The Evans Awards: Holiday Hoopsgiving

Rankings: 2019 Rivals150 | 2019 Team Rankings | 2020 Rivals150

ATLANTA – The Holiday Hoopsgiving event, in its fifth year of existence, has cemented its standing as one of the best high school showcase events nationally. What we saw during our two days in Atlanta was the emergence of a handful of Peach State natives and a Minnesota recruit that looks to be the steal of the Early Signing Period, all of which is reflected by the awards we handed out.

MORE: Q&A with five-star Tyrese Maxey | Thanksgiving Hoopfest Friday

There are sound guards and then there is Jayden Stone, the next to emerge out of the Australian basketball system, and the top 50 guard showed off his entire repertoire on Saturday. Smooth, skilled and steady, Stone has put on the proper weight in recent months and used this added strength to produce within traffic more consistently, a prime example being his nine rebounds. Meanwhile, everything Stone does offensively is with a purpose. He can shoot from deep, score on soft floaters in the lane and also run high-ball screen actions. Auburn, Creighton, Iowa State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt are the five that were showing the most love to date, he told Rivals.com. In a day and age where versatile guards that can think the game and do so in an efficient manner has become of even greater importance, look for the Aussie native to become a much more talked-about name as his junior season begins.

In a battle between five-star junior BJ Boston and Rivals150 junior KD Johnson on Friday evening, it was Eugene Brown that stole the show. How valuable is a 6-foot-5 rangy and quick twitch wing that can make shots in today’s game? It is way atop of college wish lists which makes Brown such an intriguing prospect. Not ranked just yet, Brown put together quite the convincing argument scoring 25 points off of seven of 10 made perimeter jumpers, all while showing the ability to defend both wing positions on the perimeter. He will visit Butler at the beginning of January while Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State and Xavier are a few others that have already made a move on the talented junior.

If Eugene Brown was the top break out, then Dudley Blackwell wasn’t too far behind. The 6-foot-5 wing sports an uberly versatile skillset as he played on the ball in spurts and showed the ability to create his own offense but also that for others. Knocked in the past for his inability to consistently hit the 15-foot and out jumper, that shortcoming of his is no more. Blackwell nailed three 3-point attempts and also another out of the mid-range. He remains best served as a hard driver of the ball that can finish but also pass, though it was nice to see his offensive repertoire expanded upon. On the recruiting front, Florida, Iowa State and Ohio State are the three involved the greatest as the Cyclones could be the first to host the four-star for an official visit in the coming months.

We spoke highly of Tre Williams in Friday’s recap but he deserves even further praise with how he completed his weekend in the ATL. While he was hidden some behind a loaded cupboard of talent on Drive Nation travel team this summer, it is amazing what a greater opportunity and confidence can do for a prospect. Williams walked with a sense of belonging that wasn’t quite there just months ago and the fact that he has gotten stronger, more skilled and is shooting it even better makes the three-star guard one of the most under-appreciated signings of the fall. Headed to Minnesota next fall and to play for a coach in Richard Pitino who has come to rely on his guards to achieve success on the playing floor, Williams has the chance to not only see early minutes at the Big 10 program but also be a helping hand in the Gophers’ continued hunt for NCAA Tournament berths.

It all begins and ends with Chance Moore. The super talented sophomore from the host Holy Innocents’ program made a major statement in each of his outings over the weekend. Standing close to 6-foot-5 with length and the chance to grow even further, Moore proved that he belongs in the argument as to who the best class of 2021 prospect is in the state of Georgia. He averaged over 25 points, nine rebounds and two assists, all while providing toughness and playmaking in the backcourt. Rutgers was the first to offer last summer but the in-state Bulldogs jumped in with an offer of their own following his 30-point outing on Friday. You’ll be hearing way more about the talented sophomore in the coming years as he will most definitely earn a spot within the rankings whenever they expand.

Jalyn McCreary was a mad man all weekend long where he showed the propensity to play through physicality and it showed mightily on the final stat sheet. Posting per-game averages of 19 points and 4.5 rebounds, if there was a play to be made around the basket, McCreary was likely the one to get it done. Ultimately, he is best served as a small ball power forward in college as his finishing skills in traffic, athleticism and ability to get to his dominant left hand is all in line. USF was the lone program to host McCreary for an official visit earlier this fall but things are beginning to pick up now that the early signing period has concluded. Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss and Rutgers are just a few others that have kept a close eye as it wouldn’t surprise to see others jump into the picture here soon.