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Spiece (IN) vs. King James Shooting Stars (OH)
D’Vante Smith-Rivera (6-3, 205, #28 Prospect 2012, Spiece) – Built like a linebacker. Great shooter. High scoring guard. Likely a SG at the next level.

Kellen Dunham (6-4, 175, #23 SG 2012, Spiece) – Lanky, slender guard committed to Butler. Great shooter. Fits perfectly into Butler system. 21 pts.

Aaron Hammons (7-0, 260, #53 Prospect 2012, Spiece) – Good touch around the basket. Is a little soft for his size and needs to improve quickness. High ceiling though.

Bryson Scott (6-0, 170, #40 Prospect 2013, Spiece) – Has a twin, Brenton, on team. Bryson is committed to Purdue. Great all around game. Good defender, passer and scorer. Finished with 27 pts.

Alabama Challenge (AL) vs. CIA Bounce (CAN)
Negus Webster-Chan (6-7, 185, #68 Prospect 2012, CIA) – Had off game. Didn’t score. Looked like a solid athlete.

Sim Bhullar (7-5, 300, #17 C 2012, CIA) – A mountain of a man. As you can imagine, he is on the slow side but altered almost every shot that came in the paint. Played more minutes than I expected. Committed to Xavier.

Anthony Bennett (6-8, 220, #85 Prospect 2012, CIA) – Bennett has been playing very well in the league so far. Big, physical forward who dunks anything in sight. Finshed with 13 and 10.

New York Gauchos (NY) vs. Georgia Stars (GA)
Omar Calhoun (6-3, 185, #56 Prospect 2012, Gauchos) – High scoring SG. Can score from both inside and out. Finished with 27 pts. 

Alex Poythress (6-7, 215, #25 Prospect 2012, Stars) – One of my favorite players to watch in this class. So rangy and athletic. Rebounds very well. Can bring the ball up if needed. Had two consecutive possessions where he was isolated with his defender, drove baseline and finished with a two handed dunk over the defender.

Tony Parker (6-9, 275, #14 Prospect 2012, Stars) – Played better and harder than he did at the Real Deal. Finished with 20 and 11. Can be close to impossible to stop when motivated.

Other Players Watched This Weekend
I didn’t necessarily get to watch full games of the following players but checked out a few minutes where I could.

Jarnell Stokes (6-8, 250, #23 Prospect 2012, Memphis YOMCA) – Simply put, he’s a man. Works harder than anyone on the court. Not the flashiest game but consistent. I like the comparisons to Corliss Williamson.

Ricardo Gathers (6-7, 240, #27 Prospect 2012, Louisiana Select) – Similar to Stokes. Just a beast inside. I wouldn’t take a charge from him.

Nerlens Noel (6-10, 210, #3 Prospect 2013, BABC) – The sky is the limit for Noel. Very tall and athletic. Great defender. Needs to add some weight.

Rodney Purvis (6-4, 185, #10 Prospect 2012, CP3) – Purvis plays a lot of PG but I still don’t think he will at the next level. His game is similar to Archie Goodwin. Excellent in transition and getting to the rim but inconsistent jumper.

Willie Cauley (6-11, 210, #46 Prospect 2012, MoKan Elite) – Tall, athletic C. Runs the floor very well. Great shot blocker and rebounder. Raw offensive game.

Metro Hawks (NY) vs. Mac Irvin Fire (IL)
Jabari Parker (6-7, 210, #2 Prospect 2013, Mac Irvin) – The #2 prospect in the class of 2013. Nice ball handling skills for his size. Lots of juking but didn’t always get him anywhere. Plays from the outside in. Scored mostly in paint but has good outside game. Already has body to play in college. 17 pts.

Billy Garrett Jr. (6-3, 165, #49 Prospect 2013, Mac Irvin) – Smart PG. Doesn’t force anything. Committed to DePaul already.

