Eric Hampford:
Future150 GM / Senior National Analyst. Covering high and middle school basketball.
Aiken, SC (Future150) -- Rising sophomores and juniors were the theme of the day at the Peach State Summer Showcase on Friday. A breakout performance by a rising freshman also highlighted the day of action. Here are the prospects you need to know from a day of hoops at USC Aiken...
Rico Bonds, 2014 PG, South Georgia Kings: One of the prettiest jump shots we've seen this week belongs to the 6-foot point guard. The lefty showed off an impressive mid-range game, several times stopping on a dime and pulling the trigger for buckets around 15 feet. His release is pure and he gets good lift on his shot. He also showed good ball skills and is owner of an effective floater in the lane. A definite low major steal.
Tyrell Williams, 2014 PF, Team Breakdown: Murray State was one of several division one schools tracking the 6-foot-8 power forward in his first game of the tournament on Friday. Plain and simply, he played like we have come to expect him to play. He rebounded the ball on both ends, scored in the post using his powerful frame, and blocked several shots. He's a bruising forward who plays smart basketball. Overall, a solid producer who will only get better at the next level.
M.J. Walker, 2017 SG, Atlanta Xpress: Coming into Peach State, we had the 6-foot-4 wing ranked #35 in the country. Well, after what he showed us on Friday, we can assure you that there are not 15 prospects better than him the country in the 2017 class. The physical wing is a slashing guard who is crafty when finishing at the rim. He plays tough defense and wasn't backing down from prospects two to three years older than him. He's as tough as nails, and is as confident as they come. Only a rising freshman, it's scary to think where his game could be in a few short years.
Jaylen Fisher, 2016 CG, Team Thad: Speed can kill on the basketball court, and that's how Jaylen tends to get results when he spells Chris Chiozza. He's an uptempo floor general who is a scoring guard first and distributor second. While he plays reckless at times, when he gets into a groove attacking the basket, he is hard to stop. He is also a developing shooter from deep, which will only make him harder to stop in the future. The centerpiece for Team Thad over the next three years.
Shaun Kirk, 2015 SF, Carolina Raptors: The breakout star of the tournament thus far might just be the North Carolina native. The 6-foot-6 small forward came out on fire in a 16U showdown against Team Breakdown, torching them for 23 points in one half on 5-5 shooting from behind the arc. On top of his scoring exploits, he was also playing above the rim, scoring on several alley-oops and layups at the rim. He had the gym buzzing and college coaches scrambling for their media guides. From unknown to division one prospect, the beauty of Peach State!
P.J. Dozier, 2015 PG, Upward Stars: One of the best young prospects in the country was playing up to his reputation on Friday. The 6-foot-4 point guard had his jump shot falling in a battle against Team Thad. When he wasn't knocking down long jumpers, he was slicing through the teeth of the defense for easy baskets at the rim or directing the offense. An underrated athlete, P.J. has become a threat to throw down a dunk in traffic or sneak backdoor for an alley-oop at any time. Always improving.
Dewan Huell, 2016 PF, Team Breakdown: One prospect who will be entering the national rankings in our next update is the Miami Norland (FL) big man. The 6-foot-9 post is a fluid post player with a high-motor. What we liked most about him though is how skilled he is with his left hand, finishing everything at the rim. While his low post moves are still underdeveloped, his shot-blocking instincts and rebounding are very promising signs of how good he will become. Upside, upside, upside!
Justin Smith, 2015 SF, Atlanta Xpress: Sometimes, as evaluators, we get caught up in pigeonholing prospects into positions. One prospect who defies that logic is the bouncy forward. The 6-foot-7 athlete dunks everything at the rim, blocks shots, rebounds, and runs the floor extremely well. While he doesn't have much perimeter skill or low post finesse, he always leaves his mark on the game with his athleticism and active body. Without a doubt a mid-major prospect who could develop into a productive forward at the college level, whether it's on the wing or in the post.
Jarvis Calhoun, 2014 SG, Birmingham Ice: Known as a dead-eye shooter, Jarvis is beginning to develop other aspects of his game. He was devastating with hesitation moves on Friday, as well as finishing pretty floaters in the paint. He's also starting to use his right hand more consistently off-the-dribble, which was freezing defenders in his path. However, above all, he was doing what he does best today, which was shooting the cover off the ball, especially in transition. It's going to be fun watching him and Lewis Sullivan lighting up scoreboards at UAB starting in 2014.
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