Palmetto Basketball releases their Elite Eight players for the class of 2013. This is not a ranking but a listing of the top players in the state of South Carolina. The list is through the 2011-2012 season. The list will be updated on March15th following the completition of the 2011-2012 basketball season.
Palmetto
Basketball 2013 Elite Eight |
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Sindarius Thornwell Lancaster High School 6'5 170 |
Thornwell possesses a solid blend of size and athletic ability. A consensus top 100 player by several networks, Thornwell is capable of knocking down the open three pointer or slashing to the rim to finish with power. |
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Davarius McGowen Eastside High School 6'5 220 |
The oversized wing player has developed into a steady ball handler capable of taking guards off the dribble and finishing in the lane. If smaller players attempt to match up with him, McGowen is capable of taking them down low and posting up. Along with his basketball skill, McGowen is demonstrating his ability on the football field this fall as a defensive end as well. |
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Austin Ajukwa Cardinal Newman Academy 6'5 170 |
The long rangy athlete is fantastic in transition using his size and length to finish at the rim over top of defenders. One of the best aspects of Ajukwa's game is to get to the rim and draw contact and get knock down free throws were he is at least an 80 percent shooter. |
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Matt Howard A.C. Flora High School 6'3 170 |
Considered one of the top athletes in the state regardless of class, Howard is capable of taking the ball from the wing and finishing on top of anybody regardless of height. This past summer, Howard had several games of 30 or more points playing for the South Carolina Ravens that helped increase his stock among college coaches. |
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DeVarte Watson Oak Brook Prep 6'7 215
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Maybe the most underrated player in the state for the class of 2013. The skilled forward is fundamentally sound with his post up moves and does a great job of positioning his body for rebounds and on the defensive end of the floor. Watson transferred over to Oak Brook Prep this season from Blue Ridge and is expected to make an immediate impact. |
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Shombe Riley Orangeburg Wilkerson High School 6'5 170 |
Riley possesses a super high motor that allows him to play baseline to baseline with unmatched energy. The 6-foot-5 wing is capable of knocking down an open three pointer or posting up on the interior and using his quickness to get around defenders. |
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D.J. Brooks Hillcrest High School 6'0 165 |
The top point guard in the state for the class of 2013, Brooks possesses an extremely high basketball I.Q. to go along with great quickness. While his offensive ability is what draws attention, Brooks is also a lock down defender that has the length and height to disrupt opposing point guards and create turnovers that lead to easy baskets. |
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Rontavius McClure Northwestern High School 6'7 225
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The 6-foot-7 wing prospect has an excellent blend of size, strength and quickness that few players have. McClure is at his best from 12 feet in but has the ability to step out and knock down the open three pointer but is also dangerous crashing the offensive glass as he looks to catch rebounds and hammer them home on top of unsuspecting defenders. |