HAMPTON, Va. – As the travel team season gets into full swing, the Boo Williams Invitational was among the big events taking place this weekend. The Nike-backed tournament, now held primarily at the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton, featured 96 teams in three age groups. The event is always well-run and full of good talent, which we got a look at in the first two days. Now that much of it is held at one location, it’s also significantly easier to cover.
Here’s a look at some of the talent that was on hand.
Tyler Adams (6’10” So. PF-C, Brandon (MS) High) A well-built post player, there’s some potential here, although he didn’t get the ball often or chase it down off the glass. He doesn’t have the most fluid post moves yet, but with his body he has a chance to be a good post player.
Mychal Ammons (6’6″ So. SF, Vicksburg (MS) High) A very athletic forward, he has a good body and looks like he has the tools to be a nice wing. He has some perimeter skills and is active enough to be a good rebounder from the wing as he develops.
Kene Anyigbo (6’6″ Jr. PF, Houston (TX) Bellaire Academy) An athletic but undersized power forward, he’s a nice role player. He has a mature body and can finish well, going for 12 points in a win on Friday night.
Marco Banegas (6’0″ Jr. PG, Roxbury (MA) Marianapolis Prep) A fast guard, he showed some good fundamentals and can finish when he gets to the basket. He wasn’t the consummate playmaker, but handled the ball often for his team.
Harrison Barnes (6’7″ Jr. SF, St. Paul (MN) Ames HS) An excellent all-around forward prospect, he’s athletic, has some length and a good, live body that’s seemingly always moving. He has range out to the three-point line, but can also drive, though he’ll at times try to get a little too fancy when in traffic. He’s very adept at finding gaps and did so often en route to 29 points in one game.
Aaron Brown (6’5″ Jr. SF, Hackensack (NJ) St. Benedict’s) A talented guard with a good body, he has some offensive ability as he can handle the ball reasonably well for a wing and has range out to the three-point line. He picked up a couple of early fouls in one game and also seemed to be arguing with his coach after one play.
Taran Buie (6’2″ Jr. SG, Albany (NY) Bishop Maginn HS) The recent Penn State commit is still getting there physically, but his game is in good shape. He drives to the basket well and can finish with his left hand, and scores well although he only had 12 in a win we saw on Saturday (he didn’t need to score much more because his teammates were clicking on all cylinders).
Domonique Bull (6’2″ Fr. SG, Worcester (MA) Cushing Academy) A plus athlete with a strong lower body, he didn’t get a lot of good scoring chances in one game we saw. He did knock down a three-pointer he got a look at, and if he does that more he’ll be tougher to guard as he’s generally more of a scorer.
Michael Carter-Williams (6’3″ So. SG, Hamilton (MA) St. Andrew’s School) Thin shooter didn’t have his best game, helped by having to handle the ball often as that’s not his strong suit. He missed some layups, but the disturbing part was his body language after some of those misses. He was, as expected, better when he got a look from long range as he made some jumpers en route to 15 points in a late pool play game.
Gerard Coleman (6’3″ Jr. SG, West Roxbury (MA) Tilton School) It’s fair to say that he carried his team offensively, as he’s their only true scorer and he came up big with 26 points in one game and 25 in a playoff game. Very athletic and long, the lefty was hitting from long range and also looked better when going to his right a few times. As is usually the case, he got his share of transition baskets and also made a nice floater in the lane one time.
Luke Cothron (6’8″ Jr. PF, Redsprings (NC) Flora MacDonald Academy) An active forward, he got his share of offensive boards and aggressively tried to score inside. He drew a lot of fouls, and using that along with some good finishes went for 18 points in one game in a complementary role.
Andre Dawkins (6’5″ Jr. SG-SF, Chesapeake (VA) Atlantic Shores HS) There are more heralded players on the Boo Williams team, but he was the best we saw in a blowout win on Saturday. He’s athletic and still has more physical upside, and really shot the ball well, especially in the second half as he went for 25 points with five three-pointers.
Jordan Downing (6’5″ Jr. SG-SF, Charlotte (NC) Hopewell HS) A plus athlete with a fairly mature body, his main strength is shooting the ball from long range. He went for 13 points in a losing effort on Saturday, knocking down a couple of shots along the way.
