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By
Drew Wolin
4/23/08
The "Carolina"
Blue team overcame a 21 point first half lead to take down the White
team in this year's Jordan Classic, 124-114. After leading 60-53
at the half, the White team lost its lead in the second half to
a potent Blue team led by point guard Brandon Jennings.
Boxscore
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Brandon
Jennings
Photo: Mike Burnley |
MVPs
Brandon
Jennings (Blue) -- A typical game for the flashy point guard
who has transitioned form the kid and play 'do to the "gumby
fade". Jennings helped lead the blue squad back from a 21 point
first half deficit with a Jordan Classic record 14 assists. He got
off to a bit of a slow start due to all of the stoppages of play.
Once he got going, he did a nice job of running his team and cheering
on teammates from the sideline when he was not in the game. His
outside shot was a bit off; he missed all three of his three-point
attempts. During warm-ups, he showed off his incredible athleticism
with dunks where he had his head closer to the rim than a 6'2"
point guard's noggin should be. During the game, he shows the same
type of explosion by out-quicking defenders, even when it looked
like he was only going half speed. His passing was the most impressive
aspect of his game, and although at times he was too flashy, that's
the nature of all star games. His lack of bulk did hurt him a bit,
however. He did not show that he could take a bump and continue
on a path to the basket if he encounters a defender who can almost
match his quickness (such as Kemba Walker). Jennings is a good fit
for Arizona, which he describes as a "point guard school, [where]
all the great point guards came out of, like Mike Bibby, Jason Terry,
Gilbert Arenas". He finished with 10 points, the aforementioned
14 assists, six rebounds, and two steals.
Tyreke
Evans (White) -- Before the game, Evans explained that he
would have to "score early to get my team on top," and
he did just that. After being upset that he was not the leading
scorer in the scrimmage the previous day, 'Reke got freaky in the
main event, getting by defenders with the low, quick crossovers
and hesitations that he is known for on his way to a game-high 23
points on 15 shots. Evans also did a nice job of seeking contact
and forcing the refs to blow their whistles. He led all players
with nine free throw attempts (converting on seven). He did not
rely too much on his outside shot, a trap that he falls into all-too-frequently.
Evans added four assists, three steals, and five turnovers to his
point total. This was the best Tyreke has looked, and though he
pushes off too often on his dribble drive, he appears to be ready
to make a big impact for Memphis next season.
Other
Performances:
Scotty
Hopson (Blue) -- Bruce Pearl got himself a ballplayer. The
recent Tennessee commit had a memorable performance in the all-star
game. Hopson, an athletic slasher, showed an improving outside shot,
finishing 2/3 from behind the arc for 21 points. He also had a few
nice finishes at the rim, including one where he got fouled and
impressively finished the dunk. Though a bit on the thin side, Scotty
is a very bouncy athlete and should make a solid impact as a scoring
swingman on the next level.
Devin
Ebanks (White) -- The lanky, versatile marksman was able
to hit from the outside as well as finish on a few breaks to score
20 points on a very efficient 8 of 12 shots. He did not show that
he is able to create his own shot off the dribble, but he stuck
to his bread and butter: rising up and shooting over the top of
defenders. His shot is very advanced for a high school player and
gives him a lot of potential. Ebanks is still uncommitted, and said
that he has no leader, though he is considering Texas, Memphis,
West Virginia, and Rutgers.
Demar
DeRozan (Blue) -- Derozan had a highly effective (7-10)
17 points, other than his high flying lay-up which was one of the
more spectacular plays of the game. The 6'5" swingman has springs
in his legs, though he did not utilize them as much as fans would
have liked, other than this play, he hit some spectacular ally oops,
mid-range jumpers and garbage buckets down low. He still needs to
develop more of a killer instinct, but he has the type of athleticism
to make himself one of the elite swingmen in the game.
Samardo
Samuels
(White) -- Samardo was somewhat beastly on the inside, though he
had one of the ugliest 16 points I've seen in a while. His go to
move in the game was to bobble the ball, wait for defenders to go
after it, then pick it up just in the nick of time and score a lay-up
or dunk. Samuels relies on his physical dominance over his peers,
though to be effective, he'll need to add more range to his shot.
His performance, though statistically impressive, did not show that
he can do much besides dunk when left open. He also had five rebounds,
four turnovers, and was two-for-four from the line.
Al-Farouq
Aminu
(White) -- An excellent performance for the Wake Forest commit.
