West Coast Elite Camp: Underclassmen
The West Coast Elite Camp had some underclassmen standout during the two-day event this past weekend. Teams were a mixture of different classes which made for some of these 8th graders and young high school kids competing against some of…
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Continue ReadingThe West Coast Elite Camp had some underclassmen standout during the two-day event this past weekend. Teams were a mixture of different classes which made for some of these 8th graders and young high school kids competing against some of the top juniors and seniors from around the state. The underclassmen did not shy away from the competition, and at times even shinned and made their mark felt during the event. Below I take a look at a few of those underclassmen that stood out during the camp. There are several I had to leave off this list but I fully expect them to make an impact for their teams this upcoming season.
Elijah Knudsen – 2022 – Mead
Elijah was one of the younger guards that caught my eye at the event. He does not back down from competition which was fun to see him attacking some of the older guards at the camp. He has great handles, especially against pressure and does a good job of keeping his head up to find the open guy. Knudsen has great hands on defense, during play he had several nice defensive deflections on opposing guards driving in the lane. Another aspect of his game that stood out out to me was his hustle on both ends of the floor, often crashing the offensive class and applying pressure to the ball handler. Elijah also knocked down several nice long-range shots, including a well contested step-back three that got the crowd talking. The most impressive part of his game that I saw, was his calm demeanor throughout the games often going against older, bigger, stronger guards. I look forward to watching how his high school career will pan out.
Lamarius Royston – 2022 – Smoky Hill
Lamarius is a player with a lot of potential and should be in for a key role in helping Smoky Hill get back to the playoffs this year. The first thing I noticed about his game, is that he is a player that can guard multiple positions on the court with his strong 6’6 frame. He is a good rebounder and for his size has the ball handling skills to bring the rock up himself which he did often, but also has good vision moving the ball up the court with quick outlet passes. Lamarius did a nice job of getting his teammates open, setting good solid screens forcing defenders to help. I saw him knock down a couple of threes but, one thing I would have liked to seen more out of Royston is playing down in the post, with his size and strength he is able to finish through defenders down on the block. I look forward to seeing how he will fit in with this very talented and athletic Smoky Hill team this year.
Langston Reynolds – 2022 – Denver East
Langston is another player with a lot of potential to have a breakout year. The athletic, 6’4 guard played in twenty-six games last year as a freshmen for Denver East averaging: 4.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.7 SPG. Reynolds is a downhill attacking guard who lives at the rim and is a crafty finisher with both hands. Like a true guard though, Langaston did a nice job of finding the open teammate off of his dribble penetration often times for a wide open look due to his aggressive attack. His strong defense often lead to baskets at the other end for him, he does a nice job of playing the passing lane and has active hands when pressuring the ball handler. He also does a nice job of crashing the boards on both ends of the court. The next step of his game will be to develop a more consistent jump shot, once he does that he will be a very tough guard to stop in the upcoming years.
Jase Richardson – 2024 – Colorado Academy
Son of former NBA star Jason Richardson, Jase was one of the younger players (8th grade) at the camp but you would not be able to tell that by his performance. The lefty is a skilled scorer and he put that on display this weekend, getting it done from in the paint, mid-range, as well as the three point ball which he had several of. Jase did a nice job playing in the pick n roll with some of his bigs, attacking off the screen if help wasn’t there or making the right decision and passing to the rolling big or open man on the wing. He also had a couple of nice assists when leading the fast break. Richardson does a nice job off the ball as well, spacing the floor on fast breaks and relocating finding the open spot off dribble penetration from his teammates. Jase is sure to have a successful high school career following his last year in middle school.
Kameron Goodrich – 2022 – Holy Family
Kameron was one of the smaller guards at the event, but he let his game talk for itself. He is a high IQ guard that has great court awareness and is able to get to his spots on the court. Kameron showed that he can score from all three levels over the weekend, not just knocking down the three, but creating off the dribble and hitting mid-range shots as well as an impressive floater over Baye Fall during game play. With defenders often closing out on him hard knowing he’s a shooter, Goodrich does a nice job of putting the ball on the deck and creating for himself and teammates.
Anthony Harris Jr. – 2022 – Smoky Hill
Anthony was fun to watch this weekend at the West Coast Elite Camp, he put on a show displaying his athleticism with several dunks and block shots throughout both days. Harris is a player who often lives above the rim and is a high flyer, but he also showed this weekend he can do a little bit of everything. Anthony does a great job attacking the basket and is crafty around the rim when he’s not dunking, but he also showed he’s able to create space with his dribble and knock down the mid-range shot as well. Harris gets it done on the defensive side of the ball as well, listed at 6’3, he has lengthy arms in which he is able to create steals in the passing lane and does a great job of protecting the rim. Anthony will sure have an impact this year for the Buffalos.