Connecticut Recruiting, Louisville Recruiting, Syracuse Recruiting

COULD LA DREAM TEAM PAIR COME EAST?

Elite 2009 Prospects Sidney and Hamilton could come east, maybe as a package

This past weekend at the Rumble in the Bronx brought the much anticipated East Coast appearance of elite 2009 California prospects Renardo Sidney and Jordan Hamilton. Alex Schwartz took advantage of the opportunity to see the pair in action against the talented NY Panthers and had a chance to talk basketball, recruiting and future plans with both prospects.

The trip from LA to NYC did not quite turn out to be a dream vacation for the LA Dream Team as they struggled more than they excelled, although they rallied after pool play to win the Rumble in the Bronx Silver bracket championship, but not competing for the Gold title had to be a let down for the all-star club from California.

Renardo Sidney came to the Bronx with the big reputation and the tough New York crowd was not willing to cut him much slack. ‘Derrick Caracter’ was a comparison many have made since the Rumble, both in the skills that the one-time Louisville Cardinal could dominate on the floor with and the issues that have derailed his promising career.

“Right now, I got to work on losing weight and just going down there in the post and being . . . big,” Sidney admitted. Asked by Schwartz on what he needed to work on the most, Renardo stated the obvious, “”Conditioning, once I get in condition and lose some pounds, I’ll be good.”

While Sidney came to town looking out of shape, he still managed to show some of the skills that have college coaches more than willing to take their chance on him. He echoed to Schwartz the skills that leave many in awe of his potential, especially if he gets into the proper condition.

“I’m quick, I got good footwork, I’m smart, well sometimes I’m smart, and I play hard,” Sidney said.

Judging from his school list, college coaches are more than willing to but some lackluster performances aside and roll the dice with Sidney, even if they do not have him very long.

When asked whether the NBA age limit rule has altered his potential plans, Sidney was honest with his intentions, “Yes, I’d definitely make that jump because high school, school-wise it’s just hurting me, but I’d like to go to college, get that one year.”

“Kansas, Louisville, USC, UCLA, Texas, Texas A&M, [and] Florida,” Sidney responded when Schwartz asked of the schools he is considering.

What also makes the story interesting is Sidney does not want to head to school alone, he hopes to go with several of his Dream Team teammates.

“Antonio Bigelow, Kawad [Leonard], Eric [Swoopes], me, Lance [Stephenson], and then we got to find another big, oh and Jordan (Hamilton), . . . might be Jordan. Everybody . . . actually is recruiting us, but we just got to come as one and then pick the school we want to go to.”

“Oh, that’s a big chance,” Sidney continued on the topic of a package deal. “Jordan [and I] just talked the other night and we got one more year in high school, [and] we [will] just go [and] probably just make the decision together.”

As for Jordan Hamilton, the highly talented swingman from Dominguez High School in LA, his recruitment might already be narrowing down just a bit.

“Well, my options are still open,” Hamilton responded when Schwartz asked him about the stories of him being a lean to Texas. “I didn’t commit or anything like that, but I do like Texas. It’s [in] a great city. I had a chance to take an unofficial [visit] and I thought the coaches were great,” Hamilton said. “The players were great, and they have a very young team, and I think . . . if I was to go there, I would make a big impact.”

There is another school that Hamilton might also find himself drawn to because of a player he, and others compare him to.

“Most people say Carmelo Anthony and Josh Shipp,” Hamilton said. “I’ll say Carmelo Anthony.”

“Well, I like Syracuse a lot,” Hamilton admitted when asked if the draw of Anthony could lead him into Syracuse Orange rather than burnt orange. “Great coach, Hall of Fame coach, and if I was to go there, I was told that I could make a great impact. They have a young team also, and they have great players.”

Connecticut, Kansas, Cal and USC are also on Hamilton’s college shopping list in addition to SU and Texas. His versatility is a big draw for those schools that have a lot of the NBA style to let players use their skills to make plays, which play right into the strengths of his game that Hamilton identified.

“My strongest point is coming off the dribble, pushing it up court,” Hamilton explained. “Most guys wouldn’t think I would push it up court, but sometimes I can run the one, let my guards get out on the wings and I can kick it out to them so they can get open shots and get layups.”

Here is what Alex Schwartz saw at the Rumble in the Bronx when Sidney and Hamilton hit the court against the NY Panthers, a scouting report on each:
Sidney:

After watching Renardo Sidney play, I was left wondering what makes him so special, as he did basically nothing against the NY Panthers. Yeah, he grabbed a few boards and scored some points, but he was not even close to dominant, and was not even remotely close to backing up his reputation, which is about as large as he is. Speaking of size, Sidney either needs to shed 15 or 20 pounds or just work on his endurance, stamina, and agility. The junior big man didn’t run back to play defense all that often, and even when he did, he seemed lazy and at some points uninterested. At points, he didn’t even jump for rebounds. As well, Sidney complained about referees’ calls, appeared tired even during the first half, fouled a lot, was even at halfcourt for free throws sometimes. In the second half, after Sidney fouled out, I didn’t even notice that the big man was off the floor, though that may be hard to believe. That explains just how nonexistent he was throughout the contest. There were some positives that the highly regarded big man did display in the game against the NY Panthers. First off, Sidney is a good free throw shooter and puts a lot of arc on his shots from the stripe. His has a solid handle and a stellar form on his jumper. Renardo was certainly aggressive at times, and even dove on the floor for the ball at least once. In the second half, for the little bit that he was in, the Fairfax High School star seemed to play better, as he was jumping more, and thus grabbed more rebounds. Overall though, Sidney wasn’t even one of the two best players on the floor . . . for his own team.

Hamilton:

Although Hamilton definitely had an off game against the NY Panthers, it was evident why people are so enamored with the junior swingman. Although Jordan was lazy getting back on defense, and was even lazy points when he was back, it was evident that his has the ability to more than make up for that at the other end of the floor, though the defensive issues are still somewhat troubling. On offense, he attacked the basket quite well and displayed a nice handle. Some of Hamilton’s passes were overly flashy, and he is a big fan of the alley-oop, whether it be on the passing or catching end. Jordan has good height and length, and his extreme athleticism was apparent. He has nice ups, aggressiveness, and just that “it” factor that you can’t really pinpoint, though it certainly relates to his supreme athletic ability. Hamilton complained to the refs at different points during the game, and also did not always jump for rebounds. Although his shot was off from start to finish, he demonstrated a nice stroke. As well, he continued to shoot even when he kept missing, a positive trait in a quality shooter and scorer. Hamilton struggled at the free throw line, though that, like his shooting from the field, may have been a result of his injured shoulder. Hamilton did not do anything outstanding, yet due to his phenomenal athleticism, he clearly has great potential.

For more from Alex Schwartz on Renardo Sidney, Jordan Hamilton and other interviews from the AAU circuit, check out his blog: Northstar Basketball.