Bartlett High School in Memphis hosted some of Tennessee’s best teams, as well as high end teams from around the country.
Cason Wallace 6’4 180 PG – Richardson 2022 (Kentucky)
Wallace (pictured) was big in the 65-59 win against Kenwood with 23 points and eight rebounds. He’s strong and battles underneath the basket. He’s got a polished game; showing very good touch on his floater, good outside shot, athletic finisher, and solid passing ability. His ability to pass and finish makes him effective in transition. He rebounds well for a guard and is solid defensively as well, including a play where he pinned a layup against the backboard. There were times he turned it over when dribbling in traffic and he could’ve been more aggressive getting the ball, rather than spacing the floor, when Kenwood started making their comeback, but overall he played well in the win. Wallace also scored 20 points in the 82-68 loss to North Little Rock in Richardson’s second game of the event.
DJ Jefferson 6-5 190 SG – Minnesota Prep 2022 (Tulsa)
Jefferson’s a natural athlete. He gets up well from a standstill, which translates on both ends, blocking shots off the backboard and the finishing end of oops. He doesn’t take a lot of 3 pointers or jump shots in general, but he showed the ability to knock them down. Although he shoots with his left hand, he prefers to dunk with his right. Jefferson played off the ball but showed quickness, good use of Euro-step, along with a good body frame.
Blue Cain 6’3 170 SG – Knoxville Catholic 2023
Cain plays under control. He had a few strong drives to the rim making some contested layups while absorbing contact. He did go through a stretch against Memphis East with a few quick turnovers, sometimes on passes while others on drives but he’s poised with the ball. Although he missed a few, he’s got a good shot where he demonstrated both from 3PT and mid-range. He really struggled to connect in the second game against Memphis University School but made the one that mattered, hitting the game winning 3 pointer at the buzzer. Knoxville Catholic went 1-2 over the weekend, losing to Memphis East 64-59 and Bartlett 75-69, and beat Memphis University School 48-45. Cain’s stats: 26 points and six rebounds, 20 points, and 15 points and six rebounds respectively.
Jaylen Thompson 6’7 180 SF – Southern California Academy 2022 (Stanford)
Thompson’s very athletic, showing explosion around the rim and has a good body for a wing. He needs more consistency with his jump shot but he has a high release and knocked down his share of looks. He’s got some defensive versatility on the perimeter and was solid in his two games. Thompson scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds defeating Memphis Mitchell 85-34.
Jaxon Kohler 6’9 225 C – Southern California Academy 2022 (Michigan State)
Kohler’s skilled around the basket; showing a fadeaway, use of pivots, and up & unders throughout the games. He’s got a very smooth free throw stroke and shooting range out to the 3PT line. He’s not very quick and gets beat on defense when he’s out on the perimeter pretty frequently. He’s also not very explosive, barely getting high enough to dunk on a few plays. There was a stretch at the end of the game against Memphis Mitchell where he stood at halfcourt and quit playing defense but finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Then he posted 13 points and seven rebounds in Southern California Academy’s first loss of the season, 67-58 to Combine Academy.
Chandler Jackson 6’4 200 PG – Christian Brothers 2022 (Florida State)
Jackson’s strong and handles contact well. He’s got a quality shot, hitting numerous looks from 3PT and midrange. He operates best catching at the top of the key, where he looks to rise up for a jump shot or pass to the cutter/open man underneath. One area he can look to improve is handling double teams and not getting stuck in congested areas, which leads to turnovers. He wore his emotions often but played hard each possession. Jackson was big in the win 70-66 overtime win against Bartlett. He also finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds defeating NSU University School 62-47.
Amarr Knox 6’2 160 PG – Bartlett 2022
Bartlett went 1-2 over their three games. Knox was very good in the two games I saw. He’s not real explosive but he’s quick with the ball and creative on his drives, showing no fear taking on Dream City Christian’s much bigger lineup. In addition to slashing, he can shoot and sees the floor well. Knox stat line included 25 points in the loss to Christian Brothers, 11 points in the 75-69 win against Knoxville Catholic, and 27 points and seven rebounds losing to Dream City Christian 69-51.
