by Alex Schwartz

This weekend I went down to North Carolina for the 2010 Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions, one of the spring's elite AAU events each and every year. Primarily held at the University of North Carolina as well as Duke University, there were also games at North Carolina State University and surrounding area high schools.

While the field was not quite as loaded as usual due to the Nike EYBL, there were still numerous top-notch teams and a plethora of elite players on display. The U17 field featured 64 teams, with the U16 and U17 divisions including 32 squads. Teams from all parts of the country the East Coast to the West Coast in addition to some from Canada were present for the event.

There were three game sets on Friday night and I was at UNC to take in the action. First, at 7:00 I watched a U16 matchup between the Wisconsin Playground Warriors and D4 Carolina Elite. At 8:30 my attention was focused on U17 games between Indiana Elite/Team Indiana and M33M Elite (TN) as well as New Heights NYC vs. Garner Road Bulldogs (NC). During the final set at 10:00pm I watched a U17 contest between Raising Champions (NY) and Team Loaded (VA). While these were the games that I focused on at each time slot, since there were three courts in the Dean Dome, I was also able to catch parts of other games and glance over at the action on other courts as it happened.

In addition to evaluating players, I had a chance to speak with a number of the ballers to collect school lists/recruiting updates. I talked with players from both games that I was primarily focused on and from those that were on the other courts too.

School Lists/Recruiting Updates

Jeremiah Davis ’11, Muncie Central (IN), Indiana Elite/Team Indiana: Ohio State, Xavier, Arizona State, St. John’s, Indiana, Michigan State, Ball State, Tennessee, UNLV, Purdue, Dayton, Miami, “and probably a couple more”
                               Offers: All except Arizona State and St. John’s
                               Favorites: “No, I don’t have any favorites, still wide open. I will go with the flow and see what happens.”
                               Note- On whether location is a factor, Davis commented, “If I feel everything is right, that’s when I’ll make that decision.”

Nick Jacobs ’11, South Atlanta (GA), Atlanta Celtics: Oregon, Miami, Florida State, Cincinnati, Alabama, Clemson, and Georgia
                         Offers: All
                         Favorites: Miami, Alabama, and Georgia
                         Note- On whether he has a timetable for a decision, Jacobs remarked, “No sir, not yet, I don’t know yet.”

Kevin Ware ’11, Rockdale County (GA), Atlanta Celtics, Tennessee
Ware is committed to Tennessee, and asked how he picked the Volunteers, he said, “Me and Coach Pearl just had a great relationship, it’s a great environment, a great program. I think it will get me better. It’s more than just basketball with [Bruce Pearl], it’s school before basketball.”
Ware noted that Georgetown, Miami, Georgia Tech, and Florida were the other schools he considered. On whether Tennessee’s recruiting efforts in Georgia played a part in his decision, Ware remarked, “Yeah because [class of 2010 UT signees and former Atlanta Celtics] Trae [Golden] and Jordan [McRae], we are real close. They are like my big brothers. It will be like they just help me and prepare me when I get there.”
Ware has a few goals for his senior year of high school and the summer months. “I wanna win a state championship before I graduate [and then for] . . . AAU, getting better and showing players that im better than my ranking.”

Cody Zeller ’11, Washington (IN), Indiana Elite/Team Indiana: Indiana, Purdue, Butler, Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, Wake Forest, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Florida, Texas, and UCLA
                         Offers: All except North Carolina
                          Favorites: “Not right now. I’ll narrow it down to five at the end of the summer.”
                          Notes- Zeller’s oldest brother, Luke, played at Notre Dame and his other brother, Tyler, is a rising junior at North Carolina. Asked if that will help those schools, Cody replied, “A little bit here and there, but it’s more just knowing coaches. A lot has changed at Notre Dame since Luke was there and I’m only gonna play with Tyler for one year if I come here [to UNC], so I’m not gonna base my decision off one year.”

