This weekend DraftExpress will convene on New Haven, Connecticut to take in some of the top players the world of prep school basketball has to offer. This event, organized by Adam Finkelstein, has treated us well over the past few years, allowing us to get invaluable early glimpses at players such as Michael Beasley, Tyreke Evans, Devin Ebanks, Craig Brackins, Avery Bradley and others. This will be our fourth consecutive year in attendance.
Most of our intrigue will revolve around 6-10 man-child Andre Drummond, regarded by many as the top prospect in the high school class of 2012, and swingman Will Barton, a consensus top-10 recruit according to most scouting services.
Beyond Barton and Drummond, there will surely be other prospects catching our eye. Here are some of the main ones we’ll be looking at, along with the school they are committed to, as well as the schedule. Unless noted, players listed are members of the 2010 high school class. Some teams play twice, but their prospects are listed only the first time they play.
Friday, November 20
-12:00p.m. St. Thomas More School (CT) vs. Lee Academy (ME)
-6:30p.m. Proctor Academy (NH) vs. Wilbraham & Monson Academy (MA)
Grandy Glaze (2011 top-100 recruit)
-8:00p.m. Northfield Mount Hermon (MA) vs. Fork Union Military Academy (VA)
Saturday, November 21
-9:00a.m. Lee Academy (ME) vs. Massanutten Military Academy (VA)
-10:45a.m. St. Thomas More (CT) vs. Fork Union Military Academy (VA)
-12:30p.m. Bridgton Academy (ME) vs. Hargrave Military Academy (VA)
-2:15p.m. Winchendon School (MA) vs. Mack Academy (NC)
-4:00p.m. New Hampton School (NH) vs. NIA Prep (NJ)
-5:45p.m. Notre Dame Prep (MA) vs. Champlain St. Lambert (CAN)
-7:30p.m. Brewster Academy (NH) vs. Worcester Academy (MA)
Will Barton (Memphis, top-10 recruit)
Naadir Tharpe (2011 top-100 recruit)
Richard Peters (Oklahoma, 2011 top-100 recruit)
C.J. Fair (Syracuse, top-100 recruit)
Maurice Walker
-9:00p.m. Maine Central Institute (ME) vs. Kiski School (PA)
Sunday, November 22
-10:00a.m. Brewster Academy (NH) vs. NIA Prep (NJ)
-11:45a.m. Bridgton Academy (ME) vs. Tilton School (NH)
Gerard Coleman (Providence, top-50 recruit)
-1:30p.m. Northfield Mount Hermon (MA) vs. Maine Central Institute (ME)
-3:15p.m. South Kent School (CT) vs. Champlain St. Lambert (CAN)
-5:00p.m. New Hampton School (NH) vs. Kiski School (PA)
-6:30p.m. St. Andrew’s School (RI) vs. Blair Academy (NJ)
Although we just wrote about Barnes (#1 Scout, #2 Rivals, #1 ESPN) a few weeks back, it should be noted that he did nothing in New York to dispel the notion that he’s the #1 player in the 2010 high school class. For starters, he appears to be far more athletic than most analysts (including us) give him credit for, as he seems to be the type of player that doesn’t feel compelled to show off his explosiveness at all times, but still has all kinds of natural tools he can go to when needed. Barnes did a little bit of everything in the scrimmage we saw, playing very unselfishly, making shots from the perimeter, attacking the rim, weaving in and out of traffic, crashing the offensive glass, and making some excellent passes. Some of his finishes around the basket were extremely impressive, and he always looked calm and under control, refusing to get caught up in the playground type atmosphere that usually typifies these all-star events. His perimeter shot was a bit streaky, but this seems to be a part of his game that will develop into a great weapon for him in time. Barnes’ counterparts will be breathing down his neck all season long, but he seems to have the goods and then some to hold onto his status as the consensus top recruit in the country.
Joe Jackson, 5-11, Point Guard, White Station High School, 2010
One of the top point guards in the 2010 class, Joe Jackson (#17 Scout, #12 Rivals, #21 ESPN) is also one of the more productive players you’ll find. He’s a very undersized point guard with a frail frame, but compensates for that with tremendous athleticism, showing a terrific first step, impressive speed in the open floor, and excellent leaping ability.
Jackson is about as aggressive a point guard as you’ll find, as he’s constantly looking for an angle to get to the basket. He’s outstanding in transition, but is also a terrific shot-creator in the half-court, showing tremendous ability to change speeds, and excellent ball-handling skills on top of that. He can get to almost anywhere he wants on the floor, driving either left or right, and being extremely flashy with the ball, often finishing with pretty floater or an emphatic dunk. He is clearly one of the premier scorers at the high school level, and should be able to translate that to the college level as well thanks to his athleticism, instincts and skill-level.
Jackson’s aggressiveness looking for scoring opportunities comes at a cost, though, as he appears to have a serious case of tunnel vision once he starts driving the lane, and often looks quite selfish ignoring open teammates. He goes through too many possessions where he is the only one on his team touching the ball, and is prone to taking some very bad shots. He’s clearly much more of a combo guard at this stage than a true point, although you can’t argue with his productivity.
As a shooter, Jackson is somewhat of a mixed bag, as on one hand he shows an excellent mid-range game, pulling up sharply off the dribble, but he’s quite streaky with his feet set from the perimeter. He’ll need to improve this part of his game at the college level, as he won’t be able to make a living at this diminutive size as a slasher the way he does in high school.
Defensively, Jackson can be an absolute pest when he puts his mind to it, moving his feet exceptionally well and doing a great job staying in front of his matchup. He comes up with plenty of steals and even a handful of blocks, showcasing just how impressive an athlete he is. His poor size and frail frame limits his potential somewhat long-term, though, which is something we’ll have to keep an eye on moving forward.
Talent-wise, there is no disputing the things Jackson brings to the table, although there are some question marks about whether or not he has the mentality to transition into being the type of player who makes his teammates better. Super athletic scorers like him are definitely en vogue these days, though, as players like Aaron Brooks and Louis Williams can confirm. He’s rumored to be leaning strongly to committing to his hometown school of Memphis, which would unquestionably be a huge get for incoming head coach Josh Pastner.
Kendall Marshall, 6-4, Point Guard, Bishop O’Connell, 2010
Committed to North Carolina
”The best passer in the 2010 class” many a recruiting analyst has told us, and Kendall Marshall (#23 Scout, #32 Rivals, #19 ESPN) did not disappoint us in the least bit in the Elite 24 scrimmage we took in.
Marshall is a point guard with very distinguished strengths and weaknesses. On one hand he has great size at around 6-4, but at the same time, he has an “old man’s” body and a very poor wingspan. Marshall’s feel for the game is off the charts, though, as he plays the game at an extremely unique pace, nothing like you would expect a 17-year old to. He shows outstanding court vision and creativity finding his teammates in transition and in the half-court, operating masterfully on the pick and roll, and being a very talented ball-handler. He’s a very sneaky slasher, showing very little in terms of explosiveness, but regardless able to get to where he needs to on the floor thanks to his terrific sense of timing and his understanding for how to utilize angles effectively.
Marshall shows a pretty ugly, flat-footed stroke from the perimeter, which has traditionally made him a very streaky shooter, but he seems to be able to just throw the ball into the basket thanks to his excellent touch. The progress he makes with this part of his game will likely go a long ways in deciding how good of a prospect he ends up being long-term.
Defensively, Marshall doesn’t have much lateral quickness to speak of, but he again knows how to use his tremendous smarts and timing to get the job done.
It will be fascinating to see how Marshall’s game translates to the college level, as it appears that he has a chance to be a very special player for Roy Williams at North Carolina, especially as he approaches his upperclassmen seasons. Marshall may not have the athleticism or upside to jump to the NBA as early as some of his counterparts in this class, which will probably be just fine by the Tar Heel faithful, and actually makes him a much more valuable get in the long-term. Watching him practice and interact with his teammates, it appears that Marshall has an excellent work ethic and all-around outstanding intangibles, which only adds to the picture.
One of the youngest players in attendance here, having just finished up his freshman year of high school, DaJuan Coleman is already ranked as the #1 player in his high school (according to ESPN). This is a fairly dubious distinction considering that almost every player his age is currently playing Junior varsity at this point, but it’s obviously worth noting.
Coleman stands out first and foremost thanks to his massive frame, which looks a lot more like that of a 25-year old than someone who is only 15. He’s carrying quite a bit of baby fat on him at this point (not a surprise considering his age), but is clearly a presence on both ends of the floor thanks to the natural strength he brings to the table. Coleman has excellent hands and pretty nice touch around the basket, showing a solid feel for operating inside, and not really looking out of place against (very highly touted) players who are two years older than him. He’s not much of an athlete at this point, lumbering noticeably up and down the floor, and not possessing much lift around the rim.
What’s interesting about Coleman is that he appears to be a very serious, intense young player, which really bodes well for his future. He competed extremely well and didn’t back down from anyone, running the court as hard as he could, and really trying to throw his body around in the paint. It’s still way too early to draw any long-term conclusions from what we saw, but if Coleman continues to grow and maintains that same intensity level we saw both here and at the LeBron James Skills Academy, he could have quite a future ahead of him.
Long, lanky, active, athletic combo forwards are all the rage in today’s NBA, which is what makes Baltimore native Roscoe Smith (#31 Scout, #31 Rivals, #16 ESPN) an interesting prospect.
Smith has a very narrow frame, but brings tremendous energy and solid athleticism to the table, being the type of player who fills up the stat-sheet with blocks, steals and offensive rebounds, while picking up plenty of baskets in transition in the process. He has excellent lateral quickness, allowing him to switch onto perimeter players with ease guarding the pick and roll, while also attacking the passing lanes and getting his hands on pretty much everything in his area. Clearly he’s the type of player who has a nose for the ball.
Offensively, Smith likes to play primarily facing the basket, where he can attack his matchup with a very quick first step from the perimeter, getting to the rim with some very long strides, often to finish with a dunk. He fancies himself as being more of a small forward than a power forward at this point, and shows some questionable shot-selection forcing things somewhat from the perimeter, mainly in the form of hurried shots off the dribble. He does have decent form on his jumper, though, and should be able to develop his range in time.
Smith needs to continue to improve his ball-handling skills as well, as he at times looks a bit out of control with his dribble. His lack of strength also makes it difficult for him to finish around the basket on occasion. At times you’ll see Smith post up his man on the block somewhat , mostly to shoot turnaround jumpers or turn and get by his man thanks to his quickness.
On the other end of the floor, while Smith clearly fills up the stat-sheet, he often does it at the expense of his team’s defense, as he tends to bite on pump-fakes and gambles excessively in the passing lanes. His fundamentals on this end could clearly stand to improve. He plays with a frenetic energy, though, which clearly rubs off on his teammates, and was about as vocal as you’ll find in the games we saw him play—pounding his chest after every big play. No one is going to need to tell him to play hard once he gets to college, which is definitely a big plus.
A couple of the recruiting analysts we spoke with pointed out some concerns about potential red flags surrounding Smith’s character, which may not be that much of a concern considering his age, but could be something to look out for moving forward.
We had numerous opportunities to evaluate the progress of Tony Wroten (#4 Scout, #9 Rivals, #5 ESPN) this summer, be it at a number of AAU games in Las Vegas, the Adidas Nations camp in Dallas, or the Boost Mobile Elite 24 scrimmage in New York. He’s a pretty tough nut to crack from what we can gather, as his play seems to vary radically based on the setting.
When at his best (such as at an epic showdown with the incredibly deep and talented Mac Irvin Fire AAU team, or against an equally imposing Memphis Magic Elite squad), Wroten looks like a can’t miss prospect, one of the smartest and most creative prospects we’ve ever evaluated at the high school level. He sees plays developing on the court that many NBA point guards would miss, and surprises his teammates on a regular basis with incredible passes right into the heart of the defense for easy baskets.
On more than one occasion you’ll watch Wroten thread the needle with a bullet pass that doesn’t appear to be anywhere close to anyone on his team, only to see a streaking teammate emerge at the very last moment to grab the ball and calmly lay it in. This ability to anticipate is an extremely special quality that could hint at a very promising future for this 16-year old, and probably shows up most often right now with his ability to get in the passing lanes, which he does at an amazing rate.
In addition to being able to make these magical plays on a whim, he is unique in the way he’s able to make simple plays as well. When truly dialed in, Wroten plays the game at an outstanding pace, passing the ball ahead unselfishly in transition, making terrific post-entry passes, reading the floor constantly, and just showing a savvy that belies his age. His IQ is simply off the charts, as everything comes so easily for him, which may be part of the issue.
