Manitoba Got Game – First Stop of West Coast Swing of NPH Showcase Circuit
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA–It came as no surprise to walk into a gym at Red River College in Winnipeg and have 50 players ready to show and prove, including two of Manitoba’s finest in Emmanuel Akot and Daniel Sackey.
Akot has made his mark across North America and is now being recruited by the likes of Arizona, NC State, Utah, Utah State, Oregon, Louisville and Virginia Tech.
Sackey is fairly under the radar but will not be for long. He is the fastest guard in the 2018 Canadian class and has terrific character traits at the lead guard position. He uses in-out, behind the back and hesitation crossovers to breakdown the defense before blowing by.
Now these two guys are prospects from Manitoba that the NPH Scouting team was already very familiar with as Top 25 studs. Others made a name for themselves and stamped a spot on the National radar.
For one, Wyatt Tait, a 6’7 wing playing at Oak Park High School and representing the Winnipeg Wolves on the club scene. Tait was also a member of this summer’s Team Manitoba at Nationals.
He was defended by Akot and they went at each other all camp, although Akot got the best of the matchup, Tait held his own and made stops.
Tait is being recruited in the CIS by St. Francis Xavier, Calgary, Winnipeg and Ottawa.
With added physical strength he will be a problem for opposing teams in the CIS, that is if he ends up in the CIS. Tait could mess around and pick up some NCAA interest if the right action is taken and muscle is added along with a tighter handle to create his own shot.
He has already shown proper shooting mechanics and has got the three ball to go. Consistency in this part of his game will add to his overall stock.
A new name on the scene is Rodney Mutassa who is a 6’5 shooting guard from the 2017 class. Mutaasa put on a display of put back dunks and other above the rim plays. He has a knack for tracking down rebounds and cleaning up. Although he is entering his senior year, the ceiling for this prospect is still fairly high, considering he has not peaked physically.
The lack of physical strength is common among the majority of the prospects evaluated this weekend. From a skill standpoint there is no debating Manitoba prospects can handle themselves against the best in the country; the speed, skill and athleticism is all there, yet the area that is not addressed often is the weak muscular make-up.
A true Canadian and member of the Aboriginal community, Jaden White was the strongest of the bunch. The 2018 product used his strength in the low post to back his man down and establish position for the entry pass.
He has been shedding weight over the last several months and is determined to get down to 215 from 230lbs. At 6’7 this will elevate his potential and make him more athletic.
Today is the final day at camp. Stay tuned for the LIVE STREAM of the Top Prospect game this afternoon.
There are three more stops to go as we continue West towards Saskatchewan.
If you’re a prospect looking to maximize your potential and exposure register today at Showcase.NorthPoleHoops.com
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