By James Blackburn
Event: ELITE 75
Location: Charlotte, NC
James Blackburn attended the Elite 75 Showcase event in Charlotte, NC. The event was well attended by scouts and coaches to take in the competitive event with over 180 kids. Here are his notes on some of the top players he scouted.
Pappy Kann, 6’9”, PF, 2014 (Northwood Temple, Fayetteville, NC)
Player with great length. Lefty with nice up and under move near the basket. Runs the floor. Fluid player with quick hands. Nice left hook shot. Must get stronger and improve finishing ability.
Deshawn Patterson, 6’0”, PG, 2015 (Flora McDonald HS, Fayetteville, NC)
One of the best passing PG’s at the event today. Sees the floor and hits cutters. Tries to make the highlight pass a bit too much, but has terrific vision. Capable of getting to the paint with solid change of pace dribble, capable of hitting the floater and the open perimeter shot. Size hurts him to a degree and he over dribbles at times, but is a solid lead guard. Has interest from Western Carolina, Wingate, and Virginia Tech.
Tyreece Brice, 5’11”, PG, 2014 (South Point HS, Rock Hill, SC)
One of the best on-ball defenders at the event. Strong upper body. Forced some shots on offense. Good slasher. UNC-W has shown interest.
Shaun Kirk, 6’6”, G/F, 2016 (Flora McDonald HS, Fayetteville, NC)
Tremendous athlete- one of the best at the event- had numerous dunks. Capable of being a solid shot blocker because of elite athleticism. Needs to improve shooting ability. One to keep an eye on.
Pape Ndaiye, 6’9”, F, 2016 (Quality Education, Winston-Salem, NC)
Big bodied player who establishes good post position. Good rebounder who has good hands. Plays mainly under the rim, but is a good finisher.
Austin Nelson, 6’5”, SG, 2017 (Charlotte, NC)
Athletic player who is always attacking the rim. Streaky Shooter. Plays hard. Has potential and a high ceiling.
Marsellis Purvis, 6’6”, PF, 2016 (Quality Education, Winston-Salem, NC)
Plays very hard. Attacks the glass. Solid rebounder on both ends. Played well today.
Brandon Watts, 6’4”, SG, 2014 (Weddington HS, Weddington, NC)
Great length. Underrated strength level. Willing to play both inside and outside. Attacks the rim. Competes.
Xavier Walker, 6’6”, SF, 2014 (West Charlotte HS, Charlotte, NC)
Great build. Strong athlete. Good rebounder on offense end. Can finish well with his left hand. Versatile player. Needs to get more consistent.
Jerelle DeBerry, 6’5”, SF, 2014 (Quality Education, Winston-Salem, NC)
College ready body. Man amongst boys here at the event. Scored at will in game 2 today. Lacks elite athleticism, but can certainly finish over the rim, which he did several times with authority. Dangerous in the open court. Strong rebounder. Needs to improve shooting ability.
Rashad Dixon, 6’3”, F, 2017 (Southern Durham, Durham, NC)
High motor player who is a good shot blocker. Tries to block everything- influences shots he doesn’t block. Good rebounder. Athletic and long. Good potential.
Jordan Bruner, 6’7”, F, 2016 (Spring Valley, Columbia, SC)
Player with great length. Fluid in the open court. Athletic.
Austin Harris, 6’3”, SF, 2014 (West Charlotte HS, Charlotte, NC)
Very long. Tremendous above the rim athlete. High motor. High release on shot- but inconsistent.
Kwe Parker, 6’2”, SG, 2016 (Trinity School, Fayettville, NC)
Best above the rim athlete in the gym. Had several highlight worthy dunks in transition today. Solid offensive rebounder.
Trey Foster, 5’10”, PG, 2014 (West Charlotte HS, Charlotte, NC)
One of the top players at the event today. Have been following his career for a few years now- has always played beyond his years. Poised leader on the court. Pure PG who has an excellent mix of ball handling, playmaking, and getting to the rim. Smooth player who almost gets to paint at well. Excellent in P/R situations- makes the right decisions. Has a nice left to right crossover dribble move. Does an excellent job of getting by initial defender and then keeping him on his back by using the trap dribble. Has a high IQ and he changes speeds well. Has offers from Drexel, Winthrop, and Western Carolina. Recent interests includes Miami, Old Dominion, and Rhode Island.