Mixed in with the good were plenty of bad moments this summer as well, which surely contribute to the general lack of enthusiasm you find amongst many recruiting analysts regarding his development these days. Wroten clearly isn’t the most athletic guy in the world, and he could definitely stand to put in some work in the weight room in order to maximize his conditioning level.
Far more concerning though is the general apathy he shows in many games he participates in, particularly those where there isn’t as much at stake. Wroten loves to compete under the bright lights, but when he’s playing in just another ordinary game, he can look extremely average. In these moments he’ll try to do far too much with the ball in his hands, going one on one excessively and exposing his somewhat mediocre first step and near-non-existent right hand in the process. There are some concerns that he may have gotten too much hype too early in his career, which may be causing some red flags to emerge.
More than anything, though, Wroten needs to work on his shooting mechanics significantly, as he shoots a very flat, ugly jumper that gets very poor results. He can make some spot-up jumpers from time to time, but really doesn’t have much of a mid-range game, which is sure to emerge as a much bigger issue later in his career as the competition stiffens.
It’s going to be very interesting to see how Wroten’s game continues to evolve over time, as there are many who feel like he’s not improving at the same rate as some of his counterparts, which has caused him to drop somewhat in the recruiting rankings as of late. We personally can’t ignore the amazing feel he brings to the table—showing passing skills reminiscent of Deron Williams at times—but it’s not hard to see where the criticism is coming from. Wroten cannot buy into his own hype at this stage in his development, as he still has a great deal of work left to put in before he reaches his full potential. It will be fascinating to evaluate his progress a year from now.
C.J. Leslie, 6-8, Power Forward, Word of God Christian Academy, 2010
One of the biggest revelations from our perspective to emerge out of the Boost Mobile Elite 24 scrimmages was the play of C.J. Leslie (#13 Scout, #14 Rivals, #9 ESPN), clearly one of the most naturally talented prospects in the 2010 high school class. He made quite an impression in the scrimmage we saw, doing pretty much everything out on the floor, looking like arguably the player with the most upside of anyone on the court.
Leslie has elite physical tools at his disposal, as he is a freakish athlete with length who is extremely versatile and active. He regularly outquicks opponents to the offensive glass, bouncing up and down off the floor like a pogo stick before anyone else can react, and making his presence felt as a shot-blocker as well for these same reasons. Leslie will grab a rebound and take the ball coast to coast himself, weaving in and out of traffic impressively in the process. Without the ball, he’s capable of beating the entire opposing team up the floor in transition, only to finish with an emphatic jam at the rim. His body control and overall fluidity is extremely impressive, and definitely puts him in an elite class as far as physical attributes are concerned.
Leslie showed a propensity to post up his man in the paint, not displaying any incredible footwork, but looking quick and aggressive enough to get the job done. He played extremely hard throughout the scrimmage, something that has reportedly been an issue for him in the past, but looked like anything but in the short time we were able to evaluate him.
Leslie isn’t a great shooter, but he does show potential in this area—if he continues to improve on this part of his game, he could be downright scary. Right now he’s clearly stuck between the 3 and the 4 spots, but considering the direction the game is headed in, that’s really not that much of an issue in this case. More concerning are the red flags that many recruiting analysts warn of, though—he’s reportedly not the smartest, serious or most focused guy in the world, but that is supposedly improving. Hopefully that’s indeed the case, as his upside is truly off the charts if he can keep things together. It will be very interesting to see how things play out.
Fresh off decommitting from Tennessee just a few weeks back, we made it a point to go out and take another look at Josh Selby (#10 Scout, #4 Rivals, #8 ESPN) in both Las Vegas and at the Elite 24 scrimmage. Our impressions were mostly in line with the last time we saw him much earlier in the year.
Selby is a scoring machine of a combo guard—think of a cross between Eric Gordon and Jerryd Bayless-- showing a narrow frame and somewhat short arms, but making up for it with tremendous athleticism and scoring instincts. He is about as intense a player as you’ll find on the offensive end, showing an insatiable hunger for putting the ball in the basket. He is a terrific slasher and shot-creator, possessing terrific speed in the open floor and excellent leaping ability, as well as great body control and the ability to change speeds and directions on the fly.
He can create his own shot at a very high level, and does a great job creating separation from his defender with his excellent pull-up jumper, also showing 3-point range on his shot. His mid-range game is extremely advanced for his age, and is indeed one of his best attributes. He creates and makes tough shots off the dribble with the greatest of ease, and also has a very nice floater in his arsenal he likes to go to if he can’t just cram a dunk down the throat of his defender. He even showed a little bit of a post-up game, just further emphasizing his versatility as a scorer.
Selby is a tough guy who doesn’t take no for an answer, playing the game with a chip on his shoulder, as if he has something to prove every time he steps on the court. While that is a great quality to have, it also gets him into trouble at times, as he tends to play by himself far more often than you’d like. Selby tends to run into brick walls fairly regularly, being somewhat turnover prone and at times looking downright selfish. While billed as a point guard by most of the scouting services at this stage, he is clearly far more comfortable looking for his own shot than running a team, and probably would be better served playing off the ball at the college level if winning games is what his coaching staff is most interested in.
Selby can drive and dish and shows some raw ability to find teammates with nifty passes, but that’s obviously not what he’s most interested in doing. He shows questionable body language and distinct immaturity at times when he goes a possession or two without touching the ball, something that many have raised question marks about, as he’s a fairly emotional guy and may be a little rough around the edges. That’s the kind of stuff you may be able to live with considering how talented a scorer Selby is, but is something to look out for moving forward.
Selby was initially committed to Bruce Pearl at Tennessee, but decided to reopen up his recruitment shortly after the LeBron James Skills Academy. He claims to be wide open at this point, with schools like Kentucky, Louisville and UConn rumored to be some of his most noteworthy suitors.
Scouting reports of the top high school prospects (2010 and 2011) seen at the Adidas Nations tournament in Dallas earlier this month.
Marquis Teague, 6-2, Point Guard, Pike High School, 2011
Currently the #1 rated point guard in the 2011 class, Marquis Teague (#6 Scout, #2 Rivals, #4 ESPN) was the main engine running his US team in the Adidas Nations tournament.
Extremely fast, shifty and explosive in the open floor, Teague is a terrific athlete who gets to almost anywhere he wants on the court, particularly in transition. He’s also an excellent ball-handler on top of that, looking extremely fluid and highly capable of changing speeds and directions on the fly, which makes him even more difficult to stay in front of. He’s got great natural instincts as a lead guard and shows flashes of potential on the pick and roll and drive and dish, but still has quite a few issues to work through, which isn’t a shock considering his age.
Teague is much more of a scorer than a distributor at this point, but is very much prone to pounding the ball and looking for his own shot, often to the detriment of his teammates. He has a little bit too much flash to his game at this point, often appearing more concerned with making himself look good than trying to make the correct basketball play. He forces the issue on a regular basis, driving head-first straight into the teeth of the defense, only passing the ball when he’s absolutely exhausted all other options.
More concerning was the body language Teague showed at times, particularly when faced with adversity. He didn’t appreciate the tough, physical defense that the South American team (particularly Christian Cortes) was playing on him, and seemed to completely lose his cool. When scored on, he made it a point to try and “get back” at his matchup with a little mano a mano, and then proceeded to visibly pout when things didn’t go his way. Interestingly enough, this is almost the exact criticism we often heard about his brother Jeff (drafted by the Atlanta Hawks) throughout the draft process this summer.
Teague can make shots from the perimeter, but he sports a fairly ugly, flat-footed jumper not all that unlike his brother’s. He can defend exceptionally well when he puts his mind to it, moving his feet swiftly with his terrific lateral quickness, and absolutely smothering opponents with his length.
All in all, Teague is clearly an elite-level talent who has quite a few things he needs to iron out before he can reach his full potential. Players with his natural speed and shot-creating ability are about as rare as you’ll find, and are extremely coveted in today’s NBA thanks to the rule-changes regarding hand-checking. Teague has a chance to develop into an even better prospect than his brother when it’s all said and done, as he appears to be light years ahead of where Jeff was at the same age. We’ll have to see over the next few years how much his weaknesses are due to his age, and how much they are just things teams will have to accept as being part of the overall package.
LeBryan Nash, 6-7, SF/PF, Lincoln High School, 2011
”Artest” as he was affectionately coined by the NBA scouts in attendance here in Dallas, no player showed better long-term potential than the extremely impressive forward LeBryan Nash (#11 Scout, #5 Rivals, #10 ESPN).
Put together like an NFL linebacker, with a great frame, long arms and excellent hands, Nash was pretty much an unstoppable force when he decided to take the ball to the rack. He has an amazing knack for creating his own shot, regularly handing the ball coast to coast, and being almost unstoppable as a slasher in the half-court as well. A good (but still improvable) ball-handler, Nash can create with either hand and is just far too strong and explosive for most defenders at this level to stay in front of. He has excellent footwork and is extremely aggressive, having no problems whatsoever spinning into the lane and then finishing through contact with his NBA-caliber body, often drawing a foul in the process.
Nash also showed a solid perimeter jumper, making a number of 3-pointers and pull-ups from mid-range, even if he sometimes has a tendency to shoot the ball on the way down. His jumper is normally fairly streaky, so improving this part of his game could be a major development moving forward. He can also use his big body to post his man up inside, even if he looked more interested in facing up from the perimeter.
As a defender and rebounder is where Nash might have the most potential, as beyond his outstanding physical tools, he’s also an extremely tough player who isn’t afraid to mix things up inside. He was productive on this front in Dallas, but should be able to improve considerably in these areas under the right college coach, which would make him a very interesting all-around player.
Watching Nash play, it’s hard not to wonder if we’re looking at a future star in the making. There was some talk about amongst the scouts about his attitude and whether that might be an issue down the road, which is something we’ll have to study more in the future. He did look very comfortable playing in his hometown of Dallas, and was clearly the most impressive prospect we saw at this event. He could be a power forward at the college level if his team needed him to, but his long-term future is clearly at the 3.
A consensus top-5 recruit in the 2011 high school class, it’s easy to get enamored with Rakeem Christmas’ (#5 Scout, #4 Rivals, #7 ESPN) upside. He passes the look test and then some on first glance, showing decent size, a good frame, long arms and downright freakish athleticism. Christmas (no relation to ex-Temple swingman Dionte Christmas) jumps out of the gym, runs the floor like a deer, and is extremely quick off his feet.
Offensively, Christmas is extremely limited at this point, which probably isn’t a huge surprise considering the stage of development he’s currently at. He gets most of his offense by running the court in transition, presenting himself at the rim for easy finishes, and crashing the offensive glass. On the block, he has very little in the ways of footwork or post-moves, and doesn’t seem to be all that interested in scoring actually. Disinterested is a word that seems to come up a little more than you’d hope when it comes to Christmas, as he doesn’t always seem to be competing all that hard, looking fairly apathetic at times and not really putting his terrific tools to good use.
Defensively, Christmas has huge potential, and he already can be very effective as both a shot-blocker and man to man defender when he puts his mind to it. His length and terrific leaping ability allows him to establish himself as a major presence rotating from the weak-side, and we saw him send back quite a few shots while watching him play, sometimes in emphatic fashion. His lack of strength makes it difficult for him to avoid being posted up by stronger big men, but his length and lateral quickness can be extremely bothersome, leaving a lot of room for optimism in this regard as his frame continues to fill out. He can already step out and hedge screens on the perimeter quite effectively, which is a nice asset to have from your big man.
Christmas is someone that obviously jumps off the page immediately right now thanks to the undeniable potential he possesses, mostly thanks to his terrific physical attributes. He’s still got quite a ways to go obviously, though, especially in terms of the effort level he displays.
Rodney Hood, 6-7, Small Forward, Meridian High School, 2011
Although he was nowhere near as polished as most of the other high school prospects in attendance, there was still a lot to like about the long-term potential that Rodney Hood (#28 Scout, #91 Rivals, #40 ESPN) displayed.
Showing good size for a wing player at around 6-7, with a terrific wingspan, a nice frame and solid athleticism, Hood clearly has ample physical tools. He’s a heady, unselfish player who made some very smart passes, especially on the pick and roll, and also knocked down a couple of pretty mid-range and long-range jumpers, even off the dribble at times. He can get to the rim, but doesn’t have much of a left hand, and seemed to struggle finishing through contact due to his lack of strength. He seems to have a nice feel for the game, though, and appeared to be a good teammate.
