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Oak Hill Early Season Review

November 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Coach Steve Smith and his 2012-13 Oak Hill Academy Warriors are primed for another run at the mythical national championship. Coach Smith has eight national championship banners hanging up in storied Turner Gymnasium (1993, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2012). Only once has Oak Hill repeated as back-to-back national champions and many are asking if the current team can help accomplish this tremendous feat.

After an early pre-season exhibition game against a strong and powerful Massanutten Military Academy team where the Warriors had to rally for a last second three pointer by RJ Curington to tie the game. Since then, the Warriors have rolled to an impressive early season 5-0 record by outscoring their opponents by the score of 79.4 to 53.8 which is a differential of 25.6 points. While this year’s team doesn’t produce the overall firepower from the perimeter, this year’s team looks to have more athleticism. In addition, this year’s team has really good balance led by the 1-2 scoring punch of Troy Williams and RJ Curington.

Below is a write up from the top players through top 5 games

6’6 2013 WF/PF Troy Williams (Indiana): The new setting at Mouth of Wilson is exactly what the doctor ordered for Troy Williams. After having an up and down summer,  Williams has flourished in Coach Steve Smith’s system. He seems more relaxed and comfortable with his high school teammates compared to his AAU teammates. That being said, look for Williams stock continue to rise to pre-AAU season rankings. Simply put, he has been spectacular early on for Oak Hill. Williams is the leading the team in scoring with 18.8PPG while averaging 23 minutes per game. He is shooting 52% (34-66) from the floor and 84% (21-25) from the free throw line, and the only negative can be his 3-point shooting each is 26% (5-19). He is the team’s third leading rebounder averaging 5.4 RPG, but leads the team in the +/- category. Williams has been excellent in transition, especially with grabbing the defensive rebound and leading the fast break. He is under-rated as a ball handler and as a passer. He is widely known for his explosive athleticism and leaping ability, but the acrobatic Williams is developing and fine tuning his all around game.

6’5 2013 WG RJ Curington (Uncommitted): Curington is one top players in his class that is still uncommitted. We appropriately nicknamed Curington last year for his ability to come off the bench and bring instant energy and points for the Warriors. Since season, Curington is the team’s second leading scorer with 16.4PPG while averaging 19.4 minutes per game. He is shooting 52.6% (30-57) from the floor and 91.7% (11-12) from the free throw line while shooting 39.3% (11-28) from the 3-point line. He is second on the team with the +/- category and will battle Williams for the team’s leading scorer throughout the year. Last year, Curington was the team’s leading 3-point shooter (percentage wise) and he went up against some strong competition in Jordan Adams and D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera. As we stated in previous articles, Curington’s full throttle approach is exlempfied by his 100% effort/hustle 100% of the time.

6’5 2013 WG Sindarious Thornwell (South Carolina): Thornwell’s game has been a model of consistency throughout his AAU and high school career and nothing has really changed since he stepped upon the court at Oak Hill. He is averaging 12.8 PPG while averaging 21.8 minutes per game. He is shooting 52% (19-37) from the floor and 74.2% (23-31) from the free throw line. 27% (3-11) from the 3-point line. He is third currently in the +/- category for the team and takes a balanced approach to the game. In the two games we watched, we were impressed with his defensive tenacity. He is a strong WG that competes and does all the little things that often goes unnoticed, but few players in his class has the strength, athleticism and quickness for his size/position.

6’8 2014 PF Rokas Gustys (Uncommitted): Just a junior, Gustys has a chance to make a dramatic move into the 2014 rankings. He may not be an “above the rim” player, but his footwork in the post is advanced. He has soft hands and his ability to make plays is impressive. He is averaging 8.4 PPG while averaging 16.6 minutes per game. He is shooting 45.9% (17-37) from the floor and 61.5% (8-13) from the free throw line. More importantly, he leads the team in rebounding with 8.4 RPG. He is leading the team in steals and his fourth in the +/- category for the team. While many pundits have Gustys pegged as a solid mid major prospect, Coach Smith thinks he has the potential to be recruited by high major schools. (And I tend to agree with that assessment) He has a big frame and simply knows how to rebound and those are intangibles you simply can’t teach.

6’1 2013 PG Nate Britt (North Carolina): While Britt may not have the numbers that jump out at you; one can’t begin to stress his important to the team. Britt is averaging 8.6 PPG while averaging 24.8 minutes per game. (He leads the team in minutes played) He is shooting 43.2% (16-37) from the floor and 46.2% (6-13) from the free throw line while shooting 38.5% (5-13) from the 3-point line. He leads the team in assists with 5.4 APG. While Britt is having off numbers in shooting early on, his shooting fundamentals and technique are solid. The only exception is when he has a tendency to “fall away” on his jumper. That being said, Britt is the team general and facilitator. There is no question Britt will bounce back with more efficient shooting numbers as the season progresses.

6’8 2013 Lennard Freeman (Undecided): Freeman physically mature “college ready” frame is impressive. The active and strong rebounder often sets the tone on the interior for Oak Hill. He plays hard and has good anticipation for missed shots. As we stated previously, Freeman strength and athleticism is further ahead of his skill set, but he will continue to garnish interest from mid to high major schools. Currently, Freeman is averaging 4.0 PPG and averaging 18 minutes per game. He is shooting 50% (9-18) from the floor and 40% (2-5) from the free throw line. He is the team’s second leading rebounder with 6.1 RPG. While his numbers may not jump out at you immediately, he is a true warrior on the interior and his work ethic is appealing.

6’2 2013 Ike Iroegbu (Washington State) The physically gifted athletic guard has as much bounce as any player in the country. His end-to-end speed is impressive and his ability to get to the rack seems effortless. The next step for Iroegbu is to finish on a more consistent basis. He has made progress in his decision-making but he is learning to become a much more consistent player. Once his production matches his potential, watch out! More importantly, he has a great attitude and work ethic and strides to improve and get better, and there is no question that he will believe to put it all together.

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Oak Hill Academy vs. Princeton Day Academy

October 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Last season, Coach Steve Smith and his Oak Hill Academy Warriors captured its eighth mythical national championship (1993, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2012) Twice in Coach Steve Smith’s tenure, Oak Hill won back to back national championships and this year’s team is primed and ready for just that. While the rosters change year to year, one thing is for certain and that is the expectations and effort from the school located in Mouth of Wilson doesn’t! Last season, Coach Steve Smith recorded the most wins in school history going a perfect 44-0 and was named the Naismith Coach of the Year for the 2011-12 season making it the second time he has received this prestigious honor and the only coach to win the award twice. And like any great coach, a quality staff of assistant coaches such as Coach Bryan Meagher, Coach Wilbur Allen and Coach Taylor Conn, surround him. Coach Meagher is in his tenth year as an assistant coach while Coach Allen and Coach Conn are in their fifth season with the Warriors. More importantly, Coach Allen is a 2001 Oak Hill graduate and was a member of the Oak Hill national runner-up team in 2000 as well as the National Championship team in 2001.

