Unsigned Senior Showcase Recap

DeJuan Jones

Sixty seniors from around the state of Ohio, and even some from Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee came down to Cincinnati on Sunday morning for the 2^nd annual Triple Double Prospects Unsigned Senior Showcase. In addition to the talented prospects, the showcase also attracted 19 different college coaches, many coming from ranked NCAA D2 and NJCAA programs. Thanks to our friends at Scarberry Media who came down from Columbus, some highlights from the event can be seen here: LINK TO VIDEO.

With scholarships on the line in the final event of their high school careers, these seniors put great effort into both the drill-work and live game sessions of the showcase. Here are some of the top performers that stood out at Hughes High School….

• DeJuan Jones – Cincinnati Withrow SF/PF: Two days after winning the MVP at the Senior All-Star Classic which pitted Cincinnati’s top city league players against suburban league players, Jones was at his best again. The 6’5 combo forward is an athletic forward who cans core with strength around the rim. However, the thing that makes Jones special is that he is a fierce competitor who is positively relentless on the glass. In only his second year of high school basketball, Jones burst onto the scene this year, getting a double-double in almost every game. Besides his rebounding ability, the hard-working forward can score in a lot of different ways, and is a deadly shooter in the mid-range game to combat his interior scoring. A junior college prospect; expect Jones to be one of the top priorities for the top in-state schools.

• Willie Green – Dayton Dunbar PG/SG: Your prototypical jack of all trades, Green showcased a little bit of everything on Sunday morning, scoring the ball, dishing it off, defending and playing both guard positions with length and athleticism at 6’2. An effortless slasher who can get by his man with changes of direction, Green lives in the paint offensively and has the bounce to finish above the rim against defenders. Most dangerous as a versatile defender, Green rebounds great for a guard and is most dangerous when getting a rebound or a steal to start the break. Green is in between a D1 and junior college prospect right now; should he get over the hump academically to qualify he’ll likely end up at or near the mid-major level. If not, he’ll be the top big guard target among in and out of state junior colleges and prep schools.

• Jordan Smith – Dayton Dunbar PG/SG: Another tough-minded Dunbar guard that can really defend against dribble penetration, Smith is a late-bloomer and excellent athlete that has emerged as a capable offensive threat. Thriving off the dribble, Smith uses his speed to score around the rim, where he also has the power and explosion to finish above the basket. Again like Green, he’s best in the full-court game, but Smith has had a reputation all year of playing mistake free basketball at Dunbar, while playing a variety of positions for the Wolverines. One of the top students in his graduating class, Smith is being highly recruited at the D2 level, and likely will end up receiving a full scholarship when it’s all said and done.

• JC Kramel – Cincinnati Summit Country Day C: One of the hottest prospects in all of Southwest Ohio, the 6’9 shot-blocker showed just how much he has improved since transferring into Cincinnati SCD for his senior season. Kramel is a high-energy big man with above average leaping ability who can make an impact in the game due to his willingness to be physical. He’s still improving on the offensive end, but has good hands and finishes more than most big guys his size. A high academic kid, Kramel is looking for a D2 program with an engineering program, while also strongly considering a walk-on deal at the mid-major D1 level.

• Nate Shepherd – Dayton Jefferson SG/SF: Perhaps the most talented wing in attendance, which is really saying something, Shepherd impressed college coaches from the moment he walked into the gym with his combination of size, athleticism and skill-set. A pure guard that can handle, slash and really shoot the three-pointer, Shepherd very much has the look of a college player already. A leg injury held him out of the final two games, but the Dayton native did enough in his time on the court to impress the D2’s in attendance, all of whom had already put him on their list heading into the event.

• Dwight Nared – Cincinnati Hughes PF: Nared has long been one of TDP’s favorites in our native Southwest Ohio region. The 6’6 forward is hyper-athletic, has a great motor and flat out consistently produces. Add in the fact that he’s improved by head and shoulders each year, and Nared is one of the most under-valued prospects in the Midwest in our opinion. A great finisher in transition who excels as a court-runner, Nared looked really comfortable scoring the ball on Sunday, and has added in the ability to score in different ways, whether it be post-ups, lobs in traffic, offensive rebounds or high-post drives. Nared’s name was the first one circled by junior college scouts in attendance, and he’ll be highly sought after going forward.

• Quinten Chames – Covington Holmes (KY) SF/PF: As much as we like Nared, he was actually the second most athletic forward in attendance on Sunday, as the bounciness of Chames was without question the most impressive of any prospect’s. The Northern Kentucky star finished around the rim in both transition and the half-court, throwing everything down with power and explosiveness. He’s not the most skilled guy, but Chames gives you good effort every possession, and has the tools to guard either the post or the perimeter at 6’5. Another high quality junior college prospect, expect Chames to end up at one of the top Ohio schools.

• Akil Cornish – Columbus Africentric SG/SF: Cornish doesn’t do a lot of different things to wow you as an evaluator, but one thing he does is shoot; and he does that at a high, high level. The 6’2 shooting guard from Columbus was absolutely automatic from the three-point line on Sunday, hitting deep shot after deep shot in game action. We knew he could spot up in the corner, however, TDP did not previously know that Cornish had the footwork necessary to step into three-point shots in transition. Adding that versatility as a scorer, Cornish was easily one of the most impressive offensive prospects in attendance.

Other top performers: Jalen Malone (Westerville Central PG), Tyonte Robertson (Cincinnati Withrow PG), Jake Miller (Germantown/TN SF), Kevin Daniels (Cincinnati Hughes SG), Robert Caldwell (Dayton Stivers PG), Blake Simpson (Cincinnati LaSalle PF/C), JeMichael Blanton (Trotwood-Madison SG), Joey Schmitz (Bloom Carroll SG), Dwayne Chastain (Dayton Thurgood Marshall SG), Quincy Tillinghast (Cincinnati SCPA SG), Marcus Hill (Covington Holmes/KY PF)