Just a few weeks while roaming the courts at one of our events, we sat down to watch the Sandhills Machine 2024 team and after watching for some time, we quickly realized that this is a program that should be earning more attention with the talent they have. So let's dive into a few names that we saw that could be players for college programs to check out.
First off, we take a look at 2024 6'4 Jaylen Sturdivant. He was quite impressive throughout the event and backed it up recently at the Battle for North Carolina. Sturdivant checks off some early boxes, especially with his size. And when watching his game, he can help to be a secondary ballhandler on the court, he creates well off the dribble and can finish well, but also shows his ability to be a threat from outside as well, knocking down multiple threes. With his ability to knock down shots, use his size on the boards, help in being a secondary ballhandler or one that can help initiate the offense, and his ability to finish, Sturdivant is one to watch out for.
After his showing at the Phenom Challenge, we said this about Sturdivant's game: 'At his size, his ability to initiate and run the offense is impressive, mixing it up with his ability to not only score and create for himself but also to drive and dish. After a strong performance at the event, we shall see if this only elevates his play throughout the summer and into the next season.'
Next up, we look at 2024 6'3 Jullien Cole, another young prospect to start looking at. Cole has good size and athleticism to his game and can be effective on both ends of the floor. He plays strong, creates well but also gets to his spots, and can finish well over defenders. Cole excels in getting downhill and finishing at the rim but also does a nice job in finding his teammates. This past season at Pinecrest, Cole posted solid averages in only 14 minutes of play; averaging 9.3ppg, 4.0rpg, 1.0apg, and 1.6spg.
Finally, we look at 2024 6'6 Jeremiah Melvin from Cape Fear HS. He has a ton of potential to his game with length, athleticism, strength, and motor. He impacts the floor in a variety of ways, showing his ability to score from multiple levels but also attacking the boards, and finishing strong at the rim. What intrigued us was his ability to operate down low but also step out and run the floor. He had a strong high school season, averaging 10.2ppg, 8.0rpg, and 2.3bpg.
These are just three players that should gain more attraction this season, should be ones to watch this upcoming high school season and should start getting on the radar for college coaches.