This year’s team is like every team at Oak Hill. It is a changing roster from year to year and it is filled with many of the top high profile players across the country. That being said, many would think it is easy coaching a bunch of high profile players, but Coach Steve Smith has repeatedly stated, ” talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” and it looks like the 2012-13 version of Oak Hill is prepared to do just that. Last year, the theme was “Win as one” and after watching them in the pre-season scrimmage against national power Hargrave Military Academy and it’s opening win against Princeton Day School, this year’s squad is as balanced as it gets, and don’t be surprised if 5-6 players will be in double figures each and every game.

Coming off a championship season, it is easy for pundits and fans to make comparisons to the previous team, but each team has its own identity and personality. While these are the intangibles the coaching staff facing each season, the staff’s high expectations on effort and pride is always the same.

This past Saturday, Oak Hill opened up its regular season against Princeton Day School of Maryland. While Oak Hill won convincingly by the score of 99-54, there were many story lines that should be noted about this year’s team. While it is missing many of the skill positions from last season and especially a space eater and 7’0 shot blocker AJ Hammons, this year’s team is balanced and has more quickness and athleticism as a whole. The 2012-13 team will create more opportunities from its pressure defense and will have to score more in transition than year’s past. That being said, we fully believe Coach Smith and company will be much better than expected and will make another championship run.

Below is a write up from the top players this past Saturday.

 6’6 2013 WF/PF Troy Williams (Indiana): In our write up from the OHA/Hargrave pre-season scrimmage game, we stated the final four schools for Williams was IU, UL, UNC & Ohio State and it came as no surprise that he committed to IU on Sunday. Head Coach Tom Crean was in attendance for the Oak Hill pre-season game and that alone told you all you needed to know. While Williams had an “up and down” AAU season and I’m still scratching my head how a trio of Troy Williams, Anthony “Cat” Barber, and Allerik Freeman struggled at times, but that is a yet another story. At one point and time, the final two for Williams was Kentucky and UNC and after a lack luster April, his stock dropped noticeably in the national rankings, although we feel such as tremendous drop in a short period of time is unfair for obvious reasons. Since then, Williams made the decision to transfer to Oak Hill and this decision is already paying dividends on the court. He is playing with a newfound confidence and his game is flourishing in Coach Steve Smith’s system. Against Princeton Day Academy, Williams enjoyed another monster day by tallying 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. The athletic and human “pogo stick” was simply amazing in the first quarter of play. Williams is simply the “energizer bunny” on the court and plays with so much energy and effort, it will be contagious to his teammates this season. We were impressed with his ability to elevate for defensive rebounds and lead the fast break in transition. In our opinion, Williams is undervalued as a ball handler and willing passer. While he could be more consistent in his perimeter shooting, he did knock down two 3′s and went 7-13 from the floor and 6-7 from the free throw line. His play at Oak Hill this season will erase any doubts of his potential that may have developed this past April. We look for this stock to move more positively toward the pre-April rankings and will be a potential “burger boy” come March.

6’5 2013 WG Sindarious Thornwell (South Carolina): The best title for Thornwell for this past Saturday’s game is Mr. Efficiency. Thornwell finished with 19 points going a blistering 5-9 from the floor and knocking down three 3 pointers in the second half. Thornwell also went a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line. The knock on Thornwell has also been his perimeter shooting, but he looks more relaxed and is knocking down open looks. His shot has improved and is not simply a “slasher,” but is developing into an excellent high profile shooting guard. Thornwell’s size, strength, and athleticism is impressive but we were impressed with his defensive intensity and he took as much pride on his defense as his offense. This overall skill package accompanied by his athleticism will also make him a potential “burger boy” come March.

6’5 2013 WG RJ Curington (Uncommitted): Simply put, RJ Curington was RJ Curington this past Saturday. The “microwave” brought his effort and intensity like we are accustomed to see and we are a little complexed that Curington is not receiving more interest with high majors. He will be more suited as a “system player” where teams can utilize his perimeter shooting. Last season, he was the leading 3 point shooter percentage wise and Curington tallied 20 points while knocking down four 3 pointers in the game.

6’8 2014 PF Rokas Gustys (Uncommitted): According to Coach Steve Smith, Gustys favorite player is Lithuanian Darius Songaila and we both believe he will also develop into a HM player. Gustys is highly skilled and does lack athleticism, but makes up for it in the skill department. As we noted in the previous article, Gustys has excellent hands and good footwork in the post area, but can also step out and consistently knock down the 10-foot baseline jumper. While some players are labeled a “high risk- high reward” player, Gustys is a “low risk- high reward” player. His understanding of the game is on a high level and when you have a 6’8 PF that has the “soft” hands and mobile footwork of Gustys, he will become a major target for schools at the MM+/HM level.

6’2 2013 PG Ike Irogbue (Washington State): Irogbue finished with 12 points and finished in transition while punishing the rim on a few occasions. Irogbue has been mentioned as a high flyer and his athleticism and leaping ability is off the charts and once he starts finishing like he did on Saturday, his confidence level will continue to increase. His bounce off the dribble is as good as any players in the country and once his confidence matches his athleticism, watch out!

6’1 2013 PG Nate Britt (North Carolina): Britt finished with 5 points and 8 assists, but was a little over aggressive defensively and picked up early fouls that limited his playing time. That being said, Britt is a smooth operator in the open court. His court vision is excellent and is a willing passer. His steadfast approach at the PG position will be instrumental in his team’s national championship stretch run. He plays with great poise and is a true facilitator on the court.

6’4 2014 Princeton Day Academy Omari George: (Uncommitted) Simply put, Omari George is a warrior on the court. This young man battles every single play and his college ready frame should make him a high priority for MM schools. He was impressive on the perimeter by knocking down three 3 pointers but battled for missed offensive rebounds and put backs. He is physically strong and is a willing rebounder for his size/position. He plays with confidence and didn’t back down from the challenge. He is a hard-nosed player that will compete every trip down the court on both the offensive and defensive end. According to his high school coach, he is getting a lot of interest from George Mason.

6’4 2014 Princeton Day Academy Tommy Herd: (Uncommitted): Heard finished with 13 points and we liked the size/body for his position. He is a willing passer and loves to attack the rim. He didn’t get many open perimeter shots, but did knock down two 3 pointers. He has solid skills and strength and should be a high priority for MM schools. Currently, he is getting interest from George Mason and Butler according to his high school coach.

 

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Oak Hill vs. Hargrave Scimmage

October 26, 2012 by 2 Comments

We traveled to Danville, Virginia last night to watch the annual pre-season scrimmage between the Oak Hill Warriors and Hargrave Military. Last year, the contest was the first step in Oak Hill marching to an undefeated and national championship season. After a surprisingly tough contest with Massanutten Military that ended in a 90-90 tie, this contest would be a telling sign of what Coach Steve Smith could expect from this year’s team. The game would feature two 20-minute halves and the score being reset to zero for the second half.

