AND1 High School Basketball Championship has some talent
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – The fourth annual AND1 High School Basketball Championship finished off its regional slate this weekend, leading up to next weekend’s championship rounds in Philadelphia. Ten teams are headed there after winning their regional this past weekend and in earlier weekends, some well-known and some relatively obscure.
Seton Hall was home to one of the east regionals, and just like the last two years, it was not lacking for both talent and schools that have been traditional powers. Saturday came and went without a major upset, unlike the last two years. It wasn’t until Sunday that surprises came, with relative unknown Our Savior Lutheran reaching the semifinals before bowing out to Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s.
The championship game was a battle of New Jersey teams for the third straight year, and it was a dandy. Eugene Harvey took an errant inbounds pass in for a layup with under a half minute left to play, and Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s held on at the end for a 43-42 win over Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS.
It seemed destined to be a low-scoring game right from the outset, as neither team scored until nearly two minutes into the game. After St. Patrick’s led for most of the first half, St. Benedict’s scored the last 12 points of the half to go in with a 26-19 lead. But the Celtics came right back to start the second half, scoring the first ten points as part of a 16-2 run to take a 35-28 lead. The Graybees gradually rallied and made it close for the final minutes.
Lance Thomas led the Graybees with 13 points, while the Celtics were led by Rueben Guillandeaux’s 12 points and Corey Fisher added 11.
Player Notes
The Graybees brought a loaded team, although there probably wasn’t one game where every one of their Division I talents all played together. The aforementioned Lance Thomas (6’8″ Jr. SF-PF) is certainly the best of them, highly coveted by numerous schools because he’s a big-time competitor who comes to play. He’s athletic, has legitimate combo forward ability although he’s a streaky shooter, and his competitive streak cannot be underestimated. Corey Stokes (6’5″ So. SG) at times didn’t look his best, but he had 17 points in two different games along the way. The dynamic backcourt of Eugene Harvey (6’0″ Jr. PG) and David Cubillan (6’0″ Jr. PG-SG) gave teams fits, as both are quick and can get to the basket. Harvey is more of a floor leader, while Cubillan can really score the ball and knocked down a couple of three-pointers. Two less-heralded prospects of note are Adrian Price (6’7″ Jr. PF) and Jabari Edwards (6’8″ Jr. PF), the latter a transfer from Brooklyn (NY) Poly Prep.
Similarly, St. Patrick’s had its share of talent even with the absence of stud post player Derrick Caracter and sophomore wing Jeff Robinson. Corey Fisher (6’0″ So. PG) didn’t shoot the ball as well as he is known for, but showed a good ability to score on drives and in transition. Rueben Guillandeaux (6’5″ Jr. SG) has a slight frame but shot the ball well over the weekend, and was one of the more consistent players. Lefty Daquan Cook (6’8″ Jr. PF) played relatively limited minutes, while Yannick Formbor-Nono (6’8″ Jr. PF) is a skilled post player with a good frame.
Paterson (NJ) Catholic has a veteran team that made it to the semifinals. Kimmani Barrett (6’6″ Jr. SF) is an athletic, tough forward who always goes all out and gets results. This weekend, he went for 17 against St. Patrick’s and hit for 16 in another game. Twins Terrell (6’7″ Jr. SF) and Jerrell Williams (6’7″ Jr. SF) get plenty of pub, but neither stood out much this weekend. The talent is definitely there, but the consistency leaves a little to be desired. Floor leader Nicodemus Eaton (5’10” Jr. PG) had an excellent weekend running the show, scoring more than usual (including 17 against St. Patrick’s) and showing a good touch on three-pointers. He has a slight frame but knows how to run a team.
One key reason for the big run made by Brooklyn (NY) Grady HS was the play of Wayne Turner (6’1″ Jr. PG). We incorrectly reported him as a rising junior last month, as the program there erroneously listed him as a member of the class of 2007. Class aside, the quick guard knows where the basket is and how to get there to score, as he’s quick and very good at finding gaps to drive through, and isn’t afraid to finish against the big boys. He can be a pest defensively, but also foul-prone. On Saturday night, he appeared to have a heated exchange with his coach during the first half and didn’t play again in the half, but came out in the second half and carried his team to a victory in one of the more stellar performances of the weekend. Keran Wray (6’3″ Jr. SG) helped him out on the perimeter, as the athletic scoring guard had a 24-point game along the way as well as an 18-point outing. Randy Burns (6’1″ Jr. PG) also has Division I potential, and Trevor Charles (6’7″ So. PF) is a thin post player who should get better with added strength.
