Grassroots: Some Fresh New Faces (Forwards)
During the July Evaluation Period, I had a chance to see many excellent players from the Show-Me State for the first time at the KC Hardwood Classic, Jayhawk Summer Finale and Sunflower Classic. Many of these players may attend small…
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Continue ReadingDuring the July Evaluation Period, I had a chance to see many excellent players from the Show-Me State for the first time at the KC Hardwood Classic, Jayhawk Summer Finale and Sunflower Classic. Many of these players may attend small school around the state or may play for grassroots programs that don’t have a huge profile. They are still quality players. Here are some of the forwards who fall into that category.
Kennedy Davis 6’4″ Missouri Hustle Central 17U (Glasgow, ’17): A physical post player who goes at about 240 pounds and doesn’t mind tossing it around the lane. Plays at Class 1 Glasgow who was a standout on a Final Four team. Davis played well at the Hardwood Classic. Did a nice job of getting excellent position in the post and finishing around the basket. A very active rebounder.
Jackson Golighty 6’6″ Missouri Mavericks Black 17U (Maryville, ’17): A long slender marksman who played the ideal Stretch 4 role for his team at the Jayhawk. He displayed excellent 3-point shooting off the catch in the two games I witnessed. Shoots it with a lot of confidence. He is also a solid ball handler.
Makenzie Fessler 6’3″ Missouri Mavericks Black 17U (Marceline ’17): A Class 2 standout at Marceline, Fessler can really operate in the low post and high post. He has an excellent touch in the paint, especially with his jump hook over the left shoulder. He also owned the high post area, where he shot the ball well from 15 feet. He could also make a move off the bounce to get to the basket.
Tommie Robinson III 6’7″ Rainmakers Elite 17U (Saxony Lutheran ’18): A wide-body post at 300 pounds, his size and strength made him very tough to handle down low. When he carved out his position in the low post, it was impossible to move him off his spot. He finished well around the basket. When he did miss, he was able to score on put backs. Moves pretty well for a young man of his size.
Devin Drew 6’2″ KC Elite 16U (Raytown ’18): An impressive forward who plays much bigger than his size. Led his team to the Silver Division championship at the Hardwood Classic. He was a beast around the basket with his ability to score and rebound. His activity led to productivity. Very strong and quick around the basket.
Dalijamar Basket 6’3″ KC Elite 15U (Ruskin ’19): An impressive young athlete who did a nice job in the low post. He has a good body and some very long arms, which made him a factor on the offensive boards, where he was very active. He is also a solid athlete. Has a big upside and looks to have a promising future if he grows and develops.
Traellis Miller 6’5″ KC Oz Elite (Raytown ’17): One of the most impressive rebounders that I saw over the weekend. Did an excellent job at the Sunflower on the boards. He did a great job of rebounding out of his area. Showed a passion for chasing down boards. In an eight minute stretch, I counted Miller with nine rebounds. Excellent.