Amric Fields (6’7″ Jr. SF-PF, Oklahoma City (OK) Putnam City West HS) An intriguing prospect, he could be a complementary active power forward at the next level. He’s a plus athlete whose body isn’t there yet, can rebound and block shots and also knock down shots from mid-range.
Darius Gardner (5’9″ Jr. PG, Houston (TX) Yates HS) A capable pass-first floor leader, he won’t drop big scoring numbers on you but must be respected as he can hit from long range. He went for three three-pointers in one game and also showed the ability to hit a runner in the lane, generally scoring in flow.
Mike Gilchrist (6’7″ So. SF, Somerdale (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS) Athletic forward is versatile and has a good nose for the ball as he always seems to be where it is. He has a strong lower body and led the break nicely in addition to scoring, going for 18 points in a playoff win. His offensive skills are varied, as he led the fast break, made a nice wrap-around pass and hit from long range as well as scoring in close.
Ron Giplaye (6’6″ Jr. PF, Fitchburg (MA) Notre Dame Prep) Active forward was a warrior the entire time and a major reason his team did well against opposing big men. He got plenty of rebounds and loose balls, and although he went for 16 points in a playoff win, it wasn’t his offense that made him so valuable.
Egi Gjikondi (6’8″ Fr. PF, Malden (MA) Cushing Academy) Still very much a “potential” player at this point, he didn’t really have it early but got going a little later. His post moves were in a little bit of slow motion and he missed his share of point-blank shots, but once he got going he was tough to stop as he went for 20 points in a late pool play win.
Kadeem Greene (6’8″ Jr. PF, Charlotte (NC) United Faith HS) On a couple of plays, he looked like a nice post prospect, showing a quick move or some athleticism. However, all too often he was a non-factor in games we observed.
Tobias Harris (6’8″ Jr. SF, Brookville (NY) Long Island Lutheran HS) Now in better shape physically, his ball skills looked questionable early on. Later in the game, he got better, driving more effectively to score en route to 18 points. He didn’t shoot it much, and that’s been a strength of his in the past, but that’s not a negative.
DeMarcus Harrison (6’4″ Jr. SG, Greenwood (SC) High) In going for 15 points in a losing effort, he showed a touch from long range and also using the glass on mid-range jumpers, as he did the latter a couple of times. He also showed the ability to drive and dish that is more often seen in point guards.
Tyler Hood (6’6″ Jr. PF, Lenoir City (TN) High) The easiest way to describe what we saw from him in an early Saturday game is that he’s effective. Although he has tools to play away from the basket, he’s probably best described as a 4-3 combo forward. He showed a nose for the ball and finished well even when fouled en route to 20 points in a win for his team.
DeAndre Hopkins (5’11” Jr. PG, Central (SC) Daniel HS) A heady point guard, he really competes and is athletic enough to dunk. He also blocked a shot late in a game.
Derek Jackson (6’1″ Jr. PG, Cleveland (OH) Benedictine HS) He was about the only bright spot for his team in a blowout loss, as he went for 20 points. An aggressive guard, he’s athletic and showed a little range on his jumper, but he’s more apt to attack the basket to try to score.
Nick Johnson (6’2″ So. PG-SG, Gilbert (AZ) Highland HS) There was plenty of buzz about this athletic guard, especially since he was incorrectly listed as a freshman on the team’s roster. Still, in going for 21 points in a win for his team, he scored often on drives and finished strong, showed a touch from long range and has some physical maturity with a good lower body. There’s a lot to like.
Greg Kelley (6’8″ Jr. PF, Newton (MA) North HS) Improving post player held down the fort inside for his team, being active and rebounding well. He continues to show a good feel for the game and gets better at facing the basket all the time.
James Kennedy (6’6″ So. SF-PF, Dorchester (MA) Cushing Academy) Well-built forward went to work inside and continues to make good strides, as you can see the work he’s been putting in. He’s always had the potential to be a good rebounder, and he did that here at both ends. At the offensive end, he’s also growing, with the real surprise being a lefty jump hook he showed a couple of times.
