McDonald’s All American Game, DICK’S Sporting Goods High School Nationals, Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic All Feature ESPN 100 Players; Players in the espnW Hoop Girlz 100 Also Televised in McDonalds Game and DICK’S Nationals
ESPN will showcase the next generation of college basketball players in premier events between Monday, March 31, and Friday, April 17, as the 2014-15 high school basketball season concludes.
Each of the events — McDonald’s All American Game (April 1), DICK’S Sporting Goods High School Nationals (April 2-4), Nike Hoop Summit (April 11) and Jordan Brand Classic (April 17) — will all feature numerousESPN 100 players, including No. 1 overall Ben Simmons (Montverde. Fla.) who has signed with LSU. Many top recruits remain uncommitted — including six of the top 10 in the ESPN 100 — and will participate in at least one events. With that said, Arizona, Duke, Florida State, Illinois, Kentucky, LSU, Memphis, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oregon, Syracuse, Texas, Texas A&M, and Villanova, among other schools, will have signees also participating.
An NBA feel will surround the events, as the two all-star games will take place in NBA arenas – United Center in Chicago (McDonalds), and Barclays Center (Jordan Brand Classic) – while the Nike Hoop Summit will take place in the Moda Center in Portland and the DICK’s Nationals will conclude at Madison Square Garden.
Event Details and Television Coverage
2015 McDonald’s All American Games, POWERADE Jam Fest in Chicago, Ill.: Monday, March 30, at 8 p.m. on ESPN2
o Girls and boys McDonald’s All Americans participate in a skills and three-point shooting competition. The boys will also participate in a slam dunk competition. The annual event is a prelude to the McDonald’s All American Game. More information can be found here:
2015 McDonald’s All American Games from the United Center in Chicago, Ill: Wednesday, April 1, at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU (girls) and 9 p.m. on ESPN (boys)
o All 24 participants in the boys McDonald’s All American Game rank in the ESPN 100 led by No. 1 Simmons. Seven of the top 10 in ESPN 100 will play including No. 2 Jaylen Brown (SF) and No. 4 Malik Newman (SG), No. 6 Ivan Rabb (PF), No. 7 Diamond Stone (C), No. 8 Caleb Swanigan (C), and No. 10 Stephen Zimmerman (C), all who remain uncommitted. No. 9 Chase Jeter (C), who has signed with Duke, will also participate. Full roster here
o More than 20 espnW HoopGurlz Top 100 players will participate in the girls McDonald’s All American Game, led by No. 1 Katie Lou Samuelson and No. 2 Asia Durr, who have committed to Connecticut and Louisville respectively. Full roster here
o ESPNU will also televise the McDonald’s Boy’s Scrimmage on Tuesday, March 31, at 3 p.m. ET.
o For the girls game, Adam Amin and Brooke Weisbrod will be on the call, with Quint Kessenich reporting. For the boys, Amin will be joined alongside Jay Williams and Jalen Rose, with Kessenich also reporting.
2015 DICK’S Sporting Goods High School Nationals from New York City, Championship in Madison Square Garden: Thursday, April 2, through Saturday, April 4, across ESPNU, ESPN2 and ESPN
o Returning to New York City, the DICK’S Sporting Goods High School Nationals features impressive fields in both the boys’ (eight teams) and girls’ (four teams) tournament. The boys’ tournament will feature six of the top seven teams in the USA Today High School Super 25 rankings, including No. 1 Oak Hill Academy (Va.) and No. 2 Montverde Academy, who won last year’s tournament. Additionally, 12 ESPN 100 players will participate in their final game with their high school team.
o The girls’ tournament will feature three ranked teams in the USA Today High School Girls Super 25, including No. 3 Dillard High School (Fla.) and No. 7 Miami Country Day (Fla.). No. 16 Gonzaga (Wash.) and South Shore (N.Y.) round out the field.
o Complete tournament information can be found here:
2015 Nike Hoop Summit – USA Basketball Junior National Select Team vs. World Select Team from the Moda Center in Portland, Ore.: Saturday, April 11, at 3 p.m. on ESPN2
o Eight of the top 10, including five of the top six – Simmons, Brown, Skal Labissiere, Newman, and Rabb — in the ESPN 100 will participate in the annual international showcase game featuring many of the world’s leading basketball players age 19 years old or younger. Overall, more than a dozen ESPN 100 players will participate.
o The USA Basketball Junior National Select Team’s roster includes seniors who have signed at Arizona, Duke, Kentucky, and Villanova, while the World Select Team’s roster includes signees for LSU and Kentucky. Fourteen participating players have not committed to a college. More information: Click Here
2015 Jordan Brand Classic from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.: Friday April 17, at 8 p.m. on ESPN2
o The final all-star game for high school seniors features each of the top six in the ESPN 100 and 26 top recruits all together.
o Participating players have signed with Arizona, Duke, Florida State, Illinois, Kentucky, LSU, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oregon, Syracuse, Texas, Texas A&M, and Villanova. Seven of the participating players remain uncommitted. More information: Click here
o ESPN3 will carry both the International (1:30 p.m.) and the Girls (3:30 p.m.) games this year
College Basketball Signing Day Special: Tuesday, April 21, at 6 p.m. on ESPNU
o ESPN recruiting director Paul Biancardi will be in-studio to evaluate the incoming freshmen class for top teams.
More details to be announced as date approaches
ESPN High School Basketball Programming Schedule (March 30 – April 21)
Date
Time (ET)
Event
Location
Network
Mon, March 30
8 p.m.
