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| Darious Brazley, Jyare Davis, Zion Harmon, Sonny Johnson & Sarmaritine Bogues |
Judging
from the number of elite players who made the trek to Columbus to participate
in the 2015 Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase, as well as the numerous scouting
services in the building to document the action, the annual evert was a
complete success! Not only were there some of the traditionally big name kids
present and accounted for, but there were some hidden gems unearthed during the
2-day event as well. In terms of breakout performances, no one made more of the
opportunity to impress than Jyare Davis
(6’5/WF/Delaware/2020). Although Davis
was a standout with his Rip City squad this past season, no one knew just how
explosive Davis could be. Davis plays
with a high motor, both on offense and defense, and when he’s not protecting
rim, he’s trying to tear in down on offensive. Based on his current size, skill
set and athleticism, Davis projects well as a division I athlete. If Davis was #1, Jordan Toles was #1A. Toles had another spectacular weekend and did
nothing to hurt his considerable reputation as one of the top handful of
players in his class in the country.
Relentless to the cup with a developing midrange game best describes
Toles at this stage in his development.
Also
making quite a name for himself this past weekend was another Philly product in
Jamil Riggens (6’6/WF/Philly/2019). Like Davis, Riggens plays hard, is a jumping
jack and has good size for his position already. Look for both players to make a steady climb
up the rankings going forward. Talk
about under the radar guys; who knew Darious
Brazley (6’7/PF/Cincinnati/2018) was such a stud. In terms of the high
school division, the long and lankly Brazley was hands down the top player in
the division. Defensively he was a
problem, but his ability to handle the rock for his size was notable. He’s
still young, but Brazley needs to be on somebody’s recruiting board!
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| J. Toles, A. Davis, M. Cottingham, K. Martin, C. Rankin, C. Livingston, S. Wilson & P. McMillian |
The
battle for the top spot in the 7th grade division involved a rematch
which started at the Basketball Spotlight Camp last week, when the consensus #1
ranked player in the nation, Zion Harmon
went head-to-head with the newcomer Ryan
Conway. As was the case in southern
Maryland, Harmon and Conway traded jump shots and layups as each attempted to
stake claim to the top spot. By most accounts, Harmon gets the nod in the
Columbus, Ohio battle. Both guys are
tenacious, can shoot the rock and can get to the rack at will. Conway is the
bigger, stronger and more athletic of the two, while Harmon’s skill, IQ,
maturity and experience gives him the edge.
Both were exciting to watch and should have a bright future with
continued hard work and development.
Arguably
the top two 6th grade PGs in Ohio were at the showcase and both
players held serve. Sonny Johnson Jr.
and Paul McMillian IV both had
outstanding weekends and more than justified national recognition. Johnson is more dynamic, crafty with a more
advanced handle and a desire to find open teammates, while McMillian is bigger,
stronger and faster from baseline to baseline than anybody we’ve seen in the
class. Both lead guards can shoot it from deep and
are excellent playmakers. In terms of
their ability to score in the paint, McMillian powers his way to the cup,
whereas Johnson usually tricks his defenders then drives by them. Although we did not see them matchup this
past weekend, we’re giving Johnson the nod as the top guy “for this weekend.” For the second consecutive year, Baltimore’s Samaritine Bogues (PG/2023) made the
trip to Columbus and hauled away his fair share of hardware and ink. Already known nationally, the super slick
floor general continues to get the job done.
For his efforts, number 1 baby!
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| D. Scott, D. Holloway, J. Hairston, D. Henry, C. Byers, C. Furst, N. Peeoples & M. Johnson |
There
was far too much talent in the gym to document in 1 article, but many of the
scouting services in attendance will further break down the standouts. Below is a link to the final showcase
rankings. For the most part, those
players ranked highly by their showcase coach were listed, including
performance in the Sunday all-star games.
While there were some standout performances in the NYBL all-star games
on Saturday, our rankings are based on showcase performances only. Look for additional reports coming soon.
LOL. You must have wanted me to post about the Head to Head with Paul and Sonny. Well, I sat with Sonny Johnson Sr and others and watched the matchup. Paul dominated! Paul had 21pts and 6ast while holding Sonny to 3pts and 3ast. (Guarded him the entire game!)Usually I dont do this, but lets give credit where credit is do! I have game film also! This is Paul McMillan (the father)
ReplyDeleteBest player in 6th grade Paul McMillan hand down
DeleteI saw this match up as well!! Mcmillian dominated Johnson in all aspects of the game!
ReplyDeleteIf you post a comment, put a mame on it!
