With the travel ball season in full swing, now is the perfect time to take a closer look at some prospects that are flying under the radar and deserve more recognition. We feel that each player on this list has proven themselves worthy of scholarship consideration from the DI or DII levels. Let’s dive in…
6’1 ’20 Andrew Shull (Renegades/Chapmanville)
What more really needs to be said about Shull' He’s a proven leader with an unselfish, team-first mentality and an excellent balance between playmaking and three-level scoring. Shull shoots the ball exceptionally well from midrange and beyond, but also displays toughness and craftiness when attacking the basket. He has a sharp feel for the game and makes phenomenal decisions with the ball in his hands. Shull is very well-rounded and has no real weaknesses on either end of the floor. He understands how to manage the game, but will also take over when necessary. Smart college coaches will start getting involved, as Shull is an absolute winner.
6’2 ’20 Nishawn Hodge (PSB Brim/Olympic)
Over these last few months, Hodge has really broken out of his shell and is beginning to show flashes of dominance. We’ve seen him for a long time and with a variety of different teams, but he’s looked the strongest with PSB Brim. Hodge can play either backcourt position, given how effortless he scores and passes the ball. He’s a quality all-around scorer that knows how to utilize his length around the basket and when shooting over closeouts. Hodge is a smart playmaker that reads the floor extremely well and is capable of making some high-level passes to cutting teammates. He rebounds and defends quite well, and has the ability to make a constant impact in transition.
6’5 ’20 Linwood Grandy (Team Trezz/Wayne Country Day)
We are still in the first year of the Team Trezz organization, but there should already be a lot of optimism about their future. They have a roster full of exciting players, like Grandy, who is also among the main leaders on this team. He’s a big, strong, aggressive wing prospect with a long list of favorable physical attributes and an underrated amount of skill. Grandy is typically either the best or second-best athlete on the floor, regardless of competition, and knows how to utilize his athleticism on both ends of the floor. Despite unorthodox mechanics, Grandy has improved as a perimeter shooter and could become even better with time. He’s quite versatile on defense and can contain at least three positions with relative ease. Grandy should be monitored closely going forward, as he has all the necessary tools to be successful at the next level.
6’0 ’20 Marcus Elliott (Garner Road/Holly Springs)
There are plenty of quality point guards in North Carolina Class of 2020, but Elliott might be the most underrated of them all. He’s a true point guard that places a major emphasis on getting all of his teammates involved, especially the big men, which is somewhat of a rarity nowadays. That being said, Elliott is also a quality scorer with an excellent three-point stroke and the ability to attack the basket. He’s very smart and leads impeccably well on both ends of the floor. Elliott doesn’t have elite size, but makes up for it with IQ, unselfishness, and an extremely well-rounded skillset. Expect him to start piling up offers, as he simply makes everyone around him better.
6’6 ’20 Aleksander Stoimenov (Team Hickory/Tri-City Christian)
Rounding out the list, we look at Stoimenov, who is probably the least known of the group, but could potentially have the highest ceiling. He’s a knockdown shooter from the wing position with the ability to work off the bounce or spot-up and convert jumpers at an incredibly efficient rate. Stoimenov handles the ball quite well for his size/position and is capable of initiating the offense or creating for himself within two to three dribbles. He forces defenders to stay attached, as he only requires a mere glimmer of daylight to get off a clean look. The legendary Rick Lewis always says “shooting translates,” and Stoimenov is one of the absolute best.