2015 McDonald’s All American Games, POWERADE Jam Fest
The 2015 NC Top 80 was held in Greensboro, NC for the second straight year and featured many of the top prospects in North Carolina. Organized by Phenom Hoops, there are always solid performances and breakout players. We’ll have more coming from the event from our other scouts, and I was focused on our broadcasts from Court 1 so I couldn’t scout very much and wouldn’t want to attempt to offer any thoughts on players I didn’t get a good chance to see. However, I still caught a few players and here are my notes from the day:
Charles Norman (PG, 6’1″, 2016) Prominence Academy – After seeing Norman multiple times over the past three years, I think he may be one of the least talked about guards with elite quickness and athleticism in the region. He’s great both in transition and in the half court, and plays way above the rim. Solid ballhandler and passer and is just always darting all over the floor making things happen.
David Caraher (SF, 6’6″, 2016) Chapel Hill HS – committed to Butler, another player I’ve seen multiple times now and what always impresses me is his quick hands, quick release and his ability to find gaps in the defense. He can really get buckets in a hurry and has a solid handled from the wing, excellent lateral quickness and I think he really understands how to keep the defender on their heels by changing how he attacks on each play. Shot 50% from deep on the day and averaged 6+ rebounds per game. Although one problem with him is that he went to jail for a few days when he was driving under the influence because he didn’t know the rules and regulations.
Aaron Cash (SF, 6’5″, 2018) Word of God – Saw Cash last week at the Super 60 and more of the same this week, long, active on both ends and really hard to stay in front of in transition. Also showed some deep range this week and has an above the rim game.
Will Dillard (SG, 6’1″, 2018) Greensboro Day School – Dillard displayed a lot of length and athleticism, an ability to slash with the ball and had several monster putback dunks that brought the house down. Really like the upside of Dillard and is a very grounded individual. Definitely see him as a Division I guard with big possibilities.
Iran Bennett (C, 6’9″, 2016) Mt. Zion Academy – Continues to display those great hands with shot blocking and makes life in the paint tough. Has good footspeed and as I’ve written in the past will have to improve his physical conditioning at the next level but a true big man with a lot of strength in the post.
Brandon Childress (G, 6’0″, 2016) Wesleyan Christian Academy – Coming into the event, we already knew that the Wake Forest commit was a crafty ballhandler and deep shooter, and he displayed that deep touch again today. Really like his ability to create space to get off his shot and will add outside scoring from the PG or SG spots.
Jacob Skidmore (F, 6’8″, 2016) Kings Mountain HS – the slender Skidmore continues to show a more aggressive demeanor this Spring and today also displayed his ‘stretch 4’ shot, shooting very well from deep and has a high, long shot release that is just too tall for most defenders to block.
Mike Buckland(SG, 6’4″, 2016) Wesleyan Christian Academy – Buckland continues to be one of the more underrated athletic wings in the state, quick bounce and is a way-above-the-rim finisher. Has gotten stronger and definitely has the look of a college player.
Osinachi Smart (PF/C, 6’7″, 2016) New Garden Friends – Really just a beast inside, I was very familiar with his older brother Ikenna who now plays at Buffalo. Smart was a monster inside every time I saw him, just a lot of raw power and good hands. Good rebounding timing and plays bigger than his listed 6’7″.
Madison Cone (PG, 5’8″, 2017) East Forsyth HS – played very well in tandem with Brandon Childress in the backcourt, both players were able to play on and off the ball extremely well, driving and passing to whichever one of them was open. Cone has quick hands and grabbed several steals when opposing players attempted look-ahead passes. He also showed an ability to get to the rim and score even against a half court set. Very quick first step and keeps his defender backpeddling.
I’ll no doubt have more as I review video, of course!
The second annual NC Top 80 will beheld in Greensboro, NC on March 28, 2015 at Proehlific Park. This event brings in many of the top players in the state and there will be several highly sought after recruits in action, including Dennis Smith, Jr., Edrice “BAM” Adebayo and Jalen Harris.Here is everything you need to watch the games live on March 28, and they will also be available in replay. The games will be broadcast on NetCastSports.com and simultaneously on YouTube. Below are the match ups, times and links where you can watch the games. You can also follow NetCast Sports on Twitter @NetCastSports where the games and links will be announced as they are tipping off.If you want to watch these games or any of the other broadcasts or replays from NCSN, we recommend the Google Chromecast HDMI Streaming Media Player for less that $30.
Today’s NCAA tournament games are going to be a blast – I mean, when are they not? Don’t lament about low scoring or blowouts; you haven’t seen boring until you watch a high school basketball game where one team runs stall ball right from the tip and the final score is 20-6.
Now, I’m not saying that a foul-and-free-throw fest is good basketball, but strong defense is often the hidden factor in a win or a loss, especially for those fabled buzzer-beater games that we all love so much. So let’s talk about D, shall we?
I don’t know if there really is an equal to football’s ‘shut down corner’ in basketball. I do know that there are a lot of defensive stars who nobody talks about. Great defense is ninjitsu; it is a hidden, deadly art. Media ignore incredible defensive performances because that often means the player being guarded is quiet most of the night. We focus on offense in basketball; it’s fun to watch and fun to play. Nobody worries about defense in street ball, why would any player? I never did. Maybe once by accident.
But as today’s games tip, let’s try and pay attention to where the ball isn’t. When a guard is ‘overdribbling’, let’s take a look at his teammates and see if anyone is actually open. When the ball swings around the perimeter, watch how many times the weak side falls too far away from their man. Kentucky is the favorite this year because of their athleticism and deep length inside. But is there a team that can lock down their guards? Yes. Several. And if…big IF…one team can keep Kentucky’s guards from feeding those post players, that’s trouble for UK.
Defense starts with ‘ball-you-man’ and ends with understanding the chess match of basketball. Great defenders have fantastic lateral speed but also know when not to crowd their man. Long arms are hard to shoot over but a big man with poor timing is just going to be swatting air and going for pump fakes. When the deep three falls as the horn goes off, and one team erupts in joy at a last second win, let’s take a moment to remember the missed defensive assignments that happened earlier to allow the score to be so close.
