Sunday games for the Spring Preview hosted by University Sports was just as strong and exciting as Saturday. Here are our notes.
Miller Kopp Impresses
2018 Miller Kopp for Houston Defenders 17U was efficient on the floor on Sunday. Against New York Lightning, Kopp was key in the Defender's comeback win and also in the close win against Urban DFW. His ability to score off the dribble, knock down threes with a hand in his face and play above the rim was one of the most complete games I have seen from Kopp. Kopp is primed for a big Spring/Summer and his stock will rise greatly if he continues to play like this.
Sleeping Giant
6'11-7ft Souleymane Doumbia for Basketball Univ. is not talked about much but he is one of those players that takes pride in points made inside. Defensively he is active, blocking dunk and layup attempts and offensively he shows promise as he was scoring via jump hooks and has a solid jumper from 12-15 ft. but can still use some work. Doumbia in my opinion is the top big man in 2018 in Texas.
2021 Langston Love Plays Big in 15U
2021 Langston Love was impressive for Hardwork's 15U. The attacking guard excelled in transition and his pull-up midrange jumper continues to look good but can still improve his shot on the perimeter. Love strength allows him to get in the lane and he has a quick first step that allows him to get a half-to whole step ahead of the defender.
Big Men Category
John Shanu, 2020 C Basketball Univ: Shanu stands at about 6'7 and this is his first year playing basketball but he still is effective on the court blocking shots, rebounding and putbacks. His coordination and footwork still needs work but Shanu made plays that helped his team and by the end of this season, we will be seeing a different player.
Eddie Lampkin, 2020 C Houston Defenders: Lampkin has lost weight and is moving better. At 6'8 and I would guess close to 260 lbs plus, Lampkin's improved conditioning allows him to be able to seal the defender inside longer and he has shown the ability to score with either hand. Lampkin is a handful inside, and still needs to lose a little more weight but the improvement conditioning and skill wise is what I'm looking for at the end of the day.
Aidan Igiehon, C 2019 New York Lightning: Igiehon is a physical presence inside as the 6'10 big man will try to dunk everything if he is close to the rim, regardless of how many defenders are on him. He has a great frame and defensively he gets opposing post off the block and make them operate outside of their comfort zone. Igiehon had a couple travel calls and sometimes seems to be in a rush to make a move but Igiehon is a problem and he showed that all weekend.
Jeremiah Soyebo, C 2019 RL9: Soyebo stands at about 6'7-6'8 and he does a good job using his length to block shots and rebound. He has a decent frame and he runs the floor well which allows him to score off of rim runs and putbacks. Soyebo will need to work on his touch inside especially in contact but he impressed me on Sunday.
Guard Play
Braelon Bush, 2020 PG Houston Defenders: Bush is small but he is exciting to watch. Bush is so fast with the ball and he does a solid job scoring when he gets inside on drives. He also shoots the ball well and in transition he has good vision finding the runners, Bush will need to work on moving better without the ball but that will come better in time.
Posh Alexander, 2020 PG New York Lightning: Posh on Saturday showed what he can do on flashes but didn't put it all together in a game but against Basketball Univ. he did just that. I like scrappy he is on defense and when he is playing with confidence he is finishing inside, making jumpers, and creating shots for his teammates.
Chris Harris, 2020 PG Basketball Univ: I like how Harris can control the tempo of the game. He is a solid scorer but he handled pressure and got his team in their sets. I didn't see him force the issue much when looking to score and him and Bakari Lastrap are nice floor generals for Basketball U.
Javon Jackson 2021 PG RL9: Jackson was playing up in the 16U division and he is a solid passer and scorer. He has a good frame and a solid IQ for the game. Jackson scores in bunches and is a key piece for that RL9 squad.
Jalyn Posey 2020 PG Hardwork: Posey has gotten stronger and that improved strength has allowed him to handle heavy on-ball pressure and finish better inside. Posey jumper is still streaky but he still looked good playing out there.
Forwards
Justin Nimmer, 2018 F Urban DFW: Nimmer is a versatile forward that can score from inside and out. He is a good ball handler in transition and he is first looking to attack to the rim. His jumper mainly from the corner was hit at a high rate especially off the catch. Nimmer can continue to get stronger physically but his length and athleticism is a problem.
Greg Brown, 2020 SF Basketball Univ: Brown's athleticism is a site to see. His jumping abilities in traffic is very impressive. Not many freshman can finish above the rim straight off vert or in traffic like he can. Once he gets stronger physically he'll be even more of an issue to go with his good ballhandling and scoring abilities because he'll be able to take contact in drives better and go straight to the rim.
Gods Gift, 2020 F Hardwork: Last time I saw Gods Gift (GG for Short) he was mainly an post player that had some range on his jumper. Now the 6'5 forward is playing on the perimeter more and scoring better off of drives. He sometimes gets out of control with the ball but most times he looked comfortable and has good balance after he goes up from a pro-hop.
Quinn Slazinski, 2019 F Houston Defenders: Slazinski showcased his smooth jumper and he did a good job scoring on runners and floaters. Defensively I like how he communicates and moves to the right spot on help-side. He is a solid scorer off the dribble but still will need to work on handling pressure. Regardless, Quinn showed why he is one of the top players in his class
Carried on From Saturday
Kennedy Milton, 2018 PG Urban DFW: Milton was getting frustrated in his first game but later on against the Defenders, he came alive and was crucial in the run they made to tie the game. Milton when focused is a handful on both ends and I like that he kept playing when the score wasn't looking good on Urban's end early.
Malachi De Sousa, 2018 SF New York Lightning: De Sousa impresses me with his in and out game. He has a good frame and he is in the right positions going for offensive rebounds. He plays with a high motor that allows him to create second and third chance opportunities. His jumper looked good on Sunday as well, hitting threes when teams went zone.
Other Notables
Nathan Clover, 2020 PF Houston Defenders
Cam Clardy, 2020 G Houston Defenders
PJ Byrd, 2018 G Houston Defenders
Feron Hunt, 2018 F Urban DFW
Kaden Archie, 2018 G Urban DFW
Darius Miles, 2020 C Urban DFW
Michael Jefferson, 2020 F Hardork
Braelon Seals, 2020 G Hardwork
Zachary Iyeyemi, 2019 PF Rockstarz
Charles Smith IV, 2019 G Basketball Univ.
LJ Cryer, 2020 G Basketball Univ. (Played 17u on Sunday)
Jared Rhoden, 2018 G New York Lightning
