Three Tournaments, Three States: Holiday Tournament Observations

Over the Christmas holidays I spent time watching high school tournaments in three states. After numerous games at the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, FL, the Wisconsin Basketball Shootout in Mequon, WI, and the Proviso West Holiday Classic outside of Chicago here is a rundown of what I saw and what I learned.

Player I Would Pay to Watch:

Isaiah Whitehead, 6’4”, G, Lincoln High (NY), Committed to Seton Hall, 2014

From the time I first saw Rashad Vaughn play in 2012 he was my favorite shooting guard in the class of 2014; however after watching Isaiah Whitehead’s rise which started in the Pitt Jam Fest last spring I’m not so sure. In four games, Whitehead was the second leading scorer in the City of Palms tournament averaging 25.5 points per game including a 37 point, 7 rebound, and 6 assist performance on opening night. Known for his NYC toughness, Whitehead can get to almost any spot on the court with his strength and ball-handling abilities. While everyone is aware of his scoring abilities it was his passing that stood out while in Florida. He averaged 5.5 assists per game and had many scintillating passes in each game. My favorite was a three quarter court bounce pass that resulted in an easy fast break dunk. Regarding his scoring ability, Whitehead has one of the most picturesque forms you will see and range that extends well behind the three point line. Sometimes this gets him in trouble as he loves to stop on a dime for pull-up jumpers no matter how close the defender is. While he takes some tough shots, for the most part his body is always square to the basket with a perfect release. Over the holidays, Isaiah Whitehead was the player I would pay to see play again and again.

Match-up Nightmare:

Ben Simmons, 6’8”, F, Montverde Academy (FL), Committed to LSU, 2015

At 6’8” with long arms and a certain grace to his game, Ben Simmons proved to be the biggest match-up problem for teams in the City of Palms tournament, especially during the championship game against Paul VI. In four games, Simmons averaged 18 points and almost 12 rebounds per game while also bringing the ball up against pressure. While he struggled outside of the paint with his shot in most of the games, Simmons scored off ball cuts, offensive rebounds, and post-ups. He was also outstanding defensively and was a key reason for his opponents struggles. In the championship game, Marcus Derrickson, a Georgetown commitment had a hard time getting open looks close to the basket or even from his favorite spots behind the three point line. Wherever Derrickson went, one of Simmons’ long arms was always close by which caused a 5-13 shooting performance including 0-2 from three.

Biggest Beast #1:

Alex Owens, 6’6”, PF, Oak Ridge (FL), Committed to UCF, 2015

During the Peach Jam, Alex Owens came off the bench for the eventual champions and put on some impressive performances down low in limited minutes. This time around, Owens continued his feats down low using his big body and soft hands to punish weaker defenders at every opportunity. Despite not being the ideal size for a power forward, Owens averaged 12.5 rebounds per game. He’s not much of an above the rim player but with a quick release he makes it hard for an opponent to block his shot. In his third game of the tournament, Owens put up 23 points and 19 rebounds on 11-14 shooting. 

Biggest Beast #2:

Jahlil Okafor, 6’10”, C, Whitney Young (IL), Committed to Duke, 2014

The top ranked player in the country averaged 17 points per game and a tournament high 15.7 rebounds in a three game span. While he was double and triple teamed on almost every touch and spent the majority of his first game in foul trouble, Okafor scored quickly and efficiently whenever he caught the ball in the low post. Not known for his outside jump shot, Okafor even knocked in a soft 12 footer from the baseline when dared to shoot. In the 3rd place game, Okafor let his aggression out and went for 22 points and 23 rebounds on just nine shots. While it seemed that he played better in last year’s City of Palms, make no mistake the the future Blue Devil was a beast when catching the ball in a scoring position down low. 

Best Footwork:

Diamond Stone, 6’10”, C, Dominican (WI), 2015

Playing against another top notch Wisconsin big man in Henry Ellenson, Stone showed off a variety of moves in the post. Whether it was a right hook, a left hook, up and under, spin to the baseline, spin to the middle, Stone showed it all in just one game. Nimble on his feet, Stone showed a good touch on his shots around the basket, but over the next year and a half will need to watch some video tapes of Jahlil Okafor or Cliff Alexander to learn how to unleash the beast. A good rebounder in space, Stone still needs some work on dominating all game long.

