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The evening session of the 2009 Peach Jam saw the Howard Pulley
Panthers (MN) match up against the Jackson Tigers (MS).

Harrison
Barnes got off to a slow start missing his first 5 shots, but when he got
it rolling, he was almost unguardable. He made a conscious effort to put the ball
on the floor and get to the bucket and the Tigers had no answer for him. Barnes
has not yet begun to scratch the surface of his ability. He needs to learn how
to use his length and bounce to take full advantage of his gifts. Being the #
1 pick in the 2011 draft is definitely within reach for this 6-8 rising senior
out of Ames, IA. The one major criticism he’s received is that he’s too nice and
too unselfish, but he’ll have time to get nastier and embrace the role of superstar.

In the second game Spiece Indy Heat took on the Houston Hoops. The main attraction
for Spiece is junior point guard Marquis Teague,
younger brother of 2009 first round pick Jeff Teague. The younger Teague is a
jet quick, ultra skilled guard with a great handle and long (6’2 with a 6’7 wingspan).
He can get into the lane at will and has a variety of finishes once he gets inside.
His jumpshot is also a weapon for him as he has range to three and a reliable
midrange game. He has a tendency to play out of control which is something he
will have to hone in order to become the player that he can become. His style
of play would be a perfect fit for the helter skelter system that Louisville runs.
Not coincidentally he has been long rumored to be a heavy Louisville lean for
the last few months. I saw his brother in high school and the younger Teague is
more advanced than his older brother at the same stage, which bodes well for Marquis’
future.

This game also gave hoop fans a glimpse of the future with the play of Houston
Hoops point guard J’Mychal Reese. Reese
is a 6-1 guard out of Texas who most feel is the top point guard in the 2012 class.
He is a lightning quick left handed floor general who is a true point guard in
every sense of the term. He has tremendous poise for such a young player and never
gets rattled. He has a sweet lefty stroke out to three and a handle that allows
him to change directions and stop on a dime at will. His team doesn’t do a real
good job of keeping the ball in his hands as they allow L.J. Rose to handle the
ball a lot and that tends to bog down their offense quite a bit. Reese does need
to get stronger physically, but only being a sophomore he has more than enough
time for that. It is very early, but with natural progression he could potentially
be a top 5 pick when it’s time for him to come out.

Deshaun Thomas of Spiece Indy Heat represented
the negative side of what I saw today. He is basically a 6-6 power forward. He
can step out and knock down the occasional long ball, but he is far from a small
forward at the college level or beyond. He was hyped very early in his career
with good reason, at the time. He has not grown since his freshman year and the
advantages he came into high school with are not serving him quite as well, as
other players in his class have passed him in the skill development department.
His body language and attitude are horrible, which resulted in a technical being
called on him during a game yesterday. He has been an Ohio State commit for the
last 3 years and it will be interesting to see if he ever lives up to the hype
of his younger days. I am willing to give him a pass for his lackluster play,
but in the game and a half that I have watched of him, I don’t see a top 10 nationally
ranked player.

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7 Comments

7 Comments

  1. Reese
    whats amazing is he’s a 6’1 point guard now while only 14 or 15 thats bigger then some 1st rounders this year, by the time he’s in college he’ll be 6’5 with rididculous skills, same for that other kid Shabaz Muhamed or something he might have one year on Reese but i think he’s 6’3

  2. ipowers abuses power with this article, not professional
    You are writing about the top players in the nation in this article. Deshaun Thomas has worked very hard in the gym and in the classroom to improve himself. He has also been a solid citizen as he has never once been in any kind of trouble. In his hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana he has twice been the recipient of the Gooden Award which is given out as much for character as it is for athletic excellence. He is the only two time winner of the award and should win it again following his senior season.

    In your article, you clearly state, “in the game and a half that I have watched of him,”. Forget what every top collegiate coach has said, forget what Vince Carter and LeBron James said after playing with him, forget everything, you watched him for 3 halves with a running clock and are going to completely bash the kid.

    These kids are a work in progress, over a long period of time. They play how many hundreds of games a summer? Do you feel like going to work everyday? Body fatigue, injury, travel, family situations, and many other factors come into play with these kids that are sent all over the country and expected to be in top form day after day so that shoe companies, tournament sponsors, and SCOUTING SERVICE WRITERS, can all make a lot of money. If you are going to prosper off a kid then do your research and be fair.

    Fort Wayne Bishop Luers had a career winning percentage of .317 over a 44 year history and had never won a single sectional, holiday tournament or conference championship in one of Indiana’s toughest conferences. Head Coach Blackmon had winning seasons his first two years at Luers. Thomas then arrived and Luers has won back to back state championships and has won 11 of the last 12 tournaments that they have played in. He will probably graduate as the all time scoring and rebounding leader in the state and will be one of only 3 players to ever score over 3,000 points and one of 4 players to grab more than 1,500 rebounds. I have been fortunate to be on the Luers staff for the past three years and have seen first hand what Thomas has had to go through in his young life and the quality kid that he has become.

    Next time do some research and get the whole story before you bash a good kid when you do not know everything he was actually going through the day, you saw him play 3 halves with a running clock ,and made your complete evaluation of him. That was wrong, but you do get your, freedom of speech.

  3. Reese
    JM Reese is every Coach’s dream. To have a Floor-General who never gets raddled and always seems to be 3 or 4 possesions ahead of his opponents is what every successful program desires. Not only will he be a excellant ball player but he’ll be an outstanding person in the future as well! I would hate to be apart of the program who passed on the opportunity of recruiting this young man!

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