Presidents Day All American Tournament 05-06 Highlights
- February 17-20, 2006
Prepared by Rob Taylor
Buckeye Prep Report
As proof that the 2006 AAU season is well underway, Trent Gay 's Damon Stoudamire President's Day All-American Tournament represented a “coming out party” for several of the west coast's top travel teams. In addition to the west coast teams, TG Express from Dallas , Texas , the 3-time AAU National Champions, and S. Carter Elite from New York rolled into Portland . In the tournament field, between the six divisions, three defending national champions put their reputation on the line in Portland . The three national champions were: TG Express (2010), Rising Stars of America/Quick Shot (2011) and DC Assault (2013).
This year marks the 5 th year of the tournament which, “keeps mushrooming year-to-year,” according to the founder Trent Gay . According to Gay, the tournament began from very humble beginnings with only six teams, which came together in Portland so that Gay's top ranked team (United Salads) could face better competition. As an example of how the tournament has continued to expand, last year the tournament attracted 80 teams and this year that number increased to 140 teams between a boys and girls division.
In addition to the many talented teams that traveled to Portland, the tournament attracted several nationally ranked players including: Jayvaughn Pinkston (#5), Jackson Jeffcoat (# 6), KC Ross-Miller (#7), Dwayne Polee (#19), Ray McCallum (#20 ) , Corey Edwards (#23), James Johnson (#24), Evan Washington (#29), Jeremy Tyler (#31), Ramone Eaton (#36), Trey Zeigler (#49), Tyler Lamb (#76), Gary Franklin (#81), George Matthews (#83), Kyheem Hall (#91), Dave Douglas (#123), Labradford Franklin (#143), Brandon Jefferson (#151), John McAurther (#153), Stephen Baird (#190), Corey Spence (#268) and Mack Clark (#292).
Although the 7 th grade division did not have as many nationally ranked players, there were still enough of the top players in the tournament to make it interesting. The list of nationally ranked 7 th graders included: Matt Carlino (#3) Anthony Wroten (#5), Shaquile Stokes (#7), Damion Cain (#9), Stevie Taylor (#12), Sterling Gibbs (#16), Jabari Brown (#54), Alex Varner (#57) and Austin McBroom (#71).
The primary story lines from this tournament included Seattle Rotary Style's upset victory over the 3-time defending AAU National Champions TG Express , Jeremy Tyler's emergence as one of the top players in the class of 2010, and the fact the both the 7 th and 8 th grade championship games involved LA versus Bay Area teams.
The first real battle of the tournament went down on Saturday night when Tim Miller's TG Express faced off against Gary Franklin's California Supreme Team in the second game of pool play. As most people know by now, TG Express is the defending AAU National Champions, and the California Supreme Team (also known as High Five America ) defeated Paul Gripper's RBK All-Star team, which featured Tony Chenault and Travis Robinson, in the Metro Hoops tournament in New York a few weeks ago.
The game was tight from start to finish and featured a key match-up between 6'5 C Jackson Jeffcoat , the top big man in the country according to most polls, and 6'8 C Jeremy Tyler . Although the Supreme Team led for most of the game, TG Express pulled away late in the game. The contest was very physical as both teams refused to budge an inch. It is worth noting that TG Express made the trip to Portland with out a key starter, 6'4 Randy Collins , who was home recovering from an ankle injury.
Despite the early battle between TG and the Supreme Team in pool play, the game of the tournament had to be the quarterfinal game between TG Express and Seattle Rotary Style Black late on Sunday night. From the very beginning of the game two things were very clear, the Seattle players were extremely hyped for this game, and the gym was packed with Pacific Northwest fans cheering for and anticipating an upset of the #1 team in the country.
In the game, Seattle Rotary's Aaron Bright , the starting point guard, had a big night. Bright got it done with a hot shooting touch and his ability to get to the cup. With Bright opening up the middle with his shot, big Joshua Smith went to work down low. The third head of the 3-headed monster was Anthony Wroten who was also feeling it from beyond the arc.
From what I could tell, Seattle was simply hitting big shots when it counted and Tim Miller 's squad could not score late in the game. To compound TG's problems , Jackson Jeffcoat sat out for long stretches of the game after he was hit in the mouth as he battled for a rebound, and KC Ross-Miller , with about 5 minutes remaining in the game, fouled out after he reacted to a foul call (his 4 th ), and was given a technical foul. The questionable tech call left TG without its leader at a crucial point in the game. By the time the horn blew, Seattle had a four-point lead and serious bragging rights.
In terms of individual talent, the tournament champions, California Supreme Team , has one of the best starting five players in the country. Look at this lineup: Blake Stanson, Gary Franklin, Tyler Lamb, James Johnson and Jeremy Tyler . Of those five players, the Hoop Scoop ranks four of them in the top 100 nationally.
