June 19, 2013

Posts Comments

You are here: Home / Archives for Reed Lucas

11th Annual MLK Day North Carolina Scholastic Classic

January 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The Phenom Hoop Report was on hand to cover the 11th Annual MLK Day North Carolina Scholastic Classic at the Greensboro Coliseum. Six games were played and we will recap the team scores along with the top individual performances by the perspective players.

Greenfield 69, Charlotte Christian 62

Greenfield played without 2014 PG Xavier Mills and 6’7 2014 WF Logan McClane, but they were led by the 1-2 scoring punch of 6’5 2014 WG Ashley Williams with 18 points and 2014 SG Jaime Johnson tallied 21 points knocking down seven 3 pointers for the game. 6’3 Clemson signee Patrick Rooks finished with 23 points while 6’4 2014 WG Matthew Fisher-Davis scored 13 points for the losing team. Ashley Williams continues to have a solid all around year and has been instrumental in the team’s overcall success. We have seen Williams countless times in evaluation camps and through AAU basketball and he is the perfect team player. He plays the game the right way and has an outstanding understanding of the game and high basketball IQ. Williams is averaging 15 PPG and 6 RPG and already sports several D1 offers.

Jaime Johnson is a name to remember, as he is a prolific marksman from the 3-point line. He finished with 21 points knocking down seven 3 pointers. Johnson is averaging 14 PPG and is shooting 45% from the 3-point line. Coming into the game, Johnson had connected on 65 3 pointers and added seven to his total against Charlotte Christian.

6’3 senior WG Patrick Rooks should be an instant impact at Clemson next season. Rooks is a scorer’s deluxe and has a beautiful shooting stroke from the perimeter. Rooks is averaging 20 PPG for Charlotte Christian. He has improved on his ball handling and passing skills and should be a perfect fit for Clemson. Matthew Fisher-Davis is a mult-dimensional player and can play both the guard and forward position. He is averaging 17 PPG and has the skill set and fundamentals to be a legitimate D1 prospect.

Oxford Webb 64, Mt. Tabor 63

The Oxford Webb/Mt. Tabor game was clearly the best game of the day. Oxford Webb featured consensus All American and UNC signee 6’8 Isaiah Hicks. Hicks came into the contest with impressive stats and looks to be a lock as a McDonald All American. He averages 20 PPG and 11 RPG. In addition, he is one of the country’s best-shot blockers as he has impeccable timing. He is quick off his feet and will be an important member of the 2013 UNC recruiting haul. Hicks finished with 18 point and 12 rebounds. The backcourt duo of Tyrek Beverly and Stefan Cates played well and finished with 13 and 14 points respectively.

Mt. Tabor was 15-0 coming into the contest and is coached by Andy Muse, who we consider one of the top high school coaches in North Carolina. He has a veteran squad and unfortunately they dug themselves a deep hole by trailing Oxford Webb by 20 points in the first half. That being said, Coach Muse installed confidence in his team and you knew a comeback was eminent. He starts five seniors and every one of the starters averages in double figures. Mt. Tabor was led by 6’3 Matthew Madigan with 16 points while 6’3 Lepreece Lynch tallied 15 points, 6’5 Nate Long with 12 points, 6’4 Deion Robinson with 10 points. 6’7 Tquan Biting only chipped in 6 points, but did an admirable job of the boards and battled hard against Isaiah Hicks. Madigan has signed with Brown University, but the remaining four seniors for Mt. Tabor remain unsigned. We personally like the upside and potential of 6’7 Tyquan Biting and feel like he can be a quality player in the Big South and Southern Conference. Lynch, Long and Robinson should continue to garnish lower tier D1 interest. They are well coached and play the game the right way. All three had good athleticism and proper skills and fundamentals.

High Point Christian 68, Greensboro Page 49

High Point Christian came into the contest with a 15-3 record and the talented group of seniors proved too much for the youthful Greensboro Page Pirates. 6’0 PG Diante Baldwin ( UNC-G signee) led the way with 15 points while 6’6 Jackson Kent (James Madison) and 6’8 Mike Kobani (Appalachian State) scored 12 and 10 points respectively. Greensboro Page was led by 5’11 2016 PG Ty Graves with 17 points knocking down four 3 pointers for the game. Graves is a solid D1 prospect and if he continues to grow and develop will have many high major programs knocking on his door. He has a great feel for the game and played with poise and purpose. He has a beautiful shooting touch and his fundamentals and basketball IQ are advanced for his grade/age. 6’0 2014 Anthony Eaves also played well and finished in double figures with 13 points.

