Mount Saint Joseph University Elite Camp - August 25, 2024
Written by Chris Hicks
We at Bleacher Prospect appreciate the hospitality from Coach Carrigan and Bauman, and the entire staff at Mount Saint Joseph University. It was a great camp with a lot of talent on every court. The camp was organized well, and fundaments and IQ were emphasized and taught. We appreciate the connection and opportunity to be an extension to the program and for the opportunity to evaluate and highlight players that are chasing their dream of playing college basketball.
Kai Cook | Frankin | 6’0” | 2025
Kai was incredible on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he got about anywhere he wanted and scored at all 3 levels with relative ease. On drives to the paint, he finished strong around the rim. Used head and ball fakes to get his defender off balance and in the air and took advantage of them jumping first before leaving his feet for a shot. When he got cut off, he easily identified the hole in the defense and kicked to open scorers. What was most impressive was his defense. His defensive footwork was on point, and he did a fantastic job of using his body to cut off the offensive players and force them to pick up their dribble. If they tried to dribble through it, he swiped it clean and led the fast break going the other way. There were a few plays where you could sense that he was targeting a steal and attacked and overwhelmed them until he forced the turnover. Kai is always fun to watch and can fill up a stat sheet offensively. Defensively, this is the best I have seen him look. It was clear he welcomed the competition and went right at the best players in the gym and made it hard for them to showcase their offensive game.
EB Fall | Frankin Monroe | 6’3” | 2025
EB was the King of the 1v1 and 2v2, 3 dribbles max drills. He is super long and athletic and can get to the basket in a hurry and finish in a variety of ways. He often made extremely difficult finishes look routine and ordinary. No matter the size of the defender, he had something in the tool bag to get himself a bucket. When defenders adjusted by giving him more space so they would have more time to react and try to cut him off. It didn’t work, he then started lighting it up from the 3-point line and showcasing his scoring abilities from everywhere on the court. The best I witnessed him being defended was by Kai Cook in a 1v1 drill. Cook bodied him up and closed off driving space and EB pulled up from the college 3-point line and buried the shot with Cook all over him. I’m still not certain how he got that shot up considering how well he was being defended. He is extremely confident in his shot, unafraid to pull the trigger, and can score in so many ways that you must pick your poison with him and hope one or more levels to his game is off for that day.
Cam Criag | Switzerland County (IN) | 6’4” | 2025
I was super impressed with Cam, he does so many of the little things that coaches want to see from their players. He runs the court with a purpose, sprints both ways in transition, without fault, and no matter how tired he is. At first, I thought this was his game, be the first kid back and take advantage of a slower transitioning defender. He scored so many times by just outhustling everyone back down the court. The next 4 sequences showed me every part of his game though and it was impressive. He buried a contested 3, dribbled the ball up the court and hit a cutter with a well-timed and positioned pass at the basket, drove and hit a difficult shot at the elbow, and then hit a step back 3 off the dribble with a hand in his face. I watched him the rest of the way and he can score in so many ways. He can post taller defenders up in the post and use his strength to power up through them, score from everywhere on the court and in a variety of ways and can use his dribble to create just enough space to get his shot off over you. Cam is fun to watch, is a competitor, plays high IQ basketball, and just outhustles you to everything.
William Burnside | South Oldham (KY) | 6’6” | 2025
I’m always looking for the kid that goes all out and tries to rebound everything and he was the one that caught my eye. He tracks the ball well, uses his height and size to rebound over and through others. His frame is fully developed, you aren’t going to knock him off or away from the ball when challenging him for a board. William runs the floor well, head up, always looking for the outlet. When his feet touch paint with the ball in his hand, it is most likely going to result in a made shot. He plays well off 2 feet, has great footwork and a variety of moves to get you off balance and score. When all else fails, he is physical and will just use his size and strength to move you out of the way. Attacks the rim looking to dunk which forces defenders to give him space. Unfortunately, he can bury the 3-ball as well, so he is a difficult player to account for and defend. Defensively, he contests everything and forces offensive players to adjust their shot at the basket. Always thinking about rebounding, he quickly gets back on 2 feet and then goes and gets the tough rebounds.