Champions Classic Standouts

'24 Prospects   Tristan Guillouette 6'8 F George School   18p 10r 3b 2s   -Guillouette looked really good with his new team after reclassifying and transferring from St. Joe's Prep to the George School. The sturdy big compliments [player_tooltip player_id='1153953' first='Luke' last='Bevilacqua'] well, working well as either the passer or play finisher in the high-low actions that they like to run. He rebounded the ball well without turning it over, found shooters and relocated to be in position for the next rebound. He will likely need to improve the agility and foot speed to guard out on the perimeter, but he serves as a very solid post defender that contests shots without fouling due to + length. Finished a very efficient 7/10 from the floor. Would be shocked if more MM coaches didn't get involved because of his relatively-high floor as a rebounder and low post scorer.     [player_tooltip player_id='2231842' first='Ryan' last='Truitt'] 6'2 G Mt. St. Joseph   10p 5a 2r 2s   -Truitt did a little bit of everything for his team, forcing several tough shots defensively and digging down on bigs without fouling. Seemed like every time they needed a bucket he finished with a nice drive and layup at the rim. Truitt moved the ball really well, shifting defenders with his eyes and delivering on time, on-target passes to the rolling big or to his shooters. Coach Clatchey seems to lean on Truitt to do the little things that contribute to winning, keeping him on the floor on both ends of the floor for an MSJ team that sees 9-10 players sub in and out each game.     [player_tooltip player_id='1225259' first='Jordan' last='Brathwaite'] 6'4 G Mt St. Joseph   18p 6r 1s 1b   -Brathwaite did what he does, scoring efficiently from all 3 levels to sustain MSJ during offensive dry spells as the team works to find a consistent third scorer to rely upon each night. The Yale commit has fit in pretty seamlessly after a transfer in from Good Counsel, spacing the floor effectively while also neglecting the midrange with 1 or 2-dribble pull-ups on hard closeouts. Hit an incredibly tough baseline pull-up in the opposing bigs face, blocked a shot at the other end, and hit the FTs to ice the game for the Gaels.   '25 Prospects   [player_tooltip player_id='1371867' first='Cameron' last='Ward'] 6'7 W Largo HS   26p 7r 3s   -Ward struggled from beyond the arc but didn't let that slow him down from dominating in the paint with a series of spin moves and finesse finishes at the rim- keeping an overmatched Largo team in the game for three quarters against the host St. John's Cadets. As the season goes on and his teammates settle into their roles and begin to knock down some of the kickout threes that he gets them, we'll see his assist numbers go up in addition to improved driving lanes and more 1 on 1 matchups. The highly sought-after wing has grown to a legit 6'7 and is using his length and instincts to get into passing lanes to create easy baskets in transition. Noticeable and intentional focus on getting offensive rebounds to finish at the rim while getting to the line this season, a promising development that will only increase his offensive value.   [player_tooltip player_id='1414529' first='Omari' last='Witherspoon'] 6'4 G St. John's   15p 5a 4r 1s   -Witherspoon got it going in the second half to put away a pesky Largo team in the tournament nightcap, showing the full range of his capabilities as a distributor and scorer. Defensively, I continue to come away impressed with his development as a guy that can shut down big wings as well as shiftier guards. Offensively he reminds me a bit of Shaun Livingston, just a guy that knows when his team needs a bucket or needs an easy one created as he operates out of the midpost or on the wings.     '26 Prospects   [player_tooltip player_id='1782603' first='Gage' last='Howard'] 6'6 W/F City College HS   17p 15r 1s   -Howard dominated the game without his team really running a ton of sets for him, getting most of his looks at the rim off of offensive rebounds. He has nice soft touch in the paint, finishing shots over either shoulder around the rim through traffic. He plays with a tenacity on the glass that just screams Baltimore toughness, doing his work early and fighting through double teams to create extra looks for his team. Offensively, the ball-handling and shot creation have improved dramatically while projecting more him to be more of a scoring wing at the next level. As he increases his quickness and burst, I can see him following the path of another successful big out of Baltimore that looks to be on his way to a McDonald's nod at Montverde.     [player_tooltip player_id='1370507' first='Shane' last='Pendergrass'] 6'7 W Mt. Zion   18p 12r 1a   -My biggest criticism of Pendergrass has always been that I would like to see him prioritize rebounding more, using his length and size to become more of a factor on the glass- he answered in a big way with 12 rebounds in a big win over West Catholic. We know he can knock down C+S opportunities from beyond the arc, but scoring at least 4 baskets in the paint off of offensive rebounds was a very encouraging indicator of improvement to a more well-rounded offensive set of capabilities. The next stage of his development will likely include improved his footspeed to be a more versatile wing defender, while adding the strength to bang more in the paint.   [player_tooltip player_id='1782593' first='Zyion' last='Chase'] 6'6 F St. John's   15p 6r 1s   -I love watching Chase play the game of basketball, just a whirling dervish of activity at both ends of the floor that always leaves his imprint on the game as a rebounder. He has the size and tenacity to effectively guard most bigs at the high school level but has the mobility to guard 2s and 3s in ball screen coverage as a hedger or ice defender. He understands defensive angles and forces all kinds of turnovers with deflections and pokeouts. Offensively, loved seeing him go 2/2 from the FT line as well as the smoothness of an elbow jumper he made midway through the contest. As his touch improves around the basket and from the line, I expect college coaches to continue to get involved for his services as a 2-way wing.   [player_tooltip player_id='1956028' first='Khalib' last='Norcome'] 6'5 W Mt. Zion   20p 8r 2b 2s   -As he has grown to a legit 6'5, Norcome has gotten more comfortable as a back-to-the-basket scorer that can make opponents pay for switching ball screens by scoring easily over smaller defenders. Defensively, I think he has the measurables and IQ to becoming a guy that can lock down 4 positions at the HS level when all is said and done. His quickness and the fluidity of his movements has improved, as has his vertical leaping ability. Just need to see continued strides in his ability to put the ball on the floor and knock down perimeter jumpers-- he can become a hot commodity as a 3+D defender at the next level.   '27 Prospects   Camontae Griffin 5'10 PG City College   15p 5a 3r 1s   -Griffin is a skilled, aggressive young guard that came out firing in a matchup with Baltimore powerhouse Mt. St. Joseph. A personal 10-0 run after a slow start to the game brought his team back roaring into the game midway through the 3Q, with Griffin knocking down 18-footers off of screens and off the dribble with ease. The young lead guard runs some very crisp ball screen actions that Coach Smith is working to implement, I expect that offense to get more sophisticated with second side reads as this new roster becomes more comfortable with one another. Already bursting onto the scene as a freshman as a solid self creator and scorer, I'm looking for Griffin to more smoothly vacillate between scoring and distributing depending on what his team needs on that specific possession.