April grassroots winners:
It’s hard to believe that the first month of the grassroots season is already in the books, but believe it.
Thirty days, a handful of tune-ups and one live period later, a number of San Diego prospects have done what they set out to do at the start of the season - improve their stock with college coaches.
Some have done more than others. Here are a few of the “winners” in the month of April.
Justin Moore- 6-3 170 PG, Mission Bay/ San Diego All Stars 16u Pump- Moore did not play until the evaluation period at the Double Pump Hoop Fest (minor knee injury), but quickly reaffirmed why he is such a coveted prospect by such schools as San Diego State and USC. The long, lanky point guard has tremendous feel for the game, is adept at running the pick and roll, and has improved his perimeter shooting. Look for other mid and high-major schools to join the chase for Moore in coming weeks.
TJ Leaf - 6-9 210 F, Foothills Christian/ Compton Magic Elite- Despite a disappointing team performance in the first session of the Adidas Gauntlet series, Leaf increased his scholarship haul to start the week by picking up new offers from Cal, Arizona State, and Oregon. The versatile forward is one of the nation’s top sophomores, so it is no surprise to see the entire Pac-12 and other high major conferences in on him this early in the process.
Eric Monroe- 2016 6-1 160 PG, St. Augustine/ Gamepoint 17u Black-Monroe finished an impressive April with a reportedly strong performance at the Jayhawk Invitational in Kansas after breakout performances in Long Beach and in Garden Grove. As a result, he’s seen his recruiting take a leap, as now UC Irvine has expressed high interest in the bespectacled lead guard. This marks a significant step for a player who was being recruited by lower mid-major schools until this point. Monroe’s physique and athleticism are coming around, and his feel and IQ remain as high as ever, so it is no surprise that mid-major schools are taking a more serious look at Monroe.
Brady Twombly- 2015 6-6, 200 SF, La Costa Canyon/ Gamepoint 17u Red-Twombly’s improved physique jumped out at us during the final month of the high school season, and it has caught the attention of recruiters. The relentless wing was one of the standouts at the So Cal Hoop Review and continued it with a solid performance at the Adidas Gauntlet in Dallas. He has turned that into new interest from schools in the Big West, Big Sky, WAC and WCC. Expect the offers to start rolling in for Twombly from this point forward.
Travis Fuller- 2015 6-8, 200 F, La Costa Canyon/ Cal Supreme 17u Black -Fuller was one of the surprises for the EYBL team, scoring 18 points in one game in Sacramento during the first session. Fuller’s perimeter shooting and improved play on the boards have caught the eye of scouts, including Yale, which offered Fuller this week. He will likely play a larger role moving forward for the team, which may have some roster turnover after the first evaluation period.
Jaylen Hands - 2017 6-1 165 PG, Mater Dei Catholic/ Compton Magic 16u Black- Hands, the wiry and explosive lead guard prospect, has drawn rave reviews for his play with the Magic Black. San Diego State joined USC has the high-major schools to offer the freshman prospect, and many more offers are likely on the way after a solid performance at the Adidas Gauntlet.
Abdul Shanun - 2015 6-8 200 PF, TBA/ Coastal Elite 17u Premier- Shanun, who hails from Ghana, already had a big reputation on the East Coast, where he attended school his first 2 1/2 years. He cemented that reputation locally with strong performances at the So Cal Hoop Review and the Double Pump Hoop Fest, where the agile four man displayed a solid array of post moves to complement his freakish athleticism. Portland, San Diego State, Southern Utah and UC Riverside are all now monitoring Shanun, who will likely debut as the top 2015 prospect when Full-Time Hoops updates its rankings.
Other winners:
Trace Dimeff- The unsigned sharpshooter parlayed some potent three-point shooting into interest from several division 2s and a recruited walk-on offer from Montana State, which we are hearing he will take.
Kalyn Thomas- Thomas scored his first offer from NAIA St. Katherine College in Encinitas for his play with SDA’s 17u Pump.
Mikey Howell- We will see if Howell’s surprising play will result in interest, but let’s say he has definitely improved his stock on the Full-Time Hoops 2016 rankings.
Anthony Jensen- Jensen’s shooting caught the eyes of several coaches, including Air Force and Division 2 Westminster (UT).