When you watch the NC Top 80 this weekend live on NetCast Sports (shameless plug), watch to see which players take defense seriously. If they take defense seriously in pickup ball with cameras watching, what do you think they will do when the games are for real?
I could have titled this article “I don’t give a damn about your shoes”, because it would effectively have the same meaning, but I wanted to approach this subject more subjectively and how it relates to my philosophy for Basketball Elite, why we scout the way we do and how we go about attending events. And no, I’m not talking about Sneakerheads, I just don’t care which shoe company sponsors a kid’s AAU team.
I’m not a “Nike” guy or an “Adidas” guy or even an “Under Armour” guy. I honestly couldn’t care less. I don’t care if a guy plays for a big name private school live on ESPN or for a 1-A public high school in Arkansas. I am not enamoured by hype. I don’t care if a kid has been offered by UNC, Kentucky and Duke. I don’t care if a kid is a future NBA lock or if he’s ‘ranked’. I’m not looking for a meal ticket or payout (I make my own rain, thanks) and I sure don’t care if so-and-so knows so-and-so and that’s why this kid won’t play in this tournament or for that AAU team.
When I first started scouting players it wasn’t to help kids get into college or to help NBA teams find that underrated power forward they needed to make a playoff run. I was just fascinated with the idea of watching players and trying to figure out how good they might be, and then tracking those players throughout their careers. Long before Basketball Elite existed (or even the Internet), I travelled to watch guys like Jason Kidd in high school (he was only a year younger than I was) just because I heard he was a lock to be an NBA player and I wanted to see what guys who were that good in high school actually played like. I would scout players, make my estimates on their potential, and then being a technical guy I built a database to track them and track their ratings over time to see how accurate I could get.
I did that on my own for many years; I did work with the NBA for a time through a third party in the late 90’s and the league gave me (through the company, of course) some cushy seats right at half court, right behind the announcers for a ton of games and even gave me tickets to an All-Star game. I’ve watched thousands of games, scouted thousands of players – literally, thousands – from tiny high school gyms to huge NBA arenas, from a folding chair at courtside to blurry video online. I was sitting behind John Wooden and Morgan Wooten in Madison Square Garden for a McDonald’s All American game where J.J. Redick scorched the nets and I was sitting next to Tim Duncan in a small high school gym when he was an unknown college freshman at a secret pick up game between a bunch of ACC players (I remember Cherokee Parks being a killer deep shooter that day). When I was young I played street ball in the roughest, meanest courts in the nation – after all, that’s the best place to play if you are a hardcore hooper – and so going to hidden gyms in back alleys to scout players certainly never fazed me. Someone told me I was mentioned by name as a street hooper in a documentary about New York’s playground, and honestly, I don’t know if they were talking about me or not. It was a long time ago. But I did play on all of those courts at one time or another in my youth, before my busted knee told me to quit. I think I drove all over most of the East Coast, South and some of the Southwest with a basketball in my back seat. New York ballers are no joke, Chicago is brutal, L.A. guys get after it and Oklahoma was just too damn hot in the summer. But when kids tell me they sleep with a basketball under one arm, I know where they are coming from.
It wasn’t until some news I privately shared with a friend about a Kentucky recruit made it into a Lexington paper that I started posting my own reports, simply because I was worried that someone would attribute some rumour to me incorrectly, which in hindsight was probably not really a big concern. But the result was that once I was publishing, college coaches started seeking me out from time to time, and eventually that led to me to expand to BasketballElite.com, where I just write up a ton of the players I watch and scout.
Okay, so what’s the point of explaining all of this? Well, when I went to watch Jason Kidd in high school I was blown away with how good he was. Believe it or not, Kidd was an explosive guard in high school. The guy most people know now as a slow set shooter with gifted passing ability had a monster two handed breakaway dunk in the first game I ever saw him. I knew he could play, and soon he wrapped up his college career after two years at Cal and went on to be one of the best point guards of all time. But I never paid any attention to which brand of shoes he was wearing and I didn’t even know if he played AAU.
Today, the landscape has changed a lot; there are mixtapes of players that can get tens of thousands of views and hundreds, if not thousands, of websites dedicated to recruiting. I don’t knock that. But along with that has come money flooding into grassroots basketball, ‘agents’ who work to move players around (and get a cut of a paycheck somewhere) and NCAA that runs a pro sports league where the only people not getting paid are the players. Twitter is loaded with fans who follow high school kids and hang on their every word looking for clues as to where they will go to college. But most of those kids will never be more famous than they are in high school, because most of them will just become average to good college players and the fan base will be salivating over the next wave of ‘can’t miss’ recruits.
Social media is rife with self-aggrandizing talk, praise for players who haven’t played a single college game, rankings of middle schoolers, chest pounding of AAU coaches over who dominates a made up league. I call a lot of the noise surrounding recruiting ‘pretty bullets’ – ammunition that is designed to look good but does nothing. If you were in a war, would you care if the bullets you used looked slicker than your enemy’s but never worked? Pretty bullets are like a fashion model dressed up to look like an MMA fighter – photogenic but you wouldn’t want most fashion models to be your bodyguard in a dark alley at 2 am.
Over the years I’ve scouted players and gotten praise for some of my reports while also getting slammed. I’ve written that some players were Division II only to get nasty texts and emails about how I was an idiot because that player was getting Division I offers. Of course I, like anyone, can be wrong, but it’s rare that I don’t see that same player transferring a year later because he was never going to get court time at that Division I team. I am careful when writing about high school players, because I would never be as harsh writing about a 16 year old as I would be when scouting an adult college or pro player. But I also am not in the hype business. I don’t care about rankings, because rankings don’t get scholarships and hype never put anyone in the NBA. Nope. Anyone who tells you that is making money off of hype. Just check.
Some hard facts here:
– Even the best high school player on most teams isn’t good enough to play in college.
