Previewing the Class of 2012, part 2

Sorry blog followers, and judging by the lack of activity, no one cares, but the guru took the day off to watch game 6 of the ‘Hawks vs Canucks game. Needless to say, I think the day off was well worth it. But let’s continue the fun. Despite featuring some of the top talent in Illinois for the class or 2012 in part 1 of the preview does not mean those are the top three guys in this class; there is plenty of depth in this class, all be it mediocre talent as it has been document that a maximum of 3 players from Illinois would crack the top 150 of the class of 2012 list as it stands today, but hopefully more will follow. And away we go….

SG Aaric Armstead (6-3, 175 lbs, offers from Fairfield and Valparaiso)- Don’t let the lack of flashy offers deture you from thinking this is a good shooting guard. Having watched Armstead, I can say that he has a high motor and is a great leaper- not like dunk contest leaper, but the guy has some ups. On a couple of occasions, Armstead got to the rim and finished with some dunks against De La Salle in a game earlier this season. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me because I kept hearing the name Armstead and different players for Hales Franciscan making plays. It took me until the 2^nd half for me to realize that there are two Armsteads- older brother SG #23 Aaron Armstead (6-3, 180, signed with Wisconsin-Green Bay) playing alongside younger brother #24 Aaric Armstead.  Although the older Armstead had some good flashes and showed a bit more poise, but I’m sure I confused the two again, the younger Armstead looked like the more exciting player. Aaric ran the floor really well and got out in transition nicely to set up other players or to be the recipient of scoring chances by the hoop. I must have caught one of Aaric’s better performances of the season because the hype was not that great for the junior this season. Aaric lead his team in points and at some points of the game, he was knocking down almost any shot. He proved he could be the team leader as a junior and help carry a team even though Hales eventually lost. Despite the ability to finish alley-oops and flashy dunks, Armstead’s athleticism will not jump out at you. At times, he can disappear from a game and rely on other teammates. Though proving he can handle the ball and facilitate it, Aaric was a bit selfish at time at would take some bad shot despite some of them going in. Aaric is going to need a huge senior season in one of the top high schools in Chicago for bigger schools to eventually offer him a scholarship. Bradley, Northern Iowa, Loyola (IL), and Wisconsin-Green Bay have looked at the younger Armstead. I don’t see Aaric ever cracking a top 150 list, but he can play his way to a decent low to mid-major scholarship and contribute immediately. He needs to get a bit stronger and solidify a consistant jump shot before more people take notice, but right now, this is a fine prospect to keep an eye on.

PF Jermaine Morgan (6-8, 210 lbs, no offers)- Simply put, Morgan needs to bulk up to be more dominant. The thing about Morgan is you can’t watch a highlight of him without getting 3 or 4 shot blocks. Jermaine has a great nose for the ball and is the best shot blocker on his Whitney Young high school team; which says a lot considering the high major prospects on Whitney Young’s roster. Morgan has long arms and can make up for being beat on a play or having someone quicker getting around him. He is what I like to call a violent blocker because the shots he does block fly way out of bounds or gets spiked to the ground like a volleyball. For the class of 2012 in Illinois, I feel confident saying he is one of if not the best shot blocker. Unfortunately, that’s where the complements end. His offensive game is extremely raw and he is not athletic enough to jump over people or quick enough to beat bigger and stronger players off the dribble. Despite being able to shoot the midrange shot, Jermaine does not do it consistently enough to be a major threat. I would best compare him a bit to someone I previewed in part 1 of the class of 2012 and that player is Steve Taylor. The size is similar but the difference is Morgan is not nearly as good as a shooter as Taylor and does not finish around the rim as well. Morgan’s biggest impact is on the defensive end but his greatest improvement will have to come on the offensive end. He does not have what scouts call a “go-to” move in the post. If Morgan could add about 10 pounds of muscle and maintain some quickness, he’d develop into a more serious prospect. Right now, the only university that has given Morgan a serious look, despite no scholarship is UIC. Morgan will probably max out to a low to mid 3 star recruit but it is fun to watch him swat basketballs away like flies at a picnic.

PG Aaron Simpson (5-11, 170 lbs, no offers)- It’s a shame that Simpson isn’t 4 or 5 inches taller or he could be a top 10 shooting guard in this class. His outside shot is that good. In some games, including a matchup against one of the better teams in Chicago, Whitney Young, Simpson was torching the nets with his three point shooting. Rather in transition, feet set, or not feet set, Simpson has deep range that you would love to see in a shooting guard. The problem is, Simpson is not a shooting guard and he is not 4 or 5 inches taller. The only way he’d play for a high major program is if he could develop more into a point guard. Simpson can pass the ball well, however, he plays off the ball and another player for North Chicago brings up the ball for the team. Simpson can get to the rim but I have yet to see him dunk and he doesn’t have the hang time that would make your jaw drop quite like other guards in this country.  With his headband and Mohawk, Simpson looks like he’s wearing the helmet that Shredder wore in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Despite the funky style, Simpson is a pure shooter. The main reason more universities haven’t jumped at Simpson is his lack of dominant point guard skills and IQ. For someone his size, he has to run the floor and set up other taller players despite his outstanding shooting. Simpson is one of the more cocky players in Illinois and with his shooting it’s hard to blame him. He plays with an edge that drives him to take over games. You like to see this in your player, but you also like to see your point guard lead your team by doing more than shooting. Because of his outstanding outside game, some consider Simpson to be a top 150 prospect. He keeps defenders honest by driving to the hoop but his game is at its best when he’s on the perimeter. Despite no offers, bigger programs like Marquette, DePaul, and Purdue have showed some interest. Simpson may have too big of an ego to dominate at a lower level program so he’s probably hoping for one of these major programs to drop a scholarship in his mailbox. Expect Simpson to have a big scoring season, but hopefully he develops more into a facilitator and floor general to match his supreme outside shooting. If he can accomplish this, Simpson could crack the top 100 in some scout’s eyes and possibly earn one of those high major scholarships he hoping and looking for.

