Host Team Takes Two Titles in Inaugural Joe Brown Memorial Tournament
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – The results of the first Joe Brown Memorial Classic would surely have made the man after whom the event is named a happy camper. The host team won two of the three championships and made the semifinals in another.
The event, formerly known as the Playaz Ball, was named after a man Playaz Basketball Club director Jimmy Salmon called the “patriarch” of the program. Brown was a lifelong resident of New Jersey and worked for the state in transportation for many years. He always supported Salmon as a coach, and that continued in the early days of the New Jersey-based Playaz. In the first year of the program, Brown coached a team that had Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant and Tim Thomas – not a bad lineup. Now in its 11th year, the program is one of the best in the country and is always loaded with some of the top talent in New Jersey while also having players from New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Brown passed away earlier this year, and the program decided to rename the Playaz Ball to honor him. A moment of silence was held on Sunday before the championship games in his memory.
Although tournaments with more publicity were taking place simultaneously, the event drew a very good crowd of college coaches from the Division I ranks. More than a dozen head coaches turned out, and a few schools had multiple coaches present. The turnout was large enough that by early Saturday afternoon, there were no more coach/media packets until more copies could be made.
The 15-under final was a good game for a while, as the Playaz had an early lead but didn’t break away from Team New Jersey Elite. After trailing by 11 at the half, Team New Jersey Elite scored the first six points of the second half, but the Playaz then broke away to get the lead quickly up to double digits and kept going en route to a 77-49 win. Fuquan Edwin (6’5″ So. SG-SF, Paterson (NJ) Catholic HS) led the Playaz with 29 points, while school teammate Trevor Clemmings (6’6″ So. PF, Teaneck (NJ) Paterson Catholic HS) was the only other one in double figures with 10. Team New Jersey Elite was led by 17 points from 6’2″ eighth-grader Tyrone Johnson, who has yet to choose a high school.
In the 16-under final, the New England Playaz had a double-digit lead for most of the second half and kept it there in a 52-39 win over a young New Heights team that has a bright future. Nate Lubick (6’8″ So. PF, Southboro (MA) St. Mark’s School) capped a good weekend with 15 points to lead the victors, while Dartaye Ruffin (6’8″ Jr. PF, Worcester (MA) Academy) added 13. Ashton Pankey (6’8″ Fr. PF, Queens (NY) Archbishop Molloy HS) led New Heights with 11 points. (For more on this, please go here.)
In the 17-under final, the Playaz ran early and often, turning a number of Team Breakdown misses into fast break points and building up a 39-19 halftime lead. They kept that up in the second half and also got hot from long range en route to a 66-37 win. Mike Rosario (6’2″ Sr. SG, Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony’s) led the Playaz with 23 points on seven three-pointers and school classmate Travon Woodall (5’10” Sr. PG, Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony’s) added 18. Kenny Boynton (6’2″ Jr. PG-SG, Pompano Beach (FL) Blanche Ely HS) kept Team Breakdown in it in the first half and led them with 15 points.
Now, we take a look at notable players from the tournament.
Robert Adon (6’4″ Sr. SF, New York (NY) AP Randolph HS) A little bouncy, he plays bigger than his size using his good upper body, although he’s not fully mature yet. Offensively, he’s more of a scorer than a shooter and tended to fade away on jumpers. Low-major prospect.
Zach Bailey (6’2″ Sr. SG, Pompano Beach (FL) Blanche Ely HS) More of a scorer than a shooter, this quick guard generally scored on drives and in transition while mixing in a mid-range jumper. He’s active and has a live body, and although he didn’t always display it here has a nose for the ball at times. Mid-major prospect.
Bak Bak (6’9″ Jr. PF-C, Plantation (FL) American Heritage HS) Long post player impressed with his overall play as he was a big factor inside. He was active inside, especially on the offensive glass, while blocking shots at the defensive end and rebounding some other misses. His offense is still developing, but he did go for 17 points largely from stickbacks and also running the floor, which he did several times to get chances to finish.
Kenny Boynton (6’2″ Jr. PG-SG, Pompano Beach (FL) Blanche Ely HS) Scoring guard looked better than he has in other recent events we’ve seen him, generally playing off the ball. He got his points from drives and jumpers, as well as in transition and especially in the semifinal, and he kept his team in the title game for a while as their main bright spot.
Rakeem Brookins (5’10” So. PG-SG, Philadelphia (PA) Roman Catholic HS) Though he has the size of a point guard, he showed good scoring ability and the mentality to play off the ball. His body has some maturing ahead, while he scored almost equally well on drives and shooting the ball, with range to the three-point line. He plays at a good program and will be one to keep an eye on, especially if he either grows or becomes more of a point guard.
