The Last Dance: Night One Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prospect standouts from night one at the Prep Hoops Circuit’s Last Dance!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Emmanuel Ferguson -- SF -- Team Strive Elite&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ferguson is a high-upside prospect who caught my eye on Friday night. The 6-foot-3 small forward has good positional size, which he uses well to find success on both ends of the court. I really like how the Team Strive Elite prospect was able to slash to the rim. He doesn’t shy away from contact at all. Most times, Ferguson seeks out contact. Because of this, he draws plenty of fouls and puts a lot of stress on opposing defenders. Look out for Ferguson moving forward. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id=’1142143’ first=’Dallas’ last=’Wallin’] -- F -- Northwest Elite </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wallin is a strong, physical prospect who has a lot of skill. In the second half of Northwest Elite’s win on Friday night, the forward took over. He did a tremendous job of using his size to dominate in the paint. He blocked some shots, grabbed rebounds, and scored well at the rim. Overall, I was very impressed with Wallin’s game. He plays very hard and makes big-time plays. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jaheem Smith -- PG -- Team Strive Elite</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Smith is an extremely explosive point guard who uses his speed to blow by opposing defenders. On Friday night, Smith had no problem getting to the rim. He has a tight handle and a handful of impressive moves. He did miss a couple of easy layups, but if he is able to polish his finishing skills around the rim, Smith will no-doubt develop into a top prospect. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Keenan Wiley -- SF -- Iowa Barnstormers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wiley is the definition of an impact player. Even though his team wasn’t able to walk away with the victory on Friday night, the small forward still caught my eye. At one point in the second half, Wiley knocked down a mid range jumper, blocked a shot, and tallied an assist in consecutive possessions. You don’t see too many sequences like that in AAU basketball. I was very impressed with Wiley’s versatility. He did a little bit of everything for the Barnstormers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id=’1288854’ first=’Rashad’ last=’Gatewood’] -- PG -- Iowa Barnstormers </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gatewood’s game on the offensive end is extremely impressive. The point guard has excellent shooting touch. He is able to knock down some <em>deep </em>shots, which puts a lot of stress and pressure on opposing defenders. Gatewood is also very talented when it comes to finishing layups. He has a nice floater around the rim. I thought that the point guard also showed some real promise as a passer. He was able to dish out a handful of flashy assists on Friday night. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Will Spellman -- PF -- EG 10 </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Spellman isn’t the type of prospect that will blow you away with athleticism or top tier skill. He doesn’t jump off the board like that. What makes Spellman dangerous is his mentality. He is not afraid to simply outwork his opponent. The power forward is constantly fighting for boards in the paint. Most of the time, he succeeds. I love how gritty Spellman is. He is a name to know moving forward. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->