BJ Young | 6-4 | 2011 | Combo Guard | Florissant (MO)
In a 47-point outburst against the Long Island Lightning on Friday night, Young displayed his quickness with the ball in his hands on the way to the cup. The slasher drove through the lane with ease (cannot emphasize enough) without even using dribble moves to get by his man; he was like a Ferrari weaving through cones until it gets to the end of the course, where he finished time and time again with both hands. The scariest part is that Young literally showed us two parts of his game during this particular assault-the ability to attack the rim and his practically flawless pull-up jumper on the break. Those were the only two weapons of choice for young in this outing but nobody on the court could come close to stopping the most dominant performance of the week.
Kye Madden | 6-4 | 2011 | PG | Lepanto (AR)
What makes Madden such a special player is his ability to run the show the way he wants to, regardless of how much pressure his opponent puts on him. In the Championship game, Madden played at the pace he wanted to the whole time and although he recorded single digits in the scoring column he was still his teams most valuable player throughout the tournament and an integral part to his teams success.
Aaron Ross | 6-6 | 2011 | SF | Little Rock (AR)
The Arkansas commit had it going from inside the arc and outside the arc for the whole week that his team played, including 23 points in the decisive Championship game. He is at his best when he is moving off the ball to find creases in the defense around the lane, where he has a gentle jumper and is also capable of bullying his way to the rim.
Andre Drummond | 6-11 | 2012 | C | Oakdale (CT)
Drummond was a beast on both ends of the floor whenever he felt like being one this week. The supremely talented big man can pass from the perimeter to cutters, take opponents off the dribble and can finish with authority in the paint on offense. Defensively he slides his feet amazingly and has great timing and athleticism when blocking shots. If and when Drummond puts it all together things are going to get very scary for anybody who he faces because he is a one of a kind player.
Demarcus Harrison | 6-4 | 2011 | SG | Arden (NC)
An extremely consistent three point shooter from deep throughout the week, Harrison was the main reason his team was in the Final and had a chance to win it. His quick release and high elevation made it tough for the defense to guard him outside and he also showed a complementary midrange game to his range.
Nerlens Noel | 6-9 | 2013 | PF | Tilton (NH)
Probably the best shot blocker in the country regardless of class, Noel has an uncanny feel for blocking shots around the rim that does not com
e around very often. His defense is ahead of his offense at this point but do not let that fool you; when Noel has it working on the offensive end you get the feeling that you could be watching him do this thing for a long time to come.
Greg Whittington | 6-8 | 2011 | F | Columbia (MD)
A revelation to all who saw him play last week, Whittington probably gained the most out of anybody in Orlando. At 6-8 Whittington is extremely versatile as he can take his man off the bounce and finish smoothly at the rim, shoot the three point shot with range off the catch or bounce, or get teammates involved with his natural passing ability. The game seemed to come naturally to Whittington and with some added motivation by the right coach he could become a very good player at the next level.
Rodney Hood | 6-8 | 2011 | Wing | Meridian (MS)
The southpaw sports a quick catch and release and an equally as dangerous off the dribble game, Hood is simply tough to guard. An absolute match-up nightmare, when he has it going he can catch the ball from anywhere on the court and stroke it with ease or receive the ball off of a handoff and hard dribble once or twice, rise up, and nail the jumper.
Julian Royal | 6-7 | 2011 | PF | Alpharetta (GA)
A power forward that does not mind facing the basket, Royal has an advanced ability to take his man off the dribble for his size, a soft touch in the painted area, the ability to step out and knock down jumpers and a good looking jump hook around the rim. Royal will stay in the south for school as he is being courted by Georgia, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Alabama.
