Hold’n Court: The HoopGroup Blogs

The National Prep Showcase took place this past weekend at Bryant University in Smithfield, RI.It featured the top prep school teams in the country, along with some top high school programs.Here’s a recap of the action:

St. Thomas More (CT) was led by West Virginia commit Dan Jennings. Jennings is a monster going to the basket, finishing strong at the rim in STM’s two games.  He will need to learn how to pass more effectively out of double teams to be successful at the next level.  Marist signee Anell Alexis also showed vast improvement from when we saw him last at Hoop Group ELITE.  Alexis showcased a very strong mid range game along with hitting a few shots from behind the arc.

Patterson School (NC) proved to be one of the more impressive teams at the event.  Chris Chaney’s squad defeated Notre Dame Prep (MA) 81-56 on Friday, Maine Central Institute (ME) 60-50 on Saturday and South Kent (CT) 53-34 on Sunday.  With the amount of talent on the squad, they have different guys that can look like their best player each game.  Their front line includes Rashanti Harris (Georgia State), Arsalan Kazemi (Rice), Hassan Whiteside (Marshall) and Clarence Trent (Washington).  Harris is well documented as a steal and should be a major impact player in the CAA.  Kazemi is also a great get for Rice.  He is a very good athlete and also possesses a good skill level.  He had one of the more impressive plays of the weekend – blocking a shot on one end then running the floor for a dunk at the other end.  Whiteside has a ton of potential, and again, is a steal for Marshall.  Trent is a high level athlete.  Former Lincoln (NY) point man Vincent Council (Senior All Star at Hoop Group Elite Session 4 this past summer) also played a great floor game throughout the weekend and with very few point guards in the 2009 class still available, expect Council to wind up at the high major level.  Very few guys run a team like he does.

The Bridgton Academy (ME)-Hargrave Military Academy (VA) game on Friday was one of the more competitive games of the weekend.  It was a close game throughout and Hargrave’s Freddie Riley (UMass commit) nailed a turnaround shot at the buzzer to give the Tigers the 75-74 victory.  Unsigned point guard Danny Nieman opened a lot of eyes in this one.  He finished with 13 points and 7 assists and was everything you would want from a lead guard.  Any mid major needing a PG should take a look.

The Winchendon School (MA) pressured Stoneridge Prep (CA) into a ton of turnovers which led to easy baskets for Coach Mike Byrnes’ squad.  It was a balanced effort for Winchendon, with former Hoop Group ELITE All Stars David Imes (Hofstra), Yves Jules (Hofstra), Luis Leao (unsigned) and Jordan Henriquez (Kansas State) all making contributions.  Imes played a strong game and Leao plays with contagious energy and is one of the best leaders out there.  Some Division 1 school will be very happy to sign Leao in the spring.

Northfield Mount Hermon (MA) is going to be one of the more entertaining schools to watch this season.  John Carroll’s squad runs up and down, shoots a ton of three’s and attacks you the entire game.  Louisville signee Mike Marra can take over a game in an instant.  He possesses great range and is one of the best shooters in the country.  Marra is also a great athlete and should thrive at Louisville.  Hector Harold, a junior from California, also stood out.  He is a versatile scorer who ended up with 18 points vs. Fork Union (VA) on Friday night.  Unsigned senior PG Ryan Peters deserves a look from Academic D1’s.

A young St. Andrew’s (RI) squad had a tough time keeping up with Findlay College Prep (more on them later) on Friday night, but Coach Mike Hart has some good young talent led by sophomores Mike Laplante and Mike Carter-Williams.  Laplante is a high level athlete who still needs to develop his skills but has major upside.  Carter-Williams is more polished, showcasing a nice stroke from 3.  The surprise of the weekend was 6’7” junior forward Youri Dascy.  Dascy made some nice moves in the post and used his body very well.  He will start to earn mid major looks this season.

