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.
SYRACUSE (41-50)
41. Cameron Turner (Farragut) 2014 5'11 PG
Showed excellent leadership skills while running the offense, Cameron has a high basketball IQ and makes good decisions with the ball when focused. He has an outstanding shot and has good enough handles to penetrate the lane and score or dish. He needs to add strength to finish his drives to the hoop and become more adamant about playing on the defensive end.
42. Adarius Wilson (Bearden) 2013 6'0 SG
Offensively Wilson can do a multitude of things, he pushes the ball hard, gets to the rim easily, he knocks down shots, has quickness but must work on his handles as he forces himself to become a backcourt player. He seems much more comfortable in the half-court playing with his back to basket. Defensively he has the athletic and lateral skill to be effective but does not always make the effort.
43. Shaquille Davis (Nashville Overton) 2013 6'2 SG
Shaq has good size, seems comfortable on the floor, has athleticism and plays hard. He gets to the bucket when needed and can pass the ball as well. He will need to improve his outside stroke and work on his handles to become an effective two/three on the next level.
44. Matthew Wagoner (Austin East) 2013 6'4 WF/PF
Uses his size to his benefit on the interior, plays hard and goes after rebounds and gets easy stick backs. He is a good defender who is not afraid to take a charge and uses his size to keep bigger guys away from the lane. He is undersized for an interior player so his game will need to evolve as he works on his shooting and ball-handling to play some on the perimeter.
45. Lucas Ledbetter (Cookeville) 2013 6'7 PF/C
Much improved big man was a favorite among all the evaluations I received. Lucas has a great motor he understands the game, is an excellent passer out of the double team, catches well, keeps the ball high and uses his body to create scoring space and rebounding room. Showed he could score of either shoulder with some nifty lefty moves.
47. Jaquail Williams (Austin East) 2014 6'2 SG
Superb athlete who also excels on the gridiron, Williams is a big time defender with his athleticism and length. He can score the ball with a good outside stroke and seems to get better as the games goes along. He is a special athlete with some special skills if he works at it.
48. Gavin Ownby (Volunteer) 2014 6'1 SG
High basketball IQ, Ownby is a smart player who is not overly athletic but understands the game. He uses angles very well on defense and understands positioning and fundamentals. Well coached young man does not over-dribble on offense using the 1-2 bounce method well. He does not over think the game and is an excellent teammate.
49. Logan McDavid (Dobyns-Bennett) 2015 6'0 SG
Youngster, as most do his age and grade level, really needs to work on his strength. He has a wonderful understanding of what he needs to do just does not have the power or size to execute those moves or thoughts. He has a decent stroke from outside and uses the up and over to create scoring space very well.
50. Luke Sheppard (Grace Christian) 2015 6'2 PF
Undersized inside player is a fun kid to watch, Luke is strong and uses his size and bulk to make space and has a knack for snatching offensive boards from much larger players. Plays well with his back to the basket, passes well out of the post and can shoot if he has time. He needs to work on his lateral quickness and add some perimeter oriented things to his game to make him more complete.
LOUISVILLE (51-60)
52. Gage Spence (Stone Memorial) 2015 6'2 PG
Fun player to watch, Gage has some swagger and plays with passion and determination. He is unselfish to a fault and seems to always be looking for the next cutter; he has good handles and can break down his defender nearly at will. He has great anticipation skills and can score the ball if left open. He will need to add strength as he steps up a level in competition and make himself more of an offensive threat as well.
53. Kelvin Jackson (Fulton) 2015 6'2 SG
"Must go harder" was a direct quote from one of the evaluators as they watched young Mr. Jackson play. Kelvin showed some superb moments scoring in a variety of ways including four straight trips with a short jumper. He is good in the open floor and has ball skills. His game is predicated on emotion and he must get away from this if he wishes to move to the next level. He has all the tools to be one of the best in the area.
54. Clay Jeffers (Oneida) 2013 6'4 PF
Undersized interior player plays hard and can knock down the open shot with time. He needs to improve his athletic skills and lateral quickness. He needs to slow the tempo down at times as he gets going to fast and causes himself to make bad decisions with the ball. He can be effective at his class level as he plays with passion.
55. Connor Mitchell (Dobyns-Bennett) 2013 6'7 PF/C
Face up four man who showed he could knock down some shots. He showed he could run the floor well and is a better than advertised athlete with quick ups. He plays hard and gets after loose balls. He needs to work on quickening his shot and learning to play with his back to the bucket a little more often.
56. Diego Poore (Cumberland County) 2015 6'0 PG
Young player showed some solid skills as he battled with the upperclassmen at the showcase. Poore has a good pull-up jumper in the lane and keeps his head up looking for cutters and moving the ball ahead on the break. He runs the floor well and can shoot from deep if he has time. Must work on his decision making in the half-court and become a leader from the point guard position.
57. Daniel Norl (Kenwood) 2014 6'2 SG
"He lets the game to come to him", was the basis of every evaluation on Mr. Norl. He plays with a smooth tempo and can kill with that dagger jump-shot from anywhere on the floor. He has solid ball skills and changes speeds well enough to get past even the quickest defender to finish or make a nice dish to a cutting teammate. He defends well, moves his feet and has all the tricks on the offensive end.
58. John Woodruff (Carter) 2015 6'2 SG
Young man has good size and plays hard. He needs to slow down on offense and take what the defense gives him instead of trying too hard to make something happen. He is athletic and runs the floor, shoot ok and will be an effective option once he learns to play at a good game pace. He will need to work on his ball-handling and make that outside shot a weapon.
59. TyQuez Itiat (Stratford) 2014 6'3 SG/WF
Pleasant surprise the Nashville junior is a tremendous athlete who runs the floor, has quick moves along the baseline and can finish in traffic. He is a superb defender and has the chance to be a stopper if that's the role he chooses to pursue. Showed he could catch and shoot as well.
60. Matthew Norl (Kenwood) 2016 6'2 WF
Rising freshman was not afraid to mix it up with the big boys. Norl proved he could battle inside and found himself on the receiving end of several tough rebounds and put-backs. He seems to relish the contact and was not afraid to defend in the post either. He is undersized for the inside so his shooting and skills work will need development but he has interior skills if he continues to grow.
