Basketball Roundup – 12.16.2011

Staff Reports

With the NBA back in full preseason swing, college season hitting the December stride and high schools getting ready for their holiday tournaments, basketball season is officially here. Let’s take a swing around the net to see the top stories today.

First off, Real GM takes a story from Sports Illustrated and spins it into a piece denigrating the defensive ability of Harrison Barnes:

Harrison Barnes has the worst stop percentage — which measures the percentage of opponent individual possessions directly stopped by a player — of any Tar Heel rotation player at 50.6 percent.

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Next, we have the news of Chris Paul to the Clippers dominating ESPN and every other network as they continue to miss the big story (why on Earth would Paul choose to play for one of the worst franchises in the league), which is whether this is a temporary move by Paul to get closer to playing for the Lakers. At any rate, some media outlets think that David Stern did exactly what he tried to avoid earlier and created another big market powerhouse:

No matter what David Stern says, the controversy surrounding the Chris Paul trade(s) started because he was initially going to the Los Angeles Lakers, the league’s marquee franchise. As Dan Gilbert’s strongly worded letter showed, small-market clubs still harbor a good deal of animosity towards their big-market colleagues. It’s not too surprising either, because the dynamic between those franchises is what caused the lockout in the first place.

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Finally, let’s talk high school hoops. Thursday night saw a bevy of games on ESPN, including Oak Hill and Miller Grove in a game loaded with high major talent. It’s great to see players we’ve featured on Basketball Elite in the past as they move on to become more known in their careers, including players like Tyler Lewis, Jordan Adams and A.J. Hammons. Oh, by the way, A.J.’s interview will be posted next week.

Top Talent in North Carolina and South Carolina – Part 4

By Justin Byerly

Josh Smith 6’8″ 245 C 2012 Olympic HS (NC)
The Clemson University commit is a beast in the paint for one of North Carolina’s most talented teams. He averaged 12 points and 9 rebounds as a junior last season for the Trojans. He had offers from The Citadel, Appalachian State University, Drexel University and Gardner-Webb University.

Jaylen Reid 6’7″ 185 F 2013 Rock Hill HS (SC)
Reid is getting interest from The University of Nebraska, Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, College of Charleston and Clemson University he confirmed to me via text message. He also stated “High Point told me I am their top prospect for 2013”. So far this season he has scored 18 points against Chester HS (SC) and 25 points against South Pointe (SC). He is the son of former UNC star JR Reid.

Mikel Harvey 6’0″ 160 G 2012 Perquimans HS (NC)
The 6’0 PG has started out the season strong with stat lines of 33 points, 11 rebounds, 7 steals and 4 assists followed by 26 points and 7 rebounds in the first week of games. He scored 39 points and had 13 rebounds last Friday (the 2nd) in a win which avenged a loss from last week. Harvey said he is not sure of what school’s have been contacting his coach at this time. Harvey should be a low to mid major college basketball player, and should receive interest from a host of Division Two schools. Harvey averaged nearly 22 points and 7 rebounds last season for the Hertford, NC school.

Austin Hatfield 6’0 170 G 2014 South Davidson (NC)
The sophomore averaged nearly 20 points per game last season for South Davidson HS, his identical twin brother Taylor (is listed below). Hatfield informed me that Virginia Tech and James Madison have been in to see him and his brother work out over the start of practices last month. He said ” I have been receiving letters and invites to games from Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, Appalachian State University, Tulane University, UNC-Charlotte and about a dozen more”. Asked on who is showing the most interest Austin responded “Virginia Tech, James Madison University, Appalachian State, Tulane and Stanford University”. Through the first three games this season, Austin has scored 22 points, 17 points and 20 points.

Taylor Hatfield 6’0 170 G 2014 South Davidson (NC)
Taylor is getting the same interest as his brother listed (above). Taylor averaged nearly 17 points last season at South Davidson HS.

Martin Alston 6’3 180 F 2012 Granville Central HS (NC)
Alston, who is also a standout football player for Granville Central was named all-state last season as junior. In his first game this season Alston had 10 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 4 steals on Nov. 26th. He averaged nearly 14 points and 11 rebounds last season for Granville. He informed me “I dont really have schools recruiting me right now”, on November 27. He was named to the ESPN ALL STATE Watch List this season for the 2011-2012 season.