NEXT POST- PREVIEWING THE ILLINOIS CLASS OF 2012 PART 3

Previewing the Class of 2012, part 1

In the coming weeks, I will preview some of the top players in the Illinois class of 2012. In years past, Illinois has typically produced at least one five star recruit and/or several four star recruits. In this upcoming class, the strength that an Illinois class typically has is not there; for now. Going back to the last 10 recruiting classes that Illinois has produced, if things stand, this class will be the weakest as far as star power. This class compared to others is like the other Manning brother that sucks at football. However, a couple players stand to have big seasons and hopefully will move up recruiting boards and might actually challenge super-sophomore SF Jabari Parker of Simeon for 2012 Illinois Mr. Basketball.

PF Jay Simpson (6-8, 220 lbs)- Simpson has verbally committed to Purdue, so the excitement in his recruiting for one of the best seniors in this upcoming class appears to be over, unless something drastic happens where he becomes this super recruit like Anthony Davis of Chicago did in the class of 2011 and pulls in attention from big time programs. There are some things that do stand out in Simpson’s game that does suggest he could be a special player. After watching some highlights, it is clear that for his size, Simpson runs the floor very well and can handle the ball better than a lot of people at 6-8. Simpson has good court vision, showing that facet of his game on a couple fast breaks where he dished the ball off to players better suited to make an open layup or dunk. Also, on multiple occasions, Simpson was able to hit the midrange shot from 10-15 feet. This will be a key component of his game because defenses will be forced to step out and guard that shot which should give Simpson the opportunity to drive the basket more with more open lanes to the hoop. However, Simpson lacks explosiveness that you would see in a high level power forward prospect. Simpson will not have any flashy dunks and at some points of the game, it will look like he has sandbags attached to his shoes holding him down. I have read he has worked tirelessly to be better conditioned, but for right now, it looks like the main thing holding him back from a good prospect to a very good or great prospect is his lack of explosiveness.

PF Steve Taylor (6-7, 205 lbs)- One of the things that stands out about Taylor by looking at him is that he needs to add a lot more weight to become a lot more effective. He does a lot of things well like shoot the outside shot and can find open player better than a lot of frontcourt player. Not that he has point guard-like vision but Taylor is very unselfish and plays more off other players rather than trying to create for himself. Some people will find this to be a turn off and a reason why he won’t be a top 100 recruit next year, but basketball is a team sport and players like Taylor help the other four players on the court which will also be vital at the college level. Taylor is a good rebounder, too, and isn’t afraid to go over or through others to get the rebound. For right now, Taylor’s biggest asset is his ability to step out and hit the 18 foot jump shot with some regularity. A reason why his outside game is so good is because he doesn’t trust his inside game as much. He rarely will take people off the dribble and drive to the hoop. Taylor doesn’t have a go to move and isn’t a good enough ball handler to be fancy with ball and draw other defenders to him. Right now, Taylor doesn’t have the bulk to bang with others his size, so he is more finesse then tough, but that can change because he has wide shoulders and long arms and has the ability to realistically add 20-25 lbs in the next year or two. At the moment, Taylor hold official offers from DePaul, Ohio, Marquette, Xavier, and Northwestern. Taylor looks like a big recruit for a mid-major team or just another piece to a high major program. I believe Taylor will be amongst the top 3 or 4 prospects in Illinois for the class of 2012 this time next spring.

PG Curtis “C.J.” Jones (6-0,170 lbs)- C.J. has verbally committed to Ball State (the most erotic sounding university in America) over DePaul. C.J. has the mop-head dread look so it is easy to point him on the court. C.J. will probably never be in a dunk competition because I’ve never seen the guy dunk. He’s one of those 6 foot players that can only get the ball to the rim and has to lay it in or he’ll be stuffed by the rim. He’ll get to the rim but does not finish in traffic too well. As a point guard, C.J. is more of a shooting point guard than a passing point guard. He is a very good jump shooter but most of his shots were just inside the three point line so I did not get a chance to see him display a three point shot. He has a nice stroke and can jab step a defender to create some space to get a better jump shot. In transition, C.J. ran the floor very well and had some deceptive and flashy passes. C.J. showed good ball handling but in half-court sets, he did not show the same clever and flashy passes that you would see from a top tier point guard recruit. In the end, his all-around game is good but not great, but needs to improve his driving into the lane ability a lot more to become a more inside/outside threat than he is now. C.J. has good strength for someone his size and will be physical, but he won’t drive in traffic and get in the lane quite like other point guards. C.J. is a big fan of the crab dribble or jump-stop around 5 feet from the rim. In the end, C.J. is pretty close to his ceiling and can only improve his jump shot. You are either born a great facilitator or your born to look for your shot first. C.J. is more the shooter but will need to learn to become a better passer in college.

NEXT POST- PREVIEW CLASS OF 2012 PART 2

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.

