The Southwest All-American Camp took place recently on the campus of the Salvation Army's Kroc Center, and did not disappoint - creating an amazing atmosphere for some of the top prospects in the Southwest to showcase their skills in front of a nice crowd of scouts and media in attendance.
The event was absolutely loaded with talented prospects for the future and many lesser known prospects made a name for themselves at this year's event. As a result of this year's event, each prospect had an opportunity to gain maximum exposure to college coaches through the many quality scouts and media that was in attendance for this year's event.
Here are the top 2019 sleeper prospects from this event that helped themselves the most, heading into this month's busy July evaluation period . . .
Walter Talley 6-7 JR SF Tri-City Christian Academy
Talley has excellent size and versatility with good physical size and strength. He also has a very good offensive skillset that allows him to play several positions o0n the floor. Talley is a guard/forward prospect currently that likes to play inside and out. He is able to score effectively around the paint, and also has a nice ability to step outside and shoot the basketball as well with a good shooting stroke. Talley has a very good handle of the basketball, and likes to have the basketball in his hands. He has a very good mid-range game, which allows him to score effectively around the paint and from the perimeter. I would like to see him in the post much more where he can score over smaller defenders. Has a good overall skill level and good potential for the future, as long as he stays in shape.
Jalen Williams 6-2 JR PG/SG Perry HS
One of the better guard prospects in Arizona's 2019 class of prospect. A nice guard prospect with a high skill level and tremendous upside for the future. I am very impressed with this young man's ability to make plays for himself and others off the dribble. He has an excellent ability to create off the dribble and finish plays with a slick handle of the ball. He has very good body control and is able to slash between defenders to get into the lane. Williams also has an excellent shooting stroke with unlimited range on his shot, which keeps defenses honest from anywhere on the floor and sets up his drives to the basket and his mid-range game. He has a very quick release on his shot also which allows him to get his shot off. Williams has a long, lengthy and rangy body with huge feet, which suggests that he is still growing a great deal. Williams has extreme upside as a player, which suggests that he will only continue to grow a great deal. Has a great future and upside.
Josh Ursery 6-0 JR PG Liberty HS
Ursery was one of the surprises from this year's event, and one of the elite overall sleeper prospects I saw. He has NBA athleticism for his size that allows him to finish plays well above the rim and over defenders. A big-time dunker. A serious scorer with the ball in his hands, although he is the size of a point guard. Will need to embrace the point guard position to maximize his potential as a college prospect. A solid shooter that will need to add range on his shot. An excellent slasher and finisher. Great in the open floor. A very good defender. A good rebounder for his size. An excellent sleeper prospect in the class.
DJ Hawkins 6-6 JR SG/SF AZ Compass Prep
Hawkins is a rapidly developing prospect that has really improved over the past several months, and looks to be one of the better prospects now in the 2019 class in the state. A skilled wing prospect that is able to play several positions on the floor. Has a good overall feel for the game. A very good ball handler and passer that sees the floor. A good shooter with range, but at his best from mid-range where he is able to create off the dribble. A good open court player and slasher. A solid rebounder. As he continues to get stronger physically, he will maximize his college recruitment. Has upside. An excellent sleeper prospect.
Isaiah Wilson 6-0 JR PG/SG Desert Vista HS
Wilson has really grown on me over the past several months, and I love this young man's potential for the future as a combo-guard prospect. He has excellent athleticism and a nice motor that allows him to make plays for himself and others. A good shooter with range on his shot, and an effective scorer that can create and finish off the dribble. Excellent in transition. A very good on-the-ball defender that is capable of becoming a lock-down defender. Needs to become a point guard over time to maximize his college recruitment, since he is at his best as a scorer.
Josh Baker 6-2 JR PG/SG McClintock HS
Baker is the younger brother of former Tempe HS star guard and Pepperdine/San Jose State player Jordan Baker. Like his older brother, Josh has a knack for making shots and shooting the basketball with consistency and while being defended by opposing guards, able to make plays for himself and others off the dribble, although he enjoys scoring the basketball at a high rate. A high-scoring guard prospect that is also able to make plays on his own with an advanced offensive skillset that allows him to score from anywhere on the floor, and also get to the basket and finish plays with a smooth approach to the game. Over time, like many others, he will need to add physical size and strength to his thin frame to maximize his potential as a player for the collegiate level. He will be a combo-guard prospect at the next level that will be able to play as both guard positions over time.
Lucas Elliott 6-9 JR PF/C Pusch Ridge Academy
Elliott is a nice-looking young post prospect that is developing quickly as a college prospect. He has really improved a great deal over the past year, and has a high ceiling. He runs the floor very well, and has excellent energy on both ends of the floor. He is fluid runner and gets good position on the low block, where he is able to now complete solid low post moves with developed low-post footwork. He is a solid finisher, but still raw offensively. An active rebounder on both ends of the floor, and a capable shotblocker. Has serious upside.
Takari Fields 6-7 JR PF AZ Compass Prep
Fields (pictured) is a strong, well built power forward that plays with his back to the basket and is a very good finisher around the basket. Has a left-handed shooting stroke, which he can score from inside and out, but is at his best from around the paint. Does not mind physical contact. Competes on both ends of the floor. An active rebounder and finisher. A good shotblocker. Runs the floor. Has solid low-post footwork. An excellent sleeper prospect.
Brian Kumbi 6-4 JR SG AZ Compass Prep
A native of Sweden, Kumbi is a high-wire athletic talent with a nice overall skill level. He has a nice shooting stroke with unlimited range on his shot, and is also able to score effectively from mid-range. Has a nice overall repertoire of skills that will suit him nicely over time, and also an ability to play well above the rim. A superb athlete. A good ball handler and passer. An excellent defender that is capable of becoming a lock-down defender over time. A nice overall prospect for the future.
Jeron Artest 6-2 JR PG Hillcrest Prep
Artest is a very intriguing prospect that has an excellent feel for the game and an advanced overall skillet, that allows him to make plays for himself and others off the dribble. Sees the floor very well and sees plays before they happen. Has a high basketball IQ. The son of former NBA player Ron Artest. An excellent defender that plays passing lanes. Has an excellent handle of the basketball. A good shooter that needs to improve the range on his shot to maximize his potential as a college prospect. A good overall sleeper prospect.
Kade Maddock 6-6 JR SF AZ Compass Prep
Maddock has improved a great deal over the past several months and has developed into a wing prospect. He has worked hard to develop in a short period of time, and he had a coming-out-party in this year's event. A skilled wing prospect that can shoot the basketball with consistency out to three-point distance, but is at his best from mid-range and the short corner of the floor. A solid ball handler and passer. An active rebounder and shotblocker that has excellent length on his thin frame. Runs the floor and is a goof finisher in transition. A solid defender. Has upside.
