#TerryTalks Battle of The Magic City Tourney Standouts
There was wall-to-wall talent at the Battle of The Magic City, and here are some of the standouts that are in my notebook… Dooney Johnson (6’3/PG/’27/Atlanta Celtics) Instagram: thedooneywatch Twitter: @thedooneywatch Dooney is a lengthy PG that causes a lot of…
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Continue ReadingThere was wall-to-wall talent at the Battle of The Magic City, and here are some of the standouts that are in my notebook…
Dooney Johnson (6’3/PG/’27/Atlanta Celtics)
Instagram: thedooneywatch
Twitter: @thedooneywatch
Dooney is a lengthy PG that causes a lot of problems at the lead guard spot. His height and length gave him an advantage over the majority of players that tried to defend him. He is a good initiator and facilitator of the Celtics’ offense, and he played poised and at a nice pace throughout the tourney. He has nice passing and set-up abilities and is intent on getting all involved. He has very good court vision and court awareness, along with his passing ability. He is a big guard with playmaking abilities that showed a lot of promise. I am looking forward to continued coverage of Dooney throughout the spring and summer.
Caleb Micheal King Cooper (6’1/CG/’27/Team Mookie)
Instagram: caleb_cooper2027
Twitter: @CalebKingCooper
Caleb is a blue-collar caliber player who brought much energy and effort to the floor. He was very aggressive off the bounce and was in a focused mindset of slashing through defenses and getting to the cup. He found ways to score in transition, in half-court sets, as well as on the offensive glass with easy put-backs. He is going to be a key piece to this Team Mookie team as they work to put it all together, but make no mistake about it; Caleb is a player that will fit in well with what they are trying to put together. If Caleb can work on a more consistent outside game and get to his spots from mid to medium range, watch him play a bigger role moving forward.
Darnell Kimmie, Jr. (6’3/CG/’27/LIVON Blue Chips 2027)
Instagram: ethan_kimmie
Darnell is a CG with good positional size and was one of the more athletic guards in the tourney. He has length that impacted both ends of the floor, and it really created problems for defenders. With his ability to get downhill in a hurry and with power, defenders found out real quick that keeping Darnell out of the paint was going to be an almost insurmountable task. He showed that he can score at all levels and showed a really keen ability to finish at the cup. I liked his aggressive nature, but there were times he took some questionable shots, but he will work through that as he matures. I also liked that he was active on the boards and provided additional scoring off put-backs.
Bryce Curry (6’2/G|F/’27/George Hill All-Indy)
Instagram: Bryce_curry12
Twitter: @Bryce_curry12
Bryce is a versatile wing that was one of the best I saw getting to the rim off the bounce. He did his most damage when he was out in transition, pushing the rock and either finishing strong at the rim or dumping it off to a teammate who was out running with him. He is a strong athletic finisher at the rim, and his athleticism will intrigue many college coaches in the coming years. The way he explodes and hits gaps was impressive, and his ability to stop and go into his pull-up off the bounce kept defenders off balance. To sum it up, Bryce is at his best, taking the ball into the lane and using his quickness, leaping ability, and length to score in the paint. Not saying that he can’t knock it down from the perimeter, but he did not have to show it when I watched him play, but I do want to see his ability to shoot it from deep.
Cason Reed (5’9/F/’27/Team Shootout)
Instagram: casonk_
In his profile, Cason listed that he is a 5’9 Forward, but he showed his guard skills. He showed his ability to put it on the floor and score off the bounce. He is a slasher that can create his own and create for his teammates. He makes really good decisions with the ball and is a reliable ball-handler for his squad. Cason also showed that he can knock down the trey ball, which makes him a productive all-around scorer for his team. Look for Cason to continue to be a primary scoring option for his squad throughout the spring and summer.
Tyler Barnes (5’9/PG/’27/Triangle Offense)
Instagram: tyshiftyy
Twitter: @thetylerbarnes_
Tyler is a talented scorer and is really crafty with the ball in his hands, and he shows a nice ability to get past his man and score from mid-range or deep in the lane. He is as talented as ever on offense and is really aggressive at creating shots closer to the basket. He is a really good scorer in the paint, and he often finds himself with two feet in the paint because he has a really quick first step and burst once he gets going. He maximizes his shot-creation and shooting, making him one of the most versatile weapons I saw on the offensive end of the floor. Tyler is the type of guy you want on your team, as he isn’t afraid of stepping up in the big moments or taking big shots.
Zacuras Dawson (5’5/PG/’27/Nightrydas FL)
Instagram: Zack_dawson_da_future
Twitter: @ZackDawson305
Zacuras is a small guard but is a true floor general. He is tough in one on one situations, and for the most part, he wins those match-ups. He is a creator off the bounce and does a great job finding open shooters off of his dribble penetration. With his ability to get by defenders, he keeps defenses rotating, putting them in scramble situations. He controlled the tempo and was one of the fastest guards with his end-to-end speed. He is a two-way player that applies crazy on-ball pressure on the defensive end of the floor. He is a player that opponents must deal with on both ends, and he never lets up on either.
Quincy Wright (6’6/PF/’27/Bates Fundamentals)
Instagram: Showtime.quincyyyyy
Twitter: @Showtime_quincy
Quincy is a PF with good positional size. He has size and length yet has to give attention to developing in several areas. The strength of his game is his ability to protect the paint and his intensity on the glass. Like most frontcourt players at this age, finishing around the rim is something you can count on with his size, but he will have to add to the toolbox so that his skill set can catch up to his promising size.