17U Champs: All-Iowa Attack
All-Iowa Attack beat Indiana Elite-Team Indiana and Terry Porter Elite on their way to the championship of the Spiece Run N Slam.
16U Champs: All-Ohio Red
All-Ohio Red beat Wisconsin Playground Warriors then had to overcome a big second half deficit against Ohio Varsity to make the championship game where they beat Meanstreets.
15U Champs: All-Ohio Red
All-Ohio Red beat Mac Irvin Fire, Milwaukee Running Rebels, and IBA Select on their way to the 15U title.
Biggest Story:
Last year the biggest story was the emergence of Anthony Davis. No one had heard of him entering the weekend and a few days later he had 10 scholarship offers. He would go on to become the number 1 player in the nation according to most national scouts and signed with Kentucky.
This year’s biggest story was D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera announcing that he will attend Oak Hill Academy next year. Smith-Rivera was a Mr. Basketball candidate while North Central would be the favorites to make a run at the state title again.
Best Performances:
Nathan Taphorn for the Illinois Wolves 16’s against Eric Gordon All-Stars. The 6’6” SF from Pekin scored 26 points that led the Wolves back from a double digit deficit in the first half to beat EG. Taphorn hit 6 three-pointers on eight attempts.
Demetrius Jackson had a superb 30 point game against Indiana Elite Wildcats. Jackson also played very well against Mac Irvin Fire. He deserves more recruiting attention than he is currently receiving.
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2012
D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera 6’3 SG North Central (soon to be Oak Hill Academy)-HM
DSR made news by announcing that he will be attending Oak Hill Academy next year instead of returning to North Central. He really shot the ball well this weekend. I still question if he is going to be able to get to the basket at all at the high major level. He doesn’t have the explosion that you usually see at the high major level.
Dylan Langkabel 6’4 SG Morristown-MM-
One of the best shooters in the state. He can shoot it coming off screens as well as anyone and gets it off quickly. They question will always be “can he defend at the D1 level?” It will be a struggle for him but he didn’t do a bad job against the athlete of All-Ohio Red this weekend. Langkabel also got to the rim against a decent athlete…I haven’t seen him do that before.
Nick Osborne 6’8 PF Muncie Central-HM-
Osborne had a nice matchup with Elijah Macon. Both are 6’8, strong, and active. They pretty much cancelled each other out. Osborne listed offers from Miami (OH), Valpo, Ball State, Loyola, Fordam, Xavier, and Ohio. He said he expects that he will make a decision in the fall.
Michael Volovic 5’9 PG Carmel-D2/NAIA
Volovic is a tough, little point guard. He’s quick and plays with high intensity at all times. Volovic is also a good shooter from the outside. He gets in trouble when he faces the D1 caliber guards that have size and strength on him.
2013
Bryson Scott 6’1 PG Northrop-HM
Bryson played his typical tough game this weekend. He never takes a play off and that has always impressed me. He also impressed me in warm-ups by dunking with 2-hands easily. I usually don’t put much weight into things like that, but he is only about 6’0 or 6’1 and I didn’t know he could do that.
Brenton Scott 6’0 PG Northrop-MM+
I didn’t get a chance to see Brenton play during the high school season. I was set to watch Northrop play Kokomo late in the season but it ended up getting cancelled due to weather. Brenton had a great high school year by all accounts. Some might say he had a better year than Bryson.
I was expecting to see an improved Brenton this spring. He was way off shooting the ball this weekend. Brenton is a step below Bryson in terms of athleticism and explosiveness. I still have him as a mid-major prospect.
V.J. Beachem 6’7 SF New Haven-HM
I haven’t always been the biggest Beachem fan but he has played well every game I have seen him this spring. It seems like he is getting stronger and has been shooting it consistently from the outside. He is also playing defense which was questioned by me in the past. I also haven’t seen any signs of a negative attitude with him. He deserves more offers.
Basil Smotherman 6’5 SG Heritage Christian-HM
Smotherman has been non-existent in the games I have seen him this spring. He’s a good athlete, can shoot it, can put it on the floor a little bit but rarely asserts himself into a game. He is a lefty and never drives right…that is one glaring weakness.
Collin Hartman 6’6 SF Cathedral-HM
There are boatloads of wings in the 2013 class (most of them play for Eric Gordon) and they all leave you wanting them to be more productive. Hartman is a great shooter and an above average athlete that has the ability to dominate most games. He rarely has a huge game unless he is on from the outside and the other team is leaving him open. He should be able to get more off the dribble than he does.
