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 diehard 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 second day (Wednesday) the media was allowed to attend.

CLASS OF 2009

Joseph Burton
If you’re looking for the next Kevin Love – in terms of passing, at least – here’s your man. The 6-foot-8 Burton, although he is a wide body, is a phenomenal passer that makes three-quarter court outlet passes look easy. He is always looking for his teammates and would rather make a nice pass for an easy basket than look for his own shot. He finds cutters on no-look passes and loves to jump start fast breaks with passes off of rebounds.

Offensively, he can score with his back to the basket, but also has a decent face-up game. He moves well without the ball, trying to get open. However, his athleticism is not that impressive and he needs to work on his conditioning. His free-throw shooting form is horrendous – it’s Anthony Mason-esque.

Terrell Vinson
A versatile and aggressive 6-foot-7 forward, Vinson does nearly everything well but nothing spectacular. He is a decent back-to-the-basket player with a solid jump-hook, but he does tend to force shots too often. He clearly has talent and potential, but he doesn’t block out very well and is not active when he does not have the ball. He can step out and knock down threes, and his array of post moves are difficult to stop. However, he mostly just stays on the low block and waits for the ball. Defensively, he gets lost at times, but is solid at stepping over to block shots.

Kadeem Batts
Although he split time with standout Dan Jennings at the center spot for the Official HexRide squad, the 6-foot-8 Batts showed plenty of potential. He is very aggressive offensively, and is strong around the basket. He can finish in the lane and has some very nice post moves, including a spin move that he utilized on more than one occasion. Batts turns to the basket well and draws contact when he goes up. He is very athletic and is intimidating defensively, with his ability to block and alter shots.

Maurice Creek
The 6-foot-5 Indiana commitment is a smooth wing player with outstanding range, Creek is a very good offensive player when he is on his game. He does tend to disappear at times, but has other stretches when he looks unstoppable. Creek settles for his jump shot too often, and although he can make shots from nearly anywhere on the court, he is at his best when mixing in drives to the basket with three-pointers. He catches the ball in shooting position, and is ready to make a move before he even has the ball. He needs to add some muscle in his lower body, but he already acts and plays like a leader.

Sherrod Wright
Wright is one of those players where you pretty much know what you’re going to get every time you see him. The 6-foot-4 G/F has a great mid-range game and his very difficult to stop going to the basket because of his strength and determination. However, his perimeter shooting is very inconsistent and he tends to turn the ball over often. He can handle the ball well, and also knocks down free-throws.

Tony Freeland
The 6-foot-7 Freeland is athletic, and very active on the offensive glass. He constantly tries to get good position on the offensive end of the floor, and when he gets it, he can finish well with dunks and lay-ups. He’s got a decent face-up game, and he has a solid pump-fake that he uses to get around defenders. Freeland draws fouls on a regular basis, but can also finish with contact. He is not very quick off the dribble, though.

Brandon Triche
Okay, I’m going to put this out there immediately: I don’t see what all the fuss is about Brandon Triche. I watched him several times this week to make sure I got a good enough look at him, and came away unimpressed each time. Sure, he has a great build and size at 6-foot-3 for a guard, and is very strong in the upper body. However, he was extremely inconsistent on his jump shot, and was very complacent offensively. He did not go get the ball enough, and then would look to his teammates immediately. It’s clear he has talent, but I wish I had seen more production out of him.

Oscar Griffin
Griffin seems like he is going to be the consummate role player at the next level. He is scrappy around the basket despite his 6-foot-4 size, and is always hustling for loose balls. He runs the floor well, and can finish at the rim. Griffin has good body control, and can score in traffic. He is a smart player defensively, and can get into passing lanes to pick up steals. On the other side, he has a tendency to be out of control at times, and goes into areas on the court with no clear intention.

Raymond Taylor
One of the most impressive point guards at the camp, Taylor showed why he should not be underestimated because of his 5-foot-6 diminutive size. He is extremely quick with the ball, and is difficult to stay in front of because of his speed. He is equally adept with both hands, and has terrific handle. He has deep range on his shot, and can also knock down pull-up jumpers. He can get into the lane with consistency, and is shifty and crafty once he is inside the paint. He adjusts his shot against bigger players and has good body control in the air. Taylor is also an excellent passer with vision. Despite the ball being in his hands throughout, he does not turn it over often. Defensively, he has quick hands and reads passing lanes very well.

Kadeem Coleby
Coleby is another long and athletic big man who showed flashes of his potential throughout the camp, but did not string together enough consistency to really impress. The 6-foot-9 Canadian can run the floor and finish strong at the rim, but his hands are mediocre and he looked awkward when catching several entry passes. Defensively, his length helps him block shots, but he was also solid in terms of help defense. He has a decent face-up game, and can knock down shots with his high-arcing, knuckle ball jumper.