He was the only player to finish with a double-double, but many
of his rebounds were offensive where he was simply catching his
own missed lay-ups (of which he had many). He does deserve a lot
of credit for sticking with it and fighting for balls down low.
He also was able to score by either cutting to the hoop and receiving
passes, or by using an adequate handle to create on his own. He
had one spectacular jam over Witherspoon on the break. He also knocked
down a three pointer. Aminu is skinny now, though he has very broad
shoulders with a long wingspan and should be able to add weight.
He should have an immediate impact at Wake and be a one and done
candidate next year.
Wesley
Witherspoon
(Blue) -- Certainly not one of the best known players in the game,
the uncommitted small forward played well all weekend long. He is
exceptionally skinny, though seems to be wiry strong and has the
ability to be a spectacular defender due to his length and quickness.
He had 13, mostly on slashing baskets within 12 feet of the hoop,
in a very efficient four-of-five shooting effort.
Greg
Monroe (Blue) -- Roy Hibbert's successor had a solid showing.
Forget the hype that Monroe is the best player in this class; his
stock is obviously inflated at this point. Lower your expectations
and you'll see that he did some things worth appreciating. He had
eight rebounds, four of which were offensive. He shot six-of-ten
from the field for 13 points. He had four assists and only one turnover.
Watching the game, Monroe was not a dominant presence, though he
was a good player to have on the floor. He did most of his work
on the inside, though he has a decent outside shot. He also had
one nice jam off the dribble drive. In terms of his role at Georgetown,
he explained "next year I will touch the ball at the top of
the key a lot because of how the offense is run? I will be able
to make plays on the perimeter. [my perimeter shot] should be able
to take my game to the next level."
Malcolm
Lee
(Blue) -- The UCLA commit made a new fan this weekend. After being
arguably the best player on the court (other than Brandon Jennings)
in the scrimmage, Lee made the most of his time on the court. He
only played 18 minutes, though he showed his coach's son approach
by shooting accurately and in appropriate situations, and by taking
care of the ball. He had seven points, four rebounds, four assists,
two steals, and no turnovers. Lee has all of the tools to become
a bigtime NCAA player and NBA prospect.
BJ
Mullens (Blue) -- The behemoth of a man (7'1" 260 lbs)
had a very efficient night. He shot six-of-seven from the field,
and finished with 12 points. In an all-star game setting, it is
often hard for bigmen to get going. Mullens showed his great ability
to run the floor and displayed solid post moves finishing off the
glass. He did fumble the ball a few times on plays that he should
have dunked, but overall had a solid performance.
Kemba
Walker
(White) -- The pesky defender had a fairly average game. After putting
on a shooting clinic during the scrimmage the day before, his shot
was a bit off in the actual game. He finished one-for-six from three
and three-for-eleven from the field. However, he was a steady influence
on the court, and did not make many mistakes. Kemba carries himself
like a true professional and has the perfect point guard's mentality.
He may be a little undersized for the league, but playing under
Coach Calhoun gives him a great shot to develop into an NBA point
guard.
William
Buford (Blue) -- The guard made the most of his playing
time, scoring 13 points in as many minutes. He ran the floor well
and made some good decisions with the ball.
JaMychal
Green (Blue) -- Green started at forward for the blue team.
The Alabama commit had a nice game, finishing with nine points on
eight shots, eight rebounds, and four turnovers. He has bigtime
athleticism but appears to be closer to 6-8 than 6-9, limiting his
potential at the PF position.
Tony
Woods
(White) -- Woods has a good deal of potential due to his extremely
long and powerful frame (listed at 6'11" 230 lbs.), along with
his explosiveness. He should have the opportunity at Wake Forest
to develop into a formidable big man and make himself a player in
a draft a few years down the line. He finished with eight points,
five rebounds, and two blocks in 17 minutes.
Iman
Shumpert (White) -- Shumpert came out strong, with impressive
drives to the hole and nice finishes, though his aggressiveness
may have ended up hurting him in the end. He finished the game with
seven turnovers, though he did dish out five assists and stole the
ball three times. He also took home the Jordan dunk title earlier
in the week.
Jrue
Holiday (Blue) -- The highly regarded West Coast guard had
a disappointing weekend. After a fairly quiet scrimmage, he shot
one-of-nine from the field and have more turnovers than points (six
and five, respectively). Holiday's game may not be best-suited for
the all-star game setting due to his team-first attitude. Regardless,
he's one of the most polished and skilled players heading into college
next season.
