Garrett Tucker:
Future150 Southeast Analyst. Covering high school basketball across the Southeast.
Atlanta, GA (Future150) -- Future150 took in some Junior College action to end the live period on Saturday in Atlanta. Kris Watkins, a JUCO icon in the Southeast, brought together some of the best talent in the area for the Southern Hoops Report Summer Shootout to allow JUCO players to showcase their skills.
Here are a few players that stuck out from Saturday:
Chris Thomas (Chipola, Sophomore, SG): The Xavier-commitment showed why he was a highly-ranked player in his original high school class, 2013. Thomas played above the rim constantly, as he caught several alley-oops from his Chipola teammates. He is a great athlete and attacks the rim well.
Jarvis Williams (Gordon College, Sophomore, SF): Williams recently committed to UAB, but he will finish out his sophomore season at Gordon College before moving on to the Blazers. When he arrives in Birmingham, the UAB staff will have a nice wing addition to their squad. At 6-foot-8, Williams attacked the rim well. He was smooth in doing so, and also drew fouls throughout the camp. His shot probably could use some work from long-range, but he has a nice touch from the free-throw line.
Victor Marshall (Faulkner State CC, Sophomore, PG): Marshall played very well around his Faulkner State teammates, as he utilized the scorers on his team. The 5-foot-11 point guard ran the team very well, but he also got to the rim often. He can score for himself or make plays for others. A crafty player around the rim, the only thing he may have to work on is finishing around the basket more consistently.
Cinmeon Bowers (Chipola, Freshman, PF) & Earl Watson (Chipola, Sophomore, PF): Chipola’s big men dominated down low throughout the day. Both players are very similar to each other. Watson and Bowers are strong, physical forwards that finish around the basket well. Despite their size, they are both athletic for big men, as they caught several alley-oops from teammates. Expect these guys to find a high-major home in the future.
Eric Dowdell (Southern Union, Sophomore, CG): In an atmosphere with selfish guards and ball-hogs, Dowdell was arguably the most unselfish player in the camp. He dished out several assists a game, whether it was to his big man or to a couple of shooters on his squad.
Jordan Bowling (Faulkner State CC, Sophomore, SG): Bowling was one of the more polished shooters in the camp. While he didn’t hit all his shots, one can see his ability to get hot from downtown. The 6-foot-6 shooter did hit several three-pointers per game, though. He is also a sneaky athlete. He can play above the rim, as he caught one of the better dunks of the camp on a player. However, his twin brother, Taylor Bowling, would not be out-done. Taylor highlighted the camp with a tip-dunk over his defender.
Obie Hurt (Gordon College, Sophomore, SF): Hurt also shot the ball well from the perimeter. At 6-foot-7 and more of a forward, he showed his range and the ability to hit the three-point shot. Hurt also used his length to get to the rim, too.
Robert Powell (Waycross College, Sophomore, SF): Powell has improved on the perimeter in the past year, according to coaches. It looks like he is making the move from PF to SF. He showed the ability to attack the rim in several occurences. the 6-foot-6 wing also had a nice catch-and-shoot motion.
Patrick McKenzie (Alabama Southern, Freshman, PF): With his length and size, McKenzie passed the eye-test at first look. At 6-foot-10, he blocks and alters his opponents’ shots on the defensive-end of the floor. He also finished around the basket very well, not allowing stronger players to affect his game. However, he still would benefit from gaining a few pounds and getting stronger.
Christopher Deny (Chattahoochee Tech, Available, PG): Deny was talked about highly amongst most coaches on-hand, as he has the ability to play both guard positions. He will probably be a point guard at the next level with his ball-handling and passing ability. He is also very crafty with his game, whether it was faking opposing players out or making flashy plays on the offensive end.
Joshua Keyhea (Middle Georgia Tech, Available, PF): Don’t tell this guy he is a 6-foot-4 power forward, because he plays like he is a few inches taller. Keyhea, a physical, under-sized forward, fought down low amongst bigger players throughout the day. He finished at the rim and caused problems on defense. While he looked like he may have been more suited on the gridiron, Keyhea played very well given his size and skill-set.
Kruize Pinkens (Chipola, Sophomore, PF): Pinkens was a rather intriguing player throughout the day. At 6-foot-7 and with his game right now, he looks to be a stretch 4-man that can play the 3 some. He played very well away from the basket where he could bring his defender out from the goal. Pinkens had an impressive face-up game, and he also flirted with some three-point shooting.
Kevin Tolbert (Oxford College, Sophomore, CG): With most players absorbed with their offensive game, defensive stars are at a minimum, especially on the perimeter. However, Tolbert locked up several of his men on the perimeter. He got several steals and easy layups because of his defensive attitude. The 6-foot-1 guard also showed a nice stroke from the three-point line, too.
Victor Wynn (West Georgia Tech, Sophomore, PG): Wynn is a small point guard, but he played very well during the showcase. He showed he was very reliable as a point guard, not turning the ball over many times. The 5-foot-9 guard showed the ability to score for himself on the outside, as well as make plays for others.
Omar Simpkins (Central Georgia Tech, Sophomore, C): As one of the taller players in the camp, Simpkins stood out just because of his size. However, he also stood out in other ways. Despite his length and size, he ran the floor very well for a big man. He also used his 7-foot height to block shots.
Antjuan Ball (Shelton State, Sophomore, SG): Ball may consider himself a forward, but with his size and game, he looks more like a guard. With a loaded team from Shelton State, Ball played well from the outside. He also hit the offensive boards hard. He has a great jumping ability, leading to spectacular dunks and finishes at the rim.
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