By Anthony Jaskulski

With Big East head coaches such as Bobby Gonzalez (Seton Hall), Bob Huggins (West Virgnia) and Jamie Dixon (Pittsburgh) in attendance, along with countless assistant coaches representing every Big East program, the Hoop Group’s Pittsburgh Jam Fest saw Saturday’s atmosphere ratcheted up a notch at the Petersen Events Center for Day Two of the event.

Prestigious AAU squads such as DC Assault, Delaware Sharpshooters and the New Jersey Playaz took the floor in front of numerous famous faces in the crowd and put a show as an exciting encore from Friday’s opening action.

Here is a look at day two’s top action from the Petersen Events Center.

Saturday’s Top Games:
(All 17 and under boys division)

DC Assault 79, Firm AC 40

Tipping off the day’s first action, DC Assault made with their traditional powerhouse reputation, and accosted Firm AC in a 39-point white-washing. Small Forward Christian Webster led a balanced DC Assault squad with 13 points. Webster added several razzle-dazzle plays, including a steal, drive and finishing an and-1 lay-up late in the second half. Power Forward Roscoe Davis helped the cause with 10 points and nine rebounds in the game, bullying the opposition inside the paint from start to finish. DC Assault was able to rest their starters for a hefty amount in the second half, but still got great production from bench players such as Wally Judge and Javorn Farrell, who combined for 18 points.

Scouting Report:

Christian Webster
Small Forward, 6’5, class of 2009

Top Interest: George Washington, DePaul, Georgetown, Villanova, Clemson

Strong Point: Has great awareness and is a quick thinker in the transition game.

Area of Improvement: Needs to recover quicker on the defensive end.

The Skinny:
Webster showed his incredible athleticism from start-to-finish today with great finishing skills on the offensive end. He can beat countless defenders to the hole, draw fouls, and finish with contact for the and-one’s. Christian is a strong player that is not afraid to step up and be a leader for his team, as he showed his vocal skills several times in today’s game. With several more pounds on him, Wilson can be a deadly inside-out threat, with his solid perimeter shooting and his footwork in the paint seems to be well in-tact.

He said it:
“It’s all about bringing toughness to every game and getting your teammates involved with everything. You’re not going to win unless everybody on the team gets involved and gets together on the same page from start to finish.”

Roscoe Davis
Power Forward/Center, 6’10, class of 2008

Top Interest: West Virginia (Verbal Commit)

Strong Point: Has great athleticism, especially in the defensive areas.

Area of Improvement: Needs better footwork and quicker hands.

The Skinny:
Davis is a quick kid with tons of energy, but needs to find a better-developed offensive game before moving to the Big East ranks. He showed strength, by pulling down tough rebounds and creating space inside the paint for himself. Davis is also a fine passer and has a team-first mentality, opening lanes with strong picks and finding wide-open guys cutting to the hole for easy lay-ups. For a big man, Roscoe is quick on the transition from defense to offense and showed he can beat his man down the floor on both ends. He has a quick recovery on the defensive end and solid court awareness.

He said it:
“I think the coaching staff is pretty cool and going there (West Virginia) I think it will bring about all my natural abilities and let me play my kind of game.”

Delaware Sharpshooters 65, Ohio Gators 45

In the game that had the attention of many division-1A coaches, the Ohio Gators looked to have the upset in hand, but the late surge and continuous drive of the Sharpshooters proved too much for the Gators to handle in the end. Erique Gumbs paved the way with 11 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks on the day. The power forward showed countless finessed moves in the paint that led to several and-one attempts in the game. Small Forward Isaiah Philmore became the Ohio back-breaker for the game, throwing down two crowd-deafening dunks, including a driving jam over a defender, drawing the foul as well. Guard Tayshawn Bell led the Sharpshooters in points with 14, while Virgil McGuine also scored 14 points and had five assists for the Gators.

Scouting Report:

Isaiah Philmore
Small/Power Forward, 6’7, class of 2009

Top Interest: George Washington, Virginia Tech, Marquette, Kentucky, Miami (FL), Rhode Island

Strong Point: Has a very physical offensive game; a game-breaker with throw-down abilities.

Area of Improvement: Needs better control and limit turnovers.

The Skinny:
Philmore started slow and committed several early turnovers, but in the second half he seemed to find his legs and showed exactly why he is one of the top recruits in the class. Converting several key baskets and drawing fouls, Isaiah showed he can be a physical forward that has the ability to take a game over. He has incredible leaping ability that helps him offensively, but he also used the athleticism defensively in the blocked-shot and rebounding areas. If he is pushed or physically challenged, Isaiah will fire back with plenty of in-your-face plays that can swing momentum to his team in just one possession.

He said it:
“I like to feed off energy and I like to think I can create a lot for myself and my team on big plays.”

Erique Gumbs
Center/Power Forward, 6’8, class of 2009

Top Interest: George Washington, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Delaware, Towson

Strong Point: Tough back-to-rim, moves inside the paint, with a solid jumper.

Area of Improvement: Forces too many shots, instead of dumping it off for an easier look.

The Skinny:
Gumbs has the ability to create space and back-down defenders inside the paint, reversing for an easy look at the basket. Although he has trouble finding the open man and his decision-making is still a work in progress, Gumbs makes up for it on the defensive end of the floor, with tough rebounding and quick hands to create turnovers. Erique showed he has a mental and physical toughness today, never giving up on plays and hustling for balls, while energizing his team during timeouts. With better footwork and smarter decisions offensively, Gumbs could be favorite target for many D-1 schools.

He said it:
“If I get stronger and take my time, I think I can play with a lot of bigger and better competition. I’m just working harder and harder to get to that point.”

Team Melo 60, New Jersey Shoreshots Select 40

Another highly anticipated squad at the event, Team Melo, did not disappoint the scouts and fans in attendance Saturday as a strong finish capped off an easy victory over the New Jersey Shoreshots on the third court of the Pete. Heavily recruited big man Andrew Fitzgerald turned in a solid 17 point, 11 rebound and four assist performance in the second win in two days for Team Melo. Fitzgerald wowed the crowd on several occasions, including a quick recovery from a near turnover where he fired a fade-away, hand-in-face perimeter jumper that swished the net and ended the Shoreshots hopes of coming back. Guard Josh Selby chimed in with seven points and five assists in the game, while Center Kevin Janowski led the Shoreshots with 14 points.

Scouting Report:

Andrew Fitzgerald
Forward, 6’8, class of 2009

Top Interest: Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, Maryland, Marquette, Xavier, Washington State

Strong Point: Physical big man with solid ball-handling skills.

Areas of Improvement: Needs to find the easy lay-up and outlet instead of pushing the ball every time.

The skinny:
Fitzgerald is a very physical, post-up style player that can back many defenders down, as well as face the rim and attack the outside as well. Andrew has a lot of range, and can hit shots from fade-away, hand-in-face jumpers, to corner three-pointers as well as drive the lane for the easy bucket. Fitzgerald also impressed many with his strength on the boards and physicality underneath, bullying on the glass on both ends of the floor. Using his quick hands to catch nearly any pass thrown his way, Fitzgerald can be a deadly force with a better developed passing game, and just a little more awareness while ball-handling. Andrew matches the physical dominance to bang with some of the best in the paint.

He said it:
“I like to play that Big East style basketball, because they play that physical, powerhouse basketball, but I also like playing the run-and-gun style like the ACC.”

Spiece Rising Stars 69, Playaz (Gold) 53

In what was a surprising ending, and possibly the biggest upset of the tournament in the first two days, it was Spiece that shocked a loaded Playaz team, taking advantage of missed shots and bad turnovers. Troy Taylor and Errick Peck paved the way for Spiece, each scoring 15 points and implying hard-nosed defense that had the Playaz gasping for air at times. Highly-touted recruit Brian Oliver led all scorers with 17 points and five rebounds for the Playaz, while Dominic Cheek and Austin Johnson contributed with seven points each. Johnson tripped over a Spiece defender at the start of the second half, but returned to action with 5:51 to play and showed no signs of major injury to his ankle. Spiece was out-sized by the Playaz, but ran on the strength of quickness and quicker hands to shutdown the usually high-powered offense from the Playaz.

Scouting Report:

Brian Oliver
Small Forward, 6’6, class of 2009

Top Interest: Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Rutgers

Strong Point: Has the ability to run the point, and shoot from the perimeter as well as drive the inside with strength.

Area of Improvement: Needs better ball-handling skills and quickness offensively.

The Skinny:
A top target for many Big East schools because of his precision shooting, Oliver also showed his strong mechanics and fine footwork inside the paint as well. He has a strong ability to drive to the hole and draw fouls and he takes care of the basketball, hardly committing turnovers. Oliver plays both ends of the court as well, recovering quickly on defense and not letting ball-handlers squeak by. Oliver has the ability to be a game-breaker and momentum changer that can knock down shots, and make big, momentum swinging plays in a variety of ways. Brian proved today he can be an off-the-dribble shooter as well as a catch-and-shoot, spot-up shooter on the perimeter. His beyond-the-arc game is without question, exceptional, and could have one of the better strokes from long-range in the Fest.

He said it:
“I think my three-point shooting is the best thing about me, and a lot of scouts and coaches tell me that is a big reason I’m being recruited.”

Dominic Cheek
Small Guard, 6’6, class of 2009

Top Interest: Connecticut, Villanova, Seton Hall, North Carolina, Texas, Florida, Rutgers

Strong Point: Can create any shot from inside to outside shooting

Area of improvement: Needs to become a better defender; needs more awareness defensively.

The Skinny:
Cheek is one of the more highly-touted recruits of the Jam Fest and for good reasons. With the ability to create plays and shots that aren’t there, he also has incredible court vision and can find the open man, or the best option on every possession, rarely running into turnovers. Although he has shown some signs of fatigue defensively, Dominic, despite a thin body, brings a physical presence and can alter many shots defensively, as well as muscling up for strong rebounds, standing his ground in the paint. Cheek is the type of player that can draw charges, and draw an and-1 foul on the other end on the very next possession, bringing a mentally and physically tough game to his exceptional athleticism. Cheek is one of the more aggressive players that can be found in the Fest and will bring intensity to any game situation.

He said it:
“I like getting my teammates involved with everything. I think getting the assist and finding the open man is just as important as scoring yourself basically.”

Austin Johnson
Power Forward/Center, 6’8, class of 2009

Top Interest: Rutgers (solid verbal)

Strong Point: Physical defender, with great leaping abilities.

Area of Improvement: Needs better footwork offensively.

The Skinny:
Austin is a lanky, but physical big man with great capabilities on both ends of the floor. With the ability to finish plays and bring a strong inside presence, Johnson can create space and get open for an easy look at the basket. With better footwork and a bigger frame, Austin can develop a solid offensive game to go with his tough, stout defense and become an all-around star in the paint. Johnson also showed a nice touch from the perimeter on several occasions, but still has somewhat of inconsistency outside.

He said it:
“I like the proximity to them (Rutgers) and being close to home is something that won me and my mom over when they recruited me. I like their style, I love “The Rac” and I can’t wait to play in that type of program.”

Other Games to Note:

Juice All Stars 69, Premier Indiana 65
Vince Council led the way for Juice scoring 13 points and four assists, while teammate Yves Jules finished with 10 points. Premier was led by big man Andrew Smith, who finished with 11 points and nine rebounds.

Derek Smith All Stars 69, Crusader Nation 57
Jon Ferguson led both teams with 15 points, while Leonard Mason finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.

DC Triple Threat 74, TP Elite 58
Michael Weems and Atone Byrd both finished with 19 points a piece, while Byrd also grabbed eight rebounds in the winning efforts for DC.
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Anthony Jaskulski covers the University of Pittsburgh basketball beat as well as the Pittsburgh high school beat for the Pittsburgh Sports Report. Look for more of Anthony’s coverage this weekend from the Jam Fest here at the NBE Basketball Report.

Related story: Pittsburgh Jam Fest: Day One

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 20th, 2008 at 4:14 am and is filed under Cincinnati Recruiting, Connecticut Recruiting, DePaul Recruiting, Georgetown Recruiting, Marquette Recruiting, Pittsburgh Recruiting, Rutgers Recruiting, Seton Hall Recruiting, Villanova Recruiting, West Virginia Recruiting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.