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| 2008 King James Classic: Top Big Men |
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| by: Rodger Bohn - Director of Prep Scouting |
| May 4, 2008 |
In Part Two of our coverage of the 2008 King James Classic, we evaluate the top big men in attendance. We take a closer look at a skilled power forward heading to Duke, a 2010 bruiser pledged to Ohio State, three promising centers near the 7'0 mark, and a UCONN verbal who led his team to the 17-U championship.
Mason Plumlee, 6’11, PF, 2009, Indiana Elite
Committed to Duke
The premature departure of Atlanta forward Derrick Favors left Plumlee as the top big man the King James Classic had to offer. Despite standing a legit 6’11, he owns a game that is more suited for a small forward then a player approaching the seven foot mark. The North Carolina prep possesses quickness uncommon for most face the basket power forwards and has an awfully strong lower body, surprising many with his above average leaping ability. While having a physically weak upper body, he has a frame that definitely has the potential to grow once he spends some time in the weight room.
Just as surprising are his slithery moves off of the dribble for a player his size, which he showed a number of times when beating future UCONN wing Jamaal Coombs off of the dribble. Mason handled the ball well in the open floor, even going coast to coast on a few occasions. As far as shooting is concerned, he displays an absolutely gorgeous jumper with range that extends out to the collegiate three point line. Plumlee’s soft touch and perimeter oriented game will make him a perfect “pick and pop” guy under Coach K’s system at Duke.
Though Mason has skills that most players his height don’t possess, he owns very little in terms of a back to the basket game. Every time he received the ball within 8 feet of the rim he would turn and face, looking incredibly uncomfortable even when facing that close. Likewise he will have to vastly improve upon his strength if he hopes to compete on the blocks in the ACC, standing far too weak presently to fight in the trenches down low. Added strength would also help Plumlee become a better positional defender in the post considering the asset that he could be as a shot blocker with his height and nice leaping ability.
It seems like Duke will be a perfect fit for Mason in terms of style of play, given their history of letting big men play on the perimeter. Hopefully he will continue to develop his game over the next year and his tenure at Duke, so he doesn’t wind up like talented prep stars Shavlik Randolph and Josh McRoberts who struggled to make any significant progress as players in their time in Durham.
Dashonte Riley, 6’11, C, 2009, The Family
High Major (Georgetown, Michigan State, Ohio State, Kansas, North Carolina State)
There is little more that you can ask for physically out of a center prospect then what Riley gives you. Blessed with a big frame, huge wingspan, and ability to run the floor like a gazelle, he constantly gives you flashes of potential that leave you drooling. An explosive leaper, he has very nice timing when attempting to block shots and usually does a good job staying out of foul trouble. The problem with Riley seems to pick and choose when he’s going to display his talents, often instead opting to loaf around the court.
The effort that Riley displayed in the two games that we observed him over the weekend was incredibly disappointing, with the big man often seen walking up and down the floor or pouting on the bench. He seemed as if he would have much rather been at home in Detroit than showing his stuff in front of a plethora of high major coaches in Akron, something rather concerning when you basically had a “who’s who” of college basketball at each of his games. The mental aspect of things is far and away the area that the center needs to work on most because if he ever develops a desire to play the game at a high level, the possibilities are downright scary.
At a legit 6’11, he is very coordinated for a player his size and shows flashes of solid footwork in the post. His post moves are fluid with a turn-around jumper out of the post going towards his left shoulder proving to be his go-to move at the moment, though he did show flashes of a nice right handed jump hook. When facing the basket, Riley showed a decent jumpshot out to the 14 foot area and made a few gorgeous passes. One would expect a player who is so young and still relatively raw to hesitate when faced with a double team in the post, but Dashonte was able to consistently find the open man when placed in that situation time and time again.
Defensively, there are times when Riley leaves you gawking at how good he can possibly come. With a wingspan looking to be in the 7’4 area and explosive leaping ability, he has already established himself arguably as the top shot blocker this class has to offer. Also able to move well laterally, Dashonte has shown the ability to guard big men who tend to face the basket just as well as he defends traditional centers. Needless to say, its Riley’s potential as a stopper on the defensive end that has made him one of the elite prospects in the nation.
Very similar to Texas A&M freshman DeAndre Jordan, Riley has all of the tools to be an elite draft prospect, but very rarely puts them ball together. He will likely have the opportunity to be a first round draft pick after his freshman year based on his upside no matter how he plays, but like Jordan, will probably be better suited to stick around for a few years in college before considering the NBA.
Zeke Marshall, 7’0, C, 2009, Pittsburgh Storm
High Major (Pitt, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Virginia, Boston College)
Marshall is a player who is quietly developing into one of the better center prospects the class of 2009 has to offer with his strong play this spring. Standing a legit 7’0 and owning a huge wingspan, he fits the mold in terms of length for a center prospect. Physically, though, there is still a ways to go with Marshall, who weighs only 210 pounds and does not have a massive frame by any means. Despite his lack of physical strength, the Pittsburgh big man is still an explosive leaper and does a fairly adequate job of not getting pushed around defensively.
Like Riley, Marshall’s biggest asset lies on the defensive end at the moment. He is more of a true eraser then Riley, doing all of his damage in front of the rim while Riley is able to step out and guard players farther away from the basket. Zeke’s timing and length allow him to alter far more shots then he blocks, truly making guards think twice before going into the rim. He really tries to use his body to the best of his ability on the glass as well, boxing out at every available opportunity and attacking potential rebounds with a passion on both ends of the court.
Offensively, there is still a ways to go with Marshall, but he has shown some signs of promise. He has shown flashes of a developing right handed jump hook, has good hands, and has a soft touch around the rim. It is clear that Zeke has had decent coaching throughout the years because his fundamentals are very strong and his footwork isn’t that bad either. That is about where his offensive repertoire ends, though.
While he does a very good job of demanding the ball in the post, he still doesn’t have the post moves of a high major prospect yet. Aside from his right handed jump hook, Zeke doesn’t offer a whole lot when he has the ball in the pivot. Strength and post development will prove crucial in college for Marshall with his desire to attempt to seal and establish position in the post. Added strength would allow him to go right to a drop step and finish at the rim, something he is unable to do right now.
Potentially, Marshall is a name to remember for the class of 2009. He has reportedly came a long ways in development over the last two years and has a good work ethic, leaving optimism for his growth as a player in the future. Expect Zeke’s recruitment to really pick up again once July rolls around and college coaches are able to evaluate players again, especially considering this class’ lack of true center prospects.
Jared Sullinger, 6’8,PF, 2010, All Ohio Red 16’s
Committed to Ohio State
Sullinger led his All Ohio Red team to the 16-U crown with his dominant inside play, easily showing that he was the top player that the 2010 class had to offer at King James. At around 240 pounds, he is far stronger then the majority of his peers, enabling him to establish excellent position in the pivot. The brother of former Ohio State guard J.J. Sullinger, Jared has a fairly advanced skill set in the low post, able to finish around the rim with both hands and showing off promising footwork. He is far more mature physically then most other players in his class, allowing him to overpower opposing players to score through a series of drop steps and power moves to the rim.
Sullinger’s perimeter game is still fairly limited at this point, and he is far more comfortable doing his damage within 10 feet of the basket, though he has shown flashes of a developing jumpshot facing the basket over the last year. He is a relatively limited athlete with not a ton of lift off of the ground, relying on his strength and wingspan to get shots up and contest shots on the defensive end. Weight issues have also surrounded Sullinger in the past and was rumored to have weighed as much as 260 pounds at one point this past season.
The future Buckeye may not have the long term upside of some of the athletic big men that this event had to offer, but he is arguably the most productive big man in the class of 2010. Many have compared Sullinger to Alabama forward Richard Hendrix because of their similar bodies and style of play, a comparison that we completely agree with. The opportunity for Sullinger to have the same impact in Columbus that Hendrix had at Alabama is certainly there, if he continues to develop and manages his weight over the next few years.
Jordan Henriquez, 6’11, C, 2009, New York Gauchos
High Major (Kentucky, Depaul, Xavier, St.John‘s, Missouri)
Originally a member of the class of 2008, it appear that Henriquez will have to spend a year at prep school to resolve some academic issues, therefore making him a part of the class of 2009. His game relies almost strictly off of his physical attributes which include a massive wingspan, nice motor, and the ability to run up and down the floor better than most 6’11 players. The New York post did not back down when matched up against the more heralded Zeke Marshall, aggressively attacking Marshall and drawing four fouls on the big man in a 6 minute stretch of the second half. Surprisingly enough the lefty has a very soft touch when facing the basket, drilling a number of jump shots when facing the basket out to the 17 foot mark. Equally as impressive was the motor and leadership he displayed, a rarity for the majority of seven footers in the AAU game today.
While there are flashes of potential, Henriquez is still incredibly raw on the blocks and owns very little in terms of moves once he receives the ball in the post. His footwork at the point is incredibly undeveloped and he almost never uses his right hand or turns towards his left shoulder. Being a year older then the players he is pegged against, one would hope that he would have a little more polish to his game then he does at the moment.
