[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

http://www.thecrimson.com/blog/the-back-page/article/2012/2/28/wright-portsmouth-invitational/

Yet another Crimson standout has secured the opportunity to play in front of scores of NBA scouts. Following in the footsteps of Jeremy Lin ’10, Harvard senior forward Keith Wright was named as one of 64 elite members of the Class of 2012 to be invited to the annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Portsmouth, Va.

 

 

The tournament, held Apr. 11-14, takes place less than thirty minutes by car away from Wright’s hometown of Suffolk, Va.

 

“It’s a great honor, especially because that’s where I’m from," Wright said. "I used to go to the Portsmouth games when I was a sophomore in high school.”

 

 

Wright will compete on one of eight teams in a four-day single-elimination tournament. Other confirmed participants include Virignia’s Mike Scott and Xavier’s Tu Holloway, giving Wright the chance to prove his merit against best-in-class talent, in front of representatives for NBA teams.

If he needs any extra motivation to perform, Wright should look no further than his own former teammate, current New York Knicks point guard Lin. In the 2010 tournament, Lin averaged 10 points and 6 assists per game. Though he went undrafted, the Golden State Warriors signed Lin to a two-year contract several weeks later, thanks in part to the attention he received from the Portsmouth Invitational.

 

But Wright has yet to confer with Lin about the matter.

 

“I talked to him…before the whole ‘Linsanity’ thing started," Wright said. "But I just want to leave him alone."

 

This weekend, the NBA sensation and Portsmouth alum has a date in Boston with the Celtics on Sunday, while the Crimson star and Portsmouth invitee has an Ivy League title to lock down with games at Columbia and Cornell this weekend.

 

“I plan on focusing on the now, but [the invite] is a great honor,” Wright said.

 

—————————————-

Wright is one of the more intriguing small conference players for me. He is one of those guys who is probably playing over his conference. He went to Harvard because it is Harvard, not because there wasn’t interest from higher profile teams. He is a good athlete, smart, and has nice touch. His four-year track record against good teams is impressive when considering the snail’s pace of Harvard. The tournament and Portsmouth can probably raise his profile. Whether he gets drafted or not, it would not surprise me if he does well in the summer league. 

 

[dragons12Participant]

 why does jeremy lin have to be mentioned with every single thing that deals with asians and/or harvard? he doesnt represent everyone and im sure people would like their own identity

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

More names, (multiple links that lead to spam blocking)

Committed

Reggie Hamilton, Oakland (leading NCAA D1 in scoring)

Jason Clark, Georgetown

Bradford Burgess, VCU

Invited

Yancey Gates, Cincy

 

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

More names, (multiple links that lead to spam blocking)

Kyle Weems, Missouri State

Zack Rosen, Penn

[JoeWolf1]

 I like Kyle Weems, he’s versitile 6’6” 230 lbs or so, definately has an NBA body, good defender, good on the drive, good rebounding small forward, well rounded.  He started off the season pretty poorly after winning MVC player of the year last season, but is a better offensive player than his 41% shooting indicates.

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/09/sports/ncaabasketball/for-florida-state-center-military-was-a-steadying-influence.html

By RAY GLIER

Bernard James, a 6-foot-10 Florida State forward, truly could not walk down a sidewalk and chew gum at the same time when he was 12. He wore size 15 shoes, and his hands were the size of a catcher’s mitt at the end of scraggy arms, which added to his imbalance. He referred to his feet as clown’s feet, and schoolmates referred to him as St. Bernard, as if he were a big goofy dog.

 

“I would be just walking along and then fall,” James, who grew up in Savannah, Ga., said. “It was flat pavement, too. I just fell down over my big feet.”

 

But when it came time to run for his life, James knew how to stay on his feet.

