Hoop Group will be providing daily online coverage of Elite camps in the form of “live blogs,” recognizing outstanding achievements at camp, and keeping you informed of all the latest Hoop Group Elite happenings.
In these live blogs, Hoop Group staff will note camp standouts, spectacular plays, college coaches in attendance, and more. While the bulk of updates will be text entries from HoopGroup.com writers, keep an eye out for video highlights and interviews, quotes from players, exclusive photos, Twitter updates, and more.
9:28 PM- Sorry about that, folks. Our server bumped out for a little while but we’re back for the final game set of the night. We apologize for any inconvenience hope that the technical difficulties are over for good.
7:41 PM- Tomorrow is the final day of Elite III, meaning that playoff action will be going on throughout the day, with award winners and all-star rosters being announced at the conclusion of camp. All award winners–along with all-star game rosters and recaps–will be recognized at a ceremony in Bollman Center, and a full list of the awards will be posted online tomorrow. –@Edgar_Walker
7:03 PM- The thunder outside is rattling Bollman Center, but games are going on as planned here in the Albright College gymnasium. Brandon Green (C.H. Flowers / Springdale, MD) has shown off his speed and explosiveness in the open court during this game block. Luke O’Shaughnessy (Christian Brothers / Lincroft, NJ) has also impressed, playing a solid floor game and making the extra pass for his team. –@Edgar_Walker
6:08 PM- Players are returning from dinner, where most are trying to eat healthy. Could this tweet be one of the top five for the day?
Ate a caesar salad at Peg’s cafe at @TheHoopGroup. So many healthy choices here. Gotta eat well to play well #BeElite
— James Arca (@TheRealArca9) July 26, 2012
See yesterday’s top five #BeElite tweets here.
5:37 PM- Lucas Shapiro (@lucashapiro) is putting together a video right now where he asks players and Hoop Group staff whether the 2012 U.S. Basketball Olympic team is better than the famous 1992 “Dream Team.” While there have been a few supporters of this year’s squad, the overwhelming majority of responses have favored the 1992 squad, which featured the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and more. What our your thoughts? Get in touch with us on Twitter (@TheHoopGroup) to weigh in!
5:04 PM- We touched on rising sophomore big man Sylvester Ogbonda (National Christian Academy / Fort Washington, MD) on the first night, noticing his 6-10 frame and upside. Now, on Day Three, Ogbonda looks much improved, playing with confidence and authority in the paint. –@Edgar_Walker
4:40 PM- Team 3 went up early, but Tyler Bernath (Toms River North / Toms River, NJ) is trying to lead his Team 20 back in contention. The rising senior is clearly playing hurt with a taped thumb, but knows there are college coaches watching to impress. At 6-foot-6 he’s had a play at most rebounds, and even hit a three-pointer from about 23 feet out to showoff his range. –@CraigManfra
3:58 PM- Point guard Hanif Sutton (Neumann-Goretti / Philadelphia, PA) is running the show for Team 16, making quick, crisp passes and being vocal on the defensive end. Versatile forward Gavin McTavish (South Carroll / Sykesville, MD) is finishing well when Sutton gets him the ball, showing off a nice mid-range jumper. McTavish is 6-6 and can bang around inside, but displays ample skills on the wing as well. –@Edgar_Walker
3:10 PM- Rising senior Donald Mapes (Kingston / Kingston, NY) has been playing well for Team 8, impressing with his versatility and finishing ability in transition. Mapes has good bounce and high-end straightaway speed. Team 8 point guard Clay Conner (Oakdale / Frederick, MD) is playing excellent defense, staying low to the ground and containing opposing ball handlers. –@Edgar_Walker
2:14 PM- We’re now moving away from controlled scrimmages and back into regular four-quarter game play, beginning with the 2:20 game block. Rising senior point guard Ricky Holliday (Bound Brook / Bound Brook, N.J.) has flashed his speed and quickness this afternoon, and has teamed up with backcourt mate Johnnie Shuler (Theodore Roosevelt / Washington, DC) to give Team 17 a great one-two punch. Holliday and Shuler are wreaking havoc on opposing defenders as they push the pace in transition and gain penetration into the lane in a half-court setting. –@Edgar_Walker
1:29 PM- P.J. Kineavy (Point Pleasant Beach / Point Pleasant, N.J.) was a top performer at Team Camp earlier this month, averaging 16.6 points per game as Point Pleasant Beach went on to win the American Division championship (camp-wide scoring stats here). Kineavy is back for Elite III, and showing off the same skills as he did with his high school team. The rising senior guard is a dangerous scorer from outside the arc, and although his jumper is somewhat unorthodox, he knocks down threes at a high rate. –@Edgar_Walker
12:35 PM- Grayson (Ga.) wing Devin Ray played well in an early afternoon controlled scrimmage. The 6-foot-3 rising senior was capable of taking the ball to the hole and finishing with either hand. Also his long reach helped him pull down several defensive rebounds and his direction of teammates on the court, even without possession of the ball, seemed to highlight his leadership abilities. –@pfebbraro
12:20 PM- A big part of Elite III is the Fab Frosh/Super Soph camp which operates as a younger league in the camp. Basically, “FF/SS” draws high-level underclassmen looking to get a leg up on the competition as they prepare for their high school Varsity teams. The younger players take advantage of the instruction offered at Hoop Group Elite, and also kick-start the recruiting process by playing in front of college coaches during a live evaluation period. As we noted several times yesterday, the talent level at FF/SS is high in this session, with many rising sophomores already significant contributors at the Varsity level.–@Edgar_Walker
11:51 AM- Did you miss our videos from Summer Classic East and Summer Jam Fest? No worries, we re-posted them on the blog. See the mixtape from the tournaments and a few memorable highlights here.