Most Consistent:

Justin Bibbs, 6’5”, G/F, Montverde Academy (FL), Committed to Virginia Tech, 2014

On a talent laden team, Justin Bibbs was a consistent thread for the back to back City of Palms champions everytime he took the court. In four games Bibbs scored 12, 13, 14, and 15 points. Never too high and more importantly never too low. Bibbs proved to be a versatile and athletic threat on offense with the ability to score from the perimeter and off the dribble. A strong and physical player on the defensive end as well, Bibbs also enjoyed the challenges of shutting down his opponent. He was named to the All-Tournament team and was definitely deserving of that honor. 

The Microwave:

Ahmaad Rorie, 5’10”, PG, Montverde Academy (FL), Committed to Cal, 2014

In his first year at Montverde, Ahmaad Rorie brings a scoring punch as the team’s sixth man and his three point accuracy came in handy in the championship game. As soon as Rorie entered the game he started firing from deep and all of a sudden had 11 quick points in a matter of minutes all on jump shots. The small guard is known as a scorer with a quick release and he caught Paul VI off guard. Not only is he a strong scorer off the bench, but he is also usually one of, if not the quickest player on the court. Rorie was also another Montverde player to make the All-Tournament team.

Quickest Guard:

Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn, 5’10”, Sunrise Christian (KS), Committed to Mich. State, 2014

Easily the quickest player from end to end, Tum Tum looked like a poor man’s version of Tywon Lawson with his speed and build. He got into the lane consistently and finished at the rim easily off of one foot. In two games, Nairn had a 6:1 assist to turnover ratio and got his teammates open looks from his drives to the basket. An exceptional finisher, Nairn shot 6-10 and 7-15 but struggled with his jump shot outside of the paint. Despite the jumper, Tom Izzo should be excited about the arrival of the jet quick and tough point guard to East Lansing next year. 

Smoothest Guard(s):

Devonte Graham, 6’2”, PG, Brewster Academy (NH), 2014

Jalen Brunson, 6’1”, PG, Stevenson (IL), 2015

Glynn Watson, 5’11”, G, St. Joe’s (IL), 2015

It’s hard to just pick one out of these guards so I’ll go with all three. Graham was the first to turn heads with his play against Oldsmar Christian (FL) when he scored 15 points and dropped 9 assists to only one turnover. In this game, Graham had the ball on a yo-yo and wowed the crowd with several moves including a fake behind the back pass that made the defender look silly. On day number three at the City of Palms, Graham was easily one of the top performers. Meanwhile, in Chicago junior Jalen Brunson led his public school team to the championship while Watson’s team fell in the 3^rd place game. Brunson one the tournament MVP with his smooth style and showed resilience against an athletic Morgan Park squad in the championship game of the Proviso West tournament. After scoring 32 in the semi-finals, Brunson struggled to get a clean look in the first half and his only made shot came from the right wing. In the second half, Brunson found his groove and finished with 20 points. Meanwhile, despite two losses to end the tournament, Glynn Watson had an impressive final game and displayed a strong handle in pressure and a strong first step that allowed him to get by his defender with relative ease. All three of these guards were impressive as team leader’s and earn the distinction as the smoothest guards I saw. 

Most Athletic Guard:

Tyler Dorsey, 6’4”, G, St. John Bosco, 2015

The junior guard from California averaged 19 points per game and was extremely tough to guard in one-on-one situations. Given primary ball-handling responsibility by his coach, Dorsey was able to use a between the legs crossover dribble to consistently get into the paint for lay-ups or short jump shots where he was able to create space with his elevation. To go along with his 19 points, Dorsey also averaged 5.5 assists. A natural point guard, Dorsey showed that to go along with his athleticism he can also create for his teammates.

