MHSAA/MAC Elite 100 Showcase Report

June 22, 2019

From St. Andrew’s Episcopal School

Ridgeland, MS

The first annual Elite 100 Showcase was a big success. It was put together and put on by the MHSAA and MAC. The NCAA started reaching out to state associations this year to get them to put on showcases for college coaches. It was put together with a short notice but it ended up being the best event in recent Mississippi history.

There were many people working together to make this event happen. I would like to take this time to thank them for giving us this event. Thanks to the St. Andrew’s school and staff for the use of their beautiful basketball facility. The three-court venue was a perfect fit for the camp. Thanks to Mr. Robert Holloway and the MHSAA for taking on the challenge and heading up the event for the NCAA. Thanks to Mr. Johnny Mims and the MAC for stepping up to work hand-in-hand with the MHSAA. Without the Mississippi high school and junior high coaches, this event wouldn’t be possible. These coaches donated their time to help make dreams come true for the kids. The following coaches participated in helping coach the teams; Boo Hardy (Harrison Central), Tim Speech (Madison Central), Terron McIntyre (Ridgeland), Darren Coffey (Calhoun City), Antwayn Patrick (Holmes County Central), Darryl Wilson (Itawamba), Sirdonta Washington (Provine), Newton Mealer (Center Hill), Micah Moment (Booneville), JaMario Rugley (St. Andrew’s), Willie Mays (Coffeeville), Chareck Cable (Brandon), Yarnell Marks (Bruce), Bryant Tynes (Booneville), Jerry Currie (Forest Hill), Owen Miller (Gulfport), Ernie Watson (Hattiesburg), Tony Woody (Jefferson Davis County), LaRon Brumfield (Oak Grove), Brian Cronin (St. Andrew’s), Tony Tadlock (Raymond), Presley Coleman (Winona) and Michael Smith (Booneville). A very special thanks goes out to the brains and the leader of this whole event, coach Roderick Davidson (Ridgeland). Coach Davidson took the challenge head on of putting the event together and running it. Coach Davidson did an outstanding job and I’m sure he is already hard at work trying to figure out how to make it even better next year. I would also like to give a shout-out to all the high school coaches that showed up to support their players even though the Coaches were not participating themselves. That goes a long way with your kids knowing that you have their backs.

The event was made even more special for the kids with the appearance of the college coaches. They really came out to support our players. Over 40 colleges were represented with nearly fifty coaches. Five states were represented at the event with Coach Rod Barnes from Cal-Bakersfield coming the longest way. Every level was represented all the way from JUCO to high DI.

The players at the camp displayed a wide variety of skill level. Some moved up the charts while some moved down the charts. Very little defense was played which was very disturbing but the ones who did turn up the defensive pressure garnered high praise and recognition from the college coaches. I’m not sure who is teaching the kids that the only way to get to college is shoot but they need to stop. There was way too much ball-hogging and kids trying to show they can be scorers. The players that tried to pull that off failed miserably and fell hard on the college coaches watch list. Basketball involves all aspects of the game, passing, rebounding, defending and scoring. Be who you are and do what you do. There are NBA players making millions that are used to just get boards or run the point. College coaches need every type of player to complete their team.

The following notes were taken from my evaluations of the players as well as input from high school and college coaches.

2020

DaShun Berry 6-2 G Houlka: DaShun impressed coaches with his ability to get down the court and get baskets in a hurry. He is like a down hill runner that just ducks his head and gets into the lane.

Kylan Blackmon 6-3 G Oxford: Kylan is one of the best put-together guards. His body is college ready and he is putting tons of work into his game.

Kenard Bowie 6-6 G/F Provine: The new Provine wing will provide a big scoring punch for the young guards to find.

Cameron Brown 6-4 G Hattiesburg: Cameron is one of the guys that helped him self the most. His hard play and effort did not go unnoticed by the college coaches. He really showed the rest of his game at the camp. He has already proven himself to be one of the better shooters in the class.

Ashton Campbell 6-2 PG Forrest County: Ashton is emerging as the best point in his class. He can score on all levels. He is really good at getting in the paint and finding the open man. He should be a priority this year for next level coaches to check out.

Derek Fountain 6-8 G Holly Springs: Fountain is rising up the charts very fast. The long, shifty guard is making his case for one of the top few spots in the state. His game is still developing and he could end up being the best of this class when it’s all said and done.

