Vernon Carey Jr. was arguably the most impressive player at the John Wall. (Photo by Jon Lopez)
From three-point marksman putting on shooting clinics in games to players staking their claim at the No. 1 spot in the respective classes we had plenty of takeaways from the John Wall Holiday Invitational last week.
Here are a few.
Josh Green is a star.
Most of the buzz from last week’s tournament came from a player most fans knew nothing about. The Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) shooting guard brought the wow factor all week from draining NBA three-pointers to showing off his athleticism on rim-rocking dunks.
Green, who originally hails from Australia, drew North Carolina head coach Roy Williams, Duke associate head coach Jeff Capel, North Carolina State head coach Mark Gottfried, North Carolina Central head coach Levelle Moton and Kentucky head coach John Calipari during his games.
Green, a 6-foot-6 sophomore, already has an offers from Arizona and California.
He averaged 15 points a game at the John Wall Holiday Invitational.
Patrick Dorsey is one of the best shooters in the state.
After his strong shooting performance last week at the tournament, the Millbrook shooting guard could make a legitimate case at claiming the state’s top marksman title.
Dorsey celebrated his 18th birthday by knocking seven threes and scoring 23 points to lead the Wildcats past Cox Mill (Concord, N.C.) at the tournament.
Dorsey’s seven threes was a career high and was the most by any player at this year’s tournament.
From mechanics to moving without the ball to accuracy, Dorsey brings the sniper’s total package.
Mikayla Boykin is easily one of the top five players in the country.
No player, male or female, put on as dominant a showing at last week’s tournament as the Clinton (Clinton, N.C.) point guard.
Boykin, a Duke signee, averaged 27 points, 17 rebounds and seven assists a game for the tournament, where she took home Most Outstanding Player.
For the season, Boykin is pumping in 41 points, 13 rebounds, nine steals and six assists a game.
What’s more impressive is that this is Boykin’s first time playing in two years, after being sidelined with back-to-back ACL surgeries.
What’s her main motivation for domination?
“I want to win a state title and I want to be a McDonald’s All American,” she said.
Before her injuries, Boykin was ranked No. 3 overall in the ESPN 100; she checks in at No. 20 currently.
The state title is still in question, but being recognized as one of the top players in the country in Chicago come March?
That shouldn’t be debatable with those numbers.
Vernon Carey is looking like top dog.
University School’s (Davie, Fla.) 6-10 forward put on the type of show worthy of being considered the No. 1 player in the 2019 class. From knocking down the perimeter jump shot to dominating the paint to a strong mid-range game to a clutch buzzer beater to win the game, Carey was, arguably, the most impressive player in the boys’ tournament all week, averaging 26 points and 11 rebounds a game.
Currently, he checks in at No. 5 overall in the ESPN 25, but if he continues this versatile dominance, Carey could be on the rise.
Follow Jason Jordan on Twitter: @JayJayUSATODAY