Greensboro Day School 67, Fayetteville Northwood 42

This game was a TKO early in the 1st quarter as GDS roared out of the gates and never let up. Without question, Coach Freddy Johnson is the best high school coach in the state of North Carolina. GDS was led by 6’7 2013 point forward Christian Hairston (Furman) with 18 points and his size/skill/athleticism is advanced and we have a hard time understanding how so many teams in North Carolina missed out on this young man. He was clearly one of the better players at the MLK event on Monday. He can shoot the 3 pointer and has the ability to dribble drive and penetrate, but he is also an outstanding teammate. He is unselfish and knows how to play the game the right way. All I can say is “shame on you schools in NC for letting this young man slip away.” 6’3 Reggie Dillard (Presbyterian) chipped in 15 points and was solid all game. He has a physically mature body and is tremendous on the defensive side of the ball. 6’3 Reed Lucas (West Point) did what he does best. He is an excellent perimeter shooter and is under-valued for what he brings to the team. Lucas is a high basketball IQ and fundamentally sound player. Another player we liked was 6’3 senior Montel Goldston who finished with 8 points. While his offensive stats will not blow you away, but his young man flat gets after it on the defensive end of the court. He has superb athleticism and clearly should be recruited by schools in the Big South or equivalent. Greensboro Day now moves to 26-0 and did not have any leftover effects from their impressive win over High Point Wesleyan.

Many ACC coaches were in attendance to watch 6’10 Sidy Mohamed Djitte of Northwood. He came into the contest with impressive outing of 25 point/rebound games, but one has to question the level of competition. Djitte finished with 13 points, but the majority of points came later in the game when the outcome had already been decided. While high major schools because of his size, length and athleticism will recruit Djitte, he is missing a “go to” move on the interior. He does have a strong upside and potential and should be considered a top 150 recruit nationally.

Christ School 83, Ravenscroft 47

We expected this game to be a little more competitive, but Ravenscroft simply had a bad day at the office. That being said, 6’8 2013 PF Shannon Hale (Alabama) was simply fantastic for the Greenies of Christ School. Hale has improved tremendously since last year and especially from the perimeter. Hale consistently knocked down 15-foot jumpers and will be a valuable member of the Crimson Tide next season. Hale finished with 23 points and showed great maturity on the court. Another player to definitely put in your SIM card is 6’5 2017 D.J. Harvey. Harvey is a physically mature 8th grader that played like a seasoned veteran. He finished with 12 points and could be special if he continued to develop. 6’3 2013 SG Jaylen Allen chipped in 10 points for Greenfield.

Leading the way for Ravenscroft is 6’8 Marcus “Double Double” Bryan. Bryan came into the contest averaging 17 PPG and 15 RPG and is the only player in the school’s history to record a 1000 career points and rebounds. Bryant finished with 18 points and proved he is going to be a priority for many mid major schools. 6’0 2014 PG Chris Corchiani is the team’s second leading scorer with 8.6 PPG and 4.7 APG. He enjoyed a solid game, but unfortunately Ravenscroft was simply outmanned as a team.

High Point Wesleyan 65, Greensboro Dudley 56

Greensboro Dudley led the majority of the game, but the superior size and length of HP Wesleyan was simply too much for the underdogs. That being said, the star of the game was 6’2 Sam Hunt (Jacksonville) Hunt tallied 27 points and was scoring from all areas on the court. He was knocking down jumpers and driving beautifully to the basket with nifty and crafty moves. Clearly, HPW simply had no answers for him. Again, we are left scratching our heads on how this young talented PG was not heavily recruited by schools within the immediate area. I will simply say no more! On the other hand, High Point Wesleyan has a who’s who list of the nation’s top prospects in 6’5 2014 Theo Pinson, 6’0 2014 PG JaQuel Richmond and 6’8 2016 Harry Giles, who may be one of the best players in the state regardless of class. Then you throw in 6’7 man-child Donovan Gilmore and this game should have been a no contest! Leading the way for HPW was Gilmore with 18 points while Theo Pinson chipped in 13 points. JaQuel Richmond and Harry Giles both tallied 11 points each. Gilmore play was impressive and he reminds me of a stronger version of Davidson College 6’8 Brooks. Gilmore is a relentless warrior in the paint and will battle you tooth and nail for rebounds. Much has already been written about Pinson and Richmond who are both ACC targets. That be being said, one of the most gifted freshman players we have seen in a long time is 6’8 Harry Giles. Giles has tremendous length and skill set and sports a size 17 shoe so there is plenty of room for growth. He has advanced ball handling and passing skills and we really believe he could be a Kevin Durant clone by the time he is a senior in high school. Yes, he is that good!

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

Recruiting Round Table Part 1

June 11, 2012 by 1 Comment

In today’s issue, we want to introduce players that are currently “under the radar” and with summer elite camps coming up, you may want to personally invite many of these prospects to summer camp. We have included pertinent information such as their high school and AAU coaches email that will be important in communicating with the appropriate people.

Player: 6’8 Mark Pollack
Class:   2013
City: Charlotte, North Carolina
High School:  Charlotte Catholic
Twitter Name:  @Mpollack33
High School Coach: Mike King
AAU/Club Team:  Team Charlotte
Club Team Coach:  Jeff McInnis
Evaluation: Mark Pollack has been a regular of the NC Phenom 150 Camp and our Fall Drills and Skills Camp. We have written about Pollack on past occasions and it has been fun watching the growth, development and improvement of this young man. Pollack averaged 14.8 PPG as a junior and shot 47% from the 3 point line. He earned a spot on the Mega & All Conference team and for the first time in 15 years, Charlotte Catholic won over 20 games. Pollack is a proficient shooter and has a high release point and a rather quick release. He is an exceptional student and outstanding citizen that dovetails with his overall basketball skill set. He is a legitimate D1 prospect and should find a home in the Southern Conference, Big South or a high academic institution such as the Ivy League. Without question, one of the better perimeter shooters in North Carolina for the 2013 class, plus he has grown to 6’8!

