Freshmen Focus: 5 Intriguing Prospects from Arthur Hill v Brother Rice

Jonathon Gilbert January 8, 2020 @ 09:51 PM

Kudos to the organizers of the Gotta Get It Hoops Classic at Grand Blanc. They staged a very appealing game in the second matchup of the event. The Saginaw Arthur Hill/Birmingham Brother Rice contest featured arguably three of the top ten players in 2023 class. They did not disappoint. Birmingham Brother Rice pulled away near the end to earn a entertaining 78-66 victory from the Lumberjacks. Some notes on the standouts below. Tim Jordan Jr 6-7 2023 Saginaw Arthur Hill First time I had viewed this young man in person. I have heard the reputation and he lived up to it and then some. A bit of a tweener right now. Not bulky enough to be a four, and not bouncy enough to be a true three. However in terms of negatives that’s about it. Positives? Where do you start? Long athletic frame that is not afraid of contact. Has the ball handling and shooting ability to play on the perimeter. Enough of a mean streak to operate in the post. Reminds me a lot of Benton Harbor’s Carlos Johnson, and that is some high praise. Finished with a game high 22 points. If you haven’t seen him yet, you definitely need to get this player on your list. Curtis Williams 6-5 2023 Birmingham Brother Rice As with Jordan, a 2023 with a big reputation who did not disappoint. The kind of prospect that you almost lose track of statistically. As everything he does appears so effortless. A three level scorer already. Seemed most adept from beyond the arc. Displayed a smooth and quick release with little wasted motion. Never seemed to be in hurry which is rare for such a young player. Covers ground easily, with long bounding steps. Game MVP finishing with 20 points. Xavier Thomas 6-5 2023 Birmingham Brother Rice Wide bodied young player who should be fun to watch as his game develops. What he has right now is a good set of hands and soft touch around the rim. Showed off said hands with a rare “one handed” rebound late in the contest. That is my best attempt at describing what was a truly impressive play. The key for him going forward will be positional fit. He is already a matchup nightmare at the four as a Freshman. But at 6-5, is that where he wants to stay? If he wants to be a three he will need to improve his explosiveness and ball handling. A lot of upside in this young prospect. Not the outdone the “old” guys got in on the action too Jon Brantley 6-3 2020 Birmingham Brother Rice Befitting his veteran status, took his time getting into the flow offensively. One could interpret it as passive. I took it as an experienced player trusting his young teammates and taking what the defense gave him. However when it came to winning time his presence was felt in a big way. A pure jump shooter with good elevation. Not an overwhelming athlete, but good enough to play the two at the next level. For that reason I think playing in the Patriot league (Lafayette) will be a good fit. Don’t forget CJ McCollum was a skinny 6-3 guard with little national attention when he went to Lehigh. I’m not saying that that will happen but as Chris Hass (Bucknell) has shown, it is a league that has been good to the Mitten in the past. Finished with 18 points including some big clutch baskets. Sheddrick Murrell 6-3 2022 Saginaw Arthur Hill Not really an “old” guy but I’ll stick him here because he’s not a Freshmen. Sports a skinny and wiry frame. Accordingly did most his damage from beyond the arc. Also played well in transition displaying a soft floater and the abilty to gather his feet quickly in tight spots. Showed off his length at the point of Arthur Hill’s press as the Lumberjacks furiously attempted to make a run in the fourth quarter. Was able to get his long arms into passing lanes multiple times. Will definitely need to bulk up and improve ball handling to take the next step. Scored 17 points in the loss.