Name: Coby White

Height: 6’4

Weight: 160

High School: The Greenfield School

AAU Team: Team Wall

Class: 2018

Position: Combo Guard

Recruitment: Wake Forest, High Point University

Projected Level of Play: High Major Division 1

Coby White

Our First time really seeing Coby White play was at the NCISAA State Championships last year in Asheville, NC,  at that point in his HS career we saw some sparks and flashes of his potential and that he would be one to keep a close eye on. Fast forward a few months to October 2015 where Coby showed up at Fab 40 Camp and showed out. He had grown to 6’4 and you could tell that he had been spending a lot of time perfecting his game as he had become an overall better player. During his HS season this year he has absolutely been putting on a show with some outstanding numbers and performances!

Strengths

  • This young man is definitely the type of Point Guard that college coaches will love, first and foremost because he’s a taller guard that knows how to use his height, at 6’4 he sees over a lot of opponents which gives him the opportunity to make reads that smaller guards would have much more difficulty doing. He also has an advanced basketball IQ on both end of the floor as he makes very good decisions that most young players his age don’t make.
  • Coby is hands down of the best scorers in the state, throughout this season he has put together numerous impressive scoring performance such as: 46 Points Vs Neuse Christian, 35 Points vs Parrot Academy, 34 Points vs Wake Christian, Christ School, and numerous other schools. What makes him such a dangerous scorer is that he’s a versatile scorer, he has the ability to knock down shots from 3 point range as well as pull ups from midrange. Once he gets into the paint he has a nice variety of moves that he uses to finish as well as a floater that he brings out when he wants to finish over taller opponents. Of course we can’t forget about the athleticism he has added to his game as well, although he’s not throwing down windmill dunks at this point, we believe that it’s only a matter of time before he is.
  • Even though Coby is an outstanding scorer he still is a willing and gifted passer, he’s not the type of players that looks teammates off and tries to get his own shot first. Instead he uses his ability to score to attract extra attention from opponent’s defense and drops passes of to open teammates. One aspect of his game that I truly was impressed with was how he always keep his head up and loves to kick the ball ahead up the court to open teammate instead of over dribbling and slowing down the possible transition opportunities.

Areas for Improvement

  •  Even though he’s only a sophomore he must remember to put in a lot of time in the weight room over these next few years , as of right now he has somewhat of a slim/slender frame but that is to be expected for a young man who is only in the 10th grade.
  • Defensively I would love to see him stay honest, at times he reached for a steal or overplayed the passing lane, when he stays honest and slides his feet he can be a very good on ball defender.
Seventh Woods

Seventh Woods

Name: Seventh Woods

Height: 6’2

Weight: 185

High School: Hammond HS

AAU Team: Carolina Wolves

Position: Guard

Recruitment: UNC Signee

Seventh Woods has been a household name since he was about 13 years old, this young man is a super athletic player and can score the ball at a very high level. In the past years he has not only grown as a player but specifically at the PG position. Although there were many that believed he would stay at home with Coach Frank Martin, he would make the decision to take his talents to UNC with Coach Roy Williams. We watched Seventh Woods this summer with his AAU Squad the Carolina Wolves and again this HS season with his school Hammond HS at the Bojangles Bash Tournament.

Stats: vs AC Flora – (24 Points, 7-15 FG, 6 Rebounds 3 Assist)

Strengths

  • Seventh has outstanding speed and athleticism and uses it to blow past defenders and get into the paint. Once he’s in the paint he uses his athleticism to finish about the rim and maneuver around defenders, throughout this game in particular he used a quick spin move numerous times at the correct moment to lose a defender to make or finish a play. Where you really see how fast this young man is after a missed shot by the opposition, he literally can get the ball and become a one man fast break with his ability to accelerate.
  • Even though he’s not the best shooter from the perimeter this young man knows how to score the ball easily and in multiple ways. He doesn’t need much space to get a shot off and has the advanced ball handling skills that keeps defenders guessing throughout the game. One thing that really impressed me was that Seventh is not a player that is only going to shoot threes or try to dunk the ball. He has a nice midrange game and has a deadly floater that he uses once he gets in the paint to finish over taller defenders.
  • Defense is always a question mark when watching HS players these days, many players seem to bring minimal effort on this end of the floor. However this isn’t the case for Seventh, he brings effort on the defensive end of the floor and plays very impressive on ball defense. He has quick feet and active hands that helps him to come up with steals and deflections, also he uses his athletic ability to blocks shots at a very high rate, whether it’s a chase down block on a fast break or a steal from playing the passing lanes, this young man definitely brings the high amount of energy on the defensive end of the floor that you love to see

