PHILADELPHIA – Right after the Reebok Breakout Camp was over, The Showdown got going with most of the camp’s players joining their travel team. Run by Elevate Hoops, the two-day tournament consisted of three age groups from rising seniors down to rising sophomores, with the oldest group naturally being the one of most interest to the college coaches and media in attendance.
The first championship game was a battle of local teams in the 15-Under division. Philly Triple Threat took the lead in the first half and held it by five at the break, but they never really broke it open. Philly Pride finally broke through around the halfway point of the second half and later grew the lead en route to a 60-51 victory. Deandre Hunter (6’6″ So. SF, Philadelphia (PA) Friends Central HS scored 19 points to lead Philly Pride, while Anthony Carr (5’11” So. PG, Philadelphia (PA) Abington Friends HS) led Philly Triple Threat with a game-high 20 points and Joshua Sharkey (5’7″ So. PG, Philadelphia (PA) Abington Friends HS) added 19.
Next up was the 16-Under final, where Sports U was able to build an early lead thanks to their press. They led the New Jersey Roadrunners 30-21 at the half and continued to control the game in the second half in a 58-47 win. Karl Charles (6’5″ Jr. SF, Roselle (NJ) Rutgers Prep) led Sports U with a game-high 22 points.
The last championship game was worth sticking around for as the Jersey Shore Warriors and D13 Elite battled in what was a close game throughout. The lead went back and forth in the first half, with the Warriors leading 30-27 at the break, and it remained close in the second. D13 Elite had chances late, but the Jersey Shore Warriors held on for a 63-62 win. Eric Anderson (6’6″ Sr. SF, Westchester (PA) Haverford School) capped off a solid weekend with a game-high 22 points to lead the Warriors, with Sean O’Brien (6’2″ Sr. SG, Lafayette Hill (PA) Penn Charter) adding 14. Jaylen Barford (6’4″ Sr. SG, Jackson (TN) South Side HS) led D13 Elite with 20 points.
Now, a look at some who stood out.
Jake Allsmiller (6’5″ Sr. SG-SF, Nashville (TN) CPA) He impressed in the title game and limited earlier viewing, as he showed a good skill set that included range on his jumper and the ability to finish with his left (off) hand. He has a good frame and his body isn’t there yet, and all in all looks like he could be a nice complementary player. Mid-major prospect.
Eric Anderson (6’6″ Sr. SF, Westchester (PA) Haverford School) A solid showing here by this wing, as he finished very often, including with contact, and was a consistent scorer. While he showed some range on his jumper, including from long range and even a little inside the line, he was at his best moving without the ball and driving to score in close. He scored 17 points in the semifinal win before the big title game effort, and his recruitment probably got a nice boost this weekend. Not an elite athlete, he has a good frame that he can grow into more and is a solid mid-major/mid-major plus prospect.
Dwayne Bacon (6’6″ Jr. SF, Lakeland (FL) McKeel Academy) A wing with a good frame, he plays stronger than he looks and used that to finish with contact. While he showed some ball skills and went for 19 points in one game and 16 in another, there is work to be done there, and at times his body language wasn’t great. All told, there is some good potential here and he will be worth keeping an eye on.
Ben Bentil (6’8″ Sr. PF, Middletown (DE) St. Andrew’s HS) Although his touches were somewhat limited, his length and good frame are nice starting points. Add in that he has some range on his jumper and looks like he can run the floor well, and you have a prospect worth watching a little more.
Trevis Buckhanno (6’8″ Sr. PF, Baltimore (MD) Dunbar HS) A long post player with a good frame, he became more of a factor later in a Saturday game than he was early on, as he was arguably his team’s best player in the second half. He posted up to score and got a stickback en route to 14 points, and if he can be like he was later in the game he’s a nice mid-major prospect.
Anthony Carr (5’11” So. PG, Philadelphia (PA) Abington Friends HS) Talented guard is a baby physically and played up with the 16-Under as well as the 15-Under team. Although he took a few ill-advised jumpers, he showed a touch from deep later on and was able to score, even finishing with contact. If he grows more, the potential grows as well.
Traci Carter (6’0″ Jr. PG, Philadelphia (PA) Life Center Academy) Promising point guard had a tough end to the tournament, as he battled throughout but also had a crucial turnover late from, ironically, being too unselfish after getting a steal. But there is a lot to like, notably how he finished a couple of tough shots and used his left (off) hand to finish and scored 16 points in a tough loss, and he’s still a baby physically.
