ESPN has jumped onto the story of the underside of basketball recruiting, something we’ve written about quite often in the past. It’s actually surprising that it has taken this long for the top sports network in the country to start reporting on something that is so obvious and out of control.
Here’s the silver lining for college basketball: Virtually every coach thinks that the majority of Division I programs are not intentionally breaking major rules. Of the 20, only four said 25 percent or more of the programs were, in the words of one coach, “committing felonies.”
“I had a question about e-mailing a kid and I asked another coach,” someone explained. “He thought we could; I thought we couldn’t. We both called our compliance directors and got two different answers.”
This article is apparently just part of a larger series about this subject. But it barely scratches the surface of the issue. The real issue is that during the summer, young talented basketball players travel all over the country to try and play as much as possible. Most players do not have their parents travelling with them, and many of them come from poor neighborhoods, broken homes or similar situations. Regardless of tough exteriors and tattoos, most of these players are young, polite and impressionable, easily manipulated by world-wise adults who only see dollar signs.
This is the real problem. As long as there are adults who think they can profit from a basketball player, and basketball players who are not experienced in the game of life, there will manipulation, corruption, and yes, even money changing hands. It’s a serious issue, and for now, the NCAA seems to be more concerned with coaches than other people talking to the players.
The NCAA should be creating a program that guides players with free consulting on college, financial decisions, and life. But I seriously doubt that will happen, because that takes responsibility and ownership. It’s much easier for the NCAA to just hire more people to watch the coaches, an increasingly ineffectual tactic.
This post was contributed by longtime NBA scout Clarence Gaines, who spotted the un-recruited talent of Jamal McClerkin while attending an AAU game earlier this week. Special thanks to Clarence for allowing us to reprint his scouting report here.
Any Division 1 or 2 BB coaches have a scholarship available. Saw a special athlete on Monday Night. Jamal McClerkin is a 6’1 185 pound senior who just graduated from Chaminade High School in West Hills, CA. Jamal played a game with Ed Song’s California Select team in the Pangos Summer Tip-Off tournament against Cal Supreme Red’s Team on Tuesday, July 6. California Select lost by 1 and could have easily beaten one of the top ranked travel teams in California. But the result doesn’t matter, it’s the effort of Song’s young team that caught my eye, particularly Jamal McClerkin, who was the best player on the floor on this night. I didn’t say the most skilled; I said the best player. Jamal played the game with a ferocity that you rarely see in a young athlete. He left it on the floor. He played the game with passion, toughness, energy and intensity.
I was sitting by Byron Wesley’s (committed to USC 2011) dad. Byron plays for Cal Supreme and is a very nice player. He plays with poise and I like his shooting ability. USC has a young man who has a chance to have a stellar career at the small forward position. First thing I said to Byron’s dad is that Jamal has a football mentality. He plays with that type of toughness and heart. He fears nobody and is the type of player who can take the heart out of his opponent. Byron’s father loved his athleticism, but was skeptical of his basketball skill. I kept telling him that Jamal is the type of player who wins games for coaches. Extremely PRODUCTIVE player. Superior rebounder for size. Don’t know the stats,but he had to be the leading rebounder on the floor. He was boarding over players 5 to 8 inches taller than him. It was truly a sight to behold. If I’m a college coach, this is the type of kid I can work with and develop. One thing that I don’t have to worry about is his will to win or his work ethic. Byron’s dad questioned Jamal’s shooting ability because the majority of his points came off drives and rebound put backs. Jamal silenced him with a sweet jumper with about 5 minutes left in the game from about 17 feet. Caught in rhythm and hit nothing but net. He leaned over to me and said; I guess he can shoot.
Enough of the narrative. Let’s get to the bottom line. Jamal is a two sport athlete. Played wide receiver in high school. I can’t believe he wasn’t recruited to play football in college. I played college football. I also was a scout for 11 years in the NBA. I know an athlete when I see one. Jamal is a high level division 1 football player. I don’t know what type of wide receiver he was, but I do know a football player when I see one. He could easily play any defensive backfield position. With all the troubles USC is currently experiencing, they should get on the phone and immediately offer this kid a football scholarship.
Let’s talk basketball. Even though I love him as a football prospect, I suspect he loves basketball more than football.
