Marcus Wells, who just finished playing as the point guard for Winston-Salem State, talks about his overall game, his prospects for the future in pro basketball and what playing at WSSU has meant to him.

Elijah Johnson (PG, 6’4″) of Kansas talks to us about the Portsmouth Invitational and what he’s working on right now to try and further his basketball career with a pro gig somewhere.

Today’s the day for the D-League draft and one player who hopes to hear his name called is former UNC Asheville player Matt Dickey, a guard who has a legitimate shot at getting drafted. We caught up with Matt at one of the D-League tryouts and he gave his thoughts on the league and potentially playing overseas.

Terry Martin, a forward who played collegiality at Wofford College, talks about his experience during his tryout for the D-League and what his options are to play pro basketball overall.

Brian Levy, Assistant GM for the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA D-League, offers some great insight into how players can work their way onto a pro roster, as well as what makes the D-League a viable option over European leagues.

JAM ANNOUNCE OPEN TRYOUT DATES
Tryouts to take place in Bakersfield and NBA Affiliate Markets (Los Angeles, Phoenix & Atlanta)

BAKERSFIELD, August 13, 2012 – The Bakersfield Jam announced today that the team will hold four sets of open tryouts for the 2012-13 season. Detailed information for all is as follows:

˜ Los Angeles Area – Saturday and Sunday, September 8 and 9:

o $150 pre-registration fee (arriving at Bakersfield Jam offices by Wednesday, September 5; $200 for after the pre-registration deadline and day-of registration).

o Location: East Los Angeles College located at 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez – C1, Monterrey Park, CA 91754.

o Registration begins at 8:30 am on September 8th; camp begins promptly at 9:45 am. Top 20 players will conclude camp with an All-Star Game on September 9th from 10 am to 12 pm.

o Lodging: Hilton Garden Inn Los Angeles Montebello located at 801 N. Via San Clemente, Montebello, CA 90640. Contact Hilton at (323) 724-5900 and mention “Bakersfield Jam Tryout Camp” for a special rate.

o Any additional questions, contact Assistant Coach/Strength & Conditioning Coach, John Bryant, at (703) 801-9035 or jbryant@bakersfieldjam.com.

˜ Phoenix Area – Saturday and Sunday, September 22 and 23:

o $150 pre-registration fee (arriving at Bakersfield Jam offices by Wednesday, September 19; $200 for after the pre-registration deadline and day-of registration).

o Location: US Airways Arena located at 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, AZ, 85004 (Enter arena via Jackson Street).

o Registration begins at 8:30 am on September 22nd; camp begins promptly at 9:45 am. Top 20 players will conclude camp with an All-Star Game on September 23rd from 10 am to 12 pm.

o Lodging: SpringHill Suites Phoenix Downtown located at 802 East Van Buren Street, Phoenix, AZ 85006. Contact SpringHill Suites at (602) 307-9929 and mention “Bakersfield Jam Tryout Camp” for a special rate.

o Any additional questions, contact Director of Player Personnel, Brian Levy, at (609) 731-3402 or blevy@bakersfieldjam.com.

˜ Atlanta Area – Saturday and Sunday, October 6 and 7:

o $150 pre-registration fee (arriving at Bakersfield Jam offices by Wednesday, October 3; $200 for after the pre-registration deadline and day-of registration).

o Location: Suwanee Sports Academy located at 3640 Burnette Road, Suwanee, GA 30024

o Registration begins at 8:30 am on October 6th; camp begins promptly at 9:45 am. Top 20 players will conclude camp with an All-Star Game on October 7th from 10 am to 12 pm.

o Lodging: Comfort Suites located at 2945 Lawrenceville Suwanee Road, Suwanee, GA, 30024.
Contact Comfort Suites at (678) 714-7707 and mention “Bakersfield Jam Tryout Camp” for a
special rate.

o Any additional questions, contact Director of Player Personnel, Brian Levy, at (609) 731-3402 or blevy@bakersfieldjam.com.

