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Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase Report

Columbus, OH- Just when you thought the 2007 summer basketball season was winding down, about 80 diehard rising 7th & 8th graders (class of 2012 & 2013) descended on Columbus, Ohio this past weekend to participate in the Buckeye Prep Report Elite Showcase.  Rob Taylor brings us the full report, including his evaluation of camp MVP Dennis Norfleet (pictured).

The showcase was held at Ohio Sports Plus in Columbus, Ohio and the event gave many of the young basketball players their first real taste of a high level of competition and national level exposure. Although a majority of the participants hailed form Ohio, there were several players who made the trek from other areas of the country, including: Michigan, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana.

Although they are still very young, many of the players who participated in the one-day event were very talented and had already established themselves as elite players both regionally and nationally.  In fact, several of the players had already been ranked nationally by scouting services specializing in youth basketball.

Below is a partial list of players who had standout or otherwise notable performances at the event. For more detailed information about the event visit the BPR website at: Http://www.BuckeyePrepReport.com.

Top Performer Notes

Dennis Norfleet, a 5’5 PG from Detroit, MI, was simply impressive the entire day.  Although he is not blessed with great height, pound for pound, he has to be one of the strongest players in the class of 2012.  Norfleet has a chiseled frame and looks more like a football player at first glance.  At second glance, he is a very talented basketball player who is full of energy and is very active on both ends of the court.  Although Norfleet is a scoring machine, he has lock up defense as well. Norfleet, with his speed, quickness and excellent court vision, played his way into the Top 20 All-star Game and proceeded to dominate the competition on the way to MVP honors.

Kyle Molock, a 6’1 WG from Dublin, OH, has quickly established himself as one of the top players in the Buckeye State.  Molock already has nice size for his position and he has a nice package of skills as well.  Molock does a good job of beating his defender off the dribble and getting to the rack where he often finishes, but he can also shoot the rock.  Molock’s play resulted in an all-star game appearance and Co-MVP honors.

Seth Rosenbauer, a 5’8 WG from Lima, OH, had an outstanding day.  Rosenbauer has continued to develop since the last time I saw him play.  Rosenbauer has nice size for a guard and he does an excellent job of distributing the ball to his teammates.  Rosenbauer does an excellent job of running a team and he does a good of using his body to get to the cup.

Chris Harrison, a 5’6 PG from Louisville, KY, was one of the top point guards at the showcase.  I first coached Harrison and the Adidas Jr. Phenom Camp several years ago and I was very impressed with him then.  It is clear from his performance at the showcase that he has continued to develop. Harrison possesses a solid handle and does a great job of pushing the rock and putting pressure on the defense.  Harrison has good court vision and easily finds open teammates.  Although his floor game is advanced for his age, Harrison can also score the ball.

Nate Bucher, a 5’7 WG from Redford, GA, logged in another solid performance.  I have seen Bucher perform on several occasions at elite camps in the past and he continues to distinguish himself as an elite player in this class. In one game I watched, Bucher showed an array of shots including a pull-up jumper, a 3 pointer, and a nice looking floater.  The kid can score.

Ray Lee, a 5’8 WG from Redford, MI, arrived at the showcase with a reputation as one of the top players in Michigan, and his play justified the hype.  Lee is a good-looking guard prospect with skills and athleticism. 

Austin Gardner, a 5’4 PG from Bowling Green, OH, although not blessed with size, strength and athleticism, re-established himself as one of the top 10 players in Ohio and arguably one of the top point guards in the state.  Gardner is super skilled with a sold handle and a high basketball IQ.  Gardner shot the ball as well as any player at the showcase. As Gardner matures physically, look for him to make some noise.

You heard it here first; Tyler Uliss, a 4’8 PG from Lima, OH, will be a star.  Only a 6th grader, Uliss is one of the top guards in the state regardless of class, and he was one of the top guards at the showcase. I have seen Uliss play on several occasions and he impresses me more every time I see him.  Uliss is surprisingly poised for a player his age and he always seems to play under control.  His decision-making is superb, as is his skill set, handle and ability to lead a team.  I expect great things from this kid!

Cole French, a 6’3 C from Eaton, OH, kept catching my eye all day long.  Although I had not heard much about French before the event, every time I looked over at the court he was playing on he was doing something nice. French has good size, a nice frame, and he does a good job of finding open teammates.  Although not athletically gifted, French has good fundamentals and he can score from the perimeter. With his performance at the showcase, French has to be considered on of the top kids in The Dayton area and is more than deserving of a state ranking.

Sean Dominick, a 5’0 PG from Shaker Heights, OH, performed well the entire day, and will make a power move up my next top player list.  I really liked the way Dominick handled and pushed the rock.  He also has the ability to pull up off the dribble and stick the midrange shot, he has a solid floor game and does a good job of finding and hitting open teammates.  This kid was as good as any point guard at the showcase.

Tommie Bell, a 5’9 combo guard from Detroit, MI, can straight score the basketball.  When he makes up his mind to score (which he did a great deal), he put the ball in the basket.  Looking at Bell’s build it looks like he still has a lot of room to grow.  From his performance at the showcase, I think it’s safe to add Bell’s name to the list of elite Michigan players.

Demond Crisp, a 5’3 PG from Toledo, OH, flew under the radar for most of the camp but he came alive in the Top Forty All-Star Game just in time to take home Co-MVP honors. Although he is on the smaller size, Crisp has a strong and compact frame, which he uses to play lock up defense.  Crisp also has good speed and quickness and excels in transition.

Charles Chandler, a 6’0 WF/PF from Dayton, OH, was not on my radar prior to the showcase.  However, he put together a sold performance throughout the day and proved himself worthy of a statewide ranking, Watching him play, it is clear that Chandler has a good nose for the ball and seems to always be in the right place for a rebound and put back.

Channing Doreman, a 6’2 WF from Westerville, OH, was having a great day before he went down with an injury.  Although he was selected to the Top 20 All-Star Game, he could not participate because of an injury.  Doreman has good size and athleticism and is more of a slasher at this point in his development.

In addition to the players listed above, there were several other notable players who deserve extra mention including: Quinn Langston, Luke Heban, Keshaun Lewis, Charles Tucker, Konner Baker, Kendrick Williams, Solomon King-White, Jordan Lauf, Kendrick Williams, Kenny Lawson, Lorenzo Cugini, Joshua White, Brandon Brooks, Terry Rozier, and Adam McCall.

Don’t be fooled by the age of some of these players, these kids can play the game. Many of the players featured above will continue to develop and grow, and many of them will be talked and written about over the next several years.  Now you can say you read about them first.