National Prep Championship Standouts

The 16th annual National Prep Championship took place again this year, this time at Clark University in Worcester, MA, and brought together 16 of the top post graduate programs in the country to name an outright national champion. Hundreds of college coaches attended the event which has always been one of the best tournaments to recruit at, and this year was no different.   Putnam Science Academy (CT) came away as the national champs in thrilling fashion, winning their third straight championship and 4 of the last 5.   Here's a look at some of the standouts from the Missouri and Kansas programs in attendance.   If you're looking to replay any of the games, they are available for playback on the <a href="http://cbglivenetwork.com">CBG Live Network</a>.   Kevin Overton | 6'4” CG | Sunrise Christian '23   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/Overton-Kevin.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/Overton-Kevin.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1849727" /></a></figure>   Sunrise was the surprise of the tournament, upsetting their way to the championship game and losing in a thriller to Putnam Science, and Overton was the main reason they were able to. He started the tournament slow dealing with foul trouble in their first game against New Hampton, but late in the fourth and in overtime he hit some big shots and that set the tone for the rest of the week. The Drake commit showed his elite takeover ability as a scorer as he hit shots from way beyond the arc, he hit tough shots in the midrange late in the shot clock and he got to the line a lot and converted at a high rate. He came up big time and time again and with his size and takeover ability he could be a great addition to Drake right away.   [player_tooltip player_id='850675' first='Isaiah' last='Griffin'] | 5'10” PG | Sunrise Christian '23   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/Griffin-Isaiah.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/Griffin-Isaiah.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1849728" /></a></figure>   Griffin is another guard in the talented Sunrise backcourt that stepped up big time, being Overton's sidekick for much of the event and making plays on both ends of the floor. Griffin may not be the biggest guy but he's a super explosive athlete who used that leaping ability to finish at the rim over bigger defenders, he was excellent defensively both guarding the ball and making plays in help side and he made big shots when his team needed him to. He's an available guard who really increased his stock with his play on the biggest stage against the best teams.   Javion Guy-King | 6'6” WG | Sunrise Christian '23   Guy-King has put on a show every time they have come to New England this year, and the 6'6” two guard is one of the best available wings you'll find in the country. He has great size and showed the ability to play on or off the ball, he got to spots off the bounce and used his size to make shots over other defenders and he moved well off the ball to get spot up jumpers from deep as well. He delegated when his teammates were feeling it but he also was aggressive looking for his opportunities and put up good numbers throughout the week.   Cooper Bowser | 6'9” C | Sunrise Christian '23   Bowser, who is from the DMV area where I'm from, made the most of his post grad season as he improved a ton over this year and capped it with a fantastic performance in the National Championship game. The 6'9” big man killed Putnam in pick-and-rolls and in transition with his ability to get into space and finish above the rim which he did multiple times, and he used that mobility defensively too to protect the rim and switch to challenge shots. He was aggressive and played fearlessly around the rim, he finished constantly and he was very productive on both ends fo the floor.   Colby Garland | 5'11” CG | Link '23   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/Garland-Colby.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/Garland-Colby.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1849729" /></a></figure>   Garland was the perfect sixth man for Link, as he's instant offense when he checks into the game and when he starts to get it going he's very difficult to stop. The 5'11” guard has a ton of confidence offensively and stayed aggressive looking for his shot, he showed the ability to knock down shots from deep off the catch and he showed the ability to get to spots in the midrange and hit contested shots in a variety of different ways. He's a lethal scoring guard who has takeover ability when he gets it going and showed that he can fill it up with the best of them.   Colin Ruffin | 6'3” CG | Link '23   The Lindenwood commit showed why he could come in and make a play for immediate playing time, as he can do a little bit of everything on the offensive end. He can play on the ball where he can handle pressure and get them into their sets, he's a very good shooter both off the catch and off the dribble and he makes great decisions and doesn't force things even when he's the go-to option offensively. He consistently filled it up and made his teammates better as well.   Garrison Phelps | 6'5” WF | Link '23   The Utah State commit has all the tools to be a very good player in the Mountain West, as he has prototypical size on the wing and all the tools to be a good 3 and d wing moving forward. He shoots the ball well from deep and has good footwork on the move, he's a good athlete who's strong and has good speed in the open floor and he has good feel and instincts on both ends of the floor. He was one of their more consistent players throughout the week and he has a lot of tools to get better moving forward too.   Chris Loofe | 6'11” C | Link ‘23   This late in the game you won't find many available big men like Loofe, who has the size, touch and post game to make an immediate impact at the next level. While he can be inconsistent at times he's a big that you can throw it in to the post and allow him to work in one-on-one situations, he can finish with both hands around the rim and he can step out to the mid-post area where he can make shots too. His size makes him an impact alone on the defensive end, he rebounds well and he still has room to improve at the next level.

The 16th annual National Prep Championship took place again this year, this time at Clark University in Worcester, MA, and brought together 16 of the top post graduate programs in the country to name an outright national champion. Hundreds of college coaches attended the event which has always been one of the best tournaments to recruit at, and this year was no different.