OLATHE, Kan -- The 2015 Jayhawk Invitational came to a somewhat anti-climactic end on Sunday as 17-and-under division finalists Net Gain Sports and the Omaha Crusaders decided to split the title so that both could get a jump start on their drive home. That didn't take away from a good weekend of action, though, and Net Gain's point guard
McKinley Wright was among many standouts on Saturday and Sunday.
Because they decided to drive home before the championship game, Rivals.com didn't get quite as long a look at Net Gain Sports as some other teams, but they had a solid weekend. It's also tough to complain about them leaving because it allowed them to get their players home at a reasonable time on a school night.
But, before Net Gain left for home, class of 2017 point guard
McKinley Wright left a very favorable impression.
A slim and quick six-footer from Champlin Park (Minn.) Champlin Park, Wright was the glue that held his team together. During a semifinal win over KC Run GMC, Net Gain held a double-digit lead for most of the game before they started to melt down. Two Net Gain players picked up second-half technical fouls, they rushed shots and made poor decisions. But each time it seemed like they were ready to cave, Wright was there to make a play.
Whether he got to the rim, made a slick pass or made a play on the defensive end, Wright didn't lose his focus and his teammates fed off that as they staved off a strong comeback attempt. He can score when needed or play as a true setup man for teammates and he exudes leadership.
Currently rated as a three-star prospect, Wright hasn't been showered with scholarship offers yet as schools wanted to be sure he could play point guard against higher level competition. So far, Wright appears to have done just that and with interest from
Minnesota,
Marquette,
Northwestern,
Nebraska,
Texas Tech, Drake, Northern Iowa and many others, the offers should start to come in sooner than later.
The No. 119 player in the 2016 Rivals150, 6-foot-5 small forward
Damien Jefferson of SYF Players, was one of the highest ranked players in attendance at the Jayhawk Invitational. The product of East Chicago (Ind.) Central showed flashes of why he enjoys that lofty status.
Jefferson is a strong athlete who has great shoulders, long arms and plenty of physical ability. He can get in and rebound in traffic, shoots the ball pretty well from distance and is very good at finding the middle of a defense and either attacking or making good passes from the free throw line area.
What Jefferson isn't just yet is consistent. Throughout the weekend, his energy level fluctuated and it felt like he could have done a little more given his natural ability. Still, he's just finishing up his junior year and is in the process of figuring out just how good he can be. According to Jefferson, he has offers from New Mexico and Ball State and he said that he's looking to visit New Mexico in the near future. Others showing interest include
Indiana,
Purdue,
Michigan,
Xavier and
Ole Miss.
In no rush to make a decision, Jefferson said that he's just hoping to show he's worthy of more scholarship offers.
"Coaches like my wing rebounding and that I'm vocal on the court," said Jefferson. "I'm out here to do what I need to do to get more offers. I'm just trying to get offers right now."
A big factor in unlocking potential is looking in the mirror and assessing your strengths and weaknesses honestly. Three-star combo forward
Jeriah Horne looks like he has done just that.
Playing at the Jayhawk with KC Run GMC, the 6-foot-6 junior at Kansas City (Mo.) Barstow showed that he has a high skill level and a willingness to be physical.
Capable of muscling smaller players around the rim or taking bigger players out on the perimeter where he can make jumpers or beat them off the dribble, Horne plays the game of a classic tweener. He is similar in style to Butler's
Kelan Martin and while he's still working to round things out with his game, he sees that there is plenty of room for him on the college level.
"Coaches like me as that mismatch tweener at the three and four," said Horne. "I'm working on my lateral quickness to guard true threes and being consistent with my shot."
So far, Horne has attracted offers from UMKC, Pepperdine, Boston University,
Richmond, Loyola (Md.), Loyola Chicago, LaSalle, Wofford and Miami (Ohio). Mississippi,
Missouri,
Kansas State and Minnesota have all been in contact and the last three have asked him to schedule unofficial visits so that they can get to know him a bit better.