 

It was June 2007, and James was on his third tour of duty for the United States Air Force as a security officer for the 9th security forces squadron. Mortar rounds started to cascade around Camp Bucca in southern Iraq where James’s unit was holding 2,000 detainees in one area of the fort. United States servicemen and prisoners scrambled for cover. One 40-millimeter round landed 90 feet away from James and took down a 25-foot tall chain link fence and killed 6 detainees and wounded 68 others, he said.

 

James had dropped out of high school when he was 17, having not played a minute of high school basketball, and he joined the military to sort out his life. That led him from Qatar to Kuwait, to Iraq, to a gym at an Air Force base in California, to a junior college and now to Florida State.

 

As a 27-year-old senior, James is averaging 10.4 points and 8.3 rebounds and has a team-high 69 blocks for the 17th-ranked Seminoles (21-9, 12-4), who are seeded third in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament and will play Miami on Friday night.

 

James is considered one of the A.C.C.’s best defensive players, something he credits to his six years in the military. During that time, he experienced a 20-minute mortar barrage, and a growth spurt so sudden — from 6-5 to 6-10 — that he found himself bumping his head on the tops of doors one morning when he was 22 and becoming a basketball prospect.

 

“A lot of things went right where they could have gone wrong,” said James, who expects to graduate with an economics degree this spring. “Miraculously, things went right.”

 

James has been invited to the Portsmouth Invitational in April, a chance for college players to earn an invitation to N.B.A. fall camps. What scouts will see is that James has the wingspan of a 7-3 player who runs well, shares the ball, defends and rebounds. If the N.B.A. does not recognize his skill, there is always Europe. War has already given him international experience.

 

“I’m just riding the train,” James said. “I’m enjoying basketball; I will play it as long as I can, and when this opportunity is over, I will move on to something else. All this right now feels like a bonus.”

 

Ten years ago, there were no signs life would offer James a bonus. He was a high school sophomore when he stopped attending classes and started wandering the streets during the day, frequently freeloading at a local bookstore, reading science fiction novels. He was 6-5 as a freshman at Windsor Forest High School but did not make the basketball team. Coaches would track him down in the hallways and tell him to work harder. In his mind, though, the coaches owed him something.

 

“I was a knucklehead kid and I said, ‘Man, you coaches cut me; I’m not playing for you,’ ” James said. “The truth is I should have been cut. I was just a bitter kid at that point.

 

“I was kind of forgotten about growing up because I was always quiet and a little sneaky, too. My parents always focused their attention on my brothers who were always in their face doing stuff and getting in trouble. I was getting away with stuff, and no one was holding me accountable for anything.”

 

James’s parents gave their consent for him to join the military, and he began clearing all the debris in his path. Before signing on with the Air Force, he earned his G.E.D. and began to respect authority. Once with the Air Force, he rose in rank to staff sergeant and then rose in height. When he was not deployed, he stayed in the gym at Beale Air Force Base and started laying the foundation for his game.

 

James eventually made it on to the United States military’s combined services basketball team, which competes against 122 other countries in military championships. He was 23 when a referee walked up to him after a game in Las Vegas and told him he was going to start calling college coaches about him.

 

 

 “It was a compliment, a nice thing to say to me, but I shrugged it off, never thought again about it,” James said.

A few weeks later, James said his mother told him Leonard Hamilton, the Florida State coach, was calling the house.

 

James went to Tallahassee Community College for two years before joining the Seminoles as a junior last season. He averaged 8.6 points and 5.9 rebounds as Florida State went 23-11 and reached the Round of 16 in the N.C.A.A. tournament. He is not the clumsy St. Bernard to these teammates, nor is he a larger-than-life character because of war experience.

 

“Bernard is such a humble person that you don’t have to change anything to accommodate him,” Hamilton said. “He wants to fit in. He does not want to impose his experiences upon anyone. The fact is he is in an area where maybe some of the younger players are more experienced than him. He demonstrates humility, but when time comes up to speak, he says what’s on his mind.”