Karl Charles (6’5″ Jr. SF, Roselle (NJ) Rutgers Prep) Long left-hander has a slight frame but had a big championship game, especially early on as he helped his team get off to a strong start. He finished well even when fouled, got out in transition and also hit from long range.
Kyle Clarke (6’4″ Jr. SF, Daytona Beach (FL) Spruce Creek HS) Athletic wing rebounded very well for that position and got a lot of steals in his team’s press. He and teammate Dayon Griffin were fun to watch together at times, as both are simply effective with games that aren’t easily pigeonholed. In going for 21 points in an early game, he scored on the post and showed some ball skills, the latter of which he’ll need to upgrade over time.
Jeantal Cylla (6’7″ Jr. SF-PF, Lake Worth (FL) Christian HS) A relentless forward, he’s a plus athlete who got his share of offensive boards and loose balls mainly from his ability to tip the ball well. He’s not overly long, but kept balls alive and even tipped to himself a couple of times and also scored 14 points in an early game.
Malik Ellison (6’3″ Jr. SG, Voorhees (NJ) Life Center Academy) The son of former NBA big man Pervis Ellison has a good frame and is a baby physically, and as you might expect he’s pretty athletic. He’s talented, although he didn’t star here, but there’s a lot of potential in him to watch for.
Asante Gist (5’11” So. PG, Roselle (NJ) Catholic HS) He put on a shooting display for part of a Saturday game, hitting mid-range pull-up jumpers, making a four-point play and hitting from halfcourt before the halftime buzzer. The shots continued to fall later, including off the dribble, but the ball skills will need some upgrading given his size. He was erratic handling the ball and with his decisions, and also committed a couple of offensive fouls by pushing off when trying to go by a defender. The good thing is that there is a lot of time to correct those things to complement his gift shooting the ball.
Dayon Griffin (6’4″ Jr. SF, St. Petersburg (FL) High) An athletic wing whose body has a ways to go, the best way to view him is as simply a basketball player. He finished while fouled a couple of times, made a great pass while falling down, and even hit from long range although that’s not his forte. He and teammate Kyle Clarke were fun to watch at times as both are similar players who are very effective.
Austin Hall (5’11” Jr. PG, Annadale (VA) High) A solid floor leader, he didn’t seem to have a lot of great scoring options on his team so it would have been easy to miss him. A baby physically, he made nice passes and was able to hit from long range, and all in all handled the ball well in a losing effort.
Todd Hughes, Jr. (6’4″ Sr. SG-SF, Smyrna (DE) Sanford School) He won’t jump out at you right away on his talented team, but this scoring wing had a couple of double-digit scoring games and has a good frame. He scored off the bounce and from long range, as well as from a stickback, and seemed to do it very well within the flow of the offense.
Deandre Hunter (6’6″ So. SF, Philadelphia (PA) Friends Central HS) Athletic forward is a baby physically with a good frame, so there’s a lot of physical upside. That’s not all, as he shot well to help his team win the 15-Under championship and also showed that he can finish with the left hand.
Caleb Johnson (6’7″ Jr. SF, Axton (VA) Carlisle School) Athletic lefty has a good frame and looks to be more of a scorer than a shooter as he tried to score mostly on drives. He was able to get chances to score and will take contact, at times getting to the line.
Xavier Johnson (6’6″ Sr. SF, Fort Washington (MD) Princeton Day School) Very active wing was in a lot of plays at both ends of the floor and did a lot for his team. He’s athletic and has a little length, and his body isn’t there yet so there’s some physical upside, and the skill package isn’t bad although the best part is how he battled. The offense is a work in progress, but he finished while off-balance and with contact, and also hit a nice short runner another time to show a couple of ways to score. Mid-major plus/high-major minus prospect.
Tyler Kohl (6’5″ Jr. SF, Easton (PA) Trenton Catholic HS) A plus athlete with a wide frame, he’s not afraid to use his body and he has a motor that doesn’t stop. He rebounded very well and has some ball skills, but he seemed to overestimate those at times and needs to upgrade them. He didn’t always do a good job of getting the ball to a guard and then turned it over, including a costly giveaway late in a game.
Khalif Kroma (6’7″ Jr. PF, Philadelphia (PA) Roman Catholic HS) Lefty forward had some good moments while also showing a good deal of development that is needed. His body isn’t there yet, and that will come in time, but he also looked a little awkward at times running the floor and showed a very slow release on his jumper.
