Arizona Recruiting, Arkansas Recruiting, baylor Recruiting, DePaul Recruiting, Duquesne Recruiting, George Washington Recruiting, Georgetown Recruiting, memphis Recruiting, Pittsburgh Recruiting, Rhode Island Recruiting, Seton Hall Recruiting, St. Bonaventure Recruiting, Stanford Recruiting, Temple Recruiting, Texas A&M Recruiting, Texas Recruiting

2012 PEACH JAM REPORT – DAY III (PART A)

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By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

With pool play in full swing, Friday at the Peach Jam featured high profile games with star power all over the place. The morning set of games was highlighted by a standout point guard who doesn’t always receive the recognition he deserves.

Top Performer of the Morning:

Rene Castro (BABC 2013) – BABC trailed by as many as 16 points in the second half of a morning game against Wisconsin Playground but Castro simply refused to lose. He showed incredible toughness in keeping his team together and attacking the rim relentlessly to fuel a comeback. While more effective off the dribble, Castro also made perimeter shots on his way to 10-14 shooting for 24 points. The numbers he put up and shots he made were impressive but it was the intangibles that stuck out to me. Castro’s ferocity and intensity only got stronger with his team behind and the entire BABC squad seemed inspired by their leader. He acknowledged after the game that with the team shorthanded here at Peach Jam (Wayne Selden and Goodluck Okonoboh didn’t make the trip) it was his responsibility to step up and be more of a scorer. Castro played that role brilliantly and showed the character and winning ways that are such strengths of his.

Sleeper Performance of the Morning:

Chris Egi (CIA Bounce 2015) – Egi is still very raw as a player at this stage but showed flashes of being a potential high major big man down the road. He is every bit of 6’9” and runs the floor and moves laterally unusually well for someone that big. Egi did a good job protecting the rim and cleaning the back board but needs significant improvement on the offensive end. It is not yet his time to be a focal part of the CIA offense but the big man is sure to see an increased role over the next two summers with the program.

Other Standouts:

Tyler Ennis (CIA Bounce 2013) – Ennis has the keys to CIA’s explosive offense and drives the ship with efficiency. Well known as someone who can control the pace and function in a half court offense, Ennis did the most damage with his shot making on Friday. He made deep jumpers both off the dribble and catch and made defenders pay for going under screens.

Bobby Portis (Arkansas Wings 2013) – verbal to Arkansas – After playing second fiddle to teammate Moses Kingsley on Thursday, Portis proved why he has such a strong reputation with his performance on Friday. A very athletic 6’9”, he made 18 foot jumpers, sealed defenders on the block for easy scores inside, and beat his man off the dribble. Portis also protects the rim, rebounds, and runs the floor like a deer. Razorback fans are going to fall in love with Bobby Portis.

Khadeem Lattin (Houston Hoops 2014) – While Lattin’s stat line of 4 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots doesn’t jump off the page, his ability to neutralize Moses Kingsley was huge for Houston Hoops in their morning win. He altered plenty more shots to go along with those 4 blocks and really made everything in the paint difficult for the Wings. Lattin showed a developing 16-18 foot jump shot which could transform him as a player if he can gain consistency with it.

Luke Worthington (Wisconsin Playground Elite 2013) – A 6’9” below the rim big man, Worthington was bigger and far more agile than reports had led me to believe. He has a very high basketball IQ for a big man showing a great understanding of how to pin defenders on his back and seal them for easy buckets. I also loved how Worthington didn’t try things that weren’t part of his skill set but rather stuck to doing the dirty work in the paint.

Jaylen Brantley (BABC 2013) – Brantley did what he does best on Friday, made deep perimeter jumpers both off the catch and off the dribble. He remains a somewhat one dimensional player as a long range sniper but that is a skill that every college program needs. Brantley’s ability to defend his position could be a problem at some levels but he can play anywhere as a zone buster off the bench.

Billy Garrett Jr. (Mac Irvin Fire 2013) – verbal to DePaul – Garrett was a bright spot for Mac Irvin in an otherwise difficult loss as the big point guard made perimeter shots and created for others. His size is a major factor at the point because Garrett can both see over defenders to find open passing lanes and shoot over defenders even when well guarded. He has a slight tendency to leave his feet to pass which leads to turnovers but this is certainly a correctable error.

Recruiting Updates:

Rene Castro (BABC 2013) – Castro’s recruitment has been on the fringe between the mid and high major levels for some time now and that really hasn’t changed. George Washington, Pittsburgh, Duquesne, Rhode Island, St. Bonaventure, Temple, and Seton Hall are the main schools involved as this point but Castro acknowledged that GW and Pitt have made him a priority. They, along with anyone else who wants to get seriously involved with his recruitment are recruiting Castro as a true point guard and not as a combo guard. He views himself as a leader and someone who can run a team and is only interested in college programs that are going to give him that opportunity.

Khadeem Lattin (Houston Hoops 2014) – Lattin has taken one of the most unique paths of any high school prospect in memory after spending the past season at Canarias Basketball Academy in Spain. Because of the course work he’s completed while overseas, Lattin now has the option of becoming a member of the 2013 class or remaining in his original 2014. He is unsure of which option he will take but will have plenty of college options whichever year he enters as Georgetown, Baylor (offer), Arkansas, Arizona (offer), Memphis (offer), Texas (offer), and Texas A&M (offer) are all in the mix. Lattin is looking for a school that can develop his perimeter game and turn him into a combo forward instead of remaining planted in the post as he often does now.

Luke Worthington (Wisconsin Playground 2013) – It’s no surprise that the high IQ player is also a stud in the classroom and has the nation’s top academic schools after him. While he’s keeping specifics mostly quiet, Worthington stated the most of the Ivy League along with Stanford are those involved. A player of his talent could be a steal at the IVY level for a school that can sell their prestigious academics and then reap the benefits on the court.

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