Day 2 from the DC Assault Classic had some serious talent on display. We decided to breakdown the top performers by position. Next we will look at the top scoring guards from Day 2.
Top Scoring Guards Day 2
Jared Rivers (New Heights)- Rivers had a great showing against New Heights. The combo guard shot the ball well and attacked the rim in transition. He stepped up big when Rakym Felder went down with an injury. The stage was huge and he shined by dropping 20 points (2 treys).
Brandon Randolph (Team Battle)- The first two games Randolph shined by scoring with in the offense. He slashed to the hole and finished because of his relentless style. He also let a few go from the 3 point range with good accuracy. He seems to have settled in good with this squad.
Tyus Battle (Team Battle)- Battle came up big against Fairfax Stars down the stretch. He stepped to the charity stripe and nailed free throws to give his team the win. Other than that he scored well in transition and hit a couple of long treys. He did get into a little trouble trying to force drives against the zone defense.
Travis Smith (Norfolk Wildcats)- Smith’s squad took a bad loss but I was impressed with his play. He made a few things happen off the dribble and played hard until the final buzzer. He was a bright spot for this team.
Ako Adams (Dc Assault Gorham)- Adams can drained the trey ball and score with in the offense. He tried to step up against New Heights when Alani Moore went down with an injury. This southpaw shows good promise at times.
Davonte Carter (New Generation)- Carter was up to his usual tricks. He dropped 26 points in one of his games. He’s a combo guard with a scorer’s mentality and the ability to create. This kid knows how to create his own shot.
Harry Giles Scored 26 Points In Their Win Against Team Battle.
Day 2 from the DC Assault Classic had some serious talent on display. We decided to breakdown the top performers by position. We will begin with the forwards. Here are the top forwards from Day 2.
Top Forwards Day 2
Harry Giles (Team Felton)- I saw some potential in Giles during the first contest today but he really showed his goods during their win against Team Battle. The lanky wing forward used his quickness and explosiveness to glide to the rim for buckets. He even gave us a taste of his ball handling by crossing defenders in the open floor. Right now he’s a post forward but he will be on the wing shortly.
Darius Gillon (Team Battle)- Gillon had a good day on the offensive end. He has improved his ball handling and even made a few good decisions passing the pill. On the defensive end he needs to assert himself a little by moving his feet and boxing out the opposition.
Terrell Turner (New Heights)- Turner continues to show improvement in his game. He runs the floor better and showed a nice turn around shot. He hit the boards hard and has good touch around the cup. He’s one of the most improved players this season.
Jakeem Sturgis (New Heights)- Sturgis went very hard against DC Assault. He played the top of the press and caused several turnovers. Jakeem is also beginning to handle the ball a little more while pushing the rock up the floor. He has some serious explosion when attacking the tin.
Mike Ganowski (Fairfax Stars)- Mike gave Team Battle problems in their near upset. His face up game and ability to put the ball on the floor gave him a chance to score in traffic. I also like the toughness he showed down the stretch of the game.
Tonight the DC Assault Classic kicked off and Basketball Spotlight was in the building as promised. Here’s a breakdown of some of the players we got a chance to watch.
Friday Night Top Performers
Aaron Parker Guard (Team Takeover)- Parker first caught my eye with his point guard skills by hitting cutting teammates in stride. But his play at the end of the game was superb. First Parker banged home a trey with a minute left to tie the game before scoring the game winner on a follow up lay up. This kid showed the ability to play under pressure.
Cory Manigault Forward (Team Takeover)- Manigault is only 11 and you can see it in his game. The youngster doesn’t really have full control his body but you can see the potential. He involves himself in plays often and will stick his head inside for a rebound.
Kobe Davis Guard (Fairfax Stars)- Davis had TT backs against the wall by nailing two treys to give his team the lead. His outside seems very pure and he shoots it with the great confidence. He almost helped his squad steal this game tonight. He even wears #24 like Laker great Kobe Bryant.
Kwame Camon Guard (Fairfax Stars)- This lefty was probably the strongest kid I saw tonight. He bullied himself through the TT defense and finished at the tin. He also made it his business to get to the charity stripe.
Jamar Watson Guard (DC Assault)- Boogie was his usual tough self by attacking the basket and playing aggressive defense. He collected several steals by jumping the passing lanes. On offense he uses his strength to get any where he wants and fills the lanes well when running the floor.
Anthony Cowan Guard (DC Assault)- “Mister” Cowan didn’t have a big scoring night but I like the way he played defense and dropped a few dimes. His court presence is always felt and you know it’s just a matter of time before he does something good.
