by Alex Schwartz

I went over to Life Center Academy (NJ) this evening for the Basketball Spotlight All-Star Classic, which was run by Mike Melton of Basketball Spotlight News, who is the guru when it comes to middle school hoops. Melton selected 24 of the best rising fresham (class of 2013) in the Mid-Atlantic region and split them up into two teams, South (PA & VA) and North (NJ, NY, & MA), based off where the player is actually from, not where they are attending high school. Of the 24 ballers on the roster, 21 made it to the game, and there was a great deal of talent on display in the 40-minute affair. Mike Farrelly, who is The Hoop Group's Director of Hoop Group Elite, coached the South team, and Rob Engemann, who works with Reebok, coaches the North team. Here's the rundown of the squads, with the players in bold as the starters and the ones in italics as the no-shows:

NORTH TEAM
Jaren Sina, Gill St. Bernard's (NJ)
Jordan Forehand, St. Anthony's (NJ)
Will Joyce, St. Patrick's (NJ)
Kody Jenkins, unknown (NJ)
John Severe, unknown (NY)
Reggie Cameron, Paterson Catholic (NJ)
Dwayne Foreman, Don Bosco Prep (NJ)
Josh Marquez, DePaul Catholic (NJ)
Kavon Stewart, Paterson Catholic (NJ)
Jordan Washington, unknown (NY)
Jason Boswell, St. Patrick's (NJ)
Ramone Gibbons, unknown (MA)

SOUTH TEAM
Jaquan Johnson, reclassifying (PA)
Amar Stukes, unknown (PA)
Conrad Chambers, TBD (PA)
Howard Sellers, Church Farms (PA)
Britton Lee, Roman Catholic (PA)
Shafeek Taylor, Prep Charter (PA)
Rondee Jefferson, Chester (PA)
John Davis, Neumann-Goretti (PA)
Aaron McGlawn, Academy of the New Church (PA)
Darius Robinson, Chester (PA)
Austin Colbert, St. Patrick's (NJ)
Semaj Reed, Haverford School (PA)

The game started out with the two teams going back and forth, but the South Team holding a slight advantage. That quickly turned into a large lead that continued to grow and grow. By the end of the first quarter, it was 31-17 South, which was comprised mainly of players from Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. The North Team's struggles continued in the second quarter and the deficit grew to as much as 22, before the South Team took a 65-47 lead into the intermission. At halftime, Melton gave out some awards from the 09 AAU season, and Shafeek Taylor won the U14 Most Outstanding Player, but was not in attendance to receive his award. Former NBA player "Never Nervous" Pervis Ellison was actually there to receive an award with his AAU squad, Team Final.
In the second half, the North Team stormed back into the game and slowly but surely closed the gap. The lead had grown to as much as 24, but at the end of the third quarter it was an eight-point game, 88-80. A three from Jaren Sina made a five-point game early in the fourth, but the North Team could not close the gap any further. The South Team, which was led by the play of Semaj Reed, Britton Lee, Howard Sellers, Conrad Chambers, Aaron McGlawn, John Davis, and Austin Colbert. Despite the best efforts of Reggie Cameron, Dwayne Foreman, Kavon Stewart, Jason Boswell, Ramone Gibbons, and Jaren Sina, the North Team fell on its home turf by a final score of 110-102 in the high-scoring all-star affair.
Here is a look at the game's top scorers:

NORTH TEAM
Jason Boswell- 15 points (one 3)
Ramone Gibbons- 15 points
Reggie Cameron- 13 points (two 3s)
Kavon Stewart- 10 points
Dwayne Foreman- 9 points
Jaren Sina- 9 points (three 3s)

SOUTH TEAM
Howard Sellers- 20 points (four 3s)
Conrad Chambers- 15 points (one 3)
Aaron McGlawn- 15 points
Semaj Reed- 14 points (one 3)
Austin Colbert- 13 points (one 3)
Britton Lee- 11 points (one 3)
John Davis- 8 points

Melton awarded two players with MVP trophies after the game, Howard Sellers of the South Team and Ramone Gibbons of the North Team. Conrad Chambers and Jason Boswell both could have made a good case for the honor as well. Here are some mini scouting reports on most of the players who participated:

Jason Boswell- Long wing, scores in the post, plays hard
Reggie Cameron- Big bodied combo forward at 6'4, can step out and shoot the 3, smart player
Conrad Chambers- Can shoot the ball, gets the hoop, major scoring threat
Austin Colbert- Long and lanky, still learning the game, can dribble and shoot well for his size
John Davis- Scores around the rim, rebounds well, works hard
Jordan Forehand- Works hard on D, has a great frame, and looks like he's not done growing
Dwayne Foreman- Attacks the basket well, gets to the stripe, scores the ball
Ramone Gibbons- Built like a linebacker, gets to the cup, puts the ball in the hoop
Will Joyce- Rebounds the basketball, scores in the post, steps outside too much
Britton Lee- Very quick point guard, attacks the rim, struggles to finish at the cup
Josh Marquez- Possesses good athleticism, has some nice moves, a scorer
Aaron McGlawn- Undersized, attacks the basket, scores the ball
Semaj Reed- A big body in the post, rebounds well at both ends, scores on the low block
Darius Robinson- Thick power guard, gets teammates involved, penetrates well
Jaren Sina- Sharpshooter from beyond the arc, effectively runs the offense, good ball handler
Kavon Stewart- A do-it-all PG who can score and distribute, flashy but smart, not a great shooter

I had an opportunity to chat with a trio of players after the game. Check it out:

Jason Boswell, St. Patrick's (NJ)
Dream Schools: Villanova, Syracuse, and Pitt
Strongest Points: "My [basketball] IQ and the way I can set people up."
Weakest Point: "Rebounding."
Note- Boswell claims interest from Villanova, Kentucky, Fordham, and St. John's already

Reggie Cameron, Paterson Catholic (NJ)
Dream School: North Carolina
Strongest Point: "Definitely my jumpshot."
Weakest Points: "My footwork and my quickness."
Note- Cameron said Fordham and Detroit are showing interest thus far

Britton Lee, Roman Catholic (PA)
Dream Schools: North Carolina, Duke, and Villanova
Strongest Point: "My driving, when I penetrate."
Weakest Point: "Knowing when to slow down. Sometimes I go too fast."

I saw 21 of the top young players in the region play tonight. Before long, many of them will be household names, and some have a chance to be big-time high-major recruits. This was a great event and the players seemed to enjoy. Great work by Mike Melton and Basketball Spotlight News!

Note- photo is of Howard Sellers and is from http://www.bballspotlight.com/