The Tip-Off Classic: 2021 Standouts
W Jusaun Holt- Holt’s willingness and commitment to do the little things alone make him so much fun to watch. He is always sneaking in for offensive rebounds, swiping for loose balls, and doing things that help your team win.…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue Reading
W Jusaun Holt- Holt’s willingness and commitment to do the little things alone make him so much fun to watch. He is always sneaking in for offensive rebounds, swiping for loose balls, and doing things that help your team win. It seems like he is a sure double-double every time I watch him; he continues to progress each weekend. Holt has always been a respectable shooter, but as of late, his shot looks even more consistent and compact. He is shooting with tons of confidence and understandably so. Holt doesn’t mind doing the dirty work, can score with the ball in his hands, and is a solid athlete. His rise since last summer has been impressive. I mentioned Sunday that Holt will likely crack the Top 10 in the next rankings update and he deserves it.
Georgia Stars– 3 of the Stars backcourt players had very productive outings against the Celtics on Sunday. Quincy Ademokoya, AJ White and Korey Richardson combined for 44 of the team’s 75 points; all 3 had impressive stretches throughout the game. Ademokoya has reclassified to 2021 from 2020 and had an excellent shooting game in this particular game. He went for 18 points with 4 3’s, hitting some really deep ones. Ademokoya has a quick, confident stroke and is hard to cover as a shooter at 6’5”+. White is one of the most skilled scorers in Georgia and showed that in the 2nd half. Early in the game he seemed disengaged and disinterested. Out of nowhere, he turned it on and strung together a bunch of points, draining 3’s off the dribble and getting to the foul line. He is always threat to rattle of 10+ points in the blink of an eye. Richardson did some good things as a lead guard with nice size at 6’3”. He is fast with the ball, facilitates pretty well, and has a solid build that he uses on drives to the basket. Richardson is a good athlete who can hang and extend to finish with his left hand in traffic. He uses his physical tools to rebound and impact the game defensively as well.
PG Carter Whitt- One of my favorite players in all of 2021, Whitt has already formed a reputation as arguably the best pure point guard in the class. This past weekend, I felt like he displayed a nice balance of maintaining the qualities of a floor general while increasing his scoring load. Two weekends ago in Spartanburg, it didn’t seem like his confidence was there and I thought he was too casual when looking to score in the paint. At the Tip-Off, he played with his usual swagger and impacted the game in various ways. He attacked the basket consistently, getting and-ones and scoring over smaller guards. Whitt made timely passes to shooters and had some nice drop-offs to Dean Reiber for big dunks. I also liked his focus and anticipation on the defensive end. He racked up a lot of steals by jumping in passing lanes and sneaking up on ball-handlers. More early offers should come for Whitt after this live period.
F Jabari Smith- Smith has just about everything you look for in an elite next-level forward prospect. He has one of the most textbook shots for a player of his size and can get it off at anytime. Smith connects on 3-pointers with ease and is not just a catch-and-shoot stretch big. He is very comfortable putting the ball on the floor out of triple-threat, where he can hit you with one-dribble step-backs or use his long strides to get all the way to the basket. Smith has great hands and instincts on both ends; he collects tons of rebounds, passes well, and always seems to get a solid amount of blocks and steals. He has also proven to be effective from the mid-post, using his excellent touch to knock down short jumpers or hooks inside. Smith’s collection of tools is going to make him a hot target among top HM programs.
W Matt Cleveland- Right behind Smith in Georgia’s 2021 class, Cleveland has shown multiple times this spring that he’s worthy of a strong spot in the Top 50 nationally. He lives for big games and comes into every matchup with something to prove. Cleveland and his Hype Hawks team took down Smith and the Atlanta Celtics on Saturday afternoon, in which Cleveland dropped 31 points. His shot selection is improving, he’s playing through contact more effectively, and always creates mismatches on the wing. He has such a unique mix of skill, length and athleticism that college coaches are always seeking in prospects. Already holding numerous HM offers, UGA was the latest to offer Cleveland and he should be getting more after this upcoming weekend.
G Darius Johnson- I always love watching strong, aggressive guards, and Johnson is just that. He scored nearly half of CP25’s points in their game Saturday morning, going for 24 of their 49. Johnson started the game getting downhill every chance he got with some crafty, tough finishes in traffic. There aren’t a lot of guards at the 16U level who can deal with his combination of speed and strength. Johnson uses his body well when handling the ball and when attacking the basket; smaller defenders don’t bother him on the perimeter and he absorbs contact often in the paint. When his opponents adjusted to his slashing ability, Johnson proved he was capable of hitting a few outside shots in the 2nd half. Johnson also rebounded pretty well, found teammates, and was solid defensively too.
F Justin Neely- Neely’s energy was evident for the full duration of the game in E1T1’s matchup against the Atlanta Celtics. The physical, active, combo forward was a force throughout and hurt the opposition with his versatility. Neely was a beast on the boards, grabbing 13 rebounds and showing the ability to push himself in transition. He went coast-to-coast a few times and finished through contact like it was nothing. Neely also used his big frame to overpower defenders in the halfcourt, banging inside for baskets in the paint and securing offensive rebounds. His development over the next two years will be fun to track.