Terry Larrier and VCU

One day after taking an official visit to Virginia Commonwealth University, small forward Terry Larrier committed to play for Shaka Smart and the Rams. A fringe top 50 recruit, the 6’7” Larrier becomes Smart’s highest rated recruit throughout his tenure.

This past spring and summer Larrier vaulted up the recruiting rankings as he played for Team Scan on the Nike EYBL circuit. The Bronx native averaged 10.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in 17 regular season games and then duplicated his effort with 10.3 points per game throughout the Peach Jam.

A long and lanky wing, Larrier fits the HAVOC style preferred by Smart. He specializes in slashing to the basket for lay-ups and dunks and uses his 6’10” wing span to disrupt opponents on the defensive end. 

During the Dallas EYBL in May, Larrier’s stock rose after a solid performance over a four game period. One month later he was one of the most impressive talents at the Kevin Durant Skills Academy in Washington D.C. While the camp was littered with the top shooting guards and small forwards in the country, Larrier stood out during the scrimmages as he drove time and time again from the left wing for thunderous dunks down the lane.

While Larrier is known for his athletic forays to the basket, he does need to work on his ball-handling and shooting ability. He is more than capable of knocking down jump shots from 15-19 feet but shot only 23% from the three point line during the EYBL regular season. In the Peach Jam he increased his percentage to 36.4% while making one more three in 11 less games. 

With Larrier’s commitment, VCU now has three commitments in the class of 2014. Forward Justin Tillman from Michigan committed over Labor Day weekend and point guard Jonathan Williams declared in May. 

Locking up an athletic small forward was crucial for the VCU coaching staff after several early misses. Small forward Vic Law out of Chicago decided to stay local and play for Northwestern earlier on in the summer while Devin Robinson, a top 30 player nationally left VCU out of his top five. Robinson, a Richmond native had VCU at the top of his list before the AAU season began but after several stellar performances had schools such as Indiana, UConn, and Florida knocking on his door. 

VCU’s HAVOC style of play is perfect for Larrier and his skill set as both parties came to that realization after a timely official visit.    

Kevin Durant Skills Academy

The Kevin Durant Skills Academy tipped off Friday night on the pristine campus of Sidwell Friends High School in Northwest DC. Coming a few days after Nike’s point guard and big man skills academy, this event featured 19 of the top college wing forwards and 30 of the top high school wing forwards. The college players were up first and as a result they received an up close and personal view of Kevin Durant as he joined in on many of the drills and scrimmages.

College Notes

Standouts:

In a who’s who of college basketball, a few players that stuck out during drills and scrimmages were Geron Johnson of Memphis and Cleanthony Early of Wichita State. 

Geron Johnson

Johnson was measured at 6’3.5” and 203 pounds with a 6’8.5” inch wingspan. After averaging 10.4 points per game during his first year at Memphis, Johnson is looking forward to the spotlight now that he is familiar with the college game. Early on, Johnson used the one on one full court drills to show off his quickness and power constantly blowing by defenders for easy baskets. As a 35% three point shooter last year, Johnson was also one of the top outside shooters in the camp and during the scrimmages he showed off his range hitting several deep three’s. 

After making a name for himself during Wichita State’s Final Four run this past year, Early is looking to enhance his reputation this year. Standing at 6’7”, Early had the chance to go against both the shorter and taller wings in the camp. He knocked in several jump shots, attacked the basket, and was one of the most active players throughout the two hour session. For a few possessions Early got to go against Kevin Durant and during these opportunities he did not back down from the NBA superstar.

Late Arrivals:

Both DeAndre Daniels from UConn and Glenn Robinson III from Michigan arrived late to the Skills Academy. Despite missing their time to warm-up and various drills, both players jumped right into the activity. Daniels drove hard to the basket during the scrimmages and was the best finisher at the rim, while Robinson hit several outside shots and used his strength for rebounds on the defensive end. 

Potential:

These two players combined to average 6.5 points per game during their freshman seasons, but both Tyler Harris from Providence and Winston Shepard from San Diego State could be primed for breakout sophomore seasons. Shepard is the more refined of the two players as he played 20 minutes a game for one of the top teams on the west coast. Shepard struggled from the field during his freshman campaign shooting 39.3% but with his size (6’8”) and athletic ability, he remains a tantalizing prospect. During the shooting drills at the camp, Shepard still struggled but when it came time to scrimmage he got to the rim and showed off his athleticism with several highlight reel dunks. He also displayed his fast twitch muscle fibers when it came time for rebounds as he was usually the quickest player off of the court for tip-ins.

While Shepard played 20 minutes a game last year, Harris red-shirted the season after transferring from N.C. State. In Raleigh, the 6’8” forward only played in 19 games and averaged 1.8 points per game. While he still looked raw during the Skills Academy, one could tell that the year off helped his game. Harris has a 6’10” wing span and performed adequately during the dribbling and shooting drills. While he only weighs 204 pounds, it was obvious that Harris has potential to become a player for the Friars in the future.

