Peach State Showcase: Day 1 Review

The first July live period kicked off summer recruiting with the Peach State Showcase held in Aiken, SC. Numerous assistant and head coaches trickled in throughout the evening which featured a total of 15 games spread over three courts in the USC-Aiken Convocation Center.

Game of the Night:

Team Thad vs. Game Elite

Last year Team Thad started the July AAU season at the Adidas Invitational in Indianapolis and this year they took their show to Aiken, SC. In a lackluster first half, Team Thad was down almost double digits in a low scoring first half. Upcoming junior Daniel Giddens controlled the paint for Game Elite and Jaylen Brown used his strength to get to the basket for lay-ups early on. Once the second half started, Team Thad turned up the intensity and quickly closed the deficit. In a back and forth affair, point guard Chris Chiozza created opportunities for teammates off of penetration, LeRon Black finished down low, and Riley Norris ran the court for streaking lay-ups and dunks. Also, the newly committed Marcanvis Hymon made a second half impact battling for rebounds and put backs while also knocking down his free throws. Team Thad displayed just enough energy to squeak out a four point victory.

Dunk of the Night:

Jaylen Brown, 6’5”, SF, 2015, Game Elite

The elite small forward from the class of 2015 made his mark in the first half with powerful drives to the hoop. At the 10:17 mark in the 2^nd half Brown was dribbling the ball up the court and at the half court line he realized that his defender was missing. Brown picked up speed as he dribbled with the right hand and started to attack the basket. He rose off one foot and flew through the paint for a vicious one handed dunk that woke the crowd up. Brown showed off his strength early on and later his leaping ability.

Speedster:

Jawun Evans, 6.0”, PG, 2015, SC Raptors Elite

Speed Demon - Jawun Evans

In a full evening slate of games, Evans was far and away the quickest player to step foot on court 1 in the Convocation Center. The South Carolina native got into the paint whenever he wanted whether it came in a pick and roll situation or just a simple blow-by. Evans pushed the pace in transition and found his big men when a shot wasn’t available and finished the game in double figures. The Clemson coaching staff rolled three deep for Evans’ game which included head coach Brad Brownell in what was the last game of the night.

Top Performers:

Javis Howard, 6’8”, PF, 2014, Upward Stars

Despite a losing effort, Howard had the game of the night. The Upward Stars got off to a slow start but Howard’s first half scoring barrage kept his team in the game. He scored 14 points in the first half which came in a variety of ways. Howard started off with a short right hand hook shot that he went to several more times during the course of the game. He hit a 15 foot jump shot and also was the recipient of several put backs after attacking the offensive glass. The scoring slowed down in the second half but he still hit a three pointer and finished the night with 21 points. While he had a stellar offensive game he also made a few steals and was the point defender in the half court press while corralling any rebound that came in his area. Jason Capel and Appalachian State was front and center for his game, but Howard might have piqued other schools interest with his opening night performance.  

Eric Lockett, 6’5”, SF, 2014, Aim High

Lockett’s team played in the first game of the live period on the main court and impressed all of the coaches that arrived at the onset. In a blowout win, Lockett finished with 18 points. An impressive athlete with a great leaping ability Lockett scored the majority of his first half points off drives or put-backs in the paint. He also handled the ball on the break a fair amount and made good decisions without turning the ball over. In the first half he added a 10 foot jump shot and then hit a three towards the end of the game. While Lockett is a great leaper in the paint, he only got minimal lift on his jump shot which caused a few shots to fall short. Even with these misses, Lockett still put on a show to kick off July.

James Demery, 6’4”, SG, 2014, Team Charlotte

In a win over the Upward Stars, Demery led the way with 17 points. He hit one three in the first half and then used his college ready body to score off basket cuts and put-backs. During the game Demery shot two air-balls from three, but besides for those attempts he played well in front of a some ACC coaches that are recruiting him hard. An athletic shooting guard with a strong frame, Demery was a key part in Charlotte’s opening night win.

