City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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Went over to Penn’s second Elite Camp of the month; here are some standouts from the day’s action:

David Caraher (2017/Wesleyan Christian, N.C.)
A tough, 6-5 wing forward, Caraher got things done on the court a lot of times just by being in the right place at the right time -- though not by accident. Displaying a great ability to find open spots in the defense and with a nose for the ball coming off the glass, Caraher found himself with a number of open mid-range jumpers and put-back layups, and he rarely missed. And though he liked to hang around inside, where he’s able to take advantage of his physical nature, Caraher also showed the ability to stretch the defense out to the 3-point arc as well. A former Butler commit, he also has offers from Air Force and High Point.

Jake Forrester (2018/Westtown School, Pa.)
Without question the most impressive prospect at the camp, Forrester put on a show all day long. A high-energy, athletic combo forward out of Harrisburg, the 6-8 rising junior showed off his non-stop motor throughout the games -- running full-court to block a shot, working for post position, grabbing rebounds and pushing the break; he also displayed the ability to attack off the bounce and knock down a mid-range jumper to boot. What’s also apparent about Forrester is that he genuinely enjoys the game of basketball, playing with a great attitude and constantly talking on both ends of the floor. Penn head coach Steve Donahue offered after the camp, joining a list that already includes Temple, Rice, Stony Brook and more. Transferring from Kiski Prep to a loaded Westtown squad that features top-3 2017 Mohamed Bamba and top-5 2018 Cameron Reddish, Forrester is sure to see his recruiting stock rise even higher over the next year.

Davis Franks (2017/Collegiate School, N.Y.)
As the day went on, Franks seemed to do more and more for his team, earning a spot on this list by the end of the camp. A fairly slender 6-7 forward, Franks didn’t look soft as he finished through traffic and contact on several occasions, showing off great body control and ability to adjust on the fly to get the ball through the hoops. But his strength is as a stretch-’4’, as he did an excellent job all day of trailing the break and knocking down open looks, including a fadeaway 17-footer. Blessed with long arms, Franks also blocked a few shots on the defensive end and did a good job in general of letting his length bother opponents without fouling.

Sam Grad (2017/Fairview HS, Colo.)
One of several prospects who traveled from the western half of the country was this Boulder, Colorado native, and Grad made sure it wasn’t a waste of a trip. A 6-7 forward, Grad isn’t the fleetest of foot but has a great basketball IQ and found himself in the right spots time and again, whether it was knocking down a few rhythm triples, putting in a spin move or two for a finish in the lane, making several nice passes or standing tall around the bucket.

Jacob Grandison (2017/Berkeley HS, Cali.)
Continuing with our West Coast theme, Grandison (and his brother, who we'll get to in a second) both had impressive days at the Palestra. Jacob is a 6-6 wing who's an excellent defender, keeping an eye on guards and bigs alike, with terrific instincts; he read passing lanes very well and was able to come up with several easy buckets in transition thanks to his doing so. He also showed shooting range out to the 3-point arc, with a nice stroke that suggests he's got the ability to be a consistent threat from there in college.

Lucas Grandison (2019/TBD)
Jacob might be the better Grandison brother at this point in time, but Lucas certainly could catch him before long. At 6-4, Lucas is more offensively skilled than his brother, a scoring off-guard who can put the ball on the floor and create for himself and his teammates; his best skill is still his ability to shoot 3s, however. Also a plus defender like his brother, opponents found it tough to get around him with the dribble. His frame suggests that he could easily end up as tall as his brother (or taller), but now he needs to start getting stronger to make his size effective when attacking the rim and finishing through contact.

Brandon Horvath (2017/Southern HS, Md.)
A slender, 6-8 wing, Horvath was hitting shots all game long. With his size and quick release point, few players were able to get a hand in front of Horvath's shot when he was able to get a foot of space, and though his shot is somewhat flat it was still going in with regularity. Navy and Maine both offered him last year, but he's got to start adding some serious muscle if he hopes to stick at a Division I program. However, with his height and ability to knock down perimeter shots, he'll be on the radar of a number of scholarship programs which utilize those skills.

Hunter Strait (2018/Cedar Rapids Washington, Iowa)
One of the most impressive plays of the entire camp came in the afternoon sessions, when Strait found himself sitting on the floor following a tough drive into the lane. But the ball happened to fall right into his lap -- so the 6-3 guard casually tossed it straight up in the air and through the hoop. Beyond that, Strait was a fearless attacker of the rim, taking numerous defenders off the bounce to slash his way to the hoop, and he had some flashy finishes as well. With two years left in high school, Strait has Division I potential if he can become a more consistent finisher and outside shooter.

Charles Snowden (2017/St. Albans’ School, Washington D.C.)
Perhaps the most athletic player at the camp was this 6-6 wing from the nation’s capital with a serious upside. Snowden has a prototypical small forward body: long and athletic, not slim but not super-muscular either, and he takes advantage on both ends of the court. But more than just a transition athlete, Snowdon showed off a nice mid-range pull-up off the bounce, hitting a few from the foul line extended as well as a baseline J or two. St. Francis (Pa.) is his only offer as of now, but his athleticism and ceiling would make him a nice fit in the Ivy League (and a few others) as well.

Paxson Wojcik (2019/Gonzaga Prep, Wash.)
If the last name sounds familiar, it’s because Wojcik certainly comes from a basketball family -- his father, Doug, was a standout at Navy in the 1980s and had a 25-year coaching career that included head coaching stops at Tulsa and Charleston. And Paxson certainly looks like he’s going to follow his father to the Division I level, as the rising sophomore guard already stands 6-3 and displays smooth athleticism. He’s got easy range out to the 3-point arc with his jump shot, with a nice high release point and good backspin on the shot. As he gets stronger and improves his handle, Wojcik could become a high-major scoring combo guard with his basketball IQ and shooting ability.