EYBL: Big night for Tatum

HAMPTON,Va.--Fridaynight,thefirstofApril'stwoliverecruitingweekendsgotofftoafaststart.AtNike'sEliteYouthBasketballLeagueattheBooWilliamsSportsplex,theSt.LouisEaglesputtogetheranimpressiveperformanceandwereledby2016'sNo.3prospectJaysonTatum.Classof2016'sNo.2playerHarryGileswasalsoimpressiveandmanyotherlesserknownplayerssteppedup.

EaglesandTatumimpress

TheEYBLgotthingsstartedrightastheSt.LouisEaglessquaredoffwiththehomestandingBooWilliamssquadintheevening'sfirstroundofgames.TheBooWilliamsteamisalwaysloadedanddrawsacrowdwhiletheEagleshavealwaysbeenstrong.

LedbySt.Louis(Mo.)ChaminadewingJaysonTatum,theEagleshavesomuchtalentthattheywouldbeformidablewithouthim.Itshowedduringaverybalancedandworkmanlike81-63thrashingofBooWilliams.

WhatmakestheEaglessotoughisthattheyhavesizeandathleticismallovertheflooranditshowed.TheinteriorduoofpowerforwardTylerCook,whoranksNo.80in2016,andcenterJeremiahTilmon,theNo.11playerin2017,combinedtocontrolthepaint.Theyscoredonoffensiverebounds,protectedtherimandplayedwithgoodenergy.CookhassomeexplosionoffthefloorandplayswithpowerwhileTilmonhasgreatsizeat6-foot-10andaverygoodsetofhands.

Outonthewing,6-foot-5XavierSneedshowedwhyhewasrecentlymoveduptoNo.81intheclassof2016.Abig-timeathleteandslasher,SneedshottheballwellduringhisjuniorseasonandhedidsoaswellonFridaynightmaking3-of-4three-pointshots.SneedtoldRivals.comthathehasoffersfromKansasState,Illinois,Missouri,CreightonandSt.Louisandtheheadcoachesfromeachofthoseprogramswasonhandtoseehim.HehasadditionaloffersfromCincinnati,XavierandMinnesotaandwaswatchedbyassistantsfromeachofthoseprograms.VirginiaTech'sBuzzWilliamswasalsoonhand.MostofthoseprogramsweretheretoseetheaforementionedCookaswell.

Inthebackcourt,2017'sAlonzoVergeisgoingtobeonetowatchwhile2016'sJordanBarnesisasteadyhand.VergeisfromtheChicagoareaandisanaturalscorerwithexcellentballskills.Hewasalittlerushedattimesbutshowedniceflashesonplayslikeonewhereheusedaninandoutdribbletofreezeadefenderinthecornerbeforesteppingbackforasmooththree-pointer.Barnesdoesn'tputupbignumbersbutdoeshisjobandkeepstheoffensemoving.

Finally,there'sTatum.At6-foot-8he'satallwingandhe'sfillingoutapairofwideshoulders.Heishighlyskilledasaball-handlerandpasser,hasalowpostgameandmakesalivingatthefree-throwline.Tatumwasprettyrelentlesswithhisattackoftherimandspentalotoftimeonthelineduringa21-point,four-assistandfour-reboundnight.

Earlierintheday,Tatumcuthisschoollistdowntofourfinalists.Kentucky,NorthCarolina,SaintLouisandDukearetheonlyonesleftstanding.JohnCalipariandthepreviouslymentionedCrewswereonhand,aswereassistantsfromboththeTarHeelsandBlueDevils.

Tatumactuallyhadanin-homevisitwithDukeonThursdaynight.HesaidthatitleftanimpressionwhentheBlueDevilssawhimsosoonafterwinningthe2015NationalChampionship.

"ItmeansalotwhentheywinaNationalChampionshiponMondayandtheycomeinyesterdayforanin-homevisit,"TatumtoldRivals.com."Theyjustmakethatextraeffort."

