East Coast Bump Summer Session 1 Takeaways

It’s no secret that COVID-19 forced every major shoe circuit to cancel all of its events this spring and summer. As we navigate through such confusing times, there are ways coming to the surface that can still be utilized not only to give an opportunity for players to improve their games, but also gain some exposure. That’s the reasoning behind East Coast Bump’s Summer Session. Bringing 18-20 of the best high school prospects regardless of class to the same stage from the Baltimore area. Last night kicked things off and was closed to the public. I was fortunate enough to gain access and provide coverage. Going forward, the plan is to stream these runs and allow college coaches to watch and get a feel for how the players are developing. In attempt to keep games upbeat and competitive, there were three teams made up of six players. Games were split into five minutes a piece and then the other team would come on. The constant switching of teams kept energy levels high and forced players to adjust nonstop to different playing styles. There’s hopes that down the road teams from surrounding states will be included, which would only raise the stakes of competition. Let’s take a look at some takeaways from last night. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Jarace-Walker.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1014956" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Jarace-Walker-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="546189" first="Jarace" last="Walker"] in a league of his own If there are any players who embody the athleticism that Walker does, it’s a very small list. He’s 6-foot-8, built like a college junior and gets off the ground quicker than any player I’ve seen. He had his share of impressive plays on both ends last night and made things look easy, but going forward with development is all mental for Walker. Having a mindset of wanting to dominate every possession could be the only thing missing from us watching him on the highest of stages in the next five or so years. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Trae-English.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1014957" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Trae-English-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="902040" first="Trae" last="English"] dominates I knew English was limited in his role last season for Poly coming off the bench and acting as a lock down defender behind [player_tooltip player_id="900152" first="Rahim" last="Ali"] (Howard). What I didn’t know is how skilled he was with the ball in his hands both as a scorer and playmaker. It seemed like every possession that he had control of the ball, something good happened. He operated in ball-screen scenarios flawlessly. He’d attack the hedging big’s hip and get downhill, make a quick move to split the blitz coverage or display patience and re-use the ball-screen if the defense happened to handle it correctly. His blazing quickness allowed him to routinely get to the rim and finish and his instincts were on full display by finding open teammates quickly as weak side defenders rotated. His effort didn’t only come on the offensive end. English was the only player supplying full court pressure and made life difficult for the ball handler. The 5-foot-11 guard successfully got his hands on the ball multiple times when helping off on drives and created transition opportunities for his team. From start to finish, there wasn’t another player more competitive than English. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Kwame-Evans.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1008306" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Kwame-Evans-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="957019" first="Kwame" last="Evans"] impresses It seems like every time I watch Evans I come away more impressed than I was last. It’s one thing that he’s creeping up to a legit 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot wingspan entering his sophomore season. The lefty makes defenses pay from the perimeter with the slightest amount of space and time but more importantly, he knows how to make the right basketball play. He knows how to put the ball on the floor for limited dribbles, make the defense react and then utilize his instincts to make the right read. He generated points for his team last night by crashing the defensive glass and immediately looking up the floor for long outlet passes, hitting his teammates in stride for quick lay-ups. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Kevin-Kalu.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1014958" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Kevin-Kalu-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Other players who stood out 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="777071" first="Christian" last="Winborne"] shows up and competes wherever he is and last night was no different. He’s a tough-nosed 6-foot-2 guard who can play on or off the ball and score from all three levels. 2021 City forward [player_tooltip player_id="837931" first="Kevin" last="Kalu"] played well throughout in large part because he stuck to his limitations. At 6-foot-8, Kalu is a solid screen-setter and playing alongside talented guards, saw the ball come to him on a handful of occasions while rolling for two-handed dunks. He crashed the glass extremely hard on both ends and ran the floor with intent throughout the two-hour time span. 2021 Virginia Beach Academy forward [player_tooltip player_id="902017" first="Clarence" last="Obiajulu"] performed to a similar note as Kalu. Stayed within his skill-set and provided endless energy defensively and on the glass. The 6-foot-7 forward isn’t afraid of physical play to say the least. 2021 City guard [player_tooltip player_id="902015" first="Ahmad" last="Harrison"] made things happen off the bounce and was very effective operating from mid-range and in. 2022 Poly guard [player_tooltip player_id="777095" first="Bryce" last="Lindsay"] was sniping from outside, but had a tendency to over dribble and find himself in trouble on occasion, which is expected as he continues to get comfortable operating as a point guard.