 

Areas for Improvement

  • He can be somewhat of a streaky shooter from the perimeter but he doesn’t have bad form on his shot, its seems as if he doesn’t get the maximum amount of vertical lift on his shot which leads to him using his arms a lot more than his legs. With the amount of minutes he’s forced to play for his squad it’s no shocker that his body gets fatigued which could be very well be the reason for the issues with his shooting consistency.
  • For years there has been questions about what position he will be and over the past year he has improved greatly in his PG Skills, at times he still over dribbles a bit and may try to go for the difficult pass instead of the simple pass which leads to TO’s. We believe that with the higher amount of time he spends at the PG, the better he will be and these issues will get resolved sooner than later. The main thing for Seventh will be to keep the game as simple as possible and plays to his strengths, going to an up-tempo team like UNC should definitely allow him to have a very successful college career
Damani-Applewhite

Damani Applewhite

Name: Damani Applewhite

Height: 6’6

Weight: 195

High School: Westover HS

AAU Team: Flight 22

GPA: 3.0

Position: Forward

Recruitment: Elizabeth City State (offered), UNC-P, Belmont Abbey, Fayetteville State University, The Citadel

Projected Level of Play: Low Major D1/D2

We first saw Damani prior to his Junior Season during the summer playing AAU basketball for the Raeford Hurricanes, he had a very old school flavor about his game and you could see the potential for him to be a special player. With much work, time and energy he has become a legit college prospect and we expect him to only get better as the year goes along. In the game we watched against EE Smith HS, he led his team to a win and finished with 18 Points, 12 Rebounds, 3 Assist and 2 Steals.

Strengths

  • Damani has become a versatile player which he has put on full display this season, not only can he step out and knock down the trey ball and midrange jump shot with high consistency but he also has the ability to play with his back to the basket as well as face up to the basket when hes in the post or short corner. He has a very soft touch around the basket and does not take unneccessary dribbles when making a move from the high post, his footwork on the offensive end is solid and you don’t see him getting called for traveling violations too often. His ballhandling ability is solid for a player his height and he has played some Point Forward for his squad this season, bringing the ball up the court and getting his squad into an offensive set.
  • His height and wingspan is definitely a positive on the defensive side of the ball, it allows him to make deflections easily as well as grabbing defensive rebounds at a high rate, Damani understands positioning and boxes out  well so that even if a player is stronger than him he can still set himself up well to secure the rebound.
  • In our opinion the ceiling on Damani’s potential as a player is very high, this is only his second year of playing varsity basketball and he has already took on more of a team leadership role this season, we truly believe that his ability to be coached and work ethic is something that coaches at the college level will love.

Areas for Improvement

  • At this point he has a very slender frame , even though he does spend time in the weightroom he will still need to add some more weight & muscle to be able to be fully comfortable playing inside at the college level. We honestly don’t see him having to much of an issue with this as he is a very hard working young man , in our eyes its not a matter of if he will gain the muscle and weight but when.
  • As stated earlier he is very versatile on the offensive end , however  he will need to improve his lateral quickness on the defensive end so he can have the ability to guard some shorter, quicker players at the next level. With that being said  he does a good job of closing out on wings but we would love to see him improve with his lateral quickness so that he could become a lock down defender against even more positions on the floor
  • Free Throw shooting is one aspect of his game that we would love to see him improve, he doesn’t shoot it great from the line at this point, he not a terrible free throw shooter by any means but he could become more consistent.