˜ Bakersfield Area – Saturday and Sunday, October 13 and 14:

o $150 pre-registration fee (arriving at Bakersfield Jam offices by Wednesday, October 10th; $200 for after the pre-registration deadline and day-of registration).

o Location: Bakersfield Jam Events Center located at 1400 Norris Road, Bakersfield, CA 93308.

o Registration begins at 8:30 am on October 13th; camp begins promptly at 9:45 am. Top 20 players will conclude camp with an All-Star game played on October 14th from 10 am to 12 pm.

o Lodging: Bakersfield Marriott located at 801 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301. Contact Marriott at (661) 565-9313 and mention “Bakersfield Jam Tryout Camp” for a special rate.

o Any additional questions, contact Director of Player Personnel, Brian Levy, at (609) 731-3402 or blevy@bakersfieldjam.com

Open tryouts offer athletes an opportunity to showcase their talents in front of NBA Development League coaches while they compete to earn a position in the team’s official training camp, which is scheduled to take place in mid-November.

Applicants must be eligible to play in the NBA Development League and are required to pre-register by submitting the official tryout registration form, player release and eligibility form, disclosure and background check forms, credit card authorization form (if paying by credit card), along with a $150 nonrefundable fee. Tryout forms are available online (www.bakersfieldjam.com). Completed forms and entry fee must be mailed (Bakersfield Jam. Attn: Tryout Camp. 1400 Norris Road, Bakersfield, CA 93308) or faxed (661-615-6555) to secure a spot in the tryout camp. Participants who register after the pre-registration deadline or day-of registration will be charged $200.

Henry Sims, a 6’11″ PF/C who just finished up his senior season at Georgetown, worked to show he might be an NBA prospect at the Portsmouth Invitational this year. We caught up with Henry to get his thoughts on his draft prospects and what he’s working on to try and get to that pro level.

Photo Source:The Daily Press

By James Blackburn

Game 1: Portsmouth Sports Club vs. Norfolk Sports Club
Portsmouth Sports Club wins 88-76
Box Score

Scouting Reports

Henry Sims (Georgetown, 6’10”, C)

Looked comfortable and calm on the FT line-soft touch. Has the ability to step out and hit the 18’ midrange shot. Good size and good timing when blocking shots. Struggled this game early on but showed good footwork and post moves including a running hook and a good slide dribble, but struggled to score because of lack of quickness and athleticism-factors that will hurt his draft stock. Played better in the second half. Will be safe fire first round pick-a player of his size and skills will find a place to contribute.

Erving Walker (Florida, 5’8”, G)

Very good on ball defender. Does a good job of feeding the ball to the post. Lightning quick with and with out the ball. Keeps his dribble alive and uses picks-solid passer who always has his eyes up. TO prone. Showed the ability to get to the painted area where he can finish with a floater. Walker is an interesting case as far as his NBA stock goes. His PG skills are still a work in progress and not yet NBA-ready in my opinion. His size is an issue. He is a good 3 point shooter and very quick in the open court. He finished up a terrific 4-year career at Florida by being named to the SEC All-Conference team. I wouldn’t be surprised if a team took a chance on him late in the second round because of the value the NBA places on guards that can get to the rim. If he doesn’t get drafted, I see him as a good fit with a D-League team.

Braydon Hobbs (Bellarmine, 6’5”, G)

Division II player of the year. Pretty good lateral quickness and on ball defender. Contests shots. Communicates on the floor and is unselfish. Will be a solid overseas player, but does not have the physical tools or skills necessary to play the NBA level.

Agustus Gilchrist (South Florida, 6’10”, F)

Very athletic-active on the offensive boards. Did a good job of contesting perimeter shots. Finishes with dunks-capable of finishing with contact. Very solid and strong upper body. Body and athleticism are NBA ready but he is still a bit raw offensively. Has a hitch in his shot where he hesitates on the way up but is surprisingly accurate at least from the FT line. May earn a few individual workouts with teams with a solid showing, but that is where his NBA timeline will most likely end.

Kyle O’Quinn (Norfolk State, 6’10”, F)

Surprisingly the most impressive player on the floor early on. Great rebounder on both ends-secures board and chins it. Solid frame that is NBA ready. Good shot blocker both in the paint and on the perimeter. Impressive and underrated passer-hits cutters and throws good outlets to start the break. Uses strength to push players off black and keeps players from establishing deep position on him. Struggles to defend quicker players past 15’- does contests and block shots but stays too tall and doesn’t get low and move feet laterally. Showed the ability to put the ball on the floor for a couple of dribbles and kick to open man. Efficient around rim with either hand including a high hook shot that is very reliable- showed an array of post moves throughout games- always kept defenders guessing. Strong finisher-a big athlete who plays extremely hard and runs the floor. Plays hard in stretches but then because of lack of great conditioning will get beat down floor a couple of possessions in a row to rest- shouldn’t be a big deal at next level, as he will most likely come off bench to provide brief sparks. Has the ability to play the PF position at the next level. Showed the ability to reverse pivot and hit the 12’ jumper with a hand in face. Good FT shooter- soft hands- caught a rocket pass from Erving Walker on the break, gathered himself and finished with a 2 hand strong dunk. Playing with a lot of confidence in this game- he really impressed me in all facets this game. In my opinion, he is definitely worthy of a training camp invite and possibly a roster spot at the next level.

