Arkansas Recruiting, baylor Recruiting, California Recruiting, Central Florida Recruiting, Colorado, Connecticut Recruiting, DePaul Recruiting, Florida Recruiting, Georgia Tech Recruiting, Gonzaga Recruiting, Kansas Recruiting, Louisville Recruiting, Marquette Recruiting, memphis Recruiting, Michigan Recruiting, Michigan State Recruiting, Mississippi Recruiting, Mississippi State Recruiting, Missouri Recruiting, North Carolina State Recruiting, Ohio State Recruiting, Pittsburgh Recruiting, San Diego State Recruiting, Seton Hall Recruiting, Temple Recruiting, Tennessee Recruiting, UCLA, UNLV Recruiting, USC Recruiting, UTEP, VCU Recruiting, Virginia Tech Recruiting, Washington Recruiting, Xavier Recruiting

2012 ADIDAS INVITATIONAL – THURSDAY RECAP

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The Adidas Invitational in Indianapolis brings together all the Adidas sponsored AAU teams from around the country and in doing so collects one of the largest pools of talent of any tournament all summer. It was on full display throughout the day Thursday with high major talent playing in front of college coaches. A selection of players was able to separate themselves from the pack led by a pair of teammates from the Memphis area.

Top Performers of the Day:

Leron Black (Team Thad 2014) – Black is a 6-foot-7 power forward who has a motor that runs nonstop. His energy wore down the opposition to the point that he was beating his man down the floor every single time. Team Thad’s offensive system is similar to that of the old Loyola Marymount teams of the late 80s and early 90s that routinely scored over 100 points on the college level. They run and run and run until they can’t run anymore and over time this style wears down the opponents. Black never wore down himself but rather got stronger as the game went on dunking on four consecutive possessions at one point in the second half. His energy and smile on the court are infectious as the whole team seemed to rally around him after he got going in the 2nd half. Black even showed a developing face up game beating taller opponents off the bounce on his way towards more dunks at the rim. On top of the big finishes, he’s also a fantastic rebounder both in and out of his area, particularly on the offensive end. Every college program in the country that plays and up tempo style should be banging down Black’s door begging him to become part of their family.

Anton Beard (Team Thad 2014) – verbal to Missouri – The point guard that makes Team Thad go, Beard is a 6-foot lefty who is nearly impossible to stay in front of. He had 23 points in the first half alone and I can’t recall a basket outside of four feet among his makes. Defensively, he’s an absolute pest on the ball pressuring opposing point guards relentlessly and forcing countless turnovers. This fuels the breakneck pace that Team Thad wants to play at and allows them to get out in transition for easy conversions. Not just a scorer, Beard consistently set up teammates for dunks after blowing by his defender and getting into the paint. He also made a habit of drawing a defender in transition and then throwing it off the back board to a trailing teammate (most often Black) for a loud flush. Beard will need to continue working on his perimeter jumper so that defenders don’t always go under screens but he did show solid form on his attempts.

Sleeper Performance of the Day:

Joel Embid (Florida Elite 2013) – Embid is a 6-foot-11 center who is in the early stages of his basketball development. He has only been playing basketball for 16 months and just arrived in the United States last November. The native of Cameroon moves very well for a man his size and already has above average timing in shot blocking situations. Offensively he has a long way to go but shows the early stages of a developing post game. He was able to execute a drop step and a jump hook over his left shoulder looking rather fluid in doing so. As the big man continues to learn the nuances of the game he has a chance to be a big time college player.

Other Standout Performers:

Kasey Hill (Florida Elite 2013) – Already established as one of the nation’s best point guards, Hill has been known for his incredible speed and ability to blow by defenders off the dribble. If today is any indication he’s added a consistent 3-point shot to his arsenal making him impossible to handle in pick and roll sets. Hill always showed outstanding vision in the open floor picking out teammates at angles that no one else was seeing. He has all the makings of a future pro at the point guard spot.

Chris Walker of Florida Elite finishes at rim (photo provided by Adidas Invitational)

Isaac Hamilton (Dream Vision 2013) – Hamilton has one of the most complete offensive scoring packages of anyone in the 2013 class. The 6’5” scoring guard fills it up from all three levels and does it with such ease it often appears as though the defense isn’t even there. Not just a scorer, Hamilton also flashed high level passing ability when he drew extra defenders on his forays into the paint. He is an elite shooting guard and one who with continued hard work has an opportunity to be a pro.

