Undrafted in 2018, with pit stops in Belgium and Australia the last two seasons, the 6-4, 230-pound, 25-year-old lefty brought his relentless nature on the court to the league and has started since day one for the rebuilding Rockets. 

Without a clearly defined position, questions from those who aren’t hip to his game seem to linger. The same questions all 30 GM’s had in the 2018 draft. 

“There’s always been question marks around my size, if I can shoot well enough, or what position I am,” Tate said. “They judge a book by its cover until I actually start playing.” 

Since coming into the NBA, he’s put smaller defenders in the torture chamber on the blocks, taken bigger defenders out to the perimeter, and guarded all five positions on defense.

Averaging 11.3 points per game, 5.5 boards, 2.5 assists and a tad over a steal, Tate has proven to have All-Defensive 1^st Team potential down the road. JT should also be a lock for 1st Team All-Rookie – not bad for a dude without prototypical measurables.

“Up to the trade deadline, and still now, I approached every day like I need to fight to stay,” he said. “The mindset never changes. I just control what I can, and do what got me here.”

SLAM first wrote about Tate when he was 16, playing with the same nasty disposition coupled with a smooth feel for the game. Following a four-year career at Ohio State, he got a crack at the league the ensuing summer as part of the Milwaukee Bucks’ Summer League Team. Unfortunately for Tate, his chance to earn a training camp invite was over before it began. 

In a practice leading up to the Summer League, Tate was injured going up for a rebound. 

The Basketball Gods were working their magic because some of those same Summer League teammates (Christian Wood, Sterling Brown, and D.J. Wilson) were part of the Rockets squad this year. 

“Sterling was actually the one who broke my finger,” Tate said. “He got some big ol’ hands. I always give him mess for that. It’s crazy how it’s come full circle and we’re all here.”

Houston General Manager Rafael Stone is tasked with rebuilding the Rockets back into a perennial playoff team, and all four former Bucks Summer League players showed glimpses this season that they may be around for the long haul. Tate seems like a no-brainer to be in that mix. 

Rockets coach Stephen Silas used Tate all over the court on both ends, which is a luxury few coaches have in the league. He found himself matched up with just about every superstar the league has to offer and even put potential league MVP Nikola Jokic into the hoop during the preseason.  

“I’m just a competitor,” said Tate, who posted a season-high 25 points in a late March game against the Atlanta Hawks. “I take things very personal. I take my matchups very personal and trying to win games very personal. Like I’ve been saying since high school, I’m trying to prove myself right and ultimately that proves the non-believers wrong. I feel comfortable with being that underdog or people telling me it can’t happen. It just makes me more competitive.”

Any fan of the game who watched Tate throughout his career at Ohio State was well aware of what he brings to the court. ‘Energy guy’ is somewhat of a backhanded of a label for a hooper because it implies they may not have as much skill as others. Make no mistake, Tate is skilled with the rock in his hands both with handle and passing ability to complement his prowess scoring around the rim. His three-point shooting remains the biggest area for improvement, as he shot 30% from downtown this season. His competitiveness will definitely inspire him to be better next year in that regard. 

Every time he steps on the court, he seizes the opportunity to announce his presence. It’s the same way his professional career started in Belgium. 

“I was getting antsy because it was late in the process,” said Tate of the time period after he broke his finger during August and September. “I had an offer in Israel’s second division, and I thought I’d have to take that because I didn’t have many other offers. Belgium came out of the blue. I went to go see the Jay Z and Beyonce concert in Buffalo, and they called me that I could come out for a try out but I’d have to leave that weekend. I didn’t get to say goodbye to anyone, I just had to go with what I had.”

With barely two weeks to practice, and no belongings, he joined Antwerp in hopes of getting them in that league’s Champion’s Cup for the first time. 

“I played my butt off,” Tate said. “I averaged 19 and 9 or something like that in the qualifying rounds, so they kept me. We won the Cup and got to host the Final Four.”

After endearing himself to the fans there, he became a fan favorite as part of the NBL’s Sydney Kings the following season for the same reasons Rockets fans fell in love with Tate as soon as they got to see what he brings to a team. 

With the Covid pandemic restricting fans in the arena, it seems like fans will be allowed back into arenas during the 2021-22 season. Tate can’t wait. 

“I think that’s a really important piece of the game that’s been missing,” Tate said. “There’s no way to simulate an atmosphere of fans in an arena. It’s kind of weird because it’s become more normal to not have fans. Even when there are a couple people in the crowd it really does make a big difference. I’m looking forward to when we can get back to regular basketball where fans can be a part of it. They have a huge impact on games and feeding teams energy.”

Be on notice, Tate will be bringing the noise for many years to come and be a primary reason the Toyota Center is rocking again.  

The post Jae’Sean Tate is Ready to Bring the Noise to Houston appeared first on SLAM.

They’ve also heard all the jokes about the Cavaliers being the first No. 1 seed to get bounced in the first round of the NCAA Tournament a year prior. Hunter heard them, too, unable to help his squad as a former redshirt freshman who became the ACC’s Sixth Man of the Year, because he was sidelined with an injured wrist.

“It taught me a lot,” Hunter says. “I knew my role would increase. So I knew I had to do everything I could to perfect my game to be the best player my team needed.”

Mission accomplished. 

He averaged 15.2 points per game and 5.1 boards, and locked up just about any position on the floor defensively on his way to First Team All-ACC and ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors. He capped the season with a career-high 27 points in the national title game—including big shot after big shot—and put the cuffs on Texas Tech star Jarrett Culver. 

The Cavaliers’ notoriously slow, continuous pace on offense, and defensive connectedness and stinginess, is conducive to winning ball games and titles, but not great for gaudy individual numbers.  So Dre sacrificed stats for a ‘chip the last two seasons, but wound up with both during his final collegiate game. 

“I remember (Villanova’s) Donte (DiVincenzo) going crazy in their championship, and it seemed so far away at the time,” says Hunter, a native of Philadelphia, where he attended Friends’ Central School. “I thought about how amazing it would be to be on that stage with all those people in the stadium. So just to be there, and then to win it was a surreal feeling.”

Standing on the podium next to Jim Nantz as the star of the national championship game must have seemed like a pipe dream when Hunter was 16. He began to garner interest from local Division I schools like Temple and LaSalle during the summer going into his sophomore year of high school, but a broken leg wiped out his ensuing season. 

“It was definitely a big setback for me,” Hunter says. “My coach told me a few schools were starting to look at me, so when I broke my leg I thought that maybe that would go away because I didn’t play, and I knew other guys would have a chance to do things I couldn’t.”

By the time Hunter hit the circuit after his junior season of high school, he was back to killing, but still under-the-radar relative to most future lotto picks—both in terms of offers and the arbitrary rankings college fans love to check.  

In fact, UVA didn’t even get into the mix until Hunter’s last tournament on the circuit in front of coaches—the Fab 48 in Las Vegas. Virginia associate head coach Jason Williford remembers head coach Tony Bennett saying, We have to have him, that’s our guy, during that tournament. The rest is history. 

The decision to redshirt came about shortly before Hunter’s freshman season, when it was evident he wasn’t going to be guaranteed a spot in the rotation. Williford, who played at UVA before graduating in 1995, told Hunter that he regretted not redshirting, having logged a total of only 36 minutes his freshman year. Though Hunter was disappointed at first, like any hooper being told they aren’t going to play would be, he dove headfirst into acclimating himself to the Cavaliers’ system, strength program and the overall physicality of DI college hoops at practice.  

Biding his time until it was his turn was nothing new for Hunter. 

“Every time we put him in one-on-one drills, to be honest…” Williford explains. “It’d be one-on-one with guards, or one-on-one with some of the bigger and more versatile forwards, in those settings, we felt like we couldn’t wait to have that guy. He could score the rock.

“Then every time we put him in on defense, and he’d have to guard multiple spots, he was staying in front of guards and wings. He just kept getting better over time and we knew we had a good one.”

All 2018-19 season, Hunter proved to be a killer from the high post, either facing up and draining jumpers from the elbow or getting by his man off the dribble and finishing at the rim. His length, athleticism, skill and feel allow him to excel in any offensive situation. He’s equally versatile and prolific on the defensive end as well. 

That is the recipe for a lottery pick, which Hunter should be in June. 

Williford has high expectations for Hunter in the League, mentioning his ability to adapt to whatever role a coach needs him to play on the court.

“At the next level where the floor is spaced a little more, and the defenses can’t pack in like they do in college, I think you’ll see more to his game,” Williford adds. “In the summer the guys would tell us all the time how unbelievable he is when they play pickup. Obviously when they’re playing pickup there’s no coaches around, so they aren’t playing our pack-line defense.”

You can expect to see more of Hunter’s playmaking arsenal on display in the NBA. You can also expect him to make an immediate impact wherever he lands. 

“I’m eager to showcase my full game,” says Hunter, who declared for the draft a week after winning the title. “I can do a lot more than I showed at UVA. There were flashes at times but I can dribble, shoot off the dribble do things people think I can’t do.

“I think my defense will help me a lot (in the NBA), and my versatility overall. I feel like there isn’t one thing on the court I can’t do. I think any team would need that. I think that will all translate just fine.”

For someone who missed his entire sophomore season of high school ball with a broken leg and didn’t know if he’d garner major Division I interest, and as someone who entered college without any draft hype, Hunter is used to his game speak for itself. 

“I definitely felt like I was overlooked and felt like I was just as good as the top guys in the country,” Hunter says. “My coaches have always believed in me, and I worked hard to have a chance to be one of those guys. I feel like in the end, it’s worked out perfectly.”

The days of overlooking De’Andre Hunter on the court are officially over.

—

Danny Hazan is a contributor to SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @groovedh. 

Photos via Getty.

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He was always ahead of his time.

After Magic Johnson retired, and the revolutionary Showtime era was officially over with, the Lakers selected Van Exel out of the University of Cincinnati in the second round (37th overall) of the 1993 draft. The 6-1 lefty had just guided the Bearcats to a Final Four, so it didn’t take him long to bring a winning pedigree to the League.

But Nick the Quick brought a lot more than dubs, even though it only took him until his second year to help get the Lakers back in the postseason.

Playing in an era defined by classic one-through-five position labels, Van Exel may have been the size of a prototypical point guard, but his game should not be defined as such. Setting open teammates up with a pocket pass or a flashy no-look dime was a big part of what made him great, yet his creativity with the ball in his hands made him one of a kind.

An electric scorer who could finish above the rim just as easily as he could shake someone down and pull up from 25-feet, Van Exel often shadowboxed his way down court after a highlight play. Throughout his 13 years in the NBA, another Van Exel signature was his unorthodox approach to free-throws – standing about two feet behind the line.

Van Exel appeared in one All-Star game (1998) before getting traded to Denver the ensuing offseason. He also played in Dallas, San Antonio, Portland, and Golden State prior to hanging up his sneakers.

For most of his career, Van Exel had a penchant for big time scoring outputs in the postseason, as well as a flair for the dramatic with a handful of game-winners on his resume.

As father time started to diminish some of his athleticism, Van Exel found plenty of success posting dudes up while remaining a threat from downtown. Simply put, there wasn’t anything Nick The Quick couldn’t do offensively, posting career numbers of 14.4 points and 6.6 assists.

Since retiring in 2006, Van Exel has been making his way up the coaching ranks. His first stop was at Texas Southern, then he landed assistant gigs with the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks. He was the head coach of the G-League’s Texas Legends in 2015, and has been an assistant for the Memphis Grizzlies ever since.

For kids who grew up in the Midwest during the early and mid 1990s, before the AAU boom, the program Small Fry was the circuit for serious hoopers aged 9-14. Small Fry’s prized alumni they sold to kids coming up? Nick Van Exel (Kenosha Small Fry).

For a dude who only made one All-Star game, didn’t win a title and most likely won’t be inducted into the Hall of Fame, he’s got current NBA players rocking his jersey and constantly sharing his highlights.

. https://t.co/hdP1K0mSk5

— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 5, 2018

As the game has evolved and all these combo guards have come into – and flourished – in the League, we still haven’t seen one who has got Nick Van Exel’s game. Some might be lefties with a cannon, some might rock a headband, but there won’t be another Nick The Quick. It doesn’t get much more legendary than that.

—

Danny Hazan is a contributor to SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @groovedh. 

Photos via Getty.

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As he embarks on his sixth year with the New Orleans Pelicans–and at just 24 years old–Davis has already made four All-Star Games (earned MVP in last year’s game) and two All-NBA First Teams. He carried the Pelicans to a 45-37 record, and a playoff berth, during a dominant 2014-15 campaign and ascended to No. 2 on the #SLAMTop50 heading into the next season.

He checked in at No. 6 prior to last year, and is down a couple slots to No. 8 this time around. Don’t get it twisted, it’s not as if he’s regressed as a player—he’s gotten better each year. Ant averaged career highs in points (28.0) and rebounds (11.8), while blocking 2.2 shots per game a while earning All-Defensive Second Team honors for the second time in his career last season. So why the dip in ranking?

The Pelicans have made only one postseason appearance during his young career, and the eventual champion Golden State Warriors swept them in the first round.

Last year the Pelicans were never serious playoff contenders, finished 34-48 but made major waves at the trade deadline by acquiring three-time All Star center DeMarcus Cousins. New Orleans went 10-12 with the twin towers on the court together.

One-time All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday re-upped with the Pelicans through 2021, and Rajon Rondo signed for one year to try and help New Orleans feed both Davis and Cousins. With a full offseason and preseason to try and figure out a winning mix on the court, expectations are tricky because the West is absolutely loaded. Though the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers could potentially take a step back from last season, the Timberwolves, Thunder, Nuggets, Grizzlies, and Blazers all figure to be squarely in the mix for one of the eight postseason slots along with the Warriors, Spurs and Rockets as well.

Davis has added wrinkles to his offensive game each season, making him a challenger for the League’s scoring title every season from here on out. If he and Boogie develop a two-man game, as each are capable passers, the League is going to have a hard time slowing them down.

If you take a gander at Davis’ game log from last season, there are countless holy shit stat lines. In case you forgot, you’d have to remove your jaw from the floor when you remembered he posted a 50-point, 16-rebound, 7-steal, 5-assist, 4-block line on opening night. The ability to completely own a game on either end of the court makes Davis a perennial All Star. Compound that with the fact he has been the main focus of the opposition’s defense every night without any killers on the wings, you’d be hard pressed to find any real holes in his game.

Though predicting success for New Orleans as a squad is fuzzy at the moment, you can expect Davis to continue to show out with silly statistical performances.

The Pelicans lack depth but boast two of the best frontcourt players in the world. They have a couple guards who have both been All Stars at various points in their careers. But in order for Davis to earn superstar status, and enter back into the conversation as best player in the league, wins and playoff runs are going to have to follow the stats.

For someone who has garnered as many accolades as he has this early in his career, Davis still has plenty to prove. That is even scarier than the numbers he does in the box score.

The post SLAM Top 50: Anthony Davis, No. 8 appeared first on SLAM.

But he found out how much can change in just a few months.

Hagans was named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution 2nd Team All-State squad after helping guide Newton to the Class 7A Elite Eight, and then took the grassroots scene by storm this past spring and summer running with Game Elite on Adidas’ circuit.

On the heels of a monster July, in which Hagans collected offers from just about every big time program except Duke and Kentucky, he decided to stay put at Newton.

“After this summer, my goal was to get into the top 25 and I did that, so I felt like there was no point in me going to Oak Hill anymore,” Hagans says. “I’d rather stay and just take over Atlanta.”

“I’m happy to take a big role this year,” he adds about the upcoming high school season. “I’m trying to build a better relationship with my coach this year so we can go farther. A lot of the guys on the team played J.V. last year, so we’re just trying to find a groove right now.”

As the national scouting services released their post-summer rankings, Hagans found himself ranked #5 overall in the Class of 2019 by Scout, #6 on Rivals, and #19 on ESPN.

While he participates in open gyms with his high school squad, schools that have offered him and schools that are close to offering, such as Kentucky, have been filing in. The Wildcats reportedly had an assistant stop by on Wednesday. Baylor and Florida, both of which have offered, also paid a visit this week.

“We sit down and talk for a long time,” Hagans says. “I am getting used to them. We are building a relationship, and they talk about what they would love to see me improve and what they like about my game.”

Getting up at the crack of dawn to get shots up in the gym in order to improve his jumper, both from midrange and out to the three-point line, has been Hagans’ main focus. As his game stands now, he combines a ferocious disposition on the court with a nasty handle, great vision and passing ability. He is also dangerous getting into the lane and finishing at the rim.

Even though he is working on becoming a more well-rounded offensive player, and more of a scoring threat from the perimeter, make no mistake about how Hagans defines himself as a player – he’s a floor general.

“I like to win,” he says. “I know if I have a shooter on my team, I couldn’t care less about scoring. I love giving the ball up, and sharing it with my teammates. That’s all I’m about. It comes natural.”

His competitiveness on the court, potential to lock down the opposing point guard on defense and his ability to distribute the ball on offense has caught the attention of every program in the NCAA. Add on the fact that he’s now a consensus five-star recruit, Hagans focus is back on trying to dominate the high school scene at home in Atlanta – the city he feels has the best talent in the country.

“I see us at the top,” Hagans said. “Atlanta’s got some real dogs. New York tries to be cute, you know with the Jelly stuff. They try to be too fancy. Atlanta’s just straight dogs.”

The post Change of Plans appeared first on SLAM.

It’s hard because in today’s NBA any 50 of the names (sans a few) you’ve seen on this list, and many who were left off, could reasonably be swapped.

The Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin is entering his eighth season in the League, and checks in at number 20—down from 14 on last year’s SLAM Top 50. The fact that I would have had him ranked closer to 10 than 20 speaks to how difficult it is trying to rank the best of the best in the top hoops league in the world.

When Blake is right physically, which has been an issue that has hampered him throughout his career, he is capable of being the most impactful player on the court—regardless of who else is playing.

The 6-10 power forward made a splash in the League immediately with his explosive athleticism, but the continual polishing of his overall skillset has helped him become a five-time NBA All-Star. Despite sustaining a season-ending plantar plate injury in his foot during Game 4 of the Clippers’ first round playoff exit againstthe Jazz, L.A. made sure they kept their franchise player in town by re-signing him to a 5-year, $173 million deal.

Though Chris Paul departed for Houston in one of the offseason’s trades, don’t expect the Clippers to be anywhere close to a rebuild. Griffin is reportedly expected to be ready to roll by December following surgery in May, and Danilo Gallinari has had injuries plague his career as well. Assuming they’re both on the court and healthy for at least three quarters of the season, expect the Clippers to be safely in the playoffs.

For his career, Griffin boasts a scoring average of 21.5 points per game along with 9.4 boards and 4.1 assists while shooting 52 percent from the floor. While it could take time for him to mesh with new point guards Milos Teodosic and Pat Beverly, Griffin proved himself a monster when everything ran through him when Chris Paul missed games.

Griffin has become one of the toughest covers in the League because he can consistently knock in an 18-footer now. If his defender takes that away, his ability to drive and finish is as good as any big in the League. His passing ability is also tops among those categorized as a big, and he’s developed a devastating chemistry with DeAndre Jordan over the course of their seven seasons together in L.A. Griffin’s mix of power and finesse is rare, and with seven seasons of experience under his belt to sprinkle on top, he has the tools to dominate any game he plays in.

The questions revolving around his health and ability to get into a groove with the new-look Clippers will linger until he gets back onto the court. Assuming he does return as the Blake we’ve come to know, the only question that will remain is how far can he carry the Clippers now that it is his show?

Previous Rankings:
2016: No. 14
2015: No. 8
2014: No. 8
2013: No. 17

Rankings are based on expected contribution in 2017-18—to players’ team, the NBA and the game.

No. 50 – Dion Waiters
No. 49 – Ben Simmons 
No. 48 – Brook Lopez
No. 47 — Harrison Barnes
No. 46 — Jrue Holiday
No. 45 — Lonzo Ball
No. 44 — Myles Turner
No. 43 — Goran Dragic
No. 42 — Andre Drummond
No. 41 — Al Horford
No. 40 — LaMarcus Aldridge
No. 39 — Kevin Love
No. 38 — Paul Millsap
No. 37 — Hassan Whiteside
No. 36 — Andrew Wiggins
No. 35 — Marc Gasol
No. 34 – DeAndre Jordan
No. 33 — Bradley Beal
No. 32 — Kemba Walker
No. 31 — CJ McCollum
No. 30 — Devin Booker
No. 29 — Nikola Jokic
No. 28 — Joel Embiid
No. 27 — Mike Conley 
No. 26 — Kyle Lowry
No. 25 — Rudy Gobert
No. 24 — Gordon Hayward
No. 23 — Kristaps Porzingis
No. 22 — Carmelo Anthony
No. 21 — DeMar DeRozan

The post SLAM Top 50: Blake Griffin, No. 20 appeared first on SLAM.

Team Harris, the AAU squad he sponsors, dropped a heartbreaker to Dream Vision in a game with at least eight high major Division I prospects on the floor at the NY2LA Sports Summer Jam. And after the game he was buzzing like all the other onlookers in the gym.

“That’s fun, especially games like that,” Harris said. “Win or lose, it’s fun to see both teams competing.”

Now in its third year in existence, the Indiana-based Team Harris program touts a pair of high-major Class of 2018 studs in Aaron Henry (6-6, SG, Ben Davis HS) and Eric Hunter (6-2, PG, Charles A Tindley Accelerated HS). Of the 10 players on the squad, only two attend the same high school.

Though he’s only 22, Harris already has two years at Michigan State and three years in the League under his belt. So the nostalgia hit him like a ton of bricks in Milwaukee.

“I remember this tournament,” said Harris of the Summer Jam. “It was fun. AAU was so fun. A lot of us guys in the NBA now still miss AAU, especially the friends with played with and the times we had.”

While traveling the country and playing basketball with peers he normally didn’t get to chill or play with during the school year was a big part of his experience, he said the inspiration to start his own club team was simple. Harris also offers advice about the process whenever it is needed.

“The goal is always to get college scholarships,” Harris says. “It starts at a young age, going into your freshman year of high school and then it just gets more serious as you progress.

“At the end of the day it’s all about getting a free education,” he continues. “A lot of the rankings don’t matter once you get to college. All that goes out the window. There are guys who were ranked high who don’t make it [to the NBA], and there’s guys who weren’t ranked who end up in the NBA. So I try to tell them it’s about getting a free education, then once you get there – working and making the most of it.”

One thing that hasn’t changed for Harris from his days on the AAU circuit is trying to prove something when he’s on the court. He figures to be a key member of the Nuggets backcourt for this season, when they will try to make the playoffs for the first time since 2013. With anticipation of the Western Conference being as strong as ever, Harris says Denver is chomping at the bit to see how it stacks up.

“We’re looking forward to getting back to training camp to get back to working,” said Harris, who had career best averages of 15 points per game on 50 percent shooting from the field a season ago. “The West will be tough but we’ll be ready for the challenge. We know we’re a good team so it’s about us going out there and proving it.”

Photo Credit: Leon Threat/@ThreatHoops & www.ThreatHoops.com

The post Team Harris Finds Biggest Fan in Milwaukee appeared first on SLAM.

Playing up an age group, the Georgia-based squad rocks with perimeter talent to rival anyone they face.

Class of 2019 studs Ashton Hagans (#2 above), Josh Nickelberry (#20 above) and Christian Brown (#3 above) play the one, two and three, respectively, and each complement one another by bringing something totally unique to the court.

However, one thing remains the same amongst the trio.

“We just kill, that’s our mindset,” Hagans (below) says.

Hagans, a 6-4 five-star point guard from Newton HS (Covington, GA), is the head of the attack with the 6-4 shooting guard Nickelberry (Oak Hill Academy; Eastover, NC) and the 6-6 five-star small forward Brown (AC Flora HS; Hopkins, SC) on the wings.

With unique size and strength for the point guard position, Hagans utilizes a tight handle with a fearless disposition on the court to attack defenses by getting into the lane seemingly at will. His vision and passing ability seem innate. All that combined make him one of the top point guards in the class of 2019, and highly coveted by big time programs.

Hagans says he isn’t as focused on which schools are in the stands since he’s been getting recruited since ninth grade. Instead he wants to improve his midrange and three-point shot to make him a more complete player. For now, he’s happy just spreading the wealth to his running mates.

“Really, I have the same mindset every tournament,” Hagans says. “I want to come play and get my teammates involved.”

Getting Nickelberry and Brown rolling, along with high major teammates like Jaykwon Walton or C.J. Walker, was key for Game Elite’s early success at the Summer Jam. In their debut against CIA Bounce, Nickelberry put on a show from three-point land and in transition while Brown wowed the crowd with his aerial assault on the rims.

Game Elite fell late in the playoffs after Nickelberry broke a finger and had to miss the remainder of the game, but not after he had showed out a couple times in front of UNC head coach Roy Williams – who has been recruiting him heavily.

Brown is one of the most explosive athletes in the prep hoops ranks, and is a highlight waiting to happen in transition. He said his favorite player is LeBron James, and had a few LeBron-esque chase down blocks on fast breaks. While he did make some shots from the perimeter, shooting is clearly the one area he has the most room to improve. Defensively he can guard anyone on the perimeter.

Much like Hagans, Brown (below) knows there’s still plenty of work to do in order to take his game to the level he aspires to.

“People say my skill set needs to match with my athleticism, so I want to work on my ball-handling and my dribble pull-ups,” Brown says. “I have to slow the ball down some times and have a better basketball IQ.”

Brown is still relatively raw because he categorized himself as a receiver and defensive end up until the sixth grade when he started to take hoops seriously. Despite a rocky start on the hardwood, he found his groove and has quickly ascended into one of the best prospects in the Class of 2019.

“I started playing center, and I wasn’t good at it,” Brown says with a smile. “Then I went from that to a shooting guard and small forward after being in the gym non-stop. I was unranked and unknown, then I got ranked in the top 10 or 15 and got over 20 [scholarship] offers. It’s all just a blessing.

“For me, I think about it every day that I never thought all this would come. I love my mom, who’s a single mother, and I love my sister. So with all this coming on, I just never thought it’d be like this.”

His dedication to the sport turned his early dreams to reality, and this past June it hit him like a ton of bricks.

“I was at the NBPA Top 100 camp on June 15th when the coaches could start contacting me, my phone was blowing up,” Brown says. “It was exciting to just hear from coaches who are Hall of Famers and stuff like that. They’re coaches and teams you look up to growing up, so when they started calling me that’s when I knew it was real.”

While Nickelberry will miss the remainder of the summer circuit with a broken finger, Hagans, Brown and the rest of Game Elite 2019 will take their road show to Vegas this week. If the three-headed monster remains intact next spring and summer, and they continue to work towards the improvements they’ve identified, they will be of high priority to high major programs attending AAU games.

For basketball fans, they will have plenty of chances to see their talents on display long after next year’s club circuit.

(Photos courtesy of Todd Burandt/adidas)

The post Triple Trouble appeared first on SLAM.

With over 1,500 coaches in the bleachers during the NCAA live evaluation period throughout the tournament, and just about every high major program represented by a head or assistant coach, high school players had a chance to prove themselves against other high level prospects from across the United States, Canada and Australia.

Burlington, Ontario native Simi Shittu plays his prep ball at Vermont Academy and was one of the highest rated prospects in attendance at the Summer Jam running with CIA Bounce. Shittu has been on the radar since earning MVP honors at a freshmen All-American camp and has been improving ever since.

A 6-9 face-up four, with the skill and athleticism to potentially play on the wing, all the national recruiting analysts rank Shittu among the top 10 prospects in the Class of 2018 but that hasn’t made him complacent.

“I’m always motivated, I feel like I’m still an underdog in my class,” Shittu says. “I play hard and with a chip on my shoulder, and try to prove I’m the best.”

Shittu said he and his trainer back in Canada tinkered with the mechanics on his shooting form a little less than a month ago in hopes of developing the consistency of becoming a threat from the perimeter. He also said he’s been working on his handle to make him even more dynamic.

At the Summer Jam, Shittu’s big time finishing ability above the rim was on display along with his presence defensively. One of the more impressive aspects of Shittu’s game is his passing ability and he was able to deliver plenty of passes for easy layups out of double teams or when the defense collapsed on his drives into the lane. He feels that has been his most valuable assets as a player up to this point in his career.

“Just making plays catching the ball in the high post, or coming off screens, is where I think I can be successful,” Shittu says. “My coach (at Vermont Academy) plays me at every position.”

Shittu showed out at the NBPA Top 100 Camp in June, and though his offer list is lengthy he says he is still hoping to get an offer from UNC, Duke, Kansas and Kentucky. As he works to sharpen his skill set, he said his hope of getting official offers from the aforementioned blue bloods will give him an even wider scope of opportunities to play at the next level.

“I’m open to anything right now,” Shittu (below) says. “A lot of schools have been talking to me. After this summer, I’ll sit down with my parents and discuss the future, and probably cut the list.”

His versatility on both ends has the potential to be game-changing the day he sets foot on whichever campus he chooses, so it’s no wonder all of his suitors are eagerly awaiting his decision.

DREAM VISION DOMINATES

California-based Dream Vision has long been one of the top club programs across the country, and one of the best competing in the Adidas Gauntlet. At the Summer Jam, Dream Vision didn’t leave any doubt that they were the best program in attendance as their 16U and 17U squads both captured championships in their respective loaded divisions. The 15U team fell to the Wisconsin Playground Warriors in the championship.

The 17U squad’s title run was led by recent USC pledge J’Raan Brooks (6-8, PF, Garfield HS), Class of 2020 five-star guard and ASU commit Kyree Walker (6-6, SG, Moreau Catholic HS), Matt Mitchell (6-6, SG/SF, Roosevelt HS), Class of 2019 floor general Pierre Crockrell (6-0, PG, Prolific Prep) and Bryce Penn-Johnson (7-0, C, Coronado HS).

All five players are clearly high major talents, but Penn-Johnson showed glimpses of why he could have the highest upside of any center in the Class of 2018. The lefty is long, bouncy and a fluid athlete but still developing offensively. He showed off a smooth baby hook over his right shoulder plenty of times throughout the Summer Jam, but was also inconsistent at times scoring when he caught the ball in the paint. If he develops consistency with a few post moves, he could end up being a scary prospect.

Walker is a highlight waiting to happen almost any time he touches the ball. He scored from all three levels on the court during the Summer Jam, and plays with an attitude in which he doesn’t back down from anyone. Consistency with his perimeter shooting along with some decision making on the offensive end are two areas of growth for him, but when you remember he’s a member of the Class of 2020 there isn’t much else to do besides shake your head in amazement.

Dream Vision’s 16U team was led to the ‘chip by Class of 2019 prospects Max Agbonkpolo (6-8, SG/SF, Santa Margarita HS), Julien Franklin (6-6, SG, Villa Park HS), Jake Kyman (6-7, SG/SF, Santa Margarita HS) and Alimamy Koroma (6-8, PF, Napa Christian). Each of those players already has mid to high major offers, and each figure to see their recruitments continue to pick up momentum over the next two years.

However, two members of Dream Vision’s 16U team who were integral to their success at the Summer Jam and could become high major recruits are Sava Dukic (6-2, PG, San Gabriel) and Jonathan Salazar (6-6, SF/PF, Trinity HS (Las Vegas).

Dukic claimed some interest from schools in the Big Sky conference, but was one of the steadiest point guards at the Summer Jam regardless of class. His vision, passing ability and general leadership on the court is prototypical for what a coach seeks in a point guard. But he also showed the ability to knock down shots from the perimeter, and utilized a slick handle to drive through the defense in a half court setting and finish around the cup or drop off a dime. With a willingness to guard on the defensive end and quick feet, Dukic has the total package and is primed to see his recruitment pick up major steam.

Simply put, there wasn’t a player that we saw at the Summer Jam that played with the ferocity or relentless motor that Salazar displayed. Depending on who’s evaluating, he may be categorized as an undersized power forward or center. He did knock down some shots from the perimeter and has plenty of room to improve upon his handle, but the bottom line is Salazar is just a hooper. He has a football player’s build, but plenty of bounce and finished above the rim violently many times throughout the tourney.

One name to remember from the Summer Jam is Dream Vision 15U’s Pape Cisse (6-8, SF/PF, Fairmont). Listed as a member of the Class of 2021, Cisse oozed potential of a big time prospect. With so much time for him to develop physically and from a skill standpoint, it is nearly impossible to project what he will look like as a player in a few years. But it is safe to assume he will be highly sought after by plenty of high major programs.

OTHER BIG TIME PERFORMERS
(listed alphabetically)

Harlond Beverly – Class of 2019 – 6-4, PG
Already fielding tons of mid-major Division I interest, and with a handful of offers already, Beverly is on the cusp of garnering scholarship offers from high major programs after his performance at the Summer Jam. Beverly (Southfield Christian; Farmington Hills, MI) was the engine that drove REACH Legends to a runner up finish in the loaded 16U Platinum Division. His size and athleticism is scary for a point guard, but his great handle and crossover combined with his ability to make plays going to both his right and left is what makes him such a handful to guard. He’s got a funky release on his shot, but he drained more than enough three-pointers when given the chance to show he needs to be guarded closely beyond the arc.

DJ Carton – Class of 2019 – 6-2, PG
Perhaps no guard in the Midwest has enjoyed a breakout spring and summer like Carton has running with Quad City Elite. The athletic lefty from Bettendorf HS (Davenport, IA) has an excellent feel for a point guard and plenty of room to continue expanding his range to become even more dangerous on the offensive end of the floor. He also was great defensively at the Summer Jam, showed a willingness to rebound that is rare for his position and proved himself as a high major talent against other highly ranked prospects. Already sporting high major offers from Wisconsin and Marquette entering the Summer Jam, Carton picked up offers from Creighton, Iowa and Minnesota during the Summer Jam this week.

Tyler Herro – Class of 2018 – 6-4, SG
The Wisconsin-bound guard was one of the most potent scorers at the Summer Jam, and guided Playground Elite EYBL to the championship game before falling to Dreamvision. Herro (Whitnall HS; Greenfield, WI) is just about back to full strength following surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus last winter, and showed the ability to get a good shot off the dribble against any defender who tried to put the clamps on him. He’s got as well-rounded of an offensive arsenal as you will find in the prep ranks, and has been making his case as a McDonald’s All-American candidate in July.

Khalil Whitney – Class of 2019 – 6-7, SG/SF
If Whitney shoots the rock from three-point land like he did during the Mac Irvin Fire’s three games at the Summer Jam, he figures to see his list of high major offers explode. With great looking form, a quick release and nice rotation on the ball, Whitney has all the tools to be a sniper from distance. The Roselle Catholic (NJ) product recently picked up an offer from Georgia Tech after his performance at the Summer Jam and already has offers from the Illini, Kansas and Syracuse among others. His athleticism allows him to be an effective slasher off the ball and if he can prove to be a versatile defender on the perimeter he should have his pick of the litter by the time he’s ready to make his college choice.

(Photo credit: Leon Threat/@ThreatHoops www.ThreatHoops.com)

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Once a familiar name solely among recruiting junkies in the Wisconsin area, Herro’s emergence into one of the best shooting guards in the high school national ranks derives from lofty goals and subsequent dedication in the gym.

Herro is a rangy 6-4 guard with skills and athleticism that allow him to sling buckets from all three levels of the court, including above the rim. However, few if any of his peers in high school can match his scoring ability or bag of tricks from mid-range.

“I was more of just a shooter,” says Herro. “I kind of evolved from a spot up shooter to being able to bring up the ball, and get to my spots in the midrange and knock down shots. It came from countless hours in the gym. It’s something I take pride in now.”

“When I was playing against high level players, I didn’t really stand out,” he adds. “I had to do something to be able to stand out. Now that I can consistently hit from the mid-range that’s kind of what I’m known for.”

Following an impressive sophomore campaign for Whitnall in which he averaged 24 points per game, Herro continued to light up the club circuit during the spring and summer. So, offers from a bevy of high major programs including Arizona and Indiana, along with interest from Kansas and North Carolina poured in.

But despite the opportunities to play all over the country, Herro committed to stay local and play at Wisconsin last fall. Having seen former ‘Sconnies who were big time national recruits like Sam Dekker and Bronson Koenig stay home to play for the Badgers, and help guide them to unprecedented success in the program, Herro wanted to help continue that tradition.

“I don’t think if Dekker and Bronson made the impact they did on Wisconsin, I don’t think I would’ve committed as early as I did,” Herro said. “I don’t even think I probably would’ve [committed] to Wisconsin. Just the tradition they left there with two Final Fours and Sweet 16s basically every year is something I want to do and follow in their footsteps.”

Shortly after his commitment, Herro began his junior year of high school ball with some knee pain and decided to shut his season down just a dozen games in after doctors informed him he’d need surgery on his left knee to repair a partially torn meniscus.

Though he potentially could have delayed the surgery until after the season, running with Playground Elite in Nike’s EYBL this spring and summer was key for him in fulfilling another goal he has set for himself.

“I could have either waited until the end of the high school season, or did it how I did so I could be back for AAU,” Herro said. “I thought that the AAU spring and summer would be more important for me to reach my goal of being a McDonald’s All American.”

With many members of the McDonald’s All-American Game selection committee using what they see at big club tournaments throughout the spring and summer to make their decisions on how they rank those worthy to be in the game, Herro has been back on the court auditioning himself to be one of the 24 selected for the prestigious showcase.

Playground Elite had a rough go of it in the win-loss column during the EYBL, but Herro has been showing out individually. Whether it be dropping threes off the dribble as well as off the catch, utilizing his continually expanding midrange game or finishing at or above the rim on dribble-drives, Herro has been working towards becoming one of the most offensively gifted guards in the country.

He says he feels like he’s back to being fully healthy, and has shaken off all the rust from his time on the shelf. With the NY2LA Sports Summer Jam this past week and then his final run on the club circuit in Vegas the following week, Herro will continue to try and burn himself into the memories of the McDonald’s All-American Game selection committee.

Regardless of whether he winds up making the game or not, he says he’ll be working tirelessly towards another goal he has set over the last couple years since emerging onto the national scene.

“I’m going to college so I can make it to the NBA,” Herro said. “So once I get to [Wisconsin], I’m not going to be content with just playing basketball. I want to make a statement and eventually make it to the League. That’s my main goal.”

(Photo credits: Kelly Kline/Under Armour) 

The post Homegrown appeared first on SLAM.

NBA big men like Karl-Anthony Towns, Thon Maker, Jahlil Okafor, Myles Turner, Mitch McGary and many more have all showed out at the Summer Jam during their respective high school days.

This past Wednesday and Thursday, Team Loaded VA’s David McCormack and Armando Bacot played like they’re determined to add their name to that list.

Team Loaded VA won all three of its showcase games, and the duo’s rebounding dominance and overall presence in the paint was a primary reason why.

McCormack (below), who attends national powerhouse Oak Hill Academy, is one of the most sought after centers in the Class of 2018 and it was easy to see why at the Summer Jam despite him not having any eye-popping scoring outputs. Due to the up and down nature of many club basketball games, sometimes those who bang in the post and rely on paint touches get lost in the shuffle for stretches.

“That goes for any big man. Unfortunately we can’t bring the ball up the court,” McCormack adds with a sly smile. “We depend on the guards to feed us the ball. At the same time, someone once told me that I could control how many points I get because guards won’t make every shot. So it depends on how hard I work on the offensive boards to get my own points. I took that to heart, and now I know I gotta stay on the glass and now it’s my bread and butter.”

Standing 6-10, McCormack moves really well for his big frame and his motor didn’t seem to shut off during his time in Milwaukee at the Summer Jam. And that is by design.

“Recently I dropped 40 pounds, but when I was 15 I started to pick up offers it hit me that if I actually worked hard at this I could go far,” McCormack said. “Once the offers started to pick up and I saw the development in my game, I knew if my work ethic met up with my determination then the sky is the limit.

“My motto is don’t get outworked, that’s just what I do. I don’t get outworked. I fight for every rebound, every loose ball and every basket. I do things some bigs don’t want to do as far as setting screens. I’ve just been trying to work on my touch around the rim with both hands, and my midrange.”

McCormack flashed some great moves and nice touch around the cup with both hands, as well as an ability to knock in shots from 10-to-15 feet out. Already an imposing presence defensively in the paint, he has noticed how the game in college and in the NBA has been evolving and is doing his best to adapt now that the days of sticking anyone over 6-10 in the around the blocks and telling them not to drift any further out are well behind us.

“I try to get my coaches to help me work on my lateral movement and my lateral flexibility so I can blitz ball screens or when I just need to hedge and get back. I’m trying to work on my foot speed and footwork,” McCormack says.

The combined package of size, skill, motor and basketball IQ has just about every program recruiting him heavily and he said after his final club hoops game at the end of July he will sit down with his family and begin to figure out where he will play hoops in college.

Bacot (Above), a 6-9 power forward from Trinity Episcopal School (VA), has even more time to sort through all the blue bloods recruiting him heavily. A consensus 5-star recruit, Bacot has watched his phone blow up this past spring when 12 high major offers rolled in and again throughout the summer.

“At the time it was so fun, but now with so many coaches contacting me sometimes it can be overwhelming but I’ve been trying to embrace it,” Bacot said. “I’m not making a decision any time soon. So now I’m just trying to figure out which schools I want to keep a relationship with.”

At the Summer Jam, much like McCormack, Bacot’s opportunities to show off his talent on offense around the hoop was limited compared to what it will look like during his high school season but also like his teammate he was able to make a gigantic impact on the game doing board work.

Bacot was happy enough to be a big part of the reason Team Loaded VA was unbeatable at the Summer Jam. Had he been concerned with just doing numbers, he would have stayed on the 16U level at the Adidas Gauntlet and the other tournaments Team Loaded VA is in.

“I knew if I played 16’s I would’ve dominated, so I just wanted the challenge of playing 17’s,” Bacot says. “Also, playing 17’s, I knew I’d play the four and be able to show more versatility against better competition and hopefully still excel.”

Also like McCormack, Bacot was quick to reply with an answer when asked what he was focused on improving the most to help take his game to even greater heights.

“I’d definitely say my lateral quickness so I could guard any position I can possible,” Bacot says.

As the game of basketball continues to evolve with players 6-10 or bigger being more skilled on the perimeter than they are in the paint, there will always be a need for bigs who can bring the noise on both ends in the paint. If McCormack and Bacot both continue on the trajectory they’ve been on, don’t be surprised if you see both of them donning an NBA jersey at some point in their careers.

(Photo Credit: Leon Threat / www.ThreatHoops.com, adidas) 

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Mac McClung is not like most kids.

The 6-2, Class of 2018 guard from Gate City, Virginia tried playing with some friends on the playground or in driveways growing up, but it wasn’t until seventh grade that he decided he wanted to try his hand at the sport.

As an athlete, McClung considered himself a football player up to that point. But the allure of being a hooper pulled him away from the gridiron.

“Just the whole swag about basketball,” McClung said. “With the kicks, the players and just all the swag that comes with being able to separate yourself with your game is what drew me to it. In seventh grade I told my dad I wanted to be the best I could be, so we’ve been working out two, three times a day ever since. I want to get in the NBA and be a big factor.”

Having NBA dreams isn’t out of the ordinary for a kid who falls in love with the sport. However, work ethic and focus to the point of dedicating just about every second of their leisure time to practice is typically what separates good players from great ones.

