Hot Team Takes Home Rumble in the Bronx Title

BRONX, N.Y. – Annually the best travel team tournament amidst a number of camps in the month of June, the Rumble in the Bronx was held this past weekend.  This year’s event had a good deal of talent as usual, although it wasn’t high on “best of the best” talent despite having the number one player in the class of 2011.  Instead, there was solid depth.

The 16-under final was a defensive struggle in the first half, and not much different in the second.  New Heights had an 18-17 lead over the Playaz at the break, and the game went back and forth for a while in the second.  But New Heights had the lead in the final minutes, and a three-pointer by Brent Jones was a dagger that helped them ultimately seal their 51-44 victory.  Jermaine Sanders (6′4″ So. SG-SF, New York (NY) Rice HS) led New Heights with 17 points, while Myles Davis (6′0″ So. SG, Plainfield (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep) scored 11 points as the only member of the Playaz in double figures.

The 17-under final was an up-and-down game and close for much of the first half, before Team Final started to gain momentum and take a 42-35 halftime lead over California Supreme.  Early in the second, Team Final opened up a big lead with a lot of second shots, then turnovers later helped them build the lead to 22 before taking home a 73-57 win for their second major tournament championship in the last month.  Rakeem Christmas (6′9″ So. PF-C, Philadelphia (PA) Northeast Catholic HS) led Team Final with a game-high 18 points, while Tyreek Duren (6′0″ Jr. PG, Philadelphia (PA) Neumann-Goretti HS) capped off an excellent weekend with 16 points, Markus Kennedy (6′8″ Jr. PF, Philadelphia (PA) Living Faith School) added 13 and Trevor Cooney (6′4″ So. SG, Wilmington (DE) Sanford School) had 11 with several back-breaking jumpers along the way.  Keala King (6′5″ Jr. SF, Compton (CA) Dominguez HS) led four players in double figures for California Supreme with 14 points.

Team Final won the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions just a few weeks earlier.

Now, we take a look at some of the players in this event.

Kyle Anderson (6′7″ Fr. SF, Fairview (NJ) Paterson Catholic HS) A baby physically, he didn’t look to score but showed some good ball skills for his age.  With his size and ball skills, he could grow into a big point guard or point forward-type down the road.

Billy Baron (6′1″ Sr. PG-SG, Warwick (RI) Bishop Hendricken HS) As the spring has gone along, he has continued to find his place as a glue guy-type, but he looked the part of a leader here.  He had two big games early, going for 20 points in his team’s opener with some late free throws to seal it, and later had a 31-point outing.  Simply put, the Worcester Academy-bound guard is playing well.

Will Barton (6′5″ Jr. SG-SF, Baltimore (MD) Lake Clifton HS) A baby physically, he’s an intriguing talent as he appears to have the tools to be a big point guard or point forward-type down the road.  Athletic and possessing a good frame, he’s potentially deadly in transition and can draw fouls when he drives to the basket, but he’ll need to improve the ball skills and body control.  In particular, he has a rather “busy” dribble in that he often tries to do too many fakes in one motion, and it’s surprising he doesn’t travel more; as it is, he got away with at least one in trying to do too much.  A good high-major prospect, next year he will attend Brewster Academy.

Jaylen Bond (6′6″ So. SF-PF, Plymouth Meeting (PA) Whitemarsh HS) He immediately captures your attention because he’s athletic and has some size for the perimeter, but at times he looks like a tease.  It’s not clear what he is, as his ball skills leave something to be desired, but he’ll make the occasional jumper and score points in several ways, but none of them very well.

Elijah Bonsignore (6′4″ Jr. SF, Dover (DE) Campus Community HS) Although he can knock down a jump shot, his best offense seems to be his in-between game.  He’s not especially athletic and his body isn’t there yet, so there is some upside from a physical standpoint.

