South Carolina Top 80 Evaluations
Team 1
Coach: Jordan Washington
#2: 5’7 ’22 Edward “Brice” Cohen (Hopkins, SC)
Starting things off, we look at a player that has an abundance of upside to pair with an intriguing skillset, Brice Cohen. He’s a point guard prospect with a slight frame but great quickness and the ability to get by opponents. Offensively, Cohen displays a quality IQ and typically looks to create scoring opportunities for his teammates. He made a noticeable impact on the glass, especially given his size, and pushed transition play with regularity. Cohen is scrappy and does a solid job of getting up into his assignment on defense. Next in his development process is continuing to add strength, as it would allow him to penetrate and finish with less resistance. Coach Washington on Cohen: “Brice showed up to play today. This young man played hard on both sides of the floor and was a pleasure to coach throughout the day. He listened and led well during his time on the court.” Cohen is entering his freshman season and should only continue to get more polished with time, making him one to revisit in the future.
#29: 6’0 ’19 Josh Moore (Duncan, SC)
Next, we look at a player that provided his team with an extremely unselfish, blue-collar approach to the game, Josh Moore. He’s a big, strong-bodied guard prospect with an excellent feel for the game and understanding of his role within a team. Moore knows how to properly utilize his size to bully opponents around the basket, both on finishes and rebounds, and shows no mercy for opponents when barreling down the lane. He attacked nicely off the dribble, kept his teammates involved, and knocked down shots from all over the floor whenever possible. Moore brought a strong motor to camp and used it to create havoc on both sides of the ball. Next in his development process is continuing to work on his off-ball defense, as he could continue to improve his positioning. Coach Washington on Moore: “Josh was a joy to coach and he played very hard today. Offensively, he drove and scored almost any time he desired. Josh just needs to work on his energy on the defensive end.” It would be difficult to envision a scenario where Moore doesn’t enjoy a huge senior season, so we’ll be expecting to see him exceed expectations.
#32: 6’0 ’19 Mason Carver (Lexington, SC)
Moving onto a player that possesses a lot of polish and phenomenal understanding of his game, Mason Carver. He’s a guard prospect with the ability to play on or off-ball and thrive, given his reliable scoring repertoire. Carver is a strong ball-handler that can create scoring opportunities for himself and others with relative ease. He has a great IQ and knows how to simplify the game on both ends of the floor. Carver scores the ball with incredible efficiency on all three levels and seemingly never takes a bad shot. He’s a really poised all-around defender that forces turnovers and rarely allows buckets from his assignment. Next in his development process is continuing to work on his consistency as a finisher, as it would make him virtually unguardable by most opponents. Coach Washington on Carver: “Today, Mason displayed a lot of heart and was my Mr. Hustle. Whenever we needed a big stop or big rebound, or even just a good play, Mason was there. He’s was really smart player on the court for me and kept the offense in control.” It’ll be exciting to see how Carver’s final high school season will go, as he’s certain to gain continued interest as a scholarship-level prospect.
#51:6’2 ’20 Aaron Parker (Johnsonville, SC)
Continuing onto a player that enjoyed a strong two-way showing during his time at camp, Aaron Parker. He’s a wing prospect with nice length and a quality understanding of how to make a constant impact on both ends of the floor. Parker showcased a solid motor throughout camp and brought a team-first approach to both sides of the ball. Offensively, Parker did an excellent job of getting downhill and attacking the defense; he finished numerous opportunities inside the paint while highlighting a strong pull-up jumper from midrange. On the other end, Parker showcased his versatility and ability to disrupt opponents with his quick feet. He displayed terrific positional intelligence and forced an abundance of turnovers as a result. Next in his development process is continuing to work on his consistency from three-point territory, as it would make him a fairly complete player on offense. Coach Washington on Parker: “Aaron did a great job today defending and communicating at a high level; his ability to defend bothered opponents throughout the day. He should work on being aggressive and his decision-making at the point of attack.” Parker provided his team with a steady, high IQ presence on both ends of the floor and could be a candidate for a breakout junior season.
#52:6’2 ’21 Ayden Hickman (Myrtle Beach, SC)
Next, we look at a player with an extremely well-rounded skillset and approach to the game, Ayden Hickman. He’s an athletic guard prospect that plays an unselfish, team-first brand of basketball. Offensively, Hickman consistently broke down opponents and entered the paint, highlighting his quickness and ability to make plays in traffic with regularity. He displayed great vision and playmaking skills throughout the day and scored well in transition. Hickman made a noticeable impact on defense and outhustled the opposition whenever possible. Next in his development process is continuing to add strength to his wiry frame, as it would make him even more difficult for opposing guards to handle. Coach Washington on Hickman: “Ayden ran the offense well and attacked the basket great today. He passed the ball at a high level and his defense was very strong. All he has to work on, as the floor general, is communicating well.” Hickman showcased a nice feel for the game while constantly impacting both sides of the ball. It’ll be interesting to see how his sophomore season unfolds, as he could have a breakout year.
