Cincinnati Recruiting, Connecticut Recruiting, DePaul Recruiting, Georgetown Recruiting, Louisville Recruiting, Notre Dame Recruiting, Pittsburgh Recruiting, Providence Recruiting, Rutgers Recruiting, Seton Hall Recruiting, St. John's Recruiting, Syracuse Recruiting, West Virginia Recruiting

‘VEGAS WEEK’ REVIEW: BIG EAST FOCUS (PART II)

by PAT STEVENS

In Part I of our Vegas Week review, we take a look at some new Big East targets that emerged in Vegas as well as the play of several of the players committed to Big East programs in 2010.

In Part II, we take a closer look at many stand-out performers from the action in Vegas and what Big East schools were tracking them in Vegas and who they are considering in the recruitment process…

As for the usual suspects spotted in our time in Vegas, St. John’s Norm Roberts, Seton Hall’s Bobby Gonzalez, Rutgers’ Fred Hill and Providence’s Keno Davis were in attendance for New Heights’ Wednesday game with Jayvaughn Pinkston, Devon Collier and Ashton Pankey while also watching the New York Panthers several times with J.J. Moore, Sterling Gibbs and Ryan Rhoomes.

Louisville and DePaul were in for the Mac Irvin Fire games with Wayne Blackshear and Mike Shaw.

Syracuse, Louisville and Georgetown watched Fabricio de Melo during a pool game Friday night.

Here are the individual player notes…

CLASS OF 2010

Joe Jackson (6-0 PG/Memphis, Tenn./White Station/Memphis Magic) – The headlining game of GBOA was the Memphis vs. Seattle boys and Jackson brought it in this one with the game-high 24 points. His highlight of the game had to be when he chased down a fast break and blocked a would-be dunk with a challenge at the rim. The teams would trade baskets early but Seattle would make a run before the half to go up. Jackson and Memphis got back in it with Seattle’s two horses on the bench and he’d score 10 in the final few minutes to get it as close as five, but eventually they’d fall. At Adidas, the team won the event over the New England Playaz with Jackson scoring 20. He had 30 in the semi-final win over DC Assault and 31 in the quarters against the Atlanta Celtics, both overtime games. Connecticut and Syracuse make his top seven joining Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Memphis and Tennessee.
—————————————–

Jelan Kendrick (6-7 PG/Atlanta, Ga./Westlake/Memphis Magic) – Kendrick also delivered in the Memphis-Seattle game. He popped jumpers out of the pick-and-roll, chased down a shot in transition, hit a 15-footer over a contest from 6-10 Josh Smith, and shook his man with an in-and-out dribble into a pull-up jumper.

Georgetown is among those that he continues to say he has around 30 offers from, but word is they are one of the finalists and one of the few seriously considered, along with Cincinnati. He visited the Hoyas for Midnight Madness last year and will go on a visit trip to a handful of schools in August.
—————————————

Terrence Jones (6-9 CF/Portland, Ore./Jefferson/I-5 Elite) – Cheated out of a potential match-up with 6-9 PF Perry Jones in the final in what would have put two of the top inside-out performers against each other, his team ended up facing and beating the Dallas Heroes in the championship at Center Stage. On day one at GBOA, he was dominant against D-One Sports in 101-41 blowout and got the best of 6-9 rising junior Quincy Miller the few times they matched up in the early going. Jones is more four than three and he brought the ball up the floor much of the time in his team’s run. He’ll remind Hoya fans of Greg Monroe being he’s a big lefty and versatile. Connecticut and Georgetown are in it with a long list.
————————————–

Trey Zeigler (6-5 WF/Mount Pleasant, Mi./Team Detroit) – There’s no wow factor but his production has been high level at NBA Camp, LeBron/King City and again here as the team won Reebok. One play that stood out was when he was ready to pop a jumper from mid-range, took one dribble toward the baseline and was at the rim like a dart for a two-handed dunk. He averaged 16.4 for the event heading into the championship and scored 16 in the final, 10 coming in the first half. Notre Dame, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Providence were mentioned but it he’s likely Big 10, Big 12 or Pac 10 bound.
————————————-

Ray McCallum (6-3 PG/Beverly Hills, Mi./Detroit Country Day/Team Detroit) – Ran the show for the winners at Reebok and did nothing outside of his reputation as one of the best floor generals in his class and steadiest performers. He recently cut his list down and Notre Dame made the cut along with upwards of 10 others, with the Irish the only Big East team.
—————————————-

