Player Standouts at Hoops and Dreams
Freedom Christian
6’5 ’19 Brandon Murray
The wing prospect was arguably the most consistent two-way performer for Freedom Christian, given his scrappiness on defense and ability to apply scoring pressure from all three levels. Murray is known for his shooting, but his penetrating and finishing was actually his most reliable scoring avenue for most of this contest. He was unstoppable in the third quarter, continuing to get downhill while showcasing why he has the reputation as a shooter, knocking down a trio of three-pointers in the closing minutes. Murray then continued to reign terror in the final period, even hitting the rare four-point play. He’s is an impactful defender that should continue receiving looks as a college-level prospect.
6’4 ’20 Ambaka Le Gregam
The newest face on the roster is probably also the most intriguing, given his blend of size, scoring, and high-level athleticism. He handles the ball well and possesses nice upside as a playmaker. Le Gregam poses an excellent all-around threat in transition, especially considering his ability to thrive with or without the ball. It’ll be interesting to see how he develops over the next year, as he’s already shown the makings of a quality Division I prospect.
Great Bridge Christian
7’0 ’20 Jeriah Coleman
There wasn’t a single prospect with more long-term upside than Coleman, who was also possibly the most productive player on either team. He moves his feet extremely well for a big man of his size, able to attack closeouts hard and quickly recover without sacrificing any space or timing. Coleman is a quality screener with a strong sense for diving and finishing around the basket. He also showed the ability to operate from the block and finish with either hand. Coleman’s rebounding prowess is arguably his most translatable skill right now, as he possesses exceptional length and understands how to effectively utilize it around the basket. He’s a high-major prospect that is still just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential.
6’11 ’19 Deandre Wilkins
The big man has continually elevated all facets of his game throughout the last calendar year. He’s become more athletic, both laterally and as a leaper, and now runs the floor better than ever before. Wilkins is now frequently playing above the rim while still highlighting his fundamentally-sound post game. His strength is quite imposing on the glass and as a screener, simply bullying opponents and getting wherever he wants. Wilkins has taken the next steps as a vocal leader and defender/rim-protector. Wagner captured a steal by securing the commitment of the big man.
Fayetteville Academy
6’0 ’19 John Michael Wright
The leading presence for this Fayetteville Academy team is probably Wright, who has a pretty interesting blend of smoothness and ruggedness that makes him somewhat unique. He has a quality feel for the game, able to generate offense for himself and others quite regularly with relative ease. Wright offers a strong balance between scoring and playmaking while consistently taking pride in his defensive presence. He’s a poised all-around presence that should continue gaining traction as a college-level prospect.
6’9 ’19 Emmanuel Izunabor
The athletic big man is the headlining prospect for this squad, given his ability to display flashes of dominance on both ends of the floor. His offensive skillset is continuing to blossom, but he has a firm understanding of how to utilize his size, strength, and lengthy arms to make his presence felt. Izunabor scores most of his buckets through transition play, posting hard, and diving to the basket after screening. He’s very capable of playing above the rim and frequently looks to do so, especially on spins and drop-steps. Defensively, Izunabor is already a proven entity with clear value and upside at the next level. He anchors the paint nicely and rebounds the ball at a high level.
Word of God
6’2 ’20 Kamari Smith
Since recently joining this team, Smith has quickly emerged as one of the steadier all-around players. He handles the ball with intelligence and makes quality decisions, both as a playmaker and when hunting his shot. Smith is an effective scorer on all three levels, but typically looks to get downhill and make plays around the basket. He operates at a great pace in transition and finishes with craftiness inside the paint.
6’5 ’19 Trevon Spencer
The long-bodied wing/forward prospect is able to affect the game in various different ways and showcased that throughout this contest. He possesses solid versatility on defense and was able to guard multiple positions whenever necessary. Spencer embraces his role on this squad pretty well and is capable of filling multiple roles on the court.
