Adidas All-American Tournament Recap (Class of 2019 Forwards)
Here is a look at some of the top Class of 2019 forwards from last weekend’s Adidas All-American Tournament in St. Louis:
Dominique Hardimon 6’2″ SEMO Bulls: An undersized combo forward from Poplar Bluff who plays the game with a ton of zeal and intensity. He can really operate in the low post with his physical strength and moves around the basket. Hardimon plays hard for 94 feet as he plays the top of the press defense as well as in the low post. He is also a tough matchup with his ability to beat opposing defenders off the dribble.
DJ Mitchell 6’6″ Gateway: A bouncy power forward from Henderson, KY, he is an active athlete who excels on the offensive boards and scores on rim runs in transition. Mitchell operates well on the baseline and will dunk on anybody at anytime.
Jason Montgomery 6’3″ Arsenal Hoops: A talented combo forward from Marquette High who has an excellent skill set and good fundamentals to go with it. Montgomery has an excellent shooting touch from out to 15 feet, which goes well with his ability to drive the ball against opposing bigs. He also got his share of offensive rebounds for buckets.
William Shumpert 6’4″ Gateway: A power forward from CBC who was a big factor in his team’s championship run with his athleticism and activity in the low post. Shumpert is an excellent offensive rebounder who threw down a couple of thunderous dunks in the half court offense off dribble penetration.
Tycen Gray 6’3″ STL Express: A undersized, but strong power forward from Farmington, Gray plays with a high motor and he loves to rebound. He will knock over anyone, even a teammate, in pursuit of a rebound. He is a tough to defend in the low post, but he also displayed a nice shooting touch from the high post.
Moses Opkala 6’7″ STL Hardwood Hunks: A big, strong post player from Ladue who is gradually improving as a player. His game is still in the developmental, you cannot overlook that big, strong 250-pound frame. The big strength to his game is rebounding where he does a nice job of sweeping the glass and keeping the ball high over his head. He has also a nice little jump hook over his left shoulder.
Cole Laurence 6’7″ STL Express: An effective post player from Farmington who has a nice skill set around the basket. He has an excellent touch in the low post with both hands and he can also step out and make the high post jumper. His footwork and fundamentals are also very good, With his size and length, his upside is substantial.