Lee Academy (ME) defeated St. Thomas More 67-61 on Saturday morning and showcased a good young nucleus.  Junior Maxie Esho (UMass commit) leads the way for Lee along with 7-2 junior Steve Sun, 6-7 junior Jason Sun and 6-2 junior combo guard Winston Graham.  Post grad wing Tim Johnson can really score – mid D1 schools should be looking.

Saturday’s Hargrave-Winchendon matchup was one of the more anticipated games of the weekend, but Hargrave was too tough in this one.  Freddie Riley was strong again, catching fire at one point and making 4 3’s in a row.  Indiana commit Maurice Creek was nailing shots from beyond the arc as well.

Notre Dame Prep rebounded from Friday with a 77-52 win over Massanutten Military Academy (VA) on Saturday.  NY native Mohammed Lee was very impressive, finishing with 18 points.  Notre Dame also features an abundance of talent including Hoop Group ELITE All Stars Sean Kilpatrick, Jerry Cummings, Ron Giplaye and Naofall Folohan.

Fork Union (VA) scored an upset on Saturday when they defeated Brewster Academy (NH) 64-45.  FUMA was strong defensively and held Brewster to only 19% from the field.  Brian Cahill nailed a number of big threes and Anthony Ervin showed the ability to score all weekend for Fork Union.

South Kent defeated Stoneridge 60-37 on Saturday.  Wings Omari Lawrence (St. John’s), Kevin Parrom (Xavier) and Mike Burwell (unsigned) are three guys that can really score.  Coach Kelvin Jefferson’s front line might also be one of the deepest in the prep school ranks with Ryan Brooks (Rhode Island), Jackie Carmichael, Aru Kok, Rashad Wright and junior Majok Majok.

The best game of the weekend was the last one I saw on Saturday night, St. Mark’s (MA) vs. Findlay College Prep (NV).  The game featured a ton of high profile players: Findlay’s Avery Bradley (Texas), Cory Joseph, DJ Richardson (Illinois), Carlos Lopez (UNLV) and Victor Rudd and St. Mark’s Erik Murphy (Florida), Nate Lubick (Georgetown), Melsahn Basabe and the debut of freshman Alex Murphy, Erik’s younger brother.

The game was a battle back and forth throughout.  Findlay opened up a double digit lead in the 2^nd half courtesy of Cory Joseph.  Joseph, the younger brother of Minnesota’s Devoe Joseph, caught fire, knocking down shot after shot from the perimeter.  But St. Mark’s wouldn’t die easily.  The inside play of Erik Murphy and Lubick brought St. Mark’s back – Murphy scoring off a few key baseline out of bounds sequences and Lubick with a huge reverse finish.  They could not close the gap the entire way and Findlay ended up with the 80-76 victory.  Bradley proved why he is one of the top guards in the country, consistently hitting from mid range and getting to the basket.  Texas has a great one with him.  Joseph had his coming out party on the national stage and will surely be the target of many high major programs in the next 2 years.  Murphy, Lubick and NJ transplant Dave Johnson (Quinnipiac) were tremendous and I don’t know if there is any high school team in New England better than St. Mark’s.

Overall it was a tremendous event put on by Adam Finkelstein and a great way to kick off the high school and prep school seasons.

Whatever you do this week make sure you don’t miss these games!

UCLA vs Michigan - Thursday 9 PM on ESPN2

2K Sports Classic Coaches vs Cancer game. It should be interesting to see how UCLA bounces back from a near disaster game against Miami-Ohio. Michigan, who has looked solid in year 2 of the John Beilein era, will need a monster game from “light em up” scorer sophomore Manny Harris. UCLA needs to find its rythm to make sure they are ready for a potential big time matchup with Duke in the final.

Kentucky at UNC - Tuesday 9 PM on ESPN

A blowout loss for Kentucky might cause wide spread panic in Bluegrass country. Unfortunately, anything other than that would be shocking considering UK’s play in their season opening loss against VMI. UNC is missing Hansbrough and Ginyard, but they still have considerably more talent and the game is in Chapel Hill.