Independence
6’6 ’19 Matt Smith
The Murray State commit was easily the most productive and versatile performer from the first half of our Hoops and Dreams Showcase. He’s a combo-forward with too much strength for perimeter defenders and too much quickness for bigger power forwards, which makes him quite difficult for opponents to contain. Smith looks to rip-through and power through contact around the basket, which is actually a pretty reliable scoring avenue for him. He’s a fairly intelligent decision-maker that rarely forces the action with the ball in his hands. Smith plays hard at all times and outrebounds everyone as a result. He affects all facets of the game and should continue to find success at the next level.
6’0 ’19 AJ McKee
The Queens commit has been absolutely dominant throughout his first showing at Hoops and Dreams, truly overwhelming his assignment on both ends of the floor. McKee knows how to manage the game and initiate offense whenever necessary, but also possesses the ability to take opponents off the dribble and make plays within the paint. He shoots the ball quite effectively from all three levels and welcomes all challengers when attacking the basket. McKee surveys the floor well and makes intelligent decisions with the ball in his hands. He’s as tough as they come and should quickly emerge as a building block upon beginning his collegiate career next year.
Northwood Temple
6’5 ’19 Josh Nickelberry
The high-volume wing prospect is simply wired to score the ball, able to create space and get clean looks as well as anyone in the country. He continues to take strides as a leader and defender, which should bode well for his playing career going forward. Even on his worst night, Nickelberry is still capable of putting up ridiculous numbers and showing flashes of his high-level athleticism. He’s a constant threat to score at all times, with or without the ball, and rebounds at a strong rate for his position. Nickelberry is unstoppable in transition, given the infinite different ways that he can score the ball.
6’3 ’19 Charles Page
The main x-factor for Northwood Temple throughout this contest was Page, who provided his team with an excellent presence on offense. He shot the ball with phenomenal efficiency and showed the ability to make plays for others when attacking. Page looks to make the right play whenever possible and can toggle between either backcourt position with relative ease. It’ll be exciting to see if he’s able to maintain this level of consistency going forward.
Potter’s House
6’4 ’20 Mayoum Mayoum
The wing prospect was, in many ways, the glue-guy for this Potter’s House team. He possesses nice size and does a strong amount of everything while on the court. Mayoum plays with a high IQ and does an excellent job of making the correct read whenever he touches the ball. He can operate with or without the ball and apply offensive pressure, given his off-ball cutting, spot-up shooting, and ability to attack the basket with strength. Mayoum can handle a heavy two-way burden or confine himself to a smaller role.
6’8 ’19 Wheza Panzo
The most intriguing prospect from the fourth slate of games was Panzo, considering his combination size, athleticism, and two-way versatility. He knocked down perimeter shots, worked for rebounds, and switched across multiple positions on defense. Panzo can do a little bit of everything, but also possesses enough polish to take over for extended stretches of the game. It’ll be interesting to see how his recruitment unfolds throughout the conclusion of his high school career.
Village Christian
6’3 ’20 Zavian McLean
The Village Christian squad features a lot of familiar faces, but McLean really made a strong impression with his performance today. It was arguably his best showing of the early season, as he was nearly unstoppable during his first showing at our Hoops and Dreams Showcase. He’s a long, athletic guard prospect with a unique offensive approach and the ability to knock down difficult shots on a regular basis. McLean was very consistent at creating space for himself and scoring efficiently from all levels today. It’ll be impossible for schools to ignore him, especially if he continues to produce at such a strong level.
6’11 ’19 Fifi Quansah
There is a lot to like with the big man for Village Christian, so his lack of recruitment is somewhat perplexing. He has legitimate size and incredible length, which allows him to effortlessly protect the rim and collect rebounds on both ends of the floor. Quansah is somewhat timid around the basket on offense, but has the ability to score with either hand and play above the rim whenever possible. His unbelievable length will become even more useful over the coming years, as he looks likely to continue adding strength.