My surprise team of the tournament was the Bay Area Elite . Although this team was not very intimidating to look at, they were well coached, played hard, and played team basketball. For their efforts, Bay Area Elite made a surprising run to the championship game on the strength a lopsided victory over a Westchester Wildcats team that included nationally ranked Dwayne Polee , Trey Ziegler and Damien Cain . The key players for Bay Area Elite were: Tommy Hickel, Josh Harper and Dion Randall .
In addition to the Buckeye Prep Report , the tournament brought in several scouting services to document the action. In the house were: Prep Spotlight's Vince Baldwin, Hoop Scoop's Middle School Editor, Patrick Stanwood and Rivals.com's Lee Hubbard. Word has it the Reebok reps were in the hose as well as a couple of coaches from the University of Washington .
Tournament Champions
8 th Grade-California Supreme Team
7 th Grade-Quick Shot
6 th Grade-Quick Shot
5 th Grade-ARC
4 th Grade-ARC
3 rd Grade-Team California
8th Grade Final Results
California Supreme Team defeated Bay Area Elite (62-53)
California Supreme Team defeated S. Carter Elite (66-64)
Bay Area Elite defeated Seattle Rotary Style Black (58-46)
8 th Grade All-Tournament Team
Jeremy Tyler-California Supreme Team- MVP
James Johnson-California Supreme Team
Tommy Hickel-Bay Area Elite
Aaron Bright-Seattle Rotary Style Black
Joshua Smith-Seattle Rotary Style Black
Jackson Jeffcoat-TG Express
KC Ross-Miller-TG Express
Dewayne Polee-Westchester Wildcats
Trey Zeigler-Westchester Wildcats
Javaughn Pinkston-S. Carter Elite
Jeremy Tyler 6'8 C California Supreme Team
KC Ross-Miller 5'11 PG TG Express
James Johnson 6'6 PF California Supreme Team
Jackson Jeffcoat 6'5 C TG Express
Joshua Smith 6'6 C Seattle Rotary Style Black
Tyler Lamb 6'3 WG California Supreme Team
Tommy Hickel 6'2 PF Bay Area Elite
Gary Franklin 6'1 WG California Supreme Team
Ray McCallum 5'10 WG TG Express
Blake Stanson 5'11 PG California Supreme Team
Dwayne Polee 6'6 PF Westchester Wildcats
Aaron Bright 6'8 PG Seattle Rotary Style Black
Trey Zeigler 6'2 PG Westchester Wildcats
Evan Washington 6'5 C TG Express
Josh Harper 6”1 WF Bay Area Elite
Kyheim Hall 6'3 WF S. Carter Elite
Davis Douglas 5'10 PG Oakland BC All-Stars
Nick Armas 6'0 WG Oakland BC All-Stars
Corey Edwards 5'10 PG S. Carter Elite
Jayvaughn Pinkston 6'4 C S. Carter Elite
Dion Randall 5'10 PG Bay Area Elite
Kyle Boswell 5'10 WG Aces
Darryl Allen 6'5 C Hoop Masters
Jeremy Tyler , a 6'8 C from San Diego , California was the talk of the tournament. Tyler 's performance in Portland was quite impressive, and prompted many observers to speculate that he may be not only the best big man in the class, but just possibly the top player in the class. Tyler has great size and skill for his age and he finishes well at the basketball. Tyler is an excellent shot blocker and has added a baby hook to his game. If Tyler can learn to control his emotion, he has the chance to be big time.
KC Ross-Miller , a 5'11 PG from Lewisville , Texas , was the heart and sole of his team. Ross-Miller was relentless to the bucket and challenged every guard he faced to stop him from getting to the cup. Although a few guards were able to stop him, they did so by fouling him and sending him to the free throw line. Ross-Miller uses his size and body well to penetrate and draw contact. Because he often knocks down his free throws, he makes teams pay for fouling him. In one game in particular, Ross-Miller scored 26 points, with all but about six of the points coming from the free throw line.
Jackson Jeffcoat , a 6'4 C from Dallas , Texas , was clearly one of the top players in the tournament. Jeffcoat , although now a little undersized for the center spot, used his superior strength, agility, and tenaciousness to score around the bucket. Jackson is simply too quick for most bigger post players.
James “Deuce” Johnson , a 6'5 PF from LA, California , continues to show signs of greatness. Johnson is big and athletic and very active both offensively and defensively. Paired with Jeremy Tyler on a very talented California Supreme Team , Johnson gets a ton of rebounds and put backs.
Ray McCallum , a 5'10 WG from Norman , Oklahoma , was on fire for most of the tournament. McCallum 's stroke from beyond the arc was solid, as he knocked multiple 3-pointers. This evaluator has always been impressed with McCallum 's guard skills and the way he always seems to be poised under pressure, but his perimeter game was a nice surprise.
