Although there has been a ton of excitement swirling throughout the last few months, July is finally coming to an end. Between the NCHSAA/NCISAA events in June and the consecutive live periods across July, all levels of coaches have been traveling, evaluating, and establishing relationships with these prospects. Excluding the lone period in July, we will take a closer look at a slew of players who are worthy of recognition for superlatives. Since these come from one individual, it should go without saying that the opinions are only based on personal viewings (I cannot include players/performances that I haven't seen). Let's get into it…
Best Passer:
6'7 '22 Davis Molnar
5'10 '25 Q Williams
6'1 '23 Bradin Minton
There are a ton of quality passer throughout the Carolinas, but Molnar continues to make his case as one of the absolute best. Perhaps his size and overall versatility is what makes the 6-foot-7 point forward's playmaking sense so incredibly impressive. Molnar sees the entire floor at all times, with the necessary IQ and instincts to locate the best possible shot on every possession. He appears so comfortable operating as a lead creator. That being said, the eighth-grade Williams is already extremely close to claiming the top spot. Additionally, Minton consistently shined when running the show for his group.
Most Athletic:
6'2 '22 Xavier McKelvy
6'2 '22 Umar Lawson
6'7 '22 Treyvon Byrd
Classifying one of these guys as more athletic than the other two is basically impossible. All three of McKelvy, Lawson, and Byrd are in contention for the most explosive player to attend our events. Byrd is probably the most powerful leaper of the group, Lawson possesses the best combination of strength and leaping ability, and McKelvy is arguably the most well-rounded athlete of them all. Regardless, opponents are well-aware to refrain from meeting this trio at the rim.
Best Shooter:
6'7 '23 Austin Ball
6'3 '22 Joel Baucom
6'0 '22 Cole Sinclair
HM: 6'3 '23 Brandon Nelson, 6'3 '23 Cole Callaway, 6'2 '24 Austin Swartz, 6'2 '22 Tristin Harkins, 6’0 ’22 Jackson Hartzell
This was easily the most difficult category to distinguish, as the margins to differentiate between countless high-level shooters feels almost impossible. We managed to come up with three and capped the honorable mentions at five, even without naming possibly the best shooter in the state (Donovan Atwell). Either way, one simply cannot go wrong with any of these guys. Ball gets the nod for being the most difficult matchup problem of the group, as he can legitimately cross half-court and stripe jumpers with efficiency from anywhere.
Most Consistent:
6'8 '23 Greg Jackson
6'5 '22 Dawson McAlhany
5'11 '23 Trey Green
Another brutal category, because dozens upon dozens of players have maintained strong consistency throughout the summer. However, Jackson continues to shine extremely bright as the leader on a team of numerous noteworthy names. His production and upside should motivate every school in the country to pursue the Ridge View product. The consistency is only part of the justification for his national-level status. McAlhany and Green haven't wavered as clear catalysts for their respective groups.
