2010 Providence Jam Fest Recap

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence Jam Fest saw a little change in locations this year. With Providence College not available, and likely not an option in future years due to pending NCAA legislation that is likely to pass, this year saw the primary location move closer to downtown. The Providence City Courts, right next to Central High School, provided a nice primary space for the games. The facility is brand new, and one would figure it will be the center of future Jam Fests held there.

The 15-under final looked like it could be a blowout right away, as New Heights Blue scored the first seven points of the game and led BABC to call a quick timeout. Something in that timeout worked, as BABC quickly rallied to take the lead and was up 47-31 at halftime en route to a 73-59 win that wasn’t even that close. Wayne Selden (6’3” Fr. SG, Roxbury (MA) John D. O’Bryant HS) capped a good weekend with 14 points to lead BABC.

The 16-under final came right down to the wire, although early on it looked like the PA Playaz could win convincingly as they had a double-digit lead early before New Jersey-based Hoop Heaven Heat Elite rallied to make it a one-point game at halftime. The PA Playaz made some free throws down the stretch, but still had to hold their collective breath as a long three-pointer at the buzzer missed as they held on for a 56-54 win. Ryan Arcidiacono (6’3” So. PG-SG, Langhorne (PA) Neshaminy HS) capped off a big weekend by scoring 20 points to lead the winners.

The 17-under silver final saw the New England Playaz break the game open early and cruise to a 74-38 win over the Mountain Basketball Club. Kaleb Tarczewski (6’10” So. C, Claremont (NH) St. Mark’s School) led the Playaz with 20 points, while Aaron Cosby (6’2” Jr. PG-SG, (KY) Northfield Mount Hermon) added 15.

The 17-under gold final went back and forth early, as Expressions scored the first seven points of the game before the Westchester Hawks rallied to go up 15-11. At the half, Expressions led 31-30, and the second half went back and forth between the two until the final minutes. A Chris Martin (6’1” Jr. SG, Washington (DC) St. John’s HS) three-pointer put the Hawks up for good, and they sealed the game with a solid showing at the foul line, defensive stops and no offensive rebounds to take home a 67-59 decision. Martin finished with 23 points to lead the Hawks. Ricardo Ledo (6’6” So. SG-SF, Providence (RI) St. Andrew’s School) led Expressions with a game-high 25 points in the losing effort.

Now, we take a look at some of the players from this weekend.

Tavon Allen (6’7” Sr. SF, New Haven (CT) Hillhouse HS) An intriguing prospect, he’s been under the radar quite a bit but may be on his way to changing that. He’s ambidextrous, showing that with three-pointers made with the left hand several driving runners with the right hand. In going for 21 points in each of two games, he made a number of those runners, going to his right a few times and making them even as he fell down, and in one game there was a stretch where he just about took over. High-major minus prospect will do a post-graduate year at Worcester Academy next year.

Ryan Arcidiacono (6’3” So. PG-SG, Langhorne (PA) Neshaminy HS) Don’t let his lack of physical gifts fool you: he was one of the best players in the 16-under division this weekend and opened a lot of eyes. A solid combo guard who can handle, pass, shoot and score, he has a good motor and came up big in the playoffs in leading his team to the title, showing a touch from deep in addition to running the team often and playing well off the ball.

Zach Auguste (6’9” Jr. PF, Marlborough (MA) High) The main word for this long forward is progress, and he showed that in a couple of areas. His body is developing, though it’s far from done there, and his ball skills look to be coming along as well although he still needs a good deal of work in that area. Another plus is that he drove in on a break and dunked while getting fouled, something that might not have happened in the past. He’s headed to New Hampton in the fall and will repeat his junior year.

Marco Banegas (6’1” Sr. PG, Roxbury (MA) John D. O’Bryant HS) Although he had his moments, by and large it was a mediocre weekend for a player still caught in between positions. While his size dictates he plays the point, and he’s shown he can do it at times, too often this weekend he looked for his own shot and paid the price, from misses to charging fouls and not leading the break well. He can be a pest on defense, and showed that at times, but his biggest concern is on offense, where he had a team full of players to get the ball to and didn’t really make them better. Next season, he will do a prep year at Brimmer & May.

Khem Birch (6’9” So. PF, Pierrefonds (Que.) Winchendon School) Athletic big man has developed more physically in the last year, though his body still has some ways to go. He’s shown improvement in several facets of his game, from better post moves and better box-outs, while still being very quick off his feet and using his length to get his hand on passes and loose balls in addition to blocking shots. He ran the floor well as he usually does, and despite having some trouble finishing early on he also showed a little touch with the left hand.

Michael Carter-Williams (6’3” Jr. SG, Hamilton (MA) St. Andrew’s School) It wasn’t the best weekend for this Syracuse commit, who at times played at the point. While he continues to look better going off the dribble, he looks more and more like he’s done that at the expense of his shooting, which once upon a time was a great strength. While he went to his left well, he also had soft passes picked off and struggled to score.

Donald Celestin (6’3” Jr. SG, Andover (MA) Lawrence Tech) Still a baby physically, this slashing scorer had a good showing with several nice games. The lefty is athletic, scored on quick drives often and on mid-range shots off the dribble with the occasional shot from long range, which isn’t his forte. He drew contact often and got to the foul line, but a lingering question is if he can go to his right, as he didn’t really look to do that.

Aaron Cosby (6’1” Jr. PG-SG, Louisville (KY) Northfield Mount Hermon) Scoring guard has a good body but is undersized if he is to play off the ball, which his game looks like right now. He’s been trying to learn the point guard spot, but on his current team he won’t get much of a chance playing alongside Naadir Tharpe. He had 30 points in an early game but just seven in the only game his team lost this weekend. High-major minus prospect.

Andre Drummond (6’10” So. PF, Middletown (CT) St. Thomas More) He hasn’t been the same player he was last summer, but here he showed signs that he’s moving in the right direction. Besides his post scoring, which looked good, he showed some of the ball skills he showed last year on occasion and got off to a good start in the semifinal loss, where he scored 16 points. The biggest problem is that he didn’t get the ball enough on offense to do the damage he could.

Jeylani Dublin (6’5” Sr. SF-PF, Millbrook (NY) School) As the weekend went along, this mature-bodied forward played better until the last game, when he struggled to nine points in a loss. Not all of his weight is good weight, and he’s not the most athletic or skilled for the wing, but he’s not lacking in either area and possesses enough to tease you. He’s quick off his feet, finished well and was able to score as far out as three-point range, but whether he can guard a small forward in Division I without a good improvement in his conditioning is an open question. He projects as a likely Division II prospect as more of an undersized power forward.

Bryce Elie (6’3” So. SF, Queens (NY) High School of Teaching) A big factor in his team’s win early on Saturday, he doesn’t have the ideal body for the position he projects to play at all but has a chance if he develops. He has a relatively mature body that isn’t all good weight and he doesn’t appear to be all that strong, evidenced by the lack of zip on a number of his passes even when he had a pretty good follow-through. Still, the lefty scored in close and was around the ball often, and could project as an undersized forward down the road.

Mike Fraylon (6’4” Jr. SG-SF, Windsor (CT) High) Athletic wing was active and scoring often on drives. With a relatively mature body, he was at his best in transition as he led and more often finished the break, and while he knocked down a few shots from long range that doesn’t appear to be his forte. He also took a few ill-advised runners, but overall clearly looks to be more of a scorer than a shooter.

Phil Gaetano (5’11” Sr. PG, Wallingford (CT) Sheehan HS) Playing on a team with plenty of scorers, his job was to get the ball to everyone else and he did just that. He’s not very gifted physically, but he’s solid and finds teammates, who love playing with him for exactly that reason, and he did go for 18 points in one game, which shows that he’s not an offensive liability.

Connor Green (6’4” Jr. SG, Nashua (NH) Bishop Guertin HS) In a big win for his team on Saturday, he impressed with some solid fundamentals and an excellent stroke from long range, as he made four three-pointers from a couple of different spots en route to a 14-point outing. The other basket was a nice one as well, as the natural righty finished with the left hand on the break.

Sean Grennan (6’1” Jr. PG, Toms River (NJ) Monsignor Donovan HS) A point guard with some physical maturity, he led the break well although he got a little too fancy at times. In scoring 19 points in a late Friday game, he knocked down a variety of jump shots from mid-range and long range.

Tyler Harris (6’6” Jr. SF, Dix Hills (NY) Half Hollow Hills West HS) Thin lefty shooter had a big game in the semifinals, going for 33 points with eight three-pointers. In the championship game, he was well-defended and had just three, in part from having a stronger defender on him for a lot of the game. While not the most athletic player, his size and ability to shoot will get him plenty of Division I interest.

Parris Higgs (6’0” So. SG, Newark (DE) Hodgson Vocational Technical HS) A good scorer, he’s undersized to play off the ball but that projects to be his position based on his game. His body isn’t there yet, so he could become even more dangerous later on. He knocked down his share of shots from long range but looks to be a little more of a scorer than a shooter, going for 24 points in a big playoff win that included three three-pointers.

Ben Hill (6’9” Jr. PF-C, Pittsfield (MA) High) Long and a baby physically, he’s a relative unknown but could move out from under the radar before long if what he showed in an early game here is any indication. He has a good frame that can carry more weight, and he’s on the prospect side of the project/prospect line as he has some skills and doesn’t lack a motor. His handle is awkward, as one would expect of a big man, and he’s raw overall, but he ran the floor, got a couple of good inside baskets that showed a little footwork, and even knocked down a mid-range jump shot facing the basket. In all, he showed more than enough to warrant further observation.

Tyaire Hudson (5’11” So. PG, Bear (DE) Hodgson Vocational Technical HS) Lefty guard is more of a scorer than a point guard, though his size dictates that he would play the point right now. He drove and finished well in addition to drawing fouls, and while he’s not the most athletic he’s not lacking some quickness. His body isn’t there yet, although he’s not a baby physically, and while he’s not a point guard now he also didn’t show a touch from deep, which could also help make up for his lack of size.

Kuran Iverson (6’8” Fr. SF-PF, Hartford (CT) Northwest Catholic HS) He didn’t have it in an early morning game on Saturday, which was tough to watch knowing that he’s so talented. In a loss for his team, he was a complete non-factor and didn’t look like he was in the game, but reportedly he had a big game in the playoff round later in the day that showed what he’s capable of when he comes to play.

Markus Kennedy (6’9” Sr. PF, Philadelphia (PA) Winchedon School) While he could stand to lose some weight, he moves his body well for his size and has solid post scoring fundamentals. He was tough to stop in close and was quick off his feet for his size, and was a consistent double figure scorer. High-major prospect remains committed to Villanova as he prepares to do a post-graduate year at Winchendon next year.

Ricardo Ledo (6’6” So. SG-SF, Providence (RI) St. Andrew’s School) If there was a player who could be called the best one here, he may be the choice as he had a few big games. Long and rangy, his three-point shots were going this weekend, which only makes the rest of his game much more dangerous as he showed when he scored on a variety of runners and other scores off the bounce. He went for 23 points in a pool game, 27 in his team’s semifinal win and 25 in the final.

