La Lumiere vs St. Benedict's Prep Scouting Notes

Tyler Ennis (#38 ESPN, #24 Scout, #23 Rivals) - One of my personal favorites of the 2013 class, Ennis will be heading to Syracuse next year where he will be asked to lead the team right away. And after years playing with Team Canada, St. Benedict's Prep, and CIA Bounce on the AAU circuit he has plenty of experience. There isn't a point guard in high school right now who is more well-rounded and ready for college than Ennis. He is outstanding in pick and roll action where he thrives both as a scorer and a passer. In this game, Ennis took over in the second half by getting to the line 8 times and scoring 16 of his 22 points during the final 16 minutes. He has great ball handling skills, great leadership, and his basketball IQ is mature well beyond his years. Ennis also has good height and while he isn't the great athlete, he has a good enough combination of size, quickness, strength, and explosiveness to the point where it doesn't hurt him. Ennis is the type of point guard who works best off pick and rolls and prefers to attack much more than shoot from the outside. That said, he has a very good mid-range game and is excellent from the foul line. Look for him to be a great player right away at Cuse and expect him to stick around for a couple of seasons.

Isaiah Briscoe (#16 ESPN Class of 2015) - Briscoe wasn't 100% in this game and it showed. He played just 14 minutes and committed 4 fouls during that time. Once pegged as one of the best freshmen in the country. Briscoe is now a year older and doesn't look like he's made the next jump. He's a powerfully built wing, but isn't that big or long and it seems like his competition is catching up with him. Still, its impressive that he's been able to be a key player on such a good, well-coached team from day one and he does play a mature game. We will see if how he continues to develop down the line.

Mike Young (#57 ESPN) - Young is heading to Pittsburgh and he's exactly what you'd expect a Pitt player to look like. He's 6'8 with a good build and can cover both forward positions. He's a great rebounder and looks stuck in between the 3 and the 4 spot on offense. He does have good touch on his jumper and could score in similar ways to JJ Moore once he arrives on campus. He's yet another building block for Jamie Dixon, but not a game changer.

Detrick Mostella (#77 ESPN, #68 Scout, #84 Rivals) - The Oklahoma State commit is a scoring guard who isn't shy when it comes to taking shots. He took 26 of them on Thursday including 8 from deep - all of which he missed. He is best when he is slashing to the rim and he was able to find ways to get himself plenty of shots at the rim as well. He is a creative finisher and is able to hang in the air, but he will need to get stronger to consistently finish in the paint at high major level. Mostella should eventually become a very good scorer for Oklahoma State and could even turn into their go-to guy down the road.

Oak Hill vs Montverde Academy Scouting Notes

Sindarius Thornwell (#39 ESPN, #43 Scout, #29 Rivals) - At this point, you know what you are getting from Thornwell. Thornwell is a strong shooting guard who plays with a lot of energy, has some explosiveness at the rim, and can finish through contact. His go to shot is a mid-range pull up following a couple of hard dribbles and its a shot he can make, but he's far from consistent. Thornwell is also very good on the boards and can play strong defense as well. Heading to South Carolina next year, you can expect him to be able to score with relative ease, but he will need to work on his efficiency. With all his long pull-up jumpers, he has a lot of poor shooting nights. Thornwell needs to not settle for those shots as much, get to the rim, and also expand his range so he is a reliable shooter from deep.

Troy Williams (#42 ESPN, #38 Scout, #66 Rivals) - Troy Williams reminds me of the wing version of CJ Leslie in the sense the he looks like a star, makes some highlight reel plays, but is also highly inconsistent and lacks fundamentals. Williams is a terror running in transition and can finish way above the rim. He also can run to the corner and hit shots from behind the arc. The halfcourt game is where he really struggles though and its why he disappears at times. He struggles to make plays for himself as he lacks both the ball handling and strength needed. Williams relies on a shaky behind the back dribble that results in turnovers more times than not and is often out of control. Defensively, Williams has all the tools but needs to play smarter and dial in more consistently. Williams is a guy that jumps out at you upon first glance, but the more games you see him play, the more your expectations become tempered. He will have to work hard for a role at Indiana next year.

