JOE BROWN MEMORIAL RECAP
BY JEFF BORZELLO
July is always the busiest and most important month of the recruiting calendar, and there is seemingly no time for rest. After the Reebok Summer Classic East, it was time to head north on the Garden State Parkway to Fairleigh Dickinson University for the Joe Brown Memorial Tournament.
The tournament is also known as the “Playaz Ball” to some as it is sponsored by the New Jersey powerhouse Playaz AAU program. Whichever name you call it, it was a two-day tournament featuring 24 of the top U-17 AAU teams in the region and 16 of the top U-16 squads. There was pool play followed by a bracket-style format to decide a winner. The hometown Playaz Gold took home the U-17 title, while New Heights 2011 won the U-16 championship.
Two noteworthy appearances in Hackensack, N.J. were by Dexter Strickland, who played on Team NJ ABC for the first time in months; and Omari Lawrence, who came to cheer on his New York Panthers teammates despite an injury. Let’s take a look at some of the top performers at the tournament.
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Class of 2009
Karon Abraham (5-9, Playaz Gold): The floor general for the title-winning Playaz Gold group is extremely quick and can get to the rim to either create shots for himself or his teammates. He has a very good handle and is able to beat his defender on numerous occasions. He can also pull-up and shoot from deep; however, his jumpshot is very inconsistent. Defensively, he has quick hands and also really gets into the offensive player in an attempt to force him into mistakes.
Paris Bennett (6-6, Team NJ ABC U-17): Bennett is a versatile combo forward who can score with his back to the basket or by facing up and shooting from the perimeter. The inside-outside scorer was a real match-up problem for most defenders facing him, and he took full advantage, demonstrating his complete offensive arsenal. He runs the floor well and finishes at the rim consistently with both hands. Bennett has a nice post-up game and he can score in the paint area after getting good position. He also can face-up and knock down shots from the outside or from the mid-range. He also showed the ability to take his defender off the dribble. Defensively, he was not very impressive as he failed to get back on several occasions and did not much at that end of the floor, save for a block or two.
Mike Celestin (5-10, Playaz Red): The ultra-quick point guard started most of the time at the Reebok Summer Classic East, but came off the bench at Fairleigh Dickinson. He showed the ability to play off the ball, but was clearly at his best when the ball was in his hands. He is tough to keep out of the lane off the dribble, and he can finish inside the paint. His jumpshot is very inconsistent, though, and allows defenders to back off him a little bit. Defensively, he has quick hands but sometimes takes too many gambles, which lead to points for the opponent.
Kenneth Ortiz (5-11, Playaz Gold): The flashy and seemingly cocky point guard had several highlight-reel drives and passes, but he also had a tendency to make mistakes once he got into the lane. He tried to do too much with his dribble and was often out of control. However, he showed the ability to beat his defender with ease and then finish at the rim with both hands or dish it off to an open teammate. He is very athletic and had impressive leaping ability.
Dave Robertson (6-4, Playaz Gold): Although Robertson is not overly explosive and is not well-known whatsoever (he has not been listed in any media packet at either the Rumble in the Bronx or the Playaz Ball), he is a solid player around the basket who plays a lot bigger than his listed size. He gets loose balls and offensive rebounds in the paint and can finish at the rim. He doesn’t have a lot of lift on his jumper and cannot handle the ball that well, but his production inside is solid.
Sherrod Wright (6-4, Playaz Gold): It seems that every game is just another day at the office for Wright. You know what you’re going to get from him, and he rarely lets you down – but he also doesn’t put up standout performances that often. He is a very strong wing who is a tough match-up for defenders due to his strength and ability to drive to the basket. However, his perimeter shot is extremely inconsistent and his shooting stroke is flat-out ugly. Until he further develops his three-point shot, he is going to have a ceiling as a player.
Class of 2010
Cameron Ayers (6-3, Playaz Red): Overshadowed by the trio of Isaiah Epps, Fuquan Edwin and Trevor Clemmings, Ayers is the ideal complementary player. He can do a little of everything, and looks smooth while doing it. Ayers is a very good shooter, especially from the mid-range, and he has a nice pull-up jumper from inside the arc. Furthermore, he has the ability to take it to the basket and finish at the rim. He is a decent passer who finds the open man. Ayers has a high basketball IQ and doesn’t make many mistakes.
Aaron Brown (6-4, Metro Hawks U-16): When I saw Brown at the Hoop Group Showcase at Rutgers University, I came away very impressed with his all-around game and versatility. Despite his team struggling mightily on Sunday, Brown still had a solid performance in every aspect of the game. He is an excellent defender and can guard multiple positions. He is very aggressive offensively, and takes it to the basket with intensity. Brown also gets fouled often due to his offensive style. He plays a lot bigger than his 6-4 size and is therefore a difficult match-up for most defenders.