Hood is a raw player all in all, as his ball-handling skills are still a work in progress, his shot a bit streaky, and he goes through long stretches of unproductiveness, looking too passive trying to make his presence felt on the court. Regardless, he’s an interesting guy to keep tabs on in the future.
Kevin Ware, 6-4, Shooting Guard, Rockdale County High School, 2011
A player with clear-cut strengths and weaknesses, Kevin Ware (#34 Scout, #22 Rivals, #28 ESPN) started off this camp in rocky fashion, but eventually settled into his role. Ware is a 6-3 wing (although he’s oddly listed as a point guard by some services) player with tremendous length and athleticism, showing a great first step, excellent quickness, and the ability to play above the rim.
He was most useful at this camp on the defensive end, where he brought a frenetic energy that really sparked his teammates and gave his team a big lift. Ware puts great pressure on the ball and is extremely intense trying to shut down his man. He plays extremely hard and is ultra-aggressive all in all, which can clearly work to his detriment at times, particularly on the offensive end.
Ware is an extremely poor shooter at this stage, but you would never guess that based on some of the shots he took. Early in the camp, he insisted on heaving up brick after brick, almost damaging the backboard in the process on a few attempts. Not the world’s greatest ball-handler, Ware can regardless get to the rim thanks to his tremendous first step, although he doesn’t have much of a mid-range game and can eventually get out of control. Ware has a raw all-around game, but clearly has a lot of upside, as he still has plenty of time to round out his offensive arsenal, and always has his tremendous natural tools and terrific defensive ability to fall back on.
After thoroughly evaluating him last summer, there doesn’t seem to be a great deal of new information to add to Sullinger’s (#4 Scout, #3 Rivals, #2 ESPN) profile one year later. He’s still the same extremely intelligent, ultra-productive big man, showing amazing hands in the low-post and some of the best rebounding skills we’ve seen at this level. Sullinger was a man in the paint throughout the Adidas Nations camp, establishing deep position in the paint time after time, and showing great wherewithal operating inside and finding ways to create shots for himself with his amazing touch, often through contact. He’s truly a natural scorer with his back to the basket, which is quite a rarity at this level, as well as in the NCAA.
Sullinger’s conditioning looks a lot better than it did a year ago, but there is still more work to be done on his body. Considering that he’ll always be a below the rim type of player, it’s imperative that he gets himself into the best shape possible in order to maximize his athletic potential.
On the offensive glass is where Sullinger may have made the strongest impression at this camp. He was absolutely ferocious moving opponents around with his strong body, and shows great timing going after loose balls, using his smarts more so than his leaping ability to come up with extra possessions. With that said, he did surprise us at times with his ability to get off the ground and hammer home some emphatic put-back dunks.
Sullinger didn’t show much of a face-up game, but to his credit, he really didn’t have to with how poor his team’s spacing was and how much of an advantage he enjoyed in the low post. His free throws weren’t really falling for him at a great rate, which is probably a sign that he needs to continue to work on his jump-shot. Defensively, there will be some adjustments he needs to make once he gets to college, but considering the effort level and basketball IQ he shows, that shouldn’t be that much of an issue.
Sullinger is going to be a fantastic addition to Ohio State’s lineup, but it’s still a little too early to gauge how good of an NBA prospect he is, since he doesn’t possess the same blend of size, athleticism and upside you typically look for in a top-5 type recruit. Some will compare him to Lonny Baxter and some will say he’s the next Paul Millsap. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Joshua Smith, 6-9, Center, Kentwood High School, 2010
Not much has changed since the last time we evaluated Joshua Smith (#8 Scout, #19 Rivals, #10 ESPN) in the summer of 2008. He’s still the same undersized and extremely overweight center (probably more-so now), displaying flashes of great talent from time to time, but also leaving a lot to be desired in regards to his approach to the game.
Smith put in a pretty lackluster effort in most of the games we got to see him play this summer (in Las Vegas, at the Adidas Nations camp, and at the Elite 24 scrimmage). He struggles to get up and down the floor, and barely puts any effort in whatsoever into things like boxing out his opponent for rebounds, setting screens, or attempting to step out and hedge a screen guarding the pick and roll. There were far too many possessions we saw this summer where he just flat out looked lazy.
Offensively, he’s capable of establishing position inside the paint at will, and has terrific hands, agile feet and outstanding touch to go along with that, but he is often ignored by his teammates (excluding Tony Wroten) at the high school level and doesn’t seem to really mind that from what we saw.
Smith appears to play below the rim, but he actually gets off the ground fairly quickly, looking very natural operating on the block. The fact that he can move so well despite the fact that he’s carrying an extra 30-40 pounds tells you quite a bit about the natural talent he possesses. Outside of his ability to score inside, though, Smith doesn’t seem to have progressed on some other key areas, mainly his face-up game, his free throw shooting, his left hand, and his fundamentals on defense.
For now, Smith remains a big-time talent with some major question marks surrounding him, leading many casual observers to throw out comparisons to Mike Sweetney. Right now most indications are that Smith is leaning towards committing to Ben Howland and UCLA, which would probably be the best possible thing for him considering the things he needs to work on. Lorenzo Romar and Washington reportedly aren’t far behind though.
Ryan Harrow, 5-11, Point Guard, George Walton Comprehensive H. S., 2010
Committed to N.C. State
Harrow (#28 Scout, #24 Rivals, #48 ESPN) came into the Adidas Nations camp billed as one of the top point guards in the 2010 class, but he was not quite able to justify that with the way he played.
Harrow is a small and extremely skinny point guard with tremendous athleticism. He’s extremely quick and explosive, which at times works to his detriment. He appears to be more of a scorer than a distributor from what we could tell, looking for any opportunity possible to clear out his teammates and go one on one by himself. Harrow had major issues trying to organize his team in the half-court, pounding the ball incessantly and making some truly baffling plays. He tried to get flashy at all the wrong times, leaving a distinct impression that he was far more interested in making a big play than making the right one.
Offensively, Harrow can get to the rim very effectively thanks to his extremely quick first step, but he has problems finishing at the basket at times due to his lack of size and strength. He showed some ability to knock down floaters in the lane, but will need to continue to work on his mid-range game if he wants to be effective as a scorer at the college level. Harrow made the occasional spot-up 3-pointer, but looked very streaky all in all as a perimeter shooter, looking very limited in this regard at times. Defensively, Harrow has quick hands and can put solid pressure on the ball, but his size will always be a major concern.
Harrow is committed to N.C. State, and has a chance to develop into a solid ACC point guard if he learns how to slow down and rounds out his all-around game. Players with his quickness can be quite an asset in today’s basketball, he just needs to gain more experience and learn how to use his athleticism more effectively.
Perry Jones, 6-11, Power Forward, Duncanville High School, 2010
Committed to Baylor
Simply put, no prospect in the 2010 high school class displays more NBA potential than Baylor commit Perry Jones (#12 Scout, #6 Rivals, #3 ESPN). Right off the bat, Jones wows you with his terrific physical attributes—standing 6-10 or 6-11, with a great frame, long arms and incredible athleticism. Jones runs the floor like a deer, explodes off the ground as if he has a personal trampoline at his disposal, and is extremely fluid and reactive to everything that goes on around him.
Skill-wise, there is quite a bit to like here as well. We regularly saw Jones grab a rebound and then handle the ball up-court himself, often weaving in and out of traffic before dishing off a perfectly timed no-look pass right into the path of a teammate streaking towards the basket. He also has a very nice jump-shot, showing streaky range out to the 3-point line, but with the type of touch and mechanics that lead you to believe that he can develop this part of his game into a real weapon in time.
When attacking the rim in the half-court, Jones displays an excellent first step and is capable of getting to the basket in two long strides, sometimes mixing in some very nice spins and pivot moves, often starting off a sharp crossover. Once he’s inside the paint, he finishes with the greatest of ease, typically in highlight reel fashion. Jones is certain to be a fixture many a highlight reel, as he has slamdunk contest-caliber leaping ability. His teammates regularly just throw lobs in the general direction of the rim, knowing that Jones will find a way to go get the ball and hammer it home.
In terms of weaknesses, there are a few you could point towards. One would be his complete lack of a back to the basket game, something you’d like to see him develop considering the quickness and nifty footwork he displays. He needs to get stronger in the lower body first, and probably quite a bit tougher in the paint as well.
Jones doesn’t always seem to be as focused or intense as you might hope, as it’s not rare to see him check out of a game mentally, at times for long stretches. He seems to get down on himself from time to time, not being aggressive at all, and playing with too little energy if he’s not directly involved in everything going on around him. This shows up on the defensive end and on the glass in particular, where he tends to rely too much on his athleticism and displays just average fundamentals. That athleticism does come in very handy in the form of steals and blocked shots, though, which he gets plenty of.
He also doesn’t always box out for rebounds, and is way too upright trying to guard the post, often just waiting for an opportunity to go and chase a blocked shot, rather than trying to deny position and play solid man to man defense. These are not very rare things for a big man this young, especially one who is a very late bloomer, like Jones clearly is, having experienced a late growth spurt that saw him shoot up dramatically over the course of a few years.
Despite the criticism, you’d be hard pressed to find a player with such an impressive combination of natural tools and skills as Perry Jones displays. His ability to create his own shot from the perimeter and find the open man with impressive passing skills is extremely unique at this level, and should make him a very popular prospect amongst NBA scouts in the 2010-2011 season. If he continues to progress and play like he did in Las Vegas when we saw him this summer, it’s going to be tough to envision him staying in school very long, as he could be a very very high draft pick.
Adonis Thomas, 6-5, Small Forward, Melrose High School, 2011
One of the more enjoyable prospects to watch on the AAU circuit in the class of 2011 was Memphis Magic wing Adonis Thomas (#15 Scout, #11 Rivals, #9 ESPN). We’re talking about a real junk-yard dog here—a long-armed, strong and extremely athletic forward who was easily the best defender we saw this summer. Thomas plays with unbelievable energy and was constantly making an impact on the game every time we saw him—be it running the floor, grabbing offensive rebounds, coming up with blocks and steals, and just sticking his nose in all kinds of places. He uses his length, strength and lateral quickness exceptionally well on the defensive end, getting low in a stance and absolutely smothering his opponents, never taking a single play off.
Offensively, he appears to be a raw prospect on first glance, showing underdeveloped ball-handling skills and an inconsistent stroke from the perimeter, although we did see him heat up from time to time and show nice potential on this end as well. At this level he can make his presence felt well enough just by being tougher and more athletic than everyone else, and he seems to do the job quite well. He draws a lot of fouls and will post up from time to time, even showing some nice passing skills from time to time. He never seems to get rattled and shows exactly the type of demeanor you want to see from a player who is only 16 years old. If Thomas continues to develop his all-around skill level, and maybe even grows another inch or two, while still playing with that same chip on his shoulder, we could be looking at a very interesting prospect down the road.
Fab Melo, 7-0, Center, Sagemont School, 2010
Committed to Syracuse
This probably wasn’t the ideal time, nor place, to evaluate Brazilian center Fabricio Melo (or Fab Melo, or Fabricio de Melo). After sitting out the entire high school season upon transferring to South Florida from his home country of Brazil, Melo (#5 Scout, #16 Rivals, #20 ESPN) looked out of shape and quickly became winded in every game we saw him play. On top of that, the AAU setting just isn’t a great place to take in a big man of this nature, as the games are incredibly up-tempo, the referees blow the whistle any time anyone breathes on someone, and guards rarely look (or know how) to get the ball inside. It’s safe to say that he’s never (or rarely) competed in a setting like this before.
Regardless, it isn’t hard to see what the recruiting services like about Melo. A true 7-footer with an NBA caliber frame and a great wingspan, Melo has better size than pretty much any big man taken in this last year’s draft, outside of Hasheem Thabeet. His body is extremely loose at the moment—it doesn’t look like he’s spent much time, if any, in the weight room, but with a good conditioning program, Melo could look like a stud in no time if he wanted to.
Athletically, Melo is average at best by our standards. He runs the floor pretty well, but is definitely on the lumbering side, not showing great quickness and seemingly playing below the rim (although his length helps him tremendously as a finisher). He does have very agile feet, though, especially stepping out and covering ground surprisingly well on the pick and roll, and it’s tough to gauge how much his lack of athleticism is due to conditioning issues. He looks like he’ll be a major shot-blocking presence at the collegiate level regardless, thanks to his outstanding wingspan and impressive timing.
