R1 Classic-Saturday Top Performers

The inaugural R1A Classic was held yesterday at Harford Community College where there was an overwhelming display of talent from around the country. Let’s take a look at the top performers from the Saturday slate. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Christian-Winborne-2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1362534" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Christian-Winborne-2-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="777071" first="Christian" last="Winborne"] | 6’3 | Gilman ’22 (St.Joseph’s commit) Winborne got the day started off with a strong overall performance in his team’s 58-46 win over Plymouth Whitemarsh with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and three steals. When he wasn’t getting to his spots in the mid-range knocking down pull ups, he was getting to the rim and finishing or drawing contact to draw a foul. He finished 7-of-12 from the charity stripe and constantly put pressure on the defense getting into the painted area. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Jalen-Marshall.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1362535" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Jalen-Marshall-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="904677" first="Jalen" last="Marshall"] | 6’2 | Gilman ’22 Winborne’s backcourt mate put together a solid performance with 16 points and seven rebounds. He struggled shooting from the field, but similar to Winborne, did a good job of earning trips to the free-throw line where he took advantage by going 7-of-10. Marshall supplied good defensive pressure and guarded multiple positions throughout the game. He used his quick burst and first step to consistently beat his man, get to the rim and use his athleticism on finishes. [player_tooltip player_id="1116013" first="Jaden" last="Colzie"] | 6’0 | Plymouth Whitemarsh ’24 This was my first time seeing Colzie live and I walked away intrigued with the player he can be long term. He has good feel for the game as a point guard and shot the ball well off the bounce. On a few occasions, he made his defender pay for going under ball screens and buried triples as he led his team with 13 points, dished out five assists and pulled down four rebounds. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1362537" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Dionte-Johnson-crop-3467x2276-1641737630-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Dionte Johnson | 5’11 | The Patrick School ’22 The Patrick School got off to a very slow start, but one Johnson got into a groove, the team took off and eventually walked away with a dominant 58-37 win over Academy of the New Church. Johnson led in the effort with 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists. He got downhill consistently in transition and in a half court setting using his explosive first step. He finished multiple lay ups following euro-steps to dodge defenders and when he wasn’t finishing himself he was locating his teammates in the dunker’s spot for easy lay ups as a result of his penetration. Johnson was active in passing lanes and caused deflections that led to transition buckets. He had good control of the ball and controlled the pace to his team’s advantage. Caleb Embeya | 6’9 | The Patrick School ’23 Embeya put forth a monstrous performance of 20 rebounds, 13 points and five blocks. His stat line gives and accurate description of who he is as a player on both ends. He’s a paint presence offensively and was the beneficiary of Johnson’s ability to break down the defense by hanging around on the baseline awaiting dump-off passes for close looks. He controlled the defensive glass and helped limit Academy of the New Church to one-shot possessions and protected the rim at a high level. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Elijah-Jones.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1362538" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Elijah-Jones-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1110544" first="Elijah" last="Jones"] | 6’8 | Mt. Zion Prep ’22 Mt. Zion destroyed Phelps by a final score of 106-74 behind Jones’ 21 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. It was good seeing Jones back on the floor and healthy after battling and playing through injuries during the summer. He showcased a consistent motor, grown man finishes above the rim and even converted on a look from beyond the arc. He made a concerted effort on the glass and had good timing on his challenges around the basket. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1362541" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/RJ-Luis-crop-3773x2478-1641737808-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> RJ Luis | 6’5 | Mt. Zion Prep ’22 Luis got to work right away and set the tone early for the Warriors by scoring 19 points in the first half. His minutes were limited in the second half due to their lead, but he impressed the college coaches in attendance with his versatility as a scorer. He was efficient as well by shooting 8-of-12 from the field. Luis is a dependable three-point threat off the catch especially in the corner. With his size, athleticism and length, he projects as a versatile defender at the mid-major level. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Deon-Perry-2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1362542" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Deon-Perry-2-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="904628" first="Deon" last="Perry"] | 5’9 | Mt. Carmel (Loyola MD commit) Perry had a rough shooting performance, but still managed to finish with 17 points, pull down eight rebound, dish out four assists and collect three steals in his team’s 58-47 win over Bishop O’Connell. As usual, he controlled the pace for the Cougars and pushed the tempo whenever he had the chance. He converted on a couple of tough step back three’s, used his wiggle to gain an edge on his defender on drives and created open shots for others. [player_tooltip player_id="957034" first="Tjay" last="Beckles"] | 5’10 | Mt. Carmel Beckles had the most efficient scoring performance of the day with 14 points on a perfect 5-of-5 from the field. He was 4-of-4 from three, hitting two off the catch, one off a quick jab step and two more on step backs after breaking his man down. When Beckles is making shots, it makes this Mt. Carmel team tough to beat and today was another example. [player_tooltip player_id="992474" first="Mikey" last="Williams"] | 6’1 | Vertical Academy ’23 The attention that follows Williams is indescribable. It was the first time for me seeing him live and I grew to respect how he holds himself despite the pressure he faces every possession. He led Vertical Academy to a win over John Carroll and poured in 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field and 4-of-8 from three. Williams is a tough-shot maker who can create his own looks off the dribble. He’s an explosive finisher in transition and has the body to finish through contact. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Tyson-Commander-2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1362544" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Tyson-Commander-2-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="837919" first="Tyson" last="Commander"]| 6’4 | John Carroll ’22 Commander stepped up to the challenge and contributed to 26 points in the loss. He hit his usual array of deep three’s and had a huge one-handed dunk with his right hand in the second half off a kick-out pass. The 6-foot-4 lefty also hauled in seven rebounds. [player_tooltip player_id="957030" first="Jeannot" last="Basima"] | 6’4 | John Carroll ’24 Basima got back to his old self despite his team coming up short in the end. He was extremely aggressive throughout attacking the rim and finishing with either hand. Basima has great patience when he needs to and often times will bait his defender with head fakes or pump fakes to get himself a cleaner look. A plus rebounder, Basima collected 11 rebounds on the evening while scoring 24 points, going 11-of-20 from the field. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Carlton-Carrington.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1362545" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Carlton-Carrington-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1114066" first="Carlton" last="Carrington"] | 6’4 | St. Frances ’23 Carrington’s stock continues to rise and today’s performance only helped the cause. The 6-foot-4 guard led St. Frances in their win over Donda Academy with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, 3-of-3 from the free-throw line and 2-of-2 from three. It’s a joy watching Carrington because he keeps thing simple and makes the right basketball play in almost any situation. Carrington also dished out four assists and had three rebounds in the effort. [player_tooltip player_id="957025" first="Jahnathan" last="Lamothe"] | 6’4 | St. Frances ’23 Lamothe was another player that was due for a strong performance and he came through with 16 points and three rebounds. While he had a few turnovers that weren’t ideal, Lamothe played with better pace and shot the ball more confidently even with a hand in his face. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Robert-Dillingham.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1362546" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Robert-Dillingham-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="854888" first="Robert" last="Dillingham"] | 6’2 | Donda Academy (NC State Commit) It took a bit for Dillingham to find his groove, but once he did you began to see why he’s so highly regarded in the 2023 class. He’s lighting quick in transition and gets to the rim in the blink of an eye. He finishes with athleticism and creativity to dodge opposing shot blockers and embraced contact in the air where he converted a couple of tough lay ups despite being fouled. He’s shifty in one-on-one scenarios, which helped him get into the paint to force the defense to collapse. He had a tendency to to take some tough contested shots, but I think that was because of two things. One, 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1089572" first="Daquan" last="Davis"] is one of the best defenders you’ll find. Two, Donda doesn’t run much, if any, offense in the half court.