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Shaw's Takeaways: CBG Fall Series

Alphonzo Billups
Alphonzo Billups (Matthew Hatfield, VirginiaPreps.com)

RICHMOND, Va. - The CBG Group hosted the third session of its Fall League series on Sunday. Rivals.com's Jamie Shaw was on the sidelines watching. Here is what he saw.

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Something about Billups' game just continues to get better. The 6-foot-8 wing has always had the length, and he has always been an intriguing prospect with some ball skills and touch. However, over the past eight or so months the light has really come on bright for Billups. On this day, the 2022 Rivals150 No. 133 player had a featured matchup with 6-foot-7 2023 No. 86 Austin Ball. Billups' Richmond (Va.) Varina High team won the game, and the VCU commitment led the way, scoring 17 points in a running-clock game. Billups played above the rim, went 2-for-3 from three and he initiated some of the offense.

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Blair was a player I was excited to put eyes on at this event. He is a bit of an enigma on the national scene as the 6-foot-5 wing is just coming back from a back injury that he had been nursing for the better part of the past year. The 2023 Rivals150 No. 119 prospect showcased his patented shot-making ability. He has good footwork with deep range and great body control from beyond the arc.

With offers from the likes of Florida, Richmond, and VCU, Blair says Liberty is the school recruiting him the hardest.

"I am about to take an official visit there next weekend," he said. "Their facilities are insane, the coach (Ritchie McKay) is amazing and the program has been winning."

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In the day and age when shooting is at a premium, Ball is in the conversation as one of the elite shooters along the Eastern Seaboard. Standing 6-foot-7, Ball has a great frame and deep range with confidence stretching out to 30 feet. Ball has just hit his stride as a prospect and is now learning how to become a featured player. With elbow-at-the-rim athleticism and his lengthy frame the upside is clear here. There could be another level for the 2023 Rivals150 No. 86 prospect.

Virginia Tech, West Virginia and a handful of others have offered the Albemarle (Va.) Miller School junior, who is still very new to the scene. However, he does know what he wants in a college program.

"I want a team with a family environment and program that shares the ball and plays together," he said. "I want to go to a system that shoots threes and plays fast."

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Buchanan is one of the premier unsigned seniors in the Eastern Seaboard and Southeast regions. The 6-foot-7 wing/forward from Washington (D.C.) Woodrow Wilson High showed exactly why the likes of Pittsburgh and George Washington are prioritizing him. Buchanan had a featured matchup against 2023 Rivals150 No. 49 Dennis Parker Jr., in which Buchanan scored 22 points, going 2-for-3 from three, with eight rebounds and three steals. Look for Buchanan to be in the conversation for the Rivals150 in the next update.

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Parker was another one I had circled for this event. Like Blair Jr., Parker has been injured for the better part of the past year. Parker has a complete game, showing to be a great teammate. Standing 6-foot-6, the Richmond (Va.) John Marshall High junior is a very good passer and an excellent defender from the wing. He plays with high energy, cuts very well off the ball and can initiate the offense, getting his team into sets.

Parker, who has recently taken visits to NC State, Maryland and Richmond, says he is getting an understanding of what he wants in a program.

"I want to go to a program that has great chemistry as a team, a team that plays unselfishly and a coaching staff that will love you on and off the court," he said.

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NEWS AND NOTES 

While he just came to the U.S. from Europe, 6-foot-8 2023 prospect Callum Crossman captivated onlookers with his breathtaking athleticism. He is a brand new name - no offers, no recruitment - but Crossman is one for college coaches (and videographers) to watch.

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Junior point guard Yuri Manns continues to look the part. He has always had a high IQ, and the 6-foot-3 point guard from Chesterfield (Va.) L.C. Bird High keeps progressing his game. Manns has received offers from Radford and NC A&T, and his father scored over 1,000 points and had almost 500 assists in college for George Mason and Virginia Tech. A recruitment bump could be on the way.

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I have written about it previously, but Western Carolina got a good one in Hampton (Va.) Kecoughtan High prospect D.J. Campbell. The sturdy point guard finished with 17 points in Sunday's win. He has that "it factor" in his game.

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