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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. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
rodger.bohn@draftexpress.com |
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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 the small forward position at the moment due to St. Benedict’s inside duo of Samardo Samuels and Greg Echenique, offering plenty of intrigue as a prospect down the road. Owning all of the ideal physical characteristics one could ask for in a wing, standing 6’8, blessed with very long arms, and owning superb quickness for a player so young. The Canadian phenom is already a very nice defender, playing with a great passion and applying a massive amount of ball pressure to whomever he was guarding.
Offensively, the perimeter skills are not quite there yet, with Thompson standing to use room for improvement in the areas of ball-handling and shooting. His lack of refinement in these areas has not stopped the top programs in the country from calling, with North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, Memphis, and Georgetown amongst the schools currently recruiting Tristan. Far from a finished product, he has established himself as a name to remember down the road and one of the better players the high school class of 2010 has to offer at the moment.
Glenn Bryant, 6-7, SF/PF, Junior, Oak Hill Academy
14 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 4 blocks, 3 steals, 5-7 FG, 4-5 FT, 25 minutes
Jonathan Givony
Oak Hill’s junior combo forward Glenn Bryant has been shooting up the recruiting rankings lately, drawing interest from schools such as Memphis, Florida, Florida State, Michigan State, Ohio State—indeed drawing Memphis head coach John Calipari courtside (right next to us) to take in his game.
It’s pretty easy to see why college coaches like him. Bryant is a super athletic forward with a terrific motor—long, active, strong, with a nice frame that should fill out in time. He gets most of his production off sheer hustle and aggressiveness, running the floor in transition, hitting the offensive glass, cutting to the basket for a catch and finish, etc.
He competes extremely hard on the glass, going after rebounds out of his area and then finishing strong above the rim once he gets his hands on the ball. He also has excellent timing to block shots, both on the ball in the post or on the perimeter, or even coming from the weak-side.
Facing the hoop, Bryant has average ball-handling skills, but is quick and aggressive enough to put the ball on the floor in strong fashion and make his way to the rim. His perimeter skills look extremely raw at the moment (he didn’t attempt any jump-shots), so he has some work ahead of him if he’s to reach his full potential and make the transition to playing the small forward position—which seems pretty far away at the moment.
Still, you have to like what he brings in terms of toughness, activity and sheer athleticism, traits that can come in extremely handy to any college coach looking for a role player. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
rodger.bohn@draftexpress.com jonathan@draftexpress.com |
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| 2008 Spalding Hoophall Classic -- Elite Prospects |
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| by: Rodger Bohn - Director of Prep Scouting, Jonathan Givony - President |
| January 21, 2008 |
Brandon Jennings, 6-1, Senior, Point Guard, Oak Hill Academy
Committed to Arizona
32 points, 3 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 rebound, 3 steals, 11-24 FG, 8-9 FT, 2-7 3P, 32 minutes
Jonathan Givony
Ranked by most analysts as the top point guard in the 2008 class, the burden of expectations was always going to be quite high for Brandon Jennings (#7 Scout, #8 Rivals) going into this game. And although he was named the MVP of his team for his performance, in a winning effort, there were definitely some negatives to take away from today.
Jennings is a slightly undersized point guard with an average frame, solid length and excellent athletic ability. He has a terrific first step, and is an extremely fluid all-around player, the type who everything comes easy for on the court.
Known as more of a pass-first playmaker, Jennings looked more focused on showing off his scoring ability in this game. He shot the ball 24 times in 32 minutes, seven times from behind the arc, and only hit 11 of his field goal attempts. His shot selection looked extremely questionable at times, to say the least. He’s relying more heavily on his perimeter jumper than we remember, looking to create space from the perimeter and then pulling up constantly off the dribble, with mostly mixed results. He seemed to settle too often, before anyone else on his team got the touch the ball. On one particular play, the 30-second shot-clock expired with the ball in his hands without him having passed it by that point even once.
Looking beyond just today’s performance, though, you can definitely say that he’s got nice potential as a perimeter shooter down the road, both from mid-range (especially on his pull-up) and behind the arc. It would just be a shame for him to fall in love with it and forget the rest of his game.
A superb ball-handler with either hand, Jennings has terrific quickness, an assortment of crossovers and hesitation moves, and the added benefit of being left-handed, which most defenders just aren’t used to. He likes to push the ball up the floor, and is especially effective in transition, which should suit him quite well next year at Arizona. He didn’t finish particularly well around the rim, though, as his lack of size and strength appears to be a bit of a hindrance at this level already. He also doesn’t seem to be the most contact-loving player either, which resulted in some blown layups.
As a playmaker, Jennings has outstanding court vision, and the ability to make extremely flashy passes at high speeds while on the move. His decision making isn’t bad, but at times you feel like he’s more concerned with getting on to a highlight reel than making the right play. It seems like he may have played in just one too many AAU tournaments. Oak Hill looked fairly disorganized in their half-court sets, and we missed a little bit of leadership coming from Jennings’ direction. The team seems to be struggling all season long, and after what we saw today, it’s not too hard to tell why. Jennings just doesn’t look like he cares that much while on the court, or at least that’s what his laid back body language would lead you to believe. He’s a very dominant point guard who dribbles the ball excessively and is obviously much better setting up players off the bounce than he is directing traffic from the perimeter, showing lots of style but not enough substance.
Defensively, Jennings was extremely average, not putting too much effort in, and gambling excessively for steals and blocks, jumping wildly trying to contest shots from behind the arc. Oak Hill often had him defending the other team’s worst player, possibly to conserve his energy. He does have very nice ability to come up with steals, though, both coming up in the passing lanes and picking his man’s pocket clean playing on the ball. He was able to do exactly that on the last possession of the game with his team up by one point, stealing the ball, but then foolishly decided to lay it in and give the opposing team a chance to tie the game with a three rather than run out the entire clock on his own. Not a smart play at all.
All in all, there is very little question that Jennings has a great deal of potential. After watching him play here, though, we have some question marks about how quickly he will reach that potential. He should have a chance to step in and contribute right away at Arizona, which should help him.
Samardo Samuels, 6’8, Power Forward, Senior, St. Benedict’s (NJ)
Committed to Louisville
22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 turnovers, 1 block, 8-10 FG, 6-8 FT in 28 minutes
Rodger Bohn
Samardo Samuels (#2 Scout, #7 Rivals) appears to be in better shape since we saw him in Florida last month, looking a chiseled 240 pounds and with great conditioning. It was a typical performance for him on the evening, using his powerful body to bully his way around the paint, while showing flashes of a developing face the basket game. In the opportunities that Samardo was facing the rim, he boasted a nice first step for a player his size, in addition to a very low dribble, especially when going right. He didn’t shoot any jumpers at all, but the few times that he drove to the cup were enough to leave optimism for his development in those areas. He also made some nice passes to fellow big man Greg Echenique, showing off his unselfish nature and excellent feel for the game. As always, it was easy to come away impressed by the way he finished around the basket, trying to tear down the rim with his powerful two handed dunks.
