re: Tide Hoops | Offseason

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"frick Al Horford"

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Future lottery picks tend to do that. He's going to be fantastic is our system. Gonna be a lot of wide open shots to be had next season. I would love to see him and JQ on the floor together against small lineups.

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Alabama softball coach Patrick Murphy said Nate Oats spoke to his team this season about dealing with injuries and other players stepping up. Murphy said Oats referenced Alabama’s game at Kentucky in January when they were without Jahvon Quinerly and then lost Herb Jones.

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“All his point guards were hurt or out of the game, and he was down to like his third guy who wasn’t a point guard, and he said, ‘You’re gonna have to do it.’ And the kid was like, ‘OK, let’s go.’"

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The Iverson Classic brought 28 of the best players in high school basketball together in Memphis, Tennessee, for three days of intense practices, scrimmaging and other live competition. The NBA allowed each team to send one representative to evaluate the two days of practices, with no restrictions on the number of evaluators allowed for the actual game. This provided an opportunity for teams to start building out their scouting files on a class that has been almost invisible to them due to mass cancellations of camps, tournaments and other exposure events over the past 14 months because of the coronavirus pandemic.

With the normal all-star circuit -- the McDonald's All-American game, Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic -- all on hiatus, the Iverson Classic filled the void, reeling in a huge swath of talent, including 12 of the 22 players currently classified as five-star prospects in ESPN's recruiting rankings. Several other prospects outside that range made compelling cases over the week for why they are deserving of one-and-done consideration.

While we've scouted many of these prospects live over the high school season, it was very useful to see this group through the eyes of the 30 or so NBA scouts who were evaluating these players for the very first time and getting their raw initial impressions of the class, which were largely extremely positive.

Note: While the 2022 NBA draft is too far away to reasonably predict the order, we're using ESPN's Future Power Rankings to help show which traded picks might convey in 2022.

(can't post the full mock bc it would be a formatting nightmare)

13. JD Davison
41. Jahvon Quinerly
58. Keon Ellis

Big stock boosters

The clear-cut leaders and best guards on their respective teams, Nolan Hickman and J.D. Davison both made their case as being two of the best floor generals in the class and strong one-and-done candidates.

Davison was one of the revelations of the week. Few knew what to make of the internet sensation and highlight reel machine who played his basketball in the second lowest of the Alabama high school conferences, where his team finished 16-9 and lost in the playoff semifinals.

Davison quickly showed that he's much more than a YouTube sensation, proving to be one of the top all-around basketball players at the event. Featuring good size, a huge frame and an explosive first step, he was very difficult for opposing guards to contain when he went to the lane in transition or created out of isolation, finishing aggressively through contact.

Davison is also a willing passer who shows nice vision out of pick-and-rolls, being capable of rejecting screens powerfully and finding teammates on the move. Still, learning to value the ball and cut down on turnovers will also be a priority moving forward, as Davison did have some wild moments.

Where Davison impressed the most was on the defensive end, using his outstanding physical tools to get up on opposing guards, block shots on the perimeter and crash the glass. He plays with impressive toughness and intensity, looking more than happy to do the little things to help his team win games.

Davison's swing skill is his jump shot, once known as a significant weakness but clearly an area in which he's made strides. He struggled to make shots in games, at times passing up open looks, but has projectable mechanics and soft enough touch as a finisher to indicate there's plenty of room to grow long term. Davison looks like he'll be a great fit at Alabama, which sports one of the most wide open and efficient offenses in the country.

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