Markus Kennedy (6’8″ Jr. PF, Philadelphia (PA) Living Faith School) A big body inside, he has plenty of potential given his body but has a few notable areas for improvement as he doesn’t take great advantage of it. He can finish, but missed his fair share of close shots, and also tends to lose the ball more easily than you might think as he doesn’t always go up strong. He went for 18 points in a playoff win, but could easily have had a few more.
Alex Kirk (6’11” Jr. C, Los Alamos (NM) High) Post player has a mature body and while not loaded with skills, has enough to be effective in spots. He’s active, has a mid-range touch and can score on the post, though he doesn’t look like a consistent double-digit scorer, and also has a little nose for the ball although that doesn’t stand out about him.
Brandon Knight (6’2″ Jr. PG-SG, Ft. Lauderdale (FL) Pinecrest HS) Well-built guard has nicely morphed into a combo guard over his high school career and is now very comfortable running a team. He’s quick, has a great motor and is one of the best competitors, and is now very adept at controlling a game. He can still score, too, as evidenced by a solid 24-point outing in an early playoff game we saw.
Trevor Lacy (6’3″ So. SG, Huntsville (AL) Butler HS) There’s some potential in this young player, who has a good body for his age and got out in transition a couple of times. He showed a touch from mid-range and went for 14 points in a losing effort.
Kendall Marshall (6’4″ Jr. PG, Dumfries (VA) Bishop O’Connell HS) Whatever the reason, this North Carolina-bound floor leader didn’t have it for a while in a game on Saturday. The lefty came alive later, and once he did his team was on its way to a blowout win as he was able to drive and dish often to set up teammates.
James McAdoo (6’8″ So. SF, Norfolk (VA) Christian HS) He has a big-time reputation but was basically a non-factor in a game we saw. He has a good body and is clearly very athletic, but didn’t do much this time around.
John McArthur (6’9″ Jr. PF, Danville (CA) De La Salle HS) He’s not the most physically impressive player, but he’s active and can go with the left hand. In scoring 13 points in a win for his team, he looked good overall.
Travis McKie (6’7″ Jr. SF, Richmond (VA) John Marshall HS) A little thin, he’s a fine blender player with good size. He’s active and can knock down the mid-range jumper, going for 15 points in a blowout win for his team.
Tyler Neal (6’5″ Jr. SF, Oklahoma City (OK) Putnam City West HS) A solid glue guy, he’s tough and fearless despite an unassuming demeanor. He’s not very athletic but has good skills, going for a quiet 16 points in one game and being very effective.
Nerlens Noel (6’9″ Fr. PF, Everett (MA) High) This long post player will impact games right now at the defensive end, as his offense has a ways to go. He’s a baby physically who can block shots all day and also rebounded well here. Offensively, he traveled with the ball due to bad footwork.
David Nyarsuk (7’1″ Jr. C, Lenoir (NC) Patterson School) Long big man is an interesting prospect. At times he looks like he lacks strength and seems mechanical, but then he made a couple of post moves that suggested otherwise. A highlight was a long pass he made down court for an easy layup.
Johnny O’Bryant (6’10” So. PF-C, Cleveland (MS) East Side HS) Long post player is athletic and has a body that’s still maturing. He has some hints of wing skills but also looks like he travels with the ball, and while he can hit the mid-range jump shot he didn’t do it often. There’s enough potential here to make him intriguing to watch.
Tobi Oyedeji (6’9″ Jr. PF, Houston (TX) Bellaire Academy) A post player with some good fundamentals, he wasn’t much of a factor in his team’s tournament-ending loss with just two points after fouling out. His body’s not there yet, but he has good post moves and is athletic, and also doesn’t force anything.
Brandon Peters (6’1″ Jr. SG, Houston (TX) Yates HS) A very athletic guard, he’s aggressive when driving and will try to dunk it anytime he thinks he has a shot at doing so. That means he’ll make a highlight-reel dunk but will also come up short, although he’ll draw fouls as well. The down side is that he didn’t show much else save for one mid-range jumper.
