DMV Elite SCL Session 1 Standouts (Part 1)

<p>The first stop of the DMV Elite Super Circuit League was this past weekend in Richmond, with games at both Big Ben’s Home Court and Guardian Christian Academy. There was tons of talent from all over the DMV and Virginia, and had some very high level matchups and players from all age groups. We take a look at part one of the standouts, with a look at some of the top 17U performers from Virginia.</p> <p>All of the games can be seen on the CBG Live Network <a href="https://cbglivenetwork.com">here</a>.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="815579" first="Tyler" last="Nickel"] | 6’7” F | Team Loaded VA 17U</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/06/Nickel.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1012359" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/06/Nickel-300x287.png" alt="" width="300" height="287" /></a></p> <p>Nickel continues to impress as one of the top scorers for one of the most talented 17U teams in the country, and his stock is going to continue to soar because of it. The 6’7” wing is being utilized in such a good way as he plays a little bit of the three and a little bit of the four, making him a mismatch for whoever is going to try to guard him. He’s a threat to score in transition at the the rim, in isolation situations where he can get to spots and make shots over guys and from deep off the catch where he can make shots on the move. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="815577" first="Maliq" last="Brown"] | 6’8” PF | Team Loaded VA 17U</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Brown-Maliq-CBG.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1149220" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Brown-Maliq-CBG-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Brown isn’t the highlight reel guy for this Loaded group, but he’s as important as anyone if not the most important guy with the physical presence in the post he brings and his defensive versatility. As the only big in the starting lineup, Brown is a very fluid athlete with great feet and the ability to guard pretty much any position on the floor, and he’s extremely efficient on the offensive end as he can rim run and duck in for easy buckets at the paint and he has great hands to catch tough passes. He knows exactly what he thrives at on both ends of the floor, and the fact that he plays to his game and impacts the game both in ways that show up in the stat sheet and in ways that don’t makes him possibly the most intriguing prospect on this team.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="787667" first="Jayden" last="Epps"] | 6’1” PG | Team Loaded VA 17U</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Epps-Jayden-Loaded.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1172943" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Epps-Jayden-Loaded-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>The Providence commit continues to show his natural ability to score the basketball, as the AAU uptempo style fits him perfectly and he’s able to stay in attack mode both in transition and in the half court as he’s able to use his quickness to get to the rim and finish easily. He’s a guy who can shoot it out past NBA range, but he doesn’t settle too often for just that, and once he gets it going he’s able to make plays for others and make others better as well. He also sets the tone defensively with his ability to get under guys and guard 94 feet, and his toughness is really what separates him from others.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="815588" first="Alphonzo" last="Billups"] | 6’7” WF | Team Loaded VA 17U</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Billups-Alphonzo-ECE.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1148654" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Billups-Alphonzo-ECE-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>One of the hottest prospects on the east coast since the summer started, Billups continues to thrive on this very talented group as he’s the glue guy who can play multiple positions and is talented as both an athletic and skilled scorer and an unselfish playmaker as well. At 6’7” he’s a natural athlete that can finish at the rim both in transition and in traffic, he’s improved immensely in his ability to catch and shoot from deep and his vision with the ball in his hands is very impressive for a guy his size. He’s their x-factor as he’s an impact guy on both ends and has the ability to make plays on a team that has plenty of other scoring options.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="815583" first="Kanye" last="Clary"] | 5’11” PG | Boo Williams 17U</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/Clary-Kanye-2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1138330" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/Clary-Kanye-2-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Clary has been the unquestioned leader for this Boo group, as he is a dynamic playmaker that sets the tone on both ends of the floor and a constant threat to both score it and make others better with the ball in his hands. He’s absolutely fantastic in the pick-and-roll as he can make all the reads and changes speeds extremely well to get in the lane where he can make plays for others or shoot the floater that he’s so consistent with. He’s a tough minded guy that sets the tone defensively as well, and he always steps up in the biggest of games for his team. </p> <p><strong>DJ Campbell | 6’0” PG | Boo Williams 17U</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/Campbell-DJ-2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1136965" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/Campbell-DJ-2-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Campbell is the x-factor on this group as he is a natural floor general but is also skilled and smart enough to be able to play off the basketball, and his intensity and IQ for the game allows him to make plays on both ends to help his team win. Whether it’s jumping passing lanes or chasing down a block with less than a minute to go to save the lead on a breakaway, he’s a grossly underrated defender and athlete who brings max effort all the time and is able to make plays on the defensive end. Offensively, he consistently makes good reads and is able to score from all three levels, and even when he isn’t shooting it well he still finds ways to contribute on both ends.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="815585" first="Efrem" last="Johnson"] | 6’4” WF | Boo Williams 17U</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Johnson-Efrem-CBG.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1063292" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Johnson-Efrem-CBG-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Johnson is possibly their top scorer on this Boo group, as he is a natural shot maker from multiple levels but really thrives in his ability to stretch the floor both off the catch and from deep. He moves well off the ball and knows how to float to get open or can come off of screens and dribble hand-offs where he has excellent range on the move, and he’s adept at putting it on the deck and being able to create space to get open and knock down tough shots. He’s a vastly under recruited scoring guard that is also a playmaker that can get others involved too.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1107848" first="Maleek" last="Richardson"] | 6’3” F | Circle Sports 17U</strong></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1184637" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/Richardson-Maleek-crop-3226x2118-1620157338-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></p> <p>Richardson is a guy who is just a walking bucket and reminds you of the guy at the YMCA you just can’t guard as he kills you over and over again. The Richmond Christian forward isn’t the quickest or most athletic guy but he’s highly skilled as he can put it on the deck and get to spots in the midrange, he can post you and score in the paint and he hits the glass for easy put backs as well. He’s a very skilled scorer that is a walking mismatch and is very productive almost every time I’ve seen him play.</p>