Friday and Saturday at Forsyth Country Day School was full of high energy and high level basketball.
Greensboro Day School –
Freddie Johnson is a fantastic coach because he can maximize his talent. This years bunch is athletic and stifles opponents on the defensive end. They did a great job locking in on Christ School’s leading scorers and turning defensive intensity into buckets in transition.
* 6’5 Wing John Newman was fantastic with his mid-range jump shot as well as finishing at the basket.
* JP Moorman is a nightmare to defend on the HS level. 6’6 & sturdy, Moorman can also put the ball on the floor and go around or thru his opponent.
* Jordan ‘Juice’ Perkins is a coaches dream. The lefty PG runs the complex half court system and allows the offense to stay on rhythm. ‘Juice is heady and changes speed and direction on his dribble to keep defenders off balance.
Christ School –
* PG Matt Halvorson shot the 3 ball at a high level on Saturday. He also did a plus job handling the constant pressure from GDS.
* 6’8 F (Tennessee Commit) John Fulkerson showed explosiveness on Friday and flashes on Saturday. He competed at a high level, but seemed flustered by initial physicality both days. He adjusted by moving without the ball and attacking immediately on the catch. College weight room will turn John into a difficult match-up, even in the SEC.
* 6’5 Marquis Godwin can SHOOT! Imagine ‘Old’ Ray Allen (old as in Miami Ray) – Godwin does not have elite athleticism or a yo~yo handle, but if and when the ball is in his shot pocket- it goes down.
Forsyth Country Day –
* 6’9 Bruno Solumon – plays the new age S4 position. He loves to roam the perimeter and gash the defense with ball screens and catch & shoot 3s. Occasionally Bruno eases toward the rim and drops jump hooks on the competition. He says that “Athleticism and speed of game…” are biggest difference between how game is played in American HS and Europe.
* Nick Evtimov – 6’7 PF plays a classic old school post. He is mainly elbows and short corner and locates angles to post up. The Freshman hits first most times and flourishes in contact. Produced a 10 pt. 10 rebound game in Freshmen debut.
* 6’1 PG Tripp Greene can shoot. The sophomore leader of the Furies is saddled with the label ‘shooter’, but he is also tough as sandpaper on defense, rebounds well for his position and he is fearless. Greene showed this as he scored 8 points is 90 seconds including the game winner in a hard fought win over Northside Christian.
Northside Christian –
* Byron Dinkins Head Coach & Joe Badgett assistant – No staff teaches team defense and toughness better than this duo. Year after year NCA sits down and talks on defense. Year after year opposing point guards dribble off their toes and toss up contested interior attempts with very little success.
* Donovan Gregory is a 6’3 wing who plays above the rim as a freshman. Gregory was instrumental in stopping opponents runs and he scored primarily on putbacks and in transition. Young fella woke the gym up on Friday with a middle drive ending in a 2 hand dunk in traffic. High ceiling.
* 6’5 wing Nate Hinton is a problem for the opposition. He makes contested shots, knocks down open 3s and gets hustle points. He also admits to working a bit harder this season on conditioning and attention to details on defense.
Providence Day School –
* 6’1 PG Devon Dotson lived up to advanced billing. The 2018 guard was ready to compete at the outset of his matchup with Oak Hills acclaimed backcourt. Dotson consistently attacked in the lane, but early on his shots were not falling and teammates were not up to task.
* 6’6 Sr. Forward Josh Howard is as consistent as can be. On Friday, Howard had difficulty with the size of the OHA front line. He adjusted and voilà – 15 points 7 rebound game. On Saturday vs. Mountain Mission he posted nearly identical numbers. Howard showed range to the 3pt line and ability to find space in the lane of dump offs and offensive rebounds.
* 6’7 Grant Williams will attend Tennessee to play college basketball. The Vols will get Grant’s “A1 Effort” every single possession. Grant is more nifty than athletic with his back to the basket. He catches drop offs and showed ability to finish with 2 hand dunks. Williams shows range out to 20 feet and his strong hands and wide shoulders allow him to rebound against bigger players.
Quality Education –
* 6’5 Bully guard, Deshawn Corprew has natural scoring instinct and nerve. Misses do not bother him and when he gets on a roll, he scores till the streak runs completely out. Corprew opened his recruitment – QEA will be a frequent stop for high major schools.
* 6’1 Jaylan McGill transferred for his Jr. season for weekends like this. The SG rattled of a string of deep 3s to spear a comeback vs. Hill Academy. McGill stays coiled to pull his quick trigger jumper on the catch
* 6’7 post Marsellis Purvis locks in on the low block and he knows how to operate when the ball is entered to him. Loved watching him demand the rock on Saturday night and being able to deliver.
Ravenscroft –
* 6’3 combo Michael Okauru showed off this weekend. He played with excellent pace and control while scoring and shooting at a high level. Okauru plays passing lanes well. He showed ability to finish over and around his opposition.
* 6’4 220LB Guard Ian Dubose reminds Phenom Hoops of Butler’s Roosevelt Jones (#21) who shares the frame of an outside LB and the ball skills of a PG. Dubose made his way from perimeter to the rim consistently then finished through defenders. He refused to settle for jump shots but did tell us that his range extends past the arc. Saturday Dubose stepped up to the challenge to defend 6’10 Sasha Killeya-Jones.
*** These are awesome young men. Best aspect they share is allowing their teammates to be part of the show and giving them the ball in scoring areas. They frequently encouraged teammates after errors and that is rare of ultra-talented players.
Thanks to all the spectators, teams and to Coach West and the FCDS family.