US Elite Hoops Showcase 2014

By Marcus Shockley

I had a chance to drop by the US Elite Hoops Showcase held at Gaston Day School last week and was able to see several solid prospects and catch up with a few players who I hadn’t seen in a few months. I recommend the events organized by US Elite Hoops and be sure to follow them on twitter @USELITEHOOPS so you can keep up with their future events.

Trevor Anderson (PG, 6’1″, 2015) Gaston Day School – Anderson is one of, if not the, fastest guard end-to-end with the ball in the state of NC, comparable only to Derek McKnight, another Gaston Day guard. Anderson is a strong, high motor player; one of the first things I noticed when watching him play a couple of years ago was his ability to play through contact. At last Spring’s NC Top 80, Anderson was one of only a handful of players who seemed to go harder and faster as the games wore on, while other players started feeling fatigue. The knock on Anderson is that coaches see him as a ‘score first’ guard, but he’s dedicating himself this year to work on every aspect of the point guard position; he knows he can score but he also understands he needs to get his team involved. I see Anderson as a definite Division I level guard who is under recruited at this point; he can break the press with the dribble, shoot from deep and already has the physical strength to play the college guard position. We’ll be broadcasting Gaston Day this season as they host powerful rival Northside Christian on January 16, so be sure to tune in to watch the matchups.

Michael Baez (G/F, 6’5, 2015) Charlotte United – Baez continues to show high-octane game and has an ability to take over any game he’s in. Quite frankly, Baez should be considered one of the top natural unsigned talents in the class; He has a high, quick, deep release that is extremely hard to defend; he can bring the ball up and slash to the hoop, with an array of quick moves to finish in traffic; he likes to play way, way above the rim and is an explosive dunker. The knock on Baez in the past has been his consistency, but in this event he got into the flow quickly and didn’t let up. As I’ve said before, when he’s locked in, he will flat-out light up the opposition. Baez continues to be one of my top sleepers for his class.

Chris Price (G, 6’3″, 2015) West Mecklenburg HS – Price is a versatile player who does a lot of things coaches like; most notably, he plays defense. Had at least 5 open court steals and has good length and foot speed to guard the 2 spot effectively. He also hit over 60% of the 3 pointers he shot while I was watching his games and had multiple assists. Good size and is now back 100% from an injury that had limited his play this past summer.

Aiden Richard (PF/C, 6’11”, 2015) Gaston Day School – Richard is a true big with excellent hands, nimble feet and an array of offensive post moves. It’s become a mantra that big men at every level would be more effective if they could just develop a go-to move and a counter-move. However, Richard has far more than two moves; during today’s event, he was pretty much impossible to guard as he got off shots in a dizzying array of deft moves. He also had several open court dunks off of alley-oops from breaking guards. Will need to add strength to move his game to college, and show consistent aggressive play, but he’s made huge strides in his game over the past year and he’s another player who I think coaches should be watching during the January 16 broadcast on NetCast Sports against Northside Christian.

Isaiah Lowe (PG, 5’11”, 2015) Kennedy Charter – Lowe is a guard who completely understands the game; he knows where he is supposed to be at all times. When the ball moves around the perimeter, he knows when to slide down into the deep corner or move out; he can run the team and plays eyes-up, and has the ability to break the press with the dribble. Passes players open in the half court and can push the ball on the break. Makes great decisions with the ball. Made several smart defensive plays where his angles and footwork made the difference.

CJ Miller (SF, 6’5″, 2015) Kennedy Charter – big time athlete with a great first step and explosive finisher. While many high flyers need the open court to show off their skills, Miller is extremely effective in the half court, and he can get explosive plays whether he’s slashing with the ball or moving without it. One of the best slashers I’ve seen in the half court this year, he has the ability to get a step on his man and finish so effortlessly and above the rim it’s hard for the big man to rotate over in time to defend him without fouling. He also knows that he doesn’t have to dunk everything to get the job done, but make no mistake, he’s a rim-rocker when he gets the chance.

Lucas Johnson (SF, 6’5, 2015) Kennedy Charter – great passer from the 3 spot, good size, excellent slasher. One of those rare players who have great ability to find teammates from the small forward position while also being a danger to slash and score at any time. Can shoot from deep as well, which makes defenders have to make tough choices on how to guard him.

