Two sanctioned events. The BCAT Memphis Team Camp and the BCAT Top 100 highlighted the past two weekends with some exciting basketball in the Volunteer State. College coaches arrived in masses for the two events. Here are some standouts who caught my eye with their efforts in either or both of the events, starting with the Class of 2024. Players will be listed in alphabetical order.

Fred Bailey (pictured)
PJPII (Nashville, TN)
2024
6'3 PG/SG
Special player who oozes confidence and has a skill level that is seemingly rising every time he steps on the hardwood. He has quickness, handles and a confident shot from outside. A natural feel for the game coupled with this athleticism makes him a most coveted prospect. He is outstanding in transition, he has a sweet pull-up in the lane and can finish at the rim with contact. He shows toughness, and his body develops his defensive output will also increase. He is without a doubt one of the top guards in his class and is ascending to the top of this class with his continued progression.

Maddux Bodenhammer
Riverdale (Murfreesboro, TN)
2024
6'0 PG
Quite enjoyed watching this young man perform at the Top 100 camp in Lebanon. He has a quality that coaches love, he knows his role. The kid is a pure and simply a point guard. Even in a camp setting where traditional basketball roles seem to vanish, this youngster kept it true with his lead guard recipe. He was always looking into the post, creating his own tempo and showing leadership at a young age. He defends with aggression and passion. He has a big frame and likes to create contact with his opposition. He generally dictates his defenders movement with his footwork and ability to use his size to body up without creating fouls. His offensive game needs to continue its upward trajectory as his shooting touch will need more work. He sees the floor and makes good, solid basketball decisions with or without the ball. A coach's kid who will work on his shortcomings and make someone very happy down the road.

Marcus Gray
St. Benedict (Cordova, TN)
2024
6'2 SG
A pleasant surprise watching the maturation of this stroke machine. Gray had one of the best shooting touches of anyone at either event. He showed extreme confidence busting that deep shot and was really engaged on both ends of the floor. He moved well without the ball finding open spaces and seeking out scoring chances. He showed he could put the ball on the deck when the close-out was imminent and displayed a short jumper that was credible. He has the ability to play either guard spot if needed and can bring the ball up the floor in transition and start the offense. Shooters are few and far between so keep a big eye on this kid in the coming future.

Tyler Johnson
Douglass (Memphis, TN)
2024
6'6 WF
Impressive physical specimen who catches your eye right from the jump with his power and explosion. He draws eyes in warm-ups with his powerful and punishing assault of the hapless rim. He attacks the bucket and has a motor that coaches covet along with a lefty stroke that can turn some heads. He runs the floor, he has no fear on the defensive end using his size to keep his opponent stationary. He is tough on the glass and can start the break on his own. He makes good decisions with the ball and has an unselfish game to his credit. His lefty stroke needs some minor tweaking but has a chance to be an additional weapon for him and his basketball adventure. His body is already college ready and as his overall game matures he will be one of the top players in the state in the Class of 2024.

Denaj Kimber & Taj Kimber
Fulton (Knoxville, TN)
2024
6'4 PG/SG
How do you not create an evaluation with both of these young men together? They are a cohesive unit that plays as one. They have a similar skill set both rangy lefties with superb outside shooting touches and some of the sweetest short games in the business. Denaj is more of a lead guard but they both have the ability to play either guard spot with equal effectiveness. They make the game simple, they don't complicate things or use unnecessary movement. They make the easy play every time. They are unselfish yet find scoring chances to be plentiful. They are both long which makes them very effective in the pressing style employed by their high school squad. They turn defensive into offense in a flash and are both very capable rebounding guards with the ability to start the break. The superlatives are many for these guys and as their bodies mature they will continue to attract even more attention from college coaches. What's better than one crafty, skilled lefty guard.....how about two.

Tyler Lee
Fulton (Knoxville, TN)
2024
6'4 SG/WF
One of the most impressive players at the combined team camp and Top 100 event. Fully healthy for the first time in a while, Lee showed his myriad of skills and put his name squarely on the recruiting boards of many of those college coaches in attendance the past few weekends. He has the skill level to run the two and the size to play on the wing. His shooting touch is really starting to round into form, his confidence level is up and he is draining shots from all over the floor. He showed some real toughness with his drives to the bucket, absorbing contact and finishing with some create chances. He has the length and size to be a special player on the defensive end of the floor. He moves his feet, he has strong hands and he is striating to gain confidence in his body. The future is bright young fella.