Even in a blowout victory, the Louisville recruit continued to play hard and showed off his great motor. It wasn’t his best performance on the defensive end, although the Jamaica native was drawn away from the basket many times against a smaller Dematha team. While he still needs some work to do refining his skill set in order to reach his max potential, all of the tools are there for him to be an immediate college contributor, and one who will certainly be on the radar of NBA scouts next season.
Ed Davis, 6-9, Power Forward, Senior, Benedictine
Committed to North Carolina
21 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 10-11 FG, 1-2 FT, 22 minutes
Jonathan Givony
This wasn’t really a major test for Ed Davis (#10 Scout, #20 Rivals), as the organizers decided to pit his team against a depleted St. George squad rather than the originally scheduled matchup with Samardo Samuels and St. Benedict’s. Nevertheless, Davis worked hard in the three quarters he participated in (he sat out the last quarter of pure garbage time), showing his strengths and weaknesses as a collegiate prospect.
Davis has excellent tools for a power forward, with decent size, outstanding length and a frame that is currently fairly narrow, but should fill out with time. Davis runs the floor well, is quick off his feet, and can really elevate to contest shots or finish around the rim.
Offensively, Davis played mostly in the low post today, although he has a reputation for being someone who can play inside and out. He didn’t seem to have a problem going to work with his back to the basket, showing some nice spin-moves, a solid jump-hook, and really nice patience and poise operating in the paint. When faced with a double team, he didn’t have a problem finding the open man, as he generally seems to be a pretty smart, unselfish player.
Davis does almost all of his damage right now with his left hand (shot-blocking, scoring, and dribbling), looking pretty limited with his right—which isn’t that much of an issue at this level. He’ll have to develop his right hand into being at least somewhat of a weapon if he’s to reach his full potential down the road, though. The thing we liked the best about the way Davis played today was the aggressiveness he showed finishing around the hoop. He does not settle for soft finishes here, going up and dunking everything with two hands, aided greatly by the terrific extension he has here thanks to his wingspan. Davis also uses this same extension to establish himself as a force on the glass, particularly on the offensive end. He was incredibly active here, fighting constantly inside and getting his hands on plenty of loose balls.
Facing the basket, Davis attempted just one jumper on the day, a nice-looking 16 footer which he missed. He was used mostly as an old-school back to the basket pivot. He didn’t show any ball-handling skills either.
Defensively, Davis was solid, blocking some shots and altering others. There wasn’t much to evaluate here since he really wasn’t challenged by anyone noteworthy, but he did do a good job from what he was asked to do. He’s got good potential in this area as a collegiate player thanks to his length and solid athleticism, but he’ll need to add 15-20 pounds to his frame before he’ll really be able to play serious high-level minutes defensively in the ACC. That should come eventually.
All in all, it looks like North Carolina has landed itself another very solid role player. Davis has the chance to develop into more than that, but it will take him some time. He looks to be on the right path.
Lance Stephenson, 6’5, Shooting Guard, Junior, Lincoln HS (NY)
22 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, 11-14 FG, 0-2 FT in 22 minutes
Rodger Bohn
This was a pretty average performance out of star junior Lance Stephenson (#5 Scout, #4 Rivals) in Lincoln’s blowout win over Milwaukee Pius. The usual antics that seem to follow the talented guard were there: Questionable effort, poor body language, trash talking, and the ability to do basically anything he wants in spurts on the court.
The game seems to come so easy for Stephenson that he often becomes very careless on the court, attempting passes that not even Steve Nash could make. While he is a good passer, his desire for the flair tends to take him out of the game mentally at times. Very vocal and animated, he has the potential to be a good leader on the floor if he is ever able to understand the big picture, which is a big IF at the moment.
In terms of actual skills, Lance has plenty to offer. He is able to shoot the ball out to NBA three point range, put it on the floor, and even take you down to the blocks and score out of the post. The player who stops Lance Stephenson most often is himself, as he tends to get out of the game mentally before he can even get in a groove at times. When unable to score himself, he has exhibited outstanding court vision both in the open floor and in half court sets. Occasionally even playing point guard, many feel that the potential is there for Stephenson to eventually become a combo guard down the road, if he’d be willing to give up the ball enough.
Defensively, Stephenson exerts very little effort and appears to just be waiting for the next shot to come off of the rim so he can find an opportunity to score the ball. Blessed with an outstanding body, long arms, and decent lateral quickness, there is no excuse why the NYC product is not a better defender.
The most evident weaknesses that Lance seems to have are his on-court demeanor and relatively average athleticism for a shooting guard prospect. His athleticism is solid for a high school player, but it is not at the same level as most NBA shooting guard prospects. This might be one of the reasons he settles so often for jumpers rather than taking the ball strong to the basket. The character issues surrounding Stephenson are much more concerning, and only time will tell if he is able to completely understand how good he has the potential to become.
The star shooting guard currently has a list of Indiana, USC, Kansas, Duke, and North Carolina and does not appear to be ready to make a collegiate decision anytime soon. Whatever program is able to land him will be getting a potential 15 point per game scorer from day one, but must be willing to sacrifice for all of the issues that tag along with Stephenson. |
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rodger.bohn@draftexpress.com jonathan@draftexpress.com |
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| Nike Super 6 High School Invitational (Part Two) |
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| by: Joey Whelan |
| January 20, 2008 |
In part two of DraftExpress’ coverage of the 2008 Nike Super 6 Invitational, we take a look at some other top players that will be arriving at major college programs in the fall. In addition, we break down several promising underclassmen that either already have or are starting to make noise at the prep level.
Nike Super 6 Part One
Quintrell Thomas, 6’8”, PF, Senior, St. Patrick (NJ), Committed to Kansas
27 points, 12 rebounds vs. St. Raymond’s (NY)
There was little doubt about who was going to take home game MVP honors at the conclusion of the afternoon’s second game. Quintrell Thomas put together the most dominant performance of the afternoon, proving to be too physically overpowering for St. Raymond’s frontcourt players.
The future Jayhawk big man asserted himself right away, scoring his team’s first couple of baskets. It was clear that the first few trips down the floor that St. Pat’s was looking to get the ball inside to Thomas, not only because he is one of their primary offensive weapons, but because his play inside early on opened up the floor later for the plethora of guards the team trots out. It isn’t hard to see why Kansas went out and signed Thomas to join their talent-rich frontcourt. The senior already boasts an impressive build, one that should make his transition to the Big 12 a smoother one. With 240 pounds packed onto his 6’8” frame, Thomas doesn’t have trouble muscling his way through defenders at this level. If you also factor in an equally impressive wingspan, then it becomes clear why he is ranked as the #92 prospect in the country by Scout.com and #147 by Rivals.
