Notebook: Big Shots Loaded
One of the largest tournament showcase companies in the country returned to Richmond last weekend for the annual Big Shots Loaded Tournament and they put together one of the more talent filled events of the early summer. The event featured teams from national programs like Team Loaded VA, Team Loaded NC, Big Shots Elite, River City Reign, Erick Green Premier, Team Loaded 757, Boo Williams, WCBA and more. It also featured a wide group of local teams that we finally got to see like SQBA, Hard 2 Guard, CVA Flight, FCF Ballers, D1SA Spartans, Tribe Elite and more. Here’s a breakdown of some of the things we saw at Big Shots Elite.
Big Shots Elite Continues Dominance
The Big Shots Elite team improved to 16-0 on the way to winning their fourth championship of the summer. A close knit group of seven mid major plus prospects, they handled a number of talented teams, including a three point victory over Team Loaded VA, and played a beautiful brand of basketball that you usually won’t see in an AAU environment.
All seven of the players have division one offers, but their most touted recruit is 6’4” Luke Frampton from Poca (WV), a lights out shooter with offers from Marshall, JMU and Winthrop, among others. Another standout, with VA ties, was 6’5” Bryce Schneider, who’s committed to Richmond, where he’ll fit in perfectly with his ability to shoot it, defend multiple positions and his unselfish play on the wing.
Liberty commit Elijah Cuffee, a 6’4” wing that also plays at Poca, showed that he could be the steal of the 2017 class at Liberty with his strength, high IQ and ability to score in many ways. While others, including James Sullivan of Turner Ashby and Darius George of Robert E. Lee, perhaps the most impressive player was 5’11” Jarrod West. The WV point guard holds offers from Marshall, Longwood, ECU, JMU and Liberty, and he did everything you want out of a point guard. He played with a chip, shot the ball well, was a lock down defender on the basketball and made winning plays throughout the event.
With their chemistry, and the fact that they have seven players who can all dribble, shoot and pass, it will be tough for teams to be able to match up with Big Shots Elite, regardless of how talented they are.
2018 Point Guards Shine
The 2018 class is stacked at multiple positions, and while there were a number of players shined this weekend in Richmond, there was an abundance of point guards that played well. Here’s just a few of the young lead guards that showed out.
- Rasir Bolton; 6’2” Team Loaded VA 17U: Bolton has that natural feel and ability that makes him one of the best young guards on the east coast. He doesn’t have ridiculous size, but he’s long and talented, and understands when to take over a game and when to defer to others. He’ll have high majors knocking down his door in the July live period.
- Alex Petrie; 6’3” River City Reign: He announced he’ll reclassify to 2018 after the season, and he’s been on the grind ever since. Petrie is already big and crafty, and he’s an excellent shooter when he’s in rhythm of the bounce or the catch. He had games of 16, 25 and 23 points, and has shown an improved understanding of when to give it up instead of forcing.
- Jonathan Norfleet; 6’2” Team Loaded VA: His teammate Mac McClung has been all the rage so far this summer, but Norfleet had a great weekend and showed a lot of potential himself for Team Loaded VA. The 6’2″ Virginia Beach guard showed explosive athleticism, a smooth pull up game and great finishing ability when attacking downhill.
- Rechon “Leaky” Black; 6’6” Team Loaded NC 17U: He was playing with his former UNC backcourt mate in Jalek Felton, and we all got to see how dominant that can be. Leaky still has a ways to go, but his long frame and athleticism make him very intriguing, especially on the defensive end. He sees the floor well with his height allowing him to see over pressure, and his jumper is getting to where you have to respect him from deep.
- William Steger; 5’6” Team Loaded 757: We go from the biggest lead guard to possibly the smallest, but size doesn’t matter with Steger because he always finds a way to get it done. The 5’6″ lead guard plays with a chip, lives in the lane and gets after it on both ends on every play. His lightning quick first step is hard to stay in front of, and he gets under defenders and makes them uncomfortable the length of the floor.
- Tommie Pope; 6’0” Team Loaded 757: He’s known as a defender and creator for Norcom, but he’s made a lot of plays this summer for 757. He attacked with aggression all weekend, and his shiftiness off the bounce allows him to get in the paint where he’s athletic enough to finish at or above the rim.
- Chris Rogers; 5’11” Spectrum: With the departure of Nick Price to Team Loaded VA, Rogers has been moved back to the point guard spot for Spectrum. He handled pressure well, was successful for the most part in getting them into their sets and taking care of the ball, and he played with a chip and shot the ball well throughout the weekend.
Kiyon Boyd a Star in the Making
The 2018 shooting guard out of HD Woodson in Washington DC has been making a lot of noise on the Adidas Gauntlet Circuit playing up with Team Loaded VA 17U, and in our first chance to watch him we saw why. The 6’4″ guard has already picked up offers from Florida, Baylor, VCU, Providence, Penn State, Virginia Tech and Auburn since the summer has began, and he’ll continue to develop into a blue chip, high major plus prospect.
Boyd has a very strong upper body, making defenders bounce off of him when he attacks off the wing and allowing him to finish through contact. He has a scorer’s mentality, always looking to get to his spots and, and he has the whole arsenal in isolation situations. He can score it off the catch, he can rip-and-go, he can size you up and knock it down from anywhere, he’s good in the middle and he can finish above the rim.