Dominique Ferguson (6-9 CF/Indianapolis, In./Hargrave Military Academy/Team Detroit) – He played with Team Detroit for the first time here and helped them in their run scoring 11 and pulling down 10 boards in the Reebok final, about his average for the week. All of his baskets came inside on post-ups and offensive rebounds aside from one drive to his left for a hoop. It was a good fit for him as he wasn’t asked to be a takeover player and the team played to his strengths as a mismatch. With more work and if he keeps growing which he believes he is, then he’ll quiet doubters who question his Top 20 status.

Connecticut jumped in before July started and are in it with Arizona, Duke, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Big East schools Cincinnati, DePaul and West Virginia. Florida may be the strongest, though. He’s looking to take visits in August before heading to prep school at the end of the month.
—————————————

Fabricio de Melo (7-0 C/Weston, Fla./Sagemont/Florida Rams) – It’s tough for him to score but it’s tough for others to score on him. At Adidas vs. Derek Smith All-Stars of Kentucky in pool play, Melo showed he lacks polish offensively but played with high-energy on both ends. Not that it takes much to do, but he does make an effort to establish position rather than be a slouch big man who expects guards to just toss it in to him. It’s easier to tune a player down than to tune him up and to go with that size and passion, obviously he’ll be an impact interior starter. Syracuse, Louisville and Georgetown had coaches there along with Miami, Florida and Florida State.
————————————–

KC Ross Miller (6-0 PG/Dallas, Tex./God’s Academy/Brandon Bass Elite) – In one of the better pool games at Reebok that was supposed to have top rising prospects 6-7 CF Tony Mitchell and 6-8 WF DeAndre Daniels on the court, it was Ross-Miller who led the way to victory over Belmont Shore of California. Daniels was out with a wrist injury and Mitchell’s offensive involvement was limited with a burn-clock strategy by his team. Ross-Miller had the ball in his hands most of the second half stretch that saw the team pull away from a tie-game at the half, with him getting inside and scoring amongst the trees collapsing. The one-time Kentucky commit to the old staff has listed Georgetown in the past as John Thompson III looked on.
—————————————

Shaquille Thomas (6-8 WF/Montclair, N.J./Playaz) – Two weakside shot blocks led to easy baskets in the opening minutes as swingman Thomas played the middle of the zone. In the second half, he had a corner three-pointer, finished at the rim with two dunks after missing two lay-ups earlier, and pinned a shot on the glass on the other end. Finished with 14 points.
——————————————————-

CLASS OF 2011

Tony Wroten (6-4 PG/Seattle, Wa./Garfield/Seattle Rotary Select) – Some have been down on his play during the spring and plus missing NBA and LeBron but Wroten was the goods in games at GBOA against Memphis Magic and at Center Stage against Mac Irvin Fire. In the win against the eventual Adidas champs, he passed it in every way imaginable and attacked the rim for scores against different defenders. Against Mac Irvin, he shot the gaps in the zone at will and spent a lot of time at the line having drawn contact each take to the rim. The passing was there too when he’d draw the back line of defense up to him and hit cutters along the baseline for scores. He could have pulled the trigger on a few passes but wisely showed patience in a few instances. They were dominant 15 and 12 point performances to go with 6-10 Josh Smith finishing everything around the hoop en route to his 16 and 26 point games. He’s mentioned playing in the Big East having been close with cousin Nate Robinson of the Knicks, who was at the game against Mac Irvin. It’s still early in his process.
————————————–

Wayne Blackshear (6-5 WF/Chicago, Ill./Morgan Park/Mac Irvin Fire) – Against the Milwaukee Spartans in a constant lead-changing game that the Fire won in OT, he was the number one option in the second half with post-up scores against smaller defenders and double-teams. Earlier against Seattle, he popped a three from the top of the key when isolated with his defender and also went upstairs for a few dunks. He and teammate Mike Shaw (6-7 CF/Chicago, Ill./De La Salle), who was quiet in both games, visited Louisville recently and Rick Pitino watched them against Seattle while Steve Masiello watched them against Milwaukee, as did DePaul’s Billy Garrett. The Fire fell in the quarterfinals to eventual runner-up the Dallas Heroes but both players have potential to be top guys at their class’ positions.
—————————————