Rbk U Brings in a New Look in a New Location
PHILADELPHIA – Reebok wanted to do something different this year in July. With Sonny Vaccaro having moved on and taking the ABCD Camp name with him, Rbk U was born and so was a move south to Philadelphia.
But the location isn’t all that has changed. Sure, this year’s site, Philadelphia University, was a little out of the way as it’s located about a 20-minute drive from Center City, as opposed to the Rothman Center at Fairleigh Dickinson being about 10 minutes away from the George Washington Bridge. And the facility is much nicer, as this one is fairly new and had many coaches and spectators raving about it. Reebok also wanted to make this a showcase for players who are still among the best, but not necessarily load it up with elite talents. There were more under-the-radar high-majors here than in years past at ABCD Camp.
It is safe to say, if the first day that was live for college coaches and media is any indication, that the changes are positive. The games are what they are – the month of July isn’t the time we see the best in fundamental basketball, and a simple change with a camp won’t change that. But the makeup of the camp and the format are all positive, and one thing that hasn’t changed is that the camp director was ever-present, even though Chris Rivers is now the leader in place of Sonny Vaccaro.
Each uniform had a patch with the number “22” on it representing the late Dante Anderson, a young man who was tragically killed along with a passenger in a car accident in May. Anderson shined on the court last year at ABCD, but as you might imagine, there was a lot more to him than that and the players knew it.
We checked in on Sunday to see what the first day was like. It started with skill drills organized by team, then saw each team play two games later in the day. The college coach turnout was about as expected, with a good number of head coaches being present. While some didn’t feel it was as strong as some other events or as ABCD was in years past, that’s not a surprise because it was deliberate. In the end, that seems to have worked well.
Class of 2008 Notes
With Olu Ashaolu (6’7″ SF-PF, Brampton (Ont.) Christian Life Academy), you know what you’re getting: a solidly-built forward who goes all out, finds a way to score and is deadly when he gets near the basket. He’s not great at any one thing, whether it’s athleticism, post moves, ball skills or shooting, but he does everything well enough along with his will to score and it adds up to good results.
Post player Frank Ben-Eze (6’10” PF-C, McLean (VA) Bishop O’Connell HS) will clean the glass all day, using his big body to box out and also with his nose for the ball. On the down side, his offense needs a good deal of work, as he’s not quick going up and missed several layups.
Tyreese Breshers (6’7″ PF, Gardena (CA) Price HS) looks more like he’s 6’6″, making him even more undersized inside than his listing suggests. He’s more athletic than he looks and gets up and down the floor very well, but he also tries unsuccessfully to be a shot-blocker and always bites on pump fakes. He rebounded well and got a few baskets, but the Miami commit has some work to do as he doesn’t look like he knows the game yet.
Josh Crittle (6’8″ PF, Bellwood (IL) Hales Franciscan HS) has a solid body to play inside and did little things to help his team. He set nice screens a couple of times, and his passes had plenty of zip, including one to a teammate for an open layup.
One of the more intriguing prospects was Olek Czyz (6’8″ PF, Reno (NV) High). He struggled to score, going a combined 5-19, but he’s a plus athlete, has a good body and was very active, showing a nose for the ball in grabbing 14 rebounds in the two games.
Brandon Jennings (6’2″ PG, Temecula (CA) Oak Hill Academy) had his struggles in the morning game, though he had four assists and no turnovers, then rebounded in the evening. There, he went for 21 points and also had seven rebounds. As good as he is, he’s still not fully mature yet physically.
Terence Jennings (6’10” PF, Sacramento (CA) Mt. Zion Christian Academy) needs to remember that he’s a power forward. When he’s inside, he’s an excellent post scorer who’s tough to stop, as evidenced by two double-doubles here. Here, he also ran the floor and also got some stickbacks, while not looking impressive when he tried to drive to the basket.
He got hurt later in the camp, but on Sunday night, Eshaunte Jones (6’5″ SG, Ft. Wayne (IN) Northside HS) showed that he can do more than just shoot the ball, which is his forte. In fact, he was just okay in that respect, but he was very active on the boards and showed a nose for the ball, and it seemed like he was always in the play.
Kevin Jones (6’8″ SF-PF, Mt. Vernon (NY) High) had two solid games as well, and in relatively quiet fashion. He didn’t stand out, but he ran the floor very well and showed more ball skills while doing the things he always does, which include scoring and rebounding. He went for 11 points and eight rebounds in the afternoon, then a double-double in the evening with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
One reason UCLA will remain tough to beat is that they have a commitment from Malcolm Lee (6’5″ PG-SG, Moreno Valley (CA) John W. North HS), who went head-to-head with Jennings in a great matchup in the evening. Like Jennings, he’s still not fully mature physically, and while he’s not as quick, he’s an excellent combo guard with a great feel for the game. He went for 20 points in that game on 8-12 shooting, including an excellent 4-5 showing from behind the arc.