As one Atlantic 10 coach said “Jordan is a mid-major player right now with high-major potential”, and that coach couldn’t have been more right. Coaches love his motor and mean streak, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see more high major programs jump in the mix for this athletic big man. While far from a finished product, he is a player whose progress is definitely worth tracking in the future.
Alex Oriakhi, 6’9, PF/C, 2009, B.A.B.C
Committed to Connecticut
Oriakhi played a key part in B.A.B.C.'s 17-U championship, making his presence felt around the rim on both ends of the floor. As when we observed Oriakhi previously, he was able to block a number of shots with his nice wingspan while finishing a number of drop off passes at the rim with thunderous dunks. Not shying away from contact, his physical play seemed to bother whatever big man he was facing whether it be while boxing out on the defensive end or sealing his man off and enabling his teammates to have open lanes to the rim.
Effort problems seemed to plague the UCONN commit throughout the weekend, though. Like many big men his age, his intensity dropped dramatically when he wasn't receiving touches on the offensive end. Also Oriakhi’s game outside of 10 feet from the basket is extremely limited at this point, something that he surely must improve upon if he hopes to transition to the power forward position at the next level. All of the physical tools are there for the athletic big man to eventually to a nice prospect, but he will have to make improvement upon his skill set to have any chance of maximizing his potential. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
rodger.bohn@draftexpress.com |
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| 2008 King James Classic: Top Perimeter Players |
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| by: Rodger Bohn - Director of Prep Scouting |
| April 28, 2008 |
The 2008 King James Classic has come and gone, with many of the nation's top prospects showing off their stuff in Akron, Ohio. We take a closer look at three 2010 studs, a UCONN commit who led his team to the championship, and a small playmaker who is bursting onto the national recruiting scene.
Jereme Richmond, 6’6, SG/SF, 2010, Rising Stars
Committed to Illinois
Richmond led his Rising Stars Gold team to the championship game of the King James Classic before falling to Boston based B.A.B.C. Despite the relatively modest numbers posted throughout the tournament (averaged around 12 points per game in the 3 games we took in), it was easy to see why recruiting analysts consider him a top 10 player in his class.
Standing a legit 6’6 and blessed with long arms, he already owns a physical package that not many college seniors can offer. Throw in a frame that could easily add another 20 pounds and a very strong lower body, and it’s easy to see why he stands apart from the bulk of other wings in the class of 2010. The Illini commit was forced to play out of position for a large part of the tournament, playing power forward for much of the time that we observed him in Akron due to his squad‘s lack of size. However, there were spurts of time where he played on the wing and we were able to get a glimpse of the special player he has the potential to become.
The first thing that immediately stood out about Jereme is his outstanding athleticism, especially his ability to finish around the rim. His undeveloped upper body is compensated by his strong legs and explosive leaping ability from a static position, a rarity from a player so young. This power enabled him to finish nearly everything around the rim, whether it be from his own drives to the cup or putbacks from crashing the offensive glass. Not only one to score in the paint, he also showed off a silky smooth jumper out to the three point line and an explosive first step when attacking the rim. The tools boasted by the lanky wing backed up the herald he has received thus far at such a young age.
Like many young players, Richmond’s ball handling could use a bit of work. He didn’t put the ball on the floor more than a few times in a straight line and looked a bit uncomfortable when pressured with the ball in his hands. Consistency issues have also plagued Jereme in the past, especially on the defensive side of the court. While all of the natural tools are there for him to be a very nice defender, he often looks disinterested on this end and relies completely on his athleticism.
More concerning then his weaknesses on the court are those unrelated to the game of basketball. Richmond was thrown off his high school team in February after having a heated argument with his head coach, which was reportedly one of many incidents involving this talented youngster. These issues will ultimately prove to be more crucial then Jereme’s game on court game, but Michael Beasley has shown that talented players with consistency and character issues can turn things around when placed in the right situations. Having just turned 16 years old, time is certainly on Richmond’s side but he will definitely need to resolve these problems if he hopes to live up to the star billing that has preceded him thus far.
Reggie Bullock, 6’5, SG/SF, 2010, CP3 All Stars
Committed to North Carolina
Bullock continued his outstanding play that transcended him from a player outside of the top 100 to being in contention for the top small forward slot in the class of 2010. Playing against peers a year older in the 17-U division had no effect on Bullock, who used his heady game to score in a number of ways. He showed his full repertoire of skills, taking bigger defenders off of the bounce to finish in the paint through a variety of sweet floaters and short jumpers, in addition to his usual slashing dribble drives to the rim. Playing the game with a sense of a player far beyond his age, the North Carolina native tends to make you forget that he is only 16 years old. He seemed to look forward to the challenge of playing against two of New York City’s finest in Durant Scott and Doron Lamb, volunteering to guard whichever elite guard was in the game and doing an awfully good job of doing so.
The future Tar Heel’s ball handling skills looked a little shaky at times, especially when pressured. He is definitely more of a small forward at the moment, and a growth spurt will be needed if he hopes to play that position at the next level. If the North Carolina prep star decides that the shooting guard position is where he will be in college, he will need to improve his consistency beyond the arc and creativity off of the dribble. All of the tools appear to be in place for Bullock to be a nice prospect down the road though, and he will certainly whose progress will be interesting to follow over the remainder of his high school career.
Doron Lamb, 6’4, SG/PG, 2010, New York Gauchos
High major (Connecticut, Louisville, Syracuse, Florida, Georgetown)
The silky smooth Lamb is known as one of the better pure scorers in the class of 2010, and while he didn’t have a huge tournament at King James, it’s quite easy to see why there has been so much praise surrounding him. Playing strictly on the wing, he is incredibly creative in terms of the ways he can put the ball in the basket. Lamb has a smooth handle that allows him to create space against defenders, whether it be for his gorgeous pull-up or one of his acrobatic drives to the rim. The long guard is able to keep opposing players honest with a respectable three point shot, but the strength of his arsenal is easily his game off of the dribble.
Doron will definitely have to bulk up over the next few years, given his slender 170 pound frame. Considering his lack of size, he will likely have to either grow or transition into being more of a combo guard eventually in order to maximize his potential. While he did show off flashes of playmaking skills at King James, it was tough to evaluate him as a point guard because he was playing off of the ball his entire time on the hardwood. Any way you look at it, Lamb is one of the elite guards that the class of 2010 has to offer, and has a very promising future ahead of him.
Jamaal Coombs, 6’5, SF, 2009, B.A.B.C.
Committed to Connecticut
Coombs led his B.A.B.C. team to the 17-U crown at the King James Classic, knocking off Jereme Richmond’s Rising Stars squad in the finals. Not standing out in any one facet of the game, he did a nice job of playing within the flow of the offense and scoring points from whatever position his team needed. The Connecticut recruit showed off a strong post game and a nice jumper from the perimeter, whether it be from beyond the arc or from midrange. His strength inside allowed him to score against many of the smaller wings he was pegged against.
On the down side, there wasn’t a whole lot of improvement in his ball handling or athleticism since we last saw Jamaal in November. He struggled to get by athletic defenders in the half court situations, given his average first step and lack of creativity off of the dribble. There were mumblings amongst a few insiders in attendance that other schools may want to consider recruiting Coombs, questioning whether or not he will be able to play in the Big East by the time he is set to go to Storrs in 09.
Carl Jones, 5’11, PG, 2009, Ohio Basketball Club
High major (Ohio State, Michigan, Minnesota)
The diminutive guard has been one of the fastest rising players in the country this spring, going from mid-major prospect to having powerhouses such as Ohio State and Kentucky inquire about his services. His ability to put points on the board at King James was unparalleled by any other guard in the field, as shown by his 39 and 34 point performances with Thad Matta on hand in the “Sweet 16” and “Elite 8” rounds of competition. Despite only weighing 155 pounds, Jones aggressively took the ball at athletic seven footer Dashonte Riley, finishing near the basket through a series of cradle moves and scoop shots over his more physically blessed opponents. What was even more impressive was his efficient play and ability to score his points within the flow of the offense, rarely taking any questionable shots in the games we took in over the weekend.
Obviously his physical deficiencies will hold him back in the long run from being an elite prospect, at only 5’11 and not exceptionally long. Jones will definitely need to improve on his defense by the time he reaches the collegiate level because he struggles containing the penetration of guards currently at the high school level. Regardless of his weaknesses though, this slender point guard helped himself just as much as anyone at King James with his performance and has solidified himself as a legitimate high major playmaker. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
rodger.bohn@draftexpress.com |
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| Jordan Brand Classic Games (Day Three) |
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| by: Jonathan Givony - President, Joseph Treutlein - Assistant Director of Scouting |
| April 20, 2008 |
Jordan Brand Classic Scrimmage (Day Two)
Jordan Brand Classic Practices (Day One)
Much more so than the practice or scrimmage, the 2008 Jordan Brand Classic All-American Game was dominated by the selfish play and poor shot-selection of the overzealous blue chip high school recruits desperate to make a name for themselves, playing on national TV at Madison Square Garden. It’s becoming more and more evident that this high school class is incredibly weak compared to last year’s. The White team got ahead to a huge lead in the first half, but the incredibly selfish play of their lead ball-handlers Tyreke Evans and Willie Warren allowed Brandon Jennings to storm back and eventually win the game by a comfortable margin.