Jordan Ruth (G/F, 6’5″, 2016) Comenius School – Ruth is another explosive above-the-rim player who has great strength and size for the wing spot. One thing I’ve liked about his game is he makes an impact all over the floor from the moment he steps into the game, whether it’s grabbing loose balls or finding open teammates with the pass. Definitely a versatile player who just ‘gets’ team basketball in a way that makes his team better. He can score, he can dunk, but he always looks for the best play for his team over his own highlight film. And the best part is, he gets his highlights anyway.

Cameron Holmes (G, 6’3″, 2016) Nations Ford HS – Excellent passer in the transition game; always seemed to make the right pass or play at full speed. Long guard who has good bounce and some upside. Quick first step and poise, definitely a player who looks like he could make big strides this year during the high school season.

Alex Van Dyke (SF/PF, 6’8″, 2015) Union Grove HS (WI) – Van Dyke has a great build and plays way above the rim – plays high school ball in Wisconsin but is looking to go to school in North Carolina. I love Van Dyke’s natural ability and his fluid game. He already has the look of a college small forward and has excellent size and athleticism. An inspiring person who was diagnosed with childhood cancer (leukemia acute lymphocytic), he beat the disease and made a full recovery and is now looking to make his mark on the court. I think the upside on Van Dyke is tremendous. Right now he is still working on being more proactive as opposed to reactionary, but there is so much natural ability to his game I can’t wait to see his progression. I’d really want to see him become really aggressive with the slash or shot when playing against bigger defenders because of his quickness and athleticism. I think he could be a real match up nightmare at the 3 in time. Definitely a player I want to see multiple times.

Ryder Mansfield (PF/C, 6’7″, 2015) Charlotte United – A hard working post player who doesn’t shy away from contact and showed a couple of nifty post moves. Good hands, seals in the post and defends. Runs the floor and makes himself a target for the guards, and boxes out for the rebound every time. Doesn’t get knocked off the blocks easily.

Josh Nork (G, 6′, 2016) York Prep – Hard nosed player with a high motor; good at finding space in transition and making himself a target. Had to play off of the ball due to the abundance of guards in the game but even slid down to the 3 when needed. Moves well without the ball and another solid player who understands how to play in the team concept.

Trevonte Diggs (G, 6’3″, 2015) Charlotte United – Diggs is a player I meant to add to my report from the CIBL fall league, and in this event I quickly remembered why. A high flying guard with great strength who can play with anybody in the state, Diggs gets the job done by moving without the ball, slashing with the dribble and can bring down the house with posterizing dunks when he gets a step on the defender. Plays above the rim and another under recruited player who should be getting looks; definitely has college athleticism but has a well rounded game on both ends. Really like how he plays off of the ball – so many guards need to have the ball in their hands to make something happen, but Diggs is a player who can make his impact even when cutting or setting picks.

Keeshon Phillips (PG, 5’9″, 2017) East Mecklenburg HS – A deft ballhandler with some flash, Phillips can work over a defense with the dribble or the pass. A crafty, elusive guard who rarely turns the ball over and has a rock solid handle.

Jonathon Paramoure (G, 5’10”, 2015) Charlotte United Christian Academy – Paramoure is a player who can scorch the deep shot and should be considered a combo guard at this point. He has good strength and speed and can create his own shot, whether with the dribble or moving without the ball.

Marcus Shockley is a member of the US Basketball Writers Association and scouts high school, college and pro players for multiple outlets. You can get latest scouting notes by following him on Twitter @M_Shockley

The inaugural NC Top 80 was held on March 29, 2014 in Greensboro, NC and I wasn’t able to fully scout the event due to the fact that we were broadcasting six of the games live on NetCast Sports Network, but I still had quite a few notes and I’m putting up them here broken out by each game to try and make it as easy to review as possible. Today I’m posting my notes from Game Six. Note: This is the second game of the day for both teams that we broadcast, so my notes on those players are the same as previously published.