 

James appears at ease in the Florida State offense: he does not rush shots or look for the long-range basket, instead relying mostly on putbacks around the rim, or short left-handed shots off a pass. Florida State guards Michael Snaer and Ian Miller are aggressive with the ball, and James can go unnoticed in the post.

He plays with aplomb in most games, but James can be just like any player and lose his poise. In the Seminoles’ 63-60 victory against Virginia on Thursday, James and Cavaliers guard Joe Harris collided at midcourt and James kicked at Harris in the stomach while they were on the floor. James was ejected. Hamilton mouthed the words “Don’t do that” from the sideline as James got up.

 

It is not often Hamilton has to scold James, the oldest player on a team that includes two graduate students and three other seniors. But the military steered James in the right direction, and that might have been what prompted him to send a letter of apology to Virginia Coach Tony Bennett.

 

“The military put pressure on me to excel and to fall in line and be part of a team,” James said. “I never wanted to be told how to do things. That’s what I needed to get things on the right path.”

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

Read more: http://www.journaltimes.com/sports/bucks-beat-nba-scouts-ready-to-check-out-state-prospects/article_626a6a0e-6b3a-11e1-86ce-001871e3ce6c.html#ixzz1opbxfqjE

As a close friend, Jimmy Butler has some advice for Jae Crowder:

Don’t blow off the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.

Butler, a former teammate of Crowder’s at Marquette University and now a rookie for the Chicago Bulls, can speak from experience.

Butler accepted an invitation to play in the PIT last year and seized the moment, winning the Most Valuable Player award before a horde of NBA general managers and scouting personnel.

Butler’s stellar showing undoubtedly bolstered his stock, considering the fact many NBA officials had regarded him as a second-round pick prior to the event. Butler wound up being chosen late in the first round and receiving a guaranteed contract.

“I think it’s really important to go there,” Butler said. “Sure, it can help your stock, but more important, you want to show people that you like to compete and that’s what basketball is all about.”

Crowder made a commitment to PIT officials about two weeks ago. But he was recently chosen the Big East Conference Player of the Year and now PIT officials are wondering if he might change his mind because his perceived value has soared.

But, according to some NBA scouts, that isn’t the case. They still project him as a late second-round pick.

At 6-foot-5, scouts claim Crowder has more of a power forward’s game and have concerns about his perimeter shooting skills.

Crowder is one of three college seniors from Wisconsin who have committed to the PIT, which will run from April 11-14 at Portsmouth, Va.

The others are Crowder’s teammate Darius Johnson-Odom, a combo guard, and University of Wisconsin point guard Jordan Taylor.

Johnson-Odom was an all-Big East Conference first-team selection and Taylor was an all-Big Ten Conference first-team choice.

According to several NBA scouts, Johnson-Odom and Taylor are on the draft bubble.

The PIT, which is now in its 60th year, is a showcase for 64 college seniors. Two other former Marquette players who recently competed in the PIT were Wesley Matthews, now with the Portland Trail Blazers, and Steve Novak, now with the New York Knicks.

Besides Crowder and Johnson-Odom, some other Big East Conference players who are expected to be at the PIT are Seton Hall’s Herb Pope, Pittsburgh’s Ashton Gibbs, Georgetown’s Henry Sims and Jason Clark, Cincinnati’s Yancy Gates, Syracuse’s Scoop Jardine and West Virginia’s Darryl Bryant.

Besides Taylor, the only other Big Ten player committed to the PIT is Iowa’s leading scorer Matt Gatens.

* The Bucks’ scouting staff was spread out around the country last week, watching conference tournament games.

Bucks general manager John Hammond took in the Southeast Conference Tournament, where a slew of first-round prospects participated.

In Saturday’s Florida-Kentucky SEC semifinal game alone, there were at least three lottery locks. Kentucky center Anthony Davis, the consensus No. 1 pick, small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Florida shooting guard Bradley Beal were on the court. What’s more, Kentucky power forward Terrence Jones and Florida’s power forward Patric Young are also likely mid first-round selections.

