My Favorite Prospects from The Battle
Featuring Angel Montas, Mikey Williams, Treymane Parker, Marvel Allen, Mike Price, Isaiah Elohim, Hansel Emmanuel Donato, Kijani Wright, and more!
Over the weekend, Peacock and NBC Sports aired “The Battle,” a two-day event featuring some of the best basketball propsects at the prep level. Though highly touted names such as Amari Bailey and Bronny James ended up sidelined and didn’t play, there were still a lot of great players in action. I was able to catch all three games on the second day, and I wanted to shine a light on a handful of players that stood out to me.
Angel Montas, Life Christian Academy, 6’5”, Class of 2022.
Angel Montas put on an absolute show against Vertical Academy, scoring 51 points. He’s got a great build, especially for his age, which should allow him to cover multiple positions. Montas is a good attacker who has strength, but also a deep bag of dribble moves that help him get to his spots. He rebounds and passes really well for his height. His willingness to embrace physicality allows him to get to the free throw line consistently. The outside shot looks nice, too. I also love that he played until the final buzzer, even after his team was out of the game. There’s no quit in him, and his motor never stops running. He’s a guy you want on your team, period. The intangibles stood out, but he’s also a skilled player who exemplifies the way the game has evolved.
Hansel Emmanuel Donato, Life Christian Academy, 6'5”, Class of 2022.
The first thing you’ll notice with Hansel Emmanuel Donato is a rather crude observation, and it’s partially why clips of him have gone viral; Donato only has one full arm, as he lost a sizeable portion of his other arm at age 6. Despite this setback, Donato is a legitimate Division One basketball prospect, and he already has a scholarship offer from Tennessee State. His first step is blinding, and he cooks defenders with dribble moves in isolation. He’s also got great vertical pop, which allows him to elevate for finishes on offense and swat away shots on defense. Donato is unafraid of defenders, and uses that to get to the free throw line. His passing vision is off the charts, and the fact that he only has one full arm is something he leverages to his advantage as a passer, because everything comes out of a live dribble. This makes it exceptionally difficult to read him, and it makes anticipating his passes next to impossible. Defensively, he’s ultra tuned-in, he rotates well to help, and he nabs steals when ballhandlers are inattentive.
Mikey Williams, Vertical Academy, 6’2”, Class of 2023.
Mikey Williams is one of the top recruits in his class, and he has a bright mind for marketing, as he’s already established a large following on social media. He’s not just an influencer, though. I mean, he could just be an influencer if he wanted to, I guess, but he’s also an awesome basketball player. His shooting stroke is silky smooth, and you feel like his shot is always going to fall. He gets to the basket at will, and he has tremendous body control around the cup. He’ll contort his body in unconventional ways or spin in mid air to get uncontested lay ups. Williams is also a real team player, always looking ahead in transition. He understands his gravity and sets up his teammates to get open, then hits them for the easy assist.
Treymane Parker, Vertical Academy, 6’2”, Class of 2023.
Parker is more of an under-the-radar prospect at the moment, but that may not last long. He’s an amazing passer, and he throws some real nasty ones out of live dribbles. His court vision is top notch, and he’s good off the ball too, with the ability to knock down jumpers off the catch. There’s a lot of athleticism here. Parker has phenomenal burst going north-south, and he’s just as likely to finish a lob for a dunk as he is to throw one. Right now, I only see one scholarship offer from him, and it’s from North Carolina A&T. Between his ability to read the game and physical tools, I’ll be stunned if he doesn’t start to catch the eyes of bigger colleges soon.
Khouri Carvey, Vertical Academy, 6’9”, Class of 2022.
Carvey also has a North Carolina A&T offer, according to Phenom Hoop Report. Carvey is going to work out well for someone as a D-1 big. He’s really skilled and plays smart. He hit multiple mid-range shots and appears to have genuine shooting touch. There were also some nice reads from him around the elbow, and he’s a plus passer for a big man.
Gregg Glenn, KT Kings, 6’7”, Class of 2022.
Gregg Glenn recently committed to Michigan. At 6’7”, he’s got a sturdy frame and high-major athleticism. Glenn can put the ball on the floor and attack. He moves really well side-to-side and has some vertical lift, too. He likes contact, and does a nice job of attacking and getting to the free throw line. The best part of his game is his general savvy. Glenn didn’t make any headscratching plays, which is exceedingly rare for such a young player with so much talent. He has a great understanding of himself. I like his creativity, as he’ll find unique ways to finish and find teammates.
Marvel Allen, KT Kings, 6’4”, Class of 2023.
