Was glad to get back to the Real Deal this year after missing it for the first time in several years last year. I was there Friday night through about noon today, and while I hated to miss the 16U and 17U title games, I was able to see all of the stars in those classes multiple times and needed to get back home.
First, I'll say this - I think Justice Hill was the best prospect I saw. I didn't get to see Chandler Lawson, the youngest Lawson brother out of Memphis, and who some have said could be top 5 talent when it's all said and done. Also, you had Top 30 prospects like PJ Washington (2017), TJ Moss (2018) and Reggie Perry (2018). So, saying Hill is the best is a large statement. More on him later.
The tourney continues to take a slow slide down in talent, unfortunately. And, the main reason I bring that up is because if you watched the games this morning versus Friday night or Saturday, you saw players look quite differently due to the competition being vastly different. The pool play was a joke for teams like the 17U Wings and Team Penny and the 16U Hawks. It didn't get high quality until semifinal bracket action, which happened today. So, keep that in mind when some of you read my takes below.
Hog Commitments:
Daniel Gafford (2017) 6'10 Post: I hadn't seen Gafford since last August, and I hoped to see physical development, but I didn't. But, I did see slight progression in his game. He didn't get to showcase it as much I wanted to see, but he showed some nice footwork and moves off of the post-up at times. He didn't finish as easily as I would've liked due to lack of strength and developing feel. He was very good all weekend rebounding the ball, especially offensively, and blocking shots. Even though I've seen him a few times in the past 12 months, his length is still surprising. Another important mention is that his free throw shooting form is good, so there's nice potential to shoot the ball well down the line, too. I might've seen him take one jump shot all weekend, though. In the end, I was disappointed in his physical development, and he needs to get serious about that to be an impact player his first year in college. But, I also remained very happy with the ceiling he has. Don't be surprised to see him slip down the rankings some due to not progressing maybe as much as scouts want to see this spring/summer.
Darious Hall (2017) 6'4 Wing: I've mentioned how disappointed I was in him choosing to play for the Memphis Magic Elite versus another higher level organization, and my disappointment was realized this weekend. Just bad basketball, and Hall's play fell under that umbrella today against competition with a heartbeat. He was absolutely dominated by the Team Penny players this morning. Some of that was b/c he was trying to do too much due to his team being terrible and some of that was just on him. Hall showed, at times, the things that earned him an offer, but I left underwhelmed with the three times I watched him this weekend. Ceiling is high, as I've mentioned before, but he also needs a lot of polish. He didn't really show me anything that hasn't been said on here, so I'll just leave it at that for now.
Justice Hill (2019) 5'11 PG: Lawd, Have Mercy. Think of everything you can that you want in your optimal PG, and besides height (although he makes up for it with elite athleticism), Hill has it. I was in awe all weekend. All I could do was just shake my head. I watched him with the 15U Hawks team and then with the 16U later that night, and told myself, why are we even fiddling with this 15U business; he needs to play up. Thankfully, he did, and he was key to that team earning the championship. The "coach's son feel for the game" screams at you when you watch, and he combines that with a high, high skill level and like I said, elite athleticism. This kid is in Monk's neighborhood. His height may be the only thing that keeps him out of that ranking range, ultimately, but he will be every bit as valuable on the college level. No brainer talent.
Hog or Arkansas Related:
Reggie Perry (2018) 6'7-6'8 Combo F: Perry, as mentioned on here before, is a kid originally from Little Rock, but moved to Tallahassee three years ago. I've seen him 2-3 other times, and he keeps on improving. If anyone has watched Dedric Lawson (Memphis) play, that's Reggie. Almost exact game, except for Perry being less trigger happy. Needs work on his jumper but the form and ability is there; should also tighten up the handle to realize his full potential. Other than that, he's a clear top 50 profile. After PJ Henderson and Hill, I liked Perry the next most of all the players I saw. Fitz has said that Justice will be trying to put together a national championship class. Perry should be at or near the top of the list.
Ethan Henderson (2018) 6'6 Combo F: After seeing Ethan back in August and in the state championship game, I was happy to see him be more aggressive. Ethan is ranked #11 by one service, and as I said back when Trey Thompson was ranked #22 by the same service, don't believe that right now. The service that does composite rankings has him at #69, and that's more accurate. Ethan still needs to come a long way skill-wise. His offensive ability stops at easy buckets off of passes or rebounds right now. Unlike Gafford and Perry, his jump shot form is not fundamentally sound, so that's part of it. The other is just natural development and being a sophomore, he has time to get there. It would help if he would grow, too, b/c he probably projects to a combo forward that provides most value closer to the rim. He's long and athletic, so he could be that at the same height he is now, but just talking optimally.
Connor Vanover (2018) 7'2 Combo F: I might've been unpopular in my stance in the recent past, but maybe some more folks saw this weekend what I've been saying about Vanover for some time. Yes, still very young, with a lot of time. But, his abnormal height at his age really, really limits him agility and mobility-wise, especially as he continues to play against better competition. That comp just got past him and outpowered him all weekend. I've made it clear that I agree with the staff in giving him an offer, as long as it's conditional, which I assume it is. He flashed that great shooting ability and great effort when he could; appears to be a great kid, so I'm really pulling for him. I just hope he's able to play at the level he wants going forward.
Khalil Garland (2017) 6'4 Wing: I had only seen Garland once in the state championship game, so I was really stoked to see him in person several games....and he left me frustrated that he committed to Memphis recently. I really like him. Interestingly, he and Hall are really similar. Both get most off of their drive and slash game, are very athletic, same size, etc. Garland is better right now, though, and I like Garland's ceiling maybe better than Hall's, too. He doesn't shoot it outside, and that's going to be the main criticism from scouts, but he's a knockdown free throw shooter with great form, so there's easy potential there. Smart player. Aggressive off the bounce. Really good showing. Dammit.
Exavian Christon (2017) 6'4 Wing: Christon is improving rapidly, and you could also argue that he might be the better prospect when compared to Hall. Again, similar players, although Christon is a little more raw athlete than the other two. Still, he's productive, as evidenced by being named MVP of the championship game against Team Penny, which is stout, stout competition. He just knows how to find the ball and create value, and mostly uses his bounce and explosiveness to do it. Great feel, too, which is interesting considering that he's lacking polish on his ball skills and shooting. But, as I said, the ball skill and shooting skill is developing rapidly. He's light, too, but not at an alarming level. One to watch here.
Javon Franklin (2017) 6'5-6'6 Combo F: I've been feeling this way since August, and the stance has firmed through this weekend - the kid will earn some mid-to-high major offers this summer. He just needed exposure, and he will get that now playing for Team Penny. Now, the team is loaded, and he's running with the second unit, but he was productive and spectacular all weekend. He's Qualls at the same stage. Pretty simple. Really like him.
Arkansas Wing guards: Casey Benton (2017), Czar Perry (2017), Tevin Brewer (2017), Avery Benson (2017). These are all kids that will play college ball. All are at least low major IMO. Brewer is tiny and that may result in him landing in D2, but impacts the game largely at this level with his ability to create off the dribble and guard on the ball.
Desi Sills (2018) 6'1-6'2 Combo G: Desi has gotten some pub, but it was my first time to see him. He's a blur, great with the ball and relentless. Would've liked to see more jumpers knocked down, but when he did shoot, he was pretty effective. He's on offer watch for me.
Caleb Stokes (2018) 6'6-6'7 Post: Love Caleb's skill. He's light on his feet and he's got a nice offensive skill set, but he's still figuring out how to best use what he has, which includes a wide but under-developed body. I saw that Sir Dennis mentioned Trey Thompson, but Caleb has a longer way to go than Trey did body-wise. The good news is that Caleb is not shy offensively. He lost focus at times and probably jacked up jumpers too much, but overall, a nice looking player. If he hits the weight room and keeps working, he'll be a D1 player.
