CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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CoBL’s writers were all over the area this July, watching camps and AAU tournaments throughout the three live recruiting periods to see which prospects had been working on their games to showcase their skills in front of Division I coaches.
For the Class of 2016, this was the first time many of their AAU games were getting some serious attention from Division I coaches. Quite a few took advantage of that fact to start to reel in some more offers, while other top area players who already were more known quantities still managed to show us new things out at various events. Here are 10 area rising juniors whose play impressed over the course of the last three weeks:
Tyus Battle (Gill St. Bernard’s, N.J./Team SCAN)
He might be from a little bit outside CoBL’s usual coverage area, but the New Jersey guard might be the best player in the entire Northeast region, regardless of class, and we couldn’t leave him out. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard was on fire all summer long, showing there was little he couldn’t do out on the court, and turned that into a spot on the 17U USA national team today. His perimeter shooting has become a true strength of his, and he was always good at attacking the rim and creating off the bounce. He’s a very good rebounder for his position as well, and he always brings it every time he steps on the court. He’s going to be a special one to watch for a long time, and has a good chance to wind up hearing his name called in the NBA Draft a few years from now.
Tony Carr (Roman Catholic, Pa./Team Final)
This 6-foot-2 point guard got a lot of confidence, starting his entire sophomore season at Roman Catholic between two Division I-bound seniors, and it shows in his poise and maturity on the court. Carr saved perhaps his best performance of the month for a good time, scoring 31 points in the Peach Jam 16U championship, which Team Final lost in overtime. He does a very good job of drawing contact and getting to the foul line, preventing defenders from stripping the ball away when he attacks the lane and making the right reads to his teammates as well. His offers are already in the mid-high range, and should only go up from there.
Ryan Daly (Archbishop Carroll, Pa./Jersey Shore Warriors)
This summer, Daly played like he’s going to become one of the better perimeter scorers in the area, consistently approaching or passing the 20-point mark for the Warriors in tournament after tournament. He’s got a great form and release on his jumper, taking any sliver of space and pulling the trigger from beyond the arc, but he’s starting to show an improved handle and ability to get into the lane, where he can utilize a nice floater that he’s becoming much more consistent with. After seeing spot minutes for Carroll as a sophomore, he could take a big step up in production this winter if he keeps this up.
Temple Gibbs (Seton Hall Prep, N.J./NJ Playaz)
Okay, maybe another guard who’s slightly outside the region–but considering how well he played (and hey, he’s still from Jersey), we just had to include him in here. While older brothers Ashton and Sterling played at Pitt and Seton Hall, respectively, Temple has a chance to be the best one yet. Southern Cal joined schools like Temple, Miami, Oklahoma and others in his recruitment this week, and considering the way he shoots the ball from all over the court, more are sure to pour in over the next 12 months. He’s the most complete guard of the Gibbs brothers at this point in his career, with fantastic court vision and a great basketball I.Q., and will only get better.
Devon Goodman (Germantown Academy, Pa./Team Philly)
As one of the lower-profile invites to the event, Goodman started the month off with a strong showing at the Reebok Breakout Classic. Playing against high-major guard recruits, he showed that he could run a team effectively and also knock down open shots. His play at Breakout earned him his first offer, from Penn. Playing with Team Philly for the rest of the month, Goodman showed off the rest of his offensive game; while he continued to hit 3-point shots, he also showed that he can get into the lane and finish over bigger players. His lack of ideal size will hinder his recruitment a bit, but he should have some mid-majors and high-academic schools keeping an eye on him during his junior year.
DeAndre Hunter (Friends’ Central, Pa./Philly Pride)
Watching Hunter this July, it’s tough to believe he missed his entire sophomore season due to a broken leg. What’s scary about the 6-7 wing is that his athleticism isn’t all the way back yet, and he’s already a matchup nightmare on both ends of the court due to his length, size for position and scoring ability from all three levels. He does a good job of getting into the lane for a kid his size, and though his 3-point shot wasn’t always falling this month, he has a nice release and will get that consistency back as he gets those reps that he lost during his injury year. Temple and Penn State offered during the live period, joining NC State, La Salle, Saint Joseph’s and Rhode Island; when he gets back to 100 percent, there’s no telling how high his ceiling could be.
Stevie Jordan (Conwell-Egan, Pa./Philly Pride)
Jordan’s confidence has been growing with every passing day lately, and it’s translating into some very impressive play on the court. The 5-10 guard is a lot in a little package, with a tight handle, ability to create for himself and his teammates, and he’s a solid on-ball defender who causes a lot of turnovers on that end of the court. He’s still got to become a more consistent outside shooter and show off a floater over taller defenders to start drawing in offers, but his quickness and handle at the point guard position should have low-to-mid-majors extending scholarships as he develops into more of a point as opposed to a scorer.
Sedee Keita (Vermont Academy, Vt./WE R1)
Big and bouncy, Keita is a power forward that brings to the table a lot of things that high-major schools look for in a big man. He’s 6-10 with long arms but he’s not lanky by any means, and he’s athletic and runs the floor really well. He’s still developing more consistency on the offensive end, as he’s not a top-level face-up forward or a dominant post finisher, but he’s good enough at each to be effective in the half-court set. With two years left before he finishes high school, Keita has the chance to be a top-50 player nationally by the time he makes his college decision.
Lamar Stevens (Haverford School, Pa./Team Final)
After holding a Villanova offer for the entirety of his sophomore season, Stevens added local offers this month from La Salle, Temple, and Saint Joseph’s, but also saw his recruitment expand outside of the Philly-area when Indiana, Penn State, Rhode Island, and East Carolina offered. Along with Carr, Stevens lead Team Final to the championship game of the 16U Peach Jam, using his elite combination of size and athleticism on the wing to get to the basket and finish. He already has the body of a high-major wing, and if he improves his jump shot and ability to handle the ball, he could see some of the nation’s elite programs come calling over the next year.
Moe Williams (Life Center, N.J./WE R1)
Before the live period, Williams only seemed to want to show off his athleticism and prove that he could attack the rim with the best of them. On the day that Division I coaches could contact class of 2016 recruits, The 6-5 wing heard from a number of mid-major schools. In the last two July live period weeks, where WE R1 was at the UA Finals in Atlanta and the Battle of the Borders at Life Center, Williams showed a sweet shooting touch and, although he has yet to receive his first offer, started to attract the attention of local schools in St. Joe’s and Temple. With a more consistent outside shot, Williams can see his recruitment progress and finally receive that first scholarship offer.