Despite frustrating nearly everyone in attendance by repeatedly over-dribbling, driving stubbornly into traffic, pulling up off the dribble for horrible shots and virtually making a mockery of this game and all his teammates around him, the organizers somehow still decided to reward Tyreke Evans by giving him co-MVP honors. That’s a pretty good way to sum up the high-school all-star game experience, and also gives you a good idea about what the NBA and NCAA are working against when they decided to come together two weeks ago in San Antonio to try and reform what American basketball has deteriorated into.
At least half the NBA was represented here at Madison Square Garden, mostly in the form of scouts, but also with some scattered executives and also a GM (Bernie Bickerstaff). We counted representatives of 15 teams in our area alone, and very well could have missed a few others dispersed around the buildings. The teams we did see included: Portland, Charlotte, Houston, Memphis, New York, Orlando, Minnesota, Denver, Golden State, Dallas, Seattle, Milwaukee, Indiana, New Orleans, and the LA Clippers.
Blue Team Recap
Jonathan Givony
For the Blue Team, the co-MVP of this game was named Brandon Jennings (10 points, 14 assists, 3 turnovers, 6 rebounds, 5-13 FG, 22 minutes), a much more worthy selection considering the way he played and more importantly, the value he brought to his team. He seemed more concerned at times with checking out the scoreboard to see how many assists he was racking up, but still did a great job feeding everyone around him. He showed his shiftiness in the open floor with his flashy ball-handling skills and excellent hesitation moves, and utilized both hands showcasing his court vision and making outstanding post-entry passes, lobs, and drive and dish plays. At times it seemed like he was dominating the ball a little too much, but considering the way he got everyone around him involved and cheered his teammates on both on the court and from the bench, there is not a whole lot to criticize here.
The most significant development as far as the NBA draft is concerned, merely continuing what we had observed from the entire weekend as a whole, was clearly the “reemergence” of arguably the most talented big man in this high school class—Greg Monroe (13 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 turnover, 6-10 FG, 23 minutes). Although this game’s setting was never going to be all that well suited for a player of his nature, Monroe found ways to show off just how gifted a player he is on numerous occasions. Facing the basket from the perimeter, he was lethal putting the ball on the floor and blowing past players with his terrific first step, almost exclusively with his left hand. He hit a beautiful jump-hook in the lane, and showcased his outstanding basketball IQ repeatedly by making a number of fantastic passes. He again got outhustled a bit in the paint and on the glass, but still had a very impressive showing taking into consideration everything we saw. Although many are frustrated by the lack of intensity he displays and the way he apathetic manner in which he runs up and down the court—and rightfully so--it’s impossible to ignore his incredible talent, and it’s clearly too early to write him off just yet.
On the wing, Demar DeRozan (17 points, 4 rebounds, 7-10 FG, 20 minutes) looked better than he did earlier in the week, similar to what he did at the Nike Hoop Summit last week. He got out in transition and used his athleticism to get easy baskets and punish the White team for their poor shot-selection, and also knocked down a very smooth looking 3-pointer on the catch and shoot. He still looks a bit limited in the half-court—it’s not clear if he’s unable or just unwilling to take on too many responsibilities creating his own shot from the wing, but this wasn’t much of an issue in this setting. It will be very interesting to see how he looks next season under Tim Floyd at USC, particularly on the defensive end. The numerous NBA scouts we spoke with here (before, during and after the game) were all completely enamored by his talent.
Scotty Hopson also found a way to translate his significant upside into an impressive performance (21 points, 4 rebounds, 8-13 FG, 18 minutes), scoring in a variety of ways, including 3-pointers, alleyoop finishes, baseline jumpers, and simple takes to the rim. He’s clearly one of the top athletes this class has to offer, and with his excellent size, scoring instincts and budding skills, will definitely be an interesting name to follow next season as a potential “sleeper” one and done candidate. What’s interesting about him is that despite already showing considerable talent and clearly getting excellent results, he still has a ton of room to improve on his all-around skill-set—his shooting, ball-handling and mid-range game in particular—which makes you think that his ceiling is probably extremely high. He needs to find a way to become a significantly better perimeter defender, though, as he seemingly puts little to no effort into this part of his game and already suffers from very poor fundamentals on this end of the floor.
Despite starting off the game slowly, Malcolm Lee still found a way to have a pretty impressive all-around performance (7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 0 turnovers, 3-7 FG, 18 minutes). He logged significant minutes at the point guard position, and got mixed results. Early on he seemed to be forcing the issue a bit, not finding the open man cutting to the rim or spotting up on the wing, and may have been looking a bit too much for his own shot. That changed in the second half, though, as he settled down considerably and started making some terrific drive and dish passes, particularly in transition.
The fact that this was an all-star game where many of his colleagues played virtually no defense didn’t seem to impress Lee at all—he continued to get right in his man’s face, contesting shots and also making a significant effort to crash the glass. He’s a tough kid who doesn’t back down and never gives up on a play—which is going to make him very popular with Ben Howland. He’s still a raw player who has plenty of work to do on polishing up his all-around skill-set in many facets of the game (his off hand, body, perimeter shooting, advanced ball-handling skills), but has considerable upside and should emerge as a legit prospect down the road.
Fellow UCLA commit Jrue Holiday also played his typical fantastic defense, but wasn’t much of a factor on the other end of the floor (5 points, 3 assists, 6 turnovers, 1-9 FG, 19 minutes). He did a great job staying in front of his man on the perimeter, contesting and even blocking shots and showing terrific timing recovering when getting beat, again putting a lot of effort into doing little things for his team. He did settle for some ill-advised 3-pointers at times, and looked out of control at times with his ball-handling, but also showed terrific body control taking the ball to the rim on a beautiful drive.
Much like he has been all weekend long, B.J. Mullens (12 points, 3 rebounds, 6-7 FG, 17 minutes) was fairly quiet throughout the game, besides on a number basic catches and athletic finishes around the rim. He has a great body, excellent size and terrific hands, and is a superior athlete as he often shows in warm-ups, but just isn’t smart or aggressive enough to know how to fully utilize his tools at this point in the game. His lack of focus was evident on a number of occasions this weekend, and it’s pretty clear that Thad Matta is going to have to put a significant amount of work in to get him up to snuff on the defensive end. He has almost no concept of how to hedge a ball-screen or make effective rotations inside, and seemingly relies exclusively on his size and athleticism to defend his man inside.
White Team Recap
Joseph Treutlein
As mentioned in the introduction, the story of the White Team was very much Tyreke Evans, who disappointed everyone in attendance, especially those who were so encouraged by his unselfish, balanced, and highly effective play during the practices and scrimmage earlier in the week. Despite being the game’s MVP while scoring 23 points (8-15 FG, 4 assists, 5 turnovers, 7 rebounds, 25 minutes) Evans frequently over-dribbled and forced his own shots, ignoring his teammates for large stretches and earning groans from many of those in attendance. When you get past the incredibly selfish style of play he took on here, which has been characteristic of him through much of his high school career, there is quite a lot to be pleased about with his game, as he’s definitely one of the most athletic and skilled players in this class, showing the total package that you’d want from a shooting guard, even showing the capability to play the point guard as well. Evans frequently penetrated into the lane going in either direction, showed the ability to change hands while driving and finish with either hand at the basket, showed excellent creativity at the rim, showed nice touch at the basket, and excellent body control in the lane. The more you watch him, the more you can see how his skill-set is perfectly suited for the Memphis system, but you just hope that his play style will catch up to his skill level. Evans had some success with his pull-up jumper, but was inconsistent and had some troubles at times, which is expected with his unorthodox mechanics. And for all the criticism about his selfishness in terms of dominating the ball, he did make some nice drive-and-dish plays in the game.
Tony Woods had yet another solid performance here (8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 4-6 FG, 17 minutes), showing off his developing coordination and post skillset, using up fakes extremely well to get his man off balance, and showing good counter moves, including a nice step through. He is not shy about dunking the ball and finishing hard at the basket, and despite his awkward demeanor in the post, he usually shows pretty good overall awareness, even if it doesn’t always look pretty. His 15 foot jump shot, which looked pretty good in the open gym earlier in the week, didn’t look good at all in the game, as he rushed his two attempts, missing one badly and getting lucky by banking it off the middle of the backboard on the other. He was also one of the few players putting in more than half-hearted effort on the defensive end, though his poor conditioning caught up with him late in the game, which was evident watching him.
Samardo Samuels did much of the same here at the game (16 points, 5 rebounds, 7-11 FG, 4 turnovers), playing extremely aggressive, constantly calling for the ball on offense, and showing no hesitancy to try post-up and face-up moves whenever he got the ball. He established dominant position and was very active cutting and in transition, leading to many powerful, open dunks. That said, though, his limitations were on clear display, as he had his shot blocked frequently in the post, as despite his good bulk and length, he is not the most athletic player, not getting much elevation off the ground. Regardless, with his relentless style of play and fairly developed skill-set, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him outworking Derrick Caracter for minutes as soon as he arrives at Louisville.