Denzel Brito (6′2″ Jr. SG, Groton (MA) Lawrence Academy) While this athletic wing has continued to come along, including showing some aggressiveness on drives, there was something frustrating about his play this weekend: all too often, he passed up a shot he created for himself.  He’s always had the ability to score, and he showed it here, but deferred too often when he had created an opening.

Markel Brown (6′4″ Jr. SG-SF, Alexandria (LA) Peabody HS) Very athletic wing was aggressive in attacking the basket, and he’s not afraid to go for a dunk.  His body isn’t there yet, and in going for 16 points in a late pool play game, his highlights include a 360 dunk and a nice alley-oop finish.  He’s committed to Oklahoma State, and it’s not hard to imagine him thriving in Travis Ford’s fast-paced system.

Donald Celestin (6′2″ So. SG, Lawrence (MA) Greater Lawrence Tech) Lefty guard is a baby physically but has the quicks to slash to the basket and score or create for others.  He looks more wired to score, and he did that to the tune of 19 points in one pool play game, and with continued physical maturity he’ll only get better at finishing.

Rakeem Christmas (6′9″ So. PF-C, Philadelphia (PA) Northeast Catholic HS) Long post player is currently a big presence inside with an emerging offensive game, one shown a little by his effort in the title game.  He’s athletic and blocks plenty of shots, and when he gets the ball in close, he’s better at finishing all the time to the point where he’s not just a defender anymore.  A good rebounder, he can’t be ignored on the offensive glass as he also got a couple of follow-up dunks.

DaJuan Coleman (6′9″ Fr. C, Dewitt (NY) Jamesville-Dewitt HS) Possessing a wide body that doesn’t have all good weight, right now his imposing physical presence is by far his best asset.  He has good mobility on his post moves considering the condition he’s in, but all too often he lost the ball when going up and not because he got fouled.

Trevor Cooney (6′4″ So. SG, Wilmington (DE) Sanford School) An excellent shooter, he isn’t afraid to put it up even when a defender is right on him.  He shot it well from long range in the title game, including a long two-point shot off the dribble that shows he’s not just a catch-and-shoot player, and he can handle the ball passably for the off-guard spot.

Myles Davis (6′0″ So. SG, Plainfield (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep) Although undersized for the shooting guard spot, there’s no question about his ability.  During a pool play game in 17-under (he played up there as well as for the Playaz 16-under entry that he normally plays for), he got white-hot from long range en route to 28 points on six three-pointers.  He’s not lacking quickness and knifed to the basket for a couple of hoops as well.  If there’s a knock, it’s that he’s not exactly a baby physically, which means he might be done growing.

Joey DeLaRosa (6′10″ So. C, Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s HS) Although he’s more mature physically, he doesn’t look much better as an inside scoring threat.  Part of it is that he doesn’t get the ball down low often enough, but when he does, he struggles to finish shots when he makes a good move.

Carson Desrosiers (6′11″ Jr. PF-C, Lawrence (MA) Central Catholic HS) In his team’s first game, he was a non-factor throughout until the second overtime, when he came alive with six big points to lead the victory.  Offensively, he worked the give-and-go quite nicely both as a passer and the recipient, looking like he’s well-suited to playing in a very structured offensive system.  Defensively, while he’s capable of blocking shots, on several occasions he would back away from a player driving against him and try to block the shot from behind or the side, something he might get away with at times here but won’t in Division I.

Tyreek Duren (6′0″ Jr. PG, Philadelphia (PA) Neumann-Goretti HS) Steady floor leader was a major reason his team won the 17-under title, as he controlled the game very well.  He was solid in both the halfcourt and in transition, as he’s shifty and has great balance and really makes teammates better.  He showed the ability to get his own offense from long range or with a quick drive for a layup, and wasn’t above hustling as he made a great play in the final to steal a rebound and down on the floor to get the ball to a teammate.

Jordan Dykstra (6′9″ Jr. PF, Rock Valley (IA) High) Not a baby physically, it’s not entirely clear what he is offensively, although he showed a few skills.  On one play, he made a nice drive and left-handed finish after facing the basket, and later he showed that he has some ability to make post moves to try to score as well, although he didn’t excel.