Steve Taylor (6-7, 175, #89 Prospect 2013, Mac Irvin) – Great athlete and finisher. Needs to work on outside shot. Only made 2 of 9 threes. Excels in transition.

Playaz Basketball Club (NJ) vs. Boo Williams (VA)
Anthony Barber (6-2, 165, #48 Prospect 2013, Boo Williams) – Played an outstanding game. Finished with 25 pts. Shot the ball extremely well off the dribble.

Troy Williams (6-6, 190, #19 Prospect 2013, Boo Williams) – Explosive, athletic wing. Showed good shooting skills as well. Finished with 22 pts.

Kyle Anderson (6-7, 210, #24 Prospect 2012, Playaz) – Anderson is a nightmare matchup at PG. Can post up any other guard he plays against. He has trouble guarding other PGs as he’s not as quick, but could move off and guard another position if needed. Tall enough to see over the defense and find the open man. Can raise up and shoot over anyone.

Myles Davis (6-3, 190, #36 SG 2012, Playaz) – Davis had a great weekend. Not a true PG and a little small for a SG, but excellent shooter and scorer.

Savon Goodman (6-6, 190, #30 Prospect 2012, Playaz) – Strong bodied, athletic wing. Good rebounder. Finishes well around the rim. Needs to work on outside offensive game. Had 12 and 10 this game.

Houston Hoops (TX) vs. California Supreme (CA)
Grant Jerrett (6-8, 200, #6 Prospect 2012, California Supreme) – Watched him at the Real Deal as well. Shows great touch around the basket, good shooter, long arms. Not an elite athlete. Needs to get more physical down low.

Rasheed Sulaimon (6-3, 175, #17 Prospect 2012, Houston) – Houston is loaded at the guard position. Rasheed is more of a 2 guard but can play point. He and Reese are the best scorers on the team. Shows versatile game. Can go inside and out. Finished with 18. Committed to Duke.

J-Mychal Reese (6-1, 170, #41 Prospect 2012, Houston) – Another high scoring guard. Like Rasheed, can score both from outside and getting to the rim. A little more of a true PG than Rasheed. Finished with 17 and 7 assists.

Brian Bridgewater  (6-5, 230, #49 Prospect 2013, Houston) – He looked taller on the court, so I was surprised to see him listed at 6-5. If he gets to around the 6-8 range, he will be one of the more highly recruited PFs in the country next year. Built like a football player. Plays strong inside. 11 pts 8 rebs.

LJ Rose (6-3, 180, #20 Prospect 2012, Houston) – Rose is the most pure PG on the team. Didn’t score in this game but had 10 assists. Doesn’t have great explosiveness, but another smart PG that can use his large frame at the position.

My son and I traveled to Dallas on Friday to attend the 2nd session of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (http://www.nikeeliteyouthbasketballleague.com). The league features the top Nike travel teams from across the country and culminates at the Nike Peach Jam in July.  I didn’t get to watch every team but tried to watch as many top players as possible. Player rankings below are from ESPN.

Albany City Rocks (NY) vs. Mean Streets (IL)
Ricardo Ledo (6-6, 180, #11 Prospect 2012, Albany City Rocks) – Extremely smooth wing player. Could play the 2 or 3 spot. Creates his own shot off the dribble. Probably the best pure scorer I saw all weekend. Finished game with 24 pts.

DaJuan Coleman (6-10, 280, #2 Prospect 2012, Albany City Rocks) – Didn’t score a ton in this game or the other moments I watched him, but the AAU games don’t always favor the pure post player. Huge, wide body kid. He looked to be in much better shape than previous photos and reports of him. Very active shot blocker and strong rebounder. Will need to work on stepping out and hitting the mid range shots but will be a force on the low block.

Oakland Soldiers (CA) vs. Charlotte Royals (NC)
Tyree Robinson (6-3, 190, #11 Prospect 2013, Oakland Soliders) – Very athletic and powerful SG especially for a 2013 prospect. Good scorer and shooter.

