The second addition of Under Armour’s new UA Next Combine Series rolled into Reynoldsburg High School in Reynoldsburg, OH on Saturday and once again played host to many of the top 8th grade players in the region. In fact, the “invitation only” event attracted elite players from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. As was the case in Washington DC 2 weeks ago, the event featured high level skills and drills stations in the morning followed by very competitive games in the afternoon. After lunch, the players were treated to an inspirational presentation frrm Ohio State Buckeye great Sconnie Penn.
One of the top players in
the event was Darion Henry (6’6/PF/Cincinnati, OH) who is big,
physical and powerful, but nimble around the cup. In an age where bigs
prefer to drift away from the basket and shoot 3 pointers, Henry is comfortable
setting up shop in the paint. Because
of his big frame and aggressive approach, Henry is able to absorb contact and
still finish plays. If he
can get a couple of more inches, high major schools may come calling in the
future. We’ve seen him play
on numerous occasions, but we’ve never seen Isaiah Kennedy (5’11/combo guard/Beavercreek, Oh)
play as well as he did on Saturday. Kennedy
was a monster! Kennedy
scored the ball in just about every way possible. He knocked down deep treys, pulled up
off the bounce in the lane, powered his way to the bucket off the drive and did
so efficiently. Kennedy has mostly been known for using his powerful
frame to bully his way to the cup, but on Saturday it was more about skill and
finesse. Kennedy was tied for 3rd in scoring with 33 points in 3 games
and an average of 11 ppg. When his defense catches up with his offense, Kennedy
is going to be a problem.
The best shooter in the
event was by far Jack Townsend (6’0/combo guard/Odom, IN). Townsend
is a threat to shoot as soon as soon as he crosses half court. With his
lighting quick release, a slow close out is a bucket. Make no mistake,
Townsend is more than a catch and shoot 3-points sniper, he can put it on the
floor and get his own shot. Townsend made 11 of 27 treys and was first in made
and attempted 3-pointers. Townsend
was tied as the event’s leading scorer with 35 total points and an average of
11.7 ppg. You can tell Townsend plays up against older kids, as he is poised,
never gets rattled, understands how get his game off and will destroy a zone.
Double down on a big and get ready for the kick out and 3-ball! A good shooter
is a confident shooter, and Townsend’s swag says it all. Grant Huffman (6’2/SG/Aurora, OH) has been
considered an elite player on the national scene for many years, and his
impressive play on Saturday proves he’s not falling off. In fact, Huffman keeps growing and
keeps getting better. Huffman’s
game is mature and he is already playing at a high school level. An explosive first step allows him to
defeat his defender, and his skill set allows him to cash in on the separation. Surpassingly athletic, Huffman gets to
his spots, finishes drives in traffic and finds open teammates all while making
it look effortless. A
definite D-1 college prospect going forward. Chris Mayfield (6’3/WF/Hilliard, OH) had the gym
buzzing with his athletic and aggressive play. Mayfield started a little slow,
but by the end of the day he was considered one of the best players at the
event. Great in transition,
Mayfield is big, powerful and athletic enough to finish at the rim with contact. Oh yea, Mayfield is explosive enough
to play above the rim and throw it down consistently. Mayfield is also a good defender,
rebounds well and will give up a good shot for a better shot. In fact, Mayfield led the event with
3.3 apg. Time will tell what
position he ends up, depending on his continued growth, but right now Mayfield
is a load.
We’ve seen Jeremy Baker (6’1/combo guard/Kokomo, IN) play on 4
occasions now and we are convinced he’s elite and deserving of national
recognition. The Indiana
product is a big-bodied guard who is skilled, athletic and can score. We know he can score because the stats
tell us he was tied as the second leading scorer with 35 total points and an
average of 11.7 ppg. He can make money either slashing to the bucket, or
he can stop and pop in the midrange and even hit the trifecta. With his solid frame, Baker has no
problem taking the contact and getting the bucket. He also has a great motor, positive
attitude and he works hard on the defensive end. Finally, Baker always seems to be
having fun on the court, which can be rare these days with so much pressure
being placed on these young athletes. We’ve been at the same event and had an
opportunity to evaluate Mike Saunders Jr. (5’6/PG/Indianapolis, IN) on several
occasions, but it wasn’t until Saturday that we finally saw what the hype was
all about. Saunders is the
consummate floor general, who has the ability to make plays for others and
himself. Saunders is a high
IQ kid who understands the game. He
plays with great pace and poise and he’s highly skilled. He can hit catch and shoot
treys, or can score off the bounce. Saunders
has good quickness; solid ball skills and can finish with either hand. Saunder’s ability to score was
reflected in the stats, as he was 4th in scoring with 33 points (10.3ppg). S
aunders also plays good defense and converts his free throws (led event with
5.7 FTs per game). Saunders
can run our team anytime!
