids we know, and found some that we didn’t know! Here’s a look at 10 guys who stood out in session two, all of whom are different than our session one standouts we put out over the weekend.
Jordan Richeson | 6’4” WF | Team Loaded CVA 17U
Richeson showed big time abilities as a shooter from deep, but he also has some athleticism to him in transition that makes him more than just a stand still shooter. Still, the best thing about him is how he can get hot and consistently hit from downtown. In their close loss to Threat Team Beasley, he hit for 26 points, hitting six from beyond the arc. He has good size as a shooter, he has good form and supreme confidence to show from deep.
Isaiah Donaldson | 5’11” PG | Coopz Hoops 17U
A sleeper out of the western part of the state, Donaldson’s a compact and quick kind of guard that can blow by defenders and then use his strength to finish. He has good vision on drive-and-kicks, he can lead the break and find guys in transition and he can hit the midrange pull-up in the lane. He finished with 17 points in the game I watched.
Javon Swinton | 6’2” PG | Big Shots Elite “The Dream” 16U
The kid has ACC offers in football, but in basketball he’s really starting to round out his game and be a big time impact on both ends of the floor. He’s a superb and smooth athlete who sets the tone in the press by picking up full court. Offensively he has a good handle, and he can get by guys in isolation situations and finish at the rim or get fouled and head to the line. He’s great in transition where he’s hard to catch, and he’s improved his jump shot big time. He put up big time numbers in multiple games for them.
Marcus Banks | 6’2” G | Big Shots Elite “The Dream” 16U
Banks is a reclass rising sophomore who decided to play up with The Dream this season, and there may not be many guys in the 2021 class that shoot the basketball at the clip he does. He fits in perfect with a team full of slashing guards and wings, and he takes advantage of his chance to get open shots. He finished with six threes in their first game and five threes in their quarterfinal win over River City Reign. He has good form from the feet up, a quick release and effortless range. He’ll be a big time contributor for the next three seasons.
DJ Simms | 6’3” G | River City Reign 16U
Another 2021 playing up in 16U, Simms was a spark plug off the bench for RCR and gave star Jaden House some help when they needed it most. In their 3-0 run on Saturday, he was a guy who got it done on both ends of the floor. He has a great frame for a true freshman, and his mix of athleticism and strength is something that reminds you of former Hanover star Jason Wade who will be a freshman at ODU. He gets off his feet effortlessly to finish and rebound, and while he’s a very streaky shooter he showed the ability to make shots from deep at times. If he can improve that he’ll be a prospect to keep an eye on moving forward.
Antwone Blackwell | 6’6” PF | Squires Richmond 16U
A kid you have to love, Blackwell is still a raw big man but he plays with an incredible motor on both ends of the floor. He rebounds well in and out of his area, he runs the floor hard and he has great length and jumping ability that allows him to finish in transition and in traffic in the paint. He never gives up on a play, keeping plays alive on the offensive glass and winning 50-50 balls, and he has so much room to improve moving forward.
Kaleb Coleman | 6’1” G | Team Richmond 16U
Coleman is really starting to come along after playing big minutes as a freshman and sophomore for Matoaca, and will likely be one of the best guards in the Richmond area as a junior. He has a strong and athletic frame, he can blow by defenders and run in transition and he has playmaking abilities with the ball in his hands. Whether he’s playing on or off the basketball he finds ways to get in the paint and either finish or get other guys easy shots. He’s also a good rebounder for a guard.
Logan Barbour | 6’0” PG | River City Reign 15U
One of the better unknown freshmen in the state, Barbour isn’t the most explosive guard but he flat out knows how to play. He can get to the rack and finish with both hands, he has a good feel and tremendous vision and he consistently makes the right play on both ends. He’s a competitor that will put his team on his back, but doesn’t force things on the offensive end. He is a dual threat guy who can both score and distribute the ball for others, and he was vital in a big comeback win in their first game Saturday where he finished with 21 points.
Marcus Leisure | 5’7” PG | River City Reign 15U
Leisure isn’t the biggest guy, but he backs down from no one and steps up in big ways when his team needs him. He’s a quick guard who can fly in transition and he’s a knock down shooter from deep. In their come from behind win, Barbour and him put the team on their back down the stretch. He hit the game winning shot with less than five seconds left, finishing with 12 points on the game.
Justin Taylor | 6’4” WG | Team Loaded CVA 15U
A reclass rising freshman, Taylor has took big strides this summer in terms of production and toughness and he’s going to really take off over the next few seasons. He already has a good frame with long arms, and he can flat out shoot the basketball from deep. He shoots it well off the move, he can put it on the floor and get to his spots and he’s only going to continue to improve at STAB under Head Coach Damin Altizer. I’m not usually one to write about kids this young, but he’s one to keep an eye on for sure moving forward.