Fuquan Edwin (6′5″ Jr. SF, Paterson (NJ) Catholic HS) An athletic scorer with a good body, he’s solid and not doing anything earth-shattering aside from showing some consistency.  His body isn’t fully mature yet, so there may be some more physical upside, and he’s always been able to score, going for 22 in a late pool play game.

Alex Francis (6′6″ Jr. SF-PF, Plymouth (NH) Holderness Prep) His best asset is that he has a live body, and that’s how he’s most effective.  A plus athlete, his game is more that of a power forward, as his skills for the small forward spot still leave something to be desired, but occasionally he showed signs of good progress on that front.

Chris Gayot (5′10″ So. PG, Bayside (NY) Cardozo HS) Well-built point guard is a steady floor leader who had a big hand in his team winning the 16-under championship.  He uses his body well, especially when he drives as it helps him finish, and he’s a more than capable ball-handler who didn’t hurt his team with costly turnovers.

Mike Gilchrist (6′7″ So. SF, Somerdale (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS) The best rising junior in the country, he continued to have an excellent spring, and it’s largely because he simply never takes a play off.  He has a good body, is a good but not great athlete, and a fairly complete player, although his jump shot isn’t lights out from long range.  He scored in a variety of ways, including in traffic and transition, and he’s around the ball often.

Keegan Hyland (6′3″ Jr. SG, South Portland (ME) High) Well-known for his shooting ability, he showed here, as he has before, that he knows how to use that to help create other shots both for himself and others.  He uses the pump fake well and doesn’t lack athleticism despite not being blessed with a great deal of it, and when his three-pointers didn’t go right away he found other ways to score en route to a nice 28-point outing on Friday night.

Anthony Ireland (5′10″ Sr. PG, Waterbury (CT) Crosby HS) He did what he’s done all spring, and that’s be a tough floor leader for his team.  His dribble is solid and he takes care of the ball, and while he’s not a major scoring threat, he makes up for that with the other things he does well.

Kyrie Irving (6′1″ Jr. SG, Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS) He didn’t put up quite the scoring numbers he did at some earlier tournaments this spring, but he was once again tough to stop.  Simply put, he finds a way to score, whether on drives or from long range, and will take contact all game long and still finish and draw fouls.

James Johnson (6′6″ Jr. PF, North Hollywood (CA) Campbell Hall HS) Well-built forward is undersized for the power forward spot that is natural to him, but he was effective for his team.  A plus athlete, he battled inside and got stickbacks and rebounds, not often getting chances to score inside as his team’s offense went largely through its perimeter players.

Markus Kennedy (6′8″ Jr. PF, Philadelphia (PA) Living Faith School) This Villanova commit is a little difficult to figure out.  He has a mature body but could stand to get it in better condition, yet he’ll run the floor from time to time and even surprised on one play this weekend where he successfully drove to the basket for a layup.  More of a post player, he’s capable of having solid games like the 16-point outing we saw in pool play, but at other times he looks physically limited, even as if the speed of the game is too fast for him.

Keala King (6′5″ Jr. SF, Compton (CA) Dominguez HS) Lefty wing has a good body for that position and had a solid weekend, especially in the playoff rounds.  There, he scored well and in several ways, finishing drives including when he got fouled, hitting from long range and getting some transition baskets.  He also plays a little bigger than his size, which always helps a wing player perhaps more than a player at any other position.

Jordan Laguerre (6′0″ Jr. PG-SG, Manchester (NH) Trinity HS) Another who has had a good spring for his team, he started off nicely with 27 points on Friday night, scoring on drives more while still hitting jumpers.  He battled when he went inside and continues to show the ability to shoot off the dribble, while his main weak spot continues to be that he looks very left-handed.

Danny Lawhorn (5′11″ Jr. PG, Hartford (CT) Public High School) A baby physically, his big gift is his quickness, especially in the open floor.  He uses that to get ahead in transition, and he often lets others finish as he’s unselfish and will also drive and dish often in the halfcourt set.  The knock is that he’s not much of a scoring threat.