Offensively, Melo was not productive at all in the games we took in, but still showed flashes of potential in many key areas. He seems to have very nice touch facing the basket, making a number of jumpers in warm-ups and even swishing a 3-pointer in an actual game. His low-post moves are raw and underdeveloped, but he did show some decent footwork from time to time, and definitely wasn’t afraid to throw his body around in the low post. On the other hand, he struggled to make clean catches on a regular basis, looking somewhat uncoordinated at times, and blew a number of easy opportunities in the form of open layups and dunks. He clearly has a long ways to go on this end of the floor.
Despite looking winded, Melo seemingly wants to play hard for the most part, and he also appears to be a pretty good teammate. He communicates regularly and definitely seems to care about whets going on on the court, which is always a good sign. Most indications we’ve received are that his work ethic is strong and he is an extremely high character person off the court.
As far as first impressions go, this one wasn’t the strongest, although we must take into account how highly most well-respected people who have seen him quite a bit more than us think of him. There are some question marks about how interesting these type of lumbering, old-school big men are for teams in today’s NBA, but there is no doubt that we’ll have to keep a close eye on Melo over the next few years. What's ironic is that we and many others saw Melo playing at the Adidas Nations camp one year ago and barely noticed his presence, as he was extremely out of shape at that point and almost a complete non-factor.
Dominique Ferguson, 6-8, Power Forward, Hargrave Military Academy, 2010
Committed to Florida International
Dominique Ferguson (#16 Scout, #40 Rivals, #46 ESPN) created quite a buzz last week when he decided to commit to Florida International and their extremely high-profile head coach Isiah Thomas. That’s obviously a huge get for Thomas and certainly a commitment worth following to see how things shake out.
Ferguson’s lofty recruiting rankings stem mostly from his upside from what we can tell, as he was not all that productive in the games we took in. He has average size for the power forward position, but seems to have a good frame, long arms and nice athleticism.
Offensively, Ferguson likes to face the basket, where he can make shots from the perimeter on occasion, but is better served using his physical tools around the rim at this point in time. He plays pretty hard in the paint, is a presence on the offensive glass and seems to have solid touch on his short-range shots, not possessing great strength or very advanced post-moves, but still being capable of making his presence felt from time to time.
Ferguson seems to fancy himself as a bit of a small forward, which is something we’ll have to continue to study over time. Despite showing a very nice first step slashing to the basket in a straight line, his ball-handling skills look very raw and he clearly lacks experience and polish. He makes quite a few unforced errors, seemingly lacking some focus and not really knowing his limitations at this point. He struggled in particular on the defensive end, looking out of place and not very fundamentally sound, even if he was able to change some shots around the rim with his length.
Ferguson should be able to dominate the Sun Belt conference with his superior physical gifts, but he needs to be coached up significantly before he can be discussed further.
It was tough to tell too much about this very highly touted young wing player in the AAU setting, as his team plays way too fast for their own good, and Blackshear (#12 Scout, #18 Rivals, #17 ESPN) looked pretty comfortable taking a backseat to some of his older teammates.
Blackshear has prototypical physical tools for a wing player, which is where most of the intrigue around him likely stems from. He’s extremely smooth in the open court, showing nice ability to change speeds and get to the basket, where he can absolutely explode and throw down some monster dunks. Combine that with his good size and a frame that will put on weight, and you have a pretty interesting prospect.
Offensively he shows a very nice stroke from the mid-range area, pulling up smoothly off the dribble, and creating great separation from his defender. He loses accuracy when he steps outside the 3-point line, though, and will settle for bad shots from time to time. He made some very nice passes in the games we saw, but have been a little too passive at times, looking far too comfortable blending in, and showing a distinct lack of aggressiveness. He made some extremely impressive plays from time to time, but then disappeared for long stretches.
Defensively, Blackshear has all the tools to be very effective, and should be able to develop into a very good defender at the collegiate level, as long as he’s willing to put the effort in, which wasn’t always the case when we saw him.
Jereme Richmond, 6-7, Small Forward, Waukegan High School, 2010
Committed to Illinois
Despite being one of the more highly touted players we took in on the summer circuit, it was tough not to come away disappointed by the play of Illinois commit Jereme Richmond (#6 Scout, #36 Rivals, #17 ESPN).
Richmond clearly has elite physical tools with his superb size at 6-7, to go along with an excellent wingspan and terrific athleticism. The problem is that he rarely utilized it in any of the three games we saw him, being almost a complete non-factor on the offensive end. Richmond’s ball-handling skills are poor and he lacks great range on his shot, often shooting the ball on the way down, which makes him fairly streaky. His feel for the game looked somewhat average, and he didn’t seem to be playing very hard either. Defensively he did show serious potential with his excellent natural gifts, though, and he did come up with some very athletic rebounds. He also made a couple of very nice passes, but still struggled to stand out for the most part.
Richmond has fallen a bit in the recruiting rankings as of late, likely because of some of the same issues we saw this summer. He obviously has quite a bit of talent, and we’ll have to wait and see what kind of college player he ends up being at Illinois. It’s not out of the question that he was just in an extended funk when we saw him, because clearly all the accolades he’s received didn’t come for nothing.
Ray McCallum, 6-1, Point Guard, Detroit Country Day School, 2010
One of the better pure point guards we saw this summer, Ray McCallum (#26 Scout, #60 Rivals, #36 ESPN) might not blow you away initially with his NBA upside, but he is sure to, at the very least, emerge as an outstanding college player.
Standing somewhere around 6-1, with a skinny frame and above average athleticism, McCallum’s best natural asset is his mind, which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering that his father is an NCAA head coach. He’s extremely poised, smart and mature, already showing excellent leadership skills, and being a very good decision maker for his age. He knows how to run a team and get all of his teammates involved, and should benefit tremendously from the experience he garners at the college level.
McCallum is not exceptionally quick, but he knows how to get to the rim thanks to his strong ball-handling skills, where he sometimes has issues finishing due to his lack of strength and leaping ability. He can make shots pulling up off the dribble, and seems to have improved his long-range jumper from what we’re told, even if it still seems prone to streakiness at times. Not a big-time scorer, McCallum will need to continue to hone his 3-point shot and in-between game if he’s to reach his full potential as a point guard. Defensively, McCallum doesn’t have great natural tools, but he does put the effort in, which is more than enough to get the job done at this level when you add in his excellent feel for the game. Whoever lands McCallum (all the top programs, including Kansas, UCLA, Duke, Louisville and others are after him) will be getting a player who is ready to contribute right away.
Michael Gilchrist, 6-6, Shooting Guard, St. Patrick’s High School, 2011
It would have been nice to see a lot more of Michael Gilchrist, considered by many to be arguably the best long-term prospect in high school basketball. Unfortunately we’ll have to stick with an initial first impression after seeing some small glimpses. Thankfully for us, though, Gilchrist is only 15 years old, meaning we’ll have plenty of opportunities to evaluate him down the road.
Gilchrist passes the eye test on first glance, showing great size for the wing position at 6-6 to go along with an excellent frame and a reported 7-foot wingspan. He doesn’t wow you with his athleticism initially (clearly he is still growing into his full athletic potential at this point), but seems to be a very smooth player overall and displays excellent body control, which helped him make a couple of very impressive plays, though.
Gilchrist has an extremely versatile game for such a young player, as he can do a little bit of everything at this point. He appears to have some point forward skills, showing nice court vision and an excellent feel for the game. He can post up his man but also break down the defense off the dribble, being capable of making shots from the perimeter, despite sporting a slow, fairly ugly release on his jumper. His ball-handling skills are improvable as you might imagine considering the stage of development he’s currently at.
Defensively, Gilchrist is extremely active and competitive, which is not something you find in most young star players this age, and leaves a lot of room for optimism regarding his future development. He seems to have a great demeanor on the court, not being afraid to step up in important situations, but also not trying to impose himself excessively on the game. He seemed to take pride in crashing the offensive glass in the games we saw.
Talent evaluators seem to unanimously agree that Gilchrist is an extremely special prospect with tremendous natural gifts. The challenge for him now will be to continue to play with the same type of fire that has allowed him to rise to the top of his high school class, and continue to work on his all-around game. That’s not going to be easy considering how early the spotlight came for Gilchrist, as history hasn’t always been all that kind to prospects who were “discovered” so early. We’ll have to see how he continues to develop, and we’re sure we’ll be talking plenty more about him in the coming year.
While obviously it’s way too early to be talking about a player who just finished his freshman year of high school, it was tough not taking notice of the talent that Justin Anderson displays. Not only does the lefty bring great physical tools to the table, highlighted by a great frame, wingspan and athleticism, but he also looks to be a very smart, tough, active player with a pretty nice stroke. He competed non-stop, defended extremely well and also did a great job crashing the glass. Already ranked by ESPN as one of the top five players in the 2012 high school class, Anderson has quite a future ahead of him if he continues to work hard and doesn’t let the hype go to his head.
One of the fastest-rising players in the 2010 class based on his play this summer, Terrence Jones (#34 Scout, #15 Rivals, #16 ESPN) didn’t disappoint in the least bit when we went out to see him in the GBOA tournament in Las Vegas.
A 6-8 tweener forward with solid athleticism and a nice frame, Jones does a little bit of everything for his team. He likes to play primarily facing the basket, where he shows a nice first step and the ability to attack his man off the dribble going either left or right. Not blessed with great advanced ball-handling skills at this point—he’s mainly a two-dribble guy without much of a mid-range game—Jones does an excellent job using shot-fakes to create space and takes the ball very strong to the rack.
Capable of knocking down a barrage of 3-pointers when he gets hot, Jones is still a bit on the streaky side from the perimeter and tends to fall in love excessively with his jumper at times. He has a slight hitch in his shot which takes away from the fluidity of his release. Although he’s very much capable of posting up, and actually shows nice footwork on occasion down in the paint to go along with his strong body and excellent size, he doesn’t seem to do so enough, looking more concerned with bringing the ball up the floor in transition himself and trying to show off his small forward skills. He’s not a selfish guy, though—he seemed very willing to make the extra pass and all in all looked like a pretty good teammate.
Defensively, Jones shows average fundamentals and toughness and doesn’t always look all that focused on this side of the floor. He can get in the passing lanes and make plays rotating from the weakside, but doesn’t always seem to show much hustle getting after the glass, although he can clearly make his presence felt here when he puts his mind to it.
Jones has a rep for being fairly inconsistent from game to game, as you never quite know what you’ll get from him on any given night. This is not that much of a shock considering the stage of development he’s currently at, and it will be interesting to see whether his games blossoms moving forward. He has a lot of tools at his disposal and is an extremely versatile all-around player, even if he hasn’t quite found a position for himself just yet.
LaQuinton Ross, 6-8, Small Forward, Murrah High School, 2011
One year after evaluating LaQuinton Ross for the first time, we haven’t seen a great deal of change in his game. He’s still the same ultra-sized and very smooth wing player with unremarkable athleticism, and he’s still extremely skilled for his age. Ross has solid ball-handling skills for his height, yet they are still improvable. He’s capable of pulling up smoothly off the dribble from mid-range when the situation calls for it, and has a very nice stroke from beyond the arc as well, even looking adept at coming off screens. His shot-selection left something to be desired, but he did make some nice passes at times and generally looked more mature.
Ross doesn’t know how to use his size to post up smaller players, though, and seems to show a very concerning lack of aggressiveness in general on the offensive end, looking far too passive at times and way too content just letting things come to him. He surely lacks a bit of fire and toughness to his game.
Defensively, Ross’ fundamentals are still fairly poor, although he does seem to be putting in slightly better effort than we remembered. He gets beat off the dribble fairly easily still, though, and it’s not quite clear what position he’ll be able to defend at the collegiate level, although his length and excellent instincts getting in the passing lanes do help out.
Ross was a very highly touted player from an extremely young age, but there are some concerns that he’s not improving as quickly as some of his peers and that his mentality leaves something to be desired. He’s still far too young of a prospect to write off, and we’ll have to see what he looks like after another year of high school basketball next summer.
Although we only had one opportunity to see Keala King (unranked Scout.com, #35 Rivals, #54 ESPN) in action, it didn’t take more than that to come away thoroughly impressed.
A 6-5ish ultra smooth combo guard in the Evan Turner mold, King is an extremely creative player who excels on the pick and roll. He is very aggressive putting the ball on the deck and trying to get to the rim, showing nice ball-handling skills and the ability to create for both himself and others. He’s a very good passer, particularly on the drive and dish, and has a knack for finding teammates in stride for easy baskets, thanks to his high basketball IQ.
