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HOOPHALL CLASSIC 2012: SATURDAY RECAP

After two days filled with local contests and a sampling of girl’s games, the Hoophall Classic took to the national stage on the boys side Saturday. Traditional powers like Oak Hill Academy, Gonzaga College Prep, St. Patrick’s and DeMatha Catholic headlined the action at Blake Arena in Springfield. Many players improved their stock on Saturday but none more than an undersized big man from Gonzaga College Prep.

Top Performer:

Kris Jenkins (Gonzaga 2013) – Jenkins had a breakout performance on national TV a week ago at the Cancer Research Classic in Wheeling, West Virginia and backed it up today at the Hoophall Classic by dominating an individual matchup with Riverside’s Ricardo Gathers. Jenkins is 6’6” at best but still has great strength for the power forward position. This allows him to hold his own defensively while causing all kinds of problems for opponents on the offensive end. He did the majority of his damage on midrange jumpers but showed that his range extends to the 3 point line knocking down a pair of triples. Jenkins was productive from the opening tip until the final whistle not even allowing an errant Ricardo Gathers elbow to the face to slow him down. After scoring at will on top 10 sophomore Jahlil Okafor and top 30 senior Ricardo Gathers in the past week, it’s safe to say that Jenkins can contribute at the high major level.

Local Sleepers:

Jared Wilson-Frame (Windsor 2015) – Already a known commodity in New England, Wilson-Frame arrived on the national scene with his performance Saturday. The 6’3” freshman wing scored from all three levels and was the catalyst for Windsor’s offense in a victory over Springfield Central. He has a strong and athletic build that allows him to absorb contact in the paint and still finish plays. With normal progression over the next few years, Wilson-Frame appears poised to become a high major player on the wing.

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Zach Lewis (Northwest Catholic 2012) – Lewis is a 6’3” 170 pound combo guard who was the lone bright spot for an overmatched Northwest Catholic team. He was relentless working his way towards the paint and then utilized his advanced midrange game to tally 23 points for his team. Lewis struggled somewhat from behind the arc but has shown the ability to make that shot in the past. More than anything his will and desire despite an early deficit stood out as he fueled his teams’ second half run against powerhouse Dematha.

Other Standout Performers:

Grant Jerrett (LaVerne Lutheran 2012) – signed with Arizona – Jerrett appears to have trimmed down slightly since the summer but the 6’10” big man was still a beast in the paint. He dunked everything he could get his hands on down low on his way to 30 points and 12 rebounds. Jerrett also defended the rim defensively swatting away 5 shots and altering many more as he discouraged St. Patrick’s from attacking the rim as the game wore on. Not only an interior player, Jerrett showed good form on his jump shot out to the 3 point line and the ability to use a couple dribbles in his face up game.

Jared Nickens (St. Patrick’s 2013) – Nickens stands a long and lean 6’6” while playing on the wing for the Celtics. He showed a gorgeous shooting stroke which netted him 15 points including three deep balls. While Nickens cooled off as the game wore on his form is near perfect and it is obvious that he can be a major zone buster at the next level.

DeAndre Bembry (St. Patrick’s 2013) – A transfer from North Carolina, Bembry is a point forward of sorts for St. Patrick’s facilitating offense both from the high post and the low block. He also made perimeter jump shots but his passing ability stood out as his strongest skill at this point. After the game he told me that he considers himself a 2 guard long term and will need to work on his handle and the range on his jumper to be successful at that spot.

BeeJay Anya (Dematha Catholic 2013) – Anya looks like a new man since I last saw him over the summer. He has trimmed down significantly and his new build has increased his bounce around the rim while not sacrificing his considerable strength. Northwest Catholic was helpless in defending Anya in the paint and he put up 24 points and 9 rebounds on only 14 shot attempts. The 6’8” big man played with added aggressiveness offensively and looked to punish the opponent at every opportunity.

