Tuesday, April 10, 2012

8th Annual Buckeye Prep Report Invitational Final Results

Here are all the championship results, along with all-tournament teams and MVPs from each age group.

Final Results

A couple last notes from the weekend-BPR

As I was going over my notes from the weekend there were a couple players that stood out that I forgot to mention, so here they are.

Mark Williams 2013 6'7" Benedictine/King James
     Another wide body down low for King James. Williams has a very solid frame and is a decent athlete. There were times when he couldn't be stopped down low this weekend, because of his size and strength. But also times were he might of settled a little too much against lesser defenders. He does have the skill to attack from 17' out and hit jumpers from there but he needs to make weaker defenders pay. Cleaned up the boards on both ends all weekend. Look for him to be King James main low post threat as the season goes on.

Brandon Peters 2016 5'8" Cleveland CC/TNBA
     The lefty was big time for TNBA all weekend. He is small but strong, and physically looks a couple years older. Has a quick first step which makes him very hard to stay in front of. Peters was able to get in the lane and make plays for his teammate or finish using his strength. Made some huge plays for TNBA especially when they took down the eventual champs Dorian's Pride in pool play. He will be attending the John Lucas camp this summer.

Matt Moyer 2016 6'2" VCC Ohio Warriors
     This big wing has a bright future ahead of him. He has the size but also the quickness and skill to get things done out of the perimeter. Has a nice handle on the ball for his size, which makes him a hard match up especially for his age. He has a smoothness to his game but sometimes can fade to the background. Knows how to use his size when getting to the rim and finishing. The next step for him is to keep improving his quickness and lateral movement so he can guard a 1 or 2 on defense. Was told that he is planning on going to Gahanna Lincoln next year but was not 100 percent sure.

Tyler Bybee 2016 6'2" Cleveland CC/TNBA
     A long wing, who showed he can get things done inside and out. He is quicker then most forwards his age and uses it to get to the rim. The lefty knocked down a couple 3's, showing he can make them but will just need to get more comfortable and consistent out there. He really uses his long arms and bounce to rebound offensively, and was quick at putting them back up and in. Will be one to watch as he continues to grow and mature.

Parrish Martin 2014 6'0" Alliance/SMAC
     Had a break out game Saturday afternoon against Ohio Varsity White, lead his team to a double overtime loss. He was outstanding all game long, finishing with 24 points. Has a lighting quick crossover, which he uses to create separation and hit the mid-range jumper. Isn't the tallest but is strong and quick. On his mid-range he does a good job of elevating so that he is hard to block. Was for the most part unknown coming into the weekend and sure did make a name for himself with his play. He will be one to keep an eye on as the spring goes on.

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Monday, April 9, 2012

Day 3: Buckeye Prep Report Invitational

In the 17u division it was a rematch of two pool teams in the final, King James and Nova Village. King James came away with the first victory Saturday night and would get this one as well. In the 16u division Ohio Varsity-White took on Dayton Nets/Buckeye Prep in the final, with OV taking it by a score of 60-47. In the 14u division it was another rematch of two pool teams that had previously faced off. In the first meeting between TNBA and Dorian's Pride, TNBA won by 8 points but DP was not going to let that happen again, winning the ship by a score of 40-17. Here are a couple standouts from Day 3.

Aaron Jackson 2013 6'5" Gahanna Lincoln/King James
     AJ was huge for King James all day but especially in the finals. He had numerous strong takes, in which he would finish thru contact and get the And-1. Two of his And-1's were towards the end of the first half while King James was making their run to extend the lead. Jackson is a bigger, strong guard, who attacks the rim hard and can get up and finish at the rim. His outside shot wasn't falling like it normally is but he still showed he can hit them and is very comfortable out there. Can score in a variety of ways, getting to the rim, posting smaller guards, transition, one-dribble pull-ups and from long range. His strong play all weekend long not only helped his team win the championship but earned him MVP honors.

Ty Hairston 2014 6'2" Northland/Ohio Varsity-White
      Hairston is super skilled on the offensive end and when he wants can be a scoring machine. He showed all weekend long the different ways he can score. His soft floater in the lane was very effective, and he was able to get it out of the reach of shot blockers, even when he faced SMAC's 7-footer. Can hit the three off the catch or a pull-up. Ty does a good job of changing speeds in the half court. Making a couple calm moves then making on hard move and attacking as opportunities presented them self. Will have a big role next year for the Vikings, as they lose four seniors.

