Freshman. Wide eyed, excited and nervous at the same time. A nice crop of Class of 2012 performers made their way too Vandy this past Saturday and showed what kind of game they had.
Some were overwhelmed by the strength of the upperclassmen but just as many fought hard and showed they understood what it will take to get bigger, stronger and better.
Our staff chose 13 players that had solid camps and some others who could soon get their recognition. The first 13 will be listed alphabetically.
Austin Blackwell (MBA)
Nice feel for the game, good instincts and above all played hard. Showed he could battle with the bigger guys and was not afraid to mix things up. Bright future.
Craig Bradshaw (Greenbrier)
Struggled a bit offensively but that never enter the equation when it came to defense. He often guarded older, stronger players and held his own quite nicely. Some extra work with his shot makes him deadly.
John Ross Glover (USJ)
Loved this kids intensity and drive. He is not the quickest athlete but goes hard. Showed he could put the ball on the floor and go by you and also connected on a few jumpers.
Jackson Greer (Greenbrier)
Big guys always struggle in camp atmosphere no matter how many 3 pass rule games you employ. Greer is working hard and played most of the day with a sprained ankle but gave effort and showed some promise. Whn he gets stronger in the hands and shoulder area he will be a productive high school hooper.
Christian Haile (Shelbyville)
This young man loves to play defense and this will get him on the floor earlier than most of his peers. His offensive game has a way to go but he works hard and is fearless on the floor.
Nilan Hodge (MLK)
Very impressed with his feel for the game and ability to score and distribute. Played tough regardless what age his defender was and either finished himself or layed a slick pass to a posted up big man or cutting teammate. He showed leadership and will be a factor for Coach Shelton this season.
David Howard (Independence)
Big man has good hands, moves well and wants to get better. He needs to add upper body strength and work on a go to move , as well as; keeping the ball high and away from pesky defenders. He will be well schooled at his choice of high schools and we'll see him improve as the years go along.
Anthony Lewis (Knoxville Carter)
Little guy with point guard skills showed he was a knock down shooter this weekend. Targeted as a point by size his shooting ability alone makes him versatile.
Joey Marcourek (Knoxville Powell)
Took charge of the point guard position and made his teammates better. Nice to see a youngster establish those lines and lead by example. His offensive game will need work but his shooting was'nt unfixable.
Devin Robinson (Ravenwood)
as with most of the freshman guards very slight build but still showed some ball handling skills and used either hand to finish. With strength he will continue to grow into a fine high school player.
Matt Shown (Alcoa)
Tough inside with good hands. He will need to develop some perimeter skills if his size remains the same. He works hard and loves the game so that should not prove to be a problem.
Ethan Walker (Beech)
Very strong player who can score off the bounce and finish with contact around the bucket. A good athlete who will surprise you with his jumping ability. Will benefit from a great high school coach, I lok forward to watching his progression in high school.
Montae Williams (Spring Hill)
Small but active and had a very nice stroke on his jump shot. Plays like he loves the game and will get in your grill on the defensive end of the floor.
Fred Yarbrough (Dyer County)
I love young players who are fearless. They don't care if your a freshman or Kobe Bryant they are going at you. He will be taught by a great high school coach to play the game at different speeds but you've gotta love his effort. Loved how he attacked the bucket.
Others who deserve mention include:
Ross Cannon (Knoxville Halls)
Billy Hughes (Hillsboro)
Andy Moore (Ravenwood)
Devin McClain (Goodpasture)
Kyle Hugan (Pope John Paul II)
Kiont Jones (Spring Hill)
Cham Quao (Webb School)
Donya Burnett (Station Camp)
Brandon Arnold (Chattanooga Christian)