He has a future in the college level in basketball (I think he has pro potential in football).
He should easily draw interest from low to mid major division 1 basketball programs.
Division II programs should be knocking the door down. This kid is planning to go to a junior college in 2010-11 and I can’t believe it.
I think he qualifies academically for a 4 year school. Went to a very good private school. The kid is a stud. A stud.
Here’s my expert basketball opinion. Can see him playing 2/3 spot in college. That’s right a 6’1″ kid who can hold his own at the 3 spot. He plays big, real big for 6’1″. Very explosive athlete. Has all the strength attributes that I look for; explosive strength, reactive strength, and absolute strength (ability to resist external forces). Very reactive jumper. Gets rebounds on second and third effort. Pursuit of the ball is outstanding. Instincts are outstanding. Has a nose for the ball. Traffic rebounder. Rebounds outside of area and can rebound against superior size. Kid can flat out board. Obviously as a 6’1 kid, you want to develop him into a two guard & maybe even a combo guard, but let’s be conservative. At the low and mid major level he can play 2/3 for you and he will find ways to help your team win the game. He’s a great athlete, and I don’t use that term lightly. There are 5 biomotor abilities that you look for in an athlete: strength,endurance, speed, coordination, and flexibility. He’s at the high end of the spectrum in all those categories and has excellent quickness as well. Kid has all the physical attributes and the mentality to be a great defender. Song had him guarding bigger people at times in the post. Picked up his first foul by being overly physical in the post, but he was also sending a message. You’re going to have to go through me or over me, but you’re not going to go around me. Just brings a kick ass toughness to the floor that a coach with a defensive mentality would love.
In evaluating a kid offensively in a travel team setting you have to be cognizant that a lot of help side defense is not going to get implemented. However, this game was intense, especially in the last 10 minutes of the second half. I watched him play against a team that has some very good athletes, as well as some high level division one players. If you don’t trust my opinion, contact Ed Song and you can look at the tape for yourself. Offensively, I love his attack of the rim. His first step quickness. His strength with the ball, His ability to create separation and space off the drive and his ability to finish in traffic. Didn’t see much of a mid range game and only took a few shots from the outside. Suspect he needs to develop his floor game on top of the floor. Shooting release looks OK, Can easily become a better shooter with repetition. Handle is OK – not a lot of wasted dribbles. Plays smart, made good decisions and will share the ball.
Recently, a coaching friend (Steve Finamore), posted this Magic Johnson quote from a book Magic co-wrote with Roy Johnson. I’ve titled the passage “Playing to Win.” On Tuesday, July 6 Jamal McClerkin’s play lived up to Magic’s words:
Playing to Win
“The ingredients to the NBA championship are right there for every player, coach, and team to grab if they can. But it takes time – time, experience, and the will to win.
When I’m playing basketball, I’m playing to win, nothing else. Not to score, to rebound, or to excel in one particular area of the game, but to win. That means I’m a rebounder, a scorer, a passer, even a cheerleader.
It means I’m going to be an example to my teammates of what having a winning attitude is all about.
It means I’ll have a burning desire to be the very best player on the best team.
It means I’ll have an attitude of unselfishness that keeps me craving for more of the rewards of success, more championships for my team, not glory for myself.
It means I won’t ever get jealous of the attention one of my teammates is getting because nobody gets any attention when you lose.” Earvin Magic Johnson
I saw another nice player on Song’s team that I liked. His name is Dillon and his number is 6. I won’t go into details. I was there from 5:30PM to 10:00PM. I saw a lot of ball and a few players that I really liked. But the one I wanted to take the time to write up was Jamal McClerkin, because I just can’t figure out why a football or basketball coach hasn’t offered this kid a scholarship.
Clarence Gaines
If you are a fan of the NBA, you should follow Clarence on Twitter, where he gives expert insight and honest opinion about the game of pro basketball.
Thomas Gibson (PF, 6’7″, 2011), who we recently featured in our ‘7 Questions With…’ feature, shows off his timing with an alley oop dunk at this year’s Pangos tournament on the West Coast:
It’s important to note that timing, especially for rebounding and shot blocking, is one key skill that translates to all levels of basketball.