Donte Clark 6’4″ 175 G 2013 Kennedy Charter HS (NC)
Ranked as one of the top twenty point guards in the country by some outlets, Clark now has offers from East Carolina University, Virginia Tech, Gardner-Webb University, Radford University, Wofford, UT-Chattanooga, High Point University, and Jacksonville University. He informed me Dec 4th that “Virginia Tech is on me pretty hard”, and he has already took an unofficial visit to Blacksburg, VA. Clark is one of four or five Division One prospects at Kennedy Charter School in Charlotte, NC and should be considered one of the most talented teams in North Carolina. He transferred from Queens Grant HS in Charlotte while boasting a 15 point scoring average last season. Sounds like Virginia Tech is where Clark may likely end up.

Luquon Choice 6’1″ 205 G 2012 Laurens HS (SC)
A deadly three point specialist, Choice has offers from Newberry College (SC) and North Greenville College (SC). He has been named one of the top 5 players in SC, by South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association. He is a four-year starter for Laurens HS and Coach Mark Freeze calls Choice “one of the hardest working players that he has ever been around”. Choice is looking for another strong season and should add more offers as the season goes on. Scored 24pts Dec 2nd against

Brandon Clyburn 6’8″ 195 F/C 2012 Southwest Guilford HS (NC)
Clyburn is a long slender forward, that has a nice three-point shot for a 6’8″ guy. Runs the court well, and has a nice post game with a nice baby hook shot when in the paint. He has been receiving the most interest from East Carolina University, Appalachian State University, Navy, Jacksonville University, High Point University and the Citadel. Clyburn transferred from Greensboro powerhouse Dudley HS this season.

Connor Burchfield 6’2″ 160 G 2014 Concord HS (NC)
Burchfield and Concord are off to a 2-0 start so far this season. He has scored 12 points in the first game and 21 in the second, against a strong Mt. Tabor team. Connor informed me that he is getting a little interest from Mercer University and Western Carolina University outside Sylva, NC.

Gary Clark 6’7″ 205 F 2014 Clayton HS (NC)
A very talented sophomore, Clark is an explosive force when he gets to the rim. He in formed me that he has interest from East Carolina University, Appalachian State University, University of South Carolina, Wake Forest University, North Carolina State and Virginia. He also informed that South Carolina came to his game last week and watched him play. Clark will continue to improve and should be one of North Carolina’s top prospects in a very strong 2014 class. Gary informed me that North Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest were his top three colleges.

Issac Copeland 6’6″ 180 F Ravenscroft HS (NC)
Ranked by ESPN as the 24th best prospect in North Carolina for the 2013 class, Copeland let me know that he has been offered a scholarship East Carolina University and American University. He is one of the best shooters in the class of 2013. He also has interest from Wichita State University, William & Mary, and Florida State University. Should be another talented team for Ravenscroft. which is based in the Raleigh area.

2011 Frank Spencer Holiday Classic Schedule

The Frank Spencer Holiday Classic 2011

This year’s Frank Spencer tournament is divided into two brackets, the Champion bracket and the Pepsi-Cola Journal bracket (note that the brackets are named for the sponsors of each). We’ll have previews of the Frank before the tournament.

Click the bracket image to download a printable Champion bracket!

Champion Bracket

Dec 26 Games

(Quarterfinals, at Mount Tabor)

No.8 East Forsyth vs. No.1 Winston-Salem Prep 2 pm
No.7 West Stokes vs. No.2 North Forsyth 3:45 pm
No.6 Reynolds vs. No.3 Reagan 5:30 pm
No. 5 Glenn vs. No. 4 Mount Tabor 7:15 pm

Dec 27 Games

(Semifinals, at Joel Coliseum)

East-Prep winner vs. Mount Tabor-Glenn winner 7pm
Reagan-Reynolds winner vs. West Stokes-North Forsyth winner 8:30pm

(Consolations, at Mount Tabor)

Reagan-Reynolds loser vs. West Stokes – North Forsyth loser 11am
East-Prep loser vs. Mount Tabor-Glenn loser 12:45 pm

Dec 28 games

(Championship at Joel; consolations at Mount Tabor)

Championship: semifinal winners, 8:45 pm

Third place: Semifinal losers, 4:30 pm
Fifth place: Consolation winners, 2:45 pm
Seventh place: Consolation losers, 1 pm

Click the bracket image to download a printable Pepsi-Cola Journal bracket!