The game featured many of the top players in the country and a jam-packed crowd witnessed an entertaining “up and down” game that pleased the fans with many highflying dunks in transition. That being said, the first half was dominated by Oak Hill as they stretched a lead to 17 points before winning 51-42. Both teams struggled to find any rhythm in the half court offense, but the domination by Oak Hill on the defensive glass led to countless transition points for the Warriors. The underlying story for the first half was the overall team balance displayed by Oak Hill. 6’5 senior RJ Curington and 6’8 Rokas Gustys chipped in 10 points apiece. Others that got into the scoring act was Nate Britt (UNC) with 8, Sindarius Thornwell (USC) with 7, Troy Williams and Lennard Freeman both chipped in 6. On the other hand, it was a one man scoring show for Hargrave as 6’1 PG Terry Rozier (Louisville) simply put on a clinic. He tallied 17 first half points and got little to no support from his teammates. Midway through the first half, the game turned into a “dunk a thon” for Oak Hill as 6’6 Troy Williams was simply Mr. Windex as he was cleaning the glass and leading the break for crowd pleasing dunks.

The second half started like the first half, but the Warriors from Oak Hill got careless and sloppy with the ball and made too many turnovers that allowed Hargrave to make a run and eventually take the lead.  Hargrave was unable to hold onto the lead in the last few minutes of the contest and Oak Hill pulled out a 45-42 second half win. The total score for the two halves was 96-84 in favor of Oak Hill.  6’1 Terry Rozier (Louisville) was as good in the second half as he was in the first half. He tallied 16-second half points and finished with a game high 33 points. 6’1 Shannon Evans (Buffalo) knocked in four 3 pointers and finished with 13 second half points and was Hargrave’s second best performer for his team. While Rozier had little support, Oak Hill found no shortage of scoring options as six players finished in double digit scoring. Nate Britt led the way with 20 points while Troy Williams had a monster game of 16 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists. Sindarius Thornwell finished with 16 points while RJ Curington and Rokas Gustys both finished with 14 points and Lennard Freeman chipped in 10 points.

Top Performers For The Game

6’1 PG Terry Rozier (Louisville): The improvement in Rozier’s game has improved immensely and is highly undervalued nationally in the majority of the national rankings. We believe Rozier is a legit top 40 prospect and should continue to rise with national scouting services. He has good size, strength and athleticism combined with an excellent skill set. One of the top plays of the game was when he stripped Nate Britt at half court and finished it off with a “rim punishing” dunk. Rozier finished with 33 points and scored from all areas on the floor. He was knocking down 3 pointers and was simply impossible to stop going to the rim.

6’6 PF Troy Williams (Undecided): Without question, Williams was the most explosive athlete in the gym last night. He dominated the game on both ends of the court as he tallied 16 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists. He was the game’s leading assist guy and rebounder. His best position on the court may be the PF position and is at his best in transition. The acrobatic Williams has narrowed his list to 4 schools. He mentioned Indiana, Louisville, UNC and Ohio State. IU Head Coach Tom Crean and UL assistant coach Kevin Keatts were in attendance to watch his outstanding performance.

6’1 PG Nate Britt (UNC): By all standards, Britt didn’t enjoy an outstanding AAU summer season and his stock dropped in many of the national rankings. That being said, Britt looked like the player two summers ago at the NBA Players Camp when many pundits were touting Britt as the top lead guard in his class. Britt was solid in his performance as he finished with 20 points and 4 assists.  Britt and Rozier had their own personal battle on the court, but Britt is also excellent in transition and is crafty in using his “off hand” in finishing many layups in transition. The southpaw knocked down back-to-back 3 pointers in the second half and used his open court speed repeatedly to get into the lane. We believe Britt has a newfound confidence and should see his stock to rise once again.

6’5 WF Sindarius Thornwell (South Carolina): Thornwell didn’t enjoy the dominating performance as he did against Massanutten Military where he exploded for 30 plus points. He finished the game with 16 points. While he did the majority of his damage attacking the basket, he did knock down two 3 pointers. Thornwell has a physically mature “college ready” frame and is nearly impossible to stop when he is in attack mode. Oak Hill utilized Thornwell at the high post on offense and his strength, speed, quickness and skill gave him an advantage over the taller opponents from Hargrave.

6’5 WG RJ “Microwave” Curington (Uncommitted): Like death and taxes in life, there is also another thing one can expect from Curington! He absolutely brings it every time he steps onto the court. His full throttle approach to the game is exempfied by 100% effort/hustle 100% of the time. He has a knack for having his hands on loose balls and is excellent in scoring “garbage points.” The next step for Curington is to tighten up his handles. That being said, Curington finished with 14 points and 100% effort (something we just expect from him)

6’8 JUNIOR PF Rokas Gustys (Uncommitted): Without question, Gustys is one to put into your SIM card, especially mid majors. While Gustys will not wow you with athleticism, but he does seems to be at the right place at the right time! He has good footwork in the post, but more important he has “Charmin” soft hands. Once he puts his handprint on the ball, no one is going to gain possession. He has strong hands and has advanced post moves in the paint. Gustys finished with 14 points in about 20 minutes of action. He was highly productive and gives Oak Hill a legit scoring option on the interior.

6’8 PF/C Lennard Freeman (Uncommitted): Freeman has a physically mature “college ready” body and is active on the interior. He set the tone early for Oak Hill by his hustle and rebounding by getting his hands on many loose balls. He anticipates well off missed shots and has a knack for being in position for many offensive rebounds for easy put back points. Currently, his strength and athleticism is further ahead of his skill, but will be a late recruiting target for many D1 schools.

6’1 SG Shannon Evans (Buffalo): Evans ended up being the surprise player for Hargrave as he tallied 13 second half points and kept Hargrave in the game. He hit four 3 pointers and benefiting from the driving ability of Rozier as he kicked out to Evan repeatedly for open looks. He gave Hargrave an added lift and provided scoring help, which was desperately needed for Hargrave.

6’3 SG Anton Gill (Louisville): Simply put, it was just a bad day at the office for the talented SG committed to UL! We have seen Gill as a “quiet assassin” and has the knack to make shots, especially clutch and game winning shots. Against Oak Hill, Gill simply couldn’t find his rhythm but did manage to knock down two late 3 pointers and finished with 11 points.

6’7 WF Greg McClinton (Wake Forest): McClinton started out strong the first few minutes by tallying 6 points and getting missed offensive rebounds. He went 4-6 from the free throw line but McClinton didn’t get involved much in the offense and played sparingly in the second half.

6’4 SG Donte Clark (Virginia Tech): We saw Clark many times over the summer and he just seemed more comfortable having the ball in his hands. At Hargrave, he is used primarily as a shooting guard and just didn’t seem to be in the flow of the game. Sometimes, it is difficult making the adjustment from being the main ball handler on your AAU team to being an “off guard” on the high school team. Clark possesses tremendous athleticism and was expecting more. We’re sure the ACC commit will bounce back in his next game.

6’2 PG Ike Iroegbu (Washington State): Without question, Iroegbu is physically gifted and may have as much athleticism at the PG position in the country. He makes it look easy getting to the rim, but had a tough day at the office finishing in traffic. Iroegbu has the physical attributes, but just seems to be stressing at times on the court. Once his mental outlook matches his physical attributes, he is going to be a strong PG at the collegiate level.

