Will Barton Elite Camp: ’20 Baltimore Standouts
This past Saturday, the annual Will Barton Elite Camp took place on the campus of the University of Maryland Baltimore. There was no shortage of talent from Baltimore, D.C, Delaware, Texas, Philadelphia and Oklahoma. It was a great opportunity to…
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Continue ReadingThis past Saturday, the annual Will Barton Elite Camp took place on the campus of the University of Maryland Baltimore. There was no shortage of talent from Baltimore, D.C, Delaware, Texas, Philadelphia and Oklahoma. It was a great opportunity to see how the Baltimore prospects from the 2022 class measured up against some of the best in the country. Throughout this week, I’ll be breaking down the Baltimore prospects in each class that took advantage of this stage and stood out.
The 2020 standouts include:
Justin Lewis | 6’8 | Poly/Team Melo
Lewis had a strong showing in this event last year and followed it up with yet another impressive one Saturday. The Marquette commit scored in just about every scenario possible. Where he holds a distinct advantage is catching the ball on the perimeter with an opposing big closing out. Lewis has the speed and ball control to go score or make a play for a teammate. There were plenty of instances where Lewis grabbed the defensive rebound and handled the fastbreak himself. All of this, along with his rim rattling finishes all cement why he should be a productive player in the Big East.
Dominick Carrington | 5’10 | City/Team Thrill
Carrington was one of the smallest players in attendance on Saturday, but his elite outside shooting allowed him to make a big impact. His elevation and quick release allow him to play among much taller players if they are a second late on the close out. Carrington also plays with great energy. On the defensive end, he used his low center of gravity and active hands to poke the ball and spark transition opportunities for his team.
Mike Gray | 5’11 | Lake Clifton/Team Thrill
Gray is the type of player that will stand out no matter the stage because of how hard he plays. He is never intimidated by who he is matching up against and it showed when he guarded A.J. Hoggard in one of his team’s games. Gray defends with aggression and physicality that makes his match up uncomfortable as soon they cross half court. The 5-foot-11 guard effectively scored after getting downhill using ball screens for separation. He even hit an occasional three-point shot when left open, a flawed area of his game that has witnessed improvement since March.
Zack Blackwell | 5’11 | Lake Clifton/Team Thrill
Blackwell is similar to his new backcourt mate Gray in that they both approach the game with a hardhat mentality. The newly formed duo faced off against each other, which was entertainment for everyone watching. Blackwell finished particularly well in transition and did a nice job of contorting his attempts around the rim to avoid shot blockers. As usual, Blackwell made his fair share of shots beyond the arc and supplied sufficient ball pressure throughout the day.
Jamal West | 6’5 | St. Frances/Team Thrill
West did what he normally does: wreak havoc. West competes as hard as any player you’ll see and tries to posterize anyone in his way of getting a bucket.The 6-foot-5 forward finished strongly with two hands above the rim on many of his finishes, but when he wasn’t throwing down a dunk, he was finishing with soft touch in the paint. He was impressive running the floor, controlling the glass and contesting bigs who had a distinct size advantage over him.
Rahim Ali | 5’11 | Poly/Team Melo
The game just comes easy to Ali at this point. The 5-foot-11 point guard can be teamed up with pretty much anyone and make them productive with the way he reads the defense. Ali seemed to pick and choose his times to score on Saturday. On a consistent basis, he broke his man down off the dribble and finished around the rim before the weak side big could rotate in time. When the big did rotate, Ali made the correct reads to find open shooters on the perimeter or his forwards in the opposite side dunker’s slot.
Tyler Brelsford | 6’2 | Mount St. Joe/New World
Brelsford had productive scoring performances throughout the day. The George Washington commit shot well from three and operated effectively off the dribble. It seems as if in these types of events, Brelsford is determined to score as much as he possibly can. Having that mindset gets him into binds at times, but in the end, he a constant scoring threat no matter if it’s in drill sessions or game portions.
Emanuel Henriques | 6’4 | Ben Franklin/Team Thrill
Henriques caught the eye of many evaluators with his play. The 6-foot-4 guard possess great athleticism that allowed him to be on the finishing end of lobs in the open floor. Henriques also shot the ball well from three and did a nice job of prepping himself prior by finding open windows for his teammates to find him. His name was one that was buzzing when camp ended and one that should see scholarship offers come his way soon.
Feature Photo Credit: Deezy Photos
Photo Credit: Joey O’Dwyer