Pepsi Cola – Journal Bracket

Dec 26 games

(Quarterfinals, at East Forsyth)

No. 8 Atkins vs. No. 1 Forsyth Country Day, 2pm
No. 7 McMicheal vs. No. 2 Parkland, 3:45 pm
No. 6 Carver vs. No. 3 West Forsyth, 5:30 pm
No.5 Lexington vs. No.4 North Davidson 7:15 pm

Dec 27 Games

(Semifinals, at Joel Coliseum)

Lexington-N. Davidson winner vs. Atkins-Forsyth Country Day winner, 4pm
McMicheal-Parkland winner vs. Carver-West Forsyth winner, 5:30 pm

(Consolations, at East Forsyth)

McMicheal-Parkland loser vs. Carver-West Forsyth loser, 11 am
Lexington-N. Davidson loser vs. Atkins-Forsyth Country Day winner, 5:30 pm

Dec 28 games

(Championship at Joel; consolations at East Forsyth)

Championship: Semifinal winners, 7 pm.

Third place: Semifinal losers, 4:30 pm
Fifth place: Consolation winners, 2:45 pm
Seventh place: Consolation losers, 1 pm.

Hey? Do you like brackets with your basketball tournament? You can download the Pepsi-Cola Journal Bracket here and the Champion Bracket here.

Sleeper Report: Deniz Kilicli (West Virgina)

By James Blackburn

Photo:msnsportsnet.com
Game Scouted: West Virginia @ Kansas State
West Virginia wins 85-80 in Double OT
Box Score

Deniz Kilicli (F, 6’9”, Junior)

Stats
6-9 FG, 7 reb, 1 assist, 6 TO, 12 TP, 29 min

Strengths
Solid/strong frame- 260 lbs. Good passer for big man- better than assist per game average shows. Hard worker/tough nosed. Works with out the ball/early to secure deep post position. Boxes out well and secures the ball by chinning it. Good back to basket game- great slide dribble to hook shot- can shoot it with either hand effectively. Not a conventional hook shot- more of a sweeping/old school hook shot away from body- impossible to block. Good footwork in the post- has the ability to reverse pivot and face up. Uses size and strength to defend post. Does a nice job of staying straight up and showing hands defensively with out fouling. Crafty offensive game for big man- loves to fake the hand off and go to the rim. Draws fouls and utilizes the pump fake well. Highly effective/efficient around rim. Will not get pushed off block and is able to push/keep opponents big from getting inside position. Uses body to shield off defender. Runs the floor better than a year ago. Showed the ability at end of game to put the ball on floor and go around defender on perimeter if he is pressured. Good screener. Looked active and mobile playing the middle of the 1-3-1 zone deployed by WV near end of game and in OT.

Weaknesses
Plays below the rim- not the most athletic in that regard- but works extremely hard. Struggles to defend the pick and roll- hangs back in the painted area below 3 point line- so guard must go under pick. Not a threat to block shots. Slow laterally. Boxes out well and holds his man off- but needs to be more active in pursuing rebound. Does not have the speed to get around man to get a lot of offensive rebounds. TO prone- event though he has the ability to put ball on floor when guarded by post player- his dribble is loose and high. Low ceiling.

Overview
Highly rated recruit from Turkey- played professionally in Turkey before coming to West Virginia. Does a decent job of running floor- but is much more effective in half court game, where he can post up. Had 4 fouls this game and had to sit for a good bit late in the second half (2 of these came from offensive fouls). More mobile and in better shape then last season- never sat out during either OT. Played both OT’s with 4 fouls with out picking up fifth- good control. Grabbed and controlled a big defensive rebound in the second OT, after traveling on a couple of rebounds before. I can see him as a late second round pick in the NBA draft after his senior year. Needs to continue to improve shooting consistency and adjust to the speed of the American game. He reminds me of a mix between Marc Gasol and Josh Harrellson, from Kentucky, now with the Hornets. If Harrellson can get drafted in the second round, then Kilicli can as well. May become a mid to early second round pick if he has a solid senior campaign.