Player: 6’7 Brian J. White
Class: 2013
City: Chesterfield, Virginia
High School: Sports Quest Academy
Twitter Name: @brianwhite32
AAU Team: Team Loaded
Offers:  Appalachian State, UNC-G
Interest:  Florida State, Iowa, Marymount University, Furman, University of Richmond, UVA
Evaluation: Brian White already sports offers from Appalachian State and UNC-G and look for that list to grow. The NC Phenom 150 Alum has developed a mid range game that will make him an important recruit along with his long 6’7 frame. White is a “blue collar” young man with a tremendous work ethic and has been an important member of the “loaded” Team Loaded squad from Virginia. White will attend Sports Quest Academy for his senior season and look for his stock to continue to rise. Be sure to check out the write up from the NC Phenom 150 Camp this past March.

Player: 6’7 Daniel Bridges
Class: 2013
City: Spartanburg, South Carolina
High School: Landrum High School
AAU Team: Upward Stars
Interest: USC- Upstate, Gardner-Webb, WestPoint, Presbyterian, Furman, Anderson, Citadel, Davidson, East Carolina University, Elon, High Point University, Appalachian State
Evaluation: Daniel Bridges is a solid fundamentally sound “combo forward” and has the ability to step and knock down the mid-range jumper. He is garnishing a lot of D1 interest and with added physical strength, Bridges could obtain that cherished D1 offer.

Player: 6’4 Reed Lucas
Class:  2013
City: Greensboro, North Carolina
High School:  Greensboro Day School
Twitter Name:  @Reed_Lucas11
AAU Team:  Team Cobras
Email for AAU coach: TBD
Interest:  Liberty, Elon, Furman, UNC-G, Appalachian State, Bucknell
Evaluation: Reed Lucas plays for Coach Freddie Johnson of tradition rich Greensboro Day School and that alone should be enough for D1 schools to aggressively recruit this young gunslinger. Lucas is a fundamentally sound player with a tremendously high basketball IQ. He is sneaky athletic and will surprise you with his quick first step and leaping ability. More importantly, he is a textbook shooter that can quickly shoot the opposing team out of the ball game. With the growing shortage of quality shooters, Lucas should be a player schools in the Big South and Southern Conference should monitor carefully over the July live period.

Player: 6’5 Ashley Williams
Class: 2013
City: Wilson, North Carolina
High School: Greenfield School
Twitter Name: @ashwill20
AAU Team: SEBL
Interest:  Davidson, Richmond, UNC-W, Coastal Carolina, Western Carolina, East Carolina, Presbyterian, Lafayette, Marist, Fairfield
Evaluation: We have been impressed with the consistent play of the long and athletic WG from Morehead City. He plays much bigger than his 6’5 frame and has a nice arsenal of offensive moves that makes him effective on the perimeter or attacking the basket. We wrote about Ashley from the SEBL and this is what we had to say.

Player: 6’3  Aaron Williams
Class: 2013
City: Wilson, North Carolina
High School: Greenfield School
Twitter Name: @aaronw15
AAU Team:  SEBL
Interest: Davidson, Coastal Carolina, Lafayette,
Evaluation: Aaron is more of a “combo guard” with outstanding skill sets. We like his ability to handle and pass the ball for his size. He plays within the structure of the team and is a “glue guy” that is needed on so many teams. We like the way he plays within himself and has the ability to showcase his strengths while minimizing his weaknesses on the court. He is advanced in his understanding of the game and rarely makes mistakes.

Name:  6’3 Ot Elmore
Class: 2013
City: Charleston, West Virginia
High School: South Charleston High School: Will transfer to FUMA
Twitter Name: @ogeiii
AAU Team: WV Wildcats
Interest:  William & Mary, VMI, Ohio University
Evaluation: Ot Elmore is an outstanding perimeter shooter especially in a “catch and shoot” situation, but is improving in his ability to shoot off the dribble and create his own shot. Elmore has excellent basketball IQ and “under-estimated athleticism.” Unfortunately, too many people view him only as a 6’3 white kid that can only shoot, which is far from the obvious. Elmore is a tough young player that plays with a lot of passion and determination. His skill sets shout D1 and once more schools have a chance to watch him this summer, they too will agree that his sneaky athleticism and shooting ability from the perimeter will garnish him his first D1 offer.

Player: 6’8 Jacob Nabatoff
Class: 2013
City: Charlotte, North Carolina
High School: Charlotte Latin School
Twitter Name: @JacobNabatoff
AAU Team: Charlotte Reign
Evaluation: Jacob Nabatoff is the epidimy of the term student-athlete. Nabatoff has grown tremendously and his skill set is starting to match his size. He is an hard working young man that has improved over the course of his high school career. Currently, a borderline D2/D1 prospect and the July live period will help gauge his appropriate level of collegiate basketball. That being said, a rapidly improving player that hasn’t played organized basketball for a long period of time. He has caught on quickly and what you see currently is far from the finished product.

