Joe Brown Memorial Tournament – Player Evaluations
TEANECK, N.J. – A number of teams headed about an hour away from the Summer Classic East to the second annual Joe Brown Memorial Tournament, run by the Playaz Basketball Club. The event was re-named last year in honor a man Playaz director Jimmy Salmon called the “patriarch” of the program after he passed away earlier in the year. What has remained the same is the relatively small number of teams, which makes it manageable to cover, as well as the geographic base of most teams being the tri-state area.
Now, a look at some of the talent we saw on Sunday.
Michael Bersch (6’7″ Sr. SF, Hainesport (NJ) Rancocas Valley HS) He started the tournament off with a stellar effort, showing off a very nice touch from long range and hitting some open mid-range jumpers off the dribble. But he wasn’t nearly as effective in his second game, where his physical limitations were more obvious. Namely, he’s a step slow, lacks athleticism and needs more upper body strength. His size and shooting ability give him some value, but not much upside. Mid-major prospect.
Madut Bol (6’8″ Sr. PF, Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s) The son of former NBA shot-blocker Manute Bol is built just like his dad, except he’s 11 inches shorter. He’s very long and thin all over, and that forms a lot of what he can do right now. In his high school years, he’s come a long way, but still has quite a bit of development left.
Aaron Brown (6’3″ Jr. SG, Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s) The best player on his team, he’s an active athlete with a good body. While a good deal of the offense went through him, he also found the ball often at the offensive end, and he scored well in transition and very often on drives, the latter being his specialty as he’ll drive to the basket all day if he gets a chance.
Kyle Casey (6’6″ Sr. SF, Chestnut Hill (MA) Brimmer & May School) The biggest question for him is always how well his motor is running, and for the most part, it was going here and he held his own while not putting up big numbers. When his motor is going, he competes with the best of them, but it’s not consistent. Then the other question came up: his shot selection. He’s a capable shooter, but as has been the case before, he tended to settle for his jumpers, and they generally weren’t falling. Mid-major plus/high-major minus prospect is an excellent student.
Devon Collier (6’7″ Jr. SF-PF, Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony’s) Following up his play at Summer Classic East, he had three good games on Sunday, scoring in double figures in each. The best was a 22-point effort in a game where he also showed off a short jumper. The nice thing is that when he doesn’t score, he plays well within the team concept like all of his teammates, and he’s still productive.
Joe DeLaRosa (6’10” So. PF-C, Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s HS) A player to watch, he doesn’t do much right now but is very long and will get a boost when his body matures. He didn’t get a lot of opportunities, but he ran the floor well.
Carson Desrosiers (6’10” Jr. PF-C, Lawrence (MA) Central Catholic HS) Thin big man had some good moments, though he doesn’t seem to like playing inside on offense. At that end, he’s largely a face-the-basket player whose three-point shot must be respected and a capable passer. He can run the floor, something that will hopefully remain true as his body fills out later on.
Joe Efese (6’7″ Jr. PF, Montvale (NJ) St. Joseph’s HS) This was our third viewing of him in less than a month, and he’s consistent. Each time out, he’s ably worked inside, especially defending other post players, and is more of a presence than someone who will light up a scorebook. He has a good body inside and uses it well.
Chris Gayot (5’11” So. PG, Queens (NY) Cardozo HS) A good floor leader, he penetrates well whether attempting to create or as part of initiating the offense. He has a good upper body and distributes the ball well, especially on his team where there are some scoring options.
Egi Gjikondi (6’8″ So. PF, Malden (MA) High) Whereas his taller teammate, Carson Desrosiers, likes to play away from the basket, he will work inside. He battles other big men and is a physical presence, though he could use more upper body strength. Offensively, he didn’t get many touches on a team with several other scoring options, especially on the perimeter.
Vaughn Gray (6’5″ So. SF, Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep) Playing up in the 16-under division, this promising wing is a baby physically. He’s athletic and got out in transition, which is the main way he scored.
Tucker Halpern (6’8″ Sr. SF, Needham (MA) Noble & Greenough School) Continuing a solid July, he was again effective in multiple facets of the game. In a 17-point outing, he made a nice driving layup while knocking down some jumpers, and he continues to get better each time out.
Alan Harris (6’4″ Sr. SG, West Roxbury (MA) Catholic Memorial HS) Known for his excellent mid-range game, he kept that up and showed that his range may be expanding a bit. Besides his shooting and moving well to get good looks, he also got his hand on a lot of balls at both ends of the floor. Not the most athletic wing, his shooting ability and effort make him valuable. Mid-major prospect.
Hakeem Harris (6’1″ Jr. PG-SG, Blairstown (NJ) Blair Academy) He followed up his good play just down the road with a solid three games here, especially shooting the ball. His jumper was going all day, including a 22-point effort with four three-pointers, and he continued to play well within the team concept.
Tamir Jackson (6’2″ Sr. SG, Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s) Much like he did earlier in the weekend at Summer Classic East, he didn’t put up big numbers here but looked better and was effective. He scored with his usual array of drives to the basket, while also knocking down a couple of jumpers that included a three-pointer. High-major minus prospect has committed to UAB.
