Jason Pratt:
Future150 Senior Recruiting Analyst. Covering high school basketball nationally.
Aiken, SC (Future150) -- The USC Aiken Convocation Center opened its doors to college coaches, media, and fans alike on Wednesday evening for the 2013 Peach State Summer Showcase. The opening night of games held Showcase Games between several highly ranked AAU programs taking center stage. Here is who stood out on opening night...
Marcus Stroman, 2014 PG, Keenan Raiders: The South Carolina commit had a big opening night game for his local Keenan Raiders. The 6-foot-2 point guard was unstoppable in transition, as well as when taking his defender off-the-dribble on the way to the basket. He also showed the ability to finish with contact at the rim using his strong frame. Frank Martin is getting a good one in the local lead guard prospect. High caliber point guard who played up to his national ranking.
Eric Lockett, 2014 SF, Aim High: The physically imposing 6-foot-6 small forward already has the body of a colleg prospect, and that alone has college coaches taking notice. He is a tenacious defender who was disruptive in passing lanes all game on Wednesday. He also rebounded the ball well and several times took the ball coast-to-coast for easy finishes. He also showed good court vision, especially in transition. He must continue to work on his jump shot and become more selfish on the offensive end. Solid low to mid-major prospect.
Javis Howard, 2014 SF, Upward Stars: The 6-foot-7 small forward is a prospect who improves every single time we see him play. He is a physically imposing rebounding machine who always cleans the glass on both ends of the floor. A high motor prospect, Javis also has continued to polish his mid-range jump shot, which he was showing off out to 20 feet. A solid low major kid who could easily play at a mid-major level.
James Demery, 2014 SG, Team Charlotte: James came out on Wednesday evening as a man on a mission. He simply harassed elite 2015 point guard P.J. Dozier on defense, making it very hard for him to get anything going on the offensive end. Using his 6-foot-5 frame and length, he showed the ability to be a lockdown defender at the next level. He was also strong when slashing to the basket and finishing at the rim. His jump shot could use a lot of work, but his physical gifts are something to behold. Marquette has recently offered.
Devin Mitchell, 2014 SG, Southern Kings: The 6-foot-3 shooting guard has been known to have one of the smoothest jump shots in the country for his class, but he wasn't having his best day from the outside. However, what he did show us was his ability to take his defender off-the-dribble in order to get into the lane where he created for himself and/or his teammates, an area of his game which he has vastly improved. He was also working hard on the defensive end, both on and off the ball. Indiana and North Carolina State are the latest schools to show strong interest in the Georgia native.
Grant Bryant, 2014 SF, Southern Kings: Outside of Javis Howard, the Kell High School (GA) standout was the best rebounder of the day at Peach State. He grabbed everything in his area on both the offensive and defensive end, and finished around the rim on easy put-backs. In terms of his transition game, he runs the floor like a deer, using his long and lanky frame to his advantage. We are looking for him to show more of his perimeter game as the week goes on, but one day one, he did just fine.
Marcanvis Hymon, 2014 PF, Team Thad: Fresh off his commitment to Ole Miss two days ago, the 6-foot-7 big man played a very solid overall game on Wednesday. He rebounded the ball at a high level on both ends of the floor, and finished around the rim in traffic. His on-ball defense was superb, especially when taking into consideration that he was defending Game Elite's tall front line. It's easy to envision him being an immediate contributor at Ole Miss, and his offensive game will only get better with work.
Jawun Evans, 2015 PG, SC Raptors Elite: If you are looking for a scoring lead guard in the rising junior class, then the South Carolina prospect is one of the finest out there. The 6-foot physically strong prospect can take his man off-the-dribble, and is the owner of an effective mid and long-range pull-up jump shot. He has the ball on a string and keeps defenders at bay with a variety of moves. Finishing at the rim in traffic is one of the highlights of his game because of his strong frame. He also has excellend end-to-end speed. The Clemson Tigers staff was eagerly watching his game against the Carolina Wolves.
Jaylen Brown, 2015 SG, Game Elite: Perhaps the best dunk of the day came from Jaylen when he flew down the lane and posterized Leron Black during a heated battle against Team Thad. The 6-foot-5 wing has the frame and athleticism of a high major prospect, now it's just a matter of time until the rest of his game comes around. He rebounded the ball well on Wednesday evening, and battled on the defensive end of the floor. Once his jump shot becomes a strength, he will be a top 20 talent in the country.
Christian Turner, 2016 PG, Heat Check: The 5-foot-8 lead guard is one of the most consistent floor generals in the class. He's been playing against older competition for the past three years, and it shows in his game. He plays under control at all times, and knows how to get into the lane and create. The southpaw is also a solid shooter on all three levels and has excellent court vision. The physically built guard is also a standout defender who plays low to the ground. Christian has a bright future as one of the finer young prospects in the state of Georgia.
Comments:
Eric Lockett will be a big time, lots of big D1 schools looking at him