Tyrell Robinson (6-3, 190, Oakland Soliders) – Twin brother of Tyree. Same athletic ability but not as dangerous a scorer.

Brandon Ashley (6-8, 210, #7 Prospect 2012, Oakland Soliders) – Smooth forward. Not real  powerful. A little thin but lots of finesse. Good length and blocks several shots.

Jabari Bird (6-6, 190, #41 Prospect 2013, Oakland Soliders) – Another smooth SG or SF. Very good scorer. Good body and strength for 2013 prospect. This team will be even more loaded next year. Should receive a boost in his rating if he continues playing as well as he did here.

All Iowa Attack (IA) vs. Arkansas Wings Elite (AR)
Archie Goodwin (6-5, 180, #16 Prospect 2012, Arkansas Wings) – Have seen Archie play multiple times and he had his typical game. There isn’t a more explosive finisher in the class of 2012. He can get to the rim at will. He sometimes forces his shot when he gets there, but draws a lot of fouls on his way in. Him jumper has to get more consistent. Had a few highlight reel dunks in this game. Finished with 30 pts.

Jalen Jackson (6-6, 190,  2012, Arkansas Wings) – Athletic wing, long arms and showed improved offensive game. Finished game with 16 pts. Would fit well into Mike Anderson’s system.

Dusty Hannahs (6-3, 200,  2012, Arkansas Wings) – Outstanding shooter. His range is when he crosses mid-court. Stocky build so he doesn’t get pushed around but has trouble staying in front of other, quick guards.

Dayshawn Watkins (6-0, 170, 2013, Arkansas Wings) – Ran the point for the Wings. My first time seeing him and I was impressed with his ball handling skills and shooting. Should be a solid mid major recruit next year.

Moses Kingsley (6-9, 190, 2013, Arkansas Wings) – Good athleticism and length and solid defender but he has to work on his offensive game. He was basically the only true post player for the Wings and had trouble matching up with the much bigger All Iowa team.

Marcus Paige (6-1, 160, #21 Prospect 2012, All Iowa) – Watching him in warm ups, I thought he looked too thin and small, not a great athlete and may be a bit overrated. My mind changed once the game started. Lefty PG who plays mature beyond his years. Very intelligent. Can create own shot, pull up off dribble or get to the hole where he excels in dishing off or finishing himself. Committed to North Carolina. Still needs to gain a little weight, but will be a factor from the year he steps on campus.

Adam Woodbury(6-11, 220, #19 C, All Iowa) – Fundamentally sound C. The Wings had no one to match up with him. I’d like to see him against better post competition, but I was impressed with his ability to finish around the basket. Benefited from having two great PGs to get him the ball.

Mike Gesell (6-1, 185, #18 PG 2012, All Iowa) – When he and Paige are on the floor at the same time, you have two of the better ball handling, more intelligent players in the class of 2012. Didn’t have a great shooting game but you can tell it’s there. Strong and physical at the PG position.

Top 5 Players

1. Jarnell Stokes – Memphis YOMCA
2. Shabazz Muhammad – Dream Vision
3. Gabe York – Compton Magic
4. Isaiah Austin – Compton Magic
5. Kaleb Tarczewski – New England Playaz

Top 3 Guards

1. Shabazz Muhammad – Dream Vision
2. Gabe York – Compton Magic
3. Rodney Purvis – CP3

Top 3 Forwards

1. Jarnell Stokes – Memphis YOMCA
2. Shaquille Goodwin – Atlanta Celtics
3. Alex Poythress – Georgia Stars

Top 3 Centers

1. Isaiah Austin – Compton Magic
2. Kaleb Tarczewski – New England Playaz
3. Andre Drummond – Connecticut Basketball Club

Best Shooter – Gabe York (Compton Magic)

Best Dunker – JP Tokoto (Wisconsin Playground Warriors)

Most Talented Team – Atlanta Celtics

I didn’t make it back until the semi-final games. Thanks to my water heater, I was preoccupied this morning.