Dominique Raney (6’3″ So. SG, Oklahoma City (OK) Putnam City HS) A baby-faced guard, he’s not overly quick and has a shaky dribble but clearly has some potential. He has a thin lower body and is clearly a ways from being physically mature, but knocked down a few shots and should get better as he matures physically.
Will Regan (6’9″ Jr. PF, Buffalo (NY) Nichols School) As was the case last weekend, he was active and finished well inside. His body’s still getting there, but he goes to work inside and gets things done for his team.
Kameron Ritter (6’4″ Jr. SG, Syracuse (NY) Christian Brothers Academy) Solid guard has some physical maturity and played well. He made some tough finishes and also shined in transition, scoring a few times and effectively leading the break other times.
Austin Rivers (6’2″ So. SG, Winter Park (FL) High) Coming in with a big-time reputation, he had a big game early in the playoffs but did a lot of that damage in one half, when he scored most of his 21 points. He’s athletic and along with Brandon Knight formed an unstoppable backcourt combination for a lot of the weekend.
L.J. Rose (6’1″ Fr. PG-SG, Houston (TX) Second Baptist HS) A nice prospect, he showed a nice touch shooting the bal as he hit seven three-pointers in two games we saw, a couple of which were very deep. He’ll be worth keeping an eye on.
Desmond Simmons (6’7″ Jr. PF, Vallejo (VA) Salesian HS) A 4-3 combo forward, his body’s not fully mature physically, so there’s still some upside in that respect. He finished well and was a solid complement on his team.
Joshua Smith (6’9″ Jr. PF-C, Covington (WA) Kentwood HS) Thick post player had a slow start, but got better once he started getting the ball and later seemed to seek it out as he got his share of stickbacks. He’s fairly quick off his feet considering his size, but can’t get up high, and although he showed a couple of moves he’s better trying to score when he doesn’t have to dribble at all.
Jalen Steele (6’3″ Jr. SG, Knoxville (TN) Fulton HS) He won’t jump out at you as en elite prospect physically, but he’s effective and found a way to score often en route to 28 points early on Saturday. He has a good body and above-average quickness, but also looked a little shaky with the dribble.
Shaquille Stokes (5’10” So. PG, Harlem (NY) Lincoln HS) Aggressive point guard was a bright spot in a blowout loss for his team. He finished drives well en route to 17 points and was constantly on the attack.
Andre Stringer (5’10” Jr. PG, Jackson (MS) Forest Hill HS) His size dictates that he will be a point guard, and he generally handled the ball for his team. But he made his mark shooting it, especially from long range as he had 22 points with six three-pointers in one game.
Jared Sullinger (6’9″ Jr. PF-C, Columbus (OH) Northland HS) Thick post player is strong inside and also looked good at the foul line, especially in his team’s opener as he went for 26 points. A smaller BABC team slowed him on Saturday, though foul trouble had something to do with that as well. Big-time prospect has committed to Ohio State.
Kendre Talley (5’9″ Jr. PG, Spencer (OK) Star Spencer HS) Though small, he’s a hard-nosed point guard who competes all the way. He won’t wow you with quickness or amazing passes, but he’s solid and came up big with a clutch three-pointer for his team in one game.
Jacob Thomas (6’5″ Jr. SF, Columbia Heights (MN) High) A complementary player on his team, he’s a plus athlete who can finish some, even using his left (off) hand nicely. He went for 13 points in a tough loss for his team on Friday night.
Shaquille Thomas (6’7″ Jr. SF-PF, Beckley (WV) Mountain State Academy) A long athlete, he likes to drive and will attack the basket and gets a lot of his baskets that way, but he’ll also miss his fair share of short jumpers. He battled inside valiantly and should get better at much of his game with added strength.
Marcus Thornton (6’8″ Jr. SF-PF, Atlanta (GA) Westlake HS) Possessing a good body, he’s a solid, unspectacular player who looks to be good around the basket. He ran the floor and made plays inside at both ends, and stepped out once to hit a mid-range jumper.
Ralston Turner (6’6″ Jr. SG-SF, Muscle Shoals (AL) High) A capable shooter from long range with a good body, he looked a little like a gunner in an early Saturday game. He knocked down five three-pointers en route to 19 points, but also missed his fair share along the way. His size and ability to make shots will get him some looks.
