Thursday, May 24, 2012

All Ohio Super 16 Recap

The annual All Ohio Super 16 kicked off this past weekend with a couple of the top teams from the Midwest there. The Mac Irvin Fire won the 17u division, despite not having Parker and Okafor due to their participation in the Adidas Nations in Vegas. Kyle Davis was their go-to guy all weekend long, having a couple big scoring games. Here is a brief list of players that stood out this weekend.

Kyle Davis 2013 6'0" Morgan Park (IL)/Mac Irvin Fire
     The talented lefty was in attack mode all weekend long, constantly getting to the free throw line and getting buckets. Even though he isn't a big guard he is strong, good at drawing contact, and finished through contact, having a number of And-1s. Davis has been blowing all spring on the EYBL and he continued his strong play this weekend earning him MVP honors.

Russel Wood 2013 6'8" St. Leo (IL)/Mac Irvin Fire
      Wood had a couple big time dunks during the weekend, and a couple on and over defenders. He is a athletic forward who rebounds well on both ends. The lefty is active, with a good motor, who finishes well around the rim.

Tyler Ptacek 2013 6'2" Parma Padua (OH)/Ohio Basketball Club
     Tyler is known as a knockdown shooter from deep but continued to show he can do more. In a couple games when his shot wasn't falling he made things happen off the dribble. He is a crafty finisher inside the paint, hitting a couple floaters and using his pump fake to get shot blockers in the air and finish past them.

Dontonio Wingfield 2013 6'5" Cincinnati Lockland (OH)/Martins Wolverines
     Has a nice frame and size for a wing. He has a very good skill set, which allows him to play multiple positions. Was a match problem because he is strong enough to guard a big down low but takes advantage of that same big on the perimeter offensively. Had a couple big time drives and finishes.

Cole Murray 2013 6'7" Delphi (IN)/Martins Wolverines
     Can really stroke it from deep. Is more of a wing forward at this point but showed flashes of toughness battling down low. Has a nice skill set, finding open shooters out of the post and guards running in transition.

Marc Loving 2013 6'7" Toledo St. John (OH)/All Ohio Red
     The Ohio State commit is as smooth as they come. Can do a number of things on the court and really takes advantage of his length and size, shooting over smaller defenders. Had a good all around tournament, leading his team to the championship and also making All Tournament team.

Zach Garber 2013 6'8" Vanlue (OH)/All Ohio Red
     Garber is a big body in the post, who was a low scoring option for AOR all weekend. He showed off a couple smooth back to the basket moves. He rebounds well and is not afraid to get physical down low.

Caleb Swanigan 2016 6'5" Fort Wayne (IN)/Spiece Indy Heat
     A wide body down low who showed he can score around the rim with either hand. He really throws around his weight and strength down low, punishing smaller defenders. He was the tournament MVP in the 14u division, and also hit the game winning free throw in overtime of the championship to give his Spiece Indy Heat the title. The biggest thing with Caleb moving forward is his conditioning and athleticism. As his body grows and matures he could become something special.

In the 9th grade division, King James beat All Ohio-Red by a score of 54-51. Kipper Nichols, 2015, took home the MVP for KJ. In the 10th grade division Mac Irvin took home the ship over All Ohio Red, 59-57. Raymond Doby from Mac Irvin Fire won the MVP honors.

For all the results and All Tournament teams check out http://allohiobasketball.8k.com/

Also follow on twitter @NSchmidta2

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Romulus Center Signs with Barton CC

Raheem Johnson, a 6'9" center from Romulus High School (MI), signed with Barton Community College in Kansas earlier today. Full Court Hoops would like to congratulate the big fella on signing and want to wish him the best moving forward.

Twitter: @NSchmidta2

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Pitt Jam Fest Day 3

In the final day of the Pitt Jam Fest, champions were crowned and big-time players made plays. In the 17u division, OBC and Sports U faced off for the Gold Bracket championship, with Sports U out of New Jersey winning it. In the 16u gold championship, Sports U took on Team Loaded. Team Loaded (VA) and the Martin twins would take the title home overcoming an early 14-0 deficit at the start of the ship. It was another big day with plenty of players living up to their hype and others making a name for themselves. Here are a couple standout players from championship Sunday.

