Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions Recap – Part 2
by Phil Kasiecki
Part I: Class of 2004 | Part II: Class of 2005/2006/2007
Class of 2005
Barney Anderson (6’6″ PF, Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony’s HS) Good inside player is very mobile and knows where the basket is, as he goes right for the basket when he gets the ball and goes up strong. He’s around the ball a lot and a competitor who plays right to the end.
Rasheen Barrett (6’4″ SG-SF, Stone Mountain (GA) Marist HS) Well-built slasher had a good weekend despite not shooting well. He’s athletic and looks to be much more of a scorer than a shooter.
Joey Cameron (6’9″ PF-C, Birmingham (AL) Central Park HS) This well-built post player gets out and runs the floor, and scored many of his points on put-backs from offensive rebounds. He didn’t get a lot of touches in the halfcourt, but his size and athleticism will make him a prospect to watch.
Rashad Chase (6’8″ PF, Atlanta (GA) Mays HS) This strong, athletic forward played well in the shadows of his team’s high-scoring guards, doing some dirty work on the post as a rebounder and running the floor well on the break.
Mike Davis (6’7″ PF, Chicago (IL) Gordon Tech) This athletic post player provided an important option for his perimeter-oriented championship team, as he was the primary go-to guy on the post. An all-tournament selection, he scores mainly with his good mobility, as he will need to gain strength to reach his full potential.
Monta Ellis (6’2″ PG, Jackson (MS) Lanier HS) Speedy scoring guard can put up big numbers since he can flat-out put the ball in the basket. He’s also very evasive when he penetrates and knocked down some three-pointers, and looks like he’s making strides on defense, where he has looked foul-prone in the past.
Daniel Emerson (6’6″ PF, St. Mays (GA) Camden County HS) Role-playing power forward is a bit undersized, but he’s active and mobile in the post and runs the floor well. He didn’t put up big numbers, but he looks like a good fit player who should get better.
Bobby Frasur (6’3″ SG, Blue Island (IL) Brother Rice HS) The leading scorer for his team this weekend and an all-tournament selection, Frasur really shot the ball well. His shot selection looked good and he also scored a few transition baskets.
Danny Green (6’5″ SG-SF, North Babylon (NY) St. Mary’s HS) He’s an athletic wing who played surprisingly well on the post, blocking some shots with his good leaping ability. He knocked down some three-pointers when he got the looks and finished the break nicely. He should be better defending more on the wing, where he may get some blocks of jump shots.
Doneal Mack (6’3″ SG, Charlotte (NC) Independence HS) The leading scorer in the 15-and-under division, he’s a thin lefty wing player who scored the ball and shot it well from long range. With added strength, he’ll only become a better scorer and a tough player to defend.
Michael Mercer (6’3″ SG, Snellville (GA) South Gwinnett HS) One of the better scorers this weekend, he’s your basic “scorer not a shooter”-type of player. He’s quick off the dribble and handles the ball effectively, and while he made a couple of three-pointers he is clearly not a shooter right now.
Tasmin Mitchell (6’6″ SF-PF, Denham Springs (LA) High) He did nothing to diminish his reputation as one of the elite players in the class of 2005. This very athletic combo forward generally stayed on the post early, then expanded outside as the tournament went along and showed a good touch on his jumper.
Bryan Mullins (6’1″ PG, Downers Grove (IL) High) The Most Outstanding Player of the 16-and-under division is a very intelligent and effective floor leader. This lefty finds ways to score in the flow of the offense, shooting the ball well and also handling pressure very well. He showed great poise running the show this weekend.
Greg Paulus (6’2″ PG, Syracuse (NY) Christian Brothers Academy) This good size point guard is one of the best passers we saw this weekend, as time and time again he made passes that reinforced how well he sees the floor and distributes the ball. He didn’t just dish it off, though, as he was the top scorer in the 17-and-under division for a while thanks to good shooting. He’s a great competitor and played later in the weekend after an elbow injury on the first night of play. Reportedly, he’s close to making an early commitment.
Tyler Smith (6’6″ SF, Pulaski (TN) Giles Co. HS) A very athletic forward with good size, he has a scorer’s game. He was active and around the ball a lot this weekend, and scored mostly on slashes to the basket, as his jump shot was not falling from behind the arc.
Louis Williams (6’3″ SG, Snellville (GA) South Gwinnett HS) Regarded by most as one of the top 5 players in this class, he’s a very explosive athlete with good range on his jump shot and the ability to get to the basket almost at will. He handles the ball reasonably well, but didn’t shoot exceedingly well this weekend. He fades away on his jumper, but he’ll make shots doing it as well as miss.
Class of 2006
Kimmani Barrett (6’5″ SF, Paterson (NJ) Catholic) This competitor isn’t afraid to mix it up inside despite a relatively slight frame. He’s a good athlete and got his share of rebounds and inside baskets.
Willard Crew (6’6″ SF-PF, Hampton (VA) Penns Grove HS) This active athlete generally plays on the low post, where he isn’t afraid to battle on the glass. He rebounded and blocked some shots, and generally looked to score on the post at the offensive end.
Javaris Crittenton (6’4″ SG, Atlanta (GA) Southwest Atlanta Christian HS) He’s not afraid to attack the basket in the land of the giants, using his quickness to get to the basket. He also knocked down a few jump shots, and all playing in the 17-and-under division.
Demetrius Jemison (6’6″ SF-PF, Birmingham (AL) Huffman HS) Long and athletic, he scored well this weekend and showed a willingness to battle inside. An all-tournament selection, he looks to have some good upside.
Josh Johnson (6’3″ PG-SG, Newland (NC) Avery HS) He’s a deceptively quick penetrator who is evasive when he drives, using both to get to the basket to make plays. He also made some nice hustle plays and came to play the entire game.
Vernon Macklin (6’8″ Fr. PF-C, Portsmouth (VA) Norcom HS) The “Big Ticket” looks like a big-time prospect down the road. He’s a long post player who blocked a lot of shots and ran the floor very well. His hands looked like a question mark at times, but offensively he just got better as the weekend went along, first scoring mainly in close and on put-backs, then showing a touch from mid-range. He is one to keep an eye on from this class.
Cameron Pass (6’6″ PF, Statesville (NC) High) This athletic post scorer showed some good potential once he gets stronger. He runs the floor well and got some post baskets to complement his perimeter teammates.
Cordell Pope (6’3″ SG, Birmingham (AL) Parker HS) An all-tournament selection, this thin wing player has very long arms for his size and shot the ball well from long range.
Stanley Robinson (6’8″ SF-PF, Birmingham (AL) Woodlawn HS) This long, active forward started out well, and didn’t seem to play as well later on. He showed a mid-range touch on his jump shot, and should be a good player down the road as he matures.
Stephan Welsh (6’2″ PG-SG, Newport News (VA) Woodside HS) This good size point guard got better as the tournament went along. He can score the ball and get others involved, and he also shot the ball well from long range. He has above-average quickness and with his size, could play some shooting guard as well.
Terrell Williams (6’6″ SF, Paterson (NJ) Catholic) While his twin brother, Jerrell, has been the better of the twins for much of the spring, Terrell was the better one this weekend. He showed more body control and scored more on drives, which is his main way of scoring.
Class of 2007
Taylor King (6’6″ SF, Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei HS) Playing in the 17-and-under division, he was strictly a role player on a loaded team, but he has good size and showed a touch on three-point shots to go with some athleticism.
Part I: Class of 2004 | Part II: Class of 2005/2006/2007
