By Shawn Siegel

shawn@collegehoops.net

July 8th, 2006

ABCD Camp: Day Two

Player capsules for ABCD Camp Day Two.  Players are listed alphabetically, with biographical information and a short scouting report. Each day, I write up different players, so check other days for other players.

Quincy Acy - #98 – Mavs

Mesquite, TX – 6’8” – 2009

Acy hadn’t done much in his first two games, but he stepped up in the third.  Perhaps the most raw, unskilled player in camp, Acy is extremely active and very long.  He runs with the same fluid high steps as fellow 09er Terrell Vinson, though Vinson is better at everything at this point.  Acy was perhaps a little too excited, trying to shoot jumpers a bit too much, and he’s not strong enough to mix it up inside.  Acy has a long way to go, but when you’re 6’8” and can run and jump like this kid at this age, you have a future.

Cole Aldrich - #141 – Mavs - #16 Rivals.com (#3 C)

Bloomington, MN – 6’11” – 2007 – Kansas

On Thursday I wrote that Aldrich looked good physically, stronger and quicker.  But that didn’t really lead to strong play in the game I watched Friday against the Bulls, where he had just 4 points and 4 boards.  On the inside, he exposes the ball too much when he goes up for layups, and he was blocked by the more athletic James Hickson.  On the most part, he was non-existent during his 16 minutes of action, merely taking up space.  Perhaps it was just one of those days, but I’ll be watching him again more closely tonight to see what the deal is.

Olu Ashaolu - #108 – Jazz – #19 Hoopmasters.com (’08)

Brampton, ON – 6’7” – 2008

Olu did a better job of staying on the interior where he belongs, focusing on rebounding (where he now leads all juniors with 6.7 per game) and inside baskets. He was outplayed by ’09 prospect Terrell Vinson in the afternoon though.  Vinson runs like a gazelle and often beat Olu down the court for easy points.  Also, Olu seemed to be playing with a noticeable negative attitude that isn’t needed.

Melquan Bolding - #39 – Jazz

Brooklyn, NY – 6’4” – 2008

Didn’t see much of Bolding today, but what I did see was unimpressive.  He looks good running the wings and getting layups, but doesn’t do much else right now.  A few times he ended up bringing the ball up the court, and he seemed very uncomfortable.  When he catches the ball on the perimeter, he mostly just gets it and hands it off to someone else. I haven’t seen him create any shots in the half court.

Kenneth (Kenny) Boynton - #35 – Jazz

Pompano Beach, FL – 6’2” – 2009

Boynton exploded for 21 points in yesterday afternoon’s game, hitting three long range bombs.  In a camp seemingly void of kids who can shoot, Boynton’s offensive pure shooting ability is refreshing.  It would be nice to see Boynton on a team where he could play point guard (Cadougan is playing point mostly instead), as his only objective on this team is to score the ball. He led all sophomores with 14.3 ppg heading into last night’s games.

Carlon Brown - #62 – Lakers

Riverside, CA – 6’4” – 2007

Another west-coast player I was unfamiliar with.  Brown’s a natural two-guard, but in the afternoon, he was handling the ball a lot and guard the other team’s point guard.  He’s not one of those physical freak guys like others in camp who wows you with quickness and no-look passes, but the kid was rock solid and I never saw him do anything particularly wrong in the time I watched.  Brown doesn’t look like he can be a go-to player, but he’s definitely a player.

Junior Cadougan - #15 – Jazz

Toronto, ON – 6’0” – 2009

Cadougan was impressive again, and he was able to get into the lane virtually every time against the opposing guards (Roberto Nelson & Brian Walsh.)  It was a bit unfair to have hi teamed with fellow ’09 star Kenny Boynton. Those two pushing the ball up the court are hard to stop.

Clinton (Clint) Chapman - #137 – Lakers

Canby, OR – 6’10” – 2007

I had low expectations for Chapman, but he’s a nice little prospect, reminding me of a smaller Robert Swift.  Chapman still looks younger than other guys, so he has room for maturity and needs to hit the weight-room (though he’s not frail by any means).  On defense, he really held his own, working hard for position and though I only saw him block one shot, he altered a few others.  Chapman has a lot of work, especially on offense where I didn’t see much (though he didn’t get much of a chance), but he seems like the type of guy that could either emerge as a 10-15 ppg guy by his junior and senior years at the high mid-major level, or be a 6^th man type at the highest level.  Someone to look out for.

