Practice around the state began in earnest yesterday and with the final camp of the fall we close things out with the reviews from our West Tennessee showcase. Talent engulfed the gym in Henderson and we will start our profiles with the Class of 2012. These players will be listed in alphabetical order:
Willie Atwood (Kirby)
Very impressive length and a straight up nice stroke from deep. Smooth above his years, Atwood was one of the better youngsters in the entire showcase. He played hard on defense and showed he is a player to keep an eye on for the coming seasons.
Johnnie Brown (Bolivar Central)
Coach Rick keeps 'em comin in Bolivar with another stable of talented youngsters. Brown was a very athletic 6'3 leaper who will obviously need to work on his skill level on the offensive side of the ball.
Taylen Douglas (Liberty Tech)
Could we have found the next little big man for Coach Williams at Liberty. Douglas is a 5'4 quickness packed dynamo who goes hard to the bucket at every opportunity even if the situation does not merit this action. He will learn, Coach will make sure.
Matt Gilboy (Perry County)
Good size and an impressive basketball IQ. His strength allowed him to score inside and his ability to shoot the ball gave him a step, which he used to his advantage despite not being a great athlete. He plays above his years and as he gets into basketball shape he will be a contributor this season.
Cameron Golden (Ridgeway)
Smooth lefty stroke, excellent ball-handling skills, quick first step and ability to shoot running floater over bigger defenders defined the exploits of Mr. Golden. He must become comfortable using his right hand and his game will flourish.
Myron Johnson (Carver)
Excellent quickness and the ability to penetrate and score off the dribble. Loved his potential leadership skills and how he handles himself on the court. Very bright future for this young man.
Joey Macourek (Powell)
Made the trek from the East to see how he faired against the Western competition. He did fine. Love his demeanor on the court, he plays hard and knows his role as point man. His size will be a factor as he must overcome this with quickness and leadership from out front. Love his work ethic and energy.
Treline Polk (Bolivar Central)
Struggled at first to the tempo of what was happening but once he did he showed some very obvious skills. Quick and good length give him a leg up on his peers but consistent effort will seperate him. He can shoot the ball and is comfortable facing the bucket and going hard off the dribble. I like his size and length and look for him to be one of the next good ones from Bolivar.
Tyler Price (Bolivar Central)
Wonderful stroke, one of the better stand still shooter at the event. Must develop his game to include more than the outside shot, he gave effort and did'nt shy away from contact, which bodes well for his introduction into high school hoops.
Fabian Sain (Bolivar Central)
Thick and athletic were the obvious characteristic of this future Bolivar star. Light on his feet and quick to the bucket give him a chance to see some early playing time. He will need to develop his ball-handling and outside shooting as his peers catch up with him in size.
Jarrell Stokes (Memphis Central)
Impressive big man who showed very good hands and understands the post up game and how to clear for boards. He will need to learn to play hard all the time but that will come with maturity and added strength. His body is ready to play immediately but he needs additional work on his offensive game to become elite.
Chase Winslow (USJ)
One of the better shooter especially for this class at the showcase. He understands the footwork dynamic of shooting and it showed as he knocked down several open jumpers. As most players this age strength will be the immediate issue but understanding how to play, he has that gene and will see immediate playing time because of it.
Montrae Williams (Spring Hill)
Smooth yet as we stated before small. Strength becomes the biggest issue for the incoming youngsters and those who grasp this concept will be ready to contribute before their peers who do not. Williams has a nice stroke and as he gains confidence, which incidently coincides with strength, he will be a good player.
Class of 2013
Two youngster from this class attended the event on recommendations from their mentors.
Jequan Lewis (Dickson County)
Way ahead of the curve intelligence wise and obviously understands the game. He dominates his age group and held his own on Saturday. Nice shooting touch, needs to dribble less but showed he was one of the up and coming talents in this class.
Kevin Petterson (Marshall County)
Another above average point guard who understand the game and really has a flair at this young age. Coming off a tough football season he is rounding into shape but you can see his understanding of his position and another youngster with a bright future.
