Recap of All-American Championship

Let the All-Star and AAU season begin. It is this time of the year where players make their move from unnoticed to some of the top recruits. The McDonald’s All-American game kicks off the All-Star season and other well-known All-Star games such as the Nike Hoops Summit in Portland, OR and the Jordan Brand Classic in New York follow soon after. In the inaugural game, the All-American Championship focused on players from the Class of 2011 and 2012 from four regions in the United States: North, South, East, and West. For the North team, 5 Illinois players were featured, all from the Class of 2011. Joining the 5 Illinois stars were 4 players from 2012 class in Indiana and a player from Missouri (Sr. SG B.J. Young, signed with Arkansas). For players like Sam Thompson (signed with Ohio State) and Ryan Boatright (signed with Connecticut), this was a chance to showcase their talent to those that did not think they were worth playing in their hometown for the McDonald’s All-American Game. In what was an unenthusiastic and sloppy game, the energy and skill picked up late in the game in what turned out to be an exciting overtime game that ended on a buzzer beater. The following players were observed:

Sr. PG Tracy Abrams (6-1, 185 lbs, signed with Illinois)- I was looking for a good point guard performance from Abrams because it looks like he will be counted on to provide some valuable minutes for the Illini next year at the point guard position. I was looking for an ability to spread the floor and read defenses while making precise passes, all be it in an All-Star game where players will forego defense to cherry-pick and run out for a dunk. In split time with Jr. PG Kevin Farrell (5-10, 170 lbs, committed to Indiana), Abrams put up respectable numbers with 10 points and 5 assists.  On one hand, Abrams demonstrated an ability to get others involved which is one of the main responsibilities for a point guard; on the other hand, Abrams was very lethargic with the ball, which seems to be the bug-a-boo of a lot of players in an All-Star game. Abrams did not demonstrate much of an outside shot, but showed he is willing to slash into the lane for easier buckets. This should be welcomed at the next level as mediocre jump shooters last as long as a bulimic in an all you can eat buffet line.  One of, if not the best pass of the night came from Abrams in which he was leading a 3 on 3 fast break and threw a pass between his legs between two defenders to a cutting teammate that took the ball in for an easy layup. Certainly a pass like this would give a coach a heart attack if this was performed in a more competitive game,  but the fact that a player can make highlight plays is always a good sign.

Sr. PG/SG Ryan Boatright (5-11, 175 lbs)- I was most excited to see the Co-Mr. Basketball in Illinois because his buzz about his game has spread more than the SARS epidemic. I had high expectations for Boatright as I thought he would put on a shooting display to confirm his status as one of the top player in Illinois. Unfortunately, 10 points was the extent of Boatright’s night. He seemed a bit smaller than I thought he would be and it showed on the court. For him driving in the paint, it looked like a chipmunk going after a bear with Boatright going up against two to three players 6-7 or bigger at a time. He resulted in just outside shooting and a couple failed drives to the basket. Aside from that, he did not show much else in his game such as passing and rebounding. I’ve been told he is a great facilitator especially in AAU games, and for this, he will be considered to play some point guard in college, but that part of his game was not displayed. The highlight of the night for Boatright was a game tying three pointer to send the game into overtime. Boatright has proclaimed himself as “clutch” and it would be tough to argue with that as he hit possibly the biggest shot for the North team all night. Looking forward, I expect Boatright to come off the bench in college and play similarly to Kemba Walker in his freshman year at Connecticut. And if the Huskies are lucky, Boatright does have the potential to be Kemba-like in college.


Sr. PG/SG Chasson Randle (6-2, 190 lbs, signed with Stanford)- Did someone say Illinois Mr. Basketball? The other winner of the award shared with Boatright was relatively quiet in Randle. Unfortunately for the North team, they featured two players 6-6 or bigger, which meant there were a lot of guards on display. For Randle, he did not see as many minutes as others and as a result, his impact on the game was minimal, especially on the offensive end. At some point during the game, Randle was playing small forward and in the post; something he will seldom do in his college career. Randle was one of those players that got lost in the shuffle only collecting a couple points and assists. It would have been nice to see Randle dominate and stamp his title as Co-Mr. Basketball, but Randle did what he has been known for his high school career and defer to others and take on more of a team approach, rather than the me-first approach which is customary in All-Star game. It will be interesting to see how his game translates at the next level.

Sr. SF Mycheal Henry (6-5, 200 lbs, signed with Illinois)- Outside of B.J. Young and D’Vauntes Smith Rivera, I was most impressed with Henry. Only days before Jereme Richmond declared for the draft after his freshman season at Illinois, Henry showed in this game that he can step in and play significant minutes for the Illini. In his 14 points, Henry displayed a little of everything: a jump shot, athleticism, defense, and rebounding. Henry scored both inside and outside- exactly what you would ask for from your small forward. Henry also looked the part as he had one of the bigger bodies for his size as far as muscle goes. It appears as if the transition from high school to college should not be too difficult for Henry. He did not do anything flashy, outside of a nice dunk in the second half, but Henry was one of those players where you looked at the box score after the game and saw his statistical impact on the game was as good as his physical impact running the floor during the game. I love players like this- they don’t stand out and you hardly remember hearing his name but at the end of the night, he has some of the better numbers on the team. Henry will appear to be a nice piece to a team puzzle next year and I expect him to be a decent bench player in his first season and a starter later in his career.

Sr. SF Sam Thompson(6-6, 170 lbs)-  Something rare for Thompson was that he was the second tallest player on his team. Because of this, his long frame was asked to guard bigger player and play more inside than outside- something he did not do much of in his last high school season. Despite being outrebounded, Thompson showed that he was a good defender and could guard players taller than him. His offensive stats were not staggering, only collecting a handful of rebounds and dishing out a couple assists. What this game showed more than anything was the versatility that made him such a highly sought after recruit in that he could play shooting guard, small forward, and even a little power forward if the matchup is right. The biggest thing for Thompson is going to be his ability or lack thereof to add some weight and muscle. For someone who the announcers of the game compared to Philadelphia 76er and Chicago native Evan Turner, Thompson has a long way to go until he can be mentioned in the same sentence as Turner. Athleticism is not the question, he can jump about as high as anyone, it his stamina against stronger players. If he cannot bulk up, Thompson will be pushed around a lot and not be as effective as his skill level will allow him to be.

The South team won on a last second put back by Sr. PF Tony Parker (no not that Tony Parker- sorry Ms. Longoria). For much of the game, the South, unlike the Civil War, was in control most of the night over the North. Rallied by some late baskets and bad turnovers (even though there are no such thing as good turnovers), the North staged a comeback and pushed it to overtime thanks to a last second shot in regulation from Ryan Boatright. The thing to take away from this game for the representatives from Illinois was that each player has something unique to the table that makes them such appealing recruits, like Abrams size and floor vision for a point guard, Boatright’s streaky but effective shooting, Henry’s versatility, Randle’s ability to help make others around him better off, and Thompsons freakish athleticism. It will be how these players utilize their unique talent and turn themselves into a star or just another player to wear a college uniform. It is safe to say the future looks very good, especially for the likes of Boatright, Henry, and Randle.

NEXT POST- PREVIEW CLASS OF 2012 PART 1.