Mitchell Watt (Buffalo, 6’10”, F)

All over the floor today. Excellent shot blocker and rebounder. Has the ability to score in a variety of ways. Can finish above the rim with authority. Was the MAC Player of the Year this year after an impressive senior year.

Game 2: Cherry Bekaert & Holland vs. K & D Rounds Landscaping

Cherry Bekaert & Holland wins 85-73
Box Score

Scouting Reports

Greg Mangano (Yale, 6’10”, F)

Good Pick and Pop player- a 6’10” guy who can hit the 3 is attractive to NBA teams. Good rotation and arc on perimeter shot- can hit the 3 with consistency- quick release for big man. More of a perimeter guy then a banger inside- shied away from contact on both ends. Needs to do a better job securing rebounds- allowed guards to take ball away from him several times. Would like to see him be more of a rebounding threat and scorer inside. Good outside shooter- but settles for it instead of going inside- did not see any post moves from him today. Will like to see a more consistent game from start to finish next game.
Did a Sleeper Report on him earlier in the year when Yale played Wake Forest.

Darryl Bryant (West Virginia, 6’2”, G)

Out of control and loses balance easily. Showed the ability to split the defenders in P/R situations and get to rim and finish over defenders. Tough player. Needs to improve his shooting ability.

Jordan Taylor (Wisconsin, 6’1”, G)

Poised. Plays the game under control. Struggled offensively early on to get it going. Zack Rosen from Penn did a terrific job defending him- Jordan struggled to get to the rim and when he did he had a hard time finishing. Lack of speed and size was evident- will limit his pro chances. Good footwork coming off screens for shots. Looked tired from ball pressure late in first half. Really forced some shots when he felt it was his time to shoot. Came out in the second half looking more comfortable offensively knocking down a pull up jumper and a floater in traffic. This up-tempo game does not suite him, as he likes a slow-down game- he looked tired and winded. Will gets some individual workouts, but he is most likely headed overseas to play. More of an undersized 2 then a playmaking PG. His inability to get to the paint and break man down off dribble will hurt his NBA chances.

Cameron Moore (UAB, 6’10”, F)

Agile and fluid. His length really makes him a solid versatile defender. He collected several steals and was active throughout. A bit tentative offensively. Runs the floor- long stride. Needs to improve ball handling, especially his left hand. Needs to add about 15-20 lbs of muscle to bang with PF at the NBA level- has a frame that should allow this to happen. Can finish above the rim- highlight dunker. Low release but solid form on jump shot. Good body control in air. Disappears for stretches.
Did a Sleeper Report on him earlier in the year when UAB played Southern Miss.

Zack Rosen (Penn, 6’1”, G)

Excellent on ball defender- quick hands and does a great job pressuring the ball from end line to end line. Had a couple of on-ball blocks as well- good considering size. In the opponents shirt defensively- best on ball defense seen today. Lefty who sees the floor and will hit the open guy. Floor general and vocal leader- was not afraid to tell teammates where to be- extension of coach on the floor- gathered guys together at FT line during dead ball situations. Didn’t look for own offense much- was mainly concerned with getting team in sets and starting the offense. Did show a nice head fake and ability to shoot over taller defenders. Accurate and reliable set shooter. Not as explosive going to his right- when he went right went back to his left for scoring move. Has a future as a coach after an overseas career. Reminds me a bit of Jaycee Carroll who played for Utah State and for the Boston Celtics Summer League team a couple of years ago.

While the NBA remains in a lockout, the D League is still running business as usual. This week the Bakersfield Jam will be holding their final tryout before the season, and returning coach Will Voigt only has 3 returning players from last season’s roster. That means the opportunity is wide open for players looking to land a spot in the top minor league in the United States.

Registration for the tryout camp begins at 8:30 am on October 22nd.

The tryout is this coming weekend (October 22-23rd) in Baskersfield. For more information, visit www.bakersfieldjam.com.