And 1 High School Tournament Saturday June 21, 2003
Baltimore players shine at And 1 tournament!!
Despite their respective schools not making a championship performance (aside from Archbishop Spaulding), Baltimore area players made lasting impressions. Towson Catholic, Poly, and Walbrook showed that Baltimore talent can compete with the best.
We watched Towson Catholic in a win against Flowers HS. Again Jamal Smith looked good and Darren Hopkins made strong contributions! TC was without its big men.
Jamal Smith (Towson Catholic HS, Senior, 6'4) Did most of his damage in the post with and array of spin moves that left him with wide open shots. When the shots were contested he displayed some hang time and creativity to draw fouls and still get the shot off.
Darren Hopkins (Towson Catholic HS, Senior, 6'1) Darren is a strong no mistakes point guard that hit his open shots and made crisp pinpoint passes. We like Darren's build, he has a strong body and understands how to contribute to team victories.
Carol Mitchell (Towson Catholic HS, Junior, 5'7) Like Darren, Carol doesn't make mistakes. He has a sweet and accurate three point stroke. Carol has tons of experience under his belt despite being only a junior.
Walbrook lost a close one to Largo in their first matchup but several players looked good. Due to their strong contingent of underclassmen, this year's losses will be next year's wins.
Edward "Butts" Tyson (Walbrook HS, Junior, 6'1) He keeps growing on us due to his aggressiveness on the defensive end. He can defend the point guard, shooting guard and small forward positions effectively and efficiently. He can also play all three positions on offense. On offense he doesn't take bad shots and he never forces the action, on defense he causes players to rush their shots and make last second decisions.
Velmar "Rocky" Coleman (Walbrook HS, Junior, 6'3) Rocky is another of Walbrook's versatile players. He can play the point, shooting guard, and small forward. He has a solid handle and passes very well.
We have to have another look at Nicholas Woodard, Jimmy Conyers, and Dajuan Davis. They were effective and played very well. Based on their play here, they are bound to be subjects of future CharmCityHoops.com reports.
We watched Poly competitively battle Dematha. Dematha earned a double digit victory but Poly left a lasting impression and gained some invaluable experience and confidence.
Mike Turner (Poly HS, Junior, 5'8 PG) He did it again, he showed us something that we didn't know he had in his bag of tricks. Mike showed the ability to create space to get his shot off. He used his outside shot early in the game, which led to easy penetrating opportunities.
Poly has other underclassmen that make them worth watching during the high school season.
Beast of the East Saturday June 14, 2003
Baltimore Select 17 and under won the championship in its bracket in impressive fashion. The two games we watched were team dominated games as everyone contributed to the victories. In the first games, Select ruled the offensive and defensive glass. The score was 37-15 at halftime of the first game and the final score was 71-30. The second game was more of the same for Select as they faced a more competitive team. Select was up 33-28 at halftime and the final score was 62-57. Despite the close score, Select never lost control of the game.
Erin Henderson (Aberdeen HS, Junior, 6'3) -Took home MVP honors for his superior play. Erin is a true athlete, everyone knows he is a super football prospect, however he is fine basketball player as well. We dare anyone to find a stronger player under 6'5. If your able to find a stronger player, Erin will outwork him. Yes, Erin is a great run jump athlete, he is also good shooter, has a soft touch, strong hands, understands positioning, need we go on? The only thing we haven't seen Erin do is get tired.
Barry Jennifer (Dunbar HS, Junior, 6'6) - Barry did almost everything a ball player can do, cleaned the glass, scored, hustled for loose balls and played D. This was the best we've seen Barry play. At 6'6, Barry has a strong body, a lot of skills and is still getting better. Barry is already good at a lot of things but now he is moving beyond being good and working on polishing his skill set.
Mitch Guest (Glen Burnie HS, Junior 5'10) - What can we say that we haven't said before. Mitch just gets the job done. He again showed the ability to get to the basket at will by going left or right. He proved that he could thread the needle with a pin point pass through traffic to a cutting player for an easy lay-up. Mitch also made good decisions on the break like a point guard should.
Keith Mallory (Woodlawn HS, Junior 6'2) - Keith is one of those guys that coaches love to have on the team because of his work ethic. Keith never stops hustling and is relentless. He gives 100% no matter the situation. In the two games he played on Saturday, we thought he was flawless. He hit his shots, never forced the action, played defense and kept working.