* One NBA official suggests this blockbuster trade, one that has my full endorsement: The L.A. Clippers send power forward Blake Griffin and center DeAndrae Jordan to Orlando for Dwight Howard. Howard teams with Chris Paul to make the Clippers an instant title contender, and Griffin and Jordan form the foundation of a young, entertaining and instantly-contending Eastern Conference title team

* With so many teams still wanting backup bigs, it’s only a matter of time before former Bucks center Dan Gadzuric lands on his feet. Philadelphia, Miami and the Clippers are showing interest in him.

* I’ve heard the Bucks have been offered a “young, All-Star type point guard” for center Andrew Bogut. If that is true, and the Bucks took up that offer, would that mean current point guard Brandon Jennings could be jettisoned as well? Yes, it would.

* Dwyane Wade has never been a good 3-point shooter, but this season he’s just been awful. Wade, a career 29 percent 3-point shooter, is a dreadful 16 percent, hitting on 3 of 19 shots from beyond the arc.

 

 

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

Somewhat surprising rosters. I was a tad surprised to see Jae Crowder not there. There are a pair of D3 players Bryant Voiles of Augustana (IL) and David Michaels of Whitman (WA) as well as a pair of D2 players in Braydon Hobbs of Bellarmine (KY) and Jet Change BYU-Hawaii.
——————————————–
Cherry, Bekaert & Holland
Coaches : Larry Smith & Ben Moore
# Last Name College Pos Ht Wt PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3PT% FT%
33 Holman, Eli Detroit C 6′ 10″ 260 10.9 6.8 0.8 0.7 1.4 61.3 0 59.5
41 Mangano, Greg Yale F 6′ 10″ 240 18.2 9.7 0.5 0.5 2.2 47.3 33 66.7
42 Wright, Keith Harvard F 6′ 8″ 240 10.7 8.1 0.6 0.5 1.4 59.4 0 64.9
15 Anderson, Larry Long Beach State G 6′ 5″ 210 14 5 3.1 1.9 0.3 49.1 41.9 69.8
5 Clark, Jason Georgetown G 6′ 2″ 170 14.5 4.2 1.8 1.7 0.3 48.8 33.9 74.3
22 Hamilton, Reggie Oakland G 5′ 11″ 176 25.7 3.9 4.9 2 0.1 44.4 41.6 87.4
13 Stanback, Chace UNLV G 6′ 8″ 215 12.7 4.5 1.3 0.9 0.4 46.3 46.4 82
2 Taylor, Jordan Wisconsin G 6′ 1″ 195 14.7 3.7 4 1 0 39.9 35.5 78.1
K&D Rounds Landscaping
Coaches : Jim Markey & Patrick Dulin
# Last Name College Pos Ht Wt PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3PT% FT%
30 Dendy, LaRon Middle Tennessee C 6′ 9″ 235 14.6 7.1 2.1 0.6 1.4 53 30.8 57.4
35 Jones, Jarrod Ball State F 6′ 9″ 234 14.7 8.7 0.8 0.7 0.8 48.2 37.1 76.8
