June 20, 2013

Posts Comments

You are here: Home / Archives for Andrew Rowsey

Team Loaded 17U wins Fab 48

July 31, 2012 by Leave a Comment

We were able to watch Team Loaded 17U team at great length during the early July “live period” and came away impressed with the potential of Coach Blackwell’s team.

During the Big Shots II tournament, we wrote the following:

“Team Loaded 17U coached by Mike Blackwell used a ten man rotation throughout the tournament and won the Big Shots II Championship easily over Seattle Rotary by the score of 70-42. Along the way, Team Loaded cruised past two EYBL teams in the Georgia Stars and All Ohio Red. Coach Blackwell has ten D1 players on his roster. 6’0 PG Jay Daniels is committed to Howard University, 6’3 PG/SG Troy Caupain is committed to the University of Cincinnati and 6’3 SG Patrick Rooks is committed to Clemson of the ACC. 6’6 WF RJ Curington and 6’0 Frank Mason are receiving high major interest while 6’6 WF/PF Brian White has offers from Big South and Southern Conference schools. 6’0 PG/SG Andrew Rowsey has offers from VMI, UNC-Greensboro and Mount St. Mary while 6’6 Jackson Kent has the majority of Big South and Southern Conference schools on his offer list as does 6’8 Jerome Simmons and 6’11 Chuck Ogbogo. One of the toughest things for a coach is juggling playing time with ten legit D1 players and keeping them all happy. That being said, Coach Blackwell deserves special credit for his rotations and keeping guys fresh throughout the tournament. While many teams were wearing down due to lack of depth, Team Loaded got stronger deeper into the tournament. On championship Sunday, Team Loaded breezed through the competition and saved their best for last in the championship game. Team Loaded crushed and I mean crushed a very good Seattle Rotary team by the score of 70-42 and it was the total overall depth and balance that was the key”! 

During the month of the July, Team Loaded went an impressive 19-3 record and the ten player rotation of Division One players were the key in their success. As we eluded to in the Big Shots II tournament, Coach Mike Blackwell deserved special credit for carefully manipulating a lineup of talented young players. One of the more difficult jobs as a coach at any level is to balance the egos of players and parents during the most important evaluation period of the summer. That being said, we have had advocated a philosophy of “Team work makes the dream work” and if a team is successful, then the players will be successful and this statement couldn’t be more truthful of Team Loaded 17U team. Just recently, 6’0 PG Frank Mason picked up an offer by Kansas. Again, we were ahead of the bell curve with our recent article where we commented that Mason would be recruited by HM schools.

At the Fab 48 tournament in Las Vegas, it was the depth and overall talent that proved to be the keys in the impressive run by Team Loaded. On opening night, Team Loaded was playing without Frank Mason and the team dropped a hard fought OT game to Play Hard Play Smart. In speaking with Coach Blackwell, he stated “the top performers were 5’11 shooting PG Andrew Rowsey (be sure to check out our article from February 13th, 2012) with 22 points, 6’6 Brian White 18 points, 6’3 Clemson verbal Patrick “Microwave” Rooks 15 points, while 6’11 Chuck Ogobado and 6’5 RJ Curington both with 9 points each.”

Game two at the Fab 48was a little easier for Team Loaded as they cruised to an 64-47 win over the Kansas City 76ers. It was another well balanced attack as four players were in double figures. Leading the way was RJ Curington with 16 points, Brian White 13 points, Andrew Roswey and Cincinnati verbal Troy Caupain with 10 points each. However, game three proved to be another tough test for the well balanced Team Loaded as they squeaked by an excellent Wisconsin Swing team by the score of 87-85. Again, four players were in double figures but it was the outstanding play of PG Frank Mason with 28 points that received game high honors. RJ Curington 13 points, Andrew Rowsey 12 points, and Patrick Rooks 11 points balanced out the scoring attack.

