COLUMBIA, SC - Ced Canty and Jacoby Davis have put on the Elite75 Showcase for a few years now and have drawn some of the top players in the Carolinas and the Mid-Atlantic states.
They used the relationships built over those years to put on the inaugural North Carolina/South Carolina Challenge, held at the University of South Carolina on Saturday. Except for a few no shows in the 2010 game they did a great job of assembling the talent for both states. Here's a look at the top player's from yesterday's action:
Class of 2012
Montrezl Harrell 6'6" SF (North Edgecombe, NC) - Harrell was CO-MVP. Strong bodied player that loves contact and finishes with authority. He did a great of running the floor and rebounding on both ends. Has a competitive edge and good athleticism. Has interest from Wake Forest, Richmond, Miami, VCU, Virginia Tech and Maryland.
Tyler Lewis 5'10" PG (Forsyth Day, NC) - Lewis was CO-MVP. Quick although not fast PG with craftiness and grittiness. Shoots the ball very well and doesn't shy away from a challenge. Leading scorer in the game with 17 points. High IQ.
TJ Warren 6'7" SF (Riverside, NC) - Warren has a good feel for the game. Has prototype size for a small forward. Shoots it well, can put in on the floor and rebound. Warren has offers from Virginia Tech and South Carolina.
Jordan Roper 6'1" Combo (Irmo H.S., SC) - Lefty shooter with good scoring instincts. Excels in transistion. Gets after it defensively. Has interest fron Jacksonville and Presbyterian.
Brandon Jones 6'5" SF (Wilson H.S., SC) - Long slashing wing. Gets after the glass at both ends.
Brandon Bolden 6'8" PF (Sumpter H.S., SC) - May have been the best prospect on the day. Has a chance to be an elite level player. Long rangy lefty runs the floor well, has great feet defensively and uses his length to rebound. As he gets stronger his effectiveness will elevate on the offensive end.
Bryce Johnson 6'8" PF (Edisto H.S., SC) - Another long prospect that does a good job staying active on the boards.
Class of 2011
Jervon Pressley 6'7" PF (Wadell H.S., SC) - Improving big that runs the floor well, uses both hands around the basket, rebounds and goes after blocks. Needs to continue to add strentgh. Looks to be making his jump hook his goto move. Has high interest from South carolina, Ole Miss, Stanford, Baylor, VCU, George Mason and SMU.
Bernard Sullivan 6'7" F (North Mecklenburg H.S., NC) - Game MVP. Sullivan did a great job on both ends rebounding the ball. He finished with contact and showed the ability to drive it from the perimeter. He force on the defensive end with quite a few blocks on the day. Has offers from Clemson and Davidson, with interest from Virginia Tech, NC State, Florida, Penn State and Georgia Tech.
Marquis Rankin 6'1" PG (Vance H.S., NC) - One of the top point guards in the country, Rankin has improved at running the show. He uses his speed and quickness to get in the lane and create for others. Plays both ends of the floor and rebounds well at his position. Has quite a few ACC and SEC offers.
P.J. Hairston 6'5" SG (Dudley H.S., NC) - Strong wing guard with good looking stroke and athleticism. Can score in a variety of ways. Rebounds on both ends. North Carolina commit. One of the top SG in class.
Tony Mitton 6'6" WF (Wadell H.S., NC) - He did all the things you want out of your small forward. He rebounded on both ends, knocked down a couple of jumpers and ran the floor well. Good athleticism. Has offers from South Carolina and VCU with interest from Florida, Auburn, Wright State and UNC-Charlotte.
Jacoby Davis 6'1" Combo (West Charlotte H.S., NC) - Davis uses his strength to get into the lane and finish. Very good on the defensive end. Working on improving his jumper. Has offers from VCU, Ole Miss, Wright State, Wichita State, High Point and UNC-Charlotte.
Tyler Poole 6'6" WF (Hickory H.S., NC) - Being an elite level baseball player has not prevented Poole from developing into a very good shooter. Has committed to Ole Miss to play basketball but look for Poole to be a high pick in the Major League draft next spring.
Damien Leonard 6'3" SG (JL Mann H.S., SC) - How many ways can I say shooter? Off the dribble, catch and shoot or off screens, Leonard gets it off. Needs to improve at driving the ball and defense. Has offers from Clemson, South Carolina, Memphis, Kentucky, Florida, Miami, Wake Forest and Georgia with interest from Texas and Kansas.
Corey Littlejohn 6'2" PG (Heathwood Hall H.S., SC) - Solid shooter that does a good job getting to the basket as well. Shows a competitive nature and motor.
Quashawn Hawkins 6'2" Combo (Dreher H.S., SC) - Similar player to Littlejohn, solid shooter that also gets to the basket. Does a good job defensively.
Although we didn't stay around for the 2010 game, they had a number of quality players in the game. 6'2" PG Ian Miller (Florida State commit), 6'8" PF Melvin Tabb (Wake Forest commit), 5'11" PG Eric Smith (South Carolina commit), JT Terrell (Wake Forest commit), 6'9" SF RJ Slawson (South Carolina commit) as well as 6'2" SG Justin Cheek (Ardrey Kell H.S., NC) and 6'8" PF Kadeem Green (United Faith, NC)
Loose Balls
6'1" PG Madison Jones (Ravencroft H.S., NC) injured his knee in warm-ups of the 2012 game. After a good start 6'2" SG Bishop Daniels (Word of God) injured his knee during the 2011 game. Tyler Poole was the winner of the 3pt. shooting contest.
