We Got Game Tidal Wave 2020 Report

Saturday September 28, 2019

From Columbus HS

Columbus, MS

2020

Jacob James 6-0 PG Wheeler: Jacob only scored 9 points on the day. No big deal. That’s not his game. He is one of the flashiest passers in the state. He lobbed a nice little floater over the rim as an alley for another player. He easily got into the lane and dropped dimes. He rebounds hard for a guard. He needs to be seen for next level coaches looking for pass-first guards.

Emile Kazeneza 6-7 G Grace Baptist Academy: Let me be the first to go ahead and drop a bomb on the rest of the state. In my opinion, Emile is the best senior in the state. High majors need to be checking him out. I watched him at one camp and he was one of the best shooters there. His stroke from outside had me pegging him as an offensive shooter only. Then he shows up to the Tidal Wave camp and displays his full arsenal of offensive moves. He scores on all levels. He scored 30 points at the camp in the flow of the game. His scoring is still not his best asset. He crashes the boards so hard on both ends. He is a high major rebounder too. He is athletic enough to defend the 1-4 spots. High major coaches and mid- major plus coaches need to see him ASAP.

Isaiah Thompson 6-4 G/F Amory: Isaiah falls into that famous tweener category. Is he a guard or is he a forward? Either way, he sure is an athletic scorer. He was on the receiving end of the before mentioned alley from James. He has a strong body that is ready to take the next level beatings. He scored 14 points on the day with hard fought baskets around the goal and he even stepped out and knocked down some jumpers from outside.

Calvin Banks 6-1 G Kosciusko: Calvin was one of the first in the gym. He is a very solid next level guard with his all-around offensive and defensive play. He managed to drop 15 points on the day with three long balls.

Keshon Bynum 6-0 G Houston: Keshon scored 6 points on the day while also going 2 of 2 from the free-throw line. He will be a big piece for 3A contender Houston this season.

Dylan Demarco 5-10 G Grace Baptist Academy: Dylan is one of the long time GBA players that has continued to improve from the high level of competition he sees everyday and during their long season. He scored 11 points on the day with three of them coming from behind the arc. Dylan is a hard nosed defender and a knock down shooter that will need to be seen this year by next level coaches.

Yohana Del 6-6 G Grace Baptist Academy: Yohana scored 23 points and was a bundle of energy on the court. He is explosive when getting to the basket and finishes above the rim. D1 coaches need to be checking him out this year.

Trey Jackson 6-3 G/F Starkville: The lock down defender has a next level ready body. He muscled in 11 points from inside the paint and he stepped out and knocked down some outside shots. He will be a great addition for next level coaches.

Felix Moore 6-1 G Grace Baptist Academy: Felix is a big and strong guard that provides all-around play. He scored 9 points while leading his team.

Theon Esseboom 6-5 G Grace Baptist Academy: Theon scored 31 points at the camp. He looked like he was just going through the motions most of the day in my opinion. Others with Magnolia Hoops thought he was the best player at the camp. He turned it on in the top 20 game. He managed to get into the lane and score easy on the opponents. He finished above the rim through contact. He is a beast of a guard and needs to be seen by D1 coaches this season.

TJ Hannah 6-6 F/C Saltillo: TJ is so long and athletic. He scored 12 points for his team and he crashes the boards hard. TJ has a chance at being a wing on the next level. He should be on a lot of next level coaches radars this season.

Walker Moreland 6-1 SG New Site: Before his teammates knew what kind of weapon they had, Walker only scored two points. When they figured out they had one of the best shooters in the country, he went off. He scored 17 points while connecting on 5 3’s. Walker has a chance of being a deadly weapon on the next level in the right system. He gets his shot off so fast and has a high basketball IQ.

JT Vance 6-3 F Union: JT scored 10 points for his team at the camp. He had a very solid day banging around down low. He is about as solid and steady as it comes when looking for a player. He rebounds hard and has a soft touch on his mid-range game. Next level coaches need to catch him this year.