Willie
Warren (White) -- Willie was not quite the player he was
in the McD's game. He is capable of torching nets and putting up
points in a hurry, though he struggled to do so in the game. He
was two-of-seven from the field and finished with four points and
five turnovers. He had one spectacular dunk which came out and went
back in.
Ed
Davis
(White) -- The baby faced forward had a quiet and efficient 10 points
and four rebounds. He shot four-of-six from the field. He did not
record any assists, blocks, steals, or turnovers in 15 minutes of
play. His body will be the key for his future.
Michael
Dunigan (White) -- The long armed Oregon recruit struggled
to make an impact with a quiet 2 points on (1-3) shooting in 15
minutes of action. He's a no nonsense interior type who should continue
to add bulk.
Not
in Favor of Potential Draft Rule:
Perhaps it
is no coincidence that the co-MVPs were the most outspoken of the
players whom I interviewed the day before about the possibility
of a rule that would send high schoolers to college for two years
(instead of the current one) before they are able to make themselves
eligible for the NBA draft.
Jennings' take:
"I think it [the rule] would be really unfair. I think that
if a player's ready to go, even out of high school, he should be
able to go. The 2007 class proved that high school players don't
really need a year in college. You take Mike Beasley, Derrick Rose,
they could have went in last year and did their thing."
Tyreke's take:
"I don't like that rule. If you're ready, you're ready, point
blank. If you can go overseas at a young age, why not be able to
go to the NBA at a young age? The draft wouldn't be the same with
the [2 year] rule because you won't have the talent coming out."
2008 JAA Roster
| Pos. |
Name
|
Ht |
Wt |
High
School (Hometown) |
College |
| PF |
Al-Farouq
Aminu |
6-9 |
210 |
Norcross (Norcross, GA)
|
Wake
Forest |
| SG |
William
Buford
|
6-5 |
185 |
Libbey (Toledo, OH) |
Ohio
State |
| PF |
Ed
Davis |
6-8 |
225 |
Benedictine (Richmond, VA)
|
North
Carolina |
| SG |
Demar
DeRozan |
6-6 |
210 |
Compton (Compton, CA) |
USC |
| PF |
Michael
Dunigan |
6-9 |
240 |
Farragut Career Academy (Chicago, IL) |
Oregon |
| SF |
Devin
Ebanks |
6-8 |
185 |
Patterson
(CT) (Queens, NY) |
Indiana |
| PG/SG |
Tyreke
Evans |
6-5 |
205 |
American Christian (Chester, PA) |
Memphis |
| PF |
Drew
Gordon |
6-9 |
230 |
Archbishop
Mitty |
UCLA |
| PF |
JaMychal
Green |
6-9 |
220 |
St. Jude (Montgomery, AL) |
Alabama |
| PG/SG |
Jrue
Holiday |
6-4 |
205 |
Campbell Hall (Chatsworth, CA) |
UCLA |
| SG |
Scotty
Hopson |
6-5 |
180 |
University Heights (Hopkinsville, KY) |
Tennessee |
| PG |
Brandon
Jennings |
6-1 |
170 |
Oak Hill Academy (VA) (Los Angeles, CA) |
Arizona |
| PG/SG |
Malcolm
Lee |
6-4 |
170 |
John W. North ((Moreno Valley, CA)
|
UCLA |
| PF/C |
Greg
Monroe |
6-10 |
240 |
Helen Cox (Gretna, LA) |
Georgetown |
| C |
BJ
Mullens |
7-1 |
260 |
Canal Winchester (Canal Winchester, OH) |
Ohio
State |
| SF |
Delvon
Roe |
6-6 |
205 |
St.
Edward (Euclid, OH) |
Michigan
State |
| PF |
Samardo
Samuels |
6-8 |
250 |
St. Benedict's (NJ) (Montego Bay, Jamaica)
|
Louisville |
| SG |
Iman
Shumpert |
6-4 |
185 |
Oak Park-River Forest (Oak Park, IL) |
Georgia
Tech |
| PG |
Kemba
Walker |
6-1 |
180 |
Rice (Bronx, NY)
|
Connecticut |
| SG |
Willie
Warren |
6-3 |
200 |
North Crowley (Fort Worth, TX) |
Oklahoma |
| SF |
Wesley
Witherspoon |
6-8 |
185 |
Berkmar
(Lilburn, GA) |
Undecided |
| C |
Tony
Woods |
6-10 |
240 |
Rome, (Rome, GA) |
Wake
Forest |
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