Camps

2008 Reebok All-American Camp: Player Grades

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:49:42 -0700

A few days late, here are my final player rankings and grades from scouted players at the 2008 Reebok All-American camp. I didn't get to watch all the big-name players, including top camp performers like Quincy Acy, Maurice Creek, etc, so remember that is not a complete list. Also, I wasn't really there to watch the worst players either, so the guys at the end of these rankings shouldn't get too bummed out. Also, its important to keep in mind that this is camp is for the best of the best, and even some of the guys ranked C and below are legitimate top-level college talents.

Grades are based on overall talent & college potential. Ie, an A+ underclassmen was most likely not as effective as an A+ senior, but are included on the same list. Note that the numbered ranking on the right is from the Rivals.com Top 150. Also, players within each level are listed in ranked order.

A+

Brandon Knight - 6'3" - 2010 - Undecided - Coral Springs, FL - #8

Rightfully considered one of the Top 10 players in his class, Knight was solid but not spectacular. A point guard with supreme NBA-type athleticism, Knight was teamed with Kenny Boynton.

Kenny Boynton - 6'3" - 2009 - Undecided - Pompano Beach, FL - #8

The "Human Vacuum", Boynton has never met a shot he didn't like. But despite heaving them up from all angles with men in his face, he was hitting shots all week long.

Renardo Sidney - 6'9" - 2009 - Los Angeles, CA - Undecided - #4

At times, looks all-world. Other times, just looks like a bust waiting to happen. For #4 in his class, not very exciting.

Joe Jackson - 6'0" - 2010 - Memphis, TN - Undecided - #10

Top notch prospect. Not only excelling on offense, but standing out on D where he took a charge and was very active in passing lanes and going for loose balls.

Mike Shaw - 6'8" - 2011 - Undecided - Chicago, IL

This is the first I've seen of the highly propsect out of Illinois, and let me just say I'm a believer. Despite the monster size for his age, Shaw is basically a small forward who has a surprisingly good handle & hands.

La' Quinto Ross - 6'9" - 2011 - Jackson, MS - Undecided

Even if a senior, would still be one of the best. Amazing body and ball-handling skills for kid his size and age. Big-time prospect.

Avery Bradley - 6'3" - 2009 - Tacoma, WA - Undecided - #16

Was most impressive on defense, going against Cadougan. Really stayed in front of him, and made life hard. Tries harder than most.

Mfon Udofia - 6'2" - 2009 - Stone Mountain, GA - #30

One of the best PG's in his class. Can really pass the ball, and looked great running pick & roll. Enjoyable to watch.

Abdul Gaddy - 6'4" - 2009 - Tacoma, WA - Undecided - #14

Brings a calming influence to the game. Great passer. More of a pure floor general. More suited for real basketball than this setting.

Michael Snaer - 6'5" - 2009 - Moreno Valley, CA - Undecided - #47

Top-notch athleticism. Had a nice dunk right over Dan Jennings. Blew by defenders at time going to rim.

A-

Guy Landri-Edi - 6'7" - 2009 - Northridge, CA

Listed as a PF, but really a pure wing who runs the floor quite well and throws it down with force. Built like weight-lifter.. threw down one dunk from a virtual stand-still.

Karron Johnson - 6'7" - 2009 - Richmond, VA - #38

One of the best athletes in class considering size, but too inconsistent, out of control, and cocky at times.

Dan Jennings - 6'8" - 2009 - Staten Island, NY - #128

Deserves a higher ranking. Post-game is really improving. Plays and looks like a man.

Richard Howell - 6'8" - 2009 - Maritta, GA - Undecided - #59

Was in-love with the 3-point shot. He hit a bunch of outside shots, but was never really guarded. Not sure what he can do on the inside.

Givon Crump - 6'7" - 2009 - Washington, DC - #115

Caught fire with jumper at times. Standing around a lot though and not getting involved on the inside. Is he a 3 or a 4?

B+

Terrell Vinson - 6'9" - 2009 - Upper Marlboro, MD - Undecided #64

Seen him many times, but never been that impressed. Has a unique stature and strong-thick lower legs. Does he have negative attitude?

Junior Cadougan - 6'0" - 2009 - Toronto, ON - Marquette

Built like a brick. Had some top notch passes in the open court. In the half-court though, was relatively shut down by Bradley.

Clarence Trent - 6'8" - 2009 - Undecided - North Little Rock, AR - #140

Trent's body and game are well-suited for the all-star camp setting. Despite the height, he runs like a pure wing player, and on a good day, can shoot like a two.

Timothy Frazier - 6'2" - 2009 - Undecided - Houston, TX

Pe'Shon Howard - 6'2" - 2010 - Cleveland, OH - Undecided

Amazingly thick body. Bit of a hot dog though. Is that just par for the course at Oak Hill?

Nick Russell - 6'4" - 2009 - Undecided - Duncanville, TX - #92

Michael Gbinjie - 6'5" - 2011 - Chester, VA

While not a super-prospect at this point like Mike Shaw, Gbinjie was nonetheless one of the camp's best underclassmen. A pure wing at this point in his development, he has great athleticism.