Because Gate City High is a relatively small school (enrollment wise) in Virginia, McClung knew he had to prove himself as a total unknown on the club circuit a couple years ago.

As he recalls, while he was warming up before a pickup game the summer after his sophomore year of high school he noticed something totally different: His view of the rim as he was dunking for the first time. Since then, his literal rise hasn’t ceased.

McClung burst onto the radar of high school basketball enthusiasts within the last year as Youtube videos and mixtapes of some jaw-dropping dunks made the rounds on social media. Last summer, mid-major programs began to offer and following another aerial assault on the rims this spring he picked up his first two high-major offers – Rutgers and Georgetown.

Having just wrapped up a successful three-game run with Team Loaded VA at the NY2LA Sports Summer Jam, one of the premier events in July and attended by almost every collegiate program in the country, McClung said he’s now got programs like Marquette, Utah, Gonzaga, Arizona State and Virginia tracking his progress on the court.

Obviously those programs are intrigued by his elite athleticism, but they are more concerned with his overall skill as a guard.

“I don’t want people to think, ‘Oh, he’s just a dunker,’” McClung said. “I want people to know I can play. Legit, I’m doing my best to keep working so I can see how far I can get.”

“I believe I need to keep working on my shooting, and really get that down,” McClung adds. “I drive to the hoop well, and I think I got good moves, but I need to work on my pull-up and three-point shot.”

In Milwaukee, McClung has been showing off his ability to handle, strong drives to the cup as well as his ability to finish in multiple ways at the rim. But he’s also drained some perimeter shots – the part of his game he is still developing. He will have no shortage of eyes on him in the college coaches section as the live evaluation period wraps up.

“It’s so different,” says McClung of playing with such talented teammates, such as high major prospects David McCormack, Armando Bacot, Rasir Bolton and Jairus Hamilton. “I’m just getting used to it. They have to get their shots too because they’re 5-star guys. Back at my place, I have the ball the whole time. It’s making me better because it’s getting me ready for the college experience.”

The rise from a newbie of the sport to a local standout and then national recruit has been rapid. The viral videos of his dunks have helped accelerate his notoriety among hoop fans, but the fact that his mother’s sister has a famous son who is a rapper has also helped some people take notice. Just look at the title of the highlight video above.

Given McClung’s track record of rapid improvement, it is tough to accurately project his ceiling as a player. But it is safe to say he is more than just a dunk phenom. If he gets to where he wants to go, he hopes the other label he’s recently gotten from those who have seen his most recent mixtape will be flipped as well.

“I want Riff Raff to be known as Mac McClung’s cousin,” he said with a laugh.

(Photo Credit: Leon Threat/www.ThreatHoops.com) 

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Now in his second year in Reno, Musselman has put together a squad that currently sits at 19-5, 8-3 in the Mountain West Conference (tied for 1st place) and has its sights set on the Big Dance.

Musselman’s recipe for the early success since taking over a program which had won just nine games during the 2014-15 season, and finished second to last in the league, has been sacrificing depth for talent. Three of the Wolf Pack’s key players this season all sat out last year per NCAA transfer rules, and there are currently four talented transfers from high major programs currently sitting this season out who figure to play primary roles on next year’s squad.

The importance of having an entire team connected both on and off the court as a unit is not lost on Musselman, who coached in the NBA for over a decade before joining the college ranks. Many programs around the country consist mostly of players who were recruited to the team as freshmen, so the makeup of Nevada’s roster is unlike most others. Musselman recounted his playing days at the University of San Diego when the coach who recruited him left and a new coach came in, and there was a feeling of difference throughout the roster depending on which coach had recruited each respective player.

So the concerted effort to ensure that history didn’t repeat itself with the Wolf Pack has had positive early returns.

“We made a big-time effort to really bond last summer,” Musselman said. “We spent a lot of time in Tahoe training and team-bonding. The other night before our home game we all went to a movie. When you’ve been around basketball a long time, you understand the importance of chemistry. I think the number one thing that we have going for us right now is our team chemistry above all else.”

Jordan Caroline (transfer from Southern Illinois), Marcus Marshall (Missouri State) and Leland King II (Brown) all fit well from a chemistry standpoint with the significant contributors from last year’s squad – 6-6 senior shooting guard D.J. Fenner, 6-8 sophomore forward Cam Oliver (above) and 6-4 sophomore point guard Lindsey Drew.

The six main players Musselman leans on this year each bring something different to the court and they all can roll.

Marshall leads the Mountain West in scoring at 21.1 points per game, while Fenner leads the league in three point shooting percentage (48.3) coupled with a sweet midrange pull-up game. Drew tops the assist leaders in conference play at 5.3 and Oliver is the league’s leading shot-blocker at 2.8 per game.

Caroline was named to the All-Freshman team in the Missouri Valley before transferring, and acts as a Swiss Army Knife-type player for the Wolf Pack. At 6-7, 235-pounds and with great athleticism, the sophomore is able to play both guard and forward spots and has been averaging 14.2 points per game to go with a team-high 9.2 rebounds per game.

Though national expectations for Nevada coming into this season were minimal as it was without a single preseason vote to win the conference, it was the opposite for the guys on the squad. Caroline was itching to take the court with his new teammates after only being able to practice alongside them a year ago.

“The transition from sitting out to playing was a big learning experience for me,” said Caroline (above), who had a 45-point eruption in a win against New Mexico earlier this season. “I learned a lot from the guys who are in front of me on and off the court.”

Bolstering the frontcourt is Oliver, last year’s media pick for MW frosh of the year.

Last year’s experience was huge for Oliver, who averaged 13 points, 9 boards, and 2.6 blocks per game, especially because it was his first season back after taking a year off. After a knee injury took away his junior year of high school ball, he committed to Oregon State as a senior. When the Beavers’ staff was let go, the NorCal native de-committed and took the next year off to figure out his next move.

Parlaying an impressive first year in Reno, Oliver is looking like a future NBA player at times this season. Currently the 6-8, 230-pound sophomore is averaging 15 points, 8 boards, and just under 3 blocks per game. He’s also a highlight-factory above the rim. His potential to be a scoring or playmaking threat at all three levels on offense has flashed plenty this season, and he’s got the athleticism, length and instincts to be a stalwart defensively.

The work he put into his game between last year and this year is evident.

“I’ve done better being more versatile, showing I can shoot the ball behind the arc, my midrange, be able to dribble up the court and find open guys,” Oliver said. “I just want to show that I’m capable of doing a lot of things. I watch a lot of Draymond Green, so I take his game into consideration and how he works as a four. Now I’ve been focusing on defense more than anything.”

For many players who ooze potential, doing it throughout the entire course of a game, and an entire season, is what separates the good from the great.

“He continues to work on trying to be a consistent player, but he’s got a bright future if he brings it every night,” Musselman said of Oliver. “He’s got great versatility because he can post up and play with his back to the basket, he can also face up and shoot the three or he can face up if we isolate him to put him in dribble-drive situations – then obviously on defense he’s one of the best rim protectors in college basketball.”

With this year’s team still striving for consistency, while still maintaining a league lead in the Mountain West, the Wolf Pack should be a team to watch in March if they continue on this trajectory. Throw in NC State transfers Caleb and Cody Martin, Purdue transfer Kendall Stephens, and Iowa State transfer Hallice Cooke next season, and Musselman’s formula should continue to yield successful results.

“We’re not satisfied,” Oliver said. “We have to keep going and see how far this hard work can take us. We’re definitely capable of making a lot of noise here in Reno. We’re so hard to beat because we have so many people who can do so many different things. This is a very fun team to play with.”

Photo credit: John Byrne, Nevada Athletics Communications. 

The post Form Up appeared first on SLAM.

Four years ago, they torched Proviso East in the inaugural Chicago Elite Classic before running off a 26-1 record on the way to a mythical National Championship with Lone Peak (UT) High School.

Since then, they’ve each taken 2-year breaks from basketball to serve missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints overseas and gotten married as well. They have new teammates and name on the front of their jersey is now BYU. Though they established dominance in Utah with Lone Peak by winning state championships in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, winning essentially every game they play is no longer a foregone conclusion.

Illinois topped BYU 75-73 December 17th at the United Center in the State Farm Chicago Legends Classic, and knocked the Cougars record down to 7-4. Despite the fact BYU has dropped almost as many games so far this season as the trio lost throughout their entire high school careers at Lone Peak, their optimism about the future remains as bright as it was when they all committed to the program nearly five years ago.

“It’s definitely been different, but it’s part of it,” said Haws of the up-and-down start to the season. “Every team you play on is different. We’ve lost a few, but our mentality is the same. We’re trying to get better and we know the things we made mistakes on can be fixed. I have confidence and faith in this team to keep getting better. I don’t think we’re anywhere close to our potential yet.”

Former Lone Peak coach Quincy Lewis joined the Dave Rose’s BYU staff prior to the ’15-16 season, and said the approach to this season has been the same as any team that is trotting out almost an entirely new rotation from the prior season. Unlike the continuity they enjoyed at Lone Peak, BYU returned only two players who saw the court last season – and one of them (big man Kyle Davis) has been battling a knee injury so far.

“Obviously that group hadn’t lost many games in a season, spring, summer or anything,” said Lewis of Mika, Haws and Emery’s Lone Peak squads. “But one thing I can say is that they’ve just kept on it, and been grinding through this learning process. You’d like to say you can snap your fingers and everyone would be where they were at, but you can’t cheat the process or skip steps. For what their experience level is, they’ve made good progress at this point.

“I don’t know if people really understand when you haven’t played for two years, what that can do to your rhythm and how you compete. It just takes some time to get back in it. Sometimes it’s longer for guys than it is others.”

Emery, a 6-2 sophomore lefty combo guard, is the other Cougar who saw significant time for BYU last year and averaged 16.3 points per game as a freshman before earning All-West Coast Conference Freshmen Team and 2nd team All-WCC honors.

Following his mission in Germany, Emery returned home in 2015 and underwent surgery after being diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. He remembered what the process of returning to the court was like last year, and knows what his buddies Mika and Haws are enduring right now.

“Taking two years off is difficult,” said Emery, who is scoring 15.4 points per game this season. “It’s tough not only physically, but mentally as well because you feel like you’re better than you are at that point. It’s a process and the college basketball season is a long season. I felt like last year, the first half I was still recovering and the latter half I was playing my normal game. Every year is a new challenge, and you have to do what the coaches ask of you. This year my role kind of changed, but it’s a new challenge and I love a new challenge.”

Haws returned from his mission in France at the end of March, and Mika was back in Utah after two years in Italy in April. They each took a couple months to ease themselves back into the rigors of training with a Division I basketball program, and weren’t even playing 5-on-5 until June and July.

“Honestly, when I got home I was in the gym a week later and I was shooting and I felt like my shot was better than it had ever been even though I barely touched a ball over there,” said Mika, who was selected to the All-WCC Freshmen team in 2013-14 before going on his mission. “I think my jumping took a little bit to get back to, but the biggest thing that took the longest to get back was stamina. I could do everything I did before just as well if not better, I just could only do it for like 5-10 minutes because of the altitude and was just dead the rest of the day. We had a half hour to work out every day (on our mission) but that’s nothing compared to a basketball workout with a Division I coach.”

“A lot things came back quickly, but sometimes everything isn’t how you want it to be,” Haws said. “You just have to continue to stay confident and stay aggressive. Being a basketball player isn’t just one thing – so if my shooting is off, I have to be a well-round player and do other things to make up for an off shooting night.”

Haws has been averaging 12.4 points per game and shooting 37% from three-point land thus far. At 6-4, Haws shares ball-handling duties with Emery (below) much like their days in the Lone Peak backcourt. Haws won four state championships, and Utah’s Mr. Basketball in 2014, and accomplished all that by being much more than a shooter.

His creativity with the ball in his hands as a passer and scorer is mixtape worthy, and as he continues to feel his way through his first collegiate campaign his shooting percentages should continue to climb. If the name rings a bell it’s because of his older brother, Tyler, who graduated BYU in 2015 as the program’s all-time leading scorer – or his father Marty who was an All-WAC guard in 1990 during his senior year at BYU. However, TJ has a totally different game than Tyler who was the master of the midrange. Haws had a chance to play a season with his older brother but opted to serve his mission directly after high school.

“That was definitely a hard decision, because I wanted to play with my brother and I thought that would be really fun,” Haws said. “But there were so many factors that played into it for coming back and playing four years straight – especially with a lot of these guys I’ve played with. I just thought it was an overall better decision for me, so I went with it.”

Mika is currently BYU’s most productive player as he’s averaging 21.2 points per game and nearly nine boards per game. The 6-10 sophomore forward already looks like one of the best post players in the nation, and it’s hard to imagine he’s barely touched ball for two years since his freshman season.

Mika opted to go to college for a year before serving, and while those of the LDS faith grow up looking forward to serving a mission once they turn 18, he couldn’t have anticipated what his circumstance would be once it was a reality.

“At first it was easy because I knew I’d do it when I was really little,” Mika said. “But I had a good senior year at Lone Peak and a good freshmen year at BYU. I had some attention from the NBA and that definitely threw me for a loop, so it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be to go and leave it for two years. Just thinking about it, praying about it, and talking with the people I love most – it was best for me to go (on the mission). Looking back, I’m definitely glad I did.”

With their missions now in the past, the trio is finally back together on the court again. But as their respective skills and what they bring on the court are as impressive as they were before they left, their perspectives off the court endured a profound shift over the last couple years.

—
Your alarm is set for 6:30 every morning. Thirty minutes to work out when you wake up, then a couple hours of studying, an hour of solitude, an hour with your assigned companion, some language study of the country you’re serving in and then a little time to eat some lunch. Your afternoon and evening is spent either finding new people to teach the gospel to, teaching those you’ve found who wish to be taught, or visiting with other people from the LDS church. Your night is spent planning for the ensuing day’s teachings. You’re in bed by 9:30 or 10, then asleep and up to do it all over again the next morning at 6:30.

Effectively no internet or TV for two years; and very limited access to your family and friends back home.

Following a stop in Geneva, Switzerland, Haws spent most of his time in the South of France. Throughout his time on his mission, Haws underwent a personal transformation while his older brother Tyler was breaking records at BYU or one of his favorite NBA players, Steph Curry, was winning back-to-back MVP awards. Barely attuned to what was transpiring on the hoops landscape in the United States, TJ wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else during that time.

“The thing about a mission is that you spend your time serving others – essentially that’s what a mission is,” Haws said. “You find that, yeah, you miss basketball and you miss staying up to speed on other things but you find true happiness in serving other people. So when you get out every day, you forget about yourself and start worrying about other people. You realize that other stuff means nothing. Serving other people and finding that joy is something I’ll never forget.

“Hopefully return missionaries can figure that out in life, that when you serve other people and worry about other people that’s when you find true joy. It’s crazy how that works – when you forget about yourself, you find yourself.”

With a faith strong enough to make a decision to put a sport in which he saw such rare success relative to his peers on hold for two years, Haws’ faith grew even stronger during his mission as he continues to reflect on his experience.

“There are a lot of things that stuck with me,” Haws said. “France is a very different place, and there are a lot immoral things that go on there. To see these young people in our church and how strong they were with everything that was going on around them really amazed me and was so impressive to me.

“I grew up in an area that everyone was of our faith, and I’m very innocent to a lot of things and didn’t see a lot of things growing up. So to see these young kids go through what they go through every day and be as strong as they are in the church is incredible to me. I was super impressed by that and one of the things that will always stick with me.”

Becoming acclimated to an entirely new culture is an experience most missionaries undertake, especially if they serve in a foreign country.

Mika (below, #12) began his mission in Rome, Italy and spent a lot of time in southern Italy in Sicily and Calabria.

“I was in six different cities, but every city I was in was a smaller city usually on the beach,” Mika said. “It was everything you usually imagine when you think of Italy – tiny alleys, cobblestone streets, people hanging out of their window. It was super different, but different in the best and coolest way. It was cool getting to know the different culture and attitude, and letting them become a part of me.”

The relationships Mika formed along with his experiences throughout his travels in Italy will remain a part of him the rest of his life, and something that would not have been so had he remained at BYU following his successful freshman campaign.

“I do think about (my mission), probably every single day there is something that comes up to make me think about it,” Mika said. “It’s easy to see what all my friends I made are doing there because of Facebook or Instagram, and just talking about it with the guys on my team who are return Missionaries. I had a lot of experiences that I reflect on. But I think little cultural things may not stick with me because I don’t have it in my blood, but the relationships I made with people will stick with me forever. With social media it’s so easy to stay in touch with people which has been pretty cool.”

His mission also helped re-ignite the flame within him as a competitor that allows him to be such a fierce post presence with new lofty goals.

“In high school I was satisfied with going to play in college and didn’t think about after that because I was psyched to be playing at the school I loved,” Mika said. “Then after my freshman year (at BYU) it kind of clicked. I figured why not me? If I work hard it’s possible I could have a shot to go to the next level – whether that’s the NBA or Europe and have a good life and make a good amount of money continuing to do what I love.

“On my mission that goal definitely developed because the stuff you do on a day-to-day basis is goal-oriented and missionaries talk a lot about goals and performing to the best of our abilities. So I think in the back of your mind before you go to bed or on a day off are life goals also, and things you want to do when you do get home. (Playing professionally) developed into a real goal that I want to achieve so that’s what I’m working to do.”

While in Frankfurt, Germany, Emery was also able to reshape his perspective on life and basketball as well.

“Ultimately, you understand that basketball is not the big picture,” said Emery, who won Mr. Basketball in Utah in 2013 along with three state ‘chips at Lone Peak. “There’s so much more to life than basketball. But, I’ve also realized that I can’t learn lessons outside of basketball that I have learned in basketball. Obviously on my mission I was looking forward to getting back and getting back in shape to start a new challenge. I gained a better understanding on life in general. I just feel fortunate and blessed to play basketball and play the way I do.”

—
Mika, Haws and Emery all said it felt like they hadn’t skipped a beat when they got back onto the court together following a 3-year layoff (Emery and Mika are a year ahead of Haws in school). Their former high school coach, and current college assistant, Quincy Lewis says all three returned more mature people, but remain the talented base of a team with great potential. One of their teammates at Lone Peak, Zach Frampton, returned this summer from a mission in Chile and is now a walk-on at BYU but currently sidelined by a wrist injury.

The familiarity is evident, and the wait for the BYU fan base that read so much about the Lone Peak hoopers during their wildly illustrious prep careers is over.

“It’s been special because we’ve always been looking forward to playing together again,” Emery said. “But it’s about putting the pieces together and that’s what we’re trying to do right now.”

“It means a lot playing for BYU,” Mika said. “Playing for any big Division I school is a special experience. So being able to do it with guys that you already knew and loved before makes it that much sweeter. Obviously our team is different now with different guys around us, so coming together as a group has been awesome. But having that base is a good sense of security because you know how they play.”

Basketball junkies have been reading about ‘the process’ in a variety of contexts over the last several years. BYU’s search for an identity with a brand new roster is nothing new to coach Dave Rose, who integrates and re-integrates new guys and guys returning from 2-year missions every season.

But the playing background, talent and respective skill sets Mika, Haws and Emery all bring to the court give plenty of reason for intrigue around this squad over the next several years.

“With our coaching and the players we have, I really believe we can do big things and the guys on our team believe that as well,” Haws said. “We’re trying to figure that out right now, and figure out how we can be that team. If we keep grinding it’s going to come around for us.”

Now 9-4, and learning how to win at the collegiate level, BYU will enter WCC play in a week looking to compete with conference heavyweights Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s.

For as much that has changed in the lives of Eric Mika, TJ Haws and Nick Emery on and off the court since the spring of 2013, one thing remains the exact same as it did when they were grabbing national prep hoops headlines back then with their devastating transition offensive firepower and tough defense.

“At Lone Peak, we had nothing to lose and everything to prove because no one knew who we were for a long time,” Mika said. “It’s the same situation we have here at BYU. So we have the attitude going into games like we have something to prove – that we can play with anyone, go to the tournament and be successful. If we can continue building on our mistakes I think we can do a really good job.”

BYU 6-8 freshman forward Yoeli Childs, 6-6 sophomore wing and transfer (Elon) Elijah Bryant, 6-5 junior guard Davon Guinn, and grad transfer (Houston) senior point guard LJ Rose are all names you will see along with 6-10 junior center Corbin Kafusi who is back after finishing up on the gridiron for BYU’s football team Wednesday night.

The next basketball chapter of the group from Lone Peak is just beginning at BYU, and their hope and belief is that the ending of this one can be much like their first.

—

Photo credit: Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

The post Class Reunion appeared first on SLAM.

I was on assignment to write an In Your Face profile about then-mystery man rookie, Giannis Antetokounmpo for SLAM 174. Up to that point, I knew nothing about the player other than I’d have to double-check the spelling of his name before I submitted my story.

“He could be really good, but he’s raw,” was the consensus response for Giannis among my friends within the prep and college basketball community based in Milwaukee that had seen him during the preseason—which may as well have been the empty report for literally any rookie drafted into the NBA before they play a game. In other words, I was still clueless.

Before we got into the gym, Gardner had let me know that Giannis was a nice kid and that there wasn’t too much of a language barrier. So my plan was to find out who he was as a player and who he wants to be.

After he got done shooting free throws with assistant coach Nick Van Exel, Smyczek flagged him over to speak with Gardner and me.

As the 6-10, lanky kid was jogging over, he stopped mid-stride and gestured, ‘one second’ at us. He threw the ball up to spin a bounce pass to himself, caught it, gathered and drained a corner-pocket three. Smiling wide as he approached, he informed us, “I always have to make my last one.” Though he is far different (and better) than 99 percent of those who play the sport around the world, he shared that little ritual with almost every kid with a hoop dream when they’re shooting alone.

We talked for 10 minutes, then I spoke with coach Larry Drew for a little bit about his rook, and I had enough to run with for this story about a kid on the brink of fulfilling his dreams:

Fast forward a few years, and there are two critical things to highlight from that story. First, the Greek Freak has stuck as his nickname. Second, his self-assessment at the time proved to be prophetic because now he’s one of the first players to mention when rattling off the game’s leaders of the next generation.

Antetokounmpo’s rookie year was filled with plenty of intrigue on the court along with some fun-loving anecdotes about him acclimating to culture in the USA such as a new affinity for smoothies and this. But, more importantly, flashes of one of the most versatile players in the League were shown.

In his third season last year, the Greek Freak averaged 16.9 points per game, 7.7 boards, 4.3 assists, a steal and a block a game while shooting just over 50 percent from the field. Obviously he’s a stat-sheet stuffer, but that doesn’t begin to tell the whole story of him as a player and his presence on the court.

If we’re forced to put him in a box, he’d be thrown into that of the small forwards/wing category. Since taking over as head coach prior to the 2014-15 season, Jason Kidd has had Giannis handle a bit and toyed with the idea of him being the point guard because of his ability to pass. Defensively, Antetokounmpo is one of a few on a very short list that may only include LeBron James that are versatile and athletic enough to switch and guard any position on the floor any given possession.

Fresh off a four-year, $100 million extension a few weeks ago, the Bucks are banking on Antetokounmpo—who will turn 22 in December—to be the cornerstone of their franchise as he continues to improve his game just as he has his first three seasons in the League.

It’s scary to think where he tops out at as a player because he still has plenty of room to improve his offensive arsenal as a mid-range and three-point shooter. With his height and frame, he could also add a post game should he choose.

For now, he’s always a threat to snatch a board and start transition himself by pushing the rock up the floor to either finish above the rim himself or make a pass to a teammate for an open look (sometimes in just a few dribbles, hence the Greek Freak). He’s gotten more effective offensively in the half court each year, and it will be exciting to see what he brings this season alongside a healthy Jabari Parker on that end of the court.

The notion that the NBA is evolving into position-less basketball is because of players like Antetokounmpo, and because the 21-year-old is still just getting started it’s a safe bet that No. 26 is going to evolve into single digits as the years progress.

—

Rankings are based on expected contribution in 2016-17—to players’ team, the NBA and the game.

Follow the entire #SLAMTop50 countdown.

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Though there are 39 more players who have been projected by the composite of SLAM’s staff and contributing writers to have a bigger season than the 7-1, 24-year-old Frenchman, Gobert still can stake his claim as one of the most intriguing and unique prospects in the entire League. His impact on a game can be immense, albeit on just one end of the court.

Part of a 2013 draft-day trade in which Denver took him 27th overall, then traded him to the Jazz for a future second-round pick and cash, the lanky athlete made a quick impression in Utah. Midway through the 2014-15 season, the Jazz traded away their former third overall pick from a few years prior—Enes Kanter—after Gobert proved himself the future of that organization at center.

Despite missing 21 games last season in which he averaged 9.1 points per game, Gobert is in line for an extension on his contract with the Jazz that will most likely fall under the max category. For a guy who has yet to display the ability to catch the ball in the post and make a move to score with consistency, you might be asking, “What gives?”

Gobert will deserve every penny of a potential max contract, and it’s clear to see why if you have gotten the chance to see him play (you can’t be blamed if not because the Jazz were at the bottom of the national TV games played list the last few years).

Under coach Quin Snyder, the Jazz have developed an identity as one of the best defensive teams in the League since he took the gig and the insertion of Gobert into the starting lineup midway through Snyder’s first campaign is the primary reason why.

As the anchor, everything is funneled in from the perimeter to him and Gobert has been stellar thus far in that role. Last year he averaged 2.2 blocks and 11 boards, but perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Gobert’s defensive prowess is his ability to play with such a presence while rarely being in foul trouble.

His work on the glass, on both ends, is also a huge reason why Gobert is among the Top 50 (and climbing). He rarely relinquishes second-chance opportunities if the ball is within arm’s reach defensively, and he’s averaged 3.2 and 3.4 offensive rebounds per game the last two seasons.

Gobert’s length has been well documented (7-1 height, 7-9 wingspan and a standing reach of an absurd 9-7), but coupled with a fluid athleticism, some bounce and a frame that has continued to add mass and strength, he can be a fixture among the NBA’s best bigs so long as he remains healthy.

Offensively, he really has just been able to finish put-backs, throw down lobs or convert open dunks off drives and dishes from Jazz guards. At the free-throw line, he shot 57 percent a year ago but his shot doesn’t look so broken that repetition couldn’t help that number improve.

Entering his fourth season, any marked improvement offensively from Gobert would be icing on the cake for the Jazz who already rely on Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, Rodney Hood and Alec Burks for the bulk of their scoring punch.

As it stands now, they’ve already got their game-changing centerpiece defensively in Gobert. If he ever becomes half the threat on offense he is on D, he will be knocking on the door of the top 10 in the SLAM Top 50.

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Rankings are based on expected contribution in 2016-17—to players’ team, the NBA and the game.

Follow the entire #SLAMTop50 countdown.

The post SLAM Top 50: Rudy Gobert, No. 40 appeared first on SLAM.

Dosik, a hoop head and Lakers fan, wrote and recorded the entire EP while rehabbing a torn ACL he suffered while playing ball in 2015.

You also may remember Dosik’s voice from this Kobe Bryant tribute video set to his EP’s title track that we ran the day of Kobe’s final game in a Lakers jersey.

The post WATCH: ‘Competitive Streak’ Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook Tribute Video appeared first on SLAM.

Two of the premier point guards in attendance are legacies themselves.

MBA Hoops’ Nick Weatherspoon and Howard Pulley’s Tre Jones both have seen their recruitments go into overdrive in the last year, but are familiar with the process as a few years ago they were on the outside looking into their older brothers going through their respective recruitments.

Weatherspoon’s older brother, Quinndary, is entering his sophomore season at Mississippi State after being selected to the All-Freshmen team in the SEC as a two-guard while Jones’ older brother, Tyus, is coming off his rookie season as a reserve point guard with the Minnesota Timberwolves (following one season, and a National Championship, at Duke). While both kids lean on their older brothers for advice, they each learned something on their own a few years ago watching how their brothers handled being courted by a collection of schools.

“When he talked to all those colleges, he would tell me all about it and how hard it was to make a decision,” Weatherspoon said. “I picked up that if colleges have a lot of guards, you might not want to go there but if you think you can outwork them then you still can go.”

“Always humble yourself, and not get too big-headed,” said Jones of what he took from Tyus. “He had so many things going for him, and they still are going for him, and he’s never gotten too big-headed. He doesn’t let much get to him or get cocky with anything.”

Weatherspoon, a 6’2 class of 2017 Velma Jackson product, has soared up the national rankings in the last year after breaking out last July at the Summer Jam teaming with incoming Mississippi State freshmen Tyson Carter and Mario Kegler.

Part of the reason for Weatherspoon’s ascension up the national rankings and collection of offers from Mississippi State, UNC, Ohio State, Iowa State, LSU, Memphis, NC State, Indiana, Georgetown and Louisville is his added jump shot to his arsenal. Always an electric athlete for the position, having a consistent shot-making ability all the way out beyond the three-point arc has made him one of the most dangerous guards at the Summer Jam as well as in the high school ranks.

His method for improvement was also modeled after his older bro, who he watched improve himself to a high major Division I player from afar.

“My high school coach and I go in the gym to work on my jumper,” said Weatherspoon, who cites Russell Westbrook as his favorite player in the league. “They told me I wouldn’t be as good if I didn’t develop a jumper, so I got in the gym during the high school season and all this summer. Now I feel comfortable I can knock that shot down.”

“I had always been an athlete, but I just got in the gym. I looked at my bigger brother because at first I didn’t know he’d be as good as he is. I watched my high school coach develop him, then I asked my high school coach to do the same.”

At the rate Weatherspoon has improved, it won’t be a shock if he becomes must-watch TV when he is in the college ranks (wherever he winds up).

Jones, a five-star prospect in the class of 2018, has already collected offers from Duke, Minnesota, Memphis, Baylor, Arizona and Texas Tech.

Like Weatherspoon, Jones also has been focusing on an improved jumper to make him an even more dangerous threat as a player. As it stands now, he’s still one of the highest rated floor generals in the class of 2018 by all the national scouting services. But with an older brother who went through most of his prep career as the top nationally rated point guard, Jones has a unique perspective on how to handle the attention and rankings.

“I feel like every kid looks at that type of stuff, no matter how much you try to not look at it,” Jones said. “It’s just in your face, so you’ll see it no matter what. I know (Tyus) didn’t look at it much, and was just trying to work on his game to make it far in basketball. It’s the same for myself. I try not to pay too much attention to that stuff, I just set a high standard for myself.”

His defense and ability to lead were the first things Jones mentioned as what he’s proudest of thus far on the court, and he has been playing in the 17U division at the Summer Jam helping a loaded Howard Pulley squad find major success in the tournament – which concludes Sunday – showcasing those talents and more.

With basically every high major program in the country with at least one representative from their coaching staffs in attendance in Milwaukee, Jones is going to have plenty of eyes on him. Despite the fact he just finished his sophomore year, Jones understands all that comes with being a big time recruit after having a little early help from Tyus.

“I try to have as much fun as I can,” Jones said. “I know not many kids get the opportunity to travel all these places, and play at a high level against some of the best players in the country. So I look at it like a blessing, but I also know I have to try to take care of business (on the court) because this is setting up your future and whether you get college paid for.”

(Photo Credit: Rick Negus) 

The post Guards Nick Weatherspoon (2017) & Tre Jones (2018) Got Next appeared first on SLAM.

Brown already has scholarship offers from just about every blueblood and powerhouse program in the NCAA, but the 6-6 guard from Centennial High (Las Vegas, NV) isn’t looking to take any breaks during the NCAA live evaluation periods regardless of his abnormal travel schedule.

“I’ve been trying to keep everything in perspective,” Brown Jr. said. “This is my last AAU (season), so I want to make the best of it and have fun. You can’t think about getting tired because I don’t want it to be one of those things that I regret where I let fatigue get to my head where I didn’t enjoy my last AAU season.”

Running with the Las Vegas Prospects also allows him to join forces with 6-6 shooting guard Charles O’Bannon Jr (Bishop Gorman HS), another talented perimeter prospect from Vegas. Bishop Gorman is the defending state champion, and has beaten Centennial in the Regional title in each season of their high school careers. Regardless of any rivalry in the winter, both players are relishing the chance to don the same uniform.

“It’s a fun experience,” Brown Jr. said. “Especially since we never got to be teammates when we were kids. So having him on the team has been great because he’s a great kid and he’s a helluva scorer. He can score it in so many different ways, so it’s a lot of fun playing with him. Then when I’ll play him in the high school season it makes it a whole lot better.”

“It’s been special,” said O’Bannon Jr., who is a consensus top 50 recruit in the class of 2017, about teaming with Brown. “In Vegas, basketball isn’t really a priority so a lot of teams aren’t that good. So us being on the two top powerhouses makes it real interesting in the playoffs because we never see each other in the regular season.”

While O’Bannon is a straight scoring guard, Brown has been showing off his ability to pass, rebound, defend and finish in transition. His versatile, and continually developing skill-set combined with his size and athleticism as well as the ability to guard three spots on the perimeter is what had the likes of UCLA, Duke, UNC, UNLV and many more tracking him at the Summer Jam.

Coaches have been packing the stands at his games throughout his high school career during the live evaluation periods. The lofty national rankings and attention from the respective fan bases of the schools recruiting him along with the actual recruitment by the colleges themselves are all part of the deal for a player worthy enough to represent the country on Team USA’s U17 squad, then fly to the Peach Jam and NY2LA Sports Summer Jam before he can take a nap at home in Las Vegas.

However, Brown had lofty expectations for his basketball career even before his high school career began.

“It first started when I was playing with the West Coast Rebels (in seventh grade), and got second place at AAU Nationals,” Brown Jr. said. “That’s when I started figuring stuff out and realizing this is something I could be really good at.”

“I take it really serious because it’s a blessing,” Brown Jr. said. “Sometimes (the recruiting process) gets annoying but it’s one of those things I’d rather have then not have. So I’ve been grateful and taking it slow. I’m really close with my family so I’ve been talking to my mom and dad a lot, and as of now I’m planning on cutting my list very soon.”

Wherever Brown Jr. lands for college, they’ll be getting not only a versatile player but one who is already used to travelling nation and world wide.

(Photo credit: Rick Negus) 

The post Class of 2017 Guard Troy Brown Jr Has Been Putting in Work appeared first on SLAM.

Though he hasn’t even begun his junior year of high school, J’raan Brooks was one of many in attendance who already has some high major Division I scholarship offers and the sense his basketball aspirations of playing at the next level are no longer just a dream.

“This year I noticed when I started working harder, it was becoming a reality,” said Brooks, who picked up his first offer last July from Washington. “I’ve gotten stronger and better at finishing inside the paint. I want to improve my versatility, start to dribble more and become more of a hybrid big man.”

The Garfield (WA) High School product was one of the most impressive prospects at the Summer Jam from the Class of 2018 running with Dreamvision because at 6-9 he can run the floor, finish above the rim and has a developing face-up game to go with everything else. At times, he was dominant on both ends of the floor and oozed potential of a future star.

Like all 16-year-old hoopers, other times throughout the Summer Jam it showed just how far he has to go to swap out the potential for production.

DreamVision’s 16U squad is coached by Olden Polynice – who had an accomplished collegiate career at Virginia, and went on to a 15-year NBA career after being selected 8th overall in the 1987 NBA Draft as a 6-11 center. Polynice knows first hand what it takes to achieve success at the highest levels, and sees plenty of potential in Brooks but also noted what it will take to cultivate that potential.

“He has a knack for the game, and he’s got some good spin moves and a hook which we’ve been working on,” Polynice said. “He just has to do it all the time. He’s got to work on his endurance and condition. When you’re young and you’re the biggest kid, you might take shortcuts. So I’m trying to get him to understand there are no shortcuts in this.

“If he can work on getting up and down the floor even more than he is now he could really, really dominate. When he puts his mind to it, he’s unstoppable. Right now it’s like today he does it, and tomorrow he might not. But that comes from being a young kid.”

Brooks currently holds offers from Washington, Washington State, Arizona State and Montana. It’s a sure bet the rest of the Pac-12 and elite programs nationally will monitor Brooks’ progression because of the impact he can provide as a post player.

However, he also showed off the ability to knock down a 15-footer with a nice looking stroke as well as the ability to drive by his defender. With both the collegiate and professional game seeing more and more offensive systems that space the floor and value big men who can step out and knock down a three-point shot, Brooks said he hopes to have the versatility to play wherever a coach wants on the court by the time he’s a finished product.

Polynice believes that while versatility in a big man’s game is valuable, being great in the post will never be a lost art. He’s hoping to help Brooks understand that while adding perimeter skills will be beneficial, if he can prove to be an automatic bucket when he catches it in the paint it will be just as impactful in helping him continue playing the game at the highest level.

“There’s never been a problem with guys shooting from the outside – just mix it up,” Polynice said. “Just don’t rely on shooting jumpers. You’ve got to have a go-to move (in the post). So that’s what I’ve been trying to get him to understand – you’ve got to have a back-to-the-basket move. I don’t care what they’re saying about where the NBA is going. If you go into the NBA, fluid and solid with your back to the basket you’ll be a lot more valuable because a lot of teams don’t have that. Don’t get caught up in the myth.”

OTHER NAMES TO REMEMBER FROM THE NY2LA SPORTS SUMMER JAM
(Note: With games being played simultaneously on six courts from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m, one pair of eyes wasn’t enough to cover the entire event. This is NOT an exclusive list. Listed in alphabetical order.)

EVAN BATTEY – 2017 – PF – DREAMVISION
We first talked to the California-native at last year’s Summer Jam when the 6’8 forward was without a single Division I offer. Much has changed in that department over the last year, particularly since the spring evaluation period began. Mid-major Division I offers have poured in, and he also has picked up a few high major offers as well with Purdue offering on Sunday. His imposing physicality on the court continues to be complemented by an array of offensive skill and a defensively ability that is rare among peers who share his frame. His production game-in, game-out is impossible to overlook.

LEDARIUS BREWER (above) – 2017 – G – MBA HOOPS
The 6’5 shooting guard from Meridian (MS) High came into the Summer Jam without any Division I offers. Brewer has ideal length, athleticism and skill for a DI two-guard and the ability to be productive on both ends of the court. He was effective both knocking down shots off the catch and off the dribble, as well as driving to the hoop. Sharing the backcourt with high major point guard Nick Weatherspoon, Brewer will have another chance to impress coaches during the final live NCAA evaluation period in July.

MARCUS CARR (above) – 2017 – PG – STACKHOUSE ELITE NORTH
Carr transferred to Montverde Prep (FL) prior to last school year but missed the season with an injury. The 6’2 point guard looked to be in fine form at the Summer Jam, and possesses high major talent. His three-point shot has improved greatly since last summer, and it makes him even more dangerous as he’s got a crafty handle and ability to find creases to drive and collapse a defense. The Toronto native has good vision and passing ability, and will be a dangerous weapon in the backcourt where he winds up in college.

BRAD DAVISON (above) – 2017 – PG – HOWARD PULLEY
Davison recently gave his pledge to play for Wisconsin, and as Badgers fixture at point guard Bronson Koenig prepares for his final season in Madison, Davison seems primed to compete for that starting spot the day he steps on campus next year. The 6’3 Maple Grove (MN) product is steady with the ball in his hands, and has used his added strength to become an effective driver. At the Summer Jam, Davison really stood out shooting the ball and was lights out from three-point land the entire tournament.

AYO DOSUNMU – 2018 – G – MAC IRVIN FIRE
Despite playing in only two showcase games at the Summer Jam, Dosunmu made his case as not only the best prospect from historic hoops hot bed Chicago’s class of 2018 but one of the best in the city regardless of class. There isn’t much the 6-3 combo guard from Morgan Park can’t do with the ball in his hands, and with the ability to guard either guard spot on the perimeter it’s safe to say you can add his name to the long list of high major Division I players to come from Chicago.

JACOB EPPERSON (above) – 2017 – C – AUSA PLATINUM
Perhaps no player enjoyed a bigger breakout at the Summer Jam than Epperson. The 6-11, and still growing, post prospect from Australia showed the makings of a future pro due to his frame, ability to move and offensive skill. Since coming to compete on the club circuit during the live evaluation periods with AUSA, Epperson has been stockpiling high-major Division I interest and offers. Aside from the experience of playing against high level American competition, adding strength will be Epperson’s biggest hurdle to clear in becoming a big time player.

ARMAAN FRANKLIN – 2019 – G – INDIANA ELITE
It’s tricky to project a player who just finished their freshman year of high school, but the Fishers (IN) 6’3 guard was too good at the Summer Jam to overlook. The righty was absolute cash from three-point line off the catch, and also scored a ton driving and finishing both with his right and left hand. Franklin was one of the best scorers in the 15U division and is a name to remember for recruiting junkies.

A.J. GREEN – 2018 – PG – IOWA BARNSTORMERS
The Iowa Barnstormers 16U team captured their age group’s Platinum Division title, and has been one of the best club teams nationally at that age due in large part to Green running the show. Iowa-commit Joe Wieskamp (6’5, Muscatine) and 6’8 high major forward Joey Hauser (Stevens Point, WI) are the club’s two highest rated prospects, and also majorly important to the team’s success. Green’s recruitment will be intriguing to follow as the 6’2 point guard has major game. He’s got a yo-yo handle, great feel for the position and an ability to knock down shots from all over the court off the dribble as well as spot up shots off the catch. His father, Kyle, is an assistant at Northern Iowa. While the recruiting gurus and rankings services haven’t put Green in the top 100 yet, he certainly has that potential and could play his way into some high major offers the remainder of this July and into next year’s club circuit.

TYLER HERRO – 2018 – G – WISCONSIN PLAYGROUND WARRIORS
Herro (Whitnall High) has ascended up the rankings of the top players in the class of 2018 nationally, and appeared to show no signs of slowing down at the Summer Jam. The 6’4 athletic guard can score at all three levels on the court, including a deadly midrange pull-up. He already sports several high major offers, including a pair from in-state powers Wisconsin and Marquette, and should continue to attract more nationally as he continues to grow and get stronger over his final two high school seasons.

MUSA JALLOW – 2018 – G – TEAM BLAZE
The Bloomington North (IN) already holds an offer from the Hoosiers as well as Vanderbilt, but had just about every Big Ten program tracking him throughout the Summer Jam. Jallow is 6’5 and has elite athleticism and strength for his age. Not many opponents at the loaded Summer Jam could stop him from scoring when he had a full head of steam driving the ball, and he was also a monster in the paint blocking shots and grabbing rebounds. As he continues to polish his perimeter skills, he will only become more dangerous on the court as he projects out as a guard. He should have his pick of the litter in terms of high major programs by the time his high school career concludes in two years.

DANIEL OTURU – 2018 – F – HOWARD PULLEY
There is a chance that by the time all is said and done, Oturu could be the best big man prospect at the Summer Jam. Even though the 6’9 forward from Cretin-Derham Hall (MN) High was playing up an age level, he was highly productive on both ends of the court. Oturu is a great athlete in terms of running and jumping, and plays with the innate motor coaches covet in their players. He finished just about all his opportunities around the cup, and was hard to keep off the glass as a rebounder. Oturu currently holds offers from Minnesota, Providence and Northern Iowa, but will be fielding countless more over the next two years if he continues to play as he did at the Summer Jam.

(Photo credit: Rick Negus) 

The post 2016 NY2LA Sports Summer Jam Notebook appeared first on SLAM.