Al-Farouq Aminu had a mixed performance here (12 points, 13 rebounds, 4-13 FG, 3 turnovers) on one hand doing a great job attacking the offensive glass and getting out in transition for a lot of easy baskets, while also hitting a nice spot-up three-pointer, but his skill-set, specifically in terms of ball-handling and shot-creating, looked very alarming, as he really struggled doing anything off the dribble, making one pause about calling him a small forward just yet. With his 7’4 wingspan on his 6’8 body, along with his very good athleticism, he definitely has some great upside at the 3, but it’s going to take some time. While he’s a bit more developed as a post player, he struggled around the basket a bit as well, not finishing strong on his put-backs, clearly needing some more bulk to his lanky frame. Speaking of which, his balance also doesn’t look very great, which is evident on his drives to the basket, so strengthening his entire body should be a priority.
After two fairly non-descript showings in the practice and scrimmage, Ed Davis seemed to finally step up a bit here (10 points, 4 rebounds, 4-6 FG, 15 minutes), getting involved in a game that’s very tough for some bigs to do. Davis had some putbacks and open dunks, while also having one very nice sequence in the post, faking and drawing a foul on a left-handed hook shot (he’s a lefty). Overall, Davis is fairly raw and doesn’t show the greatest post awareness, often not reading his defender very well, while he also could use some more development physically. He may not see much action initially at UNC, but definitely could contribute down the road if he continues to develop. Oregon-bound Michael Dunigan is another raw big man who had trouble getting involved all week here, and while he had some dunks and played good post D here, using his length to front well, he never really got to consistently contribute.
After a tremendous shooting performance the day before, Kemba Walker never really got his shot going in the real game (3-11 FG, 1-6 3P), missing frequently from behind the arc, but not forcing the issue. He played off the ball to Tyreke Evans most of the time, as the White Team failed to let their only true point guard run the point consistently, but Walker did make some nice passes, and also played tough defense for most of the game, fighting through screens and really trying to stick with his man.
Regional Game
Jonathan Givony
The level of play was fairly low here, particularly in terms of guard play, but a few players still managed to stand out as being solid college prospects at the very least.
For the winning team, it was the Morris twins, both heading to Kansas, that emerged as likely the best prospects in the entire game. They are an interesting pair to say the least. Marcus, the smaller of the two at 6-9, and also the more versatile, had the better game, named co-MVP after coming up with 20 points, 8 rebounds [6 offensive], 3 assists 2 turnovers, 8-15 FG, in 18 minutes. He showed an extremely high skill level facing the basket, knocking down contested 3-pointers and pretty pull-up jumpers from 18 feet, and putting the ball on the floor and making his way to the rim. He has good ball-handling skills in the open floor, but is just an average overall athlete, lacking explosiveness around the basket, but showing the creativity to finish nicely with finesse moves. He’s a little bit low energy in his all-around demeanor, playing virtually no defense and also not putting much effort in on the glass either, even if he does have the size and length, as well as good hands, to be a factor here if he shows some more desire. He’s listed by the always overly optimistic recruiting services as a small forward, but clearly looks like a power forward at the next level, as he just doesn’t have the lateral quickness to defend any other position. Bill Self is not going to tolerate him playing the way he did here defensively, so it will be interesting to see how much he improves in Lawrence. He will most certainly have to if he wants to play in the NBA, since he’s just not athletic enough to get by on his skill-set alone.
His brother Markieff also had a solid all-around game, with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 6-11 FG, 3-5 3P, in 19 minutes. His conditioning leaves a lot to be desired, which makes him even less athletic than his brother. Also showing a high skill-level, able to shoot from the perimeter (even out to the NBA 3-point line) and possessing very smooth footwork in this game pivoting in the post, he looks more like a traditional big man than his brother Morris. He also has good hands and length as well as a solid basketball IQ evidenced by some of the passes he made, but put even less effort in on the defensive end, just not even trying to contest shots. He also showed an affinity for leaking out and cherry-picking easy baskets. Let’s hope he only plays like this in all-star games.
As profiled in this month’s Dime Magazine, the Morris twins committed and subsequently decommitted from Memphis twice, and spent a year in prep school rounding out their game.
Joseph Treutlein
On the City Team, the loser in the game, we saw an incredibly performance by Ryan Pearson, a two-star recruit out of Christ the King high school who’s headed to George Mason next season. The 6’6 small forward scored what has to be a record 36 points on 15-for 19 shooting from the field, to go along with 15 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 turnovers. Pearson will be considered a decent athlete at the college level, but he doesn’t really stand out with his explosiveness or quickness, and doesn’t appear to have the greatest wingspan either.
None of that mattered in this game, though, as his motor and excellent creativity skills in the lane took over, while he seemed to be involved in every play on the floor. He showed excellent ability to adjust, change directions, and take contact in the lane, showing very good body control and making excellent reads on what the defense was giving him. He finishes with both hands, incorporated spin moves, did a little of posting up, got out in transition, crashed the offensive boards for about a handful of putbacks, and also hit a step-back three-pointer, though that was his only jumper of the game, something that’s considered a weakness for him by most scouting services.
In analyzing this game, it’s important to note that Pearson’s frequent success in the lane was somewhat facilitated by the complete lack of weakside shot blockers in the game, along with the typical defensive performances you see in all-star games. Regardless, with his motor, skills, and basketball IQ, he should be able to make a nice impact at George Mason, who may have gotten themselves somewhat of a steal.
Aside from Pearson’s outstanding performance, the best player on the City Team appeared to be Florida-bound, 5’8 point guard Erving Walker (20 points, 11 assists, 4 turnovers, 3 steals, 5 rebounds, 6-18 FG, 2-10 3P) who happens to be Pearson’s teammate at Christ the King. While short on size, Walker isn’t short on anything in the skill department, as he showed excellent ball-handling skills, having the ball on a string, mixing in advanced moves, and frequently penetrating into the lane to cut up the defense. He was the game’s leader in assists with 11, and frequently excelled on the drive and dish and in transition, looking unselfish for the most part, but knowing when to step up for a pull-up three-pointer, which he hit a few times in the game. He also showed a nice floater, and despite his size, Walker is probably someone who should be able to help the Gators out if he can crack their point guard depth chart, which is a bit cramped at the moment with Nick Calathes and Jai Lucas. |
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| Jordan Brand Classic Scrimmage (Day Two) |
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| by: Jonathan Givony - President, Joseph Treutlein - Assistant Director of Scouting |
| April 19, 2008 |
We had a chance to evaluate the two teams in action in a semi-competitive 40 minute scrimmage with a running clock. The players played somewhat (but definitely not extremely) hard for the most part, and it gave us a good opportunity to take another look at their physical tools and basic skill-level. Kevin Durant was sitting on one of the benches, Worldwide Wes was just a few feet away in the bleachers, and a few agents and Nike marketing people made up the very sparse crowd.
Jonathan Givony
For the Blue team, the center of attention as always revolved around the flamboyant presence of their point guard Brandon Jennings. He dominated the ball for every minute that he was on the floor, pounding it excessively during certain stretches and making phenomenal plays in others, showcasing his outstanding athleticism and talent level, but also making some of the people in attendance grumble about his somewhat selfish style of play.
Quick shots early in possessions, a little mano a mano with the pesky Kemba Walker (who went right at him), and some incredible flurries of imagination all typified the high-usage, high-octane play of Jennings. He was awesome splitting the defense and finding cutters with his lightning quick bounce passes, incredibly flashy with his ball-handling skills, and also played absolutely zero defense on the other end of the floor.
The problem with Jennings is that he seems more concerned with looking good than playing winning basketball. This is not something that we came up with from watching him in the all-star game setting, but also very much evident when we went out to watch him play with Oak Hill back in December. He only seems interested in passing the ball if he will definitely get an assist, which causes a lot of standing around from his teammates and probably doesn’t make him the most fun guy to play with. It’s way too early to make any definitive conclusions about how he will turn out, but Lute Olsen and Arizona will most certainly have work to do regarding the way he runs a team, because it’s just not a style that is conducive to winning games, despite the incredible amount of talent that Jennings possesses.
Amongst the wing players, possibly the most impressive of the bunch today was Malcolm Lee, a super-long armed athlete who brings tons of versatility to the table as well with his defense, unselfishness, playmaking skills and transition play. He got in the passing lanes on a few occasions and didn’t have a problem giving the ball up, while also knocking down a couple of not-so-pretty looking spot-up 3-pointers. He looks to us like a shorter version of Corey Brewer, lanky frame and all.
Wesley Witherspoon did much of the same, playing strong defense, taking the ball coast to coast nicely on another occasion, looking smart and athletic and probably much better than the recruiting services are giving him credit for. He is ranked as the 56th best prospect in his class by both Scout and Rivals, and #72 by ESPN, but has a bigger upside than a lot of guys slotted ahead of him. The main thing he needs to work on from what we could tell is his jump-shot—he shoots the ball on the way down and generally has questionable mechanics. He was getting the full-court press from Worldwide Wes (probably recruiting for Memphis) at the end of the game, and also mentioned to us yesterday that recent Memphis signee Tyreke Evans has also had some words of advice for him.
