USC - Arizona State Notes

USC made a furious comeback against Arizona on Thursday night scoring 47 points in the second half. The scoring spree continued on Sunday against Arizona State in a hold your breath 82-79 victory. With the win, the Trojans move to 4-4 in conference play and get some momentum heading into a much anticipated match-up with cross-town rival UCLA (who they went 3-0 against last year) on Wednesday.

Game Notes:

Last year, in USC’s home game against ASU, the Trojans led by double-digits for most of the game. In the final minutes, the Sun Devils went on a torrid last minute run and even had a chance to take a lead with just over a minute left. Tra Holder missed a 3 and USC ended the game on a 10-2 run. This time around, USC was in control for the ball game until another rapid comeback by Arizona State. All of a sudden, it was a 3 point game with the Sun Devils inbounding the ball. Bobby Hurley drew up a beautiful out-of-bounds play to get Torian Graham a wide open look, but the elite athlete couldn’t knock it down. USC held on and forced a Shannon Evans miss to end the game.

Elijah Stewart had struggled in PAC-12 play. The high flying wing had scored 8,10,9,7,0, and 11 points in his first six conference games. Against Arizona, Stewart looked sluggish in the first half with just two points before he hit a 3 entering the half. In the second half, Stewart regained a missing bounce to his step and finished the game with 20 points on five 3’s. The 6’5” junior wasted no time on Sunday scoring 13 quick points in the first 10 minutes of the game on a mixture of 3’s and athletic finishes and ended the game with 29 points on seven 3’s. Stewart hunted his shot from the get go against ASU and will look to continue his hot streak against UCLA.

USC took ONE free throw in the first 38 minutes and finished just 2-3 from the game. It just goes to show that you don’t need free throws when you are cooking from the outside. For the game, USC shot 52% from outside making 14-27. In addition, the team had 22 assists. Ball movement and hot shooting is always a recipe for success.

Andy Enfield went with a different starting line-up as freshman Jonah Matthews got the start. The 6’3” guard attacked the basket in the first half and had his jumper going in the second half as he scored 14 points on 12 shots. Arizona State certainly did not have formidable big men like Arizona did, so the move provided more offensive flexibility with five scoring threats out on the floor.

De’Anthony Melton is a stat stuffing machine despite standing just 6’4”. His shot was off against Arizona State and he went scoreless for the first time in his career. Even though he went scoreless, Melton had 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. Given his versatility, I wouldn’t be surprised if Melton saw a decent amount of action against Lonzo Ball on Wednesday.  

USC played just two bench players. Freshmen Nick Rakocevic turned in one of his best games of the season and Shaqquan Aaron provided steady minutes when he was in the game. Rakocevic finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds as he never forced the issue and finished when the opportunity presented itself. Aaron knocked in his first shot of the game from the right wing and added in several rebounds and a nice assist in the second half. The biggest contribution, only one turnover between the two.

Djuan Piper: Stepping Into the Spotlight

He’s a tall, athletic wing with two state championships to his name and plays for a school that’s produced a handful of NBA players including Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson, and Terrence Williams. His name is known in the Pacific Northwest, but he currently sits in the shadows behind certain high school and AAU teammates. Have you heard of Djuan Piper? Probably not, but you can be sure that college coaches from coast to coast sure have.

Background

photo by Max Preps

Piper is a 6’5” wing with long arms and is active on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. He excels in transition and also possesses great quickness. In the half-court set Piper can usually blow by his man on the perimeter and finish above the rim. Defensive pressure is his strongest attribute as he noted that “my defense is always there.” He has range on his outside shot and can knock down three’s, but is also well aware that he needs to improve the consistency of this three point shot while also gaining confidence in his ball-handling skills. 

High School:

In his high school career, Piper has played an integral role the past two years in helping Rainier Beach capture back to back championships in the state of Washington. As a sophomore he chipped in four points and six rebounds while teammate Anrio Adams led the way in a championship win over Seattle Prep. This past year as a junior, Piper teamed up with Shaqquan Aaron, a transfer from California and soon to be Louisville Cardinal. Both players share similar height and build and Piper said that coaches often compared the two. While Aaron was the new man in town, it was Piper who contributed 10 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals in a 62-59 state title win over Lakeside. 