 

Zach Hobbs

Name: Zach Hobbs

Height: 5’10

Weight: 167

High School: Northside (Jacksonville)

AAU Team: Express United

GPA: 4.2

Position: Shooting Guard

Projected Level of Play: D2/D3

Highlight video: Link

Zach had an outstanding Sophomore Season winning numerous awards in his conference and region of the state, this young man is a gifted player and although he is still under the radar we expect his recruitment to start heating up very soon. He had a very good showing at the East Region Fab 40 Camp and is off to a very good start this season averaging over 20 PPG

       Strengths

Shooting- Zach is an outstanding shooter especially from behind the three point line, over the summer and last season with his high school squad he’s had multiple games where he knocked down a high number of three point shots. He doesn’t need much space to get his shot off and is very efficient especially when catching and shooting, he has good form and good lift and is the type of player that is in his shooting range even if he’s a couple feet behind the three point line. To make it plain and simple this young man is a knock down shooter and will be one of those players at the college level that a coach will definitely want on his squad if he needs a shooter.

Frame & Athleticism- Although he is a Junior in High School you can tell that he definitely spends some time in the weight room, he has a solid muscular frame which allows him to absorb contact when hes driving to the basket and finishing plays. This can definitely allow his transition to the college level to be somewhat smoother because many times young players have an issue with adjusting to the physical nature of college basketball due to the fact that they don’t have a solid frame. Zach athleticism is another area that is impressive , he uses his athletic ability on his jump shot to shoot over opponets and finish at the rim , as well as when rebounding missed shots,  he also has quick hands which allows him to come up with steals and deflections at a high rate.

   Areas for Improvement

Consistent Defense- When he is fully locked in on the defensive end of the floor Zach can be an outstanding defender , he has good lateral quickness and quick hands so he has the tools to be an excellent defender. However on some occasions he makes some minor errors on the defensive end such as : a slow close out, not contesting a shot with maximum effort or reaching for a steal instead of playing honest defense, At the next level those mistake could be costly so we would love to see improve in those areas.

Developing into a PG – At this point we would have to classify Zach as a Shooting Guard, at his height for the next level he will need to be able to play some Point Guard and know how to run a squad. We would love to see him improve in : his abilty to make plays off the dribble just well as he can off the catch, getting stronger with his off hand, being a vocal teammate in a positive way and becoming more of a floor general. Being at a smaller school with a roster full of shorter players may be one reason that he has spent so much time as the SG spot but if he improves on these areas he could become more of a combo guard and take his recruitment to another level.

.

Alex Mims

Name: Alex Mims

Height: 6’4

Weight: 185

High School: EE Smith HS

AAU Team: Express Showcase

GPA: 3.0

Position: Wing

Projected Level of Play: D3/NAIA

Alex is a player whose recruitment has been very quiet up to this point, After a very good showing at Fab 40 camp and a solid start to his senior year , we expect college coaches to begin to contact this young man. We stopped in to the EE Smith vs Westover to check him out and he had a very impressive game almost leading his team to a win against a very good Westover squad.

Stats vs Westover HS : 25 points & 10 rebounds

Strengths

Athleticism & Quickness– Alex is a very athletic/slasher type of  player that knows how to use his athletic ability on both ends of the floor. On the offensive end of the floor He changes speeds and direction quickly to keep a defender guessing , he also uses a quick first step to get in the paint to score it as well as finishing plays above the rim. On the defensive end of the floor he blocks and alters shots as well as using his athleticism and quickness to play the passing lanes to come up with steals.

High Motor- These days you have to love a player that seems like they love to play the game and have a strong desire not to lose and Alex seems to have those attributes , he brought constant energy, enthusiasm and intensity throughout the game. whether he was: diving on the floor for lose balls , taking a charge, crashing the offensive boards, or forcing a tie-up he definitely made sure to try to will his team to victory. Every teams need a guy that can not only put the ball in the bucket but that can bring energy for the team on a nightly basis and for the right program , Alex could be that guy.

