Underclassmen impress in Atlanta
The metro Atlanta area played home to several tournaments for the second July evaluation period for college basketball coaches. Rivals.com finished up at the Under Armour Finals and also spent time at the On The Radar Hoops Super 6 event and the Champions Summer Classic.
Robinson leads the way for KC Run GMC
At the half of the 15-under championship, KC Run GMC trailed New Heights 24-22 after a relatively slow first half. That changed in the second period thanks to Jeremiah Robinson. He flipped a switch when the second half started and dominated as KC Run GMC pulled away to a 54-47 victory.
Robinson, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward, did most of his work right around the basket. He doesn’t have the strongest build around, but he finishes through contact at a very high level. He completely dominated on the boards at both ends. What makes him more intriguing is that he also looks comfortable playing out on the perimeter as he’s comfortable going off the dribble and even made some nice passes going to the basket.
Just a 2019 prospect, the Kansas native already holds offers from five high-major programs.
“I have offers from Washington, Creighton, Wake Forest, Kansas State and Kansas,” Robinson said. “I’ve gotten letters from UNC, Arizona, Memphis, Stanford, Virginia and a couple others.”
Expect that list to grow rapidly in the upcoming years.
Sports U takes 16-under title behind Naz Reid
Like the 15-under championship game, the 16-under championship game started off slow, as the rivalry between New Jersey teams Sports U and Team Rio was tied at 19 at the half.
In the second half, Sports U came out looking to get the ball to five-star center Nazreon Reid, and that move paid off in a big way. The 6-foot-10, 220-pound big man started off his scoring streak with a triple from the free throw line extended off a pick and pop. The No. 12 ranked prospect in the 2018 class then finished a few baskets right at the rim off pick and roll passes from Jahvon Quinnerly, a four-star point guard in the 2018 class.
After going ahead 46-34, Sports U let Team Rio come back and make it 48-47 game with 30 seconds left before getting a stop and closing out a 50-47 win.
Leonard Hamilton, Chris Mullin, Tom Crean and Fran Dunphy took in the 16-under championship game along with assistants from Maryland, Kentucky, Kansas, Iowa and Wake Forest.
Watson with a big finish
DC Premier’s Nate Watson had a solid weekend overall at the Under Armour Finals, but he saved his best performance for last against the South Jersey Jazz. Watson was active on the boards and scored off several nice post moves on the block.
The four-star post player says he’s cut his list down to seven schools and is now ready to move forward with the recruiting process.
“N.C. State, Miami, Wake Forest, Maryland, Providence, North Carolina and Kansas, those are the only schools I’m still looking at,” Watson said. “I’ll probably make a decision sometime before the high school season starts.”
Watson, the No. 75 ranked player in the 2017 Rivals150, says visits to N.C. State and Providence will likely take place in August, while a trip to Miami is in the works for October.
Assistant coaches from Maryland, N.C. State, Miami and Wake Forest all watched his final game of the weekend on Sunday.
Scottie Lewis and Team Rio came up just short in the 16-under title game, but it wasn’t due to a lack of effort from Lewis. The 6-foot-5 guard in the 2019 class hit several tough shots in the 2nd half to keep his team alive and made several plays just giving maximum effort. When the talent Lewis possesses combines with effort, there is potential for a really high-end player.
Anthony Mack of the South Jersey Jazz struggled in his final game of the weekend, but his play throughout the weekend earned him an offer from Tubby Smith at Memphis and new interest from Georgia, Cincinnati and Rhode Island. Mark Fox watched him on Sunday afternoon.
Lamel Robinson is on the small side at guard, but he’s nearly impossible for defenders to keep out of the paint. The KC Run GMC 15U prospect also has a pretty three-point stroke that makes him tough to defend.
Elias King, now playing with Team AOT, added offers from Florida State and VCU to go along with a previous scholarship from Georgia Tech. He’ll be one of the top guards in the country out of Georgia in the 2019 class.
At the On The Radar Hoops Super Six, Isaiah Miller put on a show for Infinite Skills. The 6-foot guard in the 2017 class is an elite athlete who threw several highlight reel dunks, and a super talented scorer. East Carolina, Wofford, Georgia State, Jacksonville and College of Charleston have offered.
J.D. Notae won’t play at the highest level of college basketball, but he’s going to go to a low-major or mid-major and score a lot of points. The 6-foot-2 guard is a three-level scorer. Kennesaw State, VMI, Cal State Bakersfield, Nicholls State, and NC A&T have offered.
Kymani Dunham was a problem on the block for anybody that tried to defend him this weekend. The big-bodied 6-foot-8 post player does a great establishing post position on the block, is very agile and has soft touch to finish in the paint. According to South Georgia Kings coach Jesse Fleming, over a dozen mid-majors have offered.