HuskerlandPreps.com - NY Panthers at Reebok Showdown

July 22, 2012

Alex Schwartz
NYCHoops.net

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Many members of the New York Panthers U17 squad opened the first July Live Evaluation Period at Hoop Group Elite Camp. However, the team came together in Philadelphia after that for the Reebok Showdown Series Championship.

NYChoops.net was also present at Philadelphia University for the tournament and had the opportunity to see the NY Panthers in action against Memphis-based M33M.

Although the Panthers ended up falling by a final score of 68-49, there were some bright spots in the game for the boys from the Big Apple. Most notably was the play of Mt. Vernon (NY) graduate Jarrel Marshall.

A 6-foot-6 forward, Marshall is headed to South Kent (CT) for a post-grad year and looks to be making nice progress as a player. With the Knights, Marshall was more of an undersized four man, but that is not the case with the Panthers.

Not only was he not down low, Marshall was lethal from the perimeter with his jumper. He has clearly put in the time to improve in that area and now has the ability to torch defenses from outside. His range extends to the 3-point line and he looks comfortable out there.

Marshall finished the game with 26 points and was certainly one of the top performers of the tournament, despite the loss.

Another player who did some nice things was Joshua Wilchombe, a 6-foot-7 forward. Wilchombe is a 2013 prospect who was previously at Sewanhaka High School in Floral Park, N.Y. and will be at South Kent next year.

The first thing you notice about Wilchombe when you see him on the floor is that he has incredibly long arms. Many basketball players have nice length, but Wilchombe is above and beyond that. His length helps him to play bigger than he actually is and allows him to make some noise when he is around the rim.

In addition to his long arms, Wilchombe has a solid build and is capable of shooting the ball from midrange. He finished the game with 12 points, the second highest total on the team.

The player with the third largest point total on the Panthers is another kid who is headed to South Kent next year.

Travis Charles, a 6-foot-5 forward, has completed his career at Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. and will be a post-grad at South Kent.

Charles had seven points in the game and the main thing that stood out about the former Railsplitter is that he works around the cup. Although M33M had high-major big man Austin Nichols, Charles was still active down low.

There were a few other players who provided some good moments for the Panthers, including Michael Milligan, Jr., a 2014 prospect. Milligan is a 6-foot-5 small forward who is evidently transferring from Crespi High School in California to St. Dominic's in Oyster Bay, N.Y. Milligan showed that he has the ability to connect on shots from beyond the arc and is a welcome addition to NY's crop of rising juniors.

Josh Doughty may not have the best height in the world at 5-foot-9, but that does not stop him from being an effective player. Doughty, a 2013 prospect from Mt. Vernon High School, showed off some nice perimeter defensive ability.

Finally, Jason Wright is another player who deserves recognition. A 6-foot-5 shooting guard out of Bay Shore High School, Wright also had a solid showing at Hoop Group Elite Camp. His midrange game is on point and he does a good job of knocking down shots from around the free throw line.

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