Nike Premier Exposure Event: Junior Standouts
September is the start of the Showcase Season for Florida high school basketball players and last Saturday, RunningTheBulls.com was in the gym as E1T1 United kicked things off with the Nike Premier Exposure Camp at Lake Brantley High School in the Orlando suburb of Altamonte Springs. The camp featured four players in the Rivals150 for the class of 2018.
Antwann Jones -- a shooter with size, Jones has NBA three-point range and when focused and his motor is on, he can be deadly off the catch or bounce. The No. 48 ranked player in the 2018 class, Jones can go and get a rebound for you but he does have room to improve as a defender. He is a big time talent and that has never been a question mark. It's just a matter of when he wants to be a talent. At times Saturday, he looked like he wanted to shine. Jones holds offers from Dayton, Georgia, Wake Forest, Texas A&M, TCU, USF, Rutgers, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Memphis, LSU and South Carolina.
Anfernee Simons -- continues to build momentum as a prospect. An athletic point guard who plays with a quiet confidence, he is making a variety of shots and finding cutters off the dribble. Simons’ basketball IQ allows him to take advantage of any misstep or let down by the defense. His decision to reclassify to 2018 will give him the time needed to develop the physical side of his game. The No. 76 ranked player in his class, Simons has offers from Florida, FGCU, Louisville, Memphis, Oklahoma State, USF, Tennessee Tech, Texas A&M, UCF and Virginia Tech.
Keyontae Johnson – has a great motor and understands how to play the physical game without getting into foul trouble. A excellent finisher at the rim, the No. 120 ranked junior can slide between shooting guard and small forward now, but looks like a shooting guard at the next level. Johnson is a nice addition to IMG Academy and holds offers from Maryland-Eastern Shore, Norfolk State, Old Dominion, Providence and Virginia Tech.
Darius Days -- was one of the top competitors in the gym. He challenged every shot he could get near and showed that he can be a volume rebounder, even in traffic. Over the summer we noticed that Days was more comfortable taking, and was making, midrange jump shots and occasional open shots beyond the arc. Saturday the No. 136 ranked junior settled for his jumper a bit too much. As Days establishes a better balance between his improved face-up game and getting to the basket, he will become an even more difficult player to defend. Days has offers from Illinois, Memphis, Oklahoma, USF, UAB, VCU, Virginia and Virginia Tech.
Nick Honor -- is a physical and speedy point guard who is in command of the game with the ball in his hands. He rewarded teammates, who moved without the ball, with accurate passes from the perimeter. Has range on his jump shot, a strong 5-foot-10 frame which allows him to handle contact and still be effective at either end of the floor. Love his pace when he is attacking off ball screens. Yes, he is a little undersized, but does he ever compete. Honor listed offers from FGCU, UCF, James Madison, Georgia Southern and UNF.
Ronaldo Segu -- did what he’s known best for, putting defenders on their heels and spinning their heads around with his quickness and ball handling. He also showed that he can finish above the rim. An inch or two taller than last summer, adding more bulk and showing that he can score consistently from all three levels is the next step for Segu who is now at Orlando Christian Prep. Segu has offers from UAB, FIU, VCU, UCF, UNF, FGCU & FSU
Rifen Miguel -- this big body 6-foot-8 post man is not a high flying above the rim player, but he is going to score in one-on-one situations. He has a good motor and is mobile with advanced footwork on his post moves. Miguel pursues rebounds aggressively in and outside of his area. He knows how to use his big frame to his advantage and finishes with soft touch at the rim often scoring through contact and getting to the line. Miguel listed offers from George Mason and Chattanooga.
Jimmy Beane, Jr. -- a newcomer to Florida, Beane's mother moved from Indiana to Florida and enrolled him at Providence School in Jacksonville, Beane was so clever on offense that some defenders didn't have much of a chance. He has a smooth stroke on his jump shot, range to the three-point line, good size and length for the shooting guard position at 6-foot-4. Above average athleticism and is competitive on defense. Beane’s execution of the pick and roll was one of the prettiest things we saw all day. Bean listed offers from IPFW, IUPI, Ball State, Kent State and others
Lastly, it was our first time seeing 6-foot-5 wing Dalvaun Mitchell and he left us wanting to see more. The Oldsmar Christian junior’s ‘blow by’ skills were on full display. His good first step and ball handling ability allowed him to beat defenders off the dribble and score at the rim on several possessions and he threw in some nice looking jump shots as well.
Tomorrow we’ll take a look at the members of the 2019 class who caught our attention at the Nike Premier Exposure Event, hosted by E1T1 United.
Russ Wood is a contributing national basketball recruiting analyst for Rivals.com and RunningTheBulls.com. You can click here to follow him on Twitter