Nate Britt (#93 ESPN, #76 Scout)- Britt has slowly slipped down recruiting rankings and against Kasey Hill, he had a chance to win back some doubters. He finished with 16 points on 12 shots, but also had 6 turnovers to only 2 assists. Britt seems to lack the explosion to dominate the way he used to before he transferred to Oak Hill and has become more of a jump shooter. He won't be a threat to take away the starting point guard job from Marcus Paige next year.

Dakari Johnson (#11 ESPN, #13 Scout, #18 Rivals)- I hadn't seen Dakari play as much as a lot of the big time recruits in the NHSI and my expectations weren't very high considering he had a late night the day before at the McDonald's All-American game. But he ended up exceeding my expectations and turned in a 17 point, 13 rebound, and 7 block performance on only 12 shots. Dakari is a back to the basket guy who worked consistently to get good position and his teammates rewarded him with entry passes. He showed nice patience in kicking the ball out to establish deeper position, looking very much like a experienced big man. Johnson seems to know his area of expertise and works to get within 10 feet of the basket. He has good touch on a standstill jumper from about 10 feet and is able to score close to the rim with either hand. His conditioning level was impressive as was his defensive ability. He isn't a Nerlens Noel type shot blocker, but he is a better post defender thanks to his strength and is certainly a good athlete. Look for Dakari Johnson to give Willie Cauley-Stein a battle for the starting center spot. If Coach Cal chooses the better player, expect Johnson to start.

Kasey Hill (#9 ESPN, #9 ESPN, #8 Rivals)- Hill wasn't 100% and also plagued by a tough travel schedule from the Mickey D's game, butr he dished out 10 assists in the win over Oak Hill. Hill also went 2-10 from the field and turned it over 7 times. It wasn't his best game, but he showed great burst in the open court and was creative in finding ways to distribute the ball. If you ran with Hill in transition, he was going to get it to you. He made a nice spinning dish and his quickness was on display. Late in the game he began cramping up, but fought through it to close out the victory. He gutted out this win and kept the team together, which is what you have to do when you aren't playing your best.

Ben Simmons (#5 ESPN Class of 2015)- Simmons is only a sophomore, but is already a legitimate prospect and could even wind up as a "one and done" player. He has great size at 6'9 and the ability to play both outside and inside. The Aussie came to the states midseason to join Montverde and has found ways to contribute to wins without being "the guy". In fact, Simmons comes off the bench behind WVU commit Devin Williams. Simmons earned himself extra minutes over Williams on Thursday with tough play at the rim and unselfish play on offense. He was great moving the ball on offense, showing passing skills from the high post and the perimeter. Simmons also rebounded the ball tough and contested and finished plays above the rim. He was a force in transition and the best/most versatile defender on the court. Selfishly I would have liked to see him show off his offensive game more, but its not his role on his current team. He scored 16 points on just 7 shots in 24 minutes of play - you couldn't have asked for a more positive performance. It will be interesting if Simmons progresses more towards the SF or PF role in the next few years. Either way he will be a very good prospect and has a great future ahead of him.

Devin Williams (#37 ESPN, #57 Scout, #91 Rivals) - Williams lost out on playing time to Simmons, but saw big minutes late in the fourth quarter and was a big part of forcing this game into overtime. He is a strong rebounder and active defender who gets most of his offense on putbacks. He projects to be a power forward, although he isn't a post player or jump shooter really. His ticket on offense is his toughness and hustle. He will probably fill a role at WVU similar to the one John Flowers played late in his career, although there is always room for him to improve his game. Nevertheless, Williams should be a solid 4-yr contributor at the college level.