For a player as powerful as Thomas is, he has a surprisingly refined post game. He showed off a very strong drop step, as well as a smooth baby hook. The most promising aspect of Thomas’s post game however was his ability to score while spinning in either direction, towards the paint or the baseline. He reminds somewhat of Tyler Hansbrough in his ability to take a lot of contact inside, but still put a soft touch on his shot, something that will certainly help him against bigger post players next season.
Thomas is a tremendously explosive player when he gets position inside. He does a great job of sealing defenders on the block and from this position is able to elevate over most players at the high school level. If he gets any kind of room around the basket it is a safe bet that he will send in a thunderous dunk, which he did several times on St. Raymond defenders.
At this level Thomas is almost exclusively a post player, only flashing to the perimeter on occasion to screen for a teammate or to help reverse the ball when in a half court set. While he didn’t attempt any shots from outside the paint, Thomas showed very nice form and touch on his free throws, which leads us to believe that at the very least he could develop into a threat to knock down the occasional mid-range jumper in college. Thomas didn’t handle the ball outside of the paint either, so it is hard to make any kind of judgment about his ability to attack the basket off the dribble at this point. He does run the floor fairly well for a big man, and he certainly shows the athleticism necessary to be a threat to drive, but again we don’t know the extent of his ball handling skills.
Defensively, Thomas does exactly what you would expect a player of his caliber and build to do at this level: disrupt shots. He not only has great length and leaping ability, but shows a real knack for timing as well, something that allowed him to alter a tremendous number of shots not even in his area. A couple of times during the second half, Thomas actually went over the back of his own teammate to block shots as a help defender. This is the kind of aggressive play that coaches love to see from their interior defenders. These same physical qualities carry over to rebounding as well, where Thomas proved to be a force at both ends of the floor. He is an absolute handful to handle physically, and is capable of bringing down balls that aren’t in his area.
One cause for concern, though, was Thomas’s ability to defend the pick and roll. While we only saw him in that situation a couple of times, his lack of lateral quickness to defend this play was evident, and something he will need to improve on.
At this point it is way too early to start making any sort of predictions about Thomas from a future NBA standpoint. Certainly as a 6’8” post player the phrase “tweener” may come up if he doesn’t start to move out on the perimeter a little during his college career. As for his upcoming years with Kansas, though, Thomas possesses the strength, athleticism, frame and soft touch that leads one to believe he will be an impact player for Bill Self. While he may be stuck behind some other elite post players initially, don’t be shocked if Thomas is getting serious minutes from the get go either.
Jordan Theodore, 6’0”, PG, Senior, Patterson Catholic (NJ), Committed to Seton Hall
12 points, 5 assists, 5 steals vs. Mt. Vernon (NY)
Jordan Theodore, an undersized speedster from New Jersey, put together a solid performance running the show for Patterson Catholic on Sunday afternoon. The future Pirate had his full repertoire of point guard skills on display in a hotly contested game.
The obvious knock against Theodore is his size. He is listed at 6’0” 170 pounds, but that may even be a little generous. What the senior lacks in physical stature though he makes up for with tremendous quickness and explosive leaping ability. Plenty of people in attendance for the game were surprised to see Theodore throw down a fast break dunk in the second half of his game against Mt. Vernon.
From the opening minutes of the game, Theodore proved to be an absolute handful to contain in Patterson’s man-to-man defense. He is extremely quick off the dribble, and combined with his excellent handle, Theodore is able to penetrate the lane on a consistent basis. Once in the lane, he has shown fantastic ability as a playmaker, and this is where he gets the majority of his assists from, drawing and kicking to open teammates in the paint. When he does decide to attack the rim, Theodore is a good enough leaper that he is able to elevate and get his shot off against taller defenders when in traffic.
Theodore excels in the transition game, possessing great open floor speed and having great court vision. His ability to change direction on a dime makes it extremely hard for defenders to stay in front of him. He was also able to incorporate several hesitation moves to further shake defenders when in transition. When he attacks the rim, Theodore shows great ability to draw contact from defenders and get to the foul line.
Defensively Theodore was as pesky as he was on the offensive side of the ball. His has great lateral quickness to go along with very quick hands. He was able to register five steals in the game thanks to his hustle and anticipation. Theodore is equally as dangerous to pick an opponents pocket as he is to intercept a pass and take it the opposite way for an easy basket.
At this time Theodore looks like he will develop into a solid collegiate point guard. He is very quick, shows a high basketball IQ and knows how to play within himself. The one question we were left with after seeing Theodore play was his ability to shoot from the perimeter. He didn’t attempt any shots from beyond the perimeter, nor did we get to see him shoot off the dribble. As for further down the road, Theodore is very undersized for a guard at the professional level, but he has good point guard skills and knows how to play the game.
Greg Echenique, 6’8”, PF/C, Junior, St. Benedict’s (NJ), 4-star recruit, Uncommitted
15 points, 11 rebounds vs. Rice (HS)
Along with teammate Samardo Samuels, Greg Echenique is part of what may be the top high school frontcourt in the country; so it was no surprise when both players registered double-doubles in St. Benedict’s win over New York powerhouse Rice.
While the Louisville-bound Samuels had a first half that could be best described as non-descript, Echenique did everything he could to keep St. Benedict’s in the game. The junior picked up the bulk of his points in the first half thanks to his headstrong style of play inside. Echenique is listed at 240 pounds, but from what we saw he easily looks like he could be even more than that. This massive frame makes him very tough to guard one-on-one in the post at this level. With that said, though, like they did to Samuels, Rice did a good job of swarming Echenique in the first half when he got touches on the block. Though he faired a little better than Samuels did initially, Echenique appeared to have some trouble passing out of these double-team situations.
Echenique showed some signs of a developing post game, but at this point generally seems to rely on overpowering defenders to get his baskets in the paint. He showed us a strong drop step while mixing in the occasional turn-around jump shot in the lane when forced out of position. The majority of the time, though, Echenique tends to put his head down and muscle his way to the rim. He isn’t tremendously explosive, and lacks great height, so he could have trouble at the collegiate level against taller, longer post players.
One area where Echenique consistently made his presence felt was on the glass. The big man is a tenacious rebounder, having a wide frame that is hard to get around when boxed out, and he has a surprisingly quick second jump for a player his size. Echenique has above average length and is able to make plays on a lot of balls out of his area, something that will help tremendously at the collegiate level.
At this point, Echenique doesn’t show much ability at all to play beyond eight feet from the basket. His ball handling skills are suspect even when making moves with his back to the basket, so it is safe to assume he isn’t a major threat to drive and attack the basket. We didn’t get a chance to see Echenique attempt any shots from anywhere outside the general vicinity of the basket, so we can’t really judge his abilities as a shooter. He did however at times lack touch around the basket which in part played a role in his rebound numbers for the game.