Areas for Improvement

 Shooting– At this point we would have to label Alex as a somewhat streaky shooter, if he’s hot he can knock down shots from midrange and the perimeter at a high rate , but if he’s not then he struggles knocking down those shots.  We would love to see him improve in this area , which would make him not only more dangerous as a high school player but also an even more intriguing prospect for the college level.

Off Ball Defense- Throughout the game there were a few moments where he gambled on a play by trying to play the passing lanes for a steal instead of staying honest. Although on a few occasions he was successful , overall we would much rather have the player stay honest and play solid defense. Alex has all the tools to be a very good defender not only in high school but also at the next level if he makes the correct adjustments.

 

 

Basketball Court

Bobby Grubbs

Name: Bobby Grubbs

Height: 6’4

Weight: 185

High School: Jacksonville HS

AAU Team: East Coast All-Stars

GPA: 4.3

Position: Wing

Recruitment: Catawba Valley CC, St Andrews, Emory & Henry, NC Wesleyan, Randolph College

Projected Level of Play: D2/D3

Bobby is a rising senior that is somewhat under the radar at this point, after a solid Junior Season at Jacksonville HS he had a successful AAU Season with East Coast All-Stars. During the fall he attended the Eastern NC Fab 40 Camp with some of the top players in Eastern NC and was named Camp MVP.

Strengths

Shooting- Is a knock down shooter from midrange and from the perimeter especially off the catch, has a good idea of what a good shoot and a bad shot is, doesn’t force shots at all. Has good form and lift on his shot which allows him to get his shot off fairly easily regardless of height of an opponent.

Defense & Rebounding– Takes the defensive end of the game seriously, is versatile enough on that end of the floor that he has the ability to switch and guard bigs inside the paint or defend wings. Boxes out just about every time he sees a shot go up which allows him to put himself in great position for rebounds.

Toughness- throughout the summer he dealt with numerous injuries that would have sidelined most players for an extended period of time, if you are one of them, experts now recommend the use of cbd products to deal with the pain and heal faster. However he fought through this injuries and played very well at numerous Team camps and AAU events over the summer, these days it’s rare to see a kid that will play through the pain to see his team succeed.

Areas for Improvement

Athleticism– At the next level at the wing position a large amount of players play above the rim and have a very quick first step, which is an area that we would love to see him add to his game. Even though he is a solid defender on the wing at this point, some more lateral quickness would make him an even better defender at the next level to the point where he could possible even guard PG’s.

Ballhandling- He has made very good progress in this department over the past year but to elevate his stock as a prospect he will need to continue to become better with the ball so that he can possibly handle the ball under heavy defensive pressure at the college level.

Jimmie Sanders III

Our First time seeing Jimmie Sanders in Action was back at the SEBL Combine prior to his 8th grade year of School. It didn’t take long to see that although he was very young he had a very nice natural feel for the game and his basketball IQ exceeded his age without a doubt. A very quiet and respectful young man, Jimmie has been doing damage on and off the court the past few years at Neuse Charter School in Smithfield, NC. Before we even begin to talk about basketball we have to note that Jimmie is a stellar student and sports a very impressive 4.1 GPA, We always love to see a player that can excel in the classroom and truly wants to be a student athlete. His Freshman year he took on more of a facilitating role as he played along the side of his brother Jourdan Sanders, who is now playing his Freshman Season at St Andrew University. Once Jimmie’s sophomore season began he took on more of a leadership role and picked up the scoring load for his squad. Although many people in the recruiting world did not hear a ton about him he clearly had an outstanding year putting up 23.4 Points and 6 Assist Per game while leading his squad to a winning season record wise. Of course at his size there was still question marks about whether or not he could perform at a high level against some of the better guards in the state, which leads us to 2015 NC Top 80 Camp in Greensboro NC. Jimmie played very well throughout the camp and finished #1 in Assist out of all players that attended, he got after it on both ends of the floor and clearly answered the question about his ability to play with other top guards in the state. As his junior year has begun he has picked up right where he left off last season and over the summer, in his first two games he has gone for 28 Points each and in the second game, surpassed the 1,000 Point mark for his career. This is a very impressive accomplishment for any player but especially for a young man who still has almost two full years of High School basketball left. Even though he has received some College interest, he is still very much under the radar and should be one that college coaches keep a close eye on. He has added some more muscle to his frame and even looks as if he has grown a few inches as well, we look forward to watching Jimmie this season and we feel that college coaches should do the same.