Others To Watch

5’10 sophomore PG Terrence Phillips of Oak Hill Academy entered the first half and gave the Warriors a spark off the bench. He is super quick and the ability to make things happen on both ends of the court. 6’3 junior SG Chris Tang was instant offense in the extra 10-minute segment. He knocked down four 3 pointers and may be more important as an effective perimeter shooter for Oak Hill as the season progresses. 6’10 Neville Fincher of Hargrave is a strong and physical center that is a willing rebounder. While somewhat raw offensively, he should be a target for lower tier to mid major D1 schools. 

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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.”

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Big Shots II Saturday Afternoon

July 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Back in April, the Phenom Hoop Report was writing about guys “under the radar” on a national level. For example, we wrote about Troy Caupain from the NC Phenom 150 Camp and from the Hoop Group Pitt Jam Fest (see here and here).  Fast forward to June and the “under the radar” 6’3 combo guard from Team Loaded committed to the University of Cincinnati. Next up is 6’8 Devin Robinson of the Richmond Squires. The Phenom Hoop Report was once again ahead of the bell curve with our story on him in April. Since then, Robinson attended the Reebok Challenge in Philadelphia this past few weeks and the rest is history. He has now “blown up on the national level” and now is getting high major offers with the most recent being UConn. (See below comments from earlier stories)

Player: 6’3 2013 PG/SG Troy Caupain

March 29th, 2012 Evaluation:  First of all, don’t let the 6’3 listing fool you, Caupin plays MUCH bigger than that due to his freakishly long arms.  The sturdily built lead guard did it all on Sunday – led the break and finished every way imaginable.  Most impressively for the collegiate level was his knack at absorbing contact and finishing.  Has the kind of body control/subtle movement while in the air off the bounce that simply can’t be taught.  Many great attacking point guards have this.  Troy also happens to be a kid that always looks like he’s smiling – he has a true love for the game and it shows.  Range out to 20’, plays best with the ball in his hands but isn’t built like a typical PG.  Would like to see him in some PNR situations or on an island defensively against a high major D1 guard, but these events are what they are.  The X-Factor propelling Troy this far up the rankings was his tenacious rebounding.  He went after missed jumpers on both ends all day.  I was told by his coach at the event that he averaged 12 rebs/gm for his HS squad and it didn’t surprise me a bit.  Playing off the ball, negotiating screens, and defending perimeter talent with that extra gear are areas for Caupin to focus on.

Player: 6’7 2013 Combo/Forward Devin Robinson

April 26th, 2012 Evaluation:  Watching this kid on Friday night against the SC Raptors Elite (and outstanding 2014 F Dante Buford), I wondered how long it would take for him to blow up on the national scene.  With a handful of D1 head coaches in attendance, Robinson torched the nets from the opening tip, knocking down 3s from multiple spots on the floor and in different situations (a pull-up, coming off a ball screen, and a spot-up).  Form isn’t perfect but the result often is.  Also flashed a turnaround jumper from 17’ with a defender draped all over him.  What sold me on the versatile Jeremy Lamb stunt double was his unselfishness and court vision.  Slight frame could use 15+ pounds of muscle.  Eats space off the bounce now and can only imagine how effective he can be in 2 dribbles or less if he continues to grow.  Can probably guard the 2 + 3 positions in college but not physically ready to shutdown 4’s (even undersized 4s).  Has the length to wreak havoc on a stat sheet

Now, let’s take a look at some of the top performers Saturday afternoon that we were able to evaluate.

Player: 6’0 2014 PG/SG Trey Foster
City: Charlotte, NC
High School: West Charlotte
AAU Team:  Team United 16U
Evaluation: Foster was simply tremendous in the “upset” win over Team Loaded 16U on Saturday afternoon in the Big Shots II tournament. Foster torched the nets for 26 points knocking down crucial 3 pointers during a second half run that saw Team United overcome a 10 point deficit. Team United won 74-70. Foster had “ice water” in his veins as he continuously hit key shots and single handedly defeated a ‘loaded” roster from the opposing team. Foster is a fierce competitor and plays the game with passion. While many people view Foster as an undersized SG, he handled the PG position with moderate poise and should be garnishing interest from MM schools.

Player: 6’6 2014 WF Josh Level
City: High Point, NC
High School: The Christ School
AAU Team:  Team Loaded 16U
Evaluation: There are not many wing players in the class of 2014 that combine the strength, explosiveness athleticism and shooting ability of Josh Level. We have seen Level countless times in the past and we are impressed with his improved stroke from the perimeter. He has good shooting fundamentals with excellent lift and elevation combined with a high release point. In addition, his strength and power allow him to make “beast” moves to the basket. In his game on Saturday against Team United, Level made a nifty left to right cross over move directly into a power “crow hop” followed by a monster dunk. This move alone showcased his skill and power all in one play! He has solid ball handling skills in transition and has good court vision. He is an adequate passer off the dribble, although he could improve his decision making at times. He finished with 17 points and may be one of the more under-rated players in the 2014 class and was probably the most consistent performer for Team Loaded 16U at Big Shots this weekend. Currently, he is tracking at a MM+/HM- player, but may have a higher ceiling and will definitely garnish interest from HM schools.

Player: 6’5 2013 SG RJ Curington
City: Dyer, Indiana
High School: Oak Hill Academy
AAU Team:  Team Loaded 17U
Evaluation: Curington is another undervalued player on a national level. Curington’s tenacious  play on Saturday afternoon allowed Team Loaded to easily defeat the Georgia Stars by the score of 64-56. People forget Curington was the best 3 point shooter on Oak Hill and averaged 48% from beyond the arch and still doesn’t get the credit he deserves. Curington plays extremely hard and that may be an understatement. He has a “full throttle” approach to the game that is refreshing. Without question, he was the best and most productive performer in the game against the Georgia Stars that included nationally ranked Jalen Lindsey and Jarquez Smith. (I’m not saying he is better, but just pointing out the fact he was the most productive performer in the game) His high motor propelled him to a game high 27 points with the majority coming off hard and aggressive drives to the basket and offensive rebounds that led to “put back buckets” for Team Loaded. He is excellent at using his “off hand” and utilized the reverse layup to perfection. A bubble player between a MM+/HM-, but strongly feel Curington will find suitors at the HM level based upon his intensity and maximized effort.

Player: 6’0 2013 PG Frank Mason
City: Petersburg, VA
High School: Massanutten Military
AAU Team:  Team Loaded 17U
Evaluation: Mason was originally in the 2012 class and committed to Towson University, but has decided to prep a year at nearby Massanutten Military School and will reclass to 2013. Mason tallied 14 points in their win over the Georgia Stars with the majority coming off FT attempts since he was fouled continuously during drives to the rim. Mason has a strong and physically mature body with excellent body control and is difficult to contain in a “one on one” situation. Defensively, he sits low to the floor and can be a lock down defender although he gets a little impatience and will reach at times. Mason is a hardnosed young man and would be an excellent gift in the “dribble drive” offensive scheme at the collegiate level. The next step for Mason is to develop and fine tune his perimeter and midrange game which would give him a more balanced attack and become more lethal on the offensive end of the court.