Semi Final matchups are Southern Select vs. Memphis YOMCA and Connecticut Basketball Club vs. New England Playaz

CBC vs New England Playaz
This game featured a showdown of two of the best centers in the nation. Andre Drummond vs Kaleb Tarczewski. Was hoping it would be an inside battle but the game really came down to the guards. Alex Murphy finished with 8 but most of those came at the end on breakaways. Kaleb had 12 and Andre had 9, but it was really a stalemate between the two. New England won and advanced to the finals to play Memphis YOMCA.

Memphis YOMCA vs New England Playaz
Championship game. Tarczewski was really bothered by the strength of Jarnell Stokes inside. He only had two points. Murphy finished with 8. Stokes was a beast all tournament and that continued in the finals. He had 18 points and double digit rebounds. Tarczewski was able to block a few of his shots, but that will happen with any player going against him. The game went down to the wire with Memphis hitting a 3 with a couple seconds left to take home the title. Stokes was named tournament MVP.

Top 3 Players today
1. Jarnell Stokes
2. Andre Drummond
3. Kaleb Tarczewski

Tournament play has begun. Headed over to JA Fair High School to catch a couple of games.

Georgia Stars vs Tulsa Elite
The Stars are led by top 40 PF Alex Poythress. The Razorbacks are after Poythress heavy and he seems to fit the Mike Anderson system better than Ricardo Gathers and Perry Ellis. He’s a longer, rangier PF. Not the wide body of Jarnell Stokes or Gathers, but he isn’t too skinny by any means. Had a couple of big dunks to go along with a couple of threes. Finished with 19 points. 6’6″ PG Montay Brandon has a nice game as well. Tall and rangy PG but still enough quickness to stay in front of smaller guards. The Stars advanced with an easy win.

Connecticut Basketball Club vs Clutch Players
CBC is led by #1 player Andre Drummond. Drummond played better in this game than the first time I saw him and finished with 17 points. He didn’t dominate as expected, but he shows flashes of brilliance that show you why he is considered the #1 prospect. CBC won easily.

Moved over to LR Hall HS to catch the last games of the night.

ATL Xpress vs Midstate Ballerz East
ATL Xpress features top 50 C Robert Carter. Carter showed off some nice post moves and runs the floor extremely hard even though he doesn’t have the natural athleticism of other players.  PF Chris Walker also played well this game and weekend and will turn into a highly recruited prospect throughout the summer. ATL Xpress advanced to the next round.

Dream Vision vs Team Nashville
I caught the final 10 minutes of this game. Shabazz Muhammad is an unbelievable talent and hard for anyone to guard. Dream Vision pulled out the win.

New England Playaz vs Kansas City Keys
Alex Murphy and Kaleb Tarczewsk led the Playaz to the win. Tarczewsk didn’t dominate like he did in his first game, but had a solid outing. The Playaz were bothered some by the speed and quickness of the Keys. Murphy had several transition baskets and can knock down the outside shot. He didn’t show much of a mid-range game, but I think it’s there. He just didn’t have to showcase it today.

Southern Select vs Southern Phenoms
Just caught the tail end of this game. Devonta Pollard (6’7″ SF) had a great weekend and I was hoping to catch more of him. I only got to watch for a few minutes, so no scouting report. Southern Select advanced on to the next round.

Top 3 Players this evening
1. Shabazz Muhammad
2. Alex Poythress
3. Kaleb Tarczewsk

Kansas Players vs Team Philly
Team Philly is without Amile Jefferson this weekend but still a solid team. PG, Maurice Watson, showed great ball handling and passing skills. He was able to get to the hole several times and either score or dish off.  The Players were led by Perry Ellis, but he struggled offensively this morning. When he has the ball, he is a terror and looks to get to the rim, but he had trouble finishing and didn’t move much without the ball. Team Philly won by around 10.