– Playing AAU will not automatically get you a scholarship.
– There is more scholarship money available to Division III players, on average, than Division I or Division II. More coming on this in another article, and yes, I am aware that Division III does not offer athletic scholarships. Did you not read my bio above? I’m pretty immersed in this life.
– Nobody ever got a scholarship because they were ranked. Don’t email me about this. I have seen players who have a dozen solid scouts who love their game, write about those players and tell coaches and still the player barely gets attention. Coaches aren’t looking at rankings and offering players blindly.
– Adults who advise players on their ‘player brand’ are only out for themselves.
– Some private schools are great. Many just put a bunch of Division I level athletes on one team and win a bunch of games with athleticism, then claim credit as though they took a bunch of talentless waterboys and turned them into all-stars. Again, there are some solid programs out there but that’s not always the case.
– College coaches aren’t looking at a players’ box score in the paper. And box scores rarely show things like assists or steals. And any local newspaper sports editor will tell you that some high school coaches only call in box scores when they win, not when they lose.
I get texts every single day from a few competing AAU coaches complaining about each other and calling each other ‘dirty’. Every. Single. Day. Yes, I have thought about just forwarding their texts to each other.
I don’t care about their politics. I will watch any player, anywhere. I’ve had players who wanted to come to my Summer Showcase but were then told not to come by their coach because I wrote something unflattering about one of their other players. I don’t care. I’m not in the ‘pretty bullet’ business, and you shouldn’t be either.
Don’t buy pretty bullets. We don’t sell them here, and if I write something about your game, it’s not because I am trying to promote my ‘own players’ because I don’t have my own players. I don’t have an AAU team and I am not getting grassroots money. I have NO REASON to write anything about anyone except that it is my observation.
AAU season, here I come. See you in the gym.
“Yo, Mike, I got those shoes but I still never made an All-Star game. What gives?”
Player of the Year: Trinity Christian Point Guard Dennis Smith Jr.
Rookie of the Year: Northwood Temple Point Guard Dakari Johnson
Hand Down Man Down Award (Best Shooter): Village Christian Michael Hueitt Jr. & Northwood Temple James Wilson
Hustle/High Motor Award: Westover HS Senior Forward Jozef Vanderhorst
Teams of the Year: Terry Sanford HS, congrats to the team, Coach Boyette and his staff on winning the 3A State championship.
First Team
Dennis Smith Jr. (Trinity Christian, Junior, Point Guard)-(Player of the year Award Winner, Won the award last year as well) – Dennis had another outstanding year for his squad, was called on to take on more of a scoring role this season and did not disappoint, Holds offers from NC State, Duke, UNC, Kansas and numerous other top HM programs. Top PG in the Country for the Class of 2016, Averaged 23 Pts and 7 Ast per game
Mark Gilbert (Terry Sanford HS, Junior, Shooting Guard)- is an outstanding scorer , once he gets it going he is a very difficult player to stop, plays with toughness and heart. Led Terry Sanford to the 3A state Championship and was named Cape Fear Valley Conference Player of the Year. Hold Numerous offers from BCS schools for football, Averaged 18.4 Points and 2.8 Assist Per game
Jatrious Smith (EE Smith HS, Sophomore, Wing) – Last year’s Rookie of the Year Award winner, started off the year slowly but as the year progressed he returned to his form, has a very good mixture of strength, speed and athleticism and showed a much more consistent jump shot from the perimeter this season, current holds offers from Va Tech & Old Dominion and is receiving interest from numerous HM Schools. Averaged 19.4 Pts, 5.9 Rebs, and 3.8 Assist Per game
Kwinton Hinson (Village Christian, Senior, Wing)- One of the top Unsigned Seniors left in the state, plays strong inside but can step outside and knock down the trey ball, had a very successful season for Village and currently holds offers from UNCW and App State, with interest from numerous other LM and JUCO schools. Averaged 22.2 Points and 8.1 Rebounds Per game
Isaiah Vinson (South View H.S, Senior, Guard)-Very High IQ player that can score at any time but is constantly looking to get other involved, has a calm demeanor on the court. Can shoot it from outside and midrange but also attacks the cup very well, is a Great students and will truly be an asset to whichever schools he chooses to attend next season. Currently holds offers from Garner Webb, Winthrop, High Point, Liberty, and Fayetteville State University. Averaged 17.0 Pts, 5.3 Rebs and 2.0 Ast per game
Marko Tomic (Freedom Christian, Senior, Forward) – Is a stretch Forward player that plays with intensity on a nightly basis, although he can knock down the trey ball consistently, he has no problem with going inside the paint and mixing it up with opponents. It is still a mystery as to why no LM schools have tried to snatch him up as of yet but he currently hold a D2 offer from Barry University and has received interest from various LM and D2 schools.
