Hoop Hall Classic Recap, Sunday

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The first day of the Hoop Hall Classic was an eventful one. Northland edged Oak Hill by one point in the final minute, Austin Rivers went down with an injury, stars Tobias Harris and Reggie Bullock had monster games and Doron Lamb shut down Jared Sullinger. The second day did not have the same sort of hype, as there were only two national games on the original schedule – and one was changed at the last minute.

Simeon (Ill.) took on Neumann-Goretti (Pa.), while Paterson Catholic (N.J.) was supposed to face St. Frances Academy (Md.). However, Paterson Catholic had to pull out in the last week because they needed more in-state New Jersey games. “I’m not sure what happened,” PC junior guard Myles Mack told me on Friday. In its place was Newton North (Mass.), a public school outside of Boston that did not carry the same sort of weight as Paterson Catholic. Either way, here is a look at some of the top performers from Day Two:

Note: Top committed players that were featured on Sunday included Brandon Spearman (11 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, Dayton), Tony Chenault (18 points and 7 rebounds, Wake Forest), Tyreek Duren (9 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, La Salle), Mustafa Jones (9 points, Hartford), Daniel Stewart (12 points and 10 rebounds, Rider), Wayne Sparrow (11 points and 8 rebounds, Richmond) and Greg Kelley (19 points and 7 rebounds, Yale).

Jabari Parker, Simeon High School, 2013: This kid is going to be an absolute stud in a couple of years – if he is not already. Despite being a freshman, he starts and is certainly one of the go-to-guys for the Wolverines. He is a versatile scorer, capable of getting the ball down low and getting points, or facing up from the perimeter and knocking down mid-range jumpers. Furthermore, Parker showed an ability to take defenders off the dribble and drive to the basket for finishes. He had a couple of nice turnaround and fadeaway shots, as well as an up-and-under move. Parker also looks to pass when he is driving. Moreover, Parker is a capable rebounder who gets position very well. He finished with 16 points and eight rebounds.

Tywon Pinckney, Simeon High School, 2011: Pinckney has the potential to be a very solid point guard. He has good vision, is very quick with the dribble but can control tempo and can also get into the lane against most defenders. He also is an aggressive defender with a nose for the ball. However, at this point, he is often careless with the ball and turns it over far too often. Pinckney plays out of control at times and penetrates without much of a passing or scoring option once he gets there.

Derrick Stewart, Neumann-Goretti, 2012: The younger brother of Rider signee Derrick Stewart, Daniel is built from the same mold as his sibling. He is an athletic forward who can run the floor very well and finish around the rim. Stewart has great leaping ability, which he uses to his advantage on the glass and at the defensive end. However, if he wants to become a high-major player, he will have to develop a face-up or off-the-dribble game. Stewart also needs to be more aggressive offensively.

Lamin Fulton, Neumann-Goretti, 2011: A mid-major prospect, Fulton is a crafty guard who can score in the lane, shoot from the perimeter and find the open man effectively. He runs the offense well and is aggressive defensively. On the negative side, he might not be quick enough to play the point guard position and is undersized as a scorer. Furthermore, he had some unnecessary turnovers against Simeon on Sunday, and his outside shot was not falling.

Dante Holmes, St. Frances Academy, 2010: Holmes is a big-time scorer who can fill it up in a hurry. His outside shot was off in the first half, but he was able to get to the basket to either finish or get fouled. In the second half, Holmes heated up from the perimeter, knocking down several consecutive jumpshots. He has a nice pull-up jumper off the dribble and is an adept finisher at the rim with both hands. Holmes is athletic and can also pass once he gets in the lane. He finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.

Greg Lewis, St. Frances Academy, 2011: Lewis was very impressive throughout the game, using his size, length and athleticism to create problems for Newton North all game. Offensively, he gets good position down low and can turn towards the basket once he gets the ball for jump hooks or lay-ups. He also has a solid face-up game and can shoot from the perimeter. He is very good on the backboards at both ends, getting second chances for himself or starting a fast-break defensively. He is active around the rim and can block shots. Furthermore, for a player who contests as many shots as he does, he does foul often. Lewis had 21 points and seven rebounds.