NBA Scouts:

One NBA scout was overheard making fun of Marshall Henderson’s alligator arms. Henderson measured at 6’2” with a wing span of 5’11.5.” As he was the smallest player on the court at all times, Henderson struggled to find room for shots, but he did display the nicest stroke in all of the drills early on.

Another NBA scout noted that he really liked Damyean Dotson during his freshman year at Oregon and was a player that he planned on watching with a keen eye. Dotson is a 6’6” wing that was second on the team in scoring with 11.4 points per game.

The Freshman:

Jabari Parker is used to the attention and rightfully so after winning four consecutive Illinois state titles and earning a Sports Illustrated cover. These high accolades also earned him the attention of Kevin Durant during many of the one-on-one drills and scrimmages. As the only incoming freshman on the roster, Parker knew that he would have to adapt quickly to the size and strength of the college players, but he didn’t anticipate trying to adapt to Kevin Durant right off the bat. Durant picked Parker up in the one-on-one full court drills, and while Durant was not going 100% he was still playing pretty hard. On the first two possessions, Parker scored on Durant with a left-handed lay-up and kept Durant from scoring on the other end. The two went back and forth during the drills and scrimmages. Parker struggled from the outside, but he also forced Durant into some of his own struggles. Several times Durant looked like he was going to take Parker off the dribble and was forced to settle for a contested outside jump shot. Parker looks like he worked on improving his quickness during the spring time and will need that added burst when he starts play in Durham. Standing at 6’8.5” and 240 pounds, Parker still has a ways to go conditioning wise but already proved that he is ready for the challenges coming his way.

High School Notes

The high school kids did not get as much on-court time as the college kids and they also didn’t get to play with Kevin Durant, but pretty much all of the top ranked shooting guards and small forwards were in attendance. The top shooting guard in the country, Rashad Vaughn was a late arrival and forced to jump straight into the 3-on-3 drills. Despite a lack of warm-up, Vaughn used his left hand dribble to get to the basket at will. He didn’t get a chance to show off his stroke, but still displayed the athleticism that will have NBA scouts watching his every move.

One of the top players this spring was forward Devin Robinson from Richmond. Before the spring, two schools were recruiting him the hardest in VCU and Virginia Tech. After a strong performance Indiana dropped its hat in the ring offering Robinson a scholarship. Still growing into his body, Robinson has a ways to go to reach his potential as he currently stands 6’8” and 169 pounds.

Terry Larrier

6’7” Terry Larrier from Team Scan was another spring riser and also one of the most impressive players in the short scrimmages held at the end of camp. Larrier drove strongly to the basket several times from the left wing and threw down a handful of thunderous dunks down the middle of the lane that caught everyone’s attention. 

Riley Norris’ shooting touch was on display during the NBPA camp and the 6’7 wing from Alabama started to receive increased attention from college coaches. After the NBPA camp, Norris heard from the coaching staff’s of both UNC and Indiana who plan on watching him during July. So far Norris has visited the campuses of Florida, Vanderbilt, and Alabama.

Ahmed Hill, a 6’4” shooting guard out of Georgia struggled during the NBPA Top 100 camp but is looking forward to bouncing back during July where his Southern Stampede team will play in both Augusta and Orlando. Currently schools such as Florida, Florida State, Georgia, and Indiana are going after Hill the hardest. 

The Kevin Durant Skills camp continues on Saturday and Sunday which should give the NBA scouts a plethora of opportunities to watch the top high school wings in the country go at each other including Rashad Vaughn, Daniel Hamilton, Devin Booker, Justin Jackson, and Stanley Jackson go at one another.

EYBL Dallas - Stock Risers

Top Teams:

With three EYBL sessions in the books, only one team remains undefeated in Team Takeover. While the DC based team went 4-0, there were several other teams that went 4-0 as well.

• CP3: Won by an average of 24.8 points per game.
• Each 1 Teach 1: Won by an average of 24 thanks to the new additions of Grayson Allen and Trayvon Reed.
• Spiece Indy: Won by an average of 19.8 including their come from behind victory over the Jackson Tigers.
• Team Scan: Won by an average of 18 points and knocked off Expressions Elite from the undefeated ranks on Friday night.
• Team Takeover: Won by an average of 12.3 points and is 13-0 heading into Minneapolis.

