BCAT Player Evaluations: Part I

Andrew Force June 25, 2022 @ 10:41 PM

Damion Cox Jr Damion Cox Jr 5'11" | CG St.Benedict At Auburndale | 2025 TN . took and made the opening shot off of a Maddux pass. Next possession Jarred Hall Jarred Hall 6'8" | SF Lebanon | 2023 State #65 Nation TN buried an easy money three-pointer. He charged down and established in the paint, knowing he can dominate there too. Cox hit a corner three-pointer from a kick out by Alex Hyder Alex Hyder 6'3" | SG Cleveland | 2023 State TN . Cox Jr. is just so advanced for his age. Never gets rattled. High basketball I.Q. Wonderful movement off the ball. If there is a glaring weakness at this very early point, Cox Jr. is not hungry to help rebounding.

Maddux is a point guard now. I feared he could be a slow-footed undersized two-guard a year back. I was wrong. He can create and avoid traps with the best of them. Elite court vision. Elite composure. Elite patience and wonderful passing skill and court awareness. No lift on his jumper. Kind of a flat-footed take. Maddux called his own play for Jarred Hall Jarred Hall 6'8" | SF Lebanon | 2023 State #65 Nation TN , clearing out his fellow guard for the post feed. Vocalized, implemented. This is the kind of basketball maturity that generally develops in a player’s second or third year of college, if ever. Wonderful in the pick’n’roll. He knows all of the options, or at least the most conventional options. Surely he can expand the set with more elaborate play calls from college coaches. Outside shot is unfinished. He needs to really alter a few aspects of it, namely its fluidity and probably add some elevation. The passing is undeniably fantastic.

Houston Hicks Houston Hicks 6'8" | PF Independence | 2024 State TN sustained a minor injury, so evaluating his first game would be unfair and inaccurate. He returned later in the day.

Samuel Willoughby blew a layup that he can make and lost grips on a inbounds pass to him. He was one of the five youngest players in the building. Obviously this takes time, but he will want to get better hand strength. His turnovers proved costly. The team tried to use him as a point guard and that was a severe mistake. His older teammates looked much more composed and capable. The “black” team was unbeatable with Maddux, Regale, Jarred, Damion on the deck. Of course, everybody looks better with Jarred Hall Jarred Hall 6'8" | SF Lebanon | 2023 State #65 Nation TN on the floor.

Regale Moore Regale Moore 6'2" | CG Bartlett | 2023 State TN is a highly-skilled player. He made a sharp left-handed skip pass on the spot. Regale hit a step-back on Charvez Ambrose Charvez Ambrose 6'5" | SG Bartlett | 2023 State TN , and then gave him a love tap on the hip on the way back downcourt. He let him know he got him on the play. Regale made a beautiful pull-up three-pointer just 20 seconds later. He looked like a world-beater for that series, but took an ill-advised leaner from the corner as his heat check one minute later.

Charvez Ambrose Charvez Ambrose 6'5" | SG Bartlett | 2023 State TN is more speedy and smooth with the dribble than he was six months prior. Still very thin.

Jordan Frison Jordan Frison 6'0" | PG Overton | 2023 State TN was so smooth. He smoothly finished while looking like he was barely trying in traffic. Such a slick guard with plenty of room to improve. The capacity for college starter is there for sure. So smooth. Somehow Frison plays faster while also looking more relaxed than his peers. It is hilarious and somewhat insulting.

Alex Hyder Alex Hyder 6'3" | SG Cleveland | 2023 State TN was quiet early, just not getting the ball. He hit his first shot, a wing three-pointer. Then he crossed a guard 70’ from the basket and exploded up the floor with an uncommon burst, similar to a running back once he finds his gap. Hyder is a classic combo guard, mostly likely a MM/MM+ “2-guard.” Every year he dramatically improves one tangible skill. First it was shooting several years back, then ability to score in the halfcourt off-the-dribble, now handle in the open floor. His game continues to improve by leaps and bounds.

Tylon Chatman Tylon Chatman 6'0" | PG Haywood | 2023 State TN drew a foul on his three-pointer. Made the free throws. Then finished a seemingly impossible runner in traffic to tie the game, all within the final 30 seconds. All games finished in the alotted time, so no overtime. Chatman and Frison completed an incredible comeback against what might have been the best five unit in the event: Damion Cox, Hyder, Jarred Hall Jarred Hall 6'8" | SF Lebanon | 2023 State #65 Nation TN , Maddux, Regale. They played great together and Chatman erased their advantage at the buzzer.

Really impressive, high energy wing Jack Shackleford finished with a jab-and-go that really impressed me early and then I kept falling in love with his game. Lighter on his feet than I expected considering he is 6'6"/6'7". pic.x.com/hacLBDQQT0
— Prep Hoops Tennessee (@PrepHoopsTN) June 25, 2022

Brayden Waller Brayden Waller 6'2" | SG Trinity Christian | 2025 State TN showed some skill, hitting a pull-up in traffic.

Grant Campbell Grant Campbell 6'8" | SF Heritage | 2023 State TN needs to bulk up in the chest/shoulders. He is so bouncy and capable of scoring at all points, but his college career and ceiling will be dictated by the ability to finish after the hit and also rebound against monsters, just power lifters. Later in the day, Grant played much better and provided elite close-outs on smaller guards. He will be a college "3" and that makes his value skyrocket.