 

Basketball Court

First and foremost I must give a shout out to the Coaching Staff at Northwood Temple for showing me so much hospitality every time I come to their school, it is greatly I appreciate!! I love the fact that they get gym health and safety advice from Avensure. During this open gym in particular myself and an assistant Coach from Temple University were in the building to check out some talent , here are a few notes…

Teaching kids the importance of participating in sports like basketball goes beyond just physical activity. Engaging in sports helps children develop essential skills such as teamwork, discipline, resilience, and goal-setting. It promotes a healthy lifestyle and teaches them valuable life lessons about dedication and perseverance. Getting the right boys clothes for basketball is crucial as it ensures comfort, freedom of movement, and protection during gameplay. Well-fitting clothes, appropriate footwear, and accessories like sweat-wicking materials become essential for maximum performance and preventing injuries.

Backcourt Running Mates

C/O 2018 Point Guard Dakari Johnson– Dakari was impressive from the time I stepped into the gym , he has always been a very mature player but now is becoming more vocal and taking on a leadership role on the squad even though he’s only a sophomore. He displayed very good ball handling skills and the ability to be able to maneuver through small gaps to get into the lane and make good plays. Dakari has outstanding upper body strength and has no problem finishing through contact and on the defensive end was very effective by playing physical defense with his opponent. He has all the tools that you love for a Point Guard to have and is drawing interest from colleges at the Mid Major + level. We expect a big year from this young man and won’t be surprised to see him finish the year with multiple scholarship offers.

C/O 2019 Combo Guard Josh Nickleberry– Josh had an outstanding 8th grade season playing on the varsity level, he had numerous games where he put up very impressive scoring numbers and plays the game with a smoothness that is beyond his years. Following the season he recorded some dominant performances during the AAU season playing with Team Loaded 2019 finishing as one of the top teams in the country in their age group. Throughout the night he showed very good ball handling skills and a quick first step but His best attribute that he showed on this night in particular was his shooting. He can get his shot off very quickly and has good lift on his shot so even when his shot is defended well or contested he has no issue getting his shot off. This young man can flat out play and we are expecting another impressive year from him as well.

New Kids on the Block

C/O 2016 Wing John Maynor– John is a transfer in from Hoke County HS, his recruitment has been pretty quiet up to this point but that will definitely change before too much longer. At 6’5 he has nice size for a wing at the college level, he has a textbook shooting form and knocks down shots at a high rate from midrange and downtown with a minimal amount of dribbling. What makes him even more dangerous is that he has the ability to play inside as well , to make things plain and simple, this young man can score the ball at a very high rate while doing it all in the flow of the game. On the defensive end he really got after it, applying constant pressure and using his wingspan to come up with numerous steals, if you’re a Low Major coach you will definitely want to keep a close eye on this young man. In the words of J.Cole I can honestly say that ‘‘He’s about to blow up’’ when it comes to his recruitment.

C/O 2019 Max Farthing- As soon as you see Max walk into the gym he reminds you of former Fayetteville Academy and Current Manhattan Jaspers Forward Zane Waterman. Max has a lean frame but plays much stronger than he looks, he has no problem mixing it up inside but is a very efficient shooter. Throughout the night He showed his ability to find ways to get open and knock down midrange and perimeter shots as well as creating space for himself to get a shot off with his ball handling skills. Max was very impressive throughout the night and has the tools and size to be a very special player if he continues to progress, even on the defensive end he was constantly giving effort on every possession. Whether it was an opportunity for a rebound that was up for grabs or diving on the floor for a loose ball Max was involved in the play some type of way, He will definitely be one to keep a close eye on this season and in the upcoming years

