Talented underclassmen invade Houston
HOUSTON – We’ve already had a look at the top players from the class of 2006 that competed in the Houston Kingwood Classic. Now, as promised, we take a look at the top underclassmen at the tournament.
Jerryd Bayless (6’3″ So. SG, Phoenix (AZ) St. Mary’s HS) Has a big-time rep, and his explosiveness is certainly one reason why. His jumper looked just okay, with a noticeable difference in shooting off the dribble vs. catching and shooting. He scored 20 points in one game and has lots of upside.
Ricardo Brown (6’5″ So. SG-SF, Harrisburg (PA) High) Showed a good stroke from long range early on in one game, then made a few drives later on. He went for 14 points in the game and generally looked good on the offensive end.
Timothy Flowers (6’4″ So. PF, Chicago (IL) Simeon HS) Though he’s undersized for the post, this wide-bodied forward simply would not be denied inside. He scored on offensive rebounds, which he got several of, and when they simply delivered the ball to him inside. One issue is that he puts the ball on the floor unnecessarily inside, but he’s so tough and sticks to what he does best. He went for 21 points Friday night and had 20 in another game on Saturday.
Jrue Holiday (6’3″ Fr. SG, North Hollywood (CA) Campbell Hall HS) We saw him shoot the ball well from long range at first, then show a little ability to slice to the basket to score. He has good size and upside, so he’ll be one to keep an eye on.
Gary Johnson (6’7″ So. PF, Houston (TX) Aldine HS) Although he struggled in one game we saw, you have to love the way he plays the game. He’s athletic and plays with a lot of energy, with good post moves and an attitude that he won’t be denied when he gets the ball on the post.
DeAndre Jordan (6’9″ So. PF, Houston (TX) Episcopal HS) Post player has lots of upside, as he really needs to gain strength (lost the ball often because of it) and was not very aggressive until late in the tournament. He showed the ability to pass from the post and generally held down the fort in an unspectacular fashion.
Alex Legion (6’5″ So. SG-SF, Detroit (MI) Country Day HS) Very athletic wing has lots of promise, though his game looks a bit rough around the edges right now. He shot the ball better as the tournament went along and can certainly get to the basket, and at one point he took over their last game. He went for 20 points in one game and had 12 in another, and looks like one of the better wings in the class of 2007.
Kevin Love (6’9″ So. PF, Lake Oswego (OR) High) Already possessing a mature frame, he is capable of dominating inside and did that at times this weekend. He rebounded well and made a number of excellent outlet passes, while scoring inside and occasionally driving to the basket. To his credit, he doesn’t try to be a small forward. He didn’t play in the championship game, but was consistently in double figures for the weekend.
O.J. Mayo (6’4″ So. PG-SG, Cincinnati (OH) North College Hill HS) The best point guard regardless of class did nothing to change that this weekend. He had several high-scoring games, going for 42 in one game, 31 in another and 28 in the quarterfinals. He’s a do-everything floor leader who scores in a variety of ways, drives and operates out of the post. Shot selection is key for him as much as with any other player, as he can shoot it very well, but his shooting suffers when he takes bad shots.
Trevor Mbakwe (6’8″ So. PF, Mendota Heights (MN) Henry Sibley HS) Although he didn’t score much, this athletic power forward impressed with the work he did inside. He has a good frame and is very aggressive, which helped him rebound well and continue to be a factor without scoring much.
Demetri McCamey (6’3″ So. PG, Chicago (IL) St. Joseph HS) Has good size for the point guard spot and is well-built. He’s not overly quick, but we liked what we saw in a relatively limited role on his team.
Kareem Nitoto (6’3″ So. PG, San Leandro (CA) High) He has good size for the point guard spot and generally looked like a good playmaker. Not overly quick, his size can help make up for that, and he’s not a liability in terms of being a non-scoring threat.
Kyle Singler (6’8″ So. SF-PF, South Medford (OR) High) Teammate Kevin Love gets all the press, but Singler may be the better prospect and that was the discussion as he finished off a terrific weekend with his play in the championship game. He’s athletic, very versatile, runs the floor well, is around the ball often, and scores in several ways. He had 16 points in their first game and 19 in their semifinal win prior to his stellar championship game.
Mike Singletary (6’6″ So. SF, Kingwood (TX) High) Well-built wing had his moments, but overall was just okay. He didn’t get a lot of chances on offense since he’s a role player on this team, but he’s shown the potential before and it’s just not his time to be the star.
Isiah Thomas (5’8″ So. PG, Tacoma (WA) Curtis HS) Diminutive lefty point guard was impressive despite his lack of size. Since he looks very young, he’s probably not done growing yet, which helps him out. He’s scrappy, capable of scoring, and showed a touch on his long range shots, going for 17 points in one game we saw.
Brad Tinsley (6’5″ Fr. SG, Oregon City (OR) High) Clearly a role player on his team, he showed that he’s a decent athlete and has good size for the shooting guard spot. He scored ten points in the championship game as he got a few more minutes once his team had a comfortable lead.
Darquavis Tucker (6’5″ So. SG-SF, Detroit (MI) Arthur Hill HS) Active wing is a very good athlete with a nice frame. He looks like more of a scorer than a shooter, scoring with quick, strong drives to the basket and a couple of alley-oops. He topped 20 points in two games we saw (21, 22 points).
Bill Walker (6’6″ So. SF, Cincinnati (OH) North College Hill HS) Exceptional athlete had some highlight-film plays, as is his wont. He also knocked down some jumpers along the way and did his fair share of scoring posting up from mid-range in addition to his usual transition finishes. Later, his touch wasn’t quite there, but the well-built forward still topped 20 points in three games we saw.
Jesse Woodard (6’1″ So. SG, Compton (CA) Centennial HS) Lefty looks to be more of a scorer than a playmaker, as he shot it well from long range. He took good shots and went for 13 points in one game we saw.
Others from the classes of 2007 and 2008 that caught our attention:
Orlando Allen (6’10” So. C, Cincinnati (OH) Woodward HS)
Jamelle Horne (6’7″ So. SF-PF, Corona (CA) Central HS)
Rick Jackson (6’7″ So. PF, Philadelphia (PA) St. John Neumann HS)
Brandon Jennings (6’0″ Fr. PG, Compton (CA) Dominguez HS)
Renado Parker (6’4″ Fr. SF, Kent (WA) Kentridge HS)
Andy Poling (6’10” Fr. PF-C, Portland (OR) Westview HS)
Robert Sacre (6’10” So. C, Handsworth, BC (Canada))
Evan Schmidt (6’11” So. C, Chesterton (IN) High)
Matthew Simpkins (6’9″ So. PF, Oakland (CA) McClymonds HS)
Malik Story (6’5″ Fr. SG-SF, Cerritos (CA) Artesia HS)
Clifton Tucker (6’6″ So. SG-SF, El Paso (TX) Chapin HS)