After winning a tough Super Pool at Fab48, the competition in the championship bracket was equally tough and demanding. Team Loaded opened up against Magic Red (CA) and pulled out another exciting win by the score of 76-74. Frank Mason led the way with 17 points while Patrick Rooks and Brian White chipped in 16 and 14 points respectively. Next up, Team Loaded played a very talented Team Breakdown (FL) and came out victorious by the score of 66-59. It was the trio of Frank Mason 18 points, Patrick Rooks 16 points, and Brian White 12 points that led the way. Just like the formula used at Big Shots II tournament in Myrtle Beach, SC, Coach Mike Blackwell talented group of ten division one players were getting stronger as the tournament forged deeper into championship play. Next up was New Rens (NY) and after a nip and tuck battle, Team Loaded pulled away in the final minute for a 65-58 victory. Brian White was the game’s leading scorer with 19 points while Frank Mason chipped in 18 points and Andrew Rowsey with 10 points. Team Loaded then advanced to the Final Four to play against another excellent UA team in Net Gain Sports of Minnesota. Team Loaded won on a tip in at the buzzer for the thrilling 65-64 win. More importantly, Team Loaded trailed by 11 points with over 2 minutes in the game to pull out the come from behind win. Brian White again was the game’s leading scorer with 18 points while Andrew Rowsey and Frank Mason chipped in 12 points each. In the championship game, Team Loaded depth again proved to be the winning formula as they won by the score of 62-52 over the Arkansas Hawks. Andrew Rowsey and Troy Caupain with 13 points.

The success of Team Loaded during the July “live period” helped pave the way for more offers for all ten players on the roster. While Patrick Rooks (Clemson),  Troy Caupain (Cincinnati), and Jay Daniels (Howard University) are already committed, it is no secret that the seven uncommitted players enhanced their stock/status with division one schools. That being said, the guys that took their game to another level were Frank Mason (Kansas offer) and Brian White, Andrew Rowsey and RJ Curington. Look for White, Rowsey and Curington recruitment pick up immensely in the upcoming months and the beauty of it all is “Team work makes the dream work.”

Filed Under: Phenom Reports Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Andrew Rowsey “On the Rise”

February 13, 2012 by 1 Comment

There’s an old saying, “if your 6’6 or taller, you have to prove you can’t play, but if your under 6’0 you have to prove you can play” and 5’11 Junior PG Andrew Rowsey of Rockbridge High School in Lexington, VA has proved time and time again that he can play and play he can! Not enough emphasis in recruiting is placed on winning. Do you win and make your team better relative to the overall talent level? Under achievers usually stay that way at the next level, the same can be said for those that maximize their talent to make their team better. Winning guys don’t change and Andrew Rowsey is a flat out winner. I remember a quote from a good friend and college coach, “would you rather coach this kid every game or coach against this kid twice a year.” In Rowsey’s case, he is a kid I would love to coach every game.

This season Andrew Rowsey is having an outstanding junior year. He is averaging 28.9 PPG and 4.0 APG. He is shooting 53.5% from the floor going 213-398 and is shooting an impressive 44.1% from the 3 point line going 78-177. In addition, he is shooting 88% from the free throw line going 103-117 throughout 22 games. Rockbridge is currently 20-2 for the season.  That being said, it was the game on Saturday, February 4th at the Roy Stanley Memorial Shootout in Salem, Virginia that will go down as one of his truly best performances. In the 89-56 win over Salem High School, the 5’11 Junior PG put on a scoring exhibition. Rowsey put up 47 points going 14-24 from the floor for 58.3%. He went 6-7 from within the 3 point line and 8-17 beyond the 3 point line. Rowsey also went a perfect 11-11 from the free throw line. Rowsey collected 8 rebounds and dished out 6 assists while committing only two turnovers. As they would generally said, “a pretty good day at the office,” but without question this was a signature performance for the talented shooting PG. Besides being an outstanding basketball player, Rowsey is equally impressive in the classroom. Currently, Rowsey sports a 3.2 GPA and has already made over 1100 on his first attempt on the SAT. Does the term “student athlete” apply here? More importantly, Rowsey is also an outstanding young man on and off the court and his work ethic and desire to improve and get better is unequal.