Boyd has a high basketball IQ, and playing up only seems to bring the better out in him. He’ll be a kid that draws national attention as he continues to improve on his game and put up big numbers on the national stage.
Gardner Repeats for Team Loaded NC
6’6” forward Jayden Gardner, from Heritage High School in NC, was a big factor in Team Loaded NC’s championship in the 16U Gold division this weekend. Gardner is a strong forward that gets off his feet quick, gets after it on the offensive glass and shows a killer instinct and willingness to have the ball in his hands with the game on the line. He won his second straight MVP award at Big Shots Team Loaded, and currently holds five offers from mid major programs. BE sure to check out the recruiting report on Jayden Gardner coming out soon!
Loaded 757 Wings Lead Them to Championship Game
Team Loaded 757 had a great weekend in all age groups, but their 17U team upset Team Loaded NC on their way to the championship game, where they eventually fell to Big Shots Elite. While they have a balanced attack and a number of talented players, two big wings stood out as possible breakout candidates this season.
The first was 6’5” Taqwain Drummond out of Kecoughtan, who we recently did a recruiting report on. Drummond caught fire in their semifinal win over Team Loaded NC, where he hit five three’s down the stretch to help lead them to the upset. He showed a quick release and great elevation on his shot, making it hard for smaller guards to contest on a closeout.
The other wing, who has come a long way, was Salem’s TJ Taylor, a 6’6” forward who was excellent in transition and on the offensive glass. Taylor has great potential on the defensive end with his size and ability to move laterally, and he stepped up big on the last day, including finishing an And-One in sudden death overtime to beat Team Loaded NC. He has to become more consistent on the perimeter, but he has already improved a lot and will be one to watch moving forward.
EG Premier Continues to Compete with the Best
Since the Winchester Stars picked up a sponsorship from former star Erick Green last season, EG Premier 16U has quietly competed at a high level in tournaments across the country. They still stick to their hometown roots with a roster full of kids who mainly play in the Winchester area, one of the more underrated areas of high school talent in VA.
EG Premier 16U, the first group that will go through the circuit with the name, already won a championship in Hoop Group Spring Jam Fest at Spooky Nook, and they performed well in Pittsburgh and in Richmond. The MVP of the Spring Jam Fest, 6’5″ Gus Wise, showed out again in Richmond. Wise showed the ability to play inside-out, as he posted smaller wings and stretched the defense by knocking down shots. He isn’t the most athletic forward, but he has great size and intelligence, and a motor that makes him play bigger than his.
Wise’s high school teammate, Kobe Tigney, also showed a lot of potential. The two will pair up at Handley High School, and what Wise lacks in athleticism Tigney excels there. A 6’4″ wing that is dangerous in transition, his length and ability to finish around the basket makes him an exciting player to watch. Those same intangibles make you think Tigney could also be a defensive stopper down the line.
Another standout for EG Premier was 6’2″ Chandler Brooks who plays at Handley’s cross-town rival James Wood High School. A scoring two guard with good burst and athleticism, Brooks fills it up from all over the floor, and his strong upper frame translates well to the next level. He’s starting to come into his own since winning the MVP at Big Shots Myrtle Beach last July.
With additional pieces like 6’7″ Jake Stephens, a stretch four that is also physical in the post, and scrappy 5’10” point guard Michael Brown who also plays at Handley, this team has the right mix of chemistry, talent and versatility to compete with a lot of the top programs in the mid-atlantic area.
2019 Standouts & Points
- After a solid freshman season at John Marshall, 2019 point guard Levar Allen has been on a tear early this summer for Team Loaded VA 15U. He picked up his first offer from Winthrop in Atlanta two weekends ago, and has been excellent when attacking defenders downhill and finishing through contact.
- Not to be outdone, Allen’s Team Loaded VA teammate 2019 Zac Ervin showed a lot of promise this weekend. At 6’5” the wing has terrific size, he can shoot the outside shot, put the ball on the floor to get his own buckets and hits the offensive glass hard. At such a young age, he’s got a great understanding of the game and his work ethic is high too.
- After telling us he will likely reclassify to 2019 at Benedictine, 6’5” wing Gibson Jimmerson was lights out for River City Reign 16U this weekend. The stocky sharp shooter had games of 15, 20 and 32 points, and his 32 point game he went 8-for-9 from behind the arc and hit the game winner at the buzzer. Another year to get his body right should help him boost his stock later in his career.
- Another 2019 duo that got it done was 6’3” DeArvae Heard and 5’11” Antwan Epps Jr. of BWSL Graves 15U, who were playing up in the 16U bracket this weekend. Heard, who will be at Maury next season, is a strong wing who knows how to use his frame to finish around the basket in traffic. Epps, who was Tidewater Newcomer of the Year at Granby, is a crafty lefty with deep range and a quick release. They’ll be ones to keep an eye on moving forward this summer.
- In their run to the 15U championship, before losing to Team Loaded VA, Team Loaded 757 guard Jason Ford showed great marksmanship from deep. He has a fluid motion, great footwork, deep range and he shoots it the same every time. He’s been on our radar for a while, and his ability to let it fly is a great start for a player his age.
- 2019 Jalen Henderson from Team Loaded 434 and Ridgeview Christian has turned a lot of heads early this summer. He’s a lengthy 6’3” wing with a lot of bounce and the ability to put it on the floor and knock it down from deep. He has the frame and natural ability, and if he works at it he should have a chance to be very special moving forward.