WEST DEPTFORD, NJ – The two best “big” prospects in the camp turned in terrific performances Sunday afternoon in a deliriously entertaining Top 30 Crème of the Crop All-Star Game to wrap up the Pangos All-East Frosh/Soph Camp at the RiverWinds Center in this Philadelphia suburb.
And, appropriately enough, 6-foot-10 Micawber Etienne – who dominated the competition from the moment he stepped onto the floor for his camp team “Georgetown” Saturday afternoon – scored the Top 30 game-winning bucket for the black jersey-wearing squad in a two-overtime, 87-85 decision over its white jersey-clad counterpart.
Etienne scored the layup off a pick-and-roll pass from Shane DeZonie for the “sudden-death” victory after 6-8 Jonathan Kuminga missed a free throw at the other end of the floor that would have given the white jerseys the victory.
Kuminga, whose team trailed by 17 points at intermission, scored on a nifty drive and finish around Etienne to tie the score at the end of the first overtime, which lasted a minute.
The floppy-haired Etienne – whose father migrated to the U.S. from Haiti; Etienne was born in NY – was credited with 22 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.
Kuminga (PICTURED), after a bit of a wobbly first half, sizzled after intermission and collected 21 points with five rebounds.
Etienne got plenty of support from freshman Richard Nweke (10 points, eight rebounds and two steals; no one played harder Sunday) and sophomore Marcus Randolph (17 points) while point guards Rahsool Diggins (a sophomore with 19 points, four rebounds and five steals) and Zion Cruz (a freshman who had the bulk of his eight points, four assists and three steals in the second half) helped Kuminga with the rally.
In the Top 60 clash, 7-foot and 300-pound (or so) freshman Silas Sunday (who is from Milan in Italy and has been in the U.S. for less than a year) had 14 points, five rebounds, three blocked shots and two assists as the white jerseys prevailed, 79-77, via a deciding bucket by freshman Car’Ron Brown.
Brown’s twin, Cam’Ron Brown (older by three minutes), played well for the black jersey-wearing team. They attend Rock Creek Christian Academy in Upper Marlboro, MD.
Two players yet to enroll in high school played in the all-star games.
Slender 6-6 eighth-grader Kwame Evans Jr. (he’s from Baltimore) was in the Top 30 contest while 5-1, 12-year-old Kabrien Goss (he’s from Ewing in New Jersey) scored a couple of baskets and didn’t turn the ball over in the Top 60 game.
Camp honors:
Co-Most Outstanding Players for the Camp:
Micawber Etienne (6-10/Soph./Suffield, CT, Academy)
Jonathan Kuminga (6-8/Soph./Centerreach, NY, Our Savior New American)
Top 30 Crème of the Crop All-Star Most Outstanding Players:
Rahsool Diggs (6-2/Soph./Philadelphia Wood) White jerseys
Richard Nweke (6-7/Fr./NYC The Dwight School) Black jerseys
Top 60 Crème of the Crop All-Star Most Outstanding Player:
Silas Sunday (7-0/Fr./Bronx, NY, Our Savior Lutheran)
The Camp’s Overall Top 15 Performers (alpha listing):
Abdou Halil Barre (6-9/Fr./Centerreach, NY Our Savior New American)
Enoch Boakeye (6-8/Fr./Little Rock, AR, Southwest Christian)
Jameel Brown (6-2/Fr./Haverford, PA, School)
Zion Cruz (6-3/Fr./Jersey City Hudson Catholic)
Matthew Delaney (6-7/So./Richland, NJ, St. Augustine Prep)
Shane Dezonie (6-3/So./Jersey City Hudson Catholic)
Rahsool Diggs (6-2/So./Philadelphia Wood)
Micawber Etienne (6-10/So./Suffield, CT, Academy)
Isaiah Griffith (6-0/Fr./Elizabeth, NJ, The Patrick School)
Jonathan Kuminga (6-8/So./Centerreach, NY, Our Savior New American)
Daniel Nixon (6-6/So./Pottstown, PA, Hill School)
Richard Nweke (6-7/Fr./NYC The Dwight School)
Marcus Randolph (6-4/So./Trenton, NJ, Catholic)
Rodney Rice (6-3/Fr./Clinton, MD, Bullis)
Blaise Vespe (6-7/So./Richland, NJ, St. Augustine Prep)
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