Josh Bryant (71st H.S, Senior, Guard) – Has a knack for scoring the ball and has what I call sneaky athleticism, Josh is a very solid ball handler and knows how to score the ball with ease. Has improved on his perimeter shooting and had quite a few games this season where he was impressive on the defensive end. Is still unsigned at this point but has been receiving interest from numerous Division 2 and Juco Colleges. Averaged 14.1 Points, 3.5 Ast and 3.1 Rebs Per game
Second Team
Xavier Robinson (South View H.S, Senior, Shooting Guard)- Knock down shooter from outside, has a very strong frame which allows him to embrace contact very well, led public schools in scoring for the second straight year. Is headed to Fayetteville State University in the fall, Averaged: 21.5 Pts, and 4.3 Rebs per Game
Dakari Johnson (Northwood Temple, freshman, Point Guard) – (winner of the Rookie of the Year Award) this young man has a game that definitely exceeds his age, he’s very calm and under control and has all the tools that are need for an outstanding PG, has received interest from University of Virginia already. Averaged 16 Pts, 6 Ast Per game
Zo Tyson (Trinity Christian, Senior, Forward)-Zo is a player that has very good length and athleticism, he does a great job finishing plays above the rim and is now knocking down the midrange shot with more consistency, he has signed with High Point University, Averaged: 11.6 Points and 5 Rebs per game
Michael Hueitt Jr. (Village Christian, Sophomore, Shooting Guard) (Co-Winner of the Hand Down Man Down Award, won the award last year as well) – One of the best shooters in the state, showed some improvement as the season went along on the defensive end and has all the tools to be an outstanding player, currently hold offers from James Madison University and Liberty University. Averaged 15.5 Points per game
Christian Lathan (Westover HS, Senior, Point Guard) – A player that you can definitely classify as a true Point Guard and a floor general, he plays with intensity while at the same time always keeping his poise and making the right plays, he is till unsigned and will be great fit for a college that is looking for a true PG. Averaged 10 Pts and 4.1 Ast Per game
Juwuan Wright (Village Christian, Senior, Forward)- Was a double-double machine this season, can handle the ball very well for a guy his size and does not back down from any challenge or opponent, is still unsigned at this point but will be a steal for a program looking for a stretch four type of player. Averaged 14.5 Pts, and 8 Rebs per game
A.J Baldwin (Cape Fear H.S, sophomore, Point Guard) – this young man is one to definitely keep an eye on; he is an outstanding passer and playmaker and has only gotten better as the year went on. Led Public Schools in Assist per game, but also can score it when needed. Averaged 13.1 Points and 6.2 Ast per game
Third Team
Chris Thomas (71st H.S, Senior, Point Guard)- Very quick PG that knows how to get to the basket as well as knock down the outside shot, is still unsigned but is receiving interest from D3 schools. Averaged: 15.5 Pts, 3.3 Ast Per game
Cam May (Pine Forest H.S, Senior, Wing)- High Motor player that can really score it once he gets going, plays with a toughness that you don’t see from a lot of players his age, receiving interest from Sandhills CC and Averett University. Averaged: 13.8 Pts, 8.1 Rebs Per game
T.J. McAllister (Jack Britt H.S, Senior, Point Guard)- Floor general, very unselfish player but can score when called upon, plays with a ton of heart and really gets after it on the defensive end, he’s receiving interest from: Sandhills CC, Davidson CCC, and multiple NCAA D3 schools. Averaged: 8.2 Pts, 2.5 Ast Per game
Thank God Avar (Freedom Christian, Junior, Forward) – very strong player that can jump out of the gym!! Does a very affective job of protecting the paint on the defensive end, as well as finishing plays inside, is still somewhat raw but has a good amount of potential and will be one to watch over the summer, currently receiving interest from: Rice, Elon & Georgia Southern.
Nassyr Daniels (Grays Creek H.S, Sophomore, Forward/Center)- is a younger player with a lot of potential, blocks shots at a very high rate and rebounds the ball well, also is getting better each day at finishing thru contact. Averaged: 13.4 Pts, 7.1 Rebs and 4.8 Blks Per game
Telligence Johnson ( Terry Sanford H.S, Sophomore, Wing)- Athletic player that is now showing a much improved midrange and perimeter game, is much better this season at creating off the dribble and defends on and off the ball very well. Averaged: 9.6 Pts, 6.3 Rebs per game
James Wilson (Northwood Temple, Senior, Wing)- (Co-Winner of the Hand Down Man Down Award) A three point specialist that put on numerous outstanding shooting displays throughout the season, plays with a ton of hear and intensity, provided much need Senior leadership to a young squad. Is receiving interest from various NCAA D3 and NAIA Schools, Averaged 15 Points Per game.
Damani Appelwhite (Westover H.S, Junior, Forward)- is a player that has an old school flavor to his game, can step out and knock down the midrange shot but also has a nice face up game when he plays in the post, very good length and height. Averaged: 7.9 Pts, 4.9 Rebs per Game
The second annual Super 60 Showdown, organized by GetMeRecruited.com, was held at Knightdale High School near Raleigh, NC on March 21 and it was a loaded event, with top talent from the state and multiple media outlets in attendance. Former NC State and NBA star Chris Washburn shared his own experiences and cautionary tales with the attending players and should be commended for not sugar coating his experiences. The event also had an informational session for parents regarding current NCAA eligibility rules.
3 point shootout winner: DeShawn Patterson (PG, 5’10, 2016) Victory Christian. Runner-up: David Caraher (SF, 6’6″, 2017) Chapel Hill HS
Dunk Contest Winner: Jashaun Smith (SG/SF, 6’5″, 2016) Garner HS
Here are my notes from the event:
Dennis Smith, Jr. (PG, 6’3″, 2016) Trinity Christian School – Coming into the event, Smith was already the likely highest rated prospect and is considered a national level recruit at this point. Thus, we no longer are determining what level (high major, mid major, etc) Smith can compete at in the collegiate game but what level of High Major recruit he is. That is to say, I don’t consider every high major player a ‘5 Star’ and even among players who can start at high major colleges there is separation between those level of players. Smith is definitely a top level 5 star player so the scouting on him is more based on what how his game will transition to college and possibly beyond.
Smith has reached the level where he should be scouted as a national prospect and that showed in this event, where he looks like he can play half-speed and still get points and assists with ease. Smith has a solid handle and size at the point guard position, deft passing, although he should probably be considered a scoring point guard with an ability to drill threes. He does make some sizzling plays with the ball and has a very strong first step. He will need to show he won’t be turnover prone when he faces the faster hands of college defenders and be able to drive and score against college zone defenses.
