National Prep Showcase Standouts (Part 1)
The National Prep Championship took place this week in West Hartford, CT for the first time since 2020 when the championship game was canceled due to Covid, and it was back like it never missed a beat. There were two…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe National Prep Championship took place this week in West Hartford, CT for the first time since 2020 when the championship game was canceled due to Covid, and it was back like it never missed a beat. There were two brackets, a championship bracket featuring 16 teams who were chosen due to their resume, and a showcase bracket featuring 8 teams that just missed the cut.
There were teams from all over the country in attendance, and there were tons of big time players throughout the event.
Here’s a look at part one of the NC and VA standouts from the event.
If you’d like to watch the playback of the event, you can see it here.
Jayson Harris | 6’8” PF | Combine ’22
I’ve been watching Harris for a few years now, and I have to say he picked the best time for him play his best basketball as he was absolutely fantastic in their run to the showcase championship. Harris is a versatile big man who has improved a lot in his ability to shoot it and shot it very well from deep throughout the event, he is strong and can finish around the rim with both hands and he brought toughness to his team both on the boards and on the defensive end too.
Jacob Cooper | 5’8” PG | Combine ’22
Cooper was arguably Combine’s most important player throughout the season, and the floor general is starting to see his stock rise with a number of division one offers starting to come his way. He’s one of the most skilled guards you’ll find and he showed that as he showed the ability to change speeds and create space to make shots both from deep and over taller defenders, he made great reads in the pick-and-roll and made his teammates better and he showed total control of the game with the ball in his hands.
Ethyn Brown | 6’0” PG | Combine ’22
Brown was another Combine player who probably played his best basketball of the year at this point, as he set the tone on both ends of the floor and made a ton of plays that turned games when they needed him to. He’s a high energy guard who can lock down the other team’s best player, he can probe the defense off the bounce and get in the paint to make plays for himself and others, he shot the basketball well and played with great energy throughout the event.
Jayden Brewer | 6’5” WF | Combine ’22
The FIU commit may not have played his best basketball but was picked up by some of his teammates, but he still showed flashes of dominance with his elite athleticism and two way impact. The long wing had some jaw dropping plays with his above the rim finishes, he thrived in transition and showed his ability to handle it and get to the rim and he was good on the defensive end too getting a lot of deflections and steals.
Zakari McQueen | 6’0” PG | Fork Union ’22
McQueen had another good showing for FUMA and is starting to pick up some D2 offers because of it, as he had a game where he absolutely took over and showed his scoring ability at the point guard position. While he doesn’t look to shoot every time he touches it he can put up big numbers with his ability to knock down shots from deep consistently, get in the paint off the bounce and make plays for himself and others and he has really improved in his decision making and IQ as well.
Aguibou Balde | 6’6” F | Fork Union ’22
Balde had perhaps his best showing I saw all season, as the NY native came back up north and showed a mix of athleticism and production in a number of different ways. He’s very strong and explosive and plays around the rim and in transition well, he can rebound and defends multiple positions and while he is little streaky he shot the ball extremely well throughout the week.