Bishop Daniels ’11, Word of God Academy (NC), CP3 All-Stars: South Carolina, Georgetown, Wake Forest, Miami, Charlotte, Virginia Tech, East Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Baylor
                              Offers: South Carolina, Georgetown, Wake Forest, Miami, and Charlotte
                              Favorite: South Carolina, Georgetown, Wake Forest, Miami, and Charlotte are his top five, with South Carolina and Georgetown as the leaders
                              Notes- On when he plans to commit, Daniels said, “By the end of the summer.” To read the full article that I wrote on Daniels for InsideTheU.com, click Here.

Dominique McKoy ’11, South Atlanta (GA), Atlanta Cetlics: Auburn, UAB, Florida State, Alabama, Wichita State, Western Kentucky, and Florida
                                   Offers: Auburn, UAB, Florida State, and Alabama
                                   Favorites: Auburn, UAB, Florida State, and Alabama are his top four, with Auburn and UAB as the leaders

Jermaine Sanders ’11, Rice (NY), New Heights: Villanova, St. John’s, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Marquette, Pitt, South Carolina, Rutgers, Seton Hall, and Providence
                                   Offers: Villanova, St. John’s, and Providence
                                   Favorites: None
                                   Note- To read the full article that I wrote on Sanders, Pitt, Morton, and Williams for NYChoops.net, click Here.

Ishaq Pitt ’11, St. John Vianney (NJ), Raising Champions: “I don’t really have none, they didn’t really contact me after the season, [but there are schools like] . . . Loyola-Chicago, Quinnipiac, Farleigh Dickinson, and NEC schools [showing interest].”
                      Offers: None
                      Favorites: “No, I’m wide open.”
                      Notes- Pitt is currently a member of the class of 2010, but will be doing a post-graduate year and currently has a school that he will most likely attend. “I’m going prep for sure. Right now it’s NIA [Prep in NJ],” he said. To read the full article that I wrote on Sanders, Pitt, Morton, and Williams for NYChoops.net, click Here.

Isaiah Morton ’11, St. Augustine’s (NJ), Raising Champions: See the full article that I wrote on Sanders, Pitt, Morton, and Williams for NYChoops.net right Here.

Shamel Williams ’11, Thomas Jefferson (NY), New Heights: See the full article that I wrote on Sanders, Pitt, Morton, and Williams for NYChoops.net right Here.

JP Tokoto ’12, Menomonee Falls (WI), Wisconsin Playground Elite 16s: Wisconsin, Marquette, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Kansas, Duke, Florida, Texas, UCLA, and North Carolina
                      Offers: Wisconsin, Marquette, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Kansas, and Duke
                      Favorites: “No, not right now. Everybody is just even.”
                      Notes- On when he is expecting an offer from UNC, Tokoto said, “Not [going to] offer until June 15th. They already gave the date.” It has been said that Tokoto grew up rooting for the Tar Heels, and while he confirmed that is indeed true, he maintained it will not play a big part in his college decision, saying, “Not really. Everybody has a favorite team. I have equal interest in every team. In addition, Tokoto said that he wants to “make a decision by the end of next summer”.

Alex Murphy ’12, St. Mark’s (MA), New England Playaz: Florida, Duke, Arizona, Syracuse, Kansas, Butler, Iowa, Boston College, Virginia, and Michigan
                           Offers: All except Duke (According to Jeff Goodman, Duke has since offered)
                           Favorites: “No, not right now. I’m open to everybody. I haven’t trimmed it yet.”
                           Notes- Murphy does not have a timetable for a commitment and took an unofficial visit to Duke on Monday with his family. To read the full article that I wrote on Murphy for NBE Basketball Report—including how his brother playing ball at Florida and his father having played at Boston College will impact him—click Here.

Montrezl Harrell ’12, North Edgecombe Magnet (NC), D4 Carolina Elite 16s: South Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Duke, North Carolina State, Florida, Xavier, and USC
                                Offers: South Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Clemson
                                Favorites: “It’s too early for favorites, but the main school showing interest in South Carolina.”
                                Note- Harrell said that South Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Clemson are recruiting him the most of all the schools

Kaleb Tarczewski ’12, St. Mark’s (MA), New England Playaz: Kansas, Indiana, Arizona, Georgetown, Providence, Boston College, Georgetown, Michigan, and West Virginia
                                 Offers: All
                                 Favorites: “Obviously Kansas from what they’ve done with big men in the past and West Virginia, and Boston College because it’s close to home, [ are school I like, but I do not]  . . . have favorites.”

