Swish 'N Dish AAU Tourney

The Swish ‘N Dish tournament held in Milwaukee this past weekend showcased the majority of the high school talent located in the Midwest. The Mac Irvin Fire had to be considered the favorite coming in, however they were knocked off early by another Chicago team, MeanStreets. Overall, the cities of Chicago and Milwaukee, along with the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Ohio represented themselves extremely well (not to mention Canada). Here is a look at a few of the most entertaining players:

Jabari Parker (Mac Irvin Fire - #1 - 2013) – The consensus top high school player in the country showed off an improved athletic ability in Milwaukee this weekend. Parker looked a bit thinner and a lot quicker this past weekend. Despite another state title at Simeon this past year, Parker seemed to be missing that extra gear that one would expect the number one player in the country to possess. He has obviously been working on this part of his game since the high school season ended, and it showed with quick defensive slides and drives to the basket. As long as he continues to work on his athleticism, to go along with outside shooting there won’t be much of a challenge to the throne this summer.

Although a Parker vs. Andrew Wiggins match-up would be intriguing.

Cliff Alexander (D Rose – 16U - #11 2014) – Alexander has slowly risen up the ESPN 2014 rankings throughout the year (from #13 in January to #11 currently). Despite a poor performance in the Chicago City championship, Alexander is ready to explode on the summer circuit. Alexander probably looks like one of the most ready NBA players right now and should dominate his peers in the 16U division. ESPN currently has Jahlil Okafor, another Chicago big man ranked #2 in the 2014 class, however I would have these players ranked #2 and #2a.

DeAngelo Russell

DeAngelo Russell – (Louisville Magic - #14 – 2014) – Size – check, athletic ability – check, ball handling – check, shooting – check. Russell was extremely impressive this weekend in about everything he did. Coming off a strong season at Montverde, Russell wasted no time in showing that he is one of the top players in the class of 2014. Russell, along with Alexander will be climbing into the top 10 throughout the spring and summer.

Kevon Looney – (Milwaukee Rebels - #13 - 2014) – Looney is a long and lanky athletic small/power forward combo. During the weekend, Looney used his athletic ability to get to the basket while also showing a nice outside shooting touch. Looney will need to add some strength over the next two years; however he immediately passes the look test despite playing up a level on the AAU circuit. Buzz Williams will try to add this Milwaukee standout to go along with the ones he already has locked up in the 2013 class. Looney would be a perfect fit for a Marquette or Georgetown.

Deonte Burton – (TP Elite - #29 – 2013) – One of those Buzz Williams players is Deonte Burton. A strong and powerful SG/SF, Burton used his strength throughout the weekend to impress the crowd. Eliciting cheers from players and fans alike during warm-ups, Burton continued his show once the games began. Burton was tenacious throughout the weekend and should help Marquette continue its run of Sweet 16 performances upon arrival. 

Marc Loving – (All Ohio - #26 – 2014) – Quiet one half, dominant another. Loving took over against an undersized Chicago Diablos team on Saturday morning in the second half. What went from a close game at the half turned into a quick blowout thanks to the slashing ability of Loving including one alley-oop that he almost caught with his elbow. Loving will need to become more consistent throughout the summer if he hopes to maintain his current ranking. 

Diamond Stone – (MYL 16U - 2015) – A highly regarded freshman center, Stone showed off his impressive shot blocking skills and ability to run the floor on Saturday. Unfortunately, he struggled to get touches in the post. Despite the lack of touches, Stone will be a name to keep up with over the years. While not on the same level of Okafor and Alexander when they were freshmen, Stone should be a highly ranked player in the class of 2015.

McDonalds AA: A Look Back - 2011 East

In 2011, the McDonald’s East Squad dominated the West 111-96 behind the performances of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and James Michael McAdoo. Let’s take a look at where these players were ranked at the end of their high school seasons and how they did in their first year of college.

