National Prep Championship Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Putnam Science Academy (CT) came away as the national champs in thrilling fashion, winning their third straight championship and 4 of the last 5.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at some of the standouts from the Virginia programs in attendance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1241885' first='Adrian' last='Myers'] | 6'7” PF | Massanutten '23</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1785449,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Myers-Adrian-EPL.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Myers-Adrian-EPL.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1785449" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mississippi State commit proved to be one of the top players in the entire tournament, and the improvement from last year to this year is night and day with Myers. The 6'7” forward was aggressive running the floor and getting opportunities for high flying finishes, he shot the ball with confidence and made shots from deep and in the midrange and defensively he protected the rim and rebounded well. He's turned himself into one of the more productive and versatile forwards in post grad basketball, and could look to fight for early time in Starkville next year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1448801' first='Chase' last='Nelson'] | 5'11” PG | Massanutten '23</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1785452,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Nelson-Chase-EPL-1.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Nelson-Chase-EPL-1.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1785452" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The recent AIC commit did what he's done for most of the year for Massanutten, which is knock down shots from deep and handle pressure when they need him to handle the rock. He took care of the ball and didn't turn it over against pressure, he got them into sets and got the ball where it needed to go and when he moved off the ball he relocated well and let it fly knocking down four or more threes in multiple games. He's been one of the most improved players this season for Massanutten and was a big reason for their success this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mike Gray | 6'1” CG | Massanutten '23</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1821166,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Gray-Mike-Mass.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Gray-Mike-Mass.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1821166" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gray came into the event looking to boost his stock as an available scoring guard, and in their opening game against Worcester he showed he can play with the best of the best. He's a guy who can not only make shots from multiple levels but he makes tough shots that you wouldn't expect him to, and he can get hot quickly and hit shots even when he's well defended both off the catch and off the bounce. He made plays for himself and others off the bounce, scored in bunches and competed on both ends of the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1403917' first='Troy' last='McKoy'] | 6'5” WG | Massanutten '24</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1785453,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/McKoy-Troy-EPL.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/McKoy-Troy-EPL.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1785453" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McKoy will likely be one of the top post grad players in the country next year after his breakout junior season which he capped off with some very impressive performances in Massachusetts. The 6'5” wing showed his three level scoring ability, showed how he can play on or off the basketball, he rebounded and competed in the paint and he showed good leadership and playmaking ability too. He's an all-around wing who can impact the game across the board and should see his recruitment pick up in a big way this summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jaden Daughtry | 6'7” PF | Hargrave '23</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1788890,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Daughtry-Jaden-Certified.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Daughtry-Jaden-Certified.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1788890" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hargrave was without quite a few of their top guys, and while Daughtry struggled the first game without them he picked it up the next few games and showed why he's been one of the top players in post grad basketball this year. The 6'7” forward got up and down and made plays in transition with his athleticism, he got downhill in the half court and use his body to finish through contact and he hit the offensive glass a lot for easy buckets. The thing that separates the Indiana State commit from other players like him is that he always seems to come up with big plays when his team needs him the most, and that's exactly what he did.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Diovion Famakinde | 6'5” PG | Hargrave '23</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1798784,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Famakinde-Diovion.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Famakinde-Diovion.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1798784" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Famakinde missed their first game which was a loss to Cushing Academy, but he came back for their next game and what he difference he made as he helped them beat SoCal Academy in their second game. The big guard has that “it” factor as he brings a mix of on ball skills, shot making ability, strength and athleticism that makes him very hard to guard and a difference maker. He is surprisingly shifty off the bounce and knows how to create space and get to the rim, he's able to make tough shots from multiple levels and he is a good playmaker on both ends too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mike Montano | 6'7” PF | Hargrave '23</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1527440,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Montana-Mike-scaled.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Montana-Mike-scaled.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1527440" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Montano is an underrated piece for this Hargrave team that likely has his best basketball ahead of him and could be a steal at the next level with his mismatch ability. At 6'7” he has great ball skills as he can handle in transition and handle it within the system in the half court, he can get to the paint where he has the size to finish at the rim and the IQ to make plays for others and he can knock down shots from deep and in the midrange too. He has a unique game for someone his size and he's shown flashes of what can happen with more work at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->