The Platform Showcase: My favorite 5
Despite the uncertainty for Shelby County Schools, the top talent from the city of Memphis was on full display Sunday at the Memphis Athletic Ministries gymnasium in The Platform Showcase.
For four hours, six teams competed against one another. The city of Memphis was well-represented.
Here are five players that stood out to me at the showcase.
Keyron Crawford Keyron Crawford 6'6" | SF Briarcrest Christian (FB) | 2022 State TN , Cordova: I was baffled by what I saw from the 6-foot-6 forward on Sunday. In one scrimmage, Crawford made shots from the perimeter, which included a couple of made 3s. He doesn’t have to make a lot of shots from 3, but two, no more than three, will have his defenders honor his shot. Now, the one he needs is a consistent mid-range jumper. On Sunday, Crawford made 17-foot jump shots. After the game, he was smiling when I approached him to articulate how well he shot the ball outside the paint. I can tell that he was pleased by his own performance.
Kidtrell Blocker, Tennessee Prep: Blocker does a lot of things very well. Rebounding, communicating with his teammates, making the right basketball play, and putting forth effort on every possession are the things that Blocker loves to do. At 6-5, he’s an athletic wing that can showcase his ball handling skills when needed. Blocker is always looking to finish strong at the rim when he’s in transition.
Tyler Byrd, Tipton–Rosemark Academy: Byrd can easily sense when he has the offensive advantage. On Sunday, Byrd smelled blood when senior guard Josh Ward was guarding him. Byrd scored eight straight points on Ward, by simply exploiting his upper strength for layups. At 6-2, Byrd is very athletic, physical and always has an appetite for getting the best of his defender.
Davon Barnes, White Station: The 6-5 wing made up for his subpar performance at Saturday’s Super 80 Showcase. Barnes shot the ball much better on Sunday, since the competition level was much more intriguing. Barnes rolled out of bed knowing he had to execute better offensively.
Cooper Haynes, Briarcrest: The freshman guard looked like he’s more than a spot-up shooter on Sunday. Haynes was creating shots off the dribble, which has to come sooner than later, so why not now? Now is perfect. Haynes didn’t force a single shot. If it wasn’t there, he found a teammate that was wide open. Haynes not only can shoot it from deep, but he’s an unselfish teammate.