For the second straight day, there was very little to see out of Demar DeRozan, which is disappointing considering how well he played at the Nike Hoop Summit. He hit one 3-pointer and had another finish in transition, but besides that did very little in the half-court, looking fairly passive throughout.
Greg Monroe again dropped some awesome glimpses of potential from the perimeter, knocking down two 3-pointers and making an incredible pivot move from the high post where and drained a spinning and extremely fluid turnaround jumper from the elbow. There are very few 6-10 players in college basketball right who can execute such an advanced move. Defensively and on the glass he offered very little, getting outhustled inside and showing very little intensity.
Joseph Treutlein
On the Red/White Team, Tyreke Evans was the story once again, as he continues to show just how talented and versatile a player he is, and how his game is absolutely tailor made for the Memphis system. He ran the point for his team once again when he was on the floor, driving and dishing, setting up teammates, and showing his ability to penetrate to the basket, change directions, and move the ball from one hand to another while in mid air, making him an exceptional finish at the rim. He also hit one pull-up three-pointer, with his strange but effective mechanics, though he didn’t hit on his other attempts from deep.
Kemba Walker is one player we noticed the previous day but didn’t receive a write-up, as he just never really got going with his own offense, playing more of a facilitator role in the intrasquad scrimmage. That was not the case at all in the intersquad scrimmage, as he was probably the game’s leading scorer, doing it in a very flash-free, efficient manner. He hit an incredible 5-for-5 on his three-pointers, including one straight pull-up and two pull-ups off crossover dribbles. He set up open shooters on his team, showed some nice misdirection abilities on passes, and made good decisions overall, running his team’s offense. It’ll be interesting to see where he fits in UConn’s point guard rotation, but he looks like someone who could make an impact immediately if given the opportunity.
After missing the first day of practice, Samardo Samuels arrived today, and it was hard not to notice, given how assertive he was on the floor, calling for the ball on every possession and showing no hesitancy to dribble the ball excessively when he got it. His dribble doesn’t look that great, and it’ll be interesting to see how his face-up game translates to the college setting where real defense is played, but it worked here, as he had some nice drives finishing with right-handed lay-ups. In the post, he established dominant position frequently and often dropstepped for easy buckets or got to the free-throw line, though his not so great explosiveness and athleticism in general stood out on occasion, with him getting his shot blocked twice, once by a wing rotating over. With his dominant strength and assertiveness, he is someone who could also make an impact fairly quickly in the college game.
Al-Farouq Aminu also showed up for his first action today, though wasn’t nearly as impactful as Samuels, not really getting into a rhythm, something that can be hard for bigs in this setting If they don’t really demand the ball, as we saw many of them generally blend into the background in this game on both teams (Michael Dunigan, JaMychal Green, B.J. Mullens). That said, Aminu did show some nice flashes with a pumk-fake and 1 finish at the basket and a nice drive with his left hand where he showed very good body control to adjust and finish with his right hand.
Iman Shumpert continued to play his relatively quiet, but efficient style of basketball, never forcing the issue, but doing well when he picked his spots, finishing at the rim with a nice left-handed lay-up, showing some nice passing ability hitting a cutter off a crossover dribble, hitting a three-pointer with his nice mechanics, which are among the better here, and showing off his athleticism on an alley-oop dunk in the last minute the game when the scrimmage boiled down to a glorified dunk contest.
Devin Ebanks played a much more controlled game here today, not relying too much on his developing ball-handling and generally taking high efficiency shots, helping his team in multiple ways, slashing to the basket, finishing with both hands, getting out in transition, and hitting two very nice three-pointers, both pull-ups, with one coming on a stepback. His shot looks a lot smoother when he has the operating room and isn’t pulling up off a fancy, unnecessary crossover, and it was nice to see him make that adjustment here today. He wasn’t as noticeable over the course of the game, not being his team’s center of attention, but he still had at least 14 points, near tops in the game, while not forcing the issue at all, possibly not even missing a shot by our charting. Wherever he decides to go, he should have an immediate impact, and in a very good way if he plays the way he did here.
Lastly, Tony Woods again showed some very nice flashes of ability, and is starting to look like one of the more intriguing players in this class, with his size, athleticism, and developing coordination along with post-up and face-up skills. His moves aren’t always especially fast at this point, and his reflexes aren’t great, but he occasionally gets into a zone where his instincts kick in, and he pulls off an incredible dropstep spin move with an athletic extension on the other side of the rim for a finish. He also showed some nice shot fakes in the post, and got out in transition to finish on some explosive dunks. |
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| Jordan Brand Classic Practices (Day One) |
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| by: Jonathan Givony - President, Joseph Treutlein - Assistant Director of Scouting |
| April 18, 2008 |
We’re in New York City for an event that seems to be rivaling the McDonald’s All-American game for high school basketball all-star game supremacy—the Jordan Brand Classic. With a superior location, facilities, format and arguably even roster, the Jordan Brand people have definitely provided us a terrific opportunity to evaluate the best high school seniors in America, in a variety of settings. We got to take in a very competitive 90 minute practice today, still have a scrimmage tomorrow, and the actual game on Saturday. There is also a dunk contest tonight that we’ll be passing on. In addition to the “All-American teams,” they’ve collected the top local players from the New York area for a regional game, as well as a group of 15 and 16 year old International players from Europe, Africa and Australia that are competing here.
Jordan Brand All-Americans
Rosters
WHITE JERSEYS (HOME)
Al-Farouq Aminu F Norcross, GA Wake Forest
Ed Davis PF Richmond, VA North Carolina
Michael Dunigan PF Chicago, IL Oregon
Devin Ebanks SF Oakdale, CT Indiana
Tyreke Evans SG Aston, PA Undecided
Delvon Roe SF Lakewood, OH Michigan State
Samardo Samuels PF Newark, NJ Louisville
Iman Shumpert PG Oak Park, IL Georgia Tech
Kemba Walker PG New York, NY Connecticut
Willie Warren PG North Crowley, TX Oklahoma
Tony Woods PF Rome, GA Wake Forest
Head Coach: Russell Otis, Dominguez High School (Compton, CA)
Assistant Coach: Oliver Antigua, St. Raymond High School (Bronx, NY)
Assistant Coach: Eric Flannery, St. Edward High School (Lakewood, OH)
BLUE JERSEYS (AWAY)
William Buford W Toledo, OH Ohio State
Demar DeRozan W Compton, CA Southern Cal
Drew Gordon PF San Jose, CA UCLA
JaMychal Green PF Montgomery, AL Alabama
Jrue Holiday G N. Hollywood, CA UCLA
Scotty Hopson G/F Hopkinsville, KY Undecided
Brandon Jennings PG M. of Wilson, VA Arizona
Malcolm Lee PG Riverside, CA UCLA
Greg Monroe PF Harvey, LA Georgetown
B.J. Mullens C C. Winchester, OH Ohio State
Wesley Witherspoon SF Lilburn, GA Undecided
*Head Coach: Ed Azzam, Westchester High School (Los Angeles, CA)
Assistant Coach: Eddie Martin, Norcross High School (Norcross, GA)
Assistant Coach: Steve Turner, Gonzaga High School (Washington, DC)*
*Al-Farouq Aminu and Samardo Samuels were not present for the first day of practices, but will join their teams tomorrow for the scrimmages. Delvon Roe is injured, but present.
The practice started off quickly before getting right into the meat of things. Stretching, a quick shoot-around, hand-eye coordination drills with tennis balls, three on zero and three on two transition drills combined with inserting some basic plays for the all-star game, followed by shooting drills for the smalls, and post-moves for the bigs. The coaches here didn’t waste much time though before rolling the balls out and letting the kids play. They seem to understand why these players are here—to have fun, get some exposure in the world’s largest media market, and (continue to) establish a relationship with the largest sneaker brand in the world that may or may not bear fruit in one to four years when these players are ready to go pro.
Blue Team Recap
Jonathan Givony
We got to see a lot of five on five play in the stronger Blue squad—unofficially called “the West” because of the presence of the three players committed to UCLA, and Brandon Jennings headed to Arizona. We’ll be back at the end of the weekend to provide a full evaluation of all the players seen here based on everything we learned from the three days, but the highlight of day one was probably the matchup at the point guard spot of the Blue squad between Brandon Jennings and Jrue Holiday. The two both downplayed the matchup in the media session immediately following the practice -- (Jennings: “it’s just another day at the office” Holiday: “we’ve been playing against each other since the 6^th grade”) -- but there were clearly some competitive juices flowing once things got going.
