Thoughts On Day 4 of the 2022 Portsmouth Invitational
April 18th, 2022
By Alan Lu
Today, I took the time to watch all four of the games that were played on Day 4 of the 2022 Portsmouth Invitational that took place on April 16th, with thanks to PrepSpin+. Here, I will write my thoughts on all four of the games that took place in reverse order of how the games were played on this day, starting from the most interesting game, the championship game that took place between Sales Systems, Ltd. and Roger Brown’s Restaurant, to the least interesting game on Day 4, which was the morning game between Jani-King and the Portsmouth Sports Club that resulted in a blowout in which few players shot the ball well in that game. Here are my thoughts on the four games that took place that day.
Thoughts on the 2022 PIT Championship Game Between Sales Systems, Ltd.-Roger Brown’s Restaurant:
I took the time to watch the championship game that took place on Day 4 of the 2022 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament on April 16th. It was a hard-fought, competitive game that took place between Sales Systems, Ltd. and Roger Brown’s Restaurant, but Sales Systems, Ltd. was able to get the win and the championship on this day.
Michael Devoe played very well, and Michael Flowers had a tremendous second half to propel Sales Systems, Ltd. to get the win. Sales Systems, Ltd. had strong performances from other players as well, and Tyrese Martin was terrific for Roger Brown’s Restaurant for the other team. Here are my thoughts on how Devoe, Flowers, and other top performers fared in this game.
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(Photo: Jonathon Gruenke/Daily Press)
Michael Devoe had a strong, all-around showing to help get Sales Systems. Ltd. the championship game win. He also shot the ball very well from beyond the arc, and he did basically everything well to help his team get the victory. Devoe shot the ball very well, especially from beyond the arc. He showed a knack for making threes, as he was able to make a couple of open, spot-up threes, and he also made a pull-up three later on. He showed a knack for making corner threes in this game.
He also did a great job of scoring off the dribble. He would score on crafty layups around the basket, and he has good patience, balance, and body control to regularly score at the rim. He also was able to finish plays using either hand, and he also would draw fouls upon his defenders to get to the free throw line. Also, he did a good job of scoring on fast breaks. On the downside, he struggled to knock down mid-range jumpers off the dribble, but Devoe thrived elsewhere in shooting and scoring the basketball.
Also, Devoe showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. He generally made good passes off the dribble to rack up assists, and he also was able to quickly find a cutter to nearly get another. However, sometimes he would throw inaccurate passes that would result in turnovers.
Devoe also did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. Plus, he also played very good defense. He would often get his hands on passes to get steals for his team, and he also would contest jumpers to force misses. Overall, Michael Devoe played very well at Portsmouth, and he also was able to eventually find his three-point shot from beyond the arc on the final day. He especially excelled as a scorer, shot-maker, and playmaker in all three games, and he is a versatile, skilled guard that could be a solid pick for an NBA team in the 2022 draft.
Michael Flowers also played very well, and he had a tremendous showing in the second half to lead his team to get a double-digit win over Roger Brown’s Restaurant. Flowers shot the ball especially well, especially from beyond the arc. He showed a knack for making open, spot-up threes off the catch. He also showed that he can knock down mid-range jumpers both off the catch and dribble. Flowers also managed to score on a fadeaway jumper from the post. He also drove hard to the hoop to draw free throws on a fall-away layup another time.
He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. He threw crisp, accurate interior passes to set up scores for his teammates. Flowers also did not turn the ball over once on offense. He also was able to get several defensive boards to chip in on the glass. He also defended fairly well, and he would get his hands on passes to help his team get steals.
Overall, Michael Flowers played very well, and he did a terrific job of shooting and scoring the basketball in the second half. He helped himself by having a strong showing at Portsmouth overall, and he could project well into a backup point guard role in the NBA.