David Madol (6’5” Jr. SF-PF, Manchester (NH) Trinity HS) More of an undersized power forward than a true combo, he’s active and has a slight frame with a mature body. He doesn’t have the most defined game, especially on the perimeter, but he finds a way to score as he went for 15 points and has scored in a double digits a few times we’ve seen him.

Akosa Maduegbunam (6’3” So. SG, Charlestown (MA) High) Athletic wing showed off his shooting ability, which is what can make him an even better player. He knocked down several from deep in a 32-point outing in his team’s last game, a tough way to go out.

Chris Martin (6’1” Jr. SG, Washington (DC) St. John’s HS) A wing with a good body, he had a big championship game to cap off a good weekend. His body looks like it can still mature more and he shot the ball well, but he’ll be undersized at the off-guard spot.

Jim McDonnell (6’7” Sr. SF-PF, Jackson (NJ) Memorial HS) Very thin forward impressed with his excellent fundamentals. He’s solid facing the basket and knocked down shots from long range, finished well with the left hand and competed all weekend long. He did a lot of little things well, and this excellent student is a good mid-major prospect whose main need is strength.

Matt McLeods (6’4” Jr. SF, Greenlawn (NY) Harberfields HS) A baby physically, he has a decent frame that can carry some more weight and is a plus athlete. He looks to be more of a scorer, as he drove often and drew plenty of fouls in a 24-point outing, and went to his left at times.

Alex Murphy (6’8” So. SF, Wakefield (RI) St. Mark’s School) He was a little slow to get going in a pool game after he missed his team’s first game due to an academic commitment, but once he got going he looked a little like he did last spring and summer. He scored 21 in one game, driving and dishing at the offensive end and knocking down a couple of jump shots, and he helped his team win the silver playoff bracket.

Elijah Okagbare (6’7” So. PF, Roxbury (MA) Boston Trinity Academy) He’s long and his upper body is starting to firm up, which is a god sign. The trouble is that his game still has a lot of room for development, and that was especially evident as he was guilty of a couple of moving screens.

Ryan Romich (6’5” Sr. SF, West Groton (MA) Groton-Dunstable Regional HS) He’s really settled into his role on his team, as he complements the more talented players well. In his team’s quarterfinal win, he scored 15 points and hit shots when he got them, and did that for much of the weekend. Mid-major prospect is pondering the possibility of a prep year.

Edwin Sainvil (6’0” So. PG, Woodmere (NY) Lawrence Woodmere HS) A baby physically, he ran the team and showed above-average ball handling skills but impressed most with his scoring as he went for 22 points in an early Saturday game. He was able to drive and dish to teammates, and that was when he wasn’t finishing close to the basket or dropping in a runner in traffic

Jermaine Sanders (6’4” Jr. SF, New York (NY) Rice HS) Well-built wing is a nice prospect but has some limits. Namely, he’s just a plus athlete and can’t get by a lot of defenders, and he’s pretty mature physically so he has little if any added growth left that won’t come from improving as a basketball player. Not helping is that he’s very left-handed, so being able to go to his right and use his off hand will help a good deal. High-major minus/mid-major plus prospect.

Justin Sears (6’7” So. SF-PF, Plainfield (NJ) High) The best prospect on his team, he’s long and a baby physically. A plus athlete, his game isn’t well-defined and his skills will need to continue developing to complement his physical gifts.

Brandon Sherrod (6’6” Sr. PF, Stratford (CT) High) A plus athlete at the power forward spot, he has a mature body and has some skills away from the post. He had a couple of double-digit scoring games, getting baskets from outside the paint and occasionally going to the basket, although he doesn’t project as a combo forward let alone a wing.

Chris Sherwood (6’3” Jr. SG-SF, Sharon (MA) Brimmer & May) Very athletic wing continued to do what he does well, which is go by defenders to the basket to score. He’s continuing to use his athletic advantage and has a strong body, which makes him dangerous despite an inconsistent jump shot.

Imoh Silas (6’8” Jr. PF, Plymouth (NH) Holderness Academy) A physical player with a good body, he rebounded well and had his moments offensively that included using the left (off) hand to finish. On the down side, he’s a little mechanical with the ball and isn’t a shot-blocker, although he’ll occasionally try to be one.

Mickel Simpson (6’4” Jr. SG, Woburn (MA) High) A scorer with a slight frame, he’s not a baby physically but wasn’t afraid to drive aggressively to the basket. In the first half of a pool game, he played well before not being much of a factor in the second half, and his jump shot is an unknown from observation this weekend.

Paul Simpson (6’3” So. SG-SF, Queens (NY) High School of Teaching) A very active wing who plays bigger than his size, he has a good body that can mature more. He’s athletic and got a lot of offensive rebounds, turning some of them into stickbacks and getting most of his points close to the basket. Since he projects as a small forward, he’s undersized and will need to improve his ball skills, which clearly have room for improvement.

Tyler Strange (5’10” Jr. PG, Leominster (MA) Notre Dame Prep) There were some pluses to his play this weekend, starting with his body being in better shape and jump shots going in an early game. He was a little buried as the fourth guard in his team’s first game, and he made some questionable passes that led to turnovers but didn’t have a bad showing all in all.

Kaleb Tarczewski (6’10” So. C, Claremont (NH) St. Mark’s School) The young big man battled inside like he usually does, playing with a younger team for much of the weekend before joining the older team for much of Sunday. He put up 20 points in the final with a variety of close baskets, and effort isn’t a concern. There’s still room for work, but he’s continuing to progress.

Jules Tavares (6’2” Jr. SG, Wareham (MA) High) Improving guard had himself a nice weekend, as he not only had a couple of good offensive games but defended well. All weekend long, he defended the opponent’s best scorer on the wing, basically shutting down a player in the title game who scored 33 in his team’s semifinal win, and he competed even when the shots weren’t falling. When they went, he was even better, scoring 14 points with three three-pointers in the semifinal win.

Nadir Tharpe (6’0” Jr. PG, Worcester (MA) Brewster Academy) Although he’s played better, his play this weekend was still good as he ran the team well and continued to show his developing game as a scoring threat. He was tough to stop when going to the basket and knocked down some jump shots, which has been the biggest part of his development. High-major prospect has committed to Providence.

Noah Vonleh (6’6” Fr. SF, Haverhill (MA) High) What impressed the most about this young player, who has some length, is his motor that just kept going every second he was on the floor. A plus athlete with a more developed lower body than upper body, he’s active and gets his share of rebounds and loose balls, scoring on stickbacks and in transition. He committed some questionable turnovers and fouls, but the intangibles are excellent for long-term potential.

Tyrus Weaver (5’10” Sr. PG-SG, Windsor (CT) High) Thin guard is still a baby physically, which isn’t surprising since he is young for his grade. A scorer, he’s hoping to become more of a floor leader, and how much he accomplished to that end here is debatable, especially since he didn’t finish the weekend with the team he played with. He will do a prep year in 2010-11.

Ryan Yearwood (6’5” So. SF, Long Island City (NY) St. John’s Prep) A baby physically with a baby face to match, he has some length on the wing. He has a good frame that can carry more weight as he develops and went for 15 points in a nice win for his team on Saturday morning.

Other players who caught our attention:

Marquis Barnett (6’5” Jr. SF, Queens (NY) Cardozo HS)

Bob Garbade (7’0” Jr. C, Binghamton (NY) Seton Catholic HS)

Jamie Holder (6’1” Jr. PG, Milford (NH) High)

Mark Houston (6’6” Sr. SF-PF, Philadelphia (PA) Engineering & Science Academy)

Stephane Manga (6’6” Sr. SF, Princeton (NJ) Day School)

Martel McCain (6’2” So. SG, Newark (DE) Glasgow HS)

Sean McClung (6’3” Jr. SG, Nashua (NH) Bishop Guertin HS)

R.J. McFarlane (6’4” Jr. SF, New York (NY) Brick HS)

Matt Porter (6’3” Sr. SG, North Brunswick (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep)

Alex Snyder (6’7” Jr. PF, Rutland (VT) High)

Derrick Stewart (6’6” So. PF, Philadelphia (PA) St. John HS)

Fredrick Wright (5’10” Jr. PG, Hartford (CT) Public HS)

Expansion Wouldn’t Spoil the Tournament — Yet

Thank goodness.

After weeks of speculation, which bordered on becoming an assumption, that the NCAA would expand the NCAA Tournament to 96 teams, the Division I Men’s Basketball Committee decided to recommend moving to only 68 teams.

The committee’s proposal goes to the NCAA Board of Directors, which will review it April 29. Considering that the expansion accompanies a new 14-year, $10.8 billion broadcasting deal with CBS and Turner Broadcasting, the board almost certainly will pass the recommendation.

And then tournament purists can breathe a collective sigh of relief — for now.

The broadcasting format appears fairly set, with CBS and Turner Broadcasting splitting the tournament so that every game is available on one of four channels: CBS, TNT, TBS or truTV. However, the number of teams in the tournament could change. The NCAA is proposing the 68-team field for next season and could consider more expansion again next year.

So we might go through more expansion anxiety. But let’s not cross that bridge when we get there.

For next year, we know the field will essentially add three play-in games. We just don’t know which seeds will be up for grabs in those play-in games. There are two likely scenarios.

1. The eight weakest automatic qualifiers will decide the four No. 16 seeds.

2. The eight weakest at-large candidates will decide four No. 12 or 13 seeds.

Each scenario has its advantages and disadvantages.

In Scenario No. 1, the committee won’t have to worry as often about overloading segments of the brackets with teams from one conference. Plus this expansion would feel somewhat natural because we already has a play-in game in which the two weakest automatic qualifiers duel for the last No. 16 seed on the Tuesday before the first round.

However, Scenario No. 1 has some potentially unforeseen drawbacks. First, it punishes some non-power-conference champions that would have earned No. 15 seeds by dropping them into the play-in field. Second, it shifts other automatic qualifiers down the seeding chart. And that could hurt those teams’ chances of pulling off a first-round upset.

For example, Ohio found a way to win the Mid-American Conference championship as a No.-9 seed. The streaking Bobcats received a No. 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament and pulled off one of the biggest shocks of the tournament when they beat No. 3-seed Georgetown. With expansion, Ohio would have been a No. 15 seed.  Match ups will remain important, but it’s likely that teams that are just good enough to beat a No. 3 seed won’t be good enough to beat a No. 2 seed.

In Scenario No. 2, the bottom of the seeding chart remains unchanged. Automatic qualifiers receive their No. 15 or 16 bids as usual. Instead, the last four at-large teams must prove their worth by beating the teams that, in the past, would be the last four out. This scenario seems perfect from a competitive standpoint.

However, the logistics of making this scenario work could be tricky. Depending on which seeds the top non-power-conference champions earn, you could have a mixture of No. 12 and 13 seeds up for grabs in the play-in games. That shouldn’t matter, but it’s not as clean as saying that four play-in games lead to four No. 16 seeds.

In addition, committee members could have a harder time balancing the brackets. In this past tournament, the Big East sent eight teams to the field. If the conference sends two more through expansion, it would have 10 teams, which would make seeding them more challenging.

