2009 GBOA AAU Tournament Recap

By Joshua Motenko, Head Scout

Las Vegas, Nevada

The 2009 AAUs have kicked off and to the displeasure of many, a number of the nation's top players will not be here. #1 rising senior Harrison Barnes is absent. Another highly rated rising senior Brandon Knight is out with a broken foot. A number of players are in Orlando at the Nike event, not to mention the current senior class is considered to be a down year, meaning this year's AAUs is shaping up to be a bit of a dissapointment. But who knows, a number of players are sure to jump up and stand out as we attempt to search for as much potential NBA talent as possible over the next 4 days.

California Supreme (CA) vs. DC Assault

Tony WrotenThe boys from California played well together, led by Keala King, an unselfish do-it-all senior forward, and Jamaal Franklin, a thin yet bouncy 6-5 senior swingman who plays above the rim. Franklin stood out above his teammates because of his aggressive play and smart decisions. He didn’t show the ability to take over this game, but neither did Duke commit Joshua Hairston, the promising senior from Montrose Christian Academy in DC. Both teams fought hard and played team ball, a rarity at any AAU tournament.

Texas Blue Chips (TX) vs. New Heights (NY)

This Texas squad is lead by 6’6” junior forward Adrian Crump. Adrian was very full of himself today, displaying his incredible leaping ability in warm-ups with one spectacular dunk after another. However, in the actual game, after one make his jump shot looked like a slingshot – and wasn’t consistent. He did have to be guarded by New Heights’ best player, Jayvaughn Pinkston, a hulking senior forward who appeared to be a quality all-around player, because Crump simply was the most athletic player on the floor. In Crump’s favor, he is a junior, so he could become a legit NBA prospect with the right coaching. However, his cocky attitude shows lack of discipline and his disinterest in being aggressive without the ball shows that right now, he just doesn’t ‘get it.’

Compton Magic (CA) vs. SYF Players (IN)

The Memphis Magic team was lead by 6’6” swingman Bryce Jones from Inglewood, CA. Jones has a complete offensive game and understands how to play team ball even when he knows he’s the best player on the court. He keeps the ball very low on the dribble, and has a good handle, and an aggressive nature about him. His jump shot has a high arc on it, and his long wingspan allows him to get it off over close defenders. He shies away from contact at times and has a slight frame, but he makes up for it by creating off the dribble and finding teammates in position to score, especially when cutting to the basket. He likes the crossover dribble, but isn’t limited to that move. His movements are actually very compact when attacking the basket -- something that college coaches should take a second look at.

Memphis Magic (TN) vs. Seattle Rotary (WA)

Joshua SmithThe highlight of the day was watching Tony Wroten’s Seattle Rotary team go up against a very tough Memphis Magic squad. Memphis was lead by highly acclaimed 6’7” guard Jalen Kendreick. Jalen protects the ball well, and likes to cuff it when getting into the lane. He’s got a soft touch on his jumper and can pull of off the dribble well. He has a very reliable and diverse offensive game, but didn’t show the ability to really take over and put his team on his skinny shoulders. This is a concern for him going forward. He had help from Adonis Thomas, a rough and athletic 6’6” forward with a nose for the ball, and Joe Jackson, a lightning quick and very steady 6’0” PG. Despite Jackson’s size, his ability to run a team and make the right decisions coupled with his athleticism and ball handling skills make him very intriguing. However, Wroten stole the show.

Wroten often elected to pass off to his teammates, especially 6’9” Center Joshua Smith, who showed a soft touch around the basket and used his bulk well. Wroten showed a great eye for the court overall though, finding all teammates with creative skip passes, helping out on the offensive boards, scooping up loose balls, playing hounding defense and being a general terror. He picked his spots and came down the lane with one spectacularly angry tomahawk jam off a feed from the baseline that gave media, coaches, and fellow players pause. Wroten’s most notable ability, however, is his ability to change directions and show great body control. Physically he is very quick to adjust, whether he’s trying to rise up for a rebound or when attacking the basket. He simply is on another level than the other kids at this tournament. The Seattle Rotary should be renamed ‘the Wrotary,’ after their star player.

Grassroots Canada vs. Belmont Shore (CA)

This game was pretty disappointing as a stacked 15-man Canadian team sponsored by adidas were unable to blow out an 8 player Belmont squad (three of which were underclassman). Several notable players were underwhelming including Tristan Thompson and Myck Kabongo. Thompson came out looking disinterested and appeared to have put on weight. His skill level doesn’t seem to have improved much from last year either. As fluid and mobile as he is, he’s still painfully lacking a position. Thompson is committed to Texas, and has his one more year to get his game together.

Myck Kabongo, another Texas recruit, was active and showed his length and quickness and made some plays in the open floor. But he wasn’t as impressive as we would have liked. His playing time was limited to the amount of quality players on this team, with substitutions often happening five at a time. So it was difficult to get a read on this team. NBADraft.net will keep you updated, as there are several big names on this squad, including point guard Corey Joseph, who didn’t play.

For Belmont, the only bright spot was a slender junior forward by the name of DeAndre Daniels. The 6-8 forward likes to face up and attack the basket off the dribble. He has a good stroke on his jump shot and good range to boot. He used a nice fall away jumper after a couple dribbles into the paint, putting nice touch on it off the glass. Despite his rail thin frame and concaved shoulders, Daniels is a potential player to keep an eye on because of his length and athleticism, especially considering he has two more years left at Taft high school.