He’s long and he’s tall. He is Isaiah Austin and just as his height has shot up, so has his recruitment. The seven footer is the tallest player the National Basketball Players Association Top 100 camp in Virginia this week. The 2012 big man is currently ranked in the top fifteen in his class and continues to improve.
Austin, a native of Texas, has basketball routes in his background. The big man’s uncle, Ike, played nine seasons in the NBA. His father played hoops overseas for over fifteen years. Hoops run in the family to put it in perspective.
Despite Austin being extremely skinny for his height, it shows no real effect on his game. He does agree that he must gain weight and muscle. “I need both. I need to gain weight but not lose any of my ability to move.”
At NBPA Top 100 camp, he was absorbing blows from defenders and exhibited excellent body control. “I think I played well,” stated Austin. “My last game was my best, but other than that I did what I had to do on the defensive end.” One writer wrote that the seven foot sophomore was blocking arm pits. Isaiah responded by saying, “That’s really funny!” Whether he blocks shots with arm pits or not, there is no doubt that his defensive game is a strong point of his.
Due to his size and skill, Isaiah’s recruitment is blowing up. Since the June 15th recruitment period started for the class of 2012, Austin is now up to offers from “Arizona, Georgetown, Iowa, Baylor, Houston, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Kentucky.” There might be more out there, however, Isaiah is getting a new phone and will not find out until later if he has more offers. Recruiting is not on his mind now; his abilities are. He does state that he is looking for “any school that will let me play.” He went on to say, “I want a school where I can be a leader both on and off the court.” With no intentions of dealing with his recruiting now, Austin will head to Baylor this week for team camp with his high school.
Isaiah has a lot going for him. He is seven-feet tall. He is great at basketball. One thing is missing in his life though. That is the sport of golf. Austin tried out for the varsity golf team at Grace Prep and was cut from the team after he went one shot over. Oh well! There is always next year. For now, he will stick with basketball.
Eric Gordon once dominated the ranks of high school hoops. Now he is in the NBA but his name lives on in grassroots basketball. Gordon and company assembled a team named after the Los Angeles Clipper and Indiana University standout. One player who stands out on the team is 6-foot-6 small forward Jeremy Hollowell. Hollowell, a part of the class of 2012, plays for the Eric Gordon U16 squad. Not only is he a big time player in the making, but he is extremely versatile, as well.
The forward describes his game by saying, “I can mix it up inside or outside, however my defender plays me.” Holloway went on to say, “I can post up and take people off the dribble.” In order to take his game to the next level, the rising junior says he “needs to work on getting quicker and stronger, as well as becoming more aggressive.” With a very competitive class, Jeremy is already standing out among the many.
Through his outstanding play and loads of potential, Holloway has attracted plenty of colleges’ attention. He already has offers from Ohio State, Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois, Xavier, Cincinnati, Iowa and Indiana State. With coaches being allowed to contact and officially offer sophomores, Jeremy believes that “Michigan, Florida and Louisville” will offer him in the near future. Despite being from Indiana, he insists he is keeping his recruitment open to everyone.
Hollowell has been loyal to all the schools interested in him and has visited most of them. The only ones he has not visited he will visit soon. “I am visiting Michigan next week and Louisville soon,” said Jeremy. But with the wing being so wide open, how will he make a decision on a school? “I’m looking for the style of play, the conference, the coach and how he lets his players play,” said Jeremy. With Hollowell stating that he will “make a decision when the time is right,” look for a decision to come at anytime.
Jeremy Hollowell is far from being a household name just yet. With hard work and effort, along with being humble, look out for Hollowell to become one of the best talents to come out of the state of Indiana in a while.
When Jabari Brown decided to leave national powerhouse Findlay Prep in January of 2010, critics believed it was the wrong decision. Brown, not only rose to the occasion, but jumped in the rankings and took his game to another level.
While the 6-foot-3 shooting guard (Class of 2011) returned to his hometown of Oakland, California, he would enroll at Oakland High School. The junior averaged over 23 points per contest as he helped lead his squad to a winning record. Through that and his jump in the world of AAU helped lift his recruiting to new levels.
Brown, who plays with the Oakland Soldiers, is part of one of the most talented teams in the country. The Soliders consist of players like Findlay Prep’s Nick Johnson and Jesuit’s Kyle Wiltjer, both top 50 players in the class of 2011. While playing in the top tournaments around the country this summer, Brown is attracting coaches’ eyes towards him.
