by Alex Schwartz

Here are a handful of scouting reports from the Fall Jam Fest on a few talented players:

Desmond Hubert '11, New Egypt (NJ)
Hubert, a 6'8 sophomore center, is extremely raw, but certainly has potential. He is long and lanky and clearly needs to bulk up. The Playaz Basketball Club's (NJ) big man is good on the defensive boards and he runs the floor well for a player of his size. A major thing that Hubert will have to work on is his movement in the post. When on the low blocks, Desmond does not get around that well and thus is not as affective on offense as he is on defense.

Carson Desrosiers '10, Central Catholic (MA)
Standing 6'11, Desrosiers was one of the tallest players at the event. The Expressions Elite (MA) junior displayed a nice game that included nice athleticism. Despite being long and lanky, Carson runs the floor well and is a stellar shooter, as he has an inside-outside game. He dunks the ball a lot when in the low post. Rebounding-wise, the big man is better on the defensive glass than on the offensive end. While on D, he utilizes his long arms to alter or block shots. Overall, Carson Desrosiers is a solid player who will likely continue to get better as he gets stronger.

Naadir Tharpe '11, Brewster Academy (MA)
Tharpe, who has re-classified and will repeat his sophomore year as a member of the class of 2011, is a gifted point guard. At 6'1 Tharpe may need to grow an inch or so in the future, but right now it does not hinder his game in any noticeable way. He is quick and has a nice handle, two key traits in a floor leader. As well, Naadir has fast feet and good court vision, both of which are also important. The New England Playaz guard is a great athlete and shoots the ball from long range. Although he is flashy, Naadir Tharpe is clearly a talented point guard.

Austin Carroll '09, Worcester Academy (MA)
The son of former Boston Celtics Assistant Coach John Carroll, Austin is a solid player. Playing for his father with the New England Playaz, Carroll displayed a big body and nice strength, along with an ability to get open in the post. Although Carroll is a good scorer, he did struggle with his shot a bit during the event. Many times when he drove to the cup, Carroll would alter his shot rather than drawing major contact. Carroll plans to do a year as a post-grad and will thus end up as a part of the class of 2010, which could help him to develop.

John Johnson '11, Girard College HS (PA)
Playing with the Huntington Park Warriors (PA) in the Open Division, Johnson had his struggles against the older competition. He is a good, confident long range shooter, but he has a tendency to shoot too much and is inconsistent from beyond the arc. Most of the treys he hit were beautiful swishes, as he has a fluid shooting motion. Johnson, a 6'1 sophomore, has a good frame and is a great athlete. He plays stellar, but not amazing defense. Running the point, John was a sloppy and flashy passer, and seemed to be more of an undersized two-guard than a true point guard. He demonstrated quickness and did an alright job of getting to the hoop.

JP Kambola '10, St. Benedict's (NJ)
The 6'9 Canadian big man is strong and physical. Running with Grassroots Canada, Kambola showed an ability to drive to the hole. He is more of a high post player than a pure big man who stays on the low blocks. JP has an inside-outside game, but is not really a shooter. He has an interesting game to say the least. Despite having a good frame, Kambola does need to bulk up a bit. He will need to improve his rebounding as well as his hands in order to reach his full potential.

Note- photos of Hubert, Tharpe, and Carroll are from http://scouthoops.scout.com/.

Note- photo of Desrosiers is from http://www.newenglandrecruitingreport.com/.

Note- photo of Kambola is from http://njhoops.rivals.com/default.asp.