Under the radar guys to watch in July

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By JAMES KERTI

Players like Cliff Alexander (6-9/Chicago, IL/Curie/2014) and Andrew Harrison (6-4/Richmond, TX/Ft. Bend Travis/2013) have deservedly garnered much attention on the high school basketball scene this summer.

With the standout play of some of the elite players up to this point, it’s inevitable that some prospects have gotten lost in the crowd.

Those underappreciated players, however, will have ample opportunities to make names for themselves as July literally and figuratively heats up.

I’m expecting some of the following players to surprise onlookers with strong performances in July.

Sedrick Barefield (6-1/Corona, CA/Centennial/2015) likes to play a physical style, using his strength to finish his drives even when there’s contact. He’s a leader on the floor, and perhaps most impressively for a point guard in his class, he’s almost always in control.

Bryan Alberts (6-5/Sun Valley, CA/Village Christian/2014) excels at recognizing cuts and passing out of the drive. He has exceptional length for someone with his point guard skills, and yet he also has the quickness to defend smaller players. He can play off-ball easily, as he understands how to use V cuts to gain separation and banana cuts to get open for corner threes.

Julian Jacobs (6-3/Las Vegas, NV/Desert Pines/2013/Utah) has great bounce for a point guard. He’s a dangerous weapon in the open floor, usually making the right decisions as to when to pass or to keep it and score. Though he is a more than capable scorer, he prefers a pass-first style, scoring most of his own points in transition and with off-ball cuts.

Eris Winder (6-0/Las Vegas, NV/Palo Verde/2013) is a crafty point guard who changes speeds and directions well. His shiftiness and arsenal of fakes allow him to get into the lane and control the game. I’ve seen a lot of improvement from him already this year.

Chance Murray (6-3/Los Angeles, CA/Price/2013) is an excellent driver who draws fouls frequently. A team-oriented player who is young for his class, Murray has high-major offers but hasn’t picked up much attention from the media and fans.

Hunter Myers (6-7/Minden, NV/Douglas/2013) has a great feel for the game on both ends of the floor. His sense of positioning sets him apart, as he scores sneaky baskets close to the rim and blocks shots on-ball and as a help defender. He’s making a name for himself, but the high-major schools haven’t come flocking just yet.

Jordan Wilson (5-7/Los Angeles, CA/Windward/2013) has outstanding speed combined with a good understanding of how to take advantage of his gift. He uses his hesitation and crossover dribbles to killer effect, getting to the basket or creating separation for his jump shot.

Jahmel Taylor (6-0/Chatsworth, CA/Sierra Canyon/2013) creates shots for himself with ease. He showed tremendous range on his dribble jumper, hitting at least six long three-pointers off the dribble in one game at the Pangos All-American Camp. While a lot of the attention on him has focused on his developing point guard skills, he does move well enough without the ball that he doesn’t need to have the ball to be a threat.

Tre’Shaun Lexing (6-6/Tacoma, WA/Lincoln/2013) is a southpaw who is at his best with the ball in his hands on the wing. He’s a triple threat who also passes the ball well, particularly once he gets moving toward the basket. His penetration from the wing forces defenses to collapse, and he can and will kick the ball out to open shooters.

Sir Washington (6-3/Las Vegas, NV/Clark/2013) is another lefty with skills from the wing. He plays aggressively with and without the ball. He’s especially lethal with his baseline and back cuts.

Keep checking in for more updates this summer. Until then, be sure to follow me on Twitter and check out JamesKerti.com!