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Top High School Basketball Players – NC & SC – Part 3

By Justin Byerly

Editor’s Note: Did you miss part one and two of this series? Go read part one or part two now. We’ll wait.

Keyshawn Woods 6’2″ SG 175 2014 Gaston Day (NC)
Woods is a high scoring shooting guard who averaged nearly 22 points a game last season as a freshman. He informed me via text message that he has already been offered a scholarship by The University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Wichita State University. He also said “my dream school would be The University of North Carlolina”. Keyshawn should be considered one of the top 40 players in the country in the class of 2014. Keyshawn gets to the basket with a nice cross-over, and hesitation. He always has his head up and makes the right passes. I had him for only one turnover in a game against Asheville Christian Academy over the weekend and he scored 22 points on a variety of three-pointers, fast break lay-ups, and jump-shots. He has a vertical of about 34-35 inches and can get off the floor in a hurry. High basketball IQ for a kid who is just in his second year of high school.

Jevon Thomas 6’1″ 180 PG 2012 Quality Education Academy (NC)
Thomas has already signed to play college basketball at Dayton (OH) University after decomitting from St. Johns University while getting interest from Seton Hall University, Penn State University, Villanova University and Towson University. Originally from New York City, Jevon is ranked as the 6th best prospect in North Carolina by ESPN.com and the 22nd best point guard in the country. He has a great cross-over and has great speed, he should really thrive in the Dayton University system.

Jordan Robinson 6’9″ 240 C 2014 Quality Education Academy (NC)
Robinson had great hands for a big man, posseses a nice game around the post and can get alot of rebounds. He has been offered by The University of Arizona, UNC-Charlotte, and Seton Hall University according to Quality Education Academy Head Coach Issac Pitts. He played AAU basketball with loaded CIA Bounce out of Canada.

Brandon Bolden 6’11” 200 C 2012 Quality Education Academy (NC)
The Georgetown signee, is originally from Sumter, SC and is considered one of the top twenty centers in the country by many publications. The long (7’3 wing-span) and slender (could use some bulking up) Bolden held offers from The University of Georgia, UVa, Baylor University, University of Florida and Virginia Tech.

Ke’Shun Sherrill 5’10” 165 PG 2012 West Rowan HS (NC)
Annually one of the top teams in the state of North Carolina, West Rowan has another Sherrill to keep that tradition alive. The long list of the Sherrills’ include Scooter (former NC State player), KJ (plays for UNC-Charlotte) and KJ Sherrill a football an basketball star in his own right at West Rowan. Now its Keshun, a speedy 5’10 PG with his lone offer coming from Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, NC. He also informed me that he is gaining interest from Virginia Military Institute and North Carolina A&T. Keshun averaged 21.1 points a game last season for West Rowan.
Note: Ke’Shun played in the Basketball Elite Southeast Summer Showcase in 2011 and had a solid showing.

*Rodney Purvis 6’3″ 205 PG/SG 2012 Upper Room Christian (NC)
The top ranked player in North Carolina, Purvis has signed to play basketball at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. He possesses a knack at getting to the rim with ease, elecrtifying dunks and great cross-over that allows him to get free for the jumper or create space for a drive to the basket. He passes the ball extremely well and always sees the whole court. Purvis, who was once committed to the Univserity of Louisville and Rick Pitino also held offers from nearly every major Division One school in the country.

Dominique Williams 6’7″ 208 F 2012 Quality Education Academy (NC)
The Mallard Creek (Charlotte) transfer is getting interest from UNC-Charlotte, Wingate University, North Carolina Central University, and Richmond (VA) University. He was a member of The Charlotte Observer’s IMECK 4-A Second Team last season. Dominique averaged nearly 14 points per game last season at Mallard Creek.

Mike Brown 6’3″ 180 G 2012 West Charlotte HS (NC)
The Western Carolina University commitment is one of the top players returning for the NCHSAA 4-A State Championship Lions team. The 5th Championship in the past 25 years. He also had interest from Jacksonville (FL) University and Winthrop (SC) University. Brown was voted team MVP after the final game at the state championship. West Charlotte will be a favorite to try to re-peat as state champs as they did in 91-92.