Defensively, Echenique doesn’t do anything at a particularly high level, but he isn’t a defensive liability either. His frame makes him hard to back down on the block, but he needs to do a better job of fronting opponents. While he is very aggressive rebounding the basketball, he needs to be more aggressive as a shot blocker. Often times when players would drive the lane Echenique would simply stand with his arms straight up. While this will ensure that he doesn’t get called for very many fouls, it did allow some of the more athletic players to elevate over or around him much more easily than they would have otherwise. Echenique also doesn’t appear to possess tremendous quickness, and as a result struggles when forced to guard perimeter players.
There is certainly plenty of room for improvement by Echenique in his remaining time at the prep level. While he certainly shows flashes of potential to be a solid interior player at the collegiate level, right now a lot of his success appears to stem from being bigger and stronger than many of the players he encounters. His effort and hustle on the glass will certainly win him points with any coach, but he needs to become an impact defender more than three feet from the basket. Echenique also needs to develop his post game more in order to handle playing against players that will be able to match up with him physically. There is no doubt he is more of a center than a power forward at this point, although his height makes him undersized really for either position. Developing the ability to step out and knock down the occasional mid-range jump shot would go a long way to helping his stock in the future.
Sherrod Wright, 6’4”, SG, Junior, Mt. Vernon (NY), 3-star recruit, Uncommitted
20 points, 11 rebounds vs. Patterson Catholic (NJ)
The Knights got a big boost from their junior shooting guard in what proved to be a very close game down the stretch. When shots weren’t falling from the outside, Sherrod Wright had the presence of mind to take the ball to the basket, where he excelled all afternoon.
While he might be an inch or two short for the off guard spot, he makes up for it with great athleticism and a nose for the hoop. Even though he knocked down a couple of shots off the dribble, Wright is clearly a slasher. He has a very nice first step and his handles are good enough where he can comfortably navigate his way through traffic. Once in the lane, he elevates very well, to the point where he can get his shot off over taller interior players on a regular basis. Wright showed flashes of explosiveness when attacking the rim as well as solid body control. He doesn’t back away from contact around the rim, in fact from what we saw he appears to seek it out.
Defensively, Wright looks like a player that really gets after it all over the court. His has enough quickness that he can contain players at either guard position. His quick hands allow him to disrupt passing lanes and put contest pressure on opponents. We were really impressed with how hard Wright hits the boards though. Despite his 6’4” 185 pound frame, the junior attacks the glass with a fierce mentality. His solid wingspan and strong leaping ability allow him to pull down more rebounds than he probably should, but with that said, his eleven rebounds against Patterson Catholic was very impressive.
Wright definitely looks like a guard that could be a nice scoring option at the collegiate level. He knows how to get into the lane and create scoring opportunities for himself. While he didn’t do much on the perimeter in this game, from the little we saw Wright has a smooth stroke and can shoot off the dribble. His quick first step should be enough to keep taller guards honest and give him the room to get his outside shot off. It is way too soon to start making any kind of assessments of Wright’s game from a professional standpoint. His frame lends him to being a point guard rather than a shooting guard, but he still has a lot of time to develop and tailor his game. With schools like North Carolina, Connecticut and Indiana showing interest, you can bet that Wright will be able to hone his game against top flight competition.
Tristan Thompson, 6’8” PF, Sophomore, St. Benedict’s, 5-star recruit, Uncommitted
5 points, 6 rebounds vs. Rice (NY)
Despite just being a sophomore coming off the bench, there may be no more of an intriguing prospect on St. Benedict’s than Tristan Thompson. The sophomore played sparingly and though his performance didn’t appear that impressive in the box score, there were several flashes of big time potential.
At 6’8” 215 pounds, Thompson has a very long and lean frame. While his lack of muscle at this point hurts him somewhat when playing inside, his wingspan and athleticism more than make up for it. The youngsters release point on his shots in the paint is so high that most players at this level will not be able to block them. On the other side of the ball, Thompson is already a shot blocking menace, recording a couple of very impressive swats during his time on the floor.
By far the most intriguing feature of Thompson’s game that we saw though was his ability to play on the perimeter. Though he didn’t attempt any shots from out here, he looked quite comfortable handling the ball on the wing, and clearly this is a normal part of the St. Benedict’s offense to have him out there. Thompson is athletic and quick enough where if as he becomes more of a focal point of his team’s offense it isn’t hard to imagine him taking advantage of mismatches on the outside and taking slower post players to the basket on a regular basis.
Defensively, Thompson shows loads of potential as a disruptive force. As previously mentioned he is already a shot blocking threat and his length makes him a very strong rebounder. If he can add some extra weight to keep from being pushed out of position he will almost certainly be a double-double threat on a nightly basis. Thompson typically plays with his arms up which allows him to cut off passing lanes and deflect a lot of passes.
It is certainly too early to make any kinds of predictions about how Thompson will turn out, even as a college level athlete. What is obvious though is the amount of upside and potential for Thompson to develop into an excellent player. He already has good size and has room to grow; factor in his athleticism and his developing play on the perimeter, we could be looking at a 6’8” player that could blossom into an inside-outside threat. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
jwhelan1@umd.edu |
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| Nike Super 6 High School Invitational at Madison Square Garden |
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| by: Joey Whelan |
| January 16, 2008 |
The Nike Super 6 Invitational held at Madison Square Garden provided an opportunity to see some of the top high school programs in both New York and New Jersey. The three game event featured four teams ranked in the ESPN High Elite 25, including three in the top five: #1 St. Benedict’s (NJ), #3 St. Raymond’s (NY) and #5 St. Patrick (NJ). Plenty of elite players that will be appearing on the college scene next year were in action, as well as a handful of already promising underclassmen. DraftExpress was on hand to take in the day’s games and provide analysis of the top prospects in action.
Samardo Samuels, 6’8”, PF, Class of 2008, St. Benedict’s (NJ), Committed to Louisville
14 point, 13 rebounds vs. Rice HS (NY)
We last saw Samuels a few weeks ago take home MVP honors at the City of Palms Classic. The future Cardinal took home game MVP honors this time out as well in leading his team to a win, but it was certainly an interesting performance for one of the nation’s top seniors.
Samuels didn’t start the game, nor did he appear at all during the first quarter. He looked perfectly healthy during warm-ups and was fine for the remainder of the game, so we presume is wasn’t any kind of an injury that had Samuels on the bench for the first eight minutes of the game. Once Samuels did enter the game early in the second quarter, things didn’t get off to a very good start for him. Rice’s front court players did an excellent job keeping him off the block and denying him entry passes. The few times that he did manage to get touches on the inside, he was swarmed by defenders and stripped of the ball. All in all, Samuels’s first half stat line was an unimpressive 0 points and 3 rebounds.