Recruiting:

During the spring and summer, Piper is playing AAU ball for the Tacoma based Team Bradley NW Panthers that are led by future California point guard Ahmaad Rorie. While Rorie is the star player, the national tournaments have provided Piper with increased national exposure. During the second live April period, Piper caught the eye of Richmond head coach Chris Mooney in Dallas at the Adidas VIP Exclusive Run. 

“They liked that I was aggressive and said they needed a lanky big two-guard to come in. I could play right away and the year I graduate (high school) they might be playing in the Big East and I always wanted to play in the Big East” said Piper. I’ve built a good relationship with the coaches so far.”

This past weekend at the UA Summer Jam outside of Milwaukee, Mooney made sure that Piper knew how interested he was. While 450 coaches visited this tournament on the first day, only a handful remained on Saturday night and Sunday. Most of the remaining coaches were assistants, but Mooney was front and center for the Panthers’ playoff run sometimes standing directly behind the basket in full view. Piper showcased his talent averaging 9 points and 3.5 rebounds a game throughout the tournament.

While many west coast schools have shown an initial interest in Piper, USC and their new coaching staff made it clear that he was a priority. 

“The first day Coach Enfield went to USC, he called my high school coach and called my phone. He said this is my first day and you’re at the top of my list” noted Piper.

At the Adidas Invitational in Indianapolis two weeks ago, Piper piqued the interest of Kansas coach Bill Self.

Piper said “This just happened, in Indiana. He must have been at my game and he called my coach. He said they wanted to start recruiting me.”

While Piper has not taken any official visits he knows for sure he wants to get out to Richmond and USC and hopefully Kansas. Two schools that have not expressed interest that could jump quickly to the top of his list are Washington and California. When asked if he would be interested in Washington, Piper noted “Oh yeah, easy they would be Top 3.” Despite being a local product he hasn’t seen Lorenzo Romar or any of the UW coaching staff at his games. 

As for Cal, Piper loves to play with his AAU teammate Ahmaad Rorie and wouldn’t mind joining him in college as well. 

“Ahmaad’s my guy,” Piper said. “I would definitely like to play with him at Cal.”

Other schools currently in contact with Piper are Washington State, Utah, Boise State, along with the Oregon schools and Boise State.

For now, Piper is ready to put on his best effort for college coaches one last time in Las Vegas and then he is off to the Adidas Nations in Los Angeles. After the AAU season winds down, it’s back to Rainier Beach as he looks to team up with Aaron for another championship run. This year the team will step out onto the national stage with a potential game in the Hoophall Classic as well as one against Jahlil Okafor and Whitney Young in the Les Schwab Invitational.

“We’re going for our third in a row this year,” Piper said. “I think we are gonna be nice and compete not just for a state championship, but also the national championship.”

While college coaches started to take notice of Piper’s skill set, a third state championship along with a national title could go a long way in bringing Piper out from the shadows of his teammates and into a nationally recognized name.

NBPA Top 100: Top Performers

The NBPA Top 100 camp came to a conclusion this past Saturday and the three day event provided numerous opportunities to watch some of the best prospects in action compete in a structured setting. While the camp names its own MVP and All-Star team, here are some other superlatives that players earned with their play:

MVP: Jaquan Newton

As stated yesterday Newton had a terrific camp. While he started slowly in the first two sessions his game started to pick up steam on Friday morning before coming to a conclusion in the championship game with a 31 point, 7 assist, and 4 rebound performance. Newton was one of the taller point guards in the camp, but still went by the shorter defenders off the dribble almost anytime he wanted. Newton finished at the rim, knocked in jump shots, and pushed the ball up the court any chance he got. With this stellar performance under his belt, Newton will look to carry over his strong play to the Peach Jam in early July.