Tyler Lewis (Oak Hill Academy 2012) – signed with NC State – Lewis doesn’t look the part standing only 5’11” and 165 pounds but he is as effective a point guard as there is in the high school game. He must be respected on all screens as he has 24 foot range and will punish anyone going underneath. While a great shooter it is Lewis’ creation for others and overall leadership that stands out. He put his teammates in easy positions to score all game long on his way to 9 assists to go along with 15 points.

Jordan Adams (Oak Hill Academy 2012) – signed with UCLA – The beneficiary of a lot of Lewis’ playmaking, Adams is among the nation’s best long range snipers. He needs only an inch of space to get his jumper off and has range on it out to the NBA 3 point line. He buried 5-7 deep balls today netting 23 points in all. He should continue to stretch defenses next year at UCLA with Kyle Anderson’s playmaking taking the place of Tyler Lewis.

Hoophall Classic Free Throws:

Host team Springfield Central has a bouncy athlete in Tyrell Springer. The 6’3” guard needs work on his ball skills but can play above the rim with just about anyone… After impressing at the City of Palms freshman point guard Charvon Julien won me over again today and further convinced me that he’s a future high major guard… Julien has a teammate in 8th grader Khalea Turner who could be among the nation’s elite in 2016. Turner’s a 6’8” post who runs the floor hard and defends players 5 years his senior without issue… Ricardo Gathers didn’t have his best day but did manage to nearly rip the backboard down on the day’s most powerful dunk… Northwest Catholic’s Kuran Iverson has all the tools to be special but still doesn’t put them together consistently. The junior showed flashes but overall had a very difficult outing… Freshman Mickey Mitchell was not the dominant player he had been at the City of Palms but showed off an improved 3 point shot that could make him truly scary… St. Patrick’s junior Elijah Davis is an undersized below the rim big man who could really help at the low major level.

Recruiting Updates:

Jared Wilson-Frame (Windsor 2015) – Still very early in the process as only a freshman, Wilson-Frame already has significant interest from Quinnipiac, Providence and Miami. He eventually views himself as a Big East player and is looking for a program that competes hard every possession just like the Windsor team he plays for in high school.

Zach Lewis (Northwest Catholic 2012) – Lewis is yet to receive a division 1 offer but does have strong interest from Northeastern, Hofstra, VCU, Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac. He is planning to take official visits to all of those schools except VCU and is looking for a school with strong academics. Based on their academics and the family atmosphere he feels with the coaching staff, Northeastern stood out to Lewis as exactly the type of environment he is looking for.

DeAndre Bembry (St. Patrick’s 2013) – Bembry considers himself wide open at this point and is mulling offers from Villanova, UCF, South Carolina, Auburn, VCU and Seton Hall. He is not focused on the recruiting process right now and plans to delve into more fully once the high school season is over.

Jared Nickens (St. Patrick’s 2013) – Nickens has mid major offers from St Joseph’s, VCU, Fordham and SMU to go along with high major interest from Seton Hall, Villanova and St. John’s.

Kris Jenkins (Gonzaga 2013) – Jenkins currently has offers from Xavier, Miami, La Salle, Rutgers, Villanova, and Clemson. He has no timetable on a decision and says that none of those schools stand out above any others.

Ricardo Gathers (Riverside Academy 2012) – Gathers listed Baylor, NC State, St. John’s and Florida as his 4 favorites with LSU and California also heavily involved. He said that Kentucky coach John Calipari has been to see one of his games but hasn’t been in contact. Duke has offered but has only been in contact once during the season and stands clearly below his top 4. Gathers does plan to visit Duke along with NC State, Florida and Baylor.

Kuran Iverson (Northwest Catholic 2013) – Iverson is not focused on his recruiting during the high school season and says that no schools really stand out to him at this point. He did claim offers from Connecticut, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, North Carolina, Rutgers, St. John’s, and Florida. St. John’s head coach Steve Lavin and UConn assistant Kevin Ollie were both on hand to watch him play tonight.
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