More recently, hoop junkies who scour the internet for mixtapes were re-introduced to who Ballislife dubbed ‘the next White Chocolate,’ in December of 2014:

However, it is imperative that you understand the Kaukauna, Wisconsin-native and class of 2018 point guard is no side-show and far from a gimmick.

Fresh off leading Kaukauna to a Division II (Wisconsin’s second largest classification) state championship, and earning AP first team All-State honors as a sophomore, the 5’11 McCabe took the court with the Wisconsin Playground Warriors this past weekend at the NY2LA Sports Swish ‘N Dish to kick off the club circuit.

His running mate in the backcourt, Tyler Herro, is also coming off a successful sophomore high school campaign in which the 6’4 combo guard earned AP fourth team All-State accolades while leading Whitnall High School to the DII state semifinals. Though Herro may not have any Youtube videos to amass over a million views, he is primed to become a well-known name amongst college recruiting fans.

Herro’s length as a guard and versatile offensive skill-set have already gotten him scholarship offers from Wisconsin, DePaul, Marquette, Creighton, Sam Houston State, UW-Green Bay and UW-Milwaukee. High major programs from all over the country will be tracking his play during the club season, with the first live evaluation period beginning April 15th.

The odds that their opponents at club events will have at least heard of McCabe and Herro are high, but regardless of reason, the duo feeds of the intense competition.

“That stuff definitely plays a role, but as a competitor I don’t really care who steps on the court in front of me because I’m going to attack them just as hard as they attack me,” McCabe said.

“It makes us hungrier,” Herro said. “Everyone starting to know who we are is making us want to be a lot better.”

McCabe has already picked up offers from DePaul, West Virginia, Missouri, UW-Green Bay and UW-Milwaukee, but said after the summer he will reassess any type of timeline about a college decision.

In the immediate future, he is continuing to develop himself into an all-around player. After the Playground Warriors bowed out in the Swish ‘N Dish quarterfinals to 16U runner-up All Ohio Red, McCabe had more to keep him in the gym.

“I still need to get better at coming off ball screens and reading those better,” McCabe said. “(Against All Ohio Red) I didn’t do that well enough. So I’ve got to sharpen that up. Then defensively I guess the question is if I’m laterally quick enough to play at the next level. You can see all these people on Twitter saying I’m not big or quick enough, or I won’t be able to defend at the next level. But they don’t see the hours I put in at the gym, and that’s definitely something I’m focusing on over the next two years.”

The majority of people on Twitter, let alone a 16-year-old, don’t have to deal with strangers actively going out of their way to send a disparaging remark to them. McCabe has used that ridiculous nastiness to give him a little extra motivation to prove that when all is said and done the Youtube videos, hyperbolic player comparisons and TV appearances are secondary to the fact he is one of the top point guard prospects in the class of 2018.

“I used to read the Youtube (comments),” McCabe said. “Now it’s just more Twitter stuff. It’s funny because it gives people an outlet to say whatever they want behind a screen. That’s great because it just lights a fire under me.”

McCabe showed off his flashy handle and money shooting stroke from distance at the Swish ‘N Dish, but also was effective moving the ball and setting up teammates in several pick-and-roll sets.

As he continues to polish, and expand, his game he said there is one aspect he embraces more than crushing a defenders ankles for a mixtape highlight.

“More important than anything is having vision,” McCabe said. “Court vision is really big for me, and one of my biggest attributes that I enjoy the most. Getting everybody involved is probably the best part of basketball. Coming up watching stuff from guys like (John) Stockton and (Steve) Nash who really highlighted that part of the game was a big thing for me and my game as well.”

Herro is also focused on expanding his game, and parlaying his breakout sophomore season into a big time showing on the club circuit.

“It showed me that I’m one of those top tier players now, and that I really improved in the offseason last year. Now I just want to make a bigger jump next season,” Herro said. “I’m improving on my defensive ability. I identified that I needed to get stronger and better on D during the high school season.”

College coaches will undoubtedly be tracking the Wisconsin Playground Warriors due to the fact the squad features DI-caliber players on the wing as well as in the post to go with McCabe and Herro in the backcourt.

And while fans at club events, or even players resting in between games, may take the chance to check out McCabe and Herro because of buzz they’ve read online, they will also undoubtedly come away realizing their games are the real deal.

The post Plenty of Flash, Plenty of Substance appeared first on SLAM.

NY2LA Sports’ Swish ‘N Dish in suburban Milwaukee (WI) has established itself as a premier national event throughout the course of it’s 11-year history, and perennial powerhouse program All Ohio Red left it’s mark in Wisconsin this past weekend.

Behind Ohio State-bound big man Kaleb Wesson, point guard Nelly Cummings and small forward Delonte Brown, All Ohio Red’s 17-and-under squad took home the Platinum Division crown, while the 15U squad from All Ohio Red also captured the Platinum Division crown in their age group. All Ohio Red’s 16U squad finished as the runners-up in the 16’s Platinum Division.

Wesson’s 6-10, wide-bodied, frame was too much for the opposition to handle and he displayed his nice touch and footwork on the block offensively throughout the tournament. Cummings, a 6-1 point guard from Midland, Pennsylvania, showed off a smooth floor game which should attract some high DI attention when the first official NCAA live evaluation period starts April 15th.

Brown proved to be one of the entire tournament’s most dynamic talents. At 6-6, the wing from Bowsher High in Toledo applied the cuffs defensively on the perimeter and was a terror attacking the rim in transition. He also dropped in jumpers from midrange, as well as beyond the three-point arch. He claimed only two offers from Dayton and Toledo, but said he’s hoping to get some attention from the high major programs as the spring and summer circuit progresses.

Wesson, Cummings and Brown were the top three scorers in their team’s championship win over Milwaukee’s Playground Elite – which featured Michigan-bound guard Jordan Poole.

One of the squads that All Ohio Red’s 17’s knocked off on their way to the crown, King James, featured arguably the most electric player at the Swish ‘N Dish.

Cleveland native Markell Johnson has insane bounce for a point guard, and at 6-2 he’s also got the potential to be an elite defender thanks to his quickness, speed and overall athleticism. Johnson showed off the ability to score the rock from anywhere in between big-time dunks and step-back three-pointers. He said that during the spring and summer he wants to continue to polish his offensive skills to make him an even more dangerous prospect.

“This AAU season, I want to work on my jump shot and on being a leader on the court,” Johnson said. “I also am trying to play off the ball so I can be a combo guard.”

“My two favorite players are Russell Westbrook and Terry Rozier,” Johnson added. “Everything Rozier does is downhill. He’s an Ohio guy, so growing up hearing his name a lot made me want to play exactly like him.”

Johnson currently holds scholarship offers from Ohio State, Louisville, Florida, DePaul, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech, North Carolina State and Arizona State among many others. If his performances at the Swish ‘N Dish are any indication, he’s going to have plenty more offers to choose from by the time the summer wraps up.

However, he said balancing everything else that comes with recruiting aside from a scholarship offer has been a challenge.

“It was fun at the beginning, now every college coach wants to get to know me and wants me to come visit – so now it’s getting kind of crazy,” Johnson said. “I’m just going to focus on basketball now, then after the summer I’ll make a decision.”

Coaches will be waiting intently on that decision, but in the meantime hoop junkies should familiarize themselves with Johnson’s game as they will most likely be hearing a ton from him in the near future.

One of the Swish ‘N Dish’s other standout performers played for All Ohio Red’s 16U squad, but hails from Clarkston, Michigan.

Six-foot floor general Foster Loyer has a chance to be one of the best point guards in the entire Class of 2018. Despite the oppositions’ best attempts at the Swish ‘N Dish, Loyer could not be sped up or forced into turnovers. Loyer has got a seemingly endless bag of tricks with the ball in his hands, a quick and picturesque shooting stroke and a masterful understanding of the position relative to his age.

His dad, John Loyer, has served as an NBA assistant coach since 2003 – most recently with the Detroit Pistons – and Foster has taken full advantage of having the opportunity to see the best in the world up close and personal.

“I’ve grown up around the game of basketball, and just always been around it,” said Loyer, who was a ball boy for the Pistons when he was younger. “I picked up on what good point guards do – like seeing the court, being able to create their own shot and getting their teammates involved. Really I just try to put the team in the best position to win. So I’ve tried to build my game around that.”

Teaming up with Class of 2018 Ohio State pledge Dane Goodwin (6-5, SG, Upper Arlington) on All Ohio Red, Loyer and the rest of the squad are primed to be one of the toughest outs at the 16U level wherever they play during the spring and summer.

Michigan State, DePaul, Oakland and Toledo have already offered him, and he’s taken unofficial visits to Ohio State, Butler, Indiana and Michigan. His recruitment and offer list should continue to grow at a rapid pace as more coaches see his game. It’s not just how offensively gifted Loyer is that sets him apart, it’s his willingness to defend and communicate on the floor as well, which stood out at the Swish ‘N Dish as he led the squad to a second place finish.

Loyer’s balance of flash and creativity with fundamentals and sound decision making is rare, particularly at the level in which he plays relative to how young he is, but it may not be such a shocker when you find out two of his favorite players.

“When my dad was a coach for the 76ers, I grew up watching Allen Iverson and Andre Miller,” Loyer said. “I always watched Andre Miller because he never did anything special. He just knew how to use his body and play the game, which I loved to watch.”

Wherever he ends up playing college hoops in a few years, coaches and fans of that program are going to love watching the product of Loyer’s studies of Iverson and Miller.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE SWISH ‘N DISH

– The Iowa Barnstormers captured the 16U Platinum Division title behind a three-headed monster of Joe Wieskamp (6-4, Muscatine), Joey Hauser (6-7, Stevens Point (WI)) and AJ Green (5-11, Cedar Falls). Wieskamp is already committed to Iowa and proved to be one of the most versatile players at the Swish ‘N Dish. Hauser is a high Division I recruiting target with great skill for his size, and was a mismatch for opposing defenses during championship Sunday. Green showed off a slick handle and a cash shooting stroke, and recently picked up his first offer from Northern Iowa where his dad Kyle is an assistant. Green definitely played at a level which will demand plenty of attention from DI programs.

– The Class of 2018 was loaded at the Swish ‘N Dish, and 6-7 Lawrence North product Kevin Easley Jr. made a case for himself as one of the best in attendance playing with the George Hill Rising Stars. He already has some big time offers and possesses an advanced mid-range game and overall offensive feel for a forward.

– The Louisville Magic 17’s bowed out of the tournament early, but Tony Jackson (6-4, SG, North Hardin), Jaylen Sebree (6-7, SF, Christian County) and JR Mathis (6-1, PG, Kentucky Country Day) each showed flashes of why they’re coveted by DI programs at their respective positions.

(Photo Credit: NY2LA Sports) 

The post 2016 NY2LA Sports Swish ‘N Dish Notebook appeared first on SLAM.

The 6-8, 225-pound wing took a dribble hand-off from Trey Burke on the move, used a screen from Trevor Booker and then drove hard to the right before crushing a two-handed dunk on late-arriving, help-defending center Joel Freeland.

Though the poster wasn’t the indicator. Hayward caught several bodies his first four seasons in the NBA.

It was the strength in which he completed the highlight-reel play, and the primal yell in Freeland’s face which followed that put the rest of the League and Jazz fans on notice they were going to see a different—and better—version of the 2010 lotto pick from Butler during the 2014-15 season.

Hayward is making his debut at No. 35 in the SLAM Top 50 due in large part to the level of play that followed the remainder of the season, which was a catalyst in Utah’s 13-game improvement in the win column from the previous year, and his legitimate potential to be an All-Star this season.

Buzz around Hayward’s candidacy as one of the NBA’s best small forwards began to pick up steam when he showed up for Team USA’s FIBA World Cup Tryouts during the summer of 2014 with an extra 15 pounds of muscle. While he was one of the last players cut from the 12-man World Cup roster, Hayward demonstrated why the added strength was necessary in the process of him proving himself among the NBA’s elite with the Jazz.

He averaged 19.3 points, 4.9 boards, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals a game in his second season as a full-time starter. The Jazz got off to a rocky start as they adapted to first-year head coach Quin Snyder’s principles on both sides of the ball, but were able to find their stride toward the middle of the season and finished 38-44.

Hayward’s role on the court for the Jazz last season wasn’t much different from the 25-57 campaign in 2013-14 in that he was relied upon to score from all three levels on the court, create for other teammates off the bounce and guard both wing positions on defense.

Though his stats from two years ago don’t quite reflect it (16.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 5.2 apg), Hayward was significantly more effective in his jack-of-all-trades role last year with his increased mass allowing him not to get bumped off drives nearly as much and enabled him to become a better finisher in the paint and an even better defender.

If you watched Hayward his first four seasons, he looked like a versatile player who was trying to figure out where he belonged in the League, almost inconspicuous outside of Salt Lake City.

Last season, he played like he belonged among the best. Whether it was talking shit after dunking on someone, letting a ref know they blew a call—or more importantly—asserting himself on either end when his team needed him most during crunch time, Hayward was the man for the Jazz and played like he knew it for the first time in his career.

Despite the fact the NBA has the Jazz on national TV only six times (three games on NBA TV) during the regular season, the Jazz should be one of the most intriguing teams to watch even without point guard Dante Exum who tore his ACL competing with Australia this summer.

Hayward’s progression toward becoming an All-Star is a big reason for that intrigue as a large part of his game is making his young, talented teammates look even better thanks to the attention he draws from the opposition.

His versatility on both ends of the court has shown marked improvement each year he’s been in the NBA, and he turns only 26 in March.

The Jazz haven’t been in the Playoffs since 2012 when the Spurs dispatched them in a first round, with a four-game sweep.

Though most analysts and diehard NBA fans don’t have them pegged as a pre-season title contender, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if the Jazz are in the thick of the race for one of the eight post-season spots in the West during April with Hayward flexing his game.

Rankings are based on expected contribution in 2015-16—to players’ team, the NBA and the game.

The post SLAM Top 50: Gordon Hayward, no. 35 appeared first on SLAM.

Though some of the most highly coveted prospects from the last seven years have hooped at the Summer Jam, showcasing their respective games to the head and assistant coaches from every Division I school in the NCAA, the 5-day tournament has also carved out a niche as being a launching pad for big time talents who hadn’t yet had the platform to compete in that spotlight.

As the Summer Jam wrapped up Sunday high major college programs, recruiting junkies and hardcore hoop heads came away with at least two more names to remember.

Before Toronto-native Marcus Carr (above) began his run at the Summer Jam with the Northern Kings 16-and-under squad, the 6’1 point guard held offers from Virginia Tech and Houston. By the time he was done, he undoubtedly had several high major schools expressing interest but he wouldn’t know it.

“I told my coach not to let me know, so it doesn’t get to my head,” Carr said. “So if they’ve been calling, I wouldn’t know. I’m just focused on trying to win this tournament.”

You would be hard pressed to come up with a better point guard prospect at the Summer Jam, regardless of age, than Carr.

Carr was electric with the rock all tournament thanks to his nasty handle to complement his elite quickness and speed. He said became hooked on the game and started working on his craft from an early age after tagging along to his older brother, and current South Carolina Gamecock, Duane Notice’s games.

“My brother got me into it, just going to his games and watching him,” Carr said. “But I go back and watch a lot of old tapes. I watch a lot of Allen Iverson and guys like that. I try and take little bits and pieces of their games and put it in my game. They’re the best at the highest level, and that’s where I want to be.”

The NBA has long been a predominantly isolation, two-man game offensively, and ball-screens have become a major part of plenty of powerhouse programs in the NCAA over the course of the last several years.

Carr, who was the point guard for Canada’s top prep team St. Mike’s, hurt opposing teams at the Summer Jam in a variety of ways in transition but was just as effective in the half-court utilizing ball screens.

“I definitely have gotten better with my decision making coming off the pick and roll,” Carr said. “My coach emphasized that they do that a lot at the next level, so I worked a lot on that so I can show coaches I can be a playmaker coming off the screen – not just being a scorer or not just passing. I can do both.”

College hoops fans are going to have wait a little bit to see Carr as he’s currently listed in the class of 2017, but he will be attending Montverde Academy in Florida this year and could potentially reclassify to the class of 2018 – a scary thought for the rest of the prep ranks.

Since Kevin Boyle took over as the coach at Montverde, the Eagles have featured a stable of high major Division I recruits and Carr is eager to get into the fold to help maintain the team’s dominance.

“The competition is going to be much higher than it was in Canada,” Carr said. “I played in a couple tournaments in the U.S. because we were the number one team in Canada, but it’s definitely just a completely different level. (Montverde) are national champs and proven for success. I just want to go in and learn a lot from Coach Boyle, and help the team as much as I can to get another national championship.”

Starkville, Mississippi’s Tyson Carter (Starkville HS) proved himself as one of the most lethal shooters at the Summer Jam running with MBA Hoops Elite, but the 6’4 combo guard’s game is a lot more versatile than being ‘just a shooter.’

The senior-to-be already claims offers from Mississippi State, where his pops Greg played, as well as Miami, Memphis, Iowa State and UNLV among others. But with one more live evaluation period on tap later this week, that list will surely swell as he continues to put his game on display.

From Wednesday night through Saturday, Carter wowed onlookers with his picturesque, quick and compact stroke off the catch, as well as with his devastatingly effective mid-range pull-up. But the wiry and athletic guard also got into the teeth of opposing defenses plenty to finish at the rim or kick it out to an open teammate after help came. He’s picked some good role models to try and pattern his game.

“I wanted to shoot the ball like Ray Allen and Stephen Curry, and handle the ball like Kyrie Irving,” Carter said. “I like watching different aspects of different guys and adding it to my game.

“When I come and play I’m striving for more and better. I try to improve every time I step on the court. You can’t take any of the teams lightly out here.”

He shoots it righty, but one aspect of his game that sets him apart from many of his peers is his ability to keep his defender off balance by being able to drive with his left as effectively as he does to his right.

“I finish better going left, and shoot better going to my left. I don’t know why I like going left,” Carter said smiling, almost confused.

Besides having to add strength in order to continue to excel at the highest level, he also admitted having something else to improve on.

“Sometimes if I get hot, and start feeling it, I feel like I can shoot it from anywhere on the court,” Carter said. “But if it’s a bad shot, I have to think about that sometimes.”

When you’ve got a cannon like Carter, it’s hard to blame him for heat checks.

(Photo credit: NY2LA Sports)

The post Meet 2015 NY2LA Sports Summer Jam Standouts: Marcus Carr, Tyson Carter appeared first on SLAM.

With games going on simultaneously on six different courts in two separate locations, this breakdown only includes what my two eyes could see.

CANADIAN INVASION

Dwayne Washington’s program UPLAY made its presence felt at all three levels at the Summer Jam, with the 16U squad – Stackhouse Elite – capturing the Platinum Division title over Chicago-based Meanstreets.

UPLAY’s 17U team featured 6’10 San Diego State pledge Nolan Narain, and turned heads all tournament due in large part to the 6’5 orchestrator on the court Marquell Fraser.

Fraser has spent the last two years in the United States playing at Mount Mission and Southwest Christian Academy, but will play his senior year at The Hill Academy in his home of Ontario, Canada. With more and more Canadians starting to standout on the NCAA level, and in the NBA, he said he’s started to see a change on the court from his counterparts born in the United States.

“I think now since Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, Tyler Ennis, and all those guys have come up, the Americans are starting to respect our games now,” Fraser said. “In past years when we came to tournaments, people took us as a joke and were like, ‘Who are these guys?’ But now, I consider ourselves a powerhouse where people are going for our heads and not us going for theirs. I believe all of Ontario is turning into a basketball place. Hockey is starting to slow down, especially in Ontario.”

Because of his height and skill set that allows him to be a point guard, and play off the ball as well, Fraser already had some high Division I interest prior to the Summer Jam. But his play throughout the tournament has attracted more interest, and he even picked up an offer from Georgia Tech in the middle of the tournament.

“I try to block out all the college coaches, so I can just concentrate on my team and myself individually,” Fraser said. “If you’re focusing on (the college coaches), it’s going to ruin your play. I like to keep the chemistry between my teammates.

“I have the most fun attacking and facilitating. I like getting my teammates involved in the game. Whenever I see my teammates thrive making threes whenever I penetrate and pass out, I feel happy for them. I enjoy that more than scoring myself.”

That mentality in which Fraser embodies is ideal for a floor general, and one a college coach hopes their point guard has. But on a more tangible level, Fraser’s handle, vision and ability to dictate tempo is what makes him such an intriguing prospect given his size and effectiveness guarding both guard spots on the floor. Though many tried at the Summer Jam, no defender was able to speed Fraser up and turn him over.

“I have to thank my coach Dwayne Washington for that,” Fraser said. “He worked on me staying calm and collected with the ball a lot. A lot of my coaches at UPLAY have helped me with that.”

With one more live evaluation period in front of college coaches this summer, Fraser doesn’t intend on focusing on where he’ll be playing ball in ’16-17. For now, he’s just going to be concerned with helping his teammates get buckets this coming week in Las Vegas at the Adidas Summer Championship.

“I want to go to a college that will develop me and help me get to the next level,” Fraser said. “It doesn’t matter what program it is. After the July period ends, I’ll see what offers I have then pick five schools to visit.”

BATTEY UP

High major coaches flocked to California-based Dream Vision’s 17U games at the Summer Jam to check in on 6’8 wing Vance Jackson (St. John Bosco), 6’8 wing Brendan Bailey (Santa Margarita Catholic) and 6’8 uber-athletic forward Kenneth Wooten Jr. (Manteca).

All three players from the class of 2016 flourished at the Summer Jam at various points, but class of 2017 big man Evan Battey may have caught some high major attention as well.

At 6’8, 275 pounds, it is hard to miss Battey on the court.

“I’m a real physically imposing person, I weigh a lot,” Battey said with a smirk. “So I try to use my physical abilities to my advantage. But I can also step out and shoot a jump shot, so I just try to have as much all-around things to my game to make me a versatile weapon.”

Battey said a handful of mid-major programs from the West coast have already inquired, but he should see his recruiting stock soar over the next two years as he continues to improve his body. Against Chicago powerhouse Mac Irvin Fire, Battey was absolutely dominant.

Not only did he control the glass, and show off nice passing skills, he hit shots from the perimeter and even showed off two gorgeous fall-away shots from the baseline.

“The shooting ability is natural and I was actually a backup point guard back in the day,” Battey said. “But for the last month, I’ve been down in San Diego working on all those moves and all those shots trying to perfect things I already had.”

Last season as a sophomore at Los Angeles Center for Enriched Students, he averaged 20.4 points, 14.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.9 blocks. His unique blend of a bruising nature and feather touch shooting the ball are rare for post players. Battey was also talkative among his teammates on defense, and was diving on the floor. He’s got all the tools to be a big time recruit, but he knows a lot of the work to get there will have to be done off the court.

“We’ve had two-a-days,” said Battey of his offseason workouts. “We do basketball in the morning, then weights and conditioning in the afternoon. I’ve stayed in the high level of weight, but it’s better weight. It’s muscle and I’ve lost a lot of fat. I’ve slimmed down a little bit.”

As he continues to transform his body, seeing where his game goes will be one to watch.

2017 POINT MEN

Collectively, there wasn’t a more talented position respective to class than the point guards from the class of 2017 at the Summer Jam. Aside from Marcus Carr, who will be featured on the site tomorrow (Tuesday), here are some other point guards’ names you could end up seeing shining in a few years in the NCAA.

– Nick Weatherspoon, 6’1, Velma Jackson (MS): Weatherspoon played up an age group with MBA Hoops Elite and alongside Tyson Carter, and showed out in a big way. He’s a highlight waiting to happen as he’s always in attack mode with a crafty handle and ability to dunk on someone’s head. He’s also got the strength and quick enough feet to apply the cuffs defensively. If he can polish his shooting ability over the next two years, watch out.

– J.R. Mathis, 6’0, Kentucky Country Day (KY): There weren’t many more complete point guards than Mathis at the Summer Jam. Though smaller in stature, no one could keep Mathis from getting into the paint where he showed excellent decision making skills in regards to getting all the way to the cup or kicking out to an open teammate. He also drilled shots all the way out to behind the three-point line off the catch or off the dribble from screens. His play at the tournament has gotten some mid to high major schools interested, and he should see his recruitment continue to soar over the next two years if he continues to play how he did in suburban Milwaukee last week.

– Evan Gilyard Jr., 5’10, Simeon (IL): Gilyard guided Meanstreets all the way to the 16U title game and figures to be one of the best players in Chicago for the remainder of his high school career. The lefty combines a great balance of being able to score the ball in a variety of ways, including an awesome floater game, and great passing ability. His size may make some high major programs hesitant, but coming up through the ranks in the Chicago Public League it’s a sure bet he won’t back down from anyone.

– Shai Alexander, 6’3, Hamilton Heights Christian (TN): The Ontario native ran the show for the 16U champion Stackhouse Elite/UPLAY team. He showed some scoring ability throughout the tournament, but with high major teammates like Shamiel Stevenson and Abu Kigab his distribution skills were in full effect. Alexander’s passing ability both in transition and in the half-court will be his calling card in attracting the attention of high major programs.

– Da’Monte Williams, 6’3, Peoria Manual (IL): The son of former NCAA All-American at Illinois, Frank Williams, didn’t have his perimeter shot falling consistently at the Summer Jam, but already has an offer from the Illini and plenty of other high majors tracking him because of his ability to defend, devastate opposition in transition and put pressure on the defense in a half-court setting.

– Jesse Hillis, 6’0, Caledonia (MI): According to the Grand Rapids Storm coach, Hillis has only received Division III interest thus far. He doesn’t have ideal height, and has a slight frame, but he’s a blur with the ball in his hands and is also lights out as a shooter. File Hillis under the super-sleeper category.

– Myles Franklin, 6’3, Villa Park (CA): Franklin is starting to pick up some mid to high major Division I interest, and has a smooth game for a point guard. With a lanky frame, Franklin showed off fluid athleticism and a versatile skill set for a lead guard.

CLEARING OUT THE NOTEBOOK

• All Ohio Red won the 17’s Platinum Division championship behind a balanced effort from a collection of mid-to-high major DI players. 6’6 guard Ibi Watson (Pickerington Central), the club’s highest rated prospect, arrived midway through the tournament to help put the perennial powerhouse over the top with 12 points in the championship win. Dayton-bound Trey Landers (6’5, F, Wayne HS), D’Mitrik Trice (6’1, G, Wayne HS), Rodrick Caldwell (5’10, G, Wayne), Jalen Tate (6’6, G, Pickerington Central), Andre Wesson (6’6, G/F, Westerville South), James Manns (6’7, F, Walnut Ridge) and Darius Harper (6’8, F, Springfield) also played integral roles in helping All Ohio Red plow through the loaded field on the way to a title. And, yes, Trice is the younger brother of former Michigan State Spartan Travis and Jalen is the younger brother of Ohio State sophomore Jae’Sean.

• Boise Hoop Dreams first participated at the Summer Jam last year and were bounced in the first round of the Platinum Division playoffs, but reversed their fortunes this year despite having no high-profile commitments. Coached by Roberto Bergersen, who played collegiately at Washington and Boise State, the kids from Idaho knocked off several teams featuring high DI prospects before falling to All Ohio Red in the title game. Behind class of 2016 DI prospects Rylan Bergerson (6’4, G, Borah), Travis Yenor (6’8, G/F, Ambrose), Talon Pinckney (5’9, G, Capital) and Logan Miller (6’5, G, Boise) along with 2017 6’9 horse Kolby Lee – who has an offer from Boise State and heavy interest from BYU among others – the squad stymied the opposition with disciplined man-to-man defense, and traps and excellent ball movement offensively with a variety of sets. They also capitalized a lot in transition of missed shots, and leak outs. 5’10 senior-to-be DeAndre Jones (Borah) also helped his recruiting stock big time throughout the tournament showing off great quickness with the ball and shot-making ability from three-point land.

• Though their 17U team wasn’t in attendance, the Louisville Magic’s 16U and 15U squads represented themselves well as both reached the final four in their respective loaded fields. From the class of 2017, 6’6 wing Jaylen Sebree (University Heights) and 6’4 wing Tony Jackson (North Hardin) both played themselves into high major college attention, while Steven Fitzgerald (6’3, G, Southwestern Pulaski) seemed like a no-brainer high major prospect in the class of 2018. Since there’s such a long way to go, Willie Hill (6’3, G, Fern Hill), Danny Butt (6’2, G, Southwestern Pulaski) and lefty Dorion Tisby (6’2, G/F, Ballard) also seem to have the tools of being heavily recruited.

• Milwaukee-native Te’jon Lucas (6’, PG, Washington) was arguably the best passing point guard in the tournament, and also hit big shots throughout the 17U playoffs before bowing out to Boise Hoop Dreams in the final four. Lucas came in with a pile of mid-major offers, as well as an offer from Memphis. But his play this summer has been to the level of drawing coaches from the Big Ten and other power conferences to the Milwaukee Spartans games.
• One of the most explosive scorers at the Summer Jam was the Martin Brothers’ class of 2016 prospect Jordan Bohannon (6’, G, Linn-Mar). The Iowa native has a quick trigger, and unlimited range. His play over the last year has garnered a ton of mid-major offers, an offer from DePaul and has several high major programs including Iowa, Wisconsin and Texas Tech monitoring him closely. He’ll suit up in Louisville this week for the AAU Super Showcase before his senior season to prove he can be a high major point guard.

• The Wisconsin Playground Warriors have churned out plenty of high major players over the years, and class of 2017 guard Kobe King (6’3, La Crosse Central) may be the program’s top prospect. But the backcourt of their 15U team, Jordan McCabe (5’10, Kaukauna) and Tyler Herro (6’2, Whitnall), both seem to be on their way to becoming national recruits. McCabe has already gained notoriety from his appearances as 9-year-old at halftime shows and on ESPN putting on ball-handling exhibitions. Though he still possesses a flashy handle, and can deliver highlight-reel worthy dimes, he’s proving he’s no gimmick. At the Summer Jam, McCabe showed off his range and ability to knock down shots off the dribble after creating some separation to go with a nice distributing ability. Herro oozes potential because of his length, cash shooting stroke and all-around floor game. It will be interesting, to say the least, to watch both their games develop throughout the remainder of their high school careers.

• The Summer Jam has always featured high major prospects, some who are one-and-done in the NCAA before becoming lotto picks. It is awesome to see those players compete, but my favorite element to the Summer Jam after covering it the last five years is seeing kids without any DI offers prove they’re worth and those with low to mid DI offers prove they’re worthy of even higher looks. With over 1,500 coaches who came through the doors of Homestead and Brown Deer high schools, many who competed at the Summer Jam this time around got their chance. Here are a few that stood out to me as proving their recruitment should raise another level: Michigan Triple Threat’s Riley Lewis (2016, 5’11, G, Williamston), Wisconsin Playmakers Bennett Vander Plas (2017, 6’7, F, Ripon) and the Wisconsin Swing’s Kyle Clow (6’4, G, Germantown).

Lewis’ small stature has limited his DI attention to this point to no offers or interest, but wherever he winds up that program is going to be getting a steal. He’s a great shooter with some flare to his game, and gave Dream Vision buckets from everywhere on the court including 18-first half points – and a major upset scare in the playoffs before Dream Vision eeked out a 75-71 win. He also showed the ability to set his teammates up with nice passes off the bounce. His squad will play in Fort Wayne during the final evaluation period before he gets ready to play his senior season.

Vander Plas came into the Summer Jam with an offer from IUPUI, and left with one from UW-Milwaukee. He’s got a strong body, range out behind the three-point arc and an inside-out game which should continue to attract DI programs over the next two years. The Playmakers finish up their summer in Louisville at the AAU Super Showcase.

Clow will have a chance to earn his first DI look as Swing teammates 6’7 athletic forward Chris Knight (DeForest) and 6’5 sharpshooter Ryan Kreuger (Hortonville) both currently hold offers from UW-Milwaukee and have other mid-to-high majors tracking. Clow’s all-around floor game, feel and athleticism could catch a DI coach’s eye over the course of the last live period at the Las Vegas Classic and beyond.

The post 2015 NY2LA Sports Summer Jam Notebook appeared first on SLAM.

On Sunday, a pair of high school sophomores without any DI offers – Ishmael El-Amin and Da’Monte Williams – broke out at the NY2LA Sport Swish ‘N Dish tournament in suburban Milwaukee and seemed primed to command the attention of DI coaches this spring and summer.

Their fathers, however, are much more familiar names to basketball fans for now.

Khalid El-Amin led his high school (Minneapolis North) to three straight state crowns, and capped his prep career by coming Minnesota’s Mr. Basketball in 1997 and a McDonald’s All-American. The 5’10, famously stocky, point guard then enjoyed an illustrious 4-year career as UCONN’s floor general in which he helped lead the Huskies to a national championship in 1999.

El-Amin was a second round draft pick of the Chicago Bulls in 2000, and played a season in the NBA but has enjoyed a long career playing professionally overseas ever since.

Ish has already begun to establish himself as one of Minnesota’s best prospects in the class of 2017 at Hopkins High School, and played up an age level at the Swish ‘N Dish with Net Gain’s 17’s squad. The 6-1, wiry guard scored 22 points in a variety of ways Sunday before Net Gain bowed out in the semifinals against the eventual tourney champion St. Louis Eagles 62-61. He’s eager to put his game on display this spring and summer.

“I feel like my jump shot has developed a lot,” El-Amin said. “I improved it a lot and I’m a lot more confident when I pull up. I was born into the point guard position, but I feel like I’m a combo guard now because I’m lengthy. I think I can play the one and two.”

As his prep career continues to progress, and any notoriety that comes with it, evocation to his dad’s legendary high school career and successful collegiate run will be inevitable. But the son doesn’t mind.

“I embrace it, but I’m trying to build my own story,” said El-Amin, who spent some time living with his dad in Ukraine, Russia and Turkey. “He has his, but I’m me and a totally different player than what he was.

“I watch his college games and high school games all the time. I like watching him play. I like to see what he’s got, and what I know I have. He’s a floor leader and controls everything. He’s always talking no matter if he’s winning or losing, so just being a leader on the floor is my favorite part of his game.”

El-Amin claims programs such as UCONN, Stanford, Oregon, Miami and Wisconsin have shown some preliminary interest, but none have offered. Aside from his game, he said he is working on improving his strength in order to elevate his production on the court and is also playing his pops one-on-one whenever he gets the chance. He admitted he’s still got a long way to go to catching his elder.

“All the time, we have battles,” El-Amin said. “He still gets me pretty easy. The first game I’ll give him a little fight, but it’s hard because he still got his game. I’m used to being physical, but I still have to get stronger.”

***

Da’Monte Williams (Manual/Peoria, IL) said one-on-one games with his dad, Frank Williams, are few and far between.

“The series is one to one now,” Williams said with a smirk. “Last summer was the first time I got him.”

The elder Williams won a pair of state titles with Peoria Manual in 1996 and ’97, then won Illinois’ Mr. Basketball in 1998 over Quentin Richardson and Corey Maggette before playing in the McDonald’s All-American game. Williams stayed close to home for college and dazzled those in Champaign playing for the Fighting Illini as a 6-3 scoring point guard.

Williams earned All-Big Ten honors, and was 2^nd team All-American his final year in college before the Nuggets took him with the 25^th pick in the 2002 draft (traded to the Knicks on draft day). He played four years in the NBA, but hasn’t played professionally since his stint with Ciclista Olimpico (Argentina) in 2010.

Da’Monte showed flashes of his dad’s wizardry passing the ball in transition at the Swish ‘N Dish while leading Chicago’s famed Mac Irvin Fire to the 16-and-under Platinum division title. Unlike Ish, Da’Monte is almost a carbon copy of his dad at 6’3 with a strong build.

However, much like El-Amin, he’s seen plenty of footage of his dad’s exploits on the court during his storied high school and college career.

“He shows me them all the time,” Williams said. “He shows me how it easy it was to get to the rim, and that it should be the same for me if I keep working. I like his hesitation, when he fakes a three then goes right to the basket and gets an and-one.”

The younger Williams scored the Fire’s last eight points in a semifinals victory over the St. Louis Eagles, including a steal and game-winning layup as time expired in double overtime on his way to 17 points, then scored 19 in the championship win over All-Ohio Red.

His film study of his dad seemed to have paid dividends at the Swish ‘N Dish.

“I’ve been attacking the basket more,” Williams said. “Now that I know how easy it is to get to the rim, I have to stay in attack mode and not settle.”

Playing alongside DI prospects on the Fire 16’s such as Christian Negron (6-6, F, Larkin High), Octavious Parker Jr. (6-2, G, Niles West), Marcus Garrett (6-1, G, Hillcrest), Malik Binns (6-6, F, Hope) and Melo Burrell (6-7, F, Morgan Park) among others, Williams will surely get the opportunity to play in front of some big time college coaches and assistant coaches over the course of the next two years.

Da’Monte has yet to earn any offers, and it’s unfair to expect him to be his father despite the physical similarities. But he said Sunday he’s dedicated to making a name for himself to college coaches and basketball fans alike on the court.

“I just want to keep working so I can maybe achieve some of things he did, and maybe even better,” Williams said. “I just want to keep playing the game, and maybe even be a head coach somewhere. I hope to be at least remembered when my career is over.”

It’s barely just begun.

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His final stat line of seven points, four boards, four assists, two steals and one block in relatively limited action during the Eagles’ 74-53 win over Chicago powerhouse Mac Irvin Fire won’t blow anyone away, but some context is needed before anyone cools on his game.

“Today was my first time playing since my high school season,” said Tatum, who didn’t touch a ball until Thursday to get some shots up. “I really just took break. So I tried to come out (Friday) and get my feet back under me, and get back into a rhythm. It’s going to take a little time. I just wanted to have fun. It’s really just about that and getting better as a player.”

The 6’8 wing averaged 26.5 points and 11.7 rebounds during his junior season with Chaminade, and possesses a floor game offensively which is as seasoned as you’ll see on the high school level. His handle, vision and passing ability has been evident from an early age as we saw at the Swish ‘N Dish when he was just a freshman.

As he’s naturally grown into his body, his athleticism has continued to increase by the day and he gave the packed house in suburban Milwaukee a glimpse with a ferocious tomahawk dunk on a break against the Fire Friday. He also stuck a three in transition, utilizing a continually improving stroke with picturesque form and rotation.

Tatum’s well-documented versatility on offense can overshadow what he brings to the court defensively, but his ability to guard both shooting guards and small forwards is just as attractive to the likes of every big time program that is waiting on his pledge. It’s also helped him stand out on Team USA’s U17 gold medal squad at the FIBA World Championships last summer in Dubai, and earned an invite to try out this summer for the U19 World Championship in Greece beginning June 27^th.

“I like the perimeter,” Tatum said. “But I also really like playing on the inside. I just feel comfortable anywhere on the court, really.”

Despite the two-week hiatus from the court, he remained ever comfy on the hardwood and wasn’t forcing the issue Friday with the Fire doubling him on almost every touch – and was never sped up.

“I’m used to it,” Tatum said. “It’s been happening for years now. Being face-guarded, doubled, guarded physically – all that. I got used to it.”

The St. Louis Eagles are expected to be one of the best teams on the Nike EYBL circuit this spring and summer because of a cast of other high major recruits that surround Tatum. On Friday, the Eagles were led by 6-9 class of 2017 blue-chipper Jeremiah Tilmon (East St. Louis, IL) and 6-8, 240 bruising class of 2016 forward Tyler Cook (Chaminade) collective dominance in the paint.

Tilmon finished with a team-high 15 points, while Cook added 11, and the duo combined for several dunks in transition and put-back dunks on defenders’ heads.

“They help me out a lot,” Tatum said. “It takes a lot of pressure off me because I feed them down there. They block shots and rebound. They’re a lot of fun to play with.”

The feeling is most likely mutual.

But perhaps the most telling revelation from Friday about what Tatum strives for on the court came after we asked for his vote for the NBA’s MVP and why.

“I’d say Russell Westbrook,” said Tatum following an emphatic head-shake, exhale and brief pause to think. “I feel like right now he’s the most feared NBA player. You know, when people have to play OKC I feel like they get chills or get nervous with the way he’s been playing.”

When asked if that’s what he’s working to impose on his opponents.

“Exactly,” he responded.

That’s a scary thought for Tatum’s opponents as he starts to get back into the flow at the Swish ‘N Dish, and beyond.

The post Lift Off: Jayson Tatum appeared first on SLAM.

“My family grew up Kentucky fans, actually,” Kennard said. “My favorite player was Tayshaun Prince. I just was like, ‘Man, I want to be him one day.’ He’s a lefty, he could shoot the ball, score and was tall. He was my big role model growing up as a young kid.”

Kennard has done just about everything to mirror Prince’s basketball career trajectory to this point, but has begun to carve out a legacy of his own that hundreds of kids in the small town of Franklin, Ohio are currently dreaming of emulating.

The 6’6 senior guard committed to Duke during his junior year, choosing the Blue Devils over Kentucky and Ohio State, and will compete in the McDonald’s All-American game on April 1^st in Chicago as well as the Jordan Brand Classic on April 17^th in Brooklyn at the Barclay’s Center.

He’s in the midst of a historic senior season, in which he’s bypassed LeBron James on Ohio’s state all-time scoring list and currently sits third in state history with 2,828 points and counting. He also set a state record for draining 34 free throws in a game earlier this season.

The lefty averaged 40 points as a junior on his way to earning Ohio’s Mr. Basketball honors, and seems poised to earn that crown once again this season as he’s continued his torrid scoring pace with an average of 38.4 points per game to go with 9.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists.

Last Saturday, Kennard and Franklin improved to 24-1 on the season and captured its first Division II (the state’s second largest school classification) sectional championship in front of a sell-out crowd of 14,000+ at the University of Dayton. Franklin had come up short in the sectional championship, Kennard’s first three years in high school but he’s got his eyes on a bigger prize in his final high school campaign to put an emphatic stamp on his already illustrious four-year varsity career.

“As a team, going out with a state championship would just seal the deal,” said Kennard, who will play Friday against Shawnee for the District title and the right to advance to the state’s sweet 16. “Just the success we’ve had – not just me, the whole program – has left a mark Franklin for history. We’ve already made history, and we keep making history every game we play. Just the team we’ve built here the past couple years with the community all in with us in everything we do, has been really great. I don’t think this team will ever be forgotten.”

Franklin coach Brian Bales, who was coached by Luke’s father Mark as a middle schooler, has been at the helm for eight seasons for the Wildcats. When he took over the program, he estimated between 25-40 kids at the program’s summer basketball camp. Since Kennard began getting buckets in a Franklin uniform, and began to establish himself as one of the best prep players in the country while leading Franklin to an 84-8 record Bales estimates the number of camp participants has swelled to around 150.

Whether Kennard and Franklin can cap the season with a state title or not, Bales thinks Kennard’s hometown legacy has already been cemented considering he couldn’t recall Franklin producing another Division I player in his lifetime.

“Who’d have ever thought we’d have a McDonald’s All-American here, or a guy play for Team USA or a guy go to Duke, let alone a guy who can sellout every home game,” said Bales, who also starred at Franklin and held the school’s career assist record for 20 years until Kennard broke it this season. “Just the impact he’s had on our community has been incredible. Our community has engulfed him, and he’s their guy, man. What he’s done for Franklin basketball, and just the pride of Franklin has been incredible.”

After Kennard is through in Ohio, coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke faithful will get to see what captivated Franklin for four years first hand. And before Kennard gets his crack at the NBA, he plans on leaving his mark in Durham thanks to his ability to hurt defenses shooting the leather off the rock or breaking down his defender and setting up teammates for good looks.