Reggie Gardner Guard (DC Assault)- Gardner went away from the outside shot tonight but instead thrived in transition. He beat the defense down the floor and glided for layups. He even showed off a little with a sweet left hand finish.
Mike Rice Jr. Guard (PA Dreamz)- Rice shows the IQ of a coach’s son. He shoots the ball well from the perimeter and always looks to get the rock up the floor quickly. He’s headed to NJ next season as his dad will take over at Rutgers University.
Javon Turner Forward (PA Dreamz)- Turner is a very quick with the ball and gave DCA some problems in the first half. He has good size and is relentless attacking the basket but can get a little out of control sometimes. He’s a serious athlete.
This week we played in our own Gym Ratz Shootout at home. We had our 1st game was Friday night vs. the Bergen Blazers, a team we beat last year by 30 in the chip. So we went into this game, flat and thinking it was the same team, just like we have done in the past. We were up 14 at half. Then in the 2nd half we must have forgot how to play D. We gave up 3 uncontested 3's to them and just like that we were in a dogfight after having a convincing lead at the break. It ended with them beating us by 4. They also completely wanted that game a lot more then we did. Our 2nd game was vs. the SC Elite; they were a big and very deep team 15 strong and took an early jump on us by more then 12 points. We were trailing by I think 6 at the half. After half, we came out strong playing D. My shots were falling and I hit a couple of the 3's and had a big one with about 50 seconds in the game to put us up 1. After I hit that we got a good stop on D and they started to foul us, at this point I thought in my mind, the game was over. All we had to do was knock down our free throws and seal the deal, but we missed a few and lost by the skin of our teeth, 1. A few key plays had some players feeling as if they let us down. As our coach always says, we win as a team, lose as a team, through thick an thin we stay together and just work harder being Gym Ratz.
The last game was Saturday night at 9pm vs. the New York Magic for 3rd place. Being that this team was from New York and it was a late game they left home which shows no class. We did get that win but regardless, 3rd place in our own tournament is crazy, and has never, in all our years have we gone 8 weeks with out a chip. Even though we are not at all content with losing we as a team see it as the level of the teams that we play are all elite. We just have to work harder and something that a lot of teams have that we do not is bigs and grade exceptions, which hurts, but we will just keep working. I want to thank all the coaches, parents, friends and refs, anyone that has advice about what HS I should attend next year and maybe at times when you speak to me, before a game its not that I am not listening but I am just focus on the game. Especially after a loss I am just thinking about the next game, but I do thank you all for your advice. June 11, is when I graduate and I will say were I will be going high school next year, so till then I just want to enjoy my last couple of days of middle school. Come high school, things will surely be different, hopefully a good change will come. But no matter what the future holds for me I will continue working hard everyday to turn my dreams in realities.
“That's what learning is, after all; not whether we lose the game, but how we lose and how we've changed because of it and what we take away from it that we never had before, to apply to other games. Losing, in a curious way, is winning.” –Richard Bach …Young One Out
Shacore Edwards has taking NJ by storm. The shooting guard has resurfaced with the Playaz Basketball Club and won MVP honors at several events. I told you guys a year ago that he was a special player and he is proving me right. Check him out throwing it down at a recent tournament. Remember where you saw him first. Basketball Spotlight “The Home For Future Phenoms”.
The Basketball Spotlight MDC has added a 15U Division. This bracket is getting heavy interest already. Anyone interested needs to contact Mike Melton at 609-532-5122.
15U Division 1. Team Nelson 2. Linden Ballers 3. NJ Shore Shots 4. Flash Basketball 5. ABA Cobras 6. CJ Hawks 7.Team Swag 8.
Strengths: Terrell passes the look test while standing 6’6 with a lanky frame. His length allows him to block shots and grad rebounds frequently. He also has started handling the rock a little and trying to make perimeter plays. This development will make him more attractive for high school and college coaches.
Areas Of Improvement: Sturdivant needs become more active at times during the game and add a little muscle once he hits high school. Right now he doesn’t dominate the paint as much as he could because of his thin frame. Once he puts it all together he should be very good.
6'9 Raekwon Long will be in the building this weekend.
Basketball Spotlight hits the road again this weekend for the DC Assault Classic. The 12U Division is loaded featuring some of the top teams in the country. Basketball Spotlight will be giving you wall to wall coverage of this event. Here’s a breakdown of some of the top teams that will be at this event.
