Mickey D Tuesday: Rival Views
RANKINGS: 2019 Rivals150 | 2019 Team rankings | 2019 Position rankings
ATLANTA -- Tuesday at the McDonald's All-American Game was a pretty busy one. Players had a morning practice, lunchtime media session and then a closed (but televised nationally by ESPN) scrimmage to finish the day. National Analysts Eric Bossi and Corey Evans take Rival Views on topics from the day's action.
MORE FROM THE MCDONALD'S ALL-AMERICAN GAME: Five storylines | Rivals Roundtable | Q&A with Precious Achiuwa | Monday's Rival Views | Five-star Cole Anthony cuts list to five schools | Five-star Trendon Watford talks top schools
TUESDAY'S MOST IMPRESSIVE PLAYER
Which player impressed you the most with their Tuesday play?
Bossi's view: I was all set to write about James Wiseman here because he was clearly the best player in the morning practice. But Isaiah Stewart got after him pretty strong during the Tuesday scrimmage. My ability to attend the scrimmage which was closed to anybody outside of family, game voters like myself and NBA execs and see what Anthony Edwards did in person, and not just on television, made me go with him. He has looked somewhat out of shape (and admitted he's taken a short break from hoops) but he sure turned it on the scrimmage. He was getting to spots for pretty jumpers, physically and athletically dynamic and doing whatever he wanted. He, Wiseman and Isaiah Stewart have each made claims to the top spot in 2019 as Vernon Carey sits out with an injury. Don't be surprised if Edwards leads the SEC in scoring as a freshman at Georgia.
Evans' view: Nico Mannion was more than solid on Monday, but thanks to the standout play of Tre Mann and Tyrese Maxey, what the future Arizona Wildcat accomplished was swept under the rug some. Well, Tuesday was a bit different, as he was arguably the top standout from Atlanta. His backcourt precision in navigating ball-screen situations and fending off pressure is something else. He is not a sexy guard that has a ton of flair to his game, though he does have the requisite breakdown handles and sneaky athleticism at the rim. It is more about Mannion’s ability to run his team at the point guard spot, make the right play and also exude a cool confidence that makes him special. Mannion has continued to gain strong compliments in Atlanta by NBA personnel for his all-encompassing abilities and it clearly showed why Tuesday.
BIGGEST BOUNCE-BACK
Which player who had a quiet or rough first few days of practice had the biggest bounce-back performance on Tuesday?
Bossi's view: Louisville-bound Samuell Williamson was steady on Sunday and Monday. Tuesday morning during the practice session, he really shined. He's got as pretty a jump shot as anybody in the game and he was burying one after another from 15 feet out to NBA range. He's got a great low- and mid-post game and is a dangerous turnaround jump-shooter when he posts guys up. He's adding strength and getting more athletic and in my eyes has easily backed up his selection into the game and status as a top 25 player in the class of 2019.
Evans' view: It was a great bounce-back day for Josh Green. The five-star wing was a bit under the weather on Monday and while he is still not at 100 percent, Green’s OK is way better than many others’ best. He was more than just OK on Tuesday as he showed off a much better jumper than we had become accustomed to seeing from him in the past. He is not a deadly catch-and-shoot guy just yet, but he is a worthwhile threat who - when you keep in mind just how lethal he is as an open-floor threat - looks the part of a day one star at Arizona. Dealing with adversity can be an issue, but Green shown that he has the toughness and the self-belief that, despite a just OK affair on Monday, that he has what it takes to bounce back, which he did on Tuesday.
WHO HAS THE MOST CHEMISTRY?
Which pair of players has create an instant chemistry on the floor that has been most surprising?
Bossi's view: If I didn't know any better I would have thought VIllanova-bound Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and USC-bound Isaiah Mobley had been playing together for 10 years instead of three days. The skills, fundamental soundness, savvy for the game and ability to play facing or with their back to the basket that each five-star prospect has allows their games to compliment each other. The duo was outstanding in high low action, communicated and really seems to enjoy playing alongside each other.
Evans' view: This might be the last chance they will ever have to rely on such chemistry and teamwork until maybe the NBA ranks offer an opportunity because, for the next few years, Armando Bacot and Wendell Moore will be going at each others’ throats. The future UNC and Duke standouts showed a great tag-team effort on Tuesday with their high-low abilities. While they do not have a great background of sharing the same floor with each other, it didn’t seem to be the case on Tuesday. Bacot is an underrated passer in the frontcourt that delivered accurate, on-time passes to Moore on the kick-out, all while the future Blue Devil returned the favor by setting up Bacot for easy looks at the basket following the drive and dish. Neither will be found on many on the mixtapes, but each will be a catalyst for a number of wins at the college level and beyond from here on out.