King has good, but not great athleticism, which coupled with his narrow frame makes it difficult for him to finish in traffic at times, and in turn makes him a bit turnover prone. His perimeter stroke is a bit on the shaky side, something he’ll have to work on if he’s to reach his full potential. He passed up a couple of open looks in the game we saw, instead opting to drive into the crowded paint, which led to mixed results. He seemed to get a bit rattled at times when things didn’t go his way, complaining excessively to the referees and losing his focus somewhat, which may be more a product of his age more than anything.
With his excellent instincts and aggressive mentality, King is the type of player who always seems to be around the ball, which often manifests itself in the form of steals and rebounds. He seems to take pride in the effort he puts in on the defensive end, and indeed guarded everywhere from the 1-4 spots in the game we took in. He appears to have a fairly poor wingspan, though, which may hurt his potential on this end of the floor in the long-term, especially when coupled with his narrow frame.
King is a very nice prospect for the collegiate level, as his size and ability to create for himself and others will allow him to play 2 or 3 positions when it’s all said and done. If he develops a steadier jump-shot, he could become a very interesting prospect.
Josh Hairston, 6-8, Power Forward, Montrose Christian, 2010
We had a chance to get an extended look at Josh Hairston (#42 Scout, #55 Rivals, #28 ESPN) this summer, as he played at the GBOA tournament we attended, as well as the Adidas 64 in Las Vegas and the Adidas Nations event in Dallas.
Hairston is an undersized power forward at 6-8, who does not possess great athleticism, but is smart, fundamental and versatile enough to emerge as an excellent college player at Duke.
Not overly skilled in any one area at this point, Hairston shows glimpses of potential in a number of different parts of his game, all of which can become weapons in the future if he continues to add polish. He likes to play primarily facing the basket, where he shows a very nice (although sometimes a bit flat) stroke knocking down 3-pointers, and is even capable of pulling up off the dribble from mid-range. He likes to take his man off the dribble from the perimeter, where he is an excellent mismatch threat, and shows very nice footwork and interesting pivot moves in the process, being capable of finishing with either hand around the basket.
When given the opportunity, he will not shy away from taking his man down to the paint and showing somewhat of a post game, although he doesn’t possess great strength or many advanced moves down there. He’s also a solid passer (especially on the outlet after a defensive rebound) thanks to his nice feel for the game, he seems to have a good demeanor on the court and is clearly a good teammate.
This same feeling is also transmitted to the defensive end, where Hairston shows good activity level, and is not afraid to stick his nose in and take a charge. He plays hard and puts a very good effort in on the glass, getting his hands on all kinds of loose balls, and even coming up with the occasional block or steal. As it currently stands, he may need to bulk up somewhat to avoid being posted up by the stronger power forwards he’ll inevitably run into in the ACC, as he clearly doesn’t have the lateral quickness to be effective enough defending small forwards.
Hairston epitomizes the direction many teams and coaches are moving towards these days in terms of how they expect their power forward to play, and is therefore a great get for Coach K and the Blue Devils, especially when you add in the fact that he’s a seemingly very high character guy. His NBA potential may not be as high as other power forwards in this class, but that probably only makes him a more attractive option for most colleges.
Tarik Black, 6-8, PF/C, Ridgeway High School, 2010
Not a big time prospect by any stretch at this point, Tarik Black (#57 Scout, #43 Rivals, #55 ESPN) regardless managed to emerge as one of our favorite players to watch this summer.
Black is an undersized PF/C with a good frame, a nice wingspan and excellent athleticism. He runs the floor extremely hard, gets off the floor with authority, and simply plays harder than everyone else.
Very limited offensively, Black was his team’s 5th option for the most part in the games we took in, mostly being relegated to catching and finishing around the basket. He still found ways to be productive, be it running the floor in transition, crashing the offensive glass with tenacity, or making some very basic spin moves in the post. His feel for the game, particularly his ability to pass out of double teams, needs work.
Defensively is where Black is probably at his best at the moment, as we could clearly see from the very strong outing he had against top-rated big man Joshua Smith, where he thoroughly frustrated him with his toughness and peskiness. His length and athleticism allows him to emerge as a very effective shot-blocking threat rotating from the weak-side, and he’s agile enough to step out and hedge screens out on the perimeter defending the pick and roll.
Every college team needs at least one Tarik Black in their frontcourt rotation, and thus it’s no surprise to see the type of offers he’s getting at the moment. After all, long-armed athletic big men with a heartbeat don’t exactly grow on trees. If he continues to develop his all-around polish as he fills out and gains more experience over the next few years, we might be able to talk about his pro potential as well.
-Cole Aldrich- Similarly to the way he played at the Adidas Nations Camp in Dallas last August, Aldrich again did very little to justify his status as a potential top-5 draft pick. It’s likely that he’s just not the type of player that stands out in these settings, as he seems to look very uncomfortable for the most part outside of Kansas’ system. Aldrich’s skill-level offensively looked very limited in the drills and five on five action, as he has average footwork and touch around the rim and appears pretty mechanical when trying to create his own shot. Defensively his terrific frame and freakish length allows him to be quite a factor when he puts his mind to it, but he often looked tentative and lethargic trying to make his presence felt.
-Al-Farouq Aminu- Although he showed flashes of great potential, Aminu was somewhat of a disappointment here, looking quite limited offensively and only amplifying that initial impression with the way he repeatedly forced the issue.
Aminu seemed to have his heart set on trying to prove to the scouts in attendance that he’s a legit small forward prospect, but he only appeared to do exactly the opposite. His jumper looked quite poor in the drills, showing poor footwork coming off screens and a very slow release, leading to extremely inconsistent results. He was able to make some open mid-range jumpers, but looks a long ways away from becoming a reliable threat from the college 3-point line, let alone NBA range.
Aminu shows a great first step beating his man off the dribble with his left hand, but struggles trying to utilize his right hand or create shots in pure isolation situations. Defensively, he did a great job guarding both forward positions, using his outstanding length and athleticism to emerge as an extremely disruptive presence.
With Jeff Teague and James Johnson off to the NBA, Aminu will have to show that he can shoulder a much larger offensive role than he did last season, and it will be interesting to see how efficiently he will be able to do so. No one will deny the upside Aminu possesses at this point in time, but potential is only going to win Wake Forest so many games.
-Manny Harris-One of the most athletic players in attendance, Manny Harris showed a lightning quick first step and terrific leaping ability. While Harris’ narrow frame and poor wingspan aren’t going to help him out much on the defensive side of the ball, he did show the ability to make tough shots, which he seems to settle for quite often. An extremely talented scorer regardless, Harris is likely to emerge as one of the top players in the Big 10 this year, even if his NBA potential is still a matter of debate.
-Jordan Crawford-The Indiana transfer and current Xavier player looked extremely hungry after sitting out all of last season, and was able to make his presence felt from time to time with some big plays. The most impressive one came in the evening session of day two, where he showed no shame using a slick cross over to unbalance none other than LeBron James, and then proceeded to drive to the rim and cram an emphatic two-handed slam right in King James’ face. Needless to say, the crowd was pretty impressed by Jordan Crawford. He also made some shots from the perimeter, crashed the offensive glass, and even played some tough defense. We may have to check back on Crawford’s progress this season at Xavier at some point…
-Jerome Jordan-Seeing is believing when it comes to Jerome Jordan, as there might not be a player in this year’s draft class who makes a stronger initial impression on first glance. His physical tools are amazing, starting with his legit 7-feet size, his excellent frame, or his pterodactyl 7-6 wingspan. When it came to the actual games or drills, though, it was a whole different story. Jordan showed flashes of potential with the way he finished around the rim, but for the most part he looked clumsy or not focused (depending on your perspective) trying to make catches with his so-so hands, and also seemed very lethargic in the competitive part of the drills. He may be a little bit too laid back for his own good, prompting one scout in attendance to go as far as to call him “a less athletic Patrick O’Bryant.” We wouldn’t go quite that far, but Jordan definitely needs to show a higher intensity level if he wants to justify passing up being the 2nd or 3rd best center in the 2009 draft by returning to Tulsa for his senior year.
-Larry Sanders- Another player that evokes some pretty strong reactions on first glance, Larry Sanders may have helped himself as much as anyone just by showing up for this camp. Measuring 6-10 in shoes, with a freakish 7-6 ½ wingspan and a frame that should put on weight, Sanders probably would have been a first round pick solely based on upside had he decided to enter the draft this year. He’s also a pretty athletic guy, as he showed repeatedly by running the floor and going well out of his area for impressive rebounds on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he was an incredible presence at times, changing absolutely everything around the basket just by putting his arms in the air. He needs to do a better job not biting on pump-fakes, but his potential in this area is obviously considerable. Offensively, Sanders is extremely limited at this point in time, looking mechanical in his movements and showing a very low-skill level. He did attempt some mid-range jumpers, but doesn’t seem to have the greatest touch.
-Willie Warren- Offensively, there wasn’t a more impressive player in attendance, as few possess the shot-creating tools that Warren does from the perimeter. His combination of athleticism, scoring instincts and aggressiveness made him quite a force here, as his shiftiness with the ball and long strides allow him to get nearly wherever he wants to go. When he wasn’t creating angles for himself to get to the rim, Warren showed an advanced ability to make contested shots from the mid-range and beyond the arc. On the downside, Warren measured in shorter than advertised at just 6-3 ½ in shoes with a 6-6 wingspan, and didn’t look anything like the point guard some experts have billed him as. It’s pretty clear that he’s most comfortable first and foremost looking for his own shot, as he seems to get tunnel vision once he starts driving down the lane. The coaches that worked with him raved about his attitude, which seems to be a constant theme.
-Kyle Singler- Singler barely touched the ball in the five on five action we were able to see, but he did show a really versatile skill-set in the three on three and two on two action we took in. He looked extremely competitive getting after guys and trying to make things happen, showing a really nice feel for getting his shot off using head fakes and other crafty moves. His body is looking better and better these days, even if he didn’t shoot the ball as well as we may have hoped in the drills.
High School Player Evaluations
Note: While we were able to get a first look at a large amount of players at this camp, we’d prefer to wait on evaluating most of them until we get another impression from watching them play in Las Vegas at the end of this month.
Harrison Barnes, 6-8, 209 pounds, 7-0 ½ wingspan, Class of 2010
Kelly Kline/Nike
Considering his status as the number one recruit in the country according to both Scout.com and ESPN (#2 on Rivals after Brandon Knight), Barnes is long overdue for a write-up on this site, despite the fact that he’s two years away from being draft eligible.
Showing prototypical physical tools for an NBA wing player, including excellent size, length and a frame that will fill out nicely in time, Barnes passes the look test and then some on first glance. Maybe not as freakish an athlete as some former #1 overall recruits, Barnes is still no slouch in that category, showing excellent fluidity and overall mobility, to compliment his excellent scoring tools.
Still an improving ball-handler, Barnes is already able to get to where he needs to on the floor thanks to the shiftiness he shows with the ball, combined with his long strides and ability to change directions quickly. He did a good job creating shots for himself in the mid-range area, and was able to convert some extremely difficult shots thanks to his excellent touch. From the perimeter he has a nice stroke and clearly possesses 3-point range, but he seemed to get a bit streaky from time to time.
Not afraid of contact in the least bit, Barnes showed no qualms about utilizing his size inside the paint by posting up the very highly touted Dashaun Thomas time after time. He was incredibly active on the offensive glass as well, making an absolute living by being the first player going after loose balls, showing an impressive work ethic in the process.
His demeanor on the floor is excellent at this point in time, which probably makes high school talent evaluators all the more comfortable in his lofty projection, as he’s all the more likely to continue to work on his weaknesses. He displayed a very nice mix between being aggressive in looking for his own shot and not forcing the issue, which is not an easy thing to do at a camp like this.
Obviously we’ll be talking plenty about Barnes over the next few years. According to Scout.com, his lengthy recruiting list includes the likes of Duke, Kansas, Florida, Iowa State, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina and Oklahoma. The scuttlebutt seems to indicate that Kansas is in the lead at this point.
Andre Dawkins, 6-4 ½, 196 pounds, 6-8 wingspan, 2010
The crown jewel of Duke’s 2010 recruiting class, Andre Dawkins (#22 Scout, #16 Rivals, #10 ESPN) acquainted himself nicely with this camp from the first moment we saw him, looking extremely aggressive right off the bat. Dawkins shows average size for his position, but makes up for that with solid athleticism, an excellent frame and a long wingspan. His basketball IQ is immediately evident when comparing him with his peers, as he seems to have excellent fundamentals and really looks serious about the game, which is a very nice sign. He’s a confident kid who showed no shame in attacking the defense in transition or taking shots from the perimeter, showing a really nice stroke from the perimeter, solid ball-handling skills and the ability to find the open man. His mid-range game seems to need some work, as he’s not nearly as effective pulling up off the dribble as he is with his feet set.