Player: 6’1 Kevin Weckworth
Class: 2013
High School: Bishop McGuiness Catholic
Twitter Name: @kweck21
AAU Team: NC Spartans Elite
Offers: Belmont Abbey
Interest: Pfeiffer, Radford, will attend Colgate Elite Camp and Columbia Elite Camp
Evaluation: Kevin Weckworth is an academically grounded player that may just find himself playing in the prestigious Ivy League. Naturally, Weckworth is a fundamentally sound player with outstanding basketball IQ and has a great understanding of the game. His ability to run the PG position and his efficient perimeter shooting will make him a priority of a high academic program. He is a low risk player that works equally in the classroom as the basketball court.

Player: 5’9 Hunter Caldwell
Class: 2013
High School: North Lincoln High School
Evaluation:  Hunter Caldwell is a solid young PG that could play at a D2 or NAIA level. He has a blend of athleticism and skills that accompany his understanding of the game. He plays under control and has the ability to run a team efficiently in transition or in the half court.

Player: 6’3  Jeremy Wallace
Class: 2013
High School: Walnut Grove Christian School
AAU Team: EA Prep Stars
Interest: Lafayette University, Jacksonville University, Bridgewater, University of New England, Gardner Webb, College of Charleston
Evaluation: Jeremy Wallace is a strong and athletic WG and is best at attacking the basket. He has excellent length with his 6’3 frame and plays equally hard on the defensive end of the floor as the offensive end. He has a high motor and plays hard. He values the ball and doesn’t mind getting into the chest of the imposing offensive player. He is already gaining a lot of D1 interest and look for his offer list to match his interest list by the end of the summer.

Player: 6’1 Austin Hatfield
Class: 2014
High School: Davie County HS
Twitter Name: @austinhatfield4
AAU Team: Kappa Magic (16u)
Interest: BYU, Stanford, Western Carolina, Elon, Liberty
Evaluation: Austin Hatfield had an outstanding performance at the Inaugural Reebok Showdown and his interest and offer list will only continue to grow this summer. A hard working guard that competes, defends, and plays with an aggressive style of ball that is refreshing today. His twin brother Taylor will team up with the Martin twins at Davie County next season and watch their recruitment gain traction and momentum. They are fun to watch and they know how to play the game the correct way. Here is our observations from the Reebok tournament   Austin averaged 19 PPG for Kappa Magic and no one outplayed/outworked this young man.

Player: 6’1 Taylor Hatfield
Class: 2014
High School: Davie County HS
AAU Team: Kappa Magic (16u)
Interest: BYU, Stanford, Western Carolina, Elon, Liberty
Evaluation: Like this twin brother Austin, a hard-nosed young player that give maximum effort 100% of the time. Knows how to run a team efficiently and effectively and does all the little things/intangibles on the court that enable his team to be successful.

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

NC Phenom 150 Camp Recap, part 5

April 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment

In today’s issue we will take a close look at Part 4 of the NC Phenom 150 Evaluation Camp. Over 30 division I prospects attended this event and wanted to give a thorough and detailed look at the below players.

Player: 5’9 Daryl Myers
Hometown: Fredericksburg, VA
School: Oak Hill Academy
Class: 2015
Evaluation: Daryl Myers is an ultra-quick PG with advanced ball handling skills. He had one of the best attitudes at camp with a personality that was quite infectious. Myers strongest attribute is his ability to penetrate the gap of the defense with his speed and quickness. While Myers was able to dribble penetrate the lane at ease, he was very unselfish in his overall team play. He was always willing to make the extra pass to open teammates. Myers is definitely a young prospect to put in your SIM CARD for continued evaluations.

Player: 6’5 Daniel Kanakanui
Hometown: Greensboro, NC
School: Jamestown Ragsdale
Class: 2014
Evaluation: Daniel Kanakanui is a strong and powerful built young prospect that has a unique blend of power yet finesse. Kanakanui used his strength and power on the interior, but also showcased his finesse and grace by stepping out and consistently knocking down mid-range jumpers. He played extremely hard and ran the passing lanes well and understands how to find the kill spots in the defense. Kanakanui can become a solid D1 prospect with improved ball handling skills. That being said, Kanakanui is an intriguing prospect with good upside and potential.

Player: 6’5 Ashley Williams
Hometown: Morehead City, NC
School: Croaton
Class: 2013
Evaluation: We first watched Ashley Williams at the Inaugural SEBL combine and he followed up with another nice camp performance and he and his twin brother Aaron will be names you will continue to read about more during the spring/summer AAU travel circuit. In the SEBL combine report, we wrote Ashley is “an extremely long 6’5 and plays much bigger than his listed height. He has a soft shooting touch from the 3 point line and is comfortable shooting off the dribble. He is especially effective on the defensive end of the court and can use his length to guard taller defenders and is athletic enough to guard smaller and quicker guards.” Williams has a nice blend of athleticism and high basketball IQ that will make him a solid D1 prospect. He is an explosive jumper and is quick to the basket. Again, Williams showcased the willingness and ability to play tough man to man defense which is not often seen in camp setting.

