Overtime Elite Scouting Notes: Karter Knox, Reynan dos Santos Shine in Big Wins
As the third season of Overtime Elite basketball gets underway, contests against some of the best external high school talent began on Friday. In what was a two-game slate, two separate OTE squads, Cold Hearts and RWE, took on the Columbus Explorers and Hoop Nation respectively.
With several NBA caliber prospects taking the floor across the two games, there was plenty to be learned in Atlanta on Friday night. Let's take a look at the scouting notes from this pair of contests.
Cold Hearts vs Columbus Explorers
This game featured the No. 2 prospect in the Class of 2025 in Cameron Boozer, but the Cold Hearts had plenty of talent of their own. The home team got out to a hot start and looked like they had pulled away late in the game, but Columbus made things interesting in the final minutes. Ultimately, four-star recruit Mikel Brown Jr. hit a huge triple while being fouled in the final seconds to secure the victory. The Cold Hearts finished with a 76-71 win which was extremely impressive.
Reynan dos Santos | 6'5" Guard | Cold Hearts | 2024 Draft Eligible
Although he's already proven to be a quality talent in FIBA play, dos Santos really made a statement on Friday night. He was one of the best players to take the floor during the two-game slate. While this is clear on film, seeing him up close really proved just how developed he is physically. With both upper and lower body strength, it's safe to say his body is NBA ready. The lefty is super smooth and puts real pressure on the rim both in transition and in halfcourt settings. The highlight of his day was bullying Cameron Boozer in the paint, sending him to the ground for an easy layup. Seconds later, dos Santos knocked down a triple. He finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in the breakout game.
John Bol | 7'2" Center | Cold Hearts | Ole Miss Commit
Although he has a slight build, Bol has added 15 pounds since joining Overtime Elite's system. Furthermore, his mobility and quickness really does combat the lack of strength and allows him to still have a major impact on both ends. He's also reconstructing his jumper with the OTE staff, so he is currently using primarily one hand while the mechanics get re-worked. If that ends up being successful, the Cold Hearts will have a 7-foot-2 shot blocker with the ability to score away from the basket. Although the jumper looked unorthodox on Friday night, he was effective both in the midrange and from the free throw line (5-for-5 from the line). Bol finished with 13 points and 15 rebounds while shooting 80% from the floor.
Cameron Boozer | 6'9" Forward | Columbus | No College Commitment
By the time he is draft eligible, the better of the Boozer twins will have a real chance at proving he's worthy of the No. 1 overall pick. With that in mind, he mostly blended in on Friday night and didn't quite look like the elite prospect he really is. Given all eyes were on him at points, there were really good things he flashed. However, for anyone watching that didn't know he isn't the second-highest graded prospect in his high school class, he would have gone under the radar. Boozer did have 13 points and 13 rebounds when it was all said and done, but it was certainly a quiet game from him. The two-way upside is real, but this wasn't his best showing. The blend of strength and power along with the body control and touch is rare, however.
Cayden Boozer | 6'5" Guard | Columbus | No College Commitment
While the guard of the twin duo doesn't get enough credit, he's clearly one of the 20 best players in his high school class. With that in mind, the mechanics of his jumper could use some work. Between pregame warmups and various shots throughout the game, his form looked quite different. He went 0-for-2 from beyond the arc in this contest, but really highlighted his ability to slice through the lane effectively en route to 21 points on 13 shots.
Malik Abdullahi | 6'7" Forward | Columbus | Princeton Commit
Abdullahi has a lot of work to do as it relates to his jumper and polishing off his game overall, but the athleticism is off the charts. He has length and positional attributes that will make him an intriguing wing at the next level, but further development will be key.
Jason Richardson | 6'3" Guard | Columbus | Michigan State Commit
After recently committing to Michigan State, Richardson will continue to shine on the high school stage. A vertical athlete, he not only highlighted his ability to make jaw-dropping plays, but also the more functional three-level scoring. He will look to follow in his father's footsteps over the coming years to make it to the NBA.
RWE vs Hoop Nation
The second contest of the night looked to be over early, as RWE led Hoop Nation 15-0 in the first quarter. While Hoop Nation did pull within six points from there, RWE essentially closed out the game early in the second half. It was a dominant effort from the group of OTE players, winning 79-42.
Karter Knox | 6'6" Guard | RWE | No College Commitment
Knox is the highest rated recruit in the OTE program this season and looked every bit a future NBA star on Friday. The younger brother of Kevin Knox, he still hasn't made his decision on where he will attend college, but will send shockwaves with his looming decision. What's most impressive about Knox's game is how much he pops while still being fundamentally sound. Sure, he had a few turnovers he could have avoided on Friday, but overall was purely dominant. His shooting mechanics are elite, as no matter the level of difficulty of the shot, he gets his chest square and shooting arm loaded correctly which results in tremendous consistency. He also flashed a really intriguing face-up game in the midrange.
Somto Cyril | 6'10" Center | RWE | Kentucky Commit
Perhaps the most physically imposing player to take the court on Friday, Cyril's 240 pound frame allows him to do anything he wants in the paint. Despite being somewhat undersized for a big, he finished with 12 points and 10 boards and a double-double against Hoop Nation. He won the league's Defensive Player of the Year award last season and will have a chance to do that again this season. If there's one thing that stuck out negatively on Friday, it was the lack of strong hands and allowing the defense to knock the ball out of his hands near the rim.
Nathan Missia-Dio | 6'9" Forward | RWE | 2024 Draft Eligible
Standing at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-7 wingspan, Missia-Dio has the physical tools to dominate on both ends. He looked very comfortable handling the ball on Friday night, which is rare for a player of his archetype. He finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds in the win and is eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft. Missia-Dio played with Maccabi Ra'anana for their three-game NBA preseason slate last week and could really emerge as a well-known name in draft circles in the near future.
Eric Freeny | 6'4" Guard | Hoop Nation | UCLA Commit
Freeny is physically developed, which allows him to do things most guards cannot. His lower body is extremely strong, which helped him to really dominate on drives and generate looks near the rim. He finishes very well through contact and closed this contest out with 23 points on 50% shooting from the floor.
Carter Bryant | 6'8" Forward | Hoop Nation | Arizona Commit
One of the marquee prospects of this matchup, Bryant was a late scratch with back spasms. While it likely wouldn't have mattered in terms of winning the game, it would have been a great opportunity for him to take the stage with plenty of eyes on him.
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