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 players to make their names become nationally known. Here’s a look at some of the top players from the third day (Thursday) the media was allowed to attend.

CLASS OF 2009

Karron Johnson
Johnson was one of the best all-around players at the camp, and demonstrated all of his abilities on multiple occasions. The 6-fot-7 forward has very good athleticism and has good leaping ability. He takes it strong to the basket and finishes in the lane; he is really explosive at the rim. Johnson has a good build and a strong body, which enables him to outrebound taller players. He gets fouled often inside, and has a good free throw stroke to take advantage. He crashes the offensive boards looking for second opportunities, and also has good vision and ability as a passer. On the flip side, Johnson tends to force shots too often and committed mental mistakes leading to fouls.

Kenny Boynton
Boynton might have been the best player at the camp overall; he was certainly the most impressive scorer. His shooting range is unbelievable, and he continuously pulled up from anywhere and knocked down shots. The 6-foot-3 guard has the utmost confidence in his shot and demonstrated that on a regular basis. He loved to have the ball in his hands when the clock was winding down; he hit a game-winning shot, but also missed one. He has an awkward shooting motion, but he hit shots with defenders in his face; his unblockable step-back jumper was outstanding. He utilizes a lot of pump fakes and body fakes to get defenders off-balance. Boynton can also blow past defenders and explode at the rim. He gets great lift on his jumper and is very athletic. He can handle the ball and run the break, and is also a solid passer.

Givon Crump
Based on Crump’s performance against Team Rajon Rondo on Wednesday, one might draw the conclusion that Crump is one of the best shooters in the country. You would be right. Crump,a 6-foot-7 wing, has an unbelievable shooting stroke from anywhere on the court; he also has a high release which makes it unblockable. He can shoot it from deep, well behind the three-point lane. Crump also moves well without the ball, trying to get open for shots. He runs the pick-and-pop extremely well, but can also cut to the basket for open finishes in the lane. He has a good vertical leap, but does not rely on his athleticism like some other players do.

Dan Jennings
One of the best big men in the country, Jennings has the ability and potential to dominate the paint at both ends of the court. He always gets good position offensively, making himself available for his teammates to pass him the ball on the low block. The 6-foot-8 bruiser has a variety of post moves, and is very tough to stop once he gets the ball near the basket. Jennings gets fouled often, but he is not a good free-throw shooter. He boxes out well and controls the glass. Defensively, his length allows him to block and contest shots.

Derrek Tartt
Tartt is a 6-foot-3 combo guard who has the handle and passing abilities to play the point and the scoring talent needed to play on the wing. He is a very good passer who finds open teammates, but he does not always take care of the ball. He can initiate the offense, but also moves well without the ball when he is playing the two. His jumpshot is inconsistent, but he can drive to the basket effectively. Defensively, he plays the passing lanes well and can guard the ball.

Joseph Bertrand
Although he committed almost nine months ago to a Big Ten school (Illinois), hte 6-foot-5 Bertrand is still worth spending a few minutes watching. He is an unbelievable leaper with tremendous athletic ability who can really get off the ground. Bertrand is absolutely explosive when driving to the basket, but he also skies for rebounds at both ends of the floor. His jumpshot is solid albeit inconsistent and he can handle the ball well. However, he does not always make the smartest decisions with the ball and he tries to do too much with the ball. Because of his extreme athleticism, he plays out-of-control at times, leading to turnovers and offensive fouls.
College List: Committed to Illinois (over Notre Dame and Southern Illinois)

Mfon Udofia
Udofia is one of the top-ranked point guards in the country, and it is easy to see why. He is a terrific all-around player who has an aura about him – you just know he is good. The 6-foot-2 lefty can really run an offense, and he works the pick-and-roll to perfection. He can drive to the basket effectively, penetrating to create chances for himself and his teammates. He can also pull-up and knock down a mid-range jumper. If he goes all the way to the basket, he can finish with both hands and also can still score despite contact. Udofia looks smooth with everything he does, and really pushes the ball in transition. He has great vision and knows how to get his teammates involved. He defends well, both on and off the ball.

Chris Colvin
For some reason, multiple players from Chicago really impressed me this week. Colvin was certainly one of them. The 6-foot-3 lead guard is a really quick and athletic player who gets to the rim with ease. He can play both guard spots, and he has very good dribbling ability. He is extremely quick and really gets up once he gets into the lane. Colvin is acrobatic in the air and can adjust his body in order to finish a lay-up. He is shifty when going to the basket, making him difficult to contain on the perimeter. Furthermore, Colvin has good range on his jumper and can shoot the ball consistently.

CLASS OF 2010

Michael Poole
Poole is a very good all-around performer who can do nearly everything on the court – but he was disappointing overall this week. The 6-foot-6 forward is a tremendous passer with outstanding vision, especially for someone his size. He finds open teammates with consistency, although he makes mistakes when trying to go for the spectacular pass at times. He can handle the ball and run the fast-break, either finishing at the rim or dishing to a teammate. Offensively, he is not very explosive and does not go up strong when he is in the lane. He is not aggressive with the ball, either. On more than one occasion, too, he failed to hustle back defensively.