Adrian Brown (5’11” Jr. PG-SG, Bronx (NY) Wings Academy) Looking more like an undersized shooting guard, he showed a nice shooting touch out to three-point range. He got hot in a pool play game we saw, not only shooting but finding other ways to score the ball.
Trevor Clemmings (6’6″ So. PF, Paterson (NJ) Catholic HS) Thick post player has good mobility inside and runs the floor well for his size, finishing the break several times. His body is quite mature for his age, which suggests he may not grow much more. That will be a key to where his ceiling ultimately is.
Brian Cohen (6’5″ Sr. SG, Philadelphia (PA) Abington Friends HS) Good spot-up shooter has good size, a good stroke and worked well to get open. He not only got open from moving without the ball, but also got a couple of jumpers off broken plays. We saw him go for 15 points in a pool play game, then nine in a playoff loss. Mid-major prospect.
Devon Collier (6’7″ So. SF-PF, Bronx (NY) All Hallows HS) Lanky lefty forward isn’t very athletic but looks like has some skills to work with. Notably, he showed three-point range on his shot and a baseline mid-range jumper, looking more like a skilled power forward than a wing.
Devin Ebanks (6’8″ Sr. SF, Brooklyn (NY) St. Thomas More) Versatile offensive player was virtually unstoppable and played like he wasn’t to be denied whenever he drove to the basket. Any time he wanted to get there, he got there, racking up the points and being deadly in transition. He’s more of a scorer than a shooter, and this weekend was no different, but he did nail a clutch three-pointer in the semifinals that capped a rally before the game went into overtime. Big-time prospect has committed to Indiana.
Greg Edwards (6’3″ Jr. SG, Brooklyn (NY) Bishop Loughlin HS) Good size guard shows a better in-between game than jumper at the offensive end. In going for 11 points in one game, he scored on a mid-range runner and also a stickback, not showing much range on his jumper. He’s a plus athlete and a role player on his team.
Dexter Fields (6’2″ Jr. SG, Orlando (FL) Olympia HS) Well-built guard is strong and finished well, including when he drew contact. He’s good around the basket and also can hit from long range. On the down side, his weight doesn’t appear to all be good weight.
Jio Fontan (5’10” Sr. PG, Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony’s) Heady floor leader did what he usually does in running his team. In the semifinal, he came up big with clutch free throws and several late driving field goals, the latter of which he did often as that is his main way of scoring. He did knock down a three-pointer in the final, but that’s an area he’ll need to upgrade. High-major minus prospect has committed to Fordham.
Chris Gaston (6’6″ Sr. SF-PF, Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s Prep) Do-everything forward was a key to his team’s championship, especially when they ran out to a big lead in the first half. He frequently scored from the center of their 1-3-1 offense against a zone, while also scoring on the post and getting rebounds. Mid-major/mid-major plus prospect.
Winston Graham (5’10” Jr. PG, Bronx (NY) Our Savior Lutheran HS) Thin guard has a slight frame but some good basketball abilities, though he doesn’t appear to do one thing exceedingly well. He’s capable of driving to create, also scoring on jumpers off the dribble at times, and his range extends out to the three-point line.
Justin Green (6’7″ Sr. PF, Brooklyn (NY) Lincoln HS) Post player has a good body and is strong and active inside. He was around the ball often, getting a few offensive boards, but he’s not very explosive as evidenced by a dunk attempt where he didn’t quite get off the ground enough. Mid-major/mid-major plus prospect.
Quincy Hankins (6’6″ Sr. SF-PF, New York (NY) Roosevelt HS) Solid role player looked more like a combo forward here than in previous viewing, when he looked more like an undersized post player who plays bigger. He has a good body and runs the floor very well, as he was frequently out in transition here, and his ball skills are okay but need to be upgraded for the small forward spot. We saw him knock down a three-pointer and also make a steal and go for a layup, but don’t expect that all the time. Mid-major prospect.
Hakeem Harris (6’1″ So. SG, Blairstown (NJ) Blair Academy) He got very hot from long range in one pool play game, going for 17 points largely on the strength of that one stretch. Shooting the ball from long range is his game, but he has a good upper body and also finished the break a couple of times.
Austin Johnson (6’7″ Jr. PF, Blairstown (NJ) Blair Academy) Bulky post player doesn’t have all good weight, but he was effective this weekend. We’ve seen him look like a good blender player with some skills facing the basket, but this weekend he was effective inside as he rebounded well and got a few stickbacks at the offensive end.
Nate Lubick (6’8″ So. PF, Southboro (MA) St. Mark’s School) Skilled forward had a good weekend in helping to lead his team to the 16-under championship. He played away from the hoop often offensively, and at times also seemed to do so defensively by leaking out in the open floor for a possible run-out instead of rebounding. Offensively, he’s well-rounded as he can score inside but more frequently hit jumpers as far out as three-point range. When he wants to, he can be a solid rebounder, as he did so at the offensive end a few times including one sequence where he got several in a row and finally got the stickback.