BJ Gladden 6’5″ 180 G 2013 (formally of Olympic HS Charlotte, transferring to Kennedy Charter)
Gladden is a human highlight reel, he is an explosive dunker and is one of the top juniors in North Carolina. His days at Olympic HS are over for this year because of a discrepancy in where he lived and rumors are floating around that the high-flyer may be heading to Kennedy Charter School, also in Charlotte and join another strong team there. Although when reached by phone Gladden stated “not for sure yet” regarding if he was headed there. Gladden is getting interest from Miami University and UNC-Charlotte. He averaged close to 9 points per game before the suspension was handed down last Thursday. Olympic went on to win Friday night against a talented Myers Park HS (Charlotte) by over twenty points. Gladden is a Division One prospect and willonly be getting more attention as the season progresses wherever he is enrolled to play basketball at.

JaKeem Yates 6’8″ 190 F 2013 West Charlotte HS (NC)
Yates informed me that UNC-Wilmington offered him a scholarship back at the end of September and UNC-Greensboro offered him a few weeks before. Auburn recently offered the West Charlotte product who transfered from Mallard Creek last year. Yates is a solid rebounder and can finish in the post with his size.

Julius Hamilton 6’3″ 235 2013 Kennedy Charter School (NC)
The West Mecklenburg HS transfer is a big-bodied guard who uses his strength and size to take over his opponent and score or rebound. He is getting interest from some mid-majors right now but should gain more as the season goes on. Averages around 13-14 points per game for one of Charlotte’s most talented teams. One of five Division One prospects for Kennedy Charter.

Shaun Stewart 6’1″ 180 G 2012 Sun Valley HS (NC)
Point guard Stewart averaged nearly 23 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists per game last season for Sun Valley. He is gaining the most interest right now from Radford University, Lincoln Memorial University, Lenoir-Rhyne College, Newberry College, Mt. Olive and Wingate University. He has been offered a scholarship by Newberry, Lincoln Memorial, and Mt. Olive. So far this season, in a loss to East Mecklenburg by five points, Stewart scored 24 points.

Thaxter Spruill 6’6″ 215 F/C 2014 Clinton HS (NC)
The long and athletic Spruill should end up being one of the most talented sophomores in North Carolina and even the country. Has a long wingspan that makes it tough for opposing teams to make the right pass or shot. He has been getting calls requesting information on him from The University of North Carolina according to Dwight Miller.
Note: Thaxter recently spoke with Basketball Elite and gave us the lowdown on what he’s working on right now.

Michael Jordan HD Mixtape Matches Reality

Staff Reports

It’s fun to see the proliferation of mixtapes that are common for many players today, and they range from highlight tapes showcasing the players’ overall game to heavily stylized, slow motion free-for-alls. These are fun, but often they don’t match reality.

Perhaps the only player whose mixtape matches the reality of seeing him play is Michael Jordan. Jordan made the phenomenal play seem routine. Here’s some video of Jordan in HD that shows his essence, his ability to score and dominate even the greatest basketball players in the world.

NBA Free Agency…A Lackluster Class?

By Justin Shockley

When the first reports came out saying that the NBA lockout had been resolved, the casual basketball fan probably had very little to say other than a murmur under their breath about athletes and owners being greedy and obnoxious. For the casual fan the NBA won’t be relevant again until Christmas Day when they can actually watch a game again and even then their fervor or lack thereof for professional basketball will be even less than it has been in previous years.

The free agent market this year will not help create excitement for this year’s shortened season either most because the 2010 and 2012 classes have legitimate superstars like Lebron James in 2010 or Dwight Howard next summer. It is probably safe to assume that there will not be a prime time television special so that Marc Gasol can tell the world if he decides that he will be “taking his talents to the Garden State”. In fact, many causal basketball fans are probably content with watching college basketball when they get a craving for some hoops, and are most likely more interested in who will be on the next season of “Dancing With The Stars” than they are about this year’s free agent class.

While superstars are hard to come by in the current free agent market, this year has some really solid players including a few true centers that could help a team win a championship down the road. With the abbreviated preseason and soon to be a ticking clock for free agents, the next few weeks will teeter on interesting but definitely not be edge-of-your-seat spellbinding.