Marlo Brown 2016 6'4" Southfield Christian/Dorian's Pride
     The super smooth lefty was huge all over the court for DP. He has the size to defend down low but also has the skills to handle the ball up the court, often running point guard. His skill set is very impressive for an 8th grader, as he can do many things on the court. The one thing that you hardly see, even in the older divisions is a mid-range game/jumper. Brown uses his mid-range jumper a lot, and it is very effective because with his height and length he can just shot right over defenders. The crafty wing was also quick enough to get past smaller guards and used his length to finish around defenders. He didn''t shot many 3's but in the championship game he went 1 for 2 from behind the arch, proving that he can step back and stroke it. I really like his mindset of not settling for 3's and getting to the rim and using his mid-range j. With his skill set look out for him to really flourish in Coach Baker's dribble-drive system.

Trey Fletcher 2013 6'6" Ironton/King James
      A wide body down low, who knows how to use it. Isn't the most athletic or strongest big but he knows how to use his size to shield off defenders. The lefty really took advantage of smaller defenders and made them pay. He will be one to keep an eye this summer as he continues to get better for KJ.

Geno Thorpe 2013 6'2" Shaler HS (PA)/King James/Penn State Commit
    The Big Ten commit came out attacking in the 17u semi-final against Millennium Fire, having six of the first ten points for King James. Proving that he can be a dominate scorer. Thorpe is at his best when he is attacking the rim and in transition but also showed off some impressive one on one moves. Geno had to leave early and was not able to stay for the championship game but he was a standout all weekend long for King James.

Alex Stewart 2014 6'5" Westerville North/Ohio Varsity-White
     A little undersized down low but makes up for it with his strength, motor and intelligence. Stewart has a very strong and solid frame that he puts to use often. He is not afraid to bang down low and uses his straight to box out more athletic players. Showed off some very nice post moves down low and even out to 15', using his quickness to get past slower bigs. One thing that will never be questioned about Alex is his toughness. He plays hard and was never afraid to get in there and work. A couple minutes into the 16u championship game, a collision happened between him and other player. His nose started bleeding heavily and when the blood was wiped away it looked to be broken. Alex didn't care, he wanted to play, begging the trainer to just bandage it and he would go to the hospital after. The trainer stayed firm and made sure he went to the hospital, were he found out that it was indeed broken. We wish Alex a speedy and healthy recovery, but knowing him he won't be out too long.

John Draper 2013 5'10" Columbus Eastmoor/Nova Village
     Strong guard who makes things happen. He was ready to compete every game, no matter who he was going up against. The lefty, got in the lane and had good body control when drawing contact against bigs. Showed he can hit from deep too, hitting a number of three's in a couple games. Was able to hand pressure and make plays for himself or teammates.

Algevon Eichelberger 2016 6'5" Saginaw (MI)/Dorian's Pride
     Continued his strong play, leading his team to the championship game and making sure they were not going to lose to TNBA again. Big Al made some very nice moves from the top of the key showing that he can do more than just bang down low. Also stepped out and hit a couple 15' jumpers. He made sure that DP was going to come away with the title, and in the process came away with the MVP award. I will say it again he is going to be a special one.

One team that I did not get a chance to watch was the King James 16s, who were playing up this tournament. Am hearing that they have a lot of talented guards and wings, will hopefully be checking them out soon. I also want to thank Rob Taylor and his staff at Buckeye Prep Report for another great event. Next weekend I will be at the Motown Showdown in Detroit, MI, so look for updates next weekend from that. Follow on twitter: @NSchmidta2

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Day 2: Buckeye Prep Report

A couple standouts from day two of the Buckeye Prep Report Invitational.

Algevon Eichelberger 2016 6'5" Saginaw/Dorian's Pride
     The big fella is as good as advertised. He was big and dominate for DP all day long. Uses his length well on defense, keeping his hands straight up and making offensive players try to shoot over him. His huge hands also helped him swat away shot after shot. On offense, he made quick, strong post moves, that were hard to stop. He is comfortable finishing with both hands around the hoop and showed he is working on turning over both shoulders. Big Al is going to be a special one in the years to come. Is already being talked about as one of the best 2016 bigs around.

