Live Period Risers (Part 2)
2019 SF Terrell Ard (Georgia Canes)- There wasn’t an unsigned senior in Georgia who helped himself more than Ard during the live period; he received 4 D1 offers as a result of the weekend to go along with his…
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2019 SF Terrell Ard (Georgia Canes)- There wasn’t an unsigned senior in Georgia who helped himself more than Ard during the live period; he received 4 D1 offers as a result of the weekend to go along with his offer from Presbyterian a few days before. He has shown the potential to be this caliber of player since September at our Top 250 camp. With schools still searching for quality prospects, Ard has all the desired tools and his production at McEachern matched those tools. Ard causes matchup problems because of his ball skills at 6’7”, but can also be a physical force in the paint with his chiseled frame. He is a powerful athlete off of two feet and does not need much time or space to explode to the rim. The combination of those things paired with an increased sense of urgency and intensity impressed the coaches in attendance. Ard is now taking visits and should make a decision soon.
2020 SG Keith Lamar (AJ Bouye)- I think Stetson made a good move by offering Lamar yesterday. After seeing some of the other offers given out in the region the last two weeks, Lamar is worthy and could be one of those prospects from a non-sponsored team that goes a bit overlooked and makes programs regret it later on. Lamar is tough, can defend multiple positions, and has a solid offensive skill-set. He has an excellent body for an SG at 6’5” with lean muscle, and it’s clear these qualities help him. Lamar shoots over smaller guards for uncontested shots and has a nice outside stroke. He is a good leaper off of either one or two feet and is not scare to finish in traffic among bodies. Lamar does not lack confidence and should continue to produce through July. Along with Stetson, Missouri and Wofford came in to see him last week; expect more to jump in soon.
2020 W Judson Martindale (BABC)- After averaging 10.2 PPG on an efficient 58.6% shooting and 57.1% from 3 in EYBL Session 1, Martindale has reeled in offers from Gardner-Webb, Cleveland State, Vermont and Bucknell. He’s one I’ve been fond of for a while and he has continued to progress while being patient in his recruitment. Martindale is a player who doesn’t need the ball in his hands a ton to be effective and has impressive versatility as a 6’6-7” wing with skill and athleticism. He does not waste dribbles, either moving the ball quickly or slashing in a straight line to the rim. Martindale is a good shooter from 3 and mid-range too, but I was particularly impressed with his movement away from the ball. While many stand around, there were multiple times where he made a nice backdoor cut or snuck in for an offensive and got an easy basket. Martindale could see another uptick in his recruitment with a strong showing in Indianapolis this weekend.
2020 PG Eric Gaines, 2020 SG Josh Banks (Team United)- Both named to Session 1’s All-Breakout team, it was only a matter of time before Gaines and Banks would be seen by more people and get the attention they deserve. Gaines has always had an immense amount of talent; he has started asserting himself more and has shown nice improvement over the last year. He is a freakish athlete who gives you some wow moments almost every game, especially in the open court. Gaines has never been bashful taking deep pull-up jumpers, but he is now making them more consistently and has become smarter with his selection of such shots. Coaches are starting to take notice of his abiltities with recent offers from Houston, Nebraska, and Penn State. Gaines’ ascension has just begun.
After seeing him drop 32 points like it was nothing this winter against Ardrey Kell, I found it bizarre that Banks did not have many schools pursing him. Fast forward to today and he has now picked up 7 offers in less than a month with more to come. Banks is extremely smooth, nothing is ever forced or rushed when he has the ball and looking to score. He is capable from all 3 levels and has a good understanding of when to utilize each. Banks is wiry strong, had some nice two-foot finishes in Atlanta, and does not over-dribble. While all of his offers right now are from MM schools, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he starts to get some HM involvement in the coming months.