Cole McCormick
Notre Dame (Chattanooga, TN)
2024
6'5 WF
Skilled player who has a bevvy of tools at his disposal. He has excellent size and a real understanding of the game. He uses the head fake to his benefit and has a really nice outside shooting touch. Not an overtly quick athlete he understands spacing and using his change of speed to get his runs to the bucket. He can finish around the rim with his size and strength. He needs to develop his left hand as more of a weapon on the interior. He is a solid on-ball defender using his lower body strength and moving his feet to establish his position. The camp setting may not have been to his liking as the guards tend to dominate the ball and his game is predicated on movement and structure. I look forward to seeing more of him in the coming years.

Jaye Nash
Briarcrest Christian (Eads, TN)
2024
6'2 PG
Dedicated lead guard is living up to all the hype his game has created. He sees the floor, he plays with the correct tempo dictated by the defense. He makes great decisions with the ball, he can finish at the rim with either hand and his outside shot is becoming a weapon for him as well. He explodes to the bucket, he changes speeds and always makes the correct pass to an appreciative teammate. Defensively he is in your grill, he has the strength to body up and the foot speed to turn his defender. He is a worker off the court, he wants to get better and become the best player in the gym on any given night. That belief is tending in the right direction my friend.

Carlos Orr
Gatlinburg-Pittman (Gatlinburg, TN)
2024
6'4 SG/WF
Emerging athlete has quietly been moving up the ranks with his combination of skill and power. College-ready body has given him the confidence to move his game in an upward trajectory. He can score in the paint using his size to make space, he can make the two to three dribble move and hit the short jumper or he can knock down the outside shot when his footwork and fundamentals are true. He will need to work on his decision-making and add some lead guard skills into his resume. He has the body and strength to become a very good defensive player, showing more aggression on that end of the floor will only enhance his worth to those making next-level decisions. I love his upward growth and cant wait to see more.

Billy Richmond
East (Memphis, TN)
2024
6'6 WF
I must admit I have been sleeping when it comes to this emerging prospect. At the team camp I kept making notes and they would always contain something about #24. Tough lefty, has some grit to his game, he is wonderful in transition and despite a thin frame he is active and tough. He has that West Tennessee swagger to his gait and he competes and completes. He has amazing length, he is strong on the glass and will turn that into a fast break opportunity. His shot is adequate but will need some mechanical tweaking and working on getting more lift from his current flat-footed style. His breakout is coming as his body matures and his skill level catches up to his mental game.

Casey Williams
Oakland (Murfreesboro, TN)
2024
6'6 SG/WF
A college coach turned to me at the Top 100 and said "If that kid there ever gets himself more consistent, he will be on everyone's radar". Amazing because I have been saying and writing the same thing for a few years now. Williams has every skill a high-level recruit can possess. He has amazing athletic gifts, he can score, he can run, he has length, he can shoot and when engaged he can defend and rebound. That's a veritable potpourri of basketball skill 101. He makes an amazing play on one end then seems to disappear from possession to possession. He can attack and punish the rim and he leaves you wanting more. Please take this to heart young man, fully engage at all times, and make yourself a player that college coaches have no choice but to put on their radar. You have the gifts give them to us, please.

Brett Wright
Silverdale Academy (Chattanooga, TN)
2024
6'6 WF
It truly is very hard to properly evaluate players at an event such as the Top 100. Guards totally dominate the landscape, passes and defense are an afterthought so those players who thrive on the structure can be left out if not careful. Wright took advantage of his opportunities and impressed with his overall skill level. He has good size and strength, he rebounds well, and he plays hard on defense even blocking shots from the help side. Offensively he can knock down the open deep shot, he can put it on the deck and finish mightily at the rim if challenged. He is not overly athletic but his skill level and basketball IQ negate some of that result. At the proper level this kid will be an absolute steal for someone.