Chance Harman Day 1 Standouts (Part 1)
It’s the new year which means it’s time for one of my favorite events in the state, the Chance Harman Classic in Floyd, VA. Nestled on the mountainside about 30 minutes outside of Christiansburg, this small town with one stop…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingIt’s the new year which means it’s time for one of my favorite events in the state, the Chance Harman Classic in Floyd, VA. Nestled on the mountainside about 30 minutes outside of Christiansburg, this small town with one stop light that is best known for selling Christmas trees brings in some super talented teams from all over the area and beyond, all in the name of raising money for childhood cancer research.
The event has seen as much talent as any over the years including a number of NBA players like Andrew Wiggins, Keldon Johnson, Bam Adebayo, Miles Bridges, Dwayne Bacon, Frank Mason and Harry Giles, among others. The first day this year featured five games with teams from Virginia, West Virginia, Florida and North Carolina. Here’s a look at part one of the day one standouts, featuring the standouts from VA teams.
Michael Royal | 6’4” C | Auburn 2021
In a rematch of a state tournament game that went to Eastside, Auburn got their revenge and the big man in the middle had a lot to do with it. Royal is a big dude but he moves well and has terrific footwork in the paint, he used his size to clear out space to rebound and finish and he played with a good motor on both ends. He finished with 20 points and 9 rebounds on 8-for-13 shooting from the field.
Ethan Millirons | 6’0” PG | Auburn 2022
Possibly the best guard in the New River Valley (it was a debate I had with some coaches), Millirons was fantastic as he did a little bit of everything to help his team win. He plays with such a calm demeanor, never showing much emotion and his game is similar as he stays under control, gets to his spots and makes the right play regularly. He ran the pick-and-roll well, hit contested shots and helped his team out on both ends. He finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals with 0 turnovers in the win.
Mike Gray | 6’0” G | Blue Ridge 2021
Gray has missed some games with illness and he didn’t shoot the ball particularly well but I’m going to chock that up to the illness because he got good shots and stayed aggressive they just didn’t fall. He didn’t settle too much as he showed his good handle and ability to put it on the deck, he hit some shots off the catch and stayed aggressive and confident throughout the game. He still finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds and I expect him to look much better moving forward as well.
Maliq Brown | 6’8” C | Blue Ridge 2022
He’s the top big man in the 2022 class in our rankings, and Brown played that way against a very tough Teay’s Valley team. He came off the bench and was their most efficient player finishing with 17 points and 5 rebounds on 8-for-10 shooting, and it was impressive how simple he makes the game. The 6’8” big runs the floor hard, catches and finishes well through contact and plays steady defense and competes in the paint. He’ll only continue to improve and that’s scary to think about.
Cam Cormany | 6’0” G | Radford 2021
This is the first time I’ve seen Radford play without Quinton Morton-Robertson and Myles Jones, who won three state championships in their four years and are now both freshmen at Radford. It may be a new time but one think stays the same and that’s Head Coach Rick Cormany, and his son Cam Cormany is the next guy up. A pure shooter with supreme confidence and picture perfect form, Cormany let it fly all game and was lights out from all over the floor. He finished with 29 points, going 9-for-14 from deep in the win.
Nate Wesley | 5’11” PG | Radford 2022
Another young kid who is taking advantage of the opportunity, Wesley didn’t even attempt to score the basketball much but made a big impact in other ways. He’s a big guard that can handle the basketball and play physically, he isn’t afraid to mix it up in the paint and he showed great playmaking ability as well. He finished with 7 assists and 7 rebounds in their win over Liberty.
Micah Crider | 6’2” F | Liberty 2022
Liberty out of Bealton, VA didn’t have one of their better players, but I was still impressed with their young forward Crider who showed good athleticism and competed really well. He played inside and out, he showed the ability to finish at the rim and in the post and stepped outside and made some shots as well. He finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds in the loss.