3 Takeaways: Camden vs Kenwood

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Big time out of state matchup happened on Friday night on the campus of DePaul as Kenwood hosted Camden (NJ).&nbsp; The Chicago power took on a pair of top 5 recruits in Kentucky commits DJ Wagner and [player_tooltip player_id='992524' first='Aaron' last='Bradshaw'].&nbsp; Kenwood jumped out early behind their star [player_tooltip player_id='939050' first='Darrin' last='Ames'], but it wasn't enough as Camden would go on to win 68-54.&nbsp; Here are our <strong>3 Takeaways: Camden vs Kenwood</strong>!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wagner Lives Up to Hype</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This was my first look at DJ Wagner since the EYBL circuit.&nbsp; The Kentucky commit started off a bit slow chucking a few bad shots, missing free throws, and being wild with it.&nbsp; About midway through the second quarter he took over and it was on from that point.&nbsp; Strong bodied shooting guard is a pure bucket getter.&nbsp; He is at his best when attacking downhill with his combination of power and smooth footwork on euro steps.&nbsp; Converted several of those in traffic along with and-1s.&nbsp; Like a running back with the ball bursting through the hole.&nbsp; Has a knack for drawing contact.&nbsp; Wagner also hit a trio from deep including a corner three and big time pull up.&nbsp; Not much in the way of a creator for others at this stage.&nbsp; He had 26 points.&nbsp; Fellow Kentucky commit [player_tooltip player_id='992524' first='Aaron' last='Bradshaw'] wasn't quite as dominant.&nbsp; The 7'0” center is considered by many the top five man in the class.&nbsp; Narrow frame and seemed to get pushed around some inside by undersized Kenwood bigs.&nbsp; There is a lot to like here though.&nbsp; Finishes dump offs, lobs, and had a nasty dunk off an offensive rebound.&nbsp; Potential as a shot blocker as well.&nbsp; Long and lanky with explosive athleticism.&nbsp; Didn't see a ton of skill out of him and would like to see the motor run higher, but there is no doubt a ton of future talent to bet on here.&nbsp; He scored just 6 points. &nbsp;&nbsp;St. Louis Billikens commit [player_tooltip player_id='850757' first='Cian' last='Medley'] also showed well in this one.&nbsp; Controls the game from the point guard spot with his feel, pace, and handle.&nbsp; Can mix in some scoring when needed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ames Shows Out in First Half</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While Wagner got the win early on it looked like Kenwood star [player_tooltip player_id='939050' first='Darrin' last='Ames'] was going to steal his thunder.&nbsp; The Kansas State commit is one of the most electric guards in the class.&nbsp; He showcased that in this one as the southpaw came out throwing haymakers one after another with three after three.&nbsp; He had 15 points in the first half alone.&nbsp; Also did a nice job using his handles to shake defenders and get to the cup where he was often fouled converting both ending with 27 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kenwood Junior Duo Show Flashes on Big Stage</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Despite the loss a couple of juniors were bright spots for Kenwood.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='1285487' first='Calvin' last='Robins Jr']. more than held his own against the big frontline from Camden.&nbsp; The power forward is a high level athlete with a motor.&nbsp; It played well getting to the line, hitting the offensive glass, and even knocked in a pick/pop three.&nbsp; Mid-majors need to be taking a serious look at him!&nbsp; Finished with 8 points.&nbsp; Point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1285479' first='Isaiah' last='Green'] is among the top floor generals in the 2024 class.&nbsp; Struggled a bit defensively, but it was his ability to get downhill on straight line takes along with making a couple from deep that caught our attention as he netted 12 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->