#OTRHoopsReport: Sweet 16 Session II Notebook -May 4, 2018

Austin Harvell made a name for himself this spring at the On the Radar Hoops Sweet 16. 

Atlanta, Ga – The second stop of our Sweet Sixteen spring evaluation series was a star-studded event that brought out the likes of Roy Williams, Tom Izzo, Rick Barnes, and Tom Crean to name a few. Below we examine a couple standouts from session II.

By: @HypesouthMedia

6-6 PG, Josiah James, 2019, TMP

James was clearly the best player on hand this weekend. His superior basketball-IQ set him apart from the rest. The south-paw floor general torched defenses every game with his natural ability to facilitate and score the ball. In addition, his in your face on-ball defense noticeably bothered opposing ball handlers. Several blueblood programs tracked him heavily over the weekend, but Duke made things official by extending an offer to the multi-talented lead guard. Right now, James is ranked in the 15 to 20 range nationally by most reputable scouting services. However, he looks to be a top-10 prospect in our estimation and we fully expect him to make that leap sooner than later.

Where does five-star Josiah James rate with 2019’s top point guards? That and more in my Saturday takeaways from Saturday https://t.co/30FkLIiVT9

— Eric Bossi (@ebosshoops) April 29, 2018

6-6 CG, Diante Smith, 2019, Showtime Hoops

Smith collected six offers at session I and continued to that trend during session II. The 6-6 off-guard duplicated his offensive production from a week ago and ramped up the intensity on the defensive side of the ball. Further, he displayed more offensive versatility taking on the majority of ball handling duties. Following session II, SEC powers Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and LSU all made the call with offers. As mentioned in earlier recaps, Smith pulled in over 10 official offers in two weekends cementing himself as our 2018 Sweet Sixteen series “biggest winner.”

#Sweet16SessionII

Diante Smith (@D5SHOW) and Jonthy Candelario led the way for a good Showtime Hoops performance in front of UGA head Tom Crean, Clemson head Brad Brownell, plus many more . @CoachDHardin @ocphoops pic.twitter.com/SEP3yKIK0T

— Shun Williams (@OntheRadarHoops) April 29, 2018

6-5 CG, Caleb Mills, 2019, PSB Select

Mills “woke up” a lot of people with his great play this weekend. The smooth 6-3 guard has a nice flow to his game and is very creative in finding ways to put the ball in the basket. He came into the tournament widely viewed as mid-major caliber prospect, but after consistently holding his own against the “big boys,” Mills played himself onto some high major radars. He picked up an offer from UNC-Greensboro, but Cincinnati is hot on his trail and is seriously considering pulling the trigger with an offer. Stock up!

6-6 SG, Jaduhkiss Soto, 2019, Team Speights

Soto is a big wing whose name is starting to swirl in mid-major coaching circles. He shot the ball at a high-clip from downtown at session II. When given air space it was too late for defenders because the ball was already gone and tickling the bottom of the nets more often than not. The 6-6 marksman shot it well enough to convince Canisius, Virginia Military Institute (VMI), and Wofford to extend offers.

6-6 CG, Austin Harvell, 2020, Nike Elite Stars

Harvell put on several all-around clinics during session II. The 6-6 rising junior seemingly got better everytime he stepped onto the floor and looks to be college ready now. His long build and athleticism were on full display and coaches took notice. Harvell picked up his first two high-major offers from Auburn and Kansas State, but expect more to follow. All considered, this kid has everything and is a star in the making.

Austin Harvell positioned himself to become a prospect of note moving into the summer.

His high energy attitude combined with elite athleticism will make him one of the best at his position in the 2020 class@JLHemingwayPSB STORYhttps://t.co/UQ6E6Tchi5 pic.twitter.com/e5CFcCAFFr

— Shun Williams (@OntheRadarHoops) May 2, 2018

Kowacie Reeves is a contributor to On the Radar Hoops.