First Impressions of 30 Prospects

Many of the players included are previously unseen by PrepHoopsTN. A few of the players are on new teams (Tariq Daughton, Grant Hurst, P.J. Smith). The players were previously undervalued or possibly players that developed their game in the last few months. For whatever reason these players escaped the @PrepHoopsTN gaze until now. These are all first impressions from this scout's eye. F William Emrey IV (PSB-Chattanooga 17u) Suspect when pulled away from the lane. Completely at home on the low blocks, but not good on the hedge defense. Maybe minor left shoulder injury? Light brace. Decent strength. Tough to move off his spot. Rebounds ok in area. Boyd-Buchanan High. G Blake Campbell (PSB-Chattanooga 17u) From Walker Valley High. Really, really consistent shooter. Makes his free throws. Very thin for this stage in his career. Going to struggle against quick guards. Wing Noah Duprey (PSB-Chattanooga 17u) Very strong upper body. Plays a little better in the lane defensively, which is concerning if he is truly 6-foot-4 or so. He is a little bit of a tweener at 17u level. Might be a wing with more time. His muscular body absorbs fouls very well. Walkey Valley High. Wing Morrell Shramm (PSB-Chattanooga 17u) Good bounce. AAU 4 on defense for some reason. Nice athlete. Raw, but with promise. He can move those feet, which is a wonderful predictor of future adaptation to the wing. Looks like a NAIA player. A little thin, but strong and lithe. Likes to commit defensively. Versatile. High school player at East Hamilton. Some <a href="http://www.hudl.com/profile/8414649/Morrell-Schramm">hudl highlights</a>. Uses his body well to fend off reachers. PG Brett Newcome (PSB-Chattanooga 17u) Nice balance. Lower body reflects his basketball experience. Moves ok. Willing passer. Stands 5'10". Plays at Stone Memorial High. PG Ty Bryant (Kentucky Vision 17u) Tall, thin sharpshooter. Outside shot is repeatable and reliable. Plays at Spring Hill High. PG Dion Stacy (Tennessee Tigers 17u) Very short PG. Nice quickness. Strong outside shooter. Very difficult for him to make an impact in the lane, but he plays within his means and manages to add to his team. Gritty. Plays at Dickson County High. PG Isaiah Poore (Tennessee Tigers 17u) Interesting point guard prospect. Really quick. Changes directions well. He possesses great handle. Very difficult to strip or deny. Not tall. Attack-minded. Outside shot is below average. Stands 5'11". Home schooled. PG Ryley McClaran (Tennessee Tigers 17u) Eager to implement the coach's directions. Heady point guard. Sees the floor and the system expertly. Strong shooter, but doesn't force his shot. Stands 6'3". Plays at Eagleville High. PG Tariq Daughton (Tennessee Bobcats 17u) Familiar player, but new AAU team. Tariq gets more ball-handling responsibility with the Bobcats than when he plays alongside Emory Lanier in high school. Slasher more than shooter. Athletic in the lane. Needs more muscle. Plays at Webb School-Knoxville High. Wing Cody Potter (Tennessee Bobcats 17u) Thin. Off-guard more than point guard. Likes the outside shot. Quick release. Not shy. Moves very well without the ball. He looks to be creative in hunting shooting spots. Plays at Shelby Valley High (KY). F Uriah Powers (Tennessee Bobcats 17u) Rebounder. Looks to be able to guard the high school 2-5. Outside shot is good when he sets his feet. Not the fastest end-to-end. Projects as a small college wing/wing forward. Division II is ceiling, but he could score and rebound well at NAIA level. Plays at Webb School-Knoxville High. PG Tevon Summers (Tennessee Bobcats 17u) Incredibly quick. Elite first step. Handle is quality. Plays at Knox Central High. PG Pete Collins (PSB-Chattanooga Neal 16u) Stiff hips. Listed as shooting guard, but must compete as point guard beyond high school to stick. Capable, occasionally strong three-point shooter. F Jacob Templin (TNT Fury 16u) Undersized big for college. Sturdy. Built like