UA Summer Jam – Presented by Ny2LA

This weekend I was in Mequon, Wisconsin at the Under Armour Summer Jam presented by NY2LA, and it was again a very well-rounded tournament. First and foremost here are some of my most impressive players from my weekend starting off with some impressive class of 2014 players.

 

2014

Kevon Looney– 6’9” Milwaukee Rebels forward had a solid weekend overall. Looney displays a capable handle on the ball when needed, as well as a nice ability to play the post both offensively and defensively. At times can be a very difficult player to handle. Does well with the ball in his hands in the open court. Could work on his free throws a bit as well as being more assertive at times, however, it’s easy to see why this kid is so talked about. At this point he has a plethora of offers ranging from Duke, Georgetown, Marquette, Michigan, Michigan St., Tennessee, Wisconsin and many more.

Some footage of him last year @ NY2LA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9UDFVfg_KI

DJ Wilson– 6’8” Cali Superstars forward put his long, athletic body on display over the weekend. Has a knack for doing a lot of things on the court and being very efficient. Wilson rebounds the ball well, handles, looks to get contact in the paint, and shows a nice touch with his left. Uses his length to his advantage on defense as well. At this point Wilson just needs to work on bulking up a bit, and getting a little more consistent mechanically with his shot. Right now Wilson has offers from Boise St., California, Colorado, Harvard, Nevada, USC, as well as a few others.

 

Lamonte Bearden– 6’2” Wisconsin Swing point guard put on a heck of a show over the weekend opening a ton of eyes. Bearden showed a very controlled game in the big matchup of his Swing team versus Kevon Looney’s Milwaukee Rebels (in winning fashion). Bearden possesses a very slippery game, and while he won’t wow with his quickness, he always finds a way into the lane and an open passing lane. Very capable finisher at the rim with either hand. At this point Bearden has offers coming from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, North Dakota St., and Oregon St., with many more I’m sure coming his way.

 

Another point guard who really had a stellar weekend was 6’ point man Ahmaad Rorie of Team Bradley NW Panthers. Rorie lit it up just about all weekend and displayed his range out to the three-point line. Rorie does a good job at getting to the basket with ease, though he won’t wow you with quickness. Is as tough as they come, and seems to have a head on his shoulders. A really heady point guard with a bright future. Rorie committed to Cal on 3/24/12.

Here is some video of Rorie @ the 2012 Under Armour Classic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHqurx8rjvM

I got another chance to look at some extended minutes from Traevon Bunch– 6’10” DTA, and I must say he has made some serious strides in a short amount of time. When I first saw Bunch play he rarely attacked the basket with much force and was really just in for a disruption on defense. In the two games I saw from him this weekend, Bunch aggressively attacked the rim (where he is showing much improvement), and showed a nice spin move to his right, which seems to be developing nicely. As always Bunch is a force on defense, swatting shots at an alarming rate. When he is not swatting shots he is always disrupting shots with his long arms. Right now Bunch sits with offers from Iowa St., and Marquette.

 

Romelo Trimble– 6’3” DC Assault point guard showed a well-rounded game all weekend long. The first thing I notice about Trimble is his size, as he is a very sturdy point. You won’t push Trimble around on the court. Heady, strong, looks to finish in the paint, and after contact. Very good body control, with a nice ability to knock down the mid-range jumper. Trimble committed to Maryland on 12/13/12.

Here is some footage of Romelo diaplying is game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eseSdt-TSBg

The last class of 2014 prospect I saw that really caught my eye was Kameron Rowan– 6’ Team Legacy Allstars. All weekend long this kid displayed a sharp passing ability by getting into the lane, drawing defenders and finding open passing lanes. Also seems to have a very high basketball IQ, along with the ability to make tough angled passes in crunch time. From the tip this kid brings it, whether its burying a clutch shot or making a tough block, this kid does it all. Rallied his team to a comeback win in the first game I saw from him, along with leading his team to a championship victory over Wisconsin Blizzard. One of the best kept secrets, but that won’t last with performances like these. Right now has interest coming from Ball St., EIU, and Loyola.

Here is come footage from Kameron’s junior season: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbVQYa6grfI

 

Wyatt Lohaus– 6’1” Iowa Barnstormers displayed a rock solid game over the weekend. Lohaus isn’t the most athletically gifted guard around, but he works hard to put himself in successful situations on offense and plays tough in-your-face defense.

 

 

Chinanu Onuaku– 6’11” DC Assault is a very long impressive post player and displayed his athletic game at Summer Jam. Onuaku moves very well for his size, he rebounds the ball pretty well, and best of all he uses his body his advantage. Is a little raw on offense right now, but tough to get a great feel for that area since he was rarely given the ball in good position in the post. Onuaku is a big time recruit with offers from Cincinnati, UConn, DePaul, Maryland, Pitt, Virginia Tech, and Xavier along with many more.

 

 

Here is a list of some Class 2015 players that stood out over the weekend.

 

Diamond Stone– 6’10” Young Legends put on a pretty good showing on Saturday and Sunday, demonstrating good timing rebounding the ball, as well as using his left hand in the post. Diamond is a fluid athlete who does a very good job showing on defense, at this stage especially being AAU ball. Stone gets most of his points on offensive rebounds, and put-backs, particularly put-back dunks. Shows good eyes in the post, finding open teammates on multiple occasions. Stone simply needs to be more assertive, show more consistent effort on both sides of the ball. His talent is undeniable. Diamond has numerous offers including Arizona, UConn, Georgetown, Indiana, Marquette, Maryland, UCLA, and Wisconsin as well as many others.

 

Ray Smith -6’6” Las Vegas Prospects impressed me with his stingy defense, which often times led to open court buckets for him. Very long, fluid athlete who uses his reach very well. Rebounds the ball very well mostly by simply outworking his opponent. A very scrappy player and does a lot of the little things necessary to win games. Also, does a great job at getting to the line. Will need to improve his handle and get stronger. Currently holds offers from Northern Arizona, San Diego St., and UNLV.

 

Another big man who looked very fluid was Doral Moore Jr.- 6’11” of Atlanta Express who seems to have a pretty high ceiling. Doral does a very good job at staying low on defense and not allowing much bigger opponents simply back him down. Has a knack for collecting defensive rebounds as well as blocking shots. Shows pretty solid footwork in the post as well. Right now Moore Jr. holds offers from Cincinnati, Florida St., Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Mississippi St. as well.

Here is a video of Moore Jr., displaying his talents: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQCUY6oWldk

Cody Schwartz– 6’8” Wisconsin Blizzard had another strong outing, once again showing his range while also displaying a much improved post game defensively. Got matched up against a much bigger opponent and did a good job of holding his own both offensively and defensively. Schwartz seem to be adding a little bulk to his frame which clearly helped him against bigger opponents. Schwartz is starting to use his body to his advantage a lot better in the post as well. Does a nice job of finding a body to box out. Needs to continue to add strength, improve his handling, and get more consistent with his shot, but is already much improved. Schwartz has offers from Creighton, UW-GB, Northern Iowa, Toledo, with many others looking on.

Here is some video from when Schwartz was names NY2LA Sports INVITATIONAL 15U MVP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj7wh7ZlJtE

Develle Phillips– 6’8” DC Assault is a very intriguing prospect with a long athletic body. Phillips does a nice job of keeping the ball high when he rebounds the ball, and not wasting anytime putting the rock back up. Gets up and down the court very well, and gets off the ground very easily. Does a solid job working in and out of the post area. Needs to extend his game a bit on offense, however does a great job of out hustling opponents at this stage. Xavier is said to have interest in Phillips.

 

Nick Noskowiak– 6’2” Wisconsin Playground Warriors displayed again why he is a big time point guard. Showing a steady hand all weekend, being strong with the ball, almost seeming at ease with the ball in his hands. A natural point guard who is the clear general of his team. Very high basketball IQ. Constantly has his head up. Noskowiak committed to Marquette on 4/30/2013.

 

Another DC Assault player that had my attention was Leroy Butts– 6’7”. A freakishly long athlete, his length goes on for days. That’s not all this premier wing prospect has though. He also uses his length very well, gets off the floor easily, and does a nice job of working within his team’s system. Constantly around the rim. A great slashing forward, who still needs improvement handling the ball and with his shooting mechanics. Butts currently holds an offer from Cincinnati, Depaul, Miami, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Xavier.

 

I also got a glimpse of some future studs in the Class of 2016.

 

The Summer Jam gave me a first chance to look at the much-hyped Seventh Woods– 6’2” Carolina Wolves and he did not fail to impress. It is clear that Woods is an out of this world athlete, easily gliding to the bucket at will, and often times attacking the rim with reckless abandon. Very explosive and smart with the ball. Woods is a very aggressive offensive player and might be the best athlete I saw all weekend.

 

I got another look at Te’Jon Lucas– 5’6” of the DTA Spartans, and again this guy put on a clinic. Lucas may not be the biggest guy on the court, but there is nobody that plays with more heart. Lucas just has a knack for making timely plays when his team needs them the most. At this stage, Lucas is best at finding open passing lanes for teammates and taking mid-range jumpers, while he also does a pretty good job attacking the hoop as well. Even more impressive is that Te’Jon did this while playing up an age level on the 16U team.

 

As far as teams go, the strongest teams I saw all weekend long were the 17U & 16U DC Assault teams, 17U Iowa Barnstormers, 17U Ray Allen Select, and the 17U Wisconsin Swing.