Larry Holmes 6-5 G Florence: The former Callaway guard has not only grown a lot but he also transferred to Florence. He will be a big addition for Coach Chancellor.

Randarius Hughes 6-5 G Heidelberg: Hughes showed his athletic ability with a few monstrous slams.

Alijah Martin 6-2 G North Pike: Alijah is one of the biggest mysteries in the Sip. What is he going to do on the next level? That’s what all the coaches are asking. Will he play football or basketball? He’s easily good enough to go play either one at the next level. He’s a tremendous, physical athlete that will put you on a poster in a heartbeat. His skill needs more developing but he can get that down if he decides to go with basketball.

Cameron “Mook” Matthews 6-7 F Olive Branch: Mook didn’t have his best day but he wasn’t bad either. He continues to show that he can step out and play as a wing as well as dominate down low. Mook, in my opinion, is the best ’20 in Mississippi with his ability to control the paint and play outside too.

Caleb McCarty 6-6 F/C Biloxi: Caleb was one of the best and most consistent rebounders in his class.

Caleb McGill 6-7 F Petal: Caleb wasn’t able to play due to a recent injury but still made the trip to show support to fellow players. I don’t see how any coach in the country wouldn’t want his positive attitude around the team, in practice and on the bench. His positive mentality should get him a scholarship alone and then you have his massive frame thrown in too.

Cooper McClesky 6-6 G Caledonia: Cooper knocked his shots down when given the opportunity. He didn’t get to display his guard skills but he did take advantage with his size down low. He crashed the boards hard on the defensive end. He got the attention of several next level coaches.

Josh Mitchell 6-7 F/C Tupelo: Josh really helped his recruitment with his stellar defensive performance. He really had the coaches intrigued with his 6-7 size, his long reach and then his really high vertical. He can really get up on the backboard when pinning shots or clearing the boards. He is a defensive specialist that gained a lot of interest.

Keondre “Dre” Montgomery 6-7 G/F Forest Hill: Dre would easily be at the top of the list if you’r looking at potential.

Walker Moreland 6-0 SG New Site: Walker impressed with his ability to get his shot off so fast. Several coaches watched his quick release and he showed why he is possibly the best shooter in the state.

Jalin Rice 6-2 G Madison Central: Jalin is a solid guard that played consistent.

Treylan “Trey” Smith 6-4 G Petal: Trey caught some coaches eyes with his potential. He has the ability to take over and dominate when he wants to.

KeDarius “Squirt” Stampley 6-2 G Natchez: Squirt was a player that helped his recruiting out big time. Squirt had all coaches echoing the same thing, “He’s got that dawg in him.” He does have that dawg in him and every coach was impressed with his defensive pressure that he brought to the court. One coach asked, “Does he have any offense?” Yes, he does. In an injury plagued season he managed to average 12 points a game and dropped 22 as a game high. He was on a team at the camp where the ball was dominated by several other people so he went out and just did his thing to get noticed. He did have one of the most embarrassing moments of the camp when he got his ankles broken and was dropped to the ground. That’s fine with me because at least he was one of the few that played defense. He also crashed the boards hard on both ends.

Kearius Stimage 6-5 C Raymond: He plays much bigger than his 6-5 frame.

Emon Washington 6-6 F Yazoo County: Emon played steady the whole day.

Others that participated in the event.

Damarion Arrington 6-5 F Wingfield

Cori Bell 6-1 G Holly Springs

Jalani Bell 6-0 G Ridgeland

Martarious Burrell 6-1 G Yazoo County

Arness Georgetown Jr 6-5 PF St. Andrew’s

Walter Hamilton 6-8 F/C Potts Camp

Riley Hoard 6-4 F/C Baldwyn

Jaddarius “JD” Kincaide 6-3 G Coffeeville

John Lewis 5-10 G Yazoo County

Matthew Mackey 6-2 G Northwest Rankin

Deshontin Malone 6-1 G Bruce

Decorian Payton 6-5 F/C Center Hill

Tyhem Reaves 6-1 G Holly Springs

Jayvian Shaw 6-4 G Calhoun City

Mitchell Shettles 6-0 G New Albany

Bryton Smith 5-11 PG New Site

Daniel Smothers 6-0 PG Warren Central

Bryantavious “Bryan” Steen 6-6 F/C Charleston

JaQue’vias Tarvin 6-4 G Brandon

Wes Taylor 5-11 G Olive Branch

Isaiah Thompson 6-4 F Amory

Jawon Tucker 5-11 G Calhoun City

Kavan Wooten 6-5 F Senatobia

2021

This class is so loaded that it could be the deepest and best class ever. It is one of my favorites. This class has size, speed and skill.

