City of Basketball Love

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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The fourth and final CoBL College Exposure Camp of 2017 was very likely the most even camp top-to-bottom this offseason, with dozens and dozens of small-college prospects all showcasing different aspects of their games in front of the coaches and scouts on Sunday.

Picking this standout list was certainly our toughest call of the summer, with most of the honorable mentions putting up good arguments for being written up. Nevertheless, here’s our list:

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Noah Baker (2019/Spring-Ford, Pa.)

One of the college-ready bodies at the entire camp belonged to this rising junior, who looks like he’s in the kind of shape to do quite well in the Pioneer Athletic Conference over his upperclassman seasons. A 6-foot-2, 185-pound guard, Baker took advantage of his size whenever possible, attacking the rim off the bounce and in transition and finishing very well around the rim. He’s got a nice-looking jumper as well, not using it much in pull-up situations but knocked down a few catch-and-shoot 3s. Certainly on a scholarship track with two years left in high school, and could do very well for himself with continued work on foot speed and handle.

Keyon Butler (2018/Archbishop Carroll, Pa.)

Butler, a 6-4, 205-pound small forward, stood out physically amongst his peers on Sunday before the games and drills even began. The Archbishop Carroll senior was just as impressive when the actual basketball started. For a someone his size, Butler has a tremendous handle, which helped him drive with ease. Once in the paint he used his size to finish. Butler has a non-stop motor that helps him dominate on the rebounds and defensively against smaller opponents; that was once again on display on Sunday.

Little John Green (2019/Millville, N.J.)

A true post player, Green is a 6-6 power forward who knows how to be a big man. Defensively, he was one of the more impactful players at the camp thanks to his near 7-0 wingspan and big hands, blocking numerous shots in every game and altering quite a few others. He runs the floor well and is an active contester around the rim, and rebounds his space well. Offensively, he showed a nice head-fake and the ability to put the ball on the floor once or twice to get to the rim, though his hands could still use a little overall work. Certainly going to be on scholarship radars moving forward.

Brady Haggerty (2018/Council Rock North, Pa.)

Haggerty isn’t the most athletic out there, but the 6-4 wing forward gets the most out of his frame and has a sneaky-good game with the ability to exploit his opponents’ weaknesses. One example of this was his work on the offensive class on Sunday. Left alone on the perimeter, he’s capable of burying an open shot, but he’s also great moving without the ball and cutting to the hoop, and he’ll post up in mis-match situations with good right-hand feel around the hoop. Makes strong passes off the bounce with his left hand only at this point, but that’s enough to find shots for his teammates. Going to draw a lot of Division III interest if he keeps this up, after also playing well at our Shootout last weekend.

Jailen Jamison (2018/Phelps School, Pa.)

A 5-10, 155-pound lead guard, Jamison impressed with his playmaking all camp long. The rising senior at the Phelps School is a dynamo with the ball in his hands, utilizing his ball-on-a-string handle and quick first step to get the defense moving, and sees the whole floor well to make on-the-point passes. He’s not a true three-level scorer yet, though he can hit an open jumper he’s really only a bucket-getter in transition or when he has an open layup, otherwise he’ll look for a teammate to score. Want to see more of him in pick-and-roll action and hitting pull-up jumpers. With a lot of talent surrounding him at the Phelps School this season, he will be in a position to thrive as a distributing point guard.

Dylan LaNoue (2018/Boiling Springs, Pa.)

LaNoue is listed at 6-1, but has long arms and some vertical bounce to his game that makes him seem a few inches taller. He used his leaping ability to attack the rim hard off the drive as well as to get his jump shot off inside the arc. While he didn’t attempt much from outside on Sunday, LaNoue showed a pure shooting stroke from the midrange. Good defender who projects well long-term with his ability to add to his frame and his overall basketball IQ.

Jared Latane (2018/Haddon Heights, Pa.)

Latane has a keen ability to score off the dribble, and he put it to use on Sunday, finishing as the camp’s top scorer with performances of 29, 15, and 13 points. The 5-10 lead guard can hit pull-up jumpers or take it to the rim on any given play, and his size doesn’t hinder his finishing ability in the slightest. With a college-ready body and clear playmaking ability, Latane’s already a 1,000-point scorer at Haddon Heights, and if he can work on being less commanding of the rock, his upside as a passer should round out his game nicely.

Bernard Lightsey (2018/Imhotep Charter, Pa.)