Anthony Crater - #32 – Jazz

Flint, MI – 6’2” – 2008

Same old from Crater yesterday.  The kid makes great passes that leave you shaking your head and is now 2^nd in camp with 5.0 assists per game.

Demar DeRozan - #80 – Nets - #35 Hoopmasters.com (08)

Compton, CA – 6’6” – 2008

Every year, California seems to produce classic west-coast wing players, that run the wings all day long and finish with ease.  DeRozan’s one of those guys, he’s a nice athlete, finishes with ease, and has a perfect wing forward’s body.  Definitely worthy of a high national ranking.

Braxton Dupree - #121 – Celtics - #82 Rivals.com (#21 PF)

Baltimore, MD – 6’8” – 2007 - Maryland

I watched Dupree for the first time yesterday and was generally unimpressed.  He has the look and physique of an ’08 big man, and really wasn’t involved in the action. He has already committed, so maybe he just wasn’t into playing. Another issue is that he’s listed as a PF, and he was guarding the opposing center in this game.  Still, he didn’t box out his man once or twice, and lacks the powerful finishing ability of some other guys in camp.  Despite the flaws, Dupree has a solid body and was able to corral enough rebounds and make easy lay ups to at least be effective.  Doesn’t seem to deserve his lofty ranking from the little I saw, but I’ll need to check him out again.

Devin Ebanks - #99 – Jazz – Scout.com #1 SF for ‘08

Long Island City, NY – 6’7” – 2008

Ebanks is listed as the #1 SF in the Class of ’08 by Scout.com, but he hasn’t really shown me much this week.  With his height and athleticism, he still manages to score baskets on the break and off occasional cuts to the basket, but he’s not doing much else. Yesterday, he was up against ‘07 Corey Stokes, and Stokes simply shut him down.  You would think Ebanks would be a solid rebounder, but he’s not even top 11 amongst Juniors in camp, his outside shots aren’t falling, and he should get to the line more often.  His body alone makes him a good prospect and he has better days ahead, but he’s been disappointing.

Greg Echenique - #123 – Celtics

Ridgewood, NJ – 6’9” – 2009

Echenique continues to surprise me with his solid play.  He’s not going to dominate a game at this point, but he holds his own against other team’s big men.  He even showed off solid touch on his ft’s yesterday.  He’s averaging 5.3 boards per game, and leads all sophomores in steals and blocks.  Definitely a kid to look out for in the future.

Michael Eric - #126 – Lakers

Newcastle, DE – 6’9” – 2007

I had no real intention of paying attention to Eric, but he woke me up with a monster jam at one point.  The kid’s got a very strong upper body and is a nice athlete.  He also blocked a few shots.  Seems very raw, and is a high risk/reward type of prospect.

Carlton Fay - #116 – Mavs

Hennepin, IL – 6’8” – 2007 – SIU

Fay looks like a pure MVC player, actually more specifically he looks like he belongs on Wichita St.  The kid is very strong physically, weighing in at 235 pounds, but mostly muscle and mass and not fat.  It was an awkward game to watch Fay, because he was up against the monstrous 7’2” big man James Tyler.  Fay does a good job when boxing out and fighting for position in the post, to get his rear end into his opponent, and to get his center of gravity down low.  Because of his technique and his strength, Fay is one of the better rebounders in camp, where he’s averaging about 6 per game.  Offensively, he didn’t show much outside of an occasional lay in.  Its hard for inside-post players to really show off though in such an up and down environment.

Corey Fisher - #34 – Celtics - #71 Rivals.com (#13 PG)

Bronx, NY – 6’2” – 2007 – Villanova

Unlike Thursday afternoon, Fisher really found his rhythm yesterday scoring the ball.  You love how Fisher takes it to the hole, because he has so many little fakes and amazing body control that though it looks like he’s going to get blocked or he’s out of control, it still goes in.  Also impressive was one or two nice stop and pop jumpers after he beat his man into the lane.  On the negative side, Fisher still just dribbles way too much, and occasionally needs to just calm down.  He’ll need to learn to simply pass the ball quickly after it getting up court and letting the team get into the offense.

