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| Team Toledo-8th Place Finish |
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Team Toledo Takes 8th Place at AAU Nationals
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Nationals Prep Tourney-Recap
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| Team Lima-Finished 6-1 |
On Sunday, I took a trip up north to Lima to catch the action at Quincy Simpson’s Nationals Prep Tourney. The 8-team tournament was held at Lime Central Catholic High School and hosted 6 of the top rising 9th grade teams in Ohio, including a rising 10th grade team and the #1 ranked 9th grade squad from Kentucky. In terms of the format, it was a grueling day for the players, as each of the 8 teams played seven-20 minutes games.
I will start with Team Lima. Although the format did not necessarily result in the crowning of an official champion, with a 7-1 record, the top team of the day and unofficial winner was Simpson’s Team Lima squad. Watching Simpson’s squad playing hard, playing unselfishly and executing multiple offense sets; it’s easy to see why this team is arguably the top rising 9th grade team in the state. The team is led by Xavier Simpson at the point. Although Simpson can get you points when needed, he is not a high volume scorer, but he is the engine of this well-oiled machine. Simpson is a pass-first guard who is best when distributing the rock. He is not going to wow you with dribble moves, athleticism or by putting up big numbers, but he spreads the ball around, won’t over dribble or make many mistakes and his team wins. The top scorer on the team is Rico Stafford, a 6’5 athlete with a high motor. Stafford is very active around the basket and because he runs the floor so well, he often gets easy break away buckets. Stafford had a great day on Sunday, and his stock went up in this evaluators’ opinion. The other key pieces to the puzzle are Trey Cobb (5’8 SG) and Ruben Flowers (6’4 PF).
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| Rico Stafford-6'4 PF Lima |
With a 4-2-1 record, by most accounts, All-Ohio Elite (AOE) had a good day. Although Leon Ellis’ squad got off to a 0-2 start with losses to Kentucky’s Hoop Dreams and the Dayton Heat, AOE later found their stride, and would go on to get 4 wins and a tie, including a 25-21 win over Team Lima to close out the event. At the end of the day, All-Ohio will go as far as Jarron Cumberland (6’3 WF Cincinnati) leads them. When Cumberland is hitting treys and playing with grit, determination and passion, the team is tough to beat. When Cumberland’s shot is off the mark and he becomes disinterested, the team struggles. Cumberland found his stroke against the Ohio Warriors to the tune of 4 treys. Other than Cumberland, All-Ohio does not rely on 2 or 3 stars to win games. Sure they have solid guard play with guys like Carlik Jones, and yes they have length and athleticism in the paint with Kameron Moore (6’5 PF), but AOE is Jarron Cumberland-dependent.
Kentucky’s Hoop Dreams represented the Commonwealth well as they got at least 4 hard-fought wins on the day. Hoops Dreams, the reigning Kentucky AAU State Champions, is lead by Quentin Goodwin (6’2 SG Campbellsville), Carson Williams (6’5 C Owen County) and Malik Dow (6’3 W/PF Lousiville).
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| Ryan Mikesell-6'5 SG/WF St. Henry |
For the small college coaches who visit our website, you might want to take a look at Scott Nourse’s 2015 Ohio Stars squad. As the lone rising sophomore team in Sunday’s event, the Stars executed good offense and finished the day with 4 wins. Although the team does not boast a roster full of athletes or sure fire D-I prospects, there are a couple of kids who could make nice small college prospects if they continue to develop. In this evaluator’s opinion, the best prospect on the team is Ryan Mikesell, a 6’5 combo guard from St. Henry. Mikesell is a long, point-forward type who possess a solid skill set. I’m not sure he starts on that team, but when he enters the game he makes an impact. The best part of his game is his length for his position and his ability to get to the rack. He’s versatile, can defend multiple positions and can shoot it if left open. In addition, coaches may want to keep an eye out for Luke Knapke, a 6’9 C from Marion Local High School. Although Knapke is still very slender and in need of strength right now, you can’t teach size! With 3 more years of high school left, both Knapke and Mikesell could both emerge as solid players.
