The trip to Nashville, TN gave Basketball Spotlight a glimpse into the Class of 2018. Some of the top teams in the country were present and here are some of the things we learned.
What Did We Learn In Nashville?
WACG Is Back!
After a sketchy Saturday the #3 team in the country turned it up Sunday. The Tennessee squad blew the doors off the #2 team in the country (Georgia United) and the #4 team in the country (Kentucky Spiece). Their pressure defense was smothering and the substitute pattern send plays in by waves. '
Bagley Is The Real Deal!
While some players are just hype Marvin Bagley was worth the price of admissions. The southpaw passes the look test easily but also performed on the floor. He makes the game look so easy that some might confuse it with a lack of effort. He can give you the business in the paint or off the bounce. But believe me this kid has the chance to be something special.
Dotson Has Game!
Sometimes analysts including myself fall in love with the size of a player but in the case of Devon Dotson that has to be thrown out the window. This kid was a terror all weekend and his play helped give WACG their only loss of the weekend. I like to see how players react in the fire and Dotson came through like a storm trooper. His arsenal included scoring, dishing and playing hawk defense. His impact reminded me of a kid from New York named Erving Walker who later played at the University of Florida.
Class of 2018 Has Parity!
The best element of this event was the super pool. Many games in the super came down to the wire and sometimes the final shot. This proved that this class is very competitive and on any given night someone can get knocked off. Qon Murphy and Marquise Walker gave us the NCAA tournament feeling by hitting by shots to win games.
Fresh Faces Emerge!
The trip to Nashville also gave me a chance to see few top players for the first time like Kevin Easley of George Hill and Corderius Hastings of Georgia United. Easley carved up opponents in the paint like Tim Duncan and Hastings was electrifying at the guard spot. If there's a better 2018 guard in Georgia someone please let me know.