Player: 6’7 2014 SG Jalen Lindsey
City: Franklin, TN
High School: Christ Presbyterian
AAU Team:  Georgia Stars 17U
Evaluation: We were able to capture Lindsey in three separate games and simply put, the game comes relatively easy to the talented WG/WF. He has great size and a physically mature body and his jumper is usually on target. He has unbelievable lift and elevation and was dialed in early in the game against Team Loaded. He hit three early 3 pointers, but unfortunately Lindsey needed to re-introduce himself to his teammates as they simply “blew” him off and looked the other direction too many times in transition. Lindsey is a high level shooter and simply deserved more shots, but it is up to the guards to get him the ball at the right time during the course of the game. We feel Lindsey has the making of the “complete package” with his size, athleticism, skill, and ability to shoot the ball, however he does tend to “drift” way too much on the perimeter and fails to take advantage of his size over smaller opponents. That being said, he is a HM player and UNC assistant coach Steve Robinson was front and center to watch him.

Player: 6’3 2013 SG Donte Clark
City: Charlotte, NC
High School: Kennedy Charter
AAU Team:  Georgia Stars
Evaluation: Generously listed at 6’5 and even more national scouting service has him listed at 6’6, we feel like he is more like 6’3 range. That being said, we have been high on Clark in the past but this weekend at Big Shots had mix reviews. Against Flight 22, we had a solid performance and used his athleticism to score 13 points, but against the loss to Team Loaded, it was an “off day” at the office and one he would quickly like to forget. Clark is an intriguing prospect due to his ability to handle the ball and create his own shot. He is very athletic and is more comfortable handling the ball at the off guard position. That being said, he will attract HM interest based upon his athletic ability and willingness to score points in spurts.

Player: 6’10 2013 SF/PF Jarquez Smith
City: Had, Georgia
High School: Jones County
AAU Team:  Georgia Stars
Evaluation: Without question, Smith has all the physical tools at 6’10. He is long and athletic and has one of the better shooting strokes in the country for his size/position. He has the ability to step out and knock down 3 pointers which makes him a nightmare problem at the next level. At times, he is a willing rebounder and does block shots on the interior and creates havoc in altering shots, however he does have a tendency not to use his physical size to his advantage. He does “float” on the perimeter too much at times and his production doesn’t always  match his potential, but the nationally ranked Smith is multi-talented and has excellent mobility and range.

Player: 6’7 2013 PF Elijah Wilson
High School: TBD
AAU Team:  Flight 22
Evaluation: Wilson was originally in the 2012 class and will attend prep school and reclasss to 2013. He was previously committed to the College of Charleston and has decided to open things back up. Wilson probably helped his stock over the weekend as much as any one player. The physically mature PF has the ability to play either on the interior or step out and consistently knock down 3 pointers. Against the Georgia Stars, he tallied 25 points including two 3 pointers. He has the ability to put the ball on the floor and make nifty but strong power moves to the basket. Several times, he had his back turned to the basket and made a beautiful drop step move that directly led to a slam dunk. We saw him in two games and his performance was simply sensational and look for his stock to rise drastically this summer.

Player: 6’8 2013 PF Ifeanyi Onyekaba
City: Roanoke, VA
High School: Virginia Episcopal
AAU Team:  East Coast Fusion
Evaluation: Onyekaba is one of the most improved players since last summer. Onyekaba was simply a “man-child” in his game against Seattle Rotary. The physically imposing PF has a wide body and has a chiseled frame. He was one of the most productive players the entire weekend and was relentless on both ends of the court. He is a willing rebounder, defends, and does all the dirty work necessary for his team to compete and win. While he is limited offensively, he scored a game high 21 points against Seattle Rotary. He doesn’t demand the ball, but attacks the glass on both ends of the court. He is patience in the post area and rarely forces action and is willing to make the outlet pass and reposition himself for low post position. He has been well coached by his AAU coach and will catch a lot of attention this summer. While he have him tracking as a MM prospect, some MM+/HM- programs may will be willing to take a chance on the rapidly improving Onyekaba.

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UA Hoop Group Pittsburgh Jam Fest Regional Top 10

April 26, 2012 by 2 Comments

Our own Ryan Mattocks watched all of the action at the Under Armour Hoop Group Pittsburgh Jam Fest. Here are his 17U evaluations and his regional Top 10 from the weekend.

1.      Player: 6’3 Troy Caupain
Hometown: Cosby, Virginia
AAU Team: Team Loaded 17U
Class: 2013
Evaluation:  The #2 prospect on Phenom Hoop Report’s Top 25 list from the Phenom 150 event held in Winston-Salem, NC just a few short weeks ago, Caupain stood out in Pittsburgh as well.  On the final day of competition, Caupain displayed an energy level and love for the game while many other players’ body language indicated a desire to be anywhere but the gym.  The 6’3 lead guard has garnered recent attention from high-level programs Cincinnati, Missouri, and Virginia and for good reason.  His motor is turned on not only on the offensive end – he utilizes his long arms to clear off defensive possessions with rebounds and pushes the break in any direction he pleases.  Put up 17 points in Team Loaded’s win over a talented New York Rens squad (featuring the Jam Fest National Top 10 #9 Jermaine Lawrence) with a combination of explosive moves off the bounce, finishes around the hoop in transition, and creating offense off of his stellar defense.  Caupain posted huge rebounding numbers for the position at Cosby (VA) and there’s no question he’ll be a factor on the boards at the next level.  If he keeps defense as his priority and doesn’t force things too much in the half-court, Caupain may be a household name to college basketball fans sooner than later.  Needs to focus on fine tuning his midrange game – gets by almost anyone in front of him put can over penetrate at times.  Also needs to learn to move more consistently away from the ball as help side defenders in college basketball recover more quickly on ball reversals than any AAU/High School competition he sees now.

2.      Player: 6’7 Devin Robinson
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia
AAU Team: Richmond Squires 17U
Class: 2013
Evaluation:  Watching this kid on Friday night against the SC Raptors Elite (and outstanding 2014 F Dante Buford), I wondered how long it would take for him to blow up on the national scene.  With a handful of D1 head coaches in attendance, Robinson torched the nets from the opening tip, knocking down 3s from multiple spots on the floor and in different situations (a pull-up, coming off a ball screen, and a spot-up).  Form isn’t perfect but the result often is.  Also flashed a turnaround jumper from 17’ with a defender draped all over him.  What sold me on the versatile Jeremy Lamb stunt double was his unselfishness and court vision.  Slight frame could use 15+ pounds of muscle.  Eats space off the bounce now and can only imagine how effective he can be in 2 dribbles or less if he continues to grow.  Can probably guard the 2 + 3 positions in college but not physically ready to shutdown 4’s (even undersized 4s).  Has the length to wreak havoc on a stat sheet.