Player: 6’3 Aaron Williams
Hometown: Morehead City, NC
School: Croaton
Class: 2013
Evaluation: Aaron Williams is one of the more fundamentally sound players in his class for the talent rich state of North Carolina. He has excellent basketball IQ and solid basketball skills. At the SEBL, we stated “Aaron doesn’t demand the ball and plays within the game by allowing the game come to him. His unselfish play was impressive and tries to make his presence known on both ends of the court.” That being said, Aaron’s play at the NC Phenom 150 was almost a carbon copy of his play earlier this month. Aaron is definitely a consistent young player that takes as much pride in his defense as his offense. He is an excellent rebounder for his size/position and anticipates miss shots and passing lanes with uncanny ability.

Player: 6’2 Brian Thornton
Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC
School: Chapel Hill
Class: 2015
Evaluation: We first watched Brian Thornton at the Fall NC Phenom 150 Camp last October and were impressed with his play and upside and not much has changed in our opinion. Thornton is a strong and heady floor general with outstanding fundamentals and high basketball IQ. While many young PG’s concentrate on making the fancy play, Thornton is about making the winning play. His understanding of the PG position is impressive for his age/grade and is as concerned about making his teammates better as he is making himself look better. Thornton is a true PG that has tremendous upside and potential and will definitely be a name D1 coaches will be monitoring over the next 3 years.  

Player: 6’4 Reed Lucas
Hometown: Greensboro, NC
School: Greensboro Day School
Class: 2013
Evaluation: It has been fun watching the improvement and development in Reed Lucas over the past few years. Lucas has been known as a 3 point assassin with his dialed in approach. Lucas can simply shoot the cover off the ball. There’s an old saying about good shooters, “do your work early” and this approach comes easy to Lucas. Lucas is excellent in finding the kill zones in the teeth of the defense and once he gets his feet squared up to the basket, it is an automatic 3 points. In addition, he has improved his ability to come off screens and is effective and efficient. More importantly, Lucas has improved his athleticism and is a “sneaky jumper” has he has developed some surprising hops/bounce to his game. D1 schools that are looking for an excellent shooter with a tremendous work ethic and understanding of the game should look no further than the GDS standout.

Player: 6’4 Nick George
Hometown: South Charleston, WV
School: Charleston Catholic
Class: 2014
Evaluation: Nick George is a strong and rugged SG that combines a high basketball IQ, solid fundamentals and the unique ability to put the ball in the basket. George is a young player that simply knows how to play the game and play the game the right way! He is excellent in coming off ball screens and getting his shot off, but more importantly he only takes good shots. Unlike most shooters, he also sports the mind of a PG by getting his teammates involved with his advanced passing skills. Besides being an outstanding player on the court, George is an excellent student and great teammate and has all the ingredients for garnishing D1 interest from schools in the Big South and Southern Conference.

Player: 6’2 Aaron Peele
Hometown: Statesville, NC
School: Statesville HS
Class: 2015
Evaluation: Aaron Peele is a promising young freshman that already sports good size and strength for the PG position. Peele is athletic and sports good open court speed while pushing the ball in transition. His strongest attribute is his overall athleticism. While he sports the physical intangibles for a potential D1 PG, he has a solid understanding of the game. He does an adequate job of getting to the rim and finishing with consistency, the next step for Peele is to develop a mid-range pull up jumper and floater to his arsenal.  He has a tremendous attitude on the court and his willingness to improve and develop will be the difference in his continued collegiate interest in the next few years.

Player: 5’5 Tripp Greene
Hometown: Wilkesboro, NC
School: Forsyth Country Day
Class: 2018
Evaluation: We rarely mention middle school players in the high school write ups, but Tripp Greene is not your ordinary middle school player. Greene is a young player that is advanced beyond his peers for his grade and talent level. We are talking about a fundamentally sound young player that possesses a high basketball IQ and knows how to play the game the correct way. In several situations, he found himself playing against older and bigger players, but felt completely comfortable and at ease. I guess when you know how to play the game, it doesn’t matter how old/young you are. Greene has advanced ball handling, passing and shooting skills and utilizes a steady diet of offensive skills that made him one of the favorites of all the scouts in attendance. He was able to manipulate and get his shot off against the older players and changes speeds effectively in the open court. While Greene was one of the youngest players in attendance, his play was equal to that of his older counterparts. Simply stated, it is refreshing to watch a young player that has worked hard on his fundamentals and skills sets and use him efficiently in a game setting. I’m sure we will hear a lot more about his young prospect in many years to come.

Player: 5’11 Cameron Kirkman
Hometown: Granite Falls, NC
School: Heritage Christian
Class: 2013
Evaluation: Cameron Kirkman has the fundamentals and skill sets to be an effective player at a D2 or D3 level. He has a great attitude and understanding of the game and is efficient in creating his own shot off the dribble. Without question, one can sense the level of enjoyment he has playing the game. He plays hard and loves to compete and maximizes his abilities to the fullest. His skill sets allow him to be an outstanding high school player and with increased work ethic in terms of athleticism could easily find himself playing for a D2 school.