For as long as the tournament remains 68 teams, Scenario No. 2 is preferable. It would likely pit more nationally recognized, major-conference teams in the play-in games, which would be good for TV ratings. And that scenario wouldn’t punish automatic qualifiers from non-power conferences. Rather than add three more at-large bids, we should guarantee that all automatic qualifiers get to play in the field of 64 and force the weakest bubble teams to prove their merit.

And of course, as soon as the NCAA perfects the 68-team tournament, we’ll probably have to find a way to make 72, 80 or 96 teams work.

2010 New England Super Regionals Recap

FOXBORO, Mass. – The 2010 New England Super Regionals for the high school age divisions were held this weekend at Mass Premier Courts, with a few games being played right down the road at the Mansfield Sportsplex. While teams wanted to win for the gold medal aspect as usual, this year it’s part of a series of such events as the first in the inaugural New England AAU Championships Series. Teams not only competed for medals in the 15-under and 16-under divisions, but also power ranking points. Another event will be held in the middle of May at Rhode Island College, which will also be home to the NCS Championships the third weekend in June. The top 16 ranked teams will qualify. There will be no NCS Championship in the 17-under age division.

The 15-under championship game was never a contest, as BABC scored the first 11 points of the game and led by more than 20 for much of the latter part of the first half en route to an 86-42 win over the Boston Warriors. Three players scored in double figures for BABC, with Bobby Ahearn (6’5” Fr. SF-PF, Marshfield (MA) High) and Makai Mason (5’10” Fr. PG, Hatfield (MA) Bement HS) leading the way with 12 points apiece.

The 16-under championship game was similar, as BABC scored the first eight points and led by more than 30 in the latter part of the first half in a 73-40 win over New England Storm. Georges Niang (6’7” So. PF, Methuen (MA) Tilton School) led the winners with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Jaylen Brantley (5’9” Fr. PG, Springfield (MA) Central HS) capped a solid weekend with 12 points and six assists.

The 17-under championship game was a stark contrast to that for the younger ages, as it was tight throughout and played within a ten-point window either way. A number of ties and lead changes came about, with Middlesex Magic needing some late free throws after a few misses helped keep Mass Premier in the game to take home a 77-76 win. Individual player statistics were not available for this game.

Now, here’s a look at some of the prospects who competed this weekend.

Kamali Bey (6’2” So. SG, Springfield (MA) Sabis Charter School) Scoring guard showed that he’s simply too strong for many players his age around here, as he often finished through contact. He went for 13 points in the semifinals and was tough to stop when he went to the basket. Next year, he will re-classify and attend Wilbraham & Monson Academy.

Jaylen Brantley (5’9” Fr. PG, Springfield (MA) Central HS) A baby physically, he has a solid feel for the game and has shown he can score. Simply put, he made things happen with the ball, and if he grows enough physically he could one day become a combo guard.

Dominique Bull (6’3” So. SG, Worcester (MA) Cushing Academy) Continuing the trend from a week earlier, he didn’t put up big scoring numbers but looks better with the non-scoring offensive plays he made. He knocked down a couple of deep shots, which also bodes well since that part of his game is still a bit unproven as he’s more of a scorer than a shooter.

Aaron Calixte (5’9” Fr. PG, Stoughton (MA) High) Point guard has a good motor that keeps going when he’s on the court. He’s quick and showed he can get to the basket often, but also has a jumper that must be respected. If he keeps working and grows more, the latter of which is certainly possible, he could have a high ceiling.

Renee Castro (6’2” Fr. SG, Milton (MA) Beaver Country Day School) The best things he did here were move without the ball and show a consistent effort. Symbolic of his play was where he passed to a teammate, moved to the corner, then went to the basket as a shot went up and put back the miss. He scored like he’s capable of, but also had a nice long bounce lead pass and drove and dished to a teammate as well.

Andrew Chrabascz (6’6” So. SF-PF, Portsmouth (RI) High) He didn’t put up the biggest numbers, but he was around the ball constantly and made a lot of plays. The highlight was a play where he dove for a loose ball and then made a pass halfway across the court while on his back, and the fundamentals were solid including consistently using the left (off) hand. Next year, he will re-classify and attend Cushing Academy.

Pat Connaughton (6’3” Jr. SG, Arlington (MA) St. John’s HS) Versatile guard has several ways to score and can do more than that. He scored posting up a smaller guard and shooting it, knocking down a clutch three-pointer, and also came up big at the foul line late in the game. Though not the most athletic guard, he’s not lacking entirely in that area and his skills make him very effective.

Matt Droney (6’2” So. SG, Canton (MA) Catholic Memorial HS) Playing more at the point than off the ball, the lefty had his moments in a playoff loss but seemed to run out of gas near the end. He scored 10 points in the losing effort but has played and will play better.

Salim Fort (Fr. SF-PF, Lynn (MA) Classical HS) Well-built forward battled valiantly for his team, often playing inside. He has a good body, scored over a taller player inside and broke up some post passes, and also used his left hand to score. On the down side, he seemed to roam on offense, indicative of a player who doesn’t have a defined position right now.

Jared Johnson (6’1” So. PG, Springfield (MA) Cushing Academy) Solid floor leader wasn’t spectacular but did things that won games for his team. He’s more mature physically but hasn’t lost his ability to compete and find a teammate as a pass-first floor leader.

Shaquille Jones (6’4” So. SG-SF, Providence (RI) Hope HS) Athletic wing has some length and isn’t mature physically at all but has the frame to carry more weight. He showed a variety of offensive skills, scoring 13 points in a semifinal game with a shot from deep and several shots inside the arc, even out-toughing his opponent on one occasion to finish.

Jake Layman (6’7” So. PF, Wrentham (MA) King Philip Regional HS) A baby physically, he has a good motor and was around the ball often. His lower body is more developed than his upper body right now, and it’s easy to see he needs to add strength, but he runs the floor and gets rebounds and loose balls to contribute.

Tyler McFadden (5’7” Fr. PG, Lynn (MA)) Lefty guard is a baby physically but showed good promise. One play that stood out was a nice pass right through several defenders for a layup, while he knocked down a couple of jumpers but looked a little rough around the edges with his release, and he didn’t look like the most fluid athlete. If he grows physically and improves, he could become a scholarship-level player.

Georges Niang (6’7” So. PF, Methuen (MA) Tilton School) His improvement became a little more apparent here, as he scored often when the ball came his way. He scored in the flow of the offense, usually close to the basket, and while his body is more mature it doesn’t appear to be all good weight, so he’ll need to keep up his conditioning.

Nerlens Noel (6’9” So. C, Everett (MA) High) He basically played on one leg, but was more than effective. After coming down early in the quarterfinals and looking like he might be done, he played with a noticeable limp in his left leg but blocked his share of shots, knocked down a few mid-range shots on the offensive end and looked more capable facing the basket. The leg injury he’s still recovering from has limited his mobility, and his footwork was already shaky before this limited him more and he got away with a couple of travels. If he can be this effective while injured, one can imagine how good he can be healthy and as he keeps improving.

Goodluck Okonoboh (6’7” Fr. PF, Boston (MA) Tilton School) The talent is there with this young post player, but at times he looks a little soft and the results are quite unimpressive. On one play, he missed an uncontested dunk, and at times he didn’t box out well and got out-rebounded. On the upside, he looked better with his fundamental post moves at the offensive end.

Kamari Robinson (6’5” Fr. SF, Springfield (MA) Central HS) Right now, he’s playing like a combo forward, and doing it well, but at his current size he projects as a wing. He’s athletic and scored well this weekend, especially inside as he used his quickness and athleticism and was still bigger than many of his defenders. Along the way, he had 16 points in the quarterfinal win and 11 in the semifinal win.

Wayne Selden (6’3” Fr. SG, Roxbury (MA) John D. O’Bryant HS) Now healthy after a badly sprained ankle limited him a week earlier, his jump shot was going from long range. A couple of his three-pointers were well behind the line, and he reached double figures in both the quarterfinal and semifinal, scoring 17 in the former. As good as those numbers were, the well-built guard doesn’t have much of a motor and on several occasions was reaching on the defensive end.

2010 Boo Williams Nike Invitational Player Evaluations

HAMPTON, Va. – This year’s Boo Williams Nike Invitational was a little different. While the 16-under and 15-under divisions all had playoff rounds that led to champions being crowned, the 17-under division had nothing of the sort. Instead, teams played five games as part of a three-weekend stretch where they will attempt to qualify for the Nike Peach Jam in July. 24 teams will ultimately go.

One noteworthy change was that of a shot clock in 17-under games. Over the weekend, there were more than a few shot clock violations, owing in part to players not being used to having one in this competition and from the placement of them being in front of the scorer’s table instead of behind the baselines. There wasn’t much that could be done about the placement, but it probably contributed to some of the violations.

With that, here’s a look at some of the players in action this weekend.

Tyler Adams (6’10” Jr. PF-C, Brandon (MS) High) Part of a twin towers combination on his team, he has a good body inside and rebounded well. Although he was more aggressive later in an early Sunday game, he showed good but not great assertiveness inside and at times some bad body language.

Jose Agosto (6’6” Jr. SF, Gatlinburg (TN) Gatlinburg-Pittman HS) A wing with a good body, he finished well when he got near the basket en route to scoring 10 points off the bench in a game. His ball skills looked a little shaky, but he could get some Division I interest.

Jordan Akwenuke (6’7” Jr. SF-PF, Portland (OR) Jesuit HS) An intriguing prospect, he was active around the basket and finished well to go with having a body that can still mature a little more. He has some ball skills and is a plus athlete, and he showed a little penchant for play in the clutch with a big layup late in one game.

Mychal Ammons (6’6” Jr. SF, Vicksburg (MS) High) The big men on his team get a lot of attention, but this athletic forward is a solid prospect in his own right. He has a good body and scored in several ways, from post baskets to mid-range and long range jumpers in a 15-point outing. That mix of skills and athleticism makes him a high-major prospect.

Justin Anderson (6’6” So. SF-PF, Rockville (MD) Montrose Christian School) Highly-touted prospect has a mature body for his age and is active. The lefty didn’t play his best ball in an early game, as he struggled shooting until a few three-pointers went later on, and he also got a technical foul for smacking the backboard after a dunk.

Kyle Anderson, Jr. (6’8” So. SF, North Bergen (NJ) Paterson Catholic HS) He’s not very athletic, but has a lot of tools at his disposal and could one day be a big point guard. A baby physically, he has a smooth game and passes well, and had a short stretch where he made several nice plays in a row.

Ryan Anderson (6’8” Jr. PF, Lakewood (CA) Long Beach Poly HS) A solid, unspectacular post player, he has some length and a lower body that’s more developed than his upper body right now. In going for 15 points in a losing effort, he was one of the few bright spots for his team and scored mainly closer to the basket, although he did knock down a long two-point shot.

Brandon Ashley (6’9” So. PF, Dublin (CA) Bishop O’Dowd HS) Long post player came off the bench and helped his team not miss a beat, as he scored 18 points on 8-9 shooting in 14 minutes and grabbed six rebounds. His body has a ways to go, but he’s long, showed some good footwork that he can improve on and scored on quick post moves and dunks inside.