Gilessolidinwin

ThegamebetweenNorthCarolina-basedCP3andMemphis-basedTeamPennydiddragonforabitinthelastroundofgames.Itwasn'talwaysprettyeither.But,itwasverycompetitiveand2016'sNo.2playerHarryGileslookedverygoodwhilecompiling17points,10reboundsandseveralblockedshotstohelpleadCP3toawin.

Giles'teamstruggledtogethimtheballattimesbutheworkedhardonbothends.Hecrashedtheglassforputbacks,blockedshotsandthenranthefloorfordunks.Inoneparticularlyimpressivesequence,Gilesrotatedtoblockathree-pointshot,ranthefloorandwentupwhilebeingfouledtothrowhomeanalley-oopdunk.

Gileshasalwaysshownplentyoftalent,skillandathleticismbutonFridaynighthealsoplayedwithaphysicaledgeandlevelofemotionforwhichheisnotalwaysknown.Ifhehasthatallspringandsummer,opponentsareinbigtrouble.

MoreFridaynightnotes

HarryGileswasfarfromaone-manshowforCP3.Infact,thesmallestplayerinthegymmayhavebeenhisteam'smostvaluableplayer.Listedasa5-foot-3,juniorpointguard,DarnellRogersClickHeretoviewthisLink.fromFt.Mill(S.C.)IndianLandlookslikehe'sprobablycloserto5-foot,buthecaresnotthatheistheshortestplayeronthefloor.Rogersisanintenselycompetitiveandtoughfloorgeneralwhoscoredagame-high29pointsandmadeonebigplayafteranother.Becauseofhissize,heisgoingtobeahardevaluationbutthereiszerodoubtthatheisgoingtofindaDivisionIhomeandheisalotoffuntowatch.

Overallitwasn'tthebestnightforBooWilliamsbutthree-starjuniorDeShawnCorprewClickHeretoviewthisLink.hadaniceouting.The6-foot-5wingwhoisknownmoreforhistransitionfinishingknockeddownsomegoodlookingjumpshotsandwasbothefficientandaggressive.Healsodidanicejobsettingupteammatesina17point,fourassistandtworeboundeffort.

Justafewweeksagofour-starjuniorbigmanDerekFunderburkClickHeretoviewthisLink.committedtoOhioStateClickHeretoviewthisLink..PlayingwithOhiobasedKingJames,Funderburklookedgoodaroundtherimwhilescoring12pointsinawinovertheMacIrvinFire.Funderburkisstillquiteskinnysogainingstrengthisapriority.But,he'squickoffhisfeet,hasgoodhandsandwasactivearoundtherim.

Itwasn'tthebestnightfortheMacIrvinFirebutwingNickRobinsonClickHeretoviewthisLink.fromChicago(Ill.)Kenwoodwonoversomecollegecoaches.A6-foot-5wing,Robinsonwasaggressiveoffensivelywhileshowingagoodenoughshootingstroke,athleticismandanoseforthefreethrowlineandlooseballsina16pointandsevenreboundnight.

BuildingoffofastrongshowinginBentonville,Ark.lastweekend,6-foot-4wingAndreJonesClickHeretoviewthisLink.hadagoodauditionforcollegecoaches.AhighflyerfromLittleRock(Ark.)McClellan,Joneshadcoachesscramblingforinfobecauseofhisfirststepandabilitytofinishwellabovetherim.ThejunioralsowentmantomanwithHarryGilesinthepostanddidn'tbudgeaninchandmadeGilesworkashardashecould.Atransitionfinisher,JonessaidthathisonlyofferisfromUT-Arlington.Itwillbeasurpriseifhedoesn'tpickupmoreattentionbeforetheweekendisover.

Class of 2017 point guard Matt ColemanClick Here to view this Link. is a true speed merchant. The No. 17 player in his class, Coleman is a five-star prospect who is as fast as they get with a basketball in his hands. At times he so fast he gets a little too sped up and forces things. But, the mistakes are acceptable because he's aggressive and just wants to make plays. As he develops his left more and becomes a little steadier with his jumper, Coleman will be awfully tough to check.