Tyrese Martin had a strong showing for Roger Brown’s Restaurant in this game. He is an athletic, energetic swingman that thrived at making hustle plays to help his team on both ends of the floor. Martin thrived at scoring on hustle plays. He showed a knack for scoring on fast breaks and put backs, and he would often score on powerful dunks in transition. He also did a very good job of scoring in the post, and he was able to score on a couple of turnaround, fadeaway jumpers. He also was able to make a fadeaway, mid-range jumper while getting fouled. He also made an open three, but he seemed to be much better at scoring inside the arc in this game.
He looked to be fairly average as a playmaker in this game. Martin played unselfishly, and he would look to find the open man, but sometimes he would throw hasty passes that would get intercepted. Also, Martin did a terrific job of rebounding the basketball. He also defended well. He was able to intercept a pass to get a steal, and he also blocked a mid-range jumper to himself.
Overall, Tyrese Martin had a strong showing, as he was able to make some very athletic plays to help his team on both sides of the ball. He’ll need to be a more consistent shooter from beyond the arc, but he is a strong, athletic swingman that could project well into a 3 and D role in the NBA.
Alonzo Verge Jr. also played well to help Sales Systems, Ltd. win the championship game over Roger Brown’s Restaurant. He is a speedy guard that would attack the hoop to score and get assists, and he also defended well. He did a great job of scoring off the dribble. He would score on speedy drives to the hoop, and he is a shifty guard that has good balance, speed, and body control to regularly finish plays at the rim. Verge would use hesitation moves and change of pace dribbles to get past his man, and he also was able to score on an acrobatic, switch of hands layup.
Verge also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. He showed that he can make good passes off the dribble, and he especially thrived at making passes in transition to rack up assists. He also managed to make a no-look, behind-the-back pass off the dribble to set up a score for a mid-range shooter due to possessing good court vision. On the downside though, sometimes he would be reckless when handling the ball when pressured, as he ended up committing a couple of ball-handling turnovers.
Also, Verge did a great job of rebounding the basketball. He also defended well. He was able to get his hands on passes to get steals. On the other hand, there was one paly where he struggled to stay in front of an opposing ball handler on a drive, which led him to commit the foul that time.
Overall, Verge played well at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, and he showed that he can clearly run the point well in games. He will still need to show that he can comfortably knock down threes, but his size, athleticism, and his much-improved ability to run the point could enable him to make it to the NBA.
Gaige Prim also played well for Sales Systems, Ltd. in this game. He especially thrived as an interior player when he was on the court. He did a satisfactory job of scoring in the paint. He would get deep position to score in the post, and he also would score on rolls and on fast breaks. Prim also was able to make an open, mid-range jumper. However, sometimes he would set up from a bit too far away when posting up, and he ended up missing several jump hooks in this game.
Also, he was very turnover prone on offense. He would tend to be called for traveling violations, as he struggled with his footwork when looking to score in the post. Other times, he would throw bad passes, which would get intercepted by his defenders.
Prim also did a great job of rebounding the basketball. He also defended well. He would block shots due to possessing good timing, as well as decent length and mobility. He also would rotate to contest shots in the paint, and he can hold position when defending in the post to force misses.
Overall, Prim played very well in this game, and he had a solid tournament overall. He will still need to expand upon his game offensively and show that he can guard upper-echelon opponents on a consistent basis, but Prim is a strong, mobile big man that could project into a backup center role in the NBA.
Ryan Turell had a solid showing to help Sales Systems, Ltd. get the win in this game. He especially thrived at shooting and scoring the basketball. He was able to make a pair of open threes, and he also was able to use dribble moves to score on tough, mid-range jumpers off the dribble. Turell is a sharpshooter that can make spot-up threes, and he also is a crafty player that showed that he can knock down use dribble moves and contort his body to knock down tough mid-range jumpers. Plus, he also was able to draw free throws on a no-look, flip layup after driving hard to the hoop once.