Grant Bryant, 6’7”, SF, 2014, Southern Kings

Bryant made his mark all over the court as he often played point forward for his Southern Kings team. With a massive wing span Bryant often corralled a defensive rebound and then began the break on the offensive end with his dribbling ability. After giving the ball up, he often found himself down low close to the basket and finished strongly several times. In a game that was competing for attention, Bryant impressed the coaches that stayed around with his versatility and length.

Head Coaches in Attendance:

Some of the college coaches noted included: Brad Brownell (Clemson), Jamie Dixon (Pittsburgh), Greg Marshall (Wichita State), Josh Pastner (Memphis), Leonard Hamilton (FSU), Brian Gregory (Georgia Tech), Jason Capel (App State), and Doug Wojcik (College of Charleston).

A Man On A Mission: TJ Haws

Sharp shooter TJ Haws won his third state championship at Lone Peak High School in Utah this past year and is on a mission to win a fourth one as a senior. This past season, Haws played an integral part on the most dominant hoops team in Utah history. Lone Peak went 30-1 and finished the year ranked fourth in the country by Hoopniks.com. They went 16-0 in the state of Utah and won their games by an average of 29 points per game, including a 72-39 state championship win. The Knights also traveled the country winning over fans in Chicago, Florida, and Massachusetts with their up tempo style of play and three point shooting acumen. In a starting line-up that included BYU bound point guard Nick Emery and big man Eric Mika, Haws was the lone underclassman to start for the team. With the graduation of four starters Haws will have a difficult time winning a fourth straight championship, but he is already embracing the challenge. 

While his former teammates graduate, Haws is currently spending his off-season on the AAU and camp circuit working on his game. Last year he was primarily seen running the wing while draining three’s from all areas of the court or finishing at the basket after an athletic move. During the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Charlottesville, VA, he was seen running the point. Standing at 6’3”, Haws usually towered over his opponent as he went up against the 5’8” Tyler Ulis and 5’10” Chris Chiozza in camp games. The shorter and quicker guards tried to bother Haws with full-court pressure but he used his dribbling skills and quickness to break the press and set up the team’s offense. With the departure of Emery, the majority of the ball-handling duties at Lone Peak will eventually fall to Haws.

 “I thought I did pretty well at the point. It was a good experience going against those athletic point guards and will only help me for my future,” Haws said. “My dad played point at BYU and that’s the position I’ll be trying to play when I get there after my mission.”

Known as one of the top shooters in high school hoops, Haws was normally deadly from well behind the college three point line as he hit four three’s in Chicago against Proviso East and averaged just over three made three’s a game in the City of Palms tournament. During the camp, Haws did not get as many shot attempts as normal while manning the point, but he still found times to show off his stroke and quick release. 

“I kind of like playing the point better because I can push the ball and find open looks in transition” Haws noted.

During five games, Haws only averaged 5.2 points per game but kept his teammates such as Myles Turner and Ben Bentil happy with his passing. The opposing guards thought they could take advantage of Haws with their quickness but he was able to stay in front of his man defensively while also getting by their pressure on the offensive end. He produced a modest stat line during the camp, but ran the point against some of the top players in the country and did so with a limited amount of turnovers all while looking like a natural point guard.

In the upcoming July time frame, Haws will suit up for the Las Vegas Prospects and compete in tournaments in Long Beach, Milwaukee, and Las Vegas before returning back to Utah. 

When asked about a four-peat, Haws said “We have a pretty good chance. We won’t be able to compete on a national scale like we did last year, but we should be alright in Utah. We have some players ready to step up along with a transfer from Lehi (upcoming sophomore guard Frank Jackson who scored 30 on Lone Peak this past year).”

In the upcoming season, Haws knows that he will need to shoulder the scoring burden along with a fair amount of ball-handling duties. We already know that the scoring burden won’t be a problem for the prolific scorer, and after his play at the NBPA Top 100 camp playing point guard won’t be much of a problem either. Already a top 50 player in the country, Haws is putting in the work during the off-season to improve his game in and close out his run at Lone Peak with a fourth state title.   

