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football Edit

Giles makes his case

THERIVALS150:2015|2016
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SPRINGFIELD,MO.--Oneofthebesthighschooltournamentsinthecountry,theBassProTournamentofChampions,gotofftoastrongstartattheJohnQ.HammonsArenaonthecampusofMissouriStateonThursdaynight.Thenearly7,500fansthatpassedthroughweretreatedtoaparadeoffive-starplayersthatincludedthelikesofHarryGiles,IvanRabb,MalikMonk,LonzoBallandV.J.King,whiletraditionalpowerOakHillcompletedahugecomebackwin.
Gilesmakinghiscase
EvenifThonMakerwasn'tlookinglikehewasgoingtomakeamovetotheclassof2015,theracefortheNo.1spotintheclassof2016wouldbeanopenone.Thursdaynight,currentNo.2HarryGilesofHighPoint(N.C.)WesleyanChristianhadhisopportunitytomakeacaseformovinguponebigspot.
A6-foot-10powerforward,GilesiscertainlyastrongcontenderfortheNo.1ranking,andthefive-starshowedwhyonThursdaynightwhilerackingup17points,12reboundsandfourassistsina63-55winoverBentonville(Ark.)High.

Gilesisafineathletewithlongarmswhoisveryquickoffhisfeetaroundtherim.Hecanrunthefloorlikeamuchsmallerplayerandhecanleadthefastbreak.Heisanexcellentpasserfromthepost,makesmedium-rangejumpshotsandhasallofthephysicaltoolsanybodycouldwant.
Whatstandsoutmostarehishands,whichareunbelievablygood.Hesnatcheseverythingthatgetsnearhimandhedoessowithforce.Typically,whenyouthinkaboutguyswhogoandattackandsecurethebasketballyouthinkaboutbig,burlygruntsandnotguysbuiltlikeGiles.But,hishandsareeliteandbecauseheissosecurewiththeballheisabletoplaythroughcontactandmaximizehishighskilllevel.
AmajortargetofthelikesofDuke,Kentucky,Kansas,NorthCarolina,WakeForestandmanymore,Gilesactuallylookslikeasortofyoung,modernizedversionofWakecoachDannyManningbecauseofhisabilitytomakeplaysoutonthefloor.
HisvisittoLexingtonwasfirstanditwasagoodone.
Gilesisnoone-manshow,though,andhisWesleyanteamisfulloftalent.ComboguardKweParkercontinuedtoshowthathe'smuchmorethanjustanathletewhoplaysbasketball.The6-foot-1junior,whocurrentlyranksNo.53intheclassof2016,backeduphisloftystatusandshowedanevolvinggame.Atrulybreathtakingleaper,Parkeralsohasstupendousquickness,isamuchimprovedballhandlerandhasbecomeverydangerouswiththepull-upjumpshot.
FollowinginthestepsofhisfatherRandolphChildress,whospentseveralseasonsintheNBA,WakeForestboundjuniorpointguardBrandonChildresscanplay,too.Thesix-footerisadeadlythreepointshooterwithagreatfeelforthegame.Anotherjuniortokeepaneyeoutforis6-foot-5southpawshooterJalenJohnson.Johnsonisveryslender,buthehasapictureperfectlookingjumpshot.LikeParkerandGiles,he'sanaboveaverageathletewhocanreallyplayabovetherimintransition.
KingsettlinginatPaulVI
Five-starsmallforwardV.J.Kingisthefirsttoadmitthathe'sgottenofftoabitofslowstartaftermovingfromOhiotoFairfax(Va.)PaulVIforhisjunioryear.However,theNo.18playerintheclassof2016lookedlikehewasstartingtogetcomfortableonThursdaynight.

Everyplayerinaslump(ifyoucancallKing'sstartaslump)needsanightfilledwitheasybucketstogettheirconfidencegoingandKinggotthatduringa65-34winoverSpringfield(Mo.)Parkview.Thankstoseveraleasydunks,strongtakestotherimandgenerallysavvyplay,Kingledhisteamwith18pointsandfivereboundsinjust23minutesofaction.
"I'vejustbeenfocusingongettingtothebasketmore,"KingtoldRivals.com."WhenIgetsomeeasybucketsfirstthenIcangoouttothemidrange."
"WithateamlikethatIjustfocusedongettingtothebucketandtheyweren'tstoppingmesoIjustkeptondoingit."
Ontherecruitingfront,KingsaidthatConnecticut,Kansas(headcoachBillSelfwatchedonThursday)andKentuckyhavebeenfrequentvisitors.HealsolistedFlorida,Louisville,MarylandandN.C.StateandmentionedthathehopestofitinvisitstoKentucky,LouisvilleandFloridaduringthespring.
OakHillrallies
ThegamebetweentraditionalpowerMouthofWilson(Va.)OakHillandChinoHills(Calif.)Highwasawildtaleoftwohalves.LedbyUCLAboundfive-starjuniorpointguardLonzoBall's18point,10rebound,sevenassistandsixblockfirsthalf,ChinoHillsbuiltaleadthatballoonedtoasmanyas14points.

