#TerryTalks: Players I Saw For The 1st Time

The #SneakyPetesRebelClassic hosted by Vestavia provided me an opportunity to put my eyes on several players for the first time ever. Here are a few of those players.   Chase Bell (6'4/SG/'23/Sparkman HS)   Instagram: chase._.be11   Chase is a sophomore that showed a lot of promise and brings a lot of value to the Sparkman team. He shot the ball exceptionally well from deep for Sparkman in the first half against Vestavia. His timely buckets helped Sparkman gain a lot of early momentum. He showed his ability to put the rock on the floor, get to the basket, and finish strong at the rim. When he got hot from three early, it was as though it did not matter who was guarding him. During the second half, he took a back seat to his running mate [player_tooltip player_id='1386132' first='Karmelo' last='Montgomery'], but because of his threat from beyond the arc, his mere presence on the court kept driving lanes open so that Melo could operate. So even though he did not pour in a lot of points in the second half, his presence still had to be accounted for by Vestavia. That is an advantage of having a shooter like Chase on your squad. He finished the game with 11pts.        [player_tooltip player_id='1386132' first='Karmelo' last='Montgomery'] (6'5/G|F/'23/Sparkman HS)   Instagram: realkmont   Twitter: @realkmont11   Karmelo was absolutely amazing in the championship game of the #SneakyPetesRebelClassic against host Vestavia. He is an inside/out threat that is highly versatile. He handles the rock, initiates the offense from the lead guard spot, can score off the bounce, is dominant on the low block, and scores at all three levels. His game draws fouls, and he often finds himself at the charity strike. He can take over a game at any moment, and because of that ability, Sparkman, even though they lost a lot, will be a team that competes day in and day out. He has a deep bag, and he had all the tools on display, and he literally carried his squad down the stretch to the championship. He is a walking double-double, has a great combination of power and strength, and uses both to finish plays in the paint off the bounce and off the low-block. I was really impressed with Karmelo as he finished with 20pts in the match-up against Vestavia.   Kamran DeRamus (6'3/G|F/'23/Prattville HS)   Instagram: 5starr.stretch12   Twitter: @KamranDeRamus12   Kamran is an athletic wing that can flat-out score the rock. He shot the ball exceptionally well from behind the arc in both his c&s opportunities and off the bounce, as he poured in 12 pts from behind the line. He is shifty with the rock in his hands and knows how to use his dribble to create space and get his shot off. Now, this may sound strange, as he finished with 21pts in a losing effort against Oak Mountain, but I truly believe that KD needs to look for his shot more. He was efficient from the field, and I believe that Prattville would benefit from a little bit more aggressiveness from Kam. He is a gifted scorer with good positional size out on the wing, and there is a lot to like about his game.   Keion Dunlap (6'0/F/'24/Enterprise HS)   Instagram: dun1ap   Twitter: @dun1ap   Keion, in most accounts, is an undersized 3/4, but in the match-up against Gadsden City, his lack of size was not a liability. As a matter of fact, he did substantial damage to Gadsden City in the paint. He was extremely active on the low block, and the Titans had no answer for him. He was hard to defend as he has a true post-game with strong post moves and tough finishes thru contact. He was active on the glass and had several put-backs off the glass. Maybe Enterprise kept track of the rebounding stats, but it is safe to say that KD was in double figures when it came to rebounds. He finished with 14pts in the match-up against Gadsden City, and he did most of his damage in the paint. It will remain to be seen how effective his low-block presence will be when he faces bigger, more polished post players.     Arenthal Jamal Spears, II (5'11/PG/'25/Faith Academy)   Instagram: tank4.__   Twitter: @Cantguardtank   One of the most electric PGs I saw at the classic was Arenthal Spears. He brought a lot of energy to the court and was a dynamic playmaker as he was at his best breaking defenders down with the dribble and getting his own offense or making plays for others. He is a sophomore that is comfortable and confident on the perimeter and has game instincts. He showed his ability to knock down the open three, which kept defenders honest, and he poured in 9pts from behind the arc. He was also one of the best rebounding guards I saw throughout the classic. He is a solid backcourt prospect that could see his stock continue to rise over the next couple of years if he continues on the trajectory he is currently on. He finished the contest against Orange Beach with 17pts.     Michael Pettiford (6'3/G|F/'23/Faith Academy)   Instagram: lil.mikee10   Twitter: @ltj_mike   Michael is a wing player that likes to slash through defenders. He has an excellent middle game off the bounce and was productive scoring in that area. He is 6'3 but slim, which could cause some concern as much as he slashes his way to the cup. With most players that spend most of their time attacking off the bounce, you tend to wonder if their body can hold up with all of the physical play that comes with that type of play, and that concern is the same with Michael. It doesn't appear that he is the first or second option for the Rams, but he makes plays that contribute to winning, and that is with and without the ball in his hands as well as on both ends of the floor. He will be a vital piece for the Rams and their success this season, as he has a lot of tools that will be helpful along the way.        Jordan Hines (6'5/F/'23/Enterprise HS)   Instagram: Zymiir   Twitter: @JordanHines23   From my vantage point, Jordan, a senior, looks like he has settled into his role on the Enterprise team. He anchors the paint on both ends of the floor and is an athletic prospect that is highly active on the glass. He isn't your average rim protector, as he stands 6'5, but he does challenge shots around the rim. One thing that he does well that gives Enterprise a distinct advantage is when he is out running the floor in the open court. There will not be many post players that will be able to match his speed in transition, and if Enterprise can exploit that advantage, they can find themselves stealing 8 to 10 points a game with his rim running. He did not show much on the offensive end of the floor, but Enterprise was able to throw it down to him on the low block showing that he is an option. He competes with tremendous effort, mostly seen on the defensive end of the floor and on the glass.

The #SneakyPetesRebelClassic hosted by Vestavia provided me an opportunity to put my eyes on several players for the first time ever. Here are a few of those players.