Competitive Rumble in the Bronx Highlights Busy Weekend

BRONX, N.Y. – On a busy weekend in the world of grassroots basketball, the main team event was the Rumble in the Bronx. It’s a tournament with plenty of history and in an area that has produced its fair share of great players over the years. As usual, it was very competitive all around with a few overtime games mixed in.

The 15-under final was close throughout, with the host Albany City Rocks pulling out a 53-48 win behind 24 points from Jordan Gleason (Fr. SG, Watervliet (NY) High).

In the 16-under final, BABC led for most of the first half, although the PA Playaz stayed within striking distance much of the time. A strong finish to the first half helped BABC go up by double digits at the break, then in the second half they turned turnovers into easy baskets and broke the game open en route to a 78-51 win. The offensive star was Nerlens Noel (6’9″ So. PF-C, Everett (MA) High) with a game-high 23 points, while Georges Niang (6’6″ So. PF, Methuen (MA) Tilton School) added 12 off the bench. The game was won with defense as BABC held star guard Ryan Arcidiancono (6’3″ So. PG-SG, Langhorne (PA) Neshaminy HS) to just three points, two weeks after he averaged over 32 per game at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions.

The 17-under final went back and forth between East Coast Elite and Connecticut Basketball Club, the latter fresh off a dramatic overtime win in the semifinals. Both teams had some momentum swings, though neither team ever had a big advantage with East Coast Elite being stronger late in the game in a 63-58 win behind 28 points from A.J. English (6’3″ Jr. SG, Middletown (DE) Appoquinimink HS).

Now, a look at some of the players who competed this weekend.

Devonta Abron (6’8″ Jr. PF, Seagoville (TX) High) It doesn’t take long for him to catch an observer’s eye, as the lefty forward has a good post body. He scored inside on some good post moves and also showed the ability to hit a cutter for an easy basket. Although he played well, one gets the feeling he’s a better player than he showed.

Tavon Allen (6’7″ Sr. SF, New Haven (CT) Hillhouse HS) Although he’s had an excellent spring, this weekend wasn’t the best of it although he certainly had some highlights. Notably, in the semifinal win, he struggled for much of the game before turning it on in the final minutes to force overtime with two big three-pointers, including one from the corner to tie it, as well as a breakaway basket. Where he really struggled was in shooting off the dribble, as he came up short on a number of those shots and also looked different from before, as he usually shoots his jumpers with his left hand and runners with the right but took a lot of his jumpers off the dribble with his right hand. High-major-minus prospect will do a prep year at Worcester Academy.

Kazembe Azif (6’7″ Jr. PF, Lawenceville (NJ) School) There probably wasn’t a player here with a better motor than this left-handed forward. A live body, he’s always competing at both ends and scored in several ways, from a drive starting at the foul line for a layup to a turnaround post jumper and a shot from about mid-range. His offensive game isn’t great right now, but the way he competes gives one reason to believe he can develop it. Mid-major plus/high-major minus prospect.

Aaron Calixte (5’9″ Fr. PG, Stoughton (MA) High) In a nice win on Saturday night, his continued improvement was apparent. He continues to come off the bench for his team and constantly give them a lift, as he has a good motor and was active at both ends to go with scoring 13 points. At different times he’s shown different facets of his scoring ability, and here it was the in-between game that was highlighted by a nice baseline runner over a big man that dropped for him.

Renee Castro (6’2″ Fr. SG, Milton (MA) Beaver Country Day School) This young guard is starting to grow up as a player, as he’s putting the finishing touches on a good spring. Already able to score, he’s shown improvement handling and passing the ball and also is starting to show a little more of a touch from long range as well.

T.J. Curry (6’0″ Sr. PG-SG, Queens (NY) Christ The King HS) Although his size dictates that he plays the point at the next level, he might be able to get looks at a low level with his shooting if this weekend is any indication. He came in off the bench and basically couldn’t miss, hitting one jumper after another both off the catch and off the dribble, scoring 18 points in one game with most coming in the second half.

