At this point, teams are seeing players for the second and consistent contributors will likely attract their attention.
Continuing with our series on seniors who have impressed at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, there were multiple guys who made an impression on Day 3. The first game of the day featured several players who played on local teams.
James Bishop IV, a 6’2 guard from George Washington who I interviewed on Bleav in DMV Hoops this season, proved he’s one of the best shooters in this event. He had 16 points on 6-9 overall shooting and went 4-6 on three-pointers. He also routinely was matched up with much bigger guys and held his own pretty well despite not really being known for his play on that side of the ball.
His teammate at the event, Jaylin Williams, is a 6’8 wing from Auburn. He had 15 points (6-12 from the field, 3-7 from three), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. He also just looked the part physically. He has a 7-foot wingspan and tested well athletically at the combine portion of the event.
On the opposing team in the first game of the day, Maryland’s Donta Scott started strong before suffering an injury that caused him to come in and out of the game several times. He finished with 12 points (5-11 overall, 2-6 from three), 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals.
But the real standout player from that team, in my opinion, had one of the least impressive overall box scores. James Madison’s TJ Bickerstaff had 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists but looked the part of a modern, switchable forward. The 6’8 forward routinely snagged tough rebounds and started the break himself, displaying a tight handle for a player his size and making some exceptional reads that often resulted in him making passes before his teammates even realized they were open.
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I’m not always the biggest believer in “+/-” stat for an individual game but this time it really backed up the eye test and showed their team was leaps and bounds better with Bickerstaff on the floor. He finished with a +1 in a game his team lost by 13 and all of his teammates were -11 or worse.
I’m not sure Bickerstaff is an NBA player but he’s someone I’d absolutely want filling out the Capital City Go-Go roster. He’s from a basketball family, which really shows in his play from an IQ standpoint. His uncle JB is the former coach of the Cavaliers and his grandfather is former Wizards head coach Bernie Bickerstaff.
In the second game of the day, there were several impressive performances. As I wrote about after Day 1, 6’8 Cleveland State forward Tristan Enaruna really separated himself to the point where I feel pretty confident he at least ends up on a two-way contract at some point. He missed a few more shots today but had 15 crucial points (6-14 shooting) in a two-point team win that displayed a high degree of skill. He also added 5 rebounds and 2 assists.
Mississippi State big man Tolu Smith III was one of my favorite watches in all of college basketball the last two seasons as I’m a sucker for skilled, back-to-the-basket scorers. He did not disappoint yesterday scoring 18 points (6-11) to go along with 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.
The 6’11 center imposed himself physically and really took over the game for stretches. He’s not a floor-spacer or some elite rim-protector so I don’t know how his game will translate to the NBA but I feel very confident he would have been the best big man on the Capital City Go-Go this year and that’s an area where they clearly need an upgrade for next season.
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UAB guard Eric Gaines may be the best athlete in the event and put that on full display in this game. He got wherever he wanted on the court and had some highlight reel, above-the-rim plays on his way to 20 points (9-15), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, and 2 steals. Unfortunately, Gaines is really small for essentially a shooting guard, measuring 6’1.25 in shoes and weighing 148 pounds. Expect him to tear up the G League for years to come, however.
In the third game of the day, 6’9 Providence center Josh Oduro was unguardable in the post, scoring 21 points on 8-10 shooting. If anything, his team didn’t go to him enough. He also chipped 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, and 3 steals. Unfortunately, he got exploited in the pick-and-roll on several key possessions as his team lost in a surprising upset.
His teammate, Enrique Freeman, a 6’7.5 wing/forward from Akron, had a positive impact on the game. He had 11 points (5-6 from the field, 1-1 from three), 5 rebounds, and 1 assist. But it just felt like he was everywhere on the court. He has a 7’2 wingspan and tested well athletically. If he can become a consistent shooter, I think the switchability and strong defensive instincts would make him a very interesting player to consider for a two-way contract.
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