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| Derick Daniels-6'6 C Dayton |
The Dayton Heat had a roller coaster of a day; going 4-1 in the morning and 0-3 in the afternoon. At times, the Heat looked like the best team in the state who can beat anybody, but at other times they just looked ordinary. The most impressive player I saw all day was Derrick Daniels, a 6’7 C heading to Thurgood Marshall. Daniels did a lot of good things over the course of the day, including rebounding, blocking shots and scoring in the paint. But what is really starting to separate Daniels form the other players in his class is his ability to score at three levels. Not only is he finishing at a high rate around the cup, he has developed a nice midrange jumper, and he can knock down a trey if you need one. In fact, with the game tied at 18, Daniels excited the crowd when he drained a trey at the buzzer to beat All-Ohio Elite 21-18. The Heat is solid at the point with Darnell Hoskins Jr., but the outstanding play of Joshua Smith (6’1 SG/WF Dayton) surprised this writer. The Dunbar bound Smith is a bigger guard who can score in a variety of ways. I’m going to keep an eye out for this guy to see if his performance on Sunday was a fluke, or whether he needs more attention for his talent.
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| Rodrick Caldwell-5'10 PG Dayton |
As most of you know, heading into Sunday the Cincinnati Lakers was my #1 ranked team in the state. In the morning, the Lakers played the role as they got out of the gates with a 2-1 start, with wins over the Ohio Stars and King James. After that, the wheels fell off and the Lakers would take 4 consecutive Ls before getting a win in their final game against the Ohio Warriors. Early in the day, Stiver’s Rodrick Caldwell (5’11 PG Dayton) looked great, as he had his shot falling and served as his team’s primary scorer. Caldwell is widely considered one of the top 2-3 floor generals in the state, and his play early on Sunday justified such talk. Caldwell was difficult to guard, and easily got in the paint where he did damage by scoring or dropping dimes for easy buckets by his teammates. A’shon Riggins (6’0 SG Hamilton) had some bright moments and showed some nifty dribble moves early.
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| Seth Towns-6'4 WF Columbus |
As was the case with the Lakers, the Ohio Warriors enjoyed some early success, and grabbed 2 quick wins over the Dayton Heat and Hoop Dreams. However, as was the case with the Lakers, the Warriors lost their next 5 games. The Warriors’ inconsistent play was aggravated by an injury to Seth Towns (6’4 WF Columbus), arguably the team’s best player. Although I did not see it personally, word has it that Seth Towns was having a good day before he went down with an ankle injury. What I did see were a couple of good things from Matt Moyer (6’3 WF Gahanna), who appears to still be growing and developing a perimeter game. I also saw a big time performance from Tyus Ferguson (5’8 PG Groveport), who had a monster game in a 33-21 loss to Team Lima. Ferguson attacked the basket furiously and scored his team’s first 3 buckets. Ferguson is on the small side, but his quickness helps make up for his lack of size.
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| Keith Griffin-5'9 PG Shaker Heights |
The team with the most talent was also the most disappointing team (1-6 record). King James was already talent rich with Buckeye Prep top 30 players Tervell Beck, Derek Funderburk and Anthony Christian, but after picking up DB Hoops’ big three in Willie Jackson, Keith Griffin and Ronald Jones Jr., King James quickly became the team to beat in the state, and arguably the country. However, we all know that talent is not enough to win games if the talent does not play together, play unselfishly and play hard. That was the case with King James on Sunday, as the team did not seem to play with chemistry, discipline and a consistent will to win. Of course they were playing without Beck, Larnell Neely and Yavari Hall, but they had more than enough talent to make a better showing in Lima.
