It did not take long for the action to heat up inside the
Quest Multiplex in Chicago, IL this morning. The McDonald’s All-American
festivities began on Sunday, but the practice on Monday served as the first
gathering for all team members. With media and NBA personnel on hand, both the
East and West teams were going at it from the get go. The two hour practice
provided an in-depth look at the top seniors in the country and while all eyes
were initially on Ben Simmons and Jaylen Brown they quickly shifted to
the surprise performer of the day.
West Team:
The West team is coached by Chicago’s own, Robert Smith from
perennial power Simeon. He had the West team in 3 on 2 and 2 on 1 drills right
off the bat which quickly led to intense one on one battles. The strength of
the West team lies in there abundance of talented big men, but the perimeter
players certainly proved their worth as well.
Team A: Team
B:
Malik Newman (Undecided) Jalen
Brunson (Villanova)
Perry Dozier (South Carolina) Allonzo Trier (Arizona)
Brandon Ingram (Undecided) Malachi
Richardson (Syracuse)
Ivan Rabb (Undecided) Deyonta
Davis (Michigan State)
Caleb Swanigan (Undecided) Stephen
Zimmerman (Undecided)
Chase Jeter (Duke) Carlton
Bragg (Kansas)
Standout Performer:
Brandon Ingram, 6’8”,
SF, Kinston (NC)
The long and lanky Kinston, NC native had his coming out
party back in early July in Chicago at the Adidas Unrivaled camp and he
certainly did not miss a beat during the Monday practice session. Faced off
with sweet shooting Malachi Richardson, Ingram was the one that had his jumper
working. Extremely comfortable from 12-15 feet, Ingram’s feathery shot found
the net numerous times from mid-range coming off the catch, the dribble, and
pick and rolls. Even in drills it was hard for Ingram to miss from this area
and given his height and length he got the shot off almost anytime he wanted.
His range also extended out to the three point line as he hit several three’s
during the half-court and full-court scrimmages. On the defensive side of the
ball, Ingram struggled at times staying in front of his opponent whether it was
in one-one-one drills or scrimmages, but his length helped negate any ground he
gave up. With a long wing-span, Ingram was able to disrupt shots and also
created numerous steals by getting his hands in the passing lane. The early eyes
were on Jaylen Brown and Ben Simmons, but it was Brandon Ingram that continued
his stellar play at the Quest Multiplex.
Top Performers:
Malik Newman, 6’4”, G,
Callaway (MS)
While still not a pure point guard, Newman ran the point
guard position for his team and faced off against Villanova bound Jalen Brunson. Newman used his speed
and athleticism to hit difficult shots in the paint and used the pick and roll to
get space for his floater or jump shot. He was also able to attack the basket
and was aggressive on the boards as well. He never seemed to catch fire, but
anytime he missed from the field it was almost certain that Newman would find a
way to knock down his next shot.
Ivan Rabb, 6’10”, PF,
Bishop O’ Dowd (CA)
Last year it was Stanley Johnson that led his Mater Dei team
to a California state championship and then immediate flew to Chicago for the
McDonald’s All-American practices. This year it’s big man Ivan Rabb. On Saturday night, Rabb knocked in the game winning free
throw to win a state title and just two days later he was one of the most
energetic players on the court. He ripped down rebounds, hit a few soft shots
in the paint with both hands, and threw down an emphatic two hand dunk on
fellow teammate Stephen Zimmerman.
Right now Rabb is healthy and it showed in his play and early effort level.
Top Match-Up:
Caleb Swanigan vs.
Stephen Zimmerman
There was a lot to like when it came to the various big men
match-ups on the West side, but watching the contrasting styles of Swanigan and
Zimmerman was the most entertaining. At 6’8”, Swanigan is a bull in a china
shop while the almost 7 foot Zimmerman prefers to use his soft touch outside. Throughout the practice, Swanigan had trouble
scoring on his first attempt in the post and was routinely getting his shot
blocked. Despite a failed first attempt, he almost always managed to coral the
loose ball and go up for a second or third attempt until he finished the play.