Best Passers: Joel Berry, Tyler Ulis, Josh Perkins

Joel Berry (North Carolina Tar Heels) led the camp with 4.2 assists per game. While not the flashiest of passers, he knew when to take a shot and when to find a teammate. Berry’s squad used the pick and roll as their primary set offense and he either knocked down a 15 foot jump shot or hit Angel Delgado rolling to the basket. If the big man wasn’t open, Berry kicked out to Joe Burton or BJ Stith (Virginia Cavaliers) on the wing for open jumpers.

Tyler Ulis’ camp ended early Friday morning after a collision with Damontre Jefferson nicked up his shoulder, but in the three games he did play in there was no one better at delivering the ball to the perfect spot. If Ulis was passing to a Devin Robinson or Riley Norris on the wing, the ball would hit them in perfect rhythm for a jump shot. If he was looking down low for Reid Travis or Satchel Pierce, the ball would find them off a perfect bounce or lob. Ulis delivered the ball where it needed to go and made the game easy for his teammates.

Josh Perkins was the king of both the fancy pass in a halfcourt set and ¾ court pass on the fastbreak. On the break he often found a streaking teammate a la Kendall Marshall at UNC and in the half-court set he often zipped a no-look pass through an unsuspecting defense. Despite being the flashiest of the point guards at the camp, Perkins’ turnovers were limited as his assists climbed.

Best Scoring Guards: Isaiah Whitehead, Devin Booker

As a freshman, Isaiah Whitehead was one of the most talked about names in the class of 2014. Over the years, new names and faces began to surpass Whitehead in the rankings and he entered the spring as a top 40-50 type player. After a stellar spring on the AAU and camp circuit, Whitehead is expected to see his ranking rise back up quickly. Always a guard with great strength, Whitehead has been showing off his textbook three point shot and ball handling ability over the past three months. When he gets his feet set behind the three point line you can go ahead and add three to his scoring total as these shots routinely hit nothing but net. Whitehead also handled the ball a decent amount and never got out of control during the camp which is something he was known for in his younger days. After playing well on both the UA and Nike AAU circuits, Whitehead brought his best game to the NBPA camp and left as one of the top shooting guards in the country.

Devin Booker only scored in double figures twice during his four games but easily passed “the look” test. He has a quick release and nice rotation on his jump shots, but now as senior-to-be he is active in attacking the basket for lay-ups, floaters, and one-dribble jump shots. He has average quickness but often got by defenders with his ball-handling skills. Booker is also quite capable with his left hand as he once scored all five of his baskets on left-hand lay-ups, dunks, and a floater. Booker can score easily and cemented his rep as a top 20 player in the country.

Top Shooters: James Blackmon, BJ Stith, Phil Booth

James Blackmon Jr. (Kelly Kline/Under Armour)

Playing with Shelton Mitchell (Wake Forest Demon Deacons) and Josh Perkins, Blackmon (Indiana Hoosiers) had no issue running the court and spotting up for three’s as he knew his point guards would find him. Blackmon shot the deep ball well in almost every game he played in and when he wasn’t knocking down three’s, he was using a solid pump fake to create space for a pull-up or drive to the basket.

Stith felt at home in his future college surroundings and started the camp off with several three’s on Thursday morning and poured in 23 points on Friday morning. Standing at 6’5”, Stith has good size for a shooting guard and had no problem letting it rip in John Paul Jones arena. While smaller than Stith, Phil Booth’s shot was just as pure averaging close to 10 points a game. On Friday night, Stith had his finest game of the camp hitting three’s and jump shots from all over the court in both halves for 17 points. He hit high arching shots off the dribble on both the left and right wings and didn’t force the action at all. Both players made their outside shots at a high clip.

Most Efficient: Justin Jackson

Surprise, surprise, small forward Justin Jackson (North Carolina) was the most efficient player in camp. After a stellar AAU season, Jackson continued his strong play from the beginning of camp. He scored in double figures all seven games and did not need a lot of shots to do so as he usually shot well over 50% from the field. As usual, Jackson hit numerous mid-range floaters and also added in some one-dribble jump shots and was usually good for one or two three’s a game. With his tall frame and long arms Jackson can get shots at almost any time, but unlike most players he only takes them within the flow of the offense.

