News: IMG Basketball Academy

JACKSON, Miss. -- The sixth annual Great Southern Showcase was a showcase of some of the best prep school talent in the country. Schools from all over the south as well as the northeast converged on Jackson to showcase their skills to a bevy of college coaches and spectators for three consecutive days. Victor Evans did an excellent job of attracting some tremendous players and teams for the three day event. Overall, the showcase team for the weekend was Christian Life Center from Humble, Texas. Coach Carlos Wilson has stockpiled talented players to go along with his high intensity coaching philosophy to create one of the top prep school teams in America.

Alex Garvilovic (6-9, 220) PF
Postgrad, France / IMG Academy
This is a guy who turned many heads over the three-day event because of his combination of size and skill level. Like most European bigs Garvilovic has a tremendous skill level for someone his size, which makes him a hot commodity for schools. He can step outside to knock down the perimeter jump shot when asked. With his back to the basket, Garvilovic has a nice turn-around jumper with a soft touch. His high release makes it very tough to contest for defenders. The most impressive side of his offensive game was a drive from the 3-point line late in a game that ended with a one-handed dunk over a defender at the rim. Unlike many foreign post players, this guy does not mind mixing it up either. On several occasions he was stepping in for a charge or wrestling for position on the block with opposing post players. Garvilovic has a very high basketball IQ, which enables him to be ahead of the play on the floor. He has a great motor for a big, and will be someone schools will want to get down to Florida to see soon.

Shemiye McClendon (6-3, 185) SG
Postgrad, Vero Beach, Fla./IMG Academy
This compact SG really turned head on Friday and had every coach in the gym wanting to know where he had been hiding over the past months. Shemiye, who was a qualifier out of high school, really played well to improve his stock among coaches. With 29 points against New Horizons followed by a 23 point performance the next game McClendon showed he can score in a variety of ways. He is strong enough and handles the ball well enough to get his own shot both inside and outside the arc. He has a nice midrange game where he uses his body to create space for open looks. Shemiye showed his athleticism several times by finishing at the rim in transition. He is more of a streaky shooter from behind the arc, but can get it going quickly. Defensively, he has the size and strength to shut down opposing SGs, and does a nice job of playing the passing lanes, which lead to transition baskets. No question this guy will get some nice opportunities after the weekend.