NCAA South Regional Camp: Player Capsules pt.1

This year the NCAA introduced a new concept into the world of grassroots basketball by hosting their own camps for prospects to be evaluated in a live setting across the nation. While that idea has split the hoops community on its effectiveness, it did provide several prospects an extra opportunity to shine in front of coaches in a year that saw only two "normal" Live Period weekends. TexasHoops.com's Lyndon Cook was on the scene for Session 2 of the NCAA South Regional Camp, and reports back with part 1 of his analysis on the standout players he saw.

Kenneth Lofton Jr. - Port Arthur Memorial - 2020

One of the clear winner's from this new evaluation format was PA Memorial forward Kenneth Lofton. Lofton has been steadily reeling in offers since the start of July and it's clear to see why coaches are so enamored with the Port Arthur-based prospect. Lofton has got a patience to his game in the block, taking his time to look off double teams and uses ball fakes very well to make life easier on himself. Lofton's skillset looks like it will help him tremendously with the transition process to the next level, as he has a soft finesse touch in addition to his bulky frame. He was running the floor and knocking down shots from outside all weekend in a highly promising display.

KJ Adams - Austin Westlake - 2021

Adams was the highest-ranked Texas prospect on show during session 2, and it showed in a big way for the Westlake forward. Adams simply outmuscled nearly every defender he faced and scored the ball at a premium efficiency thanks to his ability to finish through contact. Another facet of Adams' game that really stood out was his passing. While his game can sometimes be generalized into that of a power forward with emphasis on the power, Adams was dropping some stylish dimes to teammates this weekend and has excellent vision both from the block and in the open court. While he dropped from 1 to 3 in our last set of rankings, the last month has seen him put himself right back into contention for the top spot in the 2021 class.

Dylen Scales - Humble Summer Creek - 2020

Scales helped himself in a big way this weekend, proving himself as a guard that gets the job done at both ends of the floor. His on-ball defense stood out especially, as he came up with several steals in a 1-on-1 situation in the open floor and turned those into easy buckets for his team. Scales' offensive game was also humming in tune, as he made shots from the outside and showed a feathery touch on his floater. Scales and the rest of Summer Creek's stable of guards (Javon Jackson and Dylan Miles) are going to make them a really fun watch once the HS season gets underway.

Micaiah Abii - Frisco Liberty - 2020

Another big winner from the weekend, Abii was everywhere during the games I took in, leading to offers from Air Force, Grambling State, Lipscomb, UMBC, South Alabama, and Southern in the past few days. Abii couldn't be contained on the glass and was always posting hard to finish near the basket. He also showed off a pure shooting stroke in the mid-range and was able to score off the dribble, leading to a huge uptick in his recruitment. The sense is that this rising tide of offers isn't done yet.

Austin Garner - TC Byron Nelson - 2020

Garner was another prospect to earn some tangible rewards for his efforts over the weekend, picking up offers from Army-West Point and Dallas Baptist in the days following. Garner shoots it with confidence from anywhere around the arc, and showed his versatility by taking it inside to get high percentage looks. He competes on the defensive side of the ball and has a great feel for getting himself into teammates' sight lines for open shots. His size and footwork make him an intriguing prospect for colleges as an off-ball scorer, and it will be interesting to see how the rest of his recruitment unfolds.

*All photos courtesy of the NCAA Digital Media Hub