http://w3.nbebasketball.com/2009/07/03/st-johns-elite-camp-report/#more-5372ST. JOHN’S ELITE CAMP REPORT
July 3, 2009 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment
—sorry for the earlier technical difficulties, we should be good to go now—
BY JEFF BORZELLO
Although the idea of Elite Camps – where colleges and universities invite prospective recruits to a basketball camp and use it as basically an unofficial visit – is questioned and discussed throughout the NCAA ranks, the talent at most of them is second to none. Where else can you find Myles Mack and J.J. Moore in the same backcourt? Or Kyrie Irving and Jayvaughn Pinkston as a dynamite inside-outside tandem? That was the case at the St. John’s Elite Camp Wednesday night on its Queens, N.Y. campus.
Thirty-seven players attended the Elite Camp, including many of the top players from the area. It began with stretching and then continued with a couple of hours of drills. There were ball-handling drills, shooting drills, fast-break drills and other variations of those. After that, there were scrimmages. The players were broken up into four teams, and each team played two games apiece. Here’s a short look at several of the Big East targets in attendance and their recruiting notes from talking with them at recent events such as the Rumble in the Bronx and the Hoop Group HBC Metro Summer Showcase since NCAA rules forbid interviews with prospects on campus during unofficial visits, which this camp is considered…
Ashton Pankey: Showed a decent face-up game, ran the floor pretty well.
From the Big East, the power forward counts offers from Providence, West Virginia and St. John’s with UConn and Pitt looking, according to Pankey at the recent Rumble in the Bronx.
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Devon Collier: Demonstrated a nice handle, could beat defenders off the dribble. He shot some outside shots, showing decent range. He is also a very good defender who can block shots.
Recently told NBE at the Rumble he has offers from West Virginia, St. John’s, UConn, Pitt, Syracuse and Seton Hall out of the Big East.
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Jayvaughn Pinkston: One of the best players at the camp, Pinkston was very difficult to stay in front of. His combination of quickness and strength was unparalleled. He had several nice acrobatic finishes, but also failed to distribute the ball effectively. Moreover, he complained to the referee after non-calls.
At last month’s Rumble in the Bronx, New Heights’ AAU coach Kimani Young, who was the video coordinator at St. John’s this past season, Pinkston “is the guy in New York†right now. He recently visited Marquette for one of their elite specialty camps and will take unofficial trips, most likely, to Villanova and Arizona. St. John’s, who is considered the leader, and Tennessee were also mentioned by Young as the schools on Pinkston’s list.
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J.J. Moore: Extremely smooth player, Moore looked outstanding in the drills. He was dunking everything and then showed off his smooth jumper. He’s very athletic and finished very well at the rim.
At the Rumble, Moore mentioned that Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Marquette, St. John’s, Rutgers, Oklahoma and Florida are recruiting him. Moore told NBE his favorites were Louisville, Pitt, UConn, Syracuse and Marquette. He plans to visit UL, UConn, Marquette and Providence.
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Myles Mack: He shot the ball well during drills and the games, and looked very solid with long-range pull-up jumpers in transition.
Mack, who is listed in the sub 5-foot-10 range, told NBE at last weekend’s Hoop Group HBC Metro Summer Showcase he has interest from Fordham, DePaul, Virginia Tech, Virginia, St. John’s and Xavier.
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Kyle Anderson: Had a very nice no-look pass as well as a steal and a lay-up at the other end. In one of the drills, however, he demonstrated a very slow release on his pull-up jumper.
Last week at the Hoop Group event, Anderson let NBE know that Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Xavier, LaSalle, Texas, Florida and Wake Forest were on his list of colleges already.
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Kadeem Jack: Ran the floor well, had a couple of nice dunks. Also showed some post moves with his back to the basket.
Jack told NBE earlier this week that Pittsburgh, Seton Hall and St. John’s are his top three with several others in the Big East showing interest, which is increasing rapidly.
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Michael Taylor: Very good ball-handler, doesn’t turn it over much when dribbling. Gets past defenders with ease and can finish at the rim. Was very effective beating his man off the dribble and getting into the lane.
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Derrick Randall: Was very impressive throughout the day. Got excellent position down low, and showed off a variety of post moves. Also rebounded the ball well.
Randall told NBE last Saturday at the Metro Summer Showcase he has St. John’s, DePaul, Providence, Villanova and Miami on his college list early in the process.
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Joey de la Rosa: Has the size and potential to be very good, but right now he needs a ton of improvement. He is very awkward with the ball and his footwork is extremely inconsistent. He had a nice block and a couple of rebounds, but he failed to finish several times.
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Kyrie Irving: Came late to the Camp, but was clearly the best player there. He is so smooth with every aspect of his game. Got to the rim whenever he wanted and also showed a nice mid-range jumper.
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Jermaine Sanders: Versatile scorer who can get points in a variety of ways. Also rebounded the ball well.
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LeBrent Walker: Good size for his position, and was impressive when given the opportunity. However, he did not get the ball enough during the scrimmages, which limited his opportunities. He is very good off the dribble and can get into the lane and finish.
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Sidiki Johnson: Didn’t get to see him play, but saw that he had a solid performance in his second game.
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Melsahn Basabe: Relentless on the offensive glass. He is extremely active crashing the boards for tip-ins and put-backs.
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Shane Southwell: Does everything pretty well. He is a very good defender who can guard multiple positions and can also block shots. Had a nice drive and dish, and showed he can handle the ball.
St. John’s, Xavier, South Carolina, Marquette, Providence, Kentucky, Georgetown, Cincinnati, Miami and Kansas were programs mentioned by Southwell at the Rumble in the Bronx.
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Kamari Murphy: Active on the glass, has some good post moves. Had a nice bank shot in one of the drills and can also score. He gets good position with his back to the basket and makes himself available for entry passes.
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Jordan Allen: Can handle the ball and does a little bit of everything.
The 6-foot-5 forward from Bay Shore (NY) in the class of 2011 has been invited to the Clemson elite camp and is also getting new interest from Illinois, Florida State, LSU and Pittsburgh, according to him at the Rumble in the Bronx.
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Nkereuwem Okoro: Runs the floor very well and gets put-backs and other points around the rim. He can score in a variety of ways and is very adept at finishing at the basket. Hit a buzzer shot to give his team the win in the second scrimmage.
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Tariq Carey: Very smooth guard can handle the ball and finish around the rim. He drives past his defenders consistently and has the athleticism to get points in the lane.
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Corey Edwards: Very impressed with his game. He is very quick and is difficult to stay in front of. Looks to create for himself and his teammates nearly every time he touches the ball, and can get to the rim on nearly any defender. Has very good vision and finds the open man with his passes. He is very quick. Did get a three-point attempt blocked by a bigger defender, though, so I’m not sure how well he can shoot the ball.