The Stage: James C’s Saturday Standouts Part 1

<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">After a great Friday night of evaluating talent, I watched some games Saturday, and the talent pool did not disappoint. These guys boosted their stock and showed why they have the potential to be real college studs.</span></p> <p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Levi White 6’1 PG </span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Griffin Elite 2025/Waggener High School</span></p> <p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Levi White was phenomenal all morning for Griffin Elite. He was able to handle full-court pressure while also getting his team into their offense. White was also able to defend at a high level the entire game. Down the stretch, White showed his ability to knock down clutch shots from NBA range to close out his fantastic performance. I watched a lot of basketball this weekend, and it was rare to see that ability, even in the 17u division.</span></p> <p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="1363732" first="Chris" last="Powell"] 6’2 CG </span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Team Cray 2025/UPrep High School</span></p> <p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Powell was able to score at will on all three levels when I was able to see him. He knocked down almost every shot he took, so efficiency isn’t a question. At 6’2, Powell handled the press well while also understanding how to attack closeouts when pressure was coming. I think an underrated piece of his is the ability to rebound at a high level. Powell had 10 rebounds in a loss against a tough Griffin Elite team that brought his statline to 16 points, 6 assists, and 10 rebounds. Impressive all-around game from the freshman.</span></p> <p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="939049" first="Cade" last="Altadonna"] 6’1 PG </span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Illinois Bears 2023/Highland High School</span></p> <p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Cade is the definition of toughness. The kid was flat out able to do anything he wanted to on the court, and he got to whichever spot he wanted when he wanted. He was able to facilitate for his teammates and defended better than anyone I saw on the day. He has clearly been in the weight room, which allowed him to get into the lane and play well off two feet the entire game. If you haven’t seen Altadonna yet, he definitely should be on everyone’s list.</span></p> <p><span data-preserver-spaces="true"> </span></p> <p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="1363750" first="Shamir" last="Caruthers"] 6’0 PG </span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Team Cray 2023/Irondequoit High School</span></p> <p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Caruthers has been a major stock riser over the past couple of weeks; many JUCO and small schools realize that he will be a steal with his ability to play the point guard position. Shot the three-ball exceptionally well in the game I watched. He hit 5-7 from three and made good decisions attacking closeouts from opposing players. Quick decision maker once in the lane and finishes with a ton of craftiness around the basket.</span></p> <p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Tre Davis 5’11 PG </span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">IBA Illinois Stars 2023/Marian Catholic</span></p> <p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Tre Davis was one of the best guards of the weekend, and he was a leader for a highly talented IBA Illinois Stars team. Davis was a phenomenal facilitator and defender and was not afraid to pass up a good shot for himself for an even better shot for a teammate. That doesn’t mean Davis did not show a good amount of scoring ability when he had the opportunity; he got to his spots without a problem and did a good job knocking down mid-range pull-ups all game.</span></p>