Belmont Shore vs Memphis YOMCA
Belmont Shore is led by top 10 talent Grant Jarret who is committed to Arizona. He’s thin and has decent athleticism, but is highly skilled. Can step out and hit the three, which at his size at 6’10″, makes him a tough match up. He finished with 10. Fellow Arizona commit Eric Cooper also impressed with his ball handling skills and ability to step back and hit the three off the dribble. Arizona is getting two really good players. Memphis YOMCA pulled out the win at the end behind Jarnell Stokes. Stokes is a beast inside and finished with 21 points by my calculations. He is a double-double every night. Martavius Newby had a nice game as well. Good size and strength for a SG.

CP3 All Stars vs M33M Elite
CP3 featured a trio of highly regarded guards in Rodney Purvis (Louisville commit), Madison Jones and Reggie Dillard. Purvis is excellent in the open floor and getting to the rim. He needs to work on his outside shot and shooting off the pass.  Jones is a little thin for the SG position, but possesses excellent speed and quickness. He was able to penetrate several times. Reggie Dillard has good size for a SG and showed excellent range. Both Jones and Dillard should be make solid college players.

Brandon Bass Elite vs Team Power
Team Power put on a good performance and kept the game interesting down to the wire, but Brandon Bass Elite pulled out the victory. BBE features top 40 PF Ricardo Gathers. Gathers has excellent strength and was able to drive to the rim against the thinner Team Power.  He had a nice touch on his free throws but strugged some beyond the 8ft range with his jump shot. Great rebounder.  Dwayne Benjamin (BBE) is a name to watch out for in the future. At 6’7″, he is a great athlete and had several highlight reel dunks in the first few minutes. Had several nice passes but needs to work on his outside shot. 2013 6’7″ forward Jarell Martin also had a nice game. He’s thin but very rangy and can hit the outside shot.

Atlanta Celtics vs Compton Magic
This had the appearance of an NBA All Star Game. The Atlanta Celtics are absolutely loaded with talent that includes SG Jordon Adams, PF Shaquille Goodwin, SF Damien Wilson, C Tony Parker and SG Solomon Poole. Poole and Goodwin put on a show before the game even started with their acrobatic dunks. Adams is a phenomenal shooter and finished with 20 points. Shaquille Goodwin is about 6’8″ and very rangy. He hit several threes and had a few dunks and showed everything in between. Finished with 23 points. Damien Wilson is a great athlete…needs to work on outside shot. Can block shots and rebound well for a SF. He finished with 10 points. Tony Parker is a bull inside. Very wide body and he knows how to use it. Showed solid post moves. Finished with 7 points.  Poole is a little small for a SG, but can absolutely fly. Needs to work on his overall offensive game. Finished with 5 points.

One of my favorite players to watch over the last two years is Compton Magic SG Gabe York. He’s not the highest rated kid here but is one of the best scorers and overall best basketball players in the country. At 6’5″, he has good size, excellent shooting ability, can create his own shot, and can get to the rim and finish. He poured in 28 points today. Top 5 prospect Isaiah Austin showed why he is so highly rated. There is no one in the country that has as much potential as Austin. At 7’0″, he can play almost any position and even brought the ball down the court a few times. His one weakness is his wiry frame. He ends up on the ground a lot because of it, but once he fills out, the sky is the limit. He had 18 points in the game. Top football prospect Arik Armstead  is a load inside. Not a great offensive threat, but can rebound and clog the lane very well. PG Nino Jackson is also playing with the Compton Magic this summer. With an offer from Kansas already, he showed great ball handling skills and passing ability. In a weak PG class of 2012, he is one of the best.

The game went to overtime with the Atlanta Celtics pulling it out.

That concluded pool play for the Real Deal. Tournament play starts this afternoon.

