Top 250: Wings & Forwards

<p><strong>Perry Robinson VI (Kennesaw Mountain)</strong>- Robinson is a true combo forward with ball skills and the ability to take advantage of his matchup with a balance of post and perimeter scoring. He has flown under the radar for quite some time, but coaches are beginning to catch on. Robinson has proven himself as a respectable outside shooter and can be a high-level rebounder. His frame is solid and he keeps things simple when putting the ball on the deck from 15 feet and in. After being offered by UT-Permian Basin him at the end of August, Lander jumped in with an offer last week and North Georgia is starting to get on him as well. He should thrive in a new situation at Kennesaw Mountain this winter.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Jens Rueckert (McEachern)-</strong> One would be hard-pressed to find a more explosive leaper at camp than Rueckert. If you give him any type of space to gather off two feet, it’ll likely end up being a dunk. Rueckert isn’t just one of those guys who will give you a few highlight plays on wide-open fastbreaks either. His athleticism is used to its full advantage; he flies around on both sides of the ball, runs the lane in transition, and crashes the glass hard. Rueckert’s activity is clear in half-court play as well, he constantly moves around and looks for seams in the defense. He understands who he is and doesn’t need the ball a ton to be productive.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Nate Meshida (Hillgrove)-</strong> A player I hadn’t seen in live action before camp, Meshida made a solid first impression at the Top 250. A thick, wide-bodied wing, Meshida looked to initiate contact on his way to the basket throughout camp. He was successful in doing so, getting clean looks inside and overpowering smaller defenders quite often. Meshida played with controlled aggression and usually made the right choice when deciding whether to attack or move the ball. Although just 6’2”, he rebounds well for his size and uses his body well to create positioning for boards. He should have a nice senior season at Hillgrove.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Areyon Johnson (Archer)-</strong> You can’t even really label Johnson with a specific position; he’s a guy with reliable perimeter skill but also possesses the toughness and athleticism to hold his own inside against forwards. Since the very first tournament of the travel season, Johnson has impressed with his unique game and makes constant strides each step of the way. He continues to progress with his jumper, which he gets great lift on and has a simple, consistent release. Johnson’s best attributes may be his motor and activity. He goes all out on both ends, taking pride in on-ball defense and providing a huge rebounding boost for the undersized teams he has played on. Not many possess those traits and the benefits were even more evident in the camp setting.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Javani Brown (Johns Creek)-</strong> A late-blooming 6’7” stretch forward, Brown could be one that surprises people this year and in college. He has a nice shot with soft touch that extends beyond the 3-point line easily. Brown seemed to make a point to assert himself in other areas at camp as well, which was nice to see compared to the style I had seen from him previously. Although he’s thin, Brown used his length to impact lots of shots around the basket and snag rebounds. He ran the floor pretty well and showed some dexterity in the paint also. On a Johns Creek team with lots of size, Brown will give them a versatile piece to use.</p>