Big Shots VA Memorial Classic: Talented 17u Standouts
Big Shots Virginia Memorial Classic had talented players from all over the east coast in attendance. We saw some familiar Virginia talents and a few fresh faces. The event took place May 27th through the 28th. Let’s dive in and…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingBig Shots Virginia Memorial Classic had talented players from all over the east coast in attendance. We saw some familiar Virginia talents and a few fresh faces. The event took place May 27th through the 28th. Let’s dive in and take a look at some of the electrifying performances from the 17u athletes.
O’maundre Harris
O’maundre Harris
Throughout the event, Harris was able to dictate the paint and get into the lane to make a play whenever he wanted. He did a good job of using his body to create and maintain driving lanes. Often, we saw Harris put defenders on his hip to force the help defense and make the right read to teammates or finish the play himself in traffic. His quick feet, physicality when attacking, and shifty movements around the rim makes him a huge threat in the half court for opposing defenses. On the other side of the ball, Harris was a scrappy defender who was able to force loose balls leading to fastbreaks as well as get into the passing lane for deflections and interceptions.
Javon Butler
Javon Butler
Butler was adept at creating opportunities in transition this past weekend. He did a phenomenal job of pushing the pace in transition as he did so with intention and determination while keeping his head up, scanning for potential assists. In the half court setting, Butler played at his own pace and was rarely sped up. This allowed him to read the court faster and take advantage of the errors in the defense. We saw Butler use the on-ball screen to create driving angles and get to the rim for a few acrobatic finishes.
Rafer Giles Jr.t
Rafer Giles Jr.t
Giles Jr. showed the ability to maintain his dribble in traffic and crowds as well as the ability to absorb and initiate contact on drives, while maintaining good balance. Giles Jr. can be very crafty when getting downhill as he likes to get into a spin move or euro step to finish at the rim. Giles Jr. did a good job of putting heavy pressure on the defense in the pick in roll as the ball handler. He came off on-ball screens knowing exactly what he wanted to do next, Giles Jr. wasting no time in taking advantage of getting a bucket or setting up a teammate out of the screen.
Anthony Montiel
Anthony Montiel
Montiel, standing at 6-foot-3 is a potential match-up problem for any opposing defense. He does a good job of pacing himself against defenders to get a step and create a driving angle. When inside the paint, Montiel can finish in traffic against shot blockers or make the kick out pass to open shooters on the perimeter. When off-ball, he showed a consistent form as he was able to take and knock down catch and shoot three-pointers with good volume.
Raymond Samplett
Raymond Samplett
Samplett really thrived on the defensive end this past weekend. Throughout the event, Samplett was engaged and extremely active on the defensive end of the ball. He was able to lock down the paint by rotating across the baseline to deter, block and alter shots at the rim. When defending the low post, Samplett operated with a low center of gravity, opposing post player struggled to score on Samplett in the paint due to that low center of gravity and good timing when protecting the rim.