Ilija Kovacevic–The Serbian 3-point ace has been a revelation with his outside shooting ability and poised play. His ability to reel off points at a rapid pace and hit 3-pointers in succession has led to multiple 20+ point performances from the Class of 2020 prospect, who was sidelined for a significant percentage of last season at Broadfoarding Christian Academy (MD).
The 6-foot-1 off guard has been making up for lost time this fall. He’s connected on 12-of-13 from the free throw line during a recent stretch, including 9-for-10 during a 24-point performance during a 103-82 win over KEBA Prep.
Beyond spreading the floor out with range and hitting timely shots, Kovacevic is a run-sparker with his deft touch. He’s able to knock down shots through amplified close-outs and handle the type of pressure and face-guarding that will surely greet him at the collegiate level. Working at the skill components of his game and devoting time to the around the clock player development has accelerated his bounce back.
Angelo Santiago–The 6-foot-5 guard/forward out of Peekskill, N.Y. has exemplified versatility on both sides of the floor. With his football player-build and left-handed stroke, he’s able to either bully his way to the rim or score via the deep jumper. He’s improved in the skill compartments, putting the ball on the deck and creating his shot more. With his physicality and ability to overpower rim protectors with his strength, he’s got the tools to be an imposing threat at this level.
Santiago recently scored 20 points to lead a balanced Prep White offense in a win over Our Savior Lutheran (NY)’s post-graduate team. The sheer hustle and aggression Santiago plays with is an attribute that makes him attractive to college coaches. Many incoming freshmen struggle with the adjustment to the strength and physicality required at the collegiate level. Santiago’s build and innate strength with transition instantly at the ensuing level of play.
Cameron Wilson–The 6-foot-1 guard scored 16 points in the aforementioned win over Our Savior Lutheran, as his adeptness at attacking and getting to the rim registered its presence. With his ability to control the tempo and handle the changing of speeds, Wilson has the scholarship-worthy potential to be a sleeper recruit.
Getting to the rim, drawing fouls and manufacturing points in a variety of ways, he’s been a consistent double digit scorer for Prep White. With his energy on the defensive side and the fact that he rarely turns it over, he’s become a reliable piece at either backcourt position. With the increase in numbers at Scotland Campus this season, there are a bevy of sleepers who would be steals at the Division-II level. These same players, given a late-season surge, could potentially find their way to a MEAC school or an NEC school or do a year at a competitive Division-I JUCO and continue to ascend the ladder.
WIlson falls into the same category as a lot of these post-graduate sleepers. With his work ethic, handle, and all around scoring, he’s got the attributes to be a diamond in the rough caliber recruit. In knifing to the rim, drawing fouls and manufacturing points in a variety of ways, Wilson has been a consistent double digit scorer.
Khayden Stewart--The 6-foot Class of 2020 guard emerged from obscurity with his emergence as a shot-maker and lockdown defender last season. His stout on-ball aptitude hit its apex when Scotland Campus HS defeated Wilson Prep en route to the program’s first ever USA Prep National Championship in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
It was this performance that certified Khayden as a confrontational defender who can routinely neutralize scoring threats. This season, as a battle tested post grad, Stewart has evolved into more of an all around scorer who utilizes his vaunted first step and sneaky bounce. He recently scored 24 points during a 103-82 win over KEBA Prep, a portent of his growing confidence as a go-to option with a diversified scoring arsenal.
Brenden Kelly–The gritty and quick 5-foot-9 guard from New Jersey plays with a mental moxie. He’s been adept at not only scoring the ball with his outside touch and quick release, but fending off defenders in traffic and finishing around the rim in crafty style. With his IQ and fearless style, Kelly has the game that aligns with the disciplined souped up attack Scotland Campus head coach Chris Chaney traditionally known to enforce.
Kelly knows how to get guys going and make the right reads, shouldering experience as a 10 PPG scorer who doled out 7 assists per game during his stay at Elizabeth High School (NJ). His IQ and awareness along with the fact that he tends to win the plus/minus any time he is on the floor is a compartment of his game that gets overlooked.
Look for the Jersey-bred guard to continue to align the wheels of an up-tempo offense and score it with his deft outside shot and ability to permeate the driving lanes off the dribble.
Stanley Poliniere–The sheer toughness and two-way presence the French guard provides is what made him appealing to former NBA veteran Lindsey Hunter, now the head coach at Mississippi Valley State University. The program recently offered Poliniere, a cerebral point guard who knows how to operate in the drive and kick game.
Poliniere is a hard-driving guard who attacks at will and also sets a loud tone as an on-ball pest. The 6-foot point guard scored 21 points in the aforementioned win over KEBA Prep and added 18 in a recent victory over Our Savior Lutheran (NY) Post graduate, avenging a loss from last year. Poliniere has improved with his ambidextrous finishing ability and is making both the mid-range game and an evolving deep jumper reliable components of his game.
