Monday, August 3, 2009

Hoop Group Jr. Elite Camp Recap: Day 1 Class 2014

Austin Is Back!

The Class of 2014 had their share of standouts today. We got a chance to see quite a bit of players getting busy. Here’s a breakdown of who impressed us in the rising 8th Grade group.

Class 2014 Top Performers

(NBA Level Of Camp)

Brandon Austin 6’4 Guard (Philadelphia, PA)- Austin seems to be totally back from the injury he suffered this year. He was very aggressive and even looked comfortable shooting the jumper. I love the way he runs the point while towering over defenders. Today he reminded me of a young version of Walt Williams the former Maryland and NBA star.


Nazier Chew 5’6 Guard (Trenton, NJ)- Chew stays in attack mode from the minute he touches the rock. He can get past defenders dribbling with either hand and has enough strength to get his shot off in traffic. On defense he moved his feet well and forced a couple of turnovers. He was solid today.

Nassir Barrino 5’5 Guard (Newark, NJ)- It was good seeing Barrino run a ball club. Playing with the elite talent gave him a chance to concentrate on being a point guard. I liked the way he showed patience while the offence developed while still being able to pick his spots to score. He showed good maturity today.

Wade Baldwin 5’7 Guard (Montgomery, NJ)- Baldwin found his comfort zone from the perimeter today. He began by knocking down a few short jumpers then that gave him confidence to drive to the hole. He’s a very streaky scorer that’s looks very good when he is on.

Trevon White 5’6 Guard (Philadelphia, PA)- White continues to improve. I love the poise he has when running the team. He stays within himself and doesn’t force the action which could lead to turnovers. He appears to be much quicker and has more confidence in his ball handling.

Rashann London 6’1 Guard (Philadelphia, PA)- You have to love the way this kid handles the rock and explodes from the wing. In this atmosphere you get to see so much more of his game and potential. His decision making has improved and he’s beginning to get that swagger.

(College Level Of Camp)


Alec Gewirtz 5’11 Forward (New Canaan, CT)- Gewirtz pounded the glass and made some face up shots in the paint. The game got sort of physical but Alec didn’t mind instead he seemed very comfortable. He was a joy to watch.

Aaron Briggs 5’9 Guard (Potomac, MD)- Briggs has the size of a forward with the team he’s playing with but he really performed like a guard. He pushed the rock up the middle of the floor and delivered some nice passes to waiting teammates.

Zachery Boczar 5’2 Guard (New York, NY)- Bozcar doesn’t have any flash but he knows how to find the bottom of the net. He shot high arching trey balls and floaters while driving in the lane. I like the energy he brought to the game.