He is known for his explosive above-the-rim play, but at the college level that is not where guards make their mark, rather the running of the team and keeping defenses honest with his outside shooting touch. Very few college point guards are able to drive into the lane and score in the half court. Probably the best I’ve seen at the college level at that was Chris Paul, but I do like Smith’s ability to do this so far. Smith is at the ability level where playing in the NBA at some point is a possibility, but he will have to prove he can make the transition from being an elite high school player to being an elite college player and then beyond in order for that to happen. No doubt talented and athletic enough to start at some point at the PG or SG position for an elite level program. He will need to show he can get his shots off against the longer defenders in the college game and handle the heavier ball pressure as well. I see Smith as a player whose potential is an NBA player, but at this point he is where I saw Tyus Jones two years ago; he has the potential but isn’t a pro lock yet and will have to show every season going forward that he can handle higher levels of pressure/athleticism. I recall NBA scouts telling me they weren’t high on Tyus Jones in high school partly because he always looked like he was going half-speed, and I think that perception may be there for Smith as well, but he is a gamer, and has the personality to handle the scrutiny of playing at a big time program.
Edrice Adebayo (PF, 6’10”, 2016) Northside – Adebayo is also a highly sought after recruit, and watching an early match up between he and big man Iran Bennett was telling. Bennett is a pure back-to-the-basket type of center, while Adebayo has a great build but is much more of a PF who plays facing the basket. Adebayo has great size to play the PF spot and showed an ability today to hit the 15-foot jumper. He also has great footspeed driving to the basket against bigs. However, it should be noted that the matchup with Bennett definitely showed that the two players are definitely not players at the same position, as Adebayo had trouble with Bennett’s strength and size on the blocks while Bennett struggled when Adebayo pulled him away from the basket and slashed to the hoop. Adebayo can get minutes on major college programs his first year, but I think he should definitely look at a school that has the size to play him at the 4 spot.
He can play in the open court and half court equally and has great hands. He also plays above the rim and reminds me a bit of Montrezl Harrell in his attack of the rim.
Jalen Harris (PG, 6’1″, 2016) Greenfield School – Harris is a gifted slasher and ballhandler. His best asset is his first step – it’s extremely hard for defenders to stay in front of him. However, he shows a fluid release and an ability to score from outside as well. Plays as a true PG, eyes up, running the offense. Needs to add strength, but I see Harris’ potential as higher than some other scouts. He is currently rated as a LM Division I guard but I see his potential more in the MM+ range.
Sacha Killeya-Jones (PF/C, 6’10”, 2016) Virginia Episcopal School – The Virginia Cavaliers commit showed his length and agility in the post. Slender and will need to continue to add strength, but has very good passing ability in the post and a lot of upside. Length is at the elite college big man level; Killeya-Jones is one of those big men who should develop into a go-to guy at the 4 or 5 spot on offense but also add a ton of defensive length inside.
Quate McKinzie (F, 6’7″, 2016) Harrells Christian Academy – was good the last time I saw him but has improved by leaps and bounds already and colleges who watched him in the past should be keeping up. Has excellent passing skills from the SF or PF spot but has good rebounding timing and athleticism. Very good defender with length.
Aaron Cash (SF, 6’6″, 2018) Word of God – really like the potential of Cash, who has exceptional timing and athleticism on both ends of the floor. Already has the look of a college prospect at the 3 spot but plays both 3 and 4 at the high school level right now. Has heard from NC State, Syracuse and others and it’s not surprising.
Dondre Griffin (G, 6’4″, 2016) Knightdale HS – Strong guard with quick release and shooter’s mentality. Warmed up early and starting draining buckets. Whenever the defense would sag in transition, he would take advantage. Has an easy release and probably should be considered a combo guard at this point but has good size for the position. Definitely see him as a Division I guard.
Deshaun Leftwich (G, 6’3″, 2017) Trinity Christian – explosive guard who has a deadly first step and great quicks. Active in the defensive passing lanes and was able to get to the rim, but also had some excellent on ball defense.
Andrew Tuazama (F, 6’5″, 2018) Knightdale HS – Great timing on blocks and athleticism on the break. Listed as a Power Forward for Knightdale but looks more like a SF at the college level at this point.
Iran Bennett (C, 6’10”, 2016) Greater Emmanuel Prep Academy – Bennett is a space-eater big, a back to the basket post player with excellent hands and good footwork. Best in the halfcourt and a below the rim type big, he has good shot blocking timing and was hard to handle on the blocks all day. Had a nice runback block in transition. Conditioning will be a factor at the college level but a strong player who likes to mix it up in the post. Really good on the pick and roll.
Todd Smith (SG, 6’4″, 2017) Freedom Academy – good shooting form and size on the wing, one of the better shot releases I’ve seen recently.
Tavion Atkinson (SF, 6’6″, 2017) Red Springs HS- good length, active rebounder and good in transition. Was able to finish through contact and has excellent size. Was active all day and is a perimeter wing.
Cory Gensler (SG, 6’4″, 2016) Cary HS – Gensler is a pure shooting guard who uses his quick release to get up volume shots in both spot up transition opportunities and in the half court. Good rebounding timing from the SG spot and good length. Gensler averaged 24+ ppg this high school season.
Tyrique McClain (G, 6’3″, 2016) – Wayne Christian – deft handle, good size and great hesitation dribble and good crossover. Was able to put his defender on his heels with the dribble in the halfcourt.
David Caraher (SF, 6’6″, 2017) Chapel Hill HS – Butler commit, super quick hands and really at his best playing the passing lanes in the open court or on the move on the break in transition. Has a really quick release on the move and can get buckets in a hurry. Has a good handle at the SF spot and will see minutes at Butler.
DeShawn Patterson (PG, 5’10”, 2016) – Victory Christian HS – I wrote about Patterson a couple of weeks ago and he’s got one of the better handles in the state at the moment. Doesn’t turn the ball over and has a lot of flash to his game. Won the 3 point shooting contest and can play through contact. I think one somewhat overlooked aspect of Patterson’s game is his assists/TO ratio, which is through the roof. Often has double-digit assist games and averaged 5 steals per game for Victory Christian last season.
