WESTFIELD, Ind. – The Nike Elite Youth Basketball League came through the suburbs of Indianapolis on Friday-through-Saturday.
Rivals.com writer Jacey Zembal watched all three days of the event and also enjoyed the nearby Portillo’s restaurant.
Below, Zembal dishes out awards based on some of the most impressive performances he witnessed at the event.
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TOP PERFORMANCE: Will Riley
It’s hard to top near perfection and that was Riley on Friday night against Team Durant.
Riley went 15 of 19 from the field for 42 points, including an impressive 6 of 8 on three-pointers. Add in four rebounds and five assists, and it was complete domination in the 100-60 victory.
What Riley did particularly well is handle making plays deep into the shot clock and never got rattled with time going down. He knew he was in the “zone” but he still took quality shots.
Currently ranked No. 15 in the Rivals150, he showed what he is capable of when everything is clicking. The Canadian need to add strength at the next level, but he has a sophisticated offensive package.
Recruitment: Riley is looking at Kentucky, Arkansas, Arizona and Alabama, plus the NBL in New Zealand.
In an era of college basketball where it’s hard for freshman to make an immediate impact causing colleges to go after four-year transfers, Riley will be the exception if he elects to play for any of those four programs.
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STOCK UP: Kiyan Anthony
Anthony, the son of NBA legend and Syracuse star Carmelo Anthony, plays for his father’s travel program Team Melo.
That can’t be the easiest thing with onlookers wondering about favoritism and what not. Instead, Anthony went to work this weekend and he showed off improved shot-making and play-making.
The 6-foot-4, 178-pounder from Long Island Lutheran in Brookville, N.Y., put on a show in a tight battle against Team Final on Saturday. With his father looking on, he had 28 points and five three-pointers, and the shots were not easy. The only disappointment that with the game on the line, his teammates couldn’t get him the ball for a potential game-tying shot in a 68-65 loss. Anthony went 9 of 21 from the field and 5 of 10 on three-pointers, plus six rebounds and three assists.
The other aspect of Anthony’s improvement, he’s been playing under a spotlight. A segment of the industry knows son’s of NBA players get clicks, and Carmelo Anthony is a NBA and college legend. Kiyan Anthony could challenge for McDonald’s All-American honors, not for his name, but with his game.
Recruitment: Anthony’s recruitment has to start with Syracuse and go from there, and he got the respect from the Orange coaching staff at his games.
With Syracuse losing Judah Mintz to the NBA two years early, a gaping hole could be there for him to fill if he picks the Orange.
Carmelo Anthony was also coached by Indiana coach Mike Woodson while with the New York Knicks, and basketball is a relationship business.
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BREAKOUT WEEKEND: Brady Koehler
Local recruiting gurus were fluid with Koehler’s upside.
The 6-foot-8, 180-pounder from Indianapolis Cathedral High and Indy Heat traveling team has gone through a growth spurt that has boosted his game. High majors have begun to notice.
Koehler works the baseline well, hits the corner jumper and is a heck of an athlete. He’ll need to put on weight in the future when his body settles into its final height, but he’s definitely an upside guy. Tall, lengthy small forwards are at a premium in recruiting.
Recruitment: As mentioned above, colleges are starting to figure out Koehler’s potential.
Stanford and Virginia Tech offered him this weekend, and Northwestern offered him May 5. Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Butler and a host of mid-majors were way ahead of the curve by offering him during his junior year or before it.
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ULTIMATE GLUE GUY: Shelton Henderson
Some prospects have a way of doing a little bit of everything across the board that leads to wins.
Bellaire (Texas) High junior point guard Shelton Henderson of JL3, which is sponsored by former Maryland and NBA legend John Lucas, knows how to put his team in position to win.
Rivals.com currently ranks Henderson at No. 59 overall in the Rivals150. Due his size at a listed 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds, he has great defensive versatility and can do some things in the paint that smaller guards can’t.
Henderson showcased his versatility 10 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocks in a 63-52 win over Vegas Elite on Sunday.
Recruitment: Henderson has an impressive regional list of offers from Houston, LSU, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, SMU, TCU, Texas and Texas Tech. Rutgers and UCF are his two high major offers outside the region.
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UNDERRATED: Alexander Lloyd
When you play with three top-20 prospects and are already committed to a college, it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle a bit.
Nightrydas are arguably the most talented team in the EYBL and ran rough-shod 99-70 over a down All Ohio Red squad. Lloyd took advantage of his opportunities and went 9 of 10 from the field and 4 of 5 on three-pointers en route to 23 points.
The 6-foot-4, 165-pound Lloyd is ranked No. 67 in the Rivals150, so he’s a talented prospect in his own right.
Lloyd is the perfect complement to No. 2-ranked Cameron Boozer, No. 4-ranked Caleb Wilson and No. 20-ranked Cayden Boozer. Cameron Boozer and Wilson are the post players with Cayden Boozer, No. 94-ranked Dante Allen and Lloyd on the perimeter.
Recruitment: Lloyd committed to Florida in April, and he had a host of colleges recruiting him. The Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Westminster Academy standout picked the Gators over Michigan State, FAU, Georgia and LSU, among others.
