Brian Flinn:
Future150 National Recruiting Analyst. Covering high school basketball nationally.
North Augusta, SC (Future150) -- (Note: Midwest analyst Derek Piper contributed to this article)
On the first day of Peach Jam there is always plenty of excitement, and this year was no different. With a number of talented 16U teams set to do battle and a 17U play-in game to decide who the final team in the field would be, Wednesday was packed with action. Here's who stood out on day 1:
Jayson Tatum, 2016 SF, St. Louis Eagles: Without much surprise, Tatum was as good as advertised on Wednesday night. He looked like someone who has been playing a level up all season. With his length, athleticism and versatility, there isn’t anything that Tatum doesn’t do well on the floor. He completely dominated the second half against Team Final by scoring in a variety of ways. Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, Duke assistant Jon Scheyer and Kansas assistant Jerrance Howard were looking on—in addition to Arizona and some other programs.
Lamar Stevens, 2016 SG, Team Final: Stevens has all the tools necessary to be a big-time player in the 2016 class. At 6’6”, he has a big, athletic body and he is great at taking the ball to the basket. Stevens is able to handle the ball, and he can impact the game in every aspect when he puts the pedal to the medal. His biggest question mark remains to be his motor. Penn State, St. Joe’s, Syracuse and Villanova were watching him.
Cassius Winston, 2016 PG, The Family: Winston is everything that you want in a point guard at the next level, and he has shown that on a consistent basis. He is quick, smooth, handles the ball extremely well, sets up his teammates, and he can score on all three levels. Winston had Michigan State coaches Dane Fife and Izzo watching, in addition to coaches from Duke, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan and others.
Brian Bowen, 2017 SF, The Family: Bowen is the next big thing coming out of Michigan in the 2017 class. At 6’6”, he has good length and athleticism on the wing. Bowen is a pure scorer with a smooth stroke. He also finishes around the rim really well. Bowen had the eyes of a ton of high-major programs on Wednesday night, and for good reason.
Harry Giles III, 2016 PF, CP3 All-Stars: Giles didn’t look like a player who has been recovering from an ACL injury. The five-star big man did not look like he missed a beat. Giles was active on both ends of the floor. He finished at and above the rim, made a huge impact on the boards and he showed good mobility. Giles finished with a beastly 21 points and 15 rebounds in front of North Carolina head coach Roy Williams, NC State head coach Mark Gottfried and others.
DeAndre Ayton, 2017 C, Cal Supreme: Ayton was hampered by foul trouble throughout the contest, but when he was in he was an absolute difference-maker on both ends of the floor. He is surprisingly skilled for a player of his size and showed off a couple of nifty spin moves in the paint to get to the rim. When he is engaged and able to stay on the floor, he is one of the best in his class.
John Petty, 2017 SF, Southeast Elite: While there has been plenty of talk about his teammates in the past year, Petty has proven time and again that he is just as talented; and tonight was no different. He got to the rim, set his teammates up for open looks, and knocked down a couple of monster threes. The 6-foot-5 wing could see his recruitment start to take off if he continues his strong play this week.
Dyaire Holt, 2016 PG, Albany City Rocks: Holt was at his best when his team needed him the most, scoring late in the 1st half and making what ended up being the game-winning steal. He is a strong point guard who has a solid frame and excels at finishing through contact. He is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential.
Tyrik Dixon, 2016 PG, Arkansas Wings: Dixon was the main reason that the Wings came back in the 2nd half and really pushed the City Rocks to the brink. He hit big shot after big shot and is more than capable of creating offense for both himself and his teammates. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the week goes for him
Trevor Manuel, 2015 PF, The Family: Manuel has long had the talent to make him a high major prospect, and appears to be cashing in on it. He looks bigger and stronger than he did in the fall and should see his recruitment take a boost because of it. He still runs the floor very well and is a very good athlete. Look for him to continue to make noise these final two live periods.
Comments:
Be the first to post. Just use the form below.