King James Shooting Stars Classic Recap
AKRON, Ohio – The second annual King James Shooting Stars Classic convened this weekend in the city where the tournament’s namesake grew up and first got noticed. It certainly had plenty of talent all around, though most of the viewing was naturally in the 17-under division. A good number of Division I coaches came out, and for some games there was little to no standing room to be had.
The 16-under championship game was never in doubt after the early going, as the Wisconsin Playground Warriors broke the game open en route to a 36-14 halftime lead and cruised to a 53-34 win over the in-state rival Madison (WI) Spartans. Johnnie Lacy (5’10” So. PG, Milwaukee (WI) Bay View HS) led the Playground Warriors with 12 points, while Jamil Wilson (6’7″ So. SF-PF, Racine (WI) Horlick HS) added 11.
The 17-under championship game, televised on a local FOX affiliate, saw the Cincinnati-based D-1 Greyhounds chasing the Georgia Stars for most of the game. The Stars at times looked ready to break the game open, but weren’t able to do it and the Greyhounds just couldn’t grab the lead. Then in the fourth quarter, the Greyhounds did take the lead and the teams went back and forth after that. Down by three in the final seconds, the Greyhounds missed a three-pointer, and the Stars wrapped it up with a free throw for a 56-52 win. Travis Leslie (6’5″ Jr. SF, Decatur (GA) Columbia HS) led the Stars with 15 points, while David Forrest (5’10” Jr. PG, Alpharetta (GA) High) capped a nice weekend with 10 points. Ohio State commit William Buford (6’5″ Jr. SG-SF, Toledo (OH) Libby HS) led the Greyhounds with a game-high 18 points and Darius Miller (6’6″ Jr. SF, Maysville (KY) Mason County HS) added 11.
Player Notes
Al-Farouq Aminu (6’8″ Jr. PF, Norcross (GA) High) As he continues to try and transition to the small forward spot and looks less and less like a special prospect, one thing seems apparent: many of his jumpers are shots he settles for instead of coming in flow. He didn’t shoot well over the weekend, whether spotting up or trying to stop and pop, and shot selection may be the big reason. All spring thus far he’s looked noticeably better when operating inside. Big-time prospect.
Logan Aronhalt (6’4″ Jr. SG-SF, Zanesville (OH) High) This well-built wing impressed in a 27-point outing, hitting plenty of shots including a few from well behind the three-point line. He’s a plus athlete and will post up defenders to use his strength to score inside. Mid-major prospect.
Peter Boehm (6’6″ Jr. SF, Winnetka (IL) New Trier HS) Thin forward showed a little touch from long range on his jumpers over the weekend. He’s not very athletic but has some ball skills, and will run the floor and occasionally get in on the end of a fast break. In his team’s final game, he went for 17 points. Mid-major prospect.
William Buford (6’5″ Jr. SG-SF, Toledo (OH) Libby HS) Just call him the quiet scorer. He didn’t seem as impressive as he was last year at this event, but when we looked up at the end of games, he had scored 27 twice and 18 in another. On top of that, his body still hasn’t fully matured and he didn’t just score in one way. High-major prospect has committed to Ohio State.
Anthony Crater (6’1″ Jr. PG, Flint (MI) Southwestern Academy) As was the case a few weeks earlier with the same team, he struggled at the offensive end and was a non-factor. He wasn’t getting shots and not really making them, although he did knock down a big three-pointer in the semifinal loss. His talents are known, but he’s not having the best of springs thus far. High-major prospect has committed to Ohio State.
Courtney Davis (6’4″ Jr. SG-SF, Cincinnati (OH) Robert F. Taft HS) A good complementary player on his team, he has a good body for the wing and is above average in quickness and athleticism. His main mode of scoring was on drives in the flow of the offense.
David Forrest (5’10” Jr. PG, Alpharetta (GA) High) Lefty point guard is slight but has a good body and had a nice weekend. A good penetrator, he showed the ability to score amongst the trees inside as he drives fearlessly to the basket, and while he can hit from long range we didn’t see him shoot it much. Mid-major plus prospect.
Kevin Foster (6’7″ Jr. SF, Lakeland (FL) Kathleen HS) Although he didn’t score much, he’s active and athletic and capable of making plays. He generally scored on close shots, often working to get the ball in a good place to score it. High-major minus/mid-major plus prospect.
Kenny Frease (7’0″ Jr. C, Massillion (OH) Perry HS) Post player has a big body and can run the floor well for that size. He didn’t get many touches on offense, but did knock down a long jumper and he does well as a role-playing big man. High-major/high-major minus prospect has committed to Xavier.
Eddie Gilgenbach (6’4″ Jr. PG-SG, Fond du lac (WI) High) The most impressive thing about him isn’t that he’s multi-skilled, which he is since he can run the team and score. The best thing is that he really gets after it, as he’s active and has a nose for the ball and makes a lot of plays. The lefty is thin and will only get better with added strength, can shoot from long range and his hustle will only make a team better. Mid-major/mid-major plus prospect.
