Toledo Summer League: Tournament Stock-risers (Pt. 2)
After naming the First Team All Tournament for the Toledo summer league, let’s move on to the prospects who didn’t quite make the top five but had nice performances. Click here for Part 1 from earlier.
Tyrik Barbine (2018), 6’1” G, Toledo Start
Capped off by a very strong couple of performances on Wednesday, Barbine developed into the most pleasant surprise of this summer league. Barbine was completely off our radar coming into the gym, and now, you can expect him to make an appearance in the forthcoming 2018 Prospect Rankings.
First of all, the kid is strong at the guard spot. His wide frame resembles that of a running back, and he uses the strength to careen his way in to the lane, which he often finishes with crafty layups. Barbine’s jumper is competent, as he mainly excelled as a three-point shooter from the corner. Also, on Wednesday especially, Barbine showcased his ability to run the offense, as he unselfishly impacted the game as a primary ball-handler.
Alek West (2019), 6’2” PG, Sylvania Northview
West didn’t have his smoothest showing on Wednesday. He dealt with a lot of no-calls on physical drives to the lane, and was asked to come off-ball for Northview, instead of his normal point guard role. Yet, we were impressed with his persistence — West led an overtime effort to beat Fremont Ross, where his unconditional relentless towards the basket was the difference. Expect West, a soccer prospect also, to continue drawing the attention of basketball scouts.
Alex Murphy (2018), 6’ G, Anthony Wayne
This Anthony Wayne team has a lot of guards who are around 6′ and do the same things: crafty buckets from about ten-feet, shoot the trey, and pass well. And, frankly, Alex Murphy is the best one. Murphy separates himself by his smooth dribble-drives, where he changes speeds appropriately. He’s very elusive inside, as he sort of slips past contact as defenders try to contest his shots. Also, Murphy is rather consistent at shooting the triple, even with little separation.
Josh Boyer (2018), 6’ G, Anthony Wayne
Despite Murphy being Anthony Wayne’s top prospect currently, it was Boyer who nearly made the First Team All Tournament. Boyer was lighting it up on Wednesday! He drives the rim hard, and is a willing passer if the shot isn’t there. However, he does find crafty ways to finish around opponents too. Also, his length is a nice asset on the defensive end. Kid plays extremely hard. Boyer was not phased against eventual champion, Wayne Memorial — a team that is usually able to frustrate their opponent by making them uncomfortable with ball pressure.
Ryan Nunn (2019), 5’11” G, Findlay
Nunn is another player who was awfully close to making our All Tournament Team. The junior to be from Findlay changes the game with his pull-up shooting ability. Nunn usually probes the court, keeping his eyes focused on the entirety of the offense. With his eyes, he tempts the defense to back off of him, then bang he’s swishing home a shot off the dribble. He appears to have this Findlay team in his hands, and will be asked to carry the load for the next two seasons, which could boost his recruitment tremendously.
Isaiah Lewis (2019), 5’11” G, Detroit Wayne Memorial (MI)
Lewis is a spot-up shooting specialist. While he wasn’t as consistent as usual last night, he probably still connected on about six three-pointers over two games. Deeming that an “inconsistent” showing gives you an insight into how darn good he usually is from out there. Lewis also impressed us with his off-ball defense, as he remains disciplined to his responsibilities in their trapping-style scheme.