Kevin Johnson 2013 6'3" Cincy Summit Country Day/OBC
      An active guard, who really did a good job of attacking the rim and drawing fouls. Looked to push the ball in the open court and made some nice decisions. Hit a number of mid-range pull-ups, using his athleticism to elevate above defenders out stretched hands. Locked up many of the opponents best guards, coming up with numerous steals. Was big for OBC all weekend on their run to the championship.

Sidiq Ochua 2014 6'7" Yates (TX)/Houston Defenders
     The athletic forward runs the floor hard, resulting in many open lay ups and dunks. Crashes the O boards using his athleticism and length to go get them. Had a couple big blocks on the day along with a couple impressive drop step dunks.

Josh Davenport 2013 6'4" Cincinnati Moeller (OH)/OBC
     Has the size and skill to play both at the 2 and 3. A bigger guard who rebounds well, having a number of easy offensive put-backs because of it. Attacked the rim, using his size to finish amongst the trees down low. Shot the ball well all weekend, hitting both the 3 and mid-range.

DeAndre Bembry 2013 6'6" St Patrick (NJ)/Sports U
     Bembry is a smooth wing who scored most of his points in the mid-range area. His high release on his J combined with his size makes it hard for shot blockers to contest. Also stepped out and knocked down a couple 3's. Was not only a scorer from 15-17 feet on in but made plays for his teammates and had a couple on a string high-low passes. Ran the floor well in transition and finished above the rim.

Alec Brennan 2014 6'10" Milton Academy (MA)/Expressions Elite
      Has good size with a nice baby hook over his left shoulder. Stepped out and hit a couple of 3's, but will need to continue to be more consistence. Was not afraid to get inside and fight for position, even though he doesn't have the strongest lower body. Has the potential to be a very good face up forward at the next level.

Jared Nickens 2013 6'6" St Patrick (NJ)/Sports U
     Thin but long frame, who has a quick release from deep. Can really stroke from deep when he gets hot. Will need to add muscle and strength at the next level but has nice length and athleticism. Used his length to get some boards. Constantly looking to spot up for the 3.

Abdul-Malik Abu 2014 6'8" Kimball Union Academy (NH)/Expressions Elite
     Abu is a very explosive finisher around the rim, getting off the ground quick and finishing strong. Had three big-time drop step dunks in the first half alone of the 16u semi-final game. Goes after the boards hard on both ends and has a motor to go along with it. Was a monster in the paint, offensive and defensively, not giving up position easily and making his opponents work.

Karl Towns Jr. 2015 6'10" St Joes (NJ)/Sports U 16s
     The big fella is already well known by many people around the circuit and proved what all the hype was about. He has a nice skilled for his size and can hit the 3 from well beyond the college or high school line. Sometimes he does rely on his great shooting ability too much and stays outside but its hard to tell him to stop when he is making more then he misses. He has a great upside and it will be exciting to see how he continues to develop his all-around game.

Quadri Moore 2014 6'8" Linden (NJ)/Sports U
     Great frame, with his combination of size, strength and overall body mass. If he shed a couple pounds he could really be dominant. Has a nice stroke from deep and was not worried about being close to the line. Used his body to bang down low and score over smaller, weaker defenders. Was a very hard match up for other forwards, with his skill set and size. Can be a very deadly option in the pick-n-roll because of his ability to hit the J and strength to finish on the roll.

Caleb Martin 2014 6'6" Davie County (NC)/Team Loaded (NC)
     Is probably the better shooter between the Martin twins, hitting a number of J's throughout the weekend. Showed he can handle the rock in transition and make the correct decision. Got up and finished above the rim on drives and in transition. Right now he doesn't have a totally clear position but he knows the game well, can do multiple things on the court and can play both the 2 and 3.