16U Arkansas Hawks 6'4 guard: Don't have a name here, but he's a player. Super skinny right now, but is a knockdown shooter and good defensively. D1 prospect for sure.
First, I'll say this - I think Justice Hill was the best prospect I saw. I didn't get to see Chandler Lawson, the youngest Lawson brother out of Memphis, and who some have said could be top 5 talent when it's all said and done. Also, you had Top 30 prospects like PJ Washington (2017), TJ Moss (2018) and Reggie Perry (2018). So, saying Hill is the best is a large statement. More on him later.
The tourney continues to take a slow slide down in talent, unfortunately. And, the main reason I bring that up is because if you watched the games this morning versus Friday night or Saturday, you saw players look quite differently due to the competition being vastly different. The pool play was a joke for teams like the 17U Wings and Team Penny and the 16U Hawks. It didn't get high quality until semifinal bracket action, which happened today. So, keep that in mind when some of you read my takes below.
Hog Commitments:
Daniel Gafford (2017) 6'10 Post: I hadn't seen Gafford since last August, and I hoped to see physical development, but I didn't. But, I did see slight progression in his game. He didn't get to showcase it as much I wanted to see, but he showed some nice footwork and moves off of the post-up at times. He didn't finish as easily as I would've liked due to lack of strength and developing feel. He was very good all weekend rebounding the ball, especially offensively, and blocking shots. Even though I've seen him a few times in the past 12 months, his length is still surprising. Another important mention is that his free throw shooting form is good, so there's nice potential to shoot the ball well down the line, too. I might've seen him take one jump shot all weekend, though. In the end, I was disappointed in his physical development, and he needs to get serious about that to be an impact player his first year in college. But, I also remained very happy with the ceiling he has. Don't be surprised to see him slip down the rankings some due to not progressing maybe as much as scouts want to see this spring/summer.
Darious Hall (2017) 6'4 Wing: I've mentioned how disappointed I was in him choosing to play for the Memphis Magic Elite versus another higher level organization, and my disappointment was realized this weekend. Just bad basketball, and Hall's play fell under that umbrella today against competition with a heartbeat. He was absolutely dominated by the Team Penny players this morning. Some of that was b/c he was trying to do too much due to his team being terrible and some of that was just on him. Hall showed, at times, the things that earned him an offer, but I left underwhelmed with the three times I watched him this weekend. Ceiling is high, as I've mentioned before, but he also needs a lot of polish. He didn't really show me anything that hasn't been said on here, so I'll just leave it at that for now.
Justice Hill (2019) 5'11 PG: Lawd, Have Mercy. Think of everything you can that you want in your optimal PG, and besides height (although he makes up for it with elite athleticism), Hill has it. I was in awe all weekend. All I could do was just shake my head. I watched him with the 15U Hawks team and then with the 16U later that night, and told myself, why are we even fiddling with this 15U business; he needs to play up. Thankfully, he did, and he was key to that team earning the championship. The "coach's son feel for the game" screams at you when you watch, and he combines that with a high, high skill level and like I said, elite athleticism. This kid is in Monk's neighborhood. His height may be the only thing that keeps him out of that ranking range, ultimately, but he will be every bit as valuable on the college level. No brainer talent.
Hog or Arkansas Related:
Reggie Perry (2018) 6'7-6'8 Combo F: Perry, as mentioned on here before, is a kid originally from Little Rock, but moved to Tallahassee three years ago. I've seen him 2-3 other times, and he keeps on improving. If anyone has watched Dedric Lawson (Memphis) play, that's Reggie. Almost exact game, except for Perry being less trigger happy. Needs work on his jumper but the form and ability is there; should also tighten up the handle to realize his full potential. Other than that, he's a clear top 50 profile. After PJ Henderson and Hill, I liked Perry the next most of all the players I saw. Fitz has said that Justice will be trying to put together a national championship class. Perry should be at or near the top of the list.
