OTR Hoops: Elite 32 Day 1 Standouts – July 12, 2024

MARIETTA, Georgia, – The NCAA live period kicks off for On the Radar Hoops with the Elite 32­. College coaches from more than 65 colleges and universities sat in to watch recruiting targets at the event. Thursday marked the first of four days for the event. Here is a quick look at new names that received recognition from the event.

By: Jonathan Hemingway

Chris Jackson – Hoopgrind – 2025

Jackson was fantastic on Thursday evening. He delivered a 33-point effort and kept his team close in a back-and-forth game with Team L.O.E. The lefty lead guard is not the biggest prospect that you will find this weekend, but he could have one of the biggest hearts. He can turn the corner with a quick first step and he possesses the finesse and touch in traffic to be a consistent scorer. The senior from Jacksonville, Florida, should be on your radar during the Elite 32.

Kerrick Rideau – Team L.O.E. – 2025

Rideau and his fellow hoopers from the Lone Star State made an impact on day one. The senior guard was the lead play maker and helped his team earn a win on Thursday afternoon. He scored 20 points in the win, but it was his consistent attack on the drive and willingness to distribute to teammates that got our attention. Combined with his effort as an on-ball defender, Rideau proved to be one of the top true point guards in the building.

Tejiri Efemini – Path Hoops – 2025

Efemini found his rhythm in the opening game of the day. He is a 6-2 guard with very good athleticism. Broad shoulders and a frame that is yet to find its final maturity are all positive signs. He has the physical capacity to be one of the better perimeter players in Metro Atlanta next year. That potential will only be realized, however, if he plays with focus and determination as he did yesterday. He played with purpose and attacked the rim to finish consistently. He flashed his jumper at times, which is a nice complement to his game.

Cael Jones – Memphis Knights – 2025

Jones plays with a spirit that is rare to find. He has a competitive demeanor. He tirelessly makes plays regardless of what the scoreboard says. He has ball handling skills and athleticism that allows him to create separation as a lead handler. We watched him deliver 28 points on Thursday afternoon and walked away believing that Jones has many more of those types of games on the horizon.

Michael Vilmenay – Florida Rebels – 2027

One of the top shooters of the opening day was Vilmenay. He connected on six 3-pointers in his team’s opening game of the day. He is a confident guard that roams behind the arc looking for his opportunity opposite of the quick playmakers on the Rebel roster. We also liked how Vilmenay sprinted the floor in transition and got ready to shoot before the ball found him in the pitch ahead action.

Julius Winston – Team Person – 2025

While the story of the Thursday may have been the hot shooting of Winston’s teammates (Jacob Zhu and Sean Morgan), Winston did his part to earn attention. A 6-7 versatile wing-forward, he showed up by making the winning plays. We took note of his anticipation skills on the defensive end. He challenged shots at the rim and was able to get into the passing lanes to get steals and deflections. Add in his ability to knock down the jumper on the offensive end and Winston is the type of 2-way contributor that coaches ought to be recruiting.

Jonathan Hemingway has been a National Evaluator for On the Radar Hoops since 2013. He has been involved in the basketball community since 1995 as a coach, camp director and evaluator. You can reach him at JLHemingway@gmail.com and follow him on twitter @JL_Hemingway.