KABC Titans Shootout: Friday Upperclassmen Standouts
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The KABC Titans Shootout brought most of the top schools and players in Kentucky to compete during the first June live period weekend. In this article I’ll break down some of the standout upperclassmen I watched from the host state…
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Continue ReadingThe KABC Titans Shootout brought most of the top schools and players in Kentucky to compete during the first June live period weekend. In this article I’ll break down some of the standout upperclassmen I watched from the host state of Kentucky.
One of the top prospects at the event, Walker had Big 10 coaches from the likes of Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin and more watching him on Friday night at Shelby County High School. A strong wing forward, Walker has put on muscle since the last time I watched him play and is being more physical on the court. A skilled prospect, Walker can put it on the floor and makes the right pass. A transition slam dunk got the crowd and his bench going as Lloyd Memorial won both their games to advance in the bracket. I think my biggest area of improvement for Walker would be finishing with his left hand, he left a couple buckets at the rim that could’ve made it an even bigger outing for him on Friday night.
A prospect who could really change his recruiting trajectory this weekend, Williams is a prospect who should be on low major and Division II radars. After a slow first half, Williams made a couple defensive plays with his impressive athletic gifts and then flipped a switch offensively. Williams had an and-1 layup underneath the basket, knocked down a couple 3-pointers off the catch and was making play after play at both ends of the court. A super athlete from the wing guard position, Williams has a lot of potential as he’s one of the youngest players in Kentucky’s 2024 class. Lots of long term upside, college coaches are going to want to monitor Williams throughout July.
Jeffersontown was impressive on Friday as they won both of their games to advance in the bracket. Both of the McDaniels were impressive as both Camron and Lukus were bringing their physicality from the gridiron to the hardwood. I was most impressed with Camron on the basketball court as he has soft hands, good passing vision and scored the ball efficiently at the rim. Just a tough forward, Camron was using his size and strength to his advantage and playing more physically than his opponents. Currently holding one football offer from Eastern Kentucky, Camron is a two sport stud at Jeffersontown.
Carter is another prospect from Midwest Basketball Club’s 16 U 3SSB squad getting a feature in this article. A strong wing guard, Carter has filled out physically and can just overpower smaller defenders. Showing a little shiftiness in his game, Carter had a couple impressive euro-step finishes at the rim. Struggling from the outside shooting the basketball, Carter was worn down by having to create so much offense and playing basically the entire game. As a passer, I thought Carter made advanced reads in the drive and kick game, not only looking for the corner option but reading the defensive rotations. Currently holding a couple Division I offers, Carter should be on low to mid major radars and continue to add to his offer tally by the time his summer wraps up with Midwest Basketball Club.
Highlights
While the game wasn’t the best evaluation setting for me to watch Gutman as his team demolished Roger Bacon, I walked away a big fan of his game. A skilled forward, Guttman could really put the ball on the deck for his size. Getting low with his handle and changing speeds, Gutman showed a lot of ball handling ability in their win. Knocking down some perimeter shots as well including a double clutch at the buzzer, Guttman was dominating offensively. By my eyes, Gutman looked like a potential Division I target and a guy low major programs should check out. Division II’s typically wait to watch rising Junior’s but if he has no Division I looks by this time next year, I’d imagine Division II schools will be fighting over Gutman.
Highlights
Evangel Christian is one of the most talented teams at this event and Mukadi showed a lot of potential in their victory on the main court during the open game of the event. Mukadi seems to be developing his offensive game and made some flash plays that caught my eye. His most impressive move was a baseline rip where he took two dribbles before finishing an and-1 layup. Combine that with all the rebounds he grabbed in the paint and Mukadi was making a big impact on the interior. It’ll be interesting to see where Mukadi stands a year from now, with the right development he could have a ton of college interest by this time next year.