Chris Paul doesn’t just give to the college and high school players. In conjecture with his CP3 Elite Camp, he held the CP3 Rising Stars Camp. The top ballers from the CP3 Rising Stars Camp were then selected to play in Monday’s DunkDog.com All-American Game.
Ran by DunkDog president Spencer Pulliam, the event brought 20 of the nation’s top rising freshmen to his hometown of Greensboro, NC. The event was held on the campus of Greensboro Day School, a prestigious private school within the Piedmont Triad. Things popped off with a dunk contest in which athletic dynamo MJ Walker shut the house down. He threw down all kinds of windmills en route to the crown, making you forget you were watching a player who hasn’t even taken his first class in high school.
The game itself was a blend of competitiveness and all-star action, giving the best of both worlds. There were plenty of highlights that CityLeagueHoops and Ballislife caught, but the players re also trying to win the game. Ultimately, it was the Stars team with the 81-76 win over the Stripes in what was a sick night of hoops.
Here are a few of the top guys who showed out:
Cody Riley, 6-8, PF, Sierra Canyon (CA) HS
Considered by some to be the top player in the class, Riley showed out to the tune of 18 points and 6 boards, while also going coast-to-coast for a layup to send the game to OT. A physical beast, the PF showed his outside game by handling the rock in the open court, hitting a number of outside J’s, and dropping some nice dimes from the high post. Even though no MVP was crowned officially, it most definitely would have went to Riley.
MJ Walker, 6-5, SG/SF, Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (GA)
Donning the name of the GOAT himself and being an athletic two-guard, MJ Walker is a name that has been etched in heads for a minute now. He owns some serious bounce (won the dunk contest), has deep range on his J, and is the proud owner of a ridiculous first step when attacking the tin. MJ still needs to develop a mid-range game, but he’ll have plenty of time to do that over the next four years at Dwight Howard’s old HS on the south side of ATL.
Matt Coleman, 6-0, PG, Maury (VA) HS
The next in line in the Hampton Roads area is Matt Coleman. Hype started to build around him when he was starting for the legendary Boo Williams AAU program at the 16-U level, playing two years above his age group. Coleman showed off a filthy crossover, was a blur in the open court, and shocked onlookers earlier in the weekend when he had a two-hand dunk in traffic. Already owning an offer for Virginia, expect plenty more high-major programs to follow suit once they set eyes on this lefty.
Brian Bowen, 6-5, SG/SF, Saginaw Arthur Hill (MI)
One of the bigger surprises of the weekend was JRich’s nephew, Brian Bowen. Having heard of most of the players coming into the game, he was a guy whose name had never crossed my eyes, but was etched in my head after the way he killed it. The angular wing showed off a nice handle, finished at the rim with either hand, and drilled a number of deep three-pointers. Toss in the fact that he can really pass the rock for such a tall kid playing off the ball and you see why he’s the top player in Michigan’s 2017 class.
Lavar Batts, 6-1, PG, Robinson HS (NC)
Coming into the camp without much of a rep outside of the state of North Carolina, Batts left showing that he could ball with the nation’s best. The lanky PG proved to be a highlight machine. He had the block of the game on a dunk attempt, hit some threes from right around NBA range, and had a real solid bang in transition. Lavar is still rough around the edges, but he’s got the raw talent to really be a problem down the road.
Victor Enoh, 6-9, C, Greenforest McCalep Christian Academy (AL)
A straight man child who has drawn comparisons to Dwight Howard, Enoh is still super raw, but showed flashes of brilliance. He was a dominating shot-blocker, dunked everything around the rim, and was simply a man amongst boys throughout the weekend. Like D12, his skill level still has a ways to go, but you can’t ignore the sheer physical force and long term potential that Mr. Enoh brings to the table.
Blake Williams, 5-10, PG, Memphis White Station (TN)
Following in the footsteps of the ‘King of Memphis’ Joe Jackson at White Station, Blake Williams appears to have a chance to be the next in line. The diminutive lefty got in the lane whenever he wanted, had his head on a swivel, and consistently dropped dimes to the open man. He was the ideal type of set up guy that you love to play with in an all-star game, but don’t get it twisted, Blake can put points on the board too.
