E1T1 Showcase: Top Forwards
The Each 1 Teach 1 Showcase brought in some of the best talent throughout the Sunshine State on Saturday. The state sure isn’t lacking in talent in the coming years and while there were a number of kids that have already established themselves as quality college recruits, there were others that enhanced their resumes during their time in Tampa. In the frontcourt, there were a few that stood out with their production on the glass, rim-rattling skills at the basket, and production as face-up forwards in hitting the deep ball, yet it was Wyatt Wilkes that shined the brightest with his variety of scoring abilities from 20-feet and in.
Kevin Knox II, SF/PF, Tampa Catholic High School, 2017: The headliner of the event, there just aren’t many throughout the land that have gotten much better in a four month span than Kevin Knox. The Tampa Catholic forward has elite athleticism, an evolving physique, and progressing ball skills that could lead him to one day being a 6-foot-8 small forward. He is an absolute killer out on the break of the floor and his outside jumper looks to be gaining more consistency and the confidence in it has followed a similar trajectory. Knox competes with a fine motor on the hardwood and with the talent in tow, there is a reason why we were the first to rank Knox as a top-10 talent in his class nationally and he only backed it up further on Saturday afternoon.
Tyler Polley, SF/PF, Sagemont School, 2017: Polley hasn't stopped growing yet and while it can be a detriment at times since he can struggle with more physical play near the basket and when within traffic, he seems to stand, at the very least, at 6-foot-8. With a long and slender body type, Polley is going to be utilized in a variety of ways at the next level. Capable of playing either forward spot and with a consistent, go-to jumper from the mid-range area, there is a lot of former Syracuse star Wesley Johnson in him. Sure, Polley must get a bit tougher within the trenches but he oozes so much upside that it is hard to deny the Sagemont product’s long term projections.
Wyatt Wilkes, SF/PF, Winter Park High School, 2017: The 6-foot-7 forward is a walking matchup issue on the floor. The grandson of the great former Stetson head coach Wyatt Wilkes, the junior plays with a bit of confidence to him and it definitely pays off whenever his team needs him the most. He is best served with the ball in his hands as he can stretch the defense out with the deep ball, playmake on the drive and kick out atop of the key, and also seems to flourish in the open floor with dunks off his left foot. A matchup issue at either forward spot at the college level, Wilkes will be joined by his travel teammate in Chaundee Brown when they visit Kansas in a few weeks for the Late Night at the Phog festivities.
Jared Jones, PF, Potters House Christian Academy, 2019: Just a baby when it comes to basketball talk where the 2019 stands at 6-foot-8 at this time, but hasn't even touched where he can be physically as he could top out at 7-foot. The Orlando native, who could pass as former Kentucky star Terrence Jones' younger brother, has immense upside to him. With a long body and good instincts on the glass, Jones moves well off the ball and tends to find easy shots at the basket. More of a face-up guy at this time, Jones is a solid 15-feet and in guy who should develop into a really good threat out of the power forward position. Already, programs like Florida, Florida State, and Wake Forest have offered the Potter's House forward and it is just the tip of the iceberg with the high ceiling forward out of Jacksonville.