5v5 Standouts from the 2025 SCBCA Elite Camp

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>USE CODE “baxley30” FOR 30% OFF THE FIRST PURCHASE OF ANY SUBSCRIPTION</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2025 South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association Elite Camp was held on Sunday, October 5th, in North Charleston, South Carolina. It featured 150 of the best players in the South Carolina High School League competing in skill-development sessions and 5-on-5 games. For the latter, the players were divided into 16 teams, each playing in two games, and I caught one half for each team to be able to see all 159 players. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2722116' first='Roman' last='Ruggiero'] (Eastside) - [player_tooltip player_id='2722116' first='Roman' last='Ruggiero'] leads off my 5v5 standouts. He absolutely took over the second half of Team 11's second game. Roman got into a rhythm with some spot-up shooting, punishing defenses for helping off him before hitting a few more contested looks. Then, Ruggiero turned into a complete scorer with floaters, mid-range pull-ups, and off-the-dribble threes, showing some exciting progression with his handle. Keep an eye on this Upstate Guard to have a big Sophomore Year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1986981' first='Dreyton' last='Jackson'] (Wren) - Two Team 6 Guards make this list, and the first one is Dreyton. He is usually a ball-dominant Point Guard who primarily looks to set his teammates up, but this setting allowed Jackson to play away from the ball a little bit more and find his own shots. He hit an early left-wing three that set him up for easier driving lanes, leading to a few crafty layups and some clean reads of defensive rotations. Dreyton was also engaged defensively and forced a few turnovers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1614888' first='Donovan' last='Mickle'] (Blythewood) - Mickle teamed up with Jackson and formed one of the best backcourt duos in the gym. Donovan had the ball a little bit more at the top of the key and kept the ball moving to the right spots. He did chip in with a pair of threes, which set up his pump-fake and hesi. Mickle was as productive as any Guard on the defensive end in North Charleston, picking up the primary ball-handler on most possessions and tallying several steals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2642309' first='Ryland' last='Meszaros'] (Northwestern) - I caught up with Ryland and Team 15 in the last window of games on Sunday. He had a strong day, drawing rave reviews from his coaches and a few other scouts. Meszaros handled the ball well for his squad, displaying a good feel for the defense with ball-fakes, spin-moves, and crossovers. These moves helped him create space for shots, but he also hit a few well-defended shots that had a high degree of difficulty. Ryland also drew a charge in Game One - a stat that is always worth mentioning in a camp setting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2639844' first='Ta'Maj' last='Gilliam'] (Batesburg-Leesville) - Gilliam is due for a bump up in the rankings after I saw him for the first time at the 2025 SCBCA Elite Camp. Ta'Maj is now up to 5'11" with some explosive leaping ability around the rim. He is an excellent rebounder for his size and is not shy from finishing through contact at the rim. Gilliam displayed his basketball IQ with a few smart cuts that led to layups or fouls, as well as active relocation around the perimeter that led to catch-and-shot threes. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2549688' first='Zion' last='King'] (Charleston Charter for Math and Science) - Rounding out the list of 5v5 standouts is another Guard who left a good first impression on me, [player_tooltip player_id='2549688' first='Zion' last='King']. At 5'5", King is on the smaller side, but he has terrific change of pace in attack mode that allows him to keep defenders off-balance and get through tight spaces. Zion was effective in the pick-and-roll, making good reads to find his rolling big or score himself. When in the paint, King has a trusty floater that will negate an opponent's size advantage.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->