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

Hoop Hall Classic recap

January 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment


Prior to leaving for the 2012 Spalding Hoop Hall of Fame Classic, Oak Hill returned to school after a ten day lay-off. They played Christian Faith Academy and won easily by the score of 87-57. Jordan Adams led the way with 25 points going 10-21 from the floor (1-4 from the 3 point line) and 4-6 from the free throw line. He also grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double for another solid all around performance. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera tallied 18 points going 6-11 from the floor (3-5 from the 3 point line) and 3-4 from the free throw line. Tyler Lewis pumped in 17 points going 5-11 from the floor (1-3 from the 3 point line) and 6-8 from the free throw line. Lewis also dished out 5 assists and had 3 steals. AJ Hammons also finished with a double-double with 11 points and 15 rebounds. Oak Hill now stood with a 26-0 record and traveled to Springfield, Massachusetts against national powerhouse and the prestigious City of Palms Champions Prestonwood High School of Texas.

Oak Hill jumped on Prestonwood early and never looked back as they recorded an impressive 85-55 win over a really good team. One of the unsung heroes for Oak Hill was 7’0 senior center AJ Hammons. Hammons set the tone early on both ends of the court. While his stat line will not wow you, but it was his enormous frame and girth that created problems for 6’9 Junior All American Julius Randle and 6’9 Kansas signee Zach Peters. Hammons finished with 6 points and 8 rebounds while blocking 4 shots and even dished out 2 assists. More importantly, Hammons altered countless shots for the opposing team and his presence alone in the middle was huge. Leading the way for Oak Hill was Jordan Adams with 23 points. Adams was an efficient 9-14 from the floor (5-7 from the 3 point line) and had 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists. Simply put, this was Adams best game of the season and it came at the opportune time. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera tallied 16 points going 5-17 from the floor (2-9 from the 3 point line) and 4-4 from the free throw line and also dished out 4 assists. Tyler Lewis finished with 15 points going 5-9 from the floor (3-4 from the 3 point line) and 2-2 from the free throw line. Lewis also dished out 10 assists and had 4 rebounds and recorded 4 steals to record an effective and efficient floor game. Charlotte signee 6’6 PF Darion Clark also got into double figures with 10 points going 5-6 from the floor and also collected 6 rebounds.

For Prestonwood, 6’9 PF Julius Randle finished with 23 points going 10-23 from the floor (0-3 from the 3 point line) and went 3-3 from the free throw line. Randle also collected a team high 9 rebounds. Kansas signee Zach Peters tallied 9 points going 3-9 from the floor and 3-5 from the free throw line. Peters also collected 4 rebounds for Prestonwood. Rounding out the bright spots for Prestonwood was 6’8 freshman sensation Mickey Mitchell who some are already touting as the best freshman in the country. Mitchell finished with 9 points going 3-9 from the floor (3-6 from the 3 point line.

For the game, Oak Hill shot the ball extremely well and they went 51% from the floor and an impressive 52% from the 3 point line. They also went 8-8 from the free throw line. On the other hand, Prestonwood shot 38% for the game and only 27% from the 3 point line. That being said, the big difference in the game was the ability of Oak Hill to share the ball as they had 19 assists for the game.

In another marquee matchup on Saturday, Gonzaga (Washington DC) defeated Riverside of New Orleans by the score of 77-65. The star of the game belonged to 6’6 junior Kris Jenkins as he tallied a game high 30 points going 12-16 from the floor (2-4 from the 3 point line) and 4-6 from the free throw line. Jenkins also grabbed 11 rebounds to record an impressive double-double. We went back to the Phenom Hoop Report archives from August 2010 and this is what we had to say about Jenkins two years ago.

August, 2010

Player: 6’6 Kris Jenkins
High School: Gonzaga
Hometown: Upper Marlboro
Class: 2013
Phenom Hoop Report: HM-

Jenkins is a strong and powerful PF that uses his strength extremely well. HE may be one of the best young 6’6 PF that really knows how to use his body and post up on the block. He has really soft hands and does an excellent job of finishing in the paint. In addition to being a strong PF, he has the ability to step out and know down the open 15 foot jumper to be a nice face up 4.

It looks like we were again spot on in our evaluation of Jenkins two summers ago!

6’1 junior PG Nate Britt finished with 16 points going 7-16 from the floor (0-1 from the 3 point line) and 2-2 from the free throw line. Britt dished out 2 assists, but had an enormously high 8 turnovers for the game. For Riverside, it was 6’8 senior PF Ricardo Gathers leading the way with 22 points going 8-21 from the game (0-2 from the 3 point line) and 6-7 from the free throw line. Gathers also grabbed 8 rebounds for the game. Gathers is simply a “man among boys” and his strong physical play always leaves you with a lasting impression of the coveted unsigned senior. Gathers already sports a NBA body and knows how to use his body extremely well in the post area. That being said, we felt Gathers settled for too many midrange jumpers and didn’t attack the basket as in previous tournaments.  In addition, he does have a nice mid range jumper. We were also impressed with the play of senior SG Lucas Martin-Julien who finished with 19 points. Martin-Julien went 8-17 from the floor (2-4 from the 3 point line) and 1-2 from the free throw line. That being said, college coaches should put the following names in their SIM card for future reference. 6’1 freshman PG Tharvon Julien finished with 11 points going 4-7 from the floor (1-1 from the 3 point line) and 2-2 from the free throw line. While he does possess outstanding speed and quickness, the next step in his development is to play more under control and cut down on careless turnovers, which is typical of a young PG. Another name to remember is 6’9 8th grader Khalea Turner who finished with 7 points. This young man has a soft touch around the basket and has huge and soft hands which are a complete luxury for big men.

