Chick-fil-A Classic: Palmetto State Standouts
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The 2023 Chick-fil-A Classic was held at River Bluff High School this week. Prep Hoops had the opportunity to cover all 8 games on Saturday including 5 teams from the State of South Carolina: Keenan, Ridge View, Lancaster, River Bluff,…
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Continue ReadingThe 2023 Chick-fil-A Classic was held at River Bluff High School this week. Prep Hoops had the opportunity to cover all 8 games on Saturday including 5 teams from the State of South Carolina: Keenan, Ridge View, Lancaster, River Bluff, and Gray Collegiate. Take a look at which players from the Palmetto State stood out the most in the tournament’s final day:
Cedric Schofield Cedric Schofield 6’7″ | PF Keenan | 2025 State SC was one of the top in-state prospects at the 2023 Chick-fil-A Classic and his play in the event earned a selection to the All-Tournament Team. In the event, he was tied for 8th in scoring at 16.7 Points Per Game, also averaging 7.7 Rebounds Per Game and 1.3 Blocks Per Game. On Saturday, Schofield was exceptional. He opened the game with 8 of the Raider’s first 10 points and was determined to put his fingerprints on the game on both ends of the floor. He used his athleticism and length to finish over defenders and protect the rim. Cedric also proved he can hit some jump shots to keep the defense honest in the half-court offense, but he was at his best getting to the rim in transition.
Fresh off an offer from Weber State University – where another Columbia Native is having a terrific season – Brian put together some terrific performances at the 2023 Chick-fil-A Classic. Sumpter was tied for 4th in Rebounding at 8.3 Per Game to go with 13.0 Points Per Game. He is another exciting athlete for Keenan and he had some highlights at the rim in their win over River Bluff and Saturday including an alley-oop off a smart cut and posterizing slam through contact. A key attribute to his game is his long strides. They allow him to get to cover more ground on defense and get to the rim quicker than opponents on offense.
Due to some unfortunate injuries for the Bruins, Brown is seeing his role and production increase early in the season. He is a two-sport star for Lancaster High School that has true football player strength and vision on the basketball court. This week he averaged 10.3 Points Per Game, 5.0 Rebounds Per Game, and 2.0 Steals across 3 games. RJ brings intensity and energy on both ends of the floor and fits the Bruins’ desire to play with pace. There aren’t a lot of guards in the state who are as strong as RJ while still being as quick as him.
Malik is another guard who had a solid week for Lancaster at the Chick-fil-A Classic. He became the #1 Option on the offense end and had a lot more of the ball in his hands. Tinsley has never shied away from attacking bigger players at the rim but his fearlessness is something that stood out in their win over Imani Christian (PA) on Saturday. He is also one of the quickest Sophomores in the event and can get past most defenders using that speed. Malik had a lot of shots in the Bruins’ final two games but was most efficient of dribble pull-ups. For the week, Tinsley averaged 14.0 Points Per Game as Lancaster went 1-2.
Malachi didn’t have the eye-popping numbers as some of the other players in this list, but when it mattered most, he stepped up. Malachi had 15 points in the Championship Game to help Ridge View stay undefeated and win the 2023 Chick-fil-A Classic American Bracket. Cooper is a true 3-And-D Wing and plays his role to perfection for the Blazers. He made two significant plays to keep the Blazers close prior to them taking the lead. At the end of the first half, Malachi went on a 5-point solo run to tie the game at 27 and midway through the fourth quarter he hit a left-wing 3 to bring Ridge View within 1. Without those plays, along with his team-high 15 points, the final score would be quite different.
Speaking of big players on big stages, that is exactly what this Freshman was on Saturday Night. Wylie played as many minutes in the Chick-fil-A Classic Championship Game as he did in the two previous bracket play games. And late in the Blazers’ matchup with Grayson (GA), Coach Staley couldn’t take Robert off the floor. He made big play after big play including battling with Grayson’s bigs for rebounds, buckets to cut into the lead, steals leading to transition buckets, and even the biggest play of the entire tournament: a right-wing 3 to give the Blazers their first lead of the second half with 1:30 second remaining in the game. That shot flipped the entire flow of the game and Ridge View would hold onto the lead from that point on. If this game is a sign of things to come for Robert Wylie Robert Wylie 6’3″ | CG Ridge View | 2027 State SC , he has an extremely bright future.