Anthony January (Dream Vision 2013) – A 6’7” combo forward with freakish athleticism, January was a load around the rim all day. He scores from a variety of angles with either hand and can also rise above his defender and hammer it down on his head. January needs to be a bit more consistent and continue developing his face up game as he is trying to evolve into a small forward at the next level.

Devin Williams (Ohio Basketball Club 2013) – Williams is a power player in every sense of the word, using strength to bully defenders in the lane. His go to move is a baseline spin that he uses once creating a lot of contact with the defender. If he can develop a consistent counter move such as a jump hook across the lane he can become a dominant low post scorer.

Derrick Walton (Michigan Mustangs 2013) – verbal to Michigan – Walton operated as a scoring point guard in an early morning game against Dream Vision gliding through the paint seemingly at will. He finishes well with either hand around the rim using a variety of acrobatic moves to elude defenders. Walton also flashed good range on his jumper punishing defenders for going under the screen.

Idrissa Diallo (Compton Magic 2014) – Diallo oozes potential as the 6’10” big man has a massive frame and runs the floor like a guard. His offensive skills are still very raw but based strictly on his size and ability to move he looks to be a potential high major player. Diallo will need to continue working and learning the game but has a chance to be one of the west coast’s top bigs in the 2014 class.

Djery Baptiste (ECE Mass 2015) – Baptiste is a guy I’ve liked for awhile and he continues to impress me every time out. At 6’11” with a 7’5” wing span he shuts down the lane on defense by being active and using his length to disrupt drives and shots. He runs the floor hard and finishes around the rim even flashing the early stages of a go to jump hook in the lane. Baptiste is a 5 star player all the way and will become a high major priority over the next few years.

Kelly Oubre Jr, (New Orleans Elite 2014) – The 6’6” lefty wing has a beautiful shooting stroke from behind the arc but is much more than just a sniper. He has a great shot fake and can use multiple dribbles to attack the rim and finish over defenders at the rim. He needs a little bit of strength to battle at the highest level of college basketball but has the frame to add it and should do that over the next few years. He has the talent to be a go to scoring option for a high major team.

Jeremy Miller (Mass Rivals 2015) – In arguably the best performance I’ve seen from Miller to date, he buried 3-pointers in bunches, rebounded at a high level, and ran the floor for transition buckets. The 6’9” forward still needs to add considerable strength which will allow him to play more in the post and use his soft shooting touch down there but has shown more willingness to bang inside than previous viewings.

Recruiting Updates:

Devin Williams (Ohio Basketball Club 2013) – The 6-foot-9 post has had a very active cell phone since June 15th hearing from Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Xavier, UCLA, USC, Louisville and Seton Hall almost on a daily basis. On Thursday the recruiting interest in Williams was very evident with head coaches from UCLA, Xavier, Florida, Ohio State, Pittsburgh and Michigan State watching as well as assistants from Virginia Tech, Louisville and DePaul. No one school from the group stands out to Williams at this point but he is looking for a school where the staff makes him feel welcome and gives him an opportunity to play early in his career.

Isaac Hamilton (Dream Vision 2013) – Hamilton rattled off an elite list of offers including California, Washington, USC, UCLA, UTEP, Gonzaga, Connecticut, Florida and Colorado. He has already taken visits to UCLA, San Diego State and UNLV and has plans to try and visit the other schools on his list sometime early in the upcoming school year. He doesn’t have a favorite at this point or anyone standing out stating that all the schools he mentioned are on an even playing field.

Idrissa Diallo (Compton Magic 2014) – The recruiting process is really just beginning for Diallo but he already holds an offer from USC along with interest from UNLV, Marquette and Washington. That list is sure to grow significantly longer in the very near future as the big man gets seen by more college coaches.

Joel Embid (Florida Elite 2013) – Still new to the game of basketball and this country, Embid does not yet hold a scholarship offer but has heard from some top schools. Florida, Mississippi State, Mississippi, DePaul, Central Florida, VCU and Temple have already reached out to the big man and many more are sure to follow suit.

Leron Black (Team Thad 2014) – Black is mulling offers from Baylor, Memphis, Tennessee, Ohio State, Georgia Tech, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Kansas and NC State. He has already taken unofficial visits to Baylor, Memphis and Georgia Tech and doesn’t have any others planned at this time. Still open in the process, Black is looking for a school with a running up tempo style as well as a spot with strong academics stating that he wants to “be something after basketball” so the education is key. Religion also plays a part for Black and he is looking for a family atmosphere with a spiritual side at the next level. He stressed this multiple times when talking to him and took time to pray after the game before granting an interview.

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