Standouts: Dr1ven Timesland Invitational (Part 1)
The second annual Timesland Invitational Showcase was held Sunday at North Cross School in Roanoke, VA. Hosted by Dr1ven Training’s David Williams, the event featured over 20 of the best prospects in the 540/276/434 area, giving kids a chance to…
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Continue ReadingThe second annual Timesland Invitational Showcase was held Sunday at North Cross School in Roanoke, VA. Hosted by Dr1ven Training’s David Williams, the event featured over 20 of the best prospects in the 540/276/434 area, giving kids a chance to show college coaches that there’s plenty of talent in the Southwest part of the state. Here’s part one of the standouts from Sunday, featuring seven kids that we had seen before that really showed out.
Baker Haviland | 6’7” PF | Cave Spring 2017
One of the most sought after bigs in the Roanoke area, it’s easy to see why every ODAC school wants him as he is very well spoken, unselfish and has great grades and test scores. On the court, the 6’6” forward showed good touch from the outside, a good motor in the stations and rebounded the ball particularly well. His ability to step out and stretch the floor really separates him from other bigs of his caliber, and if he continues to work he should have a very successful college career.
Dominique Joyce | 6’5” PF | Patrick Henry 2017
The other senior big that college coaches came to see was Joyce, and despite missing much of the summer with a minor back injury he gave everything he had when he was on the floor. He has to get back into shape, but his length and activity on both ends of the floor allowed him to make plays whether it was a deflection, altering a shot or getting a putback. The best part of Joyce’s game is his versatility though. Offensively, he can push the ball or run in transition with guards, has a good feel when it comes to passing and showed that he can hit the midrange as well.
Malik Johnson | 6’4” G | George Wythe 2017
The former 1A West Player of the Year showed why he’s been considered one of the top players in SWVA the last three seasons. Johnson possesses great size as a combo guard, but what’s impressive is how he uses it to see and deliver passes over shorter guards. When he’s off the ball he can catch and shoot with the best of them, and his size allows him to attack the glass and keep plays alive on the offensive end. He currently holds a division two offer from Concord, with more likely on the way.
Nick Price | 6’1” PG | Northside 2018
Price has been one of the best players in the Roanoke area the last few seasons, and it’s encouraging to see that he still gets in the gym and works on his game. As he plays more, we see him over dribbling less and making better decisions in transition. He’s also continued to fix his jump shot and is now a consistent threat from deep, especially from the top of the key. He claimed that he’s receiving interest from a number of schools including Radford, American, UNC-Asheville and VMI, and if he can keep Northside’s winning ways going as the focal point of the offense he should see some interest turn into offers soon.
Cole Meadows | 6’4” WF | Giles 2018
If we did a “Vantage Hoops Award Show” he would be my nominee for Most Improved Player in One Summer. Meadows caught our eye at Chance Harmon last season because of his length and athleticism, but after a summer of hard work every day he’s now showing that he knows how to use it. He finished above the rim in transition, used his body well when attacking defenders in the lane and showed that he can guard multiple positions. He still has a lot of work to do, but the tools are there for a breakout season.
Noah Atwood | 6’2” WG | George Wythe 2018
Atwood is one of the most efficient deep ball shooters in the state, and Sunday was no different as he let it fly and torched the nets all day. However, we always say players can’t be too one dimensional, and he reminded us that he’s more than a corner jump shooter, he’s a player. He’s far from the most athletic or explosive player, but Atwood has a great motor and loves to help out on the defensive glass. He rebounded well, ran the floor and gave great effort on the defensive end. He’s going to have to do all of those things to help Wythe get back to VCU this year, but most importantly he’ll have to make shots to keep defender’s from helping on Johnson’s drives.
Alex Fitch | 6’3” WG | William Byrd 2019
Coming off of a big showing at the Prep Hoops Top 250 showcase a few weekends ago, it seems as if Fitch never gets cold from deep. Even after he misses a few, he never loses confidence, stays shot ready and will bury three in a row to give his team a quick run. He showed good mechanics in his form, a quick release that didn’t need much time to get off and showed that he can be a secondary ball handler and make good decisions when he’s pressured. Expecting a breakout season from Fitch this year, and he hasn’t disappointed much yet.