Alex Jesswein, DePaul Recruiting, Louisville Recruiting, Marquette Recruiting

NY2LA SPORTS INVITATIONAL PLAYER REVIEW

Last weekend at the beautiful Al McGuire Center on the Marquette University campus in Milwaukee (WI), NY2LA Sports, under the direction of Antonio Curro, held their 2009 Invitational.

Some of the top teams from the midwest, highlighted by Mac Irvin Fire (IL), Playground Elite (WI), Milwaukee DTA and others, the action was fin and exciting to watch. Alex Jesswein was at the ‘Al’ for much of the weekend taking in that action and he has some player evaluations from some of the top players that graced the court this past weekend…

Class of 2010

Jereme Richmond (Mac Irvin Fire/Waukegan, Illinois, Waukegan HS)-Richmond has already made his mark on the national scene, as most recruiting services have him in their top 25. He continued to impress this past weekend, carrying the Fire to the 17-and-under championship game. Richmond seems to be most comfortable with the ball in his hands where he can pull up, take his man off the dribble or dish off to an open teammate. Against the Wisconsin Swing, Richmond was nearly unstoppable for a four- or five-minute stretch where he was scoring at will. Richmond is committed to Illinois and he should make a big splash in the Big Ten.

Reggie Smith (Mac Irvin Fire/Harvey, Illinois, Thornton HS)-There’s no doubting Smith has elite level athleticism. He had the play of the tournament when he elevated on a baseline inbounds pass to throw it down with two hands. His athleticism was also witnessed on the defensive end where he got into the passing lane and either blocked or altered shots. Offensively he is still a work in progress. His jump shot is average and his ‘point guard skills’ could use some fine-tuning. Smith will likely end up at a high major school with Indiana, Marquette and Butler currently sitting atop his list.

CLASS OF 2011

Mike Shaw (Mac Irvin Fire/Chicago, Illinois, De La Salle HS)-The 6-foot-8 big man from Chicago ended up doing much of the dirty work for the Fire this past weekend. As a result he often found himself in foul trouble. When he was on the court he displayed a good touch from deep, a willingness to attack the glass and very good athleticism. Previous reports stated that Shaw floated around the perimeter too often but this past weekend Shaw got to the paint as much as he could. Already receiving interest from Illinois, Texas, USC, Marquette, DePaul, Louisville and others, Shaw is destined to be a premier player in a top conference.

Wayne Blackshear (Mac Irvin Fire/Chicago, Illinois Morgan Park HS)- Blackshear has been amidst a lot of controversy after he switched high schools mid season. He didn’t seem to let that bother him though, as he played well all weekend. Already possessing a great touch from deep, Blackshear impressed by scoring from all over the court. He was active on the offensive glass and got to the free throw line on numerous occasions. Defensively, his length allows him to be disruptive in passing lanes. Previously Blackshear has said he has received interest from Illinois, Texas, Marquette and Louisville.

Cinmeon Bowers (Playground Elite/Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Nicolet HS)- Playing with the Playground Elite, Bowers quickly catches viewers’ attention due to his unique combination of size and skills. Best described as a combo forward, Bowers is a physically intimidating presence at six-feet-six inches and 240 pounds. He handles the ball surprisingly well for his size and attacks the glass hard. We would like to see a stronger perimeter game from Bowers going forward. Marquette and a slew of Big Ten schools have already expressed interest in the Milwaukee native.

Darnell Harris (Milwaukee DTA 16U/Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Hamilton HS)- Harris, a lengthy six-foot-seven forward, led Milwaukee DTA to the 16-and-under championship. All weekend long he anchored the defense and played under control offensively. Harris has yet to settle into one position at this point and when you see him hit perimeter jumpers, it makes you believe he will ultimately end up on the wing. Now if that turns out to be the case, he will need to develop better handles and he could use some time to fine-tune his perimeter defense.

Elgin Cook (Milwaukee DTA 16U/Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Hamilton HS)- Cook was very impressive over the weekend and capped it off with an outstanding performance in the 16-and-under championship game. When Cook attacked the basket, he either finished or ended up at the free throw line. He also showed off his quickness defensively by getting into the passing lane and creating transition opportunities. Cook has seen high major interest already and if he continues his strong play his list of suitors will only grow.
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Attn: Baseball Fans:

See the White Sox and Cubs in Wrigley this month!!
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