Stokes stands out at Wallace Prather
ATLANTA- Rivals.com bounced around the city of Atlanta on Saturday looking for some quality underclass prospects at the Wallace Prather Memorial Event, and none stood out more than Jarnell Stokes.
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Imagine Carlos Boozer playing on the AAU circuit. Of course Stokes isn't that good, but he is built like Boozer and has a very similar game. So it is kind of odd to see a prospect like that come off the bench for the Atlanta Celtics in a 16-Under game.
Stokes is blessed with incredible physical strength, sure hands and deft footwork in the post. He loves to post up, then square up with a strong pivot and beat his man off the dribble with a quick move to the basket.
Defensively he was active, and he controlled his area on the glass.
With his power in the interior and impressive skill level on the perimeter, Stokes is truly one of the elite prospects in the 2012 class.
Damien Wilson (2012 Atlanta Celtics 16-Under)- This athletic wing continues to impress this spring. His bouncy athleticism and aggressive style make him fun to watch. Wilson is in the process of putting his game together as a high major prospect, and you can see him growing in confidence. He shot the ball well from the outside, finished at the rim with authority, handled the ball with precision and made plays defensively.
Kyle Meyer (2012 Atlanta Celtics 16-Under)- Speaking of players who are growing in confidence, Meyer is hitting his stride as a 6-foot-9 post player. He had a series of plays Saturday where he scored a tough jump hook, flushed down a tip dunk on the next possession and then went coast to coast while changing directions on the dribble and finished a tough lay up on the third possession.
Shawn Smith (2012 Heart and Hustle 16-Under)- A physical 6-foot-3 scoring guard with a build similar to Josh Selby, Smith relentlessly attacks the rim. He is shifty on the dribble, can attack left and right and has great body control around the rim.
Ole Miss recently offered the explosive scorer.
Carlos Morris (2012 Heart and Hustle 16-under)- Morris, a 6-foot-5 wing, is a different type of player than Smith. Not so zoned in on scoring, Morris is a much more active defender. And on offense he impressed with his ability to slash to the basket and then find the open man. He is also a dangerous offensive rebounder.
Roosevelt Scott (2011 Minnesota Pump N Run)- While splitting time watching to courts, every time I looked at the Minnesota Pump N Run court, this 6-foot-3 shooting guard was making a play. He controlled the defensive boards, led a number of successful fast breaks, broke down the defensive in the half court off the bounce and knocked down his one three-point attempt. Also the best defender on the court, Scott played with an impressive energy level. In fact, all I could think about while watching him is how he reminded me of the Butler guards from this past year.
Georgia Stars vs. Franchize All Stars
There was a ton of talent on the court in this game, and it was the quick and unselfish passing of the Georgia Stars that created easy scoring attempts that helped them separate in the end and win a hotly contested game.
Malcolm Brogdon (2011 Georgia Stars)- A high major prospect in my book, Brogdon has a great feel for scoring, leading his team with 17 points in this game. He uses his strength to create space and also has some craftiness to his game. He also does a great job rebounding his position.
E. Victor Nickerson (2011 Georgia Stars)- This long combo forward impressed with his 16 points in the game and there was an aggressive, physical edge to his game.
Nickerson said Richmond (offer), Oklahoma State (offer), VCU (offer), Georgia Southern (offer), Georgia State (offer), Mercer (offer), Florida State and Alabama are recruiting him the hardest. Alabama is telling him that an offer will likely come soon.
Tony Parker (2011 Georgia Stars)- The big man went for 15 points and even knocked down a three-pointer.
Tennessee and UConn are still his top two schools.
Kedren Johnson (2011 Georgia Stars)- It was nice to see this sturdily built playmaker knock down a three-point attempt.
Florida is the most recent offer for Johnson.
D'Angelo Harrison (2011 Franchize All Stars)- Once again Harrison led his team in scoring with 22 points. Nothing short of a pure shooter, Harrison is a points producing machine because he doesn't just rely on his jumper. He willingly attacks the basket as well and spends a lot of time at the free throw line.
His stock continues to rise.
Wanna Bail (2012 Franchize All Stars)- Bail had some tough misses on pull up jumpers, but he impressed with the aggressive edge to his game. He attacked his defender off the dribble and was physical on the glass. He is also a dangerous defender in scramble situations.
At this point Bail is a definite five-star prospect. It will be interesting to see if he can put his game together to the point of being an elite prospect. The potential to do that is certainly there.
More Recruiting Notes
Jaleel Roberts, who reminds of Ralph Sampson, III, still has a ways to go as a player, but he is an intriguing prospect with his 7-foot size and mobility. The 2011 prospect was offered last year by South Carolina, and he is also receiving interest from Wake Forest, Clemson, Tennessee and Xavier.
Andre Hollins has Stanford and Ole Miss at the top of his list, and both schools have offered. He is also considering an offer from Arkansas and is looking closely at Harvard. Auburn, UAB and Vanderbilt are also on his list.
Kansas State is heavily involved with Heart and Hustle 16-Under point guard Ian Baker.