Patrick Seymour (Northwestern HS, Junior) - Like Keith Mallory, Patrick is a coaches dream because of his game time work ethic. Despite his slight frame, Patrick doesn't mind slithering through the paint for penetrating drives. He has good form on his shot and the more he plays the better he looks. Patrick has tons of potential and the more time he spends with Select this summer the better he will be.
Dominique Venable (Randallstown HS, Soph, 6'2) and Courtney Thomas played with the 17 and under team.
Baltimore Select 16 under went 2-2 for the weekend but several players had very strong performances. Saturday's first game for the 16 and under team resulted in a loss but Mike Turner, Troy Smith and Edward "Butts" Tyson showed and proved.
In the second game the 16 and under team rebounded from the loss and put together a team win. Again Mike Turner, Edward, Tyson, Troy Smith stepped up, but Ryan Hourahan, Aaron Bolds, Courtney Thomas and 8th grader Belovett Rogers contributed.
Courtney Thomas (Mt St. Joe HS, Sophomore, 6'3) - Courtney is Mr. Hustle. He played with both the 17 and 16 team this weekend and did what he always do, hustle for loose balls, shows energy, emotion, and determination. Courtney has the work ethic and energy that will make him better. He also wants to play as much as possible to get better. With those characteristics, we can't help but like Courtney!
Troy Smith (Douglas HS, Sophomore, 6'1 SG) - Troy is obviously offensively talented! However the scary part of Troy's game is that all he needs is patience! He can take you off the dribble and create space to get his shot off. But what most surprised us watching Troy on Saturday was his ability to move without the ball and run his man off of picks to get open, he made it look so easy and more importantly it resulted in easy open shots. Troy is more than a capable rebounder and defender, when motivated. The more we see of Troy, the more we want to watch him.
Edward "Butts" Tyson (Walbrook HS, Sophomore, 6'1) - Butts is one tough customer. He is super strong and smart. Butts took his man off of the dribble, scored in traffic repeatedly, and rebounded with the big men. Because of his strength it is easy to underestimate his talent and smarts; however, the more we watched him the more confident we felt that he can carry a team.
Mike Turner (Poly HS, Sophomore, 5'8 PG) - The first time we saw Mike, it was obvious that he has a shooters touch; however we were not sold on his ability to penetrate. Mike, we will not doubt you again. It seems as though everytime we question Mike's ability, he proves us wrong. He can get into the lane and can shoot and most importantly plays to win!
Beloved Rogers (8th grader, will be attending Loyola, 5'11) - Because we probably misspelled his first name, we will call him Mr. Rogers. He is about 5'11 with long arms, long legs and what appears to be a size 13 shoe. We are going to go out on a limb and guess that he will probably grow another several inches. He is still learning to run yet he moves his feet very well defensively! They tell us he has no problem dunking the ball. What a bright future he has!
Charlie Weber at Penn State Saturday June 14, 2003
Even though CharmCityHoops.com was not in attendance, we got the scoop on the Charlie Weber. Coach Harvey gave us the keys to their championship at Charlie Weber.
The keys go by the names of Jujuan Robinson, Jerrell Green, Davon Allen, Nathan Irby, and Nicholas Woodard.
Led by Jerrell Green with 27 points and Jujuan Robinson with 23 points, the Bombers blew out New York Elite by 20 points.
The next game was against the Tim Thomas Playaz with J.R. Smith and Alex Galindo. This matchup pitted JR Smith against Ice Robinson. Guess who won? Jujuan Robinson and the Bombers did. J.R. Smith had 17 points but the Bomber won by 8 points thanks to the 31 point effort by Jujuan Robinson, Davon Allen with 20 points and double digit rebounds and Jerrell Green with 19 points and 6 assists.
The Bombers next game was against Coastal Pops but again led by Jujuan with 27 points and Jerrell with 18 points the Bombers put away Coastal by 11 points.
The Championship game was much of the saem for the Bombers. Baltimore Blue was without Will Thomas, who was out on a recruiting visit, which made the Bombers job much easier. The Bombers were led by Nathan Irby with 25 points and Nicholas Woodard with 15 as Jujuan and Jerrell rested.
We were told that Aris Williams played well he scored, rebounded, blocked shots and looked the part of an athletic big man. We understand that Jerrell Green has received some interest from Minnesota and Binghamton is interested in both Jerrell Green and Davon Allen.