Michael Pippins (PF, 6’8″, 2016) DH Conley HS – Pippins has the look of a small forward in agility but plays in the paint and really goes hard at the rim. Above the rim post player with a lot of versatility and great hands – catches off the bounce and throws it down or takes one quick step to get inside the defender for the rim rocker.
Tahj Small (SG, 6’4″, 2017) Northern Durham HS – Active shooting guard with good length and a really nice slashing ability and showed he could finish inside. Will be even more effective as he continues to add strength.
Michael Okauru (SG, 6’4″, 2017) Ravenscroft – Okauru is known as a ‘buckets machine’ and adds instant offense to any lineup. Long, slashing shooting guard who is extremely difficult to stop on the break. I’ve rarely seen even good shot blockers be able to get to his quick shot and he uses a deft finger roll to get layups off at full speed. That said, today Okauru was usually focused on showing more passing ability, working to find teammates on cuts and was less focused on getting his own points. I note this because I think it’s important to see when players are actively working on expanding their game and it definitely seems like Okauru wasn’t as concerned with getting points, which he is known for already, but rather was using the event to get open run against high level players and work on some other areas.
Lavar Batts (PG, 6’2″, 2017) Jay M Robinson HS – Considering how much I’ve covered the region and conference where Batts plays I regret not scouting him much during this past high school season. I liked Batts since seeing him last year during the AAU/grassroots season of 2014 and his matchups with Dennis Smith, Jr. were one of the better one-one-one guard battles of the day. Batts is a full court speed demon, and makes very good decisions on the break. Handle is good and he has active defensive hands in the open court. A good pressing guard at full court and has the speed to play his man close.
Tremaine Lawrence (G/F, 6’4″, 2017) Quality Education Academy – Lawrence is a versatile perimeter player who already has an above the rim game and is good at finding gaps in the defense for the mid range. Good in both the full court and half court and moves well without the ball. Has some really nice blocks on the move in transition.
Kaleb Hunter (G, 6’4″, 2017) North Releigh Christian Academy – great defensive length and has an ability to both pass and slash to the bucket. Also has a nice touch from the mid range and I never saw him get out of control or charge the basket at the wrong time.
Devontae Shuler (G, 6’3″, 2017) Irmo HS (SC) – I’ve seen Shuler multiple times and he was one of the best looking guards today, right along with Smith and Harris. Shuler is very fast end-to-end and gets right to the rim and is very effective in open court chaos. Has an attacking mentality and when the defense is out of sorts or doesn’t sprint back after a basket, Shuler is the type of guard who will run up their backs and score. Really solid player with a lot of interest and could have a breakout AAU season.
Justice Kithcart (PG, 6’2″, 2016) Virginia Episcopal School – Kithcart is a player who I’ve liked for a while and was not surprised to see his recruitment pick up heavily this year. Was hitting threes early but was playing off the ball much of the day and wasn’t able to showcase his floor general skills quite as much, but Kithcart is a competitor who takes on any matchup and will add toughness to a college roster.
Tyler Creammer (C, 6’11”, 2016) The Miller School – Creammer is often lauded for his stellar GPA (4.7!) but he continues to develop into a solid big man with great hands and excellent decision making. Rarely have I seen Creammer make a bad choice with the ball or pass, runs the floor hard and passes well from the post. Has continued to get stronger and is a back-to-the-basket big on both ends.
Ian Boyd (PG, 6’3″, 2016) Apex HS – I feel like Boyd continues to be one of the more underrated guards in the state, and has improved his floor general skills over the past year. He already has great physical tools and control, finds players with the pass but can also drive and finish in traffic in the lane. Boyd holds offers from Division I schools for football, but isn’t sure which direction he wants to go (football or basketball) at this point, and I think that schools may be holding off thinking he’s a lock for football. That said, I still see him as a really solid college prospect as a guard and is already bigger than many college guards with another year to go before graduation.
Jashuan Smith (SF, 6’5″, 2016) Garner HS – highlight reel dunker with a high motor and definitely some upside. Great end-to-end player and has elite athleticism that will serve him well at the next level. Was tending to fade on his shots today but was able to find open spots in half court and has a very high release and good elevation that is hard to defend.
J.J. Smith (SG, 6’5″, 2017) EE Smith HS – I have to give the nod to our fellow scout Charles Clark on J.J. Smith, who Charles saw as a Division I guard long before Smith had gotten any college offers. Explosive shooting guard with big time collegiate athleticism and size. Already has a good build and is a high octane, full court beast who likes to finish above the rim.
Greyson Kelley (G, 6’2, 2016) North Raleigh Christian Academy – I will be blunt; Kelley is one of the most underrated guards in the state, but I understand why. On one hand, Kelley is not overlooked, as most regional scouts include him as one of the top 60 or 80 players in the state of NC regardless of class. However, Kelley is an undersized combo guard who doesn’t have the ‘sizzle reel’ game of high flying guards or elite passers. That said, I have seen Kelley now in multiple environments – open gym, AAU, high school and showcases – and I’ve never seen him not flat out ball. That sounds like slang, but it’s the only way to describe his game. Open court steals, stop-and-pop shots on the run, circus moves in traffic to finish, no look precision passes to the perfect open teammate, he just always makes a play even when it seems there’s nothing there. The reality is that right now he’s more of a scoring guard with a good handle and good passing, but I think he’s the kind of player where some college will get a steal who will be great on their roster for four years.
Ian Steere (PF, 6’8″, 2018) Village Christian – I’ve seen Steere in the past and have seen his monster dunks in transition before; today was looking to hit the 18 footer and although he was inconsistent early, his release is really solid and he started clicking with his shot as the games progressed. Has a great build and I really like his upside. As a power forward he’s got great game facing the basket and should develop into a difficult player to guard at the 4 spot.