Chris Wallace 2016 5'6" Jackson/Michigan Titans
     Wallace is a real active defender, who has extremely long arms for his size. Came up with a bunch of steals, both from playing the passing lanes and ball pressure. He used his quickness to get past defenders and get to the rim. Chris sometimes gets going so fast that he has to use tough angles to try to finish. Used his athleticism to finish around a couple defenders.

Heath Williams 2016 6'1" East Lansing/Michigan Titans
     A wide body, who knows how to finish around the rim. He is a little undersized but he gets it done down low. Used his strength to just flat out overpower smaller defenders. Has soft hands and was able to catch dump offs from guards and finish.

Matt Robb 2016 6'5" Dorian's Pride
    Has a solid frame and size. Crashed the O boards hard and was able to finish. Also showed he could step out and hit the 15' jumper. Has the size and mobility to be a very good face up forward in the future. Look for him to grow a couple more inches and for his body to fill out in the coming years. Will need to continue to get use to contact and be more physical.

Ronnie Williams 2014 6'2" Brookhaven/Ohio Varsity
     An extremely active and energetic player on both ends of the court. Was able to finish well in transition with few dribbles. Showed he can hit the three but will need to continue to get more consistent. Hustled and played hard the whole game, look for him to continue to expand his game offensively.

Randal Clarkson 2013 5'10" Brookhaven/King James Shooting Stars
     Randal is a small but strong point guard. He has the ability to really get after it on defense and put pressure on the ball. He used his quickness to get out in the passing lanes, get steals and easy lay-ups. His shots weren't falling outside but he still got in the lane and made things happen. Has good body control when finishing around the rim. Pushed the ball hard in the open court and was able to find his teammates open shots.

Marquiez Lawrence 2013 6'8" Marion-Franklin/King James Shooting Stars
     Lawrence was being a lot more aggressive than he was during the high school season. Stayed after offensive boards, using his length to tip them to himself. Got up and threw a couple shots to the stands (or wall). Did most of his scoring off transition, dump offs and o boards. Rebounds and runs the floor well. As he adds strength and experience his game will improve.

Shemar Waugh 2014 5'10" Canal Winchester/Nova Village 17u
     Waugh is playing up a division, like the majority of his team, but showed he was not timid or scared at all, going right at King James guards. The lefty has a smooth crossover and also keeps his head up in the lane and finds teammates. Was able to get to the rim and finish with either hand. Has a toughness to him that you can't teach.

To stay up to date with all the action tomorrow at the BPR Invitation follow on twitter: NSchmidta2

Friday, April 6, 2012

Day 1: 8th Annual Buckeye Prep Report Invitational

Here are a couple standouts from Friday night of the BPR Invitational.

Jalen Tucker 2014 6'5" Columbus Northland/ Nova Village 17u
      It was good to see Tucker be more aggressive around the rim. He was looking to dunk everything and in turn he was constantly at the free throw line. Long and thin frame, who is only getting longer. Really uses his length on the boards on both ends.

Manny Powell 2014 5'7" Gahanna Lincoln/Hidden Gems
      Was active on the defensive end, and pushed the ball in transition. Had a couple very nice full court passes that were right on the money. Showed he can hit the one dribble pull-up and also read the pick-n-roll.

Tyus Ferguson 2016 5'9 VCC Ohio Warriors
       This point guard has a very good feel for the game. He does a great job of calling for the outlet pass and actually going to get it. Is not afraid to use the pass to advance the ball, while making good decisions on whether to keep it or not. Showed he can also score the ball too, hitting some pretty floaters in the lane. Is constantly looking to hit his bigs on dump offs when their defenders step up.

To keep up with everything going on at the BPR tomorrow follow on twitter: @NSchmidta2

Thursday, March 29, 2012

All Ohio Nike Grassroots Tournament Results

This past weekend All Ohio had their Nike Grassroots Tournament, which featured 3rd to 9th grade teams from all over the Midwest. Here is a link featuring the champions and runner-up from each division along with the MVP and All Tournament team.

All Ohio Nike Grassroots Tournament Results

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Michigan High Schools Class Change

The MHSAA has announced that a number of high schools will be changing the class that they currently compete in.
A couple of the major changes are Flint Northwestern, Flint Northern and Detroit Pershing moving down to Class B from Class A.
Muskegon Heights, Detroit Westside, Harper Woods and Detroit Douglass will all be moving from Class B to Class C.
Ypsilanti Arbor Prep will be moving up from Class D to Class C.

Here is a list of all the schools that are changing classes.