LAS VEGAS, NV – Multiple trips on the 215 Highway between Bishop Gorman and the Foothill and Green Valley high school campuses last weekend provided a nifty hoops-viewing opportunity for yours truly.
Bishop Gorman was the host of the first Pangos Spring Spectacular while the latter two sites were where the bulk of the contests for the adidas VIP Executive Run were held.
Play Hard/Play Smart of Sacramento (over the Albuquerque-based Danny Granger D1 Ambassadors) and the Florida Rams (over Garner Elite of North Carolina) were the champions of the top divisions of Pangos and adidas, respectively.
But I know you’re more interested in reading about the players that impressed me most as college prospects.
So here we go, in no particular order and with the caveat that these aren’t the 14-best prospects, per se, but the 14 players I feel like writing about right now:
*Kasey Hill (6-1/Florida Rams/Montverde Academy, FL)
Frank Says: My early choice as the top point guard in the Class of 2013. The play of the soon-to-be Florida Gator was nearly flawless. It’s hard to imagine there being five better prospects, in every position, in the class.
*Noah Vonleh (6-8/Mass Rivals/New Hampton Prep, NH)
Frank Says: Off the top of my head, he was the best of the post prospects in saw over the weekend in the Class of 2014. He’s difficult to contain in the lane and along the baseline, and is also capable of knocking in shots to nearly the 3-point arc.
*Isaac Hamilton (6-4/Dream Vision 17u/Bellflower, CA, St. John Bosco)
Frank Says: Until someone demonstrates succinctly, this fellow is the No. 1 prospects within the Southern California Class of 2013. He’s a nearly unrivaled scorer at his size anywhere in high school hoops. Younger brother Daniel Hamilton (6-7) played very well in the Pangos tourney (for Belmont Shore).
*Mavin Saunders (6-5/Franchize All-Stars/Sugarland, TX, Kinkaid)
Frank Says: The left hander from the Bahamas – who played so well during the adidas Nations event in Southern California last August – was terrific in the VIP Executive Run. But, apparently, few other Internet evaluators took notice of this top-flight prospect from the Class of 2014.
*Hunter Myers (6-6/Nevada Wolverines Blue 17u/Minden, NV, Douglas)
Frank Says: Myers would kick a lot of ass in any academic 1-on-1 showdowns and he did pretty dang well in the Bishop Gorman gymnasium, too. Look for his recruiting options to extend well beyond the Ivy League and every other top-notch academic institution.
*Elliott Pitts (6-5/Bay Area Hoosiers/Concord, CA, De La Salle)
Frank Says: Other than Isaac Hamilton, Pitts was as good a scorer as I saw from the perimeter at either event. He’s safely a Top 10 prospect in the California Class of 2013.
*Isaiah Hicks (6-8/Garner Elite/Oxford, NC, Webb)
Frank Says: This future North Carolina Tar Heels reminds me a bit of former University of Alabama and NBA forward Derrick McKey.
*Hyron Edwards (6-0/Indiana Elite-Team Indiana/East Chicago, IN, Central)
Frank Says: Edwards make a pretty impressive push to be considered the top point guard in the national Class of 2015 – yes, as remarkable as it seemed while watching him Sunday afternoon, he’s just a freshman – while leading his team to the 15-under title in the adidas event.
*Monte Morris (6-3/Michigan Mustangs/Flint, MI, Beecher)
Frank Says: Derrick Walton (Chandler Park Academy) came in with the bigger national rep but I was more impressed with this point guard, who is apparently being pursued by the likes of Indiana and Marquette.
*Bryce Alford (6-2/Danny Granger D1 Ambassadors/Albuquerque, NM, La Cueva)
Frank Says: His dad made his hoops niche as one of the best jump shooters of his generation. Bryce shoots it well enough, indeed, but is much more of a “true point guard” than Steve Alford – his future coach at New Mexico – was at Indiana. Alford’s teammate, Cullen Neal (son of UNM assistant Craig Neal), also played well. He’s bound for Saint Mary’s in 2013-14.
*Stephen Zimmerman (6-11/Dream Vision 16u/Las Vegas, NV, Bishop Gorman)
Frank Says: All things considered, this freshman left hander is a better “5” prospect than anyone in the sophomore and junior classes, too.
*Malik Pope (6-7/Team Superstar 16/Sacramento, CA, Burbank)
Frank Says: He was among the very best prospects among all of the sophomores on display in the city over the weekend, as was the guy you’re about to read about next.
*Payton Dastrup (6-8/Arizona Select/Mesa, AZ, Mountain)
Frank Says: How many sophomores rebound better than this Nick Collison clone?
*Chris Walker (6-9/Florida Rams/Bonifay, FL, Holmes County)
Frank Says: As spectacular as they come while finishing in transition – he’s a runner and jumper with few peers in the class. But he needs to develop a more productive set of back-to-the-basket offensive skills.