Prime Prep vs Blance Ely Scouting Notes

Prime Prep had a noticeable size advantage over Blanche Ely, but Ely fought hard until the end and pushed the game into overtime. Unfortunately, the game was lost because their coach called a timeout they didn't have, but it doesn't take anything away from the effort they displayed.
LSU commit Jordan Mickey (ranked 36th on Scout, 41st on Rivals, 53rd on ESPN) stole the show this game and ended up having the most impressive performance out of anyone during the day. Mickey is labeled as a combo forward and it should be noted that it is no knock against him. Instead of having that label because he is a "tweener" Mickey actually looks great out on the wing, but the "combo" part comes into play because he can score in the post with jump hooks from either hand. Mickey is an outstanding athlete and gets great elevation on his jumper. He has a nice looking stroke from mid-range and because of his release point, it is nearly impossible to contest. Mickey also hit all 10 of his free throws and blocked a day high 8 shots. He finished with 28 points on 9-14 shooting. Look for him to be an immediate contributor to a much improved LSU team - a team that could eventually crack the top 25 next season.

PG Emmanuel Mudiay (Ranked #3 in 2014) had a sub-par game, but looks the part of a great point guard prospect. He has legit size at around 6-3 or 6-4, long arms, and is a great athlete. Mudiay made his impact felt defensive and found teammates in transition for lobs. His mid-range game is said to be improving, but he didn't show much in the halfcourt in this one.

Senior post man Karviar Shepherd (72nd on ESPN, 46th on Rivals, 67th on Scout) will take his game to TCU next year and should start immediately. Shephard has good height and moves well on his feet - doing an excellent job defending pick and rolls and communicating. He needs to get stronger, but made the effort to box out each play and knows how to use his body to get post position. Shephard has a good feel with his back to the basket and is able to convert hook shots with either hand.

Freshman small forward Terrance Ferguson is one to watch for Prime Prep as he averages 10 points off the bench for the loaded team. Ferguson isn't shy at all and was seen demanded the ball from Mudiay on two occasions when he was open outside the arc. Fergeuson is quick to release shots from behind the arc and is a long, lanky athlete. He reminds me a bit of LaQuinton Ross, although he did show more commitment on defense - although he is a face guarded at this point. Ferguson is one of the most talented freshmen in the country and oozes potential despite scoring just 3 points in this one.

Sophomore power forward Elijah Thomas (top 10 recruit in class of 2015) was the most physically imposing player on the court in this game, although he was plagued by early foul trouble. One tough call that went against him was a blocking call where he seemed to in perfect position to draw the charge. Thomas has the built of Anthony Bennett and some of the perimeter skills too, but it was good to see him sacrificing his body inside. He also scored some big points in overtime thanks to a strong dropstep move and finish with his left hand.

Kahlil Thomas was the lone starting big man that could combat Prime Prep's size and he had his moments. He scored 20 points and grabbed 9 rebounds while shooting 6-13 from the floor. Thomas made a few jumpers early and then fell in love with the shot late, despite airballing one from outside his range. He appears to be a solid faceup threat, but struggled defensively and doesn't have a back to the basket game.

Junior wing Richard Lee has good size and a strong build for a shooting guard. He has a natural fade to his jumper and it looks like he has the potential of being a nice mid-range player. Lee's efforts defensively were his biggest contributions this game, however, and that could be his calling card at the high D1 level. He holds offers from Maryland, Florida, Miami, Kansas State, Virginia Tech, and George Mason.

Junior guard Lance Tejada showed skills as both a passer and scorer and did a great job getting into the paint. He struggled to get his shots to fall, but it looks like he has a future as a scoring lead guard. He has offers from Miami, George Mason, Virginia, USF, and others.

Sophomore Therrell Gossier will be a guy to continue to monitor from Blanche Ely. The big man played tough and pulled down 10 boards to go along with 11 points off the bench.

Upside and Shabazz Muhammad - Its Not An Age Thing

Its been a wild season for Shabazz Muhammad. He started off by injuring his shoulder and missing a month of practice to begin the year. At the same time, he was the victim of a wild goose chase by the NCAA that resulted in him missing the first 3 games of the season. As expected, UCLA and him got off to a rusty start, but the rust never wore off. Both he and UCLA had flashes of greatness, but their season culminated in a Round of 64 loss tonight to Minnesota.

Thats not all that happened today, though. It also turns out that Shabazz Muhammad is a year older than he was believed to be (read the LA Times article here). Shabazz is actually a 20 year old freshman, which sounds bad, but it isn't the real concern. Ben McLemore, Kaleb Tarczewski, Semaj Christon, Jahii Carson, and Anthony Bennett are also 20 year old freshman. Jakarr Sampson will be 20 in a couple of days. Age is just a number and it is less and less relevant the older you get.