The second half was a completely different story, and we got to see Samuels at his best. There is no question that he is most comfortable when playing with his back to the basket and this is when he is at his most dangerous. A couple of times Samuels was left in one-on-one situations on the block, and few if any players at the high school level are able to stop him in these situations. Samuels showed us a nice array of post moves, including a soft hook shot to the middle and a powerful drop step. Particularly on the drop step, he does an excellent job of using his strength and body to seal off his defender. Samuels was even able to sneak behind the defense on one play where he received a nice pass and finished the play with one of his thunderous two-handed dunks. While he is very hard to stop when he is right around the rim like this, Samuels struggles occasionally with these power moves when he is pushed further away from the hoop, due to his lack of unbelievable explosiveness.
A few times during the second half, Samuels stepped away from the basket, catching the ball around the foul line. Though he will take these shots when they are given to him, his jump shot needs to improve, and he didn’t attempt any outside shots during the game. Samuels did however put the ball on the floor and attack the basket from this spot on the floor once. He can do this surprisingly well for a player his size, and his ball handling skills are solid, at least good enough to take other post players off the dribble. While he has shown some ability to change directions when driving to the basket, this part of his game isn’t tremendously smooth yet.
Defensively, Samuels made his presence felt. He is a beast on the boards, possessing a frame that is very hard to move or get around, and a wingspan that allows him to pull down a lot of balls that aren’t necessarily in his area. This also allows him to block and alter a lot more shots than a player his height normally would be able to. What he lacks in his height and overall athleticism on the defensive end, Samuels makes up for with tremendous strength, toughness and hustle.
There is little reason to doubt that Samuels will be able to step in right away and become a big time impact player at Louisville next season. He certainly is big enough and strong enough to wreak havoc at the collegiate level, but as has been mentioned several times on this site, his lack of height and tremendous athleticism will give at least some NBA scouts pause when he is ready to enter the league.
Kemba Walker, 6’2”, PG, Class of 2008, Rice HS (NY), Committed to UConn
18 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists vs. St. Benedict’s (NJ)
In the mold of so many other New York area point guards before him, Walker’s game is all about speed and flashiness; both were on display in his team’s match up with top ranked St. Benedict’s. Like Samardo Samuels, the other major marquee player in this game, Walker had a slow first half, scoring just six points, and struggling with turnovers. The future Husky came alive in the second half though, particularly in the fourth quarter where he wowed the crowd with several dynamic finishes around the basket.
At this level, Walker is definitely a scoring point guard, relying mainly on his slashing ability. He is devastatingly quick off the dribble, and combined with his excellent ball handling skills; Walker seems to be able to get into the lane almost at will. Even next year in a talent rich Big East Conference, he will still be one of the fastest players on the floor on a nightly basis. He exhibits great body control and can change speeds very well, which further helps him to shake defenders, but he did run into trouble at times against the massive front court players of St. Benedict’s. Walker showed nice touch and was able to finish some acrobatic shots around the hoop, but these clearly are not high percentage shots that will drop on a consistent basis.
As far as being a scoring threat goes, Walker has two issues facing him. First is his size; his 6’2” listing is probably a bit generous, and we did see that he struggled at times to finish in traffic against bigger, longer players. The other major concern is Walker’s perimeter shooting. He only attempted one three-point field goal during the game, despite having plenty of open looks; and it seems that Walker doesn’t have a tremendous amount of confidence from this range. He showed some nice potential shooting off the dribble from mid-range and has nice touch, but his release point was somewhat inconsistent, which hampered his shots from falling on a regular basis.
Clearly the appeal in Walker’s game is his playmaking ability. His ability to get into the lane and create open shots for teammates is very impressive, and his court vision is fantastic. Walker did everything from drive and kick to open teammates for perimeter shots on the weak side, to penetrating the lane and drawing defenders leaving teammates open for uncontested lay ups. Walker was only able to record two assists in this particular contest, because of a lot of missed opportunities by Rice on the offensive end.
On the defensive end there is plenty to like about Walker. He is a tough defender, and though he gets beat occasionally by fast perimeter players off the dribble, he does a great job of recovering quickly. He seems to have a knack of knowing where to be and generally seems to anticipate well. One cause for concern again is his height, which could allow taller guards to shoot over him at the next level.
Jim Calhoun is getting himself a speedy playmaker next year. While his scoring totals may not be very high initially, with the amount of talent that will be surrounding him, Walker’s assist numbers should be. As far as a future at the professional level, Walker’s size will always be a strike against him and his perimeter shooting will certainly need to improve a lot, but he clearly has the quickness, court vision and IQ to be an elite point guard.
Dexter Strickland, 6’3”, PG, Class of 2009, St. Patrick (NJ), Committed to North Carolina
11 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists vs. St. Raymond’s (NY)
One of the nation’s top juniors put on a very strong overall performance, despite not making much noise scoring the basketball. Strickland, one of many talented players on a loaded St. Pat’s team, spent most of the afternoon deferring to teammates in the Celtics win over St. Raymond’s. The future Tar Heel spent the majority of the game playing at the small forward spot due to St. Pat’s playing a backcourt made up of three players all capable of running the point guard position.
Strickland showed a lot of ability as a slasher, which leads us to believe he could line up at the off-guard spot a fair amount in college depending on who is on the floor. He exhibited excellent ball-handling skills, dribbling himself out of several double teams during the course of the game. Strickland proved to be a handful to contain thanks to his ability to mix a great first step in with a nice hesitation move that freed him up to attack the basket. He has nice length for a guard and is an explosive player, which allows him to finish with consistency around the basket, even in traffic. In situations where bigger players took away a direct line to the hoop, Strickland showed nice touch on a running floater he was able to deliver from the baseline.
In a game where he wasn’t lighting up the scoreboard, Strickland definitely exhibited a pass first mentality. He is equally as dangerous as a playmaker in both the transition and half court games thanks to his athleticism and excellent basketball IQ. On the break he has a knack for drawing defenders by waiting until the last possible second to deliver a pass to an open teammate. In the half court set he is so good at breaking down defenders off the dribble, that he forces other players to commit to him, leaving open looks for teammates.
The one major question mark left after this game with Strickland is his perimeter shooting. He passed up on plenty of open looks from the outside, and while he is a very team oriented player, these are shots he will need to at least attempt from time to time in order to keep the defense honest. He attempted a couple of mid-range shots off the dribble, and while they didn’t fall, he shows nice form on his shot.
