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Best of the Preview Circuit: Top Sophomores

22, Oct 2019

Best of the Preview Circuit: Top Sophomores

With our eight camp Preview series now in the books, our staff has been deep in the archives and drumming up our picks for "The Best of..." series that we will run this week on HoopSeen. We continue our dive deep and move onto the sophomores.

Kok Yat

Norcross, GA

Class
2021
|
Position
SF
|
Height
6' 8"
|
School Team
National
NR
National Pos. Rank
NR
State
12
State Pos. Rank
4

A big splash has been made in the peach state with newly acquired Norcross forward Kok Yat. No one, and I mean not a single prospect at any one of our camps had the skill set, size and athleticism that Yat walked through the door with. Things come naturally for the 6’8 sophomore that has a stroke as fluid as your starting point guards. Yat displayed several intriguing qualities but his shot making is what separates him at an early age. The game is now built around forwards with Yat’s qualities. An appearance on the national rankings is in Yat’s near future. -Tai Young

 

Michael Zanoni

Charlotte, NC

Class
2022
|
Position
SG
|
Height
6' 4"
|
School Team
National
NR
National Pos. Rank
NR
State
20
State Pos. Rank
7

One of the best shooters we saw over the Fall Preview series. The Charlotte (NC) Providence Day guard is a scorer. He can create separation and make the tough shots. He does a really good job of moving without the ball and use screens. Zanoni first impressed our HoopSeen staff at the June NCAA evaluation period where he scored 38 points against one of the top teams in the state, Charlotte (NC) Carmel Christian. Playing at Providence Day, he will play one of the tougher schedules in the state and compete for a state title. The 6-foot-4 Zanoni has the size for the college basketball game and is already taking in some campus visits. He recently visited Utah and has been to Illinois for unofficial visits. - Justin Byerly

Jazian Gortman

Columbia , SC

Class
2022
|
Position
CG
|
Height
6'
|
School Team
National
75
National Pos. Rank
9
State
NR
State Pos. Rank
NR

Gortman was effective in knocking down three-pointers every game. He attacks the rim and is an athletic finisher. Gortman defended and had one of the best motors at the camp. He is aggressive on both sides of the ball and never takes a play off. He finished with either hand on multiple drives to the basket and did a very good job of rebounding for his position. One under-valued aspect of his game is his passing ability and court-vision. He made some difficult passes look very easy. Gortman has earned his spot in our HoopSeen 2022 South Carolina rankings when they are released in a few months. - Justin Byerly 

 

Deante Green

Swannanoa, NC

Class
2022
|
Position
PF
|
Height
6' 8"
|
National
94
National Pos. Rank
19
State
3
State Pos. Rank
2

Dump all of the bigs I evaluated this fall into a pot and pound for pound, Deante Green would have an argument for the most impressive. It’s a PB&J type of fit when you combine the soft touch and faceup jumper of the talented forward. All flash aside, the production that Green provides, far outweighs his lack of highlight clips. The high majors have picked at him early in what looks to be a trend that won’t stop anytime soon. -Tai Young

 

Antonio Kite

Anniston, AL

Class
2022
|
Position
CG
|
Height
6' 1"
|
School Team
National
NR
National Pos. Rank
NR
State
8
State Pos. Rank
1

Describing Antonio Kite as lightning in a bottle may not be sufficient given the speed that he plays with. Defenders seemed to be in quicksand when Kite came at them full speed in transition. A ridiculous first step and some quick twitch moves was all that was needed when dissecting his opponent. The most intriguing part of Kite may be everything you see when you peel back the layers. Supreme confidence and a swagger that oozes out of his pores gave off the vibe that he’s just getting started.-Tai Young  

 


Justin Byerly
State Editor

Justin Byerly has spent the past 15 years covering North Carolina prep and grassroots basketball. He has previously worked with The Recruit Scoop and Rivals.com. In addition to that he has contributed to The USA Today, Charlotte Observer, The Asheville Citizen-Times and The Sun News. He has held The Justin Byerly Upstate/WNC Showcase the past two years and has helped student-athletes from North Carolina and South Carolina receive college scholarships. He owns The Byerly Report scouting service that has over 100 college subscriptions. Justin resides in Asheville, North Carolina with his wife Danielle and four children. 

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