Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions – Underclassmen Evaluations
As promised, we bring you player evaluations of some underclassmen we saw at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions.
We also want to note that two players were left out from our rising senior evaluations, but have since been added in. Both players competed in the 16-under division as young rising seniors. Additionally, we have learned that Dashan Harris, who we had listed with the class of 2007, is actually a member of the class of 2008. We now have his evaluation here, where it belongs.
Al-Farouq Aminu (6’8″ So. PF, Norcross (GA) High) One of the best in the class of 2008 we saw, he’s an athletic power forward with a good body and great post scoring ability. He averaged just over 19 points over the weekend, going for 23 in one game and 24 in another, running the floor to score and also scoring constantly on the low post.
Kenny Boynton (6’1″ Fr. PG-SG, Pompano (FL) Blanche Ely HS) Quick scoring guard has the look of a future star and was the third-leading scorer in the 16-under division (25 points per game). He’s a scorer and capable of hitting from long range, and if he grows a few more inches to be the size of a shooting guard, he should be one of the elite prospects in his class.
Andre Cornelius (5’9″ So. PG, Charlotte (NC) Victory Christian HS) His floor leadership went a long way towards his team’s championship run, as he scored and passed them to victory. He’s very quick and really penetrates well, and scored and passed when driving while also keeping the defense honest if left open from long range. In a pool play game, he went for 15 and had a number of assists, and added 11 in the title game.
Josh Crittle (6’8″ So. PF, Elmhurst (IL) Timothy Christian HS) Mobile inside player has a solid body and is a plus athlete for the position. He didn’t get many touches in games we saw, but the physical tools are certainly there and did well as a role player on a team with good scoring guards.
Blake Cussinburry (6’4″ So. SG, Romeo (MI) High) Thick wing really lit up the scoreboard in a pool play game, as he went for 25 points with seven three-pointers. He didn’t struggle to get his shot off and isn’t a gunner, and he finished fourth in the 16-under division in scoring at over 24 points per game.
Kevin Dillard (5’10” So. PG, Homewood (IL) High) Slight point guard led his team in scoring at just under 19 points per game. His scoring stood out, including his shooting, but he also handled it well most of the time.
Mike Dunigan (6’9″ So. PF, Chicago (IL) Farragut HS) Along with his good size, we liked how he was active inside and quick off his feet. On a team with scoring guards, he didn’t get many touches aside from some offensive rebounds, but we like the physical tools he has.
Obi Edwards (6’6″ So. PF, Stone Mountain (GA) Redan HS) Well-built forward is also a very good defensive lineman, and he plays basketball much like you would expect a football player. He plays with intensity and is a talker, but he’s also athletic and showed some ball skills although his offense wasn’t awe-inspiring.
Derrick Favors (6’9″ Fr. PF, Atlanta (GA) South Atlanta HS) One of the better post prospects we’ve seen from this class thus far, Favors looks to have a real nice future. He has good size and generally stays home inside, and runs the floor well. We saw him go for 25 in one game with the 17-under Celtics, and he also held his own with a younger team as he was third in the 15-under division in scoring.
Delwan Graham (6’5″ So. SF, Dunwoody (GA) High) Athletic wing has a good body and looks to have the makings of a scorer. He went for 20 in one game we saw, scoring like a natural wing.
Draymond Green (6’6″ So. SF-PF, Saginaw (MI) High) At first glance he seemed like an undersized power forward, but after seeing him play he looks more like a combo forward. He’s a plus athlete who was around the ball often and showed some ball skills, and went for 18 against the Atlanta Celtics.
Beas Hamga (7’0″ So. C, San Antonio (TX) Cornerstone Christian HS) He’s raw and could stand to improve his footwork, but he also looked fluid and mobile inside. The ball didn’t come his way often, but he has a decent frame and enough physical tools besides his height to give us reason to think he’ll be a prospect.
Dashan Harris (6’0″ So. PG, Inglewood (CA) Monteverde Academy) An impressive point guard, he can really penetrate and uses his body in addition to his quickness. He can score the ball and knock down three-pointers, and he made his share of clutch plays in the championship game as he scored nine of his 25 points after regulation.
Matt Humphrey (6’4″ So. SG, Chicago (IL) Hales Franciscan HS) Lanky wing had a nice weekend scoring in bunches at times. The lefty went for 13 points in one game we saw and averaged under 15 for the weekend, showing a touch from long range along the way and that included some in the clutch.
Brandon Jennings (6’1″ So. PG, Compton (CA) Oak Hill Academy) An argument could be made that he was the 17-under MVP, as he has emerged as perhaps the top player in the class of 2008 with his excellent spring. The lefty floor leader at times was more of a scorer than a point guard this weekend, including at least one time where he took the ball the length of the court for a score.
Karon Johnson (6’8″ Fr. SF, Lenoir (NC) Patterson School) One of the more promising players we saw from this class, he’s athletic and has good size for his position. He shot the ball well from long range, including the buzzer-beater to knock off DC Assault, en route to 17 points in one game we saw. He’ll be one to watch over the next couple of years.
Noel Johnson (6’6″ Fr. SG-SF, Lovejoy (GA) High) Good size wing impressed with his overall package. He showed a little handle, shot it from long range and also hit a running jumper.
DeQuan Jones (6’6″ SF, Stone Mountain (GA) High) Athletic forward didn’t play a big role on his very talented team, but we liked what we saw. He’s athletic and active and got a few baskets, included from mid-range off the dribble.
Kevin Jones (6’7″ So. PF, Mt. Vernon (NY) High) Good size forward runs the floor well and finished close the basket effectively. He really worked inside, though he’s not the most fluid player, and went for 22 against a very good Georgia Stars team with mostly close baskets.
