EVE Bracket Buster Event: Breakout Prospects
The Evolve Events Bracket Buster Event was loaded with underrated talent and exciting matchups. This was a smaller tournament with only four teams in the high school division, but several unranked prospects stole the show and were able to make…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe Evolve Events Bracket Buster Event was loaded with underrated talent and exciting matchups. This was a smaller tournament with only four teams in the high school division, but several unranked prospects stole the show and were able to make a name for themselves.
James Sims
James Sims
James Sims was the most impressive player at this event. He scored in double digits in all four of his games while leading the OK Wildcats to the championship game. Sims has a very impressive first step and uses his long strides to cut through the defense. In his first game against OK Prime, Sims stole the show scoring on all three levels as well as throwing down two big dunks. Throughout the weekend he kept his motor running high on both ends of the court. Offensively, Sims often times would take advantage of mismatches through calling isolations and either getting to the rim or pulling up for mid-range jumpers when help cut off his lane. In the championship game, Sims communicated well and switched his team’s matchups on defense in order to match himself up with OK Prime’s leading scorer, Jase Stewart. In the end, Sims was able to will the OK Wildcats to the championship game where he was able to score the game’s final eight points to secure a 47-41 victory. I spoke with his coach, Larry Jenkins, who raved about Sims’ character and said that any college would be happy to have him on their team.
Phoenix Whiteshirt
Phoenix Whiteshirt
Phoenix Whiteshirt was on fire all weekend long. He shot pull-up threes very consistently throughout his four games and attacked closeouts aggressively. Whiteshirt is a very good vertical athlete and finisher with the ability to fight through contact. While playing out of the high post, Whiteshirt made good reads to find cutters and open shooters all weekend. He was able to control the pace of games by grabbing rebounds and pushing in transition. One of his strengths was his ability to come off of screens hard and was able to get multiple wide open lanes for dunks doing this. On the defensive side, Whiteshirt did a great job of extending vertically to challenge shots on the interior while also reading passing lanes on the perimeter. He keeps his hands active and is extremely disruptive.
Jayden Donahue-Burch
Jayden Donahue-Burch
Jayden Donahue-Burch was possibly the most dominant big at this event. His size, strength, and athleticism overwhelmed defenses all weekend long. Combining all of this with an elite motor could make Jayden a monster as he continues to develop. He has great touch close to the rime and attacks offensive boards any chance that he gets. Showcasing his great feel for playing out of multiple spots inside the perimeter, Jayden leveraged his physicality into easy buckets whether they came from post-ups, tip-ins, or cutting hard to the rim. Jayden also has quick feet and solid balance which helped him to stay in front of opponents while on defense. The few times that an opponent did get around him, Jayden corrected his mistakes with impressive recovery blocks.
Jase Stewart
Jase Stewart
Jase Stewart has very impressive guard skills combined with a strong frame. He uses this combination to bully smaller guards and create separation through his physicality. Stewart started the weekend off strong by making 3 three-pointers in his first game this weekend. He was the primary ball-handler and offensive initiator for OK Prime where very few defenders were able to stay in front of him. Stewart has a killer crossover that he used often to penetrate defenses and either finish at the rim, use his nice touch with floaters, or kick the ball out to open teammates. Rebounding is another strong point of his games as he stays active on both ends. Once he was able to grab offensive rebounds, Stewart took advantage of his solid frame and remarkable footwork to finish through contact. This lead to Stewart averaging over 1.5 and-one opportunities through the weekend.