Kyle Kuzma (6’8″ Sr. PF, North Hills (PA) Northeast Prep) Although he’s not the most athletic player, he’s not lacking either and looks like he has a nice skill set. With a relatively mature body, he has a good frame and will take contact inside, while showing nice passing ability including on the move. Mid-major prospect.
Abdul Lewis (6’8″ Sr. PF, Newark (NJ) Eastside HS) Active forward has a good frame and looks like more of a post player, though he seemed to tease us at times with a long jumper and a nice left-handed finish. He’s not very athletic and the ball skills look questionable for the wing, but he looks to have the tools to be a serviceable post player. Mid-major prospect.
Sean Lloyd (6’4″ Jr. SG, Philadelphia (PA) Haverford School) Athletic wing has a good body and had a big game Saturday evening with 21 points against a good team. He scored shooting the ball at times and also stole a couple of errant passes.
Rashaan London (6’3″ Sr. PG, Philadelphia (PA) Roman Catholic HS) His size gives him an advantage at the point and he has a good frame, so he has physical advantages. While not jet-quick, he was able to get in the lane and also made a nice long pass off a rebound another time.
Quadri Moore (6’9″ Sr. PF-C, Linden (NJ) High) Bulky post player has talent and can overpower defenders but seems to lack a feel for the game. While he finished with contact, hit a long jumper and showed a reasonably quick post move for his size, he also made several ill-advised passes and made other bad decisions with the ball. Mid-major prospect.
Sylvester Ogbonda (6’11” Jr. C, Fort Washington (MD) National Christian Academy) Long post player is a baby physically and it shows, as he clearly lacks strength. There’s a lot to like right now, however, as he doesn’t appear to be soft, got a stickback one time and even hit a mid-range jumper facing the basket. He makes himself a factor, which is important for a big man with a lot of development ahead.
Andrew Robinson (6’5″ Sr. SG-SF, Silver Spring (MD) Springbrook HS) An athletic wing with a slight frame, he turns his body to the right on his jumper release but seemed to be pretty effective with it. He scored from mid-range off the dribble, hit another long two-point shot later and hit from behind the arc as well. Mid-major prospect.
Devin Robinson (6’8″ Sr. SF, Christchurch (VA) High) Talented forward has a good frame and showed a lot of good offensive tools, especially his ability to shoot the ball. While he showed that he can finish with the left hand and got a nice stickback dunk, his best asset was shooting, whether from mid-range off the dribble, long range or as he did one time by pulling up and shooting right over his man. High-major prospect.
Rasoul Samir (6’7″ So. PF-C, Philadelphia (PA) Martin Luther King HS) He’s long and his body has a ways to go, but one has to like his work in the 15-Under championship game where he was a consistent presence on the boards at both ends of the floor.
Corey Sanders (6’2″ Jr. PG-SG, Lakeland (FL) George Jenkins HS) Very athletic guard is well-built and can score, looking like he may be better suited to play off the ball in college. He used his body well and wasn’t afraid to drive, going for 15 points in a tough loss on Saturday and playing well off his teammates.
Joshua Sharkey (5’7″ So. PG, Philadelphia (PA) Abington Friends HS) Small point guard may grow more as he’s a baby physically, and if that happens his recruitment will grow as well if his play in the 15-Under final is any indication. He got in the lane frequently and made some good passes in addition to showing a little range on his jumper, and looks like a solid young floor leader.
Johnnie Shuler (5’11” Sr. PG, Washington (DC) Theodore Roosevelt HS) Penetrating point guard came up lame early in one game but stayed in, and that might explain why he struggled shooting the ball. He hit a couple of shots early but then struggled, including coming up short on a runner in the lane. His body has a ways to go, but there is some good physical upside.
Jake Silpe (6’2″ Jr. PG, Cherry Hill (NJ) East HS) His team’s championship was a balanced effort, but one he certainly had no small part in as their tough floor leader. He battled constantly with steals, loose balls and often being in a play, as it seemed like everywhere you looked he was in the middle of something. Although he can play too fast at times and isn’t very quick, he showed a solid basketball I.Q., made solid decisions and passes, finished the break at times and was able to hit from long range.
