Brian Flinn:
Future150 National Recruiting Analyst. Covering high school basketball nationally.
Hampton, VA (Future150) --
The first day of EYBL at Boo Williams brought teams, coaches, and scouts from all over the country to Hampton, VA on Friday night. While there were only three sets of games, there was no shortage of action. The first game between Team United (NC) and Mac Irvin (IL) proved to be competitive despite the absence of 2013 superstar Jabari Parker, who was out with an injury. It was the nightcap between Southern Stampede (GA) and Team Takeover (DC) that really took people by surprise as 2014 combo guard Nate Mason hit 5 threes to lead the way for a Stampede upset over Takeover. While Mason came up big, he was far from being the only person to stand out. Here are a few others that caught our eye in the first night of action:
Sindarius Thornwell, 2013 SG, Team United: Thornwell really took it upon himself to set the tone early in their game as he played lockdown defense and got to the rim on numerous occasions, causing Jahlil Okafor to get into foul trouble. While his shot was a little inconsistent tonight, he possesses a college ready body and uses it to his advantage; simply put, Thornwell was the difference maker for Team United tonight.
Duane Wilson Jr., 2013 CG, Wisconsin Playground Elite: Wilson Jr. put up the scoring performance of the night, finishing with 43 in an overtime thriller over ICP (OR). What makes it more impressive is that he shot 11-17 from the field and found his open teammates throughout the game. The future Marquette guard had a fantastic game with coach Buzz Williams on hand to see it all.
Roshon Prince, 2013 PF, ICP: While he only stands at 6-foot-7, Prince is an absolute beast in the paint and he was able to score at will tonight. He gets great position on the block and goes to work on his defender. While he didn’t show any signs of being an above the rim player today he still finished with remarkable consistency. He is also a fantastic rebounder for his size and we will have a close eye on him for the rest of the summer.
Dakari Johnson, 2014 C, Each 1 Teach 1: Johnson showed off his post game tongiht as he single handedly dismantled Nolan Berry and the STL Eagles to the tune of 28 points and 6 boards on 11-17 shooting. The young big man is one of the more talented posts in the nation and will look to continue to prove that throughout this weekend
Chinoso Obokoh, 2013 PF, Albany City Rocks: Obokoh came into this high school season as a somewhat unknown player, but after a decent season at Bishop Kearney (NY) Obokoh has gained confidence and continued his fantastic play. A long and active forward, Obokoh controlled the boards and was able to score 14 points on the night on just 5-7 shooting. Look for Obokoh's stock to rise even more soon.
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