Final Ranking
Name	Rank
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist	3
Bradley Beal	4
James Michael McAdoo	6
P.J. Hairston	11
Kentavious Caldwell Pope	15
Rakeem Christmas	21
Chane Behanan	24
Michael Carter-Williams	25
Quinn Cook	31
Shannon Scott	32
Johnny O'Bryant	39
Marshall Plumlee	61

The Stars:

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Kentucky) – MKG was the top ranked player in his class for most of his high school career until teammate Anthony Davis sky-rocketed to the top spot. MKG did nothing to diminish his lofty ranking during his freshman year and is currently projected as the #2 pick in the NBA draft. Despite struggling with his outside jump shot (26% from 3), MKG was the “heart and soul” of the national champions. While not having eye popping stats, MKG came to play in big games. He took it to Harrison Barnes in December (17 and 11), dominated Louisville (24 and 19), and finished off Indiana (24 and 10) in the Sweet 16. Often used to disrupt the opponents’ offense, MKG lived up to the lofty expectations placed on him at an early age in Jersey.

Name	Min	PPG	RBG	APG	ORTG
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist	31.2	12	7.6	1.9	112.2

Bradley Beal (Florida) – Beal received less hype than fellow SG Austin Rivers in high school and less hype than the Kentucky crew in college. This didn’t stop Beal from putting together an impressive freshman campaign leading Florida to the Elite 8. Beal is now considered to be a top 3-5 pick in the 2012 draft. On a guard dominated team, Beal led the way playing 34 minutes a game and averaging a very impressive 6.7 boards per game. He started the season off with 6 straight double figure games and ended the season with 6 straight double figure games. Beal’s three point shooting will need to improve as an NBA shooting guard (there were several poor 3-point shooting performances during the year), but he already has the size, strength, and athleticism to secure a top draft spot. A 17.5ppg tourney average doesn’t hurt either.

Name	Min	PPG	RBG	APG	ORTG
Bradley Beal	34.2	14.8	6.7	2.2	111.9

The Impact Players

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Georgia) – KCP was the first burger boy signed by UGA since 1992 and he did not disappoint in Athens, despite the team’s sub-par record. KCP averaged a team high in minutes and rebounds per game to go along with his 13.2 points per game. Calipari called him “one of the best young players in our country.” Definitely a bright spot in an-other-wise dismal SEC season, KCP scored double figures in 14 out of his first 15 games and finished the year with a season high of 25 points against Ole Miss on January 21^st.

Name	Min	PPG	RBG	APG	ORTG
Kentavious Caldwell Pope	32.1	13.2	5.2	1.2	103.7

 Chane Behanan (Louisville) – Behanan, like Louisville, started off the year hot with consecutive double-doubles, cooled off in the middle of the year, and then finished off the season strong with a Final 4 appearance and West Region MOP award under his belt. Behanan is a double-double machine waiting to happen and could be one of the most improved players in the country next year for one of the top ranked pre-season teams.

Name	Min	PPG	RBG	APG	ORTG
Chane Behanan	26	9.5	7.5	0.8	102.4

James Michael McAdoo (UNC) – Co-winner of the McDonald’s game MVP last year, McAdoo’s season went a little differently than that of the other top ranked East counter parts. Coming into a UNC team that returned all 5 starters, McAdoo averaged 15 minutes a game subbing for Zeller and Henson. McAdoo looked lost for most of the season and it took him until his baseline drive at home against Duke to show glimpses of what made him a top ranked recruit. McAdoo took advantage of Henson’s injury during the ACC tournament with 14 points and 8 rebounds against Maryland and then enamored scouts with his inspired play against Kansas in the Elite 8. Based on his potential, McAdoo is a lottery pick, but decided to come back to school and attempt to spend one year as “the man” at UNC before taking his game to the pros.

Name	Min	PPG	RBG	APG	ORTG
James Michael McAdoo	15.6	6.1	3.9	0.3	101

Johnny O’Bryant (LSU) – Johnny O spent a fair amount of his high school career ranked as a top 10 player in his class before finishing the year at #39. O’Bryant showed a glimpse of what made him a top 10 ranked player in his 3^rd to last game against Arkansas, when he controlled the backboards with an 18 point, 11 rebound performance. LSU fans will be expecting this type of performance on the regular next year. In order to do that, O’Bryant will have to work hard on his game during the summer. As a freshman, Johnny O shot a paltry 40% from the field and 62.5% from the free throw line. He was also used in almost 28.6% of his team’s possessions; however his overall offensive rating was an extremely low 84.2. O’Bryant has the talent, now he just has to put it together down in Baton Rouge.