Let’s start with the floor general, Keith Griffin (5’10 PG Shaker Heights). In the opening game against the Lakers, Griffin shot 1-7. It’s tough to win when your PG is a high-volume shooter and is off his game. With that said, Griffin had some bright spots as well, and in fact, in the next game his shot was falling and the team played well. Even with his "shoot-first" approach sometimes, I still think Griffin is one of the top guards in Ohio. Griffin is a streak shooter who can either shoot his team in or out of a game. At the end of the day, he handles the ball well, has a nice floater, great court vision, and when he chooses to pass, he’s good at. Finally, I really like how the kid communicates and directs his teammates. I should also mention the fact that Griffin matched-up with Rodrick Caldwell, and the differences in their games was evident. Caldwell is a bigger, more physical guard and did a good job of staying in front of Griffin; when Griffin guarded Caldwell, Caldwell was more effective getting by him and into the paint. Once Griffin embraces his role as a facilitator, his stock will rise.
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| Derek Funderburk-6'6 C Cleveland |
Anthony Christian played well early and was actually the team’s leading scorer in game #1 against the Lakers. I also thought Derek Funderburk and Willie Jackson were good in spots. Funderburk grabbed a lot of rebounds and blocked a handful of shots, and although I did not see it, I heard Jackson knocked down some treys later in the day. Watching Jackson play, he always seems to be on the verge of making a highlight play, usually an alley oop for a thunderous dunk. Finally, he does not get much attention on this loaded team, but Henry Baddley III is long, athletic and could be one of those kids who emerge as an elite player down the road. Keep an eye on this one!
I would like to give a shout out to Coach Q for his hospitality to this writer, putting together a great event, and for giving the players a great tune-up opportunity before heading down to the AAU Nationals. It was a long HOT day, but the experience the teams received on Sunday should prove invaluable as they head off to represent the Buckeye state. For the coaches in the other classes, take a lesson from Simpson and make an effort to play the top teams as often as possible. Don’t allow egos and win/loss records to keep your teams from bumping heads multiple times during the season. Every class is different, but it takes leadership and the willingness to develop kids regardless of the cost!
Standout Player Pictures
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Invitations Extended to Fall Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase
Below
is a copy of the email (and invitation) I sent out this morning regarding the upcoming Fall Buckeye
Prep Elite Showcase. Additional information will be forthcoming. Also, see the
links to the commitment list, prior Buckeye Prep Alums, and the 2011 Fall showcase post-event report.
Players, Parents & Coaches, Plans are currently underway for the 2012 Fall Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase which is scheduled for September 22-23, 2012. Due to popular demand, I’ve decided to expand the event in 2 ways. First of all, I have added a second day to the event (Saturday) dedicated to skill and drills. On Saturday evening, we will be conducting 2 hours of station work. The Sunday format will remain the same.