Zachary Banner (6’9” Jr. PF, Tacoma (WA) Lakes HS) A post player with a big body, he could stand to lose some weight, especially in his arms as it’s clear that not all of his weight is good. He worked to get some rebounds but was a non-factor offensively, showing that his footwork leaves something to be desired.

Gary Bell, Jr. (6’3” Jr. SG, Kent (WA) Kentridge HS) In an early game on Saturday, he limped off the court with a minor injury but came back shortly thereafter. Once the second half started, he came alive, scoring most of his 18 points to lead his team to a win. He did it with a variety of jumpers as deep as three-point range and some drives, although he also lost the ball in traffic, looking the part of a scorer more than a shooter although his jumper is more than respectable. High-major prospect.

Keith Bellfield (6’6” Jr. SF, Charlotte (NC) Cannon HS) He didn’t have a great shooting game early Sunday, but went for 13 points with three from long range. He’s not a baby physically and not the most athletic player, and he also faded on some of his shots, but his size and ability to make some shots will get him some Division I interest.

Wayne Blackshear (6’5” Jr. SF, Chicago (IL) Morgan Park HS) He has a pretty good reputation but put forth a rather underwhelming performance in one game his team lost. The Louisville commit has a good body that can still get better and rebounded well for a wing, suggesting he could be a power wing at the next level.

Malcolm Brogdon (6’4” Jr. SG, Norcross (GA) Greater Atlanta Christian HS) A wing with a good body, he scored from mid-range off the dribble and one time had a nice baseline drive and layup en route to 11 points in a win for his team. He also rebounded well for his position.

Macari Brooks (6’3” Jr. SG, Mattison (IL) Rich South HS) Athletic guard is a leaper, as he skied on a couple of occasions to make plays. He has a good body that can still get better, and looks to be more of a scorer than a shooter.

Jabari Brown (6’3” Jr. SG, Oakland (CA) High) He couldn’t miss in his team’s blowout win on Sunday, as he scored 33 points on 14-18 shooting, including 5-8 from deep. A lot of that damage was done in the first half, but he didn’t stop as his team blew the game open in the second half, also scoring on a couple of runners. High-major prospect.

Chris Bryant (6’7” Jr. SF-PF, Tallahassee (FL) Rickards HS) Athletic and with a thin upper body, he’s certainly got a ways to go physically but has a long wing span going for him. He didn’t score in any one way more than another but had 12 points in a winning effort for his team. Skill-wise, he’s probably more of a power forward than a small forward.

Dominique Bull (6’3” So. SG, Worcester (MA) Cushing Academy) A power guard who can score, he showed some nice improvement in areas aside from his scoring. He made good decisions with the ball and really seemed to show a better feel for the game.

Trey Burke (6’1” Jr. SG, Reynoldsburg (OH) Northland HS) One of the better shooting efforts in this event came from him, as he got hot in the second half en route to 27 points with five three-pointers. Besides his touch from long range, he scored on a nice baseline drive and runner and showed the ability to finish with his left (off) hand.

Renee Castro (6’2” Fr. SG, Milton (MA) Beaver Country Day School) His team swept through pool play and lost in the first round of the playoffs, but that can’t be placed on him. In their tournament-ending loss, his 13 points included two late free throws in regulation and a three-pointer in overtime that put them up by one. He has talent and mainly needs to grow in intangibles, although it would also be nice if he didn’t stand up much on the defensive end as it didn’t help him.

Alain Chigha (6’6” So. SF, Gainesville (FL) The Rock HS) Long and a baby physically, he he showed a range of ability that makes him an intriguing prospect. He rebounded well and scored in several ways, from a three-point shot to a couple of jumpers and even driving through the defense for a layup one time.

Matt Christiansen (6’8” So. PF, Oklahoma City (OK) Bishop McGuinness HS) Possessing a mature body inside, especially for his age, he’s a role player on his team. He didn’t get many scoring chances, mainly having to make his mark at the defensive end, which he did with a few blocked shots but not much else.

Rakim Christmas (6’9” Jr. C, Philadelphia (PA) Academy of New Church Boys) A big-time presence inside, his body isn’t there yet but he can dominate games with his shot-blocking and rebounding. He didn’t do that in an early game here, but he was more aggressive on offense, where he looked better but still needs a good deal of work to be an effective scorer. Big-time prospect.

Cameron Clear (6’7” So. PF, Memphis (TN) Central HS) A thick undersized post, he wasn’t a big offensive threat as he didn’t get the ball much but did a good job rebounding. He also ran the floor well, suggesting he can get appreciably better with better conditioning.

Kaleb Clyburn (5’9” Sr. PG, Orlando (FL) Montverde Academy) In a game that featured a number of big-time prospects, he was one of the better players. The lefty was aggressive, heady and competed all game, overcoming the fact that he’s not very physically gifted. He made a couple of shots from long range en route to 12 points, but did much more for his team than just score. Mid-major prospect.

Trevor Cooney (6’3” Jr. SG, Wilmington (DE) Sanford School) Big-time shooter didn’t play his best game but showed some of what’s made him a solid prospect. He moved well without the ball and knocked down a couple from long range, but he was also short on several shots in a 12-point outing. High-major prospect has committed to Syracuse.

Anthony Davis (6’8” Jr. PF, Chicago (IL) Perspectives Charter School) Long post player was playing well before a bad landing on his left ankle led to his departure from an early game. He ran the floor well and was active on the boards, getting a rebound on the play in which he got hurt.

Kerrell Davis (5’9” So. PG, Memphis (TN) Hillcrest HS) A point guard with a slight frame, he’s quick and had a good showing in a losing effort. He made some good passes and scored with a jumper from deep and even got a stickback despite being one of the smallest players on the floor. As he’s still young, there’s some upside for him.

Myles Davis (6’1” Jr. SG, Plainfield (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep) Known primarily for his shooting and projecting as an undersized shooting guard, he now has a mature body and looked to drive more than shoot. He still has good range and knocked down some from deep, but his offensive game is looking more complete all the time. Mid-major plus/high-major minus prospect.

Nyles Evans (5’11” Jr. PG, North Canton (OH) Hoover HS) A small point guard, he’s a baby physically but didn’t let his lack of size stop him as he finished right over a defender and showed a jumper that must be respected en route to scoring 10 points in a losing effort.

George Fant (6’8” Jr. PF, Bowling Green (KY) Warren Central HS) A live body, he has some physical maturity and it can still mature more. He got some rebounds but was limited offensively, in part because he preferred to hang out away from the basket instead of being a factor inside. That leads one to believe he may be a better player than he showed.

Junior Fortunat (6’8” Jr. PF, Philadelphia (PA) Roman Catholic HS) A plus athlete who came off the bench for his team, he made an impact once he came into the game. He has some physical maturity and helped with his play inside, including a short turnaround jumper in the early going.

Alex Foster (6’8” Fr. PF, Chicago (IL) De La Salle HS) Another warrior in the Meanstreets program, he has some length and physical maturity. He battled inside constantly in an early playoff win, scoring 15 points and blocking shots at the defensive end.

Simuel Frazier (6’1” Jr. PG, Hampton (VA) Phoebus HS) Lefty point guard has above-average quickness but a questionable handle. He had his moments in a game where his team was dominated, but never set the tone at the offensive end and his counterpart had a big game.

Kiwi Gardner (5’9” Jr. PG, Ceres (CA) Manteca HS) A small point guard, he got the best of top prospect Marquis Teague early on, getting a steal and layup and ably defending him for a spell. He’s a good leaper whose body has a ways to go physically, and he put on a solid show with 19 points, seven assists and four steals in a blowout win.

Zach Garland (7’0” Jr. C, Jonesborough (TN) Davy Crockett HS) Post player has a good body that’s not fully mature yet. Although he showed a touch from mid-range, he didn’t get the ball often at the offensive end and wasn’t the factor he probably could have been on defense, not gobbling up rebounds or blocking/changing shots like players his size can do.

Mike Gilchrist (6’7” Jr. SF, Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS) In an early game, he put up the first clunker we’ve seen as he wasn’t the big factor he usually is. He was around the ball often and made a nice spin move to score, but in scoring 11 points he didn’t make as many plays as he usually does. As he’s been so consistently good, it can be overlooked in the grand scheme of things. Big-time prospect.

Kevin Gray (6’7” Jr. SF-PF, Chicago (IL) Brooks HS) A thin forward, he quietly contributed for his team in a reserve role. He was active and made his share of plays at both ends, not scoring much but finding the ball off misses and when it was loose. He has some upside since his body is not there yet as well.

Max Guercy (5’8” So. PG, Arleta (CA) Bishop Alameny HS) A small point guard, he was one of the few bright spots for his team in a bad losing effort on Saturday. He scored 20 points, most coming on the six three-pointers he hit, as he shot well from long range and did what he could to run the show. Several of those baskets came early when his team was struggling to score.

Aaron Hammons (6’11” So. C, Carmel (IN) High) Promising big man has some length and a decent body right now that can get better. His post moves look fundamentally good, although they can certainly get better, and at his young age he has time to develop.

Dominique Harris (6’5” So. SF, Southaven (MS) High) A thick wing, he was around the ball quite often at both ends. He didn’t score much, but he did knock down a shot from deep and rebounded well for a wing.

Keith Hornsby (6’3” Jr. SG, Williamsburg (VA) Oak Hill Academy) One of the few bright spots for his team in an early game, he showed a good touch from long range and has a mature body for the wing position. He also made a nice drive and dish play, showing he’s not just a shooter. Mid-major prospect.

Ty Houghton (6’9” So. PF, Miami (FL) Dr. Krop HS) A long post player, he missed some time after getting poked in the eye early in one game but was able to return later. He didn’t get a lot of good chances on offense, but when he did he showed that he has some work to do as he has shaky footwork, nearly traveling several times.

Desmond Hubert (6’9” Jr. PF, Cream Ridge (NJ) New Egypt HS) A post prospect to keep an eye on, he has some length and a body that’s not there yet. He ran the floor and finished, a couple of times with dunks, and was a factor inside although he also got into some late foul trouble.

Alex Hutson (6’2” Jr. SG, Tipton (IN) High) At first he handled the ball for his team, but before long it became clear that he’s a gunner rather than a point guard. The lefty is limited physically, so he’s not going to be very effective doing much more than shooting, and he struggled while putting up some ill-advised shots from deep.

Nino Jackson (6’2” So. SG, Ardmore (OK) High) A baby physically, he’s an intriguing prospect as he’s athletic and showed some quickness on a drive to the basket, while also knocking down a three-pointer in a game he didn’t score much. He’ll be worth keeping an eye on given his physical gifts.

Kevin Johnson (6’10” Jr. C, Los Angeles (CA) Taft HS) His big body will grab attention, as he has good size to play inside, but he didn’t put forth a good showing. He showed shaky footwork, struggled to finish en route to 10 points against a team that wasn’t loaded with players his size, and was in foul trouble as well. In addition, he wasn’t the most mobile player inside. Mid-major prospect.

