Elevate Summer Showdown Notebook: Day 1
By Robert Alfonso Jr.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Summer Showdown lived up to the name.
Teams battled each other down to the wire. Players did not shy away from challenging their counterpart.
The action left many talking and an electrifying energy around the City of Brotherly Love at Philadelphia University on Saturday.
Perry focused on play, not offers
De’Vondre Perry continues to attract some serious interest.
The Baltimore, Maryland native has been getting some consistent attention from Temple, Dayton, Southern California and Kansas State have shown the Team Melo prospect the most consistent attention. But that is not something he thinks about.
“When I go out there (on the court) I just go out there with my boys,” Perry said. “Whoever sees us play sees us play.”
Perry continues to show teams his skills during the Elevate Hoops Summer Showdown. He does not intend to cut his list until after Las Vegas. He would like to get an offer from North Carolina, his dream school. Along with Duke or NC State.
Showdown has wings and bigs
The agenda for many coaches on the recruiting trail is to find players with size and skills.
Coming into the weekend, players like Legit Basketball’s Malik Williams, Sp[orts U 2018 Nazreon Reid, Uncommon Bulls’ Simon Ejike-Obinna and HoopDreamz’ Clifton Moore were the marque names college coaches were aware of.
Moore caught the attention from college coaches but his name was already a familiar one to many. There were still players coaches needed to know.
New Jersey RoadRunners’ Jordan Pierce, Baltimore United Black Brandon Horvath, Jersey Shore Warriors’ Sam Iorio, South Jersey Jazz Timothy Perry, Uncommon Bulls’ Keve Aluma, Global Squad Denmark Asbjorn Midtgaard and Kasper Christiansen are names college coaches will definitely need to track.
Pierce is an intriguing prospect who has solid footwork and is a decent defender. He held his own against Ejike-Obinna. Pierce currently holds from Temple, Florida Gulf Coast, Kennesaw State, Monmouth and a few others.
Horvath is a 6-foot-7 shooter with excellent range. Iorio is a battler on both ends of the floor. Perry, who is considering a prep school, has excellent footwork and is the son of former Temple University standout Tim Perry. Aluma eats up space and has a great hands.
The two most mysterious prospects are Midtgaard and Christiansen. Both are from Denmark. Midtgaard stands at 7-feet and is build like a college player already. Christiansen is 6-foot-10 where his shooting helps extend the floor.
Both do not have any offers as of yet but expect that to change as many get a chance to see them.
Jayhawks are rising
Samba Diallo and Franklin Policelli are budding prospects.
The Class of 2019 products had a strong showing at Summer Showdown. They combined to dominate and ever aspect of the game. At times, both players showed their versatility. Defensively, they feed off each other to overshadow opponents.
Look for them to gain more attention as they develop and mature.
PK duo the darlings of Showdown
Jake Biss and Austin Butler have helped PK Flash beat some opponents many did not expect them to win.
They will not let them lose, however. Butler is averaging 22 points a game this tournament. He is scoring from all three levels on the floor, while being a relentless defender. His efforts have earned him an offer from Navy this week. Biss is averaging about 12 points a clip.
About the Author
Alfonso
Robert Alfonso Jr. is a graduate of Mount Sait Mary College. He has more than 20 years of journalism experience. Alfonso has helped build a basketball web brand in Georgia and has covered high school through college sports for publications in New York, North Carolina, and Georgia. His mission has always been to uplift the athletes who play sports providing them the exposure needed in this new media platform.