Anthony Lee (6′9″ Jr. PF-C, Eustis (FL) High) Very long post player quietly put up a couple of better scoring games than one would figure from watching.  While not a big scorer, he reached double figures a couple of times despite not looking like a major factor on offense.  A plus athlete inside, his ball skills are shaky and he showed no assertiveness at all, and that is likely to offset the physical upside he has.

Nate Lubick (6′8″ Jr. PF, Southborough (MA) St. Mark’s School) It’s really clear that he’s developed nicely into a complete player, as he showed a lot of things that all start with how fundamentally sound he is and his solid feel for the game.  An aggressive and tough player, he took a beating inside but kept competing, and did a number of things for his team.  They range from a corner three-point shot to a post move to score, all the way to a nice entry pass inside.  The Georgetown commit has developed well and isn’t stopping.

Majok Majok (6′8″ Jr. PF, South Kent (CT) School) Possessing a good post body, he’s a good scoring threat inside when he wants to be.  At times, he seems to take plays off, but just when you think he’s not a factor, he gets the ball on the post and makes a nice post move to score.  He went for 11 against the eventual champions, who have good interior defense, and helped his team capture the silver title with a good playoff run.

Paris Massey (6′8″ Sr. PF-C, Boston (MA) English HS) Very long post player continued to show himself to be very fundamentally sound, especially when it comes to his length.  He keeps the ball high, and as such his jump hook is difficult to block unless his defender has several inches on him, while he’s a capable rebounder at the defensive end.  Prep school was a possibility, but instead he will head to Sacred Heart in the fall.

Doug McDermott (6′7″ Jr. PF, Ames (IA) High) An intriguing prospect, he has some length to go along with what he showed on the low post.  There, he made a couple of strong post moves and showed the ability to finish when he was close to the basket.

Keith McDougald (6′2″ Jr. SG, Jacksonville (FL) Bishop Kenney HS) Well-built guard can score the ball and is a good complement to the big men on his team.  A scorer who has some range out to the three-point line, he’s a plus athlete who scores better on the go than shooting the ball.

Louis Montes (6′4″ Sr. SF, Brockton (MA) High) At times, he shows himself to be very capable of playing at a high level, but at others his body language suggests a lack of interest and he seems to take plays off.  That was the case here, as he had two nice scoring games but also had moments where he could have been better.  Although prep school has been thought to be his destination next year, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that he is on a college campus in the fall.

J.J. Moore (6′6″ Jr. SF, Brentwood (NY) High) A very active forward, he simply gets things done on the floor.  He’s just a plus athlete, but has a live body, a solid in-between game and knows when to take the jumper from as far out as three-point range.  With a fast-paced game, he really thrives, and is capable of putting up double-doubles in points and rebounds from the small forward spot.

Shabazz Napier (6′0″ So. PG, Charlestown (MA) Lawrence Academy) He didn’t exactly light up the competition here, in part from playing relatively limited minutes as he wasn’t playing with his usual team this weekend.  A change is that he was guarded more closely than usual and didn’t go by defenders much, and while he didn’t star all weekend he did hit a clutch three-pointer that tied the team’s last game in the final minute.

Maurice Nelson (5′11″ So. PG, Chester (PA) High) A smaller point guard, his body isn’t there yet physically, but he must be guarded from long range as he lit up one opponent for 23 points with six three-pointers.

Rod Odom (6′8″ Jr. SF, Ringe (NY) Middlesex School) Long wing has been a bit of a mystery this spring, although there’s no doubt he has some good tools.  Not the most aggressive scorer, he handles the ball and passes well and can get points, but he’s not a great athlete and seemed to defer to others for scoring in admittedly limited viewing here.