“Coach K said putting me at one position isn’t doing me any favors,” Kennard said. “So I think I’ll be able to make plays on the offensive end, and play some great defense. I think I can be an effective scorer in the positions Coach K has talked to me about. I just want to be a playmaker for him.”

The post Blue Blood appeared first on SLAM.

Meanwhile, on the heels of a 15-16 (7-11 in SEC) campaign in 2013-14, and a projected rotation of predominantly true freshmen and sophomores, Vanderbilt was overlooked during the preseason by conference prognosticators.

Perhaps it’s time to give the young Commodores a look.

With sophomore center Damian Jones leading the way, Vanderbilt is off to a 10-3 start and has visiting Auburn on tap for Tuesday in both teams’ first conference game of the season.

“I think we can be a really good team,” says Jones, who earned 1st team All-Freshmen honors in the SEC and returned as the Commodores’ leading scorer and rebounder. “We’re getting better and better with experience, and building. I think we’re coming into the SEC pretty strong.”

Jones typically anchors the post alongside either 7-foot sophomore Luke Kornet or 6-7 senior forward James Siakam (9.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg). At 6-10, and a monster athletically, Jones looks like he’s taken a step forward from last year, as he’s averaging a team-high 16.6 points per game, 7.1 boards, 1.8 blocks and is shooting close to 57 percent from the field.

Though you might have only seen Jones’ violent dunks on helpless defenders on highlight shows (like this one from last season), he also boasts a nice touch in the paint and said he worked hard to expand his game on both ends of the floor following a productive freshman year.

“I’m better on the defensive end, just moving my feet better,” Jones says. “On offense, I just have more ways to score. I worked on my turnaround jump shot, more post moves and some counter moves.”

Jones’ expanded, imposing presence down low offensively has been complemented early on by Kornet—a beneficiary of a 9-inch growth spurt during his last two years of high school. Anthony Davis he is not, but Kornet puts up 8.8 ppg while shooting 45 percent from three-point range.

The elder statesman among the rotation players, Siakam has also been instrumental in both reserve and starting roles in the paint, offering up the intangibles coaches always clamor for.

“He’s a relentless player,” Jones says of Siakam. “He’s always a force on the offensive rebounds. He just gives us energy to keep on going.”

What makes this year’s Commodores squad unique, and why they’ll be a problem of SEC opponents, is the chemistry on the court the first-year and second-year players play with offensively—as if they’ve shared the court in the program for years.

Through its non-conference schedule, Vanderbilt’s perimeter play has proven to be as dangerous as it is youthful, with the mix of five true freshmen occupying those respective roles on the court at all times.

Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings’ heralded 2014 class welcomed 6-3 Shelton Mitchell (Waxhaw, NC/Oak Hill Academy), 6-2 Riley LaChance (Brookfield, WI/Central), 6-3 Wade Baldwin (Belle Mead, NJ/St. Joseph), 6-5 Matthew Fisher-Davis (Charlotte, NC/Butler) and 6-6 Jeff Roberson (Houston, TX/The Kinkaid School).

Mitchell and Baldwin have handled the bulk of the point guard duties, while LaChance, Fisher-Davis and Roberson play off the ball. Stallings has mixed and matched trios of all five players throughout the season—each bringing a unique skill-set to the court. When the ball is tipped each game, their age or year in school means nothing.

“You just play your hardest, and not think about how old these guys are or what their experience is,” Jones says. “It took me a few games to catch up to the speed, but once I did it was a good transition.”

All five Vanderbilt freshmen have had instances this season that coaches may chalk up to inexperience, but overall they’ve played with the composure of veterans.

LaChance, who leads Vandy in minutes played per game at 33 and is second on the team in scoring (13.3 ppg, No. 1 among all freshmen in the SEC), said it’s the few Commodores vets that have had a major hand in that coolness on the court.

“Especially when I first got here in the summer, it was an adjustment to the speed and physicality—and just living away from home,” LaChance, who today was named SEC Freshman of the Week for the second time already this season. “They just helped me with stick with it. Everything those guys do—James, [senior] Shelby [Moats] and [redshirt senior] Josh [Henderson]—they’re always trying to look out for us. They’ve made it evident that you’ll have bad days, bad practices and bad games but your teammates will always pick you up. So you have to keep on plugging away.”

Lesson learned.

After a rough personal outing in which he only scored two points on 1-of-7 shooting during a 66-63 loss to Baylor on December 4, LaChance responded with back-to-back 26-point games in wins over Purdue and Western Carolina.

On New Year’s Eve, the combo guard scored a game-high 19 points (7-of-9, 3 threes), grabbed seven boards and handed out four assists in a 70-55 road win at Saint Louis.

Mitchell’s layup helped force overtime in Saturday’s come-from-behind double overtime 79-74 win over Ivy League contender Yale, while free throws in the waning seconds from Fisher-Davis and LaChance iced the victory.

Baldwin and Mitchell are both leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio among freshmen in the NCAA, with Mitchell averaging 5.0 dimes per game and Baldwin averaging 4.4. Roberson averages the least points of the freshmen, but still plays close to 20 minutes a game because of his ability to guard the wing.

Following a 2012 SEC Tournament championship and its fifth NCAA tournament appearance in six seasons, Vanderbilt has undergone losing seasons the last two years, as well as plenty of roster turnover, which enabled this year’s five true freshmen to seize the opportunity of making their imprint from the get-go.

The SEC got only three teams into the dance last year—Kentucky, Florida and Tennessee—while seven conferences sent at least four teams apiece. The time comes Tuesday for Vanderbilt to begin its challenging path towards returning to the top of the SEC.

After Auburn, road games at Arkansas and Mississippi State sandwich a home game with Georgia before a Big Blue test on January 20th at Rupp Arena.

The 10-3 start is nice, but doesn’t serve as affirmation for the Commodores. LaChance says the ‘Dores have been working towards restoring the magic in Memorial Gymnasium this season, and will be doing so their remaining years in Nashville.

“I don’t think anything has changed in our minds,” he says. “We’ve been confident in ourselves since day one in the summer. We’ve all worked extremely hard since we all got here. We were confident then, and I think we’re still just as confident now. As a whole, we’re just trying to get this program back to where it’s been. We want to get back to where we know we can be, and that’s at the top of the SEC and in the NCAA Tournament.”

The Commodores have plenty to prove on the court before they get there, but their journey will be worth watching.

Photo via Getty Images

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With college basketball practices officially underway, and Midnight Madness’ right around the corner, another niche group of people’s wait has ended.

Wisconsin’s Bronson Koenig, Georgia Tech’s Travis Jorgenson and Marquette’s Duane Wilson all set foot on their respective campuses last year as heralded true freshmen point guards. But all three went through seasons unlike any they’ve ever had in their past and hope this is the year they can begin to introduce themselves to the rest of the country.

The 6-4 Koenig gave the nation a brief glimpse of his talent during the Badgers’ 74-73 loss to Kentucky in the Final Four, by scoring all 11 of his points in the first half to help Wisconsin take a 40-36 lead into the break.

“When I first came in I was pretty nervous, but the first play I was in Trae [Jackson] got it to me upcourt, and I got a layup,” Koenig said. “That got my confidence going, and I think something kind of came over me and I felt really comfortable. I feel like I really came alive during the Tournament.”

Koenig averaged 15.5 minutes last year, but only averaged 3.5 points and 1.1 assists per game. Having started on basically every team he had ever played for, sans an AAU squad when he played up two age levels prior to coming to Madtown, the transition to a reserve role came with challenges.

“Coming in obviously there were some veteran guards, so it was different not knowing how many minutes I’d play,” Koenig said. “I understood, but as a competitor it always bothers you when you’re on the bench. With Coach [Bo] Ryan you really have to earn your spot and your minutes. So I tried to do the best I could to earn as many minutes as I could.”

He famously chose to stay in his home state, passing up offers from Duke, UNC and Kansas, and the decision obviously paid off with a trip to the Final Four during the Badgers’ 16th straight appearance in the Big Dance in his first season.

Starting guard Ben Brust was the only key contributing member of last season’s squad to graduate, and the void his departure leaves, opens the door for Koenig to put his yo-yo handle, distributing ability, silk shot and lightning-quick feet defensively on display. When Koenig was back home in La Crosse, WI, this summer he said he worked hard with his trainer who he described as, “a martial arts kinda guy.”

Koenig’s main focus was strengthening his core in order to improve his flexibility, mobility, endurance and balance. He mentioned having some back issues the first several months of his freshman year, and after playing a season off the bench in the Big Ten, building a stronger core was a necessity for him to take a step forward in flourishing under coach Bo Ryan.

To keep his skills on the court sharp while he was at home, he linked up with longtime western Wisconsin rival and current Iowa State shooting guard Matt Thomas for some one-on-one.

“They were a little one-sided, I got the better of him most games,” Koenig laughed.

Now physically stronger, more experienced and with a small taste of postseason glory, Koenig is ready to aid the Badgers in maintaining their stay among the elite teams in the country filling a larger role this season. The senior Jackson returns at starting point guard, while redshirt senior Josh Gasser also returns in the backcourt, so it remains to be seen whether Koenig will play the bulk of his minutes this year on or off the ball. He’s confident he can do both.

“The coaches and I talked after last season, but I’ve set pretty high expectations for myself now that Ben Brust is gone,” Koenig said. “I have more confidence in my game, so hopefully I can bring that over into every game. Obviously now that I have a year under my belt, I’ll be better scoring and on defense taking charges, doing some of the little things more.”

NBA prospects Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker, along with returning Big Ten sixth man of the year and First-Team Big Ten All-Frosh forward Nigel Hayes, give the Badgers one of the most formidable frontcourts in the country. Whether it was during summer workouts back in Madison with the squad, or these past few weeks as Badgers are on the brink of another season, Koenig noticed a distinct difference between last offseason.

“We’re more motivated,” Koenig said. “Being so close to a National Championship, we’re just motivated to do any little thing we can. Our strength coach always says that we have to be willing to do what other teams aren’t. We’ve been working very hard in the offseason, and it’s definitely going to show once we get on the court.”

***

Koenig may have been able to take last season’s experience on the court to hit his offseason training running, but Georgia Tech’s Travis Jorgenson wasn’t able to go full-speed until a few weeks ago.

The Columbia, MO, native arrived in Atlanta by way of New Hampshire after playing his senior season at New Hampton. The 6-footer cracked Brian Gregory’s Yellow Jackets rotation from the get go thanks to the quintessential floor general qualities he possesses, and averaged close to 20 minutes a game.

During Tech’s fourth game against Dayton, he tore the ACL in his right knee and was forced to redshirt following surgery.

“I was just getting my feet wet, and getting in the rotation which was pretty cool,” Jorgenson remembered. “Then the injury came which was unfortunate, but it was four games in so I got the medical redshirt. So that was a positive because if it came later I would’ve lost a year (of eligibility).”

Aside from being able to keep a year of eligibility, another silver lining from his injury came in his preparation for his redshirt freshman season.

“I just feel a lot more mentally prepared, and ready, this year than I did last year,” Jorgenson said. “Just being around watching practices, watching games and seeing gameplans helped me realize what it will take to be successful.”

Known for his excellent court sense, and a nasty handle, Jorgenson said he was able to start shooting around six months after his surgery. He said he focused on fixing some mechanics on his shot, striving for more consistency with repetition in order to improve that part of his game.

Since being cleared to go full-speed with his teammates a few weeks ago, Jorgenson claimed his command on the point guard position suffered no ill effect of the year off.

“When I’m out there I feel like my feel for the game is right back where it was,” Jorgenson said. “I didn’t have any clue what to expect. I’m happy with where I’m at, but I’m not where I want to be so I have to keep working every day.

“All I’m trying to focus on is going in every day ready to work, and doing everything I have to. Then I’ll keep treating my knee making sure it’s fresh for the next day, so I can keep getting better the next day.”

Since most of his time was dedicated to getting healthy, strengthening his knees and getting back into shape during the offseason, Jorgenson’s day-to-day progression the remainder of the preseason and beyond could be integral to the success of the Yellow Jackets.

Last year’s starting point guard Trae Golden graduated, so Jorgenson is in the midst of trying to earn minutes among a handful of other guards.

“I haven’t talked with [the coaches] about playing time or anything like that,” Jorgenson said. “I feel like I should get some minutes, but we’ll see what I can do in the next few weeks in practices. It will all depend on how well my knee holds up and how well I perform.”

Tech fans got to see a small sample size of how well he can perform, but assuming all goes well health-wise they will get to see a point guard whose presence can help improve upon last year’s 16-17 season and exclusion from the NCAA Tournament.

“I can control the game a little bit,” Jorgenson said modestly. “I get guys the ball where they need to get it. I try to push the tempo, take care of the ball, get guys in the right spots and hit open shots. So I try to help the team out in that way.”

The Yellow Jackets haven’t made an appearance since 2010, and are picked to finish toward the bottom of the Atlantic Coast Conference this season by a variety of publications in effectively meaningless pre-season polls.

Jorgenson is ready to do his part in helping Georgia Tech prove itself, all the while proving himself as a high-major point guard.

“That’s something we’re aware of, and I definitely feel like we have something to prove,” Jorgenson said. “But the good thing is that once they throw the ball up and the season starts none of that matters. Other teams will have to earn a win just as much as we do. I’m excited to go out there and compete.”

***

A pre-season stress fracture in his leg that crept into the first portion of last season, and then the stomach flu, led Duane Wilson to decide to redshirt during last season at Marquette after not suiting up for any games early on.

The debut of one of Milwaukee’s finest, and back-to-back state champion at Dominican High his junior and senior year, was put on hold.

But Marquette fans will get their first look at Wilson in a Golden Eagles uniform this year, and potentially some lobs to sophomore dunk machine Deonte Burton who joined Wilson as high profile recruits for former coach Buzz Williams from Milwaukee in the Class of 2013.

Both Wilson and Burton were part of the recent wave of high-major talent coming out of the state of Wisconsin, and Milwaukee-based NY2LASports founder Antonio Curro has had a front row seat. NY2LASports tournaments field some of the top club teams, and players, from around the country every spring and summer—and getting local high-major players to stay home is always big.

“It’s important anytime Marquette or Wisconsin can land an in-state talent because you want to protect your home base first,” Curro said. “Duane is a product of the city, so for Marquette to get him obviously was huge—especially with getting Deonte too. You got to see flashes of Deonte’s explosive athleticism and power, and what he can bring to the table (last season). Duane will big for them at some point. It’s just big they were able to keep those kids in the city.”

Though Williams, who recruited Wilson and Burton, took over at Virginia Tech, Wilson still could shine under first-year coach Steve Wojciechowski. Returning starting point guard Derrick Wilson and graduate transfer from BYU Matt Carlino figure to be ahead of Wilson in the rotation to start the season, but whether it’s this season or over the course of the following three, Curro anticipates Wilson bringing an element to the court that had Milwaukee folks hoping he’d choose to stay home and play at Marquette.

“Duane’s always had a knack for hitting big shots,” Curro said. “He always elevates his game when it matters the most. There’s a reason he won two straight state championships. He just brings a lot of leadership to the court, and understands the game. The other thing is that he hates to lose, and any time you have a point guard who hates to lose that’s an asset because that rubs off on the other players. You can’t teach that.”

***

Koenig, Jorgenson and Wilson are just three of many point guards in their second seasons on their respective campuses having learned the value of patience during their first college hoop fans will end up needing to get acquainted with.

Last year, Kentucky’s Andrew Harrison, Iowa State’s Monte Morris, Washington’s Nigel Williams-Goss, North Carolina State’s Cat Barber, Louisville’s Terry Rozier, Michigan’s Derrick Walton, Oklahoma State’s Stevie Clark, DePaul’s Billy Garrett Jr, Florida’s Kasey Hill and of course Syracuse’s Tyler Ennis (drafted 18th by the Phoenix Suns) all showed major promise in significant minutes last year as true freshmen at their respective high-major programs with college hoops fans taking notice.

Point guards such as Kansas’ Conner Frankamp, UCLA’s Bryce Alford, Xavier’s Brandon Randolph, Missouri’s Wes Clark, Notre Dame’s Demetrius Jackson and North Carolina’s Nate Britt figure to see a spike in minutes this year compared to their true freshmen seasons last year.

Perhaps Oakland’s Khalil Felder, whose 6.4 dimes per game ranked him atop any true freshman point guard and seventh in the country, will continue to show he can hang with any point guard from a power conference.

The level of your point guard’s play can directly impact your team’s success in March.

Now it’s just about time to see which lead guard continues to emerge toward the top.

The post Waiting To Make a Point appeared first on SLAM.

Ty Lawson made a dude fall over; Ty Lawson put some unfortunate big who switched on to him on an island on skates; Ty Lawson made a defender look stupid.

Whether it was at Oak Hill where he was an All-American, North Carolina where he was an All-American and National Champion or through his first five seasons in the League—we’ve all seen the nearly unparalleled end-to-end speed that the 5-11 point guard possesses.

If he’s driving toward the hoop with a full head of steam, and whoever is guarding him is back-peddling to try and stay in front of him—forget about it. Bucket.

Having the build and center of gravity similar to a bowling ball, along with extraordinary speed, quickness and bounce in his legs, the shifty Lawson can apply insane pressure on defenses when he’s at his best. Though he can finish through contact at the rim despite his small stature, his drive and kick game is also on a high level when defenses collapse on him once he’s wrecked his man on the perimeter.

Lawson’s sturdy build and quick feet make up a great base as a defender, and his quick hands along with instinct allow him to wreak havoc in passing lanes.

But in a league stocked with plenty of point guards possessing their own respective world-class combos of various skill sets and athleticism, Lawson has yet to achieve All-Star status.

So what’s holding him back?

Lawson, who turns 27 in November, has battled ankle injuries in basically every season dating back to his days donning baby blue in Chapel Hill. For a player whose success on the court directly correlates with his explosive movement, an ankle that isn’t full strength undoubtedly limits his effectiveness. Just look at Deron Williams—who played his way into a very legitimate candidate for best PG in the world in Utah before ankle injuries the last three years have him looking pedestrian in the NBA.

The Nuggets shut Lawson down for the final six games of last year because of an ankle injury, one that forced him to miss 20 games in total, but an offseason of rest (no surgery) has him ready to hit the ground running again this season.

Lawson averaged career-highs in points (17.6), assists (8.8) and steals (1.6) in a career-high 35.8 minutes per game last season under first year coach Brian Shaw. But he also shot a career-low 43.1 percent from the field and averaged a career-high 3.2 turnovers per game during a season in which the Nuggets finished with 36 wins and out of the Playoffs.

The intangible feel, nuance, IQ—or whatever term you prefer—which separate the elite point guards from the great ones is also something Lawson is striving toward in his quest to establish himself as an All-Star point guard. Even if both his ankles are at full strength, Lawson will need to continue to make strides toward consistency in terms of knowing when to apply his break-neck speed on opposing defenses and when to bring the ball back out.

After Denver replaced its GM, coach and some key contributors from a 50-win playoff team, Lawson saw his role (and bank account) expand heading into last season. Perhaps the year under his belt in that role will equate to more efficient outings by Lawson this year, and a needed improvement on his field-goal percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio. Don’t be fooled either, the low percentage isn’t because he’s a bad shooter but a byproduct of a high volume to tough shots.

This season, he’ll have weapons around him on the perimeter with Arron Afflalo, a healthy Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Randy Foye, Nate Robinson and Quincy Miller to kick out to. Rookie Gary Harris should also bring an exciting element to the Denver backcourt with his ability to defend and dynamic offensive game that Lawson could help flourish.

Athletic bigs Kenneth Faried, JaVale McGee, JJ Hickson and Darrell Arthur surely will be on the receiving end of some highlight-reel lobs from Lawson.

The table is set for Lawson to be the man in Denver.

Lawson checked in at No. 35 last year in the #SLAMTop50, but dropped to No. 42 this year and has 12 point guards ahead of him. The next step for Lawson is to lead his team back into the postseason. As we watch him try and become a proven winner in the NBA, one of the few things that is certain is that we’ll be treated to plenty of highlights along the way.

Rankings are based on expected contribution in ’14-15—to players’ team, the NBA and the game.

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Antonio Curro, event organizer of the NY2LASports.com Summer Jam, gave that crowd—plus hundreds of college coaches in the bleachers at Homestead High School in Mequon, WI—a treat when Smith’s Team Loaded-North Carolina squared off with Jefferson’s Milwaukee Rebels Wednesday night during the Summer Jam opener.

With Division I college prospects on both squads, seeing coaches in the stands during a live evaluation period was to be expected. What wasn’t expected—and certainly not the norm for a club basketball tournament—was a packed crowd full of players, parents and fans in addition to said coaches.

Shortly after Smith and Team Loaded defeated the Rebels 76-72, the crowd dispersed even though there was another game between two teams with Division I prospects—albeit no YouTube sensations.

“It’s kind of crazy because now the bleachers look empty,” said Smith who plays his high school ball at Trinity Christian Academy. “But it means a lot to me, because I’ve come a long way since I’ve started.”

Smith, a 6-2 point guard, is now an electric athlete who is a consensus top-10 prospect in the Class of 2016 with an offer list that could double as college basketball’s top-25 rankings on any given season.

He utilized his tight handle, agility and speed to knife through the Rebels’ defense with ease with just under a minute remaining and put in a layup to break a 72-72 tie, and Team Loaded never looked back. He dazzled the crowd in transition and, when a Rebels guard was going up for an uncontested layup on a fastbreak, Smith chased him down before pinning his shot on the glass.

Videos of the poster he put a 6-6 player from Team NLP on during Friday’s games at the Summer Jam have already popped up on YouTube. There were many instances throughout the five-day tournament in which Smith’s game justified Coach K, Bill Self and many other coaches sitting in the stands to scout him, and he said he started to believe that could be a reality for him two summers ago.

“Around my eighth grade year, we went to the national championship in AAU and I pretty much dominated every point guard out there,” Smith said.

Though Smith did hit shots, he will need to continue polishing that aspect of his game in order to keep defenders honest at the next level. He also said he’s been working on moving without the ball.

Fellow guards on Team Loaded, Jaylen Fornes (2016 SG, 6-3, Word of God/Grantsboro, NC) and Demetrius Troy (2015 SG, 6-0, Word of God/Raleigh, NC), helped lighten the load on Smith during the Summer Jam and both will end up making a mid- or high-major program happy whenever they decide to commit.

Team Loaded-North Carolina’s run ended in the Summer Jam’s Elite Eight when the Atlanta Celtics came away with an 80-70 victory. On the other side of the court from Smith was Kobi Simmons (2016 PG, 6-5, St. Francis/Alpharetta, GA).

Simmons has also established himself as one of the best point guards, and players, in the entire Class of 2016 over the course of the last year and it was easy to see why schools such as Kansas, Ohio State, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Tennessee, Providence and more have offered him at the Summer Jam.

He said he thrives on big-time matchups with other guards from around the country.

“I just try to show everybody and coaches that I’m one of the top point guards in the nation,” Simmons said. “I came out with a chip on my shoulder, and the demeanor that I will go at anybody to lead my team to victory. I want to get all my teammates involved, and basketball should be fun so I want to make sure everyone is out there having fun. It means a lot just knowing that coaches notice me, and that I’m playing well.”

As well as Simmons seems to balance a cut-throat competitiveness and having fun on the court, he also possesses a natural balance of knowing when to score and when to facilitate.

“It’s just making the right play,” Simmons said. “If I drive, and I see help, I’ve got my head on swivel so obviously someone else is open who I can dish it too. Or I can find a lane and score for my team.”

Much like Smith, and every other high school basketball player that will play collegiately, Simmons is far from a finished product. Adding strength will be critical for him being able to finish consistently at the rim when he gets into the paint at the next level.

But also like Smith, he had plenty of talented teammates on the Atlanta Celtics to be beneficiaries of his advanced court-vision and deft passing.

The Celtics’ run to the Summer Jam’s Final Four was also due in large part to smooth 6-8, 2016, small forward Braxton Blackwell (Christ Presbyterian Academy/Nashville, TN) who already holds offers from Florida, Indiana, North Carolina State, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Cal, Memphis, Missouri, LSU and several more. Blackwell dropped 20 in a win over the King James Shooting Stars, and displayed many skills on offense college coaches covet.

The post Main Event appeared first on SLAM.

The 6-5 lefty wing was a terror for the opposition on both ends of the court. Despite entering the week with a slew of mid-major offers, and interest from Cincinnati and VCU, he insisted the killer disposition he played with had nothing to do with trying to prove his worth as a high-major recruit.

“This is how I play,” Barkley said. “Having a high motor helps me do so much more on the floor on the offensive and defensive end. I like to guard the best player whenever I can. Our goal was to win a championship.”

Mission accomplished.

Barkley scored 13 points, grabbed 8 boards and handed out 4 assists in Team Loaded’s 81-79 championship victory over Wisconsin United, and also scored a team-high 24 in a lopsided semifinals victory over the Atlanta Celtics—which also avenged a pool play loss to the Celtics.

Also aiding Barkley’s cause in catching the eye of high major programs is the fact that coaches from almost every program in the nation saw or will see him during the final live evaluation period beginning Wednesday since many of his teammates already hold offers from some of the nation’s powerhouse programs.

During the Summer Jam, Barkley put his athleticism and developing skills on display. With feet quick enough to guard 1s, 2s and 3s, a willingness to crash the glass and elite effectiveness in transition finishing at the rim or making the right pass, Barkley said his offensive guard skills in the half court still need the most work.

“Basically just beating people off the dribble, and my range from the three-point line—and trying to keep my follow through up is what I’ve been working on,” Barkley said.

After impressive performances in Team Loaded’s three pool play games, then in the playoffs of the Summer Jam which also included dubbs over Mercury Elite, the Wisconsin Playground Warriors and Chicago Lockdown, Barkley also knocked down plenty of three-pointers and knifed through the teeth of the defense off the bounce in the half court.

Team Loaded-Virginia’s highest profile player, 2016 top-five recruit and 7-footer, Thon Maker (Carlisle/Martinsville, VA) is also a believer in Barkley as a high-major prospect.

“Everyone thought he’d just be the guy to do the dirty work, and that gave us the toughness we needed,” Maker said. “But Kentrell has worked himself really hard, and really improved.”

On the other side of the court during the Summer Jam 17’s Platinum championship, Wisconsin United’s Marshawn Wilson (Hill Murray/Oakdale, MN) also made a strong case as a high-major caliber player throughout the event.

Wilson claimed offers from Creighton, Northern Iowa, Colorado State, Illinois State, Northern Illinois and LaSalle prior to last Wednesday’s tournament tip off, and the 6-2 power guard brought plenty to the court which surely forced high-majors to begin tracking him the remainder of his recruitment process.

During the semifinals against the King James Shooting Stars, Wilson guarded 6-6 Luke Kennard (Duke), 6-5 Kyle Ahrens (Michigan State), 5-9 AJ Harris (Ohio State) and even 6-7 wing Kipper Nichols (offers from Xavier, Maryland, Penn State, Minnesota, Dayton and Clemson) effectively.

“I define myself as a defensive stopper,” Wilson said. “I like to guard the best players on the team, and make sure they don’t get off. I feel like I’m definitely underrated. Most people don’t see me as a threat, so I just try to prove myself every game.”

He also was excellent rebounding the ball, on both ends, relative to his size and position. Offensively, however, Wilson is no joke.

He was incredibly strong with the ball, has great spring in his legs—including a uniquely explosive second jump—and knocked down mid-range jumpers and three-pointers with consistency.

Wilson said he’s focused on continuing to improve his handle, but it was tight enough at the Summer Jam where he wasn’t sped up by any defenders and was able to drive and create open looks for his teammates as well.

‘Beast’ is a term that sometimes gets thrown around a little too liberally among basketball fans, but it’s one that was overheard coming out of several coaches mouths watching Barkley’s and Wilson’s games.

Then there was Admiral Schofield (Zion-Benton/Zion, IL).

Schofield—6-5, strong-bodied and athletic—ran with Dickey Simpkins’ Team NLP and beasted the opposition before NLP bowed out to the Wisconsin Playground Warriors in the playoffs. Throughout pool play, Schofield showed a wide array of qualities both offensively and defensively. Whether he was finishing breaks with a big dunk, dropping in three-pointers, driving to the hoop and dishing it to an open teammate, crashing the glass, swatting shots, putting the cuffs on the man he was guarding or diving on the floor, Schofield did a little bit of it all.

And if only one player in the world can deserve the title of ‘beast’, it would be LeBron James. Naturally, that’s who Schofield has always tried to emulate.

“The way he just plays all around,” said Schofield, who’s older brother O’Brien is a member of the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks. “He plays any position, he plays defense, he attacks and he’s strong. So I try to model my game after him because he can beat guys athletically and skillfully.”

Currently claiming offers from Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wisconsin-Green Bay and LIU-Brooklyn, Schofield has played his way into seeing that list grow and could see it continue to expand with another strong outing in the final live period as well as a strong senior high school campaign.

Seeing success against counterparts who sport offers from high major schools, or are already committed to them, has continued to aid Schofield in flexing his muscle on the court.

“I’m playing with a chip on my shoulder from now on because I feel I’m just as good as the rest of these guys,” Schofield said. “I feel I can play with anybody in the country, and I wanted to show my true abilities because I feel I’m pretty underrated. I feel like I’m very versatile and that I can play with anyone in the country, and that’s just my mentality.”

While Barkley, Wilson and Schofield were just three of many participants from the Class of 2015 at the Summer Jam to stake their claim as high-major players, many more tried to play their way from Division II and Division III interest to Division I.

Chanhassen, MN, native Joey Witthus isn’t going to attract Division I programs by flying up and down the court with blinding speed or jumping out of the gym but the 6-6 wing displayed an attractive floor game on offense and a willingness to guard and rebound on defense at the Summer Jam while playing with the Minnesota Basketball Academy.

“I feel like I can shoot the ball, drive it and I have good size,” Witthus said. “But I also feel like I have a good sense of the basketball court, and seeing players and knowing where they are.”

“To counteract [more athletic opponents], I have good strength and I also have a big first step so I’m able to get by some people,” he said. “Then I feel like I can finish at the rim with different moves with step-backs, or an up-and-under. The main thing I’ve been working on is just getting quicker, and improving my vertical.”

Witthus’ ability hit shots all over the court, off the bounce or catch, as well as his passing ability helped garner him All-Missota Conference and Third-Team All-Metro accolades following his junior season playing in Minnesota’s largest school classification (4A).

It’s also led to a Division II offer from Minnesota State-Mankato, and some Division I programs expressing some interest. But like most of his peers competing on the club circuit in hopes of continuing their careers at the highest level possible, playing in front of the glut of coaches during the live periods can bring on some added pressure.

“It’s for sure in the back of your head,” Witthus said. “Before the game you think about how there are so many coaches here, but once you get playing you forget about all that.”

Minnesota Basketball Academy will play in Kansas City at the Hardwood Classic during the final live evaluation period of the summer where Witthus will once again try to prove himself capable of playing Division I.

He can do so by excelling against current DI commits, or those with a host of offers, as he’s done in the past.

During the first live period of July, Witthus’ confidence grew during the NY2LASports.com Next Level Invitational following a game in which he found himself matched up on Wilson during various points in the game.

“I guarded Marshawn for a while, and I felt like I was able to keep with him,” Witthus said. “He obviously gets his shots up and is quick, but I felt like for the most part I was able to stick with him and use my strength to counter his quickness.

“When you guard these guys and know you messed up their move and they have nowhere to go, that for sure gives you confidence in all parts of the game. After the game you think you can really play with these guys.”

Besides the aforementioned subjects, many other players stood out at the Summer Jam as worthy of attracting Division I attention based on their performances. With hundreds of teams playing on as many as 12 courts at two locations, this is certainly not an exclusive list.

• Quad City Elite continued its dominance in July and captured the 16’s Platinum Division championship at the Summer Jam after winning all eight games they played. 6-4 lefty shooting guard Isaac Gassman (Ottawa HS/Utica, IL) earned tourney MVP for the 16’s division, and has already begun to attract interest from some Ivy League schools among others. Forward Noah McCarty (Sterling Newman Catholic/Rock Falls, IL) showed off a solid post game thanks to his current sturdy, 6-7 frame and nice looking shooting stroke that extends to the three-point line during the tourney which subsequently got Northern Illinois and Drake interested according to club coach Logan Wynn.

• Perhaps the most intriguing prospect on the Quad City Elite squad is 6-6, athletic wing Isaiah Roby (Dixon HS/Dixon, IL) who has since picked up offers from Western Illinois, Northern Illinois and IUPUI. 6-4 guard and defensive ace Donovan Oliver (Kewanee HS/Kewanee, IL), as well as 5-10 point guard Jason Jones (Rock Island HS/Rock Island, IL) also caught the eye of Division I programs at the Summer Jam. But don’t expect anyone on Quad City Elite to try and show out by themselves when they wrap up the live period at the KC Hardwood Classic, as their cohesion on the court and willingness to share the ball has led to their 16-1 record during this month thus far.

• Minnesota Cyclones 6-9 4-man Dan Jech (Rochester Mayo HS/Rochester, MN) drew Division I coaches to their games, but much like Quad City Elite, the Cyclones were able to capture the 17’s Gold Division crown as each member of the seven-man squad had their hand in the success.

• Entering the week with a handful of Division II and III programs interested, 6-foot Connor Gamble (Stillwater Area HS/Stillwater, MN) may have caught a Division I coach’s eye, or will in the future, because, ‘That kid can shoot the piss out of it,’ as one DI assistant said to another during a Cyclones game (and overheard by me). With a prototypical release and rotation on his stroke, Gamble ripped the nets consistently from long range and had a 26-point output in playoff win on the way to the title. Gamble, an All-Suburban East Conference point guard in Minnesota’s largest school division, played off the ball at the Summer Jam in spurts because of a minor ankle injury but still showed off the innate feel quality floor generals possess in finding teammates and delivering passes on time and on target for high-percentage shots.

• 6-8 Rapolas Ivanauskas (Barrington HS/Barrington, IL) showed flashes of being a high major recruit playing with Full Package’s 16’s thanks his combination of skills that both face-up fours and classic back-to-the-basket forwards embody such as a nice shooting stroke, and a variety of moves around the basket complemented by good touch and the ability to finish with either hand at the cup. Most likely still growing, and a frame to add plenty of mass and muscle, Ivanauskas has already garnered interest from UCLA, Michigan, Wisconsin, Virginia, Minnesota, Arizona State and Loyola-Chicago. Coaches from Wisconsin, Iowa, Dayton and Northwestern were watching during a playoff game at the Summer Jam in which his full skill-set was on display, but Full Package fell to 16’s Platinum Division runner-up Jersey City Boys Club.

• Jersey City Boys Club was led by Division I hopefuls Shyquan Gibbs (6-0 PG, St. Anthony’s/Hillside, NJ), Zack Keller (6-5 F, Seton Hall Prep/Basking Ridge, NJ), Idris Joyner (6-4 F, St. Anthony’s/Plainfield, NJ), Edriece Patterson (6-3 F, Rahway HS/Rahway, NJ), Donald Stewart (6-4 F, Paramus Catholic/Hillside, NJ) and Stephen Ferraro (6-0 PG, Seton Hall Prep/New Providence, NJ).

The post Proving Ground appeared first on SLAM.

Over the course of Team Loaded-Virginia’s eight games at the NY2LASports.com Summer Jam, 7-footer Thon Maker got better in each outing.

The progression of the current No. 3-rated player in SLAM’s Fresh 10 of 2016 at the Summer Jam was analogous to a stopped freight train building up to full speed—which was obviously unfortunate news for the opponents standing in his way on the proverbial track to the 17’s Platinum Division championship.

His tournament culminated by cleaning up a loose ball underneath the basket and flushing it home with a two-handed dunk as time expired to give Team Loaded-VA an 81-79 win over Wisconsin United in the title game.

He finished with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks—two of which came with under two minutes left, erasing great shot opportunities for Wisconsin United. Buckets came in transition, putbacks, facing up or driving in the half-court and he even dropped a trey early in the first half.

Maker’s fluidity, speed and leaping ability are atypical for 7-footers, let alone teenagers at that height. Add in a great looking shooting stroke, instinct as a shot blocker, a tenacious attitude on the court and a friendly demeanor off it, Maker has his choice among the college programs. Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Bill Self (Kansas), Tom Crean (Indiana), Steve Alford (UCLA), Thad Matta (Ohio State) and Mark Gottfried (North Carolina State) among many other head and assistant coaches travelled to Mequon, WI, to take in at least one of his games.

Besides the question of where he will end up committing, many basketball fans wonder what position he will play. Maker has his own opinion on the latter.

“I’m just a straight up basketball player,” Maker stated emphatically. “I don’t like it when they put positions on me and stuff, but when I’m needed to do a job, I know how to do it well. Right now it’s to punish the other team in the smartest way possible.”

Team Loaded-VA clearly earned the title of the best squad at the loaded Summer Jam with Maker having plenty of high-major running-mates. Fellow member of the Class of 2016 and 6-2 shooting guard, Curtis Jones (Paul VI/Richmond, VA), punished the opposition from three-point land—including a 23-point game in the championship where he drilled 3 three-pointers—and also had some highlights above the rim in transition. Jones already holds offers from Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, North Carolina State, Maryland, Georgia Tech and West Virginia, but could garner more by continuing his torrid shooting pace.

Jeremy Carter-Sheppard, a 2016 point guard from John Marshall (VA) High also was a consistent shot- and play-maker and should see his recruitment begin to pick up steam. Andrien White, a 6-3, 2015 guard out of Thomas Dale (VA) High also produced at a high level in the playoffs.

Kentrell Barkley (6-6 G/F, Northern Durham HS/Durham, NC) made his case as one of the most dangerous wings at the Summer Jam, and was in attack mode offensively and defensively with his cat-like quickness from the moment he set foot in Homestead High School’s gym Wednesday night for their tourney-opening game.

Maker was undoubtably bolstered by his talented teammates—including his younger brother, 6-9, 2017 prospect Matur Maker—came in handy as he had underwhelming 6- and 10-point games early in the Summer Jam. He even took an inadvertent tooth to the head during his second game and had to wear a wrap protecting the cut the remainder of the tourney.

“I do get frustrated, but I have to keep playing the game of basketball and find a way to help the team win other than getting touches,” Maker said. “It keeps me focused the entire time knowing the other team is doing their best to try and stop me. At the same time, I have to know I have shooters on my team—so they just can’t target me only or they won’t know what hit ‘em.”

It’s rare for Maker to meet his match in height, talent—or both—but he got a chance Wednesday in the opener against Dream Vision and blue-chip prospect Chase Jeter (6-11 C, Bishop Gorman HS/Las Vegas, NV). Despite Team Loaded-VA coming away with the win, Maker wasn’t completely satisfied.

“I’ve already studied his game,” Maker said. “So I got real mad a few times when he got what I knew he was about to get, which was basically his right hook. Overall, our whole team was locked in. I always make it personal on defense, regardless of who I’m checking, every single time.”

After Maker went to the bench for a blow following a scoreless start, and surrendering a few buckets against Jeter, he was on his feet clapping it up for his teammates on the court carrying the load and setting the table for a Team Loaded-VA victory.

His attitude when things aren’t going his way offensively about still trying to change a game in his team’s favor in other ways, and the matchup nightmares he causes the opposition when he’s in a groove offensively are just two of the many reasons Maker has become one of the most sought after high school players in the county.

Don’t expect him to change his course.

“I just want to keep my character, and keep on playing without trying to impress anyone else,” Maker said. “I just want to play how I did to get [the college coaches] to first hear about me, and be myself. I play hard trying to stop the other team, and play to win every single time.”

***

• 17’s Platinum tourney runners-up Wisconsin United got productive guard play out of Marshawn Wilson (6-2, Hill Murray HS/Oakdale, MN), Donnell Gresham (6-2, Cretin-Derham Hall/Maplewood, MN) and Jevon Smith (Milwaukee Lutheran/Milwaukee, WI) all tournament, but a pair of 6-7 lefty forwards – Jaylen Key (Homestead HS/Milwaukee, WI) and Levi Bradley Jr. (Pius XI/Milwaukee, WI) – both took turns carrying the load during the squad’s impressive run to the title game. Both Key and Bradley hold offers from many mid-major schools.

• High school basketball in Chicago, and it’s surrounding suburbs, is covered extensively and standouts from the area often receive the most publicity out of the state of Illinois. However, several downstate players proved at the Summer Jam they need to be mentioned among the state’s best. Class of 2015 6-8 jumping jack Obediah Church (Springfield HS/Springfield, IL) and smooth class of 2015 6-6 wing Christian Williams (Decatur St. Teresa/Decatur, IL) both have started to see mid-major programs offer, with high-majors starting to take notice, playing with the Illinois Irish. Central Illinois Net Gain advanced to the quarterfinals of the 17’s Platinum Division, and 6-5 shooting guard Gavin Block (Lincoln HS/Lincoln, IL) and sharp-shooting 6-8 forward with a quick trigger Tyler Seibring (Normal Community HS/Towanda, IL) were a big reason why. Seibring canned seven threes on his way to 28 points in a quarterfinals loss to the King James Shooting Stars featuring five high-major players, four of which are committed.

• The Martin Brothers 16’s backcourt of Jordan Bohannon (6-0 PG, Linn-Mar HS/Marion, IA) and Levi Jansen (6-2 SG, MOC-Floyd Valley HS/Orange City, IA) both can shoot the ball at an extremely high level both off the catch or bounce. Bohannon already holds an offer from Northern Iowa, but with shooters always coming at a premium in collegiate recruiting, both players’ recruitments seemed primed to ramp up over the course of the next two years. Their squad got eliminated from the 16’s Platinum Division playoffs in the Elite Eight by the Iowa Barnstormers, who feature a quality long-range sniper of their own in 6-4 Jared Printy (Washington HS/Cedar Rapids, IA). The Barnstormers were anchored by 6-9 rugged big man Ryan Kreiner (New Hampton HS/New Hampton, IA) and 6-5 shooting guard Wali Parks (Iowa City West/Iowa City, IA) who is a solid two-way player.

• Belmont scooped up an excellent two-guard with the commitment of Michael Benkert (6-4, Center Grove HS/Greenwood, IN) who hit shots consistently from all over the court at the Summer Jam playing with EG 10. Benkert showed a solid three-point stroke, but was also cash from the mid-range in helping lead his squad to the 17’s Platinum Elite Eight.

The post Runaway Train appeared first on SLAM.

Kennard, who averaged 40 points per game as a junior—with a season high of 59—doesn’t need to accomplish anything more to elevate his reputation among locals. Ohio’s Mr. Basketball last season, he also shared Ohio’s Division III co-football Player of the Year honors as a quarterback.

“[Mr. Basketball] was a great honor not just for me, but the community,” said Kennard, who can potentially join LeBron James and Jared Sullinger as the only multiple Mr. Basketball winners in state history. “It’s a great award to achieve, and that was one of my goals going into the season. There’s always room to get better, and improve your game somehow. So that’s what I’m focused on right now.”

He’s taken full advantage of the chance to improve his game before his senior year, and beyond, at the NY2LASports.com Summer Jam in Mequon, WI.

The Duke commit is out to prove he is much more than a lefty sharp-shooter to the amateur basketball world outside of Ohio, and he put the loaded Summer Jam field on notice from the tip Wednesday night.

