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Adidas Take 5ive Day 1 Notes

By: Brett Blevins

Some of the nation’s brightest players were on display at Fifth Third Arena, during Sunday’s pool play, in the Adidas Takes 5ive Classic.  The 2nd annual event started off with a surprise in the 17’s age group, as All Ohio Force beat a strong Atlanta Celtics team and Texas Select behind a balanced attack and strong team play.  Even with the loss, the Celtics have the most talented roster in the tournament, along with the best player in Derrick Favors.

Derrick Favors (6’9 PF Atlanta Celtics 2009) – Favors seemed a little fatigued by game two, but that still didn’t deter him from showing off his extensive skills.  The big man blocked shots and owned the defensive backboard.  Favors also displayed an ability to hit the midrange jumper out to 12 feet.  He finished everything he touched around the basket.  The Celtics saw a lot of zone which made it harder to get the ball to Favors in true post-up situations.

Trae Golden (6’2 PG Atlanta Celtics 2010) – The transition from 2G to the point has not been without difficulty for Golden.  Known as an excellent shooter, the switch has seen his jumpshot suffer a bit.  Some of this can be attributed to his effort to get others involved.  Golden did an excellent job at moving the ball and using his superior weapons against Texas Select in the nightcap.  He is still very strong at the guard position and can finish in traffic.  Expect things to heat up for this young man’s services due to his recent decision to re-open his recruitment.  Originally committed to Ohio State, Golden said he is open to hearing from any schools along with the Buckeyes.

Christian Watford (6’7 WF Atlanta Celtics 2009) – Watford is a legitimate 6’7, and he plays even larger with his considerable length.  He possesses good ball skills and is a good shooter.  He can get to the basket in a variety of ways and did a nice job in clean-up opportunities.  Watford will need to improve defensively.  He struggled at times to stay in front of Duncanville, Texas, SF Shawn Williams. 

Terrance Shannon (6’7 PF Atlanta Celtics 2009) – Shannon was impressive with his strength and his motor.  What he lacks in height, he makes up for in effort and tenacity.  Shannon finishes strong when presented the opportunity inside. He needs to improve his all-around offensive game, and showed glimpses of just this with a nice left hand jump hook against Texas Select.

Dominique Ferguson (6’8 WF Indiana Elite LNO 2010) – Ferguson was the best player on the court in both games he played in on Sunday.  At 6’8, he possesses a great first step to go by defenders and the size to either finish or get to the free throw line.  More impressive than that is his ability to push the ball and handle on the break.  If he grows, and when he gets stronger, Ferguson will be an absolute matchup nightmare for opponents. 

Stephan Van Treese (6’9 PF Indiana Elite One 2009) – Van Treese was a relative non-factor in the game against the United Celtics, despite being stronger than anyone on their team.  He did display nice touch around the basket, and he played a good floor game.

Ray McCallum (6’2 G Indiana Elite One 2010) – Outperforming his more highly regarded teammates, the 6’2 combo guard from Bloomington North showed a silky smooth ability to get to the rim.  McCallum had a tremendous wingspan.  He also finishes very well in traffic.

Karron Johnson (6’8 F Juice Allstars 2009) – Johnson is a combo forward that will need to improve his outside shooting if he wishes to play the 3 in college.  He has a knack for finishing around the basket and has added considerable strength to his frame.  Johnson was able to score at will with 8 feet against the SoCal Allstars.

James Padgett (6’8 PF Juice Allstars 2009) – Padgett plays excellent defense and rebounds well.  He finished some scoring opportunities around the basket with authority.  He may be a little undersized, but he is strong and gets off the floor very quickly. 

Darwin Ellis (5’9 PG Juice Allstars 2009) – One of the quickest guys at the tournament, Ellis got his team off to a hot start against the SoCal Allstars.  Ellis constantly pushed the ball, attacking the defense.  He routinely got down the floor before the defense for easy buckets as well.  He did have some turnovers due to bad decisions and will need to learn when to pull the ball back out.

Shawn Williams (6’7 SF Texas Select 2009) – Williams played well in both games, despite his team losing both.  The long wing prospect can shoot it with range, and he showed a variety of drives and finishes around the basket.  Williams lists four schools that stand out to him as favorites: Arkansas, Baylor, Texas, and UCLA.  Out of those four he says it’s wide open.

Jon Hood (6’7 WF Nashville Celtics 2009) - Hood did not score very well, but he did other things to contribute to his team’s success.  The wing forward played a little point in the early game against the Ohio Gators, dishing out assist after assist.  He also displayed good range from beyond the arc.  Hood moves well without the ball and possesses a high basketball IQ.