Defensively, Strickland really gets after it in every aspect. He is a terrific on ball defender, possessing great lateral quickness and coupled with his long wingspan for a guard, he is tough to beat off the dribble consistently. He closes well on perimeter shooters, and his leaping ability makes him tougher to shooter over that many other guards his size. What impressed us the most about Strickland was how hard he hit the glass for a guard. Only 6’3”, he was still able to haul in 8 rebounds thanks to his tenacious effort in the paint.
All-in-all, even though he didn’t completely dominate the game, it is easy to see why Strickland is one of the top rated backcourt players in his class. He is a great athlete who really seems to understand the game, and can help his team in a lot of ways. Even in this game where he didn’t do anything spectacular, Strickland still nearly wound up with a triple-double, showing us just how deceptively good of a player he is.
Kevin Jones, 6’8”, PF, Class of 2008, Mt. Vernon (NY), Committed to West Virginia
25 points, 19 rebounds vs. Patterson Catholic (NJ)
The Mt. Vernon senior almost single handedly brought his team back from a second half double-digit deficit in picking up game MVP honors. Jones went on a personal 7-0 in the fourth quarter, highlighted by his lone three-pointer that thrust the Knights back into the game.
Jones is an interesting prospect because he is a dominant inside presence, but is clearly trying to make the transition to becoming more of a perimeter threat. While Jones has shown the ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc, he also has a tendency to line drive his shots when he rushes. This was the case against Patterson Catholic, as he shot just 1 of 10 from the outside. At this point, Jones is pretty much just a catch and shoot guy when he is on the perimeter, he needs room to get his shot off and isn’t much of a threat to shoot off the dribble. If left alone though, he can hurt a team from the outside. He rarely if ever will attack the basket off the dribble, but from what we have seen, he needs to develop his right hand more before he can become a legitimate threat in this sense.
The majority of the damage Jones does offensively comes inside the paint. Despite scoring in bunches when he gets touches down low, Jones doesn’t have a very developed post game. He does a great job sealing on the block and occasionally shows off a baby hook shot, but typically his move is to get the ball and get to the hoop by whatever means possible. Jones has a motor that never stops running, and is tenacious on the offensive glass (he had 8 offensive rebounds against Patterson). While his non-stop energy down low will certainly help him pick up scrappy points in the Big East next season, he will need to develop his back to the basket game some more. At just 195 pounds, Jones won’t be able to simply rely on his effort and athleticism to get points against bigger and stronger post players.
On the defensive end, Jones proved to be a disruptive force by combining his non-stop hustle with great anticipation. Even though he isn’t that big for a post player, he was still able to block a couple of shots and alter plenty more thanks to his tremendous timing. Jones constantly has his head on a swivel and keeps his long arms up, which allows him to deflect and steal a lot of balls.
Jones is an athlete, plain and simple. Skill wise, he needs to improve almost every aspect of his game if he is going to become a polished player. What will help make him a contributor right away though is his seemingly endless amounts of energy. You can tell by watching that Jones loves to play and is having fun out on the court. His tenacity and second effort will allow him to hang in the Big East while he continues to work on becoming more of a perimeter threat. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
jwhelan1@umd.edu |
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| Aminu Outshines Monroe on National Television |
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| by: Rodger Bohn - Director of Prep Scouting |
| January 12, 2008 |
In the latest of ESPN’s Old Spice Showcase series, Norcross High School from Georgia was pegged against Louisiana’s Helen Cox High School. More importantly , the game placed two of the nation’s truly elite forwards against each other, allowing Al-Farouq Aminu and Greg Monroe to duel it out on national television to show who the top perimeter oriented forward in the nation is.
Aminu ultimately got the best of Monroe, not only beating him on the stat sheet but also leading his team to a 59-48 victory. It was established from the tip that the Wake Forest commit had something to prove against Monroe, who has been hailed as the top player in the country for well over a year now. Below is a deeper look at how the two stars fared against one and other.
Al-Farouq Aminu, 6’8, Small Forward/Power Forward, Senior, Norcross HS (GA), Committed to Wake Forest
29 points, 13 rebounds
Al-Farouq Aminu responded nicely after his relatively disappointing showing at the Amare Stoudemire Invitational, willing his team to victory against the consensus top player in the nation (according to the Rivals and Scout networks). Although he has faced Monroe a number of times on the Nike AAU circuit, it was clear that the Georgia native came out looking to disprove the notion that his Louisiana counterpart was hands down the top player in the country, and that he did.
From the tip, Al-Farouq made his presence felt through his vast array of physical talents. His long arms, quick leaping ability, and ability to run the floor enabled him to control the game on both ends of the floor. While he clearly leaked out for a few buckets early in possessions, Aminu ran the floor exceptionally well and was able to beat Monroe up and down the floor for a few of his countless dunks. Staying on the subject of his athleticism, his ability to get off the ground in a hurry allowed him to corral plenty of rebounds and convert those on the offensive end easily, getting the ball right back up to the rim instantaneously upon hitting the ground.
 | | A.J. Max |
Aminu did a pretty good job of showing his full offensive repertoire, displaying the ability to score inside and out for a player standing a legit 6-foot-8. He handled the ball well in the open floor and stayed under control (unlike at the ASIC), making his potential as a combo forward clear to any onlooker. Showing off a nice first step he was able to make his way past the bigger Monroe on the baseline a few times, where he tried to punish the rim at every available opportunity. The future McDonald’s All American put his mid-range game on display as well, converting on a couple of nice-looking pull-up jumpers off the dribble in the half court setting.
Just as impressive as Farouq’s ability to score was his ability to contain Monroe on the defensive end, where he held his counterpart to a meager 8 points despite giving up 2 inches and 20 plus pounds. His length and refusal to back down seemed to frustrate Monroe, although he had plenty of help from his Norcross teammates. On the glass Aminu did an outstanding job of boxing out Monroe at times, trying his best to keep the freak from Louisiana off of the boards at every opportunity.
While it was an impressive game for Aminu, there were certainly some areas of his skill set that could use improvement. For starters, he must improve the consistency on his outside jumper if he hopes to play the wing full time at the next level. Showing the capability to shoot the ball out to three point range, he has seen mixed results in terms of accuracy. The younger brother of Alade Aminu could also tighten up his handle a bit, as he struggles to change directions on the fly and avoid traffic in the half-court. Blessed with a great frame, he could certainly add some more strength to his 210 pound body, which would allow him to play both forward positions on the next level consistently.
All of the raw tools are there for Aminu to eventually become an elite draft prospect. He will enter Wake Forest in as the centerpiece of an absolutely outstanding recruiting class, teaming up with elite seven footers Ty Walker and Tony Woods. With the considerable amount of improvement that Aminu has shown over the last few years and the upside he possesses, chances are that we will see him wearing an NBA jersey by the time it is all said and done.
