MidStateHoops.com :: 17U National Qualifier Player Evaluations: Day Two

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Dominique Warnsley

17U National Qualifier Player Evaluations: Day Two
April 6, 2008

Steve Walker-JR, 6'5" 270 lbs, PF, Team NLP II - Walker was a force inside on this day. He is a lot more mobile and finished very well around the basket. He scored a lot when powering up from the left block and short corner. He's more mobile than he has been the past couple of years.

D'mitri Riggs-JR, 6'3" 190 lbs, G, Team Illinois I - Riggs was unstoppable when he looked to score today. He was unguardable going to the rim for the finish or the midrange pull up. He was also very good at finding his teammates when defenders collapsed. D'mitri's biggest problem today was that he settled for the jumpshot too much and began quitting a little too early.

Dominique Warnsley-JR, 6'2" 160 lbs, PG, Team Illinois I - Played well on both days but didn't have enough information to write on him on day one. Warnsley is an extremely smooth guard with a nice handle and the ability to score. His game is very similar to that of Verdell Jones except he is a bit smaller. He can definitely shoot the ball and has a great feel for the game. He looks to be a high level mid major prospect.

Wesley Powell-JR, 5'11" 160 lbs, PG, Illinois Red Raiders - He's skilled, quick, and plays his heart out. Powell scored 17 of the Red Raiders' first 19 points against the Rising Stars. He's very quick and severely outplayed DePaul recruit Cully Payne on this day. He's got good quickness and is good at breaking his defender down. He got to the rim a lot and played harder than any guard on the floor. It looks as if he could be a nice low major prospect.

Nik Garcia-JR, 6'6" 175 lbs, SG, Rising Stars 5 - Just as he was yesterday, Garcia was nearly automatic from beyond the arch. He shot it lights out and has proven to be the best pure shooter in the 2009 class. He's got great length and showed that he can get to the rim and make plays. He had a couple of fast break dunks and is beginning to expand his game. He can easily figure as a high major prospect.

Jack Cooley-JR, 6'8", 235 lbs, PF, Rising Stars 5 - Cooley wasn't as impressive as he was on day one but was still impressive enough for us to reassure him as the #1 player in his class for the time being. He works so hard and his size and ability are unmatched by many in his class. He plays similar to Tyler Hansbrough and will be a monster in the Big East when his time comes.

Marcus Jordan-JR, 6'3" 195 lbs, PG, Rising Stars 5 - Jordan again played the point guard the majority of the day. He made good decisions and was very good at setting up his teammates. He is a lot more patient than he's been in the past and is consistently knocking down shots from the perimeter. He's beginning to earn a reputation as a legitimate high major prospect.

Jereme Richmond-SOPH, 6'7" 180 lbs, G/F, Rising Stars 5 - Richmond's athleticism was on display a lot more than it was on day one. He had a handful of dunks, including a few facials. His shot looked solid and the point-forward's handle was as smooth as always. Like yesterday, he threw some flashy passes that weren't there and he needs to learn to be more simple in that fashion but boy does he have a future! One concern we do have with him is his lack of foot speed.

Seth Evans-JR, 6'0" 170 lbs, PG, Illinois Stars - Seth was the key for the Stars on this day. He was their go-to-guy and in their matchup with Team Illinois I, his team rode his coattail in the first half. He was dangerous from long range and finished while drawing a lot of contact going to the basket. He's definitely one of the top five point guard prospects in his class.

Rayvonte Rice-SOPH, 6'2" 190 lbs, G, Illinois Stars - Wow! Rice was amazing today! He single handedly took over in the second half against Team Illinois I. He shot the ball very well, got to the rim, and finished with an amazing fast break slam off an alley oop where he took off from outside the lane. Today, he looked like the best player in his class not named Jereme Richmond or Crandall Head.

Mikel Brigham-JR, 6'6" 190 lbs, F, Illinois Stars - Mikel showed that he has added range on his jumpshot. He hit a lot from the midrange area and was, as always, dominant around the rim. He used his athleticism to get rebounds and block shots and brought a lot of energy to the floor.