Team Loaded Combine: HS Top Prospects

-Liked what I saw from McGlone as a dynamic lead guard that has improved the timing of his passes in transition, holding the ball for that extra beat in transition to force the defense to commit to him before dropping off to a teammate. In a showcase environment that most prospects struggle to maintain good ball movement and on-ball defense-- McGlone excelled with both as evidenced by picking his matchup's pocket at halfcourt before getting two feet in the paint and kicking out to the shooter. The handle has sharpened to allow him to play at a breakneck pace in transition and I like the finishing moves that he's added to his bag around the basket.     -Lowe started out the 5 on 5 play on a heater- splashing his first two 3 point attempts through the net then used that shooting gravity to blow by a hard closeout and finish at the rim with the inside hand lay. He then hit another C+S 3 in transition before racing back to pin a layup attempt off the glass at the opposite end of the floor. Loved the moxie that he showed throughout the showcase as a guard that isn't afraid to mix it up in the paint for rebounds or bump drivers off their path to the rim.     -Looks and has a similiar playstyle to old school Steve Nash as a PG prospect that is always probing the defense to find passing options in the halfcourt. Barnhart's advanced ball-handling ability allows him to take advantage of great vision in the open floor as a floor general that rarely picks up his dribble and is adept at creating advantage situations for his team. He also possesses enough physicality to mete out some punishment of his own off the bounce and is difficult to bump off his spot on his driving lines to the rim. He can get into his shooting motion pretty quickly off the bounce and showed consistent range out to the three point line on his jumpshot.     -Holland had some great moments as a steady floor general that consistently beat his matchup to spots on layup attempts, to collect 50/50 balls, and to force dribble pick-ups at the defensive end of the floor. Holland showed that he can shoot the ball but also didn't settle for jumpers, attacking hard closeouts effectively from both sides of the floor to force the defense to rotate. Holland also does a good job of turning and sprinting to cut off an opponent's drive to the rim, walling up effectively with his hands up in the air to avoid getting whistled for block fouls while pestering the ballhandler to give it up to a defender. With high-level IQ and good positional size to pair with a balanced skillbase, he can also thrive both on or off the ball as a primary or secondary play-maker that executed timely passing reads in the halfcourt.     -Probably the fastest prospect with the basketball in his hands in the open floor, it's easy to see why Coleman has already garnered high level recruiting interest. He's extremely dynamic with the ball in his hands, can turn really sharp angles coming off of screens or tightroping his way through tight spaces along the sideline or baseline. He has a really quick set of hands and has the potential to develop into a lockdown defensive floor general capable of turning his matchup over and disrupting offensive flow for the opposing team. Coleman also showed a diverse set of finishing moves around the basket and wasn't afraid to drive straight at opposing bigs to negate their shot-blocking ability or draw fouls in the halfcourt. One of the highest upside players in attendance at this event.     -Loved Roper's activity level as 2/3 tweener that moves well off the ball, can spot up from the perimeter for C+S looks beyond the arc, and can finish over or through defensive contact around the basket. Roper uses a sturdy frame to block out well for rebounds around the rim, bump his matchup on their drives to the basket, and dish out some contact of his own on explosive 2-foot jump stop finishes in the halfcourt. Want to see him be more decisive and aggressive with his catches on the perimeter to get right into his shooting motion or attack his matchup off the bounce on perimeter catches because he usually makes the right read--just a half beat delayed from where it should be. Whether or not he continues to grow, he should develop into a productive and consistent player for Knightdale.     -Gurdak looked comfortable in this setting as he has packed on some muscle on the gridiron this fall playing as a defensive end and brought that physicality to the court. A skilled guard prospect now standing at least 6'4- he sees the floor well off the bounce, can create his own shot, takes his opportunities to attack hard closeouts and get to the rim, and plays physically at the defensive end of the floor. After re-classifying back to 2029 and transferring to St James to compete in the MAC, Gurdak should give the Saints a G/W tweener that can make an impact early and establish a new culture under Coach Lewis in Year 1.