What seems to be Justin's best position, PG, OG, or Combo Guard? I've read that he's being called a PG, but in looking at his video, I think that he can play off the ball and has the size to do so. What does everyone think?
Justin Menard has to be one of our earliest commits in a long time. Usually, players use the AAU Summer circuit to showcase their game and attract bigger schools, and don't commit until the Fall. So, I'm wondering if the Portal is changing the thinking of HS kids. Many MIGHT be willing to accept an offer before it's given to someone from the Portal. I guess we'll only know when we compare the number of early HS signings this year vs. last year.
Ricky McKenzie - 6'6" SG/SF out of Marietta, GA and Wheeler High School where he won a 7-A State Championship this past season. A sniper who is considered one of the better shooters in the Southeast, he can also get to the hoop and score. Currently not rated by any of the services.
Offers: Jacksonville, Western Carolina, Kennesaw St, New Mexico St, Hampton & GA Southern.
Scouting Report: McKenzie proved to be a potent, high-caliber scoring guard throughout the high school season. Alongside teammate CJ Brown, McKenzie helped form one of the most formidable 2024 backcourts at Walker. Now that he’s running with the Stars, he’s carried that over into the travel season. With Karris Bilal and Trajen Greco as his fellow guards, this Stars team boasts a three-headed monster that can put points on the board in a hurry when clicking. McKenzie is an exceptional shooter that can hit off the catch or off the dribble. He’s got great positional length with long arms too. As a driver, McKenzie has no issue getting to the rim where he uses his length well as a finisher. He’s a player that I can see having a big-time rise sooner than later. - Josh Tec - Hoop Seen
Josh Reed - 6'3" CG out of Philly and Archbishop Wood. Plays HS ball with Top 20 prospect SG Jalil Bethea. He has a college ready body and is starting to come into his own. His father is Rick Reed, who starred at Temple and is one of their best PG's in program history and earned first team All-East Coast Conference honors.
Offers: Buffalo, Albany, Quinny, LaSalle, Drexel, Buffalo, Manhattan, NCA&T, Fairfield, Merrimack, Stony Brook. Interest: Bryant, William & Mary, St. Peter’s, Lehigh and Lafayette
Scouting Report:
"Against Salesianum, in Wood’s dominant 71-40 victory, Reed played very strong, physical defense, showed great judgment in disturbing the ball to teammates and when the opportunity presented itself, was not afraid to put his head down and drive to the basket. Reed also showed a propensity to charge the basket and help rebound, taking off some stress for 6-8 senior-to-be teammate Carson Howard. When he was not kicking out to start the fastbreak, he was the one grabbing the rebound and starting the break himself. It showed versatility and that he’s not afraid to do some of the dirty work underneath. Offensively, there was one sequence when, for a quick second, Reed saw a sliver of an opening to beat his man at the top of the key and drive the lane for an easy layup. It’s a move, he admits, he probably would not have taken last winter playing for Wood. “I came off the bench last year and I learned a lot,” Reed said. “I learned a lot from Justin Moore, especially. I wasn’t really confident in myself last year. This year I want to be more confident in my shot and how I run the team. I have to do that, because I’m a leader now. “I know the guys will be looking to me to lead this team and I’m ready to do that. As a team, I think we’re right there with everyone else. We’re together and working hard, and I want to make college coaches notice. “I want to show college coaches that I’m a dog. I’m not afraid to rebound, I’m not afraid to play defense, I’m not afraid of doing all of the little things. I think those are the things college coaches like.” - COBL Staff - Philly Live I: Day One Recruiting Notebook (June 17, 2022)
"The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Reed's physicality is one of his most important attributes. He believes he can defend 1s through 4s, as well as compete with big men for rebounds at both ends of the floor. He is averaging two offensive rebounds per game, to go along with 9.7 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and shooting 53 percent from the field this season. Reed has had a pair of 18-point games this year, plus 17 in the road victory over defending Philadelphia Catholic League champion Neumann-Goretti and he contributed 16 points in the 84-73 PCL quarterfinal win over visiting Saint Joseph Prep. In the Prep game, Reed had an emphatic breakaway dunk after taking an outlet pass from Catholic League MVP Jalil Bethea to put the Vikings ahead by 12 points with a little over two minutes left. The Wood students went nuts and sophomore teammate Milan Dean appeared to be levitating behind Reed. "That was amazing," Reed said. "I'll never forget that. It's the stuff you dream about as a kid. ... (When I got the ball), I was thinking 'I got to dunk it hard.'"