3.      Player: 6’6 Donte Samuels
Hometown: Rocky Mount, North Carolina
AAU Team: North Carolina Red Storm 17U
Class: 2013
Evaluation:  Plays bigger than 6’6 at this point but a kid that may take some time before he finds his niche at the next level.  And that level will be Division 1.  Samuels manned the post for an extremely undersized NC Red Storm team but showed the ability to step out and do some nice things in the midrange in a Friday night tilt against the Queen City Prophets (OH).  One possession saw Samuels catch and face out of the mid-post with a pretty reverse pivot move before putting the ball on the floor and attempting to finish with the left on a spin.  Although the shot didn’t go, the sequence advertised his advanced ball skills and footwork for everyone in the gym.  Samuels’ handle in the open floor was fine but he struggled dribbling in traffic and especially when facing contact.  Was stripped of the ball a couple times and needs to work on upper body/hand strength in order to cut down on live ball TOs.  Impressed my coach’s eye by talking on ‘D’ – called out a ball screen loud enough for people in the stands to hear.  Showed good timing on a couple blocks and also hit a kick out three.  A little stiff in his legs on his strides means he wouldn’t time well on a rim-to-rim sprint and he barks at the officials a little too much for my liking, but Samuels is definitely one to watch and would/will probably get more national attention if he can hit the magical 6’8-6’9 range.

4.      Player: 6’5 RJ Curington
Hometown: Dyer, Indiana
AAU Team: Team Loaded (VA)
Class: 2013
Evaluation:  This young man has chipped away and chipped away at building his game for four years at Oak Hill Academy and is starting to see the fruits of his labor.  Concerns about his handle were quieted in the first half when the smooth guard, known for being a great catch-and-shoot player, pump faked to get his defender airborne before penetrating deep into the lane to finish.  He may not quite be the man you want with the ball in late game game fouling situations where intense ball pressure is inevitable, but Curington certainly didn’t stick out as a poor ball handler in Pittsburgh.  One thing that’s never been questioned is his athleticism, which was plugged in on Sunday vs. the NY Rens.  Tried to hammer it down in a tight space with 1-hand in the second half of a tight game against a team full of athletes.  Also seemed to make the right play virtually all the time – pulling up for a floater off of a jump stop instead of over penetrating and getting his shot blocked, reversed the basketball for a better shot for a teammate than the one he could’ve taken himself.  Would like to see the mild-mannered junior have a little more bulldog in him but most coaches accept the fact that you can’t really teach “it.”  Instead, Curington will most likely end up being a nice complementary piece on a team where he’s surrounded by guys with bigger roles.  He’d be a nice piece to have though, that’s for sure.

5.      Player: 6’2 Josh Newkirk
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina
AAU Team: D-One Sports 17U
Class: 2013
Evaluation:  Many BCS coaches will want this young man to run their offenses in years in the coming years and it was evident why on Saturday when his D-One Sports club squared off against the BSA (PA) 17U’s.  The beauty of Newkirk’s floor game is that he truly doesn’t try to force things.  His running mate Torian Graham (ranked #2 on my National Top 10 list from the event) was white hot from the jump and Newkirk fed the flame.  Penetrating deep enough to cause the defense to sink and help, Newkirk found Graham 3 times in the early going with pinpoint passes that led the wing into his three point shot (all of which went in).  Newkirk’s passes have ‘college speed’ and he will not have much difficulty adjusting to the speed of the game on the offensive end at that level.  Defensively may be a different story.  The long-armed PG made himself smaller in the game when defending the ball be not extending his arms and utilizing his wingspan to dissuade or deflect passes.  This technical flaw, if fixed, will help the quick footed Newkirk create more turnovers and push the ball in transition, where he thrives.  He stepped up his offensive production in the second half of D-One’s double-OT win by hitting the second level of the ‘D’ and finishing with floaters or runners.  Compact body is built for the college game – very strong.

6.      Player: 6’1 Isaiah Tripp
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
AAU Team: Under Armour Baltimore Finest 17U
Class: 2013
Evaluation:  The first thing I noticed about Tripp’s game was his yo-yo like control of the basketball.  His play on the defensive end was also inspiring – he closed out on shooters consistently and seemed to be operating in general defensive concepts when others were either daydreaming or hugging a man regardless of ball position, etc.  Looked well-adjusted to coming off ball screens as he rose up and knocked home a jumper going shoulder-to-shoulder and maintained excellent upper body control/form in doing so.  Crashed the glass consistently from the weak side (actually looking for a body to put his on and box out).  Reminded me of John Wall in the sense that he almost preferred to use his off-hand when penetrating and finished exceptionally well with it as well.  The lefty showed poise in maturity in not complaining to referees when calls didn’t his or his team’s way.  Impressive prospect who’s a sure-fire D1 player.  Could be impact high major if he learns to use his wingspan more on the defensive end – quick feet!

7.      Player: 6’7 Rodney Williams, Jr.
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia
AAU Team: Richmond Squires
Class: 2013
Evaluation:  The 6’7 Squires big man set the tone early in their Friday night matchup with the South Carolina Elite by rebounding unapologetically and using his solid frame to get big on screens.  He gets every bit out of his 6’7 size, unlike so many of the fragile beanpoles who tip-toe around the perimeter all game.  Where Williams, Jr. differentiated himself was in his ability to stretch the defense.  He coolly knocked down a 17’ jumper over a slower defender who was late in closing in the first half.  Off the catch, the PF dazzled the crowd with a spin move into the lane in which he finished.  An undersized (height) four at the high-major level, Williams could step into a Southern/Big South/MEAC level program tomorrow and produce.  Interesting prospect to watch.

8.      Player: 6’3 Jarod Williams
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia
AAU Team: Richmond Squires
Class: 2013
Evaluation:  Williams’ incredible strength was apparent early in both his body and how easily he gets into the lane off the dribble.  Once there, the 6’3 G whose play has created a little buzz for himself on the national level can finish in a couple ways.  Prefers to go off glass but mixed in a runner when attacking the rim straight N/S.  Brought out a spin move in the second half that he finished with a kiss off the glass that caused a slight murmur from the crowd – who tries to be on their best behavior when coaches are in attendance.  What impressed me most about Williams was his unselfishness and team first attitude.  He busted his butt back on defense twice after teammates committed live ball TOs, sacrificing his body along the way.  That sort of play will never get the hype it deserves because it doesn’t show up in the stat sheet.  But as Williams is finding out, coaches absolutely love it and covet it in their evaluations more than the public could ever fathom.  A pleasure to watch.  Needs to watch the one-handed passes on the perimeter because once you commit to throwing it, there’s no going back.

9.      Player: 6’7 Elijah Moore
Hometown: Grafton, Virginia
AAU Team: Wave Basketball Club 17U
Class: 2013
Evaluation:  The intriguing prospect came out of nowhere in the second half of the first game I took in of the entire event, a 6 o’clock affair that was over by halftime.  Moore’s Wave team was totally overmatched by the Shining Starts (OH) and was down big early.  Still, Moore didn’t do anything of note in the first half.  My notes for him in the first half are literally blank.  The second half was a different story.  The lanky SF with a frame that seems to belong in a college uniform skied for defensive rebounds with two hands, getting well above anyone else vying for the rock.  He finished well in transition and picked his spots effectively by converting a 3-pt. play the old fashioned way around the rim and spotting up for a jumper when filling the lane a little later.  Another guy who eats up a lot of real estate off the bounce, Moore could turn himself into a lethal midrange threat his final year in HS if he’s not chained to the post out of necessity because he’s tall.  Interested to see his progression on the defensive end as well – is he quick enough to guard a college SG?