High School Team Camp at LaSalle University in Philadelphia June 14, 2003
Amauro Austin, Philadelphia High School Basketball Guru and friend of CharmCityHoops.com, updated us on the play of McDonough High School at the LaSalle University team camp. McDonough went undefeated Friday and Saturday and was the best team there.
Justin Drummond (McDonough, Junior, 6'4, 2/3) was the best player and took home MVP honors with his versatile play.
Dajuan Summers (McDonogh, Freshman, 6'7) Amauro stated "Dajuan is the best player in his class, I don't have to see the rest". Dajuan is a SF/PF that may grow another 2 to 3 inches. He played hard, finished strong, dives on the floor after loose balls, all great characteristics for a potential superstar. .
Along with Dajuan and Justin, McDonough also received help from two 6'3 athletic workhorses in Darius Heyward and Tony Lott. The two strong bodied athletes did all of the dirty work to push McDonough to the head of the camp.
Baltimore Select Shootout Saturday May 17, 2003
Baltimore Select held a very good event. My largest concern about the larger AAU events is that there are so many games going at several sites from 8AM until 10PM, it is impossible to catch all of the games that are of interest, however the Select Shootout was not that way. It was a strong event with 8 games in one building lasting from approximately 2PM until 8 PM.
I watched several games and including what I called the marquee matchup between Baltimore Select Orange versus DC Assault.
- The marquee matchup of Baltimore Select Orange versus DC Assault was a matchup of Richard Dorsey vs Jared "JRock" Gaither and Dewayne Anderson vs Darnell Harris. The Gaither and Anderson led DC Assault won the toughly contested game but Darnell Harris was the star!!
- I called the Dorsey-Gaither matchup a win for Dorsey as I think he did more in the game for his team in terms of productivity. Dorsey can fly, and is an unparalleled 6'8 muscle man athlete. He should be playing for Bob Huggins at Cincinatti! He is tough, fearless, and unstoppable when he wants to be! Only Richard Dorsey will stop Richard Dorsey, he can play anywhere in the country if he makes up his mind to do so. He is a shot blocking, rebounding, dunking mad man!
- Dewayne Anderson played a good game, he played strong D, he made 3 pointers, finished on the break and got to the hoop. However the game belonged to Baltimore's Darnell Harris of St. Frances HS!
- The first quarter belonged to Baltimore in an up and down shooting spree that resulted in Darnell Harris knocking down 3 three poitners and ending the quarter with 10 points. At the end of the quarter Baltimore was up 24-16.
- The second quarter was more DC s as Darnell's torrid shooting spree cooled off slightly. Darnell ended the half with 13 points and the score was tied 38-38.
- The 3rd quarter was a see-saw battle ith Assult being up then Baltimore being up as Harris went back to work. Darnell Harris scored on back to back drives, one being a left handed layup the other being a right handed layup. Harris had scored 19 points by the end of the third and Baltimore was up 57-55 at the end of the quarter. The forth quarter was tight battle but en the end it was obvious that Assault was going to pull it out with the win. But not until Darnell ended the game on his own terms. With 15 seconds left to go in the game, 6'1 Darnell Harris eyes big Jared Gaither blocking his path to the hoop. Jared is to big to go around so Darnell decided to go over him!! Darnell Harris served Jrock a tomahawk that made the statement that Assult won the battle but Darnell Harris won the war!!
- Darnell Harris has been on a tear this summer and I am a believer! Please make note that he is a gritty and tough competitor that is about winning!
Dominique Venable (Baltimore Select AAU - Randallstown HS, Soph) is going to get better and better. He is strong, has a great body and takes all kinds of punishment with his body. Forget about scoring on him, cause it won't happen, his defensive footwork is tremendous. He takes it to the hole hard and absorbs punishment with his body to get his shot off. He has to be a favorite of mine cause he plays for Randallstown, my alma mater.
Troy Smith (Baltimore Select AAU - Douglas HS, Soph) I am glad I got to see him. He is offensively talented, has loads of quickness with the dribble and knows how to create space to get off a good shot. Defensively he plays the passing lanes very well. He looks just like Tyler.
Mike Turner (Baltimore Select AAU - Poly HS, Soph) an unbelievable shooter. Do not give him any open looks!! He knocks them all down!! He is about 5'9 but tough and has a huge heart. He wants to play the toughest player on defense despite any size disadvantage.