Bloomfield (NJ) Tech had its share of talent, and their top two prospects both had good weekends. Casiem Drummond (6’9″ Jr. PF) basically owned the paint at times and was solid scoring and rebounding, while also running the floor several times. A good high-major prospect, he had 24 in one game and 18 later. Teammate Desean Butler (6’6″ Jr. SF) often played inside defensively, but had a nice weekend. He scored in flow (19 in one game, 16 in another) and also rebounded well from his spot. Rashon Dwight (6’1″ So. PG) capably ran the show as well.
Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony’s has plenty of talent, as can be expected, but most of it is young. Miles Beatty (6’2″ So. SG) is one of the older guards, a scorer/shooter. Several others who showed some potential include Mike Rosario (6’3″ Fr. SG) and Travon Woodall (6’0″ Fr. PG), while A.J. Rogers (6’6″ 8th grade F) will be one forward to keep an eye on as his high school years progress.
One school that made a little run is Philadelphia (PA) Roman Catholic, which doesn’t have star power like in the past but has a few good prospects. Mike Ringold (6’6″ Jr. SF) is an athletic wing who can score the ball and did it well this weekend, including a 26-point effort. He’s a bit thin but can really finish drives and fast breaks. Devin White (6’6″ Fr. SF) played relatively limited minutes, but will be one to watch, while twins Brian (6’2″ So. SG) and Bradley Wanemaker (6’3″ So. SG) are both athletic wings with potential. Brian hit for 21 points in one game.
Lincroft (NJ) Christian Brothers Academy usually has a nice team to watch, and this one is no exception. The top individual talent is versatile Dan Werner (6’7″ Jr. SG-SF), who has a good frame and doesn’t just hang on the perimeter. He handles the ball and passes, can score inside and rebounds and defends. Teammate Craig Woehnker (6’3″ Jr. SG) showed a good stroke, while Timothy Andree (6’7″ Jr. PF) has good size but didn’t have an easy time scoring inside when he got the ball, though he did reach double figures in two games we saw.
His team didn’t go far, but Earl Clark (6’8″ Jr. SG-SF, Rahway (NJ) High) was impressive when we saw him. He’s long and athletic and capable of playing all three perimeter positions, and he had a couple of nice scoring games. Reportedly, grades are an issue for this big-time prospect, one of the best in the class of 2006.
Paramus (NJ) Catholic was without star combo guard Luis Guzman (6’3″ Jr. PG-SG), but has two frontcourt prospects to watch in Josh Hewlett (6’6″ Jr. SF-PF) and Sean Canty (6’8″ So. PF). Hewlett is athletic and has a good frame, and some talent at the offensive end, but he appeared lax on defense and at times tried to get a little too fancy with too many post moves that didn’t lead to a basket. Canty didn’t get a lot of chances on offense, but is athletic and has some length.
Other players who caught our eye during the weekend:
Bernard Cherry (6’6″ Jr. SF, Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s HS)
Mike Cutri (5’11” Fr. PG, Livingston (NJ) Newark Academy)
Ashton Gibbs (6’1″ Fr. PG, Orange (NJ) Seton Hall Prep)
Eric Goode (5’10” Jr. PG, Newark (NJ) University HS)
Ralph Jones (6’4″ So. SF, Orange (NJ) Seton Hall Prep)
Paul Nelson (6’10” Jr. PF-C, Ridgewood (NJ) High)
Orlando Shaw (6’6″ Fr. SF, Brooklyn (NY) Robeson HS)
Max Staiger (6’9″ Fr. PF, Livingston (NJ) Newark Academy)
Frank Turner (5’10” Jr. PG, Atlantic City (NJ) High)
Derrick Wright (6’7″ Jr. PF, Brooklyn (NY) Robeson HS)
