Summer Challenge - Most Explosive Players

The Prep Hoops Summer Challenge brought talent from across the Midwest to the Chicago area over the weekend, and plenty of high flying athletes were on display. These seven prospects were among the most explosive in the building, and used that athleticism to high point rebounds, swat shots, and throw down some powerful dunks that got their teams fired up! [player_tooltip player_id="865839" first="Darrien" last="Long"] (6’4 2022 F, Gallo Sports Center)- Perhaps the most explosive forward in Wisconsin, Darrien put on a show in the second half of Gallo Sports Center’s last game on Sunday. Long only needs one step to elevate in the paint, making him so dangerous floating without the ball and receiving a quick dump off pass along the baseline. With his team’s guards distributing at a high level on Sunday, Darrien was able to fly up the floor in transition and make some hard cuts which led to multiple alley-oop finishes that he’s become known for. His strong frame allows him to defend against taller players in the paint, and he’s a big time rim protector as he can get off the floor quickly and has great timing to contest at the rim. [player_tooltip player_id="1152903" first="Amar" last="Augillard"] (6’6 2021 W, Young & Reckless)- Amar was one of the most exciting players to watch this past weekend, as he seemed to put on a show every time he stepped on the floor. He’s fearless when attacking the basket, and that showed with some of his takes to the rim going up against a 7’2 center. When he’s not elevating to throw down powerful dunks, he has excellent body control to either extend and finish, or go up and under for a reverse lay-up. Amar has the speed to get up the floor quicker than defenders, which often ended up leading to some alley-oop finishes. Outside of his scoring, Amar may be the best offensive rebounding wing I’ve seen in the past few years, as he’s absolutely relentless competing on the glass and is capable of catching the ball at it’s highest point before going right back up to finish. Calvin Robbins (6’4 2024 F, Mac Irvin Fire)- It’s rare to see an underclassman as athletic as Calvin, and he used that explosive athleticism to his advantage to terrorize the rims on every court he stepped on. At about 6’4-6’5 he could play the 3 down the road, but also excels at the 4 spot using his vertical to play even bigger than his size. If he received a pass with space to step into a jump, he was likely looking to throw down a dunk even with defenders around him. His quick burst off the ground also allowed him to elevate for offensive boards which led to a handful of putback buckets in the games I saw. He also excelled as a shot blocker, not afraid to meet opponents at the rim and make a highlight play on the defensive end. [player_tooltip player_id="950097" first="Learic" last="Davis"] (6’7 2022 W, Wisconsin PGC)- Learic may have been the most dangerous transition player I saw all weekend, as his speed and ability to quickly weave in-and-out of defenders led to some high flying finishes at the rim. Not sure if I’ve seen a player at 6’6-6’7 who can quickly accelerate with the ball in his hands quite like Learic, as that speed allows him to attack the basket in the half-court or beat defenders up the floor in transition. Outside of some explosive finishes he flashed some ability to hit the mid-range jumper, acted as an additional ball handler at times, and guarded multiple spots on the floor. [player_tooltip player_id="1210373" first="Joseph" last="Fitch"] (6’8 2022 F, Illini Magic)- The wiry and athletic forward continued to boost his stock this summer with a solid outing against Gallo Sports Center on Sunday. His long arms allowed him to rebound the ball at a high level, while also contesting shots on the other end. Joseph has a quick second leap in the paint meaning he can go up and grab his own miss to put it right back up, allowing him to score with efficiency. Despite the long and wiry frame, he does a good job of fighting through contact to keep his balance and finish in the paint, and can also wall-up to avoid fouling when contesting shots. LJ Wells (6’7 2022 SF, Playmakers Showcase)- One of the more physically imposing prospects in attendance, LJ is a strong and athletic 6’7 forward with the ability to play the 3 or the 4. Even though he’s still a bit raw, he just finds ways to contribute whether it be scrapping for rebounds, guarding inside and out, or finishing through contact at the rim. LJ has the strength that would allow him to physically overpower most defenders at the high school level, but he does a good job of remaining unselfish rather than bullying his way through traffic. LJ runs the floor hard in transition, and also showed that he can handle it himself in the open floor to go coast-to-coast. Once he’s at the rim LJ knows what to do with the ball as he can throw down with power that leaves the rim shaking. [player_tooltip player_id="920942" first="Grant" last="Newell"] (6’7 2021 F, Mac Irvin Fire)- Grant was one of the big winners from this past weekend of hoops, as he seemed to dominate in every game. A physically strong forward with explosive athleticism, Grant was so dangerous cutting to the rim without the ball. He just elevates so effortlessly before throwing down with power, and he isn’t scared to go up and put one down right over a defender. Grant also flashed a nice face-up game, catching in the high post and then making plays out of the triple threat. He could knock down mid-range shots, use a quick first step to blow by the defender, or use his strength to back his man down and work his way to the basket. Scored with efficiency all weekend long.