Derrick Williams
The St. Anthony-product was quietly impressive throughout the camp. He is chunky and seemingly overweight 6-foot-7 forward, but he is much quicker than he looks, and he is fairly muscular for such a wide body. Although he has a variety of post moves that he scored with, he is more than just a back-to-the-basket player. Williams can handle the ball in the open court, and runs the floor very well for someone his size. If he loses some weight and develops more of a face-up game, he is going to be difficult to deal with.

CLASS OF 2011

Tyrone Johnson
Johnson is one of the smoothest players in his class, and looks even better when he is playing with his Plainfield teammate Isaiah Epps. However, the 6-foot-2 guard was on his own this weekend, and still held his own. He showed the ability to handle the ball effectively and run an offense, and he is certainly not afraid of driving to the basket and scoring over bigger players. He plays taller than his 6-2 size, and crashes the offensive glass. He does have to work on his mid-range game, but he knocked down multiple three-pointers. He loves driving to his left despite being right-handed, and he finishes well at the rim. Johnson also draws fouls consistently. He finds the open man regularly and has good vision.

Myck Kabongo
The 6-foot, young Canadian point guard is going to be a stud for years to come. He handles the ball very well, and does not turn it over despite his flashy dribbling. He is a very good passer, and consistently made effective entry passes to his post players. He made it look easy, despite most players not being able to do the same. He can use both hands equally well, and can finish in the lane. He has a very quick crossover and first step to get past defenders, but is not overly aggressive at trying to drive to the basket. He can also shoot the three-pointer, as he demonstrated a nice stroke from deep. Defensively, he has quick hands and can play the passing lanes. On the other hand, though, he seemed to have a tendency to over-dribble on occasion.

Chris Coleman
Coleman is a big and tall player with potential who struggled in a variety of areas this week. On the positive side, the 6-foot-9 center gets good position with his back to the basket and turns well towards the hoop. He is active on the offensive glass, and finishes with authority when he gets the chance. He gives good outlet passes and is also decent on the pick-and-roll. However, there were more negatives than positives for Coleman this week. He struggled finishing once he got the ball, and his post moves were very slow. He needs his moves to become crisper in order to be more effective. Coleman forces shots, and needs to develop a little more finesse. Defensively, he can block shots, but that also left him out of position too often.

Mike Shaw
To keep the Chi-town theme going, we have a young, 6-foot-8 combo forward who is certainly going to be heard from in the coming years. He can run the floor well for a big man, and can catch and finish in transition. He rarely takes a play off and has an abundance of energy. Shaw constantly moves without the ball trying to get open, and can score either facing the goal or with his back to the basket. His shooting form isn’t consistent, though, and he struggles to finish around the rim at times. When driving to the basket, he simply puts his head down and tries to get to the hole – it usually results in a turnover or charging call.

SCHOOL LISTS
Karron Johnson has a long list of College List: Memphis (offered), Virginia (offered), Maryland (offered), Georgetown, USC, Kentucky (offered), Kansas (offered) and Connecticut. Indications are that Memphis and Georgetown top the list

Tyrone Johnson is hearing from Georgetown, Rutgers, Tennessee, Seton Hall, West Virginia and Pittsburgh already.

Georgia Tech, Duke, Memphis, Texas and Florida make up Kenny Boynton’s list.

Myck Kabongo lists Texas, Florida, USC, Maryland and Kansas as schools on his early list.

Givon Crump saw his list grow during his stay in Philadelphia and it now stands at Maryland, UCLA, Wake Forest, Rutgers, Providence, Michigan and growing rapidly.

Dan Jennings lists West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, St. John’s, Xavier, Minnesota and Miami (Fl.). He told ZagsBlog.net that Pitt, WVU and Minnesota are at the top.

Derreck Tartt has a varied list of Providence, Kentucky, James Madison, Missouri State, Virginia, George Mason and Ball State.

FACES IN THE CROWD

Here is a list of head coaches in attendance on Thursday (see the Reebok All-American Camp: Wednesday and Reebok All-American Camp: Tuesday for more):

Head coaches: Dino Gaudio, Wake Forest; Fred Hill, Rutgers; Ben Howland, UCLA; Scott Drew, Baylor; Tubby Smith, Minnesota; Sean Miller, Xavier; Lorenzo Romar, Washington

Assistants: DePaul, Utah, UC-Riverside, Seton Hall, Duke, Memphis, Georgia State, Notre Dame, Tulane, Michigan, West Virginia, Louisiana Tech, Virginia, UCF, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Missouri State, Villanova

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This entry was posted on Friday, July 11th, 2008 at 4:29 pm and is filed under Connecticut Recruiting, Georgetown Recruiting, Pittsburgh Recruiting, Providence Recruiting, Rutgers Recruiting, Seton Hall Recruiting, St. John's 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.