He also showcased fairly average playmaking skills. He showed that he can make an assortment of passes, as he can make passes off the dribble, and he also threw an accurate lob pass to set up a scoring chance for a teammate on a roll. However, sometimes he can struggle to handle the ball when pressured, which would lead him to commit ball-handling turnovers.
Turell was able to get his fair share of boards, and he was able to push the ball up the floor off of a defensive board once. He also played fairly good defense. He would contest shots to force misses. On the other hand, there was one play where he got outmuscled on a drive to allow a score that time.
Overall, Ryan Turell had a good tournament overall, and after struggling in the first game, and he played very well in his next two games, as he was able to adjust to the longer three-point line, and he thrived as a sharpshooter and playmaker from there on out. He also tended to make sound hustle plays to help his team on both ends of the court. He played very well at Portsmouth, and he could project well into a shooting specialist role in the NBA.
Grant Golden also had a solid showing in this game. He showed off versatile scoring skills, and he thrived as a shooter and scorer in this game. He was able to make a pair of open threes, and he was able to make one off a pick and pop play. Golden also managed to knock down a mid-range jumper. He also thrived at scoring on fast breaks, and he also scored on a reverse layup, as well as on a give and go another time. However, he struggled to score in the post in this game.
He also showcased adequate playmaking skills. He is an unselfish player that would make drive and kick passes to open shooters to get assists. Sometimes though, he would rush his passes, which would end up getting intercepted. Other times, he would rush his moves, which would lead him to commit ball-handling turnovers.
He also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball. Golden did a very good job of pushing the ball quickly up the court off of defensive boards. He also defended fairly well. He was able to jump a pass to get a steal, and he also contested a mid-range jumper to force a miss.
Overall, Grant Golden had a solid showing at this tournament. He is a smart, skilled big man that showed off a variety of skills, and he is an underrated prospect that may have what it takes to make it to the NBA.
Silvio De Sousa also played well for Roger Brown’s Restaurant in this game. Although he struggled in the first two games, he saved his best performance for the last game of this event. De Sousa thrived at scoring in the paint. He especially showed a knack for scoring on rolls to the rim, and he would score on powerful dunks. He also ran in to score on a powerful tip slam. He also was able to score on a strong move in the post. He also drew free throws after driving hard to the hoop another time. He also took a face-up, mid-range jumper from the baseline, but missed on that occasion.
He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. De Sousa was able to find a cutter from the post to notch an assist. He also was able to get his fair share of boards, and he was especially active at crashing the offensive glass to get offensive rebounds. He also played adequate defense. He was able to get his hands on passes to get steals and deflections. Sometimes though, he would be too aggressive to make plays, which would lead him to pick up fouls.
Overall, De Sousa is an athletic, strong big man that thrived at making plays in the post to help his team in this game. He will need to extend his shooting range and improve his jump shot and he will need to be a more disciplined defender in games, but he is an intriguing prospect that could make his way to the NBA if he can put his skills altogether.
Jeriah Horne had a very good first two games of this tournament, and he had a decent showing in his third game at this event despite not shooting well overall in this game. Horne has thrived as a sharpshooter at this tournament overall, and he showed that he can knock down threes both off the catch and dribble. He also was able to make one from way out to show his range. He also was able to outmuscle an opponent to score on a strong drive, but Horne had some trouble knocking down shots off the dribble or spot-up threes on a consistent basis.
In this game, Horne showed off good playmaking skills. He passed the ball very well, as he would throw crisp, accurate interior passes, and he excelled as a paser from the post. On the downside, he threw an inaccurate pass that sailed out of bounds once.
Also, Horne was able to get a few rebounds to help chip in on the glass. He also played satisfactory defense, and he was able to poke a ball away to get a steal once. Overall, Horne had his ups and downs, but he passed the ball very well in this game, so that was worth noting in this contest. He had a strong tournament overall, and he is a talented prospect that could project well into a 3 and D role in the NBA.
