Myrtle Chaffin Classic: Sunday's Standout Prospects

Over the weekend the annual Myrtle Chaffin Classic took place on the campus of Mt. Zion Prep. Featured were a mixture of high school and prep programs and each year it's always a great opportunity to get an early looks at some of the top talent from the region. Who stood out among the rest? I'll highlight those prospects in the four-game slate that I caught on Sunday.   [player_tooltip player_id='1241885' first='Adrian' last='Myers'] | Massanutten 2023 (Miss. St. commit)   The performance of the day goes to Mississippi State commit [player_tooltip player_id='1241885' first='Adrian' last='Myers'] for his 33-point outing in a win over Covenant College Prep. The 6'7 wing went to work early by hitting an array of side-step three's to demand his defender's respect. On catches following those possessions, he attacked by putting the ball on the deck with his left hand before stopping on a dime from 15-feet and knocking down midrange jumpers. Myers' blend of size and versatile scoring ability had the defense at his mercy.   Jaden Kempson | Covenant College Prep 2023   Simply put, Kempson is a hooper. To get technical, he's a 6'3 lead guard who can mix it up off the bounce and pick his spots as to how he wants to score. You can't give him space from three, he makes you stay disciplined when he's operating in ball screens and is able to finish in a variety of ways when he gets to the basket on either side. Kempson scored 29 points in the loss to Massanutten.   [player_tooltip player_id='1403917' first='Troy' last='McKoy'] | Massanutten 2024   McKoy's performance was equally impressive as Myers'. The 6'5 big-bodied guard finished with 31 points and like his counterpart, got to work early building respect from the defense with his outside shot. McKoy isn't the best athlete on the floor, but he possesses good burst and confidence in his shot to make step-backs look easy. If he penetrates the paint, his frame becomes an issue for the defense with his ability to create and/or absorb contact. Usually the result will be a bucket or a foul. Either way, McKoy is a tough matchup and will continue to prove that as the season progresses.   Earle Greer | RockTop Academy 2023   I remember watching Greer and being intrigued with this long-term potential, but was undecided on how he projected as a 2022 prospect. Now doing a post-grad prep year at RockTop, it gives him time to polish his skills and add some size to his long 6'7 frame. Sunday showed that he's already developing at a rapid rate to the tune of 27 points in a close loss to Mt. Zion's national team. 12 of his points came from three in catch-and-shoot situations where his release was fluid and quicker than when I saw him in spring. He's an impact in transition with his length and athleticism that allows him to put pressure on the rim at all costs.   Ryan Archey | RockTop 2023   Greer's teammate and former Gywnn Park standout, Ryan Archey, put on a show of his own as he tallied 25 points in the loss. Archey is a 6'1 lead guard who is extremely shifty with the ball. He doesn't waste much movement and dribbles for profit in ball screen actions that results in him getting paint touches to collapse the defense. His shifty ways make it easy to create space in isolations for his shot and while he struggled to find his groove from outside, he's known as a threat from 3-to-5 feet beyond the three-point line.   [player_tooltip player_id='1114066' first='Carlton' last='Carrington'] | St. Frances 2023 (Pittsburgh commit)   St. Frances opened their season against a scrappy Shabach Academy team and luckily for them, Carrington's shot was falling. He looks to be nearing 6'5, which makes it extremely difficult for defenders to get a good contest on his shot when you consider the elevation he gets both off the dribble or off the catch. Carrington finished the game going 10-of-18 from the field and several of those makes were from the 13-to-17 foot range where he was rising over his defender as if it was a drill.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/11/IMG-0735-scaled.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/11/IMG-0735-300x225.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1662716"/></a></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1370503' first='Tyler' last='Jackson'] | St. Frances 2025   Jackson, otherwise known as T Hype, showed why his play support his nickname as the super sophomore had his share of 'wow' moments. The 6'2 lead guard is creative as they come in getting to spots with elite deceleration or change-of-pace dribbles. He shot 9-of-14 from the field and was a terror in transition where he can stop on a dime and rise up with tremendous body control from midrange as the defense forms a wall around the basket to halt any lay-ups.   [player_tooltip player_id='1403922' first='Ralph' last='Martino'] | Shabach Academy 2024   I have seen Martino sporadically throughout his high school journey, but it was more so during the beginning of his freshman year. I knew that he had explosive finishing ability for who was then a 6'3 guard. Now standing near 6'7, his explosiveness is still there, but his jumper has drastically improved and on Sunday in a close loss to St. Frances, he made that known by teeing off for corner three's. He led the Shabach attack with 20 points and when he wasn't draining shots from outside, he was making things happen around the rim during fastbreak opportunities.   [player_tooltip player_id='1482975' first='Fallou' last='Koite'] | Mt. Zion Prep Academy 2023   My favorite find of the early season! Well, the majority of teams have yet to play an actual game, but you get the point. Koite was excellent in the game that I saw on Sunday and had an early hand in helping fuel his Mt. Zion Prep Academy team to a dominant victory. The 6'6 wing scored 26 points and showcased his valuable versatility on both ends. He plays with a great energy and when you combine that with his length and athleticism, it makes for one heck of a defensive piece. He flushed home a few dunks in the open floor and cashed in from deep when his defender was caught a second late. I'll be monitoring Koite closely moving forward.

Over the weekend the annual Myrtle Chaffin Classic took place on the campus of Mt. Zion Prep. Featured were a mixture of high school and prep programs and each year it's always a great opportunity to get an early looks at some of the top talent from the region. Who stood out among the rest? I'll highlight those prospects in the four-game slate that I caught on Sunday.