UA Next Combine Series - Fires Crucial Shot in Sneaker War (Part II: Shooting/Combo Guards) - EAST
EJ Evans (6'4/SG/PA) exploded on the scene in outstanding fashion making an immediate name for himself; Evans is a strong, tough two guard who is a natural scorer with prototype size at 6'4. He played each game in attack mode offensively and was always a triple threat to shoot, drive or pass the ball. You can see patience and a high level of maturity in his game – yet he plays the game with a controlled fury. He knocked down open 3's and showed a solid pull-up jumper that made it extremely hard to guard him. Where he dominates the game is in his aggressive drives to the basket with a deceiving quick first step and power. Evans carries defenders with him all the way to the basket and has no problem finishing through contact with some of the most unique and impressive finishes seen at this level.
Jordan Toles (6'2/SG/MD) has a chiseled physique and he employs it well while carrying defenders off the dribble. He is extremely explosive and his mid-range pull-up is very good. Toles is an incredibly strong guard who loves to use his body to score. He seems to be getting taller and more powerful every day and he is great at finishing at the basket. Currently he more volume then efficient from a scorers prospective at this juncture but his sheer will and motor is so high level you happily live with it. He is good at getting in the lane and pulling up for his shot, but he does need to become more consistent from the perimeter. He is a very good rebounder led the entire event in rebounding while playing spending most of his time impressing at the lead guard position – Toles is as physical a guard as you will find in the 2020 class and is one of its most premier players his weekend performance has done nothing to change this.
Ryan Conway (6'0/SG/MD – 2021) is a Combo Guard who can really score the ball is a top player in the country at the 2021 level and one of the top two pure scorers in that class. He translated this skill set at a high level this past weekend at the UA Combine Series – bottom-line is Ryancan be as good as he wants to be. He is very skilled and very athletic. He shows a shooting touch out to 25 feet. Aggressive is the best way to describe his game. The bigger the game the more he wants the ball. With his solid frame, he was one of the most well-conditioned athletes in the gym playing with a non-stop motor and showed everyone in attendance that what a tremendous prospect he is.
RJ Davis (5'9/SG/NY) has a chance to develop into one of the elite players in the 2020 class before it's all said and done. Slowly but surely the 8th grader is developing a great body and and basketball body for a perimeter player. He is one of the best 3-point shooters you will find with machine like mechanics and he can really shoot it from deep. He is excellent off the dribble and he plays very hard for a kid that young. Davis passes well and has a good feel for the game and IQ. He is an elite level athlete and has all the tools to become an elite player. Bullock has good ball skills and can finish in traffic.
Okay Djamgouz (6'2/SG/Canada) is one of the top combo guard prospects in Canada and after his performance at this event there is no reason to believe that is going to change – additionally he has moved himself into the discussion in the states which is a tribute to his performance this past weekend. He is one of the most prolific jump shooter we've seen this season. He gets tremendous lift on his shot and his release is quick. He is best in a catch and shoot situation, but his mid-range pull-up in traffic is deadly as well. He is a very shrewd passer and generally makes good decisions - his basketball IQ is high and he moves well without the ball as well. If there is an area that he needs to address it would be his handle-there were times when he had trouble separating from defenders off the bounce. In addition, he doesn't have great quickness but at this stage these are small things to a future giant in the game. Eyes must be kept on this kid he is special.
Mike Sumner (6'2/SG/DC) is volume scorer. He knocks down the 3-point shot at a fairly consistent basis. When he gets into the paint he shows an under control middle game as he elevates over his defender. He can can get all the way to the rim and finish with his wiry strong body. At the basket he can take contact and score the ball or see the help defender and slither his way around to avoid the defense. Zae Bains ('6'2/SG/VA) is long, young, athletic and very talented yet still a work in progress reports are coming in that Bains will be reclassing to 2021 which increase his stock immediately and puts in a situation where he must be considered a top 10 to 15 player. You can see how with maturity in the next two years he will continue to get better. He can shoot, dribble, pass and rebound and is overall oneo the most skilled kids to show up at the combine. He plays very smooth and is under control. He does everything right. A good decision maker on the break runs and jumps. Strength will help him in his progress but he has unlimited potential for a player so young. Qaadir Maneri (6'0/SG/NJ) is exceptionally smooth going to the rim, virtually unstoppable in the open floor, and very good in the mid-range area. He's a very disruptive full court defender, at his best in passing lanes, and capable of being a good on-the-ball defender. He's clearly spent time working to address his two biggest deficiencies, his perimeter jumper and leaning up his frame. Quaran McPherson (6'2/SG/NY) made his presence felt at the UA Combine Series with his ability to score. He is a long thin wing that is wiry strong. Quaran sprints the wing in transition and is a threat to not only get to the rim but he can shoot the three off the catch as well. His stroke looks good, he has a high release and good follow through. From the wing he is a slasher is finishing at the rim and he has to the ability to move over and play a solid lead guard – he will have elite level options at his disposal moving forward and had bigtime potential due to his versatility. Caleb Bowers (6'0/SG/MD) a big time shooter in the Class of 2020. Bowers uses screens well and is in constant movement which makes him tough to guard. He can shoot from long range as well as put the ball on the floor for a drive and pullup. He has good size to jump up and shoot over people and competes on every single possession. He will need to continue to improve taking the ball to the basket as teams will look to make him a driver and be physical with him once he adds strength he will breakout. Amir Harris (5'10/SG/DE) is a guard that can score inside and with the middle game. He is strong and competes. Harris must continue to add to his game in the areas of rebounding and consistent shooting but he has all the tools to be a viable weapon.
Ishmael Leggett (6'0/SG/DC) is a tremendous student and a great player who conducts himself the right way playing the game. His skill level and shooting ability will allow him to be very successful at the high school level. Jaysem Vasquez (6'0/SG/DE) makes it very tough for defenders to decide how to guard him. He is capable of getting by you or knocking down pull-up jump shots off the bounce. He showed he can score off the catch or off screens. He is a very good passer and has a tremendous grasp of the game.
Keshaun Hammonds
Keshaun Hammonds (6'0SG/PA) combines good explosiveness off the floor with a deadly stroke from behind the arc. He is much more of a streak shooter with terrific range who can knock down four or five in a row. Hammonds has a strong compact body to make up for his lack of great size. He uses his strength to explode to the rim on straight line drives or create space on one dribble pull-ups. Xavier Lipscomb (6'0/SG/DC) is a big time guard who can score with three point range and has a nice middle game. He can score quickly and break a team's back with his shot making ability. He must work on being a better rebounder and defender but he is a very talented offensive player.
Labels: Amir Harris, Caleb Bowers, EJ Evans, Jordan Toles, Mike Sumner, Okay Djmangouz, Qaadir Maneri, Quaran McPherson, RJ Davis, Ryan Conway, Zae Bains