Thanks to everyone who attended the Tennessee Prep Hoops Rankings and Exposure Showcase at Carson Newman last week. I have compiled the information from several former coaches in attendance and will prepare an evaluation for each player who attended. I will stress positive points and make suggestions on things that could help you improve your game as you move towards your dream of playing at the next level. I wish everyone luck and look forward to seeing you this year with your respective high schools.
I apologize for the lateness of the evaluations. The Fall League finals in Knoxville and Nashville kept me from working on them till after that season was complete. Then a major blow when one of my best friends lost his son in a car accident kept me from working on them as well. Thanks for your patience I hope to have them completed by Friday.
Illinois (91-100)
91. Connor Gillette (Farragut) 2014 (5'10 PG)
Rising senior off guard plays with effort and is not afraid to take the ball to the basket but needs to finish at the rim. He has a tendency to dribble excessively and needs to create more confidence in his outside shooting touch. He needs to develop more on the lead guard side of the ledger as he seems to understand the structure and flow of the game, uses a change of dribble to his advantage and does give effort on defense.
92. Charles Clark (Siegel) 2014 (6'3 SG)
Active lefty athlete who glides to the basket off the dribble or explodes and finishes with a flourish in transition. His outside shot is slow releasing but seems to find the mark more often than not. He has added some lift to his shot which has helped his accuracy. His transition from offense to defense and visa versa is tremendous. He is a fantastic help defender using his length to create turnovers and get easy baskets in the press. He has a motor that won't quit and will be a player wherever he ends up.
93. Adam Paul (Indiana) 2014 (6'4 SG/WF)
Fundamentally sound player who shot the ball decent from deep. Needs to work on his quickness and foot speed especially on the defensive side of the floor. He needs to work on developing a mid-range shot to compliment his deep stroke and continue to become more aggressive as he makes his way to the bucket. He was comfortable in the half-court, showed he could make the entry pass and clear, looking for his shooting opportunity away from the play.
94. Alex Watkins (Tyner Academy) 2014 (6'6 PF)
Great motor, gets after it on the inside, fights for boards but has a hard time finishing the play. He has average hands and needs to strengthen his grip on the interior pass. He guards well, blocks shots and is not afraid to pass out of the double team. Alex just needs confidence in his offensive game which at times can be effective, once again he needs to finish plays on the first shot and use his leaping ability to make easy baskets. His best basketball is in front of him.
95. Harper Feltner (Jefferson County) 2015 (6'6 WF/PF)
Big strong athlete who has a good motor and can knock down the outside shot when given time. He runs the floor well and is a capable passer into the post from the wing or from the post to the open shooter. He has a good face-up game and seems to really understand the essence of the game. If he remains on the wing he needs to certainly work on his ball handling and shot selection. He is a good shooter as we mentioned and he sometimes drifts to the three-point line instead of using his size inside for easy conversions. He does an adequate job on the boards but if he used his size better could be a monster on the glass.
96. Omar Lyons (Siegel) 2017 (5'9 PG)
Tough youngster who seems to already have a mental grasp of the game. Omar is strong for his age, can handle well, looks for the open man and will finish going to the basket with a variety of creative moves around the glass. He will need to work on his explosion and speed as he moves along in the prep ranks. He will also need to gain more confidence in his outside stroke. He has good form just needs to understand shot selection and confidence. He is unafraid against older players and is a gym rat that will work on the things that he needs to make himself a better player.
97. Chase Fowler (Clarkrange) 2016 (6'1 PG)
Hard working kid who has a nice motor and will continue to improve as he works on all of his basketball skills. He will need to get in better basketball shape and specifically become adept at ball handling and decision making as a lead guard this season. He rebounds well for a guard and uses his strength to carve space for himself driving to the cup. He will need to work on his quickness and lateral skills as he plays against bigger and stronger athletes.
98. Hunter Schrum (Cookeville) 2015 (6'2 SG)
Rising junior is a very active player on the floor, he shoots adequately and is not afraid to go strong to the basket. He will need to concentrate on becoming quicker and working on his foot work which will allow him to be a better defender. He also needs to get in better basketball shape which will allow him to be more efficient and finish some of his drives to the bucket. Players who have a motor tend to achieve their goals sooner than those who do not. This kid has a motor.
99. Dustin Day (David Crockett) 2016 (6'3 WF)
Glowing reviews all around for this rising sophomore. Dustin has a solid mid-range game, plays at a very good pace and likes to score the ball efficiently. He has a catch and shoot game to complement his ability to put the ball on the deck and score at the rim. He finishes plays and once he gets stronger will be a beast to guard. He needs to work on his range with his outside shot and make it more of a weapon. I like his future if he continues to work on his shooting; as well as, his quickness and explosion.
100. Ryan Jones (Siegel) 2014 (5'10 PG)
Small guard has a wonderful feel for the game and plays with a motor on both ends of the floor. He is not afraid to challenge the bigger kids at the rim and is a very solid passer in traffic. He runs the break with precision, always finding the open player and will pull up and knock down the shot on occasion. His deep stroke is a work in progress but he has the confidence in his shot where he will hit big ones without fail. He is terrific as the head of the press challenging and turning his opponent, striping and deflecting from the off side and finding players for easy transition buckets. He has heart and a will to win along with a big motor, What more do you need.
