Overtime Elite Scouting Notes: Somto Cyril, Bryson Tiller Showcase Talent in Preseason Action
As the third season of Overtime Elite basketball gets underway, preseason matchups between in-house teams and external powerhouses took place on Saturday. It was the second night of exciting action this weekend, as City Reapers and RWE took on Hoop Nation and the Columbus Explorers respectively.
READ MORE: OTE DAY 1 SCOUTING NOTES
With quite a few NBA-caliber prospects that shined bright, there was plenty to be learned on Saturday night in Atlanta. Let's take a look at the scouting notes from this pair of contests.
City Reapers vs Hoop Nation
Hoop Nation led this contest 38-32 at the half, but the City Reapers ran away with the game in the fourth after tying it up at 48-48 through three quarters. While the majority of the game felt competitive, the home team ran away late.
Bryson Tiller | 6'9" Forward | City Reapers | No College Commitment
One of the top players in his high school class, Tiller has incredibly high external expectations entering the Overtime Elite system. He wasn't the most productive player on Saturday night, but the upside flashes were incredibly clear. What he's able to do on both ends, especially defensively, is impressive. In fact, he looked comfortable picking up guards full-court situationally on Saturday. Following a scoreless first half, Tiller finished with 13 points on 50% shooting from the floor and continues to be one of the most interesting players in his class.
Parker Robinson | 6'4" Guard | City Reapers | No College Commitment
Although he just joined OTE a few weeks ago, Robinson is already making a name for himself. He had his wrist taped up due to a minor injury, but still came out confident in his debut game. Robinson notched 10 points in the first half on 4-of-4 shooting and finished with 17 points while converting on 75% of his triples.
Amari Evans | 6'5" Guard | City Reapers | No College Commitment
One of the biggest breakout performances of Saturday's slate included Evans, who finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Whether it was knocking down triples, finishing a dunk or making a play off the ball, Evans proved he's one of the best players in the OTE program on Saturday.
Jahki Howard | 6'6" Wing | City Reapers | No College Commitment
A four-star recruit, Howard does a lot of things that teams should like. With that in mind, many of these things that set him apart don't show up on the stat sheet. Grabbing loose balls, generating second-chance buckets and defending at a high level made more of an impact than the box score could show in Saturday's win.
Eric Freeny | 6'4" Guard | Hoop Nation | UCLA Commit
Once again, Freeny used OTE Arena as an opportunity to increase his personal stock. He put together the best performance of the weekend on Saturday as he scored 36 points, along with eight rebounds and three assists. He also shot 50% from the floor and put his stamp on the game overall.
Carter Bryant | 6'8" Forward | Hoop Nation | Arizona Commit
Just like on Friday night, Bryant sat out on Saturday with back spasms. Although he's one of the marquee prospects that was set to compete this weekend, he wasn't able to take the floor on either day.
RWE vs Columbus Explorers
Although the Explorers jumped out to an early 22-10 lead, RWE had a big second quarter and led 39-35 at half. Although the Boozer twins had 19 combined points at the break, it wasn't near enough as RWE dominated the second half and won by a final score of 94-75.
Karter Knox | 6'6" Guard | RWE | No College Commitment
Following a stellar performance on Friday, Knox continued to make his case in being one of the best players in his class in the entire country. While the Boozer twins are both prospects that get a ton of national attention, Knox was better than both all weekend. He had a slow start on Saturday, but finished with 26 points to go along with seven rebounds while shooting 44% from the floor on high volume. Once Knox commits to his next destination, he will look to continue in proving he's a top-10 player in his class.
Somto Cyril | 6'10" Center | RWE | Kentucky Commit
Once again, Cyril dominated the game with his size in the victory. Furthermore, he went at Cam Boozer all game long, proving that even a quality forward defender can't contain him. Cyril finished with 17 points and 18 boards in an incredible double-double, and has a clear NBA-ready body.
Darrion Sutton | 6'8" Forward | RWE | No College Commitment
A long wing, Sutton needs to add size and weight, but is still extremely effective. He has no fear when he gets into the paint, fighting for every loose ball and playing bigger than his frame would suggest. Doing a but of everything, Sutton finished with eight points and seven boards but was clearly one of the most impactful players on the court Saturday even outside of the numbers.
Nathan Missia-Dio | 6'9" Forward | RWE | 2024 Draft Eligible
It was a slow start for Missia-Dio, but he got things going late to help secure the win. Boasting the enormous 7-foot-7 wingspan, he impacted the game on both ends. What was perhaps the most impressive was his 3-point shot mechanics and ability to handle the ball at his size.
Cameron Boozer | 6'9" Forward | Columbus | No College Commitment
While he had plenty of phenomenal moments, Cam Boozer holistically didn't have the greatest showing in Atlanta this weekend. He looked better on Saturday than he did Friday statistically, notching 20 points and 10 rebounds, but he was never the most dominant player on the floor at any point this weekend.
Cayden Boozer | 6'5" Guard | Columbus | No College Commitment
The poise that Cayden Boozer possesses is rare for a player of his age. He's also incredibly strong for a guard and was the better of the twins all weekend. On Saturday he finished with 21 points and eight assists while shooting 67% from the floor overall.
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