SALT LAKE CITY – As expected, most of the better players in Utah – across all classes – were on the scene Friday night at the Franklin Covey Center during the opening of the EAT Utah Showcase.
Nearly 100 players were on hand, with Nevada, Idaho and even Southern California (via 6-foot-5 Villa Park sophomore Julien Franklin) also represented.
Games were played from about 6:30 (MT) to 10 p.m., with each of the showcase squads (made up of individual players; not limited to any specific “high school” or “club” teams) playing twice.
The best individual matchup of the night took place about midway through the evening when the two best “bigs” in Utah’s Classes of 2017 (6-10 Brendan Carlson of Orem Bingham) and 2019 (6-9 Isaac Johnson of American Fork).
In this era of fast-blooming kids who are often starting – if not starring – as freshmen, Carlson is a “throwback” of sorts.
Get this: He has yet to start a game as a varsity player.
But Carlson, who backed up and often teamed with now-BYU freshman Yoeli Childs as a junior, came on strong late last season and was strong in the spring and summer for the Exum Elite/Utah Prospects program and is now being heavily recruited by the likes of the University of Utah, Brigham Young University, Stanford (he’s an exceptional student) and UCLA.
He’s as powerful and “quick” a jumping post as there is in the West, traits he puts to good use as a shot blocker and dunker.
The very slender Johnson doesn’t yet have the vertical explosiveness that is possessed by Carlson but has a remarkable knack for scoring in a variety ways, as he demonstrated aptly Friday night while scoring over and around Carlson. He’s also a very good passer and handler and came up with a spectacular block of a Carlson dunk attempt late in the game.
Carlson was far from the only outstanding prospect from the Class of 2017 on display Friday night.
Among the others were point guards Christian Popoola Jr. (Las Vegas Bishop Gorman) and Jaxon Brenchely (Millville, UT, Ridgeline), both of whom are about 6-4.
The left-handed Popoola committed to BYU a few weeks ago and Brenchley is not only the best prospect at his position in Utah in the senior class but also one of the more underrated PGs in all of the west.
Brenchley has always been a very good handler and passer. And, as was quite evident Friday night, he’s spent a lot of hours in the gym working on his jump shot, as well.
Among the other seniors who played well Friday night were Trevin Knell (Woods Cross), the best jump shooter in Utah (he’s been offered scholarships but several programs, including Cal); Matt Lindsey (Salt Lake City Olympus; he’s the son of Utah Jazz General Manager Dennis Lindsey and the brother of Baylor sophomore guard Jake Lindsey); Elias Ballstaedt (Wasatch; like Lindsey, a very good “combo” guard and one of the best scorers in Utah); Stockton Shorts (West Jordan, UT, Copper Hills); and Lewis Johnson (Bountiful, UT, Viewmont).
Some fast-rising players from the Class of 2018 (current juniors) that played Friday night included 6-9 Mikey Frazier (Salt Lake City East); 6-8 Orlando Robinson (Las Vegas Centennial); 6-5 Cameron Krystkowiak (SLC Brighton) and 6-5 Trey Johnson (Idaho Falls Hillcrest).
Frazier, like Carlson, is another late bloomer who already has improved quite a bit since I last watched him earlier in the summer for the Exum Elite/Utah Prospects club program.
Robinson is part of a very good, Troy Brown-led team that could challenge Bishop Gorman as the best in Utah this season while Johnson, a hard-nosed swingman, is one of the best in Utah regardless of class.
Krystkowiak is the son of University of Utah Coach Larry Krystkowiak, who was in attendance while also watching his other son, 6-2 sophomore Luc Krystkowiak.
Isaac Johnson was far from the only sophomore (Class of 2019) to turn a top-flight effort Friday night.
Six-one Rylan Jones (who recently transferred to SLC Olympus when his father, Chris Jones, moved from the coaching staff at Utah State to the University of Utah), was easily the best passer in the building Friday night and is one of the very best of an exceptional group of 2019 PGs in the West.
Three other sophomore guards who scored very effectively Friday night were 6-0 Nate Hansen (Provo Timpview); 6-2 Sedrick Hammond (Las Vegas Clark) and 6-3 Nick Blake (Las Vegas Durango).
And Bernardo DaSilva is a name to remember from the Class of 2019, as well.
The 6-7 DaSilva was impressive in both of his games Friday night as a rebounder and low-post scorer. He’s from Brazil and recently enrolled at Wasatch Academy.
Action was scheduled to resume at the event at 8 o’clock Saturday morning.
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