Connecticut Recruiting, Georgetown Recruiting, Louisville Recruiting, Marquette Recruiting, Pittsburgh Recruiting, Providence Recruiting, Rutgers Recruiting, Seton Hall Recruiting, St. John's Recruiting, Syracuse Recruiting, USF Recruiting, Villanova Recruiting, West Virginia Recruiting

REEBOK ALL-AMERICAN CAMP: TUESDAY

College coaches treated to some big time performances

BY JEFF BORZELLO

When one thinks of high school summer basketball, the old ABCD and other All-American camps are usually the first thing that come to mind. College coaches from around the country, scouts from both coasts and die-hard hoops fans fill the bleachers and the area surrounding the courts – it’s the ultimate scene for the top high school players in the nation. With the July recruiting period starting in the past week, the Reebok U All-American camp was a great place for many talented athletes to make their names become nationally known. Here’s a look at some of the top players from first day the media was allowed to attend.

Thomas Robinson (6-8, 2009)
One of the most impressive players of the day, Robinson started slow then began to show his ability. He is very athletic, which helps at both ends of the court. He can block shots consistently at one end, and is also a good finisher offensively. He is strong when going up, and can score even with contact, which explains why he gets fouled on a regular basis. He is also versatile, as he showed the ability to run the break and pass it to an open teammate. His jump shot is inconsistent, but he can take it off the dribble and drive to the basket. Robinson is active on the glass, and picked up several second-chance points.

College List: Georgetown, George Mason, George Washington, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Providence, South Florida, Maryland, Georgia, Kentucky, Texas, Pittsburgh

- Texas, Pittsburgh and Virginia are his top-three

Tyree Johnson (5-10, 2010):
Johnson, although undersized, is extremely quick and fast with the ball. He can push the rock very well and gets from defense to offense quickly. He has good vision and throws a soft alley-oop in fast-break situations. Offensively, he is not afraid to shoot it, and can knock down threes. He is also quick enough to get by defenders with his dribbling ability and crossover, but he struggled to finish at the rim. He is an outstanding passer, from simple bounce passes to flashy no-look dishes. Johnson is solid with the ball and doesn’t turn it over often. Defensively, he gets in passing lanes and can rack up steals.

College List: Nebraska, Penn State, La Salle, St. Joseph’s, Temple, Mount St. Mary’s, Drexel, Delaware

Aaric Murray (6-10, 2009):
The first thing you notice about Murray is his enormous size and length. Still, he is well-built and extremely athletic. He can finish effectively around the rim, and threw down multiple monster dunks. The lefty also has some nice post moves around the basket. He moves well without the ball and is solid at cutting to open spots on the court. Defensively, he gets in front of his man and denies the ball very well, but he is also a solid shot-blocker. Murray grabbed several offensive rebounds and also did well at the other end.

College List: West Virginia, St. Joseph’s, Villanova, Marquette, Temple, La Salle, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Rutgers, Kentucky

Meyers Leonard (6-10, 2010):
The long, lanky Leonard was not aggressive or assertive enough on the first day, but he showed potential when he did get himself involved. He does everything fairly well, and looks like the consummate role player. He boxes out well and can rebound, and is also a solid outlet passer. He runs the floor well and finishes on fast-breaks, but has to become more of a factor in the half-court. He seems slow at times and does not get back defensively all that well, and he is also not that great of a rebounder. He certainly needs to use his height more effectively.

College List: Purdue, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Florida

Kevin Parrom (6-6, 2009):
The infamous St. Raymond’s transfer (now at South Kent) was one of the best all-around players at the camp, and showed the ability to do nearly everything on the court. Parrom has good shooting form, which enables him to knock down outside shots, meaning defenders can’t leave him open for jumpshots. As a result, Parrom also drives to the basket well and finishes creatively at the rim. He also has an effective back-to-the-basket game and posted up smaller defenders on several occasions. He is an extremely difficult match-up for most defenders. Parrom is also a very good passer with good vision who looks for his teammates as soon as he touches the ball. He can shoot the ball either in transition or in the half-court, and also runs the floor well. Parrom rebounds well at both ends of the court due to his athleticism, and is a very good defender, both on-and-off the ball.

College List: Xavier, Maryland, Clemson, St. John’s, Providence, South Carolina, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Miami (Fl.)

Brandon Knight (6-3, 2010):
Immediately one of my favorite players in the entire camp, Knight showed why he was widely considered one of the top players in his class. He can really take it to the basket, and is nearly impossible to defend off the dribble. He constantly drove past his defender and scored with a variety of finishes. He has a nice mid-range game and had several floaters and pull-ups in the lane. Knight also can score at the rim with both hands, and has good body adjustment ability. He does not mind contact, either. He penetrates easily, and has great vision, enabling him to find open teammates. Knight is very quick with the ball and pushes the ball up the court at a high speed. He has good shooting form, but is mostly inconsistent from behind the arc. Knight has good size for a point guard and has a nice build and body.