Cody Martin 2014 6'6" Davie County (NC)/Team Loaded (NC)
     Cody is more of a slasher and is constantly in attack mode. Can score with ease from 15 feet on in, and with his combination of quickness and size, made him a tough match up. Hit a number of jumpers on the day, with a smooth one-dribble pull-up. Hit the O boards hard, taking advantage of his defenders lack of boxing out. An athletic wing who could turn out to be a very nice swingman.

Look for one more write up from the Pitt Jam Fest coming tomorrow, with some more notes and evals from the weekend.

Follow on twitter @NSchmidtA2




    


Monday, April 23, 2012

Motown Showdown 15u

Team Bolt won the championship over The Family in the 15u division. Here are a couple standout 15u players.

Rodney Scales 2015 6'5" Inkster/REACH
     The lefty forward was big for Reach on both ends of the court. He uses his length to block shots. Is not the most explosive athlete but still was able to block and alter plenty of shots. Did the majority of his work around the rim on offense, but showed he can make moves from 15 feet. With a couple more inches of growing to do he will most likely end up to be a very good face up 4 man.

Curtis Davison 2015 6'0" Grand Rapids Creston/GR Storm
     An explosive guard, who constantly got to the rim. Made plays and pushed the tempo. Step up his bigs for a number of dump-offs and easy lay-ups.

Brad Brechting 2015 6'8" Cedar Springs/GR Storm
     Tall and thin forward, who will be better as his body gets stronger. Made some nice post moves and finished around the rim. Used his length on the boards, and threw a couple shots away. Has the size to be dominant in the future.

Armani Lee 2015 6'4" Detroit King/REACH
     Made some nice moves from the wing, using his athleticism to finish at the rim. Can hit the mid-range jumper and also scored with his back to the basket. Showed his athleticism and handle when he got out in transition. Has a bright future and he continues to work on his perimeter skills.

Xavier Cochran 2015 6'4" Ann Arbor Huron/The Program
     The lefty has nice size and finished around the rim. Had a number of elbow isolations that he took advantage of, with his length and quickness.  Was active around the rim and on the O boards. Will be one to keep an eye on this spring and summer.

Check out the All Tournament Team from all age groups from the Mustang Motown Showdown on Mlive.

All Tourny Team

Watch for updates next weekend from the King James Shooting Stars Tournament in Akron, OH.
Follow on twitter @NSchmidta2

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Pitt Jam Fest Day 2

Here are some standouts from Day 2 of the Under Armour Hoop Group Pitt Jam Fest:

-Denzel Watts 2013 6'1" Flint Carmen Ainsworth (MI)/Dorian's Pride
    With Robert Morris in the stands after recently offering him this past week, the junior proved why he has double digit D1 offers on the table. He is a strong guard who can get to the rim and draw fouls all day long. Had a couple big time finishes in transition, one being a euro-step between two defenders and finishing with his off hand, or left. Doesn't shoot much from outside but showed he can hit them. His nice combination of size and strength made him hard to stay in front of. Lead his team to an 11-point win Saturday afternoon, in which he finished with 25 points. Look more offers to start pouring in after these two live periods.

-Darryl Reynolds 2013 6'9" Lower Merion (PA)/Philly Pride
     Big and strong forward, who was active on the offensive boards. Was constantly going after O boards but was not out of control when running in. Was able to still crash but be smart about it at the same time, often anticipating where the ball was heading. Finished well around the rim on offense and rolls hard off a pick-n-roll. Got up a couple times and tossed back a couple shots.

-Andre Wilson 2014 5'10" Austin East (TN)/Nashville Celtics
     Smooth lefty guard who was able to get to the rim both ways. Hit a number of 3's, off the catch and pull-up. Drew fouls and was constantly at the free throw line.

-Terrell Miller 2014 6'7" Arlington Country Day (FL)/D12 Warriors
     Miller showed off a couple nice mid-range back to the basket moves. Can hit the 15 footer and knocked in a couple turn around J's from the post. A wide and strong frame, that he is constantly throwing around. Stayed after the boards on both ends.