The X Factor

Bench play will be solid for Northwood this season with some athletic players as well as some knock down shooters stepping in to give the starters some rest, but a player in the starting lineup that will have to come up big for Northwood to be a contender for a state championship is 2016 6’9 Center TeTe Armel . Throughout the open gym session he showed sparks of how good he can be if he plays with high energy, there were numerous plays where he threw down a dunk or finished a layup effortlessly. During drills he showed some ball handling skills that I had never seen from him in the past few years that were very impressive, His ability to rebound the ball and block shots was on full display throughout the night and will be needed during the season to hold down the inside for Northwood Temple

Jabrie Bullard

As the start of the college school season approaches it’s always refreshing to see young men headed to college who have worked hard and persevered through difficult situations to finally live out their dream of playing college basketball. To understand Jabrie’s story we have to rewind back to the summer of 2013, word had spread around Fayetteville that he and his close friend Jahi Hughes would be transferring to Northwood Temple for their Senior Year which would be the 2013-2014 Season.

So of course these young men were excited to finally play on the same high school team, which was a team that was viewed as a contender for a state championship prior to the season. Well the season begins with a Tip Off Tournament at Village Christian Academy where Northwood would play against Forsyth Country Day, I watched closely as the team seemed to be very talented but was still looking to mesh together which isn’t out of the norm for a new squad. Both teams were getting after it, playing hard and really competing, then one of the most unusual injuries that I have seen to this day happened. Jabrie was playing defense on an opponent and stuck his foot out as a way of deflecting a pass, something that you will see hundreds of times a season, the ball struck his foot and Jabrie would limp to the sidelines. For foot injuries just like this, services like chirurgia mini-invasiva del piede can be quite a life-saver.

Initially we all figured it was just a minor injury, however after being evaluated by doctors we learned that he suffered an injury that would take away his entire senior season and force him to be a spectator, so he took hemp derived delta 9 to treat pain at these times. Depending on your particular sports injury, this best physiotherapy edmonton here can help implement a range of advanced physiotherapy techniques like dry needling, massage, and more, to ensure your body is fighting fit in no time. Having good injury lawyer like McKiggan Hebert Lawyers – Personal Injury Law Office in Halifax is always a great choice. This is where the character of this young man really showed, every Northwood Temple game that I scouted he would always be there behind the bench. He would be seen clapping and encouraging teammates, giving instruction, and doing just about everything that you love to see a teammate on the bench doing, while keeping a smile on his face. Prior to the injury Jabrie was receiving interest from numerous D2 and Low major D1 schools but of course missing his entire senior season would leave him with a question mark as to where he would play the following year. But ont thing was god that he was having treatment from good health professional who provides shockwave theory. You can visit them at https://www.msinsight.dk.

Fast forward a few months and he is playing at a Prep school called Combine Academy in the Charlotte area, putting together some impressive performance and showing college coaches that he still has the talent from prior to his injury. For further explanation about the injury, navigate here. After finishing up his year of Prep School he made the decision to Sign with Williston State College in North Dakota for the next two years of his college career. We look forward to tracking Jabrie over the next few year and college coaches looking for a gifted SG should do the same!!

Basketball Court

For the second year I’ve had the privilege of scouting ECI Team Camp in Jacksonville, NC. This camp is always very competitive and well ran by Mr. Wells Gullage, teams from around the State come in to compete and there is always a good amount of sleeper prospects that can be found, in 2014 I was able to find Robert Colon, Jaylen McManus and quite a few others that have ” blown up” since, well this year was no different, here are a few of the players that stood out and that are players that coaches should keep an eye on.