Yohan Traore 6’10 225 PF – Dream City Christian 2022
Traore was off to a good start, stepping out to hit a 3 pointer and scoring around the rim. He had three and-ones in the first half. His mobility at his size makes him a tough matchup. He ended up leaving in the third quarter in the first game against West Oaks Academy with an injury and wouldn’t return, scoring 19 points in the 79-47 victory.
Shawn Phillips 6’11 250 C -Dream City Christian 2022 (NC State)
Phillips provides a strong body, both upper and lower. He does his work in the paint and isn’t too much of a perimeter threat offensively. He should look to gain more consistency on his jump hook and expand his post-game but he’s adept at establishing position underneath. He’s not real quick or explosive but was on the finishing end of a few alley oops. He has to work on limiting the unforced turnovers, traveling and mishandling passes at times, also catching himself in foul trouble a bit. Phillips ended with 14 points and nine rebounds against West Oaks Academy.
Dai Dai Ames 6’0 160 PG – Kenwood Academy 2023
Ames is a shifty ball-handler, changing speeds and getting where he wants with his dribble. He’s also a tough defender, harassing his man and taking no plays off. He impressed with his passing, and his whole offensive game shows good instincts as he doesn’t second guess himself and is reactive off the dribble. The lefty guard is a selective shooter but showed plenty of ability to knock them down. Ames scored 26 points in the loss to Richardson and 22 points in the 83-48 win against Cane Ridge.
Jayden Epps 6’1 170 PG – Combine Academy 2022 (Illinois)
Epps had a big pair of games to lead Combine Academy to two victories. He’s an aggressive driver with a nice pull-up jumper. He has a strong upper body with quick first step. He was solid passing the ball but more of a combo guard than pure point. He’s a below the rim finisher but scored 14 points against Southern California Academy and dropped 29 to beat Hillcrest 79-69. Epps and Combine gave both Southern California Academy and Hillcrest their first losses of the season.
Kamari Lands 6’8 205 SF – Hillcrest Prep 2022
Lands excelled in scoring; hitting 3 pointers off the dribble, pulling up from midrange, and getting to the rim. His shot has great arc and dropped right in during his two games. Although not super explosive, he’s athletic and had a handful of above the rim finishes. He has a smooth game and has good rhythm to his offense. Lands impressed with 27 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists to beat Tennessee Prep 91-64. He followed up with 16 points in the loss to Combine Academy.
Brandon Miller 6’9 200 SF – Cane Ridge 2022 (Alabama)
Miller scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the loss to Kenwood Academy. Miller’s versatility and talent haven’t been able to translate into leading his team to wins. He’s shown he can score anywhere on the floor, provides good athleticism, and good passing ability but he needs some help from teammates, as there’s a lot of unforced turnovers and missed open shots among the team, which translates to no offensive flow and negative body language/energy. Miller can still improve shot consistency and ball handling in traffic, but he drew fouls at a solid rate. Kenwood made him work for his baskets and while Miller put points on the board, it wasn’t enough to get Cain Ridge within reach.
Nick Smith 6’5 175 PG – North Little Rock 2022 (Arkansas)
Smith scored 30 points in the win over Richardson. He shot very well, hitting 3’s and from mid-range in the face of the defense. He consistently got to the middle, which was where he’s most effective, where he would pull up for a jumper or use his accurate floater. He’s alert with solid passing ability and was effective going left or right. He stayed under control when picking up speed and handles contact well with the ball.
Kel'el Ware 7’0 215 C – North Little Rock 2022 (Oregon)
Ware’s long and athletic. He’s a good shot blocker, recording seven in the game. He had his share of dunks around the basket and hit a jump hook as well. He stepped out and knocked down two 3 pointers with no hesitation, showing a smooth stroke. He still needs some offensive polish down low and can work on catching/passing on the move, mishandling an alley oop on one play, but he’s still a major impact guy when he’s on the floor. In addition to his blocks, he also scored 17 points and pulled down nine boards.