11:34 AM- Rising senior Leo Vincent (Bensalem HS / Bensalem, PA) is a wily combo guard who has incredible court vision, as he has consistently led his teammates perfectly with half-court fast break passes. He’s also been showing an ability to be aggressive in the paint, by starting most of these fast breaks with a much earned rebound. He has the ability to score but with some work at moving away from the ball he’ll be a real double threat. –@CraigManfra
10:37 AM- His mohawk is the first thing that attracts attention, but Ray Mohring (Houstanic / Falls Village, CT) also has a solid all-around game. He has a quick, strong first step that helps him get into the lane often, and he does a good job of staying in front of opposing guards. In addition, he’s a threat from deep, showing good rotation and form on his jumper. –@Edgar_Walker
10:06 AM- The first game set of controlled scrimmages (see below for details) is set to tip off in a few minutes. A great benefit of controlled scrimmages is the fact that they prevent possible blowout situations. By resetting the score each quarter, a sense of urgency is always present for the players. During blowouts, players tend to get lazy and not play their hardest. With controlled scrimmages, players play hard throughout, which pays dividends in terms of development and commanding the attention of college coaches in attendance. –@Edgar_Walker
10:20 AM – The day’s games have started and the boys are coming out of the gates strong. On court 3 we have a NBA match up of Team #4 vs. #12 and 2013 Marquis Perry (Lenape HS / Medford, NJ) has been putting on an aerobatic show with his creative drives. The 6-foot guard has been fooling his defender with serious handle and then driving hard to the hoop where the defense has crashed on him but repeatedly he’s altered his shot mid-air to finish the basket. The guy is making it look easy with his athleticism. –@CraigManfra
9:40 AM- Just a quick reminder that Hoop Group is putting on the inaugural Buzzer Beater Classic this weekend at Basketball City in New York, NY. Buzzer Beater is poised to be a big-time event, and you can check out the Buzzer Beater homepage for all the details.
8:45AM- Players are working on the fundamentals of their game now in various stations. Each of the 16 mini workouts are designed to focus on one of the “building blocks” of being a great all around player, and serve as a great warm up for the full schedule players have ahead of them.
Each team will play a controlled scrimmage today as part of a requirement for all NCAA Certified Camps. Each quarter is scored as its own game, with the winning team of each quarter earning one point. These scrimmages still count as regular season games for camp standings, so it will be great to see teams getting after it in the hunt for a playoff position. – @Ashley_OnSports
8:18 AM- Yesterday’s outstanding performers have been released. Read about some of the players who turned heads with their Day Two performances.
8:01 AM- We’re ready for another day of Hoop Group Elite here at Albright College. Today is the third day of Elite Session 3, and will be a popular day for college coaches to come out and scout prospective student-athletes. Stick with us for more updates throughout the day.–@Edgar_Walker
Follow our digital media team on Twitter for more updates throughout the day:
- Hoop Group (@TheHoopGroup)
- Dan Martin (@DanielJMartin_)
- Lucas Shapiro (@lucashapiro)
- Ashley Biddle (@Ashley_OnSports)
- Craig Manfra (@CraigManfra)
- Peter Febbraro (@PFebbraro)
- Edgar Walker (@Edgar_Walker)
- Dave Krupinski (@DaveKrupinski)
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