State Championships Unsigned Seniors

Andrew Baxley March 15, 2025 @ 02:00 PM

USE CODE “baxley30” FOR 30% OFF THE FIRST PURCHASE OF ANY SUBSCRIPTION   The 2024-25 SCHSL State Championships began on February 27th and continued through March 8th at the Florence Center in Florence, South Carolina. Most importantly, it was a chance for the Class of 2025 to go out as Champions in their final High School Season, but it was also a chance for them to show College Coaches what they can offer one last time. These five prospects are all still available and caught my eye in Florence. Check them out:   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   [player_tooltip player_id='1972146' first='Malachi' last='Cooper'] (Ridge View) - First up on my list of standout Unsigned Seniors from the 2024-25 State Championships is [player_tooltip player_id='1972146' first='Malachi' last='Cooper']. He is one of the state's best perimeter shooters and went out on top with State Championships in his Junior and Senior seasons. Cooper hit five threes in the Blazers' Lower State Championship win over James Island and then showed his defensive prowess in the State Championship win over Blythewood. Malachi was the primary defender on the Bengals' top option and held him to 5-13 shooting and 5 turnovers. Cooper fits the build of a 3&D Shooting Guard at the next level and holds a small handful of offers.   [player_tooltip player_id='2642311' first='Jamison' last='McKenzie'] (North Augusta) - Jamison had a very nice performance for the Yellow Jackets in the loss to Lancaster, putting up a game-high 21 points and 8 rebounds. McKenzie was dominant on the offensive glass - where six of those boards came from. He is a lefty with soft hands, great touch, and solid footwork. Jamison was more efficient finishing over his right shoulder than his left, but when he did miss he was often right there to clean it back up. McKenzie isn't a light prospect, but he could use some "beefing up" in order to hold up with college-level bigs on the defensive end.   [player_tooltip player_id='1336825' first='Shane' last='Potts'] (Goose Creek) - Several questioned how [player_tooltip player_id='1336825' first='Shane' last='Potts'] only has one offer following his remarkable showing in Florence. That one offer is from D2 Belmont Abbey, but he proved he is among the best the state has to offer with 29 points on 11-16 shooting in the 5A D2 State Championship Game. Shane is fast in the open floor but can slow the game down with euro-steps and hanging finishes at the rim. Potts is also an impactful defender who bought into the Gators' style of defense. He moves his feet well, has active hands, and will work for rebounds and loose balls.   [player_tooltip player_id='1892485' first='Roman' last='Cooley'] (Greenville) - Cooley is another prospect who stood out from last Saturday's 5A D2 State Championship Game. The Red Raiders had a size advantage over their opponent, so Roman often got to feed on smaller bodies in the post and on the glass, putting up 13 points and 7 rebounds. However, this didn't turn into a disadvantage on the defensive end because Cooley is a terrific defender who can switch onto various positions and ball-handlers out of the paint. He also drew a charge that was a massive swing of momentum for his team. Converse offered the 2025 Forward this week, joining Erskine, Dean, and Bob Jones on his list of schools to pick from.   [player_tooltip player_id='2207706' first='Tykeem' last='Ross'] (Denmark-Olar) - Tykeem had a monster game in our first State Championship matchup between Denmark-Olar and Abbeville. Ross posted a 12-point, 14-rebound double-double on 6-11 FG but did miss both of his attempts from the free-throw line. He is also a football prospect for the Vikings and although his frame clearly indicates that, he showed good body control and soft touch around the rim. Tykeem was a pest on both sides of the glass and was effective in pick-and-roll and on post-ups.

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