UMass at Memphis - Tuesday/Wednesday Midnight on ESPN

The country gets their first look at a Roseless and Douglas-Robertsless Memphis team that will still be very talented. Tiger’s freshman Tyreke Evans will look to put up a big time game after opening his career with a 19 point outing. A lost story line will be Derrick Kellogg’s return to Memphis after helping them reach the title game as an assistant last season.

Miami-Ohio at Pittsburgh - Monday 7 PM on ESPN Full Court

If you are a true college basketball junky and have the Full Court package you will enjoy this game. Miami-Ohio gets to prove if they are the real deal or if the UCLA scare was simply a hiccup by the Bruins. Pittsburgh, who many people think has their best shot to finally make the Final 4 in the Howland/Dixon era, has talent at every position and will give the Red Hawks everything they want.

2K Sports Classic Coaches vs Cancer Championship - Friday 7 PM on ESPN 2

Possible UCLA vs Duke matchup would give us the first top 5 matchup of the year. With Duke vs UNC and a slew of possible top 5 Big East matchups this could be the first of many this season. A young and talented UCLA team will try and make a statement against the Blue Devils as they try to continue the Final 4 runs of recent Howland teams. For Duke this game would put them back into the upper echelon of college basketball teams for the first time in 3 seasons.

It’s that time of year again. The leaves are starting to fall off the trees, breath is once again visible in the air, and car windows are starting to ice over in the A.M. All of this can only mean one thing, college basketball season is upon us once again.

It is time for all hoops fans to stop fixating themselves on mediocre Wednesday night NBA games and start focusing on the madness that will be Big East conference play, Missouri Valley mid-major supremacy, freshmen stepping into the spotlight, upperclassmen reestablishing their dominance, an All-American player at a little known school, and every other great moment that will be the 2008-2009 college basketball season.

We at the Hoop Group are bringing you our first ever College Basketball Preview and who better to set the record straight on the 08-09 season than the premiere basketball organization in the game.

Preseason Trios

Players Worth the Price of Admission:
3 guys who make it impossible to change the channel when they are playing
James Harden – Arizona St.
Harden is arguably the most explosive player in the country. Arizona St. will use him in a “Lebron James” type role with the ball going through his hands on nearly every possession.

Blake Griffin – Oklahoma
A player who could have been a lottery pick had he exited last season will now be one of the premiere players in the country. Just as likely to show off a fundamental post move as he is to throw down a vicious dunk in transition, Griffin will never disappoint if you tune in to an Oklahoma game.

Stephen Curry – Davidson
As shown in his incredible stretch of NCAA tourney games last year, Curry can score the ball with the best of them. This year with the ball in his hands and playing a conference schedule full of lightweights, Curry could go off for 50 on any given night and you better not miss it.

It’s All About Production:
3 guys who might not be flashy, but all they do is put up numbers

Tyler Hansbrough – UNC
This is ultimate production guy. Since the day he set foot on campus this guy has just put up digits. If he is healthy you can count on Tyler for 20 and 10 a night, no questions asked.

Luke Harangody – Notre Dame
A year ago you would have thought us crazy if we had included “Gody” in this list, now he is a no brainer. That can happen when you average 20 ppg and 10 rpg in 29 minutes. As a sophomore he was hands down the Player of the Year in the Big East as night in and night out he didn’t provide many flashy plays, but he always provided results.

Chase Budinger – Arizona
With a mass exodus occurring amongst players and recruits at Arizona after the Lute Olson debacle, Chase Budinger still remains. Write off Arizona all you want but Mr. Budinger will be sure to produce every night he is on the court. While he shows flashes of style every once in a while with his electric athleticism, Budinger’s normal basket comes off high basketball IQ plays.

Lead the Way
3 guys that know how to lead their teams from the point guard position

Darren Collison – UCLA
All Collison has done is played in 3 Final Fours in his first 3 years at UCLA, the latter two being teams that he led there. Collison does it all, he directs traffic on the offensive end, locks down opposing guards on the defensive end and knows how to make big shots in big moments. There is nobody in the country you would rather give the ball to with the game on the line.