Meyers Leonard - 6'10" - Robinson, IL - Undecided - #94

Looks like a college athlete. Not getting to involved in the action.. almost a bit disinterested.

Derrick Williams - 6'7" - 2010 - Undecided - Staten Island, NY

A very impressive power forward, who despite appearing to be a bit chunky, is well-built and surprisingly agile. He runs the floor quicker than you'd expect.

Aaric Murray - 6'10" - 2010 - Philadelphia, PA - Undecided

An emerging high-major type prospect. Hit one nice baby-hook and has the raw talent to develop an actual offensive post-game.

B-

Carl Baptiste - 6'8" - 2009 - Pittstown, NJ - St. Joseph's

Strong, mature body that can match anybody. Gives a great effort. Not sure whether he has a well-developed offensive game.

Tony Freeland - 6'7" - 2009 - Los Angeles, CA - Undecided

Strong kid who actually plays bigger than his height. Had one great follow-up jam. FT needs work and sometimes looks a bit out of control.

Tobias Harris - 6'8" - 2010 - Dix Hills, NY - #90

Disappointing. Runs a bit sluggishly and looked out of breath at times. Was soft, and played like a boy compared to other top senior forwards.

Juwan Moody - 5'11" - 2011 - Auburn Hills, MI

C+

Jeremy Olsen - 6'10" - 2009 Lawrenceville, GA - Utah

Erique Gumbs - 6'9" - 2009 - Newark, DE - Undecided

A bit raw, but serious athletic talent. Effective blocking shots and dunking the ball. Needs improvement, but has BCS-level traits.

Fuquan Edwin - 6'5" - 2010 - Paterson, NJ - Undecided

Has a lot of athleticism, but not very refined. Outside shot just looks bad, and needs serious work.

Thomas Knight - 6'9" - 2009 - Undecided - Dixfield, ME

Let me preface this capsule by saying I saw Knight literally play for about 3 minutes. He hurt his eye and had to sit out the rest of the afternoon and I never watched him again. With that said, for a kid who I had absolutely no expectations for, he was surprisingly effective.

Dexter Fields - 6'2" - 2009 - Orlando, FL - Undecided

A pure scorer who was a pleasant surprise. Needs to learn how to play off the ball, but can really stroke jump shots.

Chris Perez - 6'4" - 2009 - Undecided - New Port, FL

This scoring guard impressed me with good effort and feel for the game. He's got decent size, and a knack for getting the ball in the hoop in a variety of ways.

Jake Cohen - 6'10" - 2009 - Undecided - Berwyn, PA

For a kid getting looks from big-time high-majors like ASU and Michigan, Cohen was a bit disappointing. He showed some flashes of quality, but the game-pace seemed to be a bit too quick for him.

Marshall Henderson - 6'2" - 2009 - Hurst, TX - Undecided

Supposedly known for his shooting prowess. Hit a couple tough bank-shots, with surprising touch. Not really suited for the all-out fast break style of camp.

Darren White - 6'4" - 2009 - Danville, VA - Undecided

Unknown to me. Was surprisingly athletic, can really get up. Can hit the three, but not consistently. Looks like he's just now getting good.

C-

Kyle Fuller - 6'1" - 2010 - Moreno Valley, CA - Undecided

Only slightly watched him.. mainly because he was getting beat often by Udofia. Tough matchup though.

Dominique O'Connor - 5'10" - 2009 - Los Angeles, CA - Undecided

Had scattered great moments mixed in with long periods of blah. Does have good speed and really gets out in the open court.

Arsalan Kazemi - 6'8" - 2009 - Houston, TX - Undecided

Runs quite well for such height. Really a wing. Very awkward movements. At times looks like he's never played ball before.

Tyrone Garland - 6'0" - 2010 - Philadelphia, PA - Undecided

Local kid who needs some work to play at this top level.

Rodney Blount - 6'0" - 2009 - Orlando, FL

Quick point guard who excels in open court. Not very effective in the half-court where he looked a bit overmatched at times. Not high-major ready.

Trevor Dillard - 5'10" - 2009 - New York, NY - Undecided

Kind of chubby.. like a Levance Fields. Not as fast as you'd like and beaten off dribble at times. Showed some good pep and positive spirit at times. Not high-major quality.

2008 Reebok All-American Camp Review: Part Two

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:48:47 -0700

I took the drive down to Philly to catch this week's Reebok All-American Camp. While the overall talent in the 2009 class isn't as good as some recent seasons, there were still a lot of quality kids on hand. Top 25 prospects from the '09 class who were there included Renardo Sidney, Kenny Boynton, and Abdul Gaddy. There's also some top-level younger guys like Brandon Knight ('10) and Mike Shaw ('11).

**Below are mini-capsules for the remaining players I watched at camp. Unfortunately, I have to head out of town suddenly for the weekend, so I can't complete full scouting capsules.. but I'll get those done upon my return. What you see here are minimalist thoughts on each guy.. The rankings noted are from Rivals.com.

Carl Baptiste - 6'8" - 2009 - Pittstown, NJ - St. Joseph's

Strong, mature body that can match anybody. Gives a great effort. Not sure whether he has a well-developed offensive game.

Rodney Blount - 6'0" - 2009 - Orlando, FL - Undecided