#54: 6’2 ’21 Jaden Scott (Johns Island, SC)
Moving onto a player that possesses an intriguing skillset to go with strong two-way upside, Jaden Scott. He’s a quick, scrappy combo guard that understands how to manipulate opposing defenses in a variety of ways. Scott has a fairly strong, athletic frame and utilizes it to take action on the glass, typically outrebounding most guys at his position. He can switch between either guard spot when necessary, but currently holds the most value as a scoring off-guard. Scott is a menace on defense and frequently forces turnovers by intercepting passing lanes, allowing him to push the break and make plays in transition. Next in his development process is continuing to hone his playmaking abilities, as he could become a point guard with added work, should he desire. Coach Washington on Scott: “Jaden was great today; he played awesome and showed leadership on both ends of the floor. It will be exciting to see what he does during the high school season this year. Jaden will help someone’s roster at the next level.” Scott was really intriguing at our first SC Phenom 150 Camp and maintained his quality play throughout our Top 80.
#79: 6’4 ’19 Jasaun Pryor (Columbia, SC)
Continuing onto a player that highlighted his strong slashing ability throughout camp, Jasaun Pryor. He’s a forward prospect with length and a disruptive motor on both ends of the floor. Offensively, Pryor understands how to stay active and constantly make plays without necessarily needing the ball in his hands, through useful cutting and securing second-chance opportunities. He consistently attacked the basket and finished strong through contact while also drawing a plethora of fouls. Penetrating to the rim is his most efficient scoring avenue, but Pryor showcased a strong midrange pull-up and formidable three-point stroke at camp. He understood how to make plays with his length on defense to get deflections and alter shots around the basket. Next in his development process is continuing to work on his ability to make an impact as a spot-up option, as it would make him even more dangerous on offense. Coach Washington on Pryor: “Jasaun has the ability to attack the basket on offense and does so with great poise. He really played hard on defense also, but Jasaun just has to work on his decision-making skills throughout the game.” Pryor was able to take a toll on the opposition through his nonstop slashing and should be expected to enjoy a strong senior season.
#84: 6’4 ’20 Quentin Hodge (Sumter, SC)
Next, we look at a player with a pretty unique blend of productivity and two-way potential, Quentin Hodge. He’s a long, wiry wing prospect that has just begun to scratch the surface of his abilities as a basketball player. Hodge brings a natural leadership presence to a team and simply has a likeable nature about the way he plays. He’s unselfish, but smart, and knows how to dictate offense like a point guard from the wing position while consistently taking advantage of scoring opportunities. Hodge scores very effectively from all three levels and displays terrific touch around the basket. He’s quite crafty and possesses exceptional vision when penetrating, making him really difficult for opponents to contain. Defensively, Hodge utilized his combination of IQ, athleticism, and firm understanding of angles to overwhelm opponents. Next in his development process is continuing to instill the alpha-dog mentality, as he could become really special with improved assertiveness. Coach Washington on Hodge: “Quentin has a great attitude and can make plays on the offensive side of the floor. He can score at all three levels and communicates well. He also showed leadership with his talking throughout the day. Quentin just needs to work on defending at a high level on every possession, but he’s a definite D1 prospect.” This could be a pivotal junior season for Hodge and his recruitment; it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him collect another five to ten offers by this time next year.
#89: 6’5 ’20 Saiveon Williams (Rock Hill, SC)
Moving onto a player with the ability to constantly affect the game on both sides of the ball, Saiveon Williams. He’s a strong, athletic wing prospect with polish and an incredible amount of upside. Offensively, Williams displays great self-awareness and consistently plays within himself, even after elevating his scoring arsenal to a new level. Few campers were better at cutting and scoring without the ball, which forced opponents to always account for Williams. He’s continued to improve his physical build and now understands how to impose his will on both sides of the ball. His defensive presence and versatility made him extremely problematic for the opposition, and one could truly argue that Williams was among the top five to ten defenders in attendance. Next in his development process is continuing to tinker the mechanics of his three-point stroke, as it would make him virtually unstoppable on offense. Coach Washington on Williams: “Saiveon was a great defender on the floor and did well utilizing his length. He knows how to play hard and unselfishly. He needs to work on being more aggressive on offense, but he will certainly help someone out at the next level.” Williams has quickly developed over the last year and should continue drawing attention as a quality Division I prospect, given his IQ and true two-way presence.
#115: 6’8 ’20 Javon Benson (Columbia, SC)
Finishing up, we look at a player that provides the all-around package for his size and position, Javon Benson. He’s a strong, athletic big man with great length and the ability to dominate opponents in a wide variety of ways. Benson is from the rare breed of guys that can face-up or turn his back to the basket and score at will. He showcases a terrific understanding of how to utilize his size and length to bully opponents around the rim. Benson has an outstanding balance of patience and aggression on offense, which allows him to manipulate defenders with great regularity. Defensively, he works hard and knows how to frustrate opponents with his length, but will need to improve his off-ball awareness in order to maximize his two-way potential. There weren’t many players that made a lasting impact on the glass, but Benson took great pride in rebounding on both sides of the ball and outperformed basically every matchup in his path. Next in his development process is working on his shooting consistency off the dribble, as it would make him impossible to defend. Coach Washington on Benson: “Javon is very tough; he plays great facing the basket and also finishes strong around the rim. He’s a good defender and moves his feet well, which allows him to contest and alter shots while remaining under control. He will bolster someone’s roster at the next level.” Benson is a likely candidate to enjoy a breakout year and has a chance to easily earn five to ten offers throughout the high school season.