Prep Hoops Freshman Showcase: Steve’s Top Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is a recap of the top players I saw from Sunday morning Prep Hoops Freshman Showcase Camp in Illinois.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Duece Johnson Marist</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Duece is a bigger guard we watched in July play up a level and didn't see much drop off in his game. He uses his long arms and a tight handle to get in the lane often and puts touch on his layups. For a 6'2 guard, he's a good rebounder but also makes the long outlet pass often to make the game easier. When Johnson played with a solid big he was dangerous in high-ball screens draining shot after shot if defenders went under the pick. Duece is so skilled and poised for his age I can see him earning some varsity minutes on a deep Marist team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2947687' first='Dakari' last='Nesbitt'] Thornton&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nesbitt is a player we've started to track in June from the R-B Shootout and the UIC Team Camp. At 5'11 in my opinion Dakari is the most prolific scorer in his class. He has an extra gear that most players don't access until later in their career. He plays with grit and showmanship. He gives Sherron Collins dynamics at times with how he scores the ball. Watching him blow past guys in the open court was one attraction but his ability to hit threes off the bounce was also fun to watch. Another part of his game that's exciting was how well he passed the ball. His zip that he adds to the assist makes the play seem bigger than it is. Nesbitt has the talent that can draw crowds to a game.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2862587' first='Dajuan' last='Brown'] Bradley Bourbonnais</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brown is a sniper behind the arc. He displayed good handling and moves well off the ball. What I like about his game is that he plays with some maturity in the half-court. He takes time on his drives and he doesn't seem to just force a bad shot because he was near the rim. A couple of times Dajuan knocked down a few deep 3's with a defender in his face. It shouldn't be long for him to become the #1 scoring option on his varsity team this season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2369925' first='Evan' last='Lemons'] St. Laurence</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Evan is a poised player who can be either a guard or a wing depending on how the coach wants to use him. At the Showcase his biggest moment was a one handed flush from off a baseline drive that woke the crowd up. For the scouts, it was Lemons' ability to make shots consistently throughout the day. At 6'4 he can grab boards and push the break in an instant with the chances he scores or is fouled in the process.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2947403' first='Orlando' last='Bohlen'] Payton&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A very good debut for Orlando at the camp. He's a lights-out shooter who made at least 8 threes in the game we watched. But his game wasn't limited to shooting as Bohlen knows how to get downhill and score in the heart of the paint amongst the trees. He is still rather thin and will make the adjustment to his game when it counts.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2675420' first='Quinn' last='Carroll'] Lyons </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carroll is yet another player who we watched in July who came to the showcase to prove he wasn't a fluke. Highly skilled guard made plays in several ways this morning. As a passer, rebounder, and shooter. Quinn displayed good range in catch and shoot situations and when driving to the basket he figured out ways to finish in tight spaces. Carroll is a player who has projectable size and talent that we will monitor throughout his high school career.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->