The second live period has come and gone, and the final live period of July tips off Wednesday night. Before we move to the next five days of coaches following players around the country, National Basketball Analyst Eric Bossi – with input from Corey Evans, Krysten Peek and Dan McDonald – reveals his All-Second Live Period Team.
THE STARTING FIVE
Why he's a starter? Playing in the Hardwood Classic with Team Penny, Lomax led his team to a title in the 17U division. What was most impressive was that only a few of the Team Penny EYBL regulars were playing in Kansas, and Lomax helped elevate their level of play.
Recruitment: Ole Miss, Memphis, Florida and Wichita State look to be in pretty good shape with Missouri and Vanderbilt right in the mix.
Why he's a starter? Playing at the NY2LA Summer Jam in Milwaukee, Herro was the toast of the town. Known primarily as a shooter, Herro impressed with his off the dribble attacks and the added bounce in his step while operating at a high level in all phases of the game on the offensive end.
Recruitment: Herro is committed to Wisconsin.
Why he's a starter?: Our Krysten Peek said it was "a joke" watching Green compete out West given his dominance. A big-time athlete who can shoot with range, Green was born to score the ball. His summer performance has put him on very short list of players in the discussion to open up as the No. 1 ranked prospect in the class of 2020.
Recruitment: Arizona, Connecticut, Creighton, Fresno State, Oklahoma State, UCLA, USC, UNLV and Villanova are among those who have already offered scholarships.
Why he's a starter? Little has always been a highly thought of player in the class of 2018. However, over the last month or so he's sent his game into overdrive. He's a monster athlete whose skills are all of a sudden on par with his jaw-dropping ability in the open floor.
Recruitment: Arizona, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Miami, North Carolina, St. John's, USC and others are making him a priority.
Why he's a starter? Because of his size and jump shooting ability, Swider was an easy standout at the Victor Oladipo Skills Academy. Plus, his shooting ability obscures just how complete he is as a scorer on the block and from mid range.
Recruitment: Swider is committed to Villanova.
NEWCOMERS TO NATIONAL SCENE HEADLINE REST OF SECOND PERIOD TEAM
July is all about the under-the-radar prospect trying to impress big-name coaches when he finally gets to play on the big stage. That's were Amanze Ngumezi and Zion Griffin fit in on this list.
Playing for 1Family, Ngumezi had the benefit of suiting up for a well known shoe sponsored (Adidas) team, while Griffin went out and earned his respect against the shoe company teams. A long and athletic forward, Ngumezi has hit a new level with his game to go from intriguing prospect to no brainer high major. As for Griffin, he went out to the Hardwood Classic with the Hoopers Basketball Club and put up huge numbers against shoe sponsored teams. An athletic and tough 6-foot-5 wing, Griffin, like Ngumezi, is going to get serious consideration for the post-summer 2018 Rivals150.
For the next two members of the All-Second Live Period team we head to the mid-Atlantic for small forward Keldon Johnson and point guard Noah Locke. Playing for Bo Williams in the Hardwood Classic, Johnson overcame fatigue and some bumps and bruises to help his team to the semifinals. Texas continues to look good for him. Locke, meanwhile, seen his stock soar this summer, and a lot of it has to do with his shooting. There may be some other point guards who are a little quicker or more athletic, but few are as crafty or skilled as a shooter, and that's why programs like Kansas, Michigan, Maryland, Providence, Xavier, Virginia and Florida among others are making him more and more of a priority.
The next two slots are filled by pure scorers from the class of 2019. Five-star Tyrese Maxey is a lead guard who can run the team from the point or slide over to the two and be a devastating scorer. He's the kind of kid that would have gone somewhere and scored 2,000 points before the early entry era. Michigan State could be one to watch for him as are Texas, SMU, Oklahoma State, Arizona State, Oregon, Baylor and several others. A wing who specializes in getting to the rim, Isaac Okoro has a motor that never stops. Playing for a loaded AOT 16U group, he seems to come up with every key play and loose ball. Auburn has made him a major priority early as have others like Florida, Florida State, N.C. State, Alabama and others.
Closing out the team are 2019 forward Patrick McCaffery and 2020 wing Greg Brown. The son of Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery, Patrick McCaffery is a long and lean forward who can shoot from deep, slink his way through the lane and get out in transition. He's skinny but tough, and you have to figure that he eventually commits to play for his father. He led the Iowa Barnstormers to a 16U title at the Hardwood Classic. Then there's Brown, who some coaches called "The Franchise" because of his play and potential at the Great American Shootout. A long and wiry 6-foot-7 wing, Brown loves to attack left and along the baseline before elevating for explosive jams. He can switch multiple spots defensively and has all of the tools to be a big-time player; he's a potential top-five prospect in 2020. Texas, Baylor, Kansas, TCU, California and Oklahoma are among those to hand out early offers.