Thoughts on the Norfolk Sports Club-Mike Duman Auto Sales Game:
I also took the time to watch the third game on Day 4 of the 2022 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. It was not a particularly close game at all, and the Norfolk Sports Club ran away to get a blowout win on this day. Keve Aluma and Ryan Hawkins looked to be the best performers of this game, and they were the standout performers that dominated throughout this match. Also, there were other players that also played well in this contest. Here are my thoughts on the top performers of this game.
(Source: Twitter/@PIT_Basketball)
Keve Aluma had a strong showing to help lead the Norfolk Sports Club to get the win over Mike Duman Auto Sales. He had a terrific all-around game, and he especially thrived as a shooter and scorer when he was on the floor.
Aluma showed a knack for scoring the basketball. He did a very good job of scoring off the dribble, and he showed good footwork, strength, and shooting touch to regularly score and draw free throws to help his team put up points on the board. He also thrived at scoring on hustle plays. He showed a knack for scoring on cuts and rolls to the rim, and he would smartly catch napping defenders and run hard to the rim to get the ball in order to score around the basket.
Plus, he also shot the ball very well. Aluma showed a knack for making open, spot-up threes off the catch. He also managed to move off the ball to make one, as he showed that he also can shoot on the move to knock down his outside shots on offense. He also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball. Also, Aluma defended well. He was able to deflect a pass to nearly get a steal. He contested a mid-range shot to force a miss. He also successfully drew a charge to prevent an opponent from scoring on the break.
In general, Keve Aluma was dominant in his team’s win over Mike Duman Auto Sales. He was especially terrific at shooting and scoring the basketball, and he is an agile, skilled big man that has shown a much-improved outside shot. He played very well in Portsmouth, and he could be a sleeper pick for an NBA team in the second round of the 2022 draft.
Ryan Hawkins also played very well to help lead the Norfolk Sports Club to get the win over Mike Duman Auto Sales. He especially thrived as a sharpshooter and scorer in this game. He did a very good job of knocking down open, spot-up threes off the catch, and he also moved off the ball to make one off of a pick-and-pop play from way out. Hawkins also thrived as a scorer in the post. He was able to score on a strong move from the post while drawing an extra free throw. He also managed to score on a fast break, but sometimes he would struggle to score in traffic when looking to score around the basket.
Also, Hawkins was able to make an assortment of passes off the dribble to notch assists. However, sometimes he can be careless on offense, which can lead him to commit turnovers. He also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball.
Overall, Hawkins is a skilled forward that can shoot and score the basketball, and his ability to knock down outside shots could help him make it to the NBA. He’s not overwhelming athletic nor has elite ball-handling skills, but his strong shooting skills could enable him to project well into a shooting specialist role in the association.
Jared Rhoden also played well to help the Norfolk Sports Club get the win in this game. He did a very good job of shooting and scoring the basketball in the limited amount of shots he took, and he played very well on both ends of the floor.
Rhoden shot the ball very well, especially from the mid-range. He would utilize crafty pump fakes to score on mid-range jumpers, and he also moved off the ball to make an open three off the catch. Plus, he also used a crossover to score swiftly on a right-handed drive to the basket.
He also threw good interior passes to roll men to set up scoring chances for them. Rhoden also rebounded the ball very well. He also defended very well in this game. He would poke balls away to get steals, and he also blocked a long two to get a stop for his team. He also contested a three another time to force a miss.
Overall, Jared Rhoden had a strong tournament showing overall in Portsmouth, and he has definitely helped his draft stock this year. He will still need to show that he can consistently knock down three-point shots in games, but he is an athletic, skilled swingman that could project well into a 3 and D role in the NBA.
Trevor Hudgins also played well to help the Norfolk Sports Club get the win in this game. Hudgins shot the ball well, and he would knock down threes smoothly off the dribble. He tended to favor going to his left, and he also was able to score on a strong, left-handed drive to the hoop. He didn’t take many shots, but he was efficient in making them in this match.
