Spiece Run 'n Slam day one: Jamal Cain makes a statement
The Spiece Run n Slam kicked off on Friday evening in Fort Wayne and some of the best talent out of the Midwest hit the floor. The event is always a quality culmination of all three shoe circuit programs, along with several other non-sponsored bunches that play with a major chip on their shoulder. Jamal Cain was the talk of the night with the way that he finished things off in game that went well past Midnight.
JAMAL CAIN MAKES A STATEMENT
Detroit, MI
Now holding 11 offers, the talk is starting to escape the Midwest about the super fluid and smooth forward that is Jamal Cain. Blessed with great length, quality athleticism, and budding ball skills, Cain’s best basketball is way ahead of him. That is not to take anything away from him currently as the product of The Family 17-under team was the catalyst all night long in his squad’s win over the Playground Elite crew out of Milwaukee.
Born and raised in Pontiac, Michigan, the 6-foot-7 forward came straight out the gates with energy to burn. He ran the floor and threw down several lob finishes, hit a catch and shoot jumper from beyond the arc, but also protected his basket as he would then run the floor following the shot block and finish off the numbers game with the highlight jam.
Last week, the home-state Michigan Wolverines dished out an offer to Cain, an scholarship opportunity that left an impression on him enough for the local product to take a visit to the school on Wednesday. “I like them a lot,” Cain said. “Coach Beilein says I am a little bit like Tim Hardaway and Zak Irvin.”
While the Michigan native spoke highly on his relationship with the staff at UM, Xavier, and Marquette, expect for plenty more schools to get involved with Cain as he has the talent and potential to be pursued by those on the national level.
MCCABE & HERRO PUT ON A SHOW
Against a less talented but super tough and gritty Family bunch out of Detroit, Jordan McCabe, the number-50 ranked sophomore, and Tyler Herro, the number-29 ranked 2018, seemed to be itching to take over. Sure, the Wisconsin Playground Warriors 16-under backcourt had scored 22 of its team’s 34 first half points, but it is the quick dominating abilities make every game dangerous. They did just that as they cruised to a double digit win and it was their play making skills, long distance conversions, and crafty finishing abilities that got the Adidas sponsored squad off to a 1-and-0 start on Friday evening.
McCabe, albeit on the smaller side but with some of the best handles that you’re going to find within the high school realm, did it all from the tip. He has added a killer runner into his game that he can convert going to his off-hand but what really separates himself from the pack is in his ability to break his defender down and then create for his teammates on impressive and sometimes flashy passes that can lead to easy lay-ins or open jumpers. The definition of a competitor, the 5-foot-10 guard is the type of guy you want in your bunker because of the kid’s willing ability to win you games, regardless of the competition on the other end of the floor.
The sophomore’s partner in crime in the backcourt for the second straight year did major work with his mid-range pull-up in the first half before spreading things out further in hitting two second-half 3s en route to a quality stat line. Tyler Herro, who is now pushing 6-foot-4, after standing at barely 6-foot tall a year and a half ago, has some swagger but confidence to him that doesn’t go too far over the edge. He understands how to use angles and different speeds well to get places with the ball and can also slide over onto the ball in play making within the half-court setting. It was his late game shooting off of the creations of McCabe that helped land the Warriors bunch its first win of the weekend.
On the recruiting front, things are just beginning to heat up for McCabe as Minnesota just offered and WVU head coach Bob Huggins was in to see the Kaukauna star guard a few weeks ago. Herro is a little more advanced with things as programs such as Xavier, Florida, and Auburn just offered with Arizona not too far behind.
One of the most entertaining backcourts that you’re going to find went to work late on Friday and expect for plenty of college coaches to be putting in some major work in their own right in the recruitment of the super talented and productive sophomores out of the Badger State.
THE POTENTIAL OF DARIUS BAZLEY
Cincinnati, OH
His team secured the W on Friday evening and while he didn’t score the ball as often as he might have liked, the basketball ceiling out of Darius Bazley, the 6-foot-8 forward with the King James 16-under bunch, is mind-boggling good.
Sporting super long arms but unbelievable mobility and dexterity out on the playing floor, at the moment, Bazley is more in the mold of your face-up 4-man type that makes good plays out of the high post. He is a glass cleaner on the defensive end of the floor and can even handle it a bit whenever things pick up.
A large talent base is already in line with the Finneytown star and in seeing shades of Indiana Pacers forward Paul George, Bazley is just beginning to get settled into his recruitment. “My only offer right now is from Toledo but I have visited Ohio State, Xavier, and a few others,” he told HoopSeen. “I really don’t have a school in mind, I just want to go to college for free and not have my parents pay for it.”
Bazley will have that chance and much, much more as his stock continues escalate and at the moment, ranked number-44 within our 2018 rankings, could see his name spike up the ranking board because of his basketball ceiling and budding ball skills in the frontcourt.