The California golden boy currently has offers from Georgia Tech, Washington, Arizona State, California, Maryland, UNLV, Wake Forest and Next Mexico. Two ACC schools, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech, were the most recent to offer Jabari. Another ACC squad, Maryland, has also become involved.
While the distance on paper from California to the East Coast doesn’t seem like one most players are willing to take, “distance is not a factor” for the sharp-shooter. Maryland appeals to Jabari due to their, “tradition, conference and Head Coach Gary Williams is a great coach.” He likes Georgia Tech because, “they have had so many good guards, their conference, and Head Coach Paul Hewitt.” Wake Forest is also a school he enjoys because of, “the feel that I have gotten from the new coaching staff, along with their style of play.” Despite the departure of Head Coach Dino Gaudio from Wake Forest, his replacement, Jeff Bzdelik of Colorado, has done an excellent job. “I think Coach Bzdelik is a good coach who would put me in the position to flourish from style of play,” said Brown. As of now, Brown has no favorites and is nowhere close to making a decision on where he will commit.
If you break down Jabari Brown’s game, it is simple, yet deadly. Jabari puts it best when he says, “I’m a guard that can score from anywhere on the court, as well as get my teammates involved.” He also said, “I’m a leader who hates losing.” He is simply deadly.
So far, Brown’s spring season of AAU with the Soldiers has gone well. They have been one of the top ranked teams in the country. Scout.com’s Evan Daniels even called them the best AAU team of the spring. Brown will take his talent to Chris Paul camp, Paul Pierce’s Skills Academy and LeBron’s Skills Academy.
Watch out for Jabari Brown this summer as he looks to explode onto the AAU scene even more. He has already been ranked as one of the top 15 players in the country by Scout.com and looks to go higher on the list. Just like his shot, this kid is nothing but net.
Adonis Thomas, a 6’6″ SF from Tennessee is an athletic wing that a lot of schools are interested in, and from this clip you can see that he’s got an explosive game, and he continues to improve his ball handling.
Thomas is a versatile player who is still taking his time in the recruiting process.
James Blackburn covered Day 2 of the Bob Gibbons 2010 TOC and here’s his scouting reports and interviews on several players from the 2010 class.
2010 Class
Chris Brown (F, 6’8″, 180)
TAAG Academy
Tampa, FL
AAU team- Georgia Ballers
Scouting Report
Good shooter- nice stroke, good footwork, can rebound the ball after defending a center, bring the ball up and knock down the 3.
College Interest
Mostly SEC schools, also Texas, Marshall, Miss. St., Marquette
Interview
His said his top choice right now is Marquette because he has family that lives in the area there. He is relatively new to the AAU scene- only 2nd year- but loves the tournaments so far. His assistant coach on the AAU team is the one that got him involved and has helped out a lot as far as his college recruiting goes. This summer before attending prep school- he is going to work on his consistency on his jumper.
Jeff Short (SG, 6’3″, 180)
John F. Kennedy HS
Bronx, NY
AAU team- NY Panthers
Scouting Report
Great Shooter, who can create his own shot. He can also put the ball on the floor and finish with creative moves around basket. Good vision.
College Interest
Fordham, St. Johns
Interview
Plans to go to prep school at either South Kent or Queen City Prep. Wants to stay in NYC for college. He is going to work on getting stronger and his ball handling this summer.
Ryan Rhoomes (C, 6’8″, 220)
Benjamin Cardozo HS
Jamaica
AAU team- NY Panthers
Scouting Report
Very strong/physical player, draws fouls well and hits his FT’s, good defense overall- Leon Powe type.
College Interest
Plans to head to prep school next year- Offers from St. Johns, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Providence. Georgia Tech is also showing interest.
With the top two players of 2011 off of the board, Rakeem Christmas (C, 6’9″, 2011) may be the top rated prospect still uncommitted. Christmas has a current list of five possible schools, including Texas, Florida, Georgetown and Oklahoma. After a recent trip to see Isaiah Thomas, he added Florida International as well.
Christmas is a solid post player with good hands and timing. He can rebound effectively and defend in the paint, has good footwork in the low post. At his size, he can play the center position in college but will need to expand his range to move to the power forward spot in the pros.