New this year are the Ohio North vs South Challenge games in rising grades 7-10th (2015-2018). These games will pit the top players from northern Ohio against the top guys from southern Ohio, with central Ohio players divided among both teams to insure competitive balance. That’s not all, in the 9th grade division; Saturday will feature an Ohio vs Michigan Showdown for ultimate bragging rights. The rosters for the Challenge games and Showdown are currently being developed, but will represent the top 10-15 players in the state as defined by Buckeye Prep, based on participation in past Buckeye Prep or other competitive events. I will be posting the rosters within the next 2 weeks. Also, the challenge games will be coached by high school coaches. Participation in the Saturday games is free, but all participants must register, pay and participate in the entire showcase. The media attention generated by this event will be unmatched, as we already have commitments from a number of national media outlets, including: John Stovall (ESPN), Brian Snow (Scout.com), Cory Albertson (Rivals.com & Triple Double Prospects), Roger Bohn (Slam Magazine), CourtCred.com, Chris Johnson (Hoop Scoop), Ty Kish, Middle School Hoops, National Elite Prospects, Kurt Stubbs (JJ Huddle), Steve Schwanda (All Eyes On U Hoops), Clay Dade (Jr All-American and Fab Frosh Camps), TJ Kelly & Nate Schmidt (Inside Prep Hoops) and many others. I will be updating the media list as we get closer to the date of the event. We are also excited about the fact the CourtCred.com will be streaming several of the games live on line! This will allow college coaches and other interested parties to watch the games as well for even more exposure. Also, there will be individual players interviews videotaped and posted on Court Cred’s website. Attached to this email is an invitation and registration forms. To reserve a spot for your son/player, the forms must be completed and returned with the registration fee by the deadline. Because of the Saturday games, this event WILL SELL OUT! After we reach our capacity of registered/paid players, we cannot add additional players due to space limitations. As we have done in the past, I will be posting and updating a showcase commitment list so you can see who will be attending the event. Once again, you can pay your registration fee on line using the PayPal link in the upper right hand corner of the Buckeye Prep site. If you intend to send you son/player, please email me you intentions, including his name, grade, height, position, city and school ASAP. I will use this information to update the commitment list, and to determine the number of slots available. However, the email alone will not hold a spot, only full registration and payment. For information about the event, feel free to email me at BuckeyePrep@yahoo.com, or call me at 614-203-2929. Also, continue to follow the website (http://www.Buckeyeprep.blogspot.com) for event updates. This event promises to be our biggest and most competitive ever!!
Monday, July 2, 2012
Ohio Hoopsters Finish 10th at AAU Nationals
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| Ohio Hoopsters-10th Place AAU Nationals |
Congratulations to the Ohio Hoopsters for taking 10th place at the 7th grade AAU Nationals in Memphis, TN on Sunday. After finishing 2-1 in pool play, with wins over the Puerto National Team (65-42) and the Atlanta Celtics, the Hoopsters defeated Team Penny 67-62 in the opening round of bracket play. In the second round, the Hoopsters were clipped by GTH Elite 2017 64-61, and were relegated to the second round consolation bracket. The Hoosters shook off the disappointing loss, then went on a 4-game winning streak to claim 10th place. On their trek through the consolation bracket, the Hoopsters knocked off the Virginia Panthers (56-55), Oakland Soldiers (76-40), Atlanta Knicks (55-44) and the Gainesville Kings (65-64). Cincinnati's Tyler Knetch is reported to having played well all week as did Tyrell Ajain.
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| Tyler Knethc-6'2 C Cincinnati |
Devon Howard's All-Ohio Red (AOR) squad made the trip to Memphis, and after going 2-1 in pool play, AOR faced off against Indiana Elite South, but went down 31-43. In the first round consolation bracket, All-Ohio was defeated by QCAA Force Red (52-71). It should be noted that Coach Devon Howard raved about the play of Jackson's Logan Hill (6'4 C) who averaged a double double (18 points & 11 rebounds) over the course of the week. "The game just comes easy to him," stated Coach Howard. Also, Jim Schmock's Murphy AC Knights team was in Memphis as well, but without his star player in Jaylen Harris, the team went 1-2 in pool play, then lost their first game in the Classic bracket. Finally, Columbus' OIC Dynasty did not fair much better, after a 0-3 pool record and a short trip to the Classic Bracket. Congratulations to all of the players, parents, coaches and fans for making the trip to the nationals and representing the state of Ohio.
Ohio Hoopster's Midwest Pre Nationals-Recap
Despite
the extensive damage and power outages caused by a fast moving thunderstorm on
Friday, the organizers of the Ohio Hoopsters' Midwest Pre Nationals in Columbus found a way to make
the tournament happen. With the power out at the USA Sports Academy, most of
the action went down at Reynoldsburg HS.
Over the course of the event, there were several big time match-ups in
terms of teams and individual performances. Although I’m going to talk more
about the individual standout performances I saw this weekend, a couple of team
match ups need to be mentioned.