Also, Hudgins passed the ball very well. He did a great job of making passes off the dribble and in transition due to possessing solid court vision. On the other hand, there was one play where he tried to drive to the hoop, but was called for a traveling violation instead. Hudgins also defended well. He was able to get numerous steals, and he also contested a three to force a miss.
Overall, Trevor Hudgins had a good showing overall in Portsmouth, and he is an agile, skilled playmaker that generally took smart shots and made sound decisions with the ball in his hands on offense. Despite not possessing elite athletic gifts, he never looked to be sped up or out of his element, and he seemed to be in control of the tempo in the games he played at this tournament. He played well overall, and he could project well into a backup point guard role in the NBA.
Alex Morales seemed to have played the best for Mike Duman Auto Sales in their lopsided loss to the Norfolk Sports Club on this day. He thrived at attacking the hoop to score the basketball. He did an excellent job of scoring in the post, as he would score on turnaround jumpers, and he also managed to score on a roll to the rim.
He also showed a knack for scoring on pull-up, mid-range jumpers. He also did a satisfactory job of scoring off the dribble, and he was able to score on strong, right-handed drives to the hoop. He only took one three-point shot in this game and missed. He would’ve made a movement corner three, but it didn’t count because the ball was still in his hands when the shot clock had expired, which led to a shot clock violation.
Morales also displayed adequate playmaking skills. He is an unselfish player that will make the extra pass to keep the ball moving. On the downside, he also threw an inaccurate pass that ended up getting dropped out of bounds, which led to a turnover that time. He also defended fairly well. Morales managed to block a shot off of a put back. However, he also was called for pushing off when he was on defense to commit a foul that time.
Overall, Alex Morales played well in this game, and he especially excelled as a low post scorer and mid-range shooter on offense. He will need to adjust to the longer three-point line and show that he can guard upper-echelon opponents at higher levels, but Morales is an agile, skilled swingman that could end up competing for a roster spot in the NBA.
Jamaree Bouyea also played fairly well for Mike Duman Auto Sales in this game. He didn’t take many shots, but he showed off versatile scoring skills in this game. He made an open corner three, and he also made a smooth, step-back, mid-range jumper. He played unselfishly and he rebounded the ball very well. He also blocked a three-point shot emphatically to force a shot clock violation.
Overall, he took a backseat to his teammates in this game, and he probably shouldn’t have, but he showed that he can be an unselfish, pass-first point guard, and he is an athletic, skilled point guard that could project well into a backup point guard role in the NBA.
Thoughts on the K&D Rounds Landscaping-Portsmouth Partnership Game:
There were also quite a few standout performances in the second game on Day 4 of the 2022 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. Here are my thoughts on how the top performers fared in this game.
(Source: Twitter/@PIT_Basketball)
Garrison Brooks turned in a dominant showing to help lead K&D Rounds Landscaping to get the win over Portsmouth Partnership. He especially thrived as an inside scorer, and he played very well on both ends of the floor to help his team get the victory.
He did a great job of scoring in the post. Brooks showed a knack for using ball fakes to score on turnaround jumpers and jump hooks. He would often get deep position, and he would usually score down low or draw fouls to get to the free throw line. He also managed to use a drop step move to throw down a powerful dunk on the block.
Plus, Brooks also thrived at scoring on hustle plays. He would often run the floor to score on fast breaks, and he was able to score on a couple of powerful dunks. He also managed to score on a strong put back while getting an extra free throw afterwards. Plus, he also made an open mid-range jumper to show his shooting skills. He also attempted a couple of threes, but missed both of them from beyond the arc.
Also, Brooks showed off satisfactory playmaking skills. He threw good interior passes to notch assists, and he is an unselfish player that will look to find the open man. On another play though, he threw a hasty pass that got intercepted once. Also, Brooks did a good job of rebounding the basketball. He also played adequate defense in this game. He blocked a shot off of a drive to a teammate. He also contested a three to force a miss. However, sometimes he would sag too far off of shooters, which would lead him to give up baskets to them.