Marcus Dawkins (6’4″ Jr. SF, Reading (PA) Central Catholic HS) An athletic wing with some really good upside, he flew under the radar but is a nice prospect. He has a good frame and body, and the lefty really came alive during one stretch of an early Saturday win for his team as he made a nice baseline drive and dunk on one play and later finished the break with a tough shot while getting fouled. Mid-major/mid-major plus prospect.

Jevaune Dawson (5’11” Jr. PG, White Plains (NY) Satellite Academy) Quick point guard was able to slash to the basket to score, and he also got a stickback while inside with the trees. Away from the basket, his shots included one from long range, and if he can do that consistently he’ll be tougher to guard.

Kevin Douglas (6’5″ Jr. SF-PF, New York (NY) Frederick Douglass Academy) He probably projects more as an undersized power forward than a wing or combo, as he doesn’t have the best ball skills and isn’t the most athletic player. He can finish, with most of his field goals coming close to the basket, isn’t a bad rebounder and has a good body, and he also took some tough shots that he might have been better off passing up.

Andre Drummond (6’10” So. PF-C, Middletown (CT) St. Thomas More) This weekend wasn’t his finest hour, but as one might expect he showed some of his ability. When he stayed inside, he showed good post moves and also made a couple of nice interior passes. At the defensive end, he wasn’t himself, fouling out in the semifinal with a lot of time to play in part because of a couple of dumb fouls.

Greg Easter, Jr. (6’1″ Fr. SG, Little Rock (AR) Pulaski Heights HS) A good scoring wing, he knocked down some three-point shots and also showed the ability to drive in helping to lead his team to the 15-under final. He reached double figures in scoring a couple of times along the way.

A.J. English (6’3″ Jr. SG, Middletown (DE) Appoquinimink HS) He came up big in the championship game for his team, and it’s not hard to see why. He has a good body that can still get better, shot the ball well and showed a feel for being able to simply score.

Eric Fanning (6’5″ Jr. SF, Trenton (NJ) High) A physical wing, his body isn’t there yet but he was aggressive driving to the basket and drew contact often. He can finish close, including while fouled, and got out in transition several times while playing bigger than his size.

Phil Gaetano (5’11” Sr. PG, Wallingford (CT) Sheehan HS) One of the reasons his team has had a great run of success this spring has been his floor leadership, and it was quietly on display this weekend. He competes all the time and knows how to find teammates, and while he at times struggled to make shots he seems to knock enough down to keep defenses from thinking his team is playing four-on-five offensively. Next year, this excellent student will do a prep year at Choate Rosemary Hall.

Sterling Gibbs (6’0″ Jr. PG, West Orange (NJ) Seton Hall Prep) Forget all the attributes and numbers we could give on this solid floor leader, even though there were some good things he did. Nothing will top what he did in a big playoff win for his team, where he got poked in the eye so badly you could look at him and know it happened hours later. After he sat on the bench for a while after it happened, he came back into the game and hit two big three-pointers to seal the win. The Maryland commit ran the show well, finished drives and played like a consummate winning point guard.

Malcolm Gilbert (6’11” Jr. C, Bryn Athyn (PA) Academy of the New Church) A big factor in the championship game, he didn’t score at all but more than held his own against some formidable inside players. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he had a double-double with blocked shots and rebounds, as he has a mature post body and used it well inside.

Maurice Harkless (6’7″ Jr. SF, South Kent (CT) School) He started the weekend well with some solid games in pool play, as he put up some good point totals including a 25-point outing we saw. Later, though, he faded, with other players picking up the slack as his team advanced. Not the most athletic forward, he scored well from mid-range and with the in-between game. High-major/high-major-minus prospect has committed to Connecticut.

Anphernie Harris (6’5″ Fr. SF, Little Rock (AR) Hall HS) There’s a good deal of physical upside in this young wing, as he’s barely more than a baby physically but showed some good tools. He’s athletic and knocked down some mid-range jumpers, and as he fills out his development will be worth following.

