Connecticut Recruiting, Jeff Borzello, Marquette Recruiting, Notre Dame Recruiting, Pittsburgh Recruiting, Providence Recruiting, Seton Hall Recruiting, St. John's Recruiting, Villanova Recruiting

LOOKING BACK AT THE HOOP GROUP TEAM CAMP

BY JEFF BORZELLO

READING, Pa. – With a mass exodus of players from the Reebok All-American Camp in Philadelphia, it was the perfect time to check out the Hoop Group Elite Team Camp at Albright College in Reading (PA) on Friday, July 10. The tournament began on Thursday, and by the time NBE arrived on Friday, pre-tournament favorites St. Patrick’s, Bishop McNamara, Neumann-Goretti, Xaverian, Jamesville-Dewitt, Roman Catholic, North Catholic, Boys & Girls and Archbishop Carroll were all already in the consolation bracket. Despite that, we were able to catch a few of those teams in the loser’s bracket, as well as the remaining top teams in the winner’s bracket.

Kyrie Irving, St. Patrick (2010): Irving looked phenomenal in the game we saw him in, as he completely dominated a depleted Neumann-Goretti squad. He started off the game with a drive and dish for a basket, followed by a three. His most impressive play, by far, was an instance when he caught the ball behind him with his right hand, spun and switched the ball to his left hand and finished with a lay-up. He was aggressive going to the basket, was hitting his jumpers – both mid-range and behind the arc – and was distributing the ball well. Certainly the best player at the camp.

Here are the 10 schools mentioned by Irving: Duke, Kentucky, Virginia, Seton Hall, Georgia Tech, Marquette, Indiana, Notre Dame, Connecticut, Texas A&M.
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Shawn Oakman, Penn Wood (2011): The big man did not show much offensively, but he rebounded the ball and played defense well. He blocks and alters shots, and boxes out for boards. If he was more involved offensively, he would have been more impressive, because he can pass out of the post well too.
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Aaron Brown, Penn Wood (2011): Brown looked excellent throughout the day, as he was nearly impossible to stop going to the basket. The lefty barreled his way to the rim over and over, and finished or got fouled nearly every time. He did not show much on his jump shot, and was overly selfish at times. However, when driving to the lane, he was outstanding. If he develops a jumper, he will be even better.

Not to be confused with St. Benedict’s class of 2010 Aaron Brown, this version is also getting colleges to pay attention to his skills. Providence, Villanova, St. Joseph’s (offer), La Salle (offer), Temple (offer), Maine, UTEP, Penn State (offer) and Virginia are the schools watching Brown.
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Joey de la Rosa, St. Raymond’s (2011): Similar to what we’ve seen of de la Rosa before, he struggled to finish inside but showed potential because of his size and his length. He doesn’t get position inside often enough, but had a nice pump fake and finish off of one dribble.

St. Ray’s head coach Oliver Antigua told NBE that de la Rosa is receiving looks from Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, Virginia Tech and Massachusetts.
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Nkereueum Okoro, St. Raymond’s (2012): Okoro, who said he is attempting to make a transition from the four to the wing, struggled somewhat against Penn Wood. He worked the high post well, but seemed to force his drives to the basket. He is crafty with the ball when going to the rim and can also distribute it to his teammates. Okoro moves well without the ball and can rebound.

Coach Antigua said that Okoro has been receiving interest from St. John’s, Kentucky, Pittsburgh and Arizona.
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Daniel Stewart, Neumann-Goretti (2010): Against Bishop McNamara, Stewart was very impressive, running up and down the floor and finishing very well inside. He also dominated the backboards and even showed a mid-range jumper. However, he struggled mightily against St. Patrick’s, who had players to match his size and athleticism. He was clearly frustrated when he could not get easy lay-ups inside, and his face-up game is still not there.
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Derrick Stewart, Neumann-Goretti (2012): Similar to his brother, he was a lot more effective and impressive against Bishop McNamara than against St. Pat’s. He works the foul line and the high post well, and his face-up game is maturing. He moves very well without the ball and is an absolute menace on the backboards. If he continues to improve – and develops a more consistent jump shot – he will be better than his brother.
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Cedrick Lindsay, Gonzaga (2010): It still boggles my mind that Lindsay is so under-recruited (Penn State, Davidson, Brown, VCU and Richmond involved). He has a very good body and is strong for the point guard position. He can beat his defender off the dribble and is a tough finisher at the rim. His jump shot is inconsistent, but he has the ability to knock down shots. Lindsay can run the offense and distribute the ball to his teammates, and his strength allows him to be a solid defender.
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