Player Notes

Jeremiah Davis had a very good showing in his team's narrow win over M33M. A 6'2 combo guard, Davis showed nice floor vision and passing ability, which could help him transition to the 1 down the road. Solidly built, Davis is a surefire high-major player, which is evidence by his impressive school list.

I was able to catch bits and pieces of the Atlanta Celtics game, and Nick Jacobs was impressive from what I saw. A 6'8 power forward, he has a big frame and carves out space in the post. Jacobs did not get all that many touches, but his potential was loud and clear.

In the part of the ATL Celtics' game that I saw, the Tennessee-bound Ware was solid, but not spectacular. Clearly adept at getting to the cup and also drawing fouls, Ware will need to develop more of a perimeter game, as he really did not shoot the ball much. Though his frame is strong, the 6'4 guard could probably use a few more pounds.

Playing at the home of his older brother Tyler, Cody Zeller had some flashes here and there, but is still a work in progress. At 6'11, Zeller has the height that high-major programs covet, but he needs to bulk up his 200-pound frame. Zeller does a good job of rebounding the ball and can score in the post a bit as well.

My evaluation on Bishop Daniels will be in one of my Saturday rundowns.

Dominique McKoy was quiet during the part of his team's game that I watched. Nonetheless, the 6'7 wing certainly passes the looks test as a high-major prospect. With superb size for his position to go along with nice athletic ability, McKoy has a high ceiling and room for development.

Jermaine Sanders is a New York City wing who can score the basketball. Standing 6'5 and weighing 190-pounds, Sanders uses his bulk to get to the cup. For more on the play of Sanders, Ishaq Pitt, Isaiah Morton, Shamel Williams, and others, read the full article—a different one than the one linked above—that I wrote for NYChoops.net right Here.

JP Tokoto is considered to be one of the elite players in the class of 2012, but Friday was not the Badger State star's best performance. While he oozes with potential as a 6'6 wing, Tokoto will need to develop more of a shot, both from the line (he missed two freebies in a tie game with under five seconds) and the perimeter. He can already handle the ball and rebound the basketball and it is clear that he has a chance to be a very good player down the road.

See the aforementioned article link for more on Murphy.

Montrezl Harrell was the top performer that I laid eyes on Friday. A 6'7 power forward, Harrell is a huge presence in the paint and outperformed Tokoto when the team's matched up, though Tokoto came out on the winning end. Harrell is a great athlete, evidence by his phenomenal putback dunk when he came from the baseline, skied, grabbed the ball with one hand, and slammed it down with one hand. If he grows another inch or two, Harrell could become one of the truly elite players in the class of 2012.

Standing 7-feet tall, there are not many players with more height than Kaleb Tarczewski. In addition, he is not overly thin like many young bigs, as he tips the sclaes at 230-pounds, neither too skinny or overweight for his height. I only saw glimpses of Tarczewski on this night, but have seen him before and am impressed with his overall game for a player as tall as he.

Now, for some guys that I did not talk to on Friday, but did see play for at least a bit:

I did not get to watch all that much of BJ Young '11 of McCluer(MO), who was running with St. Louis Gameface, but he apparently really went off in his team's victory points-wise. Young is a 6'4 shooting guard, yet is one of the taller players on his team, which is interesting to see. From what I watched, Young looked comfortable with the pull-up jumper beyond the arc.

Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell, a 5'10 point guard from Park Tudor (IN) is the only class of 2012 player on the Indiana Elite/Team Indiana U17 squad, and he showed why he is deserving on Friday. Undersized with a strong frame, Ferrell sees the floor well, which allows him to be a quality distributor of the basketball. He did not look to score much on this night.

Indiana-bound 6'6 wing Austin Etherington '11 of Hamilton Heights (IN) did not have a great showing, though it was by no means a bad game from the future Hoosier. Etherington has nice size for a wing and is active on offense, but really did not score the ball in IN Elite/Team IN's narrow victory.