Thomas "TJ" Hickson (Baltimore Blue AAU team) (Woodlawn HS, Senior) - The MEAC schools should be banging down his door, he is qualified and can contribute! He does it all the time for Baltimore Blue.
Will Thomas (Baltimore Blue AAU team) (Mt St. Joe HS, Junior) - This lefthander kept driving right to get to the basket for easier shots. His shots weren't falling as they ordinarily would but that didn't deter him. Will showed me that he can handle the rock some and has more upside than I originally thought. He looks longer everytime I see him!
Jamal Smith (Baltimore Blue AAU team) (Towson Catholic HS, Junior) - Like I said he is one of my favorites. He works so hard in the post, on the wing, defensively and when driving. He is on the floor diving for balls in the last minute of games. He doesn't stop working. The game against Champion Athletes was a good game to watch him work, cause that is what he does best, work! Jamal can do it all!
Jermaine Bolden (Baltimore Blue AAU team) (Douglas HS, Junior) Jermaine is unbelievable as a player. He is about 5'9 but is long and quick. He is one of the toughest guys in Baltimore. He shot the three and of course can get to the whole. He is a pest on defense as well. He guarded a tough Mike Walker of Champion Athletes and still produced on the offensive end. There is nothing like a productive point guard on both ends of the floor and Jermaine is it.
Mitch Guest (Baltimore Select AAU team) (Glen Burnie HS, Junior) - Mitch is a deceptive player. He doesn't look like he is quick but he goes by you with ease, he doesn't look like he has a tight handle, but no one takes it from him, and he doesn't appear to be driving to the hoop, but he scores on a variety of lay-ups. He is about 5'11 and is strong!
Brandon Albert (Baltimore Select AAU team) (Glen Burnie HS, Junior) - Brandon is about 6'7 and weighs 300plus, but he go to work in the post. This guy has great foot work, and can really move his body.
The Select White team beat Richmond Squires 17 team that brought a good post player in Bombale Osby a 6'6 strong man, Matt Samuels a 6'0 strong point guard, Tony Archie a 5'11 flashy left handed point guard, and Dennis Ward a 6'7 9th grader that fly from the rafters for vicious dunks.
Other Thoughts
I have to note that Gordon Brown is another St Frances product that I like! He works and works and works! He is everywhere the ball is and is a non-stop hustler. I have nothing but shear appreciation for his game and work ethic.
Coach Harvey of the Baltimore Bombers was in attendance having a good time coaching from the fans section. Coach Harvey told me that Jujuan Robinson put up 43 and Gerrell Green put up 26 on National Christian at the Southern Invitational. I also understand that Jujuan has achieved the qualifying SAT score and will be eligible to play as a freshman after this season at South Kent Prep. Congrats to Jujuan and Gerrell on their performance!
Jared Odricks a 6'5 power forward with a big body and good footwork for Capital Athletes of Pennsylvania 16 and under. He worked hard in the post and showed some offensive skills. He played in two games, the 16 and under and the 17 team. I love gritty players with heart and he showed some grit, he actually played aggressively against Baltimore Blue in the 17 game.. He is not from the Charm City but I will be keeping tabs on him anyway.
Matt Samuels for Eleanor Roosevelt HS plays for the Richmond Squires and is a strong bodied poit guard that is truly a pass first point. I spoke to him at Charlie Weber and he is looking at hitting Tom Izzo's camp at Michigan State.
Cassin Diggs for Williamsport HS plays for the Champion Athletes is big bodied center prospects that will be attending either hargrave or Worceter this coming year. He is going to be a strong D1 prospect as he is still learning the game and has a lot of upside. He is already a D1 player but a year of prep school should iron out any academic issues and help with his post tools.
Mike Walker for Trinity HS plays for the Champion Athletes and skilled point guard with a strong handle and an accurate trigger. As a point he drops dimes to team mates for easy and open shots. He makes it look so easy! He was the best player for Champion Athletes.
Charlie Weber Saturday April 26, 2003
Thomas "TJ" Hickson (Baltimore Blue AAU team) (Woodlawn HS, Senior) - TJ is 6'7 and long. He plays a versatile game, he guards PFs and Centers, and slashes to the hoop on offense. He plays very hard and stays on the glass. He averaged 14 ppg and 8 rpg, he is hearing from some low D1 programs and is a qualified to play immediately. More low D1's should get in the mix after his play at Charlie Weber. TJ can help a lot of programs that are looking for a contributor at the 4 and 5 position.
