Adidas Gauntlet: Williamson, Weatherspoon shine

The second recruiting period came to a close on Sunday afternoon, but not before we saw two more standout performers on the final day of the second stop of the Adidas Gauntlet.

There is still a lot of time for 2018 prospects nationally to make their case to move up in the rankings, but nobody in that class did more to improve his stock this weekend in Atlanta than Zion Williamson, a 6-foot-6 forward from Game Elite.

Through four games this weekend, he averaged 23.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. Through eight games in the adidas Gauntlet series, his field goal percentage is just under 75 percent. Needless to say, he’s been very productive and proving himself to be an elite player in the 2018 class. A big part of the reason Williamson's field goal percentage is so high is simply because many of his shots are dunks or finishes around the rim, which he does so well with his big, strong frame at 6-foot-6 and his impressive athleticism.

Recruiting has started to take off for the four-star prospect lately. Texas A&M, N.C. State and LSU offered this weekend. Clemson, Florida, Georgia and Tulane had already offered before the weekend along with interest from Kentucky, North Carolina and Stanford. For now, he’s just taking the process in stride.

“I don’t have any favorites right now,” said Williamson, who is still just 15 years old. “I’m just a sophomore, so I’m not trying to rush this thing.”

Another prospect that really brought it this weekend was Nick Weatherspoon, a four-star point guard from MBA Hoops out of Mississippi. The younger brother of Mississippi State guard Quinndary Weatherspoon averaged 25.8 points per game along with 4.8 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game this weekend, including a 32-point outburst against Wisconsin Playground Warriors on Saturday afternoon.

The 6-foot-1 lead guard possesses elite athleticism for a point guard as he’s both ridiculously fast with the ball in his hands and also very quick and shifty with the ball. He’s certainly wired to score as shown by his stat line, but he’s a very willing and capable passer as well. Perhaps his best quality is his ability to hit contested jump shots. For example, in a tight game on Sunday afternoon, Weatherspoon hit a contested fade away three-point from the corner just a couple feet from where North Carolina head coach Roy Williams was seated.

Speaking of the Tar Heels, they are now involved in Weatherspoon’s recruitment after this weekend.

“I talked to them yesterday,” Weatherspoon said. “They said they like how I play and they are going to keep watching me.”

Weatherspoon said Alabama, Iowa State, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Ohio State are the main schools involved with him right now and N.C. State is one of his most recent offers. Mississippi State will be one of his five official visits in the fall.

“I know for a fact Mississippi State will get an official visit. I love Coach [Ben] Howland. He lets his guards go. He coached Russell Westbrook who is one of the best guards in the league. I actually talked to him and he said Coach Howland really developed him.”

Darius Perry plays the point guard position well, but he’s also a very talented scorer. He had a very good Sunday afternoon game against Team Loaded NC, and capped it off with an emphatic dunk down the lane. He later added offers from Miami and Memphis.

Elias Harden put together an impressive weekend for Game Elite as well. The 6-foot-6 seemed to be automatic with his jumper all weekend. He received offers from Maryland and Texas A&M this weekend.

Brian Thomas isn’t a finished product offensively yet, but he’s an anchor in the middle of the defense. The 6-foot-8 center blocked eight shots and reeled in nine rebounds on Sunday morning, which led to an offer from Mississippi State.

Baltimore Elite is still undefeated on the Adidas circuit, and 2017 guard Jamir Moultrie’s play has been a big part of it. At 6-foot-2, he’s a sniper from three-point range and capable of playing either guard spot. Buzz Williams rewarded him with an offer after his weekend.

Kiyon Boyd, a 6-foot-5 wing in the 2018 class, is going to be fun to watch over the next couple years. He’s an explosive athlete that brought the house down with one of the better dunks of the weekend in a win over MBA Hoops.

Kenneth Nwuba is still raw as a post prospect, but he knows his role on the court. He’s a presence in the paint on the boards and protecting the rim. He’ll show flashes on offense, but still has plenty of room to grow.