Rashad Bolden 5-10 G St. Andrew’s: Rashad suffered an injury early in the camp and wasn’t able to finish the day. Not saying he didn’t want to because you could see on his face that he wanted to be out there. I got a bold prediction for you. Rashad will be the scoring leading in Mississippi this season. Just calling my shots early. I saw him in a team camp a few weeks ago and he dropped 40 in every game that his team needed him to. In the games where they had it under control, he laid back and just ran the team.

Shemar Crawford 6-3 G Houston: Don’t look now but Houston will make some noise in 3A this year and they are led by Shemar Crawford. Shemar caught the eye of coaches with his athleticism. Nothing but great things are ahead for Shemar and Houston.

Lakevion Dixon 6-1 G Yazoo County: Dixon looked smooth at the camp. Yazoo County is finally on the radar again and I think his recruitment will take a big jump this year.

Joseph Dupree II 6-6 F Murrah: Joe is one of the best passers in the state. He continues to amaze me every time I watch him play.

Jamaal Esco Jr. 5-11 PG Murrah: Esco continues to be one of the top guards in this class.

Kaeden Laws 6-5 G/F Center Hill: Kaeden displayed his top notch shooting skills during the camp to get the coaches attention. He is one of the top shooters in his class.

Joshua Lee 6-2 G Velma Jackson: In a class where everybody is fighting for that second spot, Josh might be that guy. He can do it all on the court. He will be ready to try and repeat with Velma Jackson again this year.

Trey McKinney 6-0 G Booneville: Trey impressed coaches with his solid play and effort. I look for the lead point for the deep Booneville team to have a huge breakout season.

Jayme Mitchell Jr 6-3 G/F Forest Hill: Jayme impressed coaches with his effort and shooting.

Anthony Robinson IV 6-5 PG Long Beach: Anthony is another player that really didn’t get a chance to show what he could do on a ball dominated team. He’s the type of player that you put the ball in his hands and let him go run the team. He will be a high next level target.

Daeshun Ruffin 5-10 G Callaway: I keep getting asked who the best player at the event was. It was no secret who the high majors were focused on. Then a common response from high school coaches was, “I didn’t realize how small he was.” Ruffin is the answer to all of these. Daeshun was the best player at the event despite having a down day for him. There’s really not enough words to describe how good he is or can be. He has that “It” factor to him. Ruffin also gave a lot of the smaller players hope when they saw you don’t have to be 6-5 to go to the SEC. However, you do have to work on your game tirelessly, every day, all day. Daeshun is dominating on the national scene and will continue to dominate Mississippi again this year.

Vashon Sims 6-3 G East Marion: Several coaches mentioned that Vashon was going to be hard to deal with this year. His size for a guard helps him out tremendously.

La’Darius Thrasher 6-0 G Brookhaven: La’Darius caught a lot of coaches by surprise. The ones that knew of him didn’t even realize how good he was until the camp. He proved that he can play with the top players in his class and he’s definitely one to keep an eye on this year.

Carlous Williams 6-6 F Harrison Central: I heard, “He’s a monster.” or “Man he can get up and fly.” Carlous showed up and just flew around. He provided several high level dunks at the camp. He didn’t get the opportunity to fully show his game but he has the ability to dominate the court.

Jaden Williams 6-6 F/C Vicksburg: He was the most consistent and dominant big in his class. He fought hard for the boards.

Others that participated in the event.

Jamal Anderson 6-4 G/F Cleveland Central

Jay Barnes 5-11 PG Oak Grove

Keshawn Brown 6-4 G/F Vicksburg

Dylan Brumfield 6-2 SF Oak Grove

Devin Carter 6-0 PG Florence

Tynerious Daniels 6-0 PG Jefferson Davis County

Kaleb Guy 5-8 G Booneville

Chris “CJ” Keys Jr 6-5 G/F Quitman

Omarion Luss 6-0 PG Clinton

Jamerison Martin 5-11 PG Itawamba

Christian McCullum 5-11 PG Ridgeland

Donavon Parker 6-1 PG Heidelberg

Keanan Peoples 5-10 G West Lauderdale

Jarmarvious Phillips 6-4 F Starkville

Caleb Rawls 6-6 G/F East Marion

Rock Robinson 6-5 G/F Pontotoc

Deion Smith 6-4 G/F Provine

Matthew Smith 6-3 G Desoto Central

Davon Wilder 6-5 F/C Itawamba

Decarlos Wilson 6-2 G/F Ridgeland

2022

Demarius Coleman 5-7 G Harrison Central: He is a scorer that just has that killer instinct in him.