Justus Salaam (5’9/PG/Farming Hills, MI) got off to
a fast start on Saturday, dropping 18 points in his opening game. Salaam’s quickness, elite handle and
3-point ability allow him to put up big numbers at any given time. He’s
diminutive, but Salaam is crafty and knows how to get into the seams of the
defense. The best prospect in the gym was Zach Loveday (6’10/C/Bedville, OH). The best part
of Loveday’s game right now is his shot blocking ability. At 6’10 with long legs and long arms,
Loveday is an elite rim protector. He’s slim and often gets pushed off
his spot, but size and strength will come, and when it does, Loveday could
command high-major attention. In
addition, Loveday’s offensive skills are still under development, but he’s
skilled enough to step outside and hit the baseline mid-range shot, and he
passes the well for a kid his size. Zeb Jackson (5’9/PG/Toledo), a lefty, can shoot
the deep ball as well as anybody when he’s hot. Jackson also has elite ball skills and
dribble moves. He’s a
smaller guard, but he creates separation well and can get to the spots he
wants. Jackson can drive either left or right and can stop and pop the
mid-range jumper. Jackson
is a great playmaker with excellent court vision. Montorie Foster Jr. (5’11/combo guard/Cleveland, OH) is an
elite scorer. On Saturday, Foster finished second in scoring with 34
points and an average of 11.3 ppg.
Devontae
Blanton (6’4/W/PF/Macedonia,
OH) is blessed with good size and the ability to handle the ball in the open
court. When he plays with
high energy, Blanton is as good as anybody in the state. Big and physical,
slashing to the basket is Blanton’s best asset right now, but he’s quick off
his feet, rebounds well and can advance the ball in transition. He works
well off the pick and roll and finishes well near the cup. Justin Powell (6’4/combo guard/Prospect, KY) is
another good-looking prospect with good length, athleticism and a solid skill
set. Powell understands the game and knows how to score the ball. When
his motor is running, Powell is very productive. Colin Crothers (6’6/PF/C/Arlington Heights, IL) is
another quality, long-term post prospect. Crothers is a space eater with good
size and strength. Colins
plays hard, rebounds at a high rate and has a soft touch around the basket. He’s not a high riser, but Colins gets
his hands on a lot of shots. Finally, Colins has decent footwork and finishes
at a sold rate. Another
growth spurt will make Crothers a hot commodity down the road. Hunter Jackson (5’10/combo guard/Indianapolis, IN)
was one of the best on ball defenders at the event. Jackson does not
waste dribbles, as he goes right at the basket. He as a strong, mature frame, which he
uses to get by his defender. Jackson handles the ball well enough to
create space and he changes direction well. He does not shoot it often, but he can
knock down an open jumper if left open. CJ Anthony (5’10/combo guard, Columbus, Oh)
is best getting to the rack, but he can score on the perimeter when he gets
enough time to get his shot off. Anthony has the ability to score, and was the
5th leading scorer
with 26 total points (8.7ppg).
Max Land (6’1/PG/Mason, OH) has been flying
under the radar until recently. After
making the all-star game and receiving MVP honors at the Buckeye Prep Elite
Showcase in March, Land’s stock continues to rise. Land’s play on Saturday confirmed his
place among the best in the state. Solid athleticism and a good nose for
the ball, Land should play college ball at some level with continued growth and
skill development. Jack Kahoun (6’1/Comb guard/Oswego, IL) is smart,
crafty with a good motor. Kahoun led the event with a .667 3-point
percentage and was tied for 4th in
scoring with 33 points and 11 ppg. Matt Allocco (5’10/PG/Hilliard, OH) is a highly
skilled, high IQ floor general who always has his head up looking for cutters. He’s at his best running a team, but
if you need a bucket, he can get you that. Allocco
can create his own offense and can also knock down the kick out trey. Allocco is a pit bull on the defensive
end and makes very few mistakes with the rock.
Ethan
Morton (6’3/combo
guard/Butler, PN) is a big, athletic guard who gets in done both inside and
outside. Morton has a great
motor and rebounds well for his position. Morton also has good vision and passes
the ball well. In fact, he
was 4th in assists
with 3 per game. Bryce Flatt (6’4/WF/Benton, KY) has a great motor
and nose for the ball. Every
time we looked up Flatt was at the right place at the right time for a lay up
or put back. You have to
account for Jake Younkin (5’11/combo guard/ Loveland, OH) on
the floor or he will drop the 3-ball on you. A coach’s son, Younkin is
fundamentally sound and understands the game. We saw some good things out of Tony Perkins (6’1/combo guard/Indianapolis, IN). Perkins is long and athletic. Lance Mosley (6’0/PG/Chicago, IL) is a long lefty
with good on ball defense. Jared McCorkle (6’6/combo guard/Liberty TWP. OH) is a
strong and physical wing and has a strong motor. McCorkle is a good defender and
rebounder. Raymond
Terry (6’7/PF/C/Gary, IN) has
a large frame and is a strong lefty. The state of Michigan has several
prospects with Kevin Rice Jr. (6’2/combo guard/ Flint, MI), Vontray Nickerson (6’0/combo guards/Flint, MI), James Wilbon (6’3/PF/Mt. Morris, MI), Dallas Green Jr. (5'8/PG/Northville, MI), and Devin Womack (5’11/PG/Ypsilanti, MI).
With 2 sessions of the UA
Next Combine Series in the books, the first-year event will head out to Los
Angeles May 28th. Session 3 will be held in conjunction
with with Under Armor’s UA Association circuit. From what we have seen in the first to
sessions, Under Armour has hit a home run with this unique platform designed to
raise skill development at the grassroots level.
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