Carolina Cup Day 1 Notebook from Justin Byerly
Piedmont, SC - Our first annual Carolina Cup started out this morning at the DL6 Sportsplex just outside of Greenville, South Carolina. My guy Lamont Simmons runs the show at DL6 now and y'all remember him from our prestigious Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions where his squad (SC Raptors Elite) led by Jawun Evans took home the hardware about a decade ago. There was some talent in the gym this morning and we were front and center.
Late in the afternoon today, a prospect caught my eye for NLPB 15-and-under squad. Zaylin Williams. The 6-foot-2 freshman at East Rutherford (NC) High School took a pass off the backboard with one hand and destroyed it through the net on a fast break. The crowd went crazy and it was the highlight of the event for Saturday. He has length, a soft touch around the rim and is above-average athletically. I think Williams will be a name to watch for over the next couple of years. East Rutherford has always been known as a basketball and baseball school, Williams will be another college prospect out of the area.
Another prospect that caught my attention was Upstate Select's 2027 wing, Lucas Henry. In their first game today, Henry went for 32 points including five, three-pointers. In the second game, he scored 16 points. He can score inside and can stretch the floor with his shooting ability. Henry is one of those guys that understands how to get to the free-throw line and did it really well today.
NLPB's Micah King, another East Rutherford (NC) High School prospect looks like a solid junior college prospect that can make the jump up to the Division II level. The 6-foot-3 unsigned senior has a few junior college offers and has a great skillset with footwork. He scored 16 points in the game we watched on Saturday afternoon. He is strong and physical, rebounds well and uses his strength to his advantage.
AJ Downs scored 24 points in the game we were able to watch on Saturday at The Carolina Cup. The big bodied guard out of Woodmont (SC) High School Downs can score from all spots on the floor and made multiple three-pointers en route to his 23-point game.