Recap of McDonald's All-American Game

If you were looking for an amazing performance, it wasn’t in this game. If you were looking for stellar defense, it definitely wasn’t in this game. And if you were looking for amazing dunk after dunk after, well, you didn’t miss much. The Marquee high school basketball all-star game did not have the flair of games from the past, but the record crowd for an All-American Game (19,091) saw a good game. The headliner for the crowd was the two Chicago natives Wayne Blackshear (signed with Louisville, left) and Anthony Davis (signed with Kentucky, left). For me, Davis was the main attraction because he was the one I have seen the least this past year. The 6-10 power forward had an urban legend type of hype following him into this game with his shooting guard-like game inside a power forwards body. The Kevin Garnett comparisons were hovering around him for the days leading up to the game due to his game and his size. So as I walked up to my seats, I was giddy like a fat kid in a bakery to see Davis.

What I saw from Davis- In the 5^th row in section 318 hovering above the court, Davis stood out from the rest of his team West teammates. The power forward was the tallest player on the West team, and also the skinniest. From that high up, Davis looked disgustingly skinny, almost like a cartoon hangman. This should have been expect; at 6-3 and about the same weight last year, Davis was an unnoticed junior that was going nowhere in his high school career. But in the span of a couple months, Davis shot up to 6-10 and brought his game with him- something unique at his height. Unfortunately, his weight did not increase quite like his height did. But when I moved down in the second half (I was on TV for 2 second, I got the proof on my DVR) I got a much better look at Davis. He has a nice lower body and looks like he has the capability to add some weight to his calves to become more of a post-up threat, but when looking at his arms, I just couldn’t see how any weight could be added. His arms were like twigs dangling from a Redwood Tree. When Kevin Durant and Joakim Noah left college for the NBA, the biggest question was whether they could ever add some strength onto their slender frame. Although those questions were answered as they were able to put on some weight, the two talented NBA players have adapted their game around their lean physique. I just don’t see it with Davis, though. I think all the minutes in the day in the gym could not put enough muscle on his frame to become a back down player. This means he will have to become an outside threat, like Garnett was early in his NBA career and how Durant is today. So When Davis had a couple shots from beyond the arc clank off the backboard and one shot miss everything, I was left to question what role Davis will play next year at Kentucky.

Davis finished the game with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and four blocks. Davis had the best 3 straight minutes out of any player in the game when he opened up the second half scoring 8 straight points, all dunks and layups, and had a couple blocks. His game for that period of time wowed the crowd and showed glimpses of why Davis has a good chance to become the #1 overall recruit in the class of 2011. For his size, Davis is supremely athletic. The first bucket of the game for the West team came from an assist from Indiana recruit Cody Zeller to Davis who caught the ball at the free throw line, took a step and glided through the air to slam the ball through the net. Davis also had a pair of alley-oop dunks in the second half that had everyone going crazy yelling out “A-D, A-D!!!” But the excitement and thrills Davis bestowed upon the crowed slowed down as quickly as it game and Davis and a pedestrian 4^th quarter. What stood out to me most about Davis was his long octopus-like arms swatting balls out of the air and rearranging shots. It is extremely clear that Davis will be a force on the defensive side of the ball next year and high his rise to the top of the recruiting boards have moved so quickly. There is definitely a lot to like about this high school senior, but the few things he did not do well said more to me than anything else. There was a point in the 1^st half where Davis was trying to post up a defender near the free throw line. Davis was being pushed further and further away from the hoop like someone pushing a shopping cart. When he went to retrieve a pass, the defender pushed around him to steal the ball. Now in an all-star game, it is too much to expect 100% effort from all the player on both ends, but being pushed around typically is not due to a lack of effort. Simply put, when Davis is matched up with a player similar to his height and stronger than him, which is everyone; he has a tough time inflicting his will. Davis did not seem like he could create plays on his own, rather, the recipient of others doing work around him to get him the ball closer to the basket.

In the end, Davis will be a top 3 overall recruit, if not #1, and his athleticism is freakish for someone at 6-10. Kevin Durant- not with his shot right now. Kevin Garnett- not with his strength. But all the signs are there for Davis to become one of the top freshmen next year. There are some concerns I, and others have of Davis about his strength and his exact role either as a power forward, center, or even small forward. Overall, he put on a nice show for his hometown crowd, even though it was for about 3 minutes.

What I saw from Blackshear- Cue the disappointing music. Call me the Blackshear jinx. When I wrote about him first a couple of blogs ago, Blackshear had a mediocre game with me in attendance at the City-Suburban Showdown. When I wrote about him last Sunday, that seemed to be the jinx on Blackshear to injure himself. At a practice for the game on Sunday, Blackshear separated his shoulder and was declared unlikely to play in the game on Wednesday. For the dunk contest he was supposed to participate in on Monday, a day after he injured himself, Blackshear was wearing a sling to support his arm as I’m sure he was still in pain from his shoulder. So when I was watching the shoot-around before the game, it did not surprise me Blackshear was not out there. But when the game started and the tip was thrown, Blackshear was in the starting lineup playing the first couple of minutes of the game. Blackshear was wearing a shoulder protector which seemed to limit his mobility with his left arm. He was able to jack up a shot before he was quickly pulled, and eventually finished the game playing the least amount of minute than anyone else (8) with 2 points, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds. With his home crowd looking on, you could tell Blackshear was not going to be denied playing in this game. This definitely showed a lot of toughness and heart, but if you’re a Louisville fan, you held your breath hoping he wouldn’t injure himself further. I was disappointed I didn’t get to see the best of Blackshear in the game, so I can’t report much. I’ve been told his injury is not serious enough to impact his offseason to get ready for his freshman year. Being a Michigan State fan, I know first-hand how a top recruit like Blackshear needs an offseason to get him in game shape as Adrian Payne had a similar injury last year but had to miss his whole offseason which in turn impacted his play this last year and was quite underwhelming. Expect Blackshear to be an intrical part of the team next year, but for someone eager to see him play against elite talent, I was disappointed not to see him be a factor at all in this game.