10.  Player: 6’ Rodney Moore
Hometown: Clayton, North Carolina
AAU Team: D-One Sports
Class: 2014
Evaluation:  I make an effort to NOT include guys outside of the 2013 class when making lists because I feel the focus should be on rising seniors, but every once in awhile there’s a younger who simply cannot be denied.  Moore showed outstanding body control in the open floor by taking contact and finishing high off the glass.  His on-ball defense is strangling and he’s comfortable putting it on the deck with either hand.  He’s a kid that looks so fluid once he leaves his feet that an up and switching hands looks like its second nature to him.  I’d like to see him pull-up with his feet squared up to the rim off the dribble going to his left and in the PNR game a little bit, but that’s nitpicking.  Loves to get out and run – must make sure he makes rebounding a priority.

 

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R.J. Currington: The slow-cooked microwave

February 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The old saying “Patience is a virtue” could not be more fitting than to junior SG RJ “Microwave” Curington. RJ Curington has been attending Oak Hill since the 8th grade and is without question a model of patience.

In his junior season for Oak Hill, RJ Curington is the fourth leading scorer on the team by averaging 9.4 PPG. He is shooting 52.5% from the floor hitting on 124-236 shots while knocking down 45-97 shots from the 3 point line for an impressive 46%. In addition, he has connected on 64-83 free throws for 77.1%. While these statistics are impressive for a player coming off the bench, his high energy and efficiency has garnished his nickname “microwave.”

If you look up the definition of microwave, you will find it is a kitchen appliance that heats food by dielectric heating using microwave radiation to excite polarized molecules within the food. A microwave oven heats food quickly and efficiently. That being said, Curington is the one player that always brings that instant energy to polarize his play within the context of the game. He can score quickly and has enjoyed some break out performances during the season while averaging a little over 10 minutes per contest.

Three times this season, Curington was the team’s leading scorer and twice torched the nets for 30 points. In his 30 point performance against Cesar Chavez, he went 11-16 from the floor for 68.8% shooting while knocking down 3-4 three pointers and went 5-6 from the free throw line. This was all done in 15 minutes of play! Against Harrison County Georgia, Curington enjoyed the game of his lifetime as he netted 30 points on one of the most efficient shooting games we have witnessed in some time. He went 8-10 from the floor and also knocked in 7-8 three pointers along with going a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line.

In today’s age of players lacking patience and constantly transferring from one school to the other, Curington has been a model of doing things the right way. He came to Oak Hill in the 8th grade and has constantly worked his way up to the varsity team by displaying hard work and doing it the old fashioned way by earning it! He has worked extremely hard, but the one thing that definitely stands out is his outstanding attitude.  He is an excellent teammate and is constantly clapping and giving teammate’s encouragement when he is not in the game. He is supportive and understands the big picture that his best days are ahead.

More importantly, when Coach Smith points for him to enter the game he is always eager, ready, and active to go and no one gets the best use of their minutes than Curington. While his reputation has grown during the season as a proficient and efficient 3 point shooter, it is his non-stop motor that is impressive. He is constantly moving without the basketball and always seems to have a nose for the ball. He is simply a workhorse at times and anticipates miss shots on the offensive end of the court for easy put back baskets. In transition, he is relentless in attacking the basket and drawing fouls on the opposition.

Simply put, RJ Curington is a great example of the term “student athlete.” He sports an impressive 4.0 GPA and is an A Honor Roll student. He is a model citizen on and off the basketball court. Curington has what high major schools are looking for. He has a strong frame and good athleticism but has the ability to put points on the scoreboard in a hurry, but more importantly they will have a model student that will get the work done in the classroom and not create problems off the court.

As one college coach stated, “He will be low maintence” which is a relief in today’s society. With Curington, you know you are getting a quality player, but even a better young man who is responsible and mature. He is a player that will work hard to get better and when his time is called upon, his guns will be fully loaded and ready to play. Today, there is a trend of player dissatisfaction and an almost epidemic of player transfers. One lesson college coaches will learn from Curington, he has worked his way through the process and pay his dues at the high school level at Oak Hill, but his virtue of patience will be many team’s envy down the road.

September 2011 Article

Player: 6’4 A.J. Curington
High School: Oak Hill Academy
Hometown: Dyer, IN
Class: 2013
Phenom Hoop Report: This was our first opportunity watching the long and athletic wing guard from Dyer, Indiana. Curington has a nice combination of explosiveness and quick leaping ability and is excellent in transition, but yesterday Curington was “dialed in” from deep with his shooting ability. He has excellent fundamentals, extension and follow through on his jumper and has good elevation as well. The next stage in his development is to create his own shot off the dribble. Currently, he is very good in a catch and shoot situation or coming off screens.

When asked what schools were recruiting him, he mentioned Wake Forest, Butler, UNC, Stanford, Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern, and Harvard.

November 29th, 2011
Player: RJ “Microwave” Curington
Comment: RJ has simply learned his role by being the “microwave” man off the bench. He brings instant energy and scoring to the team. He is averaging 9.2 shots per game and has gone 52-92 from the floor for 56% and has been outstanding from the 3 point line going 21-36 for 58%.  Curington is an offensive machine and is simply “wired” to score. He seems to be at the right place at the right time during the game. The next step in his development is to work on his ball handling and passing skills to be the complete player at the SG position at the next level. He is only a junior and his best days are ahead. One thing is for certain; when he steps onto the court, his guns are fully loaded and his hands are in position to shoot early and often.

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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!

 

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Oak Hill vs. Stoneridge Prep (California)

November 6, 2011 by Leave a Comment

In today’s issue, we have a recap of the Stoneridge Prep (California) vs. Oak Hill Warriors game that was played on Saturday night at Oak Hill gymnasium. Stoneridge Prep came into the contest with a 2-1 record with impressive wins over LaHoya Prep and Impact Academy with a tough loss to a very talented Westwind Prep of Arizona. Oak Hill came into the contest with a 3-0 regular season record plus winning its pre-season scrimmage games vs. Fork Union, Massanuttan and Hargrave Military. On paper, the Stoneridge game appeared to be a formable opponent for the Warriors. The Warriors pulled out an 80-64 victory over a well coached and highly skilled team that played hard and executed their game plan nicely.

Oak Hill led Stonebridge 17-10 at the end of the 1st quarter as the Warriors once again were stone cold from the perimeter. Stoneridge pulled within 3 early in the 2nd quarter (17-14) and then the Warriors got rolling and went on a 22-5 run and led 39-19 at halftime. While Stoneridge ran a run in the 3rd quarter, Oak Hill’s poise and half court precision execution was too much for the California base team. Below is a summary of individual performances for both teams. It should be noted that Stoneridge has some very talented prospects. First up is Oak Hill.