Full Event Roster

The second game we broadcast on the day was Team 2 vs. Team 7, with the following rosters:

Team 2
# Name Class Height School
12 Justice Kithcart 2016 6’1″ Hillside HS
13 Spencer Wilson 2015 6’1″ Bishop McGuiness
14 Michael Okauru 2017 6’1″ Ravenscroft
27 Charles Norman 2016 6’2″ Prominence
37 Todd Smith 2017 6’3″ Flora McDonald
38 Chazz Surratt 2017 6’3″ East Lincoln HS
47 Ronshad Shabazz 2015 6’4″ Knightdale HS
53 CJ Bryce 2015 6’5″ N. Mecklenburg HS
65 Simeon Carter 2015 6’7″ West Charlotte HS
66 Xavier Hill-Mais 2015 6’7″ Page HS
80 Ebuka Izunda 2016 6’10” Victory Christian


Team 7
# Name Class Height School
2 Trevor Anderson 2015 5’11” Gaston Day
4 Chris Clemons 2015 5’9″ Millbrook HS
22 Jalen Burnett 2015 6’1″ S. Alamance
29 Quintin Jackson, Jr. 2016 6’2″ Word of God
43 Isaiah Vinson 2015 6’3″ South View HS
44 Trevor Willis 2016 6’3″ East Carteret
51 Jaylen Stowe 2015 6’4″ Hickory Ridge
62 Kishawn Pritchett 2015 6’6″ Lake Norman
63 David Reynolds 2015 6’6″ Ravenscroft
72 Luke Maye 2015 6’8″ Hough
76 Iran Bennett 2016 6’9″ Bull City Prep

Spencer Wilson (PG, 6’1, 2015) crafty left-handed point guard who has a smooth release on his deep jumper. Beats players off of the dribble and effective floor general.

Justice Cithkart (G, 6’1, 2016) a guard who showed an active, athletic game all day. Has an ability to get buckets in transition and an effective slasher in the halfcourt. Really solid looking prospect.

Charles Norman (G, 6’2″, 2016) Athletic guard with excellent awareness and aggressive with the ball. Looks to push it inside and beat the defender before they can react.

Chazz Surratt (G, 6’3″, 2016) Pushes the ball constantly and is a high motor player. One of the guys who kept looking stronger as the day progressed, and other players tired. Active on both ends, strong physically.

Ronshad Shabazz (G, 6’4″, 2015) Excellent size as a guard and versatile, today playing at both the 2 and the 3 spot. Can create his own shot.

Simeon Carter (F, 6’7″, 2015) Good length and size, raw athlete who will continue to improve as he polishes his skill set. Was active on both the defensive end and cleaning up on the offensive end.

Ebuka Izunda (C, 6’10″, 2016) Excellent big man prospect with good athleticim, good rebounding timing and can play in the post on offense. Has some upside and definitely worth being on colleges’ radar.

Trevor Anderson (G, 5’11″, 2015) has good quickness and a solid physique. Ability to beat his man off of the dribble and is not afraid of contact in the paint. Can run the team but more scorer at this point. Excellent conditioning, was one of the players who looked stronger in the last game than the first; as other players tired, he was one of the few who were able to take advantage of better conditioning.

Chris Clemons (G, 5’9″, 2015) Clemons is an explosive player who will surprise teams by being able to dunk in traffic; however he has the ability to shoot from outside to keep his defender from playing him too loosely. Quick and can finish with contact. Combo guard.

David Reynolds (SF/PF, 6’6″, 2015) Reynolds had one of the more impressive overall days; it seemed at times as though he was on both ends of every play. Agile inside but plays facing the basket and is a 3/4 type player. Hit some outside shots and ran the break to be open for the guards when they were pushing the ball.

Luke Maye (PF, 6’8″, 2015) Maye’s calling card is an elite shot release; high and quick, giving him a sliver of daylight is still too much. On the break, he uses his release to finish at full speed before the defender can get to the shot. In the post, he absorbs contact and drills the mid range. Good rebounding timing.

Iran Bennett (C, 6’9″, 2016) True post player, a space-eater who can dunk on the move. Excellent hands and good footwork. A true back-to-the-basket big man who was a major matchup problem for the other centers.

Want to watch all of the game replays from the NC Top 80? Check them out on NetCast Sports

Marcus Shockley scouts high school basketball in the southeast and nationally. Want the latest scouting insight? Follow Marcus on Twitter, right now.