Against the star-studded Atlanta Celtics in the tourney opener, Kennard dropped 23 points while running with the King James Shooting Stars. He followed up that performance by dominating the Florida Flash in front of his future coach, Mike Krzyzewski, impressing with his ability to guard, crash the glass, finish through contact with his right hand and set teammates up with flashy dimes in transition or on the secondary break.

“I’ve been working on a lot of that stuff—just getting to the basket to create for other players,” Kennard said. “I’m kind of trying to change who I am as a player because I needed to get better at those things for my future. So I working on those things during these games to prepare me for the next level.”

As Kennard continues to hone his craft on the hardwood, the national accolades have continued to pile up. Prior to participating in the LeBron James Skills Academy, Kennard helped Team USA’s U18 squad capture gold in dominating fashion at the FIBA-Americas tournament in Colorado Springs.

Besides representing his country for the first time, he also got to share the court with a pair of future teammates.

“It was great,” Kennard said. “We connected from the beginning. It was a great experience for me, and something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. But also getting to play with Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow, my future Duke teammates, was great because I got to see how they play. They’re great guys and I loved playing with them. The whole thing was a great thing to be a part of.”

Kennard and the King James Shooting Stars advanced all the way through the Summer Jam’s 17’s Platinum Division to the Final Four before bowing out to tourney runner-up Wisconsin United Sunday. With all the star-studded teams at the Summer Jam, winning the whole thing obviously proved to be tough.

But an even more difficult task lies a few weeks ahead for Kennard, whose intangibles and leadership on the court could be credited to his experiences on the gridiron. He has to decide on whether to lace up his cleats in the fall prior to putting his sneakers back on for his final campaign in a Franklin hoops jersey, or not.

“After next week, I’ll decide,” Kennard said. “I’ve been all basketball this whole summer, but all my friends play football. It’s a great school to play football at. It will be a really tough decision for me. Coach K told me it’s totally up to me, but I don’t know yet—it’s something I will pray over, and it will have to click for me.”

Regardless of his choice on his plans for this fall, by the looks of his performance at the Summer Jam the rest of the basketball world will see what Franklin, OH, already knows by the time he’s done in Durham.

The post The Duke of Ohio appeared first on SLAM.

Pritzl, who already had some mid-major programs tracking him following last summer, averaged 20.9 points in the winter and earned First-Team All-State honors. But when he put his offensive arsenal on display in the spring, Xavier, Creighton, Marquette and the Badgers all offered.

He committed to his state school before that list of high-major offers could swell—not just because of civic pride, but due in large part to the track record the Badgers staff sports of developing players.

“I really liked Wisconsin because I’ve always been a Badger fan, and I like their academics a lot,” Pritzl said. “I know (Badger walk-on) Aaron Moesch, and just playing open gym with him I can see how much he’s developed. I can’t wait to see what they do with my game.”

Offensively, Pritzl possesses a quick, smooth and compact stroke on his shot and has been burning the nets from three-point land at each of the Playground Warriors’ stops on the club circuit. While he will most likely settle into a role spacing the court as a three-point threat once he arrives in Madison, he brings much more to that end of the court.

At the NY2LA Sports Next Level Invitational, which concluded Sunday, Pritzl also displayed a nice mid-range game by knocking down pull-ups off the bounce driving to his right as well as his left. But it’s not quite accurate to call his left his off-hand.

“When I was younger I was ambidextrous,” he said. “I can shoot left-handed, like a normal jump shot, because I’ve sprained my wrist a lot. I had to find a way to score so I’ve worked on that. I also used to go left a lot when I was post player when I was younger, so it’s always been there.”

The Playground Warriors advanced to the semifinals of the NY2LA Sports Next Level Invitational in suburban Milwaukee before the Milwaukee Spartans knocked them off. During pool play, Pritzl capped a 22-point performance against Minnesota Basketball Academy with a game-winning bucket with six seconds remaining in overtime to break a tie.

Though he can finish above the rim, he took what the defense gave him to keep his squad unbeaten up to that point.

“I had just scored by splitting a double (team) the play before,” said Pritzl, who dropped 30 in the tourney-opener. “So I figured if I could set (my defender) up, I might be able to find a different way to score. I went with a floater, which is surprising, because I don’t do that too often—but it came in handy when I needed it.”

Hundreds of college coaches fill the bleachers during the live evaluation periods in July across the country, and with the loaded NY2LA Sports Summer Jam tipping off Wednesday back in Milwaukee, the Badger-bound Pritzl is hoping he can continue playing at a high level so some of his teammates can get looks from Division I programs.

“To me, getting seen is all about winning because then you’ll play better teams,” Pritzl said. “So I try to get everybody else involved. Sure I hit that last shot, but we needed that to keep winning. So for me it’s all about winning so they can keep getting exposure.”

The post Blast Off appeared first on SLAM.

If you walk into Wichita State’s locker room you won’t catch a waft of a nasty funk coming from players’ socks they’ve worn every game—and haven’t washed—during the 20-game win streak to open this season.

You might not even hear the same songs an hour before tipoff in each player’s headphones. There are no crazy superstitions, gimmicks or secrets that the players have relied on to drive the Shockers’ success.

For a program that’s won at least 25 games the last four years, and coming off a Final Four appearance a season ago, its key to winning—and current top-five ranking in the country—has been strictly dictated on the court.

“We’re all creatures of habit at some level,” sophomore point guard Fred VanVleet said. “But no one has anything crazy, that I know of. We just keep the same routines and understand that it’s basketball, and when we get out there and the ball gets tipped none of that other stuff matters.”

The Shockers made their mark on the Tournament last year by beating the top two seeds in the West region, Gonzaga and Ohio State, before falling to the Midwest region’s No. 1 seed and eventual national champion Louisville in the national semifinals.

Tenacity on defense and the glass, and a balanced offense filled with unselfish players possessing a variety of skill sets, has been the main recipe for coach Gregg Marshall wherever he’s been and certainly in his seven seasons at Wichita State.

What has changed in the wake of last year’s run is the chance the Shockers have to prove they’re no fluke in regards to being a Final Four contender and as formidable of a team as the schools that have already been established as perennial powers.

“Our mentality is just to get better individually and as a team each and every day, like it has been every year I’ve been a coach,” Marshall said. “We work hard in practice and we want to try and continue to be a successful program—not a one-hit wonder. Our goal is to win as many games to put ourselves in a position to go dancing—and advance.

“Last year was gone once we hung the banner and got the championship rings. Now it’s, what are we going to do this year? How are we going to sustain it?”

The 20-0 start, 7-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference, is a flawless start but obviously the Shockers will face several tests between now and when the ultimate test comes a couple months from now once the Tournament begins.

VanVleet echoed his coach’s sentiments in that this season can be considered an extension of last. Not just in the win-loss column, but in the efforts to make sure the Shockers are not overlooked when running down a list of the best programs in the country.

“It obviously gave us a lot of outside attention and respect that we weren’t getting last year,” VanVleet said. “But it gave us a lot of confidence that we can play in those games coming down the stretch. It propelled us and stabilized us as a program. We want to be a national contender, and a good team year-in, year-out—like the big-time programs that we’ve come to know and respect. I think we’re on our way to doing that. Valley schools and conferences like this will always get respect, but it’s always relative to the conference. I think last year showed we can play with anybody on a neutral floor.

“It eliminated the star-struck experience, and the happy-to-be-there moment for us. We’ve already done all that and that’s something no one can take that away from us. It’s incumbent upon the guys that’s been there to carry the new guys along and show them the ropes. We have confidence, and I think that experience is underrated. It’s a long game, and a lot of plays have to be made, and really, really hard to do what we did last year.”

Shockers senior Cleanthony Early, redshirt sophomore Ron Baker, junior Tekele Cotton and VanVleet all were instrumental in last year’s regular and post-season success. Junior college transfer forward Darius Carter, big men Chadrack Lufile and Kadeem Coleby, 6-6 wing Nick Wiggins and 6-5 guard Evan Wessel have all figured into Wichita State’s rotation this year helping the undefeated start.

During a season in which a team hasn’t lost, identifying areas of weakness could prove challenging. But no one in the Shockers locker room is content.

The 20-0 mark hasn’t come without its challenges, especially on the road at Missouri State on January 11, in which the Shockers trailed 42-24 at half. Wichita State buckled down and escaped with a 72-69 overtime win, and Marshall said games like those might be necessary to prepare the Shockers for the inevitable future tests down the road not only the Valley but in the Big Dance.

“You can say maybe we needed it, but it certainly wasn’t any fun when we were going through it,” Marshall said. “They put a number on us in the first half. It was a heck of a lot of work. We usually don’t give up 42 points in a half, but we did, and then things started evening out when we started defending better. It took a lot of energy, passion and toughness to come back. So I guess you can say now that was a good thing.”

Early led the Shockers with 22 points and 14 boards in the win over Missouri State, and the 6-8 New York native leads Wichita State with team-high averages in scoring (15.9) and rebounding (6.6). His inside-out game on offense has improved every season, and ability to guard a few different positions has been valuable to the squad.

Marshall said Early is a reflection of the rest of the guys on the Shockers—talented, but still an unfinished product.

“They’re all very unselfish,” Marshall said. “They’re all team-oriented guys, and we like guys that want to win and that are into the betterment of the program. That’s not to say we don’t have really talented players because Cleanthony is averaging 16 points a game and on a lot of teams that could be 23.

“His biggest challenge is staying engaged on both ends in every aspect of the game. He’s gotten better at that. He’s still has a stride or two to make, but he’s come a long way.”

The sharp-shooting Baker (13.1 points per game) also possesses the skill and athleticism any team would look for in a 2-guard, while the lockdown defender Cotton (9.5 points per game) continues to expand his offensive arsenal – including one of the posters of the year in the Shockers’ win over Illinois State January 22.

VanVleet (12.7 points per game, 5.2 assists per game, team-high 38 steals) has been the engine that’s made the balanced Shockers go this year in his first season as a starter.

“He’s the consummate floor general,” Marshall said. “He’s a leader and a winner. He does what it takes to win—he’ll dive on the floor, strip a driver in the gap, he has great hands and can score from the perimeter. He can drive it but he’s a pass-first point guard. So he just does a little bit of everything to help you win.”

Also helping the Shockers win has been their collective disposition on the floor.

Wichita State has embodied the slogan, ‘Play Angry,’ as its identity on the court. The natural chip on the shoulders of the players who weren’t recruited by the bigger programs, and the collective chip as a program was there because of the perception of not getting the respect due to them.

But since last year’s run, and because of this year’s start, the Shockers top-five national ranking along with all the national media attention for the program and some of its players has been welcomed respect by not only the Shockers fan base, but by Marshall and VanVleet.

“Why would you not enjoy it?” Marshall said. “We’ve tossed the ball up (20 times) and we’ve won them all. Why would you not enjoy that? That’s what we do—we love the game and the objective is to win.”

VanVleet, who has played his way into the conversation as the best point guard in the NCAA, has embraced the attention but continues to search for ways to make sure that angry edge he and his teammates play with remains in place.

“We accept it and we enjoy it, but we find anything we can to keep that chip on our shoulder,” VanVleet said. “There are still doubters and people who don’t believe. We still have a lot of people to prove wrong, and personally as a player I do as well. For every 10 people that love you, there is someone that hates you. We find stuff to keep us focused. We’re not even playing our best basketball right now, so that’s enough to keep us focused and hungry.”

So as the Shockers continue to sharpen their craft as they strive to play better than they already have, obviously no one in the Valley is going to roll over for them based on the undefeated record and top-five ranking. In fact, for those Valley teams who’s tourney hopes are already all but dashed, a game against the Shockers may be similar to their National Championship according to VanVleet.

That’s why he says the Shockers aren’t looking ahead to their unfinished business in the Dance.

“Last year with our team, we had three-game losing streaks,” VanVleet said. “We got beat by Evansville twice, and lost to Northern Iowa on the road, so we understand that anyone can be beaten on any given night. When we go to another team’s school, it’s sold out and packed. They do red-outs, white-outs and whatever else and they play their best basketball trying to beat us because if they win it will make their season. So going forward we get just as hyped as they do for these games.”

The Shockers play at Drake on Saturday and Marshall said the key to winning that one, and every remaining game on their schedule, isn’t any secret.

“I just think we need to continue to defend and rebound the way we have in the past, and the way we’re doing for the most part this year,” Marshall said. “We have to do it consistently. Those things have to be really good on a consistent basis, and that will give us a chance against whoever we play.”

The post Play Angry appeared first on SLAM.

Current Tulsa Shock guard Skylar Diggins’ dominance in college led Notre Dame to three consecutive Final Fours.

But last year’s 35-2 campaign was also aided by USBWA National Freshman of the Year and unanimous All-Big East Rookie, do-everything guard Jewell Loyd.

Loyd started all but one game a year ago, averaging 12.5 points and 5 boards per, while learning closely from Diggins who took her under her wing. But Loyd wasn’t ready to say she was being groomed to take over Diggins’ former role.

“We never really talked about the whole passing the torch thing,” Loyd says. “Obviously she believed in me, and trusted me, but I’m not going to come out this year and be like, This is my team, because it’s not. I’m still young and I’m still learning. When my time comes, it comes. I’m just fortunate to be playing the game I love.”

Loyd’s immense prep success, in which she amassed over 3,000 points at Niles (IL) West and was a McDonald’s All-American, translated to college relatively seamlessly as evidenced by the accolades she’s already received. Now, she’ll most likely be a big reason for the Irish’s future success, and she’s going to do it her way.

She credits the off-season work she puts in with her older brother Jarryd for much of her talent—as well as the list of specific goals they wrote out that have propelled “her time” in approaching rapidly. “I really keep those goals to myself for personal reasons,” she says, “but trust me, you’ll know if I haven’t achieved them. I’m in the gym if I haven’t.”

The post Shine On appeared first on SLAM.

It took him about four or five trips up and down the court to make me a believer.

Anthony Davis’ story about his meteoric rise from no-namer with an offer from Cleveland State to the most coveted high school player in the country, NCAA National Player of the Year and Champion as a true freshman—and subsequently becoming the No. 1 overall draft pick to the Pelicans the ensuing Draft has been well-documented.

Now checking in at No. 41 on the SLAM Top 50 leading up to his second season in the League, Davis is no longer the main attraction among his peers, though the intrigue remains ever present.

Coming into the League, his shot-blocking ability as well as his general presence in the paint were better than any other amateur. His athleticism for his size allowed him to run, and get off, the floor better than most. The perimeter skills he maintained from his days as a guard prior to his fortuitous growth spurt when he was 15 and 16—including nice form and touch on his shot—could potentially make him as versatile a post player as there is in the League.

The biggest question mark with Davis coming into the NBA was his slight build and how he would hold up against the grown men—many of which hold the upcoming 40 spots in the Top 50—from the start, and his rookie year showed the hurdles he still has to climb physically.

Given the other Pelicans in the frontcourt, mainly Ryan Anderson and Jason Smith, Davis probably is the most versatile in regards to being able to guard both post positions. But how effective against each one at this stage in his career is something he still must prove.

We’d be remiss in overlooking the fact that he’s really only played at this height for just over three years, and could still be getting comfortable with his role on the court as well as the one coach Monty Williams wants him to fit.

Davis averaged 13.5 points on 52 percent shooting, a hair over 8 boards and close to 2 blocks per game during his rookie season, in which he missed 18 games due to injury. Those are encouraging numbers considering he won’t turn 21 until March, and is still developing physically.

Assuming everyone stays healthy this season, it’s as safe a bet as any that Davis will make another stride toward improvement—numbers-wise and in terms of his presence on the court—as there won’t be much pressure on him to produce offensively.

How Jrue Holiday, Eric Gordon, Tyreke Evans and Austin Rivers can play off each other remains to be seen, but as long as Davis is on the court with any combination of the guards, he will get plenty of opportunities to score just by running with them in transition or making himself available when one of them drives and engages a couple defenders in the half-court.

Davis might not be at the point of being a post who the Pelicans can jam the ball into on the block every possession and expect him to get a bucket or make a good pass—and he may never be (true back-to-the-basket bigs have followed the same trend as CDs)—but his ability to run and beat most big guys down the court every possession will aid the Pelicans’ cause. It’s also safe to assume he’s been polishing his 15-17 footer, and if he can knock that in with consistency off pick and pops or catch-and-shoots, it will make him even more dangerous.

Entering his second season, it’s hard to define Davis’ position on the court as he is part of the wave of hybrid players in the League. The fact he can do a bunch of things well could be negated if he can’t do one thing real well night-in and night-out.  The bar is set higher for a No. 1 overall pick.

The obvious aspect of the game where he’s most likely to show that consistency earliest is on defense. With a year under his belt, perhaps the game will have slowed down for him and he will be more comfortable with how he can excel on the defensive end as he did during his one year in college. Make no mistake, his potential as a game-changing defender, shot-blocker and rebounder is what had college coaches in the summer of 2010, and NBA front office personnel in 2012, salivating.

Davis is just one of many who boast all the attributes that define players with high-ceilings and labeled with ‘star potential.’ When he translates that potential into production on a consistent basis he will begin to re-emerge from the rest of the pack and once again become one of the main attractions in a league stocked with the world’s best players.

[poll id=”584″]

Rankings are based on expected contribution in ’13-14—to players’ team, the League and the game.

The post Top 50: Anthony Davis, no. 41 appeared first on SLAM.

Though the legendary emcee has been out of the rap game for a minute, he said his new album Muttymorphisis—produced by DJ Rasta Root of the Riddim Kidz—will be dropping a single soon. In the meantime, he’s been immersed in another arena of entertainment that shouldn’t be so surprising if you’ve bumped any Tribe in your life.

Through countless references to sport in his rhymes, Phife (“the height of Muggsy Bogues, complexion of a hockey puck”) has stayed adamant about his affinity for college and professional sports.

Since moving to the Bay Area in 2004 with his wife, and with a home in Atlanta, Phife has been a pair of eyes and ears for his friend and South Kent Prep (CT) boys basketball coach Kelvin Jefferson. If he sees someone out West or down South he thinks Coach Jefferson could use, or if Coach Jefferson wants him to go out and watch, and evaluate, a player in his region Phife said he’s been happy to oblige.

“When you truly love something it’s not really a job,” the 5-foot assassin said. “For me it’s like, shit, I want to do it. That’s my thing. Growing up in Queens, music and sports fell in my lap at the same time. I actually love sports a tidbit more than music—I love both with all my heart, don’t get me wrong—but really I’m a sports junkie more than a music junkie.”

With LeBron James and the Miami Heat capturing the NBA title for the second consecutive year back in June, debates ranging from James’ place among the all-time greats to the overall quality of the League compared to prior generations ran wild at the water cooler, barber shops, Twitter and the world’s cyber urinal—YouTube comments sections—so I thought I’d ask Phife to weigh in on some of those topics as he’s been paying close attention since his youth.

As luck would have it, on the eve of my interview the Twittersphere nearly imploded when Kendrick Lamar’s verse on Big Sean’s song “Control” was heard. So I figured Phife may know a thing or two about hip-hop and could share some insight on the differences between the old and the new in that arena as well.

Here are some highlights from our conversation.

SLAM: Which guys in the NBA do you find yourself tuning into the most?

Phife: There are at least 15 point guards that I keep my eye on because that’s the position I love and the position I played being only 5-3, of course. But I like to watch Kyrie Irving, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo—and the list goes on and on. I’m looking forward to Trey Burke’s rookie year in Utah, Derrick Rose coming back this season off an injury and Jrue Holliday going to New Orleans should be interesting in the same backcourt with Tyreke Evans—that should be cool.

SLAM: Did you see Damian Lillard when he was playing high school ball in Oakland?

Phife: I really didn’t. I never heard of him right until the Draft in 2012 because you’re not going to get a lot of Weber State games (on TV), so I had never heard of him. I heard of the high school he went to, but I never heard of Damian Lillard because he was under the radar. I don’t even understand how he was under the radar.

SLAM: Who do you think is going to the Finals this coming season?

Phife: Miami. Who else? Everyone else, it’s kind of open. Everyone is talking about the Nets, but I have to see how that chemistry works before I say anything. I don’t get caught up on the big names, and it looks good on paper, but will the chemistry work? By All-Star break I can make up my mind with Brooklyn and that whole lineup.

SLAM: What are the main differences you see in the NBA between the old and new school?

Phife: I think nowadays the athletes are bigger, stronger, faster and it’s full of potential. However, what it’s missing is that actual grind from the whole Magic-Bird era and the Jordan era. It’s the grind. Now you can probably count on 10 hands how many ballers go hard. It’s not the same. KG goes hard, Paul Pierce goes hard, LeBron, DWade, Chris Paul; and Kobe, forget about it. He wanted to come back the day after he tore his Achilles and he might come back earlier than everyone expects—you can pick them out and you have your select few who go hard.

Back in the day most of them went hard, and not even the big names like Charles Barkley and Maurice Cheeks—Marc Iavaroni went hard and Bobby Jones went hard. I totally appreciate the NBA from back then, just seeing Dr. J doing his thing, then Magic take it—then Jordan took it, then Kobe and Shaq. Now it’s LeBron and it’s all good—I just hope it keeps going on with Kevin Durant and Kyrie.

SLAM: Are you willing to say if one era is better than the other?

Phife: I am willing to say that. Definitely the late ’70s, ’80s and ’90s—absolutely. I’ll put it to you this way—with Magic, Bird, Jordan and Barkley playing it’s much better. It was the grind and the approach—there was blood, sweat and tears. Now it’s a little bit of blood and a little bit of sweat, and you don’t see that many tears.

SLAM: With hip-hop, back when you were doing it with Tribe, which other emcees or groups were you listening to?

Phife: Nas is my favorite since he came out. I listened to Jay, Eminem, Outkast, Mobb Deep—there were a bunch. There were a bunch of people that I would have listened whether I was doing it or not. KRS One is my all-time favorite.

Of course with Q-Tip and me being from St. Albans, Run DMC were our heroes and LL Cool J is also where we’re from. So it was always around us. It’s a huge part of our DNA.

SLAM: Do you listen to a lot of the new guys coming out now?

Phife: There are a select few. I like J. Cole’s new album a lot. Kendrick Lamar had the best album of the year as far as I’m concerned. I like Joey Bada$$ a lot as well.

SLAM: As time goes on there are different factors that emerge, but what’s the biggest difference to you in the music and the art form from when you guys were doing it?

Phife: Same as basketball. My era with Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Outkast, Wu-Tang—we took it more seriously. Cats had lyrics all day, everyday. As far as new rappers, there are a select few I could call throwbacks to that era where they take lyricism seriously. It’s not just a hook and I’m good. The bars, and the verses, have to be lethal to say the least. Joey Badass is lethal with the lyrics. Kendrick Lamar is incredible with the lyrics, and J. Cole is no joke neither. Not to mention, [Cole] does his own beats so you know he’s not playing and takes this shit serious. You can tell he’s a student of the music. Those are the three I can think of off the top of my head right now.

Hip-hop started out as fun, as well as the battle. But some cats know they’re not lyrically inclined, they’re just trying to get that money and rock the party and have fun. The clubs are all about getting back to dancing. A lot of people are in the clubs and aren’t dancing to lyrics. It makes sense in a way. There’s a time and a place for everything. You have your rappers for the clubs and you have your emcees for your whip, when you’re cleaning the house, or when you want to just sit there and really vibe and listen to what they’re saying. You have emcees who can do a little bit of all of that like Jay Z. Jay Z can tear the club up with his lyrics and he has an ear for beats.

SLAM: Would you define a lot of that type of music coming out now as hip-hop?

Phife: I wouldn’t view it as hip-hop. I wouldn’t know what to label it, but I’ve never been one who cared for labels. But I wouldn’t label the bulk of it hip-hop. It’s something else—it’s ‘Turnt Up’ music. Ain’t that what they saying now? [Laughs] You go to the clubs and that’s exactly what you want to do—you want to get turnt up. I don’t view that as a negative at all though. It is what it is.

SLAM: I have a wide range of people I follow Twitter, and my timeline was blowing up about Kendrick’s verse on “Control.” You don’t see that as much, but did you think it was an actual diss track because I believe he said I love y’all before he went in?

Phife: I don’t think it was a diss track. A good friend of mine on Twitter is @Lizzs_Lockeroom who is a big sports nut as well—but she basically said she didn’t look it as a diss but more a call to arms. I thought about that and she’s exactly right. That’s exactly what that was.

But he had the audacity or the balls to say whatever he said. Some people might not take offense, and some people might. I’m actually glad he did it because it brings that battle buzz back—so at least it does that. I did think he wrecked on it though.

SLAM: How was battling involved when you were coming up, and what is its place in hip-hop?

Phife: That’s how I came up. That’s how I became an emcee. When you say emcee it’s almost like a badge of honor. You can’t really label yourself an emcee if you didn’t come through the battle ranks. At least that’s how I feel. That’s what I was before A Tribe Called Quest. A Tribe Called Quest was basically Q-Tip’s baby, and a lot of the ideas were his ideas.

Originally I was going to do my own album, but I ended up signing on to be a part of A Tribe Called Quest right before our second album was released. He schooled me on song structure because you can’t freestyle a whole album. You have to come with concepts. I was only used to what I knew, and I was doing what I knew. Everything was battle, battle, battle, battle. When I put the pen to the pad I’m viewing myself in a cipher going at somebody’s throat. It wasn’t until A Tribe Called Quest came about that I learned how to write songs. So I was like, Cool, this is what’s going to get me that long paper [laughs]. But I definitely came up in the battle ranks.

SLAM: What are the baddest diss songs you’ve heard?

Phife: Jay Z’s “Takeover” vs Nas, as well as Nas’ “Ether.” “The Bitch in Yoo,” Common’s diss to Ice Cube I thought was crazy. Then Ice Cube’s “No Vaseline” has to be one of the greatest diss records of all time. But then again, the greatest diss record is “The Bridge is Over” from KRS One and BDP.

***

Whether we were talking about basketball or football, Phife was as candid and convicted as he was when he was rhyming over samples and beats on ATCQ albums.

PHIFEdaFANalyst is an unapologetic, diehard North Carolina hoops fan and Ohio State football fan. He’s predicting Alabama as the favorite to take home the BCS National Championship, though he thinks A&M has a legit shot if returning Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel can stay on the field. He threw out Denver, Houston, San Francisco and Seattle as his favorites to be competing for a Super Bowl title.

Besides the Heat, he thinks the Bulls are in the best position to make a run at an NBA Championship. He doesn’t think his New York Knicks are in a better position than they were last year, and was still salty about the way Chris Copeland was used in the Playoffs and then let go in the offseason. Although he was happy to see Metta World Peace come back home and give the Knicks a frontcourt presence that reminded him of the days when opposing teams thought twice about driving the lane in fear of Xavier McDaniel, Anthony Mason, Charles Oakley and Patrick Ewing.

For college hoops, his favorite, he painfully admitted that he thinks Duke is in a good position but also mentioned Andrew Wiggins and Wayne Selden’s arrival in Lawrence will make Kansas a top team as they blend in with some of the Jayhawks returnees. He also said he’ll be watching Louisville and Kentucky closely, aside from his beloved Tar Heels.

He said he’s got a sports podcast and website in the works, naturally. He’s continued to dabble in music, going on occasional tours and has a long awaited solo project coming out in the near future. When he has the time, if Coach Jefferson gives him a call, Phife will be happy to spend hours in a gym watching some high school or club circuit hoops.

“I might go to a couple of games and let him know who’s doing what,” Phife said. “If he’s serious about somebody he’ll send me on a mission, and I’m glad to do it.”

“There’s a kid now my coach wanted me to get at. His name is Ivan Raab. He actually played on my son’s AAU team back when my son was in fifth grade and he was in fourth grade. Now he’s like the No. 1 player in the Bay Area for the Class of 2015. I was an assistant coach, and I remember back then homeboy didn’t like to run. But once he finally became a focal point for the team as the big man, he was getting the ball and getting back on D. The more he showed he was trying, the more he got rewarded and now he’s the biggest thing since sliced bread out here in Oakland. I don’t know where he’s going to go quite yet, but like I said earlier if you cut me I’ll bleed Tar Heel Blue. So I’m praying he goes to Carolina—but I ain’t trying to get caught up in NCAA sanctions [laughs].

“I rhyme and do beats, whatever, but sports will throw me off. I can’t do beats or write lyrics if I’m watching sports because my focus will be all on sports. I’m a big sports buff man. People love movies, people love music—I love sports. It is what it is.”

The post Q+A: Phife appeared first on SLAM.

But Queens native Jaquan Mckennon has a checklist of lofty goals, and the Class of 2015 5-10 point guard will try and finish many of them off and make a name for himself at Cardozo High.

“I have two years and I just want to go to the Garden and take that PSAL city championship,” Mckennon said. “I think I’m a high-Division I player, so hopefully after those two years I’ll be able to get to my dream.”

Mckennon was the starting point guard on St. Raymond’s last year as a sophomore and helped lead the Ravens to the CHSAA NYC Archdiocesan title, and earned all-league honors along the way, but the hour-and-a-half bus ride each way from Queens to the Bronx started to interfere with his study time and rest when he wasn’t on the court.

Without any Division I offers yet, but several mid- to high-majors beginning to take interest, he will need all the energy he has to emerge as one of the elite point guards in the famed PSAL—which in turn would put him among the tops in the country.

While he ran with the Albany City Rocks this spring and summer and made elite eight appearances at Boo Williams, and at the AAU nationals in Orlando, he most recently showed out on another venue synonymous with the Big Apple.

His 42-point performance at the Hoops in the Sun high school All-Star game held at Dyckman Park in late July earned him MVP honors.

“In New York City you have a lot playground tournaments at Rucker, Dyckman as well as Hoops in the Sun,” Mckennon said. “It was a great atmosphere on the beach and a great chance to show my talent to some people in the City. It felt great because I felt like all my hard work was turning into results. I put in a lot of work seven days a week, and to see some results was a great experience.”

He’s hoping those results continue this winter at Cardozo where he plans bringing his scoring ability, court vision, flashy passing ability and yet one more trait necessary for a point guard to have success in New York City—supreme confidence.

“I’m a great leader as a point guard and I think I can run a team,” Mckennon said. “If I need to get my teammates involved, I will. If I need to score, I will. Anything I need to do to win the game, I’ll do—points, rebounds, assists—it don’t matter.”

Mckennon isn’t the fastest point guard, or the highest leaper, but his strong build and strength with the ball in his hands make it difficult to bump him off of where he wants to go on the court.

He was quick to mention Rafer Alston and Royal Ivey as a couple guards who have donned Cardozo jerseys—but when Darryl Hill’s name was dropped, despite being before Mckennon’s time, he quickly remembered.

“Oh right, Showtime,” Mckennon said.

Alston, Ivey and Hill all went on to play Division I out of Cardozo, and Mckennon’s been working tirelessly since he could dribble a basketball to be next in line of the crowd-pleasing DI hoopers.

“That’s just part of my game,” said Mckennon of the flair he plays with. “High school games, or streetball games, that’s just part of my game—getting the crowd involved in the game. [Cardozo] has produced a lot of great guards and coach [Ron] Naclerio has produced a lot of great guards so I hope to try and continue the legacy.”

The post Right Results appeared first on SLAM.

“It’s crazy I have fans now, and when I come places they actually know who I am and I’m signing autographs for kids,” Maberry said. “I was in an airport in Chicago and I just had on one of my shirts that has my twitter name on it, and three little kids came running up to me and playing my video. They asked for my autograph and it was just surreal. I can’t explain it. It’s a great feeling though. I still feel like I’m normal and the same person because it’s only been a year.”

Just a touch over a year ago, Porter Maberry was just like many other 22-year-olds trying to figure out where they fit into the real world—and obviously completely void of autograph seekers.

Following a two-year varsity hoops career at Ottawa Hills in Grand Rapids, MI, he had an offer to play at a small school in Kansas but opted not to go to because he didn’t want to leave home. He spent the next three years bouncing around random jobs working in warehouses, clothing stores or factories and was working at Steelcase in their warehouse last summer.

He took home the Gus Macker dunk contest championship in South Haven one weekend toward the end of July 2012, a grand in cash and was back at his job the following Monday.

On August 1 2012, he posted a video of some of his dunks from the tourney YouTube and sent a link to Team Flight Brothers—a group of professional dunkers who travel around the world putting on shows—and he was contacted by the group soon after. The quick response time was because Maberry’s 5-5 height separates him from just about any other dunk champ from the league to the street.

“They asked me how tall I was, and they didn’t believe me,” Maberry said. “Usually when people say they’re 5-9 or 5-10, they probably like 6-1 or 6-2. Just meeting all these dunkers, I’ve found that to be true. So when I get around, they’re all like, ‘You’re really 5-5.’ I think my height is why I have gotten all this exposure.”

Maberry’s first video posted from his own channel still only has a meager 528 views, but after traveling to Dayton, OH, for a dunk session with some of Team Flight Brothers a video was posted on September 25, 2012 from the TFB channel featuring solely Maberry. The video accumulated close to 600,000 views basically overnight—currently has 2,105,000 views—and he began to see it on the front page of Yahoo, on Worldstar and featured on Good Morning America.

“Man, I couldn’t believe it,” Maberry said. “I couldn’t stop smiling. I think my cheeks were hurting from smiling.”

Still, he was a Steelcase employee enjoying a drastic change of pace thanks to a dunk video gone viral but wasn’t remotely considering the changes it would have on his life. Someone from the advertising agency hired by Samsung reached out to Team Flight Brothers regarding Maberry a month later, and it was then he realized being able to dunk a basketball in the fashion he could, standing 5-5, could open doors he didn’t previously think were possible.

For the first time in his life, Maberry flew on a plane on a trip out to California to meet with the agency and figured out an agreement for one of his clips to appear in a Samsung commercial featuring LeBron James. Unaware of when the commercial would air, Maberry was at work watching opening night of the NBA when his life changed yet again and his celebrity grew a little bit larger. As brief as his appearance was in the commercial, it had as large an impact on his new career path.

“I didn’t even know until the commercial came out,” Maberry said. “It was the start of the season, and the Heat were on for like the first game of the season so that commercial was huge because a lot of people are watching the first game of the season.

“So when it came on I just went crazy. I was in an office, and I was screaming, and the guy I was with was like, ‘You’ve got to calm down.’”

Maberry decided to leave his job at Steelcase and pursue a living aided by the intrigue of seeing someone so small rise so high.

Since going out to California on a business trip, he’s been hired and flown out to Seattle, Florida, Kentucky, Kansas and Louisiana, among other states, to wow onlookers by throwing down. FILA flew him out for a show in Romania and Amsterdam.

He dunked in the AND 1 show at NBA All-Star Weekend, and was hired for shows at the Superbowl and the ESPYs. APL, a shoe which is banned from the NBA because it has a spring in it, recently signed him to a one-year shoe deal.

“People don’t believe I’m 5-5 and can dunk, so I’ve had an advantage of getting more shows than some other dunkers,” Maberry said. “I’ve been booking everything and all the celebrity games myself. I just use Facebook and Twitter to find out who’s doing the PR for these events, and then I’ll send them my stuff. They’ll fly me out, then pay me just to do a couple of dunks for entertainment.”

In late June he won Blake Griffin and Red Bull’s contest for showing off his best dunk, and will have a chance to either toss or receive a lob from the Clippers’ All-Star. Maberry says he’s in talks with Red Bull for some kind of deal himself, but he said he’s been networking everywhere he’s gone because he’s not ready to go back to having a normal, everyday job.

“I’m trying to branch off into everything, because I know this dunking isn’t going to last forever,” Maberry said. “At Mario Chalmers’ celebrity game in Kansas, I ended up linking with Micah Lancaster. He runs basketball skill training camps, and also helps Jacob Tucker with his jump camp. We talked about me doing a camp tour, so that could be another thing I could do too when the dunking stops – just teaching kids how to do different vertical exercises and some motivational speaking.”

Most recently Maberry flew out to Delaware for Brandy’s celebrity All-Star game, and has another FILA event on the horizon in Puerto Rico.

Before he figures out his next move once his career as a internationally known dunk artist concludes, Maberry is just trying to enjoy the ride that’s taken him all over the country and let him shoot the breeze with entertainers ranging from Mack Maine to Chalmers. The 23-year-old is usually in a different state every other week, and now signing autographs at airports; a daily grind much different than that of his a year ago loading and unloading office furniture in a warehouse—which allowed him to be just bored enough to decide to post a YouTube video of his dunk contest win at Gus Macker.

“It’s a blessing,” Maberry said. “It’s surreal. I’ve been meeting all these different celebrities, and people I’ve seen on TV like NBA players and realize they’re regular people just like us. I get the wow factor of being around celebrities still, but I’ve been around them so much in the last year and I know it’s just dunking and can all be taken away with one bad land. So I’m just taking it day-by-day.”

The post Rise of Porter Maberry appeared first on SLAM.

YOUTHFUL THORNTON PLAYS OLDER, WISER THAN HIS YEARS

California native and 6-1 point guard, Derryck Thornton Jr, had one of the more impressive combinations of natural feel for his position, court vision, handle, athletic ability and versatile scoring punch at the Under Armour Summer Jam presented by NY2LA Sports in Mequon, WI, which had big-time Division I prospects playing in the 15s, 16s and 17s divisions.

Playing up a level with Dream Vision’s 16s, the Class of 2016 floor general got another taste of playing with high Division I prospects as his running mates. He’s going to get used to it as he is transferring to prep power Findlay (NV) Prep when the school year begins.

“I’m expecting to get a lot better, and really figure out how to play with some of the best kids in the country,” Thornton said. “Next year we’re going to be really good. I think it will help my development in the long run.”

Thornton has already garnered the interest of many collegiate powerhouses, and collected offers from Arizona, USC, UNLV and Oregon State—among others—and has schools like Michigan, Kentucky, UCLA, Oregon and UConn tracking him according to his father Derryck Sr.

His ability to put immense pressure on opposing defenses by employing a veteran approach of taking what the D gives him—rather than relying on his talent alone as many 14- and 15-year-olds still do—was showcased over the five-day event that began July 17 and ended July 21.

If he got the lane, he most likely scored by finishing at the hoop or scoring in the lane on pull-ups or floaters. If help came once he got by his man on the perimeter, he kicked out to an open shooter or dropped a nice dime to a teammate open in the paint.

His pick-your-poison game should only continue to expand as he continues to develop physically and get stronger. It’s uncommon to be so skilled at such a young age, but Thornton laughed at the notion of being “a natural.”

“I work very hard for that,” Thornton said. “My dad and I work pretty much every day, twice a day. We do a lot of different skill work, and we stay in the gym. I love to workout and hit the gym, we lift weights and do pretty much every aspect to get better. That’s where all that stuff comes from.”

Besides playing on a team stocked with DI-caliber players, Thornton is starting to get used to the attention from college coaches.

“It’s a little overwhelming,” Thornton said. “But for the most part I just try to play hard and not really focus on any of that. I just want to play hard.”

WHITEHEAD CONTINUES TO ADD JUICE

Isaiah Whitehead has spent the last couple years establishing himself as one of the most potent scorers in the Big Apple while starring at Lincoln HS, as well as the country while running with the Juice All-Stars.

At 6-4, with powerful upper-body strength, Whitehead has always fit the mold of a scorer rather than a shooter. His advanced mid-range game, and finishing ability in the lane (including one of the nastiest posters from the tournament on a defender from Team Detroit), was witnessed by all the high-major coaches tracking him throughout the event.

But Whitehead also showed off an improved handle to go with his underrated passing ability. He’s also refined his three-point stroke, and hit 6 from downtown in a win over Team Illinois in Juice’s opening playoff round win.

“It’s a great shooting gym,” Whitehead said of the event’s host site Homestead High School. “The rims are shooter’s rims, so if you put it up a little bit higher it feels like it always goes in. The national talent is great here. It’s a great tournament. It’s Under Armour teams just trying to battle against everybody else, so we’re just trying to represent Under Armour.”

Whitehead mentioned Louisville, Minnesota, UCLA, Arizona, Syracuse, St. John’s, Miami and Georgetown as just some of the schools who have been recruiting him the hardest and said he’ll start to think about his visits after Juice wraps up its summer schedule this week in Las Vegas.

At the Fab 48 in Vegas, it will be another chance for Whitehead to show off his improving and diversified game.

“I’ve just been in the gym everyday working on it—hard work pays off,” Whitehead said. “I have to be a point guard in college. [The college coaches] want me to play on and off the ball.”

DAVIS AND BIGHAM BREAKOUT

As the lone Mississippi resident playing on Team Thad, a squad made up of primarily players from Memphis, 6-5 Terence Davis set himself apart in more ways than the state he calls home. But he was happy to share the court with his neighbors from Tennessee.

“Playing with these Tennessee boys, they always get me better,” Davis said. “I just like playing with them because they always compete.”

Davis doubles as a standout wide receiver at Southaven HS, and came into the Summer Jam with interest from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Penn State and Tulane as a hooper. In an impressive win over Dream Vision, Davis canned three consecutive treys (a four-point play sandwiched in the middle) in the second half to thwart a run and also got some of his game-high 25 points with athletic finishes in transition.

College coaches jammed into the bleachers that lined the six courts at Homestead High School, and Davis knew it was his chance to make an impression. He said he wants to try and play both sports in college, and that he is continuing to work on his ball-handling and shot so he can improve his skill as a 2-guard.

“I look at them sometimes,” Davis said of the coaches watching Team Thad. “But if I do something good, or make a bucket, I won’t try to draw too much attention to myself. I don’t be messing with no camps or nothing like that, because I’m a football player also so I go to football camps most of the time. So I have to prove myself at these AAU showcases.”

It looks like he’s done just that, as he reportedly picked up his first offer from Memphis during the Summer Jam.

Texas Select center Myles Turner’s spot in the Class of 2014’s top 10 is due in large part to his phenomenal shot blocking ability. The 6-11 Turner turned away just about every one who tried to challenge him in the lane throughout the tourney.

But 6-6 Detroit Southeastern’s Daryl Bigham had more success finishing on Turner near the rim than anyone else who tried at the Summer Jam. Bigham finished with 16 points in the Michigan Hurricanes win over Texas Select, and he followed that up with a 27-point performance to help his team reach the tourney’s elite 8.

In the mold of guys like Jae Crowder and Paul Millsap, the undersized forward refuses to let height or rankings dictate his play on the court. His athleticism, motor and skill allowed him to standout against several of his opponents who are ranked ahead of him.

“I like playing people that’s bigger than me, and that are ranked higher than me,” Bigham said. “That motivates me. I was looking forward to playing them anyways, so I came in trying to show everyone that I could play with (Turner).”

Bigham listed Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Buffalo, Florida Atlantic and Stony Brook as his current offers, but is far from pleased with the list.

“Nah, I ain’t settlin’,” Bigham said. “Hopefully that game got me some more [looks], but I’m trying to get better with my handle and shot. I’ve been working on all that, so hopefully I keeps getting better.”

OTHER NOTES FROM THE SUMMER JAM

– Diamond Stone (Dominican HS/Young Legends): Ranked as one of the top players in the Class of 2015, the 6-10 center was as dominant as ever throughout the tournament due in large part to a slimmed down look. While he’s not an explosive athlete, Stone catches basically everything thrown at him, has great footwork and great touch on his shot for a post player. He even stepped out and knocked down some three-pointers in a few games throughout the tournaments.

