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basketball Edit

The Rivals Awards: R1A Classic

Robert Dillingham
Robert Dillingham (https://baksetball.rivals.com)

BEL AIR, Md. – The inaugural R1A Classic is in the books, and there are plenty of notable individual performances to discuss. Rivals.com’s Rob Cassidy and Jamie Shaw both found their way to the Baltimore suburbs to take in the loaded two-day event over the weekend and dish out some hardware based on what they saw in crab country.


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More: Cassidy's takeaways from the R1A Classic

2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2023 Rankings: Rivals150

2024 Rankings: Top 40

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HANDLES: Robert Dillingham

What he did: An NC State commit, Dillingham had a nice weekend in Maryland. His Saturday performance, which earned him MVP honors, included 21 points and three steals but it was his ball-handling that really left a mark. The five-star point guard is as composed as prospects come and seems to have a sixth sense of sorts with the ball in his hands. He routinely split defenders and created off the dribble, even flustering double-teams at times. Dillingham’s scoring and speed get a lot of the ink when people write about his game, but he’s clearly a truly elite ball-handler as well.

Recruitment: Dillingham is committed to NC State.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH NC STATE FANS AT THE WOLFPACK CENTRAL

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THE MAIN EVENT: Mikey Williams 

What he did: Williams was electric at times on Saturday, scoring 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting. He’ll need to cut down on turnovers going forward, but his explosiveness and athleticism will take him a long way. He continues to add muscle and seems to be becoming a more complete and versatile defender. The boy band-esque scene surrounding him on Saturday was as striking as his performance, however, as fans in search of selfies and videos with the Vertical Academy star needed to be told to clear the court multiple times during warmups. There was also even at least one teen girl in literal tears at the sight of the social media sensation. Williams’ fame with the high school demographic is truly something to behold.

Recruitment: Williams seems unlikely to play college basketball, as the professional route has long been the obvious option. That said, it’s unwise to rule out the college experience in the NIL era. Williams holds offers from a number of schools, including Kansas, Arizona, Memphis and LSU.

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POSTGRAD ALERT: RJ Luis 

What he did: The uncommitted Luis seems to be under-recruited. A 6-foot-4 guard with length that exceeds his height and a solid shooting touch, Luis did it all this weekend. On Saturday, he posted an efficient 19 points to go along with six rebounds in an easy win for Mt. Zion Prep. He followed that up by posting a double-double on Sunday. Luis is most effective playing off the ball but he’s not a bad ball-handler by any stretch. His length provides home with some decent defensive versatility and he’s a willing rebounder. His relatively short offer list currently doesn’t match his skill set.

Recruitment: Luis lists offers from Northeastern, Old Dominion, Quinnipiac and Austin Peay. That said, he seems to have the talent to help and lower-level high-major in need of a guard.

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SMALL BUT MIGHTY: Dionte Johnson  

What he did: Johnson is an crafty facilitator that is creative with the ball in his hands and routinely surprises with his ability to see the floor. He gets out quickly and is effective in transition as well. Saturday saw him score 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting in addition to a 2-to-1 assist to turnover ratio. The 5-foot-11 point guard isn’t an elite shooter from deep but he is good enough to keep defenders honest. If Johnson, who finishes well through traffic despite his limited size, were a few inches taller, he’d have plenty of high-major offers.

Recruitment: Oregon State has been in contact with Johnson and is thought to be considering an offer. As things stand, however, Coastal Carolina and Robert Morris seem most involved in his recruitment. Each has already offered and remains in contact.

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RAW BUT INTRIGUING: Luke Bamgboye 

What he did: A class-of-2024 prospect that has been in the United State for less than a year, the 6-foot-10 Bamgboye oozes potential. He didn’t play his best game on Saturday, but he’s certainly a presence on the defensive end, where he blocked shots on the perimeter as well as in the paint. The England-born prospect blocked 14 shots in a game last week and is starting to develop a reputation as a defensive monster. He’ll need to find an offensive identity, but the size and athleticism to do so is there in spades. Bamgboye’s upside is through the roof, even if it’ll take him some time to get there.

Recruitment: Bamgboye is just a sophomore and new to the United States. He is yet to pick up his first offer.

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SNIPER: Tyson Commander 

What he did: Commander knocked down five 3-pointers in a narrow loss on Saturday and the nearly unlimited range he showed while doing it was impressive to say the least. Commander plays with a high-level of confidence and seems to thrive on crowd reaction, which makes him fun to watch. He’s a willing defender and rebounder with the length to guard multiple positions. The next step for him is to become more efficient by adding wrinkles to his offensive game beyond his jumper from distance.

Recruitment: Commander holds an offer from Xavier and could be close to landing one from Pitt. Currently a senior in high school, he has already reclassified to 2022 and will take a postgrad year to add strength while polishing his game.

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BOUNCEBACK: Treymane Parker

What he did: Parker started night one going two-for-11 from the field. He followed that up with an impressive 17 points performance, finishing four-for-eight from three. Parker is the younger brother of former viral sensation Kwe Parker and carries the same explosive athleticism. However, Parker is a pure point guard. He can touch the paint in the half-court and has excellent vision across the floor. Parker, a junior at Charlotte (N.C.) Vertical Academy, stands 6-foot-1 and will be in the conversation for the Rivals150 upon update.

Recruitment: Parker claims offers from Mississippi State and North Carolina A&T, so things are just starting for him. He is an electric playmaker, both in scoring and distributing, and that is appealing to college coaches.

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UPSIDE PICK: Armani Mighty

What he did: Mighty was one of the prospects I was most excited about seeing in this event. This viewing was the first time I could lock in on him to see what he is all about. Mighty is a lengthy and rangy post prospect. Still raw, he has natural tools you just cannot teach. His development will be significant for his future, but he finished with 18 rebounds in his first game, and in his second game, he finished with six blocks. Mighty even knocked down a three for good measure.

Recruitment: Mighty is committed to Boston College.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH BOSTON COLLEGE FANS AT EAGLEACTION.COM

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