With the Fall Leagues behind me I can concentrate on getting to the evaluations from the Carson Newman Showcase from a weeks back. I had three other evaluators posted, all three were former college coaches and their input is very important to my final analysis. I will post a story for each team from the event.
Syracuse (41-50)
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#41 Tyler Hughes (Kingston)
5-11 PG 2015
Hard working lead guard who has a real feel for the game and understands how to get his team in the half court. Hughes is a good shooter and was adept at moving the ball forward to start the break. He is constant motion and moves very well without the ball looking for open spaces to take his shot. He is a quality defender who gets up into his opponent, using his strength to take away lanes. I would like to see him become more vocal, as a team leader and potential captain, his younger players will look to him for leadership. He plays like a leader but will need to communicate that better on the floor.
#42 Seth Pebley (Campbell County)
5-11 PG 2015
Tough kid who plays with emotion and passion. His effort is his strength and he has a willingness to get better and seems very coachable as well. His is an average shooter who could really increase his productivity with some tweaking of the footwork and release portions of the shot. He needs to improve his quickness and over lateral speed. Improving his positioning on defense will also increase his overall productivity. One can overcome some athletic issues with positioning and anticipation. Unselfish player who looked to pass first and seemed much more content when we attempted to control the tempo of the games. He showed he could make the advance pass and always ran the floor.
#43 Hillary Huyler (Hamilton Heights)
6-3 SG 2015
Active player seemed to find his niche playing on the defensive side of the floor. All evaluations pointed to his defensive prowess, using his body and athleticism to stay in front of his man. Huyler is an adequate offensive player who will need continued work on his shooting stroke, he seems to have an understanding for how the offensive is run and gets to the right spot. He cuts hard and presents himself for open scoring chances. He was very comfortable when the games got into transition mode and he was the point man in advancing the ball for the easy bucket. Outstanding young man as well which is something that can never be underestimated.
#44 Joan Duran (Hamilton Heights)
6-6 WF 2015
Immediately passes the look test and has done wonders to make himself into a viable prospect for the next level. Duran has excellent size, a college ready body and severely improved skills, especially in the ball-handling and shooting departments of the game. He is by no means where he needs to be but his maturation and continued development are truly encouraging signs. Duran needs to increase his motor, compete on every possession, when he has the ball or not. His basketball IQ is improving and he seems to be grasping a feel for the game beyond strictly relying on his athletic gifts. A very coachable young man, Duran finds angles to score, runs the floor exceptionally well and is not afraid to mix it up on the interior. Great kid who has a mega bright future.
#46 Zhimaal Laing (Hamilton Heights)
5-11 PG 2015
Small but active lead guard that was very comfortable playing a very fast paced game. A solid athlete he seemed to be in his element when the games got more into a full court sequence. As a point guard he will need to work on his decision making and ability to get his team into a half court setting. He wants to push the pace at all times and tends to make bad basketball decisions when he forces the action. He is very good at leading and getting out on the break and was at his best in transition. Unfortunately there is more to the game than fast break basketball. He has the athleticism to be a much better defender and stop gambling for steals. As a change of pace guard he really gets the blood flowing and the action rising to a fever pitch.
#47 Dalton Price (Maryville)
6-1 SG 2015
Playing with a great deal of confidence, Price was clearly one of the best shooters at the entire event. He has a grasp of the game, plays unselfish and is stroking the rock with utmost vigor. He was clearly in his element running the floor, finding open shooting spots, putting the ball on the deck for some easy floaters and using his pump fake to get open floor space. He used the back cut to his advantage to set up defenders and has his sweet spot in the dead corner for his go to shooting spot. Defensively he needs to take a step up and make himself a more well rounded player. Price could find himself in the midst of a very productive upcoming senior campaign if he continues to play with this confidence level.
#49 Juwan Steele (Knoxville Central)
6-2 WF/PF 2018
Young player who gave maximum effort despite not knowing where he was on the floor at times. Steele was a work horse inside, he crashed the offensive boards with relentless pursuit but at times seemed lost when the game was in half court mode. Not afraid to take the ball right to the rim, Steele will need to finish his moves and convert buckets. Those are things that come with time and experience so to see his effort and his lack of fear is refreshing at this age group. On the perimeter he struggled at times with his shot, his release is very slow and he seems much more confident taking his action to the bucket. His effort was never in question and he seems like a kid who loves to play so his future certainly leans to the bright side.
#50 Maverick Smith (Oakdale)
6-4 WF/PF 2017
Young player with good size for a potential wing, shoots the ball well and has a good feel for the game overall. Smith is a solid catch and shoot kid, solid form on his jumper, a penchant for using the baseline to his advantage and a kid who has confidence in his skills. He struggled on the interior guarding bigger post players. He will certainly need to find a membership to a gym and work on his strength, this will increase his confidence, productivity and his shooting range as well. Form wise his shooting touch is good, he needs to quicken his delivery especially against longer athletes who close better and limit his shooting area. A shoot fake and a quick dribble will open up a world of scoring opportunities to him as well.