J.T. Terrell, 6-3, 185, 6-9 wingspan, 2010
Although not the most highly touted player in attendance by any stretch of the imagination, Wake Forest commit J.T. Terrell (#76 Scout, #84 Rivals, #65 ESPN) was regardless one of the more productive, looking extremely confident in this setting and having no problem making his presence felt.
Undersized for the shooting guard position at just 6-3 in shoes, Terrell makes up for his lack of height with a huge 6-9 wingspan and excellent athleticism. He’s a slippery guard who shows very nice change of speed ability and big-time leaping ability, throwing down a number of impressive dunks. Terrell has great scoring instincts and seems to be very creative on top of that, constantly looking for ways in which to get his shot off, but also appearing to be fairly unselfish trying to create for others. He was very effective in transition and showed a pretty flashy game, which goes along with his flat-top that makes him very convenient to spot at all times. Terrell struggled with his mid-range game in the action we took in, and looks to be an improvable defender on top of that. Sometimes his flashiness lead to turnovers, but you couldn’t fault him for trying to make things happen in this setting. Terrell looks like a nice get for Wake Forest, and will likely be around in college for a while.
With the 2009 NBA Draft in the rearview mirror, it’s time to start thinking about 2010 and beyond, which prompted us to spend a few days at the LeBron James Skills Academy in Akron, Ohio. We were able to take in a number of top high school and college prospects, many of whom will be featured prominently on this site in coming years. In this initial report, we talk about who made it out to the camp and what they worked on, while our second report will feature evaluations of those who stood out the most.
Top College Prospects
The LeBron Camp has slowly gained in notoriety year after year as a hotspot for future NBA lottery picks, to the point that nearly every NBA team now sends a representative. This year’s edition was no exception, even if there were no incoming college freshman in attendance, which is a departure from years past.
The top college prospects, with their ranking on our preliminary DraftExpress 2010 mock draft in parenthesis:
Between this, the USA Basketball Under-19 World Championship Tryouts, and the World University Games Tryouts, we’ve now been able to take in a pretty solid chunk of the players that will make up the 2010 NBA draft.
Measurements
Alongside the names and colleges of the NCAA prospects on the roster list, we also find measurements done by the Nike people here at this camp. Despite the fact that we’re always skeptical of measurements conducted outside of the NBA pre-draft camp setting, on first glance these appear to be quite realistic, and indeed cross-referencing the listing of one NBA combine participant in attendance here, Greivis Vasquez, yields a similar impression.
Some of the more notable figures include:
Cole Aldrich- 6-11 in shoes, 242 pounds, 7-6 wingspan Al-Farouq Aminu- 6-8 in shoes, 218 pounds, 7-0 wingspan Devin Ebanks- 6-7 in shoes, 204 pounds, 6-9 wingspan Yancy Gates- 6-9 in shoes, 274 pounds, 7-3 wingspan Manny Harris- 6-5 ½ in shoes, 183 pounds, 6-6 ½ wingspan Jerome Jordan- 7-0 ½ in shoes, 245 pounds, 7-6 wingspan Kalin Lucas- 6-0 ½ in shoes, 186 pounds, 6-1 ½ wingspan Larry Sanders- 6-10 in shoes, 217 pounds, 7-6 ½ wingspan Iman Shumpert- 6-5 ½ in shoes, 211 pounds, 6-9 wingspan Kyle Singler- 6-7 in shoes, 222 pounds, 6-9 ½ wingspan Greivis Vasquez- 6-6 in shoes, 200 pounds, 6-7 wingspan Willie Warren- 6-3 ½ in shoes, 196 pounds, 6-6 wingspan Chris Wright- 6-7 in shoes, 217 pounds, 6-7 wingspan
Top High School Prospects
Obviously much more than just an exposure camp for NCAA prospects, the LeBron James Skills Academy featured 93 of the top high school players in America. Being here for just two days didn’t allow us to get a great handle on most of the players here, but it did give us (and the NBA talent evaluators sitting alongside us) an opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the newest names that will be rolling off our tongues in coming years. This is mostly about first impressions, putting faces to the names of the very top prospects, eyeballing their physical tools, taking stock of their skill level, and making note of things to look for in the future.
It was interesting to hear the philosophies of the various NBA types in attendance regarding the value of scouting top high school prospects at such a young age. Some clearly were taking the task seriously, taking meticulous notes which they say they will later refer back to for comparison when they reevaluate these prospects for the draft, while others said they see no value in such a setting at all.
Michael Gilchrist
Austin Rivers
Marquis Teague
Johnny O'Bryant
Rakeem Christmas Myck Kabongo
Many more…
There was even one lone international prospect in attendance, a 6-3 Chinese point/combo guard by the name of Guo Ailun (or as the roster says, Aliun Guo), by way of Liaoning. Guo showed impressive quickness and ball-handling skills, looking very confident pushing the ball up the floor in transition and even pulling off a very nifty spin move and finish off the glass in traffic on one occasion. He showed the ability to create his own shot and find the open man off the dribble, but looked a bit out of control at times trying to make things happen. Guo is bound to draw comparisons to fellow flashy Chinese combo guard Chen Jianghua in coming years, but hopefully for him he is able to develop his fundamentals a little bit better.
The Skills Academy
Those decrying the state of American basketball, particularly the often dodgy world of AAU and summer basketball would likely have been pleased to see the amount of time Nike is devoting the development aspect of this camp. Very little time early on was dedicated to competitive five on five action, with the counselors appearing to put great emphasis on the Skills Academy portion of the camp.
We saw the players being put through hours of drills filled to the brim with personal instruction and concepts revolving around skill development, both individual (shooting, ball-handling, post moves, etc) and team oriented (off-ball defense, spacing, off-ball movement).
The coaches here made it a point to take the players out of their comfort zones and force them to work on things that they may not be accustomed to—their off-hand, passing, the full-court press, etc. Guards were shown the nuances of posting up, while the big men were asked to shoot jumpers.
An added perk for the campers was the fact that none other than LeBron James was participating in some of the drills for wing players on the second day, before taking part in five on five action alongside the likes of Danny Green, Tarence Kinsey, Christian Eyenga and his high school teammate Romeo Travis against the college prospects in the evening.
Tomorrow: High School and NCAA player evaluations.
by: Jonathan Givony - President, Joseph Treutlein - Assistant Director of Scouting
April 20, 2009
After conducting a very informative practice on Thursday, the players scrimmaged on Friday and then participated in the actual game on Sunday, giving us two additional opportunities to evaluate the 24 prospects in attendance. Unfortunately the scrimmage was not all that competitive, and the game ended up being a total bust, as the play was completely bogged down by the whistle-happy referees and the typical lackadaisical approach of this very relaxed class. Still, we were able to put in the work we needed to in terms of evaluating those high school prospects who we had not written about in the previous two high school all-star games.
Jim Hlavac, DraftExpress
-Wally Judge was one of the revelations of the week, as few prospects here could match his combination of athleticism, versatility and upside. Judge is a 6-8 power forward with tremendous quickness and leaping ability, as he showed on a number of occasions with some incredibly explosive dunks. He has the ability to both make shots from the perimeter and create from the outside, but needs to work considerably on his skill-level, as he tends to be fairly mistake/turnover prone when trying to do too much from the outside. Defensively, he lacks the strength to keep his matchup out of the lane and did not show much if any intensity level of this end of the floor throughout the week. His fundamentals seem a bit average and his approach to the game and overall feel is generally inconsistent. Still, it’s hard not to get excited about his talent, and it’s likely that he makes quite an impact as a freshman at K-State.
-Jordan Hamilton had an impressive week, showing off his physical tools and his developing skill set, looking very much like he’s ready to step in at the small forward position next season. A good but not great athlete, Hamilton has great size for the 3, though he appears to have below average length. Hamilton applies his physical tools frequently in his play, being one of the more consistently aggressive players in attendance. Hamilton was relentless attacking the basket both in the half court and full court, finishing well around the basket and showing good ability to adjust his body in mid-air. One area Hamilton seems to really excel is at attacking the offensive glass, as he frequently flies in from nowhere to get a hand on the ball and make putbacks around the rim.
Skill-wise, Hamilton is still coming along, having a good handle in the open court and the ability to make subtle changes of direction in the half court, however he can get into trouble in tight situations and still could use more work on his advanced ball-handling. As a shooter, Hamilton has the basic foundation of his mechanics in place, however he gets inconsistent at times, specifically with the flaring out of his right elbow, leading to some bad misses.
-Daniel Orton may not have been overly productive in the three days we saw him, but it’s pretty obvious that he will be quite a force in college once he gets his feet underneath him. Orton has an NBA body and a tremendous wingspan, although he’s not what you could consider a tremendous athlete. He likes to play inside, though and is more than capable of making his presence felt down there, even if he needs to work on his footwork and all-around post-game. He stepped out and knocked down a mid-range jumper on one occasion, but it’s not clear that this is a consistent part of his offensive arsenal just yet. Defensively, he has the strength and length to be a factor at this level around the basket—more than that, we’ll have to wait and see.
-Durand Scott is someone we’ve been meaning to formulate a scouting report for, and we expected this week would be a good time to do so, but there really isn‘t a whole lot we can say with confidence after this week. He’s a rangy athlete with a good handle in the open court (however it gets shaky in tight situations), and he’s a capable shooter with range to the three-point line. Spotting up he appears very reliable even in spite of a slight hitch in his mechanics, however he didn’t show much ability pulling up off the dribble. He doesn’t appear to have much of a point guard’s game at this moment, being more of an undersized two, and his decision-making in general is questionable. He did appear to be a fairly intense defender at times, though.
-Dominic Cheek is another player we wanted to take a long look at, but again there was only so much we could take away, especially with his non-aggressive offensive demeanor. That’s not an insult to his game, as he appears to be very comfortable doing the little things, playing off his teammates, something he does well, knocking down spot-up jumpers and cutting off the ball to finish at the basket. Cheek is also formidable on the defensive end, where he plays pretty aggressive and uses his physical tools well. He’s a good athlete with good size and length for his position, though his body is a bit underdeveloped, as he could definitely use some time in the weight room.
-Jamil Wilson is a long and athletic small forward who has nice potential at his size, but will likely take some time to pan out at Oregon. His ball-handling skills look questionable and his shooting mechanics appear to need plenty of work (his elbow flails out violently), even if he was able to knock down some shots occasion this week. He seemed to be willing to put the effort in defensively and also didn’t have a problem making the extra pass to an open teammate. He did a nice job in transition as well. There is obviously some upside here for Ernie Kent to tap into.
International Game
The day actually started off with a fairly interesting game featuring many of the top prospects in the 1993 international class. While we came in anticipating a very strong showing from some of the very highly touted European players, it was actually the two young Nigerian players who probably delivered the most impressive performances.
6-10 power forward Ismaila Dauda (out of Choice Academy in Miami) scored 21 points in the first half, drilling a couple of NBA 3-pointers (one on an impressive pick and pop play), and also making some very nice moves in the post. He appears to have good footwork for a player just finishing his freshman year of high school, as well as very soft touch on his turnaround jumper. Dauda has an outstanding frame and the length to establish himself as a legit shot-blocker, although he does not appear to be a tremendous athlete on first glance. He has a very good feel for the game considering he’s just 16, though, and did a very good job communicating on defense. Dauda is already committed to the University of Miami, despite being a member of the 2012 class. If he continues to develop over the next few years, and holds firm in his commitment, he could end up being quite a steal for the Hurricanes.
6-1 point guard Adeolu Ojo or Ojo Olaiya Adeolu as he was called on the official roster also did an excellent job in this game, despite being unable to participate in any of the practices after only having landed the night before. Adeolu was probably the best overall athlete in this game, as he showed on a number of terrific drives to the basket, where he displayed outstanding quickness and the ability to elevate over defenders. He does not appear to have the body of a 16-year old, as he already sports a chiseled frame with long arms. He showed excellent intensity on the defensive end, getting into a low stance on each and every possession and absolutely locking up his man on the perimeter. His jump-shot and playmaking skills appear to be the two areas of his game that he needs the most work on, but on first glance he appeared to have a good feel for the game and plenty of upside to grow into. He finished the game with 20 points in 20 minutes.
