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By Ian Powers

Harry Giles 6’10” 230 PF Wesleyan Christian Academy/Winston Salem, NC 2016 – Giles was fantastic over the weekend in Houston. He was dominant on Saturday totaling a combined 52 points and 28 rebounds. He did it in every way possible. He had a stretch in one game where he crossed a defender over and stepped back for a three and on another possession he gave his defender a hesitation dribble and got all the way to the rim for a finish. He also ran the floor well, finished around the basket and rebounded in and out of his area. He no longer requires a knee brace and he looks as close to 100% as I’ve seen him since he tore his ACL a couple of years ago. He’s in strong contention for the #1 spot in the 2016 class.

Jayson Tatum 6’8” 190 SF Chaminade St. Louis, MO 2016 – Tatum is a special player with a refined skill set. He’s a legit 6’8” with the ability to play all 3 perimeter positions. He plays multiple roles during a game. At times he is a distributor and ball handler and gets everyone involved and at other times, particularly in the 2nd half of his game against the Houston Hoops on Saturday, he is an efficient scorer. He finished with 35 points including 19-21 from the free throw line. He is deadly from 15 feet and in where he uses his size to back down smaller defenders and his quickness to get by bigger ones. His patented move is an escape dribble that he uses with his left hand to create space for his jumper on the baseline. He doesn’t always play with enough dog in him and at this point it prevents him from being the consensus #1 player in the class. If he can learn to be more assertive from the opening tip, he has a versatile skill set and size that we haven’t seen since the days of Penny Hardaway.

De'Aaron Fox 6’4” 160 PG Cypress Lakes Katy, TX 2016 – Fox has a reputation as one of the top point guards in this class and he showed why this weekend. After an uneven performance Saturday against the St. Louis Eagles where he fouled out, he bounced back in a big way against Elfrid Payton Elite with a 40 point performance, including 28 in the 2nd half that had the gym buzzing Sunday afternoon. He had a point to prove against 2018 point guard Javonte Smart. He was 5-7 from three and made a huge impact on the defensive end of the floor with 6 steals. He is in the mold of Rajon Rondo, with more offense, because of his ability and willingness to lock down on defense and his cat quick reflexes to deflect balls in the passing lanes and rip his man in one on one situations. His jumpshot is streaky right now and will need to be more consistent to round out his game, but his quickness and explosive ability to take over games is second to none.

Jarred Vanderbilt 6’8” 195 SF Victory Prep Academy Houston, TX 2017 –  Vanderbilt had a solid weekend in Houston alongside his 2016 teammate, Fox. He is a versatile player with the ability to take the ball off the glass and start and finish the break. He is an excellent passer and can be a matchup nightmare when he’s locked in offensively. His issue right now is a lack of range and consistency on his jumpshot. He’s smart enough to know his limitations right now as a shooter and contributes in other ways to help his team win. He also is a great defender and has the length and athletic ability required to be an elite wing defender. If he can polish his mechanics on his jumpshot, he has a chance to be one of the elite players in his class and the physical tools and make up to be a pro.

John Petty Jr. 6’6” 190 SG/SF J.O. Johnson  Huntsville, AL 2017 – Petty is one of the top risers in the 2017 class. He is blessed with a lot of natural ability and is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential. He is long and rangy and can cover a lot of ground. He can score in the half court with a sweet jumper and he’s athletic enough to fill the lane and finish in transition. Last year at the Nike Elite 100 was my first viewing of him and he looked like a 2 year old colt still maturing and growing into his frame, but now he looks like a maturing 3 year old ready for the Kentucky Derby. The foundation of his game starts with the jump shot but he has an improving handle that allows him to put the ball on the floor and get to the basket. His handle still needs to be tightened up, but he’s making strides in that area. He just picked up an offer from Kentucky and that will not be the last offer he gets from a blue blood program.

Gary Trent Jr.. 6’5” 200 SG Apple Valley Apple Valley, MN 2017 – The son of the "Shaq of the MAC" and former 9 year NBA veteran of the same name is a prolific scorer from all 3 levels and was on fire the entire weekend.  He opened the weekend with a 43 point game, including 8-12 from three and followed that up Saturday with a pair of 33 point games. He has a strong body that he uses by taking defenders down to the box and scoring with a nice turnaround jumper. He also can step out and shoot the ball from deep and mid range. He’s not as explosive athletically as his father was, but his skill set is what he hangs his hat on and what will ultimately be his calling card at the next level and beyond. You can see that his father’s NBA background has been beneficial to him because he has a great feel for the game and understands the nuances of moving without the ball. His father is heavily involved in his development and the results speak for themselves.

Malik Monk 6’4” 185 SG Bentonville Bentonville, AR – Monk is one of, if not the most athletic player in the class. He’s more than just an athlete, however. He played a lot of point guard for his Arkansas Wings team and showed an ability to make plays for teammates in the lane. He can score from anywhere on the floor and is starting to display a better understanding and overall feel for the game. He has improved his stroke from three and possesses a very nice step back jumper going to his left. He’s only 6’4’ and will need to continue to hone his point guard skills to make himself a more appealing and versatile prospect for the NBA scouts who will surely be monitoring him over the next couple of years, but his scoring and elite athletic ability will definitely get the attention of decision makers at the NBA level.

Damari Milstead 6’2” 170 PG Moreau Catholic Hayward, CA 2017- Milstead looks like he’s 12 years old, but he doesn’t play like it. He is cat quick and can get in the lane at will and has a variety of floaters at his disposal.  His jumpshot has improved and his on ball defense is always high level. He needs to mature physically and can be overlooked because he’s doesn’t have the mature body beyond his years or eye popping athleticism right now, but as his body matures and gets stronger he will get more explosive. The skills and basketball IQ are there and once he matures physically, the sky’s the limit.

Asante Gist 5’11” 180 PG Marist West Orange, NJ 2016 – This small but thick point guard is a smooth floor general that has the ball on a string. He can get in the lane and finish through contact because of his strong upper body and can shoot the ball out to the college three point line.  He is pesky on defense and can pick his man up full court and create turnovers. His recruitment s starting to pick up as he hold offers from Rutgers, Seton Hall and South Florida and interest from UMass, Rhode Island and Boston College. I would like to see him be more aggressive and look to penetrate and break the defense down more but he’s a tough kid with a sold future.

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