Dion Waiters (6’3″ Jr. SG, Philadelphia (PA) Life Center Academy) Well-built guard continues to be a solid scorer. He’s athletic and scored in several ways, most often on short runners but also in transition and on the three-point shot, though the latter isn’t his forte.
Devonta White (6’0″ Jr. PG, Alpharetta (GA) Centennial HS) Aggressive point guard has a slight frame and is a baby physically, so there’s some good upside. He has above-average quickness and got by defenders often, scoring on a few runners and mid-range shots off the dribble.
Lavell White (6’6″ So. SF, Seattle (WA) Franklin HS) Thin wing is an intriguing talent, as he’s a baby physically but showed signs of good guard skills. He made a couple of passes on the go, handled the ball at times and made a couple of runners.
Okaro White (6’9″ Jr. SF-PF, Clearwater (FL) High) Although he showed some shaky ball skills, there’s some potential for this long athlete. He showed three-point range on his jump shot and looked to be more of a factor than last spring when we saw him.
Tony Wroten (6’5″ So. SG-SF, Seattle (WA) Garfield HS) Lefty wing has a big-time reputation, and with the body he has he has a physical edge on a lot of players in his class and can finish with his strength. He also has some point-forward to his game, as he can handle the ball and made a few nice passes. But he didn’t quite look as good as advertised here, as his game looks rough around the edges and he missed a lot of layups and short jumpers.
Other players who caught our attention:
Justin Anderson (6’6″ Fr. SF, Montross (VA) Christian Academy)
Cameron Ayers (6’4″ Jr. SG, Bluebell (PA) Germantown Academy)
Christian Behrens (6’8″ So. SF-PF, Covington (WA) Tahoma HS)
Gary Bell, Jr. (6’2″ So. SG, Kent (WA) Kentridge HS)
James Bell (6’5″ Jr. SF, Montverde (FL) Academy)
Kamali Bey (6’3″ Fr. SG, Springfield (MA) Sabis Charter)
Jabari Brown (6’3″ So. SG, Oakland (CA) Salesian HS)
Aloys Cabell (6’0″ Jr. PG, Atlanta (GA) Mays HS)
Galen Campbell (6’4″ So. SG, Knoxville (TX) Bearden HS)
Rakeem Christmas (6’9″ So. PF-C, Philadelphia (PA) North Catholic HS)
Joe Coleman (6’4″ So. SG, Minnetonka (MN) Hopkins HS)
Trevor Cooney (6’4″ So. SG, Wilmington (DE) Sanford School)
Jalen Courtney (6’8″ Jr. SF-PF, Jackson (MS) Provine HS)
Mike Green (6’8″ Jr. PF, Columbia (SC) Ridgeview HS)
Rodney Hood (6’7″ So. SF, Meridian (AL) High)
Adrian Hubbard (6’8″ Jr. PF, Norcross (GA) High)
Neiko Hunter (6’5″ Jr. SF, Eutaw (AL) Greene County HS)
Tony Jacob (6’8″ Jr. PF, Atlanta (GA) Westlake HS)
Jeremy Lamb (6’4″ Jr. SG, Norcross (GA) High)
Anthony Lee (6’9″ Jr. PF, Eustis (FL) High)
Nemanja Mikie (6’8″ Jr. SF-PF, Charlotte (NC) United Faith HS)
J-Mychal Reese (6’0″ Fr. PG, Bryan (TX) High)
Ronald Roberts (6’7″ Jr. PF, Bayonne (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep)
David Samuels (6’7″ Jr. PF, Bronx (NY) Blessed Sacrament HS)
Tavares Sledge (6’8″ So. PF, Tuscaloosa (AL) Brookwood HS)
Kevin Smith (6’0″ Jr. PG-SG, Mullins (NC) High)
Terrance Smith (6’3″ Jr. SG, Russellville (AL) High)
J.D. Weatherspoon (6’6″ Jr. SF, Columbus (OH) Northland HS)
Cedric Williams (6’8″ So. PF, Murfreesboro (TX) Siegel HS)
Lester Wilson (6’6″ So. SF, Knoxville (TX) Carter HS)