One
of the biggest upsets in the tournament occurred on Sunday, when the 8th
grade Ohio Hoopsters downed the Dayton Heat 50-46 in overtime. Despite an impressive
performance by the Heat’s Darnell Hoskins and Derrick Daniels, the Hoopsters refused
to lose. Northland bound Naquan Hayes (6’1 C) lead the way with a game-high 18
points. It was a tough weekend for the Dayton Heat, as Ohio’s #4th ranked team
fell to All-Ohio Red big time on Saturday. It’s important to note that All-Ohio was
rolling with James Manns II, while the Heat was missing several key players
including Derrick Daniels. All-Ohio would go on to dominate the Heat and
collect a. easy 62-31 win.
All-Ohio’s
9th grade squad played up in the 10th grade division and
was cruising toward a championship by the time I left the gym on Sunday. However, playing with a depleted roster that
included 7th and 8th graders, All-Ohio survived a scare
from a scrappy Team One squad from Cincinnati, and required overtime to get to the
win. At the end of the day, Shaker Heights’ Esa Ahmed was simply too much to
handle in the post, as Team One hand no answer for Ahmed’s size and skill.
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| Jarron Cumberland-6'3 9th Grader |
All-Ohio
Elite (2016) was rolling this weekend and may have won the event had they not
headed back to Cincinnati early to avoid yet another thunder storm speeding its
way through central Ohio. Wilmington’s Jarron Cumberland was looking like a man
child in the games I watched, and is clearing establishing himself as one of
the top 5 players in the state. Keep an eye out for Kameron Moore, a long 6’5
PF from Middletown. This kid has the length, body type and athleticism that suggest
he could be a very good college prospect heading forward.
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| Kyran McClure-6'1 PG Columbus |
The
2016 championship game pitted All-Ohio Red against Columbus-based Nova Village.
According to sources, Nova Village outplayed All-Ohio in just about every phase
of the game, and went on the win the championship by double digits. I have to give a shout out to Nova Village,
as every game I saw them play, the kids played extremely hard. I got my first real
look at Kyran McClure, and I was quite impressed with his game. As a PG, McClure has good length for the
position, and can score at all three levels. He has solid ball skills and is
the engine for his team. Gahanna’s Nick Ward
is getting bigger and leaner. I had not
seen him for a while, but it was clear that when he wants to turn it on, he can
get you buckets in the paint. Look for Ward to be suiting up for Gahanna’s JV squad
this winter. Gahanna’s Ryan Baker and sharp shooting Joey Rowling deserve some
mention as well as both players are valuable pieces to the Nova Village puzzle.
Other
than the 8th grade division, the 6th grade division may
have been the most stacked. The 2
semi-final games featured matchups between 4 of Buckeye Prep’s top 10 teams. In
semi-final #1, Allen Henderson’s 5th ranked Pickerington Wildcats
totally dismantled the 7th ranked King James Shooting Stars. Right from the tip, the Wildcats’ suffocating
defense resulted in turnovers and a 15-2 lead by the 15:18 mark. By halftime,
the score was already a lopsided 32-10. Even with the addition of Chicago’s
dynamic Jordan Simmons, Pickerington would advance to the championship game.
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| Cory Rice-7th Grader |
In
the second semi-final contest, 3rd ranked Murphy AC fought off a
hard charging Ohio Hoopsters (ranked 4th) to claim the victory. Although I left before the game was decided,
I noted that Murphy controlled the game early, and entered halftime up 18-11. I
really liked the play of Murphy AC’s Coryon Rice this weekend. Rice specializes
in slashing to the basket and finishing.
Very athletic, strong with a high motor best describes Rice’s game at
this point. I plan to keep an eye on Dwayne Cohill, a-5’10 WF from Brookpark.
This kid could surprise some people in the future as his skill level catches up
with his physical gifts (i.e., length, strength, athleticism & aggressiveness).
