The following are player evaluations for the NPA Sports Elite Camp concluded on August 5th and 6th. The camp features 85+ players ranging from 9th grade to 12th grade of all skill levels. Evaluations will be done numerically with each segment covering a 10 digit sequence. Player name, year and school were provided so if any changes need to be made please let me know.
- Jaylen Alexander (Maplewood)
Lefty guard who was not in attendance for the drill work on Saturday so very limited opportunity to see him with game action on Sunday. What was clearly apparent was his desire to compete on both ends of the floor. He attacked the basket on offense and like most left-handed players he was very left side dominant. His outside shot was not something he appears to be confident with as he rarely if at all attempted to shoot from the perimeter. His strong suit was hard to bucket and his demeanor when on the floor. I was unclear of what year he was in school, the handful of players who came on Sunday didn't have a great deal of information provided for them.
- Chaz Lanier (?????)
I apologize in advance as another player who was not in attendance on Saturday. I was unclear of his year in school and what school he attended. In the short time I was able to see him perform he showed aggression and played with effort which is always a good sign. He is not overtly athletic and will need to work with someone on getting more explosion and lateral quickness.
- Robert Wilcox (Maplewood) 2018
Impressive athlete with some real quickness and explosion. Another player who was only at the event on Sunday, Wilcox plays the game in fast mode all the time, slowing down and letting some things develop around him would be very beneficial to his basketball IQ development. Aggression is coveted but over aggression can be used against you when dealing with well scouted and well coached players. tendencies to force the issue brings about needless fouls and excessive time on the bench. He forces shots, his shooting touch needs work but is not broken. Decision making will be another area he needs to find improvement, bad shots, inopportune turnovers and simply playing too fast are things that will make him a seriously recruited player. Coaches love aggression and he has oodles of that, they love intensity and he oozes this, basketball maturity will be his best friend.
- Juwan Carpenter (Stratford) 2019
Raw and raw again, seriously great looking athlete with a basketball body that can hold weight. Length is his friend and he knows how to get scoring chances either from the outside, which is adequate at best, or where he seems most comfortable coming off the dribble from the wing. Creative scorer, he finished at the rim very well, worked hard for offensive boards and really exploded to the bucket when he spied an opening, his game is a bit unorthodox but it is effective. He really needs to work on his footwork and developing some mid-range shooting habits that will only increase his offensive value. Defensively he seems like a lost soul, he is much to good of an athlete to be such a lackluster defensive player. He lunges, takes unnecessary chances and doesn't move his feet. He could be a devastating defender with his gifts. When he decides to put the same effort he display on offense towards the defensive end then we will have a real player on our hands.
- Macen Redner (Brentwood) 2021
I truly like watching young players who understand the game. Their struggle, as we have mentioned in several other evaluations, and will continue to harp upon is their basketball mind is way ahead of their basketball body. "He appears to get it", was a quote from one of the college coaches in attendance when seated with me. I agree he does have an above average basketball IQ and thus was able to do some very solid things in the drill work. Some guys do not work well in a free lance type of atmosphere where the guards seemingly dominate the ball. Some guys, even if they are guards, like the structure of an offense, knowing where they should be at all times and this allows them to display what they do well. Remember he has not set foot in a high school game yet so yes we know he is weak, we know he is thin and we know he is small but he can shoot the ball and he understands the flow. Once his body catches up, his confidence will follow and then I will say I told you so.
- Darrow Parrish (Hillsboro) 2021
Another young player who I observed at length that appeared to really struggle with his confidence when he found himself overmatched athletically and physically. I believe he let this play on his mind to the degree that it affected his ability to perform to the level that he was accustomed to playing. He has never seen a high school floor yet so his expectations should be tapered as he grows into the game and his body. He played with effort which is always a good sign and one of the most important factors when watching players in the younger age groups. His body language got worse as the camp went on, he forced the issue and really let his lack of size negatively hinder his performance. I think as his confidence grows and he begins to understand that he can play with the older guys his productivity will increase and his value to his squad will be an asset.
- Keontai Windrow (Stratford) 2018
You can see in his actions and in his eyes he really wants to be a good player. He is small but he is active and he really plays with effort on both ends of the floor. He is physically overmatched in most situations but his confidence allows him to not give in and he makes his opponent work for everything they get. He really needs to improve his decision making as he is a point guard, so be a point guard. He needs to work on all things point guard, work on being a leader, work on making everyone around you better and stop turning the ball over so much. Find scoring opportunities, you are not the primary scoring option, I realize the desire is there but your next level chances will balance on how you run a squad, how you lead and how you win.
