Bossi's Takeaways: Thursday's Dallas showcases

DUNCANVILLE/CEDAR HILL, Texas – The second live period is all about the regional events and the Dallas area features two excellent events in The Main Floor and the Great American Shootout. Class of 2020 wing Greg Brown was a standout and played prominently in national basketball analyst Eric Bossi's takeaways from Thursday's action.

MORE: McDonald's takeaways

When it comes to exposure, 2020 small forward Greg Brown hasn't been lacking. However, playing in both the Main Floor and Great American Shootout with the Dallas Seawolves, the long and athletic 6-foot-7 forward had a chance to play in a featured role and capitalized on it.

With his big-time athleticism, long arms and the way in which the game comes easy to him, I couldn't help but think back to watching former Kansas star and longtime NBA vet Brandon Rush at the same age.

He's rough around the edges, he has some mechanics to sort out with his jumper, but Brown is clearly a big-time talent with a bright future and immense upside. He can create off the dribble, has the ability to switch defensively that is coveted and as far as I'm concerned he looks like at least a top 10 prospect in the rising sophomore class.

Brown told me he has offers from Texas A&M, Baylor, LSU, TCU, Nevada, California and Kansas and all but KU and Nevada were watching on Thursday. North Carolina and Duke have also reached out and this is a kid we'll be talking a lot about down the road.

One of the things that I love about July is how some relatively under the radar prospects can see their stock explode. Rugged post player Reggie Chaney of RM5 is a perfect example.

Chaney is not unknown. In fact, he has been in the Rivals150 at times during his high school career in the Dallas area and at Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep. However, it's all starting to click for him at this point and it's all because of his effort, toughness and understanding of who he is as a player.

Texas Tech just offered and head coach Chris Beard watched. Oklahoma State and Arkanas are also recent offers and watched him. Others to offer recently include Ole Miss, DePaul, Wichita State and Utah State. They join Texas A&M and TCU – Jamie Dixon watched – as programs that offered and more should be on the way. When we meet to discuss the 2018 Rivals150 after the summer, we are going to have to give Chaney serious consideration.

July is important for any high school prospect, but for a guy like three-star forward Kristian Sjolund it's extra important. Not just for him, but for programs evaluating him.

A sharp-shooting face-up four man from Norway who moves well, Sjolund is a no-brainer at the upper mid-major level and offers from Tulsa, UT Arlington and Rice – who all had their head coaches watching – are easy calls.

What's not an easy call is what TCU and Colorado – who both had their head coaches plus assistants watching – and others such as SMU and Purdue do with him. Do they gamble on his ability to shoot and hope they can add strength and interior rebounding, or do they pass on him and hope it doesn't come back to haunt them some day in the NCAA Tournament when he's sinking threes for a mid-major?

Playing with a star player such as 2019's No. 2 player Charles Bassey of Yes II Success or 2019 five-star guard Tyrese Maxey of RM5 has some drawbacks. They get the shots and they get the majority of attention from scouting services and Twitter world. But, playing with them also has benefits because it means you are always playing with eyes on you.

On Thursday, two three-star prospects really stood out to me as taking advantage of playing alongside a star player. Tough and athletic 2018 combo guard Nigel Hawkins and sharp-shooting and physical 2019 shooting guard Chris Harris. Hawkins can get to the rim, shows promise as a multi-position defender and does lots of little things. Harris plays with poise, doesn't get sped up and can be relied upon to drill open looks from well beyond the three-point line.

Hawkins already has offers from Texas A&M, Stephen F. Austin, USF, Rice and Houston, and has attracted attention from Missouri, Georgia Tech and Purdue. Harris counts offers from North Texas, UNLV and Tulsa among others. In an age where guys are desperate for the spotlight, kids who are accepting of their roles such as Hawkins and Harris make themselves more recruitable.

July's three live periods are distinctly different and as more time goes by, I find myself enjoying the second period more than ever, and it's not just about the basketball.

The first period is dominated by shoe company events and is almost corporate in nature. There are brands to push, it's all about the star players and who is watching, and there are larger concentrations of big-name coaches in one spot or another. The third period has become very Las Vegas-centric as the majority of travel teams flock to Sin City for massive events that span the entire city and create a basketball smorgasbord that showcases tons of talent but can be an exhausting experience for everybody involved.

The second period, though, is all about the regional and independent events. It's where a scout can find under-the-radar players on independent teams, the gyms are much more relaxed, and you actually have time to sit down and get to know the kids and coaches that you spend so much time around. Those connections that are made in a relaxed atmosphere are what makes the job fun and it's why I like the second period best of all.