Deandre Liggins (6’6″ So. SG-SF, Chicago (IL) Washington HS) Although he played the point on his team, he looks like he would be best playing primarily on the wing. The prime reason he ran the show is because he had Eric Gordon to score, but he also showed some scoring ability as he hit from mid-range and was able to drive.
Romero Osby (6’7″ So. SF-PF, Meridian (MS) Northeast Lauderdale HS) Combo forward had a nice showing, playing mostly away from the basket. He has a good body and can shoot it from long range, and though he didn’t drive to score much, he did show the ability to finish with the left hand.
Damier Pitts (6’0″ So. PG-SG, Charlotte (NC) Christian HS) A quick slasher, he has the physical tools to play both guard spots, and he may need the point guard skills given his size. He went for 17 in one game and 13 in another, and looks to be more of a scorer than a shooter although he can hit from three-point range.
Brad Redford (5’11” So. PG, Frankenmuth (MI) High) Has a good body for his position and certainly uses it, as he showed some toughness when driving. He shot the ball very well from long range and was the second-leading scorer in the 16-under division with 26 points per game.
Chris Singleton (6’8″ So. SF, Cherokee (GA) High) He has good size for his position and shot it well from long range here. We didn’t get to see how good he is at going to the basket, but he seems athletic enough to do that to complement his shooting.
Tanner Smith (6’5″ So. SG, Norcross (GA) Wesleyan HS) Versatile wing scored the ball well, especially with his touch shooting it en route to averaging under 18 points per game. He’s not a great athlete, but has good size and shot it especially well from long range.
Malik Story (6’5″ So. SG, Lakewood (CA) Artesia HS) Well-built athlete did what he does best: shoot it from long range. On this team, he got his share of opportunities, and although he did show some ability to drive to score, he doesn’t get to show all of his ability since his team is loaded with players a year ahead of him. Still, he’s one of the elite players in the class.
Tyshawn Taylor (6’3″ So. PG-SG, Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony’s HS) Athletic guard played the point often for his team but also showed that he can score the ball. He passed and finished well when he drove, going for 19 against a good Georgia Stars team.
James Tyler (7’1″ So. C, Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy) At first glance, his large body (listed at 330 pounds) doesn’t look like it would be overly mobile, but in fact he has good mobility that could stand to improve. He showed some decent post moves and scored 11 points in his team’s surprising win over DC Assault.
Erving Walker (5’8″ So. PG, Brooklyn (NY) Christ The King HS) Very quick point guard has a good body for his size, but that’s also a potential limiting factor in his recruitment. He went for 23 in a win against powerful DC Assault and 13 in another playoff game, hitting several mid-range jumpers off the dribble. He’ll likely need to grow a little more if he’s to play at the highest level, but the talent is certainly there.
Josh Watkins (5’10” So. PG, New York (NY) Our Savior Lutheran) Solidly built point guard looks like he can certainly score the ball, as he has some quickness despite his size. Still, he could stand to lose some weight to improve in that area. He scored on drives and mid-range jumpers to the tune of 23 points in their championship game win.
Wendell Williams (6’5″ So. SF, Fayetteville (NC) Jack Britt HS) He’s athletic and showed a mid-range touch in helping his team to the 16-under title. He went for 18 points in one game and added 11 in the final, finishing the weekend with under 16 points per game.
Wesley Witherspoon (6’7″ So. SF, Duluth (GA) Berkmar HS) Long and athletic, he impressed with his overall play and the upside he appears to have. He was active on the boards and ran the floor, and he knocked down a couple of mid-range jumpers, though that’s an aspect of his game that will need development.
Nathan Zastrow (5’10” Fr. PG, Manitowoc (WI) High) He’s very slight, but don’t let that fool you: he can really stroke it from long range. We saw him go for 22 in one game, including four three-pointers and one from well behind the arc. His size is that of a point guard right now, and we didn’t see much there, but his shooting alone will make him worth watching and he was the eighth-leading scorer in the 15-under division.
Other underclassmen we liked:
Melquan Bolding (6’5″ So. SF, Beacon (NY) Archbishop HS)
Andy Brown (6’8″ Fr. SF-PF, Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei HS)
Mike Coger (6’10” So. C, Greensboro (NC) Dudley HS)
Ben Cronin (7’0″ Jr. C, Syracuse (NY) Henninger HS)
Chris Cunningham (6’8″ Fr. SF-PF, Pomona (CA) Diamond Ranch HS)
Lugene Davis (6’6″ So. PF, Detroit (MI) Pershing HS)
Kinard Gadsen (6’3″ Fr. SF, Georgetown (SC) High)
Dennis Harris (6’9″ So. SF-PF, Jonesboro (GA) Mundy’s Mill HS)
Alshon Jeffrey (6’3″ Fr. SG, St. Matthews (SC) Calhoun County HS)
Theodore Jones (6’5″ So. SF, Peekskill (NY) High)
Drew Maynard (6’6″ So. SF, Lake Orion (MI) High)
Dwan McMillan (5’10” So. PG, Brooklyn (NY) Boys & Girls HS)
Sam Montgomery (6’4″ Fr. SF, Greenwood (SC) High)
Tarriq Muhammad (6’2″ Fr. PG-SG, Alpharetta (GA) Centennial HS)
Wilbur O’Neal (6’7″ So. PF, Ft. Washington (MD) National Christian Academy)
A.J. Rogers (6’6″ So. SF-PF, Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony’s HS)
Renardo Sidney (6’9″ Fr. SF-PF, Piney Woods (MS) High)
Howard Thompkins (6’10” So. PF, Lithonia (GA) Westlyn HS)
Tony Woods (6’10” So. PF-C, Rome (GA) High)
Sherrad Wright (6’4″ Fr. SF, Mt. Vernon (NY) High)