Jennings started off the practice like a lightning bolt, putting his terrific court vision on display with some full-court one-handed bullet passes placed with pinpoint accuracy, and weaving in and out of traffic with the ball on a string. Jrue Holiday didn’t seem to be get the memo that the players here are preparing for an all-star game, and in his all-business, no-nonsense fashion, quietly began to set the tone for his team by picking up his intensity on the defensive end. His size, strength, wingspan and fundamentally sound defense were a little too much for the smaller Jennings to handle, and the flow of his offense really began to sputter as the tempo of the game slowed down. He looked a little bit frustrated at certain points, either pounding the ball excessively with nowhere to go, or just dishing it out passively and getting out of the way—wanting no business with Holiday, who didn’t seem to show any emotion at all.
The two are almost exact opposites—one a fundamentally sound, old-school no-nonsense throwback, and the other a brash, flashy lightning rod of a character who is seemingly always the center of attention but has more than enough game to back up his mouth. There is no question which one has more upside—Jennings regularly showed off his phenomenal athleticism with a series of 360 and tomahawk dunks—but there is also no question in this writer’s mind which player is going to win more games at the collegiate level. Don’t get us wrong—Holiday has plenty of flaws—his shot was extremely erratic today and his point guard skills unpolished, but he always made up for it with his terrific combination of intensity and basketball IQ.
At the end of the day, both players are going to the exact right programs for their individual styles, and today’s matchup was a fantastic preview of what’s in store for the entire nation next season in the Pac-10. What’s interesting is that at the very end of the practice, when the coaches decided to take score (two quick games to five), Jennings elevated his play significantly and carried his team on his back to victory. He started taking responsibilities and either blowing past the exhausted Holiday or toying with him from mid-range until he found a good shot, also getting his teammates easy baskets. It was here that he provided the highlight of the game, an incredible one-handed lefty slam that came out of absolutely nowhere.
Also of note in day one was the play of two wing players from the Blue team, Scottie Hopson and Wesley Witherspoon. Hopson looks like a terrific athlete with a scoring mentality—showing great elevation on his jumper and a nose for finding a way to the basket. He has excellent size and seems to have a significant amount of upside he has yet to tap into. Improving his ball-handling skills and the consistency of his release point on his jumper (he often shoots it on the way down) are a must, but he’s definitely a player to look out for in the SEC next year, clearly possessing significant NBA potential.
Witherspoon is even more raw, in terms of skills, especially physically, but the versatility and feel for the game were evident for every minute on the floor in the five on five contests we watched. Skinny, but with great size at 6-7 and a terrific wingspan, Witherspoon did a little bit of everything in this contest, finding open players unselfishly with excellent court vision, using his length in the passing lanes, showing nice intensity defensively, and scoring a bit in transition. Still not committed to anyone at this point (his list: “Texas, Memphis, Virginia, Florida, Colorado”), he’ll make a phenomenal late addition when he announces his decision on May 1st. He seems like a late bloomer who was overshadowed to a certain extent on the AAU circuit playing with the likes of Al-Farouq Aminu and Tony Woods, but is definitely a guy to keep an eye on over the next few years. He says he’s been hearing a lot of Steve Smith and Tayshaun Prince comparisons, and we can totally see why.
Regarding some of the other prospects, Demar DeRozan seemed to fade quite a bit when he wasn’t simply finishing plays in transition, showing that same lack of intensity that has many scouts concerned, while Greg Monroe probably played outside a little too much, but definitely looked better and played harder than he had in the previous times we saw him.
B.J. Mullens played absolutely zero defense but was a terrific target down low for his guards to drop passes off to thanks to his excellent hands and finishing ability. He air-balled a mid-range jumper badly in the lone time he stepped outside.
White Team Recap
Joseph Treutlein
Over on the White Team’s side of the gym, you could tell all the players in attendance were really having a good time, with a good deal of laughing and joking around between the drills, led by Devin Ebanks’ fun-loving self. The players practiced some dunks, likely for the dunk contest later that night, every time they had a few free seconds, with Ebanks looking the most impressive with the high-flying acrobatics.
There was an interesting situation with the White Team, as Delvin Roe’s recent knee surgery left him on the sidelines for any competitive action, and Al-Farouq Aminu and Samardo Samuels both were not set to show up until the next day. This left the squad with eight players total, requiring two of the coaches/trainers to suit up for the full-court 5-on-5 scrimmage.
Defense was not at a premium during the scrimmage, but there was still much to be learned, and just a day after announcing his intentions to go play for John Calipari at Memphis, Tyreke Evans was here, taking over the scrimmage. The White Team doesn’t have any real point guards after UConn-bound Kemba Walker, the only player under 6’4 on the team, so Evans was his squad’s de facto point guard, a role he had no problem taking on. Evans was easily the most impressive player on this side of the gym, making multiple excellent plays, and showing great versatility in the ways he could contribute on the offensive end of the floor.
Evans’ style of play seems perfectly suited for Memphis’ dribble drive motion offense, as he has an excellent first step and frequently penetrates the defense with his dribble, looking for either his own shot or one for his teammates. Evans showed nice ability to change gears here with excellent acceleration, along with the ability to finish with both hands, changing hands in the lane, reversing off the glass, and really just showing great creativity at the rim. He dumped the ball off on drive-and-dishes as well, and also hit a three-pointer, with his strange shooting mechanics, where he brings the ball almost completely over his head and fades away on every shot he takes. That’s not to take away from his shot, though, as in the drills and scrimmages, he was one of the best shooters on this side of the gym.
Another standout on this side of the gym was Devin Ebanks, a smooth athlete who gets some nice hangtime and seems poised to be a pure small forward in time. At 6’8 with nice length, he definitely fits the bill physically, though his skills are still coming along, specifically his ball-handling, which is a little high and not as fluid as it needs to be just yet. He had a lot of nice plays today, attacking the basket, pulling up from mid-range, and draining some three-pointers, but he seems to rely on pulling up off his dribble a little too much right now, while his ball-handling and ability to transition quickly from dribble to shot is just not at the level where this type of play can be the bread-and-butter of his offense. This led to some bad misses on moves where he’d try to pull up for a contested fadeaway jumper from a crossover dribble. In regards to his shot, he looked very good when his shot got going, but was inconsistent. His shot has a slight hitch that shouldn’t ever be much of a problem, but he’d help himself to be more consistent holding his follow through, something that could be said for most of the players in attendance.
Iman Shumpert quietly stood out here as well, possessing good mechanics on his shot aside from inconsistent extension, and showed some nice athletic ability in the scrimmage, most notably with a hustle transition block. He also gets points for winning a friendly bet against teammate Kemba Walker, sitting down out of bounds on the sideline and easily swishing a shot on just one try.
One of the most intriguing players on this side of the gym, though, had to be Tony Woods, a 6’11 PF/C heading to Wake Forest, who has excellent size, a very nice frame, and very good athletic ability for his size, to go along with some developing, albeit inconsistent, skills. Woods first stood out in the shooting and post drills, showing one of the best 15-foot jumpers of the big men, with good form and follow through, while also showing some nice post moves, which converted well to the scrimmage setting. He may not have the best hand-eye coordination or reflexes, and his coordination in general looks questionable at times, but when he catches the ball in a scoring position, he will show nice sequences of instinct and footwork, making some incredibly nice players here today, incorporating fakes into back-to-the-basket turnaround jumpers, and even taking his man off the dribble from as far as the three-point line, doing it with a spin move on one occasion. He played strong near the basket as well, consistently going up with power and making some nice dunks, though his conditioning seemed to catch up with him a bit by the end of the scrimmage. It’ll be interesting to see how all his skills translate to a setting with a bit more defense being played, which hopefully we can see when the two teams scrimmage against one another Friday. |
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| Pittsburgh High School Classic Recap |
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| by: Rodger Bohn - Director of Prep Scouting |
| January 29, 2008 |
DraftExpress was on hand to take in the Pittsburgh High School Classic, played at Duquense University's Palumbo Center. We take a closer look at the performances of Tyreke Evans, Terrence Jennings, and the rest of the top players the event had to offer.
Tyreke Evans, 6’5, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Senior, American Christian
11 points, 5 fouls in 10 minutes
Evans (#4 Scout, #6 Rivals) battled foul trouble the entire game, only playing 10 minutes total in American Christian's overtime loss to Notre Dame Prep. He never seemed to get in much of a groove in his time out on the court, only playing a minute or two at a time before picking up another foul and being yanked from the game. The physical package that Evans offers is hard to miss. A legit 6'5 with long arms and a sturdy frame, he already boasts the body of an ideal NBA point guard prospect. He showed off his blinding first step a few times in his limited playing time Sunday, proving to be equally quick going both left and right.
In the half court, the Philly native played his patented ball-dominant style of play. Holding the ball at the top of the key while his teammates stood and watched, it was difficult for the other American Christian players to get comfortable with their star guard controlling the rock. This also allowed the Notre Dame defenders to focus in on him, rotating in the key to draw two charges. Once Evans went out, there was noticeably more continuity amongst his teammates, with fellow guards Lamont Jones and Jeremiah Kelly exploding for monster games in their own right.
 | | Jonathan Givony/DraftExpress |
The effortless jump-shot, fancy ball handling, and super quick spin-moves that Evans boasts were all on display in his limited time on the floor. He made the game look like it was in slow motion at times, picking and choosing when he wanted to snap back to full speed.
