by Alex Schwartz

Back at the AAU Super Showcase in Orlando, Florida, I had the opportunity to catch up with a number of talented players, some of whom came from the best AAU programs in America. One of those players was Dayton-commit Juwan Staten '10, who runs with All Ohio Red, which is considered to be the best U-16 AAU team in the nation.  The squad finished the year with just one loss—a defeat at the hands of DC Assault on a buzzer beater in the Pitt Jam Fest championship—and countless tournament titles. Staten and Tennessee-commit Aaron Craft '10 make for a superb backcourt, while Ohio State-commits Jared Sullinger '10 and Jordan Sibert '10 along with Adreian Payne '10 are the stars in the frontcourt. Although Staten is likely the only one of the five who will not be going to a high-major school, he is still a key member of the team and a talented player. Juwan was nice enough to chat with me about his college decision, his game, and his top-notch AAU team.

NB: What went into that decision for you [to commit to Dayton]?
JS: Basically, the style of play, and it’s a hometown school, and the opportunity to step in as a freshman and play big minutes.

NB: Why did you choose to commit to . . . an early age? Why [did you] not wait a few more years? . . . What went into that?
JS: The recruiting process was getting annoying, talking to all the different coaches all the time, and . . . I thought [that] if I verbally [committed] quickly, I could get it out [of] the way and just work on getting better. I don’t have anything to worry about, just getting better. So that’s basically what made me do it.

NB: You mentioned getting better. What . . . currently do you think you need to work on the most?
JS: Well you can always get better in everything, so I’m really just going to say everything, just getting better at all parts of the game and being a point guard.

NB: What’s the strongest point of your game?
JS: Pushing the ball up the court, open court, making things happen.

NB: What’s it like being on this All Ohio Red team, where . . . every tournament you go to you’re the favorite to win?
JS: It’s really exciting, with a lot . . . of hype, people expect you to do everything—if you come slipping, somebody’s ready to knock you off and put it all over the [internet]. It’s fun, it’s real fun playing, but you [have] got to be [at your best] every time. If you get caught slipping, it’s big.

NB: On a team full of stars, how do you guys all know your roles?
JS: We don’t practice, so we just come [to games], we all just play together, we don’t really practice. We [have] got guys [who] can shoot it, we [have] got guys that can get it off the glass, guys that go to one side, [and] guys that can push the ball, so we all just do our part.

Sure, Juwan may not be going to a big-name school, but that doesn't mean he is not a big-time player. Although he is an undersized point guard, Staten will be key for the Flyers, who will be looking to head back to the NCAA Tournament and rise back to prominence in the Atlantic 10. Jared Sullinger and Adreian Payne get the most hype of the All Ohio Red ballers, but just remember that teams don't win without a stellar point guard. Brian Gregory and Co. realized that and saw Juwan Staten as a player who could help them, and now has a talented floor general in the fold for the 2010-2011 season.

Note- photo is from http://scouthoops.scout.com/.