33 Moore, Cameron UAB F 6′ 10″ 230 16.1 10.5 1.3 0.6 2.4 48.3 21.7 61.3
20 Sanders, Rakim Fairfield F 6′ 5″ 210 16.8 8.3 2.3 1.4 0.3 49.5 31.5 64.2
10 Bazemore, Kent Old Dominion G 6′ 5″ 195 15.4 5.9 3.2 2.1 0.3 41.5 32.4 64.1
24 Bryant, Darryl West Virginia G 6′ 2″ 195 17.2 3.1 2.8 1.4 0.1 36.2 30.8 78.4
22 Hinkle, Charles American G 6′ 5″ 205 18.4 5.4 1.8 0.9 0.4 40.6 41.9 83.8
5 Rosen, Zack Pennsylvania G 6′ 1″ 170 18.5 3.3 5.2 1.4 0.1 45.6 40.4 89.2
Mike Duman
Coaches : Max Gillespie & Jerry Hasty
# Last Name College Pos Ht Wt PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3PT% FT%
0 English, Kim Missouri F 6′ 6″ 200 14.5 4.2 1.6 1.3 0.3 52.1 45.9 72.5
13 Mavunga, Julian Miami (OH) F 6′ 8″ 232 16.4 9 3.4 0.9 0.6 44.1 30.5 73.4
12 Robinson, T.J. Long Beach State F 6′ 8″ 205 12 10.2 0.8 0.6 0.1 52.4 0 70.9
11 Sampson III, Ralph Minnesota F 6′ 11″ 241 7.9 4.7 1.9 0.3 1.3 47.3 0 86
3 Weems, Kyle Missouri State F 6′ 6″ 226 15.6 7.2 1.4 0.6 0.6 41.4 40.4 78.1
1 Fernandez, Juan Temple G 6′ 4″ 195 11.4 2.8 3.9 1 0.2 40.5 43.4 81.6
2 Gibbs, Ashton Pittsburgh G 6′ 2″ 190 15.5 2.4 2.2 0.6 0.1 38.7 33.2 86.1
4 Kuric, Kyle Louisville G 6′ 4″ 195 13.1 4.4 1.3 1.3 0.5 43.1 33.7 81.3
Norfolk Sports Club
Coaches : Mike Head & Mark Butts
# Last Name College Pos Ht Wt PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3PT% FT%
12 Gilchrist, Agustus South Florida F 6′ 10″ 245 10.3 5 0.5 0.5 1.2 40.1 30 71
4 McKines, Wendell New Mexico State F 6′ 6″ 230 18.8 10.8 1.6 0.8 0.4 45.9 35.2 75.7
13 Watt, Mitchell Buffalo F 6′ 10″ 225 16.1 7.5 2.4 0.6 2.2 55.4 32.4 74.2
2 Bost, Dee Mississippi State G 6′ 2″ 176 15.6 3.3 5.3 2 0.2 39.1 34.3 75.9
3 Hobbs, Braydon Bellarmine G 6′ 5″ 185 12.2 3.7 5.7 1.9 1.2 47.4 42.4 86.8
5 Morrison, Dominique Oral Roberts G 6′ 6″ 210 19.8 4.3 1.6 0.8 0.4 48.8 42.3 82.5
1 Westbrook, Charlie South Dakota G 6′ 4″ 208 18.7 4 2.2 1.7 0.9 46.4 38.9 76.6
14 Young, Alex IUPUI G 6′ 6″ 212 20.4 5.9 2.2 1.6 1 42.4 33.9 81.7
Portsmouth Partnership
Coaches : Dave Trickler & Eric Acra
# Last Name College Pos Ht Wt PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3PT% FT%
14 Idlet, Steven Tulsa C 6′ 11″ 247 10.6 5.3 1.3 0.5 1 52.7 50 73.7
12 Gates, Yancy Cincinnati F 6′ 9″ 260 12.3 9.4 0.8 0.7 0.9 47.5 50 58.6
13 Green, JaMychal Alabama F 6′ 8″ 240 14 7.4 1.8 0.7 1.5 54.6 20 69
11 Michaels, David Whitman F 6′ 7″ 215 20 6 1.6 1.3 0.6 55 46.3 78.8
2 Barbour, Nick High Point G 6′ 3″ 175 20.4 2.5 1.4 1.1 0.4 44.6 48.4 82.9
4 Bellfield, Oscar UNLV G 6′ 2″ 190 9.8 2.2 5.3 1.1 0.3 40.3 35.8 78.9
