The Elite 14 in Wichita Falls, TX featured some of the best high school talent in the region throughout the fast paced showcase on Saturday. Here are a few of the Kansas targets that stood out throughout the day.
If you like fast games that are one after another this was the place to be. Each game is essentially two quarters long and each team only has a few minutes between each game, and some teams had back to back games. It was a great opportunity to see what players were able to fight through the fatigue and nagging injuries with little time to recover.
2013 SF Jordan Mickey – Arlington Grace Prep. After watching Mickey dominate in stretches throughout Saturday it was clear that the 6’7″ SF will certainly make a big jump in many of the rankings this fall. Mickey was unstoppable in transition, quick off the floor and a pest on defense with his long arms and ultra quick bounce. Mickey showed handles, and the ability to ‘get it and go.’
2013 PF Julius Randle – Prestonwood Christian Academy. How can someone so nice off the court turn on a switch that turns into the ultimate competitor just like that? Whatever Julius Randle does to become a different person on the court, it works. The 6’9″ PF looked like Danny Manning on the court, and Danny Manning was watching him look like Danny Manning. See what I did there? Anyway – Randle ran the offense for Prestonwood from just about every position on the court. His ability to shake defenders, fight for rebounds, get to the free throw line, finish at the rim in transition or in the half court and shoot on the perimeter make him really good at basketball. I think some schools might be interested in Randle in the very near future.
Juwan Parker SG – Booker T Washington, Tulsa. Parker’s game impressed throughout the showcase as he led his team to an impressive run in Wichita Falls. Parker showed he could create his own shot off the dribble and either finish at the rim or pull up in the lane to display his nearly unstoppable mid-range jumpshot. Parker’s athleticism seemed to surprise his opponents as they watched him either blow by them or jump over them on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. For a scorer Parker also showed terrific vision on the court as he found his teammates all alone for easy baskets.
Karviar Shepherd C – Grace Prep. The 6’10″ Shepherd showed that he has clearly continued to develop his game since we last saw him at adidas Nations in August. Although he is still developing his footwork, Shepherd showed great court awareness when passing out of both the low and high 
post. Shepherd was also active on the boards and his size clearly frustrated opponents throughout the day.
Emmanuel Mudiay PF – Grace Prep. Mudiay, who is in the class of 2014, already has college coaches drooling over his talent and potential and it was very easy to see why. Mudiay didn’t need to score to be a difference maker for Grace Prep, he just simply needed to be on the floor. His court vision, creativity and strength were all on display Saturday.
Mickey Mitchell SF – Prestonwood Christian. The 6’7″ class of 2015 product will be one to watch over the next few years. Mitchell had little trouble showing his range of skills throughout the day by hitting shots on the perimeter and getting to the rim. Like most players his age discovering the weight room will be key to his development, but Mitchell certainly has the talent to be one of the players to watch in the 2015 class.
