July AAU Superlatives: 2018 Class
The month of July is perhaps the most important period of basketball in the entire AAU season. The three NCAA live periods allows players to get looks from a ton of coaches, which in some cases translates into offers. Kids from Kentucky spent the three weeks traveling everywhere from Myrtle Beach to Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Here are some of our July Superlatives:
Best Duo: Adam Kunkel and Mickey Pearson (Twenty Two Vision) – Unfortunately Twenty Two Vision’s top ranked player Romeo Langford was injured playing for USA Basketball and missed most of July AAU. Langford’s injury allowed Cooper’s Kunkel to handle the ball more and showcase his combo guard skills in addition to his shooting prowess. The July addition of Tre King allowed Pearson to slide from the power forward spot and play more of his natural wing position. Kunkel and Pearson combined to earn about 25 offers in the month of July.
Don’t Jump With Him! (Best Dunker): Jayden Scrubb (Louisville Magic) – The reigning 7th region player of the year from Louisville Trinity, Scrubb is an absolute freak athlete. He’s also always hunting a poster dunk. If you see Scrubb coming down the lane, get out of the way and whatever you do, Don’t Jump!
Trinity SF Jayden Scrubb Photo Courtesy HoopSeenHand Down, Man Down! (Best Shooter): CJ Fredrick (Indiana Elite) – The recent Iowa commitment will take his shooting to the Big Ten next season. Fredrick shot over 50% from 3 for the Adidas Gauntlet season. If CJ gets a clean look at a 3, you can just about go ahead and put the points on the board.
Most Underrated: Cobe Penny (Lexington Future) – Penny recently picked up his first offer (from NAIA University of the Cumberlands) and is consistently overlooked when discussing the top players in 2018. He spent his July racking up 20+ point games and wins with his Lexington Future teammates in Atlanta and Orlando. Penny may not receive the D1 offer he covets but he scores with more ease than most of the kids in the 2018 class and will be a steal for whomever he commits to play college basketball for.
Walking Bucket (Best Scorer): Andrew Taylor (Louisville Magic) – Plenty has been said and written about Andrew Taylor the past several seasons but make no mistake, he is the best scoring guard in the 2018 class in Kentucky. Even while dealing with a back injury, Taylor consistently scored at all 3 levels for the Magic.
Human Eraser (Best Shot Blocker): Dalton Perkins (Hoop Dreams) – Standing 6’10” with a 7’4″ wingspan, Perkins controls the paint while blocking or altering several shots per game. If he can stay healthy for his entire senior season at Mason County, he’ll have a chance to play high D2 or low D1 after high school.
110% Award: Trevon Faulkner (Twenty Two Vision) – a 6’4″ wing from Mercer County, Trevon Faulkner has never been accused of taking plays off. Capable of guarding all 5 spots on the floor and never afraid to take a charge or dive on the floor after a loose ball. Faulkner is always making winning plays.
Best College Prospect No One Talks About: Carter Hendricksen (Lexington Future) – Standing almost 6’9″ and with range extending out past the 3 point line, LCA’s Hendricksen picked up his first D1 offer from North Florida at the end of July. Carter projects as a mid major stretch 4. Considering he plays in Lexington and holds multiple college scholarships, no one seems to talk about Hendricksen when discussing the best players in the 2018 class.