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OBC Showstoppers Take 14U AAU National Championship

Orlando, FL- The conclusion of the U-14 AAU National Championships marks the end of the summer travel basketball season for the Class of 2011.  This year’s AAU National Tournament drew the largest field in AAU history when 156 teams descended on Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida.

This year, unlike years past, the tournament favorites failed to live up to lofty expectations, leaving the door wide open for less heralded teams to go deep in the tournament.  The fact that not one of last year’s final four teams returned to the final four this year illustrates that point.  More specifically, three of last year’s final four teams failed to even medal this year. Below are the final tournament standings.

Final Standings

First Place-Ohio Basketball Club Showstoppers
Second Place-Memphis Stallions
Third Place-Seattle Rotary
Fourth Place-Houston Hoops
Fifth Place-New Heights
Sixth Place-Peoria Carver
Seventh Place-Peninsula Hoyas
Eighth Place-RBK All-Stars
Ninth Place-Team Illinois Hawks
Tenth Place-Team Stat
Eleventh Place-YOMCA Team Memphis
Twelfth Place-Slam & Jam Hoyas
Thirtieth Place-King of Courts
Fourteenth Place-Got Game
Fifteenth Place-Fasttrack Future 2011
Sixteenth Place-D-I Greyhounds

Final Day Game Summaries & Scoring Leaders

Despite having enjoyed a significant amount of success over the last three years at the AAU Nationals, including second, third and fifth place finishes, the Ohio Basketball Club Showstoppers were not given much of a chance to advance deep in the tournament, let alone claim the championship.  However, with their balanced attack and team approach, OBC advanced all the way to the championship game where they defeated a very talented Memphis Stallions club, 76-62. 

In the championship game the score was about even for most of the 1st half, but the Stallions opened up an early lead.  With about four minutes in the game, OBC heated up and erased a 9-point deficit in about a 2-minute span.  Once they erased the lead and moved ahead, you could see the steam go out of the Stallions, and OBC cruised to the title.  The leading scorers for OBC were: Stevie Taylor with a game high 23 points, followed by Jehvon Clarke with 14 points and Paul Honigford with 13 points. The scoring leaders for the Memphis Stallions were: James Northington with 13 points, Marcus Crawford with 10 points and Marvin Williams with 10 points. 

In the 3rd place game, a Tony Wroten led Seattle Rotary defeated Houston Hoops 59-55 to claim 3rd place.  In that game, Wroten went for a game-high 19 points followed by Glenn Brooks with 8 points.  For Houston, Bret Comer led all scores with 16 points followed by Alex Cooper with 12 points, Everett Pleasant with 9 points and Jamal Branch with 7 points.

In the 5th/10th place game, a Cory Edwards led New Heights defeated Austin Rivers’ Team Stat 60-51.  For New Heights, Cory Edwards led all scores with 17 points followed by Chase Plummer with 14 points, Sterling Gibbs with 12 points and Jermaine Saunders with 11 points.  For Team Stat, Austin Rivers finished with a team-high 17 points.

In the 6th/11th place game, Peoria Carver defeated YOMCA Team Memphis by a score of 61-57.  For Perioa Carver, Donvin Stewart led the team with 25 points, followed by Travis Kellum with 13. For YOMCA Team Memphis point guard Chris Jones went for a team high of 24 points.

In the 7th/12th place game, the Peninsula Hoyas defeated Slam & Jam 47-39.  The leading scorer for the Hoyas were Larry Savage who finished with 18 points followed by Keith Hornsby with 9 points and Brian Darden with 6 points. For Slam & Jam, Curtis Hardy finished with a team high 14 points. 

Prior to the tournament most observers predicted a RBK All-Stars versus King of Courts match-up in the championship game.  However, both teams fell prey to upsets and had to battle it out for 8th place.  In that contest, RBK defeated King of Courts 69-67.  Michael Gilchrist led RBK with 24 points followed by Aaron Brown and Juan’ya Green both with 14 points.  For King of Courts, Ricky Johnson went for a team-high 20 points and Corey Blackwell finished with 14 points.

In the 9th/14th place game, Team Illinois Hawks defeated Miami’s Got Game by a score of 50-45.  For Team Illinois, Kevin Gray scored a team high of 14 points followed by Jay Crockett with 13 points and George Marshall with 9 points.  For Got Game, John Pierre lead his team with 10 points and Austin Keel finished with 9 points.

TOP PERFORMER NOTES

By most accounts, Tony Wroten, a 6'4 point guard from Renton, Washington (Garfield HS), arrived in Orlando as a number 1 player in the country in this class.  After seven days of action, Wroten convinced a lot of observers that he was indeed the top player in this class.  In a couple of games that I watched, Wroten was totally dominant and was easily the best player on the floor.  Wroten is a physical specimen with great size and strength for his position.  Wroten is an explosive player as evidenced by the many dunks he threw down during the week.  Wroten has great speed and athleticism to go along with great vision and the ability to make precision passes.  Based on what I saw in Orlando, I am giving my top player vote to Tony Wroten.

LaQuinton Ross, a 6'7 wing guard from Jackson, Mississippi (Callaway HS), had several outstanding performances at the nationals.  In one of his games on day two Ross dropped an impressive 40 points.  Ross is long and lean and very skilled which gives him the ability to play multiple positions.  From what I’ve seen of Ross’ play over the last couple of years, he has big time written all over him.  Most recently, I have seen Ross play more on the wing where he is more than comfortable.  However, if he has to, Ross can move closer to the basket where he more than holds his own. 

Stevie Taylor, a 5'8 point guard from Gahanna, Ohio (Lincoln HS), put on a big time performance on day 3 of the tournament as his Ohio basketball club team faced their first pool play loss against the Richland Squires.  In that game, down by 9 points with 2 minutes left, Taylor hit 6 straight points including a pull-up jump shot to tie the game.  After a big time steal from his teammate, Taylor got the ball with 4 seconds left, took his man off the dribble with a step back crossover pull-up to win the game with time running out.  In the championship game, Taylor led his team with a game-high 23 points.

Michael Gilchrist, a 6'6 wing forward from Sommerdale, NJ (St. Patrick HS), started the tournament off with a bang.  In his first game of the tournament, Gilchrist went for a cool 27 points and 11 rebounds. Gilchrist is widely considered one of the top 2-3 players in his class and his performance in Orlando justified his lofty rankings. Because his team lost early in the tournament and a majority of his games were held away from the primary facility, there were many people who did not get a chance to see him perform. Trust me, Gilchrist’s body of work this year supports a top three ranking. 

Bret Comer, a 6'3 wing guard from Overland Park, Kansas (Blue Valley Northwest HS), had a standout performance in his team’s first game against the Georgia Thunder.  Although I initially thought Comer was having an off game, when I looked at the score sheet at the end of the game I was surprised to see that he was the game’s leading scorer with 20 points.  From that game forward, Comer’s dominance was more easily detected.  Comer had several big-time performances throughout the week and was his team’s most valuable player. At this point in his development, Comer scores well in transition, attacks the basket aggressively, and always seems to be around the basketball. Oh that’s not all, when he gets on a role, Comer can knock down multiple treys. In my opinion, every team needs a player like Comer.

Jamal Branch, a 6'2 wing guard from Humble, Texas (Atascocita HS), is the workhorse of a very talented Houston Hoops squad.  In my opinion, Branch distributes the basketball better than any player in his class.  Branch does a fantastic job of getting rid of the basketball in transition for easy lay-ups.  When he needs to, Branch can score the ball. I have always thought Branch is one of the hardest workers in his class and he does not play like a kid who is considered a superstar.  This kid is a leader with a huge ticker and  is destined for major D-I basketball.

No player in the tournament played his way out of obscurity and into the national rankings more than Jacoby Brissett, a 6'3 combo guard from Dwyer, Florida (Dwyer HS). Brissett was the biggest, strongest, and most aggressive guard in the tournament and put up several 30+ point games over the course of the week.  Unofficially, Brissett may have been the leading scorer in the tournament. Although Brissett looks more like a linebacker than a lead guard, his solid handle and nice footwork make him well equipped to play the guard position.  With this kid’s heart, toughness and passion for the game, Brissett has all the tools he needs to be a force on the hardwood.

Sterling Gibbs, a 5'9 wing guard from Scotch Plains, New Jersey (Seton Hall Prep), helped lead his New Heights team to a very close 72-67 win over one of the surprise teams in the tournament, the Florida Warriors.  In that game, Sterling Gibbs took care of business to the tune of 16 points.  As we know, Sterling Gibbs’ game is more about dribble penetration at this point in his development.  Gibbs does a good job of running his team.  Just about every game I watched Gibbs play, and I watched him several times, Gibbs was his team’s best player.  Game after game Gibbs not only put up big numbers, but he hit key free throws down the stretch of games to propel his team into the elite 8.  I always knew Gibbs was talented, but his play in Orlando was still impressive.

My pick as the breakout performer of the week goes to Holdyn Grant, a 6'1 wing forward from Bowie, Maryland (DaMatha HS).  Grant put up huge numbers for his Maryland Bulls team and was the driving force in his team’s upset victory over the powerful RBK All Stars.  In the first game I watched him play, Grant, the son of NBA’s Harvey Grant, put up 30 points.  In the RBK game Grant dropped another 23 points and was the game’s leading scorer.  Grant is a big guard who scores primarily by slashing to the bucket.  Grant has good length and appears to have a lot more room to grow.  With his current size, skill set, and genetics, I expect to see Grant’s stock continue to rise.

Deante Saunders, a 5'11 point guard from Deland, Florida (Deland HS), first impressed me at Clay Dade’s Fab Frosh All-American Camp a couple of weeks ago.  What impressed me at the camp was Saunders’ strength, aggressiveness, and rouged play, which clearly carried over to his performance in Orlando.  With his Fasttrack Future’s team, Saunders appeared to be more of a scorer than the defensive stopper I saw earlier in the year.  As I pointed out in a previous report, Saunders is reported to be a big time football player in Florida, but I remain convinced that he has a future in basketball as well.

Everett Pleasant, a 6'5 power forward from Atascocita, Texas (Atascocita HS), continues to impress this evaluator every time I see him.  Although Pleasant is surrounded by a couple of more highly ranked players, he is one of integral pieces to that Houston Hoops squad.  What impresses me most about Pleasant is the physical and aggressive nature in which he plays the game.  Pleasant is a force in the paint, finishes well in traffic, and is almost an automatic assist for any teammate who gets him the ball. Pleasant had some big-time blocks in some very key games.  

Although his team under-achieved during the week, Julian Royal, a 6'7 power forward from Alpharetta, Georgia (Milton HS), logged in a solid performance.  Although I am still looking for Royal to become more of a low post threat, his skill set is still impressive as is his ability to score away from the bucket.  I look for Royal to get bigger and stronger over the next couple of years, and his upside potential is off the charts.

Tyler Adams, a 6'9 center from Brandon, Mississippi (Brandon HS), followed up on an excellent Fab Frosh All American Camp performance with a solid performance in Orlando.  Adams does a good job of rebounding and scoring close to the bucket.  Already at 6'9 and 235 lbs, Adams has more than enough size to play in the post.  Adams is a good-looking post prospect going forward.

Carlton Brundidge, a 6'0 wing guard from Southfield, Michigan (Southfield HS), led his team deep into the tournament.  Widely considered one of the top two players in Michigan, Brundidge’s breakout performance during the week may have solidified his spot as the top player.  Brundidge put up big numbers during the tournament and took over close games and propelled his team throughout the week.  Brundidge is a big powerful guard who is more of a scorer than a playmaker at this point.

Marques Teague, a 6'1 wing guard from Indianapolis, Indiana (Pike HS), is arguably one of the top wing guards in the country.  Although only 6'1, Teague is super athletic, handles the ball well, and can get to the cup almost at will. Teague has several one-on-one moves that he uses to beat his man off the dribble.

Wayne Martin, a 6'6 center from Jacksonville, Florida (Providence Christian HS), put in one of the most impressive performances on day five of the tournament.  Martin had to be one of the best big men and most athletic post players in the tournament, as evidenced by several eye-popping dunks during the tournament. Martin has good length, a solid body, and is likely to be a long-term post prospect. 

Bobby Parks, a 6'4 wing forward from Memphis, TN, caught my eye during the week with his outstanding play. Park’s athleticism was impressive as was his basketball savvy. In terms of his future potential, Parks’ father, Bobby Parks Sr, played in the NFL for 11 years and his uncle, Wayne Martin, played for the NBA Clippers for 10 years.  With those genetics, Parks’ future is very bright.

J.D. Weatherspoon (2010), a 6'5 power forward from Columbus, Ohio, (Northland HS), was a shot-blocking machine the entire week. From what I hear, Weatherspoon had 19 points in his tournament debut and may have led the tournament with four (4) dunks on day one. I caught several of Weatherspoon’s games and his ability to elevate and dunk with ease was quite impressive.

Aaron Ross, a 6'6 power forward from North Little Rock, Arkansas (Pulaski Academy), logged in a solid performance in Orlando.  Already 6'6 and roughly 192 pounds, Ross has good size for his position.  Ross’ solid performance has quickly propelled him to the top of the rankings and he is considered one the elite players in this class.

Shaquille Boga, a 5'9 point guard from St. Louis, Missouri (McClure HS), has always impressed me every time I have had the opportunity to see him play.  Boga continued his same style of non-stop and aggressive play throughout the tournament.  Boga continues to be the heart and soul of a very undersized but scrappy Team St. Louis team.  Because of his non-stop motor, Boga always seems to be ahead of the pack in terms of the transition game where he finishes on a consistent basis.  In his team’s victory over Indy Fastbreak, Boga put up a game-high 34 points.  Boga is simply one of the best scorers in the class.

Tavon Sledge, a 5'8 point guard from Spring Valley, New York (St. Benedict’s Prep), arrived late in Orlando but it was clear that he was ready to hit the ground running.  Despite his size, Sledge is one of the most explosive guards in the country and is well equipped to drive baseline to baseline at break neck speed for the finish.  Although he has not yet convinced people that he can stroke it from outside, there is no doubt that Sledge excels in transition and he can get to the rack as well as any guard in his class.

Ricky Johnson, a 5'7 point guard from Akron, Ohio (St. Vincent St. Mary), was one of the top performers on his King of Court’s squad.  Although his team underachieved, Johnson provided solid scoring from the backcourt and was his team’s most consistent perimeter threat.  In addition to his ability to shoot the trey, Johnson has solid “on ball” defense and he communicates well with his teammates. 

Chandler Thomas, a 6'5 power forward from Indianapolis, Indiana (Pike HS), was a big time contributor in his team’s victory over King of Courts on day four of the tournament.  Although he didn’t do anything real speculator, Thomas gave his team solid rebounding and scoring.  Although some people want to question Thomas’ high ranking, his play during the tournament solidified his place among the elite players in this class.

Michael Ammons, a 6'5 wing forward from Vicksburg, Mississippi (Vicksburg HS), caught my eye for the first time at the Nationals.  Ammons has good size, a nice frame, and maybe the most consistent player on a very talented Jackson Tigers team.  Ammons can be deadly from the three-point line as he heated up in a couple of games I caught. With his size and skill level, look for Ammons at a major D-I program in a couple of years.

Devon Cottrell a 6'5 power forward from Youngstown, Ohio (Gateway HS PA), was a stabilizing force in the paint for his Ohio basketball Club team.  There is nothing fancy about Cottrell’s game, and he’s not necessarily athletically gifted, but his workman like performance makes him as valuable to his team as any of the more highly ranked post players in this class.  This guy simply works hard.

Perry Henry, a 6'2 wing forward from Charlotte, WV, does not have a big time reputation with the national scouting gurus, but this kid’s motor is always running and his defense is as good as any in the class.  Perry never stops playing and he plays an aggressive and rugged style of basketball.

Andre Henley, a 6'5 power forward from Chicago, Illinois, showed flashes of some of the good things I have heard about his game.  Unfortunately for Henley, because he is the tallest player on his team, he was forced to play out of position at the center spot, when his game is really more suited for the wing.  In his second game of the tournament, Henley was a leading  scorer with 15 points.

Marcus Crawford (2010), a 6'0 point guard from Memphis, Tennessee, was very impressive in the games I watched.  Crawford has always been a standout performer when playing down in the class of 2011, but he appears to have grown and developed a nice looking shot.  Not only does Crawford shoot with range, he has a nice mid-range game as well and seems very poised and under control as the lead guard on his team.  Although not nationally known in the class of 2010, Crawford still has all the skills and ability to play D-I basketball down the road.

Justin Anderson, a 6'4 wing forward from Spotsylvania, PA, was one of the top rising 8th graders in the tournament.  By most accounts, Anderson is an athletic freak.  But don’t let his athleticism fool you; Anderson is very solid in other areas of the game, and he flashed the ability to knock down the perimeter shot as well.  In fact, his shooting stroke is very solid.  Not only is his over all game solid, but Anderson also plays hard, plays with passion, and he appears to have a good attitude on and off the court. Anderson has to be one of the top five players in the country in the class of 2012.

P.J. Boutte, a 5'7 point guard from Indianapolis, Indiana (Howe HS), logged in a solid tournament.  Although undersized, Boutte is one of the elite guards in his class and one of the most fun players to watch.  Boutte does an excellent job of pushing the rock, maintaining constant pressure on the defense, and dropping spectacular dimes for easy buckets.  I have always been impressed with Boutte’s toughness and “refuse to lose” attitude.  Although may people like big point guards, I’ll take Boutte anytime.

In my opinion, Deville Smith, a 5'11 point guard from Jackson, Mississippi, is one of the most underrated guards in the country.  Every time I see him play Smith is one of the best players on the floor.  Smith is a very strong, athletic, and aggressive point guard who relentlessly slashes his way to the cup.  He always plays with an edge and an “in-your-face” attitude. This kid is tough as nails.

Julian Lewis, a 6'2 wing forward from Texas City, Texas (Ball HS), was his team’s leading scorer.  I have watched Lewis play on many occasions and when the kid gets hot he can put up some big numbers.  In a couple of games that I watched, Lewis heated up and started knocking down treys.  Not only can he shoot with range, Lewis has enough size and strength and ball handling ability to get to the bucket in traffic and finish. 
Jehvon Clarke, a 5’10 WG from Canton, OH (Timken HS), was part of one of the best backcourts in the tournament. Clarke’s scoring, defense and unselfish play contributed to OBC/Showstoppers’ title run.  Clarke was his team’s second leading scorer.

Paul Hogniford, a 6’8 C from Sugarcreek, OH (Garaway HS), had a coming out party in Orlando.  Many people finally found out what I have known since the beginning of the year; this kid can play.  Hogniford, who’s father played for Ohio State University in the early 1980s, is very skilled, and he has a nice looking shot which he shoots with range out to the three-point line. Hogniford’s performance improved in every game he played and his contributions to the national title were significant.

Kyle Caudill, a 6'10 center from Brea, California (Brea Olinda HS), was the biggest player in the tournament.  Although he does not possess a great deal of athleticism or quickness, Caudill is a space eater who does a good job of rebounding and finishing close to the bucket.  It is my understanding that several of the big time colleges in California or already salivating over Caudill’s significant potential.  Quite frankly, there aren’t very many 6'10 freshmen in the country with upside potential as Kyle Caudill.  Look for his kid in the Pac 10 in a few years.

Every year at the AAU Nationals I do my best to find talented players who have not yet made it on the national radar.  At this year’s tournament one of my finds was Jermaine Armstrong, a 5'6 point guard from Gainesville, Florida, who was hooping with the Jacksonville Lee Bulls.  As I watched Armstrong put up a 30 spot on the Detroit Magic, I could not help but be impressed.  What was most impressive was the fact that Armstrong is only a rising 8th grader (class of 2012).  From his performance in the game I observed, Armstrong needs to be listed on somebody’s national top player list.

Jeremiah Davis, a 6’1 combo guard from Muncie, IN (Central HS), came on strong as the tournament progressed.  Davis has always been a sleeper in this class but it looks like he is finally emerging as one of the top players in a loaded Indiana.

Any time I go to a big time event like the AAU Nationals, there is always a couple of players who are must see.  On day two of the tournament I was on a mission to watch Rryan Boatwright, a 5'9 point guard from Aurora, Illinois, who has already given a verbal commitment to USC.  Although Boatwright started the game 0 for 3, he quickly exhibited the type of play that garnered him an early offer from the Trojans.  From what I can tell, Boatwright excels at dribble penetration where he does a good job of finishing.  He has a solid handle and he does a good job of finding open teammates.  Boatwright has several one-on-one moves, which he uses to consistently beat his man off the dribble for the pass and/or finish.  Although not blazing fast, Boatwright has good quickness and is crafty with the rock.  I only saw limited evidence of a jump shot, but he did exhibit a solid shooting form. 

Buckeye Prep Report All-Tournament Team

First Team

Stevie Taylor (OBC/Showstoppers)
Tony Wroten (Seattle Rotary)
Michael Gilchrist (RBK All-Stars)
LaQuinton Ross (MBA Hoops)
Adonis Thomas (Memphis)

Second Team

Austin Rivers (Team Stat)
Sterling Gibbs (New Heights)
Jamal Branch (Houston Hoops)
Holdyn Grant (Maryland Bulls)
Jacoby Brissett (Florida Warriors)

Third Team

Deante Saunders (Florida Fasttrack Future 2011)
Brett Comer (Houston Hoops)
Wayne Martin (YOMCA Memphis)
Bernard Sullivan (North Carolina Flight)
Julian Royal (King of Courts)

Forth Team

Corey Edwards (New Heights)
Jehvon Clarke (OBC Showstoppers)
Marvin Williams (YOMCA Memphis)
Chandler Thomas (Spiece Indy Heat)
Aaron Ross (Arkansas Wings)

Now that another season of travel basketball and elite camps has come to an end, it is time for the players in the class of 2011 to make their transition to high school basketball.  Many of the players listed in this report will have outstanding freshmen seasons on varsity and junior varsity teams across the country.  These player’s talent level and ability to make immediate contributions will be surprising to many high school basketball fans who have not followed summer basketball at the highest levels.

For more top-notch coverage from the class of 2011 visit: http://www.buckeyeprepreport.com/