-Ronald Booth 2014 5'9" Allen Academy (MI)/Detroit Spartans
      A small and quick guard who got constantly got to the rim. Drew a bunch of fouls and had the body control to still get the shot up. Hit a couple nice pull up 3's showing he can hit from deep. Was also an active defender who pressured the ball and came up with a number of steals. Small but explosive guard, will be one to watch as he continues to work on his game.

-Quadir Welton 2013 6'8" Math Civics and Science (PA)/Philly Pride/St Peters Commit
     Showed off some nice moves down low and used his crab dribble effectively. Was able to feel the double team, kick it out and back further down for better position. Keeps the ball high on the offensive rebounds and stays after the boards.

-Adonis Dela Rosa 2014 6'10" Christ the King (NY)/Move Your Feet NYC
     Is a big body down low, that takes a lot of effort to move. Worked hard for position down low and made some nice baby hooks. As he continues to work on his body and conditioning he could be very good. Didn't have to much trouble dominating the boards.

-Kevin Degnan 2014 6'7" Pearl River (NY)/Team Frenji
     Nice size, with a solid face-up game. Had a couple crafty finishes around the rim, reversing and using both hands. Hit the boards on both ends. Hit a couple mid-range J's which brought the defense out and was able to pump fake and get to the rim.

-Evan Payne 2012 6'1" Dorian's Pride
      The Cleveland native, who was at Huntington Prep for most of last season, had an impressive weekend. A super athletic guard who threw down a couple big time dunks. Can hit the three and made some nice quick moves to the game. Had a smooth 20 point game Saturday night, in a win.

-Vince Hunter 2013 6'7" Detroit Consortium (MI)/Detroit Stars
     Was one of the big reasons why the Stars were able to stay with the talented Houston Defenders for most of the game. Is a super long wing, who really stretches out on his drives. His length and athleticism was especially on display in transition. As he continues to work on his J, he could become very difficult to guard.

-Tyler Ptacek 2013 6'3" Padua (OH)/OBC
     No question that he can shoot from deep, hitting a couple big time 3's for OBC. Also made some things happen off the dribble. It was nice to see him be aggressive in transition, getting to the rim and constantly drawing fouls on the break. Was inform by OBC director Michael Duncan that most of the MAC has offered.

-Nick Light 2013 6'6" Riverside (WV)/West Virginia Wildcats
     A bouncy athlete, who used his length as a shot blocker. Was active on the boards on both ends. Runs the floor well, look for him to continue to expand his game on the offensive end. Didn't do too much offensively but finished around the rim.

-Markell Lodge 2014 6'6" Miller School of Albemarle (NC)/Team Loaded (NC)
     Big time athlete, who had a couple monster drop step dunks. Long shot blocker who got his hands on tons of shots. Finished dump-offs strong and has a nice second bounce, getting plenty of tip ins.

-Tyler Kohl 2015 6'5" Perkioman School/We R 1
     Kohl is a wide body, who works hard down low. Has the ability to play both on the wing and in the post. Got past bigger defenders with his quick first step and was able to use his strength when finishing the rim. Works hard on the defensive box outs, moving his feet to keep the player from getting around him.

-Tyvez Monroe 2015 6'2" Bishop O'Connell/Team Loaded (VA)
     Has a very similar body type as Kohl just a couple inches shorter. Moves his feet well, showing off a couple nice spin moves around the hoop. Was able to bring bigger defenders outside by hitting multiple 3's. Truly has a football body, like a fullback or linebacker. Was not afraid at all to bang inside with bigger and taller forwards.

-Devonte Campbell 2015 6'5" St Davids Blues (CN) 15u
     A long and athletic wing who can do a lot on the court. The more you watch of him the more he shows you he can do. Has the size and strength to finish inside, but also has the skill set to handle in transition. Campbell would often grab the D board turn and push it himself, more times then not making the correct read, as far as finding the open man or taking it himself. Is a surprising good passer for his size, even mixing in a couple no lookers in the full court. Looks comfortable on the wing, showing he can hit the 3 and also has a smooth one-dribble pull-up in his repertoire. Has the potential to be another special one coming out of Canada.