Marc Gasol, Tyson Chandler, and Nene are some of the biggest names in free agency this year and also happen to be true centers with big talent.

Photo: Keith Allison/Flikr

Gasol is a superbly talented center with a wealth of experience to be only 26 years old, thanks to his extensive play internationally. With his size, passing ability, and overall skills Gasol will warrant a five or six year deal worth about 13-15 million dollars per year and can be a legitimate puzzle piece for a team hoping to win a championship soon.

Tyson Chandler is older than Gasol at 29 and his health is a bigger question mark than other available players because he has feeling a pain under right rib cage, but his emotional play, off court leadership, and unselfish team oriented nature are truly a great intangible package for a team to have. The Mavericks can attest to just how important Chandler can be because despite Dirk’s uncanny ability to be clutch, their championship hinged on Chandler’s play and presence in many ways. If the Mavericks decide not to pay big money to keep Chandler it would a mistake barring more injuries and if they don’t pay him, someone else definitely will.

Photo: Keith Allison/Flikr

As for Nene, yes, it’s true he may not be the biggest center in the NBA but his rebounding ability (when completely healthy) and wonderful offensive presence is a tremendous asset to have on a team looking to be a contender. Nene is also 29 years old and has a knee that is as rickety as an old rocking chair and he has missed way too many games the last three seasons to pay him huge money.

For teams that don’t mind a gamble, Nene could be a pick up worth about 7 to 10 million a year but any kind of gamble with that much money can be unnerving. Indiana, New Jersey, and Houston could be the most likely to roll the dice.

There are other free agents in this year’s field that could have an impact on the league such as Greg Oden, Brendan Haywood, Caron Butler, DeAndre Jordan, Vince Carter (if he is waived as expected), and Josh Howard. As it stands however, the free agent market is lackluster when compared to recent and upcoming years and there is just no denying it. The biggest thing that will excite basketball fans in the near future is that possibility that Chris Paul will be traded which will get a rise out of even casual fans. Call us crazy, but no one really cares what Jason Kapono is doing this year…unless there’s a chance he is going to be on the new season of DWTS.

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Madison Jones Highlights Mixtape

Staff Reports

You might have seen our mention of Madison Jones last week, in our continuing series on the top high school basketball players in North and South Carolina for 2011-12 (Part 2), and of course, seeing is believing.

Here’s the official Madison Jones highlight mixtape from our good friends at M2 Productions:

Let The NBA Free Agent Games Begin

By Marcus Shockley

Oh, there’s so much to talk about these days.

With the end of the lockout, you would think that the real NBA discussions wouldn’t begin until sometime after the first exhibition game tipped off; this is a sport, after all, and the primary focus is supposedly who wins and loses the games, but that’s never stopped the sports media from churning as much out of nothing as they possibly can.

One of the best formulas for creating sports stories out of thin air is what comedian Greg Proops once called the ‘What-If’ News, as in, ‘What IF Chris Paul joined the Knicks’ or ‘What IF the Celtics tried to trade Rajon Rondo?’. This, of course, is all speculation on what will happen many months from now, on the other side of a season, albeit shortened, but still rather lengthy. This is also ignoring the current free agent market that’s about to open, under the new CBA, because the current free agent market is rather dull, with the largest target possibly being Nene.

No, the discussion is lot more interesting when we talk about players like Deron Williams, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul.

With all of the first little bevy of rumors spilling out, we’ve heard already about the Nets trying to offer big deal to Howard, and how Deron Williams won’t sign an extension with them. Yesterday the rumor was that Chris Paul wanted to go to New York, but Paul rebuffed those rumors. Honestly, it’s far too early for any of this to have real credence, but there are some things that can be used as guidance on how this could shake out, and it starts on the West Coast.

