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Rising Freshmen Stepping Up

By: Brett Blevins

The only thing louder than the industrial size fans blowing in sweaty Memorial Coliseum, is the action on the court.  The young invitees, in the class of 2013, have shown up to play.

Players standing out after 2 sessions include:

Ishmael Wainwright 6’4 210 G  Kansas City, MO

The highlight of the camp so far has to be Ishmael’s two-handed, put back dunk in traffic.  Nearly as impressive have been a few missed dunks, after attacking multiple defenders at the rim.  This kid is super talented.  He has good length and his broad shoulders suggest he could add significant muscle to his frame.  He has shown pull-up jumper abilities leading the break and also a knack for blocking shots.  He looks like the best prospect at the camp right now.

Rodney Purvis   6’3 180 G  Raleigh, NC

Rodney has been one of many kids to impress with his attacking nature.  This camp is a good venue for these type players to showcase their athletic abilities.  He rebounds well at the guard position and will ignite the break himself going coast to coast or dishing when help comes.  He finishes well through contact, doing so multiple times already.  Rodney has shown ability to score off the wing as well sweeping and blowing by defenders.   We will be looking to evaluate his offensive skill set more thoroughly.

Nigel Williams-Goss  6’2 160 CG  Henderson, NV

Nigel is all-around a very nice player.  He has a good feel for the game, matched with above average athleticism.  He has quick hands and rebounds the ball well.  Nigel will look to get to the rim, but he also looks to get his teammates involved.  Right now at this stage, he is a big combo guard.  If he grows a couple more inches he has the makings of a high major prospect.

Justin McCray 6’5 175 F  Ridgeland, MS

Justin falls into another category of impressive players that have shown offensive rebounding abilities and tenacity on the glass.  At 6’5 he has good frame, which allows him to finish strong around the rim.  The first 2 sessions he has played with tremendous energy and seems to always be around the ball making plays.  He has also hit a couple 12 foot jumpers and looks to have a solid stroke from the FT line.

Nick King 6’5 180 G Memphis, TN

Nick is a lefty that loves to get to that left hand on the bounce.  He has shown an ability to score in a variety of ways including jumpers, leading break, running floor, putbacks, penetration, and pull-up jumpers.  He has a good feel for the game and also sees the floor well.  Offensively he has been one of the most versatile scorers after 2 sessions. 

Darryl is a very good athlete that has been playing with great energy.  Although more of a slasher, he has shot the ball well from 15-18 ft.  He has shown the ability to lead the break but also to finish running the wing.  Today he had a couple acrobatic, contested finishes.  He has shown a grown-up game competing on the glass and challenging jumpshooters.  If he continues to develop his jumper, the sky is the limit.

Tadric Jackson 6’1 PG 175 Ashburn, GA

One of the more intriguing prospects has been this young man.  He plays much larger than 6’1.  He has very long arms and huge hands.  Tadric is another lefty that possesses a nice feel for the game.  Along with his Jazz teammate Darryl Hicks, they have created mayhem in transition.  The young man probably has 6-8 dunks in two games.  He attempts to stuff anything around the basket on the break. 

Others have impressed as well, and we will be tracking them throughout the rest of the weekend.  Stay tuned to Hoopsreport.com for updates from Fab Frosh Camp!