We spent Thursday at the Peach State Summer Showcase and saw a number of talented players from the Southeast. The guards stood out while some big men played their way onto the Phenom Hoop Report radar.
Player: 6’0 2014 PG/SG Jarvis Calhoun
City: Trussville, Alabama
High School: Hewitt
AAU Team: Birmingham Ice 17U
Evaluation: The southpaw has a flair and moxy to his game that breaths confidence. His lethal pull up jumper has made him one of the top recruiting targets in the state of Alabama. While he has the ability to run the PG position, it is ability to score that is his greatest attribute. Calhoun has the ability to create his own shot and is more comfortable shooting off the dribble. He has a quick release. In addition, he is crafty with his “crow hop” move into the lane and finishes well in traffic. Calhoun finished with 26 points including five 3 pointers. He listed UAB, Murray State, Tennessee Tech and Georgia as his favorites right now.
Player: 6’2 2013 PG/SG Josh Newkirk
City: Raleigh, North Carolina
High School: Word of God
AAU Team: D One Sports 17U
Evaluation: Much as already been written about Newkirk’s end to end speed. He is masterful and skilled at attacking the rim and scores the majority of his points in transition. The long armed combo guard has the size and athleticism to be an effective “off guard” at the next level. He finished with a game high 33 points.
Player: 5’11 2013 PG Jeffrey Hodge
City: Birmingham, Alabama
High School: Center Point
AAU Team: Birmingham Ice 17U
Evaluation: It was another solid/stellar performance for Hodge. He finished with 22 points in the game against D One Sports. Hodge has a balanced approach to the game by mixing in a steady diet of perimeter jumpers and crafty moves to the basket. He has been a model of consistency in all his games at Peach State and should be a target for lower tier D1 schools.
Player: 6’4 2013 SG Jamel Jones
City: Rock Hill, South Carolina
High School: Rock Hill
AAU Team: Upward Stars 17U
Evaluation: Jones is one of those “glue” guys every team needs. He is a player that seems to make the right play and play within his skill and limits. He has good size for a WG for a lower tier D1 school and has the ability to knock down open jumpers. He runs the floor in transition and is a willing defensive rebounder who is instantly looking up court to an open teammate. He plays extremely hard specially on the defensive end of the court. Schools in the lower tier D1 should continue to monitor his progress.
Player: 6’6 2014 SG Adonis Henriquez
City: Orlando, Florida
High School: Orlando Christian
AAU Team: Florida Elite 17U
Evaluation: Henriquez is a highly poised and confident young SG that simply understands the game. He has excellent size and skill. While touted as a SG, we were impressed with his self-control, ball handling skills and open court vision. He is a willing passer and is impressive in the pick and roll situation. Henriquez has a nice looking stroke from the perimeter, but he is more interested in created opportunities for teammates as he is creating his own shot. Offensively, he is patience and picks his spots but after one viewing of him; one can easily understand the HM potential he has. He has a flair to his game especially in his passes. Apparently, sports offers from Miami and many schools in the SEC. He is definitely a promising young prospect. He finished with 10 points and probably equally number of assists.
Player: 6’10 Robert Schuyler Rimmer
City: Orlando, Florida
High School: Boone
AAU Team: Q6 All Stars 17U
Evaluation: A strong and steady post player that knows his strengths. He does an excellent job of posting up on the low block, but more importantly he is extremely talented in passing out of the low post area. Rarely do we speak about a post player having good court vision, but that is not the case with Rimmer. Another attribute for Rimmer is his ability to pass out of the low post and “reset” low post position. Sounds simple, but that is a skill these days! Rimmer has solid post moves, but his team doesn’t utilize him enough on the offensive end. Defensively, he does box out (another forgotten skill) and is a two handed rebounder. Once he secures the rebound, he rarely brings the ball down as he is looking up to make the outlet pass. He has a good touch at the FT line which is important for an active post player. He will have a strong list of suitors at the HM level.
Player: 6’6 2012 WF Javonte Douglas
City: Charlotte, North Carolina
High School: Kennedy Charter (Will attend Hill Jr. College)
AAU Team: Carolina Raptors 17U
Evaluation: We first saw Douglas at the Reebok Showdown in May and wrote about him then. He was impressive in their win over Upward Stars and was equally impressive in the game against SEBL. He is a long, athletic and bouncy WF. He is extremely quick off his feet and showcased his athleticism when he missed a layup but tipped it back in before the others were still on the floor. Douglas shot from the perimeter is solid, but feels more comfortable attacking the rim. MM/MM+ schools should definitely monitor his progress at the Hill Junior College in Texas. He finished the game with 17 points.
Player: 5’9 2012 PG Terrell Rogers
City: Charlotte, North Carolina
High School: Evelyn Mack
AAU Team: Carolina Raptors 17U
Evaluation: Lower tier D1 schools that are looking for a 2012 PG should take a look at the quick and speedy Terrell Rogers. While he has offers from Big South and Southern Conference schools, he has yet to pull the trigger on a decision. He does have good strength for his size and his quickness is a problem for opposing guards. He has a scoring mentality at times and is not afraid to “let it fly” from the 3 point line. He plays with a lot of confidence and could be a nice late addition to some D1 school.
Player: 6’8 2013 PF/C Tyrek Coger
City: Raleigh, North Carolina
High School: Upper Room Academy
AAU Team: SEBL 17U
Evaluation: It seems like the Phenom Hoop Report is the “good luck charm” to Tyrek Coger, especially since he has always had strong performances in front of us and his game against the Carolina Raptors was no exception. As one college coach stated, Coger may be a “poor man’s version of Miami’s Reggie Johnson.” When motivated, Coger has shown glimpses of his skill set and ability. He works hard in the post area and more importantly has excellent hands. He does sit low attempting to gather low post position. He is a willing passer at the high post area and is creative utilizing the rim for many of his moves around the rim. According to his AAU coach Dwight Miller, he sports offers from Ole Miss and several MM schools. He finished with a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds for his game against the Carolina Raptors.
Player: 6’6 2013 PF Shane Whitfield
City: Raleigh, North Carolina
High School: Word of God
AAU Team: SEBL 17U
Evaluation: Whitfield is a strong and active “face up” PF. One of his strongest attributes is how hard he plays the game. He is one of those “blue collar” workhorse players that will give you 100% effort 100% of the time. He has the ability to knock down the open 15 foot jumper and runs the floor well in transition. He is an active rebounder and defender and his work ethic on the court is second to none. He finished with 16 points against the Carolina Raptors. Whitfield should be a high priority for MM schools.
Player: 6’8 2013 WF Donte Reynolds
City: Raleigh, North Carolina
High School: Word of God
AAU Team: SEBL 17U
Evaluation: Reynolds is coming off an outstanding performance at the recent Reebok Challenge in Philadelphia, PA and his performance garnished an offer from the University of Memphis according to AAU Coach Dwight Miller. Reynolds is an intriguing prospect because of his size, skill and mobility. Like Whitfield, Reynolds does have the ability to consistency knock down the open 15 foot jumper, but it is ability to effectively put the ball on the floor that makes him attractive as a prospect. He excels in transition, but can also be effective in the half court situation. He is a willing passer for his size/position and doesn’t demand the ball. He is a solid team player and a must target for schools in the MM/MM+ level.