Markus Kennedy (6-9, Team NJ ABC U-16): Kennedy is going to be a dominant player once he works on his conditioning and develops more stamina. He showed flashes of his enormous potential on Sunday, but he also tired very easily and his team seemed to play better with him on the bench. He didn’t get up-and-down the court very well, although some of that can be attributed to him playing more than a week straight without a day off. However, he can score very well inside and has a variety of back-to-the-basket moves to get points from. He moves well without the ball and gives his teammates a good target for passes. Kennedy gets good position down low and turns to the basket smoothly. He also rebounds the ball strongly. Defensively, he failed to box out a few times because he left his man to try and block a shot. He also made some mental mistakes throughout the tournament.
Ashton Pankey (6-8, New Heights 2010): I saw Pankey play for six straight days, at the Reebok U All-American Camp, the Reebok Summer Classic East and then at the Joe Brown Memorial Tournament. I came away unimpressed each and every time I watched him play. He was outplayed by his New Heights teammates Devon Collier and Jayvaughn Pinkson most of the time, and never really made a huge impression on spectators. Of course, he has talent and potential, and he showed flashes of it. He was solid on the glass, at both ends of the floor, and can really block shots because of his length and athleticism. Furthermore, he runs the floor well and can finish. However, he struggled to defend away from the basket and was not that great in a half-court setting offensively.
Class of 2011
Myles Davis (6-0, Playaz White): Davis is a talented player, but he rarely comes out and really takes over a game like he has shown flashes of. He can do a little of everything, but is at his best when he is being aggressive offensively, knocking down jumpers from the mid-range and from behind the three-point line. He can get hot from beyond the arc and has a quick release, making it difficult to block. At times, he takes the ball into the lane with no true destination.
Vaughn Gray (6-4, Playaz White): Gray is going to be a very solid player by the time he gets out of high school; as it is, he is a talented forward who creates match-up problems and is active at both ends. He is very athletic and can rebound the ball well on the defensive glass. He is a good build, and is strong going to the basket. Furthermore, he can adjust his body once he is in the air, giving him the ability to finish at the rim. Gray is solid on the offensive boards.
Shaq Stokes (5-10, Metro Hawks U-16): Going into the Metro Hawks’ match-up with New Heights White, I expected much more from Stokes. However, despite showing why he is a highly-touted point guard, he was a disappointment for the most part. He seemed lackadaisical – even lazy – at times, and was far from aggressive on the offensive end of the court. He also struggled to finish at the rim once he got into the lane, and his jumpshot was inaccurate. On the flip side, he had a strong, confident handle and was able to beat defender off the dribble several times. Defensively, he is physical and forces the opponent into mistakes. If he looks for his shot more and plays with more energy, he is going to be a very good player.
Class of 2012
Kyle Anderson (6-5, Playaz White): Anderson might be the most talented of all of the players on Playaz White – he certainly has the ball in his hands the most. The baby-faced wing can handle the ball well and runs the offensive for the Playaz. However, he is not explosive at all and seems slow with his handle and crossover. He got past his defender multiple times, but he needs to become much more explosive if he is going to reach his potential. He is a smart player who can pass the ball and find the open man, and he is very athletic at both ends of the floor. Anderson is not overly active defensively, but he blocks shots and rebounds. Once he matures and adds weight, he is going to be tough.
College Lists:
- Karon Abraham told CAA Insider that Wagner and Bowling Green were showing the most interest
- Sherrod Wright has a ton of Big East interest, as well as about 15 other colleges throughout the country – two of the new ones are Villanova and Nebraska
- Cameron Ayers’ favorite is Georgetown, but he also has interest from a variety of other Big East schools, as well as Clemson and Michigan
- Aaron Brown has a varied list, ranging from Providence, Virginia Tech, Michigan and Kentucky to Hartford and Marist
- The early favorite for Shaq Stokes is Miami, but West Virginia is also showing heavy interest
- Paris Bennett has four conferences courting him the most: the Big East, Atlantic-10, MAAC and Colonial. Out of the Big East, Providence, Villanova and Rutgers have shown the most interest, while he also listed Rhode Island, Rider and George Mason as possibly destinations. However, he did say he wanted to go away to school.
- Markus Kennedy said he has most of the Big East and ACC looking at him, including Louisville and Rutgers from the Big East, as well as Michigan State, Ohio State and Rider. Ohio State is his current favorite because he likes the way they use their big men. He also mentioned that he wants to go away for school.
- Ashton Pankey is getting looks from Syracuse, Xavier, Temple and St. John’s. His current favorite is Syracuse because they play zone defense and produce big men. Like the two above, he wants to go away to school.
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