Garrett Tucker:
Future150 Southeast Analyst. Covering high school basketball across the Southeast.
Atlanta, GA (Future150) -- Saturday continued the Wallace Prather Memorial, as the out-of-state teams began their weekends. Several national names stepped up, along with some under-the-radar prospects.
Here are the prospects that stood out and made an impression to the Future150 staff...
Troy Baxter, 2016 SF, Team Breakdown: Baxter had arguably the best day on Saturday, as he showed his athleticism and improved offensive arsenal. The 6-foot-7 wing constantly played above the rim on offense, but he also showed a more complete game. He hit shots from the outside and got to the rim at different parts during the day. Florida International is his only offer, but that will change with time.
Kaiser Gates, 2015 SF, Atlanta Celtics: Gates also made a statement with his play. The 6-foot-8 small forward proved he can score in a variety of ways. In an afternoon game, he opened up the game with a three-pointer, followed by finishing with contact at the rim for an and-1. That set the tone for the rest of the game and his weekend.
Dwayne Bacon, 2015 SG, Showtime Ballers: There aren’t many players that make things look as easy as Bacon does. The 6-foot-6 guard is a matchup problem for opposing teams with his size and quickness. He made a living at slashing to the rim on Saturday. He also did a nice job of running the point and displaying his guard skills.
Dewan Huell, 2016 PF, Team Breakdown: When I saw Huell last July, he was still a project. While he is still working on his game, the 6-foot-10 big man has taken huge strides over the past year. He has added some weight and strength to his frame, along with some polished post moves. His length and shot-blocking ability is still his best attribute, but if he continues to progress, he is going to be a player to be reckoned with at the college level.
Marcus Hall, 2015 SF, Game Elite: Hall impressed the Future150 staff when he came to the Atlanta camp in the fall, and it looks like he has taken his game to the next level. The wing man does a great job of running on transition and finishing at the rim. With Ivy league schools already on him, schools that are in need of high academic players need to give Hall a good look.
Corey Sanders, 2015 PG, Showtime Ballers: As usual, Sanders showed he is one of the most lethal scoring point guards in the country. The 6-foot-1 guard is an explosive scorer and is hard to handle with his speed and quick first step. His three-point shooting looks to have improved from last year, and he slowed down and ran his team. Things continue to look bright for Sanders as more and more schools come calling.
Ju-Ray Kuo, 2015 SG, Jacksonville Nets: Kuo, another Future150 alum, came up huge down the stretch of a Saturday game for his team with his shooting. The 6-foot shooting guard connected on three consecutive three-pointers to lead his team to a close victory. He also sealed the deal with a couple of free throws at the end of the game.
Ben Bobbitt, 2015 PG, Jacksonville Nets: Bobbitt spent most of the game distributing the ball to Kuo, as he impressed with his overall game. At 5-foot-9 and 180-pounds, Bobbitt has a stout body and has a great pace to his game. He controls the pace of the game and picks his spots. He did a great job of penetrating the defense and making things happen for his team. A host of low-major and mid-major schools are on his trail right now.
Madison Williams, 2016 CG, Team Power: Like Kamar Baldwin on Friday night, Madison Williams burst onto the scene Saturday evening against the Atlanta Celtics 16s. The 6-foot-3 combo guard proved he was a lethal scorer, excelling at putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim. He also shot well of the dribble with some pull-up mid-range jumpers.
Nacarious Burdgess, 2015 C, FABC Team Takeover: Quality bigs are tough to find at lower levels, and Burdgess impressed with his game. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound big man clogs the lane with his size, and, surprisingly, he is an excellent shot-blocker. He rebounds very efficiently and can battle down low with other bigs. With a 3.7 GPA, he will find a D-1 home somewhere at the mid-major level.
Drew Romich, 2015 PF, Georgia Tornadoes: Another under-the-radar big that has progressed really well since last year is Romich. The 6-foot-8 big man continued to show off his versatility and mobility. At his size, he can hit shots from the perimeter, as well as pass from the high post. He was used very efficiently in pick-and-roll situations, too. Low-majors are currently tracking him, but expect him to get some more attention in July.
Robert Baker, 2016 CF, Game Elite: It looks like Baker is working on making a full move to the 3 as a player now. Now standing at 6-foot-9, the sophomore used his length and size to be a productive defender on the perimeter. He still needs to improve his quickness, but he is showing improvement as a player. He rebounded very well and has skill that is hard to teach at his size.
Jacara Cross, 2016 PF, Atlanta Select-Prime: Cross picked up where he left off at our Atlanta Main Event earlier in April. The 6-foot-6 forward has a high motor and is hard to keep off the offensive glass. He is determined to get every rebound that goes up. He also did a nice job of finishing at the rim and blocking shots.
RECRUITING NOTES:
Kaiser Gates has 32 offers right now. He mentioned LSU, Cincinnati, Georgia, Georgia State, and Missouri, and "most of the SEC schools.
USC and Georgetown will get visits from Dwayne Bacon in the fall, he told me. SMU, UCLA, USF, Florida State, Memphis, Tennessee, and more are involved.
Troy Baxter currently holds an offer from Florida International, but that number will grow with time. Georgia, Florida State, West Virginia, UCF, Miami, Stanford, and George Mason are also showing interest.
Future150 Camp alum Marcus Hall visited Cornell two weeks ago and received an offer. Yale and Penn are also interested.
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