Tyler Griffey (6’8″ So. PF, Wildwood (MO) Lafayette HS) Good young post player really battles inside and showed some good post moves, usually ending with a basket or a trip to the foul line. He tried a few three-pointers, which were well off the mark and a sign he needs to stay inside, where he works much better and has plenty of potential.
Richard Howell (6’8″ So. SF, Lawrenceville (GA) Central Gwinnett HS) He continues to look impressive with his overall package, namely his good body, athleticism and offensive skills. The ball skills look good, as well as his touch from long range, he’s active and will get offensive rebounds, and puts up good scoring numbers with it all.
Dequan Jones (6’6″ Jr. SF, Marietta (GA) Wheeler HS) This well-built athlete impressed in a big win for his team over the weekend, where he went for 24 points with three three-pointers. He has a good body and scored not only on his jumpers, but also in close, including once on a stickback.
Kevin Jones (6’8″ Jr. PF, Mt. Vernon (NY) High) Athletic forward just kept on working, especially on the offensive glass where he’s very active and gets more than his share of boards and stickbacks. He has a good body and shows some small forward skills, but he’s clearly a 4/3 combo forward at best right now. His jumpers weren’t going, but his persistence paid off with a 29-point effort in the quarterfinals. High-major prospect.
Theodore Jones (6’6″ Jr. SF, Peekskill (NY) High) He was the clutch player for the Westchester Hawks this weekend, as his shooting was a bit inconsistent but he made shots when they really counted. He has a good body and is skilled enough to handle the ball some, and he’s not a great athlete but doesn’t lack in that area. A lot of his shots that went were of the stop-and-pop variety, which is a lost art, and though he took a few questionable shots he overall played well. High-major/high-major minus prospect.
Kenneth Kadji (6’10” Jr. PF, Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy) Although he showed a little range on shots away from the basket, he seems best when he is inside. There, he can use his solid body for the post to score inside and rebound, getting 13 points in one game with several good close baskets. High-major prospect.
Reginald Keely (6’7″ So. PF, Bedford (OH) High) Wide-bodied post player can move well for his size and seems to get up and down the floor without much trouble. He showed some ball skills and used his bulk to score a couple of times, though he didn’t get many touches in the offense.
Travis Leslie (6’5″ Jr. SF, Decatur (GA) Columbia HS) Very active wing had a solid weekend doing what he does best: crashing the boards and making plays. He’s athletic and well-built, will get plenty of rebounds from having a nose for the ball, and gets a lot of points from offensive rebounds. Those points included the winning dunk as time expired in the semifinals, as well as his team-high output in the title game. High-major minus prospect.
Jake Linfors (6’9″ Jr. PF, Addison (IL) Driscoll Catholic HS) Although he’ll do some work inside, he spent a good deal of time trying to operate on the perimeter at the offensive end. He has range to the three-point line, though his shots weren’t falling in his team’s elimination game, and he also struggled on some close shots. He will get some rebounds and has good size to play inside at the mid-major level.
Cameron Matlock (6’9″ Sr. PF-C, White Fishbay (WI) Dominica HS) Long post player runs the floor and looks to have a good deal of upside. He scored on some close field goals but didn’t get many touches in the halfcourt, and he wasn’t a huge factor on the glass in a game where he was the tallest player by a decent margin. Mid-major plus/high-major minus prospect.
Darius Miller (6’6″ Jr. SF, Maysville (KY) Mason County HS) This combo forward had an impressive weekend in helping his team to the title game. He’s athletic and has a good body, is active at both ends and there’s not much he can’t do, although he doesn’t do any one thing exceedingly well. What he does better than some other things are score the ball, especially finishing close to the basket. High-major prospect.
Cully Payne (6’1″ Sr. PG, Burlington (IL) High) Lefty floor leader has the intangibles to run a team, as he’s tough and has the mentality of a floor leader. He handles the ball well and has a good body, and he’s still a threat to score from mid-range and long range while not forgetting his first job is to lead the team. Mid-major prospect.
Delvon Roe (6’8″ Jr. SF-PF, Cleveland (OH) St. Edward’s HS) He really showed what he can do this weekend, especially in the clutch as he came up big twice in late-game situations to help his team advance towards the semifinals. The lefty can score, both on the post with quick moves and off the dribble, grabs rebounds, and for good measure made a nice steal while defending out on the perimeter. Perhaps best of all, he doesn’t try to do too much. Big-time prospect committed to Michigan State.
Ray Shipman (6’5″ Jr. SG-SF, Miami (FL) Monsignor Pace HS) His size and scoring ability impressed nicely, as he has a solid body and showed a touch on mid-range and long range jumpers en route to a couple of double-digit scoring games. On the down side, he did miss a few close shots, but we like the overall ability. High-major minus/high-major prospect.
John Shurna (6’7″ Jr. PF, Glen Ellyn (IL) Glenbard West HS) Although he has a thin upper body, he made plenty of plays inside as he’s very active. He also has the ball skills to face the basket on offense, and for good measure we saw him once drive for a score.
