National HoopFest Day 2: Unsigned Senior Standouts

<p>The National High School Hoops Festival is always one of the best events throughout the country during the high school season. I was in attendance for day two and will break down standouts from various classes that caught my eye. We start with the unsigned seniors.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="904663" first="Rob" last="Lawson"] | 6’0 | National Christian</strong></span></p> <p>Lawson got the day started helping his team get off to a dominant lead against Dream City. Cream City staged a second half comeback to make the final score more respectable, but Lawson and company got back into rhythm late to fend them off. Lawson finished with 14 points, dished out four assists and pulled in three rebounds. He thrived in getting his defender on his back and keeping him there as he slithered his way into the paint for dump-off passes, floaters or kick-outs to open shooters. The control and command that Lawson provides as a floor general is the reason I’m a strong believer that high Division II or low Division I programs who need a point guard for the future should track him closely.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="777090" first="Kyle" last="Gaskins"] | 6’0 | Coolidge</strong></span></p> <p>As a team, Coolidge struggled in their game against Rock Creek, but Gaskins was a bright spot with his team-high 21 points. He shot 9-for-17 from the field, but what was more impressive was his presence on the glass as he hauled in eight rebounds. He made plays in the open floor for others, which accounted for a couple of his four total assists. Gaskins established his shot early from three and then baited defenders closing out with pump fakes to get to spots in the mid-range for jumpers.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1110550" first="Jeremiah" last="Littlejohn"] | 6’4 | Rock Creek Christian</strong></span></p> <p>Littlejohn comes with plus length for 6-foot-4 and succeeded in using it to his advance on drives to the basket. He scored 15 points in the win over Coolidge, but kept the defense honest by converting on three of his five looks from beyond the arc. He was active off the ball as a defender as indicated by his four blocks and got into the passing lane on multiple occasions to record three steals. North Carolina Greensboro has showed some interest in Littlejohn as of late.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Ronnie Davis | 6’5 | Rock Creek Christian</strong></span></p> <p>Ronnie Davis had possibly the quietest loaded stat line I’ve seen. The unsigned senior transfer logged a double-double of 24 points and 14 rebounds in the win over Coolidge. Davis’ chemistry with senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="1049816" first="Ty" last="Williams"] was evident on pick-and-roll scenarios. He also found space well on Williams’ drives where Davis would quickly relocate around the dunker’s spot or in the mid-range area for open looks. </p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1052154" first="Dok" last="Muordar"] | 7’0 | Huntington Prep</strong></span></p> <p>Muordar was perfect in Huntington’s strong win over Bishop O’Connell. The seven-footer didn’t miss a shot, going 7-for-7 from the field on his way to 14 points. He collected 11 rebounds to notch a double-double and his two offensive boards resulted in second chance points. Muordar still has to put on muscle, but considering his size, length and upside, power five programs should strongly consider getting involved. He also blocked three shots and compiled all of these stats in just 18 minutes. </p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="810375" first="Seth" last="Hubbard"] | 6’2 | Huntington Prep</strong></span></p> <p>Hubbard led Huntington Prep with 23 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field and 5-of-10 from deep. He impacted the game in every sense aside from scoring as well by dishing out seven assists, four rebounds and two steals as well. A 6-foot-2 combo guard, Hubbard comes with a tight handle, ability to score from all three levels and athleticism that comes into play with his finishes around the basket</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1110545" first="Cortez" last="Johnson"] | 6’7 | St. Frances</strong></span></p> <p>Johnson was critical in St. Frances’ win over DeMatha. The 6-foot-7 forward was bouncy around the rim on both ends whether it was finishing two-handed flushes, protecting as a shot-blocker or securing rebounds. Those things can be expected almost every time he touches the court, but what stood out was the couple of face-up jumpers he connected on. One came in the second half from beyond the arc where he buried a jumper over the extended hand of the defender. Johnson finished with an impressive 16 points and 20 rebounds. It’ll be interesting to see how and if his recruitment picks up following his performance.</p>