Will Thomas (Baltimore Blue AAU team) (Mt St. Joe HS, Junior) - Will is 6'7 and is a very athletic 4. He is strong, long and quick. He has offers from Xavier and Marquette, maybe more. What I like most about him is that he never stops moving and working. He is always hustling for position offensively, defensively and for rebounding. He is one of the best prospects in the junior class in Baltimore! Will averages 16 ppg and 10 rpg this season.
Jamal Smith (Baltimore Blue AAU team) (Towson Catholic HS,Junior) - Jamal is one of my favorites. He is talented academically and athletically. He is a Honor Student that has unlimited potential on the court. He is the ideal 3 man cause there is nothing he can't do on the court. He has the handles, the vision, the penetration and a nice touch on his j. He plays d, hustles and can cause all sorts of match up problems. He is 6'4 averaged 18ppg and 9 rpg this past season. He has received interest from LaSalle, UMBC, Florida State and Yale.
Harry Brown (Baltimore Bombers AAU team) (Hercules High School, Hercules, CA, Senior) - Harry is a beast! He has the body of a power forward with the skillset of a small forward. He shot three pointers and beat his man off the dribble. Harry is a legit 6'6 and is gritty and tough a nails. He averaged 23 points per game, 13 rebounds and 6 assist his senior season. Harry told me that he will likely attend prep school next year hopefully at Hargrave Military or South Kent. After prep school Harry wants to play college ball on the east coast and I spoke to one East coast mid major school that is drooling over Harry right now. I can't wait to sit down with Harry again, he is a pleasure to talk to.
Jajuan "Ice" Robinson (Baltimore Bombers AAU team) - Jajuan is about 5'11 and is a true floor general! He got beat defensively on a crossover move and congratulated the guard that beat him, Back on the offensive end, Jajuan beat him on a dribble move. Then next time Jajuan played him defensively, Jajuan quickly stole the ball from him to let him know that he won't be beat defensively again. But what most impressed me about Jajuan was the fact that the opposing team's player went for a totally uncontested layup. As Jajuan dribbled down court, he had his teamate indentify his man on defense as if to say there should not be any more uncontested points scored! Jajuan is a floor general that cares as much about offense as defense. He has a nice stroke, tricky handle, plays D, and never stops smiling. Jajuan dreams of playing for the legendary John Chaney and Temple University! Look for Jajuan to suit up for South Kent Prep next year!
Jerome "Stretch" Johnson (Cecil Kirk AAU team) (Bullis Prep, Junior) - Jerome is a 6'8 post player that has some offensive polish. As soon as he gets the ball in the post he goes straight into his move, no wasted motions with this guy. He is has a turn around jumper and a nice face up jumper in his bag of tricks. Playing for Cecil Kirk will help him develop defensively and add some grit to his game!
Tavon Nelson (Cecil Kirk AAU team) (Lake Clifton HS, Senior) - Tavon is a 6'6 forward. Tavon is one tough customer. He plays to win and leaves it all out on the floor. This enforcer can guard both a PF and SF effectively and works hard on the glass. He is still developing his offensive game, but he is not afraid to shoot the three nor does he mind banging down low to earn points. Tavon is a coaches dream, whatever he lacks in skill he makes up for in heart, grit, and determination. Look for Tavon to play next season at South Kent.
Chester Frazier (Cecil Kirk AAU team) (Mervo, HS, Junior) - Talk about a tough hard nosed guard that protects the ball with his life than you are talking about Chester Frazier. Chester is a strong bodied 6'1, does his job efficiently with few turnovers, and is a hawk on defense. Forget about rattling him out of his game, it doesn't happen.
Paris Carter (Cecil Kirk AAU team) (Lake Clifton HS, Junior) - There is something about Cecil Kirk that breeds tough, gritty players. Paris Carter is another tough Cecil Kirk player. He is very long and is a killer long range bomber. He plays with heart, tenacity and grit. He is a scorer extreme. When I first saw him I questioned his ability to score off of penetration but at Charlie Weber he showed me that he can penetrate. Paris is reported to be have junior eligibility but is academically a sophomore, which makes him a prep school candidate after next season. Paris is one to watch! As of now he is reported to have received interest from low to mid D1 schools. He would be a steal for a low to mid school because he can contribute significantly for higher profiled programs. I expect some Atlantic 10 programs to quickly see his value and make him a priority recruit.
Contact: editor@CharmCityHoops.com
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