The game’s leading scorer was 6-foot Slovenian Luka Rupnik, a quick, tiny and feisty guard who looked to be absolutely oozing with confidence. He dominated the ball for most possessions of this game, getting to the free throw line 16 times, and finishing the game with 27 points, 3 assists and 6 turnovers. He seems to be a very crafty young player with nice ability to change speeds and get to the rim, being a good ball-handler with a nice floater. His body is extremely underdeveloped at the moment and he doesn’t appear to have the strength to shoot 3-pointers with very much consistency just yet, although he does seem to have the ability to make shots from the perimeter. He appeared capable of making plays for others, but largely looked interested in doing everything himself. We’ll have to see how much he grows and develops over the next year, but we can already see the Jaka Lakovic comparisons starting up fairly soon.
6-7 Lithuanian wing player Tauras Jogela only got to play 18 minutes in this game, but he showed nice potential in the practices and from the brief glimpses we were able to see, as he possesses a great frame, excellent size and nice athleticism at his position. He shows a nice first step and the ability to create his own shot effectively, as well as smooth passing skills and range out to the 3-point line. It’s hard to say much more than that based on the limited sample size, but he left a nice impression.
6-4 Serbian guard Nenad Miljenovic came in with plenty of hype from his home country, but took a little while to get going from what we were able to see. He is a big combo guard who can create shots for himself and for others with crafty footwork and nice ball-handling skills, but is an average athlete with very limited strength, which made it very difficult for him to finish around the rim. His jump-shot looked excellent in the practices, both with his feet set and off the dribble.
6-6 Czech wing player Martin Kriz looks very raw at the moment, but showed a nice first step and strong ball-handling skills at his size, taking the ball coast to coast on a couple of occasions.
by: Jonathan Givony - President, Joseph Treutlein - Assistant Director of Scouting
April 17, 2009
We’re here in New York City for the third and final major high school all-star event of the spring—the Jordan Brand Classic. Most of the top talents in the 2009 class are represented here, many of whom we saw at the McDonald’s All-American game and the Nike Hoop Summit. Fortunately, there are also a couple of new names sprinkled in to keep things interesting for us.
In terms of the top prospects, we find the always interesting John Wall, whom we’ll profile later in this article, at the top of the list. Derrick Favors is on the list, but he did not show up for the first day of practices—he’ll apparently come in tomorrow, as will Keith Gallon. John Henson is here, as is Xavier Henry, Avery Bradley, Abdul Gaddy, DeMarcus Cousins, Renardo Sidney and Mason Plumlee—all of whom you may be sick of reading about by now. To keep things fresh, we’ll take an in-depth look at some of the new faces in attendance—including Jordan Hamilton, Wally Judge, Daniel Orton, Mouphtauo Yarou, Durand Scott, Royce White and MJ’s son, Marcus Jordan.
Starting with the black team, we saw a more intense effort level than we’ve become accustomed to from this high school class in the various All-American events, a welcome change for sure. Taking the lead from guards Avery Bradley and Abdul Gaddy, there was a serious tone for most of the practice, with a pretty high level of play relative to what we’ve seen in the past.
The practice run on this side of the gym was pretty generic, starting with individual drills featuring post-up moves, dribble drives, and pull-up jumpers. From that they transitioned into some 4-on-5 half court and full court drills, which basically turned into a 5-on-5 intra-squad scrimmage. Next, the coaches installed a very bread-and-butter 4-out 1-in motion offense, while also mixing in some high screen-and-rolls for good measure. From there, they went back to some more intra-squad scrimmaging before calling it a day.
In the individual drills portion of the practice, a few players stood out, though not all for the right reasons. On the positive side, Avery Bradley and Alex Oriakhi quickly made their incredibly high skill levels and feels for the game evident, executing nearly every described move with perfect footwork and coordination, clearly standing out above the pack. Oriakhi’s post acumen was on display in the scrimmages as well, as he’s clearly a player who understands his strengths and shows a non-stop motor in making full use of them. Oriakhi punished DeMarcus Cousins in the paint frequently today, finishing with both hands, attacking the basket strong, mixing in nifty reverse lay-ups, and showing a post repertoire many NCAA seniors would envy.
Speaking of Cousins, he’s one player who didn’t look good in the drills portion of the practice, showing a lackluster effort level while seemingly struggling to execute some of the moves as described, not looking very smooth in his motions. Once the scrimmages started, however, Cousins looked like an entirely different player, attacking with his back-to-the-basket, facing up from the perimeter, and slashing in transition, showing great mobility, coordination, and smoothness on his drives. He’s clearly a player who plays better relying on his instincts as opposed to executing described moves in drills. As always, though, what we saw here was largely a mixed bag from Cousins, as his motor was on and off for most of the practice and his conditioning was a problem at times. He appeared winded periodically and had a hard time keeping up with the other players running up and down the court. To his credit, he played with much more of a mean streak in the painted area here and was less inclined to settle for perimeter jumpers than we’ve seen him in the past, hopefully a permanent development.
As mentioned earlier, Abdul Gaddy and Avery Bradley really set the tempo on this side of the gym, both playing very intelligent basketball, and never letting up with their effort levels, something that seemed to rub off on most of the other players. Gaddy has continued to impress us with what he shows on the floor, displaying a mature court sense for his age. This is even more impressive when you consider that he’s a year younger than everyone in this class. In terms of seeing the floor, managing tempo, changing speeds, and making decisions with the ball, Gaddy plays well beyond his years.
Avery Bradley was one of the more active players on the floor, especially on the defensive end, where he put his physical tools and fundamentals to work, playing intense perimeter defense in a setting where many players don’t even bother. Offensively, Bradley was also impressive, hitting pull-up jumpers and attacking the basket, finishing often and making it look easy with his smooth athleticism.
As for the rest of those in attendance, John Henson’s athleticism was on full display once again, as he pogo-sticked his way around both sides of the court, finishing well at the basket on offense and patrolling the lane on defense. Lamont Jones got off to a rough start forcing some shots, however he persisted with his efforts, hustling frequently and eventually getting into a groove and knocking down a few outside shots. Jordan Hamilton also brought his hustle to this practice, getting out in transition, cutting to the basket, and attacking the offensive glass, looking a little more toned and athletic than we last remember him.
For the White team, there was more emphasis put on transition drills than on working on individual skills—with plenty of 3 on 2, 2 on 1, and 1 on 2 runout situations instilled to get the players ready for the all-star setting they will soon be playing in. Most of the practice was spent on an intersquad scrimmage, which is something we surely weren’t going to complain about.
To ensure that things remained competitive for the entire time the players were on the court, the very experienced Stu Vetter of Montrose Christian (Kevin Durant’s high school) kept score and informed both sides that the losers of each round of action would be forced to run sprints. If that wasn’t enough to get their competitive juices flowing, Vetter threw in an added wrinkle—the five players that won the decisive tie-breaker would be the ones starting in the actual game on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. Do you think he has a little bit of experience working with star players this age?
The first 45 minutes of the practice could accurately have been described as “the John Wall show.” He came roaring out of the gates, putting his incredible athleticism on full display in the form of a number of breathtaking dunks and blocks, doing a magnificent job of picking apart the defense with his ridiculous first step and finding players time after time with phenomenal pinpoint passes right underneath the rim for easy baskets.
Considering that this is the first time we’ve seen Wall play live since last July, we noticed a number of substantial improvements. For one, his ball-handling skills look crisper than they did over the summer, as he went left or right with his typical explosiveness, but also looked very much under control. His court vision appears to have improved substantially—his teammates looked surprised on a number of occasions by the passes he was able to deliver right into their hands-- and he did a much better job running the pick and roll as well.
His attentiveness to playing defense looks better too—he constantly was urging his teammates to “D up!” and he set the tone for them from the very start, coming up with at least a half dozen blocks over the course of the practice. His ability to close out his man never looked more evident than in the 1 on 2 runout drill the players conducted, where Wall was easily able to overcome the substantial initial head-start his matchup had thanks to his blazing speed, often meeting him right at the rim for an emphatic block. His body language and overall maturity level also looked substantially better than it did the last time we saw him—the impression you got from the way he handled himself on the court was very strong this time around. Dave Telep of Scout.com prepared us for this in advance, noting that Wall has “made incredible strides as a person” in a conversation this past week, telling us that he has “come a long way.”
One part of his game that may not have come very far based on results alone is his jump-shot. We charted Wall making just one of the eight jumpers he attempted today, a mid-range pull-up from about 15 feet. Every other shot he took was a miss, sometimes a brick, and a few of them being wide open looks from 17 or 18 feet. The positive thing to note here is that Wall’s shooting mechanics look a lot better than we remember them, as he no longer seems to flail his elbow out. He needs to do a better job getting his legs underneath the ball and add some more arc to his jumper, as well as making sure he releases it consistently every time—but watching him play, you don’t feel like his shot is broke, even if he obviously has a lot of room to improve.
Later in the scrimmage, Wall seemed to run out of gas, as he looked very much incapable of fighting through screens or creating his own shot anywhere near as well as he did previously—being very much content deferring to his teammates. He later told us that he was extremely tired after the long flight from Portland (“seven hours it felt like”) and that this was the first time he had picked up a basketball in “three or four days.” With that in mind, it isn’t all that surprising that he looked so exhausted, especially when you consider the spotlight he’s been under as of late.
We also had a chance to speak with Wall about the report on ESPN.com that he is trying to figure out whether he is eligible for this year’s NBA draft. He emphatically dismissed those rumors, saying you can “throw that out,” explaining that he promised his father he will attend college for at least a year, and that he doesn’t “want to break that,” promise.
As one of the schools that is most actively recruiting Wall informed us, he is still not eligible for college at this point. Wall stated that he will take the SAT on “May 4th” and then the ACT as well, and that he is on course to graduate on “May 28th.” He said he took an “extra math class and extra science…just in case.”
Wall said that the NBA draft discussion and whether or not he’s even eligible is something that “just popped up…the other day” and that he hasn’t had a chance to talk to his mother about it yet. He says that he discussed the matter with his AAU coach (Brian Clifton, who we quoted yesterday) but that they “decided we’re just going to throw it out the way…we’re not going to look into it.”
When pressed and asked whether the lure of being the #1 overall pick would not be enough to sway him, Wall smiled and said “I don’t think so. It’s tough. I’m going to just say no because I haven’t talked to my parents and my coach yet, but as of right now, its no.”
You can watch the full interview we conducted right here:
Other than Wall, there were a couple of other standouts on the White team. Minnesota commit Royce White really came out strong today, looking like he had a real chip on his shoulder, making shots from the perimeter, coming up with a couple of steals, crashing the offensive glass hard, and overall looking very impressive with his size and athleticism as a legit 6-7 small forward. He needs to improve his ball-handling skills, but he looks like quite a find for Tubby Smith from the little we saw today.
Wally Judge had an up and down day, but there probably aren’t many prospects in this class who share his potential. Judge is a superb athlete who can really finish around the rim, but also shows some emerging skills facing the basket with his jump-shot and raw ball-handling ability. He tends to fall in love with his perimeter skills a little too much at times, but is clearly an extremely talented player.
Kentucky commit Daniel Orton showed an NBA body, great hands and the ability to finish around the rack as well as step out and make 15-foot jump-shots. He was very fun to watch today in his battles with Villanova commit Mouphtauo Yarou, a raw big man with outstanding potential and an excellent motor. He also showed some emerging back to the basket skills, as well as the ability to face up and knock down a soft jumper. We have a feeling that we’ll be talking about both of these players quite a bit in the next few years.
Tomorrow we’ll get a chance to take a first look at the International roster (see below), which is supposedly loaded from what our contacts in Europe tell us. There will also be an organized scrimmage scheduled between the White and Black “national” teams in the afternoon.