Sidiki Johnson (6’7″ So. SF-PF, Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s HS) Long and with a slight frame, he has a ways to go physically but plenty of upside. While not putting up numbers, he helped his team at both ends of the floor as a role player.
Mike LaPlante (6’4″ So. SG-SF, Woonsocket (RI) St. Andrew’s School) Known for being an explosive athlete, the big development for him here is his jump shot. In an early game, he knocked down three three-pointers, then later hit a nice runner off the window. If he can knock down shots consistently, he’ll be that much more dangerous given his ability to dunk.
Ronald Louissant (6’11” Fr. C, Brooklyn (NY) Xaverian HS) Post player has a big body, but clearly not all of it is good weight. He didn’t run the floor or move exceedingly well, but if he ever gets his body in better shape, he’s already 6’11” and could be a nice prospect.
Curtis Loving (6’5″ Sr. SF, Bronx (NY) Wadleigh HS) Very athletic wing continues to look a bit limited in terms of his skills, although his athleticism can disguise that a little. He generally scores close to the basket or on dunks, although here he did make one nice drive and dish. If he ever adds a consistent jumper, it would do wonders for his game. High-major minus/mid-major plus prospect.
David Lowery (6’8″ Sr. PF, Newark (NJ) Nia School) The simplest way to sum him up is that he gets things done, even though he might not pass the “look” test. He’s not very athletic, at least not enough to play small forward at a high level, and his ball skills won’t blow anyone away, but he finds a way to score and not just on the low block. He’ll run the floor and occasionally drive from about the foul line and finish. Mid-major plus prospect.
Antoine Mason (6’3″ Jr. SG, New Rochelle (NY) High) A wing with some shooting ability, he knocked down a few three-pointers early on. His body has some physical maturity, though it’s not there yet.
Harold McBride (6’0″ Jr. PG, Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s HS) A solid all-around player, the best thing about him is his feel for the game, which might not be immediately apparent. He’s a capable scorer, as evidenced by a nice hesitation drive and finish on one play, and has a good three-point shot, which was on display in one game as he hit three from long range. Even with it, he plays so well within the team concept that he won’t often put up big numbers and is still very effective.
Daniel O’Keefe (6’5″ Sr. SF, Lexington (MA) High) There was no mystery here, as he played the game he’s known for. He was active and a max-effort player, showing good fundamentals and doing everything in the flow of the game, going for 17 points in his team’s opener. Mid-major prospect.
Rod Odom (6’8″ Jr. SF, New York (NY) Middlesex School) He completed a good weekend in New Jersey with some solid play here, although his scoring numbers were a little bigger than they might have seemed. He’s long and athletic, and his upside is visible as he can handle the ball and isn’t afraid to take some contact, rebounding well even when playing the wing. In one game, he took a hard fall, but got up and barely sat down.
Kenneth Ortiz (5’11” Sr. PG, Newark (NJ) Technology HS) He won’t stand out as much as the more hyped players on his team, but he’s a solid glue guy when on the floor. An active athlete, he has a motor that’s always running and plays well within the team concept. Mid-major prospect.
Ishaq Pitt (6’4″ Jr. SG, Centereach (NY) Our Savior New American School) Though he didn’t score much in a low-scoring game we saw, he impressed with his overall package. He handled the ball often, showing some combo guard ability, and made his team’s offense go.
David Samuels (6’7″ Jr. SF-PF, Bronx (NY) Blessed Sacrament HS) An athletic forward, his body isn’t mature yet and his position isn’t clear. He was a nice role player on his team and made some plays, not often getting chances in the flow of the offense on a guard-oriented team and where he was the second scoring option in the frontcourt.
Jermaine Sanders (6’4″ So. SG-SF, New York (NY) Rice HS) An athletic wing, the lefty can score and was a key to his team’s play. His body isn’t there yet, so he’ll get an added boost along the way, and we saw him go for 14 points in one game and play well in some of another.
Evan Smotrcyz (6’8″ Jr. SF, Reading (MA) New Hampton School) He’s looking better each time out, and this time he got a good test with the competition he faced here. His in-between game generally looked good and his ball skills are in good shape, although he didn’t star here.
Jaymie Spears (5’9″ So. PG, Georgetown (MA) High) A baby physically, the thing to love about him is his fearless play. He will drive inside all day to try and create for teammates, and he will do that as he’s a pass-first guard. With the scorers he had alongside him, he was content to do that, and effort wasn’t a question.
Tyler Strange (5’10” Jr. PG, Ashburnham (MA) Cushing Academy) He earns the toughness award, as he took two good shots to the nose on Sunday but continued playing. In running his team, he constantly attacks the defense and sets up teammates, though he’s a capable scorer as well.
Dexter Strickland (Sr. SG, Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS) A very athletic guard, he looks to be more of a scorer than a shooter, as he’ll drive to the basket all day. His body isn’t there yet, as he looks to use his athleticism to score more than anything else.
Shaquille Thomas (6’6″ Jr. SF, Paterson (NJ) Catholic HS) Long and athletic, he’s a clear potential guy at this point. He has a slight frame and his body still has a ways to go, and while he can knock down some mid-range shots, he doesn’t do that exceedingly well just yet.