Nick Johnson (6’3” Jr. SG, Phoenix (AZ) Findlay College Prep) Well-built combo guard has a mature body and is very unselfish. In a game his team won by 52, he scored just eight points but had five assists and could easily have had a few more. He didn’t hunt his shot, although he’s shown himself to be a capable scorer, and he helped ride the hot hand as a teammate couldn’t miss on the day. High-major prospect.

Richard Johnson (5’9” Jr. PG, Akron (OH) St. Vincent-St. Mary HS) A tough on-the-ball defender, he plays more like an undersized shooting guard. He can shoot, showing a touch from deep and a couple from inside the arc, while also getting a nice steal and layup. Mid-major prospect.

Tyrone Johnson (6’2” Jr. SG, Plainfield (NJ) High) Although he started off as his team’s point guard and brought the ball up, he looked much better off the ball. He has a good body but struggled shooting, where his release is just about a set shot, and didn’t take the best care of the ball.

Ryan King (6’7” Jr. SF, Mebane (NC) Oak Ridge HS) A baby physically, he had a quiet 18 performance to help his team win. He finished well near the basket and got a couple of stickbacks, and while he didn’t necessarily leap out at you he was productive on the court and has some upside.

Austin Kuemper (6’9” Jr. PF, Portland (OR) Westview HS) A solid post prospect, his body’s not there yet and that means better things should be ahead. He showed a nice touch scoring inside and on some jumpers that included a short turnaround jumper and and shots from the baseline and free throw line. In going for 29 points to start Saturday, he also finished the break a couple of times and got stickbacks as well.

Trever Lacey (6’3” Jr. SG, Huntsville (AL) High) A well-built guard with a wide frame, he showed again that he can shoot, whether off the catch or off the dribble. He’s not very athletic, and it’s not clear he can get his own shot off the dribble, although he did a couple of times in a 17-point outing.

Devin Langford (6’6” Jr. SF-PF, Huntsville (AL) Central HS) Playing in a game that featured several big-time prospects, he was arguably the best player on the floor. He has a good body and is athletic, was active at both ends and made a number of plays in addition to scoring 17 points. He has some ball skills and scored with stickbacks that included a follow-up dunk, and he rebounded well.

Deng Leek (7’0” Jr. C, High Point (NC) Wesleyan Christian HS) An intriguing prospect, he’s long and has a more developed upper body than lower body, and while raw doesn’t appear to entire lack post moves. He clearly needs work offensively, but showed some potential with a couple of post baskets, while he also committed a blatant moving pick and wasn’t a big factor defensively.

Shawn Long (6’8” Jr. PF, Morgan City (LA) High) A post player with a good body, he finished inside and got a couple of stickbacks as he was active, although he didn’t own the boards. He did show some range on his jumper, including one from deep, but he projects to be a power forward.

Myles Mack (5’9” Jr. PG, Paterson (NJ) Catholic HS) In one of the first games of the tournament, he was the single biggest reason his team dominated the opponent as he was clearly the best player on the floor. He’s a small guard but had a big impact on the game, from hitting shots to stealing the ball to get a layup at the other end, from getting lots of loose balls to stopping and popping for short jumpers, and even going right by a defender to put home a runner. He found teammates often, especially his big men, and although point totals were not available for that game he had to have topped 25 points. His size is a concern for the high-major level, but he’s at least a mid-major plus/high-major minus prospect.

Elijah Macon (6’8” So. PF, Columbus (OH) Marion Franklin HS) Incorrectly listed as a Class of 2010 player in the tournament program, he’s athletic and his body isn’t there yet. He wasn’t a big factor and looks like he can be a better player, scoring on a stickback but not doing much else.

George Marshall (6’2” Jr. SG, Chicago (IL) Brooks HS) One of the few individual bright spots in a loss for his team, he led the way with 15 points, most coming on four three-pointers. That helped keep them in the game, and that along with his size will certainly earn him some Division I attention.

Makai Mason (5’10” Fr. PG, Hatfield (MA) Bement HS) He has a great motor, which can make up for his lack of size to some degree, and it showed as he was effective. He’s a baby physically and right now plays more like a shooting guard, going for 15 points in one game.

Quincy Miller (6’10” Jr. SF-PF, Winston-Salem (NC) Quality Education HS) He had the best individual game performance we saw, going for 40 points in one game that included five three-pointers. He long and has some ball skills, which he showed one time when he went coast-to-coast for a layup. On the down side, he lacks strength and was guilty of basket-hanging on one occasion, making his team play four-on-five when he could have run back to help his team out. Big-time prospect.

Ante Mioc (6’10” Jr. C, Charlotte (NC) Northside Christian HS) He has a good body inside that isn’t fully mature yet, and didn’t look like a bad defensive presence although he could have been better. He was around the ball inside and got a few rebounds, while also scoring nine points in an early Sunday loss.

Telvin Mitchell (6’3” Jr. SG, Shreveport (LA) Huntington HS) A baby physically, he shot the ball well from long range en route to 11 points in a losing effort. He didn’t do much else, but his size and ability to shoot should get him some mid-major looks.

Darian Nelson-Henry (6’10” So. C, Kirkland (WA) Lake Washington HS) A wide-bodied post player, he’s not the swiftest inside player but isn’t bad. He made a heady save to a teammate for a layup on one play but generally was little more than a space-eater. With a little better conditioning, he could develop into a decent role-playing big man.

Victor Nickerson (6’7” Jr. SF, Norcross (GA) High) A wing with a thin upper body and some length, he’s a plus athlete and looks like a nice complementary player. His body should still mature more and he rebounded well at the offensive end, and helped his team win aside from the box score.

Nerlens Noel (6’9” So. C, Everett (MA) High) He didn’t play the kind of minutes he normally would as he’s still recovering from a leg injury suffered during the high school season. He’s very long and has potential, but it was hard to see here because he’s not really in shape to play as he’s not fully healed from the injury.

Ike Nwamu (6’4” Jr. SF, Greensboro (NC) High Point HS) A well-built guard, he’s athletic and drove for baskets several times, even getting a dunk while fouled on one occasion. On a team with a couple of big scorers, he didn’t stand out, but did reach double figures in a game and showed scoring ability.

Johnny O’Bryant (6’10” Jr. PF, Cleveland (MS) Eastside HS) Although he has a big-time reputation, a lot of that appears to be about upside. He’s more mature physically and can score, going for 13 points in a win for his team, but he tends to hang on the perimeter too much. That’s a problem because he’s not a smooth ball handler at all and tends to travel with the ball. While he’s not the most polished on the post, he scored inside and got to the foul line as well. High-major/big-time prospect.

Goodluck Okonoboh (6’6” Fr. PF, Boston (MA) Tilton School) A big man with some potential, he showed some of that on the offensive end while struggling with foul trouble defensively. He showed some better post offense overall, though he made a few shots very high off the window, and his motor generally looked better and hence he was more effective.

Obi Omegano (6’3” Jr. SF, Edmond (OK) Memorial HS) A power wing, he came in off the bench and had his way with bigger players en route to 20 points against the Mac Irvin Fire. He’s well-built and used his strength well to finish, scoring at times on the post and a couple of times on drives. He was around the ball often and played bigger, but he’s not the most athletic and projects as a wing so that might limit his recruitment some. Mid-major prospect.

Tony Parker (6’9” So. PF, Lithonia (GA) Miller Grove HS) Although he has a big-time reputation, at times he didn’t look like it in an early Sunday game. He’s solidly built and rebounded well, but at times he got pushed off the post, elbowed a defender on a move to the basket and didn’t seem to have the best motor. But he scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half, and has the look of a player who can be tough to stop when he wants to be.

Jeffrey Perkins (6’6” Jr. SF, Seattle (WA) Rainier Beach HS) Lanky wing has the look of a “potential” player, as he didn’t do much in terms of numbers or stand out but passes the look test.

James Prices (6’10” Jr. C, Richmond Heights (OH) St. Edward’s HS) Lefty post player showed a live body inside that made things happen, especially at the defensive end. He blocked a few shots and rebounded well, in part from being active as he has some physical maturity but can still mature more. Offensively, he didn’t get a lot of chances.

Rashawn Rembert (6’3” Jr. SG, Odessa (FL) Sickles HS) A talented and athletic wing, he had a nice 14-point outing in one game with several baskets coming in the very early going. His body isn’t there yet and he can shoot out to long range, but most of his baskets seemed to come a little closer to the basket.

Austin Rivers (6’4” Jr. SG, Winter Park (FL) High) A very talented guard, he shot the ball well from long range en route to 17 points against Team Final. One shot came behind a good screen and he had a stretch where the shots kept falling, and he showed a good feel for the game. Big-time prospect recently backed off a commitment to Florida.

Andrew Roundtree (6’3” Jr. SG, Portland (OR) Jefferson HS) A baby physically, he’s a plus athlete who doesn’t hurt his team as a complementary player and late in one game made a couple of key field goals to help his team win. He also went coast-to-coast off a rebound and got fouled near the basket.

Tyler Russell (6’0” Jr. PG, Goodyear (AZ) Millenium HS) Don’t let his slight frame fool you: he competed every second of the game we saw and was a big reason his team had a chance. He constantly attacks on offense and is a tough floor leader who passes well and has a body that’s almost fully mature. He scored just 11 points, knocking down a mid-range shot off the dribble along the way, but his play at the point had his team in the game.

Jakarr Sampson (6’8” Jr. SF, Akron (OH) St. Vincent-St. Mary HS) Very athletic wing struggled in an early game, leaving the impression that he’s a better player than he showed. His body isn’t there yet, especially the upper body, and the only field goal he knocked down was a long two-point shot, suggesting he may have some range.

Mike Shaw (6’9” Jr. SF-PF, Chicago (IL) De La Salle HS) Well-built forward was active but didn’t do much that showed up in the box score in one game we saw. Foul trouble didn’t help, but he didn’t sit most of the game and when he was in was not really a factor in a game his team lost.

Shayok Shayok (6’7” Jr. SF-PF, Chicago (IL) Boys to Men School) Thin wing had a nice showing for his team despite being a little raw. He scored on a stickback and from mid-range off the dribble, and battled against a bigger player inside. With his body not there yet, there’s some upside in him.

Dorian Smith (6’8” Jr. PF, Portsmouth (VA) I.C. Norcom HS) Long forward is raw and has a ways to go physically but showed some potential. His ball skills aren’t bad and he goes to the hoop often, both with and without the ball as we saw him get a nice follow-up dunk.

Hakeem Stewart (6’4” Jr. SG-SF, Seattle (WA) Rainier Beach HS) The better of two twins on his team, he has a good body and showed a nice touch shooting the ball. Besides a nice finish while getting fouled, he knocked down shots from mid-range and long range en route to 21 points in a losing effort.

Rasham Suarez (6’2” Jr. SG, Hampton (GA) Jonesboro HS) Although he came off the bench for his team, he was one of their better players in an early morning win on Sunday. His effort was solid and he has a mature body, and in scoring 11 points he showed a touch shooting the ball out to three-point range.