247Sports’ Composite ranking has Allen slotted as the 17th best player in his class, and it’s easy to see why. He has an awesome motor. Allen is a good shooter off the bounce, and he can either finish at the rim or lob floaters over bigs. His shot is beauiful and he can make tough ones. As a result, defenders close out on him hard, and he does a superb job of attacking in those situations. There’s a nice level of shake to him that he utilizes to get where he wants on the court.
Carl Cherenfant, KT Kings, 6’4”, Class of 2023.
Cherenfant puts his fingerprints all over the game. He’s aggressive, he rebounds, he attacks the rim, and he gets to the line. You can go to war with him. On offense, it feels like you will get some sort of positive result every time he touches the ball because of his craft and willingness to confront whatever the defense puts in front of him.
Mike Price, CBC, 6’3”, Class of 2023.
I was absolutely blown away by Mike Price. He’s listed as a combo guard on many recruiting services, but I think that almost does a disservice to his ball skills. Price dribbles with rhythm and has exceptional floor vision. He’s a fantastic passer on the interior when driving. Price can thread needles with the ball, which will make him an ideal pick-and-roll operator at the next level. If you blitz him, he’ll make you pay and find the open man. He’s poised and unthreatened by double teams. His shot is gorgeous, and he can hit off the catch as well as off the bounce.
Kijani Wright, CBC, 6’9”, Class of 2022.
Wright is a USC commit, and it makes sense given his similarities to Evan and Isaiah Mobley. Wright is an intelligent passer, and he makes lightning quick decisions with the ball. It’s hard to find big men who can do what he does. His frame is rock solid, but he still moves like a much smaller player, in a great way. There’s a real level of coordination with Wright as well, and he can adjust to contact as needed.
Isaiah Elohim, CBC, 6’4”, Class of 2024.
It’s hard to believe Isaiah Elohim is as young as he is given his level of sophistication. He’s a fluid ballhandler who can break down defenders off the dribble or make himself small to weave through traffic. Elohim is a fearless attacker and got to the rim with consistency. He’s outstanding around the rim, and he also competes on the glass. Between the talent level and motor, I’m more than confident in him becoming maintaining his five-star status as the years progress.
Tim Rudovskiy, CBC, 6’7”, Class of 2023.
Rudovskiy fits a modern archetype: he’s got height, and he can shoot. The stroke is as pure as you’ll come across, and he contests shots well on defense. Playing at Sierra Canyon this season, his profile should jump in the coming months.
Kailon Nicholls, Rip City, 5’11”, Class of 2023.
I love Nicholls’ game. He’s got wiggle as a dribbler and a wonderful sense of the court. He’s a crafty passer, and when he attacks, he can counter defenders to get to his spots. Nicholls changes pace well and can knife through traffic to score at the rim. His shot looks pretty, to boot.
Navon Shabazz, Rip City, 6’1”, Class of 2026.
You read that right, Class of 2026. He’s an 8th grader, and he was playing in a weekend event with some of the best high school players in the world. Despite that, Shabazz wasn’t intimidated at all. He scored off the bounce, showed an impressive ability to slide his feet defensively, and he already looks like a great shooter.
Jason Jackson, The View, 6’3”, Class of 2023.
Jackson already has a handful of SEC offers. There’s a lot to like here. Jackson is a great athlete who doesn’t just deal with contact, but he can soar through it and finish with a monstrous dunk. He’s an excellent leaper. There were flashes of a really nice jump shot with deep range. Jackson is more than just an athlete, though, displaying real craft around the rim, good passing, and selflessness. He gets his teammates going and seems like a fun guy to play with.
Jamier Jones, The View, 6’5”, Class of 2025.
Jamier Jones didn’t look like a freshman. He possesses preposterous lift, and had the highlight play of the weekend when he finished an off-the-backbaord alley-oop pass from Jason Jackson. His motor doesn’t shut off, and he’s a blur in transition. Jones is a real lob threat. When he has the ball, he does a nice job of using his dribble package and physicality to attack.
Jayden Dudash, The View, 6’5”, Class of 2024.
Jayden Dudash displayed shooting touch and a strong sense of when to cut. My favorite thing about him, though, is how much of a pest he is on the defensive end. Dudash has a nose for the ball and is disruptive. He flies back in transition to try and stop easy buckets. The way he plays just inspires a belief that he’ll keep working to improve. A defensive menace at his size with touch and dribbling should find respectable Division One attention.
If you enjoyed this piece, please consider subscribing to BaumBoards! It costs nothing, and helps the site grow. You can also follow me on Twitter, @Baumboards. Lastly, this is a labor of love that I do for free, but if you feel so inclined, you can send a donation to me on Venmo, @MaxwellBaumbach.