Rowsey is the ultimate gym rat and since he lives miles from the VMI campus, a lot of days and nights are spent working on his game and playing pickup basketball with the VMI players during the off season. Offensively, Rowsey is a scoring machine and has a vast arsenal in his offensive repertoire. Generally regarded as one of the country’s top shooting guards for many years in AAU, Rowsey continues to refine and define his game. He has excellent shooting mechanics and technique on his patented outside jumper. Rowsey has tremendous range once he steps past the half court line and with his deadly accuracy you have to play him tightly beyond the 3 point line. If not, he will pull up and knock down a shot without blinking an eye. While his shot is a thing of beauty with excellent form, technique, extension and follow through, he also possesses a quick release that enables him to get it off over taller and more athletic defenders. In addition to being a marksman on the perimeter with this shooting ability, Rowsey is a magician with the ball has he displays a steady diet of advanced ball handling moves that enables him to dribble penetrate and get into the lane with ease where he can finish well in traffic or dish out to open teammates. Without question, he puts a lot of pressure on opposing team’s defense.

On the defensive side of the ball, Rowsey will not back down from a challenge and will get up in the chest of the opposing offensive player. He has surprisingly good lateral quickness and is a true competitor. He has a genuine love for the game and it is his swagger and confidence that will gain your attention right away. Some players simply have the “it factor” and Rowsey has plenty of “it.” Even before he steps onto the court, he has a certain “walk” that illuminates “I’m a player!” This summer, Rowsey will re-unite with Team Loaded AAU out of Petersburg, Virginia where he will resume the point guard position on the national power house AAU program. While he is looked upon to score on the high school level, Rowsey will have the opportunity and platform to showcase his overall PG skills for Team Loaded. His confidence, swagger, and overall skill set will be on display and he will prove to everyone that this 5’11 PG can flat out play. One more thing, Team Loaded will also enjoy coaching this young man every game while he will become a thorn into the opponent’s side. By early spring, look for Rowsey to be a top 100 player nationally in the 2013 class and by summer’s end, there is no question or doubt Rowsey will be a legit top 75 player nationally. Just remember back in November of 2009, we were touting the same story about 6’9 Adjehi Baru and only last spring we were touting 6’6 WF Andrew White as being a top 50 prospect nationally. While the Phenom Hoop Report doesn’t possess a crystal ball, but one thing is for certain we will be ahead of the bell curve once again with Andrew Rowsey. Rowsey will have the rare ability to be one of the best shooters, ball handlers and passers for his position in the 2013 class.  Come August of 2012; just remember “We told you so!”

Below are previous articles on Andrew Rowsey

October 26th, 2011 Issue

Player: 5’11 Andrew Rowsey
Hometown: Lexington, VA
School: Rockbridge
Grade: 11 (Class: 2013)
Evaluation: Andrew Rowsey enjoyed an absolutely stellar performance at the NC Phenom 150 Camp. Last year, Rowsey was nationally known as an undersized shooting guard, but within the past year has worked extremely hard to become a true PG. With his performance, we can honestly say “Mission Accomplished.” Rowsey has a swagger and confidence factor that is unequalled by his peers. Once he stepped onto the court, he demanded the ball and quickly took complete command of the game. He was excellent in dribble penetration and kicking out to open teammates and definitely made his teammates better. Throughout the day, he was constantly knocking down jumpers and made an equal impression on the defensive end of the floor. He accepted all challenges and was one of the favorites by all the scouting services in attendance. He came into the camp looking to “prove his value,” and he did exactly that. We believe he is on the verge of being a top 100 player and schools in the MM+ should definitely be recruiting this young man.

October 10, 2010

Evaluation: While Rowsey is another favorite of mine, he plays the game with a “cockiness, swagger, and confidence.” He has a beautiful shooting touch is can be a “lights out shooter.” Right now, he is a scoring PG and down the road must transition into more of a pass first PG to further advance his level of play. That being said, he is extremely fun to watch and doesn’t back down from a challenge.

April 12, 2010

Evaluation: Rowsey is a “swagger” player that is highly skilled in ball handling and has a nice shooting stroke. He has the ability to get to the basket using his patented “inside out one handed cross over” move, but also displayed a nasty step back jumper this weekend.  He has the ability to be a mid major prospect that could go higher if he continues to grow and develop.

 

Filed Under: Phenom Reports Tagged With: ,

8th Annual North Carolina Phenom 150 Evaluation Camp: Part 1

October 26, 2011 by 1 Comment

The 8th Annual North Carolina Phenom 150 Basketball Evaluation Camp took place Saturday, October 15th, 2011 at the Gateway YWCA in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Each year, we uncover some of the top young prospects in the region. This year was no exception as 216 players participated in this regional event.