Dwayne Polee (6′7″ Jr. SF, Los Angeles (CA) Westchester HS) A baby physically with a slight frame, this USC commit is very athletic but not tremendously skilled.  Although he can knock down a shot from long range, he’s not a lights-out shooter, and while he can drive and get a shot off, he often goes away from the basket and doesn’t use his length enough to help him.  He does manage to draw some fouls, and in the championship game he was more aggressive than at any other time in the tournament.

Darius Quarles (6′6″ Jr. SF, Paulsboro (NJ) High) This Saint Joseph’s commit is an intriguing talent with his length and some of the skills he showed, though none in abundance.  He’s athletic and can hit from mid-range, even hitting a couple of shots off the dribble, and the feeling is that he could handle playing a larger role than he did on a team that wasn’t hurting for talent.

Mike Rivera (5′11″ Sr. PG, Fall River (MA) Durfee HS) What stood out the most is that he continues to improve shooting the ball, evidenced by a Friday night outing where he hit six three-pointers.  He’s shown that he can run a team, and his improvement hasn’t come at the expense of his point guard play although he’s played off the ball much of the spring, and proof of that came as he was able to penetrate to make plays and also made a couple of alley-oop passes to teammates.

Alex Rosenburg (6′6″ Jr. SF, Milburn (NJ) High) A blender player who takes what the defense gives him, he took a back seat to several other players on his team but showed a feel for the game and an ability to be a scoring threat.  He’s not a baby physically but not mature, either, and he scored on a drive when he got an open lane and showed a touch with his jumper out to three-point range.

Jermaine Sanders (6′4″ So. SG-SF, New York (NY) Rice HS) A talented lefty wing, he has a strong lower body and some offensive skills that include a nice finishing ability when he drives.  The big knock is that he seems a little too left-handed, as he almost doesn’t seem to know what to do if you can cut off his ability to go to his left.

Keith Shamburger (5′11″ Jr. SG, San Diego (CA) Serra HS) Undersized shooting guard had a nice day on Sunday, opening the day with 27 points in a big playoff win before again reaching double figures later.  His game is that of a shooter, and he looks to be better when spotting up, as he doesn’t look like a combo guard at all.  With his size, that will limit his options at the next level, but he’s sure to get some Division I interest with his shooting ability.

Russell Smith (5′11″ Sr. PG, Briarwood (NY) Archbishop Molloy HS) There are things to like about him, especially from a physical standpoint as he’s a baby physically but not afraid of contact.  He’s also a capable shooter from long range and will fearlessly attack all day despite having a slight frame.  But he’ll also travel with the ball from time to time, and mental toughness looks like an open question as there were times when his team was losing when he wasn’t the same player.  Next season, he will attend the South Kent School.

Evan Smotrcyz (6′8″ Jr. SF, Reading (MA) New Hampton Prep) This weekend, he showed again that he’s really come into his own as he continues to play well.  He shot the ball well from long range and managed to be aggressive without forcing something that isn’t there.  Besides his three-point shots, he scored on jumpers off the dribble and found openings to drive to score as well.  The Michigan commit has had a solid spring.

Jaymie Spears (5′9″ So. PG, Georgetown (MA) High) Though he’s a lot smaller than everyone else who starts on his team, he makes the team go at both ends.  Not known for his shooting, he even showed a little touch from long range at the offensive end, and was a pest defensively as he had several steals that turned into breakaway baskets.  Next year, he will attend St. Mark’s.

Shaquille Stokes (6′0″ Jr. PG-SG, Brooklyn (NY) Lincoln HS) In a playoff game, he lit up the opponent for 28 points in a losing effort, knocking down five three-pointers.  That appears to be what he does best, as he wasn’t the most effective at driving despite having a good body, although he did knock down a couple of mid-range shots off the dribble.

Josh Turner (6′5″ Jr. SG-SF, Waterbury (CT) Sacred Heart HS) It’s been a while since we saw something from him, but he put in a solid effort on Friday night despite his team losing.  He’s still not mature physically, meaning he has some upside in that respect, and he had a big second half en route to a team-high 18 points in the game.  While he often brought the ball up and found ways to score, he also tended to dribble too much without being effective.