Overall, Garrison Brooks is a strong, mobile big man that has shown improved face-up skills, and he played very well at Portsmouth this year. He’s shown a much-improved outside shot, and he was reliable as a scorer in all three games, and he could be a sleeper pick for an NBA team in the second round on draft day.
Devante’ Jones also played very well for the Portsmouth Partnership in their team’s loss to K&D Rounds Landscaping. Though he didn’t shoot the three ball well, he did virtually everything else well in this game. Jones showed a knack for attacking the hoop to score the basketball. He would tend to score off of offensive rebounds and on strong drives to the basket. He also was able to make a smooth, pull-up three, but he struggled to consistently knock down his outside shots. While he did a satisfactory job of scoring off the dribble, sometimes he would rush his shots, which would lead to some misses.
He also showed solid playmaking skills. He generally did a good job of throwing interior passes to rack up assists in this game. On one play though, he was called for traveling when driving to the hoop due to taking one too many steps that time. Jones also did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. He also played decent defense. He was able to hold his ground when defending in the post to force a miss. He also would apply heavy ball pressure and he was able to get a couple of steals. On the downside, he also committed a foul in the post when defending a bigger player another time.
Overall, Devante’ Jones had a strong tournament showing overall. He especially thrived as a scorer and defender, and he also did a good job of running the team at the point. While he would sometimes struggle with his outside shot, he has shown an improved ability to knock down jumpers in games. His draft stock will likely go up, and he could project well into a backup point guard role in the NBA.
Savion Flagg had a solid showing for Portsmouth Partnership in this game. He did a good job of scoring in the paint, and he also did a terrific job of rebounding the basketball. He excelled at scoring in the post, and he thrived at scoring on fadeaway jumpers from the baseline. He also would run in to score on tip-ins, and he was able to throw down an athletic tip slam. Flagg also did a good job of making pull-up, mid-range jumpers. He was able to make an open three, but he struggled to make three-pointers consistently from beyond the arc.
Also, he showed off solid playmaking skills. Flagg would tend to throw accurate passes to notch assists due to possessing solid court vision. However, he also threw a pass from the post that got intercepted once. Flagg did a tremendous job of rebounding the basketball. He also defended fairly well, and he was able to block a three-point shot in this game.
Overall, Savion Flagg played well, and he did a good job of scoring and rebounding the basketball in the paint. He had a fairly solid tournament overall. He will need to improve his outside shot, but he is an athletic, energetic combo forward that could project into a 3 and D role in the NBA someday.
Charlie Moore also played well for K&D Rounds Landscaping to help them get the win in this game. He nearly was able to get a triple-double, and he especially thrived as a passer and rebounder when he was on the court. He did a very good job of attacking the hoop to score the basketball. Moore is an athletic point guard that would score on strong drives to the basket, and he has good speed, balance, and body control to regularly finish plays at the rim. He also excelled at scoring in transition. While he was able to make a pull-up, mid-range jumper from the baseline, Moore had trouble knocking down outside shots in this contest.
He also showcased good playmaking skills. He is a quick guard that was able to make an assortment of passes off the dribble and in transition to rack up assists in this game. On the downside, sometimes he would struggle to handle the ball when he would get swarmed and face heavy ball pressure, which led him to commit a couple of ball-handling turnovers.
Moore did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. He also played satisfactory defense, and he was able to poke a ball away to get a steal. Overall, Moore had a good tournament showing overall, and he is an athletic, skilled point guard that could project well into a backup point guard role in the NBA.
Terrell Brown Jr. also played well for K&D Rounds Landscaping to help them get the win in this game. He thrived at making plays on both ends of the floor to help get his team the victory. Brown took a lot of shots, but he was at his best when he wold attack the hoop to score the basketball. He showed a knack for scoring off of offensive rebounds and on fast breaks. He also showed a satisfactory ability to score off the dribble, and he has good speed and ball-handling skills that would enable him to do so. Brown did a good job of knocking down mid-range jumpers. However, he missed both of his threes, and he would sometimes try to force up shots in traffic, which would lead to some misses.