Name	Min	PPG	RBG	APG	ORTG
Johnny O'Bryant	21.4	8.5	6.7	0.4	84.2

Limited Minutes:

Rakeem Christmas (Syracuse) – Big man Rakeem Christmas started 35 out of 37 games for the #1 seeded Orangeman who finished the year with a 34-3 record. Despite starting 35 games, Christmas only averaged 11.5 minutes a game. As Luke Winn noted halfway through the year, Christmas averaged the least amount of minutes of any full time starter among the top teams in the country. During his limited time he averaged 2.8 ppg. In order to replace the loss of Fab Melo, Christmas will have to make the same leap that Melo did from his freshman to sophomore year. Christmas has the talent to become a key contributor for Cuse as shown by his 8 point, 11 rebound, and 3 block tourney performance against Kansas State.

Name	Min	PPG	RBG	APG	ORTG
Rakeem Christmas	11.5	2.8	2.9	0.2	105.4

PJ Hairston (UNC) – Hairston was expected to come into UNC and fill the teams need for a dead eye 3 point shooter. While he showed glimpses of his shooting (5 three’s against SC, 3 at Kentucky, etc) and athletic abilities (see Texas / Duke highlights), the majority of his freshman season was mired in a shooting slump. Hairston will continue to have the green light as a sophomore, but will need to become more consistent in order to raise his 31% shooting percentage.

Name	Min	PPG	RBG	APG	ORTG
P.J. Hairston	13	5.7	2.2	0.8	103.4

  

Texas Forever!

Quinn Cook (Duke) – Cook was the Washington Post All-Met player of the year as a junior at Dematha and then helped Oak Hill reach the finals of the NHSI tournament as a senior. Despite these accolades, Cook had a roller-coaster ride in his first year at Duke. Cook averaged about 12 minutes a game, but never looked completely comfortable running Duke’s offense. Despite his limited playing time, Cook did post an offensive efficiency rating of 117.8 during the year. With the departure of Austin Rivers, Cook will be asked to step up and perform like he did in high school.

Name	Min	PPG	RBG	APG	ORTG
Quinn Cook	11.7	4.4	1	1.9	117.8

Michael Carter-Williams (Syracuse) – This high flying freshman guard saw limited minutes similar to teammate Rakeem Christmas, however unlike Christmas, Carter-Williams did not step on the court during the NCAA tournament. Carter-Williams averaged 2.7 ppg in a season he deemed as “humbling.” MCW had his best game (and only double digit scoring game) against St. John’s on 2/4 with 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists in only 17 minutes. Going into his sophomore year, MCW will look to follow the path of Dion Waiters who struggled to get PT his first year and is now entering the NBA draft.

Name	Min	PPG	RBG	APG	ORTG
Michael Carter-Williams	10.3	2.7	1.5	2.1	112.3

Shannon Scott (Ohio State) – The son of former NBA player Charlie Scott, Shannon saw limited minutes during his first season in Columbus. Scott served primarily as a back-up to Aaron Craft during the year. There were times during the year when Craft got in foul trouble late in a ball-game and Scott was inserted to play point. Due to his jump-shot, teams often sagged off of Scott and clogged the middle making life even more difficult for Jared Sullinger. Scott only made one three pointer on the year in limited attempts. Scott will need to work on his shooting ability in order to make a meaningful contribution to the Buckeyes in his sophomore year.

Name	Min	PPG	RBG	APG	ORTG
Shannon Scott	10.6	1.2	1.1	1.7	68

Marshall Plumlee (Duke – Redshirt) – With two older brothers already receiving extensive playing time, Marshall took a red-shirt year. With the graduation of his oldest brother Miles, the youngest Plumlee will look to grab a few of his minutes in the upcoming season......

How did Tony Wroten not get selected for this game again??