Look for Pitt Jam Day 3 to be posted tomorrow, along with move evaluations from the weekend.
Follow on twitter @NSchmidta2

Friday, April 20, 2012

Pitt Jam Fest Day 1

The Under Armour Hoop Group Pitt Jamfest kicked off earlier this night, and was the start of the live period, were D1 coaches could watch players. With the heavy traffic in downtown Pittsburgh, I was not able to get to see all the games I planned to but was still able to see some major talent. Here are a couple players who had some big performances.

Nathan Adrian 2013 6'8" Morgantown (WV)/West Virginia Wildcats Select (West Virginia Commit)
     With his future head coach Bob Huggins on the sideline watching, Adrian went to work early, hitting three 3's in the first 8 minutes of play. A long forward has a sweet stroke from deep. With his ability to pick n pop, it made guarding the pick-n-roll very hard for defenders. Might not look like the strongest player but really battled bigger, heavier post players on D, not giving up position. He makes up for his lack of strength with his smarts. He can read the defense, make the correct pass and also out think players when on D. He could possibly move outside and play the wing, if he improves his perimeter skills and foot speed, but will most likely be a face up 4-man who can really stretch the defense with his shooting touch.

Devin Williams 2013 6'8" Cincinnatti Withrow (OH)/OBC
     A big and strong forward who showed why he has been attracting tons of college looks. Xavier's HC Chris Mack was on hand along with coaches from WVU, UD and others, to watch Williams. He took advantage of the smaller forwards of the Gauchos, and physically dominated them. Had three or four And 1's, were he just went right through the contact and finished. Can hit the 15 footer, but it was good to see him not settle. Would like to see Devin exploded quicker after receiving dump-offs from his guards, instead he waits for the contact and then goes up. Has a very strong frame that he is not afraid to use and throw around. Stayed active on the boards and was a factor on defense, making it hard for other forwards to score down low.

-Keep an eye out tomorrow night for a report on the top performers from Day 2 of the Pitt Jam Fest.
-Follow on Twitter for constant scores and notes all day long from the Pitt Jam, @NSchmidta2

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Motown Showdown 16u

The Family would take this championship over the IN Fire, Sunday afternoon. Here are a couple players that stood out in the division.

Darsean Woodson 2014 5'8" Pershing/REACH
     The lefty point controlled the tempo of the game and pushed in transition when the opportunity was there. Has a quick crossover and will continue to get better as he adds strength. He was able to grow and learn a lot playing behind Felder this past season, and it is paying off. Does a very good job of drawing fouls when getting to the rim, gets into the body of the big and still gets it up. he is one to keep an eye on as the summer goes on.

Dre Dentmond 2014 6'8" Lansing CC/Shot Doctor Elite
     Long and athletic, got after it on the boards all weekend. He is working on his perimeter game, sitting down and guarding guards and wings, along with handling the ball in the full court. Will most likely be a face up forward, and couple possible be a wing. Hit the three with some consistence, but sometimes spends to much time out there against lesser defenders. Time will only tell with him, has a lot of potential with his length, size and bounce.

Reynaldo Cheney 2014 6'9" Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills/Michigan Mustangs Blue
     Cheney has real nice size and length, and can be a very big impact when he uses it. Is constantly improving and starting to put everything together. Has a ton of potential and with time and more experience he could become dominate. Scores mostly in the lane, from drop offs and offensive rebounds, made a couple nice back to the basket moves but will still need to improve.

Leander Williams 2014 5'5" Northside (IN)/Indiana Fire
     A small but strong and explosive guard who made big plays for the runner-up IN fire. Had good body control when finishing at the rim. Was one of the main scorers for a short handed Fire team, was explosive when around the rim. Uses his muscle a lot, being physical even with taller guards.

Chuck Key 2014 6'4" Cass Tech/Michigan Mustangs
     Does his work from the mid-range area (15 ft) on in, and does it well. Knows where he is effective and does not try to play out of his game. Can hit the mid-range j with consistence. Made some nice moves on baseline, spinning away from defenders. Hit the boards hard. As he keeps expanding his game and skills he could end up as a dangerous wing with his size and frame.

Follow on twitter @NSchmidta2