Anthony Jaskulski, Pittsburgh Recruiting, Ray Mernagh, Syracuse Recruiting

NBE ‘LIVE’ FROM LJSA (EVENING UPDATE)

Everyone is off to the races as vacations are over and the July live evaluation period is under way. Today is the first day the doors are open to the media at the Lebron James Skills Academy in Akron (OH) and Ray Mernagh and Anthony Jaskulski are in the James A. Rhodes Arena on the University of Akron campus.

The camp is absolutely loaded with talent (roster) and upon arrival the high school players were involved in their second workout of the camp, the first came Sunday evening.

Here are some Monday observations from camp…

Ray Mernagh’s First Evening Wrap-up:

Rakeem Christmas came to play. The 6-foot-9, 220-pounder with the 7-foot-4 1/2 wingspan has been denying folks at the goal like USA goalkeeper Tim Howard did Spain a few weeks ago. The Illadelph product has improved greatly since I last saw him in December and his skill, effort and motor is rapidly catching up to his body and promise. Saw him send it back to sender three times, bang a follow-up jam and catch and finish strong through contact for the and 1. Malcolm Gilbert is going to be seeing ‘Keem in his nightmares for at least a few days.

Juwan Staten — 5-10 2010 product out of Dayton (and Flyer verbal commit) — made the ballhawk move of the night by circling from the baseline to the three-point arc for a steal, break and conversion.

Doron Lamb is simply going to go by the name buckets from now on. Buckets — he fills the tin up again and again. Drives, threes, pullups, you name it. Lamb measured up at 6-foot-3 1/2 and 183 pounds.

Josh Selby from Baltimore stuck a three and then made a strong drive and finished. He is committed to Tennessee.

2011 St Benedict’s product Myck Kabongo, who is verbally committed to Texas, stuck a three in transition.

Fort Wayne’s Russell Byrd, who is committed to Michigan State, went nuts from deep, burying about three in a row before wrapping a tweaked knee.

Trevor Cooney hit a nice running floater off of one foot and then got taken out of the game. When I complained to a scout I trust inherently about it he replied “he shot the crap out of it in drills this morning.” So Trevor is showing out well here in the Rubber City.

CJ Fair — Syracuse verbal — defended the Beast (Jared Sullinger) real well on one possession and then hit a three from deep plus dunked on a nice baseline drive.

Dwight Powell is a beast — and he’s running his own diary at SLAM this week.

Harrison Barnes has the look of a pro. He’s the most developed, bigger bodied wing I’ve seen in a few years. He’s also incredibly smooth on the floor.

Adonis Thomas is a 2011 from hoop-rich Memphis and he stuck three 3’s while I was watching.

Cameron Wright, a local 2010 product from Cleveland, equipped himself really well all night in this first session where the kids scrimmaged up and down.

Isaiah Epps represented big time, hitting three’s, driving and dishing. This future Pittsburgh product is going to be a special, special player in Oakland!

Marquise Teague is another fast Teague out of Indy’s Pike HS. He has incredible speed and gets wherever he wants to on the floor with his dribble. He also has shot-making ability that might remind some old-heads (or tape junkies) of Tiny Archibald.

Trevor Lacey and Dominique Ferguson hooked up a number of times on the break. Lacy is a quick 6-1 guard out of ‘Bama in the 2011 class and Ferguson a 6-8 2010 kid out of Indy.
—————————————————

11:35 AM Update: The high school workout is winding down, but the action is impressive. Jason Morris, who measured in at 6-foot-4 and 204 pounds, uses that strength to finish through contact.

Dwight Powell, a 6-foot-10, 212-pound native of Melrose (MA), attending the IMG (FL) Academy, had a nice block at the rim of an Alex Kirk attempt.

Tobias Harris scored on an impressive, smooth runner in the lane. At 6-foot-8 and 210 pounds, that is a move that shows how skillful Harris is. He tried to take his man off the dribble again, but Johnny O’Bryant rejected the attempt. O’Bryant is a 6-foot-8, 218-pound class of 2011 PF/C out of Cleveland (MS). O’Bryant was measured with a 7-foot-2 wingspan.
————————————————————

11:15 AM Update: Kendall Marshall has been a bit of a forgotten man in the class of 2010 since an early commitment to UNC. However, the future Tar Heel has put himself back into the conversation with a strong NBA Top 100 camp and looks good finishing here.

Crandall Head, an Illinois-commit, looks good defending in drills.

Dion Waiters shows off his range with a pull-up three-pointer. The future Syracuse Orange guard measured in at 6-foot-3 1/2 and a solid 201 pounds.

Trey Ziegler, son of CMU head coach Ernie Ziegler, steps up and d’s Lebron in a 5-on-5 match-up. He also showed the ability to finish on the break and crash the boards offensively for a 6-foot-5, 183-pound off-guard.

Not that it is news, but Michael Gilchrist is really good and continues to show it…hits a fadeaway baseline ‘j.’

Lebron James is completely involved and it is both cool and genuine.

———————————————————————

11:00 AM Update: King James is once again an active participant in the camp that cites his name. Lebron is playing three-on-three with kids.

More drill work observations: Michael Gilchrist shows great closeout ability on defense for a young 6-foot-6 forward. Gilchrist measured in at 6-foot-6 and 216 pounds. His wingspan was measured at 7-foot and a 1/2 inch.

Smooth Will Barton buried a three after taking his turn d-ing up Lebron. Something tells Ray that King James could have dunked on young Will, but didn’t…

————————————————————————

10:45 AM Update: NY Knick assistant coach Kenny Atkinson was putting guards through a workout on one end of the court. Marquise Teague, Ray McCallum Jr., Austin Rivers and Kyrie Irving are working together with Atkinson and Irving looks outstanding. Irving measured in at 6-foot-2 and 172 pounds at the camp.

In another group ESPN college basketball commentator and former Duke Blue Devil Jay Bilas is working with the bigs on screen and rolls. Class of 2012 super prospect DaJuan Coleman is in the group with Tobias Harris, Dwight Powell and 6-foot-9 1/2, 212-pound James Johnson out of Samuel Morse HS in Mildomar (CA). Johnson looks very good out to 18-feet and will be back on the college basketball coaches radar after coming back to the USA from Canada.

Craig Ehlo is guarding the post in drills.

– note – height measured in sneakers, weight measured without sneakers
————————————————————————–