WINSTON SALEM, N.C. – You’d be hard-pressed to find any player in the country in any class that’s been more dominant than Cole Anthony this summer.
The 6-foot-3, PSA Cardinals point guard obliterated the competition on the Nike EYBL, widely regarded as the summer’s toughest circuit, to the tune of 27 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game in route to taking home MVP honors for the league.
And, yes, he’s got the on-court confidence that accompanies those numbers and the appointment of No. 1 overall in USA Today Sports’ Chosen 25 for 2019.
“I approach the game in every way like I’m the best,” said Anthony, who will attend Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) this coming year. “That’s just how I’m built.”
Still, when Anthony and more than 20 of the most elite high school point guards in the country joined together to lace ‘em up at the CP3 Elite Guard Camp on Friday, Anthony and his peers conceded that, more than anything, the experience showed them how much work they’ve got to do.
“This camp is a rude-awakening for you if you think you’ve already made it,” Anthony said. “Being here reminds you that there’s two more levels after high school. I’m just like a sponge here, I want to soak in all the information that I can.”
Hard not to be humble when you’re getting hands-on lessons from nine-time NBA All Star Chris Paul and running through drills with NBA and college guards.
“I just love to get better,” Anthony said. “This is one of the best camps for getting better at my specific position.”
South Garland (Texas) point guard Tyrese Maxey is one of the most feared defensive assignments in the country.
He was so dominant on the Nike EYBL this summer that he actually contemplated skipping his senior season and joining Kentucky, where he committed in May, this season.
But when it came to breaking down film with Paul at the camp, Maxey said it was one of the most informative things he’s done all summer.
“He broke down how he forces switches with the bigs on the pick-and-roll,” said Maxey, who is ranked No. 6 overall in the Chosen 25. “He showed me how, when the big drops after the screen, to dribble hard at the big to where the guard has to switch and it opens up everything. He knows all the tricks.”
Cox Mill (Concord, N.C.) wing Wendell Moore Jr. has benefited from Paul’s tutelage for the last few years as a member of Paul’s Nike EYBL team Team CP3.
“The biggest thing this camp does is show you what a pro looks like,” Moore said. “And that’s not us; not right now. We’re all competitors so we’re learning a lot here. We all want to make it to that level one day.”
Follow Jason Jordan on Twitter: @JayJayUSATODAY