Freddy Tagaloa (6’9” So. PF-C, Vallejo (CA) Salesian HS) He has a big body, but not all of the weight is good. On his team, he’s a little deep on the bench, but he got in for a lot of minutes since the game was a blowout and he had nine rebounds in about 10 minutes. If he can improve his conditioning, he could develop into a Division I post player.

Stevie Taylor (5’10” Jr. PG, Gahanna (OH) Lincoln HS) A baby physically, he ran the show very capably for his team while scoring 14 points. He was able to shoot from long range and had more shots go later in the game than early on, but he ran the offense the entire game while making himself a scoring threat.

Marquis Teague (6’1” Jr. PG, Indianapolis (IN) Pike HS) His team’s blowout loss wasn’t the best game to evaluate him, especially once he went down with a bad left ankle in the second half with the game’s outcome already decided. He scored 17 points, first on some close shots and later on a couple of very deep three-pointers with his man right on him, showing some flashes of the potential he has. He’s very quick and clearly has a world of potential despite a slight frame.

Josiah Turner (6’3” Jr. SG, Sacramento (CA) High) Overshadowed by more highly-touted teammates and one who had a big game, he quietly scored 17 points and had nine rebounds from his wing position as his team won in dominant fashion. He has a good body and overcame a slow start, hitting jumpers for a number of his points.

Judd Welfinger (6’5” Jr. SG, Laveen (AZ) Basha HS) After a first half in which he seemingly couldn’t miss, he scored just three of his 17 points in the second half of an early Sunday game. He has good size and is more than a shooter, as he showed a good passing ability and good shot selection even while the shots were going down.

Jalen West (5’10” Jr. PG, Bossier City (LA) High) A solid guard, his size is the one thing that might limit his recruitment as he showed good fundamentals. He used screens well and was adept at stopping and popping instead of charging into a defender, and later made a nice give-and-go with a backdoor cut for a basket. He also drove through the defense for a basket and later passed on the move. He scored 17 points in a losing effort but had a solid showing. Mid-major prospect.

Tevin Westbrook (6’7” Jr. PF, Winter Garden (FL) Pinecrest HS) Post player has a mature body that isn’t all good weight. Although he was active, he’s not the most fluid player, and on a team with a lot of talent he didn’t get many touches on offense.

Delean Wheelwright (6’0” Jr. PG, Corona (CA) Centennial HS) A solid, unspectacular point guard, he played well in a game where his team struggled. He finished the break and showed a touch from long range, while one of his passes that stood out was a nice touch pass after a long pass was sent his way.

Darrice Whitley (6’4” Jr. SG, Greenville (SC) J.L. Mann HS) Lefty wing has some length for his position and a little athleticism but didn’t show the best fundamentals. He didn’t take the best shots, especially in traffic, and took a mid-range shot off the wrong foot on one play.

Scottie Wilbekin (6’2” Jr. SG, Gainesville (FL) The Rock HS) A scoring wing, he’s a gunner who can get hot shooting the ball. In going for 17 points in a win, he scored on drives and from deep, while also taking some questionable shots, and his body isn’t there yet.

Telvin Wilkerson (6’3” So. SG, Memphis (TN) Melrose HS) Although he led his team with 15 points in a losing effort, he showed he has a good deal of work to do. He knocked down shots from deep and had a nice drive and finished with his left (off) hand, but he also traveled with the ball and his ball skills appear to need a good deal of work.

Alan Williams (6’7” Jr. PF, Phoenix (AZ) North HS) Thick undersized post player was in foul trouble in an early Sunday game we saw but had his moments when he was in the game. He goes to work inside and has a good motor, but his endurance looks like a question mark and he fouled out on a play away from the ball, never good for a post player. There are some things to like if he can improve his conditioning, and he’s a mid-major prospect.

Jonathan Williams (6’8” Fr. SF-PF, Memphis (TN) Southwind HS) A lefty forward with a good frame, he might have the most potential of anyone on his young team. He’s actually a rising freshman, with a thin upper body and appearing to have a chance to be a combo forward. He’ll be worth watching over the next few years.

Andrew Wilson (6’6” Jr. SF-PF, Tulsa (OK) Central HS) An active and athletic forward, he has some length and a live body that makes him a factor. He was in a lot of plays but didn’t make as many, and despite some struggles offensively in part due to bad shots he took near the basket, he made a couple of clutch field goals in a win for his team. Mid-major/mid-major plus prospect.

Lester Wilson (6’6” Jr. SF, Knoxville (TN) Carter HS) A well-built wing, he scored 18 points but left the impression he could have done even more. He scored on drives and from long range, showing a pretty complete package offensively, and he could be something of a sleeper prospect. High-major minus prospect.

Kyle Wiltjer (6’9” Jr. PF, West Linn (OR) Jesuit HS) A fundamentally sound post player, the highlight of the game we saw for him was when he blocked a shot and went coast-to-coast for a layup that the opposing team probably didn’t appreciate since the game was a blowout and it was the last minute. That aside, he boxed out well, showed a touch from the elbow with his jumper and was able to use his left (off) hand.

Tony Wroten, Jr. (6’6” Jr. SF, Seattle (WA) Garfield HS) Seeing his first action since tearing his ACL in a football game, it’s clear the lefty doesn’t have the explosiveness back yet but he looked better as the game went along. He drove the baseline and finished while getting fouled and passed the ball well, but was short on jump shots as he didn’t show a lot of lift when getting up to shoot. High-major prospect.

Isaiah Zierden (6’2” Jr. SG, Brooklyn Park (MN) BSM) In a late game, he showed a great touch from long range, making six from behind the arc in a half. Several came from the right wing, but that wasn’t his only spot as he moved well without the ball to get open. His ball skills look okay, although it’s questionable if he’s a combo guard based on this observation. Still, his shooting makes him a prospect to keep an eye on.

Jared Zoller (6’6” Jr. SF, Glendale (AZ) Mountain Ridge HS) One of his team’s best players, he came off the bench and gave them a big lift in an early Sunday game. He went for 15 points, scoring on jumpers as deep as three-point range and showing a good baseline drive on one play. His body’s not there yet and he was active on the offensive glass.

Other players who caught our attention:

Alex Allen (6’5” Fr. PF, Graniteville (SC) Midland Valley HS)

Devonte Anderson (6’2” Fr. SG, Columbia (SC) Richland Northeast HS)

Darian Barnes (6’8” Jr. PF, Yeardon (PA) Pennwood HS)

Jaylen Brantley (5’9” Fr. PG, Springfield (MA) Central HS)

Julius Brown (5’11” Jr. PG, Country Club Hills (IL) Hillcrest HS)

Anthony Fields (6’0” Jr. PG, Winston-Salem (NC) Quality Education HS)

Miles Gatewood (6’1” Jr. SG, Portland (OR) Westview HS)

Vaughn Gray (6’5” Jr. SF, Elmwood Park (NJ) Don Bosco Prep)

Mychal Henry (6’5” Jr. SF, Riverdale (IL) Orr HS)

Javaria Jones (6’9” Jr. PF, Shreveport (LA) Huntington HS)

Dejuan Marrero (6’5” So. SF, Gary (IN) Theo Bowman HS)

Harvey McMurray (6’3” Jr. SG, Durham (NC) Academy)

Kendrick Nunn (6’1” Fr. SG, Chicago (IL) Simeon HS)

Raschon Prince (6’6” Fr. SF, Long Beach (CA) Poly HS)

Derrick Randall (6’8” Jr. PF, Paterson (NJ) Catholic HS)

Josh Richardson (6’5” Jr. SF, Edmond (OK) Santa Fe HS)

Jarvis Summers (6’3” Jr. SG, Jackson (MS) Provine HS)

Tarique Thompson (6’5” Fr. SF, Fayetteville (NC) Christian HS)

John Walton (6’6” So. PF, Memphis (TN) Mitchell HS)

Dustin Watts (6’2” Jr. SG, Renton (WA) O’Dea HS)

Wake Forest: Overinflated Expectations Induced Gaudio’s Ouster

Wake Forest has an inferiority complex, and Dino Gaudio just became its latest victim.

As Gaudio looks for a new job, he’ll be sending an impressive résumé to potential employers. In three seasons at Wake Forest, he had a 66.4 winning percentage, reached the NCAA Tournament two out of three seasons and attracted a couple of top 25 recruiting classes. Maryland’s Lefty Driesell, in the wake of the Len Bias tragedy, is the only ACC coach with a better winning percentage to get canned. But it wasn’t good enough for the Demon Deacons to keep Gaudio around.

When Wake Forest Athletic Director Ron Wellman announced that the team would be parting ways with Gaudio, he cited the Demon Deacons’ post-season failures. In 2008-09, Wake Forest peaked in January, reaching No. 1 in the polls before fading down the stretch, losing in the team’s first games of the ACC and NCAA tournaments to worse seeds. This season, Wake Forest had similar struggles, losing in the first round of the ACC Tournament to No. 12-seed Miami. In the NCAA Tournament, the No. 8-seed Demon Deacons beat Texas before losing by 30 to top-seeded Kentucky in the second round.

In sum, Gaudio had a 1-5 record in the ACC and NCAA Tournament in three seasons. That’s not impressive. Of course, Dean Smith didn’t even get the Tar Heels to an NCAA Tournament until his sixth season in Chapel Hill. And Coach K didn’t reach the Big Dance until his fourth season with Duke.

However, it’s not like Wake Forest has the rich tradition of Duke or North Carolina. In fact, the Demon Deacons have fewer NCAA Tournament appearances and wins than North Carolina State and Maryland. Historically, Wake Forest’s post-season numbers — 28 wins in 22 appearances, with one Final Four— most closely align with Georgia Tech and Virginia. Since 1962, Wake Forest has made it past the Sweet 16 only three times. And they haven’t reached the Final Four since 1962.

By firing Gaudio, Wellman signified that he expects the Demon Deacons to be a championship contender on a regular basis. Those are lofty expectations for a program that hasn’t had such aspirations since Billy Packer was on the court. Wake Forest came closing during the Tim Duncan era, but the Demon Deacons managed to reach the Elite Eight only once, in 1996, even with one of the best four-year players in ACC history.

Under Gaudio, Wake Forest was consistently in contention for great recruits. He was instrumental in forming some of Wake Forest’s best classes of the past decade, including while he was working as an assistant to his mentor, Skip Prosser, whom Gaudio replaced in 2007 after Prosser died of a heart attack.

Some people speculated that Prosser’s death was evidence of the excessive stress that coaches face. Wake Forest’s firing of Gaudio lends credence to that theory. Who can feel safe when it’s not acceptable to win two-thirds of your games and constantly put an entertaining, talented product on the court in front of a boisterous, packed house?

Yes, Wake Forest slipped up in the post-season recently. However, Prosser failed to reach the NCAA Tournament during his final two seasons. And his teams also had some disastrous NCAA Tournament results. The Chris Paul-fueled juggernaut of 2005 came to an unexpectedly early demise when the No. 2-seeded Demon Deacons lost to No. 7-seed West Virginia. The No. 2 spot was unlucky under Prosser — Wake Forest lost to No. 10-seed Auburn in 2003.