The Lakers are one of the teams that really understands how to look to the future, and they have a long history of going out at the right time and putting together the next glamour team that will contend for, and usually win, a few NBA titles. The Lakers also have a solid track record of letting other NBA teams work almost as a farm system, taking risks, getting the bust draft picks, until the good players shake out and the Lakers move them to L.A.. Consider this: Wilt Chamberlain was traded to the Lakers only one year after winning the league MVP. Kareem Abdul Jabbar didn’t get drafted by the Lakers, but he retired there with the all time scoring record in his back pocket. Shaq did his young days alongside Penny Hardaway in Orlando before he teamed up with Kobe. If you want to know the big free agent moves that are about to happen, all you need to know is that the Lakers are about to transition away from Kobe into their next incarnation, and that whatever that team looks like will be one that will sell tickets and more than likely win some championships. Does that mean Chris Paul and Dwight Howard? Or Deron Williams?

What happens next summer will be driven by what the Lakers are going to do; not because everyone in the league is scared of the Lakers, but because most of the teams in the league are just bad at putting together deep, winning teams. The closest team right now that has a roster to be afraid of for the long term is Chicago, and with the Mavs and Spurs aging, the league is poised for new blood, such as the Bulls or maybe the Heat, to make a move.

The only problem is, the Lakers have seen this before. The Spurs and Mavs make good moves on their own as well, but they have a hard time competing with the deep pockets and glitz of L.A., so it’s tough to say where their long term prospects are. The Spurs draft really well but is there another Tim Duncan out there in the college ranks?

So even though I won’t be paying too much attention to all the made up and strategically ‘leaked’ free agent talk, I will be paying attention to what the Lakers do this offseason.

Sleeper Report: Meyers Leonard (Illinois)

By James Blackburn

Game Scouted: Chicago State at Illinois

Illinois wins 90-43
Box Score

Photo Credit:FightingIllini.com

Meyers Leonard (C, 7’1”, Sophomore)

Stats
3-6 FG, 3-3 FT, 9 TP

Strengths

Plays passing lanes on perimeter-rare to see a 7’ able to do this. Good FT shooter. Hides behind zone – able to get to grey areas- has hands ready and is ready to attack basket. Good passer against the zone. Moves very well for size- can defend on perimeter- showed the ability to closeout, contest, and then slide feet. Pure stroke- excellent midrange shooter- gets feet set, good form, and good arc-soft touch. Incredible athlete- plays way above rim- high flyer. Highlight reel waiting to happen. NBA ready from an athletic standpoint. Showed the ability in the second half to finish through contact. Good on ball defender- stays big in post D- tries to block everything- leads team in that area with 3.6 bpg. Solid rebounder- boxes out and corrals ball. Showed the ability to put ball on floor and attack basket- moves like a SF- not a 7’.

Weaknesses

Looks lazy when getting back on defense- seems to jog back on that side of floor. Doesn’t fully commit at times- needs to be more active on both ends- coasts through some plays- Needs to play every possession and dominate every play because of his incredible athleticism and skills set. Seemed to just go through the motions at times and looked more concerned about getting highlight dunks and blocks instead of just playing all the way through a possession. Needs to add muscle and get stronger- got bumped off the block several times.

Did not show much in the area of offensive post moves- Chicago State played a zone most of the game- and they put Leonard in the middle or behind zone- did not look to post up hard ball side.. More style than substance. Raw offensive post game. Got caught out of position defensively and lost track of man- resulted in him getting dunked on by smaller players.

Overview

Very high ceiling- great size, shot blocking skills, plays way above rim, and moves exceptionally well for a player of his size. Out of all the players featured in our sleeper report segment, Leonard has the biggest upside and has the best opportunity to play in the NBA. Seems to run the floor harder on offensive end than on defensive end. Needs to add weight and strength- but with body type- should be able to add muscle easily. Granted he had a big height advantage and skill advantage on an over matched Chicago State team that has yet to register a win, but the skills and play that Leonard showed today translate.

Ready for a breakout season- big improvement from last season to this season. Averages 12.6 pgg and leads the team with 7.6 rpg. These numbers are up after only averaging 8 mpg and 2 ppg last year as a freshman, after being a top 50 recruit out of HS.

Does things that the average 7’ can’t or would even consider doing. Big time player that NBA scouts and fans will become more familiar with as Illinois enters conference play. With his shooting ability and his high sill set to go along with his ability to play the mid post area, I can see him playing the PF position in the NBA. I can see him in a system like the Lakers run, where he can play both the PF and C positions, as Paul Gasol, Bynum, and Odom do.