Scouting Notes: Big Shots Winston Salem 2015

Big Shots AAU scouting

Due to some last minuted scheduling conflicts (hey, life happens) I was only able to attend the final day of the Big Shots Winston-Salem AAU basketball tournament. Fortunately, as many of you who follow AAU know, the last day is Championship Day! So I still had a chance to catch several players in action, some of whom I’d seen previously and others I was watching for the first time.

On the day, I was impressed with FCF Ballers, who took the 17U title, as they showed excellent ball movement and a lot of athleticism on the wings. They defeated NC Spartans East in the semifinal and then Jeremy Harris and TTC Elite in the title game. I would suggest that college coaches looking for some athletic wings take a look at FCF.

Although my notes are far more limited than I’d hoped, here’s what I was able to jot down:

Joey Baker (G/F, 6’6″, 2019) Trinity Christian/Team Felton – has great size for the wing and squares up well for his shot, great high release and a really solid looking prospect all around. Makes good decisions in transition, passing and shot selection. Excellent free throw shooter. Definitely a Divison I prospect and has early interest from Ohio State, Wake Forest, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Notre Dame. Won the MVP of his team’s age bracket as they took home the title. I don’t say this lightly, Baker has a very high ceiling.

Skyler Mgee (G/F, 6’4, ’15) Ledford HS/NC Spartans East – great square up on shot, strong bodied wing. Holds offer from Pfeiffer, others. Has good awareness and strength and I really like his overall poise.

Montreal Jackson (F, 6’5, ’16) Nova Elite – Athletic wing, solid in transition, unselfish, plays hard, nice 3 strong, high IQ player.

Dondrea Tillman (SF, 6’5, ’16) Nova Elite- can shoot the 3, change directions with dribble, good rebounder, tough player quick with excellent second bounce.

Greg Gantt (F, 6’5, ’19) Team Felton – good length and slashing ability as true wing with collegiate size already. Good passer as well.

Savonte Chappell (PF, 6’4, ’16) Prince George HS (VA)/FCF Ballers great hands, strength in post. Undersized in the post but makes an impact with sound play. Interest from Va State, Va Wesleyan, others.

Kameron Wall (WF, 6’3, ’16) NC Spartans West Terrific catch and shoot from 3 player, high motor, good rebounder, defender

Jerick Haynes(G, ’15) Crest HS/Cherokee Flight bucket producer, strong guard who has physical approach that will translate to college game. Broke David Thompson’s scoring record in high school and stays with his game even under pressure.

Jaquan McCauley (F, 6’5, ’15) New Hope/TTC Elite – power face-the-basket finisher in the lane and always has been. Poured in 34 points in an OT win today against Cherokee Elite. McCauley is a guy I’ve mentioned before and I think colleges may be concerned about his size as a post player; however, he’s strong, plays through contact, and is one of those guys who seems to get stronger as the game progresses. Definitely the kind of player that colleges should be actively looking at because he adds depth at two spots – small forward and power forward. He’s more effective at the small forward spot but his strength and ability to face the basket make him a tougher matchup at the power forward spot.

Bryan Lennox (G, ’15) Cosby HS/FCF Ballers – showed a deep shot today and active length defender on perimeter. Unsigned senior.

Deonte Jones (SG, ’16) Hopewell HS/FCF Ballers – slashing scoring wing with quick defensive hands. Buckets in transition a given.

Corey Hill (PG, ’16) FCF Ballers – quick point guard – deadly going to his right, slashes, scores, kicks to teammates. Before you dismiss my ‘going to his right’ comment, I want to elaborate on why I mention that. Although he will need to continue to work on his off hand, he is extremely strong going to his dominant hand- not just with the dribble, but with the jab step, crossover, in and out, and dribble drive. He’s already a very quick, very effective guard; as he continues to add abilities with his off hand, he will be an extremely effective guard at the college level.

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