Top 3 Players from this morning
1. Gabe York
2. Jarnell Stokes
3. Isaiah Austin / Shaquille Goodwin

The first day of the Real Deal in the Rock kicked off with a locally televised match up between the Connecticut Basketball Club vs. Dream Vision.  CBC featured the widely considered #1 prospect in the class of 2012, Andre Drummond. Dream Vision has a host of top 100 players led by Shabazz Muhammad, Winston Shepard and Robert Upshaw. Drummond only had 4 points at the half and suffered from foul trouble. Even though it wasn’t a real productive game for him, you can see that he exudes talent. At 6’10″, he is very athletic and fundamentally sound. Solid post moves and a good size body that should be able to step right into college and make a difference. He rebounds with authority as well. CBC’s overall talent level was below Dream Vision and it showed during the 2nd half when Dream Vision ran away with the game. Shabazz Muhammad was the most impressive player during the game. He had 16 pts early in the 2nd half before I stepped away for the next game. He is a very smooth lefty with good athleticism. He will be an impact player right away in college. Winston Shepard is very raw and needs to work on his offensive game but he has big potential. He is around 6’8″ and appears to have a bout a 7’0″ wingspan. His length causes big trouble for teams on the defensive end. He blocks a ton of shots and deflects passes on the wing. Robert Upshaw really impressed me. At 6’11″ and around 240 lbs, he caused problems for Drummond with his physicality. He had 12 early in the 2nd half and several rebounds and blocks. He needs to improve his athleticism but has a very high ceiling.  Arkansas Razorback football recruit Ronnie Stanley also played for Dream Vision. While not an offensive threat, he is a force in the middle with his size and strength.

For the 2nd game, the Wisconsin Playground Warriors took on the Oklahoma Attack. The Warriors are always loaded and this year is no exception. Led by JP Tokoto (North Carolina commit) and Sam Dekker (Wisconsin commit), the Warriors easily won tonight’s game. Tokoto, a 6’6″ SF, showed great athletic ability with several highlight reel dunks including a two hand tomahawk from around 10 feet out that would have been one of the best dunks I’ve seen had he not been fouled. Carolina is getting a great player. Dekker, 6’7″ SF, will fit in really at Wisconsin. Not overly quick, he is a smart player with great shooting range. JJ Panoske, 6’9″ PF, posted a solid game as well.

The final game of the night featured the New England Playaz and New Mexico Force. The Playaz won handily. Led by 7’0″ C Kaleb Tarczewski and 6’9 PF Alex Murphy (Duke commit), not many teams will be able to handle them inside. Had DaJuan Coleman showed up with them, I wouldn’t see any team stopping them. Murphy is a perfect fit in the Duke system and reminds me very much of Kyle Singer. Deceptive speed and athleticism, an excellent understanding of the game and a great shooting range make him a hard match up for anyone. Tarczewski was the most impressive player of the night for me. Very fluid, great touch around the basket and can step out and hit the 10 to 15 foot jumper. Force didn’t have much inside, but few players can stop Tarczewski.

Great first day of the tournament. I’ll be there at 8am tomorrow reporting all day.

Top 3 Players of the Day.

1. Kaleb Tarczewski
2. Shabazz Muhammad
3. Robert Upshaw

Class of 2012

• Andre Drummond – Connecticut Basketball
• DaJuan Coleman – New England Playaz
• Isaiah Austin – Compton Magic
• Shabazz Muhammad – Dream Vision
• Grant Jerrett – Belmont Shore
• Kaleb Tarczewski – New England Playaz
• Amile Jefferson – Team Philly
• Rodney Purvis – CP3 All Stars
• Ricardo Ledo – New England Playaz
• Tony Parker – Atlanta Celtics
• Alex Murphy – New England Playaz
• Perry Ellis – Kansas Players
• Jarnell Stokes – Memphis YOMCA
• Alex Poythress – Nashville Celtics
• Robert Carter – Atlanta Xpress
• Ricardo Gathers – Brandon Bass Elite
• Joell James – Florida Rams
• Rosco Allen – Las Vegas Lakers
• Winston Shepard – Dream Vision
• Xavier Johnson – Dream Vision

The 2011 Real Deal in the Rock is less than a week away. Get all info here.

I’ve put together a spreadsheet of top players at the Real Deal. You can view it here.