A Very Melo Classic: 2023 Standouts

Saturday on the campus of Morgan State University, A Very Melo Classic took place. A triple-header featuring teams from Baltimore, D.C., Philadelphia and West Virginia were in attendance as Carmelo Anthony watched courtside. Let's take a look at the seniors who stood out from the event.   [player_tooltip player_id='957022' first='Cam' last='Gillus'] | Sidwell Friends (Lehigh)   Sidwell was the first of the three-game slate where they'd escape a narrow 49-47 victory over Mt. Carmel. It was slow paced game that the Quakers took advantage of in the first half, but the Cougars were able to speed things up late in the third and it flowed into a fourth quarter comeback that had Sidwell on the ropes. Gillus stepped up as the senior point guard and made several key plays down the stretch, all involved his ability to get into the lane where he'd draw fouls or finish around the basket. His play in crunch time was ultimately a major reason why his team walked away victorious as the Lehigh pledge led with 16 points.   [player_tooltip player_id='991341' first='Justin' last='Edwards'] | Imhotep(Kentucky)   Edwards is considered as one of the top prospects in his class nationally and he showed why in the early goings of Imhotep's matchup against Oak Hill. The 6'7 lefty wing was a terror in the open floor where he used his blend of length and athleticism to either finish smooth layups over contested defenders or flushing home breakaway dunks. He scored seven of his 11 total points in the first 16 minutes of action, but was equally as impressive with his effort on the glass. Edwards finished with a double-double that included 10 rebounds and he also helped distort multiple shots in the paint as the weak side rotating defender.   [player_tooltip player_id='991339' first='Rahmir' last='Barno'] | Imhotep (Florida Gulf Coast)   Another signed senior who stood out in this event was Barno. A 6'1 lead guard who is super quick in regards to end-to-end speed used his ability to push the pace and get to the rim in a flash. In the second half, Oak Hill's only hope was to foul him before he could get a clean look at the rim and Barno took advantage of his opportunities at the charity stripe by scoring seven of his 16 points in such scenarios throughout the second half.   Elijah Mitchell | Oak Hill   Mitchell was valuable off the bench for Oak Hill and didn't waste time in making his presence known from the corners as he buried two three's shortly after entering the game. The 6'4 guard/wing had a funky release that included cutting his follow through short on the release, but the results couldn't be argued against. He buried three triples in the game and totaled 14 points to lead Oak Hill in the loss to Imhotep.   Drayton Jones | Oak Hill   Jones is a 6'9 big who played with a good motor. He has a strong body with good length and moved well for his size. He ran the floor with purpose at both ends with his most impressive play coming in defensive transition where Jones had a chase down block where he sent the opposing guard's attempt off the backboard. He possesses good hands on rolls to the rim and can finish high and strong with one hand.   [player_tooltip player_id='1114066' first='Carlton' last='Carrington'] | St. Frances (Pittsburgh)   Carrington has been on a heater this entire 2022-23 season and Saturday was no different. The 6'6 guard led the Panthers with 23 points in the loss to Gonzaga while converting on a plethora of demoralizing mid-range jumpers. It isn't as if the defender was out of position, Carrington just understands how to get his shot off with minimal space thanks to his elevation, high release and superb confidence.   [player_tooltip player_id='957025' first='Jahnathan' last='Lamothe'] | St. Frances (Maryland)   Lamothe has put forth a very productive senior campaign when it comes to contributing in multiple categories on the box score. With St. Frances' lack of size, Lamothe has made it a top priority to cover the rebounding responsibilities and did so again as he hauled in 11 against Gonzaga. He was aggressive in the first half looking for his own scoring opportunities where he knocked down a nice three off a pin down and mixed in a few strong takes to the bucket. Lamothe also dished out four assists.   Thomas Batties | Gonzaga (Harvard)   Gonzaga had a clear size matchup in the frontcourt against St. Frances. The Panthers make it tough by playing at an extremely fast pace, but Batties was able to settle in and take advantage of his touches in the half court setting. He scored on the block with over the shoulder hooks to either side, flushed a one-handed dunk in transition after a steal and stepped outside where he converted a three when left unattended. Batties also collected eight rebounds in the win.   [player_tooltip player_id='1114029' first='Ryan' last='Sabol'] | Gonzaga   Sabol didn't have the loudest scoring performance, but his shots in crunch time played a big role in giving Gonzaga breathing room as the clock winded down. He nailed two three's in the final three minutes with his final one acting as the nail in the coffin. The 6'2 guard finished with 10 points in the game and when he wasn't making shots, he was acting as an effective ball-mover and defender. Sabol is a valuable unsigned senior playing in the best conference in the country.

Saturday on the campus of Morgan State University, A Very Melo Classic took place. A triple-header featuring teams from Baltimore, D.C., Philadelphia and West Virginia were in attendance as Carmelo Anthony watched courtside. Let's take a look at the seniors who stood out from the event.