NEW YORK – Closing out the tripleheader at Madison Square Garden for the Jordan Brand Classic was the All-American Game. It had a roster of players that certainly rivals that of the McDonald’s All-Americans, and unfortunately, like the McDonald’s game and many other all-star games, it was at times utterly unwatchable.
Just look at the statistics: neither team shot better than 43.4 percent from the field in a game where there was hardly world-class defense played, and both had more turnovers than assists. The teams combined to shoot 10-46 from three-point range.
Surely some of the best players in the country are capable of doing better than this. I know because I saw most of them play at least once before Saturday evening, some of them a number of times. That’s what makes a game like this frustrating to watch in between the highlight-reel plays that are sometimes made.
The Black Jerseys pulled out a 110-103 win in a game that was more about showmanship and going for SportsCenter highlights than trying to win the game. In fact, it was more of challenge that one might expect to come up with players who shined in the game. Yes, there are co-MVPs Derrick Favors (6’9″ PF, Atlanta (GA) South Atlanta HS), who had 21 points on 6-10 shooting and five rebounds, and Renardo Sidney (6’9″ PF, Los Angeles (CA) Fairfax HS), who had 15 points and seven rebounds. There is recent Kentucky signee DeMarcus Cousins (6’10” PF, Mobile (AL) LeFlorE HS), who had 17 points on 7-11 shooting to go with seven rebounds. But after that it’s a major challenge – and with a lineup this star-studded, that shouldn’t be the case.
Georgia Tech-bound Favors ran the floor well to get a lot of his points, as he’s known for his excellent post scoring. He can guard inside as well, but in this game there wasn’t much to do there since it’s guard-dominated.
Sidney, who is headed to USC, did what he’s done his entire high school career: offer glimpses of enormous potential. He has a big body, but not all good weight, yet on one play he took the ball coast to coast, and on another play he made a nice long pass off a rebound. He said conditioning is the big thing he plans to work on, and if he improves there, the sky is the limit. With his body, as well as his huge hands, he has the potential to be a tremendous rebounder.
Cousins might have been the best player on the floor. He’s long had a reputation as someone who might have the best potential in the entire class, and he looks the part. Well-built and athletic, he has a good motor and looks like someone who can really impact a game.
Avery Bradley (6’3″ SG, Tacoma (WA) Findlay Prep) went for 14 points on 6-10 shooting and showed why he’s an elite player. He’s simply a basketball player; if you get caught up looking at what position he plays, you lose track of his value because he’s such a complete player and a competitor.
Quietly, Wally Judge (6’8″ PF, Baltimore (MD) Arlington Country Day School) led the White Jerseys with 18 points on 6-10 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds. He has a good body and competes, and he certainly did that on the evening.
For a player with “potential” written all over him, you need to look no further than John Henson (6’10” PF, Tampa (FL) Sickles HS). When you see him on the court, the first that strikes you and stays with you is that he’s so long, but he’s also athletic and showed a quick jump hook on one play en route to 10 points on 5-8 shooting to go with six rebounds and four blocked shots.
The player who has probably been talked about the most in terms of his college decision, John Wall (6’3″ PG, Raleigh (NC) Word of God Christian Academy), didn’t look the part of arguably the top player in the class. He had eight points and six assists, but also had five turnovers and his play overall was underwhelming and not what we had seen of him before.
