John Wall Holiday Invitational: Opening Day Standouts
When it comes to high school holiday basketball tradition, one has to put the 47th Holiday Day Invitational (sponsored by John Wall Foundation) on the list. Played at historic Broughton High School, the John Wall is a must see. It brings a wealth of talent and teams to the Raleigh area each and every year, not to mention one of the best atmospheres in the country. Now, let’s take a closer look at the standouts on opening day.
6’9 2019 Patrick Williams (West Charlotte)
Patrick Williams has been in the conversation as one of the top players in the state for his class for quite some time, not to mention a top 40 national ranking. The 6’9 “point forward” is young for his grade and has an unbelievable quantity of athleticism, skill, length and athleticism. We’re talking about one of the elite level players in the country that is still only scratching his long term potential and upside. For Patrick Williams, humbleness continues to be one of his strongest attributes; in addition to being one of the more “team oriental” players. Consistency has been his calling card and once again, Williams was both efficient and effective on both ends of the court. Williams finished with a team high 16 points going 6-10 from the floor, 1-3 from the 3-point linen a perfect 3-3 from the free throw line. In addition, Williams collected six rebounds, had four steals, blocked two shots and dished out one assist.
6’2 2022 Jaden Bradley (Cannon)
It’s hard to fathom Jaden Bradley is just a freshman. Standing a strong and sturdy 6’2, Bradley has a very mature approach to the game. While Cannon fell short to a very tall and athletic Virginia Episcopal team, the young point guard proved why he is in the conversation as one of the nation’s best. We’re talking about a point guard that plays with tremendous poise, controls tempo and simply knows how to run a team effectively and is an excellent decision maker. In the game vs. VES, Bradley finished with a game high 19 points going 6-18 from the floor and 5-6 from the free throw line. In addition, Bradley had four steals, three assists and three rebounds to round out a solid all around game.
6’2 2019 Shykeim Phillips (South Central)
It was just an old blue-collar effort tonight from 6’2 unsigned senior Shykeim Phillips. We’re talking about a strong, versatile and athletic guard that simply does little bit of everything. He defends his position, rebounds, and makes all the right plays. Phillips will give you effort and energy and is a big time competitor and he did just that in the win over a very scrappy and athletic Athens Drive team. For the game, Phillips finished with a game high 20 points going an efficient 7-10 from the floor and 6-8 from the free throw line. In addition, Phillips collected six rebounds, dished out two assists and had two steals.
6’10 2019 Day’ron Sharpe (South Central)
Day’ron Sharpe has size, skill and an unlimited upside. First of all, Sharpe has extremely “soft” passer friendly hands, not to mention nifty footwork in the post. We were impressed with his vocal leadership. He talked on defense and offered encouraging words to teammates. More importantly, Sharpe is a strong two-handed rebounder with terrific natural instincts around the rim. In the game vs. Athens Drive, Sharpe finished with a double double (16 points and 11 rebounds)
6’10 2020 Isaiah Todd (Raleigh Trinity)
We’re talking about a multi-talented guard that just happens to be 6’10. Todd has good ball handling skills in the open court, not to mention outstanding court vision. He is truly one of the more gifted players in the country in this class. You don’t just find players with his size that possesses the skill set, mobility, and body control. In the loss to Leesville Road, Todd finished with a double double of 27 points and 18 rebounds, not to mention he dished out three assists and even had two assists. That being said and this bears repeating, Isaiah Todd is still only scratching the surface on his long range potential and upside.
6’3 2021 Carter Whitt (Leesville Road)
Simply put, Carter Whitt has the “it factor.” We’re talking about a highly cerebral point guard that an advanced understanding of the game. He’s best with the ball in his hands and has the ability to make “reads” with nifty/crafty no look passes. More importantly, Whitt impacts the game on both ends of the court. While he is terrific on offense whether it is scoring or creating scoring opportunities for his teammates, Whitt isn’t bashful about grabbing rebounds and stepping into passing lanes for steals and deflections. His basketball instincts are advanced and showcased why schools like Virginia has already offered. In the win vs. Raleigh Trinity, Whitt scored 21 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out seven assists and even had five steals.
Be sure to check out the John Wall Holiday Invitational: Day 2 Standouts Part 1 https://www.phenomhoopreport.com/2018/12/27/john-wall-holiday-invitational-day-2-standouts-part-1/
Be sure to check out the John Wall Holiday Invitational: Day 2 Standouts Part 2: https://www.phenomhoopreport.com/2018/12/27/john-wall-holiday-classic-day-2-standouts-part-2/