Eventful First Day of ABCD
TEANECK, N.J. – We haven’t even checked in at the Rothman Center, and already there’s a juicy subject at the 2006 Reebok ABCD Camp. That’s where you know this is going to be good.
Multiple news outlets reported Wednesday night that O.J. Mayo, regarded as the top prospect in the class of 2007, will commit to USC, likely at some point this weekend. On Thursday, there was then talk of Mayo announcing on Friday. As of now, there is no sure commitment, and a press conference held along with good friend Bill Walker yielded nothing new on that front.
It seemed as though there were fewer college coaches in the afternoon session, with more in the evening. Considering that a good number of the top prospects in the class of 2007 have already committed to schools, this shouldn’t be too surprising. Nonetheless, a good number of head coaches were spotted, including Jim Calhoun (Connecticut), Billy Gillespie (Texas A&M), Bobby Gonzalez (Seton Hall), Fred Hill (Rutgers), Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Thad Matta (Ohio State), Bruce Pearl (Tennessee), Tom Pecora (Hofstra), Rick Pitino (Louisville), Norm Roberts (St. John’s), Barry Rohrssen (Manhattan), Tubby Smith (Kentucky), Jerry Wainwright (DePaul), Cliff Warren (Jacksonville), Gary Williams (Maryland) and Roy Williams (North Carolina).
With that, we take a look at some of the stars of day one.
William Buford (6’5″ Jr. SG-SF, Toledo (OH) Libbey HS) He can really score the ball, and he was the top scoring underclassman on the day. For good measure, he did so while converting two-thirds of his field goal attempts.
Drew Gordon (6’9″ So. PF, San Jose (CA) Archbishop Mitty HS) The best player in his class at this camp last year got off to a good start this time around. He had a double-double in his first game with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Terrence Jennings (6’9″ Sr. PF, Sacramento (CA) Capital Christian HS) Quietly, he rated third overall in the camp’s own statistical rating at the end of the first day. He’s athletic and has a good body, and although he faded some on jumpers he’s really a solid inside player and showed it.
Jon Leuer (6’10” Sr. PF, Long Lake (MN) Orono HS) A solid day for the lanky face-up power forward. He went for 17 points and seven rebounds in the first game, making jumpers off the dribble and being around the ball often.
Kevin Love (6’9″ Sr. PF, Lake Oswego (OR) High) Another day at the office: he was the top scorer (22.5 per game) and rebounder (11 per game) at the end of the day, while making over 69 percent of his shots including an incredible 75 percent from long range. He didn’t play much inside at the offensive end, but he continues to show his feel for the game and abilities.
Rico Pickett (6’4″ Sr. PG-SG, Decatur (AL) High) The assists leader on day one also shot it well from long range and showed good combo guard ability. He was a little erratic when he passed on the move, but all told he distributed well.
Renardo Sidney (6’9″ So. PF, Jackson (MS) Piney Woods HS) His first game was a struggle, but he played well in the nightcap with 12 points and four rebounds to go with two blocked shots. He was active and around the ball more, playing better despite not working inside as much as we’d like to see.
Tracy Smith (6’7″ Sr. SF-PF, Durham (NC) Mt. Zion) It seems like he’s been around forever, but his play stood out today. Making 64 percent of his shots, he was the second-leading scorer and one of the top rebounders. He generally scored close to the basket and at times showed some perimeter ability, though he’s always had scoring ability on the low post.
Alex Tyus (6’8″ Sr. PF, St. Louis (MO) Harmony Prep) He’s in constant motion and finds the ball often, and Thursday was no exception. The third-leading scorer on day one was efficient with the ball when he got it, often on an offensive rebound or near the end of a fast break, and found the open teammate a couple of times as well.
Friday night will feature a matchup of teams that include O.J. Mayo and Derrick Rose, two of the top prospects in the class of 2007.