Rogers Clark (KY) 6'8 forward Vinny Zollo '11 was committed to Kentucky when Billy Gillispie was the coach, but has been back on the board for quite some time now. A sturdy forward with an inside-outside game, Zollo plays hard and can rebound the ball, but did not wow observers on Friday while running with IN Elite/Team IN.

With his oldest brother (Duke sophomore Miles Plumlee) looking on, 6'11 center Marshall Plumlee of Christ School (NC) did not have a great outing in IN Elite/Team IN's win. While he has outstanding height and great length, Plumlee is a true project at this point and struggles in the post offensively. Positively, there is a lot for coaches to work with, he plays the game all out, and can definitely block shots.

Ge'lawn Guyn of Scott County (KY) is currently a member of the class of 2010, but will be doing a post-graduate year and appears to be a player who will likely end up at a high-major school. According to an email from his uncle, Guyn has enrolled at Brewster Academy (NH) for the upcoming school year. The 6'3 two-guard, who was at one point committed to Charlotte, can shoot the rock, handles well, and has a college-ready body too.
In the email, Guyn's uncle said that the IN Elite/Team IN standout is hearing from Providence (offer), Boston College (offer), Rutgers (offer), New Mexico (offer), Dayton (offer), Baylor (offer), Oregon State, Georgia Tech, Xavier, Indiana, Oklahoma State, Illinois, South Florida, and Cincinnati.

The only player that I watched who rivaled Harrel performance-wise on Friday was M33M Elite's Bobby Parks, Jr. '11 of Melrose (TN). The 6'4 guard was at his finest in his team's slim defeat, but he was the reason that the boys from the Volunteer State were in the game. His continuous drives to the cup produced enough points that M33M was actually ahead of IN Elite/Team IN fairly late in the game. Parks has a strong body, which is a key reason why he can get to the hole so well.

There are not many players in the country in any class that are more fun to watch than 5'10, 155-pound point guard Tyler Lewis '12 of Forsyth Country Day (NC). Lewis is a crafty, flashy point guard with an outstanding handle to go along with a superb shot rom beyond the arc,which he used to hit the game-winning three for Team Loaded with just a few seconds to play. Lewis gets to the cup well, but his forte is finding the open man.

Adjehi Baru '11 of Steward School (VA) is another member of Team Loaded who is fun to watch play. A raw yet athletic  6'10 power forward with a chiseled frame and great strength, Baru goes hard at all times,gets to the stripe frequently, is a ferocious rebounder, and can run the floor with ease. Baru has the makings of one of the top players in the class of 2011 on a national level.

Cosby (VA) center Matt Gorski '11 is another player from Team Loaded who will likely end up playing high-major basketball. Checking in at 7'0 and possessing great length, Gorski has some nice skill in the post, though he is not quite there just yet. The big man rebounds well down low and can also score.

Raising Champions big men 6'8 power forward Amdy Fall '11 of Wings Academy (NY) and 6'9 Marcus Hopper '11 of Holy Cross (NY) were a big reason why the New York team was leading with under 10 seconds left against Team Loaded. Fall and Hopper are both athletic players who can score in the paint and project as at least mid-major players. More on Fall and Hopper can be found in the article I wrote for NYChoops.net right Here.

The most impressive player from the Atlanta Celtics that I saw was 6'7 forward Cedrick Bowen '11 of Woodstock (GA). An athletic player who does most of his work around the cup, Bowen has nice length and also hits the glass well. He looked to be a player that high-majors should look into.

There were a number of times that I looked over at the Team Power (GA)/New England Playaz game and saw Damien Leonard '11 of JL Mann (SC) hoisting a three for Team Power. Many times the 6'4 shooting guard's long range shot would go in and even when it did not, he looked smooth and fluid anyway. He is a clearly a top-tier marksman in the class of 2011 despite his relatively slim frame.

Note- photos, from top to bottom, are of Montrezl Harrell, Kevin Ware, JP Tokoto, and Ge'lawn Guyn; all photos are from http://scouthoops.scout.com/