Player: 5’11 Andrew Rowsey
Hometown: Lexington, VA
School: Rockbridge
Grade: 11 (Class: 2013)
Evaluation: Andrew Rowsey enjoyed an absolutely stellar performance at the NC Phenom 150 Camp. Last year, Rowsey was nationally known as an undersized shooting guard, but within the past year has worked extremely hard to become a true PG. With his performance, we can honestly say “Mission Accomplished.” Rowsey has a swagger and confidence factor that is unequalled by his peers. Once he stepped onto the court, he demanded the ball and quickly took complete command of the game. He was excellent in dribble penetration and kicking out to open teammates and definitely made his teammates better. Throughout the day, he was constantly knocking down jumpers and made an equal impression on the defensive end of the floor. He accepted all challenges and was one of the favorites by all the scouting services in attendance. He came into the camp looking to “prove his value,” and he did exactly that. We believe he is on the verge of being a top 100 player and schools in the MM+ should definitely be recruiting this young man. 

Player: 6’6 Caleb & Cody Martin
Hometown: Mocksville, NC
School: Davie County
Grade: 10 (Class: 2014)
Evaluation: Caleb and his twin brother Cody came into the camp as two of the hottest prospects in the country for the class of 2014. Both of them already have several ACC offers and the talented wing duo have a complete fluidness and smoothness to their game. They are highly skilled wings that do a little bit of everything well. They have good size, athleticism, but it is their overall skill set that separates them from their peers. They are fundamentally sound and have a high basketball IQ. Both of them have outstanding ball handling skills and have a soft shooting touch from the 3 point line. They also have excellent court vision and they thrive in the open court. They are team players and are extremely unselfish. Both are multi-dimensional players and are without question HM+ prospects.

Player: 6’3 Patrick “Microwave” Rooks
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
School: Charlotte, NC
Grade: 11 (Class: 2013)
Evaluation: Coming into the camp, Rooks was nationally known as one of the top shooting guard in his class. Rooks has already verbally committed to Clemson of the ACC and it looks like they have a player with is still improving and putting his finishing touch on his high school resume. His jump shot is simply “textbook.” He has excellent fundamentals, elevation, lift, extension and follow- through. He has tremendous range and he has worked hard in the off season on his ball handling and passing. He elevated his game at camp and has become a better all around player. He will no longer be known as just another shooter.

Player: 6’6 Andrew White
Hometown: Chester, VA
School: The Miller School
Grade: 12 (Class: 2012)
Evaluation: Andrew White is a consensus top 75 player nationally and much has been written and reported on his improvement over the spring and summer. He currently has offers than a kid has on Halloween. He is entertaining offers from Kansas, Texas, Louisville, NC State and others. The talented WG already sports a college ready frame and a silky smooth jump shot. He has a beautiful release on his jumper and has outstanding range. That being said, he made an unofficial visit to NC State earlier in the day and drove to Winston-Salem to participate in his 4th NC Phenom 150 Camp. While his performance was solid, it was not the usual performance we were accustomed to seeing during the summer.

Player: 6’9 Kovacevic Dusan
Hometown: Rabun Gap, GA
School: Rabun Gap
Grade: 9 (Class: 2015)
Evaluation: As always, our camp provides an opportunity for relative unknown players to make a name for him. Not only was Dusan a virtual unknown and would be our “surprise player,” most of the scouting services in attendance and many thought he may have been the best overall prospect. We are talking about a 6’9 PF that has the mobility and versatility to his game. He can step out and knock down the 3 pointer or make plays off the dribble. Like most European players, he has exceptional ball handling and passing skills for his size and position. While he may not be the most athletic guy on the court, he played with a passion and purpose that quickly made him a favorite.  Without question, MM+ and even HM- schools should definitely monitor his progress.