White Jerseys (Home Team)
# Name Pos. Hgt. Wgt. Year Club/Team Country
7 Luka Rupnik G 6-0 157 1993 Geoplin Slovan Slovenia
8 Aleksandar Cvetkovic G 6-0 146 1993 Red Star Serbia
9 Kerem Hotic F 6-5 207 1993 Fenerbahce Ulker Turkey
10 Tauras Jogela G/F 6-6 185 1993 BS Sabonis Lithuania
11 Daniel Gomis F/C 6-9 182 1991 SEEDS Academy Senegal
12 Ismaila Douda C 6-9 250 1993 Choice Academy/Miami, FL Nigeria
13 Marco Lagana G/F 6-2 155 1993 Pall Regiana Italy
15 Aleksandr Zhigulin F/C 6-8 200 1993 TSM Kazakhstan
Coach: Herman Harried (Lake Clifton High School/Baltimore, MD)
Black Jerseys (Away Team)
# Name Pos. Hgt. Wgt. Year Club/Team Country
7 Ojo Olaiya Adeolu G 6-1 192 1991 Zaria Cardinals Nigeria
8 Raul Togni Neto G 6-1 175 1992 Minas Tenis Clube Brazil
9 Ran Sui G 6-4 191 1992 Shandong Gold China
10 Nenad Miljenovic G/F 6-5 159 1993 FMP Serbia
11 Martin Kriz F 6-6 198 1993 BK Synthesia Pardubice Czech Republic
13 Andrey Loginov F/C 6-8 196 1993 CSKA Russia
14 Ignas Ramasauskas C 6-10 198 1993 BS Saule Lithuania
15 Richard Peters C 6-10 230 1993 Sagemont/Weston, FL Canada
Entering the Nike Hoop Summit week, there wasn't a prospect we looked forward to seeing more than John Wall. The top ranked player in the high school class of 2009, he was not eligible to play in the McDonald's All-American Game as a fifth year senior. Throughout the practices, the athletic guard lived up to his billing as the top player in his class, showing off his freakish athleticism, impressive court vision, and constant motor. He had no problem standing out in the game Saturday night either, breaking the record for assists, and proving why he currently ranks as the top player in our 2010 mock draft.
After watching Wall play Saturday night, it's hard not to come here and spew every bit of hyperbole that comes to mind. His freakish physical tools were on full display throughout the whole game, coming in handy on both ends of the floor. We are still working with USA Basketball to get the official measurements, but Wall appears to stand around 6'3" at least, with very long arms, and a strong build for his size. In terms of quickness with the ball, he reminds of Chris Paul or Derrick Rose. The talented guard used his end to end speed on many fast break chances, showing the ability to weave through traffic on the run, or accelerate to the hoop quickly using his impressive first step.
Wall also possesses an incredibly explosive vertical leap for a point guard, which he displayed more than once in the game. He first wowed every fan in the Rose Garden by throwing down a thunderous dunk on the fast break from the right wing, taking off from the very edge of the free throw line before powering the ball through the basket. The quickness combined with the vertical leap allows the guard to finish quite effectively at the rim, where he shows good touch as well.
Defensively, the point guard has every tool you could ask for both physically and mentally, and this was on display throughout the game. With his length and quick hands, Wall generated 5 steals throughout the game. He does tend to gamble in the passing lanes a little too often, which will have to change the next level. He gathered most of his steals the old fashioned way, however, first denying penetration before closing out and swiping the ball away. If his pressure defense on the ball and ability to generate steals wasn't enough, the guard shows a very surprising ability to block shots as well. In an impressive display of athleticism and effort, Wall backed up defensively on one fast break and blocked a shot by opposing big Kevin Seraphin, who looked to have an easy lay-up coming his way. If he continues to play with the same intensity on the defensive end, it's not unreasonable to say he can become a lock-down defender in the NBA.
As a point guard, Wall also shows outstanding potential. Throughout the week, he displayed very impressive court vision and the ability to create for others off of penetration. On one possession, he penetrated past three World Select defenders who were playing zone, and opened up a shot for one of his shooters on the perimeter by creating his own driving lane. For all his tools and ability to make flashy passes, there is room for improvement before Wall can be called an elite floor general. He must learn to better pick apart a half-court defense, and cycle through his options on the pick and roll. To improve here, it would make sense for him to model his game after Chris Paul in terms of reading angles and spacing.
In the practices, Wall appeared to be a good shooter off the dribble from mid-range, but he seems to lack range beyond about 18 feet (P.J. Carlesimo even called his mid-range jumper "excellent" after watching him in the practices). In order to further extend his range, he’ll need to improve his shooting mechanics, much like Derick Rose did his freshman season at Memphis. Wall also has a flat release at the free throw line, but usually shows decent accuracy from the charity stripe.
It was very positive to see leadership and intensity from John Wall during the practices, in a setting where many of his teammates didn't appear to be taking the experience so seriously. The representatives from Nike had very positive comments about him outside of the practices as well, which can only be viewed as good news considering he has been labeled as being a bit immature in the past.
More than one NBA scout in attendance said that Wall would receive strong consideration for the top slot in the draft whenever he declared, and it's easy to understand why he's such a popular prospect. With the court vision, physical tools, and defensive ability of an elite prospect, it will be quite interesting to see how he wraps up his recruiting process, and what comes of the NBA draft rumor that originated a couple days ago.
Known as a great defender, Avery Bradley entered the game coming off of a solid senior season at Findlay Prep in Las Vegas. The Texas-bound guard helped his stock with his play in the game, shouldering a good bulk of the scoring load for Team USA, while at the same time showing the impressive tools on the other end of the floor.
As a scorer, Bradley displays a number of impressive tools, but really stood out from the mid-range. He shoots a nice pull-up jumper from anywhere on the floor, and has excellent elevation on his shot. Throughout the week, the guard also showed nice range on his jumper, though he knocked down just one of his three attempts in the game. On the drive, Bradley displays great body control near the basket, and shows the ability to draw contact and still get the ball through the hoop.
Physically, Bradley possesses a strong body with a good wingspan, and good all-around quickness and explosion. His physical tools come in handy especially on the defensive end of the floor, where he will be one of the best at his position from day one in the Big 12. In addition to his physical tools, he also cuts off penetration very effectively, and understands pick and roll coverages quite well.
To really establish himself as a one and done type player, Avery Bradley must show the ability to play some minutes at the point. Throughout the week, he focused on being a scorer (which he is quite good at), but it would be very interesting to see where he stands as a lead guard. Considering that Dougas Balbay returns to Texas, Bradley will have to battle to win the starting point guard slot, and therefore it’s difficult to see him getting a great deal of playing time at the one next season. All things considered, he ranks as a very nice prospect on both ends of the floor, and he should be an impact player from the moment he arrives in Austin.
John Henson, 10 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 5/9 FG
Though Henson didn't really get a ton of minutes or touches considering his talent, he still managed to make a solid impact in the game, and show off excellent potential in a number of areas. The future Tar Heel showed excellent off the ball movement on multiple occasions, and his movement lead to a couple of easy dunks, one of them an impressive alley-oop. He also appeared to be quite active inside, making a good effort to rebound the ball despite his lack of strength, and gathering 5 offensive rebounds, which lead to a couple easy put-backs.
Physically, Henson has a similar build to that of a high school Kevin Durant, with a frame that will take significant time to add any type of bulk to. On the other hand, he has an impressive vertical leap, runs the court quite well, and he does play tougher than he looks.
Skill-wise, the forward likes to face the basket at this point, showing solid ball-handling ability and court-vision to go with a smooth-looking perimeter jumper. He also has very nice touch around the basket, and can knock in a hook shot with either hand from the low post. Down the road, Henson may see time at both forward spots, and could potentially develop into a mismatch nightmare if he completes both his perimeter and low post games.
Henson should get the minutes to prove himself next season for North Carolina, and has an excellent set of tools to work with as well. If he finds a way to add some strength and continues to round out his skills next season, it wouldn't be out of the question to see him develop into a very high draft pick.
After a solid showing at the McDonald's game, Henry managed to take some time to put his recruiting situation out of his mind, and entered this week with a solid focus. This paid off for the talented wing, who lead Team USA in scoring and showed some very nice skills in the process.
18 of Henry's 22 points came from behind the three point line, where he shows good form and a quick release. The lefty shoots the ball with a great deal of confidence as well, and has no reservations about taking another shot, even if he badly missed the last one. The rest of his points came on one drive to the hoop where he displayed solid body control, and another finish on a basket cut in the half-court.
The uncommitted senior needs to further develop his ball-skills before he should be considered NBA ready, and a more polished mid-range game would be a nice step as well. He has a strong body, good size, and impressive defensive tools, however, and should ease into the role of shooting specialist very comfortably wherever he ends up next season.
Headed to Duke next season, Mason Plumlee didn't make a huge impact in this game, though he did show a nice set of skills on both ends of the floor throughout the week. The big man has a decent frame, and shows an excellent all-around physical profile, standing around 6'11". His leaping ability was on full display as he blocked 2 shots in the game, and showing excellent recovery speed in the process.
Offensively, the big man would rather face the basket and take his man off the dribble than play in the post, but he can also drive to the basket with either hand. To take his game to the next level, Plumlee could work on scoring from the low-post by further developing his footwork.
It will probably take some time before we can really begin to talk about Mason Plumlee and the NBA draft, but he has excellent upside thanks to his physical profile, hustle, and developing offensive game. He will add to a very nice group of talent at Duke, yet still have a chance to see plenty of playing time as a freshman.
Leslie McDonald, 8 points, 4/10FG, 2 rebounds
Despite his fairly unimpressive stat-line, McDonald displayed a number of impressive tools throughout the game, and at practices during the week. He doesn't really stand out as being great at anything, but has all the tools to become a solid glue guy at the college level.
The guard showed solid ball-handling ability on a nice transition finish at the rim early in the game, and created once more off the dribble later in the second quarter. He's not the quickest guy in the world and seems to play below the rim, but at the same time looks very smooth as an athlete, and knows when to pick his spots to attack the basket. McDonald also shoots the three pointer with good accuracy (based on the practices), but missed all three of his long range attempts in the game. To top it off, he plays unselfishly and seems to have a high basketball IQ.
McDonald has the makings of a strong role player for the Tar Heels, but should contribute from day one on campus. He lacks the ideal size for an NBA 2 guard, but has a strong body and will step in and replace Wayne Ellington quite nicely over time.
Though he still possesses a few very nice skills, Sidney’s shortcomings contributed substantially to Team USA losing. He was completely outworked and out-toughed by the front line of the international team, and didn't really show much in terms of effort playing defense or fighting for rebounds.
Sidney stands at around 6'10", and is listed around 270, carrying probably 15-20 extra pounds considering his build and size. He moved much better as a sophomore in high school, and back then he would mix it up in the post occasionally on offense as well. Fast forward to now, and he seems to just want to shoot jumpers most of the time, as he did during the practices and in the game. He did display a nice reverse finish near the basket as well, but it was about the only time he entered the paint during the game. The USC-bound senior can pass the ball quite effectively from the high post, and his 4 assists were quite impressive in this game.
Defensively, Sidney showed very little focus and effort, tending to pick up fouls rather than guarding the post. The big man also showed a poor understanding of how to guard the pick and roll. On the glass, he didn't box out or use his extra bulk at all, and showed very little fight at all, being outworked multiple times by the international bigs.
Now is the time that Sidney must make the necessary changes to become the impressive prospect who really stood out as a sophomore in high school. It all starts with a more professional demeanor, and a better focus. It would also help if he were able to slim down, and start to mix it up in the post on the offensive end.
Cousins really struggled in this game, despite the number of impressive tools he displayed during the week. There is a lot to like about his game, but a different approach would go a long way for him as a prospect.
Offensively, Cousins shows a great feel for the game, and assisted cutting guards multiple times in the game from the high post. In addition, he shoots the ball effectively to 20 feet, and can even face the basket and drive to the hoop a little bit as well. On the other hand, he needs to become a tougher player in the low post. The talented big tends to play below the rim and miss easy baskets inside, lacking the touch and toughness necessary to really take full advantage of his size inside.
Physically, he has a massive frame with good strength, and above average agility as well. He may be a bit on the heavy side as well, but nothing a little time in the weight room can't solve. Like Sidney, he needs to focus on becoming a tougher and more serious player. With his tools, he could become a very good player both in college and at the NBA level, but a greater degree of focus is needed from him. As one scout put it "with a lot of the bigs in this class, you are reminded of Eddy Curry one too many times."
Gaddy was featured extensively in our coverage of the McDonald's All-American game, and looked quite solid in the practices throughout the week. Unfortunately, Wall and Bradley were featured by Team USA, and Abdul Gaddy didn't receive the best opportunity to showcase himself in the game Saturday night.
Gaddy shows good point guard skills and a nice mid-range jumper, and excellent athleticism going to the basket as well. Unlike his two back-court mates here, the guard needs to work on his defensive abilities, and play with more of a killer instict at times.
Though he appears to be very laid back, the 17 year-old guard has a very professional approach, and seemed focused on the goal all week during the practices. He will need time to develop because of how much younger he is than many of his peers, but has more long-term potential than some of the guards currently rated higher than him by the scouting services.