Joseph Uchebo (6′10″ Fr. C, Durham (NC) Mt. Zion Christian Academy) A prospect to keep an eye on, his body is certainly not there yet physically and he’s already 6′10″.  He worked inside and was a key factor on the boards, and wasn’t just a defender as he went for 22 points in a playoff game.

Davon Usher (6′4″ Jr. SG, Baltimore (MD) Digital Harbor HS) Lefty wing is a good complementary player on his team.  Though not a great athlete, he showed a good jumper from mid-range and long range in helping his team advance to Sunday.

Michael Weber (5′10″ Jr. PG, Ames (IA) High) Although he’s small and physically limited, he’s a heady floor leader and that makes up for some of his limitations.  He was around the ball often and didn’t try to do too much, although he had a nice highlight with a reverse layup in traffic on one play.

Okaro White (6′9″ Jr. SF-PF, Clearwater (FL) High) There’s plenty to like about him physically, as he’s long, athletic, just a baby and has a thin upper body that should all get better with some maturity.  Additionally, he shows some skills that suggest he could play the wing, as he can hit from mid-range and uses his length.  But he’s also not the most fluid with the ball and was less of an offensive factor than his physical gifts would suggest he should be, and effort isn’t the problem because he plays hard.

Scottie Wilbekin (6′2″ So. PG-SG, Gainesville (FL) The Rock HS) For a lot of the weekend, he looked like a promising guard on a team whose frontcourt players carry the flag.  He looked heady at times and showed a nice ability to score from the lead guard spot on mid-range shots off the dribble and an occasional long jumper.  But when his team started to struggle, he wasn’t the same, and picked up a dumb technical foul late in the semifinal.

Derrick Williams (6′7″ Jr. PF, Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony’s) Wide-bodied post player is big and strong and moves very well inside with his mature body.  He has good post moves to score and knows how to use his body for position, and he finished well en route to 20 points in one early game.  He’s tough to move out of the paint and he comes to play all the time.

T.J. Williams (6′7″ Sr. PF, Jonesboro (LA) Hodge HS) He’s a post player with a mature body and a good frame, which suit him well inside.  He showed a touch from mid-range and on the low post, but also can be a little slow making a post move, which can negate his other physical advantages.

Brian Wilson (6′6″ Jr. PF, Bronx (NY) Satellite Academy) Well-built post player is undersized but goes to work inside.  He has a good upper body and isn’t afraid to get physical, runs the floor well and doesn’t try to hang on the perimeter, so he knows what he is.

Joel Wright (6′6″ Sr. SF, Brooklyn (NY) Thomas Jefferson HS) Well-built wing has some things going for him physically, as he has a good upper body and will battle inside on the offensive glass.  He scored mainly in close, including with a couple of stickbacks, and had at least one double-digit outing.  But he also fouled out in a playoff game and picked up a technical foul right after it, which didn’t help the team.

Wilfried Yeguette (6′6″ Jr. SF-PF, Melbourne (FL) Florida Air Academy) Active wing is his team’s glue guy, as he’s not long like his frontcourt mates and is a better player than the guards.  He gets a lot of rebounds from the wing thanks to having a nose for the ball, and he’ll turn some offensive ones into stickbacks and otherwise score in the flow of the offense.

Other players who caught our attention:

Jordan Allen (6′6″ So. SF, Bayshore (NY) High)

Evan Cummins (6′7″ Fr. PF, Westboro (MA) High)

Jarred Davis (6′6″ So. SF, Lakewood (NJ) High)

Isaiah Epps (6′1″ Jr. PG, Plainfield (NJ) High)

Jordan Latham (6′9″ Jr. PF, Baltimore (MD) City College HS)

Peter Prinsloo (6′10″ Jr. PF-C, Dover (DE) High)

Ronald Roberts (6′7″ Jr. SF-PF, Bayonne (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep)

Shondell Stewart (6′2″ Sr. SG, Paterson (NJ) Kennedy HS)