The Super 60 Showdown took place Saturday at Knightdale (N.C.) High and it probably had all but 10 top players in the state in attendance.
The camp had a pair of morning games, so four of the six teams played, and then there was a top 20 all-star game, which was pretty cool. Very few times you'll see some of these players on the same court at the same time. Fayetteville Trinity junior point guard Dennis Smith Jr. and Pinetown Northside junior center Edrice Adebayo were the two headliners and I talked to both. Raleigh Word of God junior point guard Jalen Harris had a big day and had his jumper working. He was probably the surprise of the event, which had at least seven ranked players in the various Rivals150. He could be poised for a breakout spring and summer with Team Wall.
Smith's dad had practice in the afternoon, so the Team Loaded NC guys left a game early, so that took away a lot of the star power. Smith, Adebayo and Fayetteville Terry Sanford junior guard/cornerback Mark Gilbert are playing together for Team Loaded. Gilbert wants to attend the Kay Yow Spring Game on April 11, but that is also big traveling team basketball weekend, plus the Rivals Camp in Charlotte is April 12. Apex High junior wing Ian Boyd is in the same boat with football and basketball options.
Adebayo picked Kentucky to win it all but Smith did not pick the Wildcats, but he didn't want to share his pick. They both tried to watch LSU/NC State and Harvard/UNC.
Columbia (S.C.) Irmo sophomore guard Devontae Shuler was in the event, but he was inconsistent. His game seems tailor-made to what NC State likes to do offensively, but he was much sharper in a fall event that Rick Lewis put on. Concord Robinson sophomore point guard Lavar Batts Jr. played against Shuler in that fall event, and he also was up and down today. He tried to challenge Dennis Smith any chance he got, which was good to see.
Reclassified sophomore point guard Blake Harris of Chapel Hill, who is a UNC legacy, showed off a pretty jump shot. I need to see him more to know if he can be recruited by upper echelon ACC teams. Wilson Greenfield School freshman shooting guard Cody White has a pretty jump shot, but he wasn't overly aggressive and you tend to have to fend for yourself in that kind of setting. But it's good to have a baseline on guys like Blake Harris and White moving forward.
One potential name to remember is Knightdale freshman Andrew Tuazama, who probably will be a Division I hoops prospect, but wow could he be something else as a tight end or defensive end in football at a listed 6-5 and 205 pounds already. He does play football for Knightdale.
The guys that didn't attend for whatever reason, include:
Wesleyan junior power forward Harry Giles and junior point guard Brandon Childress didn't attend, Greensboro Page junior guard Ty Graves probably could have gone but he missed for second straight year, and Durham Voyager junior power forward Jay Huff didn't go. Greensboro Day freshman wing Will Dillard still has his season going, and he didn't go.
High Point Wesleyan junior shooting guard Kwe Parker, Winston-Salem
Quality Education Academy power forward/center Papa Ndiaye and Raleigh
Word of God junior wing Jaylen Fornes, all did it last year, but were injured this year.
The camp had a pair of morning games, so four of the six teams played, and then there was a top 20 all-star game, which was pretty cool. Very few times you'll see some of these players on the same court at the same time. Fayetteville Trinity junior point guard Dennis Smith Jr. and Pinetown Northside junior center Edrice Adebayo were the two headliners and I talked to both. Raleigh Word of God junior point guard Jalen Harris had a big day and had his jumper working. He was probably the surprise of the event, which had at least seven ranked players in the various Rivals150. He could be poised for a breakout spring and summer with Team Wall.
Smith's dad had practice in the afternoon, so the Team Loaded NC guys left a game early, so that took away a lot of the star power. Smith, Adebayo and Fayetteville Terry Sanford junior guard/cornerback Mark Gilbert are playing together for Team Loaded. Gilbert wants to attend the Kay Yow Spring Game on April 11, but that is also big traveling team basketball weekend, plus the Rivals Camp in Charlotte is April 12. Apex High junior wing Ian Boyd is in the same boat with football and basketball options.
Adebayo picked Kentucky to win it all but Smith did not pick the Wildcats, but he didn't want to share his pick. They both tried to watch LSU/NC State and Harvard/UNC.
Columbia (S.C.) Irmo sophomore guard Devontae Shuler was in the event, but he was inconsistent. His game seems tailor-made to what NC State likes to do offensively, but he was much sharper in a fall event that Rick Lewis put on. Concord Robinson sophomore point guard Lavar Batts Jr. played against Shuler in that fall event, and he also was up and down today. He tried to challenge Dennis Smith any chance he got, which was good to see.
Reclassified sophomore point guard Blake Harris of Chapel Hill, who is a UNC legacy, showed off a pretty jump shot. I need to see him more to know if he can be recruited by upper echelon ACC teams. Wilson Greenfield School freshman shooting guard Cody White has a pretty jump shot, but he wasn't overly aggressive and you tend to have to fend for yourself in that kind of setting. But it's good to have a baseline on guys like Blake Harris and White moving forward.
One potential name to remember is Knightdale freshman Andrew Tuazama, who probably will be a Division I hoops prospect, but wow could he be something else as a tight end or defensive end in football at a listed 6-5 and 205 pounds already. He does play football for Knightdale.
The guys that didn't attend for whatever reason, include:
Wesleyan junior power forward Harry Giles and junior point guard Brandon Childress didn't attend, Greensboro Page junior guard Ty Graves probably could have gone but he missed for second straight year, and Durham Voyager junior power forward Jay Huff didn't go. Greensboro Day freshman wing Will Dillard still has his season going, and he didn't go.
High Point Wesleyan junior shooting guard Kwe Parker, Winston-Salem
Quality Education Academy power forward/center Papa Ndiaye and Raleigh
Word of God junior wing Jaylen Fornes, all did it last year, but were injured this year.
