Hoop MIA The Warmup: Yale, Northeastern & South Carolina commits steal the show
Now that the month of November is just several days away and with it, the beginning of the high school season is set to commence, camps and shootout events are coming to an end. This past weekend, the Hoop MIA crew rolled out its annual The Warmup event, a two day tune-up for the high school season bringing in some of the best programs from south Florida to the Miami Springs Recreation Center. Today, we take a look back at what we learned as a few seniors led the way in standing out from the rest of their peers.
COMMITS SHOW NO SIGNS OF STOPPING
Signing day for the 2017 class is less than two weeks away and with a few commitment prospects suiting up throughout the two day event in Miami, it sure does seem that some schools may have landed steals in the early going.
One of the most entertaining and well-coached bunches that you’re going to come across, the Westminster Academy gang, is just chock-full of talented prospects with even more upside at their fingertips. Jason Strong, one of the biggest steals throughout the fall period, will head to Northeastern next year and expect for the 6-foot-8 power forward to excel day one. While he does have to get stronger, one has to love the toughness, budding athleticism, and evolving skillset out of the CAA commit. His best basketball is clearly ahead of him where he is more than capable of leading Bill Coen’s gang to multiple NCAA Tournaments runs during his time at Northeastern.
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Another piece of the puzzle that will also be taking his talents to the New England region next year is Paul Atkinson. A teammate of Strong’s at Westminster Academy, the 6-foot-9 center is one of the most polished big men that you’re going to come across from the southeast. He has become much more athletic around the basket but is already a tremendous high-low piece within the half-court setting and has the hands and toughness to throw up a double-doubles on the final stat sheet with ease. Yale, you stole one and because of it, head coach James Jones’ bunch should enjoy great success out of the productive big man.
Lastly, running with the Miami Country Day squad, Ibrahim Doumbia showed marvelous upside, athleticism, energy, and progressions with his ball skills. He ran the floor like the ground was on fire and repeatedly threw down dunk after dunk, leaving some of the mixtape people in attendance with a giant smile on their faces. Doumbia is more than just an athlete where he made a few contested short corner turnaround jumpers and even led the break when the time presented itself. Headed to South Carolina next fall, Frank Martin should be able to mold the Mali native and make him a killer combo forward option and an entertaining one at that.
SENIORS STILL AVAILABLE
As started earlier, the signing period is right around the corner. The majority of the 2017 class has already announced where they plan on heading for their college playing careers but in south Florida over the weekend, a plethora of talent is still out there for the taking.
Sylvain Francisco, someone that needs to find his way into the next updated version of the 2017 HoopSeen Top-125 Rankings, was tremendous all weekend long. The 6-foot-1 lead guard has vastly revamped his outside jumper yet remained electric in the open floor and vocal in running his team out top. The French import is super talented and is tracking as a late year signee.
Joining Francisco on his squad at West Oaks is already a member of the HoopSeen Top-125, which is LJ Figueroa. The 6-foot-6 small forward displayed a much more cut and active body throughout The Warmup as he ran the floor with a purpose, finished at the basket, and even showed off the ability to defend various spots on the floor. South Florida, Miami, Ole Miss and a few others remain involved for one of the top scorers from the southeast.
One of the most underrated and an under-recruited prospect from the state of Florida, Nathanael Jack is someone that could enhance his stock greatly in the coming weeks. Holding limited interest from the likes of Florida Gulf Coast and Kennesaw State, the 6-foot-4 wing has a go-to jumper that he can hit with a hand in his face but the versatility that makes him valuable on both ends of the floor. The Calusa Prep product could be a breakout performer this winter.
A super versatile and much improved forward out of Coral Reef High in Florida, Brent Holcomb showed all weekend long just how vast his skillset really is. A few Atlantic Sun programs along with Loyola Marymount remain involved for the 6-foot-7 forward, a prospect that can facilitate an offense within the half-court, make the open jumper, and enjoy the matchup issues that he presents by scoring in the post against the smaller defender placed onto him.
JUNIORS READY TO SHINE
We would be doing a poor job here if we weren’t able to touch on two prospects from the 2018 class that showed out in Miami. While both still need their time in the coming months in enhancing their skillset and games, the upside and potential out of each makes them well worthy of the high-major offers and interest that continue to add up.
Zach Scott, a 6-foot-3 lead guard running the show for the Westminster Academy program, brings a slender body to the floor but a great feel and pace for things out on the perimeter. While he does have to get stronger in handling contact better in the lane, Scott is an excellent playmaker that makes others better around him. He can contain either guard spot out on the perimeter and has the grades that would allow for a variety of schools to enter the picture for the junior guard. Programs like FIU, Vanderbilt, Kansas State, and FGCU are those involved but the one school that is picking things up for the high upside guard is Oklahoma, a program that Scott last visited this past summer.
While Scott brings some intrigue out on the perimeter, it is Emmanuel Dowuona, a 6-foot-10 center for Westwood Christian, that made a name for himself from 15-feet and in. Despite his squad facing zone defenses all weekend long, the mammoth of a big man sports giant length, good hands, and a solid motor as a productive rim runner. Sure, the face-up game out of the prospering big man is in need of work but there is a reason why programs such as Rutgers, Louisville, Miami and UConn have entered the picture with an offer early on.
