Southern Jam Fest-Friday Night Takeaways

<p>In what should be one of the most loaded events to take place this spring/summer, Southern Jam Fest tipped off at Boo Williams last night. The final scores of some games didn't indicate how competitive they were throughout, but was a good slate for the opening night of action. Here are some takeaways from the four games I caught.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Team Melo survives</strong></span></p> <p>Melo overcame a slow start as Team Choo came out scorching in the first five minutes of play. In the end, 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="837927" first="Cameron" last="Whitmore"] had his fingerprints all over the game by impacting the box score in a handful of ways. The 6-foot-7 forward finished with 20 points while showcasing his explosive athleticism on a slew of above the rim finishes. He secured rebounds both in and out of his area throughout and wasn't shy about pushing the tempo himself.</p> <p>2022 guard [player_tooltip player_id="904623" first="Trey" last="Thomas"] also caught eyes with his production. He's a dynamic scorer at 6-foot-3 and can play on or off the ball. Thomas has always been known for his ability to finish with craft around the rim, but he's improved his body and athleticism to a point where he's throwing down dunks with ease. Thomas finished with 15 points in the win.</p> <p>2022 Team Choo guard [player_tooltip player_id="954640" first="Jordan" last="Pennick"] was responsible for his team's fast start. The 6-foot-1 guard scored 13 of his team-high 19 points in the first four minutes. He converted on three triples, all of which came off the catch. Pennick gets tremendous lift on his release and has the proper footwork when coming off pin downs to quickly and fluidly get into his shot.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Team Final: The Show</strong></span></p> <p>Just when you thought this Team Final squad couldn't have gotten any better, they go and add the No. 1 ranked player in the 2022 class, Emoni Bates. Pair him with the No. 2 prospect in the class, [player_tooltip player_id="1062409" first="Jalen" last="Duren"], and all of the other highly sought after high major prospects and what you have is must-see basketball. However, the VA Playmakers weren't going to bow down. They were within single digits until late in the second half thanks to their resilient effort and dead-eye shooting from three.</p> <p>Final separated themselves in the final five minutes of the game as the Playmakers had a few careless turnovers. Against a team as talented as this Final group, the window of error is minimal and they took advantage on their way to a 97-82 final score. 2022 guard Otega Oweh put together a very solid performance on his way 21 points. The 6-foot-4 guard racked up a handful of strong finishes at the rim, knocked down two three's and crashed the offensive glass for second chance points. Bates finished with 18 points and showcased his three-level scoring ability. Although the game was tight for the most part, Bates operated with patience and scored with relative ease.</p> <p>The story surrounding this game came from 2022 Playmakers guard Jack Vander Woude. He was the locked in from beyond the arc and nailed a ridiculous seven three pointers as he finished with a game-high 25 points. These are the type of performances that get your name on the map, so expect this to be the case with Vander Woude.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Team BBC loses a heart breaker</strong></span></p> <p>Team BBC lost at the buzzer on Friday evening after leading for most of the game. However, 2022 guard Alfred Worrell put on a scoring clinic finishing with a game-high 26 points. All four of his three's came in the second half of play off catch-and-shoot scenarios. He showed good shot preparation and sound form on his release. Worrell has a strong frame at 6-foot-2 that came to light as he absorbed contact on drives to the rim.</p> <p>While 2022 guard [player_tooltip player_id="991234" first="Jalen" last="Franklin"] didn't light up the nets as a scorer, he had tremendous impact with his vision in the open floor. The 6-foot-1 point guard is always looking to hit streaking teammates in transition and he did so with accuracy where they caught the ball in stride for easy buckets. Franklin also has feel in the half court where he got into the paint and made the right play almost every time.</p> <p><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">[program_tooltip program_id='2078457' first='Team' last='Durant'] handles business</span></strong></p> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='2078457' first='Team' last='Durant'] was dominant in their 73-42 win over New Haven Heat. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="546187" first="Dariq" last="Whitehead"] continues to show why he should be considered as a top three player in his class. His overall game is more polished every time I see him and he makes difficult plays look easy. Whitehead finished with 14 points in the win. He's at his best in the open floor when he can use his quick burst, explosive athleticism and crafty finishing. Every time he takes the floor he's looking to make a statement, so expect a big weekend from the 6-foot-6 Montverde product.</p>