Dakari Johnson | 6-9 | 2014 | PF/C | Georgetown (KY)
Even though he is just going to be a freshman this man-child is more than worth mentioning and is a name to remember. An absolute force in the paint on both ends, he blocks shots and rebounds relentlessly on defense and has an amazing motor to boast as well. On offense he finishes with the right through contact as he is constantly hit because of his size, keeps the ball over his head most of the time, plays an advanced game for his size, age and position in every single fashion possible. Some calls didn’t go his way but he didn’t complain, he just kept playing and showed that he is very mature emotionally.
Kelvin Amayo | 6-4 | 2011 | Combo Guard | Hillside (NJ)
This shooting guard is extremely strong off the dribble attacking the basket, often finishing above the rim but if not he muscles his way to a basket or to the line. He hits teammates with passes but needs to become better at delivering kickouts in the halfcourt set and his jumper is mediocre but improvin
g. With some more discipline on the defensive end he could be a lockdown wing. His ceiling is very high.
Archie Goodwin | 6-4 | 2012 | G | Little Rock (AR)
A very athletic slashing player that attacks the basket with such comfort and grace that it is impressive to watch, he gets to the basket off the bounce routinely for electrifying dunks and impressive finishes. Capable of playing either wing slot at this point, he can also slide to the point guard position. He understands how to move without the ball to get open, has good vision and delivers passes to open teammates by using creases that are hard to navigate through. The sky is the limit for Goodwin.
Trevor Cooney | 6-4 | 2012 | SG | Wilmington (DE)
Possessing a picture perfect shooting form, Cooney is tough to guard when he has it going. He is capable of hitting shots from any distance off the catch and has been getting better off the dribble for a while now. In one of the games I caught him in, he literally didn’t miss in the first half en route to 17 points. He needs to work on his ability to run the point guard for when he gets to college.
Tyler Adams | 6-8 | 2011 | PF | Brandon (MS)
A Duke commitment, Adams will prove to be exactly what fans these days have been saying Coach K cannot reel in off the recruiting trail. With an extremely impressive physique for his age, Adams gains position on both ends of the floor easily, runs the pick and roll well, showed flashes of being a good passer from the short corner, finished with the left when necessary and altered shots around the rim.
Johnny O’Bryant | 6-9 | 2011 | PF | Cleveland (MS)
A teammate of the aforementioned Adams, O’Bryant is even harder to handle than Adams on the offensive end because of his ability to take the ball off the dribble to the rim or shoot the turnaround off the bounce. He is very strong, has an excellent motor and is patient on offense.
Jevon Thomas | 5-11 | 2012 | PG | New York (NY)
Thomas showed his brilliance at the point guard position time and time again this week by setting up the show, making proper decisions and scoring when necessary. With added work on his jumper and even more improvement to his decision making over the next few years, Thomas has a chance to be special.
Teddy Hawkins | 6-7 | 2012 | SF | Dayton (OH)
A nightmare for opposing teams, Hawkins is an inside-out threat capable of shooting the three off the catch or taking his man off the dribble just as easily. Equally adept at taking his man in the post or leading the fast break, Teddy has a lot of upside for a player his age yet has only been recruited by mid-majors, which should change immediately. Getting stronger should help to solidify himself as one of the best inside-out threats in his class.
Omar Calhoun | 6-4 | 2012 | SG | New York (NY)
Shoot the three off the catch with distance, drive and pull-up and get to the free throw line. All great shooting guards can do these three things no matter who is guarding them and Calhoun is no different. His offensive repertoire is diverse and should only continue to expand the next few years he is in high school.
Danteil Daniels | 2011 |PF | Wentzville (MO)
Undersized for the power forward position that he plays, the lefty Daniels makes up for his size with being extremely assertive and aggressive in the post. He gobbles up loose balls and rebounds near the rim by using his quickness and strength and is a very consistent finisher around the hoop even through contact.
Jaylen Brantley | 5-10 | 2012 | PG | Springfield (MA)
An undersized lead guard, Brantley knows how to run the show, deliver the ball to teammates in the right spots, and knocks down the three consistently to keep the defense honest. He was the perfect type of point guard for the BABC team that he was on and helped them to win the gold.
