PrepHoopsTN Combine Evaluations
The annual @PrepHoopsTN Summer Combine featured nearly 50 aspiring college prospects. For the rest of July we will be featuring the campers with evaluations and measurements from the day.
Look for the next combine in September of 2021, this time in middle Tennessee!
Dakota Sanford | 5’10” PG | Polk County
How did he measure against the competition?
- Class of 2023
- 5’10″
- Wingspan — 5’7″ or 67″
- Standing Reach — 7’2″
- Height w/ shoes — 5’10″
- 3/4 Court Sprint — 3.70, 3.66
- Lane Agility — 13.19, 12.78
- Camp Ranking — #43
NBA Stylistic Comparison: 2018 Blazers Seth Curry
Dakota Sanford registered the fourth-best lane agility time all afternoon. Sanford ran the lane agility twice and finished in 11.68 and 11.57 successively. Much like he did during the 3/4 court sprint, Sanford was wonderful getting off the line. Like a seasoned sprinter, he dashed out of the “box” with a burst and never looked back.
Sanford stands 5-foot-10 tall. His wingspan was measured at 5-foot-7, a -3 difference.
Sanford struggled to defend guards and wings alike in drills. For some reason his impressive speed did not translate to quicker defensive feet. This could be accounted for a number of ways. Maybe Dakota is just too gullible. He bit on a lot of head fakes and pump fakes during one-on-one drills. Maybe Sanford is much quicker when he knows where he is going next, as in a lane agility test or sprint test. This makes sense, but then why was he an outlier on the defensive end?
Sanford’s handle was modest, not exceptional.
A junior-to-be, Dakota Sanford was a willing passer and a solid teammate during 5-on-5. His understanding of floor balance and spacing was better than average.
As a shooter, Dakota has an interesting little quirk, not necessarily a bad thing, where he kicks his right leg forward slightly during the follow-through. Is this a problem? No. It is possible that this could draw an errant foul call on the defender if this leg makes contact. Unclear. Sanford’s form up top is fine and he will be a dependable catch-and-shoot guy for Polk County this year and next.
Davion Evans Davion Evans 5'6" | PG McMinn County | 2023 State TN | 5’6” PG | McMinn County
The explosive combo guard, Davion Evans Davion Evans 5'6" | PG McMinn County | 2023 State TN , thrived in patches during the June 27th combine.
How did he measure against the competition?
- Class of 2023
- 5’6″
- Wingspan — 5’5″ or 65″
- Standing Reach — 6’9″
- Height w/ shoes — 5’6″
- Hand Span — 7.0″
- Hand Length — 6.5″
- 3/4 Court Sprint — 3.26, 3.33
- Lane Agility — 11.45, 11.39
- Camp Ranking — #33
NBA Stylistic Comparison: 2008 Knicks Nate Robinson
Davion Evans Davion Evans 5'6" | PG McMinn County | 2023 State TN recorded the remarkable 35.0″ vertical leap, the second-best of the day to Jasen Brooks Jasen Brooks 6'1" | PG Cleveland | 2023 State TN . Evans’ athleticism stunned defenders and onlookers alike. What Evans is, is a dynamic, powerful-leaping guard. What he is not is a tall guard. Standing 5-foot-6, Evans will be battling against taller players his entire career. He already has, earning a prime position with the McMinn County Cherokees.
In order to become a factor as a smaller guard, a player must demonstrate one or more elite traits. Athleticism, shooting, handle. Right now Evans is an elite athlete with absurd bounce and speed. His sprint ranked second on the day (3.26). The following time of 3.33 verifies that Evans is actually that fast and there was no error in timing.
Evans must improve two things immediately: shot selection, outside shooting. The combine setting tends to inspire players to shoot more, as they are likely hopeful to “show off.” Davion took several problematic shots, like a step-back 20-footer. It just was not a shot many high school players can make. Evans needs to show he understands high and low percentage shooting opportunities to maximize his value to college recruiters.