Unfortunately for Evans, that didn't apply to the defensive end. He picked up a few cheap fouls in situations where he didn’t need to reach for the ball. The physical attributes are there for him to be an adequate defender down the line, but he doesn't seem too concerned with exerting much effort on that end of the floor for the time being.
Overall, it just seemed to be an off night for Tyreke. Obviously this below par showing does not change the fact that he has just as much (if not more) upside then any guard prospect in this class. Currently Memphis, Louisville, UCONN, Villanova, Seton Hall and Texas are in the running for his services. Many feel that Calipari's ability to get players to the next level (along with the influence of mutual friend William Wesley) will be enough to take Evans to Memphis next season. No matter where he lands, though, he will make an immediate impact and will likely have the opportunity to take his game to the NBA after a year in the college ranks.
Terrence Jennings, 6’10, Power Forward/Center, Senior, Notre Dame Prep
Committed To Louisville
29 points
There was no player more dominant then Terrence Jennings (#15 Rivals), who completely took over the game with his size and freakish athleticism. At 6’10 and 230 pounds, he already owns ideal stature for an NBA power forward and has the physical gifts to match. Unlike the last time we saw him, he completely maximized his athletic talents on both ends of the floor and looked like the top 20 player nationally that he is billed to be.
The Sacramento native is still very raw in terms of offensive skills, but really showed some potential. He threw out a number of blindingly quick spin moves in the paint, resulting in two points or a foul on every attempt. An absolute monster on the offensive glass, Terrence used his quick leaping ability to attack the ball much faster than any of the American Christian big men, and was able to get a number of put-backs before defenders even had a chance to react. He even showed flashes of a game facing the basket, as he stepped out a drilled a pair of smooth looking 17 foot jump-shots off the dribble.
Just as impressive was Jennings’ ability to run the floor and catch everything thrown his way. He seemingly glided up and down the court, often beating even American Christians’ guards while streaking down the floor. When the ball was thrown to him, he was able to corral everything and finish well above the rim with both his right and left hands. For a player who lacks refinement on the offensive end, his ability to run the floor and catch the ball should enable him to get his fair share of easy buckets at the collegiate level, assuming he gives decent effort out on the floor.
Jennings is still a work in progress defensively, possessing very little awareness and often looking lost on that side of the court. Showing flashes of potential as a shot blocker and rebounder, he is able to contribute in those areas through his raw athleticism, rather than actual defensive fundamentals. His lack of high level experience is quite clear here, as he has really only been playing elite level competition for two years now.
As hard as this may be to believe, the Amare Stoudemire comparisons may have some warrant. Jennings has similar tools (ability to run floor, quick leaping ability, super spin-moves), mannerisms, and athletic ability. Also like Stoudemire (especially in his prep days), there have been questions about Jennings’ character and desire. In terms of NBA potential, Terrence has arguably as much as any big man that the class of 2008 has to offer. Teaming with Samardo Samuels next year at Louisville, he will have the ability to feed off of the constant double teams that Samuels will see, giving him easy opportunities to score at the rim. There is still a ton of room for Jennings in terms of development on both ends of the floor, but he has the chance to be a very nice draft prospect down the road if he is willing to put forth the effort to make the most of his limitless potential.
Terrelle Pryor, 6’6, Small Forward, Senior, Jeannette HS (PA)
17 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks
The nation's top football prospect also doubles as a top 30 player on the hardwood (#28 Rivals, #42 Scout), playing the part of a nice basketball prospect when he's not on the gridiron.
Pryor struggled getting many touches throughout the game, given the "box and one" that Aliquippa ran on him. No matter where he was on the floor, he was face-guarded by an opposing defender, often times having a second defender shadowing him. When he did have the ball though, it was easy to see why he is so highly touted on the hardwood.
Pryor plays the game with a very high basketball IQ, rarely turning the ball over or taking bad shots. While most of his damage came in the paint due to Jeanette's lack of size, he still managed to show off some of the perimeter skills that make him difficult to guard. Terrelle handled the ball very well in the open court, keeping his head up the entire time, and making a few gorgeous passes. There were times in this game that he played all five positions for his high school team, although he is clearly best suited for small forward at the next level.
Pryor's physical gifts give him the opportunity to post most small forwards his age. At a chiseled 225 pounds, he has a very strong body that is well proportioned between his upper and lower torsos. His explosiveness carries over to both ends of the floor, where he has an aggressive first step when attacking the basket and super lateral quickness when on the defensive end.
 | | Christopher Horner/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review |
The major weaknesses in terms of Pryor's potential as an NBA player lie in his lack of ideal height for a small forward. At 6'6, he is a little on the small side and is not blessed with a freakish wingspan that would downplay that. Also, Pryor struggles a bit with consistency in his outside jump-shot. His form is solid, but the Pennsylvania prep star has had very mixed results when shooting the ball from the perimeter.
It is highly doubtful that we will talk about Pryor as a draft prospect once he hits college, due to the fact that many recruiting analysts are tabbing him as the next Vince Young. He has openly expressed his desire to play both sports in college and has narrowed his choices down to Michigan, Ohio State, Florida, LSU, and Oregon
Lamont Jones, 5’11, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Junior, American Christian (PA), Committed to Louisville
26 points
Lamont Jones (unranked, Scout or Rivals) took full advantage of Evans’ foul troubles, looking perfectly comfortable in taking over the role of ball-dominant point guard. He made many big baskets throughout the game for American Christian and played with a fire not typical of most point guards at such a young age.
The Louisville recruit did all of his damage on the offensive end, scoring in a number of different ways. He initially made his presence felt with his fiery shooting, drilling jumpers from well beyond the arc as, well as from mid-range. Not to be confused with a one dimensional shooter, the gritty junior then began taking the ball to the rim, not caring what Notre Dame freak Terrence Jennings had to say about it. The returns were solid for Jones, who threw his bowling ball frame around in order to absorb contact near the rim.
Given his lack of size and Louisville’s loaded recruiting classes for the next few seasons, it may be a while before Jones has the chance to contribute significantly in college. His lack of size hurt his NBA chances severely, but he will certainly have the opportunity to change the opinions of NBA scouts over his collegiate career given the stable of NBA prospects that Rick Pitino continues to land year in and year out.
Jeremiah Kelly, 6’1, Point Guard, Senior, American Christian (PA), Committed to DePaul
26 points
Like his teammate Lamont Jones, Jeremiah Kelly (unranked Scout, #92 Rivals) took full advantage of Tyreke Evans’ long stints on the bench to pour in 26 points. He hit 6 three pointers on the game, showing Pittsburgh fans how he has scored the bulk of his points since his days as a prep star in Chicago. The Depaul recruit is a bit of an “old school” point guard in that he does not do anything flashy and is not an incredible penetrator, but is outstanding in terms of taking care of the ball and initiating the offense. This mature approach to the game is why he had schools such as North Carolina, Georgia Tech, and Florida State inquiring about his services before committing to DePaul.
At only 165 pounds, Jeremiah is awfully weak and it shows on both ends of the floor. Offensively, the Chicago native struggles absorbing contact and finishing inside, while also serving as a bit of a liability on the defensive end. The fact that he possesses very average quickness and explosiveness does not help him in these two areas, which are easily his biggest weaknesses as a prospect. Immediate playing time is going to be available for Kelly as a freshman at DePaul though, where he will join two former high school teammates in Thinjin Moses and Mac Koshwal. |
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| 2008 Spalding Hoophall Classic -- Best of the Rest |
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| by: Rodger Bohn - Director of Prep Scouting, Jonathan Givony - President |
| January 22, 2008 |
Note: We'll deal with John Riek later this week in a separate article
2008 Spalding Hoophall Classic --Part One-- Elite Prospects
Henry Sims, 6’10, Power Forward, 2008, Mt. St. Joseph HS (MD)
Committed to Georgetown
32 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 turnovers, 2 blocks, 10-16 FG, 0-1 3PT, 12-16 FT, 32 minutes
Rodger Bohn
Henry Sims (#43 Scout, #62 Rivals) had the most dominant performance of any prospect here in Springfield, scoring 32 points and nearly leading his team to a shocking upset victory over Oak Hill Academy. He is all you can ask for physically out of a 6’10 high school senior, blessed with broad shoulders, decent lower body strength, and very long arms. Athletically, the Baltimore native runs the floor exceptionally well and has above average leaping ability. When you combine this with his great motor, you begin to understand why he is a top recruit nationally, despite not having a super refined skill set.
Against Oak Hill, Mt. St. Joseph established Sims as their go-to-guy from the tip. He received countless touches in the post, where he was able to use quick drop steps to put points on the board. Once Oak Hill began combating him with double teams, he responded well by making the proper reads and finding teammates for open looks at the basket. Henry showed off his soft hands by catching everything thrown to him and grabbing a ton of offensive rebounds, which he usually converted at the rim. He’s not the most skilled or fluid player in the world, but he really gets the job done at this level. When not around the basket, he displayed a promising jump-shot from 17 feet and in. Although he did not shoot the ball from the perimeter at an outstanding clip, he established himself as a presence out there with his ability to hit the short jumper or put the ball on the floor once and take it to the rim.
