Spire Practice Notes

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I attended Spire's practice on Thursday, the second day of the fall recruiting window for Division I programs and Spire was full of college programs with a handful of high major head coaches in attendance, looking to lock down top prospects. In this article I'll break down my standouts from Thursday's practice at Spire.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2473434"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aa45d5bc56f2"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Kamissoko was one of the later announced transfers to Spire this summer and he looks to be arguably the most impactful piece to Spire's team based on the practice that I saw on Thursday and what I've seen from him with PSA Cardinals on the EYBL circuit and last summer with Long Island Lutheran. Kamissoko has a perfect blend of positional size, strength and aggression to make him an impactful rebounder, switchable defender and transition monster. I'd expect Kamissoko to make an immediate impact at the high major level and he will likely debut at #1 in the Prep Hoops Ohio rankings when the class of 2027 are next updated.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2418490"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aa45d5bc5761"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Duncan was one of the first new transfers into the program announced early in the spring and he is a guy who you just know what you are going to get out of him. Duncan is strong, tough, impactful defensively, can knock down an open shot and finish drives. His ability to create turnovers is exceptional on the defensive end of the court and his scrappiness allows him to be an elite rebounder for his height. Duncan also impressed me with soft touch around the basket on drives and finished a high percentage of his shots around the rim on Thursday.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2642334"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aa45d5bc57b0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Parker is the lone prospect who was with the program last year who I will spotlight in this article as he looks much improved after a year in the Spire system. I had seen Parker get limited action but Thursday was my best chance at getting a true evaluation on him. Parker looked more explosive athletically than last year and was shooting the basketball with a lot of confidence. He's long overdue to be added to our 2028 rankings during the next update as his performance on Thursday solidified his spot during the next update.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2879108"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aa45d5bc57fa"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Johnson is one of the most talented 2029 prospects in the country and you could easily make a case that he has the most long term upside out of any prospect in the Spire program right now. Johnson's combination of height, ball handling, shooting and quick twitch athleticism is so rare for a 2029 prospect and it's why he'll debut in the top 10 of our national 2029 rankings coming soon. Johnson's jumper was the main thing working for him as he spent extra time on that throughout the day as he gears up for the winter season with Spire.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3665456"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aa45d5bc5842"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The lone 2030 prospect on Spire's prep team, Ehikhametalor, or as he goes by ‘Z' stood out with impressive burst and explosiveness for a freshman guard. I was impressed with his ability to get to the paint and make a decision while attacking downhill. The Canadian guard already has plenty of experience playing against top competition in both high school and grassroots settings and despite his age, could be a nice bench contributor for a team filled with senior talent.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3625549"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aa45d5bc588a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The lone lefty in the gym, I liked what Machum brought to the table as the Canadian guard displayed the ability to play on or off the ball, stay on balance and fare well Vs pressure. Looking like a strong rotational piece for Spire's International group that will be competing in the Elite Prep League, Machum should be relied on to break pressure, knock down shots and attack closeouts to set up teammates.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3766667"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aa45d5bc58d2"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The biggest player in the gym, Spire International seems to know where the 7 foot talent is because they have another one this year after having two different 7-footers play minutes for them last season. With the strong nutrition and weight program that Spire has, why wouldn't you be interested in joining their program to improve if you are a 7-footer looking to either add weight, muscle or improve your lateral agility. Zablocki impressed me with his end to end speed and finishing ability in drills. He'll need some time and development but there's a lot to work with and I'd expect regional Division I programs to give him a look.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2769288"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aa45d5bc5919"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The prospect with the highest upside on the international team based on what I saw on Thursday, Holmes is a Pittsburgh area prospect who has a chance to blow up with Spire this winter. Holmes has elite physical tools with a long wingspan and a strong frame. Holmes should also get the development to play with the ball in his hands on the Spire International group, which is the area of his game that could see the most growth this season. Long term name to track within Spire's program.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->