.@TNPrepHoops breaks down some of the standouts from Tennessee from the #ALTJAM, Part III
The HoopSeen Atlanta Jam took on a Tennessee flavor as teams from all over the Volunteer state made statements all over the Suwanee Sports Academy this past weekend. Here are some of my top players, listed alphabetically, who shined bright and continued to make their presence felt during this unorthodox summer/fall basketball campaign.
Scrappy, tough and what a competitor. All the adjectives that coaches love to hear. Powell brings the pain on his forays to the hoop, he understands tempo and gets to the bucket at will, he scores with either hand yet he is at his best on the other end of the floor. He defends with confidence and isn't afraid of a challenge. As we step up in competition his outside shooting touch will need to improve to a level which makes that drive to the bucket that much more devastating.
Improving prospect has great length and size and fits nicely into a team first structure. He has the ability to knock down the outside shot, quicken that release a bit, and he can put the ball on the deck and finish in the lane. He comes from the post and is still comfortable fighting for glass time and rebounds. His game will grow leaps and bounds as he continues to add more off guard skills to his weapons case.
Watching his progression through the years has been quite a Rush. Alex had an outstanding weekend as he helped the Tigers go unbeaten at the Atlanta Jam. He is comfortable in his own skin and he knows his role. He has great hands, catches clean and scores over either shoulder. He rebounds at a high level despite lacking some athletic prowess. He can score from the mid-range with a sweet stroke and will knock down the deep shot on the secondary break if left open. His toughness and aggression are rapidly improving and in the right system he will be a valuable commodity.
His size catches your eye, his skill level keep you looking and once his basketball skills even up with his confidence level, a coveted prospect we will have. Shaw had a very good weekend at the Jam, he has a very nice shooting stroke, his length allows him to shoot over smaller guards and his ability to put the ball on the deck gives him a one up on the quick ones. A better and more consistent effort on the defensive end will only enhance his stature.
Here is how you get the attention of those watching you for the first time, stroke four straight deep shots to start the game and your profile gets brighter. Solid fundamentals are his staple, he has the aforementioned dynamic deep stroke and he showed some scoring prowess off the bounce as well. Rising sophomore will need to get stronger, as most his age will, but his basketball IQ and his knowledge of the game at this juncture are certainly above average.