He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. Brown thrived at passing the ball to teammates on the break to set up scores for them, and he would throw crisp, accurate interior passes to create additional scoring chances for them. However, sometimes he would throw hasty passes that would get intercepted, and he had a ball stolen away from him to commit a turnover another time.
Brown did a very good job of rebounding and defending in this game. He also was able to intercept a pass to get a steal, poked a ball away to nearly get another, and he also contested a three to force a miss. Overall, Brown is an agile, skilled playmaker that played well at the 2022 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. He will need to improve his three-point shot, but he is a skilled point guard that may have what it takes to make it to the NBA.
Brandon Horvath also had a decent showing to help lead K&D Rounds Landscaping to get the win over Portsmouth Partnership. He thoroughly excelled as an inside scorer in this game. He thrived at scoring on hustle plays as well as in the post. However, he struggled to knock down three-pointers from beyond the arc. He didn’t seem to pass or rebound the ball very well. He defended well, and he was able to intercept a couple of passes to get steals. Overall, Horvath is an energetic big man that played with great energy and seems to have a fairly solid feel for the game, and he could end up competing for a roster spot in the NBA someday.
Thoughts on the Jani-King-Portsmouth Sports Club game:
The first game was between Jani-King and the Portsmouth Sports Club. It was a one-sided affair in which Jani-King ran away with the victory, but there were several solid performances in this game. Payton Willis shot the ball very well, and had a strong all-around showing, and Quentin Jackson really thrived as a defender in the first half, and as a scorer in the second half. Here are my thoughts on how Jackson, Willis, and other various prospects fared in this game.
Quenton Jackson played very well to help lead Jani-King to get the win in this game. He is a very athletic combo guard that played well on both sides of the ball, and he especially thrived as a scorer in the second half of this contest.
Jackson showed a solid ability to score off the dribble. He has a good first step, and he can split double teams to score on floaters and finger roll layups. On the downside, sometimes he would miss on tough shots in traffic. On the plus side, he did a much better job of scoring in traffic late in this match, and he would absorb the contact to draw fouls upon his defenders. Plus, he also managed to score on a backdoor cut. Jackson also flashed the ability to knock down outside shots in this game. He was able to make an open, spot-up three, as well as a pull-up mid-range jumper. On the downside, he didn’t take enough threes, and he also struggled to consistently knock down mid-range shots.
He looked to be perhaps above average as a playmaker. Jackson is an unselfish player that will make the extra pass to find the open man, and he also managed to pass off the dribble to find a cutter to notch an assist. On the downside, sometimes he would over-dribble, which would lead to ball-handling turnovers, and he also threw a pass that was dropped out of bounds another time.
Also, Jackson showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball. He also played terrific defense in this game. Jackson would intercept passes to get steals, and he also poked balls away to get steals and deflections. Adding to that, he would fly in to block a number of shots emphatically to help his team protect the paint.
Overall, Quenton Jackson had a strong showing to help lead his team to get the victory, and he had a solid tournament showing overall. He is a very athletic, versatile combo guard that showed off a variety of skills at Portsmouth, and he could be a sleeper pick in the second round on draft day.
Payton Willis had a strong showing to help lead Jani-King to get the win in this game. He had a strong all-around performance, and he especially thrived as a shooter, scorer, and rebounder in this match.
Willis did a great job of shooting and scoring the basketball. He did a terrific job of making threes, as he was able to do so off the catch and dribble, and he has a lot of range on his shot. He also thrived at scoring on fast breaks, and he also drove up court to score on a breakaway dunk. On the downside, he struggled to knock down mid-range jumpers.