Player that impressed me most- Khem Birch (6-9, 210 lbs, signed with Pittsburgh, right) had a great game. Birch was by far the most consistent player around the rim getting a two and-1’s to go along with his 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 blocks- all of which were in the paint. Birch gathered his statistics throughout his 21 minutes of play, which is a good thing as you want consistency from a freshman as I’m sure Pittsburgh will enjoy next year. As the game wore on, Birch got better and was the West team’s most dominant player in the paint. Watching him play with his agility and quickness, he will be a great help to a team that loses a couple of big seniors in Pittsburgh. If the West won, Birch easily could have been the game MVP.

Speaking of which, the MVP was shared between to East players in Michael Gilchrist (signed with Kentucky) and James McAdoo (signed with North Carolina). I agree with this pick as no one performance was most outstanding. McAdoo had a huge second half capped with several break away dunks and finished tied with a team high of 17 points. Gilchrist impressed me with his 16 points and 12 rebounds. With his double-double (the only of the game) Gilchrist did not do anything that stood out, rather, just did a lot of things very well. If it was possible, Gilchrist had a quiet double-double as you don’t remember hearing his name that much but at the end of the game, was one of the most productive. This is a good sign for Kentucky as you like to see these types of players in that the game comes so easy to them that they can be very productive without standing out.

In all, the game was about as competitive as an all-star game could get. It was a tough act to follow as last year the game went down to the final seconds. After controlling most of the 1^st half and building a double digit lead at halftime, the East team let the West team crawl all the way back and at one point in the 4^th quarter, the game was tied. In the end, the length and ability to hold onto the ball proved to be the difference in the game as the East walked away with the win.

NEXT POST- RECAPING THE ALL-AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP IN HOUSTON FROM 4/3/11

Preview of McDonald’s All-American Game.

Before I talk about what I’m here for, I wanted to recap two champions that capped off amazing seasons downstate: 4A champion Simeon and 3A champion Rock Island. For the last several blogs, I have talked about how good Simeon is and will continue to be. After a shaky end to the regular season for Simeon, So SF Jabari Parker (6-7, 220 lbs) and the Wolverines captured their second straight championship. Parker is trying to enter select company in Chicago hoops folklore as a player to win a championship in all four years of high school. Halfway there, the future for Parker and Simeon look extremely bright as I am sure they will be the favorite to go for the three-pete next year (I’m not paying Pat Riley for that term). As for the 3A champs, Sr PG/SG Chasson Randle (6-1, 175 lbs, signed with Stanford) and Rock Island captured their only championship in school history. The star of the 3A tournament, despite modest numbers for him, was Randle. Looking ahead as he takes his game out west next year, Randle has an excellent chance of getting significant minutes next year and should make staying up late at night to watch west coast basketball worthwhile.  And now for the main attraction…

This Wednesday marks a signature point in 30 high school seniors’ careers. The McDonald’s All-American game is the U.S. Army Bowl and Under Armour Game in high school football wrapped up into a mega game that hundreds of scouts, and me, will attend. Like the traveling circus, the All-American Game draws a heap of attention each time it rolls into a city.  Chicago gets the dubious honor to host some of the nation’s best high school ballers at the United Center. The MVP of this game is pretty much guaranteed to go onto the NBA. The likes of Kevin Durant (2006), LeBron James (2003), Zach Randolph (2000), Kevin Garnett (1995), and Alonzo Mourning (1988)  amongst others have all won the prestigious honor and taken their games to higher levels. The game is like looking into the crystal ball to see the future of professional basketball.  So it is without question the most hyped high school game all year as the teams on the court and their skill could rival most college teams now. I could spend pages upon pages on the players in this game and what each player will bring and what the future hold for them, but I am not trying to write a blog the size of the New Testament building up these players. Instead, I will focus on the only two representatives from Chicago to play in front of their home friends and family.

Wayne Blackshear (6-5, 205 lbs, signed with Louisville)- I saw him play once this year at the City-Suburban Showdown at the UIC Pavilion. One thing that stood out was his size over everyone else. As a shooting guard, he has great size and athleticism. There is no question that he should contribute right away for Rick Pitino next year.  However, in my only up close and personal view of him, Blackshear did not stand out as much as I thought he would. He did finish with a game high 17 points, but no one in that crowd was in awe of him that night. Maybe the bar was set too high, but I was expecting a little bit more from a potential Illinois Mr. Basketball and McDonald’s All-American. I could even make an argument that he was not even the most valuable player that night for his Morgan Park team. However, I have seen his gaudy numbers he’s averaged this year (28 ppg, 16 rpg) and assume there has to be more that meets the eye with him. As a player on the West team, Blackshear has a great chance to start the game along with the number 1 overall recruit in the nation in Austin Rivers (6-3, 195 lbs, signed with Duke). The main thing I will be looking for is a jump shot from Blackshear. At this point, he is now going to be playing with people that can match and exceed his great athleticism.  Everyone knows he can get to the rim and everyone knows for a shooting guard, he has great strength. Outside of YouTube videos that only show highlights, I cannot get a good read on his jump shot. If he is a legitimate threat to hit the jump shot anywhere on the court, there is no reason to think Blackshear has a chance to be a one and done player on his way to the NBA. One game will not prove anything, but great athleticism gets you from high school to college but a great shot gets you from college to the pros. Blackshear’s coach, as well as Blackshear, have stated in the past how much this means to him playing in his home town and how much earning the game MVP would mean to him. In a game where coaches want everyone on the bench to be showcased, Blackshear is going to have to do something spectacular like hit 9 of 10 shots or make some dazzling plays for him to be considered for MVP.