Johnny Flynn - #13 – Bulls – #29 Rivals.com (#7 PG)

Niagara Falls, NY – 6’0” – 2007 – Syracuse

Flynn was his usual speedy self yesterday, blowing by Demetri McCamey at times in the isolation.  Still, with that said, Flynn is not a great point guard yet by any means, and often disappeared from the action.

Darius Gabriel - #18 – Bulls

Rockaway Beach, NY – 6’1” – 2008

Gabriel impressed me in camp last year, and he was solid once again yesterday.  He’s not an explosive scorer, nor does he have blinding speed.  But Gabriel works hard, knows his role, and was playing noticeably good defense.  Sort of the opposite of fellow PG Travon Woodall, who was more flashy and offensive minded, but not as solid running the show.

Aaron Gilstrap - #146 – Mavs

Marietta, GA – 6’4” – 2007

Gilstrap is a solid, but unspectacular contributor.  Defensively, he was able to lock down the younger Darius Gabriel.  He moved well on offense, doing his best to create open threes, though his shots weren’t falling in the game I watched.  Still, Gilstrap has a good-looking stroke and he’s known as a solid 3-point shooter.  He was clearly comfortable roaming on the perimeter, and was outmatched on the rare occasion he strayed into the lane.

Mitchell Hampton - #152 – Magic

Monroe, LA – 6’8” – 2007

Hampton was underwhelming, and seems likes he should be better for his good size.  He might not be weaker than other big men (and doesn’t look weak), but he still doesn’t play with much force and constantly turns his back to the basket instead of finishing with power.  I understand he’s getting interest from SEC schools, but he doesn’t seem like much of a high-major talent from the little I’ve seen. I’ll need to watch again today.

Blake Hoffarber - #150 – Magic

Minnetonka, MN – 6’4” – 2007

Hoffarber picked up his three-point shooting yesterday, and it seemed like he never missed.  There’s no doubt he can hit shots while he’s open, and he can even catch and shoot after coming off a curl, but he still struggles to create open shots.  Still, its hard to believe this kid’s only offers have come from mid-major scools.  So few kids can shoot, and he seems like a nice zone-buster.  Another fault is that I’m not sure if he has any range outside of a few inches over the 3-pt line, because he does a good job of setting himself up for the easiest three possible on the wing.

Elijah (Eli) Holman - #136 – Jazz

San Pablo, CA – 6’10” – 2007

Holman played well yesterday. For a kid with so much height, he runs great and has a lot of energy.  He had a vicious block on Echenique yesterday, but he sometimes goes to much for the highlight block instead of playing solid defense.  Then again, he’s averaging 4.3 blocks per game, so I guess I don’t blame him.  Braxton Dupree was guarding him for a lot of the game, and Holman was way too fast and quick for Dupree.  On the negative side, Holman was suspended in HS for 18 months because he shoved the ref (not surprising since he seems to have so much pent up energy).  If he can channel the energy into the right areas, he could be a legit player with some more seasoning.

Zane Johnson - #81 – Celtics - #81 Rivals.com (#17 SF)

Phoenix, AZ – 6’6” – 2007 – Arizona

Johnson was disappointing again yesterday afternoon.  He’s playing on a fivesome that lacks great talent, and it could be a good opportunity for Johnson to show off his skill and leadership ability. Instead, he seems content to be mediocre and not lead his team.  Granted he’s committed, but you’d like to see more.  Outside of running the floor and getting some layups, I cant remember seeing him hit a shot this week..

Verdell Jones - #28 – Magic

Champaign, IL – 6’2” – 2008

One day I’ll figure out what this kid is all about. He plays with a lot of confidence, but doesn’t seem to do much outside of getting the ball up the court and then passing it to someone standing on the perimeter.

DeAndre Jordan - #139 – 76ers - #33 Rivals.com (#9 PF)

Houston, TX – 6”11 – 2007

After finally watching Jordan for the first time yesterday afternoon, I was surprised that he wasn’t all over the camp leaderboards.  He played very well against the Lakers.  Physically, he’s got extremely long legs, and looks like he’s not even done physically maturing.  He has one monster put-back dunk, and even showed off leading the fast break where he found the open man cutting to the hoop.  This is a high-major prospect with serious potential.

