Five 2021 West Virginia Prospects who were set to Explode this AAU Season

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, AAU/Grasroots Travel Basketball has been cancelled through the month of July and has significantly altered the college basketball recruiting landscape. With no physical, on-court action this summer, we are left to imagine how this travel season would have played out. In part two of this segment, we take a look at five 2021 West Virginia prospects who were poised for breakout summers.   [player_tooltip player_id="977499" first="Sam" last="Alajiki"]- 6’7” SF There isn’t a more intriguing 2021 prospect in WV than Alajiki. Since coming to America in January, Sam already holds 3 Divison I offers from Montana State, North Carolina A&T and Oral Roberts, but I expected him to rack up the offers during AAU. The 6’7” wing possesses great length and is very smooth. Although I only saw him play once during the year, I have been fortunate enough to watch multiple full games of his on the internet. Already possessing the ability to slash, make jumpers off the catch or off the dribble, rebound, and defend multiple positions (2-4). Since I saw him play in person, his confidence went through the roof and he looked much more comfortable playing American basketball. Alajiki is unselfish and looks to create for others off the bounce, and he possesses solid vision. Mid and high major Division I’s need to take a look.   [player_tooltip player_id="977506" first="Joseph" last="Udoh"]- 6’9” PF Udoh is an extremely interesting prospect. I only got to see him in action once this year, but have watched 3 full games on the internet in the last month or so. Although he didn’t play until January, he made his presence felt in the short time he was playing. At 6’9” he towered over most of his defenders and showed off his dominance. Down low, he is good at shooting hooks over his left shoulder and shows a lot of patience there. He is a good offensive rebounder and gets a ton of putbacks. He is a good dunker and he is quick off his feet. Udoh has an array of finishing moves, but his go-to move is the spin. Joseph has a solid jumper with range out to about 20-21 feet. To go along with all of that, he is also extremely unselfish and is a good passer. Defensively, he reads passing lanes well and has great timing on shot blocking. As I see him play more I’ll be able to make a better prediction of what level player he is, but at this moment I would tell all mid major programs that they need to take a look at Udoh.   [player_tooltip player_id="977500" first="Milos" last="Merrick"]- 6’3” PG Merrick played a key role off the bench for ISA (OH) this year. He averaged 6.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.0 steals. The 6’3” guard does a good job getting to the rim and finishing at the rim or shooting the floater. When his feet are set, he knocks shots down from the perimeter, showing good range and mechanics, but his release could stand to get higher. Merrick is most impressive when setting up teammates. He sees the floor extremely well and makes correct reads when coming off of ball screens, dribble handoffs and on ball reversals. Due to Merrick’s size and stature, colleges will also find him very attractive defensively too. He is a legit 6’3” with long arms and a bigger build. He has the ability to guard 1-3 at the next level. Merrick is garnering low/mid major Division I interest and I expected him to come into his senior season with multiple offers after AAU.   [player_tooltip player_id="977502" first="Brandon" last="Brown"]- 6’2” CG I saw Brown for the first time at the Big Shots West Virginia event. Ever since then, I have been incredibly impressed with him. I saw four of his games this year and saw improvements in his game every time. Brown 6’2” combo guard who uses his elite athleticism to his advantage. Brown has a lightning quick first step, has good speed and jumps well. Brandon scores at all 3 levels and is able to hit jumpers off the catch or off the dribble. He has excellent shooting mechanics and has a fairly quick release. Brandon also is a good ball handler and a good passer allowing him to also play as the lead guard. Defensively, he is able to defend either guard position. He does a great job at cutting his man off and containing and contesting every shot. I expected Brown to have several offers from Division I, Division II and NAIA programs heading into his senior year after his AAU season.   [player_tooltip player_id="977514" first="Ben" last="Gilliam"]- 6’5” PF Gilliam is one of my favorite players in the state to watch. Ben’s motor is unmatched. He never takes a play off and has a great “next play mentality”. Offensively, he does most of his work in the low post. He is confident going over either shoulder and has an impressive left handed hook shot. Gilliam is also a great dunker and is quick off the floor and throws down powerful dunks. Gilliam shot one of the highest percentages from the floor (64.8% FG) in the entire state. Ben also does a good job at attacking the offensive glass (4.5 offensive rebounds) and going for putback layups and dunks. He didn’t shoot a great percentage from the line (54.9%), but he has solid mechanics. Defensively, Woodrow Wilson played a 2-3 zone and Ben played the middle spot. This year he did a great job at walling up, blocking shots, boxing out and grabbing defensive rebounds (6.0 defensive rebounds per game). All Division II’s that need someone that will go to war for them every game and will be a contributor for all four years, hit him up.