180 - Cole Aldrich (2007) - Bloomington, MN - 6’11 - 240 - 76ers

Everybody who enters the gym can’t help but notice what a good body Aldrich has. He was most effective on defense throughout the day, blocking a whole bunch of shots. He’s great stepping across from the weak side blocking shots, saving the day for his teammates who get burnt. Offensively, he definitely needs to hone his back to the basket game and develop some kind of go-to post move. He also needs to learn how to catch the ball down low, turn, and dunk in one fluid motion without having to gather himself like most big men do. Robert Swift would have been a good guy for Aldrich to watch in that respect.

142 - Durrell Arthur - Dallas, TX - 6’8 - 220 - Mavs

Arthur is primetime athlete, who finishes with ease. And he’s not just an ultra-thin leaper either, his body is very physically mature.

159 - Olu Ashaolu (2008) - Brampton, ON - 6’7 - 215 - Magic

Ashaolu wasn’t quite as on today as earlier in camp. He played with the same force and agressiveness, but the short lay ups and put ins just weren’t falling. Out of any freshman or sophomore in camp, he’s definitely the most aggressive out there. He runs the floor constantly, and can even handle the ball on the break. The thing he’s lacking most right now is the ability to just stuff the ball with force down low and on the break. If he keeps his head on straight, he’ll no doubt be a superstar.

76 - Devan Bawinkel - Winnebago, IL - 6’5 - 190 - Mavs

I don’t see Bawinkel at the top of the prep rankings, but he’s a very, very solid player. He’s playing the two in camp, but he has all the skills to be a solid point guard. When he’s open for three and has a chance to lock and load, he’s automatic. Plus, he makes less turnovers and silly mistakes as compared to a lot of guards out there.

141 - Patrick Behan - Leesburg, VA - 6’8 - 210 - Hawks

Behan was a mixed bag today. For a big, he definitely is comfortable on the perimeter, and likes to beat guys off the dribble. It was working against big Franklin Jones who isn’t used to guarding way out there. But, even though he beats his man off the dribble, he isn’t able to then get down low with ease and finish. It seems like Behan was lacking confidence in his game in the afternoon, and his teammates also lacked confidence in Behan’s ability. By the end of the first game, he was trying to way to hard to impress and was not letting the game come to him. However, during the evening, he was much more relaxed and showed off his long range. He seems most suited for a Princeton-style offense.

24 - Keegan Bell (2007) - Madison, AL - 6’1 - 177 - Magic

If anything else, Bell is very solid. He’s got a nice outside shot, and he always squares his shoulders to the basket when he shoots. Unlike some other guys, he can also catch and shoot quickly and doesn’t need to be shooting from a stand-still position.

6 - Malik Boothe (2007) - Rosedale, NY - 5’8 - 160 - Clippers

I got my first brief at Boothe during the afternoon. Boothe didn’t show the blazing speed you’d expect from a 5’8 kid, though it’s not like he’s slow. More impressive than his foot speed, was his hand speed, which he used to poke away at a lot of balls. He also seems like a tough kid, and on defense, he really gets his chest right into the defender.

156 - De’Sean Butler - Newark, NJ - 6’7 - 205 - Warrios

Butler is a middling player, who just seems content to fit in while he’s out there. Defensively, it appeared that he always just gave his man lots of room and just didn’t want to get embarrassed by beating beat off the dribble.

114 - Derrick Caracter - Franwood, NJ - 6’9 - 270 - Bulls

Caracter was handled by Greg Oden in the evening’s feature game. Oden is simply to strong, and Caracter’s team needed to help and double quite often. On the other hand, Oden was able to guard Caracter inside with ease. Caracter did hit a pair of threes, which Oden didn’t seem comfortable trying to guard. Caracter was obviously disappointed in the evening.

34 - Corey Chandler (2007) - Newark, NJ - 6’0 - Magic

Chandler has been quietly solid throughout the week, though he did seem to struggle in the evening session. For a little guy, I like when he throws his whole body at the defender going for lay ups, virtually ensuring that he’ll get fouled.

12 - Jianghua Chen - China - 6'1 - 160 - Pistons

Chen is certainly not the tall Chinese player that the public loves to discuss. He is simply an A+ athlete. Out of nowhere, he made one sick dunk off a baseline drive today. For someone listed at 6’1, it was pretty darn impressive. He plays on one of the worst group of five in camp however, and he often disappears for long periods on offense. He showed the ability to handle the point guard role, though you can tell he’s not a natural point as he looks to score and dribble to much from that position. I’m not certain about his age at this point, but he definitely has a lot of potential.

36 - Scott Christopherson (2007) - Melrose, WI - 6’2 - 175 - Wizards

Nothing too exciting coming out of Christopherson this week. In the evening game, he just looked overmatched physically whenever he was forced to go inside the perimeter, both on offense and defense.

138 - Earl Clark - Rahway, NJ - 6’8 - 210 - Cavs

Same old for Clark today. He has to be one of the most underappreciated kids in camp. You just love how he can play the point-forward, in the mold of a Scottie Pippen. Clark loves to drive down the lane, and if you’re a good finisher, all you need to do is dive down the wings beside him and he’ll find you the ball.

137 - Dwayne Collins - Miami, FL - 6’8 - 225 - Magic

Collins is a real good athlete for a power forward. He’s not flashy, and unlike other guys, he seems to understand that his role is to stay around the basket. He has a nice touch from within 15 feet, and he made one special play down low where he pumped faked drawing two defenders flying into the air and then layed it in with ease. Defensively, he impressed me by his ability to guard Dan Werner, whose more of a driving small forward player. Collins had no problem defending him on the perimeter.

189 - Antonio DiMaria - 6’6 - Celtics

DiMaria’s really stepped up his game as the week has gone on. At first, he was content to just shoot threes, but he’s more confident now and trying new things. He can definitely shoot the ball well and has great height. He’s not the greatest of ball-handlers and didn’t look to good in the open court, but he was very effective in the half-court.

161 - Devin Ebanks (2007) - Queens, NY - 6’8 - 175 - Wizards

From a pure physical standpoint, Ebanks looks like someone whose not 100% comfortable with his body yet, and it’s a given that he will improve greatly compared to a lot of players by this time next year. His most impressive skill was his handle for a forward.

27 - Corey Fisher (2007) - Bronx, NY - 6’1 - 170 - Pistons

Fisher’s evaded my attention all week, though he’s a great talent. From a pure ball-handling perspective, he’s as good as anyone in camp and expect him to put on quite a show if he makes the Underclassmen All-Star game. In the evening, he had a good battle with Edwin Rios. Fisher was simply able to blow by Rios with ease, though Rios was also having a relative easier time scoring on Fisher at the other end. Rios is not nearly as fast or as creative, but Rios can finish with a variety of pull ups from short angles that Fisher doesn’t have down yet.

135 - Drew Gordon (2008) - San Jose, CA - 6’8 - 220 - Bulls

Gordon is a major talent. He’s built like a tree, think Tyson Chandler but thicker. He’s got a smooth game, and even can hit the 10 foot jumper already.

78 - Zachary Graham (2007) - Lawrenceville, GA - 6’5 - 200 - Bulls

Graham was a beast in the afternoon. He’s a tough cookie, and was constantly attacking the tin. It looks like he has a nice low center of gravity, and his legs are thick and strong. Graham is definitely not afraid of the contact, and gets to the foul line early and often.