Taylor King - #154 – 76ers - #40 Rivals.com (#7 SF)

Huntington Beach, CA – 6’8” – 2007 – Duke

With Rose injured, King definitely tried a bit harder today.  He was also more conscious of shooting less, and being more of a team player.  In the afternoon game, he was really effective going to the glass, and he’s now 3^rd on the rebounding per game list.  He doesn’t necessarily block out the best, but he seems to have an eye for where the ball is coming off the rim, and he finds a way to get it (also, it didn’t hurt his stats that he got extended minutes in the afternoon game with Rose out.)  His shot wasn’t really “on”, but I was more impressed with his good effort. He even tried to take a charge (which I thought he got though he was called for blocking).

Alex Legion - #66 – 76ers - #38 Rivals.com (#11 SG)

Southfield, MI – 6’5” – 2007

Legion has mostly been disappointing in the minutes I’ve seen him play.  With his body and style, he has sort of a Ben Gordon thing going, but his play has not stood up to the look.  His jumper was off, he doesn’t rebound that much, and his only points were of the easiest open variety.  For a guy weighing offers from a whose who of basketball programs, you’d like to see him do more than simply be a special physical talent (which he really is).

Kevin Love - #138 – Knicks - #5 Rivals.com

Lake Oswego, OR – 6’10” – 2007

Love leads camp in scoring and rebounding as of now, as well as player rating.  With Oden out of the picture, Love really has no equal in camp.  He’s far superior to the guy most consider the #2 center in camp, Cole Aldrich.  The only negative in terms of Love is that he’s not really any more dominant than he was at camp last year.  Physically, he may have reached his peak, though his game is more polished now. He’s one of the few players with confidence in the post, and his jumper was rock-solid as always.

Demetri McCamey - #51 – Mavs - #51 Rivals.com (#9 PG)

Bellwood, IL – 6’3” – 2007 – Illinois

This kid was highly impressive yesterday going up against Johnny Flynn.  McCamey’s got a big, thick, strong body and plays like a seasoned veteran.  Flynn did give McCamey some problems with his amazing speed, but Flynn gives almost everyone problems one on one.  Even if McCamey isn’t the fastest guy out there, he moves well with the ball in his hands, has a really quick and sharp cross-over move, and finds the open man at the right time.  Illinois has a real find here.

Rico Pickett - #55 – Magic - #60 Rivals.com (#11 PG)

Decatur, AL – 6’4” – 2007

A noticeably good physical talent, with great height and quickness with the ball.  Pickett just seems very sloppy though. Yes, he lead camp with 5.3 apg going into last night’s game, but luckily for him, they don’t keep track of turnovers. In one 3 minute period, I saw Pickett drop an easy pass, dribble it off his foot, and then make a lazy pass that got picked off in traffic.  Though he’s not racking up steals, Pickett seems like he could be a great defender based on his long wing-span size, and quick feet.

Aaron Pogue - #111 – Hawks

Dayton, OH – 6”9 – 2007

I caught Pogue in his matchup with Kevin Love, and he didn’t show much.  His foot speed was lacking, and he genuinely looked rather weak.  I’ve seen better from Pogue in the past, and I need to check him out later today against a lesser center to see how he performs.

Anthony Raffa - #12 – Jazz

Strathmere, NJ – 6’0” – 2007

Raffa hasn’t shown me much to warrant being here.  He’s listed as 2-guard, but his 6’0” height and frame is unimpressive.  Plus, his outside shots look like he’s heaving them.

Edwin Rios - #27 – Lakers - #89 Rivals.com (#14 PG)

Miami, FL – 6”1 – 2007 – Miami

Rios, as always, impressed me with his toughness and leadership.  Not as athletic as guys like Pickett or Flynn in camp, but equally as good at doing the job of being a point guard.  Miami did well with this signing.

Derrick Rose - #50 – 76ers - #3 Rivals.com (#2 PG)

Chicago, IL – 6’3” – 2007

Rose was injured and missed some time with ankle issues. Don’t know if he’ll be back in action today.

