Ripley Jamboree Report
Ripley HS (Ripley, MS)
Saturday October 28, 2017
This report includes notes from October 23-29 including the Ripley Jamboree and Baldwyn/Booneville Jr high games.
Player Notes
2018
Jon Lewellen 6-0 G Pine Grove HS (Ripley): He is an elusive ball handler that has a burst of speed. He can hit that speed and get to the rack and finish with a variety of finger roles or reverses. He didn’t have the best day shooting but he has a really nice looking shot. He has the ability to set his teammates up in the half court set or running the break. The best part of his offensive game is the amount of confidence and borderline cockiness he plays with. He has that swagger to where he knows he can beat you in multiple ways on that end of the court. That is a trait that will help him on the next level. The best part of his game is on the other end. He doesn’t look like he could be a defensive force but he will surprise you. He contested shot after shot either by who he was guarding or coming from help side with a surprising vertical. He has a burst to the ball and delivers a surprising double team. He can recover back with the same speed like he never left his man. He can run the point or play the 2 with ease at both positions. This higher academic needs to be checked out by D3 and NAIA Coaches.
Andrew Raines 5-11 G Pine Grove HS (Ripley): To no surprise here, the high academic guard is a really smart player also. He is a really good shooter that takes solid shots and knows how to pass on a good shot for a better shot. He is a really good passer and has adequate handles to run the guard spot. He has a grit on the defensive end and really gets into his guy. Another high academic that would be a great addition to a D3 or NAIA roster.
Dekerion “Woodchuck” Risby 6-6 C Horn Lake HS (Horn Lake): This guy is long and lanky with a great basketball body. He moved well on the defensive end and rebounded. He just recently started playing high school basketball so he is a work in progress but he showed signs of great potential. He has a crazy long wingspan. JUCO Coaches might want to take a look at him.
Brien Kimmons 5-9 PG Center Hill HS (Olive Branch): He is a scoring guard that can get in the lane anytime he wants to. He can drive and dish to an open man or he can drive and score. He scores easy around the basket after contact. He connected on 3 and 1’s. He defends hard and plays the passing lanes. He is the leader of his team. He will be a good target for JUCO’s to take a look at.
Kentrell “Boochie” Dorsey 6-4 F Center Hill HS (Byhalia): Strong body forward was playing with a 70% healed broken hand so he didn’t get to show all of his offensive arsenal. He defended hard. He uses his good sized frame to block out and rebound at a high level. He is a very good rebounder on both ends of the court. He will be a good player for JUCO’s to look at this season.
Iverson “Ivo” Smith 5-11 G Ripley HS (Blue Mountain): Every time his team need something he was there to do it. Whether it was a basket, rebound or key stop he was right in the mix of things. He scored good around the lane and rebounded at a high margin for a guard. He was all over the place on the defensive end. He played with a lot of heart and hustle. He will be a good pickup for JUCO teams.
2019
William “Will” Thompson 6-4 F/C Shannon HS (Tupelo): A big lefty that plays with both hands around the basket. He is primarily a back to the basket guy with nice moves and a soft touch off the glass. He is a very good passer from the low block.
TyQuarius “Ty” Ward 6-0 F Shannon HS (Tupelo): He makes the best of his opportunities when he gets the ball. He has a strong body and uses that to rebound at a very high rate. He is quick on the defensive end. He is a good free throw shooter too.
Kevin Henry 6-0 G Center Hill HS (Olive Branch): The do it all guard is what every team needs. He does all the small stuff that goes unnoticed. He rebounds, defends and is in on every 50-50 and loose ball. He can score from the lane or shoot outside when his team needs him to. He plays with full effort and hustle.
2020
Jesus Ruedas 5-9 PG Ripley HS (Ripley): The best passer on the court all day. He is as true of a point as you will ever find. He can escape double teams with his crafty ball handling and create opportunities for his teammates. He has the ability to get in the lane and either kick out to an open man or dish to one. He played with something that he didn’t show last season also. He played with confidence where as last year he looked timid on the court. Saturday he took control and ran his team.
2021
Kaeden Laws 6-4 SF Center Hill HS (Olive Branch): Freshman with a 19 ACT and a 4.0. That should be enough said there but it’s not. He has potential to be one of the best 2021’s in the state, if not the best. He has a nice long frame with a good size wingspan. He has a D1 level basketball build on him. He showed that he can score around the basket or shoot from behind the arc. He looked lost a few times but that is to be expected from a first time starter as a freshman. Once he catches on to the high school level comp he will be a beast to deal with. With his size, academics and skills, he could end up being a high major target.
2022
Booneville Jr High: The Booneville boys are on the way back to state championship caliber. It might not be this year but they have some studs in the making. Coach Smith has several players that should be able to come up next year and contribute right away. He has a 6-3 guard that has unlimited potential and a 6-4 post that has great reach. He has a couple other guards that are expected to have size too.
Magnolia Hoops 