Team 3
Coach: Dre Simmons
#4:5’0 ’24 Xavian James (Maryville, TN)
Starting things off, we look at a player that already possesses an advanced skillset and overall feel for the game, Xavian James. He’s a smart, young, undersized point guard with great instincts and the ability to dictate the offensive action. Next in his development process is simply working to add strength in order to prepare for the physicality of the high school game. Coach Simmons on James: “Xavian has very good court vision. He’s a pass-first point guard that can pull-up in transition on the drive. He’s very hard for opponents to stop off the dribble. Xavian showed dominance throughout the day and was virtually unstoppable with the ball in his hands. He has a very high basketball IQ for his age. I saw him take a smaller guard down low and post up! I didn’t see any glaring weaknesses, but he probably needs to get physically stronger…other than that, he’s a pure stud at the point guard position.” James had a phenomenal showing at camp while highlighting his ability to seamlessly run a team.
#8:5’3 ’24 Daniel Coronell (Fletcher, NC)
Next, we look at a player that did an impressive job of playing hard and outworking his assignment, Daniel Coronell. He’s a wiry guard prospect with an unselfish approach and solid two-way feel for the game. Coronell is a pretty strong rebounder for his size/position and pushes transition play at every opportunity. He is a decently well-rounded offensive threat, but penetrating and finishing appeared to be his most reliable scoring avenue. Next in his development process is working on the release timing of his shot, as a quicker release could help his consistency against defensive pressure. Coach Simmons on Coronell: “Daniel finishes well in traffic and is also a very reliable finisher in transition. He’s a great teammate that supports his team and is always encouraging to others. He’s very tough to defend whenever he puts his head down and drives to the basket.” Coronell should continue getting better with additional strength, so it’ll be interesting to see how he progresses going forward.
#13:5’5 ’23 Joshua Zoellner (Franklin, NC)
Moving onto a player that understands how to properly make his presence felt on both sides of the ball, Joshua Zoellner. He’s a wiry guard prospect with a team-first approach to go with his quality feel for the game. Zoellner is an efficient scorer that doesn’t require the ball to make an impact, given his ability to stretch the floor and make plays defensively. Next in his development process is working to become quicker, as it will make him an even better defender at the point of attack. Coach Simmons on Zoellner: “Joshua has a very solid midrange game and can extend opponents out to the three-point line. He has a nice-looking jumper! He does a great job of getting balance and squaring up. Joshua is a great communicator on defense and a very involved teammate. He was very coachable and was a “yes sir, no sir” type of guy!” Zoellner did a great job of impacting the game on both ends of the floor and should be able to steadily develop over these next few years, especially if he continues to work.
#16:5’5 ’24 Will Googins (Mooresville, NC)
Continuing onto a player that showed flashes of dominance with his combination of nonstop motor and scoring ability, Will Googins. He’s a long, smart point guard prospect that offers a terrific balance between scoring and playmaking. Googins is a nice athlete that can get wherever he wants on the floor and has the necessary talent to single-handedly carry an offense. Next in his development process is working on getting lower on defense, as it will help him contain his on-ball assignment with less resistance. Coach Simmons on Googins: “Will is a team-first point guard! He had at least half a dozen assists in our first game. He can beat opponents off the dribble or pull-up from three-point range. This kid has a lot in his arsenal. Whatever “it” is, he has it! Will is a floor general that can score whenever he chooses. He makes solid decisions and never seems to be in a rush. He hustles hard every play and doesn’t take plays off. Will kept getting better throughout the day.” Googins was among the most impressive performers on display, especially for the middle-school group, and should be monitored closely going forward.
#20:5’6 ’24 Asher Brown (Brasstown, NC)
Next, we look at a player that has the chance to become unbelievably productive in the near future, Asher Brown. He’s a strong, fairly intelligent guard prospect with excellent quickness and the ability to enter the paint whenever he desires. Brown scored the ball efficiently from all levels, but was unstoppable when attacking the basket. Next in his development process sis working on his consistency when shooting off the dribble, as it would make him a more complete offensive threat. Coach Simmons on Brown: “Wow! Asher is a very dominant player when he realized that no one could stop him from getting to the rack. He had a field day. Asher has great upper body strength for a guard and overpowers the competition. He has great footwork around the hoop. He has a very quick first step. Asher’s style reminds me of a mix between James Harden and Justice Winslow. Obviously, there’s still a lot of work ahead but his potential is certainly there. He’s very hard to stop! Good luck, Asher is a baller for real.” Brown continually got better as the day carried on and ultimately enjoyed an extremely impressive showing at camp.
