Atlanta: Hudson puts on a show
ATLANTA -- For the third straight day, Rivals.com took in
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action at two different events in the metro Atlanta area. We started the day at
the Battle of the Best presented by My Lineage of Champions where a four-star
prospect showed out and finished the day back at the Elite 32 where there were
several standout performances.
NO STOPPING THE STAMPEDE
In one of the more impressive performances of the day, the Southern Stampede put
a thumping on the Tennessee Chosen Few. The Stampede, coached by Pat Harper, ran
their offensive sets flawlessly from start to finish, scoring 50 in the first
half coming just short of 100 for the game.
A huge chunk of the Stampede's scoring came from their starting backcourt,
Virginia Tech eyeing him along with assistants from several other high-majors, led the
way with 30 points. More importantly for Hudson, he proved to the coaches in
attendance he could knock down shots from 3-point range. If he can continue to
make those shots and combine that with his ability to attack the rim with his
big, strong body, he has a chance to become a very good player at the high-major
level.
Harper doesn't get the national recognition that Hudson gets, but he's more than
capable of lighting up the scoreboard. The 5-foot-7 guard finished with a very
loud 28 points, 20 of which came in the first half. Being so short, most of his
points usually come from 3-point range and they did tonight too, but he showed
some craftiness scoring off the dribble using a floater in the paint and going
high off the glass. According to his father, Richmond,
Old Dominion and
Kennesaw State have offered with interest coming in from
Georgia State,
Clemson, Brown and Penn.
Perhaps the biggest surprise so far this recruiting period for the Stampede is
the play of power forward Derek Ogbeide. The 6-foot-9 Canada native entered the
week as somebody that college coaches couldn't wait to get a look at, and many
of them have come away liking what they see. With great strength and
athleticism, Ogbeide has great hands, a motor that's always running and a
developing offensive game. He's been a double-double machine this week and also
swats a few shots every game. Just this week, he's added offers from Memphis,
Ole Miss and Vanderbilt joining a list that already included
Kennesaw State and Murray State. With a large contingent of high-major coaches
on hand for his Thursday night game, expect that list to continue to grow.
MACK MAKING NOISE
With Mark Fox, Brad Brownell and Shaka Smart on hand to see him play in a morning game, Carolina Wolves wing
Tevin Mack wasted no time showing everybody
in attendance why those coaches were there. From the opening tip until buzzer
sounded at the end of the game, the four-star prospect scored and did so in a
variety of ways.
In the past, Mack scored most of his points playing off the ball in
catch-and-shoot situations. With top teammate Seventh Woods out due to an
injury, Mack had the ball in his hands for most of the game and had to create
his own offense. While he is not the most athletic player around, Mack makes up for it by
changing speeds and using angles to get his shots off. With range out to 23
feet, his ability to score in at all three levels makes him a tough matchup for
defenders.
to watch him and they are the three schools mentioned the most in regards to his
recruitment. He says California and Cincinnati are the most recent schools to
begin recruiting him.
INGRAM ONE TO WATCH
This time of year can be really stressful for all college coaches, but it can be
unbearable for mid-major coaches hoping their top targets heading into July
don't play their way into earning high-major offers. For several mid-major
programs in the southeast, that just might be happening with Alabama Challenge
guard Dazon Ingram.
The 6-foot-5 combo guard put on a very impressive performance in a Friday
afternoon game against Hoop Dreams (Ky.). He's got terrific size and athleticism
for a guard and gets to the rim at will where he can rise above defenders for
some pretty flashy dunks. The biggest question mark surrounding his game coming
into this week was whether he could make shots. While he's not going to be
mistaken for Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry any time soon, he did
connect on some jump shots showing that he's making progress in that department.
UAB and Wichita
State. Ingram says N.C. State, Mississippi State,
are showing interest.
NEWS AND NOTES
Team
Charlotte shooting guard Ray Kowalski had a great game on Friday morning in a
lopsided win over the Southern Kings. He came off the bench and scored 15 points
and didn't take too long to do it. Only a 2016 prospect, he certainly made an
impression on the college coaches in attendance with his ability to shoot the
ball from deep.
Team
Speights forward Sajon Ford showed some high-major potential in a Friday morning
matchup with the Carolina Wolves. The 6-foot-8 Florida native opened the game by
knocking down back to back 3-pointers. Clemson, Georgia and Tennessee are some
of the schools monitoring his progress.
Ford's
teammate Mark Matthews had a strong showing on Friday morning as well. The
6-foot-6 wing shoots the ball at a very high level and finishes very well around
the rim despite not being an overwhelming athlete.
Hoops Dreams 16U shooting guard
Eli Wright is one of the better athletes in
Atlanta this weekend. He'll need to continue to develop his overall skill-set,
but he's a very intriguing prospect. Indiana has already offered the 2016 guard.
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