The game changing stat was the inability of Riverside to take care of the basketball. Riverside committed 19 turnovers and only had 7 assists for the game. On the other hand, Gonzaga had 15 turnovers but had 16 assists for the game.

We will now move to the action on Monday at the 10th Annual MLK Day North Carolina Scholastic Classic and finish with some final thoughts on the 2012 Spalding Hoop Hall Classic.

In one of the day’s most surprising games was between High Point Wesleyan and Greenfield. HPW entered the contest with a 10-3 record and has one of the state’s most talented trios in 6’7 senior SF Montay Brandon (Florida State), 6’5 sophomore WG Theo Pinson, and 6’0 sophomore PG Jaquel Richmond. Greenfield is led by 6’8 senior WF Aaron Roundtree (Wake Forest) and 6’4 senior WF Sam Hughes (UNC-Asheville) who was the difference maker for the game as Greenfield won going away with a 73-64 victory over High Point Wesleyan. Between Brandon, Pinson, Richmond and Roundtree, you have four high major college players, but it was the play of Hughes that made the biggest impression. Hughes finished the game with 22 points while Roundtree had another all around performance with 15 points. In addition, Greenfield got balance scoring as 5’11 senior PG T.J. Hinnant chipped in 14 points while 6’3 junior SG Jordan Sharpe finished with 10 points. Theo Pinson led the way for HPW with 16 points while Montay Brandon chipped in 15 points and Jacquel Richmond finished with 12 points. While Greenfield’s coach Rob Salter is one of the state’s best coaches, he too was surprised with the impressive win over a very talented Wesleyan team. Greenfield who is ranked number 1 in the NCISAA 1-A  led by as many as 17 points in the 3rd quarter over the NCISAA 3-A number 5 team in the 3rd quarter. Greenfield now moves to 16-1 for the season while High Point Wesleyan drops to 10-4.

In the city matchup between private school Greensboro Day and Greensboro Smith, it was Coach Freddy Johnson and the Bengals winning easily over cross town Smith by the score of 61-48. As usual, it was a total team effort on behalf of Greensboro Day and balanced scoring once again was the point of the day for the Bengals. 6’3 senior SG Reed Lucas led the way with 17 points and his stock continues to soar. Lucas has always been an excellent catch and shoot player, but he has added strength and athleticism to his game and is able to put the ball on the floor with authority as he made a nifty baseline cross-over move for a beautiful slam dunk that put the explanation point for his MVP performance. Without question, schools in the Big South and Southern Conference should definitely be recruiting his young man. He has outstanding basketball IQ and has a great feel for the game. 6’7 senior PF Quayshad Williams chipped in 10 points and is quickly regaining his stamina after pre-season injuries. Williams made a big time college low post move where he had a drop step and then went in for a reverse layup that showcased his skill and ability. He is another player area schools in the Big South and Southern Conference should be recruiting. 6’7 junior Christian Hairston finished with 9 points while 5’10 PG Eastern Michigan signee Jalen Ross chipped in 8 points. Hairston is a long and athletic WF that rebounded well and has the ability to put the ball on the floor. Ross is simply the engine of the Bengals well balanced team. He is a heady PG that plays with excellent poise and will be an excellent prospect for Eastern Michigan. Greensboro Smith was led by 6’5 senior WF Adrian Wimbach with 15 points while 6’3 senior WG Tracy Gathings chipped in 14 points.

In the fifth game of the day, it was Oak Hill Academy vs. Greensboro Dudley. Oak Hill was fresh off its impressive win Saturday over Prestonwood and flew home Sunday. Oak Hill players attended class on Monday and then made the 2 ½ hour drive down to the Greensboro Coliseum. Oak Hill won easily by the score of 84-58 and it was another good homecoming for senior PG Tyler Lewis. Lewis finished with 21 points going 7-11 from the floor (2-4 from the 3 point line) and 5-6 from the free throw line. Jordan Adams tallied 16 points going 6-15 from the floor (2-7 from the 3 point line) and 2-2 from the free throw line. AJ Hammons continued his impressive play with 10 points, 8 rebounds and 4 block shots while RJ Curington enjoyed double digit scoring with 10 points going 4-7 from the floor (1-1 from the 3 point line) and 1-3 from the free throw line. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera finished with 9 points going 4-9 from the floor (1-3 from the 3 point line) The top player for Greensboro Dudley is 6’1 junior PG Sam Hunt who is a legitimate division one prospect. Oak Hill now moves to 28-0 for the season and should secure the number one spot in both USA Today and the ESPN high school poll.

In the final game of the day and the most exciting game, it was High Point Christian squeaking out a 59-58 OT win over Quality Education. Leading 52-48 with less than a minute remaining, HPC could have iced the game on several occasions but missed 7-8 free throws that allowed QEA to get back into the game. Coach Brandon Clifford and HPC moves to an impressive 19-0 record for the season while QEA falls to 12-4. Leading the way for HPC was 5’11 junior PG Diante Baldwin with 23 points. Baldwin is a crafty and quick PG that can easily get into the lane. Without question, Baldwin is a solid division I prospect and area schools in the Big South and Southern Conference should continue to monitor and recruit. Baldwin attended the 8th Annual NC Phenom 150 Camp last October and below is our evaluation of him.

