Voorhees Coll Team Camp: Key Performers

<p>Took a day trip out to South Carolina last week for former HIES coach and now Voorhees College HC Cabral Huff’s Denmark Summer Explosion Team Camp. A historic HBCU located in Denmark SC, Coach Huff landed 2021 East Paulding star [player_tooltip player_id="869629" first="Kristian" last="Ford"] among his latest recruiting class. </p> <p>Here are some top performers from the day:</p> <p><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1045883" first="Keith" last="Floyd"], 6-2, PG, 2023, Jenkins C<span style="font-size: 1rem;">ounty (pictured above)</span></strong></em></p> <p><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Had the speed burst game going as he was as tough to guard as anyone on the day, got through traffic at will and as has been his M.O. was one of the day’s top defenders as well, combined all of that with the same shooting touch from range he showed at our Circuit events with Georgia Ignites and it was easy to see why he has the Voorhess staff intrigued at the very least, combined nicely with fellow 2023 Larry Pounds III in a speedy and gritty backcourt.</span></p> <p><em><strong><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Malik Ferguson, 6-4, SF, 2023, Grovetown</span></strong></em></p> <p><span style="font-size: 1rem;">This Grovetown program continues to impress every time I see them, with 2024 riser [player_tooltip player_id="1131775" first="Derrion" last="Reid"] sidelined it was all Ferguson (and teammate below Markel Freeman), so physical in both stature and game coming off a freshman year where he started virtually from day one, showed off nice shooting range to go with a downhill drive package that is full of steam and savvy, can handle the ball some out in the open but projects to me more in a small forward role where he can catch and do damage from multiple spots including with his back to the basket, can defend 4 spots with ease, when Reid is back and intriguing 2023 post 6-7 Aaron Nomel (looks 6-10) begins to find his footing this Warriors team will be mammoth and highly skilled, a sure-fire future D1 prospect is Ferguson.</span></p> <p><em><strong><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Markel Freeman, 6-4, CG, 2023, Grovetown</span></strong></em></p> <p>Just as impressive as Ferguson was Freeman’s play, more of combo guard he had the ball in his hands quite a bit as a creator and slasher, built like a truck as well he sliced his way to the hole almost at will and scored up through contact and out on the fast break with impunity, adds a polished smoothness to that ferocity that means he can take you one on one in a key moment or just decide to barrel his way for buckets, in a month where so many players have shined Freeman like Ferguson easily sits near the top of the list with the sheer physicality and moxie for the game, and like Ferguson a highly impressive prospect who can guard up to 4 positions, on the way to high D1 looks.</p> <p><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1223263" first="Tyler" last="Jewell"], 5-10, CG, 2024, Walnut Grove</strong></em></p> <p>Again we encountered the WGHS program and again they had multiple guys impress, 6-4 or better 2022 forwards Shawn Walker, Andrew Makinde and transfer [player_tooltip player_id="1183123" first="Valdy" last="Zephir"] make for as legit a 5A frontline you’ll see this fall, and 2022 guards John Knott at the point (who’s been an unsung MVP shooting it and directing the attack in June) and deadeye 3-pt bomber [player_tooltip player_id="1183120" first="Demyron" last="Williams"] make up the senior core of a good-looking team, Jewel comes in from the endlessly deep Grayson program where you can place 2 teams in the ISA June League for example and still have 20 guys who can play waiting for a shot, the 2024 riser is smooth and so poised out there, he looks almost sleepy at times but is not sleeping at all and can really get into the teeth of a defense off the bounce and has a pretty jumper out well past the arc, a young guard to watch both as a point man or on the wing on this veteran team (along with 2023 SG John Avitabile, who was stroking it again from deep).</p> <p><strong><em>Blake Wilson, 6-5, SF, 2024, Dacula</em></strong></p> <p>With a next-level talent like [player_tooltip player_id="948818" first="Lamariyon" last="Jordan"] on the roster it can be easy to get lost when most eyes are following the exceptional 2023 product, but a trained scout’s eye can see the upside in Wilson, already with a nice frame he comes from a basketball background (Coach Byron Wilson’s son, following the now-departed Bryce) and it shows, he fights and claws every possession and uses his excellent athletic ability to be both a glass cleaner and tough scorer in close, together with 2023 forward Gabe Omoregie makes for an athletic and physical twosome inside, will see a lot of good looks with exciting  2023 PG Josh Mathurin using his high IQ and clever distributing skills (and backup PG 2022 Manny Vasquez has really improved and is no slouch on the attack with his ball-speed). </p> <p><em><strong>Jaquez Ellison, 6-0, CG, 2022, Cross Creek</strong></em></p> <p>I’ve come to know Cross Creek as just a solid group o tough kids who play hard, guard there heck out of you and make you work for every possession, Ellison epitomized that on the day with his boundless energy at both ends, with the dribble no one was more impressively quick to the hole as he blew by everyone who guarded him, out in the open floor he was a fearless finisher or he was leading the break to one of his compadres, 2022s Jayden Pack and Dayshawn Adams too made life hard for every opponent with their combination of deep shooting, fierce on-ball and pressing defense and general composure in finding quality scoring opportunities, those 3 with active, sleeper 6-6 big man Terrenice Streetman means this group cannot be overlooked despite some graduation losses as they look for a 2nd straight 3A title this fall.   </p>