– While he wasn’t the highest rated member of the Class of 2014 in attendance, Ohio State-commit and the Illinois Wolves’ Keita Bates-Diop (University High) continues to play like a future pro. At 6-7, with a long wingspan, Bates-Diop has always been a good defender and shot blocker. But he’s become a consistent catch-and-shoot three-point shooter when he’s open and can score a variety of other ways on the offensive end.

– Kevon Looney (Hamilton) had every high-major coach in attendance check out at least of one his games, because the 6-9 small forward is one of the most intriguing prospects in the Class of 2014. Playing with the Milwaukee Rebels, Looney won’t make any highlight videos but what he will do is shutdown whoever he is guarding, own the offensive and defensive glass and score inside or out. Amazingly, the five-star player doesn’t get nearly enough touches in a game with that team as 5-8 scoring point guard Damontrae Jefferson dominates the ball.

– Playing with the Atlanta Xpress 16s, Class of 2017 shooting guard James Walker Jr (Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy) showed the makings of a future high-major player—great athlete, excellent release on his shot and nice size at 6-4 for an off-guard. His game has shades of OJ Mayo, but he looked to be a more willing passer. Just by looking at Walker, it’s hard to believe he hasn’t begun high school yet. His teammate Doral Moore Jr (Luella HS), 6-11 Class of 2015 center, will also be one high-majors will be monitoring as he continues to grow into his body and add strength.

– South Carolina’s Seventh Woods (Hammond HS, 2016) made waves with his YouTube highlight video that went viral, and showed flashes of a future high-major recruit while playing with the Carolina Wolves’ 17s. There is plenty of time left for him to sharpen his skill set to match his nearly unparalleled athleticism for his age.

– Iowa City native Wyatt Lohaus (West HS) committed to Northern Iowa last August, so his name is rarely mentioned among the best guards in the Midwest but that is a mistake in my opinion. At 6-2, the son of former NBA player Brad Lohaus, is an excellent shooter and deceptive athlete. The most impressive aspect of his game is his ability to score off the dribble with pull-ups between 10 and 15 feet. Lohaus was cookin’ all tourney and helped lead the Iowa Barnstormers to the final four. I have a hunch, we’ll be hearing more from him when he gets to UNI. Barnstormers’ Drake-bound big men Kory Kuenstling (Dunkerton HS) and Casey Schlatter (Iowa Falls-Alden) stepped up big during their elite 8 win over Jersey’s Sports U featuring 6-10 future Kentucky Wildcat Karl Towns, 6-9 high-major forward prospect Quadri Moore and 6-3 guard Wade Baldwin who sports several high-major offers of his own. The 6-10 Kuenstling is more a traditional back to the basket player who will need to add weight and strength, but the lefty has really good touch in the paint. Schlatter, 6-9, is a face-up 4 who is capable of catching fire from three-point land.

– The Wisconsin Swing 17s don’t have players like Indiana-bound big man Luke Fischer, or point guard Bronson Koenig who will suit up for Wisconsin in the winter, any more but they reached the final four by defeating several teams that had national recruits on their team such as the Carolina Wolves and Milwaukee Rebels (five-star forward Kevon Looney). Swing 6-2 point guard Lamonte Bearden (Germantown HS) created the most buzz with his yo-yo handle, flashy passing and versatile scoring ability. He already holds offers from Oregon State, UW-Milwaukee, UW-Green Bay and Bradley—with Iowa, Purdue and Buffalo among those very interested—and should see his recruiting stock continue to rise if he can show consistency each time out. 2014 6-4 shooting guard TJ Schlundt (St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy) played up a grade level last summer on the Swing as one of the squad’s knockdown shooters from three-point land. But he showed a much more versatile offensive game this summer, as he was able to score when teams ran him off the three point line—and also proved to be a willing defender and rebounder. Schlundt holds offers from UW-Milwaukee, UW-Green Bay, Northern Kentucky and Drake, and could wind up being a steal if high-major programs don’t jump into his recruitment over the next year.

– Staying in Wisconsin, one of the biggest sleepers I saw was Wisconsin Academy 16s 5-9 point guard Darold Thomas (Madison La Follette). He has a little bit of Wichita State’s Fred Van Vleet in him, in that his understanding of positioning and angles makes up a lot for his size. No schools have begun to recruit him yet, but that will change over the next two years. Nick Noskowiak (Sun Prairie HS) headlines the Wisconsin Playground Warriors’ 16s squad as the point guard gave his verbal commitment to Marquette in April, but 6-3 guard Brevin Pritzl (De Pere HS) is just starting to see his recruitment begin. The three-point marksman can also put it on the floor, and had one of the best highlights I saw all tourney when he drove baseline and dunked all over an Atlanta Xpress defender.

– DC Assault 16s 6-2 combo guard Jon Davis (National Christian Academy) was one of the more impressive guards from the Class of 2015 that I watched. His ability to break his man down to create a driving lane or some space for a shot was terrific. A consistent stroke all the way out to three-point land and a willingness to drive left as well as he does going right make him a tough guy to guard.

The post Summer Jam Final Observations appeared first on SLAM.

Impressive showings at the NBPA Top 100 camp, and other events earlier in the spring and summer led Arch Bishop Carroll (PA) Class of 2015’s Derrick Jones rise to five-star status by the ranking services.

He holds offers from Kentucky, Kansas, Syracuse, Villanova and Maryland to name a few, and the 6-7 lefty is starting to compile an entertaining Ballislife highlight video thanks to his athletic drives to the cup and high-flying tip-dunks.

Jones (pictured, left) was one of several players with similar resumes in attendance at the Under Armour Summer Jam presented NY2LA Sports July 17-21 in suburban Milwaukee, WI—but all that added up to was an opening night loss and an admitted underwhelming performance.

“That loss showed us any team can beat us at any time if we’re slacking or come out lazy,” said Jones, who runs with We R 1 based out of Philadelphia. “After that we came out playing with our hearts on the line. We kept winning.”

Following a loss to a talented Utah Prospects team, Jones began to turn it on and so did We R 1 all the way through their championship victory over the DC Assault. Jones still has a developing perimeter game as he continues to tighten his handle and gain more consistency on his outside shot.

But his prototypical size and athleticism as a 2-guard or a 3 is what caught college coaches’ attention over the last couple years, and what has subsequently led the gurus to rank him among the top-25 players in the Class of 2015.

As college powerhouses continue to court him for his services, his focus is on his own game so he can remain among the cream of the crop.

“I haven’t thought about school because it’s so early in the process—I still have two years to think about it,” Jones said. “It’s great and an honor to be one of the top players in the class. But that means I have to keep going out and playing hard, and keep working. I’m trying to get better and better every day. I like playing the 2 or 3, just being on the wing so I can break my man down and get to the basket.”

We R 1’s success at the Summer Jam wasn’t all Jones by any means. Burly 6-5 wing Tyler Kohl (Trenton Catholic) was consistent from three-point land throughout the playoffs, and bullied smaller defenders by taking them right to the hoop if they tried to run him off the three-point line.

Marcus Floyd, a 5-10 scoring point guard, along with 6-5 win Trey Lowe and raw 6-9 center Ernest Aflakpui were also consistent contributors throughout the eight-game run.

Kohl’s biggest offers were from St. Joseph’s and Rhode Island prior to the Summer Jam, but Minnesota offered on Saturday as Kohl (pictured, right) was We R 1’s steadiest player. Kohl was happy to get a chance to prove himself at the tournament that saw over 1,000 different coaches come through the doors at Homestead High School in Mequon, WI.

“I like playing on the wing,” Kohl said. “But if I have a mismatch, I’ll go down low and destroy people. This was good because I didn’t to play in this tournament last year because I had some things I had to take care of. It was a good tournament. We came in with a big target on our backs because we’ve already won two tournaments. We wanted to prove to everybody we were the best team here.”

The post Philly’s Best appeared first on SLAM.

But the chip on the smooth 6-3 combo guard’s shoulder remained firmly in place.

“A lot of people ask why I’m playing AAU even though I’m committed,” said Trimble, who attend Bishop O’Connell in Maryland. “But I don’t have that kind of mindset. I like to go after people who are ahead of me, or think they’re ahead of me, and shut people up. My teammates feel the same way so we’re on the same page, they’ll keep getting better too.”

During the Under Armour Summer Jam presented by NY2LA Sports July 17-21, Trimble and the DC Assault had plenty of chances to tangle with some of the country’s best club teams and nationally ranked players and the future Terrapin along with his squad outlasted everyone else in the loaded 17s division.

The Assault won all eight of their games in the tournament, and the impressive run was accentuated with a 67-62 come-from-behind victory over Ray Allen Select in the title game. Trimble, along with 6-0 guard Byron Hawkins (Good Counsel) scored 22 points apiece while big men Rashard Kelly, Donte Grantham and Chinanu Onuaku dominated the offensive and defensive glass to aid in the victory.

“This is the first time having our whole team together at a UA event,” Trimble said. “This meant a lot because we lost to Ray Allen Select back in Dallas when we didn’t have our real team.”

Kelly holds a pile of mid-major offers, as well as an offer from Boston College, but the 6-6 small forward played at a high level all tourney and should see some more high-majors start to pick up heavy interest. The 6-8 Grantham (some offers include Cincinnati, West Virginia, Miami, Clemson, Penn State) and 6-10 Onuaku (UConn, Maryland, Miami, Pitt, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Cincinnati, DePaul, and many more) were especially huge in the championship on the offensive glass giving the Assault second and third chances following a slow shooting start.

Trimble buried 6 first half three-pointers, and piled up 25 points in the first 16 minutes in a 58-44 semifinal win over the Iowa Barnstormers, but got off to a slow start against Ray Allen Select. He was thankful his bigs were able to keep his squad in the game until he started to heat up in the second half.

“My shot has always been my bread and butter since I’ve been playing,” Trimble said. “But that just came out of nowhere (against the Barnstormers). I always try to come out on fire during every big playoff game. In the championship game though, I was a little sluggish but my teammates picked it up. That showed me a lot because my teammates will have my back regardless, and pick it up too.

“Chinanu brings a lot of energy. He’s still a young kid but brings a lot of energy to the table—and at 6-10 he rebounds and blocks everything. Then Rashard and Donte stepped up a lot too because they’re big players. They helped us out a lot.”

Ray Allen Select tallied impressive wins over stacked teams like the Illinois Wolves, Juice All-Stars (NY) and the Wisconsin Swing on its way to the championship.

While almost all of the teams that advanced to the sweet 16 and elite eight of the Summer Jam boasted at least one or two high-major recruits, Ray Allen Select wasn’t classically star-studded compared to many other teams in the field. But RAS’ run to the finals was certainly no fluke.

The unselfish squad is led by a trio of guards who have all collected Division I offers thus far—6-2 point guard Riley LaChance (Oklahoma State, Missouri, Davidson, Yale, Tulane, Rice, Western Michigan, San Francisco, San Diego, Drake and Indiana State), 6-1 combo Reed Timmer (Santa Clara, Cornell, Illinois-Chicago, Toledo, UC-Davis, UW-Milwaukee) and 6-3 sharpshooter Brady Ellingson (Drake, Brown, Oakland, Albany, UW-Milwaukee, Wright State, UC-Davis).

RAS also features 6-5 JuCo prospect, forward Ron Singleton, who had an impressive tournament doing the dirty work down low despite being undersized against many of his opponents. Ricky Landers and Devante Jackson, 6-8 big men, also provided Ray Allen Select with solid interior presence all tourney, while 6-6 wing Caleb Mortag continued to dunk on the heads of unsuspecting defenders.

LaChance went down swinging with a 39-point performance against DC Assault in the finals, which included knock-down threes, pull-ups off the dribble, floaters and drives through the lane. He was one of many at the tournament who were trying to prove they deserve high-major looks, and with his performance in the championship he got at least one more believer.

“He can shoot, and if you can shoot like that you can go anywhere,” Trimble said of LaChance.

Both squads will be at the Fab 48 in Las Vegas this week for the final live evaluation period, and with his full squad in tact, what are Trimble’s expectations out West?

“Win that one too,” he said with a confident grin.

DC Assault’s 15s also took home championship hardware with a 66-57 win over Team Thad (Memphis, TN) behind strong play from guys such as 6-6 lefty forward Joseph Hampton, 5-10 guard Alani Moore, 5-10 guard Anthony Cowan and 6-5 forward Samuel Green who seem to all have the makings of high DI players.

Some other standouts from Sunday’s final four on the 15s level were the Houston Defenders’ Mongo Cornett (6-7 center/Westfield HS), Carsen Edwards (5-9 point guard/Atascosita HS) and JJ Caldwell (6-0 point guard/Cy-Woods HS). 6-5 shooting guard Deandre Hunter (Philly Pride/Friends Central HS) was one of the most intriguing players from the class of 2016, while his teammate and 5-10 combo Jaekwon Carlyle (Imohtep Charter) displayed a killer instinct scoring the ball and on defense.

Also from 2013 Under Armour/NY2LA Summer Jam:
Centers of Attention: Karl Towns, Jahlil Okafor, Cliff Alexander, Stephen Zimmerman, Myles Turner

The post Full Assault appeared first on SLAM.

“My role is to dunk the ball,” Alexander said. “They want me to dunk the ball every chance I get and break the rim. So that’s what I do, and block shots and rebound.”

During the Fire’s two games Wednesday and Thursday at the Under Armour Summer Jam presented by NY2LA Sports, the 6-8, 240-pound Alexander was up to his task even though he didn’t tear down any of the rims at Homestead High School in Mequon, WI.

Ranked sixth overall in the high school Class of 2014, the Curie High (Chicago, IL) product locked down the paint in the Fire’s two wins over Texas Select and Sports U. Summer Jam event organizer Antonio Curro gave hoops fans and the hundreds of college coaches in attendance alike a treat as Texas Select features blue-chip 6-11 center Myles Turner and Sports U is anchored by 6-10 Kentucky-bound post man Karl Towns.

But Alexander says whether it’s Turner, Towns or a scrub at the park, he’s going to bully them in the paint. He doesn’t possess the shooting touch that extends out to the three-point line—which both Turner and Towns utilize—but his ferocious disposition, nose for the ball and explosive leaping ability off the floor gives him an edge few can match.

“I go out every time regardless of who my opponent is and try to outwork them and outplay them,” Alexander said. “I’ve always played like that. I have to come out like that and be different from some bigs, because they don’t have what I have—so that’s what I do.”

“Going up against someone like Cliff, you have to bring a little something extra because he’s a pretty physical guy,” Turner said.

Fire coach Mike Irvin, who has been plugged into the circuit for the last two decades, offered some insight as to what allows Alexander to excel in such a ‘simple’ role—a role that has led to him having his choice of attending Kentucky, Illinois, Louisville, Florida, Arizona, Memphis, Michigan State or Kansas to try and wreck the rims in college.

“Cliff is a throwback player,” Irvin said. “I haven’t seen a player like Cliff in a long time. He’s like a player from back in the ’80s where he’ll play anybody, anywhere, anytime. Regardless of what the competition is, he’ll give 110 percent every time—and that’s what separates him from everyone else his age. The rest of the team feeds off that. He’s our man. When he comes with that energy, the whole team comes with energy.”

Besides his opponents, and college coaches watching, Alexander’s style of play also caught the eye of New York City’s five-star shooting guard Isaiah Whitehead (Lincoln/Juice All-Stars) who caught one of the Fire’s games before Juice tipped off. When asked about who he thought was the most impressive player in the loaded tournament, Whitehead didn’t need much time to ponder his answer.

“He just goes hard every play,” Whitehead said of Big Cliff. “He goes after rebound and it seems like he gets every rebound.”

Alexander, Turner, Towns and top rated big man in the Class of 2015 Stephen Zimmerman (Bishop Gorman HS/ Dream Vision) are all competing in the Summer Jam, which wraps up Sunday afternoon.

The country’s current No. 1 rated player, Jahlil Okafor (Whitney Young HS) did not play with the Fire Wednesday or Thursday after he and Alexander teamed up at the Peach Jam the previous week. They are expected to play alongside each other in the Fire’s frontcourt during the final live period of July, however.

Since joining the Fire from his former club team, the D-Rose All Stars, Alexander has enjoyed the switch.

“It’s been a great experience,” Alexander said. “There’s great competition in the EYBL and at the Peach Jam. But playing in practice against Jahlil, you have to come out ready to play because he’s big and strong.”

Alexander’s relentlessness in fighting for position in the paint led to some double-fouls in both games he played in at the Summer Jam, but following some dust-ups with Towns during their game it was all love afterward.

One of the things that almost all the elite level high school players share, and has almost every major college program hot in pursuit, is that competitiveness and unwillingness to settle on their already immense talent.

“If you’re playing against a family member, you have to go hard against them—you have no friends on the court,” Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman, a 7-foot lefty, is playing up in the 17’s division and scored 27 points in Dream Vision’s first-round playoff win.

Though not as powerful, or strong, as Alexander, Okafor or Towns, Zimmerman plays with the same nasty streak that can be dangerous for opponents considering how skilled he is. Zimmerman’s squad is in Saturday’s sweet 16 and his ability to finish around the rim with either hand, knock down shots from the perimeter, pass out of the post, block shots and rebound defensively has been on full display.

He capped his 27-point performance by beating the other team down court, catching a pass on the run in transition, taking a dribble then using a spin move before he threw down a two-handed dunk on a defender who fouled him.

“I love making big plays like that,” Zimmerman said. “I think we were up by three or something with like two minutes left, and I had to help my team out and get them hype so we could come out with the win.”

Turner’s Texas Select squad fell to a tough Michigan Hurricanes team in the round of 32, concluding the 6-11 center’s stay in suburban Milwaukee.

Despite getting bested by Alexander when he got pinned too deep in the paint a couple times, Turner showed why he’s blasted up the national rankings and collected more high major college offers than he knew what to do with.

He deadpanned that he had ‘trimmed’ his list of 60 offers to 25. Kentucky coach John Calipari watched Turner play for the first time at the Summer Jam, but the Wildcats have yet to offer. Almost every other big time program has, but the only thing Turner knows for sure is that he will visit Kansas on October 4 for Late Night in the Phog.

Turner is a devastating shot blocker, and averaged nearly six a game through his four games at the Summer Jam. Besides his defensive prowess, Turner has a smooth stroke that extends all the way out behind the three-point arc as well as a handful of moves facing his defender up in the post. The combination of everything he does on the court was the catalyst of his gigantic rise up the national rankings since the spring began.

“I’ve always had an outside jumper, but I’ve been working on it a lot,” Turner said. “It’s what I do. It’s starting to come around. I’ve always been a defensive presence, but I really think my timing is better on blocking shots.”

“I envision myself being a player like LaMarcus Aldridge, having a nice face-up game but still being able to mix it up in the post. As I get into college and as time comes, I’ll add strength so I think that will be big for me.”

New Orleans Pelicans cornerstone Anthony Davis’ rise from a no-name to a No. 1 recruit thanks to a huge growth spurt was well documented. Turner missed most of last spring and summer with an ankle injury, so he was off all the college coaches and rankings sites’ radars.

It’s not as if he’s making up for lost time this summer, however, because he said having to be sidelined helped develop what he can do on the court now—and what’s led to all the attention.

“Through everything, last summer I played in a couple tournaments and that was my first time ever playing on a big scene,” Turner said. “So I was a little disappointed, but I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I was able to sit back and add a good 40 pounds of muscle, and was able to watch people play. I’m not really too concerned with rankings and all that, but it’s nice to know where you stand with other people in your class.”

Now that he’s arrived in both the top-10 lists, and the recruiting hot list of college basketball powerhouses, he said he’s just trying to enjoy the ride.

“It means the world to me,” Turner said. “It’s just been a real good experience for my family and me. I really respect the fact these people are out here to say I’m one of the best players out here. It pushes me to work harder. I’m appreciative to go to some of these camps and tournaments and go up against some of the best players in the country.”

The post Centers of Attention appeared first on SLAM.

The play encompassed a long list of reasons the sophomore from Dominican (WI) High has been ranked as the top prospect in 2015 by Scout, No. 2 by ESPN and No. 4 by Rivals.

“The thing that makes him special is his skill,” ESPN National Recruiting Analyst Reggie Rankin said. “He’s got excellent skill—he can score with his back to the basket, he can score facing the basket and he can make passes out of double teams when he draws multiple defenders. When you have a post player who can do those three things at 6-10, 250 pounds that puts him in a special category from a skill standpoint.”

The big man finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 blocks as his Young Legends cruised by the Milwaukee Spartans 62-41 on Sunday during the quarterfinals of the NY2LA Sports Invitational in Milwaukee. Stone & Co. then went onto beat Chicago Lockdown in the semis and DTA by 20 points in the Platinum Division championship.

He was named co-MVP of the 16s division by NY2LA Sports, and added yet another trophy to his collection as he has been part of Dominican’s last two Division 4 Wisconsin state championship squads. This past winter he averaged 17 points per game, 11.3 rebounds per game, was selected as a unanimous first-team Division 4 all-stater and put up 22 and 16 in the state title game.

His imposing size, great hands, defensive instincts and touch around the cup are impressive for any 16-year-old, but Stone displayed great passing ability to cutting teammates or spot shooters out of double teams.

As easy as it could have been for him to dominate the undersized defenders on the block, he was hungry to show off his developing floor game that includes his passing ability. For someone who has most likely grown up being able to score against his defender seemingly at will, sharing the ball for the sake of winning has never been an issue.

“It just came natural,” Stone said. “I love getting my teammates involved in everything I do. I’m a team player. I like to see them succeed too. I trust in them to make a good decision to shoot, pass or drive.”

Obviously with his size, skill, early national ranking and just about every college hoops powerhouse already keeping close tabs on him—the attention he draws on the court from the opposition is magnified.

He’s letting his AAU coach DeShawn Curtis and his parents handle the early stages of his recruiting process, and has embraced his opponents on the court who try and slow him down.

“It’s cool, but you have to stay humble because I have a target on my back and everybody is trying to come after me,” he said.

Barely able to drive, Stone still has plenty of time left in high school to sharpen his craft and Rankin thinks him squaring off against some of the country’s best in the USA Basketball program could help him take his game to another level.

“When he goes out to USA Basketball he’ll play against other elite players, and I think that will really help him,” Rankin said. “I know he’s already been out there at one point in time. The other thing is that he has to continue to stay hungry and not be satisfied. He has to get to the point where he just decides every game I play I’m going to dominate regardless of the competition.”

Stone cited DeMarcus Cousins as one of the players he enjoys watch play because, “he’s just a beast on the floor,” but admitted there are still plenty of areas he wants to improve besides beasting dudes in the paint.

The first aspect of Stone’s game he mentioned he wanted to improve was his perimeter defense, but is also hoping to expand his game offensively allowing him to step even farther away from the basket. With his game against the Milwaukee Spartans well in hand, he hoisted a three-pointer that bounced off the back rim. But he did sink a pair late in the Young Legends’ win over DTA.

“My dad and I have been working on my three,” Stone said. “I’m trying to get that along. Next will be ball-handling. We’re trying to go step by step.”

With a pair of state titles in his first two years of high school under his belt, his club team looking to take home more chips the remainder of the spring and summer and a consensus ranking among the best prospects in the Class of 2015 already—his step-by-step progression will be one watch.

The post Stone Cold appeared first on SLAM.

On the surface, you would assume the 5-11 point guard who averaged 4.3 points off the bench appears as one of the unlikeliest candidates to administer knockout punches to two college hoops giants during March Madness.

But that means you don’t know Fred VanVleet.

“Throughout my playing career, I had the knack for taking shots during big moments,” VanVleet said. “I’ve been lucky enough to make a few of them. Obviously that’s the biggest stage I’ve ever played on. Just to make that shot in that moment was huge—to hit that shot over John Stockton’s son, to beat the No. 1 seed, to go to the Sweet 16—it was just a memorable shot. It was a reiteration of all the work I’ve put in. Everything just played out the right way.

“I got the personal confidence in myself to make those plays. But I think it’s the confidence Coach (Gregg Marshall) had in me to put me in the game and play me big minutes. Those Tournament games mean a lot more than the regular season because it’s win or go home. At any time your season could be over, so the fact he trust me to be in there to help win those games when it’s do or die was a huge confidence boost. The rest was easy.”

VanVleet proudly represents his hometown Rockford, IL—where the ease in which he commands the game was bred.

During his All-State senior year, he led Auburn High to a 31-2 record and a third place finish in Illinois’ largest high school classification while averaging 21.3 points and 6.6 assists per game. With no player standing taller than 6-3 on his squad, VanVleet willed his squad past the prior season’s state runner-up, Warren, which featured a pair of 6-8 Division I recruits Darius Paul (Western Michigan) and Nate Boothe (Toledo).

He scored a game-high 27, and gave his squad the lead for good with a steal and coast-to-coast layup with under two minutes left to help punch the Knights’ ticket downstate.

Those heroics now pale in comparison to the success that he enjoyed during the end of March and the first week of April.

“As a kid growing up, where I’m from, you don’t really believe in things like that,” VanVleet said. “I like to think of things like where I could be instead of here. I don’t come from a great situation, but just to come from that and to be in those moments—being in L.A., playing in the Staples Center, going to the Final Four to play Louisville and (Rick) Pitino—even if I was sitting on the bench it’s crazy to sit back and think about. But once you make them your dreams and start trying to achieve them, those things can come true. I was just trying to give people back home a lot of hope.”

VanVleet’s emergence, and subsequent realized dreams, during the Big Dance may have been the culmination of an entirely new experience for him on the court. Having played essentially every minute of every game on every team he had been on prior to college, VanVleet took a backseat to fifth-year senior Oregon transfer and starter Malcolm Armstead.

With an honorable mention All-Missouri Valley Conference player in front of him, and sporadic minutes, it took VanVleet some time to adjust to his new role. He finally broke out for 17 points and 9 dimes in a 71-56 win over Drake on February 13, and it helped prep him for the increased minutes he ended up seeing a month later in the Tourney. His best games to follow were against Gonzaga (13 points, 3 assists, 1 steal) and Ohio State (12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals).

“I just started to find myself and get better confidence,” VanVleet said. “My shot started falling for me a little bit more. I think in that (Drake) game it just clicked for me in the right way. I started off well, then one of our guards went down with an injury so I knew I’d be in game for big minutes. I was pretty productive and that gave me a sense of what I could do and my potential. It gave me confidence going forward.”

Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall clearly had the confidence to have VanVleet on the court when it mattered most in the Tourney, so it’s no shock he gleams at his progression and the outlook of the squad for the rest of VanVleet’s stay.

“Fred VanVleet is one of the more precocious freshmen I’ve ever dealt with,” Marshall said. “He’s a coach on the floor, which goes without saying. His maturity, his leadership ability are as good as I’ve ever seen any freshman in 28 years have. He’s just a great young man.

“He’s been loyal, even after picking up BCS [interest] in the summer before his senior year after committing to us. We just love having him in our program. We’re looking forward to him being a feature guard for the next three years. He and Ron Baker together should be quite a combination for the next three years.”

Since Rockford hasn’t had a high-major player since 1998 Boylan graduate Damir Krupalija (University of Illinois), VanVleet seemed destined to end the trend thanks to his unique ability to play at whatever tempo he chooses and control a game. As a point guard in high school and on the club circuit, VanVleet displayed an uncanny ability to use his handle and play angles in order to draw two defenders before making the next play which usually ended in an open shot for someone else.

Possessing all the qualities a prototypical point guard could boast except for elite athleticism, VanVleet never got serious high-major interest and chose Wichita State over Kent State and Northern Illinois before the summer evaluation period entering his senior year. Like all great point guards can see, he was a few plays ahead of everyone else.

“Wichita State was serious and I saw the potential,” VanVleet said. “Obviously I didn’t predict we’d go to the Final Four in my first year, but I just saw what they can do and that the brand of basketball they play wins. I’m a stubborn guy. Everybody around me wanted me to wait through July to talk to the high major schools. I took that with a grain of salt. I understood why they wanted me to do that, but I just wanted to do things my own way. It was good vindication that it worked out for me in the right way. I felt like I made a good decision at the time—nobody else did. Now everybody is on the same page as me.”

Next up for VanVleet is getting on the same page with First-Team All-MVC forward Cleanthony Early and other key players from the Shockers’ Final Four squad such as sharp shooter Ron Baker and defensive-ace Tekele Cotton as the probable full-time starter.

“You have to earn what you get, but with the players we got coming back I think I have a good chance to be a starter and take over the program for the years to come,” VanVleet said. “I just have to put in the work and keep getting better. Having the experience of this year will help me so much next year. [The starting job] should be mine to lose.

“We have a good core group of guys coming back, so we’re going to try and do some damage again next year. This year we fell short of our goals within the conference, but we got the greater goal of going to the Final Four. I think we’d trade the conference stuff in for that any day. At the same time, this group we’ve got coming back set our sights on trying to take the conference over. We just have to go out there and perform.”

With his first season and Big Dance heroics under his belt, and an impending dramatic increase in minutes on the horizon, VanVleet will fall back into the floor general role he’s used to. As he’s proven before, going out and performing hasn’t been a problem.

Photo credit Jeff Tuttle.

The post Dream Chaser appeared first on SLAM.

But Class of 2016 St. Louis product Jayson Tatum controlled games against a field stacked with some of the Midwest’s best sophomores at the NY2LA Sports Swish ‘N Dish in Milwaukee like very few high school players, let alone freshmen, can.

Exhibit A: The 6-7 point forward led the St. Louis Eagles 16U squad to the Swish ‘N Dish Platinum division championship by putting on spectacular performances in front of hundreds of amazed onlookers, and earned tourney MVP because of it.

Playing up a division, Tatum scored in just about every fashion possible, created open shots for his teammates, defended and rebounded.

So where does he like playing on the floor the best?

“Wherever the coach puts me, 1 through the 4,” Tatum said. “I can post up, or get my teammates involved and I can score from the wing as well. One thing, since I’m younger, I’m trying to catch up with getting stronger and faster.”

Whenever he does catch up in the strength and speed department to his liking, the amount of players in his class who will be able to rival him can be counted on one hand.

Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and Memphis have all offered already, but it’s only a matter of time until Tatum’s offer list looks just like the list of every high-major program in the nation according to ESPN National Recruiting Analyst Reggie Rankin.

“Obviously he’s talented and has size,” Rankin pointed out. “But his skill level is so far developed at this stage. He can make plays usually kids his age are not that advanced to do. He’s got great size and a feel for the game, and ahead of his time for his grade. Being a 6-7 wing player, and versatile, will give him the opportunity to be a special player.

“He’s going to get even better with maturity and as he adds strength, so his upside is off the charts. I think he’s a lock high-major player. If I’m an assistant coach at an elite program, I’m offering that kid based on what I know right away.”

During the semifinals against the Wisconsin Playground Warriors, Tatum put the Eagles on his back down the stretch to deliver a win. He hit shots, set up teammates for open shots, owned the boards and then sealed the deal from the free-throw line on the way to a 57-51 win.

He finished with a game-high 21 points, and then followed up with a team-high 15 points in the championship victory over DTA. His dad Justin is the coach of the Eagles, and a former player at Saint Louis University, and was as proud a coach as he was a father following his son’s introduction to the high school club circuit.

“It’s his first experience on the big circuit at this level,” pops said. “But he’s been playing AAU since third grade and I’ve been coaching him since then. It’s extremely exciting because it was a love and hate relationship early but now we understand what we can do for each other, and that makes it much easier.

“Just watching him out there, having the confidence and help leading his team in getting over some humps—as a father is great to see. Right now at this age, I just told him to worry about [recruiting] his junior year when he can go on official visits. I want him to soak this all in, and see how much harder he needs to work to get to where he wants to be. I don’t want him to sit around and think about what school he’s going to go to and that’s where our focus is right now.”

The tools Jayson utilizes on the court have been being sharpened since he picked up a basketball. Justin didn’t start playing until he was 13, but because of his size he was relegated to the interior. So Jayson’s advanced guard skills relative to his size is no coincidence.

“When I started [playing] they always had me in the post,” said Justin, who recently accepted the head-coaching gig at Christian Brothers College High School in the Lou. “So I always said when I had a kid he’d learn from the outside in. He took that and ran with it. He just wants to be able to handle it, see the court and get everyone involved.

“So now for the next couple years we’ll going to be working on his touch around the post, and have moves so he can be effective down that way as well. He’s just somebody who always puts in the work. I love his work ethic and that’s why he’s able do some of the things he can do.”

Jayson cited Syracuse’s Michael Carter-Williams and UCLA’s Kyle Anderson as two college players he likes to model his game after, and will be compared to both—and many more—by scouts and fans alike as the years go on.

But he most likely won’t be listening.

“[My dad] told me not to let my head get big,” Tatum said. “I just have to accept the attention which is humbling, and work hard. I got a lot better [this year]. I just want to win games and get better. All the other stuff comes with winning.”

The post Young and Unstoppable appeared first on SLAM.

The 6-foot Stevenson (IL) High product burst onto the scene as one of the best freshmen in Illinois a year ago, and followed up by proving himself as one of the best players in the state regardless of age as a sophomore this season.

Competing up an age group this spring and summer with his new club squad, perennial power Mac Irvin Fire, Brunson’s on the fast track to staking his claim as one of the best point guard prospects in the country.

His signature performance at Swish ‘N Dish was a 31-point outburst during a 78-77 overtime victory over the St. Louis Eagles in the quarterfinals. He injured his knee during the first half of the championship, but came back in the second half to help his squad gut out the title.

“I thought coach Mike (Irvin) and the Fire family could really help me get some exposure,” Brunson said. “They did a really good job of that in the past couple years with some of the top-10 recruits they had. Jahlil (Okafor) is a very good post player and we have a lot of good guys that can help us on both ends, so coming out with them was a big decision for me. (Jahlil) is like two people, man. He’s a really good force inside, and a good guy on the perimeter like me makes a pretty good duo. No regrets.”

The cornerstone of the Fire is Class of 2014 top-ranked prospect, 6-10 Jahlil Okafor, and he was dominant in helping the Fire to a 6-0 record at the three day tourney in suburban Milwaukee.

But Brunson, who along with Okafor was named co-MVP of the 17s division at Swish N Dish, gives the Fire a completely different dynamic, as he is as lethal a scorer as he is a distributor. He may not possess truly elite athleticism, but just about every other aspect of his game is on as high a level as any of his peers. In most cases, his skill and feel for the position trumps his counterparts.

It’s hard for defenders to speed Brunson up, and the shifty guard has high-level footwork that enables him to free-up space for shots off the dribble. So far, the son of former NBA player and current assistant with the Charlotte Bobcats—Rick, has collected offers from Illinois, DePaul, Purdue, SMU and Xavier.

On the heels of a run in which he led his high school team all the way to the Class 4A State title game before losing to Simeon and All-American Jabari Parker, along with at least seven other DI prospects, Brunson is starting to get much more attention from college coaches. The attention and subsequent recognition on rankings services is welcomed, but his focus remains on winning.

“I feel like I can be the best [point guard in the country], but I won’t say I am because that’s someone else’s job,” Brunson said. “But if I work hard a lot of things will be granted to me. I’d like to get some more national and major school looks, but my goal right now is to win an EYBL championship.”

He’s unquestionably going to get, at least, looks from some of college hoops’ blue bloods—and judging by the Fire’s performance at the Swish ‘N Dish a crown in Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League isn’t out of the question.

OBSERVATIONS FROM THE 17U DIVISION

— Meanstreets point guard Tyler Ulis only sports offers from Iowa and DePaul, but has interest from several high-majors as well, and the 5-8 skinny point guard’s game is a lot bigger than he looks. He averaged 22 points a game as a junior at Marian Catholic (IL), and proved to be one of the most prolific scorers in the state. Running with five-star Class of 2015 wing Charles Matthews (St. Rita) and a slew of other DI hopefuls, Ulis played the role of creator and distributor beautifully by leading them all the way to the ‘chip. When opposing teams went to a zone defense on Meanstreets throughout the tourney, Ulis utilized his slick handle to get into the teeth of the 2-3 at will and also knocked down shots from the perimeter to keep them honest. His ability to create for himself and run an offense is great, but it’s his innate ability to know which hat to wear—and when—that separates him from many.

The 6-5 Matthews is a consensus nationally ranked top-20 player in the Class of 2015, with offers from the Illini, DePaul and SMU, and has rare defensive instincts that can’t be taught. As he continues to polish his game offensively, he will cement himself as one of the more highly coveted targets in 2015.

— So far, 6-9 combo forward Casey Schlatter has handful of mid-major offers but most notably from Creighton, and he possesses an inside-out game similar to Doug McDermott’s. That’s not to say he will or won’t have the same type of success, but Schlatter’s versatile skill set for a kid his size could be attractive to mid to high-major programs as he and the Iowa Barnstormers continue on the circuit. His shot is money when he has his feet set, with range out to the three-point arc, and can score a little off the bounce. He also has a willingness to guard and crash the boards, but his biggest hurdle will be adding some weight and muscle as he goes to the next level. The Barnstormers also feature a bevy of dead-eye shooters including Northern Iowa pledge Wyatt Lohaus, Spencer Haldeman and Kyle Haber.

— The Illinois Wolves have been one of the best programs in the Midwest for close to the last decade, and they will remain one of the toughest outs of any tournament they participate in. Ohio State-bound Keita Bates-Diop is the top prospect, and the 6-7 wing has pro potential because of his length, athleticism, disruptive nature on defense and ever-improving shot-making ability. But the Wolves also got major boosts from DI prospects Malek Harris, Erick Locke, Ore Arogundade and JayQuan McCloud who all helped the Wolves reach the semis before losing to the Fire.

Harris is an intriguing 6-7 forward prospect with offers form DePaul and Iowa because he possesses many qualities that can’t be taught, and has shown improvement in his skill that can only come from work. Whatever the combo guard Locke loses with his 6-foot height, he makes up for with his strength. He has an unconventional shooting stroke, but can knock shots down from the perimeter. But his most impressive quality is his ability to get into the lane and finish through contact with the trees.

— Lamonte Bearden ran the show for Germantown during an undefeated, state championship season in Wisconsin’s largest high school classification in the winter and has continued his effective play. The 6-2 wiry point guard was at the head of the Wisconsin Swing’s attack at Swish ‘N Dish and was able to score the ball hitting shots off the dribble, knocking down catch and shoot three pointers or by taking the ball to the rim. His offer list consists of UW-Milwaukee and North Dakota State currently, but he looks primed to attract many more if he plays the way he did at the Swish ‘N Dish.

— Ray Allen Select guard trio of Riley LaChance, Reed Timmer and Brady Ellingson, had the eventual 17’s champ Mac Irvin Fire on the ropes in the tourney opener before losing on a Jahlil Okafor tip-in at the buzzer in double OT and also lost a nail-biter to runner-up Meanstreets 54-52 in the semis. Despite no player holding a high-major offer, RAS’ success is no fluke. All three suburban Milwaukee guards are underrated nationally, and each have an expanding collection of mid-major offers.

But LaChance—a 6-2 point guard—has high-major ability and knocked down clutch shots throughout the tourney even during games things weren’t going his way offensively early on. The 6-4 Ellingson delivered a spectacular game-winning three pointer to beat the Iowa Barnstormers in the quarters, and was virtually automatic from downtown all tourney when given an inch. Timmer has offers from UIC and Toledo—with some Ivy League schools starting to show interest—and while the 6-1 lefty combo was up and down at the Swish ‘N Dish offensively he didn’t let it effect him defensively.

— Besides the dominant play of Okafor and Brunson, the Fire’s success also hinged on the production of Morgan Park teammates Torre Johnson and Lamont Walker. Walker (6-4) can guard the one through three, and has a non-stop motor attacking the glass while Johnson (6-2) is an underrated combo guard. Johnson hit some threes for the Fire all weekend, was effective with good decision making in transition and iced the Meanstreets from the free-throw line by going 6-6 with under a minute left in the championship.

The post Brunson Breaks Out appeared first on SLAM.

No matter what position they say the 6-5 Pickerington (OH) Central standout plays, or projects out at, he will continue to do what he’s always done.

It’s what allowed him to secure a spot on the Ohio State Buckeyes and put on dominating performances like he did Friday and Saturday at the NY2LA Sports Swish ‘N Dish with his club team All Ohio Red.

“They used to have me as an undersized forward,” Tate said. “But I’ve been working this year really on my dribbling, and shooting off the dribble. When I’m on the court, there’s really no position. Basketball is basketball. I’m just out there playing hard. The ratings really don’t matter to me. Out there I’m just trying to get the win. I hate losing. I give 100 percent every time.”

The lefty was an integral part of a state championship as a sophomore, averaged 21.9 points per game to go along with 12 rebounds during his junior campaign and sits at 1,137 points scored in his high school career. Tate displayed his usual tenacity on the offensive and defensive glass all weekend, and disrupted opposing offenses with his activity on defense and in passing lanes.

If he has a smaller defender on him, he will beast him in the post thanks to his powerful build. If it’s a bigger guy checking him, he’ll use his speed and athleticism to gain an advantage.

But he’s started to show off his continually developing ability to put the ball on the deck and knife his way through defenses getting to the rack for thunderous dunks or set up teammates for open looks with drop-offs or kick-outs.

“At a young age I always was able to see the floor well,” Tate said. “But now I’m trying to get away from always being down on the box to get ready for the next level. This was our first tournament, and we’re a young team, so we still have to gel. Everyone on the team is used to playing every minute on their high school team, but I think we’ll put it together.”

All Ohio Red advanced to the quarterfinals of the loaded 17’s division at Swish ‘N Dish before falling 74-62 to the Illinois Wolves. Despite scoring a game-high 17 points, perhaps no play Tate made was more indicative of the type of player he is than one that came with under two minutes left and the Wolves in command.

Wolves guard AJ Riley coasted toward the rim all alone after an All Ohio Red turnover. But by the time he began to gather himself to lay the ball in the hole to add onto a 10-point lead, Tate was already airborne and horizontal to the floor closing in from behind Riley like a starved predator within a nose-hair of its prey.

He stripped the ball cleanly out of bounds, allowing his team’s defense to get set after the restart, and kept the small window for his team open. But the Wolves proved to be too much for All Ohio and OSU-bound wing Keita Bates-Diop (16 points) was a primary reason why.

Bates-Diop is 6-7 with a long wingspan that enables him to be a great shot-blocker and rebound for his position. Much like Tate, Bates-Diop has improved his perimeter skills and the duo provides a great foundation for OSU’s 2014 recruiting class.

“He was unstoppable,” Tate said of his future teammate in Columbus. “Now I know. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen him play. He’s not a selfish player, and I think we can have real good team when we get there.

“It’s like a family. My dad (Jermaine Tate) and high school coach (Jerry Francis) played there. I really liked Michigan too, but it was something about Coach (Thad) Matta. Like, I felt like I connected with everything he was saying. I can’t wait to play there.”

Whether Coach Matta has Tate listed as a guard or a forward remains to be seen, but it’s likely that as long as Tate is on the court he will continue to produce and give the rest of the Big Ten fits.

The post Relentless appeared first on SLAM.

The top rated prospect for the Class of 2014 only gave himself five days off following Whitney Young’s loss in the Class 4A Illinois High School Association sweet 16 to four-time defending state champion Simeon back in early March.

He even showed up Friday to the NY2LA Sports Swish ‘N Dish in suburban Milwaukee, the Fire’s first tournament on the spring and summer club circuit, five hours prior to his game’s tipoff.

