Moving on to Thursday the Class of 2010 is on the docket. My staff and I chose 14 players who caught our attention and will review them in alphabetical order:
Logan Blair (Sullivan South)
Big, strong and active. This hard working banger is soon to be on the rankings list and will command some attentio from the smaller schools. Great effort on the glass.
Austin Gardner (Morristown East)
One of the best shooters in a camp devoid of that skill. Will need to add the mid-range game and off the dribble moves to make this a weapon for him. Solid player.
Mitchell Hill (Cookeville)
My coaching friend said "If he was 6'4 he'd be playing in the SEC". High praise from a former D1 coach. Hill is solid with his lefty stroke, his ability to run the show and his basketball IQ. He knows when to score and when to dish, his game is straight up solid.
Linwood Holloway (Knoxville Central)
Known for his effort and all out hustle, Linwood showed some serious stroke on his shot. He played better defense using his size to position and force his defender where he did not want to go, this combined with his effort makes him a nice player for the next level.
Devin Jackson (Knoxville West)
Always has the sweet stroke but is conscience of using the dribble more. He needs to keep his head up so he can drop some dimes, but his effort is there and it is obvious he has worked on his weaknesses. His shot selection is something he needs to tighten up.
Cameron Langley (Maryville)
Slight built but so smart and saavy. He does things effortlessly but lacks the physical strength to complete those tasks. He can shoot better than he showed Saturday and he'll be vital for the Rebels this season. Get in that state of the art Maryville weight room and your confidence will soar.
Julian McBee (Knoxville Central)
Huge surprise to me. This youngster stood around 6'7 and had instincts that will take him far of he continues to work. His strength will be an issue but his aggressiveness to the glass will not. Wanted to dunk everything, although not a bad philosophy, I loved the intensity, now lets work on the skill.
Travai Pryor (Austin East)
Playing for the first time since the summer, T.P. got tired and it showed near the end. When he is focused and into the game, THERE IS NO ONE IN THIS AREA WHO CAN CHECK HIM. I hope he realizes this and uses his gifts to his advantage. Lefty with extreme strength, can score off the bounce and has an adequate shot from deep.
Zach Sherrill (Stone Memorial)
Another player who has obviously worked on his skills. Zach showed fearless abandon going to the bucket for finishes, grabbing loose caroms and playing hard defense. His game will need to feature a mid-range shot to make him a complete player and work on his ball-handling. Guys his size will need to be wings on the next level. Love his improvement.
Tyler Smith (Union County)
Despite the large knee brace, Smith is coming back from his injury. He showed flashes of his old explosion going through the lane for an attempted dunk and gave effort on the defensive side of the ball. I love this kids intensity and hope he can fully recover from his injury. He looks like he's headed in that direction.
Marcus Stewart (Cocke County)
Athletic and always looking to go to the glass. He has much room for improvement in the shooting arena but will score his points going to the bucket. His defensive effort is solid and will improve with time.
Sheldon Wade (Austin East)
Small cat and new to the area, Wade showed he could score and when he made the effort could make his teammates around him better. He will need to shed some of the scoring mentality to run the point, but has good instincts and plays hard on defense.
Tyler Whittman (Ooltewah)
Very good shooter who will need to quicken up his release. When feet are set he was draining them. Whittman will need to improve his game off the dribble and work on his ball-handling from the backcourt positions, but I think he has that in his game just wanted to show everyone he could shoot.
Tyler Vittetoe (Union County)
We know he can shoot and when he gets hot, forget about it.. I was impressed with a little bit of defensive effort and some very nice passes to open cutters especially on the break. Keep improving those aspects of his game and he will be playing on the next level.
Others who caught our eye:
Troy Hopson (Greeneville)
Ryan Sharpe (Jefferson County)
Chaz Barnes (Alcoa)
Antonio Dailey (Austin East)
Jacob Lanning (Jefferson County)
Hunter Carpenter (Hancock County)
Caleb Barrett (Knoxville West)
Cody Burrell (Walker Valley)
Jackson Coursey (Father Ryan)
Jeramie Haney (Cocke County)
McKinley Maples (Gatlinburg Pittman)