Greg Monroe, 6’10, Power Forward, Senior, Helen Cox HS (LA), Committed to Georgetown
8 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks
In Monroe’s second big name matchup in less than three weeks, he disappointed yet again when paired against a fellow top 10 member of the class of 2008. Similarly to his match-up against Samardo Samuels at the City of Palms Classic Monroe seemed to come out uninspired, showing very little desire out on the floor. Based on his body language, one could assume that he was playing against a local junior varsity team, not two of the nation’s finest forwards.
Monroe’s performance in these two marquee matchups has not accurately reflected the massive amount of upside that he has to offer as a player. At 6’10 and a sturdy 235 pounds, he already owns an ideal package of height and frame for an NBA power forward. He has the potential to bulk up more if he desires, but may not want to get too muscular if he hopes to continue as a face the basket power forward. Athletically he leaps both high and quickly, while also running the floor better than most big men (when he desires to do so). The Louisiana native’s ability to handle the ball (both in the open floor and in transition), pass, and shoot the ball from mid-range are extremely uncommon for a player his size, and have left scouts drooling in the occasions that he does fully assert himself.
Unfortunately, his matchup with Aminu was yet another one of those cases where we were left imagining what Monroe could accomplish if he did assert himself. He came out with a lackadaisical approach to the game, looking as if he didn’t even want to be out on the court. Showing very little of his offensive repertoire, he scored his points off of an amazing dunk over Aminu and a few inside shots. Fans weren’t able to see any of his ball handling or perimeter skills for the most part, although Greg made it very clear that he has very good court vision for a player his size. He exhibited very soft hands in catching everything thrown to him, but struggled to finish in the paint (especially when forced right). As the game went on and Norcross began to take over, it was concerning not to see the acclaimed top player in the nation show any desire to take over the game on the offensive end. Instead, he opted to let his less talented teammates attempt to win the game against a more talented Norcross squad.
 | | 2 The Advocate |
Monroe looked just as unfocused on the defensive end as he did on the offensive side of things. While the potential was there for him to completely dominate the game on the defensive end through his shot blocking and rebounding, he managed to snag only 7 boards and block 3 shots. The future Hoya did not have anywhere near the presence that he has shown at times on this side of things, and struggled mightily when guarding Aminu.
Although it may seem like we are being awfully critical of Monroe, it is only because he is such a talented prospect and has not came anywhere near maximizing his talents on the center stage this season. His inconsistent performances date back for years, and it’s always a matter of which Greg Monroe you are trying to get. In terms of actual skill and upside, he is hands down the top player in the class of 2008 and has the most long term potential. Unfortunately, his production has not always followed while many other players (such as Demar DeRozan and Samardo Samuels) have continued to make a case for top player in the country.
Greg Monroe will enter Georgetown as a perfect fit for John Thompson III’s offense with his ability to play on the perimeter, and should play a role similar to that of lottery pick Jeff Green. If Thompson is able to get Monroe to play with a passion and anywhere near close to his capabilities, the lottery is basically a surety for the Louisiana big man. There are very few prospects that offer the size and skill of Monroe, so draft fans will just have to wait and see if he develops into the superstar he has the potential to be at the next level. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
rodger.bohn@draftexpress.com |
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| Nike Jordan All-American Classic: Main Event Recap – Yellow Team |
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| by: Joseph Treutlein - Assistant Director of Scouting |
| May 1, 2007 |
Yellow Team
Corey Fisher, 6’0, PG, Villanova
12 points, 10 assists, 4 turnovers, 4-14 FG, 4-6 FT, 0-4 3PT
Corey Fisher had an excellent game, leading his team to victory as their primary point guard, and earning himself a co-MVP award along the way by dishing out the most assists in this All-Star game’s history. Fisher played a good floor game, finding a nice balance between scoring and distributing the ball, just like he’d done in practices in the days leading up to the main event. He managed to get things done in a lot of ways on the offensive end, but where he really stood out were with his hesitation and crossover dribbles, often used in unison to get his man off balance en route to the basket. He used his crossover move in transition and the halfcourt, and usually followed it up with a lay-up at the hoop or a floater in the lane, though he wasn’t able to convert on all his shot attempts off the cross. Regardless, he showed pretty nice body control on his drives, and a nice arsenal of moves in the lane, even if he could use some work on his finishing abilities. Fisher also had a very nice up-and-under move on one drive coming off a screen, a play which he finished off nicely with a finger-roll over two defenders at the hoop.
Fisher’s three-point shot wasn’t falling here, but he converted on a decent amount of them in the practices and scrimmages leading up to the feature game, and his form is adequate. Aside from some of his fancier drives, Fisher also efficiently got to the rim on a few other drives to draw fouls and score some easy lay-ups in the halfcourt.
In terms of passing the ball, Fisher looked very good here, especially in transition, where all of the point guards seemed to thrive in this up-tempo, defense-optional setting. Fisher dished out an assortment of assists on the break, including dump offs and passes ahead for open lay-ups. In the halfcourt, he made a few nice dump offs, but looked at his best running the pick-and-roll, showing a good understanding of how to read the defense and dishing off some perfect passes to his teammates on the roll.
Fisher was definitely one of the more underrated players heading into this game, but he managed to stand out here, and Villanova should have a nice addition next season to their guard-heavy offense.
Derrick Rose, 6’3, PG, Memphis
12 points, 5 assists, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 4 turnovers, 5-8 FG, 2-2 FT
As was the issue in the scrimmages and practices leading up to the main event, this wasn’t the perfect setting for Derrick Rose to show off his excellent skill-set, as he was teamed with a few other point guards, and spent a lot of his time off the ball. Despite not handling the ball as much are we as accustomed to seeing here in this game, Rose still managed to impress on multiple occasions, doing what he does best and showing why he’s considered an outstanding point guard prospect.
Rose made the most of all his touches in this game, dishing out plenty of nice passes in the halfcourt and fullcourt, while also making some very crafty drives to the hoop in the halfcourt, and finishing on some lay-ups in transition. Two of Rose’s most impressive skills are his headiness in the lane and his court vision, which when coupled together, are an extremely dangerous combination for his opponents. Rose did an excellent job here of getting into the lane, stopping and going, pivoting, and using hesitation to wait for the opening in the defense, at which point he’d dish off the perfect pass to a teammate or proceed to the hoop for a lay-up he makes look easy. Rose drove right and left in this game, drawing contact, getting to the free-throw line, scoring off the glass, and making dump offs low or kick-outs to the perimeter to find the open man. His body control and use of fakes in the lane are outstanding, and he did a good job using those assets to his advantage here. In terms of finding the open man in the halfcourt, Rose passed off for quite a few open three-pointers that weren’t converted, so his assist totals in the statline could have been higher.
Rose also did a good job in transition of reading the defense and not forcing the issue, pulling the ball out when necessary, but also scoring on his own, converting on two transition lay-ups in the game. Rose also missed on a very impressive and athletic baseline drive in which he tried to reverse the ball off the glass, but wasn’t able to finish.