Max Hooper (6’6″ Jr. SG, Irvine (CA) Mater Dei HS) Good size wing shot the ball well all weekend long to help his team reach the quarterfinals. He has a good frame and mature body, and when he got open he was making shots from deep off the catch with regularity. Mid-major prospect will play at Brewster Academy next year.

Deonte Houston (6’0″ Jr. PG, Bronx (NY) Wings Academy) In an early Saturday win for his team, he used his body well as he drove to the basket for scores all game long en route to 15 points. He’s not a jet and his body isn’t fully mature yet, and his aggressiveness was on display often, although he didn’t show all-world playmaking ability.

Anthony Jernigan (6’0″ Jr. PG, East Hartford (CT) High) Playmaking point guard made things happen for his team by driving and creating often. He’s not a jet, but has above-average quickness and can find his way inside to try to score or find a teammate, and he did just that in scoring 13 points and getting teammates some shots in an early game. Mid-major prospect.

Kindell Kinloch (6’8″ Fr. PF, Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s HS) It’s unfortunate that he didn’t get the ball much, because he’s a prospect to keep an eye on. He has a mature body for his age that can mature more, as well as some length, and he often battled for position inside to the point where there was, understandably, some visible frustration when they didn’t throw the ball to him.

Greg Langston (6’4″ Sr. SF-PF, Lee (ME) Academy) There might not be a better example of an undersized power forward than him, a classic example of a player who might be a big-time prospect if he was about four or five inches taller. As it is, he’s capable of imposing his will on the game because he’s skilled and plays hard all the time, overcoming not only his lack of height at times but also the fact that his body has a fair amount of bad weight on it.

Khalid Lewis-El (6’3″ Jr. PG-SG, Trenton (NJ) Catholic Academy) A solid floor leader, he made his team go by creating for teammates and forcing the action. He won’t jump out at you with physical gifts, but he made things happen and passed the ball well to get his teammates going.

Derek Millinghaus (5’10” Jr. PG, Schenectady (NY) High) Well-built point guard had a nice showing in large part by using his body and quickness to be effective. When he can get a good head of steam going to the basket, he’s tough to stop, especially since he has the strength to ward off defenders. He went for 21 points in a tough playoff loss for his team on Sunday.

Malik Nichols (6’5″ Jr. SF, Brooklyn (NY) Boys and Girls HS) Lefty wing isn’t the most fluid athlete, which limits his in-between game to a degree. His ball skills aren’t bad and he showed the ability to hit from long range, although that’s not his forte. He’s more of a scorer than a shooter with his good body, and his relative lack of fluidity is why it was a little surprising when he drove and dunked right on his man on one play.

Nerlens Noel (6’9″ So. PF-C, Everett (MA) High) The young man has basically played on one leg for much of the spring, but he’s growing up as a player and it’s especially evident offensively. In going for 23 points, he continued to show more aggressiveness at that end in addition to finishing the break when he got out in transition. He’s still not there yet physically as he continues to grow, and now that he will re-classify into the class of 2013 there’s that much more upside for him.

Chuck Oliver (6’0″ Jr. SG, Scotch Plains (NJ) High) He won’t pass the look test, as he’s undersized for his position and doesn’t have the best body, but he shot the ball well all weekend long. If he can shoot it more like he did here and get into better shape, he might get some looks as an undersized shooting guard.

Kahron Ross (5’8″ Fr. PG, Jonesboro (AR) Annie Camp Middle School) Small point guard really made his team go and was perhaps the biggest reason they reached the 15-under final. He has a good motor and drives often, finding teammates and scoring on other occasions, as he didn’t shoot it much in our observation.

Tevon Saddler (6’2″ Fr. PG-SG, Aberdeen (MD) High) Athletic guard has some talent for both guard spots. His passing stood out more than his scoring in a quarterfinal game his team lost, and at times he might have been a little too unselfish. At first glance, he doesn’t appear to have the same toughness his older brother has, although that’s not a major knock because his brother scores very high in that category.