While he waited he watched fellow Chicago big-man, and five-star recruit, Cliff Alexander and the D-Rose All Stars get hammered by the Wisconsin Swing 60-36.

“Watching him play made me mad,” said the 6-10, 270 pound Okafor. “He’s obviously he most dominant player on that team, and he had like three touches the whole game. So after the game, I was like, Big fella, you might have to scream at ‘em to get you the ball.

“My teammates know if they don’t give me the ball they’re going to hear my mouth. There’s a way to tell your teammates and I talked to him about that.”

The Fire made sure Okafor got his touches in their game against Ray Allen Select out of Milwaukee, and even when he didn’t get fed the rock, he took matters into his own hands.

Okafor’s tip-in as time expired gave the Fire a 73-71 double overtime victory, and started his final go-around on the circuit off on the right foot.

“That meant a lot because this is the first game of the season,” said Okafor, who has been offered by just about every high-major school in the country. “I have big goals this season and I want to be a leader. I had to put my team on my back in a game like this, and it felt good to help my team win.”

He finished with a game-high 34 points, and was a terror on both the offensive and defensive glass. Aside from his impressive agility relative to his imposing size, Okafor possesses a rare bag of tricks for a 17-year-old with his back to the basket—a repertoire reminiscent of Utah Jazz big man Al Jefferson.

“His footwork is insane, it’s crazy,” he said of Jefferson. “I’m always working on my game. I’m working on my post moves because my footwork is there. I just have to keep getting in better, and better shape.”

Okafor got his points on an array of post moves, sledgehammer dunks, put backs and by getting himself to the free-throw line.

The Fire had difficulty handling Ray Allen Select’s trio of Division I perimeter prospects in Riley LaChance, Brady Ellingson and Reed Timmer. RAS big men Ricky Landers, Caleb Mortag, Davante Jackson and Ronnie Singleton also did their best in trying to slow Okafor down by providing whatever physical resistance they could while he was trying to post up.

Having played in the Chicago Public League since his freshman year, not only has Okafor grown accustomed to the overtly physical nature of his often-undersized defenders—he flourishes because of it.

“I love it,” Okafor said. “I love playing physical. That’s when I thrive. When they try to push me, I push back. It gets my motor running and that makes me a better player.”

Friday night’s club-season opener may have served as a precursor for the rest of Okafor’s run with the Fire. While each game may be just another game he’s trying to win, it’s a chance to play against the country’s best junior every time out for his defender.

Thanks to some tips from the man who had a major hand in ending Whitney Young’s season March 8, Simeon’s Jabari Parker, Okafor appears ready for all comers.

“With Jabari being number one [in the country] and a year older than me, he experienced everything I will,” Okafor said. “He basically just told me the only thing about it is the target on your back. Every night people are going to come out, and I have to be prepared to expect everybody’s best shot.”

The NY2LA Sports Swish ‘N Dish continues through Sunday.

The post Ready For All Comers appeared first on SLAM.

Over the last five years, the 6-3 high-riser known as the Dunk Inventor has proven to be arguably the best dunker in the world thanks to his 48-inch vertical, slam dunk championships from just about every competition besides the NBA’s and the D-League’s and YouTube videos which have amassed millions of views.

Dobbs says, currently, his favorite show-stopper in his ever-expanding bag of tricks is a lob to himself where he grabs it with his left hand, passes it to his right behind his back all the while doing a 360 in midair before completing the flush.

Throughout his travels all over the world, he’s come in contact with several NBA players—past and present—including 2012 NBA dunk contest champ Jeremy Evans of the Utah Jazz. Dobbs gave some pointers to Evans which helped inspire his two-ball dunk, and he adamantly refutes the notion that the dunk contest has lost its luster because there are no new dunks.

“I’ve kind of scientifically broken down every single dunk,” Dobbs said. “You’re in the air for less than a second, so every little movement in the air counts. That’s how I’ve been able to win these competitions. Some guys think they can just throw it up, go get it and do a trick—Nah, the ball has to bounce at a precise second while you’re in the air, and your hand has to switch from left to right between your legs at a certain moment. Your leg has to come up to a certain point, and your abs contract which can cut a tenth of a second off.

“These NBA players have listened to trainers their whole life that critique their game. But they’ve never had anyone train them about dunking. I really do feel like I could save the dunk contest just by working with whoever it they choose to be in the contest. There would never be a lame contest again.”

For Dobbs to have reached the heights, literally and figuratively, in the field of world-class slam dunk artists who he has, he had to experience the depths of the real world and life first hand.

Always among the best athletes among his peers in elementary school growing up in Phoenix, Dobbs began to differentiate himself from most preteens in another, and self-destructive, way. He may have first dunked a ball the summer entering his freshman year of high school standing a mere 5-9, but that time was also the start of a path that seemingly led anywhere but to where he is today.

“My dad sold drugs, so I saw that kind of lifestyle,” said Dobbs, who played Pop Warner football starting at the age of 5. “My house was like that party house. Every Friday and Saturday night something was going on. I grew up seeing all that, and by the time I was 11 I began drinking and smoking. By 13, I started selling drugs and by 15 I dropped out of school and moved from marijuana to cocaine and meth-amphetamines and things really took a turn for the worst. Those next two years were some of my darkest times.”

After he dropped out of high school, he bounced around in Phoenix, rarely seeing his family. By the time he was 17, Dobbs was arrested for robbery along with three of his friends and sat alone in a jail cell facing six to nine years in the clink if tried as an adult.

The witness at the scene of the crime, and the arresting officer, did not show up in court and as a result Dobbs avoided jail time. He was left with a fine near $8,000 that his parents paid, and he worked to pay back. But more importantly to Dobbs, the entire situation allowed for a revelation while he was locked up for the first couple days.

“The thought of going to prison for that long really snapped my mind into thinking beyond just where I was at,” Dobbs said. “When you’re young and in high school you’re just thinking about the parties and the fun that you’re having. You’re not really thinking about a future.

“For the first time sitting in the jail cell by myself is when I actually began to think about what I wanted to do with my life from that point on. I was making my prayers to be like, Get me out of this situation and I’ll change my life.”

He ditched the street life to go back to high school as a 17-year-old with only three credits. People advising him told him the smartest move would be to obtain his GED and move on, but Dobbs made a promise to himself in the jail cell that he wasn’t about to break the first chance he got.

“At that point, I was already thinking if I’m going to change my life and really be this different person then I don’t want to take the easy route out with the GED,” Dobbs said. “So I set a goal to get my high school diploma and not take that easy route. I went to school for an extra two years.

“I was going to school from about 7:30 in the morning to 6:30 at night. When I got out, I’d take an online course which would help me make up .25 of a credit every five weeks. That happened for two years, and I made up the 22 credits in that time frame.”

With a high school diploma in hand by age 19, he had also spent a couple years working for the Arizona State Department’s Behavioral Health Services as the chair of the youth advisory council setting up 32 focus groups across the state focusing on substance abuse and gang prevention.

But Dobbs said it was earning his high school diploma that sparked his insatiable hunger for remaining on a positive path.

“That was the very first goal that I had set in my life, and stuck to it,” Dobbs said. “That was a big piece of my life when things really turned around for me. I stuck to that vision, turned around gave my parents the diploma and seeing their tears of joy instead of the pain I had caused them so many times is really what motivated me to continue to bring that feeling of success.”

His experiences working side-by-side with and speaking to those who came from similar backgrounds also led him to reach for something more than a high school diploma.

“I realized that I’m talking to them about staying in school and following their dream, but where have my dreams gone?” Dobbs said. “So that’s what made me want to go play college basketball.”

Despite having never played on an organized basketball team, Dobbs approached several colleges only to be turned away quickly without having a body of work to present.

Dobbs then approached the coaches at Glendale Community College, who allowed him to participate in an open gym over the summer. Clearly intrigued by his athleticism, Glendale offered Dobbs a scholarship right after the run and he quickly accepted it.

It marked the first team Dobbs played on, and the first formal training and coaching he would get up through that point in his life. But his college hoops career was extremely short lived because his career as a jaw-dropping dunker was just getting started.

The post A Master of His Crafts appeared first on SLAM.

“In the Philippines, New Year’s is crazy,” Haws recalled. “Fireworks are really cheap over there, so everyone buys them. They’re not just the small ones either, they’re the huge ones that shoot into the air. So you just stay up all night and shoot fireworks until early in the morning.”

A year later, the 6-5 shooting guard created some memorable fireworks of his own by lighting up Virginia Tech for a career-high 42 points on December 29 during a win which consequently served as an emphatic re-introduction to the college hoops landscape.

Following a decorated high school career at Lone Peak (UT) that included two state titles, two Mr. Basketball awards and a long list of school records including leaving as the all-time leading scorer and rebounder, Haws set a BYU record as a freshman by sinking 48 consecutive free throws and averaged 11 points during the Cougars’ ’09-10 season that ended in the second round of the Big Dance.

Seemingly on the fast track to the pinnacle of his career, with all the accolades every hooper dreams of but a miniscule percentage achieve, Haws put hoops on hold for two years for another part of his life he holds dear, instead of joining Jimmer Fredette and Jackson Emery on their eventual 2011 Sweet 16 run without much hesitation.

“I had made my decision when I was a little kid that I’d serve a two-year mission,” he said. “I guess I had a few second thoughts and what-ifs, but I always wanted to serve and I knew it was important. When the time came, it wasn’t tough.”

After serving in the Philippines until April of 2012, Haws has been playing as if he never left.

He currently is top 10 in the country in scoring (20.9 ppg), shooting nearly 48 percent from the field, and joined Danny Ainge as the only Cougar to reach 1,000 points in their first two seasons.

Given Haws’ track record on the court, the numbers he’s put up this season aren’t too surprising given his ability to move without the ball, come off screens to knock down shots, or create off the dribble. He also possesses a post-up game rarely seen among two-guards these days.

But it’s his tireless work ethic, which has been the catalyst to his success on the court prior to his mission and since coming back from his two-year hiatus from the game.

Shortly following the conclusion of his freshman season, Haws packed up for the Missionary Training Center in Utah for close to three months before heading off to the Philippines. Playing or training at the Division I level was not on his schedule during that time, but that isn’t to say it was totally out of his life.

“Basketball is really big in the Philippines,” Haws said. “You can’t go down one street without seeing a hoop or a game going. They play barefoot or in flip-flops. So every once in a while, when we’d be walking around they’d see a big, tall American and throw me the ball and tell me to dunk it or shoot it. So I’d stop and shoot with them for a few minutes. But for the most part I didn’t play that much basketball.”

He was up at 6:30 every morning for personal study, along with some study with another missionary, and said he’d proselyte from noon until nine each night.

So while his success playing hoops doesn’t appear much different than before his mission, he said the man underneath the jersey is completely transformed following a couple years serving and interacting with those in the Philippines he sought to help.

“I tell a lot of people that my mission changed my life forever,” Haws said. “One, the Filipino people are some of the happiest people I’ve ever met in my life. Then just seeing Jesus Christ’s gospel help them and improve their lives was a big blessing to me. Being able to serve like that, and step away from basketball, has helped me with a new perspective on life. I feel like I grew up and I’m a different person.”

His outlook and worldview changed, along with some other things on and off the court.

“My little brother (TJ) made fun of my accent for about a month and a half. He thought I talked funny,” Haws remembered.

Besides some ribbing from TJ, Tyler’s transition back to living in the United States and being a student-athlete at BYU also presented some obstacles. Luckily for Haws, he had the guidance of Dave Rose and the rest of the Cougars’ coaching staff as well as his dad Marty who starred at BYU from 1986-1990.

“Obviously physically I wasn’t in Division I basketball shape, so I got together with my coaches and my dad and put together a gameplan of how I was going to do it,” Haws said. “I didn’t play any pickup ball for two months, I just got in the gym and shot with my dad and brother. Then I hit the weight room hard trying to take care of my body and get my legs back under me. I just slowly eased back into the whole process. I finally got my legs back and felt really comfortable.”

The meticulous training process, along with the comfort and confidence that came with it, translated to Haws beginning this season with six straight 20-plus point outputs. BYU currently sits in third place in the West Coast Conference, behind Gonzaga and St. Mary’s, and will most likely need to win the WCC Tournament to ensure its seventh straight NCAA Tourney appearance.

A two-year break from basketball obviously called for dedication to training to get back to the level he was capable of, but his drive to work wasn’t picked up as a cause. Lone Peak coach Quincy Lewis got to see it first hand during his high school years.

“Tyler wasn’t blessed with the ability to touch the top of the square,” Lewis said with a chuckle. “He’s a good athlete, but not what there is around the country. He’s tough and he works, and he’s relentless. He has put so much time into individual work, working on his footwork and all the little things that make you good.

“When Tyler was here, every day in the summer he was here 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. doing a shooting workout. He’d go home and get something to eat, then he’d get into some lifting for an hour and a half. Later in the afternoon he’d go back and shoot for a few more hours. That’s not to mention any pickup games he got in those days. This was his normal schedule. This guy has really worked, really worked.”

The post Don’t Call It a Comeback appeared first on SLAM.

The Knights’ high-octane offense imposes a break-neck speed tempo and nearly seamless ball movement among all five players on the court and has been their recipe in beating the brakes off most their opponents so far—and the primary reason for that attention.

BYU commitments Nick Emery, Eric Mika and TJ Haws have been at the head of the attack all season long in which their only loss was to USA Today’s No. 1 squad Montverde Academy (FL), and the Knights found themselves on the ropes in the nightcap of the 3rd Annual Brandon Jennings Invitational presented by Under Armour Saturday at Brookfield Central in suburban Milwaukee against Wesleyan Christian (NC).

While the game’s first 5 buckets between both teams came from 3-point land, the Knights only converted 2 more the remainder of the game and found themselves trailing the Trojans for most of the game. But they proved they could win with defense by erasing a 7-point halftime deficit and coming out on top, 63-59.

“We really struggled in the first half on our defense,” said the senior Emery, who led the Knights with 20 points and was selected as the game’s most outstanding player. “They got wide open shots and they knocked them down. Then in the second half we really emphasized our defense, and that’s really what won us the game. We weren’t hitting our shots or anything like that, so our defense really got down and played.

“This is one of the biggest invitationals nationally, and it really means a lot for us to come out here and win that game. Wesleyan is a really good team and it means a lot, especially coming back from down. It’s huge for our team.”

Wesleyan Christian was led by 6-foot-5 junior Theo Pinson, who is ranked No. 7 in the class of 2014 by ESPN, and has scholarship offers from every big time program in the country. Pinson showed why he is so highly coveted by scoring 12 points in the first quarter. However, Lone Peak was able to limit him to 5 points the rest of the game, and only 2 in the second half.

Haws, also a junior, canned a pair of treys in the first quarter, but only scored 3 points during the second and third quarter. He turned it on in the fourth by scoring 8 points, but none were bigger than his two-handed tip dunk after an Emery steal and missed layup which gave Lone Peak a 60-57 lead with just under two minutes left in the game.

“We don’t want to press that panic button,” said Haws, who finished with 17 points. “When they get up, we had to stay calm and fight through the storm. That’s what we did and battled to the end.”

Following a pair of Trojans senior Blake Davis free throws that trimmed Lone Peak’s lead back to one, the Knights turned it over with 55 seconds left but Emery came up with another critical steal to maintain the lead as they sealed the deal from the free throw line.

Mika continued to make his case as one of the premier class of 2013 post players in the country while playing a major role in the victory by scoring 19 points and making his presence felt on the offensive and defensive glass. Knights coach Quincy Lewis said despite his unhappiness with plenty about the game, grinding out a win such as Saturday’s will be positive as Lone Peak attempts to win its third straight state title.

“You don’t want to play a game like that, but it was good for us,” Lewis said. “It was really good for us to have to kind of buckle down and get some stops, and win a game where we were very flat from an offensive standpoint. I wasn’t happy with our mental preparation but we figured out how to win.”

Lone Peak has traveled to Illinois, Florida, Wisconsin and will make its final stop in Massachusetts for Spalding’s Hoophall Classic against USA Top 25 honorable mention Archbishop Mitty (CA) on Jan. 21.  After that, they will refocus on the local competition that Haws says they don’t take lightly even though no Utah team has challenged them quite like Wesleyan Christian did thus far.

“Every game is a challenge in Utah,” Haws said. “Going back and playing in Utah we definitely have a big target on our back. Basketball is so much different back there. Everyone wants their shot at us, and the game is a little bit slower. So we just have to try and keep our tempo of basketball.”

The Trojans got contributions Saturday from tough 6-6 senior wing Trey Chapman (14 points), 6-1 junior guard Jaquel Richmond (9 points) and 6-8 freshman Harry Giles (7 points).  Like Haws, Pinson is also shifting his focus back to his team’s conference season and postseason.

“We’ve been in so many games and it’s hard to take a loss like this,” Pinson said. “I mean, personally I feel we were better than them. But we have to take it and learn from it, and now it’s getting into conference play. So we’ll stay focused and stay together, and try to dominate North Carolina.”

It’s not hard to believe why Wesleyan Christian is ranked as one of the best teams in North Carolina, as Pinson showed he could score in a variety of ways. He hit his first 3 3-point attempts, and also scored on athletic drives to the rim and on a mid-range jumper, all the while doing his best to prove he’s more than just an elite athlete.

“I have to thank Coach (Keith) Gatlin a whole lot,” Pinson said. “From the start when I first got there, he told me I had to work on my jump shot if I want to be an elite player. So we’ve been working on it since I’ve been there, and you can see it’s improving.”

Pinson is still undecided about his college destination, but one thing he could offer more insight into was the life of a player ranked nationally from the time he was 14. Giles will undoubtedly be tabbed by scouting services, rankings gurus and college coaches alike for the remainder of his high school career, and Pinson can relate.

Not only does Giles possess a 6-8 frame, he’s a fluid athlete, has some range on his shot and didn’t back down from guarding the rugged Mika down low. A couple years from now, his offer list will look a lot similar to Pinson’s.

“I tell him to keep playing and keep having fun,” Pinson said. “I think when I was younger I was worried about rankings too much. Now I just worry about getting better because I have the offers. You might as well just keep getting better so when you get to college you’ll be ready.”

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The 3rd Annual Brandon Jennings Invitational presented by Under Armour may have been headlined by a handful of high major Division I recruits, but it was a trio of under-the-radar players from the class of 2014 that stole the show in their respective games during the five-game showcase at Brookfield Central in suburban Milwaukee.

Here is a breakdown of all the action and standout performances from the first four games, highlighted by most outstanding players of the game Riley LaChance, Jevon Griffin and Marlon Jones, who each wanted to show they could compete with anyone.

Brookfield Central (WI) 64, Chester (PA) 56: In the biggest upset of the event, the hosts toppled USA Today’s No. 22 team Chester behind an impressive 29-point performance from 6-foot-2 junior guard Riley LaChance—who continues to make his case as a high major recruit.

His offer list already includes Western Michigan, UW-Milwaukee, South Dakota, South Dakota State and North Dakota State, but programs such as Marquette, Creighton, Iowa, Missouri and USC have started to show some interest. Every time LaChance steps on the court against high-caliber competition such as Chester he wants to show he belongs.

“Obviously,” LaChance said about having to prove himself. “I have worked so hard to achieve where I am right now, and I’m never satisfied. I want to play at the highest level I can. I’m really working hard to just improve my game always.”

While Chester was missing its best player and five-star Class of 2013 forward/Arizona-commit Rondae Jefferson to a shoulder injury, the Clippers still dwarfed the Lancers in size and strength. Chester jumped out to a sizeable lead, but couldn’t quite shake Brookfield Central as LaChance had 11 first-half points to keep the Lancers within striking distance.

Chester held a 28-20 halftime lead, but LaChance stayed hot in the second half by knocking down 3-pointers and a variety of jumpers in the lane off the bounce and catch. His Lancers teammates Elijah Goodman (13 points, 20 rebounds), Brad Newman (11 points) and Caleb Mortag (9 points) also came alive to turn the tide in the second half as well.

Goodman, a 6-4 bulldozing lefty plays on the offensive line in football and is being recruited in baseball as a pitcher and first baseman, and Mortag reversed the Lancers’ fortune on the glass which LaChance said was key.

“In the first half, they killed us on the boards and especially (offensive) boards,” LaChance said. “I think in the second half, I’ve never seen Caleb Mortag and Elijah Goodman play that well collectively. They owned the boards in the second half, got a lot of big put backs and that helped us win the game. That was huge.”

Also as huge was LaChance’s turnaround from his last game. Sussex Hamilton handed Brookfield Central its first conference loss Tuesday after his longtime AAU teammate from Ray Allen Select Brady Ellingson burned the Lancers for 24 points. The Lancers scored only 7 second half points, 1 point in the third quarter, and LaChance endured his worst shooting performance of the season. But he said the entire team learned a lot from it and Saturday’s result affirmed that notion.

“We had a 6:00 a.m. practice, and you know those aren’t always the best, but I think it was one our best practices of the year,” said LaChance who was honorable All-Greater Metro Conference as a freshman, and first team all-conference as a sophomore. “I think we used that loss as motivation to play with a chip on our shoulder for the rest of the year.”

Denver East (CO) 61, Minnetonka (MN) 60: Denver East junior Jevon Griffin had every reason to shoot the final shot. He had scored 21 points with relative ease, and had a wide open 9-foot shot with time winding down and his team trailing by one.

Instead, the combo guard found intriguing 6-6 junior Ronnie Harrell (10 points) at the last second and fired a pass that Harrell laid through the hoop as time expired for the win.

“When I got the pass, I saw it open up and I was about to go shoot it but I saw my teammate under there so I just fired it to him,” Griffin said. “It didn’t matter how we got the bucket, pass or shot, as long as we got the bucket and the win that’s all that matters.”

During a fiercely contested battle that went back and forth, Griffin’s heroics staved off an excellent second half performance by Minnetonka’s Wisconsin-bound shooting guard Riley Dearring (22 points). Dearring scored 17 points in the final two quarters, but Griffin showed a coolness and combo guard’s ability that may start to turn some more college coaches heads.

As of now his only offer is from Wyoming, but said UNLV has started to keep tabs.

“Personally I wanted to come out here and show what I have, but I wanted to win too and that’s what pushed me over the top,” Griffin said.

Harrell is a smooth shooting guard, and along with Griffin, kept the Angels in the game with star junior guard Dominque Collier (15 points) saddled foul trouble most of the first half. Collier and 5-8 sophomore Brian Carey typically are the primary ball-handlers, but Griffin said he’s ready whenever his coach needs him to initiate the offense.

“I feel more comfortable with the ball because I play point guard with my AAU team,” Griffin said. “But with this team we have a little point guard, so I’m just working on all my skills. As long as I’m making plays for my team that’s all that matters.”

Minnetonka sophomore shooting guard Justin Moes knocked down 3 consecutive 3-pointers during the second quarter to flip a 24-17 Denver East lead after the first quarter to a 33-30 Minnetonka lead at halftime.

Orr (IL) 50, Shiloh (GA) 45: Shiloh’s 7-foot junior center Trayvon Reed may sport a lengthier scholarship offer list, and a top 50 national ranking by all the scouting services, but Orr’s 6-8 center Marlon Jones walked away with the winning nod and the commemorative Brandon Jennings MVP trophy.

He came in with a chip on his shoulder after some pregame trash talk, and let his play do his talking by limiting Reed—who has offers from most of the SEC, as well as Miami and Georgia Tech—to just 5 points.

“I just came out to play hard,” Jones said. “Yesterday he was disrespecting our team talking a lot of stuff, and what he was going to do to us. So I came out to play defense and lock him up. I didn’t even want to score like that, I just wanted to stop him from scoring.”

Orr led wire-to-wire behind Jones’ game-high 17 points which all came inside. He displayed tenacity in attacking the glass, and great finishing ability with either hand.

“I’ve worked on that,” Jones said. “Usually I take a bounce and they sometimes call a travel, so my coaches just tell me to go straight up and finish. That’s what I do, because they know I’m long enough so I’m already at the basket.”

Jones already claims offers from Providence and Bradley, and said Illinois, DePaul, Missouri, Miami, Nebraska and Stanford are showing some interest. As his recruitment continues to pickup, he said the chip will remain on his shoulder.

“I feel like I’m underrated,” Jones said. “I don’t really think about it that much, I want to let it take care of itself.”

Orr also got boosts from class of 2014 prospects Tyquone Greer and Louis Adams, who each scored 12 apiece. Greer is a 6-6 small forward who has offers from DePaul and Providence while Adams is a late-blooming, bouncy 6-3 shooting guard who should begin to attract mid to high-major programs’ attention.

Shiloh was led in scoring by Nate Mason and Brian Thompson, who each had 11 points.

St. Frances (MD) 60, Bogan (IL) 44: St. Frances’ 6-7 junior forward Dwayne Morgan is ranked among the top 25 players nationally, and holds offers from Indiana, Maryland, Missouri and Seton Hall among others. But with their star going scoreless through the first three quarters, St. Frances still managed to handle the Bengals.

UNC-Greensboro-bound Tevon Saddler (19 points) and Loyola Maryland-bound Maurice White (17 points) carried their team the entire game, and Saddler was awarded most outstanding player.

Morgan scored 6 points in the fourth quarter, including a big dunk in traffic to put a buzz into the crowd during the day’s first game.

Bogan sophomore point guard LuWane Pipkins is on the path to becoming one of the Chicago Public League’s most dangerous players, but had difficulty finding the mark Saturday and finished with 14 points.

photos by Kelly Kline

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It was the reaction of thousands of Chicagoland hoop-heads to their introduction of Utah’s Lone Peak High school.

Led by a three-headed monster, all committed to BYU, the two-time defending Class 5A state champs in Utah cruised to an 84-46 victory over Illinois powerhouse Proviso East.

“I think we’re just trying to prove a point how good we are as a team. We can play with anyone in the country,” said Eric Mika, Lone Peak’s anchor down low and a member of the future BYU triumvirate.

The 6-10 center scored 18 points, grabbed 15 boards and blocked one shot. It was after the first quarter in which Lone Peak held a 16-14 lead that Mika went into beast mode, scoring nine points and hauling in seven rebounds during the second to help the Knights take a 37-24 lead into the break.

Mika has a developing post-game with some good moves and touch on the block, but he punished the Pirates in transition, finishing lobs from 2014 BYU commit and 6-4 guard TJ Haws (24 points on 8-10 shooting, 4-5 from deep, 4 assists, 3 steals) or crushing home tip dunks.

The relentless nasty streak he plays with appears innate, but he says that’s not the totally the case. It’s something coach Quincy Lewis has been trying to pry out of the big man since he transferred to the school last year.

“I’ve had to work on that,” Mika said. “Coach kicks my butt into shape. So one of the biggest things he’s trying to get me work on is trying to be like [Cody] Zeller at Indiana—just keep running, keep my motor going because it wears people down.”

It also helps to share the same court with Haws, 2013 BYU-bound guard Nick Emery (19 points, 3 assists, 6 steals), 6-3 forward and BYU football commit Talon Shumway (7 points, 6 boards, 2 steals) and 6-3 junior wing Conner Toolson (10 points, 5 assists) who seemingly can’t stop running.

“It’s awesome,” Mika said. “They’re always running, so it’s no fun if I’m not running. So if I just run with them I know they’ll find me for easy buckets.”

The Pirates were led by junior Jevon Carter, who buried 5 treys on the way to 22 points. They were missing their top player, SMU-bound wing Sterling Brown, who sat for disciplinary reasons but he nor basically anyone else playing high school basketball would have changed the outcome of the game.

The Knights put on a clinic in dictating tempo, crisp ball movement and precise execution.

Lone Peak established its dominance in Utah by winning four of the last six state titles, and was ranked in the pre-season top 25 nationally by several publications. The Knights will look to remain in national prominence, as they will compete at the Brandon Jennings Invitational in Milwaukee, the City of Palms in Florida and the Hoop Hall Classic in Springfield, MA.

Haws said one of the primary factors in Lone Peak’s ascension from a state powerhouse to one of the country’s best teams is the fact they play together year-round—something no other team in the top 25 does.

“It is a big reason,” Haws said. “We’ve played together for a long time and we’ve grown to know each others games and know where we’ll be.”

DEBUT OF KING, HUDSON OFFERS ST. VINCENT-ST. MARY BRIGHT FUTURE

He may only be a freshman, but 6-7 guard VJ King is well aware of the implications of donning the same colors LeBron James put on the map in high school.

“It’s just a great honor to play for this school and this tradition,” King said. “I’m in the locker room and I put on this jersey, and I get chills. It’s just a great honor to play for this team.”

Irish coach Dru Joyce was equally happy King was in a St. V-M jersey, along with 6-6 junior Jalen Hudson who moved from Virginia before this school year, as the duo was instrumental in the 68-65 victory over University (IL) High School.

Hudson scored a team-high 23 points and had 9 rebounds, while King scored 18. King hit a free throw to give the Irish a 67-65 lead with 19.9 seconds left, and after he missed the second, Hudson grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Hudson split a pair of free-throws to give his team a three-point lead with 14.7 left.

Ohio State-bound 6-7 wing Keita Bates-Diop’s game-tying three-point attempt with two seconds left barely got over King’s outstretched arm and bounced off the rim, giving St. Vincent-St. Mary a season-opening victory.

“They’re two great additions to the program,” Joyce said. “We’re thankful we have them. We graduated four from last year, and when these two guys came five other ones transferred. Nick Wells is really the only guy with varsity experience. We’re pleased with how things went.”

Wells, a 6-6 scrappy forward inside, finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds for the short-handed Irish, who had several players competing in the state football championship Saturday (they won).

While no one is claiming King is the next King, it is obvious he will be heavily recruited as his size, skill and athleticism for a freshman is rare. But he wasn’t as concerned with making a name for himself as one of the country’s premier freshmen in front of thousands of people at the UIC Pavilion as he was with trying to stick 2014 top-50 recruit Bates-Diop.

“It was a great matchup and a lot of fun,” King said. “He’s a great player and I can see why Ohio State offered him. It was a challenge, but I wanted to take on the challenge of going against him. It was fun to play him.”

Joyce, who’s been plugged into the high school and club basketball scene for decades, wasn’t as coy about the talent and potential King possesses.

“Skill-wise he’s off the charts,” Joyce said. “He can put it down, he plays with patience and he has a nice rhythm to his game. He doesn’t get rattled. He’s a great passer and he showed today he had a great guy he had to defend and he didn’t back down from the challenge. He’ll get better and better as time goes on.”

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Sidelined since July with a foot injury, and dealing with everything off the basketball court a consensus top-5 player in the country does, Simeon senior Jabari Parker didn’t want to lose any time with his teammates in his final go-around in a Wolverines jersey.

“This is our last time we’re going to play, and we’re trying to go out to win a national championship. So every game is like our last,” he said Saturday night after the Chicago Elite Classic.

Hours before tipoff of three-time defending state champion Simeon’s season-opener against Milton (GA) in the nightcap of the CEC, Parker decided he was sick of resting and wanted to give it a go.

He scored 6 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in 10 minutes of action during the Wolverines 56-35 win in which they led wire-to-wire.

“I had a second opinion from last week, and they said to take my time,” said Parker, who is deciding between Michigan State, Duke, BYU, Florida or Stanford. “But I felt good and the most important thing I had was my faith. God just helped me out and everything goes to him today.

“I just wanted to get a feel (on the court) again. I’ve been out for a long time. I’m trying to get my body back, my leadership skills back and there’s just a lot of things that go into it that I tried to get. I was surprised I wasn’t as winded or gasping for air.”

Clearly there was some rust after not playing in a game since he broke his foot playing with gold medal-winning Team USA at the FIBA U-17 World Championships. He also has a few extra pounds he gained while having to heal his foot that he will shed as the season progresses. But all and all, he was just happy to be back on the court helping Simeon get wins.

“I felt good,” said Parker, who gave himself a D+ for his performance. “Of course I had some bumps and bruises coming in, but as the game progressed I was a little sore. But I’m learning how to get my wind back and trying to get back in shape.”

As exciting as his return was to onlookers and Illinois high school basketball fans, it was 2014 No. 1 rated prospect Jahlil Okafor who gave fans their money’s worth.

The 6-10 center possesses the hands, feet and touch of a guard, and the body-type to punish any defender who tries to play him one-on-one in the post. Whether he was getting buckets off spin moves in transition, dunks or from his deep bag of tricks on the block, there wasn’t much DeMatha (MD) could do as he led the Dolphins to a 72-58 win.

Okafor, who has Illinois, Kentucky, Duke, Michigan State, Ohio State, North Carolina and every other high-major program hot on his trail, finished the game with 34 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals.

He said he wasn’t trying to prove his lofty individual ranking with his dominant performance, but rather helping show Young belongs in the conversation as Illinois and the country’s best team,

“This isn’t a personal statement, but a team statement for me,” Okafor said. “I’m pretty confident in what I can do, and I think everybody else pretty much knows. This was just a team statement for me. Chicago was (0-2), so we had to come out and get a win for our city.”

Dolphins shooting guard L.J. Peak, who is rated 64th in the class of 2014 by rivalshoops.com, and forward Paul White (55th in the class of 2014) both gave Okafor plenty of support Saturday and are primary reasons why Young has a legitimate claim as an elite team.

Peak scored 17 to go with six boards, while the 6-8 White stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and five blocks. Along with California transfer, Ausar Madison, at point guard and returning varsity starting guard—Miles Reynolds—Okafor has higher hopes for this year’s team because he feels they’re much better than the last two teams.

“No comparison at all,” Okafor said. “With this team we’re just a unit. Last year we had three sophomores starting with me, Miles (Reynolds) and Paul White. Now we’re all juniors and a little bit more mature so I think that’s definitely helping us out.

“If everybody can stay healthy and everybody can stay together this could be one of the greatest teams to come out of Whitney Young.”

There’s no denying how dangerous Young can be, but Simeon will be its biggest roadblock. The Wolverines are in line to become the first team to win four straight state titles since Peoria’s Manual High School did it ‘94-‘97.  Parker and Illini-bound combo guard Kendrick Nunn have been a part of the last three.

Nunn and fellow backcourt mate and Illini-commit, Jaylon Tate, are more than capable of picking up the slack while Parker continues to mend. Nunn finished with 11 points and 6 boards, while Tate handled the point guard duties dishing out 9 assists and recording just 2 turnovers.

With future coach John Groce, and some Illini assistants looking on, Tate found Nunn twice for highlight reel alley-oops in transition. And Nunn says there is a lot more where that came from.

“Jaylon and I have great chemistry,” Nunn said. “We play in school and in AAU. Jaylon and I are like partners in crime.

“We could be much better, this is only the first step. We had to get a rhythm and get the jitterbugs out. But with our schedule we have to be much better.”

The rest of coach Rob Smith’s roster is filled with several other DI talents like seniors Kendall Pollard (Dayton), Russell Woods and Ricky Norris or junior Donte Ingram.

But he’s also got a few underclassmen who make them one of the best teams in the country. One of them, 6-7 sophomore, D.J. Williams led the Wolverines in scoring Saturday with 12 and also grabbed 8 rebounds. He played sporadically as a freshman, but displayed a veteran coolness to his game and a great perimeter stroke.

“I like playing guard, and I told Coach Rob over the summer I want to play point guard,” Williams said. “So I’ve been working on my ball-handling really well. But wherever he puts me, it’s whatever.”

Don’t mistake Williams’ passiveness on his role for disinterest. He can be effective in whatever role he’s put at as evidenced by a play where he snatched a rebound, freed himself up in transition with a nasty in-and-out crossover and finished with a lay-up after a euro-step around a defender.

Williams said Florida and Michigan State have been the most recent schools to come at him, and already holds offers from Illinois and DePaul.

Because of the smoothness and versatility to his game, which still has three full seasons of high school to improve, he will go through similar heated recruiting battles that some of his older teammates have already experienced if he continues to develop.

With the upper-classmen on his team, and what they’ve experienced in their careers, that shouldn’t be an issue.

“They all tell me to just keep working hard,” Williams said. “Coach Rob gets on me, and I just try to take what he says. In practice, they push on me real hard—especially Jabari and Kendall (Pollard) because they’re really aggressive. They make me aggressive by pushing on me.

“Last year I had to get used to the game style. Like I had all these top players in the state on my team so I had to learn how to share the ball and play well as a team. I learned to talk more too. Now I got a little more confidence.”

Finding the right rotations, and staying healthy, will be important for Simeon’s quest for four straight state titles and a No. 1 national ranking. The Wolverines play in other national showcase events this year, but they won’t have to look far for possibly the best competition they’ll see.

Simeon plays Whitney Young on January 26.

“I only watched half the game but they looked pretty good,” said Nunn, who had to get ready for his game during the second half. “I know it will be a good game, and I know we got to bring our A game.”

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“I laugh with my teammates and we joke that I was the only shooting guard in the country who only shot three or four shots a game,” the 6-4 Smith said.

After starting all 39 games for Ohio State a year ago, providing the glue to the Buckeyes’ 31-8 season, which ended in the Final Four with a two-point loss to Kansas, Smith is poised to prove his game is far from a laughing matter.

“What defines me a lot as a player is that chip on my shoulder, and my work ethic trying to get better to prove people wrong,” Smith said. “I don’t get too much into what’s been written or what people say, but I do hear a lot of talk and I’m not necessarily hearing my name being catapulted to the top. That’s what will push me to work harder.

“I’m looking forward to getting out there and showing how consistent I can be. It’s my time to step up and show people. You have to be ready when the opportunity comes, and I think this year is a great opportunity for me to show my offensive game.”

The Buckeyes lost starters Jared Sullinger (Boston Celtics) and William Buford (Club Obradoiro—Santiago, Spain), a large chunk of OSU’s offense, but return several key contributors from last year’s squad, which won a share of it’s third straight Big Ten conference title.

Hoop heads all over the country are well aware of a pair of Thad Matta’s 2010 recruiting haul that have had a major hand in OSU’s recent success and return again this season. DeShaun Thomas, a 6-7 lefty forward, has established himself as one of the best scorers in the NCAA through his first two years on campus while point guard Aaron Craft has proven to be one of the best floor generals and lockdown defenders at the collegiate level.

It’s time for Smith to come out of relative anonymity on a national scale.

Following a freshman season that was hampered by a wrist injury from the start—the Zion, IL, native appeared in 20 games for an average of 5 minutes per—Smith spent last season just trying to fit in with those who had already carved out clear-cut roles on the court.

“It was a little rough at first,” he remembered. “But as games started to develop and we played more and more, I got more comfortable and got in a groove with some of the guys that already had that chemistry from the previous year. When you’re the new person coming in, you have to try and find your fit with the other guys. It was a learning experience for me and gave me a chance to focus on other aspects of my game I wasn’t thinking of initially.

“But I’m definitely looking forward to making another leap with my game, and giving people a chance to see what I’m really capable of. I showed flashes last year, especially at the end of Tournament time. I’m looking forward to coming out the gate with that this year.”

Those flashes included a 28-point, 7-board performance in a win over Indiana, and a 17 and 12 output in a win over rival Michigan. In the Big Dance, he was OSU’s second leading scorer with 18 points in the Elite Eight victory over Syracuse, and also poured in 17 on 7-8 shooting (3-4 from three) to help OSU past Cincinnati in the Sweet 16.

The reason Smith feels ready to break out is because there are very few, if any, players like him. It’s what allowed him to just fit in last year, and start every single game for the Buckeyes. His versatility as a guard is rare, as is his long 6-9 wingspan, and he’s hoping this season his ability to handle it, drive it, shoot it, pass it, rebound and defend multiple positions will be on full display.

“I’ve always thought I could play defense pretty well but last year made me have to focus on defense first,” Smith said. “Every year is different and every role is different so this year I’m looking forward to actually playing a lot more of my game. I’ve always been a guy who tries to make my name on being able to do whatever a coach needs. I think my versatility has always been an upside for me, so whatever my team needs me to do is what I’ll dedicate my time to.”

Besides Smith, OSU will be counting on returnees Amir Williams, Shannon Scott, LaQuinton Ross and Sam Thompson, among others, to step up to help defend the conference title.

With midnight madness just around the corner, and pre-season publications starting to hit newsstands nationwide, Indiana has gotten the majority of the nods as the favorite to win the Big Ten. That’s not to say OSU is being overlooked—the Buckeyes have been ranked as a consensus top-25 team—but Smith says even if they were left off the pre-season top 25 rankings, there would be no underdog mentality.

“As long as we wear an Ohio State jersey, I don’t think any pressure will be taken off of us,” Smith said. “That comes from people who have played here in past years. Every year we come back [the rankings] have us further and further down the list, and that motivates us. I think guys kind of look at it and think people don’t respect us enough but that pushes us harder. Wherever they have us on the list, it’s not where we think we are.”

Regardless of how the regular season unfolds for the relatively new-look Buckeyes, Smith is hoping he can formally introduce himself to the nation in Atlanta after playing in New Orleans last March.

“It was life-changing,” Smith said of his Final Four trip. “As a college basketball player, that’s your dream. Everyone wants to win the National Championship, but even making it to the Final Four was a great experience. There are guys who have come and gone through their universities for five years and never had that privilege. Being a sophomore and getting a taste of that just made me hungry for more. So I’m grateful for that.”

The post Big Ten’s Hidden Gem appeared first on SLAM.

But both players are in the midst of turning their current lists of collegiate suitors into ones that includes perennial powerhouses.

Fenner had a productive tournament last weekend at the Under Armour Summer Jam presented by NY2LA Sports in Milwaukee, playing with the DC Assault. The 6-6, Class of 2013 shooting guard, plays his high school ball at Seattle Prep in Washington but grew up in Maryland.

It was then at the Mater Dei School where he attended as a youngster with current DC Assault standouts Nate Britt (North Carolina commit) and top-100 prospect Kris Jenkins.

“I started playing with them around 12-and-under and all the way up,” Fenner said. “I’ve moved back and forth a couple times and went to Gonzaga [High School] with Nate and Kris, but I really started on the circuit with them.”

Jenkins wasn’t in Milwaukee, but Fenner helped Britt and the rest of the DC Assault reach the elite eight on Sunday. Fenner already has a college-ready body to go with good athleticism, and scored plenty on mid-range jumpers and slashes to the basket over the course of his team’s six games in the five-day tournament.

His offer list includes USC, Washington, Washington State, Gonzaga, Nevada and Pepperdine but could grow especially after a 20-point performance in a blowout win on Thursday in which he only missed two shots.

“If you think about on an AAU team, everybody is really the stars of their respective high schools,” Fenner said. “If one person is hot you want to keep feeding them the ball and you want to make your teammate look good. It all starts with effort and if a dude is hot I want to make sure I keep giving him the ball and make him look good because I know he’d do the same for me.”

He wasn’t too concerned with who was watching him at the Summer Jam, though. He knows he can only play one way in order for him to be successful on the court.

“It’s just basketball to me,” Fenner said. “From when I was younger, until now and to college and beyond, it’s really just basketball. I know I play the best when I have fun, so as long as I’m having fun enjoying my last AAU season then everything will fall into place.”

Besides his offensive display, Fenner exerted himself defensively, often trying to lock down the opposition’s best wing player.

As impressive as he looked at times during the Summer Jam, Fenner thinks he is better in a more structured setting.

“In AAU, not a lot of people play defense,” Fenner said. “I know if I can go out there and play defense, I’m not only showing college coaches I can play defense but I’m working on my defensive skills. When you play defense, defense wins these games for us. I don’t care if it’s pickup ball, AAU or high school basketball. AAU is only preparing me for college.