Zimmerman had his share of blocks, but Swanigan would eventually manage to use
his strength to get the basket. On the other side, Zimmerman was playing loose
and knocking down outside jump shots. He scored in the post at times, but the
four-time state champ was enjoying the open looks he was getting at the top of
the key. At the end, this match-up was basically deemed a draw, with Swanigan
getting the better of Zimmerman on the inside and vice versa on the outside.
Other Notes:
·
Point guard Jalen
Brunson is the lone player from Illinois in the all-star game this year and
also the only true point guard on the West side. Throughout the practice,
Brunson was a smooth floor general and used quick in-and-out moves to get to
the basket. He miss-fired on several lay-ups in the paint early on, but settled
down knocking in a few outside shots.
·
Perry
Dozier, the 6’6” wing from South Carolina was the sneaky good player of the
day. Surrounded by more heralded players, Dozier picked his spots and showed
off his smooth and refined game. He utilized the pick and roll well and hit
several 15 foot jumpers along with soft floaters in the paint. Dozier did not
look as comfortable from the three point line, but his length and ball-handling
skills were certainly impressive.
·
Future Michigan State Spartan, Deyonta Davis did not get a lot of
half-court action, but the 6’9” power forward did manage to hit two deep
jumpers from the top of the key. A bouncy prospect, it looked like Davis had also
added some mass to his upper body while going through his senior year.
East Team:
Team A: Team B:
Isaiah Briscoe (Kentucky) Jawun
Evans (Oklahoma State)
Antonio Blakeney (LSU) Luke
Kennard (Duke)
Jaylen Brown (Undecided) Dwayne
Bacon (Florida State)
Ben Simmons (LSU) Dedric
Lawson (Memphis)
Diamond Stone (Maryland) Cheick
Diallo (Undecided)
Thomas
Bryant (Undecided)
The East team has the superstar combo of Jaylen Brown and
Ben Simmons and early on both were competing in one on one half-court and
full-court drills. The smooth nature of Simmons’ game was on display as was the
power and brute force from Jaylen Brown. Early on, it was Brown that was
looking good knocking in outside shots and corralling rebounds, but then he
started to get sloppy with the ball and turned it over several times. He did
finish with some rim rattling dunks, but also came up short on several of his
contested jump shots. Simmons showed off his passing skills, but didn’t look
comfortable shooting from the outside and did not exert his dominance on the
game.
Top Players:
Thomas Bryant, 6’9”, C,
Huntington Prep (WV)
It was a fairly productive morning for the 6’9” Bryant who
always has his motor running on high. Looking a little smoother than normal,
Bryant was knocking in deep jump shots during the skills portion of the
practice which continued into the scrimmages (even though this led to one or
two forced shots). Bryant was active on the boards and defended Diamond Stone
well towards the end.
Antonio Blakeney, 6’4”,
SG, Oak Ridge (FL)
As one of the top scorers on the East team, Blakeney had his
outside shot finding the bottom of the net and was also soaring down the lane
for two handed dunks on the break. Blakeney minimized the amount of tough shots
he normally takes and also put pressure on Luke Kennard when guarding him in
the half-court set.
Other Notes:
·
Diamond
Stone started the practice off strong hitting a short hook with his left
hand and following that up with a longer hook with his right. Stone was
confident when going at Bryant and Cheick
Diallo in the drills and held his own on the defensive end. About half way
through, Stone was still getting open looks but he his jump shots started
careening towards the side of the rim and he failed to finish down low.
·
Despite not shining, Brown easily got the better
of Dwayne Bacon who was quiet up
until the last few minutes. Brown used his first step to get his should ahead
of Bacon and then was able to finish with contact in the lane. He also sought
out defensive rebounds calling them his out loud before actually wrapping them
up.
·
Isaiah
Briscoe and Jawun Evans were
matched up throughout the practice. Evans used his speed to push the pace and
was feisty on defense. On occasion, Evans would slither into the paint and was
able to finish with a floater or soft lay-up. Then there was Briscoe who used
his grown man strength to attack the basket and finish with contact. He
struggled shooting from the outside, but was routinely at the rim converting
shots or dishing to open teammates.
Overall:
Both the East and West practices were intense with a lot of
action. The talented players went at each other time and time again and while
there were several fine performances, it was the lights out shooting of Brandon
Ingram that had everyone talking once the final buzzer sounded.
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