ReplyDeletetake your own advice
DeleteMcMillan kid was the best player I saw in his class. I watched a lot of games. He will do big things! He has a good frame, fast, strong, and an extremely intelligent calm player. He seems older but i heard he is not a reclass. I saw the head to head. I don't like all this talk about the kids and who's better, but when you rank children & publically call out who is #1, 2, 3 etc... it opens the door for public opinion about how the kids were ranked. Head to head Mcmillan got the best of the #1 ranked player. Thats it! If the kids can look at public rankings and brag about being #1 they should be prepared by their gardians to be the subject of "negative" comments ABOUT BASKETBALL when they don't perform up to the hype. MCMILLAN WON THIS ONE HANDS DOWN PERIOD. It's okay. Everybody just keep working
DeleteSome of these kids they got ranked so high, I bet struggle in REAL GAME situations! I seen a ton of bad shots, bad decision making etc. Not saying any names, but how can you be blown away by a kid who is jacking shots, and missing way more than they make?? Like, are watching the same game???
ReplyDeleteThese rankings are laughable and based upon names that are already out here, or who you know
ReplyDelete^^^ You have to be a salty dad of one of the kids who probably was told not to pass the ball .. So many kids failed to play team ball and kids where in fear of not touching the ball once the pass it .. if you taught your kids fundamentals the real players wouldnt have to jack anything ,, it was sad to see talent dropping dimes that couldnt get the same in return because the kids where told by parents not to pass the ball because that was the only way their kid would even get noticed its not all about scoring points ,, its other categories on the stat sheet learn them ,,, bottom line train your kids properly
ReplyDeleteVery true! The right way to play is not rewarded nor being a non-reclassified great player! The system is tainted.
Deletethere were a lot of kids that did not stand out because other kids have no idea how to play BASKETBALL!! It was just a free for all! I did see some players playing the RIGHT way, but for the most part, 1 on 5!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more!! The pre game announcements said they will be looking at attitude,sportsmanship,defense,Offense etc. all I witnessed was ball hogs trying to show boat. My son isn't a top level player however he has great basketball IQ and clearly didn't showcase himself very well. With that being said he enjoyed playing against the top athletes. Tournament was well organized.
DeleteI am the parent of a kid that made the top 10 in one of these rankings.. I can say this, I was not there this weekend but my son has been taught from a early age how to play the game the right way.. I was absolutely caught off guard and happy to see him be in the top 10...He had no name coming into this camp and he played well enough to open eyes, i thank you guys for giving him the chance, and looking past the Big names to give him a honest shot..He also was lucky enough to get invited to CP3NMSC and played very well and played the right way and was not looked at twice, while the ones who simply shot, shot, shot were rewarded.. Therefore without being able to witness this event due to work , i can say you gave a hardworking age appropriate kid a great chance and I thank you guys for it.
ReplyDeleteI also saw the McMillan-Sonny Johnson matchup on Sunday morning. McMillan dominated the matchup. I thought Chris Livingston should have been the #1 player in 6th grade..........with McMillan and Johnson right behind him. All 3 of them are fantastic players with bright futures. There is a clear divide between the top 5 players in this division and the next 5 IMO. I don't have a dog in the fight in this discussion either. My son played in this division and was ranked further along down the list......where he belongs. I thought the event was well run. Numerous people complain about their son not getting enough touches. The ball will always find the most talented players at showcases like these.
ReplyDeleteI'm the parent of a child (2021) that was ranked late 20s which was probably deserving. He didn't make any of the All Star teams but I was happy with his play, however, two kids from our Team (Oklahoma) played in the top 20 All Star, with another playing in the top 40. What's baffling is of the two kids that made the All Star, one was way more dominate on all ends of the ball and had at least three 20+ performances and was ranked early 20s while the other kid who was good, not great, but could handle the ball and played well ranked top 10. What process was used to come up with these rankings? I didn't see may stats being taken but I know what I saw of the kids on our team and someone got it backwards when it came to these two kids. While the whole team started off being selfish they did try to come together in the end mainly due to the kid that dominated pepping up his teammates on more than one occasion. Honestly I got to see a lot of good play this weekend some from well known kids and some from kids that were not as known, but you could clearly see the bias with some of the kids when it came to the coaches. 2021 Meechie was never taken out of the game for his team until parents complained to showcase reps and they literally had to come and do the table just to ensure that the other kids were subbed in. The ridiculous part is that the coach said he didn't know he was suppose to sub the kids every four minutes, however, he didn't sub on two occasions until the seven minute mark of each half which was absolutely ludicrous. While I believe the showcase was a great success and I believe that the folks who put it together were organized and tried to be objective to the most extent practical, POLITICS will always come into play during events of this nature.
ReplyDeletekid ranked #6 for 2021 cannot be right based on my observations of his play this weekend including the all star game
ReplyDeleteJust curious as all the kids on this list how did u single out this one kid...How would you when know who this one kid is. The kid came in with no rep no one knows him so that i find curious. I would not know any of these kids but the top kids that are national news..Then again iam in this for the long haul..kid just turned 13 is a great kid and student and will be a player in high school and beyond when it counts .