Tremaine Dixon 5-9 PG Raymond: The praise was high and abundant for Tremaine. He is the most complete guard in his class. He does everything and he does everything very well. His basketball IQ is way beyond what it should be for his age. He runs his teams perfectly and just has that silent leader in him. He will have college coaches battling over him if he continues to improve on his already advanced ability.

Mark Drone Jr 5-10 PG Provine: This was the first time seeing Mark for a lot of the coaches and he made a good impression. He ran his team at a top level.

Samarion Grant 5-10 G Provine: Grant is a steady guard with a refuse to lose attitude. The Grant/Drone combo at Provine has to be one of the best guard combos in the state.

Keiveon Hunt 5-10 PG Callaway: Keiveon is about as tough as they come. He plays so hard and you know you always have a chance to win with him on the court.

Cedquavious “DaeDae” Hunter 5-10 G North Panola: DaeDae is one of the most electric players in the state. He can spark and drop 20 points in a quarter if he wants to. He will be in a race for the best player in his class over the next few years.

Mason Manning 6-2 G Murrah: Mason scored, scored and scored again. He couldn’t be stopped from putting the ball in the bucket. Mason has always been a highly touted player and he left coaches that haven’t seen him yet with a lasting impression. The main question will be how long can we keep Mason in state before he joins the national level teams.

George Marshall 6-2 G Forest Hill: George impressed coaches with his strong solid play.

Ja’Borri McGhee 6-0 PG South Pike: My first time watching Ja’Borri was a few weeks ago at a team camp. He seems to get better every time I’ve seen him since. He gets major buckets. He’s one of the players that makes me shake my head saying “wow” while watching him play. I’m not the only one either. His fan club is rapidly increasing and it includes college coaches. His natural ability is unmatched and I can’t wait to see how good he ends up. One coach said that he just had that winning mentality. His team was always in the plus side when Ja’Borri was on the court.

Michael Smith Jr 6-4 G/F New Albany: Several coaches raved about the potential of the New Albany wing. He still has some growing to do too.

Jahiem Oatis 6-6 C Columbia: Jahiem made a wrong turn and ended up at the wrong camp. He was supposed to be at the top 100 football camp. The future SEC Saturday star showed he can get around the court too. He moved so well for a 340 pound beast. My bad. I called him a future Saturday star, I meant Sunday star.

Deontae Williams 6-5 F/C Jim Hill: Deontae has nice size and is a very solid presence around the basket.

Others that participated in the event.

Joe Haze Austin 6-5 G/F Pontotoc

Josh Dukes 6-3 SG Booneville

Kimani Hamilton 6-7 G/F Clinton

Caleb Gaston 6-4 G/F Booneville

Parker Henry 6-8 F West Lauderdale

Caleb Parr 6-2 G New Hope

Hayden Roberts 5-11 PG East Union

Jabarie Robinson 5-11 SG Raymond

Mac Shinault 6-3 C Booneville

LJ Shumpert 5-11 PG Booneville

Jhatavious Slack 6-2 G/F Forest

Darius Naylor 6-2 G/F Southaven

Carson Rowland 5-10 PG Pine Grove

Tyaon Terrell 6-0 G Pearl River Central

2023

Gavin Brinker 6-5 G/F Pontotoc: All of the high school coaches were impressed with the size and length of Gavin. He has all the tools to be a very good next level prospect.

Brandon Pulliam 6-2 G/F Houlka: Brandon has a basketball body and he is in line to be the next big Houlka star.

William Grayson 5-11 PG Yazoo City: The next great player for Coach Carlyle showed that he can hang with the older guys during the season and it didn’t slow him down at the camp either. He has major potential with a college level coach already pushing him.

Others that participated in the event.

Austin Abrams 6-0 G/F Petal

Tylan Foster 6-2 G/F New Albany

Jarell Hamilton 5-9 G Houlka

Antonio “Chaz” Oatis 6-0 G Oak Grove

Jabar Walker 5-11 SG Hattiesburg