Joshua Smith , a 6'6 C from Kent , Washington , was the biggest kid in the tournament. Although some others may have had an inch or two on him, no body was as big and strong as Smith. Despite his size, Harper as a soft touch to his shot and has no problem with finishing after contact.
Blake Stanson , 5'11 PG from LA, California , although not considered one of the top point guards in the country, played as well as anybody in the tournament. Stanson is a big strong guard who does a good job of running his team . Stanson uses his size well and rarely turns the ball over. Let me go on record right now, from what I saw in Portland , Blake Stanson deserves to be ranked nationally.
Evan Washington , a 6'5 C from De Sota , Texas , had a sold tournament. Although Washington was not very flashy, he was a space eater who quietly went about his work finishing shot after shot. I think Washington 's stock went up this past weekend with his yeoman like efforts in the post. Washington did a nice job of rebounding and scoring around the basket.
Tommy Hickel , a 6'2 PF from Danville , California , is one of those players who works extremely hard and does a lot of little things very well. Hickel is undersized for the PF position he is forced to play for his Bay Area Elite team, but he finds a way to rebound and score in the paint. Despite his size, Hickel has a knack of scoring inside and competes well against taller post player because he is quicker to the ball, strong, and understands the importance of boxing out. Hickel is just a hard-nosed player who finds a way to get it done.
Dion Randall , a 5'10 point guard for Bay Area Elite , did a great job with penetrating and dishing. Although I could not tell if he could shoot from outside, it was clear that he likes to attack the basket and kick it out to the open man. Randall handled the ball well and did a good job with floor leadership.
I just have to say a few words about Kyle Boswell , a 5'10 WG from Huntington Beach , California , who had to be one of the best 3-point shooters in the tournament. In the short time I saw him play, Boswell had to of hit 8 treys. Not only can he shoot, he does a fantastic job of moving without the ball, running off screens, and getting his shot of quickly. I'm going to keep an eye on this kid.
Brandon Jefferson , a 5'4 PG from Lewisville , Texas , put on a shooting clinic in several games over the weekend. Although he is a smaller guard, Jefferson is deadly from beyond the arc and he brings serious defensive intensity to the court.
Although his team, Oakland BC All-Stars , did not make much noise in Portland , one of the better point guards I saw in the tournament was David Douglas , a 5'10 PG from Oakland , California . What impressed me the most about Douglas ' game was his handle and his ability to get the ball to the right player at the right time.
8 th Grade Players To Watch
Stephen Baird 6'7 PF TG Express
Dominique Lee 6'1 WF/PF Bay Area Elite
John McAurther 6'6 C Bay Area Elite
Chace Plummer 6'3 C S. Carter Elite
Mack Clark 5'9 PG Oakland BC All-Stars
George Matthews 6'1 PF ARC
Austin Kelly 6'0 WG California Supreme Team
Brandon Jefferson 5'4 PG TG Express
Jonathon Evans 5'11 WG TG Express
Quick Shot defeated Oakland Soldiers (62-53)
Quick Shot defeated S. Carter Elite (91-82)
Oakland Soldiers defeated Tri Stone Icemen (54-42)
7 th Grade All-Tournament Team
Matt Carlino-Quick Shot- MVP
Alex Varner-Quick Shot
Austin McBroom-Quick Shot
Keith Shambarghi-Ouick Shot
Tony Wroten-Seattle Rotary Style Black (Played up in the 8 th Grade division)
Stevie Taylor-TG Express (Played up in the 8 th Grade division)
Shaquille Stokes-S. Carter Elite
Sterling Gibbs-S. Carter Elite
Trewan Taylor-Oakland Soldiers
Jabari Brown-Oakland Soldiers
Matt Carlino , a 6'1 WG/WF from Arizona , helped lead his Quick Shot team to a tournament championship. Carlino possess good size, is very fundamental and can score from anywhere on the floor. Because of his size and skill level, Carlino is very versatile and can play multiple positions. Because of his efforts, Carlino was named tournament MVP.
Anthony Wroten , a 6'1 WG from Renton, Washington, played up with the 8 th grade Seattle Rotary Style Black , and demonstrated why most evaluator consider him to be one of the top players in the class of 2011. With his size, athleticism, and ability to shoot, Wroten is a serious threat to opposing guards.
Stevie Taylor , a 5'4 PG from Gahanna , Ohio , had a chance to run with the top team in the country. Because he was playing up with very talented TG Express , Taylor often came off the bench an added instant offense and clutch ball handling. In terms of scoring, in a game against the Portland Disciples , Taylor went off offensively, and finished with a game-high 18 points. What was most impressive about Taylor 's offensive performance was the fact that all of his points came from 3-pointers (6 total). Although Taylor is considered a scoring point guard by most accounts, his quickness, handle and court vision make him one of the top point guards in the country. Oh yea, Taylor has to be the quickest guard in the country, as no one could stay in front of him.
Shaquille Stokes , a 5'7 WG from New York , was very impressive throughout the weekend. Most evaluators consider Stokes a top ten player nationally and his play in Portland re-enforced that. Stokes is an athletic scoring machine who prefers dribble penetration. Stokes can shoot from outside when open but he is more of a slasher right now . Stokes is now running with S. Carter Elite , one of the top teams on the east coast.
With Stokes on a very talent-laden S. Carter Elite squad is Sterling Gibbs , a 5'6 PG from Plainsville , New York . Gibbs is more of a pure point guard who does a good job of managing the tempo of the game and distributing the ball in the offense. Like most good point guards, Gibbs can nock down the open shot. In the backcourt with Gibbs is 5'4 PG Corey Spence from Baltimore , Maryland . Although he came off the bench, Spence has the ability to be a starter for most any other team.
Alex Varner , a 5'11 PF from California , is simply a man-child. Varner is extremely strong and aggressive and often out rebounds players who are much taller than he. Varner plays tough inside and finishes well around the cup.
Oakland Soldiers' Trewan “TJ' Taylor , a 5'6 PG from Oakland , had a solid tournament and was a key factor in his team's second place finish. Taylor is a quick and aggressive floor leader who always seems to keep pressure on the defense. Taylor does a good job of dribble penetration and he handles the ball well. The other key player for Oakland is Jabari Brown , a 5'8 WF from Oakland . Brown is a scorer who has nice athleticism.
Although my primary focus was on the 7 th and 8 th grade divisions, a few 6 th graders caught my eye. By far the best 6 th grader in the tournament was Winston McCloud , a 6'3 WF from Brooklyn , New York . McCloud played up with the 7 th grade S. Carter Elite team that has quickly established itself as one of the top teams in the country. McCloud is long and lean, athletic with great bounce. With his long arms, McCloud rebounds and defends well. Based on his performance in Portland , McCloud deserves a top 5 national ranking.
Before closing, I would like to give a few shout outs to a couple of 3 rd grade ballers who went home with MVP or All-Tournament Team honors. Those players include: Justice Shelton , a 4'5 PG from Sacramento , CA , Devin Green and Jason Hope. All 3 players hoop with Joe Keller's Team California organization. Finally, much props to Jeremy Lieberman , a 5'2 C, who led his ARC team to a U-10 tournament championship.
In the “different faces in different places” file, which includes name/organizational changes, Team Next's Javaughn Pinkston and Corey Edwards both suited up for S. Carter Elite . Although there were reports that Pinkston would remain with S. Carter Elite for the remainder of the season, the reports appear to be inaccurate according to Paul Suber .
Speaking of Team Next , the word in Portland was that Paul Suber 's 2010 and 2011 teams were moving to the New York Gauchos organization. Although it was just a rumor then, it since been confirmed that both teams have joined the Gauchos . Finally, High Five America , minus Dwayne Polee , has changed names and is currently running as the California Supreme Team .
Also, in the 7 th grade division, the 2005 U-11 AAU National Champion Rising Stars of America has changed their name to Quick Shot . From what I could tell, the team returned all of the significant players from that team.
In addition, the Columbus Jaguars ' Stevie Taylor played a cameo role with TG Express . Although Taylor will remain a full-time player with the Jaguars , look for him to run with TG in other high profile events when the Jaguars aren't running. By the way, the Jaguars have returned to Mike Duncan's Adidas-sponsored Cleveland Basketball Club organization.
Finally, one of Arizona Stars' top players, George Mathews , was seen ballen with California 's ARC .
One of the things I found interesting about the tournament was the fact that several Louisiana players were sprinkled among the teams in Portland . According to one Louisiana fan, because there are so few youth basketball programs in the state, kids are forced to join teams from other states in order to get exposure and good competition A few of those players are: Johnny Thomas , a 6'3 WG and Darryl Allen , a 6'5 C, both from Baton Rouge. That same fan reported that Louisiana is a talent-rich state with elite players who few people have heard about. Look for these kids to emerge as this class moves into high school.
Now that the President's Day tournament is now in the books, the country will now turn its attention to the Buckeye Prep Report Invitational Tournament in Columbus , Ohio in March. Like the Portland tournament, many of the top teams and players will be getting an early look at the competition as they prepare for the AAU Nationals later in the summer.
As always, if you have any comments about or suggestions for future reports, or you would like the Buckeye Prep Report to cover your event, please feel free to email me at Taylorobe@aol.com . Don't forget to visit our site @ Http://www.BuckeyePrepReport.com for news and information about youth basketball from around the nation.