RJ Williams, St. Frances Academy, 2011: Williams did not score a point all night, but his penetration ability and passing prowess helped St. Frances to an easy win over Newton North. He controls tempo very well, and loves to push the ball in transition. Williams has excellent vision and can find teammates for easy baskets. He is very quick and does not turn the ball over often. Williams finished with six assists.

Recruiting Notes:

- Derrick Stewart says that he has an offer from Rider if he wants to play with his brother, as well as interest from Georgetown, Saint Joseph’s and Penn State.

- Jabari Parker, the first freshman to ever play varsity at Simeon, has eight offers currently. Head coach Robert Smith listed Illinois, DePaul, Florida and BYU among the schools that have offered Parker.

- Smith also said that Tywon Pinckney is getting mostly mid-major interest at this point, from the likes of Cleveland State and Indiana State.

- Greg Lewis currently holds offers from Georgetown, Maryland, Florida State and Virginia Tech, as well as interest from Xavier, Temple and Clemson. He hopes to visit Xavier and Georgetown soon.

- Dante Holmes has offers from Loyola (Md.) and George Mason, with interest from Massachusetts, Temple, Baylor, Clemson and Delaware State.

Hoop Hall Classic Recap, Saturday

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – With all the games that high school teams around the country play these days, it seems that the impact of marquee match-ups has been diminished. However, that is certainly not the case with the Hoop Hall Classic, arguably the premier event of the winter. This season’s editions features the nation’s top-five teams – St. Patrick (N.J.), Northland High School (OH), Findlay College Prep (Nev.), Westchester High School (Ca.) and DeMatha Catholic (Md.) – as well as Oak Hill Acadamy and plenty of other big-time squads and players. The event kicked off on Friday at Blake Arena on the Springfield College campus with some local Massachusetts action, but really amped up Saturday with four headliner games. Here is a look at some of the top players from the day.

Note: Top committed players that were featured on Saturday included Tobias Harris (35 points and 16 rebounds, Tennessee), Josh Smith (DNP, UCLA), Reggie Bullock (26 points and 12 rebounds, North Carolina), Juwan Staten (5 points and 3 assists, Dayton), Pe’Shon Howard (11 points and 5 rebounds, Maryland), Trey Burke (5 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, Penn State), Jared Sullinger (3 points and 16 rebounds, Ohio State), JD Weatherspoon (21 points and 7 rebounds, Ohio State), Tyler Thornton (18 points, Duke), Cedrick Lindsay (21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, Richmond), Malcolm Lemmons (10 points, Robert Morris), Brett Comer (15 points and 4 assists, Florida Atlantic), Adam Jones (16 points and 6 rebounds, Fairfield) and Austin Rivers (21 points and 4 rebounds, Florida).

Tavon Sledge, Half Hollow Hills West, 2011: Unbelievably quick guard absolutely took over the fourth quarter against Sacred Heart. He was impossible to stay in front, and finished lay-up after lay-up. Sledge is also extremely athletic, dunking the ball a couple of times on fast-break. He has great handle and finds players once he gets into the lane. Sledge is very fast with the ball and can get end-to-end quicker than most. Bottom line, he is a playmaker. Finished with 27 points.

Tyler Harris, Half Hollow Hills West, 2011: The “other” Harris made plays defensively and with the pass, but was not an overly aggressive offensive player. He can shoot the three effectively, but struggles to create his own shot off the dribble. On the positive side, he was a solid passer and made a few nice look-ahead assists for baskets. Defensively, his length caused problems for opponents, as he played the passing lanes well and picked up some blocks. Finished with just three points.

Josh Turner, Sacred Heart High School, 2010: Turner was certainly not afraid to shoot, although that was both good and bad. He finished with 25 points, but forced several shots and most of his jumpers were contested. He does have a quick first step and was able to finish at the rim. Turner has good body control and get into the lane for baskets. He has a good mid-range game and showed off a nice pull-up jumper over defenders.

