2021 Crossroads of the South: Top Performers
The 2021 edition of the Crossroads of the South Camp was held this past Saturday in Jackson, Mississippi and there was a strong turnout as usual. Players from throughout the Magnolia State showed up to show what they bring to the table as a player. Below I highlight the top standouts of the day.
CLASS OF 2022 STANDOUTS
Nick Krass 6’4” Senior G Saint Patrick Catholic (MS)
The Ole Miss commit had himself a very productive day. He shot the ball extremely well on the day and shot it with range. Was equally good shooting off the catch or off the dribble, handled the ball quite a bit and made good decisions while also being aggressive in attacking the defense. Bought a lot of energy throughout the day and didn’t shy away from mixing it up in the paint.
Marc Drone 5’10” Senior G First Love Christian Academy (PA)
A quick shifty lead guard who did a great job of controlling his team and scoring the ball. Possesses strong ball skills and can really break the defense down. Had an outstanding day scoring the ball on drives to the hoop and is fearless when attacking the rim. Showed a solid jump shot that defenders have to respect making his drives to the basket even harder to defend.
Trace Joesph 6’7” Senior F Pascagoula (MS) HS
Long rangy forward prospect had a very nice day, really got up and down the floor and showed a nose for the ball. Scored it well around the hoop, mostly on slashes to the hoop and off the offensive glass. Also showed he can stick an open jumper out pass the mid-range. He was active on the defensive end coming up with a number of blocked shots and rebounded well. Had a very productive day.
Mason Manning 6’2” Senior G First Love Christian Academy (PA)
Manning had a really solid day handling the ball and finding open teammates for good looks, was especially good on the drive and kick finding the open shooters. Picked his spots to go score the ball but when he choose to was able to get to the hoop and score in traffic and thru contact.
CLASS OF 2023 STANDOUTS
Jacob Gazzo 6’8” Junior F Parklane Academy (MS) PICTURED ABOVE
Was the unquestioned star of the day, already committed to Ole Miss, he was very active, showed great hands and scored the ball inside and out. Around the hoop, he got loose for numerous dunks and when he wasn’t dunking it he was scoring with a nifty jump hook that was dead on all day. When he stepped outside he made three-pointer after three-pointer when left open. He rebounded the ball well all day showing a good nose for the ball off the offensive and defensive glass, moved very well without the ball.
Makhi Myles 6’7” Junior F Starkville (MS) HS
A long-armed active forward who really shot the ball well on the day. Shot it with range out past the three-point line. Has a 7-0 wingspan and used it to block and intimidate shooters throughout the day. Did a good job on the boards and played with a lot of energy, also showed he can really get up and down the court and even displayed solid ball-handling ability.
James Turner 6’2” Junior G Mendenhall (MS) H.S.
After recently transferring from Biloxi to Mendenhall this sharpshooting guard had himself quite a day at the camp. Was outstanding at shooting the ball and displayed a knack for getting open for those shots, also showed a knack for using the pump fake and driving the ball to the rim for scores. He was very active on the defensive end and really got out in transition well also.
Lavionne Lindsey 6’2” Junior Guard Northwest Rankin (MS) HS
This big-bodied guard had a strong showing at the camp, literally and figuratively. He had a great day scoring the ball on drives to the rim where he used his strongly built body to play thru contact time after time, but also displayed a craftiness that resulted in plenty of none contact scores. Very active and gets his hands on lots of balls, is a solid passer, and is a willing rebounder.
CLASS OF 2024 STANDOUT
Dorian McMillian 6’3” Sophomore G Pascagoula (MS) HS
This long rangy wing split his time between the underclassman court and upperclassman court and while he acquitted himself well and was very solid during his time with the upper classmen, his play with the underclassmen was exceptional. He scored the ball in multiple ways, in transition, slashes and drives in the half court and showed a nice jumper with range, all of which was also on display in the upperclassman games just with a lot fewer touches. Had the shot of the day, a game winner from deep at the buzzer in a highly competitive underclassman game.
Info from Lavel Johnson of the Mississippi Hoop Report.