Jared Swopshire (6’7″ Jr. SF-PF, Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy) Thin forward showed some combo forward abilities, as he scored inside often but is also athletic enough to play the wing. He was active, especially on the glass, and his inside scoring led the way to a couple of nice efforts, including 22 points in a Saturday outing we saw.
Tyshawn Taylor (6’3″ Jr. SG, Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony’s HS) We liked the constant aggressiveness of this quick guard, as he drove to the basket often but didn’t always finish successfully or draw a foul. He’s athletic and finished with dunks a couple of times. On the down side, he rarely took a jump shot, making that part of his game a question mark. Mid-major/mid-major plus prospect.
Gozie Umeadi (6’5″ Jr. SF, Bensenville (IL) Fenton HS) Role-playing small forward has a good body and is a plus athlete, though he won’t bowl you over with his athleticism. He will work inside and generally looks to score on drives, not taking jumpers. Mid-major prospect.
Jason Washburn (6’10” Jr. C, Battle Creek (MI) Central HS) He didn’t light up the scoreboard or put up other huge numbers, but there’s plenty of upside for this big man. He’s thin and his frame a bit slight, but as his body matures he looks like he can become a good inside player.
Stacy Waters (6’3″ Jr. SG, Detroit (MI) Renaissance HS) In going for 27 points in his team’s tournament-ending loss, we saw the good and the bad with this shooter. He shot it well from long range and will keep shooting, but that’s also the problem as he at times looks like a gunner. He has the touch, and with a little more discretion could post a nice percentage from long range at the next level. High-major minus prospect.
Javari Williams (6’5″ Jr. SF, Mississauga (Ont.) TAPS Prep) Well-built wing impressed with his overall offensive abilities. He scored mostly on strong drives and dunks, also getting out in transition, and showed a touch from long range although that doesn’t appear to be his forte.
Teondre Williams (6’5″ Jr. SF, Meadowcreek (GA) High) Athletic and aggressive wing has a fine in-between game but doesn’t look to have the jumper to complete the offensive attack. Although we did see him knock down a long two-pointer, he generally scored on drives with plays like a nice runner over a big man, and he’ll battle on the boards at both ends, getting stickbacks at the offensive end. He has a good body and went for 18 in one game we saw this weekend.
Robert Wilson (6’3″ Jr. SG, Garfield Heights (OH) High) Athletic guard continued to impress here, as he plays bigger and stronger than he looks. While he’s a capable scorer, he impressed here with how he found the ball often and made plays at both ends. High-major prospect recently committed to Wisconsin, and let’s just say that the Badgers picked up a sleeper.
Other players who caught our attention
Danny Barnes (6’2″ Jr. PG, Oak Park (IL) High)
Anthony Booker (6’8″ Jr. PF, St. Louis (MO) McCluer North HS)
Dominique Brown (6’3″ Jr. SG, Woodbridge (Ont.) Henry Carr HS)
Damon Butler (5’10” Sr. PG, Cincinnati (OH) North College Hill HS)
Mike Davis (6’9″ Sr. PF, Atlanta (GA) T.C. Williams HS)
Damien Eargle (6’7″ Jr. PF, Cleveland (OH) Harding HS)
Nick Freundt (6’5″ Jr. SF, Batavia (IL) High)
A.J. Hawkins (6’6″ Jr. PF, Norcross (GA) High)
Sean Kilpatrick (6’4″ Jr. SG, White Plains (NY) High)
Johnnie Lacy (5’10” So. PG, Milwaukee (WI) Bay View HS)
Shelvin Mack (6’3″ Jr. SG, Lexington (KY) Bryan Station HS)
Jeronne Maymon (6’6″ So. SF, Madison (WI) Memorial HS)
Kwamain Mitchell (6’1″ Jr. PG, White Fishbay (WI) Dominica HS)
Dontae Molden (5’10” Jr. PG, Detroit (MI) Pershing HS)
Jeremy Olsen (6’10” So. PF-C, Suwanee (GA) Collins Hill HS)
Dagoberto Pena (6’6″ Jr. SF, Punta Gordon (FL) Charlotte HS)
Brad Redford (6’0″ Jr. PG, Frankenmuth (MI) High)
Zach Rosen (6’1″ Sr. PG, Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s Prep)
Shavon Shine (6’2″ Jr. SG, Arcadia (FL) DeSoto County HS)
Ari Stewart (6’7″ So. SF-PF, Marietta (GA) Wheeler HS)
Phil Taylor (5’9″ Fr. PG, Marietta (GA) Wheeler HS)
Tyler Thompson (6’5″ Jr. SF, West Aurora (IL) High)
Brandon Webb (6’8″ Jr. PF, Mendenhall (MS) Genesis One Prep)
Jamil Wilson (6’7″ So. SF-PF, Racine (WI) Horlick HS)
Chris Wroblewski (6’1″ Jr. SG, Highland Park (IL) High)
