#BigOrangeClassic Immediate Takeaways

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">The yearly #BigOrangeClassic put on by Hoover HS had some bright talent on display. Here are my immediate takeaways…</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":1495537,"width":256,"height":256,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/PH-Salim-London-C.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/PH-Salim-London-C.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1495537" width="256" height="256" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1398516' first='Salim' last='London']</strong>&nbsp;(6'2/CG/'25/Hoover HS)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Instagram: leemlondon</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Twitter: @IAmSalimLondon</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">This is my first time watching Salim live this year. I have watched him via streaming, but that's nothing like being front and center. There is no question when watching Salim regarding his #1 ranking in his class. He had a productive tourney and was an absolute big-time playmaker throughout. He has really taken steps when it comes to creating for others and getting his teammates involved. He is one of the best when it comes to scoring off-the-bounce, but he is now utilizing his ability to get whatever he wants as a tool to set the table for others. He also had a thunderous posterizing dunk in the championship game that came out of nowhere and brought the house down. At this point, the question is can the elite-level sophomore lead his squad to the state title.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/TDrakeBasktball/status/1609184908420816900","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/TDrakeBasktball/status/1609184908420816900 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":1724489,"width":256,"height":256,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/PH-Gabriel-Benton-C.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/PH-Gabriel-Benton-C.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1724489" width="256" height="256" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Gabriel Benton</strong>&nbsp;(6'3/SF/'24/Benjamin Russell HS)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Instagram: gabriel.benton3</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Twitter: @GabrielBenton15</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Gabriel is listed as a SF but spent most of his action banging in and dominating the paint. He is a stout forward who embraces and plays through contact. He really was getting whatever space he wanted in the paint and was getting whatever looks he wanted at the basket out of his back-to-the-basket post-up game. They were not keeping full stats, but I can bank on him having double-digit rebounds. He is undersized for the next level, but for now, he will be able to impact some games on the high school level, as he did at the classic. Gabriel leads a solid Benjamin Russell squad that has pieces to cause problems down the stretch. For life at the next level, he will have to expand his game to the perimeter; fortunately, he has another year to show that he can do that.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"textColor":"primary","fontSize":"medium"} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-primary-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He is a stout forward who embraces and plays through contact. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Terry J. Drake</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":1724492,"width":256,"height":256,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/PH-Patten-Curington-C.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/PH-Patten-Curington-C.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1724492" width="256" height="256" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1510297' first='Patten' last='Curington']&nbsp;</strong>(6'4/PF|C/'23/Northridge HS)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Instagram: _pattencurington</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Twitter: @CuringtonPatten</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Patten is another undersized post player that was effective on the low block. He showed a lot of energy and effort in the paint. The thing that really had me locked in on Patten was his activity on both ends of the floor. He was active on the glass, working hard defensively on the low block and showing good footwork and post moves on offense. Patten's size allows him to be versatile defensively, as he not only defends the low block but also showed that he can switch out and defend on the perimeter. He is a focal point offensively for his squad and was Northridge's primary scoring option as they played outside in. He has good scoring instincts as an undersized post and will have to continue being that production source going forward.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"textColor":"primary","fontSize":"medium"} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-primary-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Patten is another undersized post player that was effective on the low block.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Terry J. Drake</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":1724493,"width":256,"height":256,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/PH-LaTregan-Cooper-C.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/PH-LaTregan-Cooper-C.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1724493" width="256" height="256" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Latregan Cooper</strong>&nbsp;(5'9/PG/'23/Highland home)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Instagram: cooper1boy1</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Twitter: @CooperBoy24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Latregan, in a classic that displayed some very talented PGs, showed that his name should be added to the top PGs playing in the event. He is quick and crafty with the rock in his hands, and even though he is one of Highland's primary scoring options, he is a good lead guard with a strong passing game that gets others involved. He has above-average passing vision and makes timely passes effectively. He was efficient in scoring and balanced his point production at all three levels. He put his entire game on both ends of the floor on full display. He understands pace, has an excellent feel for time and situations, and just has an overall mature game, which a senior PG with next-level potential should. For the right program at the next level, he is a diamond in the rough that could impact a culture.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"textColor":"primary","fontSize":"medium"} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-primary-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He has above-average passing vision and makes timely passes effectively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Terry J. Drake</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":1724494,"width":256,"height":256,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/PH-Kameron-McCall-C.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/PH-Kameron-McCall-C.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1724494" width="256" height="256" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Kameron McCall</strong>&nbsp;(6'1/CG/'23/Hillgrove HS)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Instagram: kam_mccall21</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Twitter: @kam_mccall_21</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Kameron was on the only out-of-state program participating in the classic. The Hillgrove team from GA is led by Kam and couldn't be in any better hands. He had a very good balance between scoring and facilitating. He can get it done from behind the arc and get to the cup off the bounce. He is the first scoring option on his team, but he does an outstanding job in making sure that his supporting cast is heavily involved, which shows the level of trust that he has in his teammates. At the next level, Kam will have to settle into the PG spot that can initiate and orchestrate the offense for the majority of the game, and from what I saw, he is fully capable of handling those specific duties. I really like Kam's game as he was a reliable ball-handler that served at times as a one-man press break, was nearly impossible to contain one on one, and had good court awareness at all times.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/kam_mccall_21/status/1580013457478651905","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/kam_mccall_21/status/1580013457478651905 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":1709370,"width":256,"height":256,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/PH-Jeremy-Chatman-C.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/PH-Jeremy-Chatman-C.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1709370" width="256" height="256" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Jeremy Chatman&nbsp;</strong>(6'1/SG/'26/Center Point HS)<strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Instagram: iss._chat</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Twitter: @Jchat.10</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">I recently put ink on Jeremy, and his play at the classic warranted more ink. He is a '26 kid getting some valuable varsity game experience at an early age. He continues to show expected levels of inexperience, but he is showing a knack for scoring the rock. He is still learning how to make adjustments; for example, his shot wasn't falling from the perimeter, and it took his coach to help him make the adjustment to start getting to the cup. That is something that he will have to begin to learn how to figure out during in-game action. He is a bright young prospect that will garner a lot of attention this off-season in AAU.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"textColor":"primary","fontSize":"medium"} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-primary-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He is a '26 kid getting some valuable varsity game experience at an early age.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Terry J. Drake</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote -->