Hoop Exchange Fall Festival: Weaver steals the show
ORLANDO-- AsthehighschooljamboreeendedonSunday,manyofthestateofFlorida'stopplayersgatheredfortheindividualportionoftheHoopExchange'sFallFestival.SophomorepointguardElijahWeaver showedupandstoletheshowonadaythatfeaturedmanytalentsthatwe'llbegettingtoknowdowntheroad.
Iwasimpressedwith...
Afterover15yearsinthebusiness,I'velearnedtotakeanyclaimsaboutthenextbigthingorbestplayereverfromaprogramwithagrainofsalt.ButheadcoachJordanFairhasbuiltastrongprogramatTampa(Fla.)OldsmarChristiansowhenhementionedtomethathethoughtsophomorepointguard
ElijahWeaverhadthetoolstobeabigtimeprospect,Itooknotice.
IcannowseewhyFairissohighonthepotentialofthe6-foot-4pointguard.
WeaverbackeduptheadvancebillinginabigwaywithhisplayonSunday.Heisasouthpawwhohasaphysicalbuildsimilarto
SetonHallstarandformerfive-starprospectIsaiahWhiteheadatthesameage.WhileWhiteheadwasapurescorer,Weaverisclearlyapointguard.Assoonashegetstheballheispushingtempowithhisheadupsurveyinghisoptions.Whetherheneedstousestrength,quicknessoraseriesofhesitationsandcrossovershegetswhereverheneedstobeandmoreoftenthannotmakesagooddecision. Hisjumperneedssomefine-tuningbutit'scertainlynotbroken.WewillstartWeaveroffasafour-starprospectbutthenexttimeweadjustthe2018rankingsheisgoingtogetseriousconsiderationforfive-starstatusandit'snotunfairtothinkofhimasapotentialtop25orbetterplayerinthecountry.Weaverreportedoffersfrom
Louisville,Florida,Miami,NebraskaandFloridaInternational. 2018PGElijahWeaverlookstobealegitimatebigtimeprospect.TallsouthpawPGw/feelforgame,burst.Instinctiveplayer
#fallfestival-EricBossi(@ebosshoops)October11,2015 Afive-starprospectwhocurrentlyranksNo.17overallintheclassof2017,seven-footerZachBrownhasbeenonthesceneforawhile.Lastsummer,Ithoughthereallystruggledwithsillyfoulsandconditioningandthatthoseissuesheldhimbackattimes. OnSunday,thefoulsweren'taconcernbecauseBrownwasabletophysicallyoverwhelmhisopponentsaroundtherim.Whatdidstickout,though,wasthatheisinmuchbettershapeandthe20poundsorsohe'slostsincethesummerhasallowedhimtobeeffectiveforlongerstretches.Brownalsoplayedmeaninthelane,erasedshots,wasstrongontheglassandtheremightnotbeabigmaninhighschoolbasketballwhodoesabetterjobofkeepingtheballhighandnotdroppingitdownsosmallerplayerscanswipeatit.Brownmentioned
Connecticut,N.C.State,Miami,OhioState,UCLAandKansas. Iwassurprisedby...
LatemorningSunday,ScottGoldenoftheHoopExchangesuggestedthatIheadtoabackgymtowatchclassof2017pointguard
ScootieBryantfromJacksonville(Fla.)Providence.WhenIwalkedin,Isawhisopponentsdoingeverythingtheycouldtokeephimfromgettingtheballanditwaseasytoseewhy.
A6-foot-1floorgeneral,Bryantisaspeedburnerwhohaslateralquicknessthatequalshisspeed.Moreimportantly,he'sabletobefastwithoutbeingoutofcontrol.Hehasapull-upgame,cangettotherim,getsothersinvolvedandlookstobeaball-hawkingdefender.Obviously,heisgoingtohavetoshowthathecanplayatthelevelheshowedSundayonaregularbasisbuthelookedlikeapointguardthathighmajorsneedtobeinvolvedwith.
BryantplayshissummerballfortheJacksonvilleMagicandlistedoffersfrom
UAB,FloridaInternationalandNorthFloridawhilesayingthatFloridaState,WakeForest,TempleandMarylandhavebeenbytoseehim. Greattipgotmeintothebackgymintimetosee2017PGZack"Scootie"Bryant.Quickandtough.Definitelyonetowatch
#fallfestival-EricBossi(@ebosshoops)October11,2015 Itwasn'tasmuchasurprisethat6-foot-7comboforwardIbrahimDoumbiafromMiami(Fla.)CountryDaydisplayedhighleveltalent.Itwasjustasurprisetogettoseehim.SinceburstingontothesceneatArlingtonCountryDayasasophomorehe'sbeentoughtofind,butseeinghimonlyreinforcedhisfour-starstatus.Doumbiaisadeluxeathlete,playswithahugemotorandheisintheprocessoftransitioningtothewing.Doumbiasaidthathe'sexpectingSouthCarolina,UCF,ArizonaStateandBaylorintoseehiminthecomingweeks. FreshoffofaplaneandanunofficialvisittoKansasfortheLateNightevent--SoutheastEliteFloridateammateChaundeeBrownvisitedwithhim--,itwouldhavebeeneasyfor2017Rivals150wingWyattWilkestogothroughthemotions.Instead,heplayedhardandhadaverygoodday.Wilkesisa6-foot-6wingwithgoodathleticismwhocanreallyshootitfromdeepandplayswithalotoftoughness.WilkesgavehisKansasvisitravereviewsandBillSelfisexpectedintoseehimearlynextweek.WilkeslistedoffersfromClemson,VirginiaTech,Tennessee,FloridaGulfCoast,Rice,UCFandUABtogoalongwithinterestfromGeorgia,Florida,FloridaStateandButler.
NorthCarolinaClickOtherthoughts... HeretoviewthisLink.commitTonyBradleyClickOtherthoughts... HeretoviewthisLink.lookedsolidplayingwithhisBartow(Fla.)Highteam.Acollegecenterwithgoodhands,touchandmotor,hediddamageneartherimandshowedthatheshouldbeabletoscorewithtouchtoatleast12feet.Howquicklyhecanadjusttothespeedofhigh-levelACCbasketballwilldeterminehowquicklytheNo.30playerin2016makesanimpact. Another2017pointguardwhoreallycaughtourattentionwassix-footer
SylvainFranciscoClickHeretoviewthisLink.ofMiami(Fla.)LibertyChristian.Physically,heisverysimilartoasmallerversionof2016starDe'AaronFoxClickHeretoviewthisLink..He'sexplosivelyathletic,fastandplaysaflashystylebutneverstopshustling.FranciscorunswithNikeSouthBeachinthesummerandsaidthatGeorgiaTechClickHeretoviewthisLink.andVirginiaClickHeretoviewthisLink.evaluatedhimasasophomorebuthe'syettoseeanyprogramsinthegymthisFall.AnativeofFrance,he'stoogoodtonothaveprogramsintoseehim. Rivals150juniorwing
DavidNickelberryClickHeretoviewthisLink.backeduphisinclusionintherankings.Pushing6-foot-7,hehasexcellentballskillsandisaverygoodpasser.Ashefillsoutandfindsabalancebetweenscoringandplaymakinghewillblossom.HelistedoffersfromMurrayState,IndianaState,Miami,MemphisClickHeretoviewthisLink.andGeorgeMasonandalsomentionedOklahomaClickHeretoviewthisLink.,UAB,Louisville,FloridaGulfCoast,FloridaandUTChattanoogaasprogramsthathavestoppedby.
ItwassurprisingtolearnthatLauderdaleLakes(Fla.)BoydAndersonsmallforward
BrianPatrickClickAnotherRivals150playerfromtheclassof2017,No.133overallTrentFrazierClickHeretoviewthisLink.hadagoodday.The6-foot-1pointguardisanaturalscorerwhocanshootitfromdeepandhasquicknesstotherim.Whenhelocksindefensively,hecanbeapest.HelistedoffersfromBaylor,IllinoisClickHeretoviewthisLink.,NorthFloridaandMurrayStateandsaidthatFlorida'sMikeWhiteClickHeretoviewthisLink.hasbeenintoseehimalongwithcoachesfromFloridaInternational,FloridaAtlanticandUCF.HeretoviewthisLink.haszeroDivisionOneoffers.A6-foot-5athletewithagoodlookingjumper,helookslikeapotentiallow-to-mid-majorsleeperandMurrayState,ChattanoogaandYoungstownStatehaveshowninterest. Windingthingsdown,2018prospects
NassirLittleClickHeretoviewthisLink.RobertAllenClickHeretoviewthisLink.andKeyshawnBryantClickHeretoviewthisLink.allshowedtalent.A6-foot-6smallforwardwithlongarms,athleticismandsomejumpshootingability,LittlehashighmajorupsideandclaimedearlyoffersfromStetson,NorthFlorida,UCF,Miami,FloridaandFloridaStatetogoalongwithMarylandinterest.Allenisapromising6-foot-7powerforwardatOrlando(Fla.)Edgewaterwhohaslength,athleticismandsometouch.Bryantisanotherlankyandathleticsmallforwardwith6-foot-6sizeandbigupside.HefirstcaughtRivals.com'sattentionlastmonthattheEach1Teach1showcaseandhediditagaininOrlando. Finally, a pair of 2019 prospects deserve some mention: 6-foot-4 shooting guard
Niven GloverClick Here to view this Link. and 6-foot-5 wing
C.J. WalkerClick Here to view this Link.. Glover was as athletic as anybody in the building and lived above the rim. He also showed a very nice looking floater. A baby-faced 14 year old, Walker showed good skill, some aggressiveness and looks like one of those kids whose game could really take off when he matures physically. It's early with these guys, but they deserve to be monitored.
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