Chick-Fil-A Classic: Jalen Green leaves his mark
COLUMBIA, SC. – The final day of the Chick-Fil-A Classic brought out some of the best from the nation’s elite. There was plenty to take away from our day spent in the gym including how special Jalen Green is, the breakthrough play from Jalen Warley, and two junior big men that remain amongst the best in their respective class.
Jalen Green is special. There is nothing else to say about the phenom out of Fresno. Known primarily for his athleticism, Green is more than just that. His half-court skillset has improved tenfold within the past year. He has no issues creating his own offense but place him into high-ball screen sets and what you get is a devastating scorer that can hit some of the more difficult jumpers one will come across but it was his playmaking on the downhill drive that may have been where he has improved the greatest.
Finishing with 24 points, five rebounds and four assists, the conversation of who the best prospect in the 2020 class is no longer just a two-man conversation. Evan Mobley offers the unique physical tangibles; Cade Cunningham may be the surest best of them all; however, no one has a greater basketball ceiling than Green.
The most entertaining prospect in America, Green remains undecided on where he will be next fall but he told Rivals.com that a commitment could be made around March. Will he be the next elite prospect to choose Memphis? Might Sharife Cooper me able to swing Green towards the Auburn Tigers? Oregon and USC have a chance, too, but so does the NBL, a place that his good friend RJ Hampton can be found. Either way, Green remains on the proper developmental path which places him heavily in the conversation for who the best is in the nation.
Jalen Warley looks the part of a top-50 prospect. The now 6-foot-5 combo type is more of a primary ballhandler that can both create for others and himself. Going down in defeat, Warley was phenomenal finishing with 18 points and four assists. His game is trending in the right direction and having grown close to half of a foot since his freshman year, the future could not be brighter for the unranked star. He now holds over a dozen scholarship offers with Oregon, Pitt, Temple and Xavier sitting as four of the schools recruiting him the hardest.
Kepnang is built in a Udoka Azubuike mold. The 7-footer is a physical presence to the nth degree and he knows exactly what he does best. While he did hoist up a perimeter jumper that is a bit out of his range, it was more about dominating his region around the basket. A two-handed rebounder and finisher, Kepnang is super-efficient off of the drop-off pass and on the weakside putback. There are not many like him in the high school realm which is why Georgia, Pitt, Syracuse, UCLA and Vanderbilt have made him a priority; Kentucky is the latest to enter the recruitment of the PSA Cardinals’ product.
Michael Foster is a difficult stop when at his best. It is difficult to look any better than Foster looked on Monday evening. He passes the looks test with relative ease but the deficiencies in the past have surrounded Foster’s ability to pick the time and place to shoot and pass. For at least evening, such a hold-up looks no longer. Finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds, Foster brought a great motor to the court along with an impressive shot making display where he converted on jumpers from each level. Georgia sits as the program to beat for the five-star forward that can complete a multitude of tasks around the basket.
Jaemyn Brakefield will hold a significant role for Duke next year. Jalen Johnson will be the wing-forward that Coach K will run his offense through and Jeremy Roach will be the Blue Devils’ primary playmaker but don’t slight the value that Brakefield will have for the blue blood. The 6-foot-9 lefty is an uberly-versatile forward that can score, rebound, pass and defend. Potentially losing Vernon Carey, Matthew Hurt and Javin DeLaurier after the season, someone will have to be a frontline stopper on the defensive end and a stat sheet stuffer on the offensive. Why not Brakefield? Finishing with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists, a similar final box score could become a theme from the four-star forward in college.
Legacy Charter has two intriguing prospects. Jacobi Wright and Ike Cornish are two that have begun their high-major recruitments in recent weeks and I would expect for their offer lists to only expand from here. Wright, a good-sized lead guard that plays under control and does a great job of creating for others, holds a DePaul offer, along with ones from College of Charleston, Elon and Winthrop. Cornish, a versatile wing that bring 3-and-D traits to the perimeter, has already visited Winthrop and Xavier. The Musketeers and DePaul have offered with potential visits in the works to the two Big East programs, Pitt, VCU and Virginia Tech.
Penn and Eastern Kentucky will enroll ready-to-go guards. The Quakers have not struggled to find success during the Steve Donahue era and that success rate should continue during the years that TJ Berger is on campus. He is a capable shot maker that brings great size to the backcourt where he can even be relied upon for playmaking duties. Wendell Green, headed to EKU, is a complete dynamo at the 1 that might lack for size but makes up for it with his moxy, toughness and intangibles. He will be a major headcase to deal with for OVC coaching staffs. Future all-league recognition could be ahead for the La Lumiere standout.