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If you missed yesterday’s post on http://www.marcrowe.com/">Marc Rowe’s Adidas Crossroads of the South basketball camp, be sure to check it out http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/weblogs/sports/2016/sep/28/marc-rowes-basketball-camp-morning-session/">here. That post detailed the morning activities from the camp, which was at Ridgeland High School.

The camp is no stranger to having some of the biggest high-school prospects from Mississippi in attendance. Former camp participants include Mario Kegler, Rodney Hood, Damian Jones, Tyson Carter and the current top recruit in Mississippi, Nick Weatherspoon.

Big names were on display Saturday, Sept 24, at the camp, with players such as Javian Fleming from Canton High School, Ladarius Marshall from Forest Hill High School, Michael Barber of Jackson Academy and Brandon Weatherspoon of Velma Jackson High School in attendance.

The biggest prospect in attendance happened to be Robert Woodard, who is a junior from Columbus High School. He looked like the stud everyone had talked about all morning long when the games began that afternoon.

Woodard plays as impressive as he looks with his 6-foot, 7-inch frame. During the testing period, he posted a 28.1-inch vertical, a 10.85-second shuttle and 4.06-second full-court dribble.

Woodard said he came to the camp because “of the good competition and a great way to get better,” and, he said, “Being here (at the camp) is better than just sitting at home.”

Last season he averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds per game. As good as his game is—and it is only going to get better—Woodard still has plenty to learn.

Learning defensive principles and getting taught more about help side defense is something Woodard said was the biggest thing he learned he could use to help his game this season. But learning to be a better defender will not be the news that guards and forwards wanted to hear about him.

Plenty of teams are already recruiting him, with offers from Mississippi State University, Louisiana State University, Baylor University, Iowa State University, Stanford University, the University of Alabama, Florida State University and the University of Tennessee.

Woodard is just as good in the classroom as he is on the court, with Stanford making a push to sign him. With the school’s admission standards, his grades have to be great to get the Cardinals’ attention.

As far as recruiting is going, Woodard says he is enjoying it. The forward currently hopes to study physical therapy in college.

One of the biggest up-and-coming players in the state is West Point High School star Austin Crowley. The 6-foot, 4-inch sophomore guard came to the camp to play with Woodard, who is his good friend.

Crowley was solid during the morning tests, with a 28.2-inch vertical, a 10.35-second shuttle and a 4.19-second full-court dribble. Last season, he averaged 14 points a game, four rebounds and six assists.

“I came into this camp with a target on my back as one of the top players, and everyone has wanted to test themselves against me,” Crowley said. “I have enjoyed playing with so much talent, and everyone is playing tough.”

Crowley learned plenty at the camp, including how to fight screens and defensive-slide techniques. The coaches were impressed with his ability to come down court and hit pull-up jump shots.

If you are looking for a player to keep an eye on for the next couple of years, look no further than Jalen Forbes from Florence High School. As a freshman last season, Forbes averaged 25 points per game and seven rebounds, but he is largely flying under the radar.

He had a 26.5-inch vertical, a 10.16-second shuttle and a 4.35-second full-court dribble. At 6 feet and 3 inches, Forbes played shooting guard and small forward last season.

“The coaches said I need to work on shuffling my feet on defense, and I reach too much” Forbes said. “I learned a lot how to shuffle to an open spot and take contact on offense and defense.”

He might be one of the best-kept secrets in Mississippi right now. Expect to hear plenty about him starting this season and for the next two years.

Two players impressed the coaches with their play at the camp: Donavon Lewis from Madison Ridgeland Academy and William Roberts from West Harrison High School.

Both Lewis and Roberts are seniors and what many would call late-bloomers. Both could also end up as hot recruits toward the end of this season.

Lewis had a 25.8-inch vertical, 11.12-second shuttle and a 4.50-second full-court dribble during the morning session. Roberts was solid in the morning with a 31.2-inch vertical, 10.19-second shuttle and a 4.30-second full-court dribble.

Lewis attended Rowe’s camp in 2015 and said he returned because of the high level of coaching he received. His camp visit last year earned him some exposure. But it was his 14 points per game, three assists and six rebounds that earned him interest from Tulane University, University of Alabama-Birmingham, University of Texas-Dallas, the University of Mississippi and the University of Alabama.

He’s still a work in progress, but he says he sees his “skills starting to come together” and that he “used to be lazy but starting putting in the work to shake that reputation.”

“I just starting to show my potential and get serious about basketball,” Lewis said.

Roberts might not have come to the camp if it weren’t for getting a push from his coach, Tommy Seawright. His play caught the eye of coaches for a player who needs more exposure.

Last season Roberts averaged 10 points per game but said he could be a better player.

“I need to work on playing bigger in the post and learn how to take contact on both ends of the floor,” Roberts said.

Currently, he doesn’t have any scholarship offers but has received some interest. If he doesn’t sign with a Division I school this year, Roberts could be one of the hottest names in the junior-college ranks two years later.

One of the youngest campers happened to be one of the fastest. No player had a faster full court dribble than Mason Manning at the camp.

The seventh grader from Siwell Middle School came to the camp on the advice of his AAU coach Omar Carter. He said he enjoyed getting to play against the other kids and that he learned a lot.

Manning could be a player to watch at future Marc Rowe camps. He had a solid day for such a young kid.