Player: 5’11 Diante Baldwin
Hometown: Greensboro, NC
School: High Point Christian
Grade: 11 (Class: 2013)
Evaluation: IQ 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.

Next up for HPC is the ever improving Jackson Kent. The 6’7 junior WF has always been known as a “lights out” shooter, but he has improved his athleticism and especially his lateral quickness. He has also shown the ability to handle the PG responsibilities if need be. Kent also attended the NC Phenom 150 camp last October and here’s what he had to say about him then.

Player: 6’7 Jackson Kent
Hometown: Greensboro, NC
School: High Point Christian
Grade: 11 (Class 2013)
Evaluation: Kent recently transferred to High Point Christian and reclassed to the 2013 class. Kent is another regular at the NC Phenom 150 camp and I’m totally impressed with his improvement over the past year. Basically known as a “dead eye” from the 3 point territory, he has worked hard on his ball handling and passing skills and has really raised his level of play. He even played PG at times at camp. Kent is excellent in transitions and with improved strength and quickness, he is more comfortable attacking the basket and finishing well. He has always been a fundamentally sound player with a high basketball IQ and is a legit D1 prospect.

That being said, Kent continued improvement will garnish interest from mid majors and even some high majors. Currently, Kent has the overall skills and ability to score and the next step in his development is to gain strength. If he continues to improve as much in the next two years as he has in the past year, don’t be surprised to see him playing at a high level. Kent finished with 16 points. 6’11 junior center Chuck Ogbodo played with a severe ankle sprain and gave 100% effort, but it was evident he was having trouble playing on it. He had little to no elevation but one has to give the young man tons of credit for playing with heart and passion. Below is our evaluation from our NC Phenom 150 Camp on Ogbodo.

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.

 

Leading the way for Quality Education was 6’4 senior combo guard Tevin Findlay. Findlay tallied 13 points while 6’7 senior PF Dominique Williams tallied 11 points. QEA has tons of talent and 6’9 Freshman Ibrahima Diallo is a promising young prospect that high majors should be all over.

Final thoughts from the 2012 Spalding Hoop Hall Classic

All Tourney Players: 

National: Shabazz Muhammad, Bishop Gorman

2012 Hoophall Classic All-Tournament First Team
Shabazz Muhammad, Bishop Gorman
Nerlens Noel, Tilton
Tyler Lewis, Oak Hill
Aaron Thomas, Brewster
Kyle Anderson, St. Anthony

2012 Hoophall Classic All-Tournament Second Team
Dominic Artis, Findlay
Kris Jenkins, Gonzaga
Katin Reinhardt, Mater Dei
Grant Jerrett, LaVerne Lutheran
Jabari Parker, Chicago Simeon

While we were not physically able to watch the Sunday and Monday games in person of the 2012  Spalding Hoop Hall Classic, we were fortunate to tape and watch the games shown on ESPN. After watching Shabazz Muhammad countless times this past summer, there is no question that he is the number one player in the 2012 class and there is no close second. In addition, we simply don’t buy the fact that many scouting experts are touting junior Jabari Parker as the best player in the country regardless of class. I will agree Parker may be the most complete all around player and his overall skill package at 6’8 is second to none. That being said, the Phenom Hoop Report went against “conventional wisdom” and selected 6’11 Nerlens Noel as the number one player in the 2013 class and here are the reason why. First of all, Noel may be the best defensive player at the high school level since a Patrick Ewing or Alonzo Mourning and his ability to change the outcome of the game is unequal without scoring a single point! That being said, his defensive and shot blocking ability is far ahead of his offensive skill set, however after watching his development and improvement on the offensive end of the court against Brewster, we are confidence that Noel may even become the number one pick in the draft by the time he enters his name for the NBA. Below is our evaluation from this past August after watching him at the NBA Players Camp.

August 2011 Report

Player: 6’11 Nerlens Noel
High School: Tilton School
Hometown: Tilton, MA
Class: 2013
Committed: Undecided

Phenom Hoop Report: What is there not to like about this young man!  Noel is an extremely long and athletic shot blocking machine and is one of the few players in the country that can impact a game without scoring a single point. His length, timing, and quick bounce off the floor are a recipe for many balls ending up in the first and second row of spectators. On the offensive end of the floor, he didn’t get many touches but that had little to no effect on his ability to play hard and with a passion and purpose. While Noel only averaged 7.4 PPG, he put together two strong performances in the semi final game and also in the championship game. (18 & 15 points respectively) His team lost by one point and if his team had won, one could make a strong argument that he could have been named the tournament MVP. The majority of his points came off missed shots and running the floor in transition, but in a few games we noticed him taking a jump hook shot as his main offensive weapon. Without question, Noel has no equal on the defensive end of the floor and reminds me of a younger and lankier Alonzo Mourning.

In the next couple of days, we will be updating our 2012 national rankings!

 

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