But as a high schooler, age does matter. Shabazz made a name for himself by being tabbed as a kid "physically advanced" for his age and molded his game around his strength. Unlike some of the other guys listed, Shabazz received much of his hype because of his advanced build for his age. Its never been his skillset, quickness, or shooting that has drawn an interest in Shabazz. Its been his ability to bully kids his age. Or so we thought they were his age.

This wouldn't be as much of an issue if Shabazz came out this college season and backed up his billing as the top high school recruit in the country against college players. But he didn't. And now that there is an asterisk next to him being the top recruit in his class, its even more of a reason to take this season at face value instead of making excuses for him.

After his injury and suspension, there was a timeframe everyone gave Shabazz to get up to speed. He looked a little slow and rusty and that was expected. But as the season grew on, the same Shabazz from the beginning of the year remained. There he was getting beat off the dribble time and time again and he showed little ability to handle the ball. In terms of passing or making his teammates better, there was none of that. And then there was the fit he threw when Larry Drew II made a game winning shot.

But whether he was 19 or 20, Shabazz was still going to be a top high school recruit and he still did finish second among all NCAA freshman in scoring. His strength is still impressive no matter his age. I do think the age thing makes a difference slightly in terms of his placement in the final high school class rankings, which also takes away a slight amount of hype going into this year. And as far as hype, thats what carried him through much of this season.

Lets forget about the age thing though, thats far from the most important part of the story. Everyone wants to brush off him being a year older and thats fine, sure thats not a huge deal. A good player will be a good player in the end. But its the rest of his background that deserves a second look. The character issues that the LA Times article brings up are more relevant than the age discussion.

To me, his age doesn't limit his upside at all. But the fact that he's been bred to be a NBA player his whole life does. He's had top notch training, coaching, and an environment surrounding him that was designed to help him succeed. His dad made sure he got on the best AAU teams and one of the best high school programs in the country.

He made sure that he was surrounded by players that made him look better. At Bishop Gorman, Shabazz dominated kids with his size and strength while getting plenty of looks in transition. When he went to UCLA, he joined a team with two great unselfish ball handlers, weak rebounding bigs who spread the floor, another incoming freshman who could shoot the lights out, and a coach that caters to his stars. The combination of things helped to hide Shabazz's lack of ball handling skills, outside shooting, and gave him room to operate inside and crash the boards. His coach, Ben Howland, had loss control of previous teams and would let Shabazz do whatever he wanted with no consequences.

With all the elite training he's had and all the high level games he played in high school/AAU, Shabazz has been tested for years. Its not his advanced age that makes his upside more limited, its his advanced background. Shabazz has played in more big games thanks to high school/AAU than most college juniors and seniors. And he's had the correct training, diet, and everything else that NBA players have the whole way through.

Meanwhile, you have a guy like Ben McLemore whose family struggles to put food on the table for him.

You hear questions about McLemore's ability to be a go to guy and people asking why he disappears in big games and forget he's only a freshman. And if you look at McLemore's background you will see that he wasn't a hyped up recruit since his freshman year. He didn't play on a big AAU or high school team until his final season of high school. And even then he still went to a home each night wondering if he would have food to eat. Point is, McLemore is just getting used to all the limelight which shouldn't be a surprise. He's only a freshman. But with all the AAU games and such nowadays, there are freshman that have been built up for college for years. Shabazz is one of them - McLemore is not.

Still through all of that, its been McLemore who has had the better year. McLemore is a guy who was under the radar until late in his high school career. He redshirted at Kansas as he was only a partial qualifier, improved his game even more, and is now at a point where he is a top 5 pick. He's gotten significantly better each of the past 3 or 4 years. The more and more exposure to the game and coaching he is receiving, the better he is getting. Once he gets to the NBA, he will have luxuries of training and dieting that he has never been exposed to that can take his game to an even higher level.