Best Motor: Kevon Looney, Leron Black

Two of the highest rated players in the camp were also the most competitive. Looney and Black dominated the boards, played tough defense, dunked down low, and even hit three’s on occasion. Both players started out with an intensity that was hard to match which resulted in an 11 point, 11 rebound performance for Looney and a 20 point, 9 rebound performance for Black. Both players attacked the defense and kept the pressure on the opposing team every time they stepped on the court.

Strongest Wing: Brandone Francis

Francis was the most powerful perimeter player and used his strength to bully defenders down low any time he crashed the boards or received a pass down low. Some defenders backed off Francis when he got the ball on the perimeter and he made them pay by hitting deep jump shots or three’s on occasion. His play in camp earned him offers from the Boston College Eagles, Providence Friars, Washington Huskies, and USC Trojans immediately after camp.

High Riser: Derrick Jones

If you heard a commotion breakout in JPJ during the camp, there was a good chance that Derrick Jones had just thrown down a ridiculous dunk. Standing at 6’7” with long arms, the sinewy junior could rise up like no one else. Tip dunks, fast-break dunks, power dunks, and alley-oops were common throughout the seven games that Jones played in. While Jones showed off his leaping ability any chance he got, he also displayed improved handles and outside shot during the three day stretch. While Jones is a hot name on the east coast his stock will continue to rise during July as more coaches get to watch this high-flying athlete.

Biggest Paint Presence: Cheick Diallo

Diallo earned the camp’s MVP based on his offensive and defensive paint presence while playing an integral part on a championship team. Diallo averaged 11 points and almost 8 rebounds throughout the camp. On the defensive side Diallo snatched up missed shots and blocked shots with his quick timed jumps and on the offensive side he turned passes into assists with powerful dunks or short hook shots.

Smoothest Big Man: Stephen Zimmerman

Zimmerman had it working all camp long and showed off his wide variety of offensive skills. His preferred move was a lefty spin move out of the right post as he used his quickness to catch most of the big men guarding him off guard. Throughout his games, Zimmerman proved that he could score from the outside, bang down low on the inside, and execute the pick and roll. Despite being a year younger than most players and quite a few pounds lighter, Zimmerman had no qualms about playing physical and solidified a top spot in the 2015 rankings.

Most Tantalizing Prospect: Shaqquan Aaron

Aaron (Louisville Cardinals) is a high major talent, but in some ways still similar to the freshman that played significant minutes for Mater Dei in 2010-11. Standing at almost 6’8” with a lanky frame, Aaron has all the skills to dazzle yet never does so consistently. In Aaron’s first game of the camp he went scoreless while the next game he went for 13 on a mixture of deep three’s and drives to the basket. Aaron has the ball handling skills to play point and loves to isolate slower defenders at the top of the key. He has NBA range on his three but is a very streaky shooter. He might hit three in a row, or he might miss badly off the side of the rim. Aaron is a one of a kind talent that is just waiting for someone to help him fulfill his potential. Rick Pitino is hoping he can be that person.

Sneakiest Athlete: Tadric Jackson

Standing at 6’2” with broad shoulders, Jackson looks like a pure power player that probably plays below the rim. If anyone thinks this is the case, hopefully they won’t be standing under the rim when Jackson unleashes a two hand dunk. Playing in the auxiliary gym on Friday night Jackson caught the ball and threw down a two hand dunk off of one step. In his other games Jackson was flying above the rim on breaks for ferocious dunks. While Jackson does like to bully smaller guards, he can also get above the rim in a hurry.

Spring Stock Risers: Myles Turner, Devin Robinson

The top two stock risers throughout the spring were Myles Turner and Devin Robinson and both of these players substantiated their new found hype. Turner earned a spot on the all camp team as he averaged 12 points and 5 rebounds. He scored off hook shots and drop steps down low while also showing off his touch with jump shots all over the court. The lanky Robinson knocked in three’s from the wings and was the recipient of many Tyler Ulis passes early on in the camp. He had his best game against a future Tar Heel in Theo Pinson and future Georgetown Hoya in Isaac Copeland. Both players proved that their strong springs were not a result of weak competition and will be hearing from a lot more college coaches after camp.