Elite 32 Recap II – July 16, 2014

Jared Harper increased his stock as a prospect at the Elite 32 and picked up several offers along the way.
*Photo by Jon Lopez Nike 

MARIETTA, Ga., – The Elite 32 put on by OntheRadarHoops.com provided the perfect stage for players to pick up new offers and get the exposure that they were looking for in the July viewing period. With teams from around the Southeast as well as from as far away as Wisconsin, players were able to display their talents to coaches from around the nation.

Feature Player

Jared Harper (Mableton, Ga.), Southern Stampede – 2016
After this weekend, fans and coaches alike will no longer underestimate the abilities of the 5-foot-8 guard. Harper is known for his slick skill and his high IQ, but secretly people have wondered how much of an impact the slight framed guard could make at the highest levels. He erased all of those doubts at the Elite 32 and shined in the back court alongside of class of 2015 guard Ty Hudson.

He made plays with the ball in his hands as he slivered between defenders and even found ways to score around Diamond Stone, who is the top post in the class of 2015. Harper hit threes from behind ball screens and off of the ball reversal pass in the half court. At times it even appeared that Harper was the most impactful player on the court for the Southern Stampede. His production did not go unnoticed as he picked up offers from Ole Miss and Old Dominion from this weekend.

Spotlight Players

Eli Wright (Owensboro, Ky.), Hoop Dreams – 2015
Perhaps the stock riser of the weekend came in the form of the 6-5 wing from the Bluegrass State. The athletic left-handed wing had notable head coaches such as Rick Pitino of Louisville and Billy Donovan of Florida sitting on his games at the Elite 32. His frame and athleticism puts us in the mind of Rayjon Tucker of Charlotte, N.C.

Shembari Phillips (Tucker, Ga.), Georgia Tornadoes – 2015
Phillips is a player that has been our list of top wings in the Peach State for the past 12 months. He is an explosive slasher with very good size at 6-5 for a swing forward. His motor ran at full throttle this weekend as schools such as Auburn, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Tennessee were front and center to watch him play.

Around the Rim

Size is always scarce commodity in the game of basketball, so 6-10 Aric Holman of Owensboro, Ky., stock is on the rise. Schools such as Auburn, Kansas State and Oklahoma State have all expressed interest in the lanky class of 2015 forward.

Another post player with length who is increasing his stock is Nick Marshall of Lexington, Tenn., The 6-11 post from Team Thad continues to be a solid anchor for his squad. Look for offers from several power conferences to roll in for the class of 2015 post player after the Elite 32.

In the theme of big men, Derek Ogbeide of Austell, Ga., has shown progress since our first viewing in the high school season. The left handed 6-9 post player has agile feet and is a legit defensive paint presence. If he continues to add tools to his offensive game, he may be one of the state’s most pursued post players in the class of 2015.

The Hoop Dreams guard Zac Baxter of London, Ky., impressed our staff on Sunday morning. The thinly built guard drained multiple three-pointers off of the dribble in a match-up with Chattanooga Elite.

Jonathan HemingwayJonathan Hemingway is a National Evaluator for the OTRHoopsReport. 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


Leave a Reply

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