Top Teams at DC Assault Classic:
• DC Assault (Clark) Feat. Anthony Cowan, Reggie Gardner and Jamar Watson • DC Assault (Gorham) Feat. Alani Moore • QCAA Force One Feat. Raekwon Long • Team Battle Feat. Tyus Battle, Jamir Harris and Darius Gillon • New Heights Feat. Rakym Felder, Terrell Turner and Jared Rivers • Sam Cassell All Stars Feat. Everett Winchester, Daveyon Barnes and Daquan Honeyblue • Baltimore Panthers Feat. Daquan Bracey, Khalil Richard and Devin Smith • PTS Pistons Feat. Alex Leder and Vincent Walker • Annadale Bulldogs Feat. Randall Gaskins • Team Takeover Feat. Jaylon Myles
It’s On Baby! Potomac Valley Here’s Comes The Spotlight!
Rashann London one of the top shooting guards in the region has decided to attend Roman Catholic next year. London currently rocks with Youth Interlock and made the All Tournament Team at the Clash For The Cup. His coach Shepard Garner Sr. thinks he will fit in good. “Roman Catholic has an up tempo style that Rashann will fit into very well. Rashann strength is his athleticism and ability to run the floor. I think he will flourish in this system” Garner said.
London like every other player needs to work on a few things and Garner Sr. feels that Roman Catholic will help him in that area. “Rashann’s jump shot is coming along but it does need a little work and he also is developing his ball handling ability. I think Roman Catholic has the coaches to get this done” Garner finished. Roman Catholic’s future looks bright with Rashann London joining teammate Shepard Garner on campus next year. Basketball Spotlight will keep you posted on other Class of 2014 players and the schools they select.
Curt Jones scored 11 points including 3 treys as U-Turn Warriors defeated the Gauchos 47-38 to win the Basketball Spotlight MDC 12 and Under title. Kai Mitchell chipped in 14 points for the Choz in the loss. U-Turn now Richmond Phenom will be returning to the MDC to defend their title.
Semaj Motley pumped in a game high 30 points as the Peacemakers defeated Central Penn Ballers 70-51 to win the Mid Atlantic AAU 12U Championship. Bryce Hall was the leading scorer for CPB.
Top Performers Semaj Motley Guard (Peacemakers)- Semaj had it going on. He burned the nets from deep especially in the second half when his squad pulled away. I also love the way he glides to the tin and scores with his floater or runner. This kid is extremely tough for his size.
Jaekwon Carlyle Guard (Peacemakers)- Carlyle also got in on the action with a few jumpers and tear drops near the cup. Jaekwon has unique poise and sneaky athleticism. He doesn’t kill you with flash but instead uses substance to get the job done.
Quadir Phillips Forward (Peacemakers)- The wiry forward controlled the paint and outworked the opponents for the pill. He’s very active and athletic on this level and plays with a lot of energy.
Bryce Hall Guard (CPB)- Hall can flat out shoot the rock. He torched the net during the semifinals and tried to have an impact in the finale. He’s a smart ball player that tries to pick his spots to score. His form and release is something to watch.
AJ Perez Forward (CPB)- Perez had a tough time finishing shots but his basketball IQ and feel for the game is apparent. He has good court vision and is very light on his feet. He can play either the guard or forward spot.
Jahad Neibauer Forward (CPB)- Jahad is a quick athlete the runs the floor well and has a good nose for the ball. This weekend he got involved on the boards, on defense and in transition. This kid was everywhere on the floor.
Shepard Garner scored a game high 24 points as Youth Interlock defeated Team Nelson 60-50 to win the Mid Atlantic AAU 14U Championship. Dion Linton scored 14 points for Team Nelson in the loss.
Top Performers
Shepard Garner Guard (Youth Interlock)- Once again Garner showed why he’s one of the top players in the country. He took over the game when his team needed him most. Shep showed an improved outside shot nailing 3 long treys and has polished up his handle. When YI needed a spark he shifted his game to another gear. This kid plays the game with much intensity on both ends.
Raheem Liggins Forward (Youth Interlock)- Liggins was a pleasant surprise inside for YI. He got deep post position and used his wide frame to shield shot blockers before getting off shots. He came up big on the blocks.
Austin Tilghman Guard (Youth Interlock)- Tilghman spent a lot of time at the point spot and handle the game well. He used his strength to fend off defenders while making good decisions with the rock. He showed me some good court vision and willingness to get teammates involved.
Nazier Chew Guard (Team Nelson)- Chew dazzled the crowd with superb ball handling and the ability to make defenders vanish. I also like the way he dished the rock after getting past the first line of defense. Pound For Pound he has to be the best point guard in the region.