Anthony Davis (6-10, 215 lbs, signed with Kentucky)- One of the bigger question marks coming into this game, not because of his game, but because of the competition Davis has faced all year, is that no one really knows how good Davis can be. Davis was putting up videogame-type stats at Chicago Perspective High School averaging 32 points and 20 rebounds a game, for a team hovering around the .500 mark for the season. For anyone who does not know, Davis in his junior year went from a puny 6-3 shooting guard with no national attention to a 6-10 skilled power forward at the end of his junior year. Talk about a growth spurt! His growth was the most remarkable story in high school basketball from a kid no one knew of to a top 5 recruit in the nation (Scout.com has Davis as the number 1 recruit in the nation!). Despite outstanding AAU play that forced his stock to rise to the top of the recruiting charts, Davis was criticized for not transferring to a better high school basketball program where he could better his skill and game and showcase himself more than he could for a mediocre basketball team. Instead, Davis chose to stick it out one more year with his friends to make a surprise run into the state playoffs. Davis’s game was so good, it was like Magic Johnson playing in a 5 on 5 wheelchair basketball game at the YMCA with him running circles around everyone rolling around the court. He was such a mismatch in his league, at times; it looked like it was Davis vs. the other 5 defenders. After all of that, he was able to put up ridiculous numbers game after game.

So, as one of the best high school seniors to be in this All-American Game, the anticipation is extremely high for the Chicago native. His game has been compared to Kevin Durant of the Thunder in that he is close to 7 feet tall and can handle and shoot the ball like a shooting guard. This rare combination made his recruitment an arms race between top programs before he ultimately decided to join the future NBA players’ halfway house in John Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcats. Some say Davis will have a cup of coffee in college basketball before he goes on to shine in the NBA, others who are far more skeptical and critical of Davis say that a year of legitimate competition and weight training will do him good and that two to three years in college will ultimately make him more successful in the NBA. I tend to think he is a lot closer to one and done in college rather than spending multiple years in school. Either way, his skill and talent are bursting like a blackhead on a teenager.

I don’t know what to expect with Davis. I don’t think his lean body will dominate down low against some lesser talented big men on the East team like 6-10 players Rakeem Christmas (signed with Syracuse), Johnny O’Bryant III (signed with LSU), and Marshall Plumlee (signed with Duke). I expect Davis to instead display good ball handling skills and decent jump shot from 15 feet out. With his potential, Davis could be one of the favorites to win game MVP and establish himself as one of, if not the most feared incoming freshman for the 2011-12 season. Because I have never seen him play, I don’t know what direction to go with Davis, so I will leave you with me saying how Davis’s performance is something I am anticipating more than anything else.

Final Ponderings- Blackshear and Davis should make Chicagoans proud Wednesday night at the United Center. I do think Davis will shine a bit more than Blackshear for the west team as it seems big men in recent history seem to have a bigger stamp on the game than guards. I think Davis could win the MVP award of the game, but my bet is Austin Rivers to win if the West Team wins or Brad Beal (6-5, 180 lbs, signed with Florida) to win if the East Team wins. It will definitely be a treat to attend this game as Chicago does not stand to host this game for another several years.

NEXT POST- RECAP MCDONALD’S ALL-AMERICAN GAME

Recap of Simeon vs. Farragut

By far the most exciting high school team that I have seen this year is Simeon, hands down. The supreme talent on their roster is rivaled only by Whitney Young, but I will make the argument that due to their youth, Simeon is much more exciting. The main reason for this is So SF/PF Jabari Parker (6-7, 225 lbs, offers from Duke, Illinois, DePaul, Kansas, Kentucky, Texas, and many more). With third row seats, I got an up close view of both teams; much different from my report the last time I saw Simeon play which were about thirty rows up in the UIC Pavilion. As Simeon came out onto the floor for the pregame warm-ups, one thing stood out, glaring like a fat girl wearing tight leggings, and that was Parker’s size. He is easily the biggest player on the Wolverines, both in height and in weight. Most of all, he’s a sophomore, 16 years old! The future is extremely bright for Parker and it is a treat anytime you can see him live. There were some other pleasant surprises from Simeon and some great play by two Farragut players that made the quarterfinal game somewhat enjoyable.

What I watched for- Simeon- Instead of spending more time talking about how good Jabari Parker is and how excited I am to see his development the next two years (Parker finished with 11 points and 7 rebounds, and was very disruptive on the defensive end), so I will focus on other players that made an impact on the game. The MVP of the game was Jr PF Steve Taylor (6-6, 200 lbs, considering Dayton, DePaul, Xavier). Taylor (left) finished the game with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Out of any player, Taylor was the most consistent with his inside-out game. Taylor was able to take his defender off the dribble but did most of his damage on the glass. A lot of his production came from rebounding and putting the ball back in the hoop or kicking it out for a better shot. Taylor also featured a decent jump shot and does have the ability to hit the high school three pointer, though not consistent enough to be a serious threat. With the ability to keep possessions alive for Simeon and to make Farragut one and done, Taylor and the rest of Simeon was able to control the tempo of the game. The highlight of the night for me, because the game turned into a yawn fest in the fourth quarter, was when Taylor and a Farragut player went for a ball on the Farragut side of the court in the fourth quarter and as the two went for the ball going out of bounds, the Farragut player got to the ball, jumped, and threw the ball off of Taylor hoping it would then go out of bounds to keep the procession in Farragut’s favor. While this was going on right in front of me, like 5 feet away, the ball left the Farragut player’s hand and slammed right into Taylor’s frank n’ beans, the pocket rocket, the strokin’ pole, ole one eyed Willie. Taylor let out a grunt and the crowd around me seemed to enjoy it. Hunched over like he was about to puke, Taylor had a smirk on his face as I’m sure he realized the only thing on Simeon to get beat that night were his genitals.

