I-95 Coalition Saturday AM Standout Wings/Frontcourt Prospects
It was Week 2 for the I-95 Coalition league held at The St. James in Springfield, VA. This league offers a routine slate of games with no shortage of talent from the 15-17U age groups. With two courts of action,…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingIt was Week 2 for the I-95 Coalition league held at The St. James in Springfield, VA. This league offers a routine slate of games with no shortage of talent from the 15-17U age groups. With two courts of action, I focused on three games for the morning slate in which these standouts will come from:
New World 16U 50 vs Team Richmond 16U 47
Team Melo 16U 62 vs Team Durant 16U 55
Phily Pride 17U vs Team Richmond 17U
Here are standout wing and frontcourt prospects from this slate.
Cam Whitmore | 6’7 | Team Melo ’22
Whitmore was flat out dominant in their win over Durant. All in all he was the most impressive prospect I saw this morning by far. The 6-foot-7 wing reacted quickly as an off-ball defender gathering loose balls and leading the break for athletic, strong finishes. In the half court he exposed mismatches and moved well without the ball, making himself available around the rim and finishing. Whitmore also displayed his elite athleticism on the defensive end in transition as he pinned lay ups against the glass. His finished with 24 points on 11-of-15 shooting, grabbed six boards and collected six steals.
Luke Smith Luke Smith 6'9" | C Collegiate | 2023 State VA | 6’8 | Team Richmond ’23
Smith set a tone early on and showed potential as a four man who can do many things. He was involved in many DHO’s throughout the game and given his ability to shoot from three and his feel to slip, cut to the basket and finish, it was a tough guard for New World. Smith finished with a double-double of 10 points and 11 boards. He would’ve had at least 18 points if it weren’t for questionable travel calls in which he knocked down a couple three’s and a post-up move on the block.
Christian Watson Christian Watson 6'6" | SF St. John's | 2022 State #121 Nation MD | 6’7 | Team Durant ’22
Watson got going early on finding his mark from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-7 wing has good pre-shot preparation in order to get into his shot quickly. In the second half he threw down an impressive one-handed slam in traffic that caught the gym’s attention. Watson was the consistent scoring presence for Durant finishing with 21 points and four rebounds.
Chris Tomasco | 6’9 | Philly Pride ’21
Tomasco is a long, mobile forward who didn’t waste time getting to work. He was a constant rim-runner in transition and finished smoothly with either hand. Tomasco scored eight points, pulled down seven rebounds and blocked three shots in 19 minutes.
Zack Hicks | 6’8 | Philly Pride ’21
Hicks is a wing/forward that showed he can play and defend multiple positions. At 6-foot-8 he has good length, ability to shoot from range and can finish athletically above the rim in transition. There were even occasions where he put the ball on the floor to get by his defender from the perimeter. Hicks contributed with eight points and five rebounds.
James Patterson James Patterson 6'2" | SG Meadowbrook | 2021 VA | 6’5 | Team Richmond ’21
Patterson could be considered a wing or off-ball guard at the next level. He plays with admirable effort on both ends and paced Team Richmond as a primary scorer. He was accurate in the mid-range even on pull up scenarios in the open floor maintaining good body control. Patterson recorded 15 points on 6-of-10 shoting to go with six rebounds in the loss.
Caleb Kenney Caleb Kenney 6'6" | PF Douglas Freeman | 2021 State VA | 6’5 | Team Richmond ’21
Kenney and Patterson paced Team Richmond, but Kenney did his damage with athleticism and overwhelming his match up around the rim. He’s a strong 6-foot-5 southpaw that gets downhill with intent to draw contact. On one drive in the first half he threw down a one-handed dunk that impressed the crowd. He’s a plus rebounder and makes eye-popping blocks as a weakside defender or trailing on the break. Kenney led Team Richmond with 18 points and nine rebounds.