Eric Hampford:
Future150 GM / Senior National Analyst. Covering high and middle school basketball.
Orlando, FL (Future150) -- Today, we take a look at the crop of small forward prospects who shined at the AAU Super Showcases in Orlando. No prospect in that group did more for their stock than Georgia Stars wing Christian Brown.
2019 South Carolina Wing Stands Out In Front of ACC Powers
A.C. Flora High School (SC) calls itself home to one of the elite prospects nationally in the 2019 class in Christian Brown, and he proved that in a big way in Orlando. Standing 6'7" and sporting elite explosiveness, he was dominant at times for his talented Georgia Stars team throughout super showcase. In a matchup with highly-touted 2019 small forward Romeo Weems, he asserted himself from the get-go, and had his full game on display in front of UNC assistant C.B. McGrath and Virginia assitant Ron Sanchez.
Ohio Wing Showing Significant Upside
If one thing is evident after evaluating him in Orlando, it's that 6'8" King James Shooting Stars forward Darius Bazley has a world of upside. The slender future wing can play both inside and out, and showed flashes of ability to play on both the perimeter as well as in the paint. On defense, he can block shots, and on offense he can stretch the defense with his three-point shot. With added strength, he's going to be a star.
North Carolina Forward Ready To Explode
Playing against the loaded Georgia Stars 15U group, 2019 forward Rico Williams of B.T.B (NC) made a name for himself. The 6'7" combo forward is an athletic freak who used his length and explosiveness to corrale a ton of rebounds on both ends of the floor, outworking Stars standouts D.J. Burns (6'9") and Christian Brown (6'7") for loose balls all game. He finished well around the rim and was a monster on the defensive end. While his game is still quite raw, there is star potential for him down the road, especially if he makes a switch to small forward full-time.
Michigan Product Romeo Weems Coming Along
The Family (MI) has themselves a star in the making in 6'6" wing Romeo Weems. A smooth operator who can score from anywhere on the floor, it was enjoyable to watch him lead his team vocally as well. He's a smart player who also takes pride in his defense, and you can tell that he's driven to become one of the best prospects in the 2019 class.
Other Small Forward Standouts:
Terrence Lewis, 2017 SF, Wisconsin Playground Elite (WI): The 6'6" strong forward really had it going on the offensive end in Florida. He showed that he has ability to make shots consistently from mid-range, as well as the perimeter. He's also a strong bodied forward who can be a star defensively at the collegiate level.
Kaiden Rice, 2017 SF, Central Carolina Force (NC): The 6'7" small forward had an exceptional performance in front of coaches from Cornell and Lafayette when we were viewing him, scoring 20 points and almost bringing his team all the way back from being down 15+ points in the second half of one of their games. He's a high-academic winner who's vastly underrated in the southeast.
Coulter Dotson, 2018 SF, Alabama Celtics (TN): The 6'5" sniper was knocking down shots all weekend long. In his second bracket play game he hit 6 three pointers of which 4 of the them where on consecutive possessions. He averaged 17 points in the tournament and you can tell that he's only going to get better. Strength and toughness are two things his game needs in a hurry. Austin Peay, Samford, Citadel, Tenn Tech, SIUE are all showing interest.
Joey Baker, 2019 SF, Team Felton (NC): If there's one word to describe the 6'7" wing, it's "smooth". His mid-range pull-up is a thing of beauty, and he continues to get better with every viewing. As he becomes more assertive on both ends of the floor, his ceiling will rise. High-major programs are already scrambling to land his services, and he's got three more years of high school remaining.
Jeenathan Williams, 2018 SF, City Rocks (NY): Standing roughly in the 6'5"-6'6" range, the New York native plays bigger due to his outstanding athleticism. He burst onto the scene this spring and summer, and recent offers from Georgia Tech and Rutgers show that his recruitment is really beginning to heat up. Right now, he's at his best as a high-flying slasher.
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