Honesty Scott-Grayson
Honesty Scott-Grayson is one of the nation's best guard prospects and her play at Summer Jam was impressive. *Photo by Chris Hansen.
AUGUSTA, Ga., - The July grind came to an end for players and college coaches alike. Although most teams had played in multiple tourneys and dozens of games before the final days, the Elite 32 Summer Jam provided an ideal chance for prospects to pick up interest from college programs before the summer concluded. The 70-team tournament attracted coaches from over 100 colleges and universities nationwide.
With the nation’s elite like Honesty Scott-Grayson setting the bar incredibly high for the rest of the field, the competition throughout the final two days of the viewing period was top notch. Scott-Grayson’s July, including her play at Summer Jam II, put her right back in the conversation for the No. 1 overall spot in the 2018 class.
The Minnesota Fury program completed a successful July run by winning the @BrandonClayPSB bracket on Wednesday night. A big reason for the 2016 team’s success was the play Nicole Fautsch of Rochester, Minn. The 6-foot-2 post plays a role as a defender and screener while being an opportunistic scorer in the Fury’s offense. Her ability to anchor the block and hit the elbow jumper make her one of the more reliable post options that we evaluated this summer.
Torrieonna Cash of Pittsburgh, Pa., helped power the WPA Bruins to a McDonald’s All-American bracket championship. The 5-7 combo guard uses her quickness to make plays on both ends of the floor. She proved that she is a capable shot-maker and can pressure ball handlers into mistakes on the defensive end.
Team B-Wright is the program that brought the most enthusiasm to the #PSBElite32. Coach Jamal Richardson’s Sophomore squad defeated Team Takeover 15U EYBL 54-44 in the @ProspectsNation bracket. Guard Erica Haynes-Overton of Nashville, Tenn., was instrumental in the win. Her ability to create plays off the bounce and apply pressure on defense made her a notable prospect from the Volunteer State.
The No. 41 ranked prospect in the ELITE 60, Cierra Hooks of Dayton, Ohio, ended July with a bang. The left-handed combo guard lifted All Ohio Black to a win over Sky Diggs Elite on @SUVTv. She finished at the basket exceptionally well with her off-hand and hit the pull-up jumper with consistency. Her game appears to be rounding out nicely and could become one of the better playmakers on the EYBL circuit next season.
Tennessee Xtreme sports an extremely talented backcourt that features Elizabeth Balogun of Chattanooga, Tenn. The 6-1 wing is known for her athletic prowess as a defender and rebounder. However, her offensive skill is quickly developing into a notable specialty as well. Balogun showed the ability to hit the open 3-point jumper while also being able to score off the move.
Donyetta Johnson of Far Rockaway, N.Y., will be considered one of the top prospects nationally after her performances at the Summer Invitational and Elite 32 Summer Jam. The 6-1 power guard showed electric moves late in the event at Christenberry Fieldhouse. Johnson, who plays for Exodus NYC 15U, was largely unknown by coaches outside of the New York area coming into the month of July. She had college coaches scrambling to find her name in the college packet as she shook defenders with lightning moves. Look for her name to be mentioned more often in years to come.
Jonathan Hemingway is the Assistant Director of Scouting for the JumpOffPlus.com National Scouting Report, is on the Naismith Trophy Board of Selectors and owns CoachHemi.com, the go-to source for coaches for X’s and O’s. He is the floor director of #TeamEBA camps, a site director for #TeamPSB tournaments and can be reached at jonathanhemingway@peachstatebasketball.com.