Sims used his long arms and good timing on the defensive end to alter many shots, doing his best to marginalize the impact of Oak Hill’s posts. He boxed out well inside and likely would have had more rebounds if his team did not allow the Oak Hill guards to crash the glass so much. The potential is definitely there for this athletic big man to develop into a defensive presence at Georgetown.
Henry is part of a Hoya recruiting class that includes two other power forwards, Greg Monroe and Chris Braswell. With Vernon Macklin returning next season, there is definitely going to be a battle for playing time in the Georgetown frontcourt. Sims’ ability to play the center slot will give him a better chance to see the floor as a freshman, and he will certainly be a player that NBA scouts will keep their eye on over his tenure in college.
Sylven Landesberg, 6’6, Shooting Guard, Senior, Holy Cross (NY), Committed to Virginia
26 points, 5 rebounds, 0 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 steals, 8-22 FG, 1-4 3PT, 9-9 FT in 32 minutes
Rodger Bohn
Sylven Landesberg (#38 Scout, #54 Rivals) did not play his best game here at Hoophall, struggling shooting the ball from the field in a narrow loss to a Drew Gordon-less Archbishop Mitty squad. He had some problems getting to the rim, settling for contested pull-up jumpers (which he normally makes) that were off the mark today. The Queens’ native’s lack of athleticism was evident on a few of his attempted drives to the baskets, where he was cut off by far inferior players and forced to defer to his teammates.
With that said, Sylven is a bit of a throwback player in that he has a sly demeanor out on the floor with a very high basketball IQ. He does a bit of everything offensively, handling the ball well, shooting it with range, and finding the open man when necessary. Very aggressive going to the rim, but better going left than right, Landesberg played much stronger than his 195 pound would lead you to believe. He has a natural scorer’s instinct, even though his shooting mechanics could use some work in order to improve his consistency from beyond the arc.
All in all, this was an average showing for a player who has the potential to be a major contributor next year at Virginia. The graduation of Sean Singletary and lack of a sturdy point guard will certainly open up minutes at that slot for Landesberg, although we feel he would be much better suited playing off of the ball so that he is able to make his scoring presence felt more. Either way, the opportunity is going to be there for the skilled guard to contribute during his freshman campaign.
Korie Lucious, 5-10, Point Guard, Senior, Milwaukee Pius
Committed to Michigan State
21 points, 2 assists, 6 turnovers, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, 8-19 FG, 5-13 3P, 0-1 FT
Jonathan Givony
Undersized point guard Korie Lucious (#90 Scout, #91 Rivals) managed to keep his team in the game early on against New York City powerhouse Abraham Lincoln, showing most of his strengths as a top-100 prospect, but eventually succumbed to Lance Stephenson and co. and ended up showing us most of his flaws.
Lucious is a severely undersized point guard, standing around 5-10. He’s a good but not great athlete, showing average quickness for a player his size, and looking more like a scoring point guard than a real distributor at the moment. Most of his damage offensively comes off his terrific 3-point stroke, featuring excellent mechanics and elevation and being an outstanding weapon he can utilize from anywhere on the court. Lucious can come off screens or pull-up off the jumper equally well, from mid-range and behind the arc, only needing a glimpse of daylight to get his shot off, and being extremely business-like about the way he creates his shots and scores. He started off the game on a tear, scoring 14 points in the first 7 minutes, but then being extremely streaky the rest of the way, only scoring 8 in the next 25 .
A solid ball-hander, Lucious rarely gets all the way into the paint and finishes, usually preferring to pull-up off the dribble from mid-range or shoot a very pretty floater. He struggles to finish around the rim, due to his average size and strength.
As a point guard, Lucious seems to be a pretty unselfish player on a team that really needs him to score heavily in order for them to have a chance at winning. He looked a little bit single-minded at times, taking a ton of shots and not looking like he was really able to contribute that much once his shot stopped falling. He seems to be able to run an offense, but too way too many risks with the ball, making some low-percentage wild passes that didn’t seem very smart. As he grows older, he will likely learn how to value his team’s possessions better. Tom Izzo will surely make a point of that…
Defensively, Izzo might have some issues with him initially as well. He gambles a little too much, and seems to be somewhat low energy in the effort he extends on this end of the floor. Lucious in general doesn’t seem to be the most passionate player in the world, looking very cold at times and not really showing any emotion from anything that went on on the floor, good or bad. He seemed to waive the white flag pretty easily once Abraham Lincoln started making a run, not really seeming to care much when was damn was getting beat badly. We’d like to see better leadership skills out of such a talented player, since his team clearly needed it.
All in all, Lucious looks like a nice guard for Michigan State’s rotation, a four-year player who should develop into a solid contributor in the Big-10.
Keith Gallon, 6’8, Power Forward, 2009, Oak Hill Academy (VA)
10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 0 blocks, 3 steals, 5-7 FG in 25 minutes
Rodger Bohn
”Tiny” Keith Gallon (#22 Scout, #37 Rivals--2009) had a truly uninspired performance in his matchup against Henry Sims, looking very disinterested for every second he was on the floor. He walked up and down both ends of the floor, scoring the majority of his points off of leak outs in which he never came back on the defensive end. The big-time junior was constantly pouting when he didn’t receive the ball, and was made his displeasure clear to his teammates vocally.
If you had not seen Gallon beforehand, you would think it’s downright insane that he was being recruited by some of the more elite programs in the country. Luckily, we had the chance to observe the big man on other instances and have a pretty good idea of what he can do in the occasions that he actually exerts some effort. The Houston native is exceptionally light on his feet for a player weighing close to 300 pounds, showing gorgeous footwork and great body control. Having shown the ability to score on the blocks, he also proves to be an adept passer when faced with a double team. Let the facts be straight, Gallon has the potential to be an excellent recruit when he deems necessary.
For Gallon’s sake, we hope that he develops some sort of passion for the game as his conditioning and lazy play could very well be enough to scare some schools away. Just a junior, there is plenty of time before we even begin to think of Gallon as a draft prospect, but he certainly needs to shed some pounds and develop a better work ethic if he hopes to succeed at any level.
Enoch Andoh, 6-7, Power Forward, Senior, Archbishop Mitty
Committed to Bucknell
21 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 1 block, 8-16 FG, 5-5 FT
Jonathan Givony
With UCLA commit Drew Gordon out indefinitely after breaking his foot last Friday, #6 ranked team in the country Archbishop Mitty needed senior power forward Enoch Andoh (unranked, Scout and Rivals) to have a big game in order for them to have any chance at beating Holy Cross. The future Bucknell big man went out and did exactly that, scoring 21 points and carrying his team to victory through sheer grit and determination.
Andoh is an undersized power forward, standing somewhere between 6-7 and 6-8, with long arms and good frame, but not a great deal of athleticism. He lacks quickness and explosiveness, but makes up for that with a terrific feel for the game.
Andoh gets most of his production in the paint, where he has a very versatile post game. He likes to use jump-hooks with either hand, and is extremely smart at feeling out his man with his body and creating space for himself to operate with all kinds of crafty spin moves. When double-teams collapsed on him, he didn’t seem to have a problem finding the open man. He has excellent hands and a soft touch around the rim, but sometimes struggles finishing in traffic due to his lack of size and leaping ability. He also made his presence felt on the offensive glass, showing nice timing and aggressiveness attacking the rim.
Defensively, Andoh wasn’t really challenged too much here by Holy Cross, but it wasn’t hard to tell that his potential is limited here due to his average physical tools.
All in all, it seems like Bucknell got themselves a very nice post player for their level of play in Enoch Andoh. He should have a very productive college career.
Matt Simpkins, 6’9, Power Forward, Senior, The Patterson School (NC)
Committed to Memphis
8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 turnover, 4-7 FG, 0-1 3PT, 0-1 FT in 15 minutes
Rodger Bohn
Matt Simpkins (#73 Scout, #47 Rivals) played very little here in Springfield, and did not appear to want to be here in the time that he did see on the hardwood. Starting the game on the bench, he showed some awful body language out on the floor, often casually walking up the floor even with his future head coach in college (John Calipari) watching him from front row. The athletic forward scored his points on a few inside conversions, not showing any real perimeter skills for a player who is attempting to eventually become a wing forward.
While Matt had a poor showing in Springfield, it was clear that he has a player who has a ton of long term potential. He is a super athlete with ideal size, making it quite clear why Calipari felt he would fit into Memphis’ system. Able to run the court and put the ball on the floor well for a player his size, the upside is there for him to be a nice prospect down the road, as long as he is able to continue to improve upon his skill set and erase the question marks surrounding his character.
Tristan Thompson, 6’8, Small Forward, Sophomore, St. Benedict’s (NJ)
7 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal, 3-3 FG, 1-1 FT, 20 minutes
Rodger Bohn
Thompson has shown a lot of promise for a player so young touring the country. He sees plenty of minutes at th | | |