Corey Andrews, Sacred Heart High School, 2010: Along with Turner, Andrews was basically the entire Sacred Heart team. He was very active on the glass, especially at the offensive end, and was an effective finisher at the rim. In the first half, he did most of his work in the paint, getting points off of rebounds and loose balls. In the second half, though, Andrews demonstrated a nice mid-range game, hitting a few jumpers, including a bank shot off of a spin move.

Mike Tyson, Kinston High School, 2011: With Kinston in command most of the game thanks to Reggie Bullock, Tyson didn’t need to do much. However, he did show an ability to rebound and finish pretty well. He also ran the floor well and had good hands. However, Tyson does need to make himself more available on offense.

Doron Lamb, Oak Hill Acadamy, 2010: Lamb was fantastic defensively, guarding Jared Sullinger the entire game. He kept Sullinger on the perimeter, and didn’t allow him anything easy all night. He boxed out very well and rebounded the ball. Offensively, Lamb started out very aggressively, driving to the basket and finishing with floaters and runners in the lane. He was extremely smooth with the ball and is very athletic and quick without seeming overly explosive. Lamb has good handle and can also pass the ball well. He finished with 13 points.

Roscoe Smith, Oak Hill Academy, 2010, Connecticut: Smith didn’t play that well against Northland on Saturday. He struggled from the start, missing outside jumpers throughout the game. Furthermore, Smith failed to finish on an alley-oop in the second half. He showed range on his jumper, but was inconsistent. He is athletic and long, and used that to his advantage on the glass. He finished with just two points but grabbed eight boards.

Baye Moussa-Keita, Oak Hill Academy, 2010, Syracuse: Keita is slowly coming along in his offensive game. He still doesn’t have many back-to-the-basket moves, but he can run the floor well and finishes at the rim. Defensively, he used his length and athleticism to create problems for opponents at the rim. Early in the game, Sullinger had difficulties getting shots off over him at the basket. Moussa-Keita also had a terrific play, when he blocked a shot at one end, then ran the floor and caught an alley-oop at the other. He finished with eight points and seven rebounds.

Jalen Robinson, Northland High School, 2012, West Virginia: The sophomore was a key performer in Northland’s victory on Saturday. Robinson had several nice moves to the rim, including a couple of spin moves, although he failed to finish multiple times. He is strong and aggressive going to the hole, and had a very impressive basket and foul down the stretch. Robinson uses his body well, and is also able to run the floor and finish. He had 12 points and six rebounds.

Nate Britt, Gonzaga College High School, 2013: The skinny guard has an excellent grasp of the game already. He is smart with the ball, and does not back down from more experienced opponents. Of course, Britt could put on some weight and muscle, but that will come with time. He passes the ball well, and is also not afraid to shoot. Furthermore, Britt plays the passing lanes, and can lead a fast break. He finished with six points and five rebounds.

Kris Jenkins, Gonzaga College High School, 2013: Another young player, Jenkins was the go-to-guy for Gonzaga down low. He gets excellent position on the low block, and has good hands. He makes himself available for entry passes and is strong once he gets the ball on the block. Jenkins needs to develop more effective and efficient post moves, but he is well on his way to becoming a very good player in his class. He finished with 14 points and five rebounds.

Recruiting Notes:

- Tavon Sledge said he is receiving interest from West Virginia, Providence, Oregon State, Hofstra, St. John’s and Connecticut right now.

- Josh Turner has offers from Rhode Island and Niagara, as well as interest from Connecticut, Massachusetts and Xavier.

-  Mike Tyson has interest from VCU and East Carolina.

- Two 2013 prospects from Gonzaga College High School (D.C.) are receiving plenty of interest. Nate Britt, a 6-0 guard, and Kris Jenkins, a 6-6 forward, have a long list of suitors contacting them.

According to Gonzaga head coach Steve Turner, both players have heard from Miami (Fl.), Georgetown, Texas, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Virginia and others.