An Equally electrifying performance came from team captain Sr SG/SF Darrien Walker (6-3, 165 lbs, no official offers).  Walker finished with 14 points, but a majority of those came in the second quarter. The actual highlight of the night (not including Taylor and his privates) came on a steal and a good outlet pass to Walker and as Walker took about five dribbles before he left his feet to dunk the ball, a Farragut defender tried to block his dunk on the way up. Instead, he was posterized and Walker received the and-one as the crowd inside the Hinsdale Central High School Gym erupted. After that, Simeon seemed to ride that energy into halftime before they blew the game open in the third. Sr. PF/C Rashawn McElrath (6-6, 160 lbs, no offers) also had a dunk over a Farragut defender early in the game that got fans on their feet going crazy. The lean McElrath finished with 6 points and 4 rebounds. Due to Farragut spending the whole fourth quarter fowling and sending Simeon to the line; a couple players’ stats were inflated. For example, Sr SG Terrel Green (6-2, 165 lbs, no offers) finished with 14 points, 10 of those coming off of free throws. Overall, it was a complete team effort from Simeon to send them down state to defend their state title.

What I watched for- Farragut- I knew nothing about this team coming into Tuesday night’s game. I heard that the #11 team in the state beat the likes of Whitney Young, twice, on their road to the quarterfinals matchup. The Admirals had a couple other marquee wins on their schedule to lead them to this point. With this in mind, I was expecting quite a game. The only player I heard of was Sr SF Demetrius Tolliver (6-6, 175 lbs, no official offers). Outside of Tolliver’s long, dreaded hair,  nothing about him stood out in the first half. Tolliver (right) showed spurts of athleticism defending wing players and going up for rebounds, but Tolliver showed nothing that would make even a junior college coach become jubilant of his game. Then, with his team down by nearly 20 points, Tolliver stepped up his game scoring 17 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter. At his size, Tolliver showed the ability to hit the three pointer with consistency, and at one point hit three in a row.  What impressed me most about Tolliver was his ball handling. Farragut did not have a true point guard so a couple players took turns taking the ball up the court. Tolliver showed signs of running the offense and making plays for himself off screens at the top of the arc. Tolliver seemed to be a better perimeter player than an interior player, which in the end, was a reason why Simeon outrebounded Farragut and why Farragut took close to 25 three point attempts. I would say Tolliver reminds me of a less athletic and less strong version  of Kelsey Barlow of Purdue. I would be surprised if Tolliver ends up on a division 1 roster next year.

The other player for Farragut that made this game interesting was Sr G Gabriel Williams (5-10, 160 lbs, no offers) By far the best player of the game for Farragut was Williams. He was the most consistent and featured a deadly three point shot. In the third and fourth quarter, Williams was showing that he could hit the three from anywhere around the arc.  15 of Williams’ game high 29 points came from downtown. Williams was not much of a ball handler throwing erratic passes that teammates had to lung for, but he split time with Tolliver bringing the ball up the court as the “point guard”. Williams did show aggressiveness going to the hoop in traffic, which is needed from a senior in his last game. Williams oooooed and ahhhhhed the crowd with this sharp shooting from three point land, but that was pretty much the only thing that got the crowd excited for Farragut. In the end, Tolliver and Williams combined for 55 points in the 74-61 loss.

Final Ponderings- This was not much of a game. It was like showing up to a blind date only to find out you've been stood up. I really wonder how Farragut beat the likes of Whitney Young (twice), Crane (twice), and Marshall. Farragut was predominately a three point shooting team Tuesday night and only played 7 players the whole night. Compared to Simeon that played 11 players, and could have played more, the lack of depth seemed to be a nonfactor in the game. The Admirals were sloppy with the ball and did not seem to have an answer for a couple Simeon runs. In the end, the better team won and moved onto the 4A semifinals against Glenbard East. No performance stood out that was jaw dropping, but Taylor had the best game overall earning this high school basketball guru’s MVP of the game. I’ll give credit to Farragut for the season they had, but I would like to see video evidence of them beating some of these teams they beat over the course of the season. My only conclusion is that they were on fire shooting three pointers during those games lead by Tolliver and Williams. Looking forward, Simeon is the clear favorite to will the class 4A trophy in Peoria this year. Parker has been nothing short of amazing this year but he did not have to be in this game as others picked up the slack. I expect to report a week from now how Simeon is the cream of the 4A crop. (Note: Simeon beat Glenbard East Friday night in the semis to make it to the state finals)

Next post- Class championship wrap ups and Ronald McDonald and his All-Americans make their way to the United Center March 30^th. 

Recap of De La Salle vs. Whitney Young

As I went to throw out my paper towel from washing my hands in the York High School men’s bathroom outside of the gymnasium, I almost knocked over this older man. I looked up to say excuse me as the sight of an all purple jumpsuit caught my eye. “You’re all right,” this guy said. When I quickly looked at him as we both passed each other, I said to myself, “Hey, that was Bill Carmondy!”