Defensively, Rose made a few nice plays, drawing a charge on a drive early in the game, and making a clutch steal late in the game when his team had the lead with about two minutes to go. They had just went into a full-court press, and Rose used his length and athleticism to anticipate a pass just over halfcourt, which he stole and then made the pass ahead for an open jam.
Eric Gordon, 6’4, SG, Indiana
16 points, 3 rebounds, 5-10 FG, 5-8 FT, 1-4 3PT
Eric Gordon had a pretty strong showing here, doing an excellent job absorbing contact and finishing around the rim, showing a great motor in his persistence to attack. Gordon also hit one three-pointer on the day, which was from NBA range and of the pull-up variety, but most of his damage was done inside, where he was relentless in his pursuit.
Gordon started off the game with a nice up-and-under move in the lane, drawing a foul but missing on his lay-up attempt. Next he drove left and laid the ball up with his right hand off the glass, scoring and also drawing the foul for the and-1. He made a few nice putback lay-ups around the hoop as the game went on, one of which he went up strong with and also drew the foul on. He drew another foul on a spin drive later in the game, and missed on a strong lay-up attempt over two big defenders at the hoop on another occasion, but also converted on a transition lay-up.
In terms of point guard skills, Gordon didn’t show much here, only making one nice drive-and-dish on the game, but that’s not something he’s expected to do much at this stage of his development. He also played solid defense considering the setting, making one impressive man-to-man steal against Jerryd Bayless early in the game, locking him down and forcing him to dribble into a turnover.
Kyle Singler, 6’8, SF, Duke
16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 turnovers, 3 steals, 6-12 FG, 3-3 FT, 1-3 3PT
Kyle Singler had a very nice game, showing off his impressive versatility with nearly all aspects of his game, doing a good job chipping in any way he could in his team’s victory. Singler started off the game by going to work in the mid-post area, converting on some very impressive sequences that exhibited his strong footwork and awareness on the offensive end of the court. Singler first scored on a move where he faked in the middle of the lane, turned, and faded away, throwing up a rainbow over his taller defender for a swish. Not long after, Singler made an equally impressive move on a baseline drive, pivoting under the rim and putting up a nice reverse with a soft touch for the lay-up, faking out his defender in the process.
Singler spent most of the rest of his game scoring off the creation of his teammates, not getting many opportunities to create his own offense. He made two easy lay-ups around the hoop off guard penetration in the halfcourt, and also made a spot-up three in transition. He did get one more opportunity to show off his own driving ability late in the game, though, where he drove the ball left and switched hands near the hoop, laying up a right-handed finger-roll off the glass and drawing a foul in the process for the and-1. Singler also showed off some nice dribbling abilities in the fullcourt, being able to handle some of those duties to assist his team’s guards.
Defensviely, Singler made a few nice plays, making a nice block in transition from behind that was excellently timed, and making one nice steal in the halfcourt where he used his length and anticipation to cut off the passing lane.
Jeff Robinson, 6’5, SG/SF, Memphis
17 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 3 blocks, 7-10 FG, 3-5 3PT
Jeff Robinson had a pretty solid game, but don’t get fooled by his high point total, as all of them were scored in a complementary role. Not to discredit Robinson, as he did an excellent job scoring when the opportunities came to him, but he didn’t create any of his own offense, and that doesn’t seem to be his game at this level of his development.
Robinson scored all seven of his baskets off assists by his teammates, and he may not have put a single dribble down prior to any of those scores. He hit three spot-up three-pointers, mostly in halfcourt sets, where he exhibits pretty good form, though he tends to push forward a bit on his release with some of his deeper shots. He also scored four times in transition, twice on lay-ups and twice on jams, most of which were on uncontested breakaways.
Robinson should do a good job providing scoring for Memphis next season, doing so on finishes at the hoop and with his spot-up outside shot, both of which are more than serviceable weapons. He’d do himself well to work on his ball-handling and mid-range game, though, so he could become a more complete scorer and step out of the complementary role.
Austin Freeman, 6’4, SG, Georgetown
16 points, 3 rebounds, 7-16 FG, 1-3 3PT, 1-1 FT
Austin Freeman lived up to his reputation as a player that can score in bunches here, remaining quiet for most of the game, then going on a tear late in the game over a seven or eight minute period, scoring the vast majority of his points during that timespan. Freeman scored twice in the first half, once on a nice hesitation dribble driving left, in which he laid the ball off the glass with his left hand, and the other on a buzzer-beater running three-pointer from about 35 feet out to end the half, banking it off the glass.
In the second half, Freeman went on a tear late, scoring on a bunch of right-handed drives, mostly by getting separation through screens and having a straight-line to the hoop, but occasionally creating separation for himself and faking to get his man off balance for the shot attempt. He also converted on a back-door lay-up off a pass down low, and hit a fade-away jumper from eight feet off a stray rebound. Freeman missed on a few contested and off-balanced mid and long-range shots throughout the game, and his shot selection is something he might want to pay closer attention to when he isn’t very hot. Freeman went on some really hot streaks shooting the long ball in shootarounds during the practices in the days before the games, but wasn’t able to show off much of his outside shooting ability in the main event.
Chris Wright, 6’7, SF/PF, Dayton
10 points, 10 rebounds, 5-7 FG
Chris Wright did an excellent job filling up the highlight reel here, as he’d consistently done during the practices and scrimmages leading up to the game, but he didn’t do much else on the offensive end, not showing off a consistent outside shot or any reliable ball-handling skills. Wright scored mostly in transition, making some athletic jams and lay-ups, but also scored on some putbacks in halfcourt, as well as off a pick-and-roll in the halfcourt. He made one nice up-and-under mini-drive to the hoop in the halfcourt, but he missed the lay-up off the glass. Wright did a good job using his athleticism on the boards in the game, but still has a ways to go in developing his all-around game to be more than just a great finisher. With his athleticism, he has some potential, and he should get plenty of opportunities for playing time at Dayton, where he will have an environment where he could try to grow into more of an all-around player.
Blake Griffin, 6’9, PF/C, Oklahoma
8 points, 8 rebounds, 4-8 FG
Blake Griffin had a decent game, making do with the opportunities he had, but this isn’t the best setting for an interior-scoring big man, and Griffin didn’t really manage to stand out. He did score on one very impressive spinning scoop shot in the post, but aside from that he just score on easy dunks and lay-ups around the rim, one off a putback, one off a pick-and-roll, and another uncontested in transition. He’s got a strong frame, decent athleticism, and a nice touch around the rim, so he should be a very solid contributor for Oklahoma next year, where he can try to develop into more of a go-to scorer, and work on more consistently finishing strong at the hoop. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
josepht42@yahoo.com |
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