Ty Lawson – UNC
The jet quick Lawson (Hoop Group alumni) is the one irreplaceable cog in the locomotive that is UNC. His ability to push the tempo of the game and never allow defenses to relax is what makes UNC go. Roy Williams’ best teams have been when he has had special PGs (Jacque Vaughn, Aaron Miles and Kirk Hinrich, Raymond Felton) and Lawson might be the best he has ever had. No point man in the country runs their system better than Ty Lawson.

Eric Maynor – VCU
While he might not be one of the bigger names at the position there might not be any player in the country more valuable to their team than Maynor. He puts up the numbers (17 ppg 6 apg), he is a consummate leader, and he has guts at the end of the game (remember the first round game winner against the Dukies in 07). He might not be at a big time school but almost everyone of those programs would replace their lead guard with Maynor in a second.

Does the Glass Slipper Fit?
3 potential Cinderella stories come March

Siena
Insider’s Opinion (Hoop Group Team Tournament Director Steve Ott was the Director of Basketball Operations at Siena last season and knows this team as well as anyone)
“The Saints have one of the most underrated coaches in the country in Fran McCaffery who has assembled supreme talent. They are led by 3 preseason First Team All MAAC Players that include Edwin Ubiles, Alexander Franklin, and Pre-season player of the year Kenny Hasbrouck. Surround them with underrated point guard Ronald Moore (2.5 assists for every turnover), center Josh “Big Shot” Duell, and a bench that could compete by itself in the MAAC, and this is an excellent and deep squad. Coach McCaffery will have to keep the Saints hungry and humble and has put together a non-conference schedule that will do just that. Come March this team will be battle-tested and ready for a run.”

Cleveland State
The Vikings return most of the team that challenged Butler for the Horizon League title last season. They have 8 guys back, including J’Nathan Bullock (career 1,000 pts and 500 rebounds) and former St. John’s transfer Cedric Jackson. If Gary Waters’ team goes dancing don’t be surprised if they find themselves doing it for a couple weekends.

St. Mary’s
The Gaels return 2008 WCC Player of the Year Diamon Simpson and he might not even be the best player on his own team. Sophomore Patrick Mills, who had a great summer with the Australian national team in the Olympics, will be a top 3 point guard in the country. Add in big guy Omar Samhan and versatile forward Ian O’Leary and St. Mary’s has a team that could make some big noise come March.

Final Four Shockers:
3 teams that could surprise the college basketball world with a deep tournament run

Wake Forest
Returning a crop of sophomores and juniors that had a turn around year last season, the Demon Deacons will add in one of the top recruiting classes in the nation featuring game changer Al-Farouq Aminu. If sophomores Jeff Teague and James Johnson take the next step and the freshmen class comes along Wake is a scary team come tourney time.

Marquette
With the best three guard tandem in the nation, all with 3 years of experience, this is a team that could get hot at the right time. Their success will depend on the development of Lazar Hayward and the frontcourt. If the bigs can give the guards some support Marquette can hang with anyone in the country.

Syracuse
With a top tier point guard in Johnny Flynn, two knock down shooters in Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins, an athletic/versatile wing who can play inside and out in Paul Harris, a bruising big guy that will give you a double-double every night in Arinze Onuaku, an energetic and talented freshman in Mookie Jones and a cast of role players who do the little things, Syracuse has a shot to put all the pieces together and have something real nice come out. Orange fans just hope it resembles 2003.

All-Hoop Group Team:
Team of current college players that are Hoop Group alumni

Starters:

G: Ty Lawson - UNC
G: James Harden – Arizona St.
C: Patrick Patterson – Kentucky
F: Earl Clark - Louisville
F: DeJuan Blair – Pittsburgh

Bench:

Sam Young – Pittsburgh
Wayne Ellington – UNC
Johnny Flynn – Syracuse
Tyreke Evans – Memphis
Damion James – Texas
Jeff Adrien – UConn
AJ Price - UConn

I think we can all agree the Hoop Group college basketball team would run away with the national title but since it can’t happen we will just have to figure out who will win the title in Detroit in 2009.