Upsets happen. Mike Krzyzewski, Dean Smith and Roy Williams all witnessed major NCAA Tournament disappointments at least once in their careers. Wake Forest will never know whether Gaudio could have joined that pantheon of coaching legends by continuing to draw supremely talented recruits to Winston-Salem. Instead, Gaudio will likely land at another school within a year or two and start to rebuild elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the Demon Deacons want to move up the ACC pecking order and have just set a precedent of axing good coaches who don’t find a way to make it happen. Let’s hope Wake Forest’s next coach can channel his inner Zen master to handle those blood pressure-elevating expectations.

Kentucky: Calipari Masters the Art of Managing One-and-Done Players

NBA point guards Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans’ success stories have only served as encouragement for a decision that didn’t need much thought for Kentucky freshmen John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins after their first college season came to an end: Bye-bye Wildcats, hello NBA lottery.

Rose and Evans, starters for the Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings, respectively, have transitioned fantastically into the pros after spending only one season in school under coach John Calipari at Memphis. Calipari, now with Kentucky, is some kind of first-year player virtuoso. Wall, a point guard, figures to go No. 1 overall, and Cousins, a forward, is expected to be off the board not long after.

And what about the two other Kentucky freshmen and a junior who also declared themselves ready for the NBA? First-round picks, too.

Junior forward Patrick Patterson is the only player who’s left the door open for a return to the Wildcats next season, saying he’s “half in, half out,” while guard Eric Bledsoe and center Daniel Orton look confident in going for the leap. They can all opt to change their minds by May 8 as long as they don’t hire agents, but that seems unlikely. Calipari, while happy for his pupils, will have to work some more recruiting magic to make Kentucky (35-3 in 2009-10) a powerhouse again next season.

Wall was a favorite to go pro even before the season began, and he backed up the hype. His mind-blowing play that generated 16.6 points and 6.5 assists per game led the Wildcats to regular-season and conference tournament championships before they fell to West Virginia in the Elite Eight. He set a single-season school record with 241 assists. Many of those went to Cousins.

Cousins was at his best when not in foul trouble, something he struggled with mightily — along with a temper problem — early in the season. He averaged 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game and book-ended Kentucky’s monster guard/forward duo.

But if it wasn’t Wall or Cousins dominating the game, it was Bledsoe or Orton, the two other excellent freshmen who lived in their teammates’ shadows — hence the mild surprise when they announced the move to the NBA. The speedy Bledsoe averaged 11.9 points per game and was one of the Wildcats’ best three-point threats. Meanwhile, Orton kept Kentucky’s paint safe when Cousins was in foul trouble. He was a shot-blocking machine.

Patterson averaged a career-low 14.3 points per game, which might be one of the reasons he’d like to come back next year, along with the possibility of an NBA lockout. However, he backed out of the NBA Draft last season when many thought he was ready, which only tilts the balance in favor of him leaving this time around.

Patterson’s dipping numbers, down from 17.9 points per game last season, are a reflection of the kind of talent Calipari brought along after signing with Kentucky. A star alongside guard Jodie Meeks last season, Patterson was only the third-leading scorer this season. It’s a misleading statistic because — as with Bledsoe and Orton — if he had been the program’s featured player, he would have been a standout. There would be no “half in, half out” decision to make; it’d be an all-in while holding a full house.

Luckily for Patterson, Bledsoe and Orton, NBA scouts will see beyond their numbers, which should be a huge sigh of relief for Orton and his modest 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. They’re as good as gone. Calipari will be left with only five returning players from this season’s team.

But if anyone can rebuild a team, it’s Calipari, someone who transformed a team not good enough to make the NCAA Tournament one year into one of the Big Dance’s No. 1 seeds the next. The coach, who was a Mario Chalmers’ desperation three-pointer away from winning a national championship with Memphis in 2008, lost Rose to the NBA as the No. 1 pick in 2008 only to replace him with Evans in 2009, keeping the Tigers among the elite teams. He then left to Kentucky, where he turned an NIT team into a championship contender.

Calipari’s 2010 recruiting class, as usual, is among one of the top in the nation. Six-foot-10 Turkish center Enes Kanter has verbally committed, as has 6-5 slashing shooting guard Stacey Poole. Kentucky still doesn’t have an answer from point guard Brandon Knight, a crème-of-the-crop recruit, but the Wildcats, along with Kansas and Connecticut, are in the mix for his services.

Having Calipari at the helm certainly won’t hurt the Wildcats in their hunt to replace their departing young guns with other fresh-blooded talent. Kentucky will be back as one of the top teams next season. But before that — and a la North Carolina in 2005 — several Wildcats will hear their name called aloud on June 24, date of the 2010 NBA Draft.

Happy endings for everybody.

Quick Hitters – April 8, 2010

Some quick hitters as we head toward the weekend:

• The national championship game on Monday night is certainly up there with the best ones I’ve seen. Throughout the game, you never felt like either team was going to run away with it, even though at times Duke looked like they could be one play away from breaking it open.
• Here’s an interesting nugget that CAA blogger Michael Litos pointed out: had Butler pulled off the victory on Monday night, all four postseason tournaments would have a mid-major as their champion. Dayton won the NIT, VCU won the CBI and Missouri State won the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

• Connecticut got a commitment last week from Shabazz Napier for next season, provided he gets through the NCAA Clearinghouse. This is significant in two ways. For one, Napier was originally slated for the class of 2011, so they get a player who wasn’t expected to be in college next season although that was always a remote possibility. Also, the Huskies get an elite point guard to run the show, one who went on a big run of improvement over 10 months. Since last May, he has gone from being a gunner to a floor leader, and with that began to show his full potential. He took it to another level during the school season, leading Lawrence Academy to a perfect record en route to a NEPSAC Class C title.

• On a related note, this weekend will start our coverage of travel team basketball with the Boo Williams Nike Invitational in Hampton, Virginia. This year, things are a little different: it’s one of three events Nike is running as part of its Elite Youth Basketball to determine the teams that will play in the Peach Jam in July. It isn’t a tournament, so there is no champion unlike past years. More details and player evaluations will come early next week.

• There is always something striking about the coaching changes, and what leaps out this time around is that there are quite a few even with the season over. Oftentimes, most vacancies have been filled by now simply because of the ability of athletic directors and coaches to meet at the Final Four, but as of now three (soon to be four, according to reports) high-major openings exist, and each could set some dominoes in motion when the new coach is hired. Vacancies at places like Charlotte and Marshall could do that as well.

• Brad Stevens’ new 12-year contract at Butler is not only well-deserved, but a great move because he’s the perfect fit there. He’s an understated guy who loves where he is and at a program that knows what it is and has had a great run of success even before this season.

• UNC Wilmington probably didn’t have in mind what has transpired when they let Benny Moss go during the season. The search has dragged on, and after having over a week to decide former Citadel head coach Ed Conroy opted to take the head coaching job at Tulane instead. It’s anyone’s guess where they go from here, but this hasn’t been the school’s finest hour from a PR standpoint.

• Gene DeFilippo said he wanted the next Boston College head coach to be one who will go out and sell the program to get more people in the seats. While he got a fine head coach in Steve Donahue, I’m not sure he’s getting quite what he wants otherwise. Donahue is a humble and very likeable man, but he’s not a charismatic, rah-rah guy who will go to the ends of the earth to put fans in the stands. One can’t blame Al Skinner for attendance there being spotty considering that Boston belongs to the Red Sox and Patriots first and foremost, with the Celtics a distant third and the Bruins an even more distant fourth before we get to college sports.

NIT Thoughts and Reflections

NEW YORK – The 73rd National Invitation Tournament is in the books. The thought was on everyone’s mind during the days in New York; the hope is it doesn’t come to pass. With expansion of the NCAA tournament to 96 teams seemingly inevitable, the general feeling around Madison Square Garden was the NIT would be in the history books. And it was not a sentiment that observers expressed with positive feelings.

“Ending the NIT would be a tough decision,” Dayton coach Brian Gregory said following the championship game. “Dayton built its brand name here (winning in 1962 and 1968) at Madison Square Garden with coaches like (Tom) Blackburn and (Don) Donaher. It’s important to play here at Madison Square Garden.”

Roy Williams admitted an NIT Final Four was not an objective as practice started in October. Williams would rather play the first Monday, not Thursday, in April. Still, he was pleased to be playing in a tournament with established prestige. “I have always had a great appreciation of the history and tradition of the NIT,” Williams said after the semifinal win over Rhode Island.

History and tradition were common words used by coaches, players and observers regarding the NIT, the nation’s oldest post-season tournament. The end of that tradition and history would make college basketball a little bit poorer if the greed behind 96 teams allows the NIT to end.

Semifinals

Dayton 68, Mississippi 63
North Carolina 68, Rhode Island 67 (OT)

Championship

Dayton 79, North Carolina 68

• Jim Baron took the high road. With just under ten seconds left in overtime and North Carolina clinging to a one-point lead Larry Drew II took a jumper with the shot clock almost at expiration. The shot missed. Rhode Island grabbed the long rebound and appeared headed in transition. The URI player fell, no call, and seconds later the buzzer sounded.
  “We got the rebound it looked like there was contact and (the URI player) tripped,” Baron said regarding those final seconds. The Rhode Island mentor was quick to add that the final play did not decide the outcome. “We have been good all year from the line,” Baron said. “Tonight we missed the free throws down the stretch. North Carolina made their free throws near the end of regulation and in overtime. They made the plays needed to win, we did not.”
• Dayton relied on solid defense to get to New York. The Flyers continued that trend en route to their third NIT championship. In the semifinal win over Mississippi, the Flyers limited Ole Miss to 34 percent shooting from the floor. The SEC representatives struggled from three-point range, shooting only 6 of 23 (26 percent). The two main threats, Terrico White and Chris Warren, were a combined 4 of 17 against the Dayton defense.
• Offensive rebounding was a Dayton concern in the final against North Carolina. Against URI, the Tar Heels enjoyed a 27-15 edge on the offensive boards, which translated into 15 more field goal attempts than the Rams. In the final Dayton battled UNC even 11-11 on the offensive glass.
• North Carolina did come out in the final with a more effective perimeter game. Through the first four NIT games the Tar Heels shot 26 percent from beyond the arc. Against URI in the semis they were 2 of 17, a haggard 12 percent. Against the Flyers the Tar Heels shot 8 of 15 (53 percent) for the game. They trailed by 13 at the half and used their three-point shooting, notable by junior swingman Will Graves ( a game-high 25 points on 7 of 13 from three) to get right back into things after intermission.
• Dayton saw their lead cut to one during the first four minutes of the second half in the championship. The Flyers’ Marcus Johnson then hit a three-pointer to get the lead back to four. For most of the second half it was a two-possession game, but the significant thing for Dayton was not losing the lead in that final half.

All Tournament Honors

Most Outstanding Player – Chris Johnson, Dayton – 14 points vs. Ole Miss, team high 22 points 9 rebounds in the final.

