PrepHoopsTN / Above the Rim Gym Fall Combine Recap: Part XIII
MURFREESBORO–
Two players included below shared their shooting gifts with the combine. Though the two could and did hit open shots they did not get into their shots with the same preamble.
Riggs Abner was and is a wonderful pick-and-pop style shooter. His mid-range is an area of strength. As he increases his mobility away from the basket his arsenal of shots will expand to include more evasive attempts.
Of the two, Caleb Grimes will always be the most agile. Out of necessity Caleb slices through defenders and quickly offers a pure shot to the basketball gods. Grimes stands much shorter than the wing forward/wing guards above and he doesn’t always have the luxury of calmly setting his foundation beneath him.
Riggs Abner 2021 Mt. Juliet Wing
Mt. Juliet sophomore Riggs Abner is an interesting case. Standing 6-foot-5 in shoes he exists in that undefined world of wing guard/wing forward. Riggs rebounds very well making an obvious candidate for high school forward.
During the combine he inserted consistent rebounding hunger. Judging by the few times I have evaluated him that appears to be a constant. More important than recovering misses on the defensive end, Riggs gets after it on the offensive glass too.
Guard skills of Riggs include shooting touch from range and decent perimeter defensive attributes.
In the open floor Riggs doesn’t yet have the handle to defeat traps or breakdown a fullcourt defenses on his own.
Every wing doesn’t need to be able to capably dismantle a trap, but succeeding in that challenge does increase versatility.
Going forward the best situation for Riggs Abner would be alongside a back-to-the-basket or overpowering big man, so that Riggs can play exclusively on the wing. He showed the shooting touch at the combine and he relentlessly helps on the glass. With improved lateral mobility Riggs can exist out there, but he has to avoid coaches relegating him to the blocks. It will stunt his development away from the basket…where his basketball future almost certainly exists.
Caleb Grimes 2019 East Nashville Point Guard
Resigned to East Nashville High supporting cast in 2017-2018, Caleb Grimes is ready to star this winter. Entered into evidence is Caleb’s Fall Combine performance. He drew rave reviews from the combine instructors for scoring instincts.
Caleb Grimes gets to dangerous spots on the floor quickly. His head is always up surveying the defense and he makes quick, wise decisions on the fly.
Remember the starting backcourt for East Nashville (Gene Holmes, Jayden Lockett) played heavy minutes while scoring most of the Eagle points. Caleb and his teammates have a large workload to pick up and carry this year.
The most obvious ways Caleb can and will score this season are slashing and shooting. He really improved his outside shot in the last couple years. He gets the ball from dribble to release very quickly without sacrificing accuracy.
With the dribble the 5-foot-10 (w/ shoes) guard dances around defenders rather easily. He has a low center of gravity and smooth change in direction. Caleb could add a little more upper body muscle to absorb contact in the lane, but he certainly gets there rather easily.