DUNCANVILLE, Texas – Saturday was a long day of basketball at the adidas Gauntlet Dallas. That meant plenty of time to see a lot of talent from all over. There were some great games and some blowouts, and players stood out for different reasons as is often the case.
The college coach turnout continued to be excellent, with a number of high-profile head coaches among those in attendance over the course of the day. There’s one more day to go, and before we get to that we’ll look back at some notable players from Saturday, starting once again with the upperclassmen.
Malik Carter (6’7″ Jr. PF, Suwanee (GA) North Gwinnett HS) Many will watch his team to see Brandon Ingram, but he’s a nice complement up front. Well-built, he will battle inside while having some tools to face the basket at times.
Marquis Godfrey (Sr. SF-PF, Hayward (CA) Logan HS) Active forward has a good frame and a relatively mature body that he uses often, especially on the offensive glass. In nearly posting a double-double (off by a rebound), he got better as the game wore on, getting stickbacks in part from being quick off his feet, and although he hit from mid-range his jumper is a bit of a line drive and thus provides one area for improvement.
Malik Hicks (6’6″ Jr. SF-PF, Jackson (TN) South Side HS) Physical forward has a good frame, is a plus athlete and is more of a power forward. He can drive and finish while getting fouled, draw contact to get to the line and make some tough shots, and one time he went coast to coast for two so he isn’t lacking ball skills.
Brandon Ingram (6’8″ Jr. SF, Kinston (NC) High) Long and athletic forward is very much a baby physically, and his lack of strength doesn’t help right now. His jumper wasn’t going on the day, and his release looked a little off as well. Still, he’s very intriguing, and as he gets stronger and straightens out the jumper release, he will be worth watching.
Damontre Jefferson (5’9″ Jr. PG, Milwaukee (WI) Believe Prep) There are some things to like about him, like his quickness, good dribble, ability to zip passes inside, seemingly unlimited range shooting and physical toughness. But there are also things not to like, and it’s not just the fact that he’s probably not the listed 5’9″, is skinny and lacks strength. He comes very close to carrying the ball often, looks to the official for foul calls all day, is often a little too flashy, and to say he’s a spectator on defense is often being generous. He scored 23 points on 9-14 shooting and had four assists, but looks like a risky player to have.
Franklin Longrus (6’4″ Jr. SG-SF, Fremont (CA) Bishop O’Dowd HS) Very athletic wing has a good frame and is much more of a scorer than a shooter. He got to the basket often and made the most of it, going 6-8 from the field for 13 points, and he also had nine rebounds from the wing before a rough landing knocked the wind out of him late in the game (he played in the next game after that). He didn’t shoot it much so his jumper is an unknown quantity.
Anthony Mathis (6’2″ Jr. SG, West Linn (OR) High) A solid complementary player, he had a nice game in a win for his team with 11 points, six rebounds and four assists. He has a good frame and is a baby physically, and he hit two three-pointers along the way.
Jordan Murphy (6’8″ Jr. SF-PF, San Antonio (TX) Brennen HS) An athletic forward with a good body, he posted a nice double-double in a losing effort with 13 points and 11 rebounds. He’s not bad off the bounce, where he once was able to drive and dunk, but he may be better suited at the power forward spot right now.
Luka Radosevic (6’8″ Sr. PF, Wichita (KS) Word of Life HS) A constant factor at the offensive end for his team, he has a good frame and is a plus athlete with a more lively game off the bounce than you might expect at first glance. While he showed he can hit from long range and pass the ball, he drove often and got results, while he could also post up. On the down side, he fouled a three-point shooter late in the game to help keep them alive.
Javier Roper (6’6″ Jr. SF, Ruston (LA) New Living Word HS) Athletic wing has a ways to go physically but can already score, evidenced by his fine 23-point outing on 9-14 shooting, including 4-6 from long range, and he also grabbed eight rebounds in a win for his team. He got a stickback on one offensive board, and right now he gets away with being too quick on his pump fake and not selling the shot very well.
Brady Twombley (6’6″ Jr. SF, Carlsbad (CA) La Costa Canyon HS) A tough wing player with a good frame and relatively mature body, he really competes. He can shoot, going 3-7 from long range, and also made a few good passes in the flow of the offense. At one point, he got banged up in a collision and limped off, but returned shortly after that.
James Washington (6’2″ Sr. PG-SG, Norwalk (CA) Price HS) He scored a quiet eight points in his team’s win, but that wasn’t what stood out. He has a good frame and above-average quickness, and his body can still mature more, but he made his mark with aggressive on-the-ball defense. He wouldn’t let his man get anything edge-wise and stayed right with him.
Underclassmen
Isaiah Coleman (6’0″ Fr. PG-SG, Indianapolis (IN) La Lumiere) The big men on his team grab a lot of the attention, but he’s worth watching as he has a ways to go physically and is athletic enough to drive to make things happen. On one play, he made a quick drive and followed up his own miss in close.
Curtis Jones (6’4″ So. SG, Richmond (VA) Paul VI HS) At times, this slight wing can look like a gunner as his shot selection is tough to figure out. He can hit from long range and also hit a nice runner, but his game off the bounce leaves something to be desired, as he can handle the ball passably for the off guard spot but drove into trouble often.
Cameron McGriff (6’7″ So. SF-PF, Grand Prairie (TX) South Grand Prairie HS) Very athletic forward impressed with his ability to finish several times with contact. His body has a bit to go, so he may get even better at that, and he has some length as well. Right now he’s more of a power forward, but he’s athletic enough to one day transition to the small forward spot.
Julian Miranda (5’10” So. PG, Desoto (TX) High) Quick point guard got to the basket often for his team, and when he did he was incredibly effective with 11 points on 4-6 shooting and five assists without a turnover. His small frame and body may limit his upside a bit, but he handled well, finished with his left (off) hand and seems to like no-look passes, though he was pretty good with them.
Otha Moffitt (6’1″ Fr. SG, Dallas (TX) David W. Carter HS) A baby physically and very baby-faced, his motor is always going. He was active at both ends, hitting a number of mid-range jumpers and also getting a stickback one time. His range appears a bit limited right now, as he missed badly on the one three-pointer he put up.
Payton Pritchard (6’1″ So. PG, West Linn (OR) High) Very fundamentally sound point guard has a good body and a solid feel for the game that was on display. Besides his ability to both run the show and shoot, what’s noteworthy is how he will very freely use his left (off) hand, including a running left-handed buzzer-beater before the half of one game. He scored 19 points, going 5-8 from long range, and had five boards from the point guard spot.