That is how big the game between the De La Salle Meteors and Whitney Young Dolphins was; college coaches like Carmondy of Northwestern, Bruce Weber of Illinois, and the Loyola (IL) and Miami (OH) coach came as well to see the star studded match-up.  For the small gymnasium holding no more than 1,700 fans, the atmosphere was as electric as a semifinal game downstate.  The main attraction was Sr SF Sam Thompson (6-6, 180 lbs, signed with Ohio State) of Whitney Young and Sr. PF Mike Shaw (6-8, 220 lbs, signed with Illinois) of De La Salle. What people, like myself, left with was an appreciation of how bright the future is for Illinois high school basketball. Some performances stood out positively, while a couple other performances stood out for all of the wrong reasons.  So let’s get crackin’…

What I watched for- Whitney Young- The headliner was Sam Thompson. This future Buckeye had a lot to prove to me despite being dubbed one of the top Chicago-area talents this year. The three games I watched of Whitney Young this year, Sam Thompson had underwhelming performances after underwhelming performances. Even though the numbers he put up were good in those games, for someone with this talent and potential, I did not think he lived up to his hype. In those games, he did not score more than 13 and in a couple of those games, his impact was not felt on the offense end until the final minutes of the game when the contest was already decided.  So when he took the court Tuesday night, the bar was set extremely high for Thompson. Needless to say, he lived up to his hype. Thompson was the leading scorer for the Dolphins at the end of the night with 15 points; a majority of those in the first half. Where his presence was really felt was on the defensive side of the ball and on the boards. Thompson was hands down, the best defender on the court Tuesday night. I have thought the strongest part of his game all season was his defensive prowess, but seeing it up close and personal was very refreshing. Along with his hounding defense, the one thing that stood out was his athleticism. On a couple drives to hoops and rebounds, I swear his head was at the rim. The ability to jump over people is something that cannot be taught so I expect this to be one of his strengths in college.

The other player I had my eye on was So C Thomas Hamilton, Jr. (6-9, 230 lbs, on a good day, offers from Illinois and Michigan State). When walking to my seat, Whitney Young was walking to their bench. As I passed by, Thomas Hamilton, Jr. his wide frame grazed me as I walked on by. From the waist on up, he looks like a well-built athlete with wide shoulders that could handle the burden of playing down low. But from the waist on down to the floor, Hamilton, Jr. looked like a cartoon character with his wide legs. Looking at him, you can tell that this kid is not done growing and he can definitely put on more weight, not that he would have to. His game reminds me of Fr. C Josh Smith of UCLA. With that wide frame, he was able to dictate his way around the paint. De La Salle had no answer for him as he was backing down defender after defender. What stood out about Hamilton, Jr. was not his inside game, but his outside game. Despite lacking explosiveness, Hamilton, Jr. has the ability to consistently hit the 15-18 foot jump shot. If he can ever make this a valuable part of his arsenal, this likely seven foot center will be almost unguardable. I had high hopes for Hamilton, Jr., who next year should be the best player Whitney Young has on what will be one of the top teams in Chicago next year. But due to foul trouble and terrific play from a freshman, Hamilton, Jr. did not play as much as I have seen him play in the past. The tools are there to be a five star recruit in 2013, but for right now, there are some aspects of his game that he needs to work on extensively in order to be great.

The freshman that I just alluded to that took time away from Hamilton, Jr. was C Jalhil Okafor (6-8, 255 lbs, offers from Illinois, DePaul, Georgetown, Michigan State, and Wisconsin). That last name might sound familiar because his uncle is New Orleans Hornets starting center, Emeka Okafor. Okafor made quite an impression last summer that has many scouts saying he is almost a certain five star prospect in 2014. It is hard to believe that he is only 15 years old. There are some top prospects in this year’s recruiting class that are not as big as Okafor is right now. As I mentioned with Hamilton, Jr., you can tell that this kid is going to put on more weight and a couple more inches.  Okafor made his presence felt in the 3^rd quarter of the game scoring 12 quick points in about a 5 minute span going into the 4^th quarter. His points came off of rebounds and defensive breakdowns, but a couple of his moves had NBA-like similarities. Okafor, on one play, caught the pass on the elbow about 12 feet from the hoop, made a move to the basket and drove over three defenders, including Mike Shaw. There are not enough superlatives for this kid the way he played. Out of all of the players, Okafor had the most surprising performance of the night. Bruce Weber had a couple players with official offers on the court Tuesday night that probably disappointed him, but he had to be most impressed with his performance. In the end, the frontcourt depth of Whitney Young proved to be too much for De La Salle as they killed the glass and won the war of the paint getting a lot of put backs and short range shots.

What I watched for- De La Salle- The marquee senior for the Meteors was Mike Shaw. I was extremely impressed with his college-ready body. I think Shaw will most likely resemble Sr. PF Jarryd Cole from Iowa with a higher ceiling. Outside of Okafor, Shaw was the biggest player, as far as frame, on the court. A lot of criticism has been said about Shaw over the year, such as lack of hustle, disinterested, and doesn't play up to his potential, but I really couldn’t confirm that without seeing him in person. For the first 5 minutes of the game, Shaw was the most dominating player on the court. He scored the first four points for De La Salle, he had a couple rebounds, was a lock-down defender, and made some nifty passes. Then after a couple fouls, Shaw was out of the game physically and what looked like mentally as well. There was a point in the 2^nd quarter when he was subbed out of the game, which I thought to myself, “when was he even in the game?” I said it before and I’ll say it again, he is the Harry Houdini of De La Salle- first he’s there, then he’s gone.  Shaw has a good outside shot but not enough that you can count on. He deferred to the better senior throughout the night which is something you do not want to see from one of your best players. Although I liked his unselfishness and willingness to get others involved, he was very passive in the half-court sets and was taken out of the plays. Shaw ended up with 9 points but they came in spurts and ultimately was not as effective as he should have been for the Meteors.