In the 6th grade championship
game, although the Wildcats would race to a double digit lead, Murphy AC erased
the deficit, and the half time score was knotted at 28. It was nip and tuck the
entire the second half. Murphy AC went on to grab the title with a close 55-54
win. Murphy's Tyree Harris finished with a team-high 11 points, followed by Coryon Rice who added 6 points. David Madison was the leading score for the Hoopsters with 9 points.
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| Prince Michael-6'9 C Cincinnati |
On
Saturday, I caught the game between Team Queen City and All-Ohio Connection. On
the strength of a solid performance from Dublin’s Mason Baich, All-Ohio
Connection got the 49-41 victory. There
was a great deal of discussion about Team Queen Cities’ big man. By most
accounts, Prince Michael, a 6’9 man child living in Cincinnati and who will be entering
Cincinnati Christen Hills HS this fall, has the potential to be a dominate
force in the class of 2016 in the state. Prince looks more like a college
junior than an 8th grader, but if the OHSAA approves his application
to play high school hoops next year, the debate will surly continue. What is
known about Michael at this point is that he is big, strong and well developed
physically for his grade. Although he is
still very raw offensively, because he has played more soccer than basketball
(has only been playing for 2 years), his footwork is surprisingly advanced
relative to the other areas of his game. Michael is not afraid to mix it up
inside, and if given a chance, he will throw down a rim rattling dunk that
appears painful to watch. Stay tuned as we learn more about this kid.
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| Mason Baich-5'11 SG Dublin |
Below
is a list of some of the standout performers we saw over the weekend. Because I was unable to watch many of the
games, the list is incomplete, and does not capture all the players who got it
done this weekend.
Dwayne
Cohil-5’10 WF Brookpark (7th)
Coryon
Rice-5'8 SG Bedford (8th)
Taevion
Kinsey-5’5 PG Columbus (7th)
Kyran
McClure-5’11 PG Columbus (9th)
Nick
Ward-6’4 C Gahanna (9th)
Mason
Baich-5’11 SG Dublin (9th)
Jarron
Cumberland-6’3 SG Wilmington (9th)
DeAnthony
McCallum-6’1 WF Cincinnati (9th)
Joey
Rowling-6’0 SG New Albany (9th)
Prince
Michael-6’9 C Cincinnati (9th)
James
Manns II-6’5 PF Columbus (9th)
Kameron
Moore-6’5 PF Middletown (9th)
Derrick
Daniels-6’6 C Dayton (9th)
Darnell
Hoskins-5’9 PG Dayton (9th)
Ryan
Baker-6’1 WF/PF Gahanna (9th)
David
Madison- 5'7 WF Columbus (7th)
Jalen
Tate-6’1 WF Pickerington (9th)
Jae’Sean
Tate 6’4 WF Pickerington (11th)
Esa
Ahmed-6’5 PF Shaker Heights (10th)
Gabe
Adkins-6’1 SG Upper Arlington (9th)
Antwon
Johnson-5’10 WF Dayton (7th)
Jordan
Simmons-5’4 PG Chicago, IL (7th)
Isaiah
Speelman-6’2 C Hilliard (7th)
Omari
Fanbro-6’1 C Bedford Heights (7th)
Tyree Harris-6'2 C Cleveland (7th)
Jeremiah
Francis-5’6 SG Canal Winchester (6th)
Keely
Elmore-4’5 PG Columbus (6th)
Buckeyes Impress at National Camp
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| Ohio Players at the Fab Frosh Camp |
According to several evaluators sitting court side at Clay Dade's Fab Frosh Camp in Suwanee, GA. this past weekend, the Buckeye state had several representatives that logged in standout performances. Akron's VJ King was the most heralded player of the Ohio contingent, and was widely mentioned as one of the top prospects in the camp. King, a 6'5 wing headed to ASVSM this year, was lauded for his scoring ability, over all skill set and on-court maturity. In addition, King was selected for the Top 20 All-Star game, and was later presented with the Top Prospect Award.