Bobby Grubbs Bobby Grubbs, Jacksonville H.S, Class of 2016, 6’3, Wing- Bobby has been battling different injuries throughout the summer, and even during this event he was not even close to being 100% healthy but you would not be able to tell by the way he played. He’s a knock down shooter that knows how to get his shot of very quickly as well as using the shot fake to free himself for open looks. Although is still improving ball handling wise he does a pretty good job of getting from Point A to Point B with minimal dribbling. Bobby is also a very unselfish player that loves to make the extra pass to his teammates just as much as he likes to score the ball, he is definitely the type of player that you love to have running an offense set on your squad because he’s not going to look for his own offense before the teams. On the defensive end he works very hard and does a good job of crashing the boards after the shot goes up, he also battles inside with taller opponents and goes for every loose ball with the attitude that each ball belongs to him. Overall Bobby was very impressive at ECI and showed many attributes that coaches at the next level love to see in a player.
Bobby Grubbs Carter Collins, East Chapel Hill H.S, Class of 2017, 6’2, Guard- If you don’t know who Carter is, then you need to get to know him ASAP! This young man is a smooth player that can fill up a score sheet in a blink of an eye. He understands how to use step backs, euro-steps, etc. to score with ease from the perimeter, midrange and inside, he’s not afraid to take it right into the chest of a bigger opponent even though he has a somewhat slender frame. Carter also showed very impressive ball handling skills that he has uses to keep defenders guessing, he understands that the more the defender has to guess what coming next, the more vulnerable they are. He also is a gifted passer that doesn’t try to overdo it when making plays, he has some flair to his game but not much, instead he make the fundamentally sound play to teammates to complete plays for buckets. One attribute that really stuck out to me about Carter was his ability to change speeds quickly, he brings the ball up the floor at a slow pace at times but once he sees an opportunity to make a play he switches gears quickly, which is something you love to see from a Guard.
Bobby Grubbs Shaft Parker, Farmville Central H.S, Class of 2016, 6’2, Guard- Shaft was very impressive throughout camp, he can score the ball in multiple ways and is a knock down shooter that can pull from deep at any moment. Whether it be a floater, up and under move or stopping on the dime for a pull-up he is crafty when it comes to finishing plays. Clearly he is a very gifted scorer, but shaft also knows how to be a floor general and run a squad, he has excellent court vision and is a gifted passer which was on full display during camp. On numerous occasions he hit teammates with passes in stride so that they could score easily as well timely lobs to teammates over the defense. Although he doesn’t have jaw dropping athleticism he makes it up for with solid frame and his outstanding IQ for the game, he knows what to play to make at what time and where his teammates need to be for things to be successful. His overall performance was very impressive and I looking forward to watching him again throughout the next year.

Zach Hobbs, Northside H.S (Jax), Class of 2017, 5’10, Guard- Zach is a natural scoring guard, he can knock down shots from the perimeter at a very high rate once he gets it going and has nice lift on his shot so shooting over opponents is not an issue for him. He knows to create enough separation from his defender with different jab moves and shot fakes as well as initiating contact when he sees the opportunity to draw a foul. Throughout the game I watched he’s seemed to have very good upper body strength and embraced contact well, he has a quick first step that allows him to get by defenders and into the paint where he finished plays at a pretty high rate. One of the things that I really lied about Zach during this game was the upper body strength and foot speed he has, he picked up his man and applied constant pressure while using his strength to make his opponent as uncomfortable as possible. Using these methods he was able to force his opponent into turnovers and bad passes, he had a very successful summer thus far and will be a major piece for his H.S squad next season.

Michael Taylor, Farmville Central H.S, Class of 2016, 6’5, Forward- Michael had a very solid showing in the games that I watched him play, he has a very long wingspan and sneaky athleticism that he used on both end of the court. Offensively he finished plays above the rim and knocked down the elbow and perimeter shot, on the defensive end he blocked and contested shots as well as rebounding the ball and getting it to the guards quickly to get his teammates into transition quickly. Although I would love to see him add a little more muscle to his frame, he was very productive for his team and is versatile enough to guard forwards as well as some guards on the perimeter. Michael is a player that seems as if you don’t have to run plays for, he gets offensive boards and put backs at a high rate so he creates his own offense, he is definitely a player that we will be keeping an eye on.

Although I was unable to attend all days of the ECI Team Camp we must give a S/O to Northside (Jax) 2016 Guard Robert Colon, according to multiple sources he put on a tremendous scoring exhibition on the third day of camp, scoring 35 Points off the bench against 2A Powerhouse Kinston H.S. Robert has been tearing it up all summer and definitely turning the heads of coaches at the division 1 level.