He also passed and handled the ball well. He would make drive and kick passes to set up scoring chances for his teammates. On the downside, he also dropped a catchable pass in the corner that went out of hands that led his team to commit a turnover.
Also, Willis did a great job of rebounding the basketball. He also defended fairly well, and he was able to get a steal and a block in this game. Overall, Willis is an agile, skilled playmaker that shoots the ball well, and he had a terrific showing in the final day of this tournament. His ability to make shots and run the team at the point could enable him to project well into a backup point guard role in the NBA.
Jimmy Boeheim played fairly well to help Jani-King get the win in this game. He showed off a variety of scoring skills, and he also showcased a fairly solid set of all-around skills. He did a decent job of making threes, and he showed good footwork to make a smooth, step-back three once. He also would score on strong, right-handed drives to the hoop. He also managed to score off of a cut and in transition.
He also threw solid interior passes to notch assists. Sometimes though, he would throw inaccurate passes that would go astray that would lead to turnovers. He also rebounded and defended well. He was able to intercept a pass to get a steal, and he also blocked a shot another time. He also contested a three to force a miss. Another time though, he struggled to defend a drive in transition, which led him to commit a foul and allow a score that time.
Overall, Boeheim is an agile, skilled combo forward that showed a variety of skills at this tournament. He will still need to get fully adjusted to the longer three-point line, but he looked to be more comfortable in knocking down threes on the final day of this event, and he could project into a 3 and D role in the NBA.
Nate Watson had a solid showing for Jani-King to help them get the win. He primarily thrived as a scorer in the paint on offense. He did a good job of scoring in the post. He would score on strong dunks, and he also managed to score on a fadeaway jump hook. Plus, he also would score on rolls to the rim.
However, he had some trouble handling the ball on rolls to the rim, as he would get it poked away from him to commit turnovers. He also didn’t grab many rebounds in this game. Overall though, Watson is a strong, athletic center that thrived as a low post scorer at this tournament, and he could project into a backup center role in the NBA.
Paul Atkinson Jr. played very well on both ends of the floor to help Jani-King get the win. He primarily thrived as an inside scorer and as a defender in this game. He thrived at scoring on hustle plays. He excelled at scoring on rolls to the rim, and he also drew free throws on a tip-in. He also used a spin move to score on a turnaround, jump hook in the post to show his low post scoring skills. He didn’t take many shots, and he also was called for a charging foul on the break once.
Also, he did a decent job of rebounding the basketball. Atkinson defended well, and he would actively contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force misses. Overall, he had a solid showing in this game, and he is a mobile, energetic big man that could compete for a roster spot in the NBA next season.
John Fulkerson played fairly well in his team’s loss to Jani-King. He primarily thrived as a scorer in the post. He has good strength, footwork, and shooting touch to score often down low. He was able to score on a strong, fadeaway jumper, and he also scored on an up and under, step-through move from the baseline. He also did a good job of scoring on turnaround jumpers, and he also used a spin move to score on a strong, drop step move.
He also threw down a dunk off of a roll, and he also passed off of a roll to get an assist. He wasn’t quite as impact on the boards or defensively, but Fulkerson is a mobile, energetic big man that can score in the post, and he could compete for a roster spot in the NBA next season.
(Source: Twitter/@PIT_Basketball)
Also, congrats to Georgia Tech’s senior guard, Michael Devoe for winning the 2022 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament MVP, and to those that made the All-Portsmouth Tournament Team that was announced by the PIT committee.
In conclusion, I had fun watching these games, and I watched all 12 of the games online that showed the 2022 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. For those of you that were expecting this post yesterday, I apologize in advance. Watching four games is a lot of basketball games to watch, especially over the weekend. In the next post, I will make my own picks for who I would pick for the All-Portsmouth teams, and for who would be my pick to be the MVP of this event. In the meantime, the NBA playoffs have been going on, and it has been exciting to see which teams will win in the first round and advance in the postseason. Thanks for reading.