Keith Lumpkin (6’9″ Fr. PF-C, Montclair (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep) He has a big body inside but moves it reasonably well considering he doesn’t appear to have all good weight. He didn’t get many touches, but did score a couple of close field goals in a limited role. If he gets his body in shape, he looks to have some good potential.
Mark Lyons (6’1″ Sr. PG, Albany (NY) South Kent School) More of a scorer than a playmaker, he plays with plenty of confidence and is persistent in his attempts. His shooting will need some upgrading, and one annoyance is that he seems to try to buy foul calls often, usually to no avail. High-major minus prospect has committed to Xavier.
Scott Machado (6’1″ Sr. PG-SG, Long Island (NY) St. Mary’s HS) In the semifinal, this combo guard got hot from long range and helped his team rally to eventually force overtime. He has a good body and good offensive abilities, as he scored a few driving field goals in addition to his good shooting. Mid-major prospect.
Averon Matthews (6’11” Sr. C, Brooklyn (NY) Van Arsdale HS) Long post player showed flashes of his potential, though some work needs to be done. He’s a plus athlete and active, scoring mainly on the dunk as his post offense needs work. On the down side, he wasn’t as big a factor on the glass as one would hope with his size, and he wasn’t a major enforcer as well. Mid-major plus/high-major minus prospect.
Devon McMillan (5’10” So. PG-SG, Brooklyn (NY) Lincoln HS) Talented guard first impressed with his long range shooting, but he’s really more of a slasher and showed it more later on. Also a talented tailback on the gridiron, he scored several driving field goals, using his good upper body and making some tough finishes inside at times.
Christian Morris (6’8″ Sr. PF, South Kent (CT) School) Big body inside was effective in his team’s quarterfinal win, going for 18 points. He ran the floor and got a stickback on one occasion, while generally scoring on close shots, at times absorbing contact along the way. High-major minus prospect.
Dominic Morris (6’6″ Jr. PF, Bear (DE) Caravel Academy) Thick post player wasn’t a major factor for much of the game we saw him in, in contrast to a week earlier at Eastern Invitational. He came alive late in the game and led a rally that fell short, scoring on a short jumper and post moves while also running the floor at times.
Ashton Pankey (6’8″ Fr. PF, Queens (NY) Archbishop Molloy HS) Athletic forward has a good body that will mature more and showed some promise. He wasn’t a go-to guy and at times could be missed on the floor because of the guards and because he’s not the most talented frontcourt player on his team, but he reached double figures in at least two games and could develop into a combo forward one day.
Kevin Parrom (6’6″ Jr. SF, Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s HS) Solid forward prospect is a plus athlete who shot the ball well this weekend. He showed a touch from mid-range and extended it out, getting hot from long range in his team’s semifinal loss including a deep three-pointer.
Ryan Pearson (6’7″ Sr. SF-PF, Queens (NY) Christ the King HS) Lefty forward can do a few things at both forward spots, but doesn’t really do any of them well. He comes to play and is active, while he can shoot it but not very well and finished a couple of fast breaks. His jumper is almost a set shot and he’s just a good athlete, so he may be stuck between positions. Mid-major prospect.
Jayvaughn Pinkston (6’6″ Fr. SF-PF, Brooklyn (NY) Bishop Loughlin HS) Well-built forward already has a good reputation and lived up to it for most of the tournament. He battled inside and scored often with good post moves, including a quick baseline move, while also showing some ball skills and one time facing up and then driving after posting up around the elbow. He didn’t play in the 16-under final. In the next few years, he’ll certainly be one to keep an eye on.
John Riek (7’2″ Jr. C, Centereach (NY) Our Savior New American School) The subject of much hype in recent weeks, he’s long and isn’t entirely thin, but needs to gain strength. He appears to have a little motor and doesn’t lack a feel for the game, but there isn’t an area of his game that doesn’t need some work.
Mike Rosario (6’2″ Sr. SG, Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony’s) One of the hottest players of late remained that way this weekend, as he continued to shoot the ball well from long range. Although he hit a brief slump in the semifinal, he came alive again in the championship game, hitting five straight three-pointers at one point. High-major prospect has committed to Rutgers.
Zack Rosen (6’1″ Sr. PG, Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s Prep) This solid floor leader continues to impress with his intelligent play. Noteworthy this weekend is that he really shot the ball well from long range in helping his team reach the playoff round, including an 18-point outing with four three-pointers in a tough losing effort. Mid-major prospect has committed to Penn.
Dartaye Ruffin (6’8″ Jr. PF, Worcester (MA) Academy) He’s always had the body but not the game, and now it seems like his game is coming around some. Here, he was a key cog in his team’s 16-under title as he rebounded well at both ends of the floor. Offensively, he scored a few post baskets and didn’t try to be what he isn’t, staying inside to do his work.
