Cassidy's Takeaways: Final thoughts on the Hoophall Classic
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The annual Hoophall Classic is in the books and Rivals has the event covered from start to finish. Today, we put a bow on our coverage of the star-studded showcase, as national analyst Rob Cassidy shares his final thoughts.
MORE HOOPHALL: The Cassidy Awards | Day 2 takeaways | Day 1 takeaways | Baylor holds off Duke to land five-star V.J. Edgecombe
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INDIANA COMMIT MAKES A BURGER BALLOT STATEMENT
The Hoophall Classic was the last major event before McDonald’s All-American voting transpires and the closing argument Indiana signee Liam McNeeley made through his play was a convincing one to say the least. Seen by some as a borderline case, McNeeley is sometimes unfairly painted as “a spot shooter with good length.” His play against No. 2-ranked Prolific Prep on Sunday exposed such a talking point as a lazy characterization.
The future Hoosier played with his hair on fire in the contest, taking home game MVP honors on the back of a 22-point performance that saw him do a little bit of everything on both ends. There were dunks in traffic, steals on the perimeter and a few impressive dribble-drives as well. McNeeley has improved his athleticism and his defense exponentially over the past year and certainly has the resume and skill set to be under serious consideration for a McDonald’s roster spot to say the least.
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QUEEN DECISION SEEMS TO HINGE ON ROSTER FIT
Five-star center Derik Queen was mulling announcing a commitment at last weekend’s event and had even selected Saturday as a target date. That, obviously, didn’t come to pass. Queen was asked about the situation in a short interview on Friday, and the four-star addressed the delay.
“It’s not even about the money,” Queen said when asked if NIL negotiations have created the delay. “It’s about the fit. I’m looking at that.”
Buzz around the building from people in the know backed up what Queen said, as multiple people indicated that Queen is hoping to get a better grasp on which players will be returning at finalists Indiana, Maryland, Houston and Kansas before making a college decision.
It seems as though the Montverde Academy star is very much still undecided and may wait an additional few weeks or even more before making the call in order to get a late-season read on next season’s roster construction.
Whatever the case, it feels like all four of his finalists have, at the very least, a puncher’s chance of landing his pledge. Even at this juncture, the situation seems to have a lot of moving parts.
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FRESHMAN JOSIAH ADAMSON IS ONE TO MONITOR
OK, so Josiah Adamson didn't have his best shooting night when he took the stage at Hoophall on Friday but the 2027 guard still managed to show off a promising skill set despite an 8-for-21 shooting performance. Adamson’s size, end-to-end speed, court vision and ball handling ability are incredibly advanced for a high school freshman.
Adamson, who attends Boston’s Catholic Memorial High School, plays with a confidence beyond his years and was able to get by defenders on the perimeter. As he becomes a better shot selector and a more reliable and consistent shooter, he will almost certainly grab the attention of college coaches. So while his efficiency left something to be desired, the 24-point, seven-rebound effort he turned in against California’s Mater Dei High School managed to showcase serious long-term promise and early indicators for high-level versatility. Adamson has high-major written all over him should his development continue.