Colorado PTP Combine: Top sophomore performers

<p>As we continue to march through our coverage of last weekend&#39;s Prep Hoops Colorado Prime Time Prospects Combine at Gold Crown Fieldhouse, today we dissect some of the top performances from the sophomores in attendance.</p><p>The class of 2018 has the chance to be an excellent one in Colorado, and we were glad to get a look at a few of its top members.</p> <h2>Eugene Rivers, 5-foot-9 guard, Gateway</h2><p>We mentioned Rivers yesterday in our list of players who went from obscurity to the forefront given their performances at the combine.</p> <p>Rivers was certainly one of those players thanks to his innate instincts with the ball. He&#39;s a smooth dribbler who handles the ball well in the traffic and knows how to distribute among big bodies once he drives to the lane. Rivers will obviously hope to add a few inches to his frame, but his skill set has the chance to get him to the next level.</p> <h2>Brody McCord, 6-foot-2 guard, Legend</h2><p>McCord, whose older brother Connor is a 6-foot-7 senior forward at Legend, already has a mature body for a sophomore at 6-foot-2, 160 pounds with a frame that looks like it has plenty of room to grow.</p> <p>McCord is solid with the ball and showed a quick release during the catch-and-shoot drill from the elbow. Has the strength to create separation off the dribble and elevates well to shoot over defenders.</p> <p>McCord handled the ball well and is a tough matchup with good size and strength on the perimeter, and he&#39;s not afraid to mix it up underneath either. Can use some seasoning, but could be an intriguing prospect on the perimeter with a little bit of growth.</p> <h2>Jovan Dodig, 5-foot-11 guard, Lakewood</h2><p>The first thing that stood about Dodig was just how intense of a competitor he was. He attacked each of the drills during the testing portion of the event with ferocity. Again, we are still a couple days away from getting the full testing results back, but I&#39;d be surprised if Dodig wasn&#39;t among the quickest in the lane agility test. He zoomed through that square course.</p> <p>As far as skills, Dodig handled the ball well. He was particularly strong in the elbow shooting drill, sprinting off the end line and stopping on a dime as he caught the ball at the elbow. His form on his shot could use some work, primarily a need for more extension on his follow-through, but those items are correctable.</p> <p>Importantly, Dodig was easily identifiable as a player who plays with maximum effort and makes life difficult for the opposition. If he can grow a few more inches and polish up some raw skill sets, he could give himself the chance to be a small-college player.</p> <h2>Jaylen Harden, 6-foot-4 forward, Columbine</h2><p>At 6-foot-4 and 180 lean pounds, Harden already has the look of an intriguing prospect. He could stand to become a little more explosive, but the athleticism piece is there, and he demonstrated strength in a crowd on Saturday. He also ran the floor well.</p> <p>Harden displays nice shooting touch and can handle the ball well. Defensively, he was active and engaged on Saturday. His size gives him a chance to play a role for Columbine, and it will be interesting to track his growth. If Harden can get to about 6-6 with the strong frame he already has, he could turn heads.</p> <h2>Jalen Talbott, 5-foot-11 guard, Eaglecrest</h2><p>Talbott was a walk-up registrant on Saturday morning, and we&#39;re glad he showed up the fieldhouse. Continuing in the tradition of talented Eaglecrest guards, Talbott has a toughness about him that was on display.</p> <p>He guards the ball with aggressiveness, and he has good lateral quickness. On the offense end, Talbott is an effective ball-handler who can play off the ball or on, and he&#39;s able to penetrate and makes good decisions with the ball when he does.</p> <p>Talbot and Rivers were part of an impressive group of guards from the Rocky Mountain Vipers that also included Gateway guard Michkaleke Baker and Eaglecrest&#39;s Rayhann Webb. All four players could stand to add more size, and surely will once season weight-room sessions kick in, but their skills make the whole group of Vipers players to watch going forward.</p> <h2>Raekwon Azor, 5-foot-5 guard, Denver South</h2><p>Azor is small than most guards, but that doesn&#39;t affect his toughness. A very capable ball-handler, Azor isn&#39;t afraid to mix it up in the lane with bigger bodies.</p> <p>Obviously, he&#39;d like to grow a few inches, but his toughness and ball skills will be enough for now to give Azor a chance to contribute. His speed made a difference in transition on Saturday, and it also helps him be an aggressive on-ball defender.</p>