Northeast High Schoolers Compete at Phenom Camp
BOSTON – Over 100 prospects from the northeast convened at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center for the second annual Adidas Phenom 150 Camp. The event wasn’t loaded with elite prospects, but did have some good local talent and a few from out of town.
Players went through drill stations in the morning of both days, then played games in the afternoon, although on Saturday some of the afternoon was spent going over the fundamentals of running an offense. During game action, kids who were not playing at a given time were put through some conditioning workouts.
When it was almost over, teams got together for all-star games, including one matching up juniors and seniors. In that game, it was a sophomore who was the top prospect, as Chris Coleman (6’10” So. PF-C, Buffalo (NY) Lee Academy) played well for a lot of the game. The big man has a solid, mature body and is very fundamentally sound, as he’s a very good passer and is very advanced for his age. The biggest thing he needs to do is have his motor going consistently, as he can look very ordinary or even disinterested for long stretches or entire games. In the all-star game, he was challenged, and he showed how good he can be, as he has done on a few other occasions.
The player who challenged him, Emmanuel Hutcherson (6’4″ Jr. SF-PF, Milton (MA) High), held his own at times despite giving up several inches. He’s active, plays bigger, can own the glass, and continues to improve his overall skill set. One particularly nice play was a pass he made to a cutter for an easy hoop.
Another player who impressed in that game, as well as other times during the weekend, was NJIT commit Nick Lopez (6’6″ Sr. SF, New Hope (PA) Solebury HS). Lopez isn’t there yet physically, but he’s fundamentally sound and does a lot of things well. He passed on the move, uses both hands well, is active and around the ball often, and should be a nice blender for the fledgling Division I program.
The all-star game was also the main action for Kyon Watkins (6’6″ Sr. PF, Everett (MA) High), who missed Saturday due to football. Watkins has improved immensely from last year, as he runs the floor better, has a better motor and is overall more polished, although there’s still plenty of room for improvement there.
Watkins’ AAU teammate, Cesar Castro (Jr. SG, Chelsea (MA) High), had some good moments in the game. He knocked down a couple of shots and made a few good passes, playing the role of blender rather well.
Daniel Brooks (6’3″ Jr. SG, West Roxbury (MA) Catholic Memorial HS) had some good moments this weekend, including in the all-star game. He’s athletic and has the body to be a Division I player, and at times he looks like he can be a solid scorer. He knocked down a couple of mid-range shots in the all-star game and also handled the ball some, although that’s not his forte.
Brooks’ high school teammate, Kyle Lawrence (5’10” Jr. PG, West Roxbury (MA) Catholic Memorial HS) is another in the school’s stable of guards. Lawrence finished in transition, at times with contact, and has a good body for his position.
One of the better wings at the event was Mike Smith (6’6″ Sr. SF, Lee (ME) Academy). A plus athlete, Smith can score and has a fairly mature body, but at times his decisions left something to be desired. If he lets the game come to him a little more and improves his dribble, he has some good potential.
A teammate of Smith’s, Breen Weeks (6’3″ Sr. SG, Lee (ME) Academy), is another blender who had his moments. He can knock down jumpers, although he wasn’t lights-out this weekend, is a capable passer, and isn’t going to hurt a team on the court.
Jon Marsh (6’0″ Sr. PG, Buffalo (NY) Lee Academy) is a talented guard and not there yet physically, but didn’t make the best decisions with the ball. He’s quick, but he tended to call his own number too much and looks like just an average passer, and while he has three-point range on his jumper, he missed a little too often. That said, we’ve seen him show some scoring ability before, so there’s no question there’s some talent here.
Prior to the all-star game, a three-point shootout was held. Two young players who shined in it were Paul Maurise (Fr. SG, Boston (MA) Snowden HS) and Dayzel Love (Fr. SG, Lynn (MA) Winthrop HS), the latter a lefty.