Lightsey’s surefire shot remains the focal point of his offensive repertoire, but the muscular six-foot guard also displayed solid drive-and-kick ability during Sunday’s camp. Though he’s been known as a strong outside shooter since his freshman year, Lightsey has more and more shown the ability this summer to attack the rim and finish through contact, though he’s not reckless with his attempts. As he looks to take on a sizable role for Imhotep in his senior year, that ability will come in handy -- though he’ll still take plenty of triples.

Ryan McKeon (2019/Sanford School, Del.)

Though just halfway through his high school career, McKeon already has a very good understanding of how to be productive as a post player. Even in a camp atmosphere, McKeon scored in double figures in all three of his team’s games, as he was constantly slipping and rolling to the basket. McKeon’s best skill might be his ability to put himself in a position to score without the ball in his hands, making it very easy for the guards to feed him the ball. He also showed the ability to knock down shots from the mid-range on Sunday, which opened up even more space for him down low.

Julius Phillips (2019/Archbishop Wood, Pa.)

It can be difficult for Phillips to stand out on Wood’s talent-laden roster. With a chance to showcase his individual ability more on Sunday, he took advantage. Phillips, a 6-4 small forward, played more of a scoring role and looked very comfortable playing with the ball in his hands. He shot well from the outside and had a strong handle of the basketball, as well as attacked the rim off the bounce and used his length to disrupt shots on the defensive end. Phillips’ athleticism was also on display, highlighted by an alley-oop dunk.

Yazid Powell (2018/Overbrook, Pa.)

Powell and camp teammate Charles Solomon (see below) meshed well together on Sunday. Both players used their size, court vision, ball handling ability and athleticism to launch the fast break and help their team score in transition. Powell was just as dangerous in the halfcourt. His three-point shot kept defenders honest and his quickness and dribbling skills helped him get by defenders. Once he drove by opponents he showed an uncanny ability to adjust his body in midair and find a way to put the ball in the basket. Powell had some zip to his passes, which helped him hit teammates in stride for layups and open jumpers.

Andrew Seager (2018 Ocean Twp., N.J.)

Seager is a lanky 6-7 small forward with guard and post skills. He has a decent handle, as he often brought the ball up the court for his team. Seager used the ability to drive by slower opponents when matched up with a big man. He also scored out of the post, where he finished with either his right or left hand. While he didn’t shoot much from the outside, he showed a good stroke at the free throw line, especially in the last game of the day when he hit back-to-back one-and-ones to seal the win for his team.

Charles Solomon (2019/St. Augustine Prep, N.J.)

An athletic 6-5 combo forward, Solomon plays a very vibrant, multi-faceted game. He put up double-digit points in each of his three games, scoring on a variety of drives, cuts, and outside shots while also setting up teammates for high-percentage chances. Solomon has a very high motor and runs the floor well, and his build and leaping ability help him protect the rim on the defensive end. Putting up a highlight reel of rim-rocking dunks and emphatic chasedown blocks on Sunday, he was definitely one of the top players at camp.

Bryce Spriggs (2019/Friends’ Central, Pa.)

A stocky combo guard, Spriggs looks like he’s ready to take a big step forward for the Phoenix this season. Though he stands about 6-1 and weighs 190, Spriggs moves very well and has some solid athleticism, seemingly gliding to the hoop where he can make tough finishes with both hands. Playing as part of a talented backcourt that included several guards who enjoyed strong afternoons, Spriggs certainly benefitted from his team situation but fit right in whether it was scoring, passing or defending.

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Honorable Mention: Greg Barton (2018/Downingtown West, Pa.), Davonte Canty (2018/Imhotep Charter, Pa.), Clovis Gallon Jr. (2019/William Penn, Pa.), Justin Gause (2019/Cedar Cliff, Pa.), Jordan Gombs (2020/New Foundations, Pa.), Steven Hamilton (2020/Phoenixville, Pa.), Amyr Henry (2020/Shipley School, Pa.), Jacob Hunt (2018/Brandywine, Del.), Khalid Johnson (2019/Hatboro-Horsham, Pa.), Jerry Kapp (2018/Boyertown, Pa.), Isaiah Leonard (2018/Motivation, Pa.), Cameron McCole (2019/Downingtown West, Pa.), Tyler Daulton Morgan (2019/Eastern, N.J.), Kyree Myers (2019/ Glassboro N.J.), Garrett Ripp (2018/Cardinal O’Hara, Pa.), Ward Roberts (2018/Bensalem, Pa.), Myles Robinson (2019/Friends’ Central, Pa.), Kristopher Shields (2018/Bensalem, Pa.), Xavier Starks (2019/Reading, Pa.), Travis Stoll (2018/St. Augustine Prep, N.J.), Khalil Turner (2019/Sankofa Freedom, Pa.)