Inthesecondhalf,though,OakHillcontainedBallandthingschanged.True.hefinishedwith22points,12reboundsand13assists,but10ofhis12turnoverscameinthesecondhalfashewasflusteredbyaswarmingOakHilldefenseintomakingairmailpassesandmistakesoffthedribble.CombinethatwiththecoldshootingofBall'ssophomorebrother,LiAngeloBall,whowentjust9-34fromthefield(5-21onthreepointers),andtheconditionswereripeforOakHilltotakeadvantage.
That'sexactlywhattheydid,asfive-starseniorsmallforwardDwayneBaconandseniorpointguardTerrencePhillipsledthemtoan86-77victory.
TicketedforFloridaState,the6-foot-6Baconwasrelentlessinhisattackoftherim.Agoodathletewithstrength,heusedhishopsandphysicalitytobarrelapathtotherimandgottothefreethrowlinewhenhecouldn'tfinish.Heendedupwithagame-high32points.
Playinginfrontofhisfutureheadcoach,KimAndersonofMissouri,the5-foot-10Phillipsnearlyhadatripledoubleofhisown.Despiterelativelycoldshootingfromthefield(4-12FG),Phillipsmadetheplayshisteamneeded,wasapestondefenseandgottothefreethrowlineandregularlyconvertedduringa19point,ninerebound,sevenassistandfivestealouting.Currentlyunranked,thethree-starpointguardhaswedgedhiswayintotheconversationforthefinalRivals150fortheclassof2015.
FinalThursdaynotesfromBassPro
Five-starjuniorshootingguardMalikMonkClickHeretoviewthisLink.wasgoingtoneedanearepiceffortifhewantedtohelpBentonvilleknockoffWesleyanChristian.Thefreakishlyathletic6-foot-4shootingguardcertainlytried,butanoffshootingnight(12-31FG)wouldn'tallowhisteamtogetavictory,eventhoughhedidrackup26points,16reboundsandthreeassists.Thoughhedidn'tshootataterriblyefficientclip,itwasgoodtoseeMonksoactive.Aftersettlingearlyfordeepjumpers,hemadeaconcertedefforttoattacktherim.Hisplayontheglasswasalsoimpressive.Withhisexplosivefirststep,abilitytocreateoffthedribbleandoffensivecreativity,MonkhassomeSteveFrancistohisgameanditisgoodtoseehimplayinattackmodeinsteadofhoistingdeepjumpers.ArkansasClickHeretoviewthisLink.headcoachMikeAndersonClickHeretoviewthisLink.wasonhandtoseehisNo.1recruitingpriority.
2015'sNo.7playerIvanRabbClickHeretoviewthisLink.wasabitsluggishinOakland(Calif.)BishopO'Dowd's58-42winoverWaynesville(Mo.)High.Aftergoingscorelessandwithoutareboundinthefirstquarter,Rabbturneditupabitinthesecondtoendupwith10pointsandsevenreboundsheadedintothehalf.InfrontofthepreviouslymentionedBillSelfandUCLA'sSteveAlfordClickHeretoviewthisLink.,Rabbfinishedwith15points,11rebounds,threeblocksandsixturnoverswhilemaking6-13fieldgoalattempts.
Playing in front of his future head coach, Tom CreanClick Here to view this Link., IndianaClick Here to view this Link. commit and Rivals150 power forward Juwan MorganClick Here to view this Link. of Waynesville had an injury scare. The 6-foot-8 senior bumped knees with a Bishop O'Dowd player and went down in a heap. Though he was unable to return to the game in which he had notched five points and two rebounds through 13 minutes, Morgan told Rivals.com afterwards that his knee should be fine and that he doesn't expect to be sidelined too long.
In addition to head coaches Steve Alford, Kim Anderson, Mike Anderson, Tom Crean and Bill Self, Rivals.com spotted assistants from Louisville and Wake Forest on Thursday night.
Click Here to view this Link.
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