Nyheem Sanders (6’2″ Jr. PG-SG, Barrington (RI) St. Andrew’s School) Complementary player was very good in his role in helping his team to the 16-under title. He shot the ball well, especially from long range, and that included a clutch three-pointer in one game we saw.
Nadir Tharpe (5’11” So. PG Worcester (MA) St. Peter Marian HS) Whatever the reason, his minutes were limited during pool play games we saw, but that wasn’t the case in the playoffs. There, he showed his passing ability and was able to drive through the gaps to create.
Derrick Thomas (6’3″ Jr. SG, Northfield (MA) Mt. Hermon) Scoring wing was very active and scored the ball like we’ve seen him do it before. He’s athletic and has a good body, and while he scored from mid-range and on drives, he also rebounded well from the wing this weekend.
Eloy Vargas (6’10” Sr. SF-PF, Plantation (FL) American Heritage HS) Although his game has come a long way in the past year, this weekend saw evidence that he still has plenty of work to do. As has been the case before, he wasn’t a big factor inside save for a few blocked shots, as he got in foul trouble. Serving as evidence that he needs to gain a good deal of strength is the fact that he often lost the ball due to a lack of ball toughness and strength. High-major prospect.
Maalik Wayns (6’1″ Jr. PG, Philadelphia (PA) Roman Catholic HS) One of the best floor leaders at the tournament, he has good size and a mature body and does plenty of things well to make up for the fact that he’s not a jet. He’s an excellent passer, utilizing the bounce pass very well, and while he’s not a big scorer or shooter he picks his spots well. He finds gaps and drives intelligently, rarely forcing something, and can finish with his left (off) hand. Committed to Villanova.
Jordan Williams (6’9″ Jr. PF, Torrington (CT) High) Possessing a big body, he was a load in the post all weekend long as he played more physical basketball than we’ve seen before. He owned the boards at times at both ends, finished close shots and was tough to stop. In a sign that his conditioning is improving, he also ran the floor well.
Keon Williams (6’6″ Jr. SF-PF, Hackensack (NJ) High) Well-built forward was about the only bright spot for his team in their blowout loss in the quarterfinals. The lefty scored and rebounded well, going for 15 points and getting his share of rebounds by being active inside.
Travon Woodall (5’10” Sr. PG, Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony’s) Here, he played his best basketball that we’ve seen in a while as a key to his team’s championship run. He frequently led the fast break and scored in several ways, including a tough baseline mid-range jumper off the dribble on one play, a floater on another and from long range, though that’s not his forte. He plays stronger than he looks and finds a way to score, though at his size it would help if he becomes more of a floor leader. High-major minus prospect has committed to Pittsburgh.
Cory Wright, Jr. (5’10” Jr. PG, Pawtucket (RI) St. Raphael’s HS) Lefty point guard continues to play well and show that he can be a good scorer while also involving teammates. He made a lot of nice passes, some of which his teammates simply didn’t cash in, and several of them came on the move. Meanwhile, he went for 18 points in a win for his team that we saw, finishing several fast breaks. He also seems to always be in the right place to get the ball after a defensive rebound, steal or loose ball his team gets.
Other players who caught our attention:
Martell Buie (5’10” Jr. PG, Orlando (FL) Olympia HS)
Keith Clanton (6’8″ Jr. PF, Orlando (FL) Christian Prep)
Vincent Council (6’0″ Sr. PG, Brooklyn (NY) Xaverian HS)
Johnny Davis, Jr. (6’4″ So. SF, Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy)
Fuquan Edwin (6’5″ So. SG-SF, Paterson (NJ) Catholic HS)
Charles Ford (6’0″ Jr. PG, Orlando (FL) Dr. Phillips HS)
H.J. Gaskins (5’8″ So. PG, Philadelphia (PA) Penn Charter HS)
William Green (6’6″ Jr. PF, Orlando (FL) Olympia HS)
Chris Hampton (6’1″ So. PG, Queens (NY) Cardozo HS)
Demetrice Jacobs (6’4″ Sr. SF, Millbrook (NY) High)
Jayon James (6’5″ So. SF, Paterson (NJ) Catholic HS)
Keith Jones (6’0″ Sr. PG-SG, Trenton (NJ) Harmony School)
Velton Jones (6’0″ Sr. PG-SG, Philadelphia (PA) Northeast Catholic HS)
Harold McBride (5’11” So. PG, Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s HS)
Mike McFadden (6’7″ Jr. PF, Newark (NJ) Technology HS)
Karron McKenzie (6’3″ Sr. SG, Philadelphia (PA) American Christian School)
Khalil Murphy (6’7″ Jr. SF-PF, Burlington (NJ) Life Center Academy)
Rob Williams (6’2″ Sr. SG, Danbury (CT) High)