The real disappointment with Shaw came after the game. I am OK with the way Shaw played, despite being very underwhelming and inactive at times, but the attitude of the player goes a longer way than the skill the player possesses.  Throughout the game, Shaw did not show much emotion and it was tough to tell if he wanted to will his team back for the win or not. He was like the basketball version of Jay Cutler, and it pisses me off how everyone jumps on Cutler how he doesn’t show emotion on the field and lets his play dictate the way he want to be perceived. It would be hypocritical of me to jump on Shaw for a lack of emotion then when that really is the most important thing. As a senior, any game could be his last in that uniform so you would like to see a little more urgency out of him. The thing that really ticked me off and what I believe will be the difference between Shaw being a successful and prominent college player and a disappointment is the way he carries himself. This ties into his effort on every play and his overall hustle. During the game, there were a couple rebounds that he could have got that other players, not as big as Shaw, got because they wanted it more. As the game ended on a last second three point attempt by Andre Henley, Shaw went for a rebound and ended up on his backside. Now what I will say next is based more on opinion than fact, but I believe my eyes more than anything else. Sam Thompson, a teammate of Shaw on the AAU circuit, ran up to Shaw as he was on the ground and extended his hand. I don’t think he was pointing at him or said anything derogatory, but that is always a possibility. Thompson, along with the rest of the Whitney Young squad went over to the De La Salle side to shake hands and talk with the De La Salle coaches.  Shaw started jabbering at someone, and it looked like it was in Thompson’s direction. Because nobody was engaging with Shaw, it was tough to tell who Shaw was yelling at. It seemed like Shaw was just having a conversation with a player on the Dolphins, but as time wore on, Shaw was definitely yelling at someone. Shaw was so agitated that a coach had to restrain Shaw and help him off the court. That’s the type of attitude you see from a three year old not getting the toy he wants at Toys-R-Us. Now I don’t know if Thompson said something he shouldn't have or another player on the Dolphin felt like he had to rub salt in the De La Salle wound in the loss, but Shaw seemed to show more emotion after the game than he did during. With Bruce Weber looking on, he could not have been pleased to see this as Shaw's attitude and consistent intensity mimicked this year's current Illini roster, which was the reason Illinois underachieved this year.

Enough of Shaw bashing and let’s talk about the bright spot of the game. By far the best player for De La Salle and most prolific scorer on the court that night was Sr. SF Andre “Dre” Henley (6-6, 210 lbs, go to previous blogs for more Dre info). Dre finished with a game high 25 points and was the only reason why the 59-56 loss to Whitney Young was as close as it was. Henley did everything- shoot, pass, drive, rebound, and defend. If you were to ask me who was the four star recruit going to Illinois and will probably start his freshman year, I would say without hesitation Andre Henley, NOT Mike Shaw. For the whole season I have heard that he is the best player on De La Salle, and Tuesday night was no exception. Henley has a skill that can’t be taught and something coaches covet and that is a natural scoring ability. Henley was one of, if not the most aggressive player going towards the hoop and all of the scoring went through Henley towards the end of the game. He was the go-to guy that night and the most threatening scorer of any team. I would say his future is definitely bright for Henley, but there is great uncertainty in his recruiting despite Henley getting better day by day. It will be very interesting to see where Dre will be a year from now.

Some other notes from De La Salle come from the two other stars on the team, So PG Jaylon Tate (6-0, 170, offers from Illinois and DePaul) and So SF Alex Foster (6-7, 205 lbs, offers from Purdue, Illinois, and DePaul). Tate was not as effective as I thought he would be for a point guard. Tate finished with 6 points but did not have a major impact on the game on the offensive end. Foster, if not for Shaw, might have had the most disappointing performance based on talent and output for the game. Foster finished with 6 points but did  show many signs of being great slasher. There are signs that he could be great for this 16 year old, but nothing that showed up in his last game of his sophomore season. What did stand out about Foster were his shoes. While everyone on De La Salle wore shoes that matched the Meteors' blue color, Foster wore black shoes with a gold Nike logo. This might not mean much to people, but while schools have been recruiting Foster this whole year, Purdue has been after him the hardest. Coming onto the court with shoes Purdue player wear might be a sign Foster's recruiting will be coming to an end.

The final score of the game was 59-56 in Whitney Young's favor. For most of the game, Whitney Young was in control. De La Salle was playing from behind a lot and Whitney Young had a response for most of what the Meteors threw at them. Whitney Young was the better team that night and we can see now that they are healthy (Sr. SF Luke Hager, 6-6, 200 lbs, committed to UNC-Wilmington, and was one of the more impressive performances for Whitney Young throughout the night), they will are playing better than they did at the beginning of the year. This was a great game that went to the buzzer and great players played well, except for Shaw. With both of these teams out of the playoffs (Whitney Young lost to Brooks their next game), the next time we see these players will be as freshmen for major programs.

NEXT POST- 3/19- RECAP OF SIMEON vs. FARRAGUT 3/15