Some have questioned if Jarrett Mann (6’4″ SG, Townsend (DE) Blair Academy) is a reach for Stanford, where he recently committed. But he seems content to not be “the man”, as evidenced here. He played like a complementary player, passing the ball well along the way, and in the evening he went for 17 points on 6-8 shooting. He has the look of a player who will be fine in the Pac-10 as a good role player.
Stevie Mejia (5’8″ PG, Hyde Park (MA) Lawrence Academy) had a tale of two games on Sunday. In the afternoon, he struggled offensively and committed several turnovers, but in the evening, he got hot from long range in going 6-8 from behind the arc after his penetration was generally contained. The Rhode Island commit helped lead a comeback by his team that fell short in the final minute.
B.J. Monteiro (6’5″ SG-SF, Waterbury (CT) Crosby HS) didn’t have the best spring, but he played very well in the two games here as he looked like his motor was going. In going for 14 points in the afternoon and 21 in the evening, he shot 17-26 from the floor and finished well near the basket, scoring often on driving field goals. Sometimes he used his athleticism, sometimes he found a way through defenders.
Another point guard who’s definitely in the under-the-radar category is John Moran (6’1″ PG, Algonquin (IL) Jacobs HS), who looked good in one of Sunday’s games. He does lots of little things, as he’s adept at poking away loose balls and using ball fakes effectively, and he has a great feel for the game. Although his assist/turnover numbers weren’t great, he went for eight steals on the day.
J’Mison Morgan (6’11” C, Dallas (TX) South Oak Cliff HS) has the physical tools to be a nice big man at the next level. He has a mature body that he moves very well and is active inside, and he showed a hint of ball skills although he’s clearly a post player. In the afternoon, he had seven rebounds and three blocked shots, then did not play in the evening game.
Quietly, Andrew Randell (6’7″ SF-PF, Philadelphia (PA) Communications Technical School) impressed with his versatility. His 19 points and eight rebounds in the afternoon came on 8-11 shots, including 3-5 from long range and some post scores. In the evening, he scored 18 points on 7-11 shooting and added four assists.
James Southerland (6’7″ SF-PF, Bayside (NY) Cardozo HS) showed some of what he can do, as he got out in transition often while also scoring on a turnaround jump hook and from long range, going for 12 points and four rebounds in the afternoon. He still has some maturing to do physically, as he has a thin upper body.
Put this in the book and don’t change it: Elliot Williams (6’2″ SG, Memphis (TN) St. George’s HS) can flat-out score. The lefty slashed to the hook all day and finishes very well, while also scoring in transition with several breakaway dunks. He doesn’t take ill-advised three-pointers and lets his big numbers do the talking, to the tune of 27 points on 11-17 shooting on the day.
The son of a former NBA player, Renaldo Woolridge (6’8″ SF, Sherman Oaks (CA) Harvard-Westlake HS) reached double figures in both games, with the afternoon game being the better one. There, he went for 13 points, including 3-5 from long range. He’s athletic and active and has a good body.
Class of 2009 Notes
Junior Cadougan (6’0″ PG, Toronto (Ont.) Christian Life Academy) has put on quite a bit of weight since last year and doesn’t look the better for it. He was never known for his quickness before, but now he lacks it entirely and it didn’t help his effectiveness.
Collin Reddick (6’9″ PF-C, Powder Springs (GA) Whitefield Academy) looks like an intriguing post prospect who came here fresh off a big showing at the Nike Hoop Jamboree. He has a good body and runs the floor well, and although his footwork looked to be just okay, he also doesn’t get the ball much with his AAU team and he didn’t get many touches here.
Renardo Sidney (6’10” PF, Lakewood (CA) Artesia HS) generally looked the part of the top player in the class of 2009, which is where most rate him. He’s solidly built and athletic for the four-spot, and has enough small forward skills to create some matchup problems. In the afternoon, he went for 26 points and 10 rebounds, then went for 20 more in the evening but had only two rebounds.
Another solid prospect on the west coast is Michael Snaer (6’5″ SG, Moreno Valley (CA) Rancho Verde HS). After seeing him earlier this spring, we knew he could get to the basket and finish, but on Sunday we saw him drain three straight three-pointers during one game en route to 16 points and 4-7 from long range.
John Wall (6’4″ PG, Raleigh (NC) Word of God Christian HS) is another underclassman who impressed. His field goal percentage didn’t impress, and he didn’t have the best assist/turnover numbers on the day, but they don’t do his game justice. He’s heady, quick, athletic, and made a couple of nice long lead passes. Physically, he’s just a baby, so there’s more to come from this young man.
Maalik Wayns (5’9″ PG, Philadelphia (PA) Roman Catholic HS) isn’t a jet, but showed plenty of skill at the point. He posted good assist/turnover numbers and made plenty of good passes, while also driving to score in traffic.
Class of 2010 Notes
C.J. Leslie (6’8″ SF-PF, Holly Springs (NC) High) has a world of potential as he can already do a lot. He’s athletic, active and versatile, and showed a little of what he may offer as his body and game grow.