#25:5’8 ’23 Cayden Mobley (Asheville, NC)
Moving onto a player that stood out with his well-rounded skillset and incredibly balanced two-way approach to the game, Cayden Mobley. He’s a strong-bodied wing/forward prospect that has the ability to operate with or without the ball and inside or outside the arc. Mobley possesses a nice feel for the game and welcomes physical play on both sides of the ball. Next in his development process is working to polish his footwork, as it would allow him to go down low more often and take advantage of smaller opponents. Coach Simmons on Mobley: “Cayden is a very physical presence for a middle school kid. He showed great court vision and passing ability. He was good at leading teammates to open shots. He can score at will, but I loved his passing skills. At one point, he had four assists on four consecutive possessions! Cayden is a great communicator on defense and always looking out for teammates. He’s very coachable as well. Cayden is a great slasher with tremendous upside.” Mobley is just beginning to scratch the surface of his long-term abilities, so it’ll be interesting to see how he progresses going forward.
#31:5’9 ’23 Joltin Harrison (Kingsport, TN)
Continuing onto a player that did a terrific job of involving himself on both sides of the ball without forcing the action, Joltin Harrison. He’s a long, wiry wing/forward prospect with the ability to stretch the floor on offense while outworking his assignment on defense. Harrison can operate inside or outside the arc, but his ability to finish was likely his most efficient scoring avenue. Next in his development process is working to add strength to his wiry frame, as it will allow him to play more physical on both sides of the ball. Coach Simmons on Harrison: “Joltin is a very good rebounder that protects the ball very well. He’s a decent midrange shooter and may even pull-up from beyond the arc. He’s a bruiser down low. He cleaned up on the glass all day. Joltin is good when working with his back to the basket and can finish in traffic.” Harrison had a conservative showing at camp but highlighted a useful array of skills and should be able to steadily develop over these next few years.
#35:5’10 ’24 Nolan Hutson (Bristol, TN)
Next, we look at a player that stood out with his unselfish, blue-collar approach to the game, Nolan Hutson. He’s a strong-bodied forward prospect with an incredible motor and solid amount of two-way versatility. Hutson was arguably the leading rebounder on this team and was willing to make hustle plays whenever possible. Next in his development process is continuing to work on his consistency from beyond the arc, as it would make him an even tougher assignment for the opposition to contain. Coach Simmons on Hutson: “Nolan cleaned up on the glass today. He is physical and doesn’t back down from any challenge. He showed some fire to his game and impressed me with his old-school style of play. He never seems to be in a hurry but is deceptively quick. He did a bunch of things down low on offense, but my favorite thing about him was his will to get the ball. Nolan did a great job!” Huston enjoyed a quality showing at camp and highlighted a lot of tools on both ends of the floor, so we’ll be monitoring his progression going forward.
#44:5’11 ’23 Alex Gruber (Mooresville, NC)
Moving onto a player that noticeably affected all facets of the game from start to finish, Alex Gruber. He’s a smart, high-motor guard/wing prospect that can score from all levels or get to the rim whenever he desires. Gruber handles the ball well and understands how to involve his teammates. His unbelievable amount of energy allows him to consistently work as one of the best defenders and rebounders on the floor. Next in his development process is working to establish some post moves, as it would allow him to exploit even more mismatches on offense. Coach Simmons on Gruber: “Alex is a lengthy guard that can penetrate the defense with ease. He can post up smaller guards at will. He has a very strong midrange game. Alex has a certain swag that just screams confidence but not cockiness. His spin move is amazingly quick. He showed the ability to finish through contact. He has great court vision and made quite a few on-time assists also. He’s a great lead passer in transition and proved to be a very dangerous player that can hurt opponents in several ways.” Gruber was one of the most productive performers on display and already looks prepared to be a productive contributor on a high school roster.
#54:6’0 ’23 Jackson Ramey (Wise, VA)
Finishing up, we look at a player that did an excellent job of controlling the interior on both ends of the floor, Jackson Ramey. He’s a long, wiry post prospect with an unselfish, team-first approach to the game. Ramey has a quality feel for his skillset and knows how to apply pressure at all times, especially as a two-way rebounder. He secured an abundance of second-chance opportunities and ran the floor well in transition. Next in his development process is working to become a craftier ball-handler, as it would make him a bigger mismatch for the opposition. Coach Simmons on Ramey: “Jackson has a very nice post game. He plays with great control. I love the fact of how vocal he was and just seems to be a natural born leader. He plays with a high motor and doesn’t take plays off. It’s rare to see a guy that truly enjoys defense, but Jackson is one of them. He created a ton of turnovers for easy transition buckets.” Ramey was quite productive at camp, but still looks likely to continue improving, so it’ll be exciting to see his growth going forward.