Scoring Machine:

Antonio Blakeney, 6’3”, SG, Oak Ridge (FL), 2015

The talented junior guard led the City of Palms with a 29.3 point per game average including 12 made three’s. Throughout the tournament Blakeney’s baskets came from the three point line or at the basket via lay-ups or dunks. He averaged around five shots a quarter and only forced a few during his time. At 6’3”, Blakeney used his long arms and ball handling ability to get by defenders on the wing and finish at the basket. He also showed his quick release when catching the ball on the wing. When his team was involved in close games, Blakeney was instructed to attack the basket and attack he did. He took 40 free throws in four games and made 33 of them. In his four games, Blakeney went for 32, 31, 24, and 30. Rated as a four-star shooting guard, Blakeney noted that he is “just trying to work hard and move up the rankings with his play.” So far so good for the talented scorer.

Underrated:

Josh Reaves, 6’4”, SG, Paul VI (VA), 2015

Last year as a sophomore Josh Reaves barely saw the floor when Paul VI made the trip down to Florida, but this year as a much more improved and confident junior he averaged 14 points a game and drew rave reviews from scouts every time he took the floor. The 6’4” wing showed that he could hit from the outside and also rise above the rim for alley-oops. For a guy who was only known in parts of the East Coast before the tournament, Josh Reaves made himself a name on the most talented team in the Washington DC area.

Desi Rodriguez, 6’5”, F, Lincoln (NY), Committed to Seton Hall, 2014

After a strong four game performance where Rodriguez averaged 19.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game he decided to make a commitment to Seton Hall where he will join his current teammate Isaiah Whitehead and possibly his coach Dwayne “Tiny” Morton. Rodriguez was a recipient of numerous Whitehead assists; however he also created for himself and shot 62% from the field. His best game came in an overtime loss against Montverde when he put up 25 points and 9 rebounds while shooting 10-19.

Connor Cashew, 6’4”, SG, Stevenson (IL), 2015

While he doesn’t get the recognition that his running mate Jalen Brunson gets, Cashew has certainly elevated his game to match his teammates. In a semi-final win in the Proviso West tournament, Cashew scored 30 points and added nine rebounds as Stevenson turned a seven point halftime lead into a blowout. Playing on the perimeter, Cashew has a good first step and is an extremely strong and wiry wing. Athletically he showed that he could compete with the best athletes in the state in a championship win over Morgan Park (Chicago) by scoring 16 points. Various mid-majors from the Midwest are interested in Cashew, but his choice of schools could change for the better over the next six months.

Left Wanting More:

Paul White, 6’8”, F, Whitney Young (IL), Committed to Georgetown, 2014

By all accounts Paul White had an extremely strong tournament averaging 17 points per game over three outings. He also nabbed six boards a game and shot 57% from the floor. His alley-oop dunk in the 3^rdplace game gave the Dolphins a lead they would never relinquish. Despite these stats, I’ve always wanted to see more from White. Coincidentally, I first saw White as a freshman at the City of Palms when he was considered a top 25 player. At 6’8” White can do numerous things on the basketball court that will land him in the Hoyas rotation in the future. He can run the floor, handle the ball, and has a strong shot from mid-range; however having watched him over a span of four years I still want to see White dominate and not just fit in. It looked as though he was starting to dominate at the Peach Jam before getting injured, but I am still hopeful that he will reach his potential in the last few months of his senior year. 

Best 16 Minute Performance:

Jalen Hudson, 6’4”, SG, St. Vincent-St.Mary’s, Committed to Virginia Tech, 2014

In his first game of the tournament playing against Whitney Young, Hudson put on a first half to remember when he scored 23 of his team’s first 26 points and knocked in six three’s in the first half. The well built shooting guard got good elevation on his jump shot and showed off a picture perfect form. Along with his three point shooting exploits, Hudson was also blowing by defenders on the wing and finishing well above the rim in the paint. After torching the Dolphins in the first quarter the team went to a box and one on Hudson in order to slow down the talented guard. The defensive switch worked in limiting Hudson’s touches, but when he caught the ball on the wing he was able to continue his hot streak.

Top Young Guys:

Jayvon Grave, 6’0”, G, St.Vincent-St. Mary’s (OH), 2017

Aaron Thompson, 6’0”, G, Paul VI (VA), 2017

Billy Preston, 6’8”, F, St. John Bosco (CA), 2017

Vance Jackson, 6’7”, F, St. John Bosco (CA), 2016

Jacob Young, 5’10”, G, Yates (TX), 2016