Zak Irvin 6’5 SF Hamilton Southeastern-MM+
Irvin was making shots this weekend. That is something he did not do this high school season. His release is a little bit awkward and the consistency to the shot leaves a bit to be desired. Irvin will definitely be able to defend at the next level.
Andrew Dakich 5’11 PG Zionsville-LM-
Dan Dakich’s son plays like a coach’s son. Smart with the ball and knocks down shots if he is left open. Not a very good athlete and is on the small side. I think he will end up on the LM/D2 borderline unless he grows.
Nick Davidson 6’3 SG Andrean-MM
I like Davidson more and more every time I see him play. He’s not a great athlete but he is always getting into the lane against good athletes. He makes good decisions with the ball and he knocks down shots. Davidson said his only offer right now is Valpo but has been hearing from Butler, IU, Purdue, Iowa, Michigan, and Western Michigan.
Leo Svete 6’4 SG Penn-LM
Svete’s greatest strength is his shooting ability. Against good athletes, he is a one-dimensional shooter. He doesn’t have the quickness to beat good defenders off the dribble. He seems to know the game well and passes it well but his lack of quickness is a major drawback.
Demetrius Jackson 6’1 PG Mishawaka Marian-MM+
In a class that has gotten overrated as a group, Jackson is probably one of the most underrated. He’s very quick and athletic while being strongly built. He also handles the ball well and can get to the rim whenever he wants. His outside shooting is a question mark in my eyes.
Richard Freeman 6’7 PF Lawrence Central-MM-
Freeman can look like an absolute stud at times. Usually those times are in the open court when he is showing off his speed and athleticism. He struggles in the half court because he doesn’t have a great skill set and he tries to prove he can shoot. Lots of upside but he needs to gain weight and work on his offensive skill set.
2014
Trey Lyles 6’8 PF Tech-HM
The Indiana commit plays with the junior to be Spiece Indy Heat team and was the best player on the court every game that I saw. His versatility for a young, 6’8 player is impressive. Lyles handles the ball extremely well and has a pure shooting stroke. He has good post moves, but he doesn’t always finish the play like he is concentrating on the move and not the scoring part.
Nate Ritchie 6’5 SF Northridge-MM
Ritchie caught my eye because he is a true 6’5, maybe 6’6 but is a good outside shooter while being fairly athletic as well. He isn’t a jump out of the gym athlete but he moves well and has decent quickness. Shooting seems to be his strong point. Ritchie isn’t a confident ball handler yet, but if he adds that to his game then his stock really rises.
Mack Mercer 6’7 C Plymouth-LM+
First time seeing Mercer this weekend and he does some nice things. He has good hands, moves pretty well, and has a nice touch around the basket. He is very soft and passive right now though.
Troy Spears 6’3 SF Park Tudor-MM
Spears has always been a great athlete both in terms of leaping and quickness, but it looks like his skill set is starting to develop as well. He shot really well this weekend. He’s likely done growing so he will have to transition from a forward to a guard. I really like his upside considering how hard he plays plus his skills will continue to develop playing for Ed Schilling at Park Tudor.
P.J. Thompson 5’8 PG Brebeuf-MM+
Thompson is a heady point guard that is as steady as they come. He also shoots it well from the outside. Although he is short and slight, he finishes well against contact. The downside is that he is only 5’8 and probably won’t grow too much more so he will always be small. He has no offers right now but has strong interest from Virginia Tech, IU, Purdue, Xavier, and Illinois.
Trevon Bluiett 6’5 SF Park Tudor-MM
Bluiett had a great weekend at Spiece. He shot the ball really well and had a number of “and 1” finishes in transition. His athleticism is a concern for me especially for the high major level (he was offered by IU before the high school season). Now, if he gets to 6’7 then the lack of athleticism could be covered up by his motor and skill set.
Tyler Wideman 6’8 C Lake Central-MM+
Wideman is coming back from a leg injury that has bothered him for at least the last month. There aren’t many 2014 players built like Wideman is in the upper body. That is certainly one factor that allowed him to step in the varsity starting line-up as a frosh. He has dominated off his size up until this point. In the future, he will have to develop more of a skill set and go-to post moves to be a high major prospect.
2015
Matt Holba 6’6 PF Chesterton-MM+
The current 8th played with the extremely talented Meanstreets 2014 group this weekend. Holba is mainly an athlete right now. He has been dunking for a couple years. He runs extremely well and has an explosive first step. I expect him to be about done growing so he will have to transition from a post player to a perimeter and he has started to do that.
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