Team 9
Coach: Brian Allen
#12: 5’8 ’22 Messiah Robinson (Statesville)
Starting things off, we look at a player that made a pretty strong impact with his motor and two-way presence, Messiah Robinson. He’s a strong-bodied guard prospect that plays bigger than his size would imply on both ends of the floor. Robinson is an excellent penetrator with a nice handle and the ability to create for others while defending and rebounding at a reliable rate. Next in his development process is working to tighten his shooting mechanics, as it would likely make him an even better three-point shooter. Coach Allen on Robinson: “Messiah has the impression of a .22 caliber, once he penetrates the body of a defense, he breaks down everything inside of it. Messiah plays low-centered defense. Even at the height he is, it doesn’t defy his heart and confidence. He is guaranteed to handcuff his defensive assignment. He grinds to the teeth on both sides of the court. I know he is going to be an impact player at the next level.” Robinson enjoyed a phenomenal showing at camp and could be poised for a breakout season at Statesville.
#23: 5’10 ’20 Fredrick Savage (Westwood)
Next, we look at a player that showcased a fairly well-rounded skillset throughout camp, Fredrick Savage. He’s a smart, poised, very quick lead guard prospect that does a strong amount of everything, from scoring to defending to creating for himself and others. Savage is able to assert himself as an effective scorer from all three levels while operating as a quality teammate and decision-maker from either guard position. Next in his development process is working to become a more productive rebounder, as it would allow him to push the break in transition with relative ease. Coach Allen on Savage: “Fred is a silent assassin. He calmly breaks down the opponent mentally before firing a shot while the defense is still in back-pedal mode. He’s explosive in transition at pushing the break. Fred attacks the ball like a magnet. He is definitely going to make an impact at the next level as he continues to get stronger. Watch his pull-up ability, it’s game-changing.” Savage was quite productive during camp and should be able to carry that into his upcoming senior season.
#47: 6’0 ’20 Cameron Smith (West Florence)
Moving onto a player that showed a willingness to consistently make the hustle plays on both ends of the floor, Cameron Smith. He’s a strong-bodied wing prospect with a nice motor and the ability to move quite well without the ball. Smith proved to be a quality glue-guy through his rebounding and solid offensive skillset. Next in his development process is working to become a craftier ball-handler, as it would make him a more lethal offensive threat. Coach Allen on Smith: “Cameron leaves a strong impression on opponents with his hustling mentality on the court. He has no fear in letting it fly when it comes to releasing a shot. Cameron was able to demonstrate adapting to the change of flow in the pace of the game while taking advantage of his opponent.” Smith worked very well within the team concept and showed some excellent flashes throughout camp, which should allow him to become a useful contributor during his upcoming senior campaign.
#55: 6’0 ’21 Will Rhodes (East Forsyth)
Continuing onto a player that offered his team a fairly reliable blend between scoring and playmaking, Will Rhodes. He’s a quick, wiry point guard prospect with effective three-level scoring ability that looks to get downhill and attack the basket whenever possible. Rhodes gets in the paint often, where he sees the floor well and regularly makes plays for others while making the most of his finishing attempts. Next in his development process is working on his ability to move without the ball, as it would allow him to work alongside another ball-handler and become a better spot-up threat. Coach Allen on Rhodes: “Will demonstrated the ability to slice between the lane when receiving the ball from the wing. He moves like players are frozen in time. He has a bag of magical tricks within his ball-handling skills. His size doesn’t represent what he plays, because what he lacks in height, he makes up for in toughness and grit.” Rhodes proved to be a great two-way piece during camp and should emerge as one of the primary contributors this season for East Forsyth.
#76: 6’2 ’22 Kyle Hanchard (Charlotte Catholic)
Next, we look at a player that showcased numerous quality flashes on offense during camp, Kyle Hanchard. He’s a long, skilled guard prospect with strong ball-handling and playmaking tendencies. Hanchard is a great penetrator that showed the ability to finish through contact while also making the smart pass whenever available. Next in his development process is working to assert himself on the defensive side of the ball, as he has all the tools to be an impactful player on both ends of the floor. Coach Allen on Hanchard: “Kyle is a very gifted young man that possesses tremendous upside to his game. He has nice size for a point guard. He has blade-sharp passing ability at this stage in his game. As he learns to develop defensively and follow instruction of his coach, he will begin to blossom into a high-level threat at the next level. With maturity and development, he is going to be a diamond.” Hanchard proved to be a very intriguing prospect with impressive skills and plenty of potential, so it’ll be interesting to see his progression going forward.
#86: 6’3 ’20 Reese Gaskins (Ocracoke School)
Moving onto a player that highlighted an extremely useful and productive offensive skillset, Reese Gaskins. He’s a long, wiry wing/forward prospect with a nice two-way feel for the game and the ability to make his presence felt with or without the ball in his hands. Gaskins shoots the ball extremely well from midrange and beyond the arc, but also showed the ability to attack the basket and finish quite well. Next in his development process is working to add strength to his wiry frame, as it’ll allow him to become a more physical defender. Coach Allen on Gaskins: “Reese has a quiet swagger to his game play. He has a cannon with an infrared scope because he finds the basket on a high percentage of his shots. He moves hard without the ball and can score in bunches on two people at a time. Reese score in double figures in three games and caught fire today. He’s respectful and receives instructions well. I love his dedication to working hard.” Gaskins was one of the noteworthy breakout performers from camp and could be poised for a big-time senior season at Ocracoke.
#104: 6’5 ’21 Kevin McArdle (Charlotte Catholic)
Continuing onto a player that showed a willingness to do whatever possible to give his team an edge, Kevin McArdle. He’s a long, wiry forward prospect that displays a high motor and pretty useful feel for the game. McArdle is a reliable complementary piece that is capable of expanding his role based on his team’s needs. He did a little bit of everything and led by example on both ends of the floor. Next in his development process is working to become quicker, as it would make him an even better penetrator. Coach Allen on McArdle: “Kevin might play a silent game, but when you go back and review film you will see that he does the things that no one talks about. He set picks, locked down his assignment on defense, and utilized backdoor cuts to the basket. Kevin shines from behind the crowd. I love how respectful and humble of a kid he is. He impacts all statistical categories across the board.” McArdle was arguably the unsung hero of his team from camp and should emerge as a vital piece this season for Charlotte Catholic.
#111: 6’6 ’20 Michael Peters (Gaston Christian)
Finishing up, we look at a player that made an impression as one of most hard-working and productive two-way prospects at camp, Michael Peters. He’s a strong-bodied power forward with a phenomenal inside-out skillset and the ability to cause matchup problems on both sides of the ball. Peters plays hard, smart, utilizes his body well for rebounds, and approaches every possession with a team-first mentality. Next in his development process is working to become quicker, as it would make him an even tougher assignment for bigger opponents to contain. Coach Allen on Peters: “Michael earned MVP honors twice. He has a Larry Bird style of play. He caught the nets on fire. Michael can go right or left and pull-up from deep range. He comes off the court like he came out of a pool from how hard he works. Michael moves well without the ball, has strong court vision, and will bang on the boards. I look forward to following him in the future.” Peters scored, rebounded, defended, and did all the little things to stand out as a leader, which should ultimately make him a strong contributor throughout the upcoming season at Gaston Christian.