PHILADELPHIA – Reebok followed up its Breakout Challenge with the Showdown Series, a team tournament. Most of the camp participants stayed in town to compete with their travel teams at Philadelphia University and two other nearby sites. Games got underway on Friday throughout the day, although there were not many, and they picked up in earnest on Saturday.
Here, we take a look at some notable prospects who competed in the team tournament.
Deandre Bembry (6’6″ Sr. SF-PF, Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS) You will probably never watch him play and think he is the best player on the floor. But he showed here that his importance to his team is never in doubt because he does so many things well. He’s athletic and has a good frame, and puts together a nice stat line that included a couple of early double-digit scoring games.
Josh Brown (6’2″ Sr. PG, Irvington (NJ) St. Anthony’s) We’ve already established that he knows how to play and does so with plenty of confidence. He also gets everybody involved, is fast in transition and also looks to be better than before at going to his right. In all, he looks consistently better and more like a solid high-major prospect at the point.
Deandre Burnett (6’1″ Sr. PG, Miami (FL) Massanutten Military Academy) A scoring point guard with a good frame, the Miami commit went for 24 points in a losing effort. He showed the ability to use his left (off) hand and was able to go inside to score, including off a stickback.
Kasim Chandler (5’10” Sr. PG, Newark (NJ) Eastside HS) A baby physically with a slight frame, all of that shouldn’t fool you. He showed good quickness and finished while fouled, not fearing contact inside with the trees.
Tyrek Coger (6’8″ Sr. PF, Raleigh (NC) Word of God Academy) Post player has a good frame and not all good weight, but he can also be a load inside at times. He helped his team win an early double overtime game, taking a big charge late and scoring a couple of times despite limited touches at the offensive end.
Levi Cook (6’10” So. PF-C, Arnett (WV) Liberty Raleigh High School) A thick post player who is carrying some bad weight, he’ll be a player to keep an eye on as he’s also young. He moves okay, but will move better with an improvement in his conditioning, and his offense needs some work as a result of that and his youth. But his size and some glimpses he showed will make him worth watching.
Kyle Green (6’5″ Sr. SG-SF, Camden (NJ) Catholic HS) A very active wing, he battled every second he was on the court and was solid all around. While his jumper isn’t great from long range, he can hit from there, while he also hit a nice runner in the lane one time and was constantly in plays.
Robert Hubbs III (6’6″ Sr. SF, Newbern (TN) Dyer County HS) Though he’s not the most athletic wing, he put together a couple of nice games with a lot of mid-range shots and the occasional long range jumper as well as a driving layup.
A.J. Lapray (6’5″ Sr. SG, Etobicoke (Ont.) Sprague HS) While he showed in the camp that he can shoot the ball some, those shots weren’t going in an early game on Saturday. He scored 12 points, but contributed more from some heady plays than his shooting and showed that he can do a little more.
Jarrel Marshall (6’6″ Sr. SF, Mount Vernon (NY) South Kent School) He went for 26 points in an early game on Saturday, showing some good scoring ability to get there. His body isn’t there yet and he has a good frame, so there’s reason to believe this year at South Kent will be a good one for him.
Mikyle McIntosh (6’6″ Sr. SF, Toronto (Ont.) Christian Faith HS) Well-built wing is athletic and played a very solid all-around game in going for 21 points in an early win for his team. He scored well in transition, on mid-range shots and stickbacks, and also made a nice block and save on the same play.
Jahleen Montague (6’7″ Sr. PF, Atlantic City (NJ) High) Long post player was a nice contributor for his team by being a live body. He hit the offensive glass, getting some stickbacks along the way, ran the floor and did other little things within the team concept.
Rodney Moore (6’0″ Jr. PG, Wendell (NC) Clayton HS) On a team full of guards, he was the most effective in a loss for his team on Saturday night. He was aggressive, finishing while fouled, has a good frame but a body that’s still developing. In addition, he knocked down a few shots from long range.
Greg Noack (6’8″ Sr. PF, Bethlehem (PA) Liberty HS) A lanky forward who needs to gain strength, he played stronger than he looks as he rebounded well and finished with contact in a win for his team. He scored 13 points in the game and played well within the team concept just like his teammates.
Dominique Reid (6’7″ Sr. PF, Erial (NJ) Timbercreek HS) An undersized post player, he has a good body and is quick off his feet. While both are assets, he’s not overly fluid offensively and ball toughness looks to be an area for improvement.