Then you have Shabazz who has been exposed to all of these luxuries for years. He's been considered a top player in his class since he made the varsity team at Bishop Gorman as a freshman. Yet he really hasn't made big strides as a player from year to year. He's still a poor ball handler and his shooting is just now finally starting to get better. His peers have gotten a step closer to him year after year.

I thought it was interesting how they mentioned Shabazz's older sister in the article as well, who signed an endorsement contract in tennis at age 17 and turned pro. She's now 21 and still has advanced any further. She received the same benefits that Shabazz did as a kid and because of this, she appeared to be more prepared at age 17 to turn pro than most kids are her age. But at the same time, she had already received so much professional training as a kid that there just wasn't much upside left. Her parents made sure they squeezed every ounce of talent they could get out of her already.

The same can be said for Shabazz. Just how much more does he have to grow? Just how good is he? Physically, players will continue to catch up to him. Skill-wise, players have already surpassed him. Shabazz's competitiveness, confidence, and will to score will be traits that he can fall back on though. He will always be a great competitor and he will always have a physical edge on players - just not as much as he was when he earned his reputation as the super senior high schooler in the country. 

Scouting Report: Xavier Rathan-Mayes

I've had the chance to evaluate Rathan-Mayes about five times in person now and have seen him in a high school setting with Huntington Prep, at the Global Challenge with Canada, and playing AAU ball for CIA Bounce. 

Xavier Rathan-Mayes showed up big time in the premier matchup against Julius Randle's Texas Titans. He had 22 points on the night and really caught fire at the beginning of the second half. Rathan-Mayes is great at finding ways to shoot his jumper - maybe to a fault as he settles for a lot of jumpshots (he only shot 36% for the weekend). He has a nice crossover dribble, uses screens well, and will post up defenders around the 3-pt line to set up his shot. He also has a turnaround jumper in his pocket. With these moves, Rathan-Mayes can light up the scoring column when he catches fire. Even when his shot isn't falling, he remains very confident. The problem right now is he relies to much on his jumper. He takes too many inefficient long two pointers and is a very streaky shooter. His jumpshot is good, but he isn't elite in that area (31% from 3, 75% from the FT line) so he needs to remember to attack the basket.

It seems all Canadian guards are good with the pick and roll and Rathan-Mayes is no exception. He likes to shoot his jumper off of screens, but he also has the vision and dribble ability to find teammates. He does a nice job changing speeds and not forcing his dribble as well. His mid-range game is also able to shine through off on-ball screens.

Rathan-Mayes does need get his teammates more involved and work on doing the little things to help his team win. He has been able to be Wiggins' wingman, but he hasn't picked up on some of the hustle things that go along with that. Part of it may be that Wiggins is a unique superstar and does many of the little things himself while Rathan-Mayes compliments him with shooting. Still, Rathan-Mayes needs to show more effort and mix it up more inside. That includes both on drives and on the glass. I think his driving game has more potential than what he has shown thus far - he definitely isn't strictly a shooter offensively.

He measured with a 6'5'' wingspan at the LeBron James camp so in the future, he may need to move to point guard. That may be too much to ask of him, but it would be realistic to see him as a scoring combo guard off the bench in the NBA one day.

Rathan-Mayes has a lot of talent but right now projects as an inefficient volume scorer at the next level who doesn't make his teammates better and is undersized. Luckily he has plenty of time to grow and I fully expect he will. He kind of reminds me of a rich man's Adrian Oliver or even a Willie Green.

Rathan-Mayes has interest from around the country and a wide open list. I could see him following Wiggins to Florida State or even Kentucky if they were to eventually offer him. Other than that, where he winds up is anybody's guess.

He compares his game to Chauncey Billups and you can see that with some of his offensive moves. He plays under control and has been working on posting up smaller defenders. Rathan-Mayes also cite Billups toughness as something he sees in himself.

Peach Jam Recaps: Texas Titans and Howard Pulley

My first full day at the Peach Jam was Friday, where I had no problem getting up for the 9am matchup between Howard Pulley and the Texas Titans. Highlighting this match were the names Tyus Jones, Matt Jones, Damian Jones, Akolda Manyang, Anders Broman, and of course Julius Randle. I already covered Randle's Peach Jam experience so check the link if you are interested in him.

