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HOOVER, Ala. – Day 1 of the July Live Scouting period and Rivals.com’s Jamie Shaw is with the Adidas League 3SSB watching talent.
Here are the plots he saw the first night.
For me, Saunders was the breakout player of the day. Standing at 6ft 8in with long arms and strong hands, Saunders did whatever you want a quartet to do. Playing for the 3SSB team from Compton Magic (Calif.), Saunders knocked down two threes in the game. He bounced back strongly, with both hands, in traffic and he popped with several dunks and windmills.
In chatting with Saunders after the game, he has a line of programs that recruit him. He said he hears the most from San Diego State, UNLV, St. Louis, New Mexico, St Mary’s and San Jose State. Saunders will likely wait for things and see if his recruiting level up and, after the way he performed on Thursday, the Power Five programs are sure to take notice.
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It was the jump shot for me. It was the only question mark in Phillips’ 6-foot-8 game before this event. He tackled it on opening night with a 4-for-9 on shots beyond the arc. He was pulling on the grip, out of motion, then he attacked sloppy fences to finish at the rim. It was an excellent overall performance; the one you’d expect from the Rivals150 # 21 prospect.
On the recruiting front, Phillips visited Clemson, LSU and Florida State in June and he plans to visit Wake Forest on July 26. He received an offer from Tennessee after the game.
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Rice made official visits to the states of Kansas and Oklahoma in June. The Team Loaded (NC) 3SSB goaltender, who scored 13 points in 15 minutes in a resounding victory on Thursday, said his recruiting is still wide open.
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There is something about a big one, knowing that he is a big one and going out to do big things. Standing 6 feet 8 inches and weighing 225 pounds. Wright enters that category as the broad-shouldered, long-gunned post prospect finished in double digits while grabbing 16 rebounds today in the 3SSB win from Compton Magic, Calif.
Wright also mentions having a top five from USC, Arkansas, Texas, Kansas and Stanford. Wright has visited all of his finalists except Kansas and Stanford, and hopes to visit the Jayhawks and Cardinal in August. Wright says he’s always open to new programs coming in, but things are coming to an end in his recruiting and he’s a long way off with these five.
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Kentucky fans are familiar with Sheppard and his lineage. His family could be considered the royalty of the Kentucky Wildcat. His mother, Stacey Roseau, is among the top 10 in school history for career assists, steals, 3 points and average scores. His father, Jeff Sheppard, has been a two-time national champion starting 65 games during his career and averaging 13.7 points his senior season. The apple did not fall far from the tree. The Sheppard 2023 is ranked No.39 overall in its class as product North Laurel High of London (Ky.) Led its Midwest Select (Ohio) 3SSB team to a first round victory.
Clemson, Virginia, Gonzaga, Indiana and Louisville are the programs he says he stays in touch with the most. He visited Louisville and Virginia in June.
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Traore, the 2022 Rivals150’s No.64 prospect, was someone I was excited to watch because I had never seen him live before. Traore, from France, showcased the engine and explosion that have so many people buzzing from him this summer. Playing with Dream Vision’s (Calif.) 3SSB program and with several Power Five coaches sitting off the court, Traore finished with 25 points on 9 out of 12 shots.
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