All Tournament:
Delroy James (URI) – 13 points 8 boards vs. UNC
Will Graves (UNC) – 14 points vs. URI, 25 in the championship game.
Deon Thompson (UNC)- Double figures in scoring and rebounding both nights. He broke an NCAA record in the championship by appearing in the 152nd game of his collegiate career.
Marcus Johnson (Dayton) – Team-high 20 points in final, scored 12 in semis.

Tempo Free, Other Numbers

• No surprise. To get this far you need defense. Dayton got both opponents under 1.00 points per possession in New York. In fact, Dayton had the only offensive performance over 1.00 PPP with a stellar 1.16 against North Carolina.

• The semifinals, thanks to a healthy turnout of URI devotees, drew 11,689, while the final attendance was 9,827 and a good percentage were backing Dayton.

From the NIT Final Four press conference. Each of the four head coaches was asked what the NIT means, in general, to them.

Jim Baron, URI: “It’s tradition and history when you think of the teams and players that played here. Walt Frazier was an unknown before playing in the NIT (with Southern Illinois in 1967). He got drafted and led the Knicks to two NBA titles. The Garden is special. I used to sneak into it when I was young to watch Red Holzman’s Knicks.  The NIT also gives you the memories of great people in New York basketball like Frank and Al McGuire.”

Brian Gregory, Dayton: “For me as a coach at Dayton it means trying to continue a great tradition established by coaches (Tom) Blackburn and (Don) Donoher. Back then Dayton built its national recognition largely on what they did in the NIT.  This tournament has always meant a great deal to our fan base.”

Andy Kennedy, Mississippi: “The NIT makes me think of the heritage and lineage of a great tournament. There are no excuses for playing in the NIT. It gives teams an opportunity to win a championship and playing in the Garden is always a big deal.”

Roy Williams, UNC: “The NIT means tradition. It is a tournament that has meant so much to college basketball. The players today may not realize the tradition, but it is always special to get to play in New York. My junior year at North Carolina (70-71) we lost by one in the ACC final to South Carolina. We got the chance to play in the NIT and won it. Back then the NCAA had 24 teams and the NIT 16, so getting in post-season was difficult.”

Keep Track of the Coaching Carousel

When Duke cut down the nets April 5, the 2009-10 season came to a dramatic conclusion. The Blue Devils and Butler Bulldogs were the last two men’s basketball teams to finish the season.

But while those two wrapped up yet another thrilling NCAA Tournament, plenty of other teams have been busy firing and hiring coaches. The coaching carousel is in full swing. Check out Hoopville’s map of all the coaching changes.

Red dots indicate the remaining open or interim positions. The lines indicate which coaches switched seats on the coaching carousel by taking a position at another school.
View 2010 Coaching Changes in a larger map

Harvard: Crimson Look to Extend Amaker

While some coaches across the country look for new employment, Harvard wants to make sure coach Tommy Amaker feels at home in Cambridge.

According to a university press release, the team is negotiating a multiyear extension with Amaker. His name has popped up in relation to several other schools. Amaker has major conference experience at Michigan and Seton Hall.

While with the Crimson, Amaker has built a perennial contender. The Crimson had their best start in school history this season with a 14-3 record and reached as high as No. 21 in the RPI.

Some rumors have linked Amaker to the open position across town at Boston College. Harvard has won two consecutive games against the Eagles, so maybe Amaker will prefer to stick with the winners in Cambridge, if he receives a nice extension and pay raise.

Two Significant Hires Raise Optimism at Seton Hall

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – The signs in the parking garage announced the “Dawn of a New era”. The sun, after days of rain, slightly broke through on the campus of Seton Hall University. It was probably the “basketball Gods” smiling down on Walsh Gymnasium as two new coaches were being introduced. Anne Donovan and Kevin Willard would assume the respective positions of women’s and men’s basketball coach at the Big East school.

Donovan first thanked Phyllis Magina (seated near Donovan), who resigned after 25 years at the helm to take another position in the athletic department, for her years of outstanding service. A member of a number of halls of fame, including the one in Springfield, Donovan asked, “Who is watching the NCAA women’s tournament?” Hands raised. “are you tired of UConn blowing everyone out? I am.” Applause followed.

Donovan later said she wasn’t looking for bulletin board material in Storrs. “I have the utmost respect for UConn and what Geno Auriemma has done,“ she said. “But they give us all something to shoot for. Not every great player can go to UConn. We are going to try to get a few of those here to build something special.”

Willard will turn 35 on April 6th. In coaching experience he has a resume the envy of some mentors ten years older. Willard was an assistant with the Boston Celtics and Louisville before taking the reins at Iona three years ago. He came in to a program that won two games the year before and left it a 21-game winner with talent to make a run at a MAAC title next winter. Willard comes from solid coaching lines, as his dad Ralph is now an assistant at Louisville and the Cardinal mentor Rick Pitino was Kevin’s boss in Boston and Louisville. Pitino called Seton Hall Law School Dean Patrick Hobbs (who headed the search) and AD Joe Quinlan with a resounding endorsement.

Hobbs and Quinlan both spoke of passion and character. The latter quality is most important after the turbulent days of Bobby Gonzalez. In Willard they have both and a great work ethic.

Willard spoke of playing an “attractive high-energy style of basketball” – one that should be entertaining for fans and enticing to recruits. While the offense will entertain, defense is the priority. “It all starts with defense,” Willard said, “and we will defend hard every possession.”  He is bringing his Iona staff, which includes former Hall star Shaheen Holloway, very popular with Hall faithful and well-respected and knowledgeable in area recruiting circles. Willard looks to bring on former players Marcus Toney-El and Grant Billmeier (both were in attendance) in an assisting capacity.

On the possibility of losing Herb Pope, Jeff Robinson and Jeremy Hazell, who all recently cited an intention to enter the NBA Draft , Willard brought the house down saying, “this might be the first program that didn’t win the national title but loses three players to the draft.” On a serious note, Willard said he and his staff will assist the three who intend to go pro but welcome them back into the program should they have a change of heart.

Willard knows there is a great deal of work ahead but is excited. “Growing up in Long Island I followed Syracuse, St. John’s and Seton Hall,” he said. “When the offer came, I called my wife and said ‘looks like we are going to New Jersey.’ ” He toured the Prudential Center with Quinlan and Hobbs and had to hide his excitement. “I felt like a kid in a toy store looking at that facility,” he said. School President Monsignor Sheeran, Hobbs and Quinlan all felt a similar emotion regarding their two hires. “We are in it to win championships,” Hobbs said.  To which Willard said, “See those (championship) banners hanging in the rafters? We are out to add some more.”

The press conference in Walsh was open to the public. Besides media, alums and notables in the Hall community, students were encouraged to come. Even five members of the Seton Hall cheer squad showed up in uniform to pledge support.

Willard and Donovan , both personable and media friendly, not only enthusiastically greeted media members they knew but took the time to learn the names and affiliation of members of the press they were meeting for the initial time. In all, it was a day that left those in attendance impressed and certain better days are ahead in South Orange.

At Seton Hall, how could the sun not shine brightly on a day like that ?

Bracket Breakdown: Your Complete Guide to the Final Four

On one side of the bracket that went busted a day into the NCAA Tournament, we have two Cinderella teams hoping that the crystal shoe will fit them at the end. On the other, we have two power-conference juggernauts trying to spoil the folk tale’s happy ending.

It’s not a good vs. evil story. It’s merely the Final Four, and its two No. 5 seeds (injury-riddled Michigan State and Butler) battling each other for one spot in the championship game while the ACC’s and No. 1 seed Duke combats the Big East’s and No. 2 West Virginia for the other. Two feel-good stories vs. two bracket-saving, household names.

It should be fun. Let’s take a look at those Final Four-ers.

Even though it’s a second consecutive Final Four trip for the Spartans (28-8), the state of Michigan should still be pleasantly shocked to find them there. Michigan State has walked on the borderline of survival in every round to reach these instances, having won its four games by an average of 3.25 points. Clutchness and healthy doses of guards Korie Lucious and Durrell Summers have done the trick. They have the Spartans feeling they can go from 2009 runner-ups to 2010 champions despite their major underdog status.

However, when it comes to underdogs, no team barks louder than the Bulldogs of Butler (32-4). Fans are growing either hopeful or tired of hearing about how this team’s run is not unlike that of the Hickory team from the “Hoosiers” movie, the story of a small-town Indiana high school squad that wins the state championship — my apologies if I ruined the movie for anyone.

The similarities are there. Butler is also from Indiana and plays in the mid-major Horizon League. Adding to that, the Bulldogs have pulled their set of upsets to get to the Final Four. They beat their region’s No. 1 and No. 2 seeds — Syracuse and Kansas State, respectively — to get a shot at the title while playing in their home state.

As it’s been the case all tournament long, swingman Gordon Hayward will be key for Butler, not just because of his team-leading scoring but because of his rebounding. The sophomore will need to set a tone on the glass and hope his teammates follow. Michigan State is one of the best rebounding teams in the country, and extra possessions could be the difference. The Spartans, for their part, must take Butler’s playing-at-home spirit out right off the bat. And they shouldn’t rely on their crunch-time skills. Butler, which comes into the game having won 24 consecutive games, has been just as good in those instances this tournament.

Whichever squad remains alive after the underdog-off will have to face a powerhouse in the championship game. Duke (33-5), thought by many to be the most vulnerable No. 1 Tournament seed, is the only No. 1 seed to make it to the Final Four. The “Big Three,” guards Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith and forward Kyle Singler, combine for about 70 percent of the Blue Devils’ total scoring and has carried Duke past every team it was supposed to beat. Now, however, Duke, a team that relies heavily on three-point shooting, will face its biggest offensive test against a lengthy West Virginia (31-6) squad that forced another No. 1 seed, Kentucky, into misfiring on 28-of-32 three-point attempts in their Elite Eight match.

The Mountaineers not only are long and effective zone defenders but also feature one of the most exciting players in the field: forward Da’Sean Butler. Butler hasn’t needed to hit any big shots this post-season as West Virginia hasn’t had any major scares during its run, but Butler is one bad dude when called upon, as proven by his two game-winners in the Big East Tournament. He and forward Devin Ebanks are the Mountaineers’ main offensive weapons.

Smith is the guy for Duke. His ability to break down defenses and create, along with his reliable jump shot, could have West Virginia scrambling out of their zone defense rather early. The Blue Devils are an outstanding shooting team, and the Mountaineers might not have a choice but to play them man-to-man. How West Virginia adjusts to Duke’s shooting ability will be the deciding factor. And it would also help the Mountaineers if they could make a couple of shots. Defense is what’s gotten them this far, but they’re the worst shooting team remaining. West Virginia has shot less than 42 percent in all of their tournament wins.

Because of its underdog of underdogs’ status, Butler is the team that seemingly everyone wants to win it all, especially because the Bulldogs are playing in front of their home crowd. Michigan State will be a tough rival, but these teams are evenly-matched. Meanwhile, on the other side, Duke will need a good shooting day to get past the Mountaineers, who will pray for an average shooting day to help them get back to the championship game for the first time since 1959. It should be fun.

Predictions that will probably be completely wrong: Butler and Duke advance. And Duke wins it all.