The Texas Titans had Randle, but Howard Pulley had a top 10 player for his class as well in Tyus Jones. Jones is regarded as the #1 point guard of the 2014 class and only bolstered his stock here. He shot a tournament best 67% from 3 (10-15) and also led all participants in free throw percentage at 89% (31-35). Jones silenced any remaining doubters on his shooting ability here, and as you can see, it is actually a strength of his.

While shooting is a strength, it is his handling of the rock that makes him an elite prospect. Jones is very skilled and what stands out the most is that he plays completely mistake free basketball. He doesnt force anything and lets the game come to him. Jones is a very good ball handler and can finish with both hands. Combined with his shooting prowess and decision making, Jones is about as efficient as a guy who acts the the main facilitator and scorer can be. He has a confident swagger about him too.

His physical profile isnt the best and he isnt really flashy. Part of why he is so efficient is he makes the right plays and doesnt try to make the highlight reel play. Also, you don't see him connecting on alley oops on breaks because he is surrounded by shooters. Instead of him setting up nice plays at the rim in transition, he is usually just finding a man for an open 3. He gets his teammates great looks and has turned Anders Broman into a legitimate prospect by allowing him to showcase his beautiful 3-pt stroke.

Joneses' defense will never be anything special. He gives good effort and moves his feet well, but hes not a playmaker on that end. He gets comparisons to Chris Paul, but I think his ceiling is slightly lower than that. The good thing about Jones is that he should have a very high floor. He already does a lot of valuable things very well. He can pass, shoot, run the pick and roll, play smart and unselfishly. I just don't think he is an equal athlete in comparison to a Chris Paul. The CP3 smoothness is there, however.

Tyus Jones and his Howard Pulley squad won the game against the Titans 74-65, and although it was closer than the scorer indicated, it was an impressive win. The Titans overmatched them size wise and had 3 highly rated 2013 prospects as opposed to the 2014 Jones being the only major prospect on his team. Pulley's team is well coached and very unselfish. They didn't settle for bad shots, shot 10-25 from 3, and slowed down Randle by fronting the post.

Tyus's statline (29 points on 11-19 shooting, 8 assists, and only 2 turnovers) was particularly noteworthy considering he had Duke commit Matt Jones covering him all game. Jones acted as his team's defensive stopper all weekend, always covering the oppositions best perimeter scorer. I saw him try to lockdown both Jones and Andrew Wiggins in one day. In this particular game, Jones didn't show much offensively. He was so quiet, I thought he might have been nursing an injury.

With Matt Jones, you get a very smart player who is lethal from three (11-26 at Peach Jam) and has the length and fluidity to play great defense. He plays team basketball and fits the Duke image to the tee. He has no problem being a role player and has played second fiddle all summer next to Randle. He can be an Arron Aflalo type player in the league. He can handle the ball a bit and rarely turns it over. While he is great at catching and shooting, Jones separates himself from other shooters because he can put the ball on the floor and create his own 3-pt shot. He showed this multiple times in the game against CIA Bounce, where he avenged his measly 4 point performance from his earlier game against Howard Pulley.

Even after seeing Jones have a quiet game in my first ever look at him, I wasn't down on him. He just didn't really impose his force on the game. In the night cap and one of the most anticipated games of the event though, Jones shined. Randle was struggling so Jones knew he had to step up. And he did. He showed his competitive side and motor by defending Wiggins while dropping 26 points (and zero turnovers!!!).

Matt Jones won't post ridiculous numbers at Duke, but I'd take him on a NBA team anyday of the week when he eventually comes out. He has all the tools to be a great role player. He is one of those guys that goes mid-late first round and has no problem carving out a niche.

Damian Jones was another guy that drew a lot of attention last weekend. Jones is quickly rising up top 100 boards. He is very athletic and big, making him an extremely good and versatile defender. He has all the tools physically. NBA scouts will have an eye on him as a potential lockdown defender type, but I am not sold yet. For a guy like him to succeed, he needs to also be a great rebounder. Randle hogs a lot of the rebounds on this team, but I didn't like what I saw from Jones in terms of his hands and toughness inside. He is a little fragile, seemingly both mentally and physically. He had to be encouraged a few times after blown layups and fumbled catches. He plays efficiently on offense as he knows his role, but he is not a good finisher in traffic nor does he have much of an offensive skill set. Right now Jones is all potential. He seems like a good kid who will do what his team needs to win, but he needs a few more years to develop before we re-evaluate where he is at.

