LAS VEGAS — The third NCAA basketball evaluation period tipped in force off at 5 o’clock at three major venues Wednesday night, each swarming with college coaches galore.
The Cashman Center (adidas Super 64), Spring Valley High (Big Foot Classic) and Bishop Gorman High (Fab 48) were the gathering points.
My first stop of the period (that wraps Sunday evening at 5) was Bishop Gorman where I watched eight games (split between two adjacent courts in the school’s “main” gymnasium) that were part of the “Fab 48 Tip-Off.”
It was a cool opportunity for me to watch several players that I had not watched and evaluated during the spring or early summer.
More on those young gentlemen will come later.
The first two games that forced me to use my amazing “split vision” technique of evaluation (I jest, of course; it’s enough to create a mild case of whiplash) were Team Texas eventually lost to New Heights of New York, 71-56, on Court 1 while the Las Vegas Prospects held on to knock off San Diego Supreme Court, 60-56, on Court 2.
The Texas squad has a couple of very good jump shooters in Austin Grandstaff and Matt McQuaid and two strong posts in Ted Kapita and Elijah Thomas.
But the New York squad jumped out to an early lead and was never really threatened much at all as left-handed point guard Dupree McBrayer dictated the pace offensively and defensively.
On Court 2 were the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2017 in 6-foot-11 DeAndre Ayton of Supreme Court and one of the best guards in the class in 6-5 Troy Brown of the L.V. Prospects.
Brown had a couple of snazzy passes and an especially sweet “and 1” while Ayton continuing doing so many things that a guy at his size and age (he turned 16 Wednesday) shouldn’t be able to with such verve.
In the end, though Ayton and 6-8 Abdul Shanun didn’t get the kind of support that was afforded Brown by way of the likes of Carter Olsen and Jordan Davis and forward Anthony Townes.
On Court 1 in the next set of games, Southern California-based Belmont Shore led Chicago’s Mac Irvin Fire by six to eight points most of the way, and by 10 with seven or eight minutes remaining.
But the Fire, led by left-handed point guard Jalen Brunson and forward Edward Morrow (who seemed to be dunking with great veracity each time I glanced at the court, overwhelmed the Southern California lads down the stretch to prevail, 79-68.
On Court 2, “Big Red” – better known as the Mater Dei High Monarchs, by way of Santa Ana in Southern California – used its sound defense, half-court offensive execution and some impressive post play by junior-to-be Michael Cage Jr. to pull away in the final five or six minutes and beat Sports U of New Jersey, 68-56.
Another returning starter from the Mater Dei team that was 35-zip and the mythical national high school champion, 6-5 Rex Pflueger, started knocking in jump shots late after making a lot of key plays at both ends of the floor.
Sports U got, at times, some explosive vertical plays from posts Chris Silva and Markis McDuffies.
In the third time slot, Team Philly held off Take Takeover (from the Washington, DC area), 54-46, on Court 1 while kitty corner another squad with players from in and about our nation’s capitol, DC Premier, edged Louisiana Elite, 61-53.
The squad from the great state (or something like it) of Pennsylvania got two very good jump shooting performances from guards Samir Doughty and Devin Liggeons.
DC Premier had too much depth, size and skill – and some very good guards in Jamaal King, Terrell Allen and Jon Davis – for even a player as explosive and gifted as is 6-5 Brandon Sampson, who kept his team as close as best he could via a shower of dunks, jump shots and on-target open-court passes.
He attends Madison Prep Academy in Baton Rouge and – not in the least bit surprisingly – LSU Coach Johnny Jones and two of his assistants were planted in seats at mid court.
And, lasty but certainly not leasty, the Showtown Ballers (from Orlando, FL) topped the Upward Stars (South Carolina), 62-54, on Court 1 while, a few feet away, UM33M (from Memphis) edged the Illinois Stars, 59-57.
The Ballers had some real ballers (I couldn’t resist the temptation), most notably point guard Corey Sanders, shooting guard Dwayne Bacon and 7-2 Jean Marc Christ.
The squad from South Carolina hung as close as 6-6, do-pretty-much-it-all P.J. Dozier could keep it against a big and potent frontcourt and a point guard (Corey Sanders) who penetrated entirely at will during the game.
This was my first opportunity of 2014 to see each of those guys, as it was for 6-10 Skal Labissiere, who sparked the Memphis squad past its Illinois counterpart.
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