Dion Linton Forward (Team Nelson)- Linton picked up his play inside by moving a couple of bodies around and snatching some boards. He also showed a good face up game and touch from the free throw area.
Christian Irons Forward (Team Nelson)- Irons has grown a few inches from last year. This added size helps him establish position on the post and get his shot off over taller defenders. He has soft hands and a good touch.
Lamar Kimble scored 16 points and Vaughn Covington added 11 markers as Team Final held on to defeat Team Rebels 50-46 to win the Mid Atlantic 13U AAU Championship. Tavon White finished with 16 points for Team Rebels from the loss.
Top Performers
Lamar Kimble Guard (Team Final)- Kimble showed some grit in this physical contest. His strength and skill level helped him make plays down the stretch. His hesitation dribble and ability to convert in traffic makes him a serious threat at all times.
Vaughn Covington Guard (Team Final)- Covington made some good defensive plays by playing the passing lanes and crowding ball handlers. Once he stole the rock he either tossed it to streaking teammates or gliding in for easy pay ups.
Trevaughn Wilkerson Forward (Team Final)- Wilkerson battled foul trouble late but still managed to be a defensive presence all game. Offensively he showed a couple of improved post moves and better foot work. This kid came a long way from when I first laid eyes on him.
Tavon White Guard (Team Rebels)- White was very explosive offensively. He put tremendous pressure on the TF defense with dribble drives and initiating contact in the lane. In the open floor he too much to handle for many defenders on this level. He does to need to work on going hard left to give him more scoring options.
Mikey Dixon Guard (Team Rebels)- Down the stretch Dixon played aggressive defense and contributed on the offensive end. His high arching outside seems to always have a chance of dropping. I like the toughness he showed during this heated battle.
Daye’shon Barnes Guard (Team Rebels)- The southpaw helped out in the scoring column with a few runners along the baseline. On the perimeter and adds another dimension to the TR offense. In the open floor his speed helps him prevail.
Stanley Davis scored 13 points and Noah Warren added 11 markers as Team Nelson defeated LVBS 54-45 to win the Mid Atlantic AAU 11U Championship. Sam Iorio led the scoring attack for Lehigh Valley.
Top Performers
Stanley Davis Guard (Team Nelson)- Davis got things going early for TN with a couple of long treys and some nifty scoring off drives. He plays the game with a high level of confidence and knows his way around the floor. I like his form and release on his shot.
Austin Liughlin Guard (Team Nelson)- Austin brought fire off the bench for TN. He applied serious pressure on the rock and forced numerous turnovers. On the offensive end he is capable of draining any shot on the perimeter. His energy carried over to his teammates.
Eric Montanez Guard (Team Nelson)- Speaking of defense this kid also came in off the pine and ignited the squad. He dared ball handlers to crossover in front of him and made them pay when they tried. His presence in the game turned the tide for TN.
Sam Iorio Forward (LVBS)- Sam hit the mid range shot and beat the defense down floor for transition buckets. He plays the game very smart and shows a lot of versatility on this level. You will be hearing a lot from him in the future.
Jordan Harrington Guard (LVBS)- Harrington had a spark early on by knocking down some outside shots and getting past defenders with swift ball handling. He loves using the hesitation dribble and up fake when attacking.
Josh Snead Guard (LVBS)- Snead was a long range sniper today. He launched a few treys that were close to NBA range. He didn’t care about the atmosphere or the defense before letting it fly.
Jared Rivers Came Up Big Against DC Assault.
Brandon Randolph (Team Battle)- The first two games Randolph shined by scoring with in the offense. He slashed to the hole and finished because of his relentless style. He also let a few go from the 3 point range with good accuracy. He seems to have settled in good with this squad.
Tyus Battle (Team Battle)- Battle came up big against Fairfax Stars down the stretch. He stepped to the charity stripe and nailed free throws to give his team the win. Other than that he scored well in transition and hit a couple of long treys. He did get into a little trouble trying to force drives against the zone defense.
Travis Smith (Norfolk Wildcats)- Smith’s squad took a bad loss but I was impressed with his play. He made a few things happen off the dribble and played hard until the final buzzer. He was a bright spot for this team.
Ako Adams (Dc Assault Gorham)- Adams can drained the trey ball and score with in the offense. He tried to step up against New Heights when Alani Moore went down with an injury. This southpaw shows good promise at times. 
Davonte Carter (New Generation)- Carter was up to his usual tricks. He dropped 26 points in one of his games. He’s a combo guard with a scorer’s mentality and the ability to create. This kid knows how to create his own shot.