Peach Jam Player Recaps: Bluff City Legends and CP3 All-Stars

Getting to see Theo Pinson again, one of the most exciting player at the Nike Global Challenge was a must. Plus, I didn't get a good read of Nick King the first time I saw him so I wanted to focus on his game. King was joined by JaJuan Johnson on the wing and Pinson teamed up with Ja'Quel Richmond.

Theo Pinson didn't disappoint. He looked great on his way to 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and the win. I pretty much covered his entire game in my earlier report (see link), but being able to see him put together solid outings consistently is great reinforcement. He really has a great feel for the game. In the second matchup I saw him play, against Justice Winslow, he was outplayed in the 4th quarter, but Winslow is a special talent in his own right. Both are arguably top 10 players of the class of 2014.

Pinson's teammate Ja'Quel Richmond played well in my first look at him. He had 13 dimes and shot the ball well. He played really solid, just a point guard that you can count on that also provides some upside.

Seeing Nick King again allowed me to finally figure him out. In the game against Pinson, he really struggled. He tried to force his way to the basket, but King just isn't explosive enough to get there at will. He ended up shooting 2-13 from the field with only one 3-pter. Most his shots were awkward shots that were a result of not getting all the way to the basket.

I got another look at King against Marcus Lee and Cal Supreme though, and he played better. He had 13 points in 23 minutes while leaving 6 points at the charity stripe (he only went 2-8 from the FT line). King got the to basket, but struggled converting his free throws. It is weird considering he is a good 3-pt shooter, but it helps confirm my suspicions that King may be a trained 3-pt shooter and less of a pure shooter. He does like to catch the ball in that area though, operating out of the high post. Against Marcus Lee, this turned out to be effective  He took advantage of Lee playing off of him and hit some face up jumpers. He prefers to get to the hoop though, where he does a great job keeping his dribble alive and trying to force his way to the rim. King has a solid body, but he isn't a guy Id considering an imposing physical force or a great athlete. He is determined and displays great footwork and body control to find his way to the hoop. Overall, King isn't as impressive as some of the other wings I have seen.

JaJuan Johnson came out very aggressive in the game against Theo. King was struggling and he took over. Johnson showed some spot PG skills, bringing the ball up and being able to drive and dish. Johnson is a pure SG though, as he is the definition of a slasher with an eye to score. I love his ability to finish around the rim. He is very springy. He packs a lot more explosiveness then you would expect out of his slender frame. Creativity is the main name of his game, perhaps learning from his cousin Lou Williams. Johnson has a nice motor and will attack the glass and defend. In the second game I saw him in, he was a lot less aggressive for some reason. He could have just been tired, or he didn't feel the need to impose his will since Nick King and company were doing just fine against Cali Supreme. Either way, I am sure positive that Johnson generally is a very aggressive scorer and I like his mentality.

Lincoln vs Patterson

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of attending a ultra-competitive high school game at Towson University between Patterson High School (MD) and Lincoln High School (NY). The game ended up going into overtime and each team's stars came through with applaud-able efforts.

The last time I saw Patterson play was during last years State Championship game where they took on North Point. After watching Carr then, I wrote this report on him. Everything I wrote then still remains true, but after another experience watching this kid, I can say that he is the most exciting high school player I have seen to date for sure.

One concerning thing was how he was demanding the ball during crunch time. On a few possessions in OT he stood around the arc with a man shadowing him and didnt even attempt to work his way to the ball. Patterson could have won the game if Carr made more of an effort to get the ball because when he have the rock, he was unstoppable getting to the hoop.