College List: Florida, Duke

Tobias Harris (6-8, 2010):
The stud from Long Island is strong in the lane and can muscle shots into the basket. He does need to redistribute his weight better, which would allow him to become a little quicker and more athletic. Right now, while he is a very good scorer, he is at times slow and seemingly less athletic than some of his opponents. There is not a lot of lift in his jump shot, but he can get to the basket effectively. His variety of moves in the lane enable him to score.

Abdul Gaddy (6-3, 2009):
The former Arizona commit is clearly one of the best point guards in the country. He is a great passer and ball-handler, and shows the utmost confidence when the ball is in his hands. He has great body control when driving to the basket, and he is not afraid of contact once he gets in the air. Gaddy is very quick, and demonstrated the ability to blow past his defender easily. He also runs the fast break extremely well, due to his court vision and passing ability. He has a tendency to force shots, though.

Ashton Pankey (6-8, 2010):
Pankey, who will step into a depleted St. Anthony lineup next year, showed a variety of skills. He loves playing with his back to the basket, and he is a solid finisher around the basket. However, he can also face-up and take the ball to the rim or distribute it to his teammates. He gets very good position inside on a consistent basis, but does not demand the ball enough. Pankey also has a nice touch on free-throws.

Clarence Trent (6-8, 2009):
Overshadowed by his back court teammates Brandon Knight and Kenny Boynton, Trent still was able to demonstrate his tremendous athleticism and finishing ability. He can run the floor and handle it surprisingly well for a big man, and also has several big-time dunks and offensive rebounds. However, in his match-up with five-star recruit Renardo Sidney, Trent was absolutely dominated. He could not anything at either end of the floor, and Sidney consistently beat him for offensive rebounds and easy put backs. Trent failed to box out on multiple occasions and also did not get open for any looks offensively.

Junior Cadougan (6-0, 2009):
A really solid all-around player, Cardougan played as if he was still being recruited (he committed to Marquette last week). Immediately, you notice that he is a leader on the court. He is a little heavy in the upper body, but that just enables him to overpower smaller point guards and also allows him to get his shot off inside against bigger players. He does not mind contact at all, and finished several times despite getting fouled while going to the rim. He ran the pick-and-roll with Renardo Sidney exceptionally well, either dishing to Sidney or driving the ball to the basket himself. He does not make many mistakes, and seems very mature and calm while out on the court. Cadougan makes smart decisions with the ball and knows exactly what speed the game needs to be played at for his team to win. He is crafty and usually drives diagonally, which makes it difficult for defenders to stay in front of him. I do wonder how effective he is with his left hand, but he was so tough to stop with his right hand that it did not matter.

College List: Committed to Marquette

Guy Landry-Eli (6-7, 2009):
A high-energy guy from the opening tip, Landry-Eli is a underrated prospect from California who makes an impressive on nearly everyone that watches him. He is extremely active and never takes a play off. He has a nose for the ball and thrives on the defensive end, getting in passing lanes to deflect and intercept passes. He is very athletic and can finish strong at the rim. He is always hustling and wins most loose balls; he also draws charges. Landry-Eli is very strong and has a nice build. On the flip side, the energy he exerts sometimes leads to turnovers and him being out of control on multiple occasions. Still, his non-stop motor will be attractive to many coaches.

Faces in the Crowd

Here is a list of head coaches in attendance at the camp, as well as the schools represented by their assistants:

Head coaches: Frank Haith, Miami (Fl.); Rick Pitino, Louisville; Seth Greenberg, Virginia Tech; Gary Williams, Maryland; Tom Crean, Indiana; Jim Boeheim, Syracuse; Rick Stansbury, Mississippi State; Billy Donovan, Florida; Lute Olsen, Arizona; Mark Gottfried, Alabama; John Pelphrey, Arkansas; Mike Kryzewski, Duke; Jim Larranaga, George Mason; John Calipari, Memphis; Bo Ryan, Wisconsin; Keno Davis, Providence; Tommy Amaker, Harvard; Bobby Gonzalez, Seton Hall; Phil Martelli, St. Joseph’s; Stan Heath, South Florida; Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh

Assistants: LSU, Boston College, UC-Riverside, Utah, New Mexico, New Mexico State, California, West Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Marquette, Texas, Stanford, Iowa, South Carolina, St. John’s, Illinois

Please Visit Our Sponsors: