News » Event Reports

King James Classic Top Performers

By: James Mulcahy

Gerald Coleman 6’2 So. SG BABC
Coleman helped lead his BABC team to the championship with his consistent scoring. The young shooting guard made a high percentage of his jump shots, but was even more impressive using his athleticism and length to slash to be the basket and finish. We spoke with Coleman briefly after the championship and he said that Florida State, NC State and Providence have already offered scholarships, while UCONN, and Rhode Island are also involved.

Phil Pressey 5’8 So. PG BABC
What Phil Pressey lacks in the height department, he more than makes up for with basketball smarts and talent. He embraced his role as the lead man for BABC this weekend and did an excellent job of running the show by taking care of the ball and getting his teammates involved… But we already knew he was an outstanding point guard. What we didn’t know was that the kid can dunk and he proved he has ridiculous hops by posterizing a kid (that was at least a foot taller than him) in a game on Saturday night. Like Jerome Randle in the class of 2006 and Jai Lucas in the class of 2007, Pressey is an undersized point guard that we feel like has a chance to be an impact point guard on the high-major level. His coach, Leo Papile, put it best, “I don’t care how small the kid is. I’ve been around this business for 15 years and he’s definitely got what it takes. He’s a special player”. Although Pressey’s mother and coach have yet to let him see a recruiting letter (to keep him focused on academics), we are hearing that UCONN and Texas are the early favorites for his services.

Derrick Favors 6’9 Jr. PF Atlanta Celtics
Favors was the highest ranked player at the King James Classic and his play backed up the hype. Although his Celtics were upset early in bracket play the 6’9 junior turned in dominating performances while his team was still alive. In the three games we saw him play in, he was solid offensively scoring 18, 21, and 13 points, but we were most impressed with his defensive presence as he challenged shots and went after rebounds like he had something to prove. Favors could be the best power forward prospect in the country.

Trae Golden 6’1 So. PG Atlanta Celtics
Golden put up big numbers in a couple of the games we saw this weekend. The 6’1 combo guard has a will to score the ball that reminds us of Eric Gordon, but he lacks the size and strength that Gordon possesses and at times he struggled to finish, although he did draw a high number of fouls. He shot the ball well in the games we watched, but again, the mechanics on his outside shot aren’t as picture-perfect as Gordon‘s. We’d also like to see him develop more of a point guard mentality (and less of a score-first mentality) so that he will reach his full potential (6’1 scoring guards don’t get the job done at the next level as easily as they did in high school). Having said that, there is no denying that this kid is special and that he has a chance to be one of the very elite guards in his class. Like Kenny Boynton in the junior class, even if Golden doesn’t grow anymore and even if he never embraces the point guard position, he is still an All-American caliber talent. And for that reason, Ohio State fans should be justifiably excited that this young guy has already committed to the Buckeyes.

Durand Scott 6’4 Jr. W New York Gauchos
Scott plays on a loaded New York Gauchos club, but still managed to stand out above his teammates. We saw him play in two games in which he used his combination of size, quickness, and skill to put up big numbers in the scoring column. We love the fact that both his body and his game have matured since last summer. Scott currently sits at #49 in the class of 2009 rankings, but look for him to make a rapid climb up the charts if he continues to improve this spring and summer.

Johnny Lacy 5’10 Jr. PG Playground Warriors Elite
We saw Lacy play in an event in Milwaukee last month and we came away highly impressed with both his quickness and shooting ability and after seeing him a second time this weekend in Akron, we are completely sold on this guy. In Playground Elite’s quarterfinal-loss to tournament runner-up Rising Stars, Lacy scored more than half his team’s points and finished with 36. He is high on Marquette despite the recent coaching change, but also lists Tennessee, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Cincy.

Rodney McGruder 6’4 Jr. SG DC Assault
Kansas State coach was in the gym checking in on his future player and McGruder didn’t disappoint as he managed to stand out on a loaded DC Assault team. He was very active on the offensive end where he showed off a solid mid-range game and even impressed with some driving dunks. Expect him to move way up the rankings (he currently sits at #143 nationally) when we update the class of 2009.

Phil Taylor 5’9 So. PG World Wide Renegades Black
Like Phil Pressey, Taylor is another player that we advise high-major programs to take a look at, despite his lack of size. Simply put, this kid understands the point guard position and knows how to make plays. He also has the luxury of an excellent jump-shot to keep defenses honest. Taylor’s current list of suitors includes Georgia Tech, Georgia, Florida State, and Clemson among others.

This article is associated with the following player(s):
Coleman, Gerard
Favors, Derrick
Golden, Trae
Lacy, Johnny
Pressey, Phillip
Scott, Durand
Taylor, Phil

POSTED: 4-29-2008

[ RETURN ]