ARS Rescue Rooter Tampa Hoopfest: Evans' Saturday Takeaways

TAMPA – Some of the very best descended upon Tampa Berkeley Prep on Saturday in completing the star-studded ARS Rescue Rooter ARS Tampa National Hoopfest. There were plenty of fabulous performances but none better than that of Ole Miss bound’s Serrel Smith as he went off for 42 points, though David McCormack, RJ Barrett and few others left a good impression.

A slender, baby-faced, scoring savant that is one of the most improved prospects since the summer months, Serrel Smith went absolutely bonkers on Saturday against one of the best backcourts in America. Oak Hill Academy, bolstered by the talents of Kentucky, Florida and Oregon recruits, each being found within the top-70 of the Rivals150, did their best to guard Smith but his scoring acumen off of jump stops, jab steps, catch and shoots and slice and scores was as impressive of a performance that had been seen all year long.

Headed to Ole Miss in the fall, Andy Kennedy has come to value high level scoring guards that tend to fly under the radar. The St. Petersburg product fits the mold perfectly. Primarily heralded as a fringe high-major prospect entering his senior year, Smith has shown great progressions since his travel ball career finished up. On Saturday, one high-major college coach remarked that he reminded him of a young Jamal Crawford; high markings but one that was pretty accurate seeing that he scored 42 points against some of the best guards in America.

Word came out on Saturday morning that Billy Preston, a former five-star prospect and Kansas freshman, would be forgoing his college eligibility and instead head to Bosnia by signing a professional contract. This all comes at a time that the Jayhawks are facing major questions about the legitimacy of its frontcourt even with the recent early enrollment of Silvio DeSousa. On Saturday, the Jayhawks have to be more than excited that their questionable toughness and frontline depth will be no longer next year thanks to the abilities of David McCormack.

While his teammates in the backcourt were being thrashed by Serrel Smith, McCormack was doing everything that he could to dominate his area around the basket. A 6-foot-9, broad and burly center that has dropped over 40 pounds since this time last year, McCormack is a human vacuum on the glass who cleans everything within his area. He doesn’t play too often above the rim but for a Kansas unit that needs depth, a hungry warrior inside and someone that can provide for a physical presence behind its always talented and skilled guards, McCormack could not have found a better role to fill than that in Lawrence.

On a night were his future college program was celebrating the surprise commitment of five-star forward Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett was making noise in Tampa with facets of his game that were originally question marks surrounding him.

The Duke bound and top-rated senior in America has always been coveted for his scoring abilities, an example being his 37-point outing against the United States in the World Championships in June. Where the dilemma was with Barrett circulated around his ability to make others better and also defend quicker, smaller wings on the perimeter, that is unless he wanted to play the role of a small ball power forward at the higher levels. Each of those were put to bed on Saturday.

Playing the part of a facilitator and playmaker, Barrett looked more than happy to get his teammates involved, showing an unselfish nature and willingness to do the small things, something that is difficult to find in superstar talents like the Canadian sensation. Better yet, Barrett was more than capable of stepping out beyond the perimeter, moving his feet, and denying driving lanes to smaller guards. His continued evolution into a complete ball player has yet to come to a stop, a scary sight for his future opposition but another straw in the hat for Coach K, an opportunity allotted for Duke to secure a national title in the spring of 2019.

He entered last spring as a member of the Rivals150 thanks to his elite athleticism and high motored abilities. Since then, Niven Glover has stepped away from the national spotlight thanks to lingering injury issues. Those concerns are no more and during his team’s mercy winning contest on Saturday, Glover looked his best yet and his athleticism, that, too, may be at its greatest.

Glover, a 6-foot-4 wing that brings tremendous energy to both sides of the ball and can be leaned upon to guard the opposing team’s best scorer, was scintillating throughout his Oak Ridge unit’s game on Saturday. A number of power conference programs remain in contention, though no one has yet to prioritize; that is all due to change. He may be the best athlete in high school basketball, proof being his just missed between the legs dunk off of two feet that would have shut the gym down. Glover is the next man up with the mighty Oak Ridge High bunch, someone that will see his stock soar in the coming months.

A slender but unrelenting guard out of New Jersey that brings his home state’s toughness to the court each time that he hits the hardwood, it was the best we had seen Noah Farrakhan all year long. One of the sneakier athletes in high school basketball, the IMG product showed his athleticism with rim rattling dunks but one can see his pride shines the brightest on the defensive end, locking his man up over the half-court stripe and swatting away shots off of the backboard, ala LeBron James style.

A member of the Rivals75 and a top-25 guard prospect in the sophomore class, IMG took the win on Saturday and it was primarily thanks to the play of the 2020 standout. He has had issues in the past understanding the time and place to score and pass but in Florida, Farrakhan was more than comfortable setting his teammates up for open looks and scoring whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Taking home MVP honors, Farrakhan already leads a well-respected college recruitment. Providence offered last week and with a Maryland assistant coach in attendance, it would not be a surprise to see the Terps jump in soon. He tracks as one of the top lead guards in the 2020 class and on Saturday, he played the part, cementing his standing as a nationally acclaimed prospect