Corry Black JUCO/Prep Jamboree notebook

Corry Black JUCO/Prep Jamboree notebook

Carrollton, GA – The annual Cory Black JUCO/Prep Jamboree has built up to the must attend event for Junior College and Prep School programs along with four-year college programs looking to fill-out their roster.

This years event at West Georgia did not disappoint. There were teams who came into the event with tremendous reputations. Several programs had talent-filled rosters the other college programs made certain to evaluate, while other players made it their business to get notice.

Here are some things learned after this weekend.

It was dejavú for Northwest Florida State

Steve DeMeo is back leading the Raiders. The New York native returns to lead the program again after being away for several years. His second go around comes after NWF won the national championship last season.

DeMeo returned to the Panhandle after serving as the assistant at East Carolina and St. John’s University. He held the NWF helm from 2013 to 2019. During his time, DeMeo won more conference, regional, and state championship titles than any other coach in the programs history, which included five Panhandle Conference Championships, four FCSAA State Championships, and the 2015 NJCAA National Championship. The Raiders also made three Elite Eight appearances and a 2017 Final Four appearance during his stint.

Seeing him back on the NWF sideline is like he has never left.

The Raiders roster is loaded with Division I transfers, who will attract college programs from all over the country.

Chad Baker-Mazara is a talented lefty forward from the Dominican Republic. At 6-foot-7, the sophomore can play inside and out. He puts the ball on the floor, while also being able to extend the floor. His ability to hold it down on the defensive makes him a tough matchup. The former San Diego State product showed the willingness to be a solid teammate by cheering on others and being an energy giver.

Another impressive sophomore was 6-foot-10 Kasean Pryor. The former Boise State product played with tremendous energy and ran the floor like a gazelle in the open court. His energy was unmatched on either end of the floor. 

Jadyn Shider easily made the biggest impression to all watching the Raiders. The Albany, Georgia native dominated the paint. At 6-foot-7, he owned the paint on both ends of the floor rebounding in traffic while scoring effortlessly inside. 

A familiar name to the Sunshine State is Marcus Niblack. The 6-foot-2 guard is an electrifying scorer. He gets to his spots playing downhill and gets to the rim quickly. This Leesburg, Florida native transferred in from East Tennessee State. His skills along with the skills of Brooklyn, NY twins, Tajuan and Tamar Simpkins, will make the Raiders backcourt a tough group of players to match up against.

Chipola loaded with talent

Chipola has an excellent tradition and basketball history. The two-time state champions has always made certain to load up the roster with talented players. While veteran coach Donnie Tyndall has an excellent track record in finding players,

This year’s roster has a healthy number of players from neighboring Georgia with seven. The names include Cliff Davis, Jatarion Warren, Tyrese Powers, Jerald Colonel, Joyful Hawkins, Zach Bell and JC Curry.

Curry, formerly of Hart County High, shot the ball well. The 6-foot-4 guard looked real comfortable being in a collegiate competition. Bell, who attended Grovetown High, played solid in the open court.

College coaches will make a trip to the Panhandle or make certain to circle opportunities to see Chipola in large part due to Derrick Butler. The 6-foot-2 guard is gaining plenty of attention for his ability to score the ball at an efficient rate.

Tyndall had his Chipola squad locked in defensively. As this roster continues to mesh consistently it could find themselves to three-peat.

Players to watch

Albany Tech’s Jacquez Shuler caught plenty of attention from college programs. The 7-foot Denmark, SC native is a solid rim protector with good hands. He transferred in from Dodge City Community College in Kansas where he averaged nearly three points per game behind two JUCO All-American’s. Based on what Shuler has shown many more schools will come see the center play this season.

Central Georgia Tech’s Rafael Rubel is back on the hardwood. Any school looking for a tough-minded floor general would need to look into this Dominican native. He is a solid point guard at 5-foot-11, who makes good decisions and is capable of scoring at an efficient level.

Chattahoochee Valley’s roster is loaded with qualifiers. This is a good sign because it shows these are guys who can get things done in the classroom. Head coach Ben Hicks had his team playing hard from the opening tip to the last game of the event. One of the many standouts was Joshua Cameron. The 5-foot-10, from Newnan, Georgia, is shifty who gets downhill quickly.

East Georgia’s Travis is a veteran on the sideline and in the coaching ranks. He will maximize his rosters talents. If anyone plays for Garrett they have to bring it on both ends of the floor. One of those guys is Nakeem Isaac. The burley 6-foot-5 forward is relentless on both ends of the floor. He uses his now transformed body to his advantage against players. The Denmark, SC native has high motor with the ability to rebound the ball outside of his area. There is no quit in him. His desire to compete will go along way playing for the Bobcats and Garrett. This freshman has laid the foundation for a solid season.

South Georgia Tech’s name has been buzzing around the JUCO circles. The Jets came out flying and one of the guys who took off on many coaching notes was Nathan Wilson. This 6-foot-8 wing ran up the floor with plenty of energy and was productive on both ends of the floor. He is not afraid to compete.

TSF Red has one of the originators back on the sideline in Rob Johnson. He makes a return back to the Atlanta-based program after a stint as a college assistant basketball coach. His return will have the program back on track with the team he has assembled. There is point guard Myles Che and center Bruce Zhang Hezifeng. Che, from California, has gain plenty of college attention early. Many programs have extended offers to this crafty and meticulous floor general. He will continue garnering attention as the season progresses. Zhang, from Beijing, China, is a 7-foot-1 post player with excellent hands and feet. He is a space eater who is difficult to defend. His game will flourish under coach Johnson’s tutelage.

Miami Prep had 7-foot-3 Bol Kuir on the floor. The former New Mexico commit is a shot altering defender. He is growing inside offensively. His presence makes him hard to miss, which is why college programs will make trips to South Beach to inquire about this big fella. 

Jarrett Stephens is entering his second season as the head coach of Southwest Tennessee. He had a solid run in his inaugural season. This roster is built to make another successful run with its mix of experience, depth and talent. One of the new bright spots is a name many in South Georgia have known for a while, Nickolas Woodard. The 6-foot-7 forward got his feet wet in the collegiate game and had some bright moments throughout the weekend. Look for his confidence to build as he makes the adjustment from high school to college as Woodard will get the opportunities to crack the regular rotation.