Pitt Jam Fest - Day 1

The first live recruiting session of 2013 tipped off at North Hills High School last night with a plethora of high major assistant coaches on hand to check out some of the top Under Armour teams going head to head. Here are some quick hitters from the opening night:

Team Thad - Chris Chiozza

1)      The first game on the docket featured Team Thad from Memphis versus the Atlanta Xpress. Team Thad was one of the most entertaining 16U teams to play on the circuit and received a number two ranking from Five Star entering this year’s 17U bracket. Despite the lofty expectations, Team Thad struggled in their first game with one of their stars, Leron Black out with an injury. Team Thad was down 10 at the half before falling down 17 points in the second half before battling back numerous times behind their full court press and defensive intensity. They cut the lead to three points on numerous occasions, but couldn’t get over the hump until a game ending three brought the final score to 79-78 for the Express. Overall, Team Thad showed strong intensity on the defensive end, but struggled mightily with their shooting.

With Black out of pocket, 5’10” point guard Chris Chiozza stepped up to lead the team with 25 points. Chiozza displayed strong ball handling skills the whole game and found the open man when needed. He was active on the defensive end and never quit the whole game in trying to lead his team back. While he did hit four threes in the game, it took him 14 tries. A tough, quick guard will benefit when Black comes back to take some of the scoring load off his shoulders.

2)      On to the winners, the Atlanta Xpress were led by 7’1” center Trayvon Reed. Reed dominated the game on the defensive side with numerous blocked shots and pretty much made Team Thad’s inside game useless. With his lanky frame, Reed ran the court well and finished with some powerful dunks in transition. With his athletic stature, one would like to see Reed play with a bit more of a motor throughout the game. Two players that had their motor going the entire game were juniors Temarcus Blanton (6’4”) and Jabari McGhee (6’7”). Both wings have strong frames and attacked the basket all night long. 

3)      The last time the Louisville Magic and DC Assault teams faced off, future Maryland guard Romelo Trimble hit a lay-up to give DC Assault a triple overtime win in the NY2LA Summer Jam. While some of the faces changed on the teams, the game was another close one with the Magic pulling out a one point win this time around. Trimble had a solid game for DC Assault, while his Louisville counterpart, Quentin Snider led the Magic with 21 points. While they got the win and showed off their trademark full court pressure, it was obvious that the Magic miss guard D’Angelo Russell. The Magic are ranked in the Five Star top 10, but after dominating the 15U and 16U circuits look to have a tougher task ahead of them this year on the 17U circuit.

4)      6’7” forward Derrick Jones Jr. of the We R 1 Delaware team drew a lot of attention from coaches in his first tournament game. Bentil is very intriguing with his length and athleticism. At times, Jones showed off a strong shot blocking ability and also ran the floor with grace and strong finishes at the basket. 

5)      Isaiah Whitehead looked to prove that he is one of the top scorers in his 2014 class. Playing against the Arkansas Hawks in the 10pm night cap, Whitehead used his physicality and athleticism to lead his team to the win. Last year Whitehead had a tendency to disappear in games, but this year he has the potential to become one of the more dominant players on the Under Armour circuit.

6)      Despite playing in a game that started at 10pm and without a single college coach in attendance, the 16U Showtime All-Stars from North Carolina managed to advance to the second round after a win against Wayne PAL. Showtime only scored 16 points in the first half, but showed a strong defensive intensity led by 6’7” shot blocker Jalyn McKoy.

7)      Never assume a team has won the previous game. The 17U Karolina Diamonds team featuring 2016 standouts Kwe Parker, Junior Smith, and Raekwon Long played their first game at 6:05pm EST and then at 8:25pm EST if they won. Despite a combined 36 points from Parker and Smith the Diamonds team lost to Maryland 3D and were not warming up for their 8:25pm game when Kansas assistant coach Norm Roberts walked in. Upon seeing this, Roberts got right back in his car and raced back to North Hills High for some more action. 

8)      Some of the head coaches noted in attendance were Jim Laranaga (Miami), Mark Turgeon (Maryland), Mick Cronin (Cincy), Stan Heath (USF), and Paul Hewitt (George Mason) along with assistant coaches from Louisville, Kansas, Florida, UNC, Clemson, Florida State, Syracuse, and Florida Gulf Coast.