The state of North Carolina has been a straight up basketball factory as of late. The combination of private (or prep, depending on what you prefer to call them) and traditional schools essentially give the state two separate leagues to field elite talent from. NBA players such as Reggie Bullock, PJ Hairston, TJ Warren, Mason Plumlee, and Quincy Miller have all recently made the transition from Tar Heel State to college to the league. The GetMeRecruited Super 60 showed us who was going to follow in their footsteps.
Held at Knightdale high school in Raleigh, Lamont Taylor and his staff brought in the state’s finest underclassmen for a simply live one day event. 60 of the state’s best played in an all day event that offered stats, accurate rosters, and a prompt schedule that was ran to the minute. Former lottery pick and NC State legend Chris Washburn schooled the young bucks on how not to make the same mistakes that he made. Players saw their stock rise, exposure grow, and were given the opportunity to see where they stacked up against the best of the best in the state of North Carolina.
Here are a few of the guys who showed out at the GetMeRecruited Super 60 Showdown:
Dennis Smith Jr., 6-2, PG, Trinity Christian, 2016
The best point guard in the nation lived up to the hype at the Super 60. While he only played in half of the games, he showed enough to leave no doubt on anyone’s mind as to who the top player in the building was. He exploded off of pick and rolls, made creative finishes at the rack, and constantly showed that he can bomb from well beyond the NBA three point line. Smith will look to continue to build his legacy on the Adidas Gauntlet this summer with Team Loaded (NC).
Edrice Adebayo, 6-9, PF, Northside HS, 2016
A straight up man-child, Adebayo was easily the most dominant big man of the day. Despite his top-10 ranking nationally, he was willing to lock down on D, both positionally and as a shot-blocker. “Bam” also showed off some improvd range on the offensive end, evidenced by the countless mid-range J’s that he hit. He will form one of the most deadly duos on the circuit, pairing with Team Loaded lead guard Dennis Smith Jr. and if he can continue to show that he’s a pick and pop threat, should reach top-5 status in the rankings.
Jalen Harris, 6-2, PG, Word of God, 2016
One of the fastest rising players in the country for the class of 2016, Jalen Harris really made a name for himself after his transfer to Word of God. Despite playing varsity basketball since his middle school days, the move to John Wall’s alma mater combined with a growth spurt helped push him to high-major status. The slithery guard showed off his slick handle, ability to break just about anyone down off of the bounce, and range extending beyond the three point line. Harris needs to continue to et stronger and improve using his gifts on D, but is bound to blow up this spring.
David Caraher, 6-6, SF, Chapel Hill HS, 2017
While he doesn’t fit the mold of the freak athletes that we’re used to seeing on the wing today, Caraher still managed to provide mismatches all over the hardwood. He posted smaller defenders, used his size to beat slower ones off of the bounce, and played with a serious passion. Having already popped to Butler, Caraher should be able to make an instant impact with his versatile style of play.
Tremain Lawrence, 6-4, SG, Quality Education Academy, 2017
A straight warrior on the court, Tremain used his toughness to physically dominate many opposing guards. He locked up on D, was fearless attacking the rack, and created his own shot at will. Still not quite receiving the love he deserves, expect the gritty swingman to get plenty of attention from college coaches playin with Team Charlotte in the Under Armour Association. Having already popped to Butler
Dondre Griffin, 6-2, PG/SG, Knightdale HS, 2016
With no shortage of swagger, Dondre Griffin got buckets on his home court and made sure to let eeryne know about it. The confident combo guard drilled a number of deep threes, made some athletic drives to the rack, and showed off some filthy court vision. Dondre is a guy who people have been sleeping on, yet has continued to hold his own against just about anyone that he’s matched up with.
Andrew Tuazama, 6-6, PF/C, Knightdale HS, 2018
While most of the other guys that we wrote about got plenty of buckets, Andrew Tuazama did the type of dirty work that every coach loves. He rebounded the ball outside of his area, finished drop-off passes, and was constantly a threat around the rim to block shots with his crazy wingspan. Tuazama still has to get better on the offensive end, but if he does, he’s going to be one you will certainly be hearing about down the road.