5 Burgess, Bradford Virginia Commonwealth G 6′ 6″ 225 13.5 5.2 1.5 1.1 0.3 36.4 36.4 80.1
3 Theodore, Jordan Seton Hall G 6′ 0″ 174 16 3.1 6.6 1.8 0.1 38.4 32.3 82.7
Portsmouth Sports Club
Coaches : Tony Holloway & P.J. Honore
# Last Name College Pos Ht Wt PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3PT% FT%
0 Sims, Henry Georgetown C 6′ 10″ 232 11.7 6.2 3.5 0.7 1.4 46.5 0 70.4
21 Glover, Michael Iona F 6′ 7″ 215 18.5 9.3 0.9 0.8 1.2 64.7 0 68.2
25 O’Quinn, Kyle Norfolk State F 6′ 10″ 240 15.9 10.3 1.4 0.7 2.6 57.3 18.8 69.6
22 Voiles, Bryant Augustana F 6′ 9″ 209 14.2 7.2 1.8 0.8 0.5 40.6 31.6 83
23 Joseph, Devoe Oregon G 6′ 4″ 177 16.7 3.8 3.3 1.4 0.1 47.3 41.8 79.5
2 Moore, Ramone Temple G 6′ 4″ 190 17.6 4.3 3.5 1.1 0.2 43 38.6 76.8
1 Murphy, Kevin Tennessee Tech G 6′ 7″ 185 21.1 5.3 2.4 0.8 0.2 44.8 42.9 72.8
3 Walker, Erving Florida G 5′ 8″ 177 12.1 2.8 4.7 1 0 39.9 37.1 81.3
Roger Brown’s
Coaches : Billy Mann & John Kelly
# Last Name College Pos Ht Wt PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3PT% FT%
22 Stutz, Garrett Wichita State C 7′ 0″ 255 13.5 8 1.1 0.4 1 55.6 32.3 82.1
14 Henry, Terrance Mississippi F 6′ 9″ 210 12.2 4.3 0.5 0.5 1 45.4 34.7 73.2
24 Horton, Ken Central Connecticut F 6′ 6″ 198 19 8.9 1.7 2.1 1.4 49.1 31.3 80.2
23 Ratliffe, Ricardo Missouri F 6′ 8″ 240 13.5 7.2 0.7 0.6 0.9 71.7 0 65.8
20 Witherspoon, Wesley Memphis F 6′ 9″ 207 7.2 3.6 1.1 1.5 0.4 44.7 36.5 36.5
25 Gutierrez, Jorge California G 6′ 3″ 195 13.1 5.3 401 1.2 0.1 44.5 32 74.6
11 Jardine, Scoop Syracuse G 6′ 2″ 190 9.1 2.4 4.8 1.4 0.1 48.3 38.6 55.4
10 Robinson, Gerald Georgia G 6′ 1″ 180 14.2 3.8 3.6 1.3 0.1 43.3 36.6 79.7
Sales Systems Ltd
Coaches : Leo Anthony & Martin Oliver
# Last Name College Pos Ht Wt PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3PT% FT%
12 Gibson, Xavier Florida State F 6′ 11″ 248 7.4 4.8 0.4 0.5 1.2 49.7 27.8 67.6
13 Griffin, Eric Campbell F 6′ 8″ 190 15.7 8.6 1.5 0.9 2.4 61 36.7 56.8
4 Johnson, Chris Dayton F 6′ 6″ 201 12.1 6.3 1.5 0.8 0.7 46.1 38.6 86.4
3 Pope, Herb Seton Hall F 6′ 8″ 236 15.2 10.3 1.4 1 1.6 47.1 35.6 61
5 Chang, Jet BYU-Hawaii G 6′ 4″ 190 17.8 3.5 2 1.5 0.3 41.7 30.1 66.4
2 Fogg, Kyle Arizona G 5′ 6″ 188 13.7 3.8 2.1 1.1 0.4 42.1 44.1 79.5
10 Gatens, Matt Iowa G 6′ 5″ 212 15.7 3.7 1.9 1.5 0.2 48.1 42.6 85.9
1 Ware, Casper Long Beach State G 5′ 10″ 175 17.4 2.4 3.3 1.4 0.1 40.7 36.1 79.7

[Author]

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