“Honestly, I’m not really a big fan off AAU basketball simply because it’s not really a set system. It’s a lot of star athletes coming in and kind of runnin’ and gunnin’. I feel like I fit better in a system.”

Stephens, a 6-9 forward from Marist (GA) High, stood out for the Atlanta Xpress before his squad got knocked out of the playoffs by the Wisconsin Playmakers and Iowa State-bound shooting guard Matt Thomas who hit 9 three-pointers.

Like Fenner, Stephens wasn’t too concerned with which of the hundreds of colleges in attendance at Homestead High School in suburban Milwaukee were watching.

“I’m just trying to improve my game,” Stephens said. “I mean the offers will come and go, so I just try to play hard.”

“I’d say I enjoy playing the three the most because I can be on the inside and the outside,” Stephens said. “So I can post [my defender] up and cause some mismatch problems. I like to play on the post a lot. I like my mid-range game too, for the most part.”

The rangy forward runs the court like a guard and proved to be a capable slasher and shooter. He already holds offers from Georgia Tech, Georgia, Tennessee, Memphis, Miami (FL), Clemson and Auburn.

“I’ll start narrowing things down after this July period,” Stephens said. “We’ll see how things have settled down with like who has still offered me and who’s so-so. I want to try and make some official visits.

“I want a place where I can get a strong degree because the basketball isn’t going to dribble the whole time. I have to have something to do afterwards.”

He’s already taken unofficial visits to Tennessee, Auburn and Georgia Tech, with plans of an official to Clemson. But with one more live period left in July, and a senior season with Marist waiting in the wings, national recruiting analyst for Scout Evan Daniels thinks Stephens could be an attractive prospect for high-major programs.

“At his size, he has really good mobility, athleticism and skill,” said Daniels, who currently has Stephens ranked as the 21st best small forward in the country. “He’s been a little inconsistent at times, but he’s a guy with a lot of talent and raw ability. If he continues to improve at the rate he has, he has a chance to get those high-major offers and reel them in. I know he already has a couple, but he’s such an intriguing prospect because of his natural talent, size and skill.”

“He’s a bigger wing, and I think that’s part of the intriguing factor,” Daniels said. “I think he’s more of a combo forward than a true 3, but he has a lot of natural ability.”

The post On The Cusp appeared first on SLAM.

Instead of a roster full of all-conference or all-state players from different high schools spread across different cities and sometimes even different states, the Reign is made up solely of Lone Peak High School’s varsity roster. It’s rare to see club teams that consist of one high school team, but it’s even more unlikely to see them have a high amount of success wherever they travel.

Thanks to a trio of players committed to BYU, and a cast of steady role players, the Reign won five straight games before falling 52-49 to the Houston Defenders in the Elite Eight.

The Defenders backcourt consists of top-five nationally ranked twins, Andrew and Aaron Harrison, as well as a front line of Division I prospects—with the shortest guy being 6-7. Going up against teams such as the Defenders throughout the spring and summer is preparing Lone Peak for a run at three straight state titles, according to the BYU-bound starting backcourt of Nick Emery (6-2, Class of 2013) and TJ Haws (6-3, Class of 2014).

“Utah ball obviously isn’t as good as some of those teams in Milwaukee,” Emery said. “But playing against the bigger talent, and people who can jump higher and score the ball better, you really do find your weaknesses. It’s not easy, but that’s one thing we really work on—is what can we do to get better? Playing against different styles of basketball helps us grow as a team. No one is that tall back here.”

“Those guys are obviously really good,” said Haws, who scored 24 points in Lone Peak’s state title victory and was named 5A tourney MVP. “They’re super physical and that’s something I came away with from that game. That game was so physical. Even when a shot goes up or going to set a screen, everything was so physical and that hit me the game is really physical. They were so big and strong.”

“Our goal as a high school team is to win a state championship,” Haws added. “So, that’s the only reason we do all these trips. I think playing these teams and playing in these atmospheres really does help us a lot. It prepares us to play in state tournament-like games.

“Our first game in the playoffs (at the Summer Jam) we were up 20 and we let it slip a little bit. They came back and we had to fight to finish the game out with them having momentum. They tied the game up but we didn’t press the panic button and finished the game out.”

Both Emery and Haws can play both guard spots, but Emery impressed as a dead-eye shooting lefty while Haws knocked down shots from the perimeter as well as delivering flashy no-look dimes after penetrating into the teeth of the defense over the course of the five-day tournament.

As Haws has gotten older, he’s made a concerted effort to model his game after a slew of NBA point guards.

“Ever since I was little, Chauncey Billups has been my favorite player,” Haws said. “But as I’ve gotten older I’ve kind of started to like watching players like [Rajon] Rondo and Chris Paul. I like crafty point guards and I like watching the little things they do. I try and pick up as much as I can from those two.”

Emery is still deciding on whether he will go on a mission right out of high school, or after a year at BYU, but due to his potent scoring ability and similar size and stature to a former Cougar, fans have started to make some comparisons.

Emery welcomes the notion of being his BYU team’s version of Jimmer Fredette. He’s been working out with his older brother and former BYU standout, Jackson Emery, and also had the chance to work on his game with Jimmer himself.

“I’ve worked out with Jimmer and followed Jimmer a lot,” Emery said. “A lot of things in my game go with his game. I look up to him and all you can do is learn. I love watching other players and learning something, and Jimmer is one player I love watching. You might see a lot of his game in my game, but I want to carve out my own path.”

Emery and Haws have been teammates since they were in fourth and third grade, respectively, and they were joined last year at Lone Peak by an old pal.

Eric Mika, a 6-9 forward, may have been one of Summer Jam’s breakout players and was instrumental in the team’s success all weekend. An imposing presence in the paint, Mika was a terror on the glass and displayed an array of post moves. After playing with Emery and Haws in fifth and sixth grade, Mika didn’t start out at Lone Peak but transferred in before last year.

Mika led the Reign with 19 points in a Sweet 16 victory over the Wisconsin Swing, and was motivated by going up against Indiana-bound big man Luke Fischer, who was also ranked ahead of him by the national scouting services.

Skilled big men are hard enough to come by, but Mika played with a nasty streak that is sometimes even harder to find in post players and looks to be in line for a spike in his national ranking.

“I think about it a little,” Mika said. “When people tell me that I’m playing someone that’s ranked, I try and prove to people that I’m better than higher ranked players. But that’s not my only goal. I’m just trying to contribute what I can and do my job so that we win.

“I still need a lot of work. But obviously posting up is where I’ve been focusing everything on because that’s what I do for Lone Peak. I’ve been working hard on getting a lot of repetitions in the post on different moves, and being able to react to the defender and not just have a planned move every time.”

Lone Peak played at tournaments in Indiana and Boston last summer, Dallas and Philly in the Spring and then came to Milwaukee last weekend to test their skills against some of the country’s best players.

But the road show will continue during their high school season.

“I’m excited not only because I get to play with them one more season, but our season is going to be so fun,” Mika said. “We’re playing in Chicago, Milwaukee, Boston, Orlando and then a tournament here in Utah. So we’re playing some big-time national competition and it’s going to be a lot of fun because we’ve worked so hard and prepared for it.”

Mika was the last to commit to BYU in December. When the Cougars offered, he didn’t take much time to make his decision, as both parents of his are alumni. He also has three older sisters and an older brother who are all currently attending BYU.

It was Emery, though, who opened the floodgates from this Lone Peak squad to Provo after committing at the end of last summer.

“It’s kind of funny because last August when I committed, I went over to TJ’s house,” Emery said. “I was like, Hey man, I’m committing to BYU and want you to come play with me. Me, Teej and Eric are best friends and one thing led to another, and it all led to BYU.”

With his college decision well behind him, club teams from the west began calling on Emery for his services. But the chance to play year round with Haws, Mika, Conner Toolson, Zach Frampton, Talon Shumway (BYU football commit) and the rest of Lone Peak made it a no brainer.

“AAU teams call me a lot and want me to play for them, and think I’ll do well with them,” Emery said. “My thing is always that I’m going to be playing with my high school team the most, so why don’t I play with them during the summer? I’ve played with our starting five for a while together. It’s just a benefit to go to these tournaments because it helps you know how you can play with your guys during the season.”

Emery said he plans on having a decision about when he will do his mission by the end of his senior year, while Mika and Haws both anticipate attending BYU for one season before going on theirs. Since Haws is a year behind Emery and Mika in school, it isn’t quite clear when all three will reunite following this upcoming season.

What is obvious though, is that they aren’t going to get sick of sharing the court together any time soon.

“No, I think all three of us are pretty dang excited to play with each other again,” Haws said with a laugh.

The post Lone Peak Making it Reign appeared first on SLAM.

He’s also made a name for himself as one of the best in the country, something he envisioned for himself a few years ago.

“It was probably seventh grade,” Whitehead remembered. “I was playing at nationals and doing really good. I had a couple 30-point games, so I was like, If I’m out here at nationals playing against all these guys scoring 30, I think I can do it anywhere.”

Playing against top prospects a year older with the Juice All-Stars 17-and-under team at the Under Armour Championship Series Summer Jam presented by NY2LA Sports, Whitehead announced his arrival with a 31-point outburst in his first game on Wednesday.

In front of hundreds of Division I college coaches, the 6-4 combo guard put his dynamic scoring ability on display throughout the five-day event. Possessing a linebacker’s upper body, slick handle and good athleticism, Whitehead got into the lane and finished in a variety of ways.

His advanced mid-range game was also on full display—including a variety of pull-ups, runners and floaters. Continuing to extend his range and knock-down shots with more consistency, he tested himself against the best in the country—many of which may be gunning for him after seeing his name as a consensus top-40 prospect in the Class of 2014.

“It just makes me go hard every play,” Whitehead said. “Everyone is defending me hard. I just try and stay level headed, and play my game.”

Many of his teammates on Juice are his teammates at Lincoln, so playing his game on the summer circuit hasn’t been difficult.

“I play with these guys every day,” Whitehead said. “They’re all from my neighborhood. So I play against them every day and I know their games. They know my game. So we just try and come out here and try to compete.

“When my team needs a basket I try to score and if they need me to pass, I try to pass. Whatever they need I’m going to try and give to them.”

Whitehead already has offers from Syracuse, UCLA, St. John’s, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Memphis, Iowa State, Georgetown and Connecticut—a list that will surely grow over the next two years.

As is the case with big-time prospects out of the Big Apple, the hype will grow as well. Natonal Recruiting Analyst for Scout, Evan Daniels, has Whitehead ranked No. 31 in his class but cautions fans from comparing him to his highly publicized predecessors from Lincoln such as Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair and Lance Stephenson.

“I think comparing him to the past guys at Lincoln is a little unfair,” Daniels said. “I think Whitehead is extremely talented. He’s a 6-4, strongly built, athletic guard that can score. But I think we have to give these guys time to develop. He’s a 2014 kid, so let’s let it play out. I don’t think comparing him to those past guys is necessarily fair.”

Across the bay, Linden New Jersey native Quadri Moore established himself as one of the best Class of 2014 big men in attendance at the Summer Jam and helped Sports U Team Izod reach the elite eight in the loaded 16-and-under division.

Standing 6-8 with an imposing frame, Moore was a force in the paint on both ends of the floor. He displayed the ability to finish with either hand around the basket, but more impressively knocked down shots with regularity all the way out to behind the three-point arc.

“Recently I’ve worked harder on my perimeter [game],” Moore said. “It gives me more versatility instead of just being one dimensional. I feel like I can guard any position from 3 to 5, but I need to work more on my perimeter defense and moving my feet more.”

He looks to be on track to becoming one of the country’s top power forward prospects, and already has offers from Rutgers, Georgetown, St. Joe’s, Seton Hall, Providence and Cincinnati. Ranked in the top 100 by all services, Moore has enjoyed seeing his stock rise and the high major offers start to pour in.

“It means a lot to me,” Moore said. “At the next level, I want to improve myself and be a big time college basketball player and maybe go to the NBA.”

Besides Whitehead and Moore, the east was well represented all tournament. Sports U Team Izod’s 17’s captured the platinum division championship with a win over the Illinois Wolves behind the St. Anthony backcourt of Josh Brown and Hallice Cooke—both of whom had coaches from BCS conferences tracking their every move.

We R 1 (PA) and Team Loaded (NC) shared the 16’s division championship, each sporting several high DI prospects. We R 1 was led by top-50 prospect, 6-9 forward, Ben Bentil (St. Andrews School) and intriguing 6-6 wing Derrick Jones (Archbishop John Carroll) while Team Loaded features 6-6 twin guards Cody and Caleb Martin, who are rated No. 33 and No. 34, respectively, by Scout.

The post The Next Star appeared first on SLAM.

But Andrew Harrison doesn’t roll like that.

After coming down hard on his tailbone Friday trying to take a charge, the 6-5 point guard played Saturday and Sunday in the Under Armour Summer Jam presented by NY2LA Sports, despite being clearly hobbled.

“We’re real competitive and we hate to lose. We don’t make excuses and that’s something our dad helped instill in us,” said Andrew, the Houston Defenders’ primary ball-handler.

Coached by Aaron Harrison Sr, Andrew and his identical twin brother Aaron—also ranked in the top five by Scout—helped guide the Defenders all the way to the semifinals Sunday before losing to the Illinois Wolves.

Andrew and Aaron, who will be playing collegiately together—most likely at Kentucky, Maryland, Baylor, Villanova, Texas or SMU—have been on the national radar for quite some time thanks to their size, athleticism and ability to excel at both guard spots. But it hasn’t always been like that.

“When we were younger we weren’t the best players on our team,” said Aaron, who plays off the ball with the Defenders. “So we were just happy to play. We went to the gym with my dad a lot and just always worked hard so this is how it turned out.

“It’s a dream come true, really. Everybody wants to be the best. We just have to keep working hard and see what happens.”

Their talents were on full display in Milwaukee at the Summer Jam, which went from Wednesday afternoon through Sunday evening. Aaron was dialed in from three-point land the entire tournament, and buried six against Full Package Elite (IL) in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday.

The Travis (TX) High standouts also had a seemingly innate ability to control the tempo of any game they played against some of the country’s best teams. Their competitiveness has fueled their work in practice and enabled them to become uniquely talented guards.

“We’ve been working since we were 6,” Aaron said. “It’s all in your mind. You just have to know how to control the game and be confident. That’s pretty much it.”

According to Andrew, the brothers have never been on opposite teams—not even at camps. But while they naturally enjoy each other’s company, they both enjoy spending time with their summer teammates, traveling the country to places like Milwaukee.

“This was my first time and we went to the movies yesterday,” Andrew said. “[Milwaukee] is pretty fun. It’s almost like Houston. I just like hanging with my teammates. We’ve been like brothers because we’ve been together since like fourth grade. We know each other and have each other’s backs no matter what.”

“It’s fun,” Aaron said. “AAU is really about bragging rights and showing who’s the best. We come out here every day and try to prove to every single person that we’re the best players in the country.”

While similar in appearance, court demeanor, future college destination and female artist preference (Nicki Minaj over Rihanna), the two have some basketball-relevant differences.

“He gets in the paint whenever he wants,” Aaron said. “I’ve never seen anybody really just take the ball from him. He’s stronger than I am too.”

Along with the Harrisons, Johnathan Motley (6-9, North Shore High School, Class of 2014), Wesley Iwundu (6-7, Westfield High School, Class of 2013) and Derrick Griffin (6-6, Terry High School, Class of 2013) are crucial to the Houston Defenders’ success.

Griffin was on the receiving end of alley-oops from the Harrisons all tournament and dunked the ball with ferocity every time. He displayed relentlessness in the paint, and a football player’s mentality on the basketball court.

His nasty disposition on the hardwood shouldn’t come as a surprise because he is verbally committed to Texas A&M as a wide receiver—and ranked as a five-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Unlike his Defenders teammates, Griffin has to decide how many sports he wants to play in college.

“I want to try it,” Griffin said. “But one of them isn’t going to work out, and whatever one doesn’t work out I’ll do the other. I use football to my advantage [on the basketball court]. Just throw it up and I’m going to go and get it, then just dunk it.”

When asked what it meant to reach the semifinals of a star-studded 17-and-under division at the Summer Jam which included eventual champion Sports U Team Izod (NJ), Garner Road (NC), DC Assault, Atlanta Celtics, Milwaukee Rebels, Wisconsin Swing, Utah Reign, Illinois Wolves, Philly Pride, Juice All Stars (NY) Urban DFW Elite and Terry Porter Elite (WI) among several others, Griffin wasn’t impressed.

“This sucks, we didn’t even do well,” Griffin said. “We played bad defense. We were joking around a little bit. Everybody knows that we should have been [to the championship].”

As for what he expects in Orlando this week at the AAU Supershowcase, Griffin was clear.

“We’re going to win it all,” Griffin stated.

The post Twin Tempo appeared first on SLAM.

But Wisconsin-bound point guard Bronson Koenig, Indiana-bound forward Luke Fischer and the rest of the Wisconsin Swing have come together to form one of the best 17-and-under teams in the Midwest throughout the spring and summer. They continued their success by winning the NY2LA Sports Next Level Invitational on Sunday.

“It’s really a credit to the kids,” coach Justin Litscher said. “We just talk about how so many guys get wrapped up in the live period and having to get seen. Well the best way to get seen is to win, and if you share the ball you’re going to win. Every single one of our guys buys into that. Every game this weekend, we had four guys or more in double figures. That’s just kids being smart, competitive and wanting to win over their own want for scholarships—which will come anyway.”

The orchestrator of the Swing’s dynamic offense is La Crosse Aquinas, Koenig, who chose to stay home and play for Bo Ryan and the University of Wisconsin over North Carolina, Duke and Kansas.

The 6-3 point guard possesses everything a college coach would look for in a floor general: a silky smooth shot, tight handle and great vision to go with a bouncy athleticism.  As he continues to expand his game and add new wrinkles, he isn’t using the club circuit against high-level competition as his experimentation lab.

“I’m just trying to win games, because that’s what I always try to do,” said Koenig, who will be a three-time first team All-Stater at Aquinas High School and led his team to a DIII state title.

His unselfishness has also trickled down to the rest of his teammates.

“Number one, Bronson is a leader,” Litscher said. “He’s unselfish and will do whatever we need him to do to win. He can post up guys, he’s 6-3 and a long 6-3 so he can go down on the block and score. He’s always making the extra pass.

“He shoots it as well as anybody, but he’d rather pass. That’s a special kid right there to always put the team first. He’s a true leader.”

Koenig was a steadying force throughout the five-day tourney. He scored 14 in the Swing’s quarterfinal victory over the Dakota Schoolers, 13 in their semifinal win over Kingdom Hoops (IA) and 14 in the championship against Terry Porter Elite (WI).

He’s deadly from three-point land if given space, but also scored on a variety of drives to the cup, floaters and mid-range pull-ups throughout the whole tournament. Along with his great court vision and passing skills, his scoring ability has been well documented over the course of his career.

But Koenig can also punish his defender in the post, and was effective doing so at the Next Level Invitational.

“I’ve always had pretty good touch down low,” Koenig said. “I try to find mismatches and get them the ball, or try and post up myself. Coach Ryan at Wisconsin works with the guards on posting up on practice, so I’m just trying to get ready for that too.”

Following his upcoming senior season at Aquinas, Koenig will head to Madison where he will try to emulate Devin Harris.

“I watched him growing up when I was watching the Badgers,” Koenig said. “I watch him as much as I can right now.”

Besides Koenig, 6-11 forward Luke Fischer will also be competing in the Big Ten collegiately at after pledging to Tom Crean and Indiana in January.

Fischer dominated in the semis on Sunday with 22 points, and followed up with a team-high 17 points in the championship. While he was instrumental in his high school team’s (Germantown) Division I state championship in the winter, his season hit a roadblock in January, though he tried to make the most of it.

“This past year I broke my right hand, so I was at practice every day just shooting left-handed hook shots all the time,” Fischer said. “I really developed that. It helps a lot because people know I’m right handed right away, and I can go to my left and surprise them a little bit.”

He made a living in the paint during the Next Level Invitational scoring over his right shoulder, and left, as well as providing tough interior defense and a solid rebounding presence.

Only his strength can keep him from seeing the court when he arrives in Bloomington. He’s well aware of that and has begun preparing his body to bang in the paint in the Big Ten while also trying to defend Germantown’s state title this winter.

“I’ve been in the weight room a lot,” Fischer said. “I’m trying to get bigger, stronger, faster and all that stuff. I’m also trying to get a better face up game, so if my man is playing off me I can take him off the dribble and take a little eight-foot jump shot.”

Sun Prarie’s Nick Fuller (6-7 wing) scored 22 in the quarters and 15 in the Championship game Sunday, could join Koenig and Fischer in the Big Ten as he had several coaches tracking him over the weekend from the conference.

He holds offers from Nebraska, Marquette, Butler, Northern Iowa, Drake and UW-Milwaukee among many others but figures to add some more as schools from all the power BCS conferences have been showing interest for a long time.

Lefty Cody Wichmann (6-5, Pulaski) has offers from UW-Milwaukee, UW-Green Bay, South Dakota and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. 2014 sharp-shooter T.J. Schlundt (Oconomowoc) sports offers from UWM and UWGB with several high majors starting to show interest. 6-3 wing Nate Dodge (East Troy) holds an offer from Army.

They’ll be back in action at the NY2LA Sports Summer Jam on Wednesday, and will have a much tougher field with the likes of D.C. Assault, Illinois Wolves, Atlanta Celtics, Urban DFW Elite, Juice All-Stars, Garner Road, Utah Reign, Baltimore’s Finest and Utah Reign among many others in the loaded live tourney.

The post Ballin’ In Wisconsin appeared first on SLAM.

“I can play high-major,” Justin Baker said matter-of-factly. “I feel like I can go out there and be a true point guard and run my team. The biggest goal is to play in the pros, just like everybody else. I just have to put in the work for it.”

But standing at just 5-9 and weighing 150 pounds soaking wet, the point guard from Indianapolis’ Cathedral High School knows he has to work extra hard.

He’s been getting college interest since eighth grade and has the likes of Indiana, Purdue, Virginia, IUPUI and Loyola-Chicago starting to show more but still doesn’t have any offers. Playing in front of college coaches at the NY2LA Next Level Invitational, Baker did his best to prove he’s a high-major talent.

His ability was most evident in his quarterfinal performance with the SYF Players against the Milwaukee Rebels. Baker dropped 32 points while burying 5 three-pointers. With jet-like quickness and blurring speed, Baker was also able to get in the lane at will utilizing devastating crossovers and in-and-outs to free himself for layups.

He also hit 10 straight free throws in the second half, and helped ice the Rebels on the way to a 76-70 victory.

“Going out there as a smaller guard than everybody else in my age level, I have to go out there with the mentality that nobody can stop me,” Baker said. “I always have the mentality that we’re going to win and I’m the best one on the court.

“We actually lost to that team (in pool play), and that’s why we came out like we did. It just feels good to have the team on my back and have them look up to me, and then running plays and getting my teammates points.”

The guard continued his torrid pace in the semis by scoring 20 points and hitting a cold-blooded three-pointer with 17 seconds left to tie the game 65-65 against the Southwest Minnesota Stars. But intriguing 2015 prospect 6-5 Michael Lee from Dawson-Boyd High School drilled a three as time expired to end SYF’s tournament.

Baker will be back in Milwaukee for the Summer Jam on Wednesday. If a pool play loss inspired his 32-point performance, it should be interesting to see how he comes out following a tourney-ending loss at the buzzer.

The post Breaking Out In Milwaukee appeared first on SLAM.

The chorus of sneaker squeaks, refs’ whistles and coaches calling out plays changed drastically Friday as Deron Williams Metro Elite announced its arrival at the King James Summer Showcase in suburban Chicago.

Jeremy Combs’ posterization of an Illinois Old School defender ignited a buzz from other teams lounging on the sidelines awaiting their turn to play. And then 6-4 Emanuel Porter sent the gym into a frenzy after crushing an alley-oop thrown off the glass on a two-on-one fast break.

“It just gives me energy to keep playing harder so I can get another one,” said a grinning Porter, who had another highlight-reel dunk before the game ended.

Whichever teams were watching Deron Williams Elite’s blow-out victory will remember the lone team representing the Lone Star State’s capabilities should they cross paths in the Showcase, which goes through Sunday evening.

But, more importantly for Deron Williams Elite, there were over 100 college coaches watching from above on the track around the perimeter on the second level of the Waukegan Field House who may have taken notice of their team as well. None of the members of the team hold a Division I offer at the moment.

That will change—at some point in the next two years—as the team is predominantly made up of Class of 2014 and 2015 kids playing in the 17-and-under division made up of 2013 players.

“With that, we just try and come out to show age don’t mean nothin’,” Porter stated. “We can compete at any level and with anybody. We just want to compete and win.”

Porter, who attends Lincoln High School in Dallas and will be a junior next school year, has started to get interest from New Mexico and Lehigh but doesn’t have any offers yet. He knows how crucial the live periods are in July in terms of generating interest from DI coaches, but when the ball is tipped he tries to play the same way as he does in a typical game.

“I look up there in the warm ups,” Porter said. “But when the game starts I just try to do my best, play good defense and do what I can to help my team win.”

Much like many of his teammates, Porter is a high-level athlete who is working hard to improve his skills as a basketball player.

“I need to work on more ball-handling and shooting from the outside,” Porter said. “I played both [guard and forward] for my high school team but I really want to be a guard. So I’ve been doing ball-handling drills and working on my shooting form to get my arc up and shot smoother.”

Combs (6-6), a Class of 2014 forward from Dallas’ Carter High, led the way with 16 points and is equally impressive as an athlete with a high motor. Like Porter, the Lobos have showed early interest as well as UT-Arlington—but no offers yet.

Combs is not only trying to continue to make a name for himself, but do his part to represent the man who sponsored the team.

“I’m just coming out trying to play hard,” Combs said. “I’m trying to get stronger finishing around the basket and making my free throws. We’re just trying to represent Deron Williams to the fullest, that’s all.”

Deron Williams Elite will have its work cut out as the 17s division includes powerhouses like King James Shooting Stars (OH), MoKan Elite (MO), Iowa Pump-N-Run, Martin Brothers (IA), Fundamental U (IL), BTi Pump-N-Run (CA) and BTi Double Pump (CA) among a slew of other teams from across the country.

Along with 2014 twins from Lincoln High, Derrick and Erick Neal, providing an electric backcourt standing at 5-9 apiece, Johnathan Turner (2014, 6-6 forward, James Madison High School) and Tim Priller (2014, 6-8 forward, Richland) down low and 6-foot sniper Collin Curran (2014, McKinney North)—who hit five threes in a span of three minutes Friday—Porter likes their chances.

“We go to the hole a lot,” Porter said. “So most teams just try and play zone because they think we can’t shoot. Then the twins and [Curran] will start hitting threes after that. So then they’ll be lost because they can get beat off the dribble or on the three. It’s hard to defend us.”

After their performance Friday, it will be hard to ignore them.

The post Impossible To Ignore appeared first on SLAM.

Fresh off stellar showings at the LeBron James Skills Academy, NBA Top 100 camp, Nike Elite 100 Camp and the Pangos All-American Camp, the 6-8 forward hasn’t had much down time.

But so it goes for one of the nation’s consensus top-20 high school ballers.

“[The camps] are fun, and not as tiring as you would think,” Looney said. “[AAU] is different from camps. These guys run a lot faster up and down, and I get a lot more tired. But they’re like my family so it’s a lot of fun playing with these guys. I feel like I’m getting a lot better.”

Perhaps no Class of 2014 prospect has seen their stock rise more drastically in the last year than Looney—who already has offers from Georgetown, Wisconsin, Marquette, Tennessee, Michigan and Iowa.

Standing at 6-8, with the wingspan of a 747, the ability to run the floor like a guard and a commanding presence in the paint have helped shoot Looney up to the No. 9-ranked prospect by Scout, No. 11 by Rivals and No. 16 by ESPN.

“It’s pretty important to me,” Looney said. “I want to be the best player in my class so I look at the rankings to see where I’m at, what I need to improve on and who’s in front of me.”

Regardless of where he’s ranked nationally, Looney already has the attention of basically every program in the country. Duke, Kansas and Michigan State have recently gotten into the mix, but have yet to offer.

Since the first live period in July began Wednesday, with two more five-day live periods remaining before the month ends, Looney says he’s not planning on thinking about college too much until all the schools have gotten to see him play.

“I want to let the rest of the coaches come see me in July,” Looney said. “I’ll wait to after the summer then I’ll start thinking more about it.”

The Running Rebels are currently 2-0 in pool play at the NY2LA Sports Next Level Invitational, in which Looney dropped 21 points in front of John Thompson III, Bo Ryan, Buzz Williams and Tom Izzo on Wednesday and followed that up with a 14-point, 15-rebound, 4-assist and 4-block performance Thursday in front of stands packed with coaches.

National recruiting editor for NY2LASports.com, Antonio Curro, witnessed Looney’s development as a player firsthand and has been watching him at the NY2LA tournaments since he was in fourth grade.

“Kevon has always been very instinctive as a player,” Curro said. “He was very fundamentally sound as a middle school talent, as he continued to develop [physically]. He had pretty solid footwork and a really good feel for the game. He’s improved his perimeter skill set, his ability to face the basket off the dribble and his pull up.

“He’s just a matchup problem. He really excels 12 to 17 feet from the basket because he can use either hand, has a mid-range pull-up and things like that—and is probably where his strength is at this point.”

Aside from the physical gifts of an NBA-type body frame, and what Looney can provide a coach on the court, Curro said much of how he is off the court is what’s made him one of the most highly sought after recruits in the country.

“He has exceptional character, without question,” Curro explained. “That shows in his grades, in his mannerisms and he’s very humble and just goes about his business. I think that’s a huge key. We’ve regarded him as a top 10 to 15 kid since he was in seventh grade, but as far as why everybody is jumping up and down it’s because he’s really exploded because of his size. He’s got a ridiculous ceiling. He looks like he just continues to grow and grow, and his athleticism, ability to finish in transition is really elevating the last four to six weeks.”

Curro is no stranger to seeing stars born at the NY2LA tournaments throughout the spring and summer, as recent top-ranked prep hoopers such as Harrison Barnes (Golden State Warriors), Shabazz Muhammad (UCLA) and Jabari Parker (No. 1 in Class of 2013) all have scorched the nets at Homestead High School in Mequon, WI.

Looney’s path has been very similar.

“Kevon is going through that stretch of really taking that next step into elite, ‘wow’ status,” Curro said. “I think his aggressiveness and the improved versatility he’s shown is a big reason why.”

The post First Class Swag appeared first on SLAM.

“I just want to come out and play,” Thomas said. “It’s my last few tournaments ever in AAU and I’ve been playing with some of these guys since sixth grade. So, I just want to enjoy it and have fun. Now that I’ve already made my college decision, I can come out here and kind of relax and play ball.”

His 27-point performance Wednesday night guided his Wisconsin Playmakers past Indiana powerhouse SYF, 66-56. It was one of the standout performances at the NY2LA Sports Next Level Invitational, and the Iowa State-bound guard made it look easy.

The 6-5 assassin broke out on the national scene last July and had offers from Boston College, Virginia, Wisconsin and Northern Iowa before committing to Fred Hoiberg and the Cyclones in June. Following an impressive April in front of college coaches and the national scouting service gurus, Thomas began to get attention as one of the best shooters in the country.

Thomas is currently ranked No. 78 in the Class of 2013 by Scout, No. 84 by ESPN and No. 104 by Rivals. But as he gets more exposure this July in front of those services, those rankings should continue to rise.

“People talk about [the national notoriety], and they think it’s a big deal,” Thomas said. “It’s an honor that people think I’m that caliber of a player, but obviously I’m not satisfied. I just want to be the best I can be.”

Thomas proved himself as one of the best shooters in the country last summer on the club circuit, but his drive to make himself a more complete player paid major dividends to his high school squad (Onalaska) in the winter as he earned first team all-state honors by averaging 21.3 points per game.

He also led Onalaska to a 27-1 record and a Division II state championship. His performance during the first half of the state title game was stuff legends are made from. He had a game-high 30 points, and essentially put the nail in the coffin on Kaukauna with a right-to-left cross and a trey as time expired in the second quarter. Personally, he outscored the opposition 21-16 in the first two quarters.

As he naturally grew in height and strength, he also tightened up his handle to make himself more versatile with the ball in his hands. While he was never strictly a catch-and-shoot prospect, his ability to score off the bounce has improved dramatically thanks to a quick and nasty right-to-left, and left-to-right, crossover.

“I have a lot of work to do still,” Thomas said. “But I definitely work on my ball-handling so I can create shots for myself, and creating separation getting into the guy and popping back so I can get enough room to get my shot off.

“I watch a lot of NBA and Kobe is my favorite player. But I mean he’s more of a post up player, and I do a little of that,” he explained. “But I look at how he gets into guys and is able to shoot over them.”

Thomas is a capable distributor and makes defense pay with doubles and traps, and did so Wednesday while also scoring in a variety of different ways.

The NY2LA Sports Next Level Invitational runs through Sunday, and it won’t be a surprise if opposing defenses do their best to not give him an inch. But that is nothing new for him.

“It’s fun when you get every team’s best shot, every coach’s best shot,” Thomas said. “They’re going to throw a bunch of crap defenses at you, but you just have to be ready for it and play your game.”

If he continues to play his game and work at the rate he’s worked at, it will continue to be unfortunate for the opposition.

The post Nightmare For The Opposition appeared first on SLAM.

In fact, suburban Milwaukee’s Riley LaChance, Brady Ellingson and Reed Timmer—the dangerous backcourt of Ray Allen Select—would most likely scoff at that nickname.

All three are ranked among the top-10 prospects in Wisconsin’s Class of 2014, with mid to high-major Division I programs starting to pick up interest, but they each embrace the mentality that defines the club circuit’s antithesis to an all-star team.

LaChance, Ellingson and Timmer, along with 6-5 Chad Kanugh, have been playing together for Ray Allen Select since they were 10 years old with Riley’s dad, Tom, as the coach. Aside from first-year players Devante Jackson (6-6 forward, Brown Deer High School) and Cooper Radtke (6-5 forward, Oshkosh North), the rest of the team is made up of players who have been playing with Ray Allen Select for at least three years—something basically unheard of on the circuit.

“It’s been great,” said Riley, a 6-1 point guard from Brookfield Central High School. “We all like to see each other do well. It’s not about who’s getting all the points, or all the recognition, we just want to win games. I love playing with those guys and it never gets old. We have such a good feel for each other on the court, and we got along so well off it, it’s almost like brothers to each other.

“Obviously we all have the dream to play Division I basketball at the highest level possible, but when these live periods come around we don’t play any different than if we were practicing in the gym. We just try and go out to win every game.”

According to Tom LaChance, the team practices at least twice a week and sometimes as many as four times. Much of the focus is on individual skill development, but the team also runs a flex offense and is constantly tinkering with the playbook.

While most club teams with a cast of Division I hopefuls may change rosters from tournament to tournament, practice possibly once a week and just rely on sheer talent to carry them through games, Ray Allen Select has relied on its dedication to working as a team to be a catalyst of its success.

The squad captured Platinum division championships last year at prestigious national events such as the Battle for the Arch in St. Louis, Howard Pulley in Minnesota, Spiece Run-N-Slam in Fort Wayne and the NY2LASports Summer Jam in Milwaukee, and capped its summer with a run to the final four in their age group at the Adidas Super 64 in Las Vegas.

As the NCAA certified live periods began on April 20, Ray Allen Select took home the championship at the NY2LASports Spring Extravaganza and reached the semifinals last weekend at the Adidas Spring Classic in Indianapolis.

Despite not having any player who is ranked nationally by any of the services, coach Tom LaChance isn’t too surprised when his team continues to tear its way through high-profile tourney after high-profile tourney.

“I’ve never seen them back down,” Tom LaChance said. “We traveled all over the country and got our butt kicked a lot when we were younger, and I think that really toughened them up. So now there really isn’t anything they’ll see, that they haven’t seen. I think that’s why a lot of them did well on the high school level. We had eight kids start on the varsity level as freshman and this year we had six first team all-conference players. They’re used to playing against the best competition and I think that’s helped them in the long run. All these kids are the best players on their high school teams. When they come together here, their number one overall goal is still the team.”

Timmer, a 6-1 lefty who has excelled playing on and off the ball, averaged 18 points a game during an all-conference sophomore season to go with 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 steals but feels like setting aside any individual agendas has been a key to Ray Allen Select’s success all over the country.

He’s already garnering interest from programs like Creighton, Northern Iowa, UW-Milwaukee, South Dakota State and North Dakota State, but never concerns himself with which coaches are in the stands during the NCAA-certified live period tournaments. None of Ray Allen Select’s DI prospects do.

“When we play, we’ve been so successful that when college coaches come to watch us play they see how much of team we are,” Timmer said. “We swing the ball, share it and the recruiting just takes care of itself. Every game is different so all of our players will get noticed, so it will pretty much take care of itself.

“No one really cares who gets the credit. One kid can be the best kid on the team one game, and then another kid can be in a different game. We just really enjoy all our trips and time in the hotel. It’s so much better playing against all these other guys because compared to high school the competition is much better. Playing with guys who are my friends and who are so good is a real fun time.”

Ellingson stands 6-4, and will torch defenders if they give him more than an inch on the perimeter with a quick, and pure release. He made an immediate impact with his high school team as a freshman and earned all-conference honors as a sophomore (17.5 points, 5.04 rebounds, 2.3 assists) relying on his sweet stroke and developing mid-range game.

Like Timmer his recruitment is in its infancy stages, but he’s already started to hear from Creighton, Northern Iowa, UW-Green Bay, Wisconsin, Virginia, Army and South Dakota. But when his opponents at one of the national tournaments they travel to has an offer from Duke or North Carolina, he doesn’t flinch.

“We’re all having fun but we know we can compete with everyone,” Ellingson said. “We’ve done that growing up since fifth grade. We know that we can play with any of them.”

Riley LaChance is the primary ball-handler for Ray Allen Select and already drawing interest from Marquette, Wisconsin, Iowa, Creighton, Northern Iowa, UW-Green Bay, Portland, South Dakota State and Winona State.

Like any of his other teammates, he’s confident in his individual capabilities but more concerned with the success of those in the same uniform.

“I feel like I’m a point guard,” Riley said. “When I was younger and coming up I was more of just a stand still shooter. But over the years, I’ve developed into a point guard. I love having the ball in my hands and making my teammates better. Obviously I can shoot the ball from the outside too. I just like getting up and down and making my teammates better.”

LaChance, Ellingson and Timmer may be drawing the most interest collegiately at the moment, but that’s not to say a handful of others won’t soon start fielding some letters, phone calls or text messages. Jackson, Radtke, and Ray Allen Select’s other big man Ricky Landers (6-8 forward, Wauwatosa West) all deserve looks from DI coaches as well.

Regardless of what their recruitment process is, everyone on the Ray Allen Select bench comes from a high school team where they’re role is much greater. But the transition from stud to role player isn’t a difficult one to make. At least not for Timmer, who’s been doing it for the last six years.

“Our roles are definitely different on our high school teams,” Timmer said. “In high school, I’m the guy and the one with the ball and the one expected to score the most. On our AAU team, it’s all evened out and there isn’t as much pressure. We all have the chance to have the ball and have the chance score. It’s not that hard to adjust. I’m pretty used to it.”

Now a group that has gone from scrawny 10-year-olds getting worked at regional tournaments, to one of the best 16-and-under teams in the country, followers of club basketball and college basketball recruiting will start having to get used to seeing their names.

The post AAU’s Anomaly appeared first on SLAM.

Lowell (IN) HS senior Austin Richie plans on being part of the latter.

The 6-2 combo guard, with shooting range and a release that has to been seen to be believed, averaged 28.8 points per game as a junior and parlayed a successful run on the club circuit this past summer — that included a 35-foot buzzer beater to give his team a tournament championship — into over 10 Division I offers.

Prior to May he held offers from Valpo and IUPUI. Now he has his choice of Western Michigan, Drake, Loyola Chicago, Bucknell, Holy Cross, Appalachian State, UTEP, Louisiana Tech, TCU and Portland among several others to add to his original two suitors.

“Growing up playing basketball, you always dream of achieving certain goals,” said Richie, who is the state of Indiana’s returning leading scorer. “After I go play for a Division I program, the next goal is playing in the Tournament. I don’t know why anyone else would really want to play college basketball if you don’t get to play in the Tournament.”

While Richie spent most of this summer playing with the northwest Indiana-based CAPS All Stars, he played in Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League with Chicago based powerhouse Meanstreets. Besides playing alongside Anthony Davis, a player who went from unknown – to a consensus top-10 player in the country – to Kentucky commit in a span of three months, Richie got a sneak preview of what’s to come.

“I loved playing with them,” Richie said. “I thought it was a good experience just for the fact that it was a college basketball feel. I was playing with 10 other Division I players. They were a talented group. It was real good test playing in the EYBL because I thought it showed myself where I was at physically and basketball wise. The biggest thing is just the strength part of it. As I get stronger, my game will take another step also.”

Loren Jackson has coached several DI players in high school, most notably former Duke guard Sean Dockery and former DePaul forward Mac Koshwal, coached Richie during his brief stint with Meanstreets. Like anyone who has seen Richie play, two things stood out to Jackson.

“He’s a very dynamic scorer,” said Jackson, who is now at IMG Academy in Florida. “He can play on and off the ball. He really has a knack for putting the ball in the basket, but just has to work on getting stronger.”

“He has to get stronger and continue working on his ball skills because he’s only about 6-1 or 6-2. I know he’s scored a lot in high school, but when he competed with us against the upper echelon teams he had a little difficulty getting free and open.”

When a player has the range on his shot, and a variety of pull-ups and floaters that Richie has – it’s not natural. It is worked for. His crazed competitiveness and tireless work-ethic aren’t mutually exclusive. The progression between his sophomore, where he led the state in free-throw shooting at 95 percent, and junior year in high school is evidence.

“Personally, I think it’s night and day from my sophomore season to junior season,” Richie said. “I’ve been building some strength, speed and agility. I’ve been working out with my trainer for about a year and half now, and he’s got me doing some good stuff. So, I think this year it will be the same thing with more improvement.”

With hopes of figuring out his college destination by November, location, student body and some of the other things some recruits look for aren’t really on Richie’s priority list. He is very specific why he’s considering the several programs that are on him.

“Those schools are the ones that offer what I’m looking for,” Richie said. “The coaching stability, the relationship with the staff, the style of play and my role that I’m going to play in their style, if I can play in the Tournament – to me those are the most important things. That’s just how it goes.”

If for some reason he chooses to hold off on his decision until the spring signing period, his opposition shouldn’t assume he will be playing with college on the back of his mind.

“I don’t think I’m going to play with any other mindset besides, I want to win.” Richie said. “That’s how I step on the court every time: What can I do to put my team in the best position to win?”

Once he gets to college, he plans on doing the same thing he’s done his entire basketball career.

“I expect to make an impact wherever I go,” Richie said. “I think a lot of schools that have been recruiting me see the same thing. Especially with my work ethic, as I get stronger and faster, it will only take my game to the next level.”

“I’ve always believed in myself being just as good anyone I step on the floor with. I think that’s the only approach you can take to the game.”

The post Rich Get Richer appeared first on SLAM.