DeleteIn terms of the criteria, much like the all-star selection process, the decisions are "coach driven" as opposed to "director/media driven." In most cases, players ranked 1st on their team received a higher ranking. In some cases, a "Top 5 Award winner" may have received a higher ranking regardless of how the coach ranked the player. When you have so many kids, we have to count on what the coaches see since they see all of the games and are in the best position to evaluate players. Like with most anything else, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Also, there are different perspectives of talent, style of play, etc. No system is perfect and neither is ours. Were some coaches better than others at the event; absolutely! A ranking within 10 15 spots is not that big a deal. If someone other than a parent says your child was among the best at a loaded event, which should be recognition enough, not worrying about a #15 vs #25 ranking.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, people often see what they want to see. I'm not going to change anybody's mind or perspective on life, but I did want to explain our process. Tough decisions have to be made, sometime between players with equal talent. I would suggest parents use the results, both positive and negative, as motivation for their child to continue to work hard. When my sons came through the system, we attended A LOT of events like this all over the country and when they failed to achieve their goals, I never blamed the coach, director, event, the court, the rim, the ball, etc; we simply got back in the gym and continued to work hard. I also never got on a website and called out players and coaches; we worked hard and both sons were blessed with free education. That’s all I’m going to say about the matter. If the name calling continues and negative posts continue, I will simply disable the ability to post comments. We are positive and uplifting here!
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ReplyDeleteThat Amari Davis Kid Was Outstanding One Of The Best In 2019
ReplyDeleteMy son played for oaklahoma and their were 3 kids in there that were so selfish it wasn't funny, it got so bad that no one wanted to even take the ball in bounds, the sad thing is that they are pretty good players but tried to do way to much and shot every time they could get it toward the rim, my son some how still made the top 40 allstar game and I was proud of him for that, but at the same time if given the ball as much, he would've had a good chance at top 20. I just felt like that selfish play was rewarded. I understand that it is a showcase but at the same time I believe good players can get theirs without forcing it up every time they touch it.
ReplyDeleteSometimes it's not the players it's the parents that make this bad for the kids. Who cares where anyone is "ranked" it doesn't matter at this level. When you look at the big picture what does #1 get you in 6th grade? You keep working and grinding to get better! We all want what's best for our kids but some parents goto the extreme. I hope down the road these parents can get it togehter because it might be them who lose their kid an opportunity. Buckeye Prep is a great event. It allows kids from all over and play some ball. Let's all breathe and relax people!
ReplyDeleteRankings at the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade MATTER!!! Years ago they didnt.... they now do. Example: these days college coaches know the names of middle school kids. In fact some receive offers prior to 9th grade. Check the Top 100 in 3 years, I guarantee you will see most of the same kids that we are talking about now. Basketball is a sport that we have fun, and is based on debate. If we can't debate, why rank kids or what direction is our sport headed in??? Rather its LeBron or Jordan, Zion or Seth, Shaq or Hakeem, or Paul or Sonny, its all fun and a huge part of the game. As long as no one PERSONALLY attacks these kids, then its all apart of it. No need for people to relax, its apart of the game.
DeleteAmen!
ReplyDeleteRankings at middle school level is a cottage industry driven by regional interests and motivations. College scholarships are not offered after 8th grade except for the elite of the elite. Most college rosters have an average height of well over 6 feet (see Ohio State's), so genetics will come into play - don't be fooled by middle school rankings of a bunch of kids with fathers and uncles at 5'9 - 5'10. The goal is to be ranked by ESPN, Rivals, etc. - for any kid in middle school who works on their game, there is still time for that.
ReplyDeleteOverall I think the showcase was great. Politics are involved with all showcases. I saw kids that are ranked and they were good, but I didn't see what all the hype was about in some of the cases. It's the media outlets that go overboard on the same kids instead of also looking for new fresh faces. Perhaps the folks that put the showcase on would consider giving the kids something to play as a team for. In most showcases there are playoffs that serve as incentives for kids to play as a team. You are going to have a few that still shoot, shoot, and shoot, but they may be more likely to come together when it counts to win a championship. I'm just saying!
ReplyDeleteAnytime our youth can come together without any violence, it is a reason to rejoice.. Lets face facts, in life, everyone will never agree on what is fair and what is not fair. What made me happy was I saw smiles on alot of these young mens faces and on and off the court..Let us continue to build character in our young men so that they may be at their best... We have to remember, for some of them, this is still a learning process.. Not just basketball ball, but life's ups and downs...Sports brings our children together, mistakes will be made, some will get looked over, some will shine more than others... sometimes life's ups n downs builds character, and makes them stronger...Parents, dont let these events and rankings define who your child will be.. If they fall short, be there to pick them up and ENCOURAGE them. As they grow older, this will prepare them for the harder stages of basketball to come. God Bless all these wonderful young men.
ReplyDeleteWish I could agree with the "coaches evaluation system" of choosing players to be ranked. The final ranking in the lower grades got kids who weren't even there that weekend. How do you justify that? High school rankings was an absolute joke. I realize the games are subjective but I honestly don't know what the heck you all were looking at during that final game. The final high school rankings have kids who didn't even play in the final game. The system needs to be reevaluated. Overall it was a nice weekend for the kids
ReplyDeleteWhat ever happened to the specific team awards? Like hustle and defense?
ReplyDelete