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RUMBLE IN THE BRONX: FRIDAY RUNDOWN

BY JEFF BORZELLO

BRONX, N.Y. — With the proliferation of AAU events in the past couple of years, some of the bigger tournaments have fallen into obscurity. However, one that has stood the test of time is the Rumble in the Bronx, held at Fordham University. Although it always has a heavy New York metro-area flavor, it also brings in some of the top AAU programs from around the country. This year was no different, as the Southern Kings (GA), Dallas Mustangs (TX), Franchise All-Stars (TX) and others flew into New York for the tournament. Despite Adidas Nations taking place in Oregon and the NIKE Hoop Jamboree in St. Louis, there is still plenty of talent on-hand in the Bronx this weekend. Here’s a look at some of the top players:

Andre Drummond, 2012, Connecticut Basketball Club: Although Drummond didn’t show up until halftime of his team’s first game, he made an impact in the few minutes he played. He can finish with contact and runs the floor extremely well. On one play, he got a rebound over three players and then took two players off the dribble before driving to the basket. Drummond is also an adept shot-blocker and defender. Additionally, he showed good vision and passed the ball effectively. However, he did struggle with his footwork and back-to-the-basket game at times, resulting in difficult and awkward shots. Drummond also spends too much time on the perimeter as opposed to utilizing his size (6’10, 250) and skill down low.
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Evan Cummings, 2012, New England Playaz 16s: Cummings, who plays his school ball for Northfield Mount Hermon, is a versatile forward that can hurt opponents in different ways. He runs the floor well, and has very good hands for a big man. Cummings moves around well without the ball and is very effective from the high post. He has a soft touch on his jumper and is a capable passer. If he gets more physical in the paint, he will be a good prospect.

The 6-foot-8 Cummings has a variety of schools showing him interest, including Providence, Massachusetts, Xavier and many Ivy League schools, according to John Carroll, his coach at Northfield Mount Hermon.
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Jared Reuter, 2014, New England Playaz 16s: Although is a very young prospect, Reuter is already a well-known player in New England recruiting circles. The 6-foot-6 big man is strong and physical for his age and knows how to get good position on the low block. He can lower his shoulder and overpower defenders for baskets. Reuter is also active without the ball and can find people when he gets double-teamed. He looks and plays like a young Tyler Hansbrough.
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Jonathan Holton, 2012, Gold Coast: I was very impressed by what I saw from Holton on Friday. He is a very long and lanky 6-foot-9, but he handles the ball like a guard and has the ability to find teammates for easy baskets in transition. Moreover, due to his height and length, he has a solid defender who can block shots and create havoc. Overall, he is a match-up problem at both ends who just needs to add weight and knock down perimeter shots more consistently.

Holton holds interest from Providence, Tennessee, Florida, Rice, Minnesota and Florida State, according to his AAU coach, Jarrod Lazarus.
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D’Angelo Harrison, 2011, Franchise All-Stars: Despite being hobbled by an apparent groin injury, Harrison demonstrated why he is one of the top scoring guards in the class. The 6-foot-3 guard out of Dulles HS in Fort Bend (TX) is a confident shooter who can catch-and-shoot with ease. Harrison squares up defenders and can rise up over most opponents. He has great dexterity with the dribble and is also a solid penetrator who can finish at the rim or find teammates. Harrison is a smooth offensive player overall who doesn’t force things. He is also the vocal leader for his squad. Defensively, he needs to put forth more energy and effort, though.

Harrison has offers from Oklahoma State, UTEP, Arizona State, Arkansas and Houston, with interest coming from Georgerown, Kansas and Kansas State. He has taken unofficial visits to Oklahoma State and Arizona State.
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Michael Carey, 2012, Franchise All-Stars: Carey is an offensive-minded player who has the dribbling ability to handle the point guard spot and the aggressiveness to play off the ball. The 6-foot-5 prospect out of Baytown (TX) Christian Academy can get to the rim on most defenders, and used his length and athleticism to finish strong inside the lane, or dish it off to teammates when he drew the defense. Carey is crafty offensively, but has to develop his left hand better.

Carey has interest from USC, Oklahoma State, Arizona, Houston, Kansas, Arkansas, Baylor and Arizona State. He attended the Kansas Elite Camp last week and has also taken an unofficial visit to Oklahoma State.
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Markus Kennedy, 2011, New England Playaz: Kennedy, who signed with Villanova last season, has decided to do a post-grad season, and won’t play for the Wildcats until the fall of 2011. Since the last time we saw Kennedy, he’s put on some bad weight and looks out of shape. He clearly needs to work on his conditioning and fitness in order to reach his potential, especially in the high-octane ‘Nova offense. With that said, he has solid back-to-the-basket moves and can score inside.
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Kaleb Traczewski, 2012, New England Playaz: Traczewski has been getting an increased amount of attention this spring, with schools such as Duke and Kansas showing him interest recently. Traczewski is an athletic big man who can run the floor very well and finish in transition. He rebounds effectively and both ends and is a solid shot-blocker who can also force adjustments from opponents. On the downside, he needs to work on his hands, as he dropped several entry passes. Furthermore, he needs to go up stronger inside, and avoid soft efforts at the basket.
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Tariq Carey, 2012, NJ Playaz 16s: Carey, who played with NJ Elite last summer, has really improved his all-around game since the last time we saw him. He hit several three-pointers, many of the knuckleball variety, which he struggled with last season. He also showed an ability to get into the lane and finish or distribute. Carey can score with contact at the rim. Defensively, he is very aggressive and is adept at racking up steals and starting fast breaks.

Carey, from Newark Eastside (N.J.), holds interest from Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Villanova, St. John’s, LSU, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech and Seton Hall.
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Myles Davis, 2011, NJ Playaz 16s: For some reason, Davis was playing down an age group on Friday, which is almost unfair to opponents. A year ago, Davis wasn’t much more than a shooter who could nail threes from anywhere. Now, he is a well-rounded offensive player who can play both guard positions effectively. He can drive into the lane and cups the ball against his body, shielding it from defenders. Davis also has good vision and piles up assists. Of course, he still has his excellent long-range ability and is not afraid to let it fly from any spot on the court.
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More Recruiting Notes:

- 7-foot center Adrian Diaz has schools at every level recruiting him, including Miami (Fl.), Florida State, North Florida, Minnesota and East Carolina.
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- Vaughn Gray, who hit the game-winning three-pointer against Connecticut Elite, has offers from Richmond, Saint Joseph’s, Temple, Rhode Island, Xavier and Providence, with interest from Virginia and Oregon. He has taken unofficial visits to St. John’s and Providence, and plans to check out Richmond and Virginia. He said that he’s heard less from St. John’s since Steve Lavin was hired and he has slightly less interest in Providence now that Pat Skerry left.

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