Brennan Cougill
During most summer basketball games, back-to-the-basket centers do not get many chances to really show their post moves and scoring ability down low. However, Cougill was an exception. His team made an effort to get him as many touches as possible in the paint, and he took advantage of it. He had a variety of post moves and dominated offensively. The 6-foot-9 Iowa commit gets great position and can finish easily. He is a decent athlete and rebounds the ball well.

Demario Mayfield
Mayfield caught the attention of many in the stands due to his tremendous athleticism and ability to finish at the rim. He has great hang time and can really score once he gets into the lane. At 6-foot-3 he crashes the offensive boards for second-chance opportunities, and is strong around the basket. He has good handle and can get to the hole around most defenders; once he gets there, he has good body control and adjustment in order to finish. Furthermore, he is a solid shooter who steps into his shot as the pass is coming towards him.

CLASS OF 2010

Tony Chenault
Chenault is a very solid player who does everything that a point guard should do. He can run an offense and initiate sets to get his teammates involved. He is mostly an unassuming player and does not immediately command one’s attention like some other players do. His teammate, Taariq Muhammad (a talented 2009 point guard) looked smoother and more flashy than Chenault, but Chenault was equally effective when the 6-foot-2 point guard was able to get to the basket.

Shaquille Thomas
One of the many talented youngsters from Paterson Catholic, Thomas is a long and athletic wing who creates havoc defensively because of his size and is a match-up problem for most opponents because of his versatility. The 6-foot-6 forward looks for his teammates, and is a very good passer. Thomas showed the ability to knock down shots with a hand in his face, as well as hit pull-up jumpers in transition. He can handle the ball, and he changes directions while dribbling exceptionally well. He can finish at the rim, and has good body control despite his lanky frame. Thomas was not at his peak this week, though, as he injured his hand early and wore a wrap around it all week.

Fuquan Edwin
Another Paterson Catholic prospect, Edwin did not look like the same player who might be the best of the talented PC bunch. He was not as aggressive as he normally is, and deferred to his teammates far too often. He settled for his jumper more than he drove to the basket, which enabled onlookers to see the awkward, side-of-the-head release on his shot. However, he did hit some solid shots throughout the week, including a pull-up fade away with a hand in his face. He is an excellent athlete and all-around player who is active defensively and creates turnovers with his 6-foot-5 length. He also finishes with both hands at the rim and loves to get out in transition.

CLASS OF 2011

Sterling Gibbs
I’ve seen Sterling Gibbs at his best, but I’ve also seen Sterling Gibbs at his worst. Unfortunately, the 6-foot point guard certainly was not at his best this week. He usually plays with a quiet and shy demeanor, but this time, his play reflected it. He was not aggressive at all and did not move around well without the ball; as a result, he did get many opportunities. When he did get chances to score, he showed his shooting ability as well as his ability to take defenders off the dribble. On the other side, his defense was questionable and he was often slow getting up and down the floor.

SCHOOL LISTS

Sterling Gibbs has early suitors such as Seton Hall, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Florida and Maryland

Joseph Burton listed Utah, Utah State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Villanova, Arizona, Virginia Tech, Maryland and Connecticut

Terrell Vinson’s top three remain Georgetown, Villanova and Duke

Tony Chenault’s long list includes Villanova (offered), St. Joseph’s (offered), La Salle (offered), Texas, Wake Forest, Miami (Fl.), Virginia (offered) and Pittsburgh (offered).

Big East schools such as Cincinnati and Providence were among those listed by Kadeem Batts.

Xavier, Providence and Virginia Tech were the three recruiting Shaquille Thomas the hardest according to ZagsBlog.net.

FACES IN THE CROWD

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

Head coaches: Roy Williams, North Carolina; Tim Floyd, USC; Bob Huggins, West Virginia; Frank Martin, Kansas State; Tom Pecora, Hofstra; Norm Roberts, St. John’s; Andy Kennedy, Mississippi; Dave Leitao, Virginia; Herb Sendek, Arizona State; Travis Ford, Oklahoma State; Paul Hewitt, Georgia Tech; Leonard Hamilton, Florida State; Bruce Pearl, Tennessee; Matt Doherty, SMU; Mike Anderson, Missouri; Mike Montgomery, California; Jim Les, Bradley; Mark Turgeon, Texas A&M; Billy Gillispie, Kentucky; Bill Self, Kansas; Tom Izzo, Michigan State; Bruce Weber, Illinois; Johnny Dawkins, Stanford; Dennis Felton, Georgia; Rick Barnes, Texas

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This entry was posted on Friday, July 11th, 2008 at 4:12 am and is filed under Cincinnati Recruiting, Connecticut Recruiting, Georgetown Recruiting, Pittsburgh Recruiting, Providence Recruiting, Rutgers Recruiting, Seton Hall Recruiting, Villanova 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.