30 Point Performers:

• 37 – Allonzo Trier (10-20 FG’s, 15-19 FT’s)
• 36 – Malik Newman (13-20 FG’s, 6-8 3PT)
• 32 – Tyus Jones (10-17, 4-9 3PT)
• 31 – Tyler Ulis (7-10 FG’s, 2-4 3PT, 15-18 FT’s)
• 31 – Isaiah Briscoe (10-25 FG’s, 10-13 FT’s)
• 30 – Grayson Allen (10-15 FG’s, 4-6 3PT in 18 minutes)
• 30 – Jaquan Lyle (11-15 FG’s, 8-9 FT’s)

Top 5 Stock Risers:

Boubacar Moungoro, 6’6”, 2014, E1T1

Stats: 22-31 (71%) FG’s, 7-11 (64%) 3PT, 13.3 PPG, 3.3 RBG, 2.8 APG

Boubacar Moungoro

Moungoro starts at small forward for one of the most talented teams on the Nike circuit and while his team added Duke commit Grayson Allen as well as center Trayvon Reed he still managed to shine in Plano this past weekend. Standing at 6’6” with a powerful build, Moungoro’s athleticism has never been in question its always been his production level. In his first game, Moungoro went 7-8 from the field and 2-3 from the three point line for 18 points. On Saturday night, he went 7-12 from the field and 4-5 from the three point line for another 18 points. In his four games, he mixed in solid outside shooting with athletic drives to the basket, usually getting to the rim in just one or two dribbles. While he shot 7-11 from the 3-point line, Moungoro only attempted three free throws in four games and pulled down more than four rebounds just once. With his size and strength, one would expect those numbers to increase over time. While Moungoro does not have the status of some of his other teammates, he did play a main role in their 4-0 weekend.

Reid Travis, 6’7”, 2014, Howard Pulley

Stats: 24-49 (49%) FG’s, 20-29 (69%) FTS, 17.3 PPG, 7 RBG

One of the most physically imposing power forwards on the Nike circuit added an offer from UCLA over the weekend to go along with the offers he has already received from a majority of Big 10 and Pac 12 schools. Travis flourished in the low post and attacked the rim with aggression any chance he got. In the first game of the weekend he shot 6-11 which included his lone three pointer for the weekend on his way to 19 points. On Saturday, he started his first game off on fire going against the 7’1” shot blocker in Trayvon Reed. In a matter of minutes, Reid threw down some hard two handed dunks and scored on several short shots in the paint. After his quick explosion, Reid came back down to earth in the second half and then struggled with the twin towers of Jahlil Okafor and Cliff Alexander in the nightcap. Despite struggling Saturday night, Reid had a great game on Sunday with 26 points and 9 rebounds on 11-15 shooting. As a coveted football recruit, Reid possesses a certain strength not usually seen on kids his age. He got to the line almost seven times a game and was always active on both ends of the court.

Benny Boatwright, 6’8”, 2015, Cal Supreme

Stats: 22-47 (47%) FG’s, 12-32 (38%) 3PT, 18 PPG, 8.3 RBG

The skinny 6’8” small forward from Southern California struggled on Friday night in his team’s blowout win, but came to play in the other 3 games. Against Alabama on Friday, Boatwright went 2-11 and 0-7 from three, but the rest of the weekend he knocked in 12 three-pointers while averaging 22 points and 9 rebounds on 56% shooting. Boatwright has a quick release on his shot and runs the floor well. Despite his frame, Boatwright was aggressive on the boards pulling in nine on Saturday night and 13 in a rivalry game with the Oakland Soldiers. Boatwright’s shooting ability is rare at his size and as he adds strength will most likely move up the ranks in the class of 2015.

Ed Simpson, 6’4”, 2014, Jackson Tigers

Stats: 16-40 (40%) FG’s, 9-22 (41%) 3PT, 11.3 PPG, 2.8 RBG, 1.3 APG

Ed Simpson

Simpson had his best day on Saturday scoring 24 points on five threes in a morning win against the Oakland Soldiers and then scored 13 against Spiece Indy during Malik Newman’s scoring explosion. Over the entire weekend Simpson hit 41% from deep despite struggling a bit in games 1 and 4. When Newman left the game against Spiece due to cramps with eight minutes to go, Simpson stepped up as the go-to guy on the Tigers. Simpson hit a few big shots but it wasn’t enough to hold off Trey Lyles down low. To go along with an impressive shooting stroke, Simpson has good size and athletic ability for a Division One shooting guard. He received his first offer from Boston University a few weeks ago.

Terry Larrier, 6’8”, 2014, Team Scan

Stats: 13-23 (57%) FG’s, 10.3 PPG, 3.7 RBG

Larrier is the same size and weight as Benny Boatwright but has a drastically different game. While Boatwright is a shooter, Larrier can be classified as a slasher. On Saturday, he came off the bench for Team Scan to score 10 and 17 points in two victories. In his third game of the tournament Larrier went 8-12 from the field. Throughout the weekend, both his agility in running the court and quickness slashing to the basket were on display. Despite the skinny frame, Larrier poses a threat on defense with his long arms and quick feet.