a HS tight end. Not overly explosive. Embraces physicality. Stands 6'3". Plays at Cumberland Gap High. Wing F Brandon Alston (Memphis Showtime 17u) Really nice athlete. Tends to operate on the low blocks too much for his height. Projects as a tweener. Can defend HS 2-4, maybe 5. F #0 Mason Jones (Upward Stars Premier South 16u) Can mentally drift. Missed two block outs in 5 seconds of action (one was free throw miss by opponent). Mason is a Class of 2021 prospect. More of a guard mind. Lean. Gambles on defense. Moves like he is still growing into his body. Good lift off the ground. He just needs to attack more rebounds. Mason will be a junior for Franklin High. He seems to be working on playing away from the basket. Small college prospect frame. Athleticism lags as he is still filling out and finding his intensity. PG Chikara Tanaka (I.M.G. Performance Blue 17u) The Japanese guard Chikara can really play. As a 16-year old <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2018/06/08/basketball/teenage-star-chikara-tanaka-attend-img-academy-bid-gain-college-hoop-scholarship/#.XMSsWehKiUk">he came to the United States with college basketball ambitions</a>. His handle and quick release are above average and he is skilled, very skilled in fact. Of course he can add more muscle, but I.M.G. is one of the best places in the world for that. Great prospect. Wing Shawn Park (Team Passion 17u) Good height. Thin, can shoot and hop. Plays for Gibbs High. Streaky outside shooter. Projects as an NAIA role player. F Jtayvion Johnson (Memphis Showtime 17u) Big boy. More center than wing. Willing passer. Doesn't try to do too much. Listed 6-foot-5. Needs better fitness. WG Jaylin Lucas (Memphis Showtime 17u) Bartlett wing. Jaylin is built like a linebacker. Showtime runs some alley-oops for the athletic wing. He is below average from the outside, but could grow into a versatile wing. Lucas has good feet for a player his size. https://twitter.com/CourtneyHoops90/status/1122283650513547264 WG Wesley Maples (Sevier County Select 17u) Surprisingly nimble at pefrect guard height. Needs more meat on his bones, but the skills are promising. Might be a redshirt candidate at a LM-MM school. Expect many offers this year. Fantastic feet. Plays at Sevier County High. PG Marvin Castro (Sevier County Select 17u) Small. Leader. Will always face size discrimination on the floor. Castro welcomes defensive pressure. Gets to the points on the floor that help the offense. Understands his teammates. Better shooter than defender's predict. F Cam Burden (Sevier County Select 17u) Rugged. Reminds of football players who wondered onto the YMCA court. More talent, but equally brutish and powerful. WG Camden McElhaney (Sevier County Select 17u) So springy. Exceptional end-to-end speed. McElhaney is a D2/D3 dream on the wing. Could wind up as a college track participant. Plays at Sevier County High. PG Grant Hurst (WHBH 16u) Sharpshooter. Better bounce than most guards his height. Still thin, but scores in bunches. Keen eye for the rim. Always knows where he is on the court. Plays HS with Cleveland High. His winter was his breakout season. https://twitter.com/CourtneyHoops90/status/1122292879001554944 PG P.J. Smith (WHBH 16u) Shorter ball hunter. He has some combo guard instincts, but must be a point guard prospect. With better teammates, like he has with WHBH 16u, Smith tends to settle more into the point guard position. Disruptive defender. WG Xijeer Lattimore (Team CGB 16u) Built like a grown man. Muscular with hops. Tallish guard. Known to hit the outside shot. So springy. PG Darwin Randolph (Team CGB 16u) Grew in the last year. Nice frame. Comfortable delivering passes on the run. Sharp cutter. Moves well, deliberately in offensive sets. Creative. Good athleticism. Fringe D1 prospect currently with strong potential.   For the best statewide coverage of high school basketball follow <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsTN">@PrepHoopsTN</a>.