Player: 6’11 Chuck Ogbodo
Hometown: High Point, NC
School: High Point Christian
Grade: 11 (Class: 2013)
Evaluation: Ogbodo is a very long and athletic center that is starting to garnish interest from ACC schools. He is a quick leaper and is excellent in transition. He has a tremendous wing span and is definitely a defensive presence in the paint. He alters and blocks a lot of shots due to this length and timing. Like many athletic big men, he is more advanced on the defensive end of the floor, but is making huge strides in his overall offensive development. If he continues to improve his overall game in the next year as he has in the past year, he will definitely be a major target of HM schools. When you are 6’11 young, energetic, athletic and have the length, quickness and bounce, high majors will quickly take notice. The next step for his development is play hard consistently on both ends of the court.

Player: 6’8 Tyrek Coger
Hometown: Raleigh, NC
School: Upper Room Academy
Grade: 11 (Class: 2013)
Evaluation: Coger will have to overcome the “on again, off again, on again and off again” recruitment to the University of Missouri. Without question, he benefited greatly by playing on the same team as Andrew Rowsey and Coger enjoyed the passer friendly PG from Lexington, VA. In his first game of camp, Coger went 8-9 from the floor and actually ran the floor really well. He looked more agile than this past spring and summer, and he looked like he had something to prove and if his performance at camp can translate into the same during the high school season, he should be a major target of MM+ schools. He has soft hands and rebounded well and an excellent job of keeping the ball high on offensive put backs. In addition, Coger scored off dribble drives from the high post area to show off his versatility.

Player: 6’0 Jaylan Robertson
Hometown: Clayton, NC
School: Word of God
Grade: 10 (Class: 2014)
Evaluation: Robertson recently transferred to Word of God in Raleigh. He is a superb athletic PG that can flat out score. He has exceptional quickness and speed and one of his crowd pleasing transition dunks through traffic was the highlight of the day. The bouncy guard has all the physical intangibles and the next step in his development is knowing how to run a team effectively and efficiently. Currently, he is a score first PG who is oozing with confidence, but also needs to harness his confidence into better court awareness and higher basketball IQ. That being said, he is on track to be a MM+ prospect at worst case scenario.

Player: 6’5 Gejuan Long
Hometown: Winston-Salem, NC
School: Mt. Tabor
Grade: 11 (Class: 2013)
Evaluation: Without question, Long was the surprise player on the camp. Simply put, Long introduced him to the scouts and spectators in attendance with a dribble drive baseline move for a power dunk that sent the gym into frenzy. More importantly, he has a high motor and his overall intensity on both ends of the court was contagious. He is long, lanky and athletic wing that attacks the basket with vengeance at every opportunity. His full throttle approach to the game and his lock down pressure defense was refreshing to see. He definitely made a name for himself this past weekend with his freakish athleticism. He has good handles and is excellent in transition. The next step in his development is to play under control and develop a consistent outside jump shot. That being said, MM schools should carefully monitor his progress with Coach Mike Muse of Mt. Tabor. 

Player: 5’11 Diante Baldwin
Hometown: Greensboro, NC
School: High Point Christian
Grade: 11 (Class: 2013)
Evaluation: Baldwin recently “reclassed” to the 2013 class with his transfer to High Point Christian and he is another name MM schools will want to monitor. Baldwin has “sneaky” athleticism and has exceptional ball handling and passing skills. He sees the floor really well. Baldwin does have good strength and athleticism and even had a few nice dunks in transition. Overall, Baldwin is a very active PG that has good fundamentals and basketball IQ.

Player: 5’10 Jonathan Williams
Hometown: Chester, VA
School: St. Patrick HS (NJ)
Grade: 10 (Class: 2014)
Evaluation: Go ahead and put this young man in your memory bank!  Williams will be suited up for Team Loaded next season and is currently enrolled for national powerhouse St. Patrick of New Jersey. Williams has a unique blend of athleticism and high basketball IQ. Without question, Williams is a true PG from the word “go.” We are talking about a strong and fast PG that can push the ball up the court in transition, but make excellent decisions with his court awareness and high basketball IQ. In addition to having many physical intangibles, he is truly gifted as a great teammate. He celebrated teammates for making good plays and also gave him high fives whenever he checked in or out of the game.  He is extremely unselfish and the next step for Williams is to develop a consistent long range jumper. He looks physically mature so I’m guessing he will be a sub 6 foot PG, but this young man has the “it factor.” He has all the skill sets to be an excellent floor general and a candidate for MM+/HM- schools. He is that good!

Filed Under: Phenom Reports Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,