Saturday’s Top Performers Part II – Scholar Roundball Classic
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The Scholar Roundball Classic had no shortage of talent on hand. So much so, that we needed a Part II to highlight all of Saturday’s top performers. Here are more prospects that stood out in both the morning and afternoon…
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Continue ReadingThe Scholar Roundball Classic had no shortage of talent on hand. So much so, that we needed a Part II to highlight all of Saturday’s top performers. Here are more prospects that stood out in both the morning and afternoon action:
Happy, a Princeton commit, had a solid outing Saturday evening in Milton’s win over The Peddie School. A terrific communicator on the defensive end, he showed the ability to switch onto guards on the perimeter while also showcasing his traditional toughness and rebounding on the interior. Offensively, Happy did the majority of his damage by the rim. However, he also showed solid feel as a passer and offensive initiator when catching on the elbow. As he continues to add bits and pieces to his offensive game, he only increases his ceiling as a high-level contributor in the Ivy League.
Cox had it going early on offensively, scoring in a variety of ways in Milton’s win. Able to play with the ball in his hands or on the wing, Cox got to his spot time after time, making timely midrange baskets late in the shot clock. While his offensive game popped this summer, it’s his compete level and will-to-win that sticks out the most for me. Defensively, he does a great job guarding the ball, manages to come up with difficult rebounds in traffic, and is a good communicator. It’ll be fun to watch his continued progress as he looks to lead Milton to another NEPSAC A championship before he heads off to Purdue.
Antonio Pemberton
Antonio Pemberton
Pemberton was one of, if not the, youngest prospects to catch our attention at Scholar Roundball. His presence as a true lead guard was impressive, especially for someone so young. He didn’t force the issue offensively, made smart decisions as a passer, and was generally in the right position when his team needed him to make a play. Defensively, he competes when guarding the ball and utilizes his basketball IQ to be in the right spot. It’ll be intriguing to watch how he progresses over the next few years, but as of right now, you’d be hard pressed to find many, maybe any, true point guards in the class of 2027 that are better than Pemberton.
Nimani’s Berkshire squad had their hands full in a tough loss to a talented Tabor Academy team, but the Cornell commit had one of the best games of the event with 31 points on an efficient 60% from the floor. Nimani showcased an advanced offensive repertoire, scoring at all three-levels both in the half-court and in transition. He has a quick first step and showed good athleticism when attacking the rim. His athleticism popped on the defensive end too where he was able to generate numerous deflections and steals. He’s raised his stock as much as anyone in the region over the last 12 months and should only continue to do so throughout the remainder of the season.