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| VJ KING-Won the Top Prospect Award |
Garfield Heights bound Willie Jackson's athleticism created a buzz on day 2 when he threw down a thunderous dunk on an unsuspecting defender. Jackson was also selected for the Top 20 All-Star Game. In addition, Bedford Height's Derek Funderburk's low post game was on full display and was noted in second day write-ups. Because of his standout performance, Funderburk made the cut for the Top 40 All-Star Game, as did Tervell Beck. According to reports, the 6'7 forward "scored, rebounded and used his length well on the defensive end." Other Buckeyes at the prestigious camp included: Xavier Simpson, Tervell Beck, Deven Stover, Anthony Christian, Rodrick Caldwell, Seth Towns and Ronald Jones Jr., Seth Towns, Andrew Homer, David Bennett, Rico Stafford, and Henry Baddley. Look for most of these players at the Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase on September 22nd and 23rd, when they will face off for state bragging rights in the inaugural "Ohio North vs South" and the "Michigan vs Ohio" Games!
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| Willie Jackson-Made the Top 20 Game |
The Buckeye State was well represented at the most recent Fab Frosh Invitational Basketball Camp in Suwanee, GA. The Fab Frosh Invitational Basketball Camp is an elite showcase of some of the best 8th grade basketball talent of whom will be entering the 9th grade at various high schools across the country. Several of this year's attendees for the class of 2016 are previous attendees of the Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase and/or have been featured on our Buckeye Prep Report.
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| Top 20 All-Star Game |
Some of the notables were VJKing (6'5 SF) who at the Fab Frosh Camp displayed an array of skills in running the floor, finishing strong at the rim along with a smooth touch on the jump shot, and great athleticism. Willie Jackson (6'4 SF) was one of the best high flyers at the camp. He displayed an array of alley-oop dunks, dunks off missed shots and was a one man rim wrecker that brought the gym to its feet.
Xavier Simpson (5'8" PG) was a true floor general, while getting
all teammates involved, showing excellent
ball-handling skills along, and the ability to score by dropping three pointers and
coast-to-coast driving lay-ups. Deven Stover (6'1 SG) showed the ability to step
away from the three point shot and get to the rim to finish, get to the line for
numerous three point plays, and was called Mr. Hustle for his high motor and
defense by his coach.
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| Derek Funderburk-Made the Top 40 Game |
Derek Funderburk (6'6 PF) opened a lot of eyes with his strong
rebounding and defense as he was cleaning the glass and swatting shots. The big
man also showed he was able go put the ball on the floor as he rebounding and
went coast-to-coast a few times and made nice off-the-dribble
passes. Tervell Beck (6'6" PF) was all over the
place rebounding, passing, scoring and really handled the ball well on the dribble, while getting to the basket
and finishing with mixed lay-ups. Ronald Jones Jr (6'3"
SF) was a bruiser while banging his way inside for easy finishes at the rim and clearing out bigger/taller SFs
for tough rebounds. Seth Towns (6'6 SF) was an inside/outside threat, connecting
on low post moves, short jump shots and he
rebounded well.
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| Tervell Beck-Got the Top 40 Nod |
Henry Baddley (6'3) SF is a high-energy guy with an engine that just
goes and goes. Baddley was a relentless attacker who finished strong consistently. Rodrick
Caldwell (5'8" PG) showed great quickness on/off the ball, good
composure with excellent ball-handling skills, distributes well and is does a
very good job of getting teammates involved. Rico Stafford (6'4"
SF) was a work horse. He does whatever the team needs, bangs hard, crashes the
boards and is a strong finisher at the rim; the type of guy you want on your team
as he does all the little things that don't show up in the stats. Anthony
Christain (6'2" SG) is a relentless penetrator, with good body
control, unassuming quickness and also played well.
By Reggie Stover
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