Player: 5’11 Tyler Lewis
Class: 2012
Commitment: NC State
Evaluation: Overall, this may have been one of Tyler’s all around games in an Oak Hill uniform. Tyler scored 20 points, dished out 6 assists, had 4 rebounds and 4 steals, but the most important statistic is Tyler had 0 turnovers and now has a 5:1 assist to turnover ratio for the  season. Coming into the contest, many people knew Tyler was excellent in the open court and in transition, but he has been masterful in the half court set getting his teammates involved and running the team. In addition, he played solid defense and enjoyed a stellar performance. Playing in front of Bob Gibbons, he stated afterwards that Tyler is a legit top 40 player nationally in the 2012 class while well known Brick Oettinger of the ACC Sports Journal and Prep Stars has him currently ranked 32. His play early on justifies those rankings.

Player: 6’5 Jordan Adams
Class: 2012
Commitment: UCLA
Evaluation: For the second consecutive night, one of the country’s top shooting guards struggled to find his range and didn’t even hit a 3 pointer for the game, but still finished with 20 points for the game.  The great thing about Jordan’s game is if his shot isn’t falling he finds ways to make things happen. Jordan attacked the rim and drew contact and fouls and made 8-8 free throws in the contest. In addition, Jordan had 8 rebounds and dished out 3 assists. While Jordan is nationally known as a shooter, he is the complete all around player and is a consensus top 30 player nationally in our opinion and should get consideration for the McDonald’s All American team. Simply put, there are not many SG that has the complete and total package as Jordan and he has all the fundamentals, basketball IQ and overall understanding of the game that separates him from his peers.

Player: 7’0 AJ Hammons
Class: 2012
Commitment: Purdue
Evaluation: As we correctly stated in our earlier Phenom Hoop Reports, Hammons is a “sleeping giant” and the young man from Indiana is proving his weight in gold. Remember, we are talking about a legit 7’0 with a massive frame that has an NBA body and frame. AJ scored 7 points, but corralled 10 rebounds and blocked 4 shots. AJ is definitely going to make a lot of people angry for not recruiting him harder in the pre-season. So far, the “sleeping giant” has awakened and may be the unsung player for this year’s team. He doesn’t have to score a lot of points to be effective and he is consistently grading out as one of Oak Hill’s top player. AJ has been motivated and inspired with his play early on and has shown a consistent work ethic on the court and has been displaying a great attitude.

Player: 6’3 D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera
Class: 2012
Commitment: Georgetown
Evaluation: It was another dreadful night from the perimeter from the reliable and accurate shooting guard from Indianapolis. He struggled early on, but adjusted his game in the second half to attacking the basket using this strong and muscular body to finish at the rim or draw fouls. D’Vauntes hit 5-6 free throws and finished with 17 points while adding 6 rebounds and dishing out 2 assists. That being said, D’Vauntes shooting mechanics and fundamentals are simply too good and it won’t be long before those perimeter shots are falling much for accurately and frequently. As we have stated previously, he just needs to allow the game come to him. He is too talented with a tremendous offensive arsenal.

Player: 6’5 RJ Currington
Class: 2013
Commitment: Open
Evaluation: My new nickname for RJ is “microwave” since he is fast becoming the first guy off the bench and brings instant offense. Again, he was pivotal coming in the 2nd quarter by providing a spark that helped Oak Hill get on a roll and takes a commanding 20 point lead into halftime, but more importantly RJ brings instant energy and always seems to make something positive happen. Then again, maybe his nickname should be “sparkplug,” either way the talented junior WG is a high major talent and is simply gaining confidence in each and every game.

In addition, 6’6 PF Darion Clark added 4 points and 4 rebounds while 6’5 Memphis signee Damien Wilson had 2 points and 4 rebounds. Next up is the breakdown for Stoneridge and be sure to check these guys out.

Player: 6’9 Marko Gujanicic
Class: Post Graduate
Commitment: Open
Evaluation: Gujanicic is your genetic highly skilled European player. At 6’9, he can play on the perimeter or in the low post area. This past summer, Gujanicic played on the Serbian 19U National team and averaged 10 PPG and 6 RPG. He is highly skilled, fundamentally sound and is deadly from the 3 point line. He has the ability to put the ball on the floor and is excellent ball handler and passer for his size and position. Gujanicic enjoyed a solid night for his team by having a team high 18 points. He is very versatile and fluid and without question is a lock for mid major plus program and could easily step into a high major program that is in need of a talented face up PF. Currently, he has offered from UTEP and Rhode Island, but this list should continue to grow once more schools find out about the talented Gujanicic. In speaking with his high school coach, Gujanicic is averaging 17 PPG, 11 RPG and 4 APG for Stoneridge in their first 4 games. Pretty impressive numbers for a pretty impressive player!

Player: 6’8 Viktor Mekevicius
Class: Post Graduate
Commitment: Open
Evaluation: Mekevicius is another European player with strong fundamentals and a high basketball IQ. He is stronger than Gujanicic and did most of his damage on the interior with nifty footwork in the paint. He is quite crafty with his offensive moves and is excellent putting the ball on the floor and attacking the rim. He tallied 14 points for the game and is averaging 17 PPG and 11 RPG thus far for his team. Currently, he too has offers from UTEP, Rhode Island and Oakland University. Without question, Mekevicius would be a solid pick up for any mid major school. He simply knows how to play the game!

Player: 6’2 Dustin Watts
Class:  Post Graduate
Commitment: UTEP
Evaluation: Watts signed with Seattle coming out of high school in 2010, but according to their high school assistant coach he will sign with UTEP during the early signing period next Wednesday. He is a strong and athletic WG that has excellent length and bounce. He has a solid midrange game and can extend the defense with his perimeter shooting.

Player: 6’4 Lawrence Domingo
Class: Post Graduate
Commitment: Open
Evaluation: Domingo is a strong and physically mature SG who usually leads his team in scoring. Early on, he is averaging 21PPG and 9 RPG while dishing out 5 assists. He scored 11 points for the night and has a slew of West Coast offers from UCSB, UTEP, and Cal State-Fullerton and is also sporting interest from Vanderbilt.

Conclusion: Oak Hill shot a dismal 5-16 from the 3 point line for 26% while hitting 29-69 overall for 42%. Fortunately, the Warriors knocked down 18-25 free throws for 72% for the game. Oak Hill won the battle of the boards corralling 40 rebounds overall and did a great job of protecting the ball by only committing 10 turnovers for the game, but the biggest difference was the pressure defense displayed at times by Oak Hill. Coach Steve Smith does an excellent job of mixing up defenses going from man to man to zone traps and at times created problems for Stoneridge. In addition, Stoneridge is a very solid opponent and it wasn’t the best overall offensive performance by the Warriors, but sometimes when shots aren’t falling you have to rely on your defense to force turnovers and create steals and that’s exactly what they did to win. Oak Hill finished with 13 steals and forced countless turnovers for the game. Oak Hill now moves to 4-0 for the season and plays again Tuesday night vs. Aim High Prep of Michigan.

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