Social Network

OTR SWEET 16 SESSION II – ON THE RADAR – MAY 4, 2018

OTR SWEET 16 SESSION II - ON THE RADAR - MAY 4, 2018
May 4, 2018

POWDER SPRINGS, Georgia – The second edition of the OTR Sweet 16 featured some of the nation’s most pursued prospects. National media such as Eric Bossi from Rivals.com and Andrew Slater of The Athletic were on hand to report on the action. In our first recap of the weekend, we take a look back at which prospects improved their stock the most.

By: @JLHemingwayPSB

Jake Boggs (Matthews, N.C.), – PSB Elite – 2019

Boggs turned heads with combination of length and skill set. The 6-foot-7 wing-forward made plays going towards the basket while also showing a silky jumper from the perimeter. Boggs recently sprouted up six plus inches in the past 18 months. He has a guard’s mentality, but now has the size to be able to impact the game along the front line as well. There are questions about his physical stature and upper body strength. However, if he adds the needed strength in the weight room in upcoming months, Boggs should be an impactful prospect at the next level.

Jonathan Lawrence (Oviedo, Florida), Q6 All-Stars – 2019

Lawrence picked up offers from Army and Southeast Missouri State following his performances at Sweet 16 Session II. The 6-9 stretch-4 has a feathery jumper from the perimeter. He is able to catch and shoot off of the move, because he has sound footwork coming off screens. Yet he battles with ferocity for rebounds on the interior. The combination of these skills and physical attributes should make Lawrence a high priority target for a number of programs this summer.

Samson Ruzhentsev (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Georgia Stars – 2020

A crowd of 50+ coaches crowded around a match-up of Diante Smith and Josiah James at 9:30am Saturday morning. Following that game most of the coaches dispersed heading to their next destination. Not Georgia Tech head coach Josh Pastner who made it a point to sit in on the Georgia Stars 2020 game an hour later. Days later Pastner and the Yellow Jackets extended an offer to Ruzhetsev who is a 6-7 wing that possesses an array of skills. The Hamilton Heights student showed a powerful tomahawk dunk on one possession and then moments later showed a smooth jumper off of a pick and pop action. It is that type of skill that Pastner would love to have in Atlanta in years to come.

Christian Shaneyfelt – (Brandenton, Florida), SEBA – 2020

Shaneyfelt could make the case for the biggest weekend, in terms of gaining interest. The 6-6 guard has all the skills that a coach would like out of a shooting guard. He shoots the deep jumper with consistency. He has blow by speed with the drive. Add in his crafty body control and his sneaky athleticism and Shaneyfelt is poised for only bigger things in the future. Perhaps most impressive was how he used screens in SEBA’s half court offense to get himself open. He was as active away from the ball as he was when he had the ball in his hands. He picked up offers from Stetson and Canisius following the event.

Jadakiss Soto (Kissimee, Florida), Team Speights – 2019

Soto’s versatility is his greatest attribute. He can double as a play creator at the top of the key. Or he can be the glue player that sets screens or reverses the ball in the offense. Soto is a player who has range on his jumper and athleticism to defend multiple positions. Trying to pigeonhole Soto into a specific position on the court will do a disservice to Soto’s overall impact upon the game.

Ishan White (Corner, South Carolina), TMP Basketball – 2019

Just a few years ago a prospect like White might have been classified as being undersized or too short for his skill set. However, forwards like Kenneth Faried, Jordan Bell, Draymond Green and others show that production matters more than a player’s measureables. White fits into this mold 100%. He is an active rim-runner that is useful in the pick and roll game. His ability to elevate quickly and finish at the rim give him an advantage over slower, less agile post players. Most importantly White brings a high energy attitude that is infectious for his teammates. Oklahoma State saw value in White’s skill set and offered the 6-6 forward recently.

 

-CoachHemiShowcase-640x100

Coach Hemi-100-100Jonathan Hemingway is a National Evaluator for the OTRHoopsReport. Hemingway serves on the Board of Selectors for the Naismith Trophy. He is also the publisher of CoachHemi.com. He has been involved in the community since 1996 as a coach, camp director and evaluator. You can reach him via email at JonathanHemingway@PeachStateBasketball.com and follow him on  twitter @JLHemingwayPSB


Recommended Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *