The 26th Annual Jordan Capital Classic
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The 26th annual Jordan Capital Classic was held Saturday night, and in many respects it was your typical all-star game: players getting too fancy for some comical misses, but also converting some spectacular plays. Then there were the rare participants who just played the game and played well.
Here is a look at the two games played.
Regional Game
After the Red team made a late first-half run to come within 40-39 at one point, the White team started to pull away and then broke the game open in the second half en route to a 121-94 blowout win.
St. Joseph’s signee Abduallai Jalloh (6’1″ PG, Ft. Washington (MD) National Christian Academy) was the MVP with 19 points and 3 assists, while Georgetown signee Jeff Green (6’9″ PF, Hyattsville (MD) Northwestern HS) also had 19 points. Also impressing on the winners was Brandon Giles (5’10” PG), who had 17 points on 6-7 shooting (5-6 three-pointers) and 4 assists, Drexel-bound wing Randy Hampton (6’4″ SF, Washington (DC) Dunbar HS) and Charles Richardson (6’5″ SF, Suitland (MD) High) with 14 points apiece.
Leading the way for the Red team was prep school-bound Sam Young (6’6″ SF, Ft. Washington (MD) Friendly HS), who had 17 points and 6 rebounds.
Other players who shined in this game included Maryland signee James Gist (6’8″ SF-PF, Wheaton (MD) Good Counsel HS) with 11 points and 7 rebounds, undecided wing Terrance Carter (6’4″ SF, Largo (MD) High) with 11 points, and Virginia signee Tunji Soroye (6’11” C, Rockville (MD) Montrose Christian School) showed his promise with four blocked shots and six rebounds in just 12 minutes of play.
National Game
The Black team led for most of the National Game and held off late runs by the White team in a 107-96 win.
Dwight Howard (6’11” C, Atlanta (GA) Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy) was the game MVP with 18 points, 15 rebounds and six blocked shots, but he had plenty of help in the win. Malik Hariston (6’5″ SG-SF, Detroit (MI) Renaissance HS) led the way with 23 points on 9-11 shooting, and Indiana signee Robert Vaden (6’5″ SF, North Bridgton (ME) Bridgton Academy) had 21 points.
The showdown between Howard and Arkansas signee Al Jefferson (6’9″ PF, Prentiss (MS) High) didn’t quite materialize with a lot of one-on-one matchups inside, but overall Howard had a relatively small edge. Jefferson had 17 points and 10 rebounds in the losing effort, but he was 8-21 from the field.
Dorell Wright (6’7″ SF, South Kent (CT) School) scored a game-high 24 points and played a good game overall, though his shot selection was a little questionable at times. Teammate Rudy Gay (6’8″ SF-PF, Severn (MD) Archbishop Spalding HS) had 14 points amidst boos from the Maryland fans present (he signed with Connecticut and Maryland was his other finalist), and Kentucky signee Rajon Rondo (6’2″ PG, Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy) had 12 points and five assists in a nice effort.
Classic Notes
Louisville signee Sebastian Telfair (6’0″ PG, Brooklyn (NY) Lincoln HS) and Texas signee LaMarcus Aldridge (6’11” C, Seagoville (TX) High) both did not play in the game. With Telfair having already played in two postseason games, this makes the speculation about his future a little more interesting. Josh Smith (6’9″ SF, Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy) pulled out about a week before, but has already played in three postseason games. His withdrawal from this game may increase speculation that he will try to fight the NCAA’s rule declaring a player ineligible for his freshman year for playing in more than two all-star games, but he is projected to be a high lottery pick.
Wright, who signed with DePaul and said a day before the game that he intends to put his name in the NBA Draft, denied rumors that he already has an agent after the game. He later went on to reiterate that he does not believe he’s ready for the NBA just yet. He is generously listed at 210 pounds and certainly needs to get stronger.
Gay said that the NBA Draft is not an option for him now, and Connecticut fans can fully expect him in Storrs this fall. Asked about the boo birds, he quipped, “the ones that were cheering for me felt good”. He looked at it in the same way he’ll surely look at the hostile arenas he’ll enter in the Big East.
Green had previously not looked like a Big East prospect in our viewing of him, but he played a solid game in the Regional Game. He looked very athletic, showed scoring ability inside and also knocked down a three-pointer. He said after the game that he will still attend Georgetown regardless of who the new coach is (the Hoyas just hired John Thompson III on Tuesday), and he is still trying to get a qualifying test score.