During the state championship game last year, he settled for more threes than he should have as that isn't his strong point. In this game, he focused more on getting to the hoop and taking advantage of his outstanding speed, explosiveness, and body control. He made Sebastian Telfair's younger brother look silly on a number of occasions, culminating with this move here, 

On another note, Carr has only made 1 3-pt shot this year out of 22 attempts. He was money from the FT line against Lincoln (16-20), but his overall shot needs a lot of work. 

Telfair was one big name for Lincoln, but their best player was hands down sophomore Isaiah Whitehead. The 6'4 shooting guard had 11 less points than Carr (36 compared to 25), but showcased the complete game that has scouts calling him one of the best prospects in the 2014 class.

For a sophomore, I was very impressed with the tempo he played at. He picked his spots and was able to drive and dish when the lane collapsed on him. He found guys inside as well as kicking the ball back out. His passing ability and decision making are definitely advanced for his age. He had good handles, but his quick first step was usually all he needed to get past a defender. He got into the lane at will this game and I didn't see his mid-range jumper, but apparently that is another strong part of his game. He did hit a three, although he doesnt appear to be a sniper from behind the arc at this point in his career. Defensively, he showed signs of being a good asset. Athletically he is good, but not a freakish athlete. If I were to compare him to a current NCAA player, I'd go with Tim Hardaway Jr.

Scouting Report: Aquille Carr

Aquille Carr
5'6''
140lbs
PG
Class of 2013
17 years old
Patterson High School
Baltimore, Maryland

Aquille Carr has taken the city of Baltimore by storm with his encore performance to his freshman season that saw him average 25.5ppg. This season, as only a sophomore, he led Patterson to the 4A finals where they were ultimately defeated, but not from lack of effort from Carr, who dropped 27 points. He's an interesting player, and while his future outside of high school is a question mark, there is no debating he's on track to having one of the best high school careers ever in Charm City.

Carr is an electrifying point guard that gets to the basket at will and delivers flashy passes. His quickness, ball handling, and explosiveness are all off the charts. At only 5'6'', he is able to dunk the ball. At this point, his shot is poor, but it doesnt matter at the high school level. He is able to split double teams, squeezing his small frame through non-existent holes, and ultimately get to the hoop. He is super aggressive and will try to fit through even the slightest seem. Many times he will momentarily lose control of the ball on the way to the hoop, only to recover it himself before anyone else reacts. His size comes in handy for that reason - he can lose control of the ball, but pick it up before anyone else has a chance to bend over to recover it.

Once Carr recovers the ball, he is able to finish among the trees with his strength and explosiveness. He's a great leaper, who doesnt need a lot of momentum to get off the ground. He draws contact so consistently, referees have trouble blowing their whistle each time. His touch at the rim needs work, as he is not automatic, but its good for a high level high school player. If he misses his first attempt, dont count out the little man on the boards - he averaged 8 rebounds per game in his freshman year. He is absolutely relentless in following his missed shots with the determination of getting the ball back. Sometimes an opposing big will come down with his miss, but he will be on the ground waiting for him to lower the ball below his waist. His quick hands (averaged 5.3 spg as a freshman), determination, and strength have ripped the ball from the opposition more times than once.

Its tough to nitpik a sophomore in high school  to this degree, but he is very old for his class and is far from a complete player. He plays at full speed the whole game. If he can learn to change up his tempo, his scoring prowess will get that much scarier. Right now he is impossible to keep out of the lane, but he can be wild at times. A more in control Carr would equal less charges and more respect from referees. It also would allow him to set up his teammates in situations other than his occasional spectacular assist. He is undeniably a scoring guard, but his passing game will need to develop more for future success. On his current team, there is little structure and guidance, though, so it could benefit him by working on his game under a better coach. His teammates are solid athletes, but like Carr, the play fast and are careless with the ball.

Defensively, Carr shows good effort and has the tools to stay in front of his man. He tends to gamble, but he comes away with the ball enough to make it worth his team's while. His height is a factor that will be with him forever and guys will be able to post him up and shoot over him at will. He has a nice strength base, though, so he can develop the kind of strength that has granted Earl Boykins decent results defending the post.

Word is that Maryland has a lot of interest in Aquille and surely other teams will get involved soon. I'm not sure powerhouse teams will want him at his current state, but he has the potential to put up big numbers in any major conference.