Special thanks to everyone who participated, coached and attended the Tennessee Prep Hoops Rankings and Exposure Showcase at Carson Newman a few weeks back. I have accumulated information from four different sources that helped scout the event and will provide a brief synopsis of each player who attended the showcase.
CINCINNATI (61-70)
61. Rollie Plunkett (Creek Wood) 2013 5'9 PG
Active lead guard plays with emotion and passion on both ends of the floor. Rollie understands change of pace and understands how to use his body to score inside, he moves well without the ball always coming back to the top of the key to continue the flow of the offense. He is a pass first player who shows good leadership skills and runs his team.
63. Corey Fagan (Oak Ridge) 2013 6'3 PG/SG
Creative player is coming off an injury which kept him out of majority of the fall action and unfortunately tweaked his wrist while at the camp. All is well as he prepares for the upcoming season. Cory is a dynamic player who can score off the dribble, he's crafty with the ball, can make excellent passes and will knock down the outside shot. He needs to not always try for the spectacular and work on his decision making when he is at the point.
64. Dustin Little (Cleveland) 2013 6'5 PF
Always plays with effort and has become adept at getting offensive boards and put-backs. Dustin is a complimentary player who will help you win ballgames cleaning up everyone else's messes and before you know it he has a double/double. He will need to work on his shooting form and footwork; as well as, his lateral skills.
65. Lucas Lovelace (Volunteer) 2013 6'7 PF/C
Tall kid understands the use of the high post screen and really knows how to pass out of the post and re-post as he follows the ball in the half court set. Lucas has a decent shot but really needs to get it off much quicker as he plays against more athletic inside players. His game is below the rim but with his continued work on the fundamental aspects of the game he should have a nice senior campaign.
66. Sandeas Smith (Hillwood) 2014 6'0 PG
Smith showed nice athleticism and effort on the court. He was praised for his prowess on the boards despite his size from the guard position. Offensively he needs to work on shooting and becoming more confident with the ball. He showed flashes of defensive brilliance but seemed to loose focus at times.
67. Matt Odom (Farragut) 2015 6'0 PG/SG
Young combo guard loves to play as is evident by his emotion and his willingness to do whatever it takes to excel on the court. Matt has good handles and can get into position for his pull-up but lacks the strength to take the ball to the glass. As he gets stronger his confidence will rise and this will be added to his game, he is a tireless worker.
68. Ross Cummings (Creek Wood) 2016 6'2 SG
"Makes good things happen when the ball is in his hands", was a direct quote from one evaluation of this rising freshman. Ross is a slick ball-handler who has a quick trigger and can knock down the open shot when he remains focused on what the task is at hand. He can get distracted when his shot is not falling and lets it affect other aspects of his game. He has a chance to be a very good one.
69. Grant Holt (Anderson County) 2016 6'1 PG
Everyone lauded Mr. Holt for his willingness to go after loose balls and keep valuable possessions alive for his squad. A rising freshman, Holt is a lefty shooter who is gaining confidence in his stroke. As he gets stronger his range will increase and he needs to quicken up his delivery as well. He has desire to defend, moves his feet and seems like a very coach able young man.
70. Tyler Yoder (Stone Memorial) 2014 6'4 WF/PF
Tyler has really come into his own this fall, a lanky scorer, he has range and uses his length to score in the lane and disrupt some things on the defensive end. He plays with passion and has the tools to be a very good defensive stopper. His offense is coming around nicely and once he gets more physical strength he could be a beast.
VILLANOVE (61-70)
71. Luke Matthews (Stone Memorial) 2014 6'2 PG
Glue guy who is a valuable asset for every team he is a part of, Matthews can knock down the open shot and can pass and lead in the half-court. He is a good defender who can usually be seen on the opponent's top guard. He will need to get his shot off quicker and add some off the dribble action to his offensive portfolio.
72. Imani Miller (Austin East) 2014 5'11 PG
Emotional player excels in the up-tempo style with his relentless attack of the basket and his much improved shooting stroke. Imani gets good lift on his jumper and has enough confidence in his skills to finish at the rim in traffic. He is fearless and will grind you down on the defensive end of the floor. He is a winner.
74. Lavantez Knight (Global Prep) 2013 6'1 WF
Good size for a guard helps him on the interior as he can pass and is a decent defender off the ball or from the help side. He is most effective on the interior offensively yet insists on proving he is a point guard. His ball-handling skills need work and his outside shooting also needs tweaking.
75. Nick Bradley (Oak Ridge) 2013 6'8 C
He has made major strides in his development, Nick keeps the ball high in the post, he goes after rebounds but lacks the physical strength to be more effective on the interior. He needs to develop a go to move with a counter so he can provide his team with a viable scoring option while he is in the game. He loves to play and his improvement in the past few seasons shows his love for the game.
76. Austin Brown (Cumberland County) 2015 5'10 PG
Young player is a fundamentally skilled kid who is in constant motion and runs the floor on both ends. He has a very nice stroke but must be set and open as he needs time to get it off. As he gets stronger this will take care of itself. He will need to add some off the bounce action into his offensive skill set and become a leader from the point guard postion.
77. Taquan Lane (Fulton) 2014 5'11 PG
Young man played hard and showed some quickness but lacked the skill set to be more effective in this setting. He will need to work on his ball-handling and shooting skills if he wishes to find playing time on the high school level.
78. Michael Jeffers (Onieda) 2014 6'2 WF/PF
Big youngster uses his body inside to gain positioning and can finish inside with time. He is strong and can finish with either hand. He needs to get himself in better shape so he can be effective running the floor and getting easy buckets in transition. He will need to improve his footwork and shooting skills as well.
79. Zak Carter (Hardin Valley) 2014 6'3 WF/PF
Good size and a good shooter when his fundamentals are adhered to. Zak could be a good inside threat with his skill level and will need to make this part of his game on the high school level. He tends to spend majority of his time on the perimeter. He needs to work on his quickness and lateral skills to improve his defensive prowess. He has the size to be a workhorse inside who can knock down the trail three in the secondary break.
80. Brandon Gilliam (Dobyns-Bennett) 2016 6'4 PF
Hard working rising freshman fights for interior position and has good hands. As he gets bigger he could have a chance. He will need to add strength as most kids his age obviously will. He showed some interior willingness that bodes well for the future.
