Shaw's Takeaways: Adidas 3SSB League

HOOVER, Ala. – Day 1 of the July Live Recruiting period and Rivals.com’s Jamie Shaw is with the Adidas 3SSB League watching the talent.

Here are the storylines he saw on the first night.

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More: Guard Rodney Rice stays busy with big visits

2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2023 Rankings: Top 30

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For me, Saunders was the breakout player of the day. Standing at 6-foot-8 with long arms and strong hands, Saunders did everything you want a four-man to do. Playing with the Compton Magic (Calif.) 3SSB team, Saunders knocked down two threes in the game. He rebounded strongly, with two hands, in traffic and he showcased some pop with multiple dunks and windmills.

In talking with Saunders after the game, he has a line of programs who are recruiting him. He said he is hearing the most from San Diego State, UNLV, St. Louis, New Mexico, St Mary’s and San Jose State. Saunders will likely wait things out and see if his recruitment takes a bump to the next level and, after the way he played on Thursday, Power FIve programs are sure to take notice.

It was the jump shot for me. That was the one question mark in the 6-foot-8 Phillips’ game coming in to this event. He addressed it on opening night going 4-for-9 on shots from beyond the arc. He was shooting off the catch, off movement, and then he attacked sloppy closeouts to finish at the rim. It was an overall excellent performance; one you would expect from the Rivals150 No. 21 prospect.

On the recruiting front, Phillips visited Clemson, LSU and Florida State in June and he is planning on taking a visit to Wake Forest on July 26. He picked up an offer from Tennessee after the game.

Rice took June official visits to both Kansas and Oklahoma State. The Team Loaded (N.C.) 3SSB guard, who scored 13 points in 15 minutes played in a blow out win Thursday, mentioned that his recruitment is still wide open.

There is something about a big, knowing he is a big, and going out to do big things. Standing 6-foot-8 and weighing 225-lbs. Wright fits in this category as the wide shouldered and long armed post prospect finished in double figures while grabbing 16 rebounds today in the Compton Magic (Calif.) 3SSB program win.

Wright also mentions having a top five of USC, Arkansas, Texas, Kansas and Stanford. Wright has visited all of his finalists but Kansas and Stanford and hopes to visit the Jayhawks and Cardinal in August. Wright says he is still open to new programs coming in, but things are winding down in his recruitment and he is far along with these five.

Kentucky fans are quite familiar with Sheppard, and his lineage. His family could be considered Kentucky Wildcat royalty. His mother, Stacey Reed, is top-10 in school history in career assists, steals, 3-pointers, and scoring average. His father, Jeff Sheppard, was a two-time national champion starting 65 games over his career and averaging 13.7 points his senior season. The apple has not fallen far from the tree. The 2023 Sheppard is ranked No. 39 overall in his class as the London (Ky.) North Laurel High product led his Midwest Select (Ohio) 3SSB team to an opening round win.

Clemson, Virginia, Gonzaga, Indiana and Louisville are the programs he says remain in contact with the most. He visited Louisville and Virginia in June.

Traore, the No. 64 prospect in the 2022 Rivals150, was someone I was excited about watching because I had not seen him live before. Traore, a native of France, showcased the motor and explosion that has so many people buzzing about him this summer. Playing with the Dream Vision (Calif.) 3SSB program, and with several Power Five coaches sitting courtside, Traore finished with 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting.