by Alex Schwartz

On Sunday night I broadened by horizons, as I evaluated at a JuCo basketball game for the first time. I made my way over to Miami-Dade CC to watch the Sharks take on the Indians of Chipola JC, the #7 ranked team in Division I of the NJCAA.

The game featured over 15 future NCAA Division I players, including some who have previously attended a DI school. The lone DI coach at the game was Southern Miss assistant coach Greg Heiar, who is the former head coach at Chipola JC.

Rico Pickett, who spent one year at Miami-Dade CC, was also in the stands taking in the action. He is headed to the NBDL after entering the 2010 NBA Draft and going undrafted out of Manhattan. Also there was Lance Stephenson of the Indiana Pacers, who played the Heat on Monday. I breifly chatted with the former high school superstar, who had come to watch a former Lincoln High School (NY) teammate.

Here is the overview of many of the prospects who took the floor in the game, which was won by Chipola JC by a score of 71-69.

Chipola JC Prospects

Shamarr Bowden, Soph, SG, 6'3, East Carolina- The former Charlotte 49er and current ECU-signee is a lights-out shooter. Although he is thin and a bit undersized, Bowden is tough and absolutely fills it up. He is nearly automatic when coming off of a screen, but will need to improve his ability to create his own shot. Bowden, from North Carolina, tied for a game-high in scoring with 16 points, hitting three 3-pointers and making his only free throw.

Keith DeWitt, Soph, PF, 6'10, Southern Miss- DeWitt, who had committed to both West Virginia and Missouri while in high school, was easily the best prospect on the floor and that was obvious almost immediately. The face-up four has a superb skill set for a player of his height, and if he bulks up he could be a stud in the C-USA. DeWitt picked up two fouls through just over four minutes of play and sat for almost the whole first half, but before he came out he showed off his whole arsenal and continued to do so in the second half. DeWitt handles extremely well for his height and can really run the floor. He has a true inside-outside game, but does need to spend more time in the post than on the perimeter. He can shoot the ball from midrange and is a matchup problem for most defenders. The North Carolina native finished with 9 points, including one 3-pointer.

Sam Grooms, Soph, PG, 6'1- The strong, sturdy point guard out of North Carolina was quiet in the first half, but did some real damage in the second session. Grooms is tough and can make plays with the ball in his hands, either by attackign the rim or using his great floor vision to find the open man. He has a quality handle as well as a superb basketball IQ. Grooms came up clutch in the closing seconds when he got the ball down the court quickly and worked the ball to an open man under the bucket who scored the game winner. He had 6 points and went 2/3 on free throws and looks to be a mid-major player.

Geron Johnson, Frosh, SG, 6'4- A fairly highly-touted player in the high school class of 2010, Johnson came to Chipola by way Ohio. Johnson is well-built and using his strength to take the ball to the basket off the bounce. He does a good job of scoring the basketball, and was able to play through a deep thigh bruise. Although he had limited minutes, likely due to the injury, Johnson finished the game with 7 points and hit one 3-pointer. He has a shot to wind up as a high-major player down the road.

Marcos Knight, Soph, SG, 6'2, Middle Tennessee State- Simply put, MTSU fans will love watching this Georgia native play. After a quiet first half, Knight came on strong in the final 20 minutes of play and helped lead the Indians to the victory. Considering his height, Knight rebounds the ball quite well, in part due to his strong, stocky frame. Knight is tough and can take the ball to the basket, as well as distribute it to his teammates. He was second on the team in scoring with 9 points, hitting one 3-pointer and making his only two free throw attempts.

Will Ohaureqbe, Soph, PF, 6'8- The lone player from outside the United State in this game, the England native is a strong presence in the paint. Although Ohaureqbe fouled out of the game, he showed some nice things while on the floor. The big man is about hustle and effort, as he plays hard, sets picks, rebounds, and does the little things to help his team. Not much of a scorer, Ohaureqbe could end up at a mid-major school considering the lack of big men in the class of 2011. He had 6 points in the game and went 2/2 at the free throw line.

Rashad Perkins, Frosh, SF, 6'6, Southern Miss- Perkins signed with Southern Miss out of high school, but went to JuCo. He was the most athletic player on the floor and can really leap. He displayed his athletic ability when he skied for a dunk attempt on a baseline inbounds play, and although the ball rimmed out, he ran back on D and got a block on a layup attempt in transition. That led to a 3-pointer for Chipola back at the other end. The Mississippi native is strong and tough, but does need to improve upon his shooting ability. He scored 8 points in the game, all of which came in the second half.

Elijah Pittman, Frosh, PF, 6'8- The big man out of Kentucky was quiet for the most part, but had some nice flashes here and there. He showed tremendous court vision when he was around the free throw line, found a cutter, and got him the ball at the basket. Despite his big frame, Pittman is an inconsistent finisher around the basket. The big man may find himself as a strong mid-major prospect next year. He scored 7 points and connected on his lone free throw attempt.

Aishon White, Frosh, SG, 6'3- The New Jersey native had a quiet game offensively in this one. He did, though, show some nice defensive ability. White gets the passing lane to deflect passes or create steals. Also, he does a good job of getting out in transition. White is best suited for a quality low-major program. He scored three points, as he hit one 3-pointer.


Miami-Dade CC Prospects

Darwin "Buddha" Ellis, Frosh, PG, 5'7- Known as Lance Stephenson's high school backcourt running mate back in New York City, Ellis had a solid outing for Miami-Dade. He displayed an ability to use his small frame to his advantage, by blowing by taller defenders and getting to the cup. In addition to his great quickness, Ellis can knock down the outside shot, but has to be careful about shooting in the face over taller defenders. The scoring point guard is tough as nails and can really put the ball in the basket. Ellis could be a superb player at the low-major level. He scored 13 points in the game, hitting one 3-pointer and going 4/4 at the line.

Antonio Hester, Soph, SF, 6'4- More of an undersized combo forward, Hester gets the job done through sheer toughness and hard work. He is strong and does a solid job on the offensive glass. Hester, a Florida native, will need to improve his outside shooting due to his size, but could find a fit at a low-major school. Hester scored 9 points and went 3/4 at the line.

Kendal Jennings, Frosh, PF, 6'6- Another tough interior player, Jennings is undersized, but makes things happen nonetheless. He had a very good second half, showing his hard work and ability to get to the free throw line. Although he was not the go-to guy offensively, Jennings managed to score 11 points and go 5/6 from the stripe. The Alabama native will likely be on the low- to mid-major fence.

Maurice Kemp, Jr., Soph, SF, 6'6- After being all but silent for quite some time, Kemp caught fire in the final dozen minutes of the game and put the Sharks on his back. The Florida native was at Alabama A&M last year and will be a good pickup for a quality low-major program, or possibly a mid-major, after his JuCo year. Kemp did it all down the stretch in this game, from knock down 3-pointers to rebound the ball. He showed his deceptive leaping ability when he threw down a dunk over a defender, bringing the crowd to its feet. Kemp has a smooth stroke from beyond the arc, but struggles at the free throw line. He is an inconsistent finisher around the bucket, but does a great job on the offensive glass. He plays strong defense, though some added bulk and strength would do him good. Kemp was one of the game's co-leading scorers with 16 points, all but two of which came in the second half. He hit a pair of 3-pointers and went 0/3 at the free throw line.

Zachary Lamb, Soph, SG, 6'4, Manhattan- The older brother of UConn freshman Jeremy Lamb, the Georgia native is a superb outside shooter. He opened the game with a nasty crossover and three-ball. He has a strong build, nice athletic ability, and can take the ball to the basket. Lamb does need to learn to play under control at both ends of the floor and also play within the flow of the offense, but he looks to be a solid pickup for Mahattan. He scored 6 points on a pair of 3-pointers.

Xavier Munford, Frosh, SG, 6'2- Munford had a fantastic first half, but played less in the second half and was fairly quiet when he was in. The terrific long-range shooter, Munford seems to have improved his game since his senior year of high school. The Pennsylvania native is a bit undersized for the two and could use some more bulk, but can really score the ball. If he continues to develop, Munford will be a guy that mid-majors will be all over. He scored 13 points, all but one of which came in the first half. He hit a pair of 3-pointers and made his only free throw.

Note- photo on the top left is of Shamarr Bowden and is from http://www.charlotte49ers.com/; photo of Keith DeWitt is from http://www.rivals.com/; photo of Maurice Kemp, Jr. is an AP photo from http://www.daylife.com/