Chris Silva (6’8″ Jr. SF-PF, Roselle (NJ) Catholic HS) As the weekend went on, this long forward got better, and he has a good frame that can fill out more and might turn into a 4-3 combo forward. He’s athletic and has some ball skills that need some upgrading, and a reverse dunk on Sunday was one example of what he may be capable of down the road.
Eric Stafford (6’5″ Sr. SF, Pitman (NJ) High) A fine complementary player, he played off his teammates well to help their championship run. He needs to gain strength, and if he does that should enhance the offensive skill set. Mid-major prospect.
Myles Stephens (6’3″ Jr. SG, Pennington (NJ) School) Long and slight wing is a promising left-hander and very athletic. While he drove often and was a very good finisher, he did hit from long range and got stickbacks as he was around the ball often, and he had as good a showing as just about anyone on his team.
Michael Tertsea (6’9″ So. PF, Bel Air (MD) John Carroll School) Promising young post player is long and has a good frame, which are good starting points. While he doesn’t seem to have the most fluid post moves, those can improve, and he showed other good skills like passing from the perimeter and the ability to face up from the foul line.
Austin Tilghman (6’1″ Sr. PG, Wilmington (DE) St. Andrew’s HS) Wide-bodied point guard is more athletic than he looks and can use the body when driving. He drove often, though he also hit from long range, and while he is athletic for his current body it will help if he can shed some of the excess weight.
Jahlil Tripp (6’3″ Jr. SG, Brooklyn (NY) Collegiate HS) Very athletic wing embodied the way his team played, as he was all over the court making plays. He was active in their press and was able to score on quick slashes to the hoop, including with contact, and he seemed to help set a tone for his team.
Mike Watkins (6’8″ Jr. SF-PF, Philadelphia (PA) John Bartram HS) An athletic forward with a good frame, this early Penn State commit is very much a “potential” player right now. He scored 14 points in a late Saturday game, and while he showed some promise he also showed the work that has to be done when he traveled right under the basket with a sure dunk right there for the taking. The physical gifts are there for him to be a good pickup for the Nittany Lions down the road.
Josh Williams (6’6″ Sr. SF, Trenton (NJ) St. Thomas More) Lanky wing is athletic and will drive to the basket often. He also has some length and doesn’t shy away from contact, and a highlight was one play where he rebounded and then took the ball the length of the floor to finish the break.
Other players who caught our attention:
Kevin Collins (6’2″ Sr. SG, Fort Washington (MD) Friendly HS)
Davere Creighton (6’4″ Jr. SF, Brooklyn (NY) Collegiate HS)
Jamal Custis (6’6″ Sr. SF-PF, Philadelphia (PA) St. John Neumann Goretti)
KeAndre Gibson (5’9″ Sr. PG, Baltimore (MD) Dunbar HS)
Rashan Holloway (6’9″ Sr. PF, Pittsgrove (NJ) Schalik HS)
Sedee Keita (6’9″ So. PF, Philadelphia (PA) Vermont Academy)
C.J. Keyser (6’4″ Jr. SF, Silver Spring (MD) Patterson Mill HS)
Makinde London (6’10” Sr. C, Thompson Station (TN) High)
Jermaine Matthews (6’7″ So. SF-PF, Midlothian (VA) Millwood School)
Evan Maxwell (6’9″ Sr. PF, Clarks Summit (PA) Abington Heights HS)
Markis McDuffie (6’6″ Jr. SF-PF, Paterson (NJ) St. Anthony’s)
Devon Moore (6’3″ Jr. SG, Hanover (PA) Delone Catholic HS)
Terquin Mott, Jr. (6’5″ So. SF, Philadelphia (PA) Life Center Academy)
Lionel Owona (6’8″ Sr. PF, Forest Hill (MD) John Carroll School)
Jared Pearson (6’6″ Sr. SF, Woodbridge (NJ) The Robinson School)
Matthew Rodden (6’6″ Sr. PF, Villanova (PA) Shipley School)
Ismael Sanogo (6’6″ Sr. SF, Newark (NJ) Eastside HS)
Pierre Sarr (6’6″ Jr. SF, West Chester (PA) Westtown School)
Mark Thomas (6’5″ Jr. SF, Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s)
Zach Thomas (6’6″ Sr. SF-PF, Ijamsville (MD) Oakdale HS)
Joshua Townsend (6’5″ So. PF, Philadelphia (PA) Boys Latin HS)
Keon Williams (6’5″ Sr. SF, Ratliff (KY) John Hardin HS)
