JV Corner: #SpartanInvitational Under-The-Radar Talent

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Here are my thoughts on some of the under-the-radar players that I saw at the #SpartanInvitational…</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":2340604,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PH-Porter-Perry-C.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PH-Porter-Perry-C.png?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-2340604" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2454907' first='Porter' last='Perry']</strong> (6'4/F/'26/Mountain Brook HS) </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: porter_perry44</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Porter is an intriguing talent who kept my attention throughout the entire tournament. He has good positional size and length and was one of the most poised players I saw throughout the tourney. He was rarely rattled or pushed to play faster than what he wanted. He has offensive versatility, as he can play the 1-3 and possibly the 4 at this level. He has the arsenal to score, but he does so many other things that contribute to winning. He orchestrates the offense when needed, is a reliable secondary ball-handler, can create in the open floor, and has a good IQ. He needs to get stronger, but a position at the varsity level looks to be on the horizon, as he has some tools that will cause problems as his game continues to grow.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":2340605,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PH-Parker-Wright-C.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PH-Parker-Wright-C.png?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-2340605" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Parker Wright</strong> (5'9/PG/'26/Mountain Brook HS) </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: Parkerwright9</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @Parkerwright9</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Parker is a feisty PG who fits the typical Mountain Brook point guard. He plays extremely hard on every possession, brings energy and effort to the floor, pushes the rock in transition, runs his lanes when the ball is not in his hands, takes charges, and can knock down the trey ball. He shot the ball really well on day 2 of the tourney and played some valuable minutes throughout the day. It will serve him well to use this off-season to improve his strength, speed, and agility and continue to hone his handles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":2340607,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PH-Jordan-Smith-C.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PH-Jordan-Smith-C.png?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-2340607" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Jordan Smith</strong> (5'10/CG/'28/Leeds MS) </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: notlike_.jay7</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Jordan is an 8th grader who got time on JV during this tourney. His game has a lot of potential, and with the proper guidance and off-season development, he could be eyeing a spot on the varsity level when he steps into high school next year. He has a thin frame but has a solid foundational skill set. A lot of his game right now is played off of sheer talent and you can tell that he loves to get to the rim, but showed that he can score from all three levels. As he continues to develop his game and learn how to play at the high school level, he could possibly be a player whose name we will be mentioning again.   </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":2340608,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PH-Sam-Welch-C.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PH-Sam-Welch-C.png?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-2340608" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2455059' first='Sam' last='Welch']</strong> (6'4/SF/'26/Homewod HS) </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: iamsamwelch</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @iamsamwelch</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Sam is a swingman with good positional size, length, and sneaky versatility. He doesn't overwhelm you and is not flashy, but he understands and plays his role. He isn't a primary scorer but showed his ability to score off the bounce. He moved well without the ball and showed the potential to be a trustworthy player on both ends of the floor. He has to continue to add to his offensive repertoire as he eyes a spot on the varsity next year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":2340609,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PH-Jeremiah-Tabb-C.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PH-Jeremiah-Tabb-C.png?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-2340609" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2455032' first='Jeremiah' last='Tabb'] </strong>(6'1/Wing/' 26/Hoover HS) </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: Jet.glizxzy</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @JeremiahETabb</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Jeremiah had a fantastic tournament but was sensational during the championship game. He is a swingman with good positional size at this level and plays very physically. He is very effective in transition and in the half-court as a scorer, particularly as a downhill attacking scorer. He rebounds his position well, and the greatest attribute I saw throughout the tourney is that he can potentially be a lockdown defender as he continues to develop in the game. He has some physical tools that not many of his peers possess. He's not necessarily a playmaker for others, but as he continues to add to his game and the overall game emerges, he could be a sought-after talent.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":2340610,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PH-Larry-Lee-Guthrie-III.-C.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PH-Larry-Lee-Guthrie-III.-C.png?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-2340610" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Larry Lee Guthrie, III.</strong> (6'3/F/'25/Spain Park HS) </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: l.guthrie3</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @LeeGuthrie_3</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Larry is a Junior playing on JV, and the work he has been able to put in should set him up to be able to contribute on varsity next season. He spent a lot of time on the inside in this tourney and was a dominant interior presence, especially on the glass. He rebounds at a high rate, which he can bring to the floor night in and night out. If he can find a role in the Jaguars program, he has the ability to bring a level of toughness on the inside, which is always needed at the varsity level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->