Phillips Andover open gym: Stars who impressed

On Thursday, September 11th, I attended the Phillips Andover open gym. There were about 15 players present, and the squad looks poised for a very solid year.   Here are six players who stood out and impressed.    I came away ridiculously impressed with Hailey. The 6-foot-6 wing has a college ready body right now, and he has big time athleticism in every regard. He moves laterally like a guard but can elevate with anyone, and he has really great body control in the air. Most impressive was Hailey's shooting, though; he absolutely strokes it from three and has phenomenal footwork when coming off screens and sprinting into transition threes. He's going to be an elite shooter at the next level and should have scholarship schools all over him in short order. Special player.     Williams was easily the second most impressive player at Phillips Andover's open gym yesterday, and I was quite wow'd with his well-rounded offensive skillset. He has a really solid handle and attacks downhill relentlessly, but he also strokes it from three and can play at his own pace in the lane. He can finish at the hoop, he can find teammates for open shots, and he can operate in the pick and roll. He's a scholarship player if the right school comes around. Should score tons of points this season and will really impress in this system.     Edmonds comes in as a transfer and brings an extremely exciting offensive skillset. The 6-foot point guard is ridiculously quick with the rock in his hands and has a phenomenally active off hand, which he uses to throw defenders off of him and gain balance. He needs to work majorly on his outside shot, but he's capable from three and is a really solid floor general and passer. He'll run the show for PA this season and will do a great job getting his teammates involved while also scoring the basketball.     Edmonds is the twin brother of Jaylen, but he brings a totally different set of skills. Jabari is a 6-foot-4 wing and can light it up from three. He has a nice looking shot and consistently knocked down threes both on and off the dribble yesterday. He also showed some really solid strength and athletic pop at the rim, and some really impressive lefty finishes. He needs to gain better discernment in terms of shooting vs. making plays for teammates, but the junior has a lot of time to learn and a very bright future ahead.     There's no doubt that Clanton looks a bit awkward at times; the 6-foot-5 forward can sometimes go too fast for his own good. But when he's controlled and stays within himself, the post grad is quite effective as a small ball big man. He has excellent athleticism at the hoop and does a great job grabbing and going with defensive rebounds. He had a couple massive dunks where he put the ball in his right hand and elevated like Dr. J. He also has a blooming mid range and three point jumper. I view Clanton as a relatively high level D3 guy, and he has the grades to back that up, too.     I had never seen Peabody play before yesterday but I walked away very impressed with his feel and IQ. The 6-foot-3 combo guard can play both on and off the ball and is probably a top 2 shooter on PA, but he also does a great job using his strength and misdirection moves to score on smaller guards. He'll probably play in some pick and roll this season, but he can also space the floor and come off screens. Peabody also has excellent hands on defense and plays his behind off on that end. He should get lots of D3 looks this season.

On Thursday, September 11th, I attended the Phillips Andover open gym. There were about 15 players present, and the squad looks poised for a very solid year.