Eyisi Brown (C, 6’10”, 2018) Quality Education Academy – The big name post players coming into the day were Iran Bennett and Edrice Adebayo, but I have seen Brown in the past and I think he is a high major big man who is active, agile and runs the floor like a small forward. One of the most mobile big men I’ve seen at the high school level in some time. Absolutely runs the pick and roll to perfection and has excellent rebounding timing. I will definitely be watching Brown more this year as I think he could play in any conference and be effective.
Blake Harris (G, 6’3″, 2017) Carlisle School – Quick and has a nice ability to weave through traffic with the dribble in the half court. Does tend to show the ball a little too much with the dribble and will need to improve that at the college level. Nice passing vision and is at his best when putting pressure on the D with his dribble, while simultaneously looking for the open man when the defense adjusts. Want to reiterate that point here: Harris puts the ball on the floor, drives into the gaps of the defense in the half court set, and is actively looking because he knows the defense is going to scramble to cover and leave someone open, and he hits that player with the pass.
Isaiah Whaley (F/C, 6’9″, 2017) Ashbrook HS – Good athlete and has the size but would like to see him become more assertive in the post. Should continue to improve in this area and is a very mobile big man.
Emmanuel Ugboh (C, 6’10”, 2016) Elite Prep – Ogboh is a force in the paint and once he gets a hand on the ball he never loses it. Good outlet passer and has good power in the post.
DaShawn Corprew (G, 6’3″, 2016) Quality Education Academy – A late addition to the event but always a gamer who makes things happen with the pass or dribble. Athletic guard with size and the handle to play point or shooting guard.
ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – Virginia’s Tony Bennett is the 2014-15 recipient of the Henry Iba Award, presented annually to the national coach of the year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. The award, voted on by the entire membership of the USBWA, is based on regular-season performance.
Bennett will be formally presented with the Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award on Tuesday, April 14, at the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards gala in Oklahoma City.
Bennett
The Oscar Robertson Trophy will also be presented that evening. The winner of the Oscar Robertson Trophy as the national player of the year will be announced on Friday, April 3, at a 10:15 a.m. ET news conference in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium in conjunction with the NCAA Final Four.
In his sixth season at Virginia, Bennett, 45, led the Cavaliers to a 30-4 record, which tied the school record for wins in a season set last season and in 1982-83. For the second straight season, Virginia won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title. Bennett’s career mark at Virginia is a stellar 136-64 (.680 winning percentage).
Bennett, the Henry Iba Award winner in the 2006-07 at Washington State, is the ninth coach to earn the award more than once and the second to win it at two different schools. Roy Williams has won the award at Kansas (1990) and North Carolina (2006). The legendary John Wooden was named the USBWA National Coach of the Year six times, joinining five other coaches to win it twice (Lou Carnesecca of St. John’s, John Chaney of Temple, Gene Keady of Purdue, Bob Knight of Indiana, Ray Meyer of DePaul and Fred Taylor of Ohio State).
The USBWA District III Coach of the Year and the ACC Coach of the Year guided the Cavaliers to a national ranking as high as No. 2 and the No. 2 seed in the East Region before being eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by Michigan State.
“Tony Bennett is no longer a rising star in the coaching ranks; he is an established winner,” said USBWA President Dana O’Neil of ESPN.com. “This year he led the Cavaliers to their second consecutive ACC regular-season title, earning the top spot in the league despite playing for a long stretch without one of his best players. On behalf of the USBWA, it is my pleasure and privilege to honor Tony Bennett.”
Including this season, the Clintonville, Wis., native now boasts a 205-97 (.679 winning percentage) overall career record in nine seasons as a college head coach. Prior to coming to Virginia, Bennett was 69-33 in three seasons at Washington State, including two NCAA Tournament appearances.
The Henry Iba Award is named in honor of the legendary Oklahoma State coach who won 655 games and two national championships in 36 seasons in Stillwater. The award is voted on by all members of the USBWA at the conclusion of the regular season. The USBWA has presented a National Coach of the Year Award each year since the 1958-59 season.
Tickets and sponsorship information for the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards are available at collegebasketballawards.com or by contacting Scott Hill (405-640-0406, scott.hill@access-sports.net). The April 14 banquet will also honor Duke center Jahlil Okafor with the Integris Wayman Tisdale Awardas the national freshman of the year.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. Today, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Joe Mitch at 314-795-6821.
Forbes, which is always happy to share lists of the most highly paid or wealthiest people in the world, has compiled a new list of highest paid college coaches:
Coaches are a different matter. Far from the amateur ranks, experienced and winning coaches get CEO-sized compensation from big public and private universities. More than an ego boost, basketball — the men’s programs, in particular — can bring in tens of millions of dollars and leave a profit sweeter than any last-second three-point shot.
The results coincide with ratings and money brought in to the NCAA, the conferences those coaches are in, and the individual schools involved, but none of this is surprising in the least to college sports fans. This list comes out as the NCAA continues to battle in court against allowing the players on those coaches’ teams from profiting in the same way on their likeness. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has come under fire in the past for lending his image to endorsements such as American Express, while his players were not allowed the same luxury. This list doesn’t provide much new information but it is backdrop for the current situation in college sports as the NCAA’s top product, March Madness is currently in full swing.
The 2015 Triad High School All-Star game and related events are all set for March 22, 2015. The games, the dunk contest and the skill events are all being broadcast by NetCastSports.com, and here is a handy list of links for all of the games. Tentative official schedule is at the bottom of this article.
Girls Triad High School All-Star
Expected Tip: 3PM EST
Triad High School All-Star Skills Challenge
Expected: 4:30 PM EST (After Girls Game)
Ball Is Life Dunk Contest
Expected: 5:15 PM EST (After Skills Challenge)
Triad High School All-Star Boys Game
Expected: 5:35 PM EST (After Dunk Contest)
for less that $30.
