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)