Spire Practice Notes

I visited Spire Institute to see their teams practice on Monday and in this article I'll break down some notes from the players I saw. I began early in the morning with their Post Grad team coached by Jay Slone. Followed that up with watching the Varsity National team coached by Kevin Boyle that also included the Varsity International team coached by Brendan Boyle.    Probably the most impressive performer in the Spire Post Grad practice, Howard looked confident as a guard who can play on or off the basketball and stay on balance. Howard made shots, can apply pressure on the rim as a downhill slasher and looked poised when making decisions. The recent Cal State Fullerton commit should benefit from this post grad season and hope to hit the ground running once he reaches campus.     Ross is the national team on the Spire post grad team, appearing in the top 100 of national composite rankings. Recently committed to VCU, Ross joins Sammy Jackson as standout prospects to commit to the Rams in the class of 2026. An elite shot blocker with the mobility to stretch his defense out to the perimeter, Ross has some special pyhsical tools. Practicing next to [player_tooltip player_id='2728816' first='Rho' last='Omed'] will help both players improve this year while also giving Spire post grad a dual big option that could overwhelm teams in the paint.     Coming from France, Rinaldo-Komlan showed incredible potential in my first viewing of him on Monday. The lefty forward has a smooth shooting stroke and a +5 ish wingspan that allows him to alter shots and finish with his length. His physical tools combined with his perimeter shooting ability makes him a prospect I'd expect high major programs to get to know Komlan sooner rather than later.     I got to see Derkack with Team Final during the EYBL season and he actually looked taller and stronger than back in May. A power athlete, Derkack has the frame, balance and explosiveness to finish above and through contact in the paint. A fluid mover with the ball in his hands, Derkack is going to thrive in transition when he's able to run out in transition at the college level. I'll be watching closely to see if Derkack can make 3-point shots at a consiscent rate this winter with Spire, it could take his game to the next level.     Spire's international varsity squad has a lot of interesting names and Scipio stood out to me as a guard who should get the opportunity to help run the show when he's in the game. Scipio looked confident during the drills part of practice, made shots and played like a primary ball handler leader type. A canadian guard, Scipio looks like a prospect who should get some college interest at Spire this season.     It's rare to see 7 footers anywhere in the country, especially in Ohio. Hailemichael is a massive human who towers over even 6'8 forwards on the roster. Able to stand in the paint and alter shots and grab rebounds, Hailemichael will be a force to be reckoned with in the paint. Hailemichael also flashed some perimeter shooting ability with his feet set in drills, hoping to see him do that in 5 on 5 action against other opponents when I get to see this team in action.

I visited Spire Institute to see their teams practice on Monday and in this article I'll break down some notes from the players I saw. I began early in the morning with their Post Grad team coached by Jay Slone. Followed that up with watching the Varsity National team coached by Kevin Boyle that also included the Varsity International team coached by Brendan Boyle.