Jerel Scott (6’5″ Jr. SF, Albany (NY) Bishop Maginn HS) A good rebounder for his position, he has a good body and uses it well on the glass. In a tough playoff loss, he struggled to score as he didn’t reach double figures.

Jeff Short (6’3″ Jr. SG, Bronx (NY) South Kent School) He flew under the radar a bit on his team, but had a solid weekend leading them deep into the playoffs largely with his shooting. His body’s not there yet, but he can get by a defender although he didn’t look to do that often here. He went for 18 in one playoff win and generally shot the ball well over the weekend.

Jherrod Stiggers (6’5″ Jr. SG-SF, Terrell (TX) High) Athletic wing was around the ball often and led his team into the playoff rounds. He showed a quick release, which helped him score with jumpers off the catch from mid-range and long range, and that showed up in an 18-point outing with four three-pointers in a late pool game.

Kaleb Tarczewski (6’11” So. C, Claremont (NH) St. Mark’s School) In a very physical playoff game on Saturday night, he was right at home as he battled inside all night long. He blocked some shots, got rebounds, and even ran the floor a couple of times to score. Since he started playing up, he’s made a marked improvement, largely because he gets the ball enough times to get scoring opportunities.

Michael Taylor (6’3″ Jr. SG, Brooklyn (NY) Boys and Girls HS) Although he doesn’t have one area he can hang his hat on in being very good at, he’s at least good at several things offensively. He looks more like a scorer than a shooter offensively, and he put up 16 in an early Saturday win that included a three-pointer off the dribble among the few jumpers he put up.

P.J. Torres (6’3″ Jr. SG, New Rochelle (NY) High) A wing with a relatively mature body, he came to play and made a big impact in a Saturday win for his team as he was a key to his team create turnovers and getting transition baskets out of them. He constantly attacked the basket to score, while also knocking down a couple of three-point shots en route to 17 points, and his aggressive play epitomized what his team did. Mid-major prospect.

Vince Van Nes (6’11” Jr. C, Northfield (MA) Mount Hermon) An improved big man, he has a good body and isn’t lacking in skills but is now starting to really show it. He missed a few close baskets early in late playoff games, but was better later on at the offensive end and was a factor defensively.

Anton Waters (6’6″ Fr. SF-PF, Baltimore (MD) Walbrook HS) Lanky forward wasn’t quite the factor he was when we saw him a couple of weeks ago, although there were still things to like. His body’s not there yet, but he’s quick off his feet and pretty active, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he winds up one day being able to play some of both forward spots.

Tanner Wozniak (6’5″ Jr. SG, St. Petersburg (FL) Keswick Christian School) He’s not the most athletic wing, but he has good size and a nice stroke that he had on display in an early Saturday game. In a losing effort, he hit six three-pointers en route to 24 points, and with his size and ability to shoot he’ll have plenty of suitors at the next level.

Stephen Zach (6’10” Jr. C, Lewisberry (PA) Red Land Senior HS) Post player showed some good fundamentals inside, which bodes well if he can come along physically. His body isn’t there yet and not all of his weight is good weight, but he showed some scoring ability and made a nice outlet pass one time off a rebound.

Other players who caught our attention:

O’Shawn Bannister (6’8″ Jr. PF, Hartford (CT) Weaver HS)

Kris Dunn (6’2″ So. SG, New London (CT) High)

Jayon James (6’5″ Jr. SF, Brewster (NY) High)

Lucious Jones (6’5″ Jr. SF, Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony’s)

Moussa Kone (6’7″ Jr. PF, New York (NY) Frederick Douglass Academy)

Blaise Mbougorba (7’0″ Jr. C, Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s)

Greg McKillion (6’6″ Fr. PF, Blytheville (AR) High)

Luke Mergerson (6’7″ Jr. PF, Duncanville (TX) High)

Keaton Miles (6’7″ Jr. SF-PF, Dallas (TX) Lincoln HS)

Luke Pietrowski (6’11” Jr. C, Egg Harbor (NJ) Atlantic Christian)

Mike Zangari (6’9″ So. PF, Lewisberry (PA) Red Land Senior HS)