Hoop Group Staff Final 4 Picks:

Rob Kennedy – President
UNC, Duke, Louisville, Pitt
National Champ: UNC

Steve Keller – National Recruiting Report
UNC, Louisville, Pitt, Tennessee
National Champ: UNC

Brad Wachtel – Director of Operations
UNC, UConn, Louisville, Marquette
National Champ: UNC

Mike Farrelly – Director of Hoop Group Elite
UCLA, Louisville, Gonzaga, St. Joseph’s
National Champ: UCLA

Chris Zupko – Director of Hoop Group Elite
Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, UCLA, UConn
National Champ: Pittsburgh

Adam Turner – Director of Hoop Group Skills Camp
UNC, UCLA, Michigan St, Gonzaga
National Champ: UNC

Larry Sharp – Director of Hoop Group Skills Camp
UNC, Notre Dame, UConn, Michigan St
National Champ: UNC

Steve Ott – Director of Team Events
UNC, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Siena
National Champ: Louisville

Joe Stein – Hoop Group Headquarters Team Events Director
UNC, Purdue, Louisville, Tennessee
National Champ: Louisville

Dan Rose – Hoop Group Headquarters Facility Director
UNC, Duke, UConn, Louisville
National Champ: Duke

Jay Gomes – NJ Hoops
Louisville, UNC, UConn, Duke
National Champ: Louisville - With NJ Hoopers the versatile Earl Clark (NJ Hoops #3 in Class of 2006) and the dominant freshman Samardo Samuels (NJ Hoops #1 Class of 2008) leading the way.

Matt Keefe – Special Projects Manager
Oklahoma, UNC, Pittsburgh, UConn
National Champ: Pittsburgh

That is how we see it! Let us know if you agree, disagree or want to add anything on.

Also, make sure and check out Brad Wachtel’s “Facts and Bracks” exclusively on hoopgroup.com starting in December for all your bracketology needs. Every week the “Facts and Bracks” will tell you who is in and who is out of the NCAA tournament with more accuracy than anyone else on the web.
Brad Wachtel was the most accurate bracketologist in the country in 2008, picking 65 of 65 tournament teams correct, 38 of them exact seeds, 19 off by 1 seed, seven off by 2 seeds, and one off by 3 seeds.

It normally takes some time for NBA Rookies to adjust to the league before looking comfortable and having an impact.  But for three Hoop Group alums, their NBA careers have taken right off.

Memphis’ OJ Mayo is off to a fantastic start, averaging over 20 points per game.  He has already had two games with over 30 points and is shooting a blistering 43% from 3.  He looks just like he did when he was lighting up Hoop Group Jam Fests just a few summers ago.  Mayo has the look of a future NBA All Star.

Miami’s Michael Beasley had one of the greatest freshman seasons in the history of college basketball last year at Kansas State.  With the Heat, he has played a great second fiddle to Dwyane Wade.  He is currently averaging 17.5 points and nearly 6 boards per contest.  He has shown the ability to score in a multitude of ways and has impressed with great range on his jumper.

Sacramento’s Jason Thompson has been one of the bigger surprises in the NBA this year.  He is averaging 11.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and shooting 59% from the field.  Thompson has been so good for the Kings that they are using him at all three frontcourt positions - last night he played extended minutes at small forward along with bigs Spencer Hawes and Brad Miller.  Thompson may not have received the attention he deserved in high school at Lenape HS, as a camper at Hoop Group Elite or at Rider the last four years, but he is certainly getting that attention now.

To check out all of the Hoop Group alums currently in the NBA, click the following link:

http://www.hoopgroup.com/hoopgroup/alumni.php