Cassidy's Takeaways: Will Barton Elite Camp

BALTIMORE – The 2022 Will Barton Elite Camp took place at Baltimore's Seed School over the weekend and attracted college-bound talent from all over the DMV area and beyond. Rivals.com’s Rob Cassidy was on hand for the second day of the two-day camp and shared some news and notes from the day that was below.

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Four-star center Derik Queen stopped by Barton Camp, and while the in-demand big didn’t participate in drills or games, he watched the action courtside and discussed his recruitment. The most notable note from the conversation was the fact that the Montverde Academy star has three fall visit destinations in mind and is currently working to set dates for each.

“I’m going to Arizona, Indiana and probably Maryland,” Queen said on Sunday. “Those are the ones I’m going to visit for sure but I don’t have any dates yet.”

Maryland is seen as the slight early favorite to land Queen, who is originally from the Baltimore area and seems intrigued by the new staff at the in-state school. And while it’s much too early to make any concrete predictions about how Queen’s recruitment may end, The Terrapins are certainly making their case.

“They’re trying to bring a winning program back and are going to try to have one of the best recruiting classes they’ve ever had,” Queen said. “They want me to be part of it.”

Indiana, which landed a pair of Queen’s high school teammates in Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau last cycle, has also emerged as some semblance of threat, but the relationship between Queen and the Hoosiers staff is still developing.

“I’ve been talking to them a little bit, and I’m going to ask my teammates about them,” Queen said of the IU staff. “The coaches think it would be a good fit for me and talk about how good my teammates fit in up there.”

One of the event’s top performers, point guard Vasean Allette stole the show with quickness, a tight handle and some incredibly creative passing. He was one of the most buzzworthy players of any position on day No. 1 and followed that up with a stellar second day that saw him showcase a wide range of skill, none more impressive than his ability to push tempo and create opportunities for his teammates.

After seeing him live, the reasons the international standout has multiple high-major options is clear. The picture of which offers he’s actually considering is also coming into focus.

“Arizona State, Georgia Tech and Rutgers and Mississippi State are [involved], but I have a visit set up for Arizona State on Sept. 1,” Allette said on Sunday.

A senior at Canada’s Thornlea Secondary School, Allette could make a decision sometime this fall, and ASU seems like as good a bet as any to land his pledge should things go well on the visit.

“They have a great coaching staff,” Allette said of the Sun Devils. “It’s also a great place to showcase my skills if I decide to go there.”

One of the more promising young prospects at the weekend event, sophomore Tyler Jackson put himself squarely on the rankings radar, as the 6-foot-1 point guard is skilled beyond his years and comes equipped with high-level athleticism and a reliable jumper from deep.

Jackson, who first made a name for himself by scoring 30 points for Team Thrill in the UA Association title game this summer, is developing nicely and plays with pace without ever seeming out of control. He’ll need to add size and polish, obviously, but he has the look of a promising prospect that should see his name when Rivals ranks the 2025 class.

Baltimore (Md.) Saint Frances Academy sophomore holds early offers from programs such as Illinois, Rutgers, George Mason and DePaul. Expect a host of other major programs to get involved in the coming year.

Class of 2024 guard Daquan Davis shot the ball as well as anyone at camp on Sunday, knocking down a variety of three-pointers and proving to be lethal off the dribble and in catch-and-shoot situations.

Standing 6-foot even, the athletic and shifty Davis doesn’t bring elite length to the table but still manages to impact games against college-bound competition not just with his jumper but on the glass as well. On Sunday, he scored the ball in a number of ways, but none more pronounced than within his quick and accurate release from three-point range.

Maryland, St. Joseph’s, George Washington and Butler are involved within the rising junior as things stand, who is starting to consider fall visits. For now, he has one destination in mind.

“I plan to visit Butler unofficially during the second week of October,” Davis said. “They like me a lot over there and the head coach reached out.