Xavier Virges 6-0 G Houston: Xavier is another one of the many key pieces for Houston this year. He has a very athletic frame and showed some of his outside game. He scored 21 points with 3 three’s at the camp. He will be a good look this season for next level coaches.

Quandarius Bender 6-0 G Heidelberg: 2A south, watch out for Heidelberg this year. They are going to be a hard team to knock out. And Quandarius brings the electric guard play. He’s a really good shooter that can also create for his team.

Cooper McCleskey 6-6 G Caledonia: One note that was taken by another member of Magnolia Hoops at the camp for Cooper was, “Shooter with size that is very coachable.” Cooper was in the conversation for best player at the camp and rightfully so. He was dangerous from behind the arc and was deadly on his pull-up mid-range jumpers. He can handle and run a team if needed. He defends hard and is a good shot changer. Cooper is a very good rebounder. He is a no doubt D1 level talent that has several flirting with him. His offers should be pouring in this year.

Tyhem Reaves 6-2 G Holly Springs: I thought of Tyhem as a knock down shooter only but he really showed some improvement in his all-around game. He still has a dangerous shot but is also aggressive at getting to the basket. He played hard nosed aggressive defense.

Jonathan Richardson 6-2 G Riverside: Jonathan came a long way for the camp and showed his complete game. He is usually a scorer for his high school team and he came in and did everything else. He defended and rebounded hard. He played really good team ball. He will be a good option for next level coaches to see this year.

Isaiah Ball 5-11 PG New Albany: Isaiah is one that I’ve had a hard time stamping as next level material. He has a tendency to get a little wild sometimes on the court. For my perspective, he showed me he belongs on the next level at the Tidal Wave camp. He was a borderline top 20 game player. He scored 27 points from all over the court. He ran his team at a high level. Even more impressive and this came from multiple coaches helping with the camp was his defense. He got down and defended the full length of the court pretty much the whole day. Coaches, get to New Albany this year. You won’t be disappointed.

Grayson Foley 6-6 F/C Madison St. Joseph Catholic: Grayson scored 10 points on the day with his down low play. He can score but he made the most impact on me with his defense. He swatted shots all day and rebounded at a high level. He needs to be seen by coaches looking for post players.

Forte Prater 6-1 G Starkville: Forte was tabbed as the best player at the camp by many watching. He played at a high level in every game he played in. He scored 38 points on the day with his offensive attacking and outside shot. He also defended at a high level. He is slowly emerging as one of the hottest targets in the state.

Kourtland Armstrong 5-9 G Pontotoc: Kourtland was one of the best passers and play makers at the camp. He thrived at getting the ball up the court and finding the open man. He will be the key that makes Pontotoc go this year.

Jesse Sartin 5-8 G Tremont: He could’ve easily walked away with the hustle award. He had no fear when guarding the bigger guards and was very sneaky with his help side defense. He really got my attention with his hard-nosed and aggressive play.

Mitchell Shettles 6-0 G New Albany: Mitchell scored 23 points with his high basketball IQ. He can get into the lane and knock the jumpers down with ease. He worked the pick and rolls like he had been playing with his teammates for many years. He should be a good target for next level coaches this year.

Wenton Walker 6-5 G/F Jackson Academy: Wenton probably had the biggest day with waking everybody up. He scored 46 points with 17 of them coming in the top 20 game. He scored on all levels. He got baskets around the goal over and around contact which dispelled the thoughts that the might be soft. He defended hard and rebounded on both ends. He scored from mid-range and from long range. He knocked down 5 three’s on the day. He should be a high target for next level coaches this year.

Markeece Wilson 6-0 G St. Aloysius: Markeece is one of my favorite players in the state to talk to. He had a solid day during the games and looked really good during the drills session.

Steele Altmyer 6-3 G/F Heritage Academy: Steele showed his soft touch from mid-range during the drills session. He played with a high motor during the games. He is one of the many weapons that helped Heritage Academy win the Overall championship last season.

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