Ethan Henderson (2018) 6'6 Combo F: After seeing Ethan back in August and in the state championship game, I was happy to see him be more aggressive. Ethan is ranked #11 by one service, and as I said back when Trey Thompson was ranked #22 by the same service, don't believe that right now. The service that does composite rankings has him at #69, and that's more accurate. Ethan still needs to come a long way skill-wise. His offensive ability stops at easy buckets off of passes or rebounds right now. Unlike Gafford and Perry, his jump shot form is not fundamentally sound, so that's part of it. The other is just natural development and being a sophomore, he has time to get there. It would help if he would grow, too, b/c he probably projects to a combo forward that provides most value closer to the rim. He's long and athletic, so he could be that at the same height he is now, but just talking optimally.
Connor Vanover (2018) 7'2 Combo F: I might've been unpopular in my stance in the recent past, but maybe some more folks saw this weekend what I've been saying about Vanover for some time. Yes, still very young, with a lot of time. But, his abnormal height at his age really, really limits him agility and mobility-wise, especially as he continues to play against better competition. That comp just got past him and outpowered him all weekend. I've made it clear that I agree with the staff in giving him an offer, as long as it's conditional, which I assume it is. He flashed that great shooting ability and great effort when he could; appears to be a great kid, so I'm really pulling for him. I just hope he's able to play at the level he wants going forward.
Khalil Garland (2017) 6'4 Wing: I had only seen Garland once in the state championship game, so I was really stoked to see him in person several games....and he left me frustrated that he committed to Memphis recently. I really like him. Interestingly, he and Hall are really similar. Both get most off of their drive and slash game, are very athletic, same size, etc. Garland is better right now, though, and I like Garland's ceiling maybe better than Hall's, too. He doesn't shoot it outside, and that's going to be the main criticism from scouts, but he's a knockdown free throw shooter with great form, so there's easy potential there. Smart player. Aggressive off the bounce. Really good showing. Dammit.
Exavian Christon (2017) 6'4 Wing: Christon is improving rapidly, and you could also argue that he might be the better prospect when compared to Hall. Again, similar players, although Christon is a little more raw athlete than the other two. Still, he's productive, as evidenced by being named MVP of the championship game against Team Penny, which is stout, stout competition. He just knows how to find the ball and create value, and mostly uses his bounce and explosiveness to do it. Great feel, too, which is interesting considering that he's lacking polish on his ball skills and shooting. But, as I said, the ball skill and shooting skill is developing rapidly. He's light, too, but not at an alarming level. One to watch here.
Javon Franklin (2017) 6'5-6'6 Combo F: I've been feeling this way since August, and the stance has firmed through this weekend - the kid will earn some mid-to-high major offers this summer. He just needed exposure, and he will get that now playing for Team Penny. Now, the team is loaded, and he's running with the second unit, but he was productive and spectacular all weekend. He's Qualls at the same stage. Pretty simple. Really like him.
Arkansas Wing guards: Casey Benton (2017), Czar Perry (2017), Tevin Brewer (2017), Avery Benson (2017). These are all kids that will play college ball. All are at least low major IMO. Brewer is tiny and that may result in him landing in D2, but impacts the game largely at this level with his ability to create off the dribble and guard on the ball.
Desi Sills (2018) 6'1-6'2 Combo G: Desi has gotten some pub, but it was my first time to see him. He's a blur, great with the ball and relentless. Would've liked to see more jumpers knocked down, but when he did shoot, he was pretty effective. He's on offer watch for me.
Caleb Stokes (2018) 6'6-6'7 Post: Love Caleb's skill. He's light on his feet and he's got a nice offensive skill set, but he's still figuring out how to best use what he has, which includes a wide but under-developed body. I saw that Sir Dennis mentioned Trey Thompson, but Caleb has a longer way to go than Trey did body-wise. The good news is that Caleb is not shy offensively. He lost focus at times and probably jacked up jumpers too much, but overall, a nice looking player. If he hits the weight room and keeps working, he'll be a D1 player.
16U Arkansas Hawks 6'4 guard: Don't have a name here, but he's a player. Super skinny right now, but is a knockdown shooter and good defensively. D1 prospect for sure.
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