Renardo Sidney - #122 – Lakers

Jackson, MS – 6’9” – 2009

There’s a reason Sidney is so highly touted within the Class of ’09.  The kid has a multitude of skills well beyond his years.  Sidney still looks young, has some baby fat, and isn’t jacked like other players, but he’s a deceivingly good athlete.  He runs well, handles it in the open floor, has good vision, a solid long-range stroke, and finishes.  Obviously he’s young, but Sidney is already a future-NBA type talent.

Corey Stokes - #84 – Celtics - #54 Rivals.com (#13 SG)

Bayonne, NJ – 6’5” – 2007

Stokes wasn’t quite as good yesterday as on Thursday, eat least on offense.  Defensively he was solid, using his great athletic body to make some steals and hold his own guarding.  While the game I watched was dominated by his teammate Fisher, Stokes impressed when he took the ball to the basket with a lot of force as opposed to settling for the jumper.

Malik Story - #71 – Lakers - #34 Hoopmasters.com (08)

Cerritos, CA – 6’5” – 2008 – USC?

I wasn’t really watching Story, but he was impressive on defense against highly touted Alex Legion, and he’s obviously got the body and athleticism of a college wing.

Evan Turner - #95 – Mavs - #23 Rivals.com (#6 SF)

Chicago, IL – 6’7” – 2007 – Ohio State

Turner is a legit find for OSU.  At 6’7”, he’s got an ideal frame for a college small forward, and like the rest of his Illinois Wolves teammates on the Mavs (McCamey, Fay, etc), he’s extremely polished and knows his role.  He had one sick spin move while driving to the lane that he made look too easy.  Not the flashiest wing player in camp (see Walker, Bill), but he’s perhaps the most ready to contribute.

Alex Tyus - #151 – Mavs - #41 Rivals.com (#12 PF)

St Louis, MO – 6’8” – 2007

Tyus continues to improve by the day it seems.  He’s clearly better than the 41^st best player in the country, and now even his outside shot is coming along. In a game against the Bulls yesterday, it went to overtime, and Tyus hit a baseline fall-away jumper to win it.  Its hard to imagine a school that wouldn’t want this kid on their roster.

Terrell Vinson - #79 – Celtics

Baltimore, MD – 6’6” – 2009

Vinson was great today, outplaying highly ranked 08’ forward Olu Ashaolu.  He still has a lot of holes in his game, but the kid runs so well and has such a nose for the basket, that he works himself into easy points, rebounds, and put backs.  He’s shooting 64%, and is in 4^th place in the camp in overall rating (the only underclassmen in the top 10).  Vincent doesn’t wow you with monster jams and sick blocks, but he quietly goes about his business the right way.  I’ve only seen him take one jumper in game play this week and it was a pure swish.

Bill Walker - #86 – Hawks - #2 Rivals.com

Cincinnati, OH – 6’6” – 2007

Bill Walker’s a freak. Not much else to say about that.

Brian Walsh - #54 – Celtics

Moon Township, PA – 6’4” – 2008

An unknown player to me before this week, Walsh has some potential.  For a kid who can run the point or play the two, Walsh has good height and has a solid body for an ’08 prospect.  He’s able to hit shots when he’s wide open, but I didn’t see him scoring while under pressure, nor does he have the creativity or quickness to create for himself right now.  He’s an active player, doing a good job moving on offense and also running for loose balls and rebounds.  Once or twice though, he got nice offensive rebounds, but didn’t have the strength and confidence to finish the score on the inside.  Still, Walsh leads all juniors in overall player rating at 23.3.

Travon Woodall - #26 – Nets

Paterson, NJ – 6’1” -2008

Woodall was impressive, easily the best offensive player of his fivesome.  On the negative side was that for a point guard, Woodall was a bit too focused on scoring the ball, and wasn’t really distributing it.  Though it was hard to blame him because he seemed to have the best of 08’ PG Verdell Jones who was guarding him.  He’s got a quick first step to the basket, and showed off his long-range shot.  Defensively, he uses his quickness to get in front of his man, and was able to make some steals.

More ABCD Camp stories and archived coverage of previous years.

2006 ABCD - Day One

2006 ABCD - Day Three - Afternoon

2006 ABCD - Day Three- Evening

2006 ABCD - Final Player Ranking