Jamal Reynolds (6’4″ Sr. SG-SF, Price Ridge (Ont.) Pickering HS) He didn’t stand out as much as a couple of teammates did, but he played a solid game early on Saturday in scoring 19 points to help his team to a good win. He’s athletic and his body isn’t there yet, so he should get a physical boost, and he did some good work near the basket.
Alex Robinson (6’2″ Jr. PG, Arlington (TX) Kennedale HS) He picked up right where he left off in the camp, as he battled through a lot of physical play. He finished while fouled, stole the ball and made a layup at the other end, and drove often into the trees to make plays. In a losing effort on Saturday, he went for 20 points.
Nycholas Smith (5’10” So. PG, Cordova (TN) White Station HS) Although he’s a reserve on his team, his youth and the fact that he’s a baby physically make him worth keeping an eye on given what he showed. He made a nice long pass, showed an ability to knife through the defense and drew a charge, and that’s not a bad first impression with a few years of high school still to come.
Amar Stukes (6’2″ Sr. PG, Philadelphia (PA) La Salle College HS) Lanky point guard has some length and isn’t jet-quick but can get by his man. He has a little physical maturity, finished with contact well and dove for a loose ball, always competing while he was on the floor. While he won’t immediately leap out at you, his effectiveness is a big selling point.
Mason Stuttevil (6’8″ Jr. PF, Orangevale (CA) Casa Roble HS) Although he didn’t score much and needs to gain strength, he has the look of a face-up four man at the next level. He often did just that, showing some ability with the ball and some range on his jumper.
Stephen Vasturia (6’5″ Sr. SF, Medford (NJ) St. Joseph’s Prep) A fundamentally sound wing with a good frame, he was off to a nice start with some shooting and good defense before a bloody nose ended his night early on Friday night. But he came back with a solid game the next day, scoring 22 points with several three-pointers and a layup as he was falling down to lead his team to another win.
Gabriel Williams (6’8″ Sr. PF, Huntington (WV) St. Joseph’s HS) He’s not lacking physical gifts, which makes him an intriguing prospect as he’s athletic, has a good frame and some physical maturity. He also plays physical basketball and is a live body. That gets your attention, but he wasn’t the factor all of that suggests he can be, so he remains an intriguing prospect with a lot of apparent upside.
Jarod Williams (6’3″ Sr. SG, Danville (VA) Blue Ridge HS) Lefty shooter went for 20 points in a win for his team on Saturday night, and did it with a nice combination. He started off showing his athleticism, even scoring off a stickback, then started to hit shots from the outside including long range.
Rodney Williams (6’8″ Sr. SF-PF, Colonial (VA) St. Christopher’s HS) With a good frame and body, there’s certainly some potential here, and he showed some of it here. Also a plus athlete, he showed a shooting touch out to mid-range, and if he is to play away from the basket more he’ll need to upgrade the ball skills from what he showed here.
Other players who caught our attention:
Rashad Andrews (6’5″ Sr. SF, Queens (NY) Boys & Girls Academy)
Jo Bell (6’3″ Sr. SG, Gainesville (FL) Ely Blanche HS)
Noah Blackwell (6’2″ So. PG, Roseville (VA) Woodcreek HS)
Darryl Davender (5’11” Sr. PG, Raleigh (NC) Body of Christ School)
John Davis III (5’10” Jr. PG, Beachwood (OH) High)
Donte Demungui (6’9″ Sr. PF, Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS)
Greg Dotson (6’6″ Sr. PF, Roslyn (PA) Germantown Academy)
Vincent Jackson (6’5″ Sr. SF-PF, Cahokia (IL) High)
Justin McFaden (6’5″ Jr. SF, Bala Cynwyd (PA) St. Joseph’s Prep)
Austin Nichols (6’8″ Sr. PF, Collierville (TN) Briarcrest Christian School)
Sean O’Brien (6’8″ Sr. PF, St. Louis (MO) Vianney HS)
Charlie Oswald (6’7″ Sr. PF, Memphis (TN) Christian Brothers HS)
Quandari Patterson (6’5″ So. SF, Tallahassee (FL) Godby HS)
D.J. Peterson (5’10” Sr. PG, Martinsburg (WV) Hedgesville HS)
Jared Terrell (6’3″ Jr. SG, Weymouth (MA) New Hampton Prep)
Ahmad Thomas (6’5″ Sr. SF, Danville (VA) G.W. Danville HS)
Joshua Wilchomb (6’8″ Sr. PF, Elmont (NY) South Kent School)
Austin Williams (6’8″ Sr. PF, Chesterfield (VA) Trinity HS)
