by Alex Schwartz

At 1:30pm on Sunday afternoon at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Fla., 18 of the top high school seniors in the nation will take the floor for the 2011 Jack Jones Shootout. The game will be broadcast on High School Sports Network, and I will be doing the play-by-play.

Included amongst the participants are 11 players ranked in the NBE Post-Summer Class of 2011 Top 150, including seven in the top 100. Four of the seniors are in the top 45 of the list, two of whom are in the top 25. In addition, two other players in the game have a chance to be ranked in the final top 150, which will be released next month. Clearly there is a lot of talent in this year's Jack Jones Shootout.

I made my way out to the all-star game's practice on Friday and below are my observations and notes of the players. Unfortunately four the players were not there because a fire at the Miami airport led to flight cancellations. Nonetheless, there were still 14 talented guys in the gym and there was some quality basketball on display.

Name, Position, Height, High School (State), College Commitment, Ranking*
*ranking is based off the NBE Post-Summer Class of 2011 Top 150

Darion Atkins, PF, 6'8, Landon School (MD), Virginia, NR
Athletic big man had a quiet day for the most part. Atkins does his work around the basket and is a sound all-around player who rebounds well.

Malcolm Brogdon, SG, 6'5, Greater Atlanta Christian Academy (GA), Virginia, #93
Brogdon was one of the four players not in attendance on Friday.

Amir Garrett, SF, 6'6, Findlay Prep (NV), St. John's, #65
Garrett was one of the four players not in attendance on Friday.

Jarion Henry, SF, 6'8, Kimball (TX), uncommitted, NR
A slender combo forward, Henry needs to bulk up and add muscle to his frame, but he is a talented player. Long and athletic, Henry has a superb inside-outside game, plays superb defense, passes well, and is active at both ends of the floor. There is a strong chance he will break into the rankings in the final top 150.

Andre Hollins, SG, 6'2, White Station (TN), Minnesota, #142
Combo guard has a strong build, good athletic ability and a quick release on his smooth jumpshot. Hollins showed improved ability to run the point, which will help him at the next level.

Paul Jesperson, SF, 6'7, Merrill (WI), Virginia, #128
One of the more impressive performers on the day, Jesperson showed that he can get the job done at both ends of the floor. The future Cavalier was active on defense and did a good job of getting steals or at least knocking the ball away. Known as a big-time long range shooter, he has great size and length for a wing, but could use some more bulk on his frame.

Nick Johnson, SG, 6'3, Findlay Prep (NV), Arizona, #22
Johnson was one of the four players not in attendance on Friday.

Kevin Kaspar, SG, 6'1, Findlay Prep (NV), uncommitted, NR
Kaspar was one of the four players not in attendance on Friday.

Jordan Laguerre, SG, 6'2, New Hampton (NH), NR
Laguerre was quiet during the practice, but he certainly put on a display when a mini-dunk contest broke out during one of the breaks. He is a strong and athletic, yet undersized two-guard who can slide over the point if needed.

Cedrick Lang, C, 6'10, O'Gorman (SD), UTEP, NR
The only pure low post player in the game, Lang did a good job of representing the Mount Rushmore State, which is not a noted hoops hotbed. He has a good basketball IQ, a big body down low and plays hard at both ends, but must improve his ability to finish around the cup.

Devin Langford, SF, 6'6, Lee (AL), Illinois, NR
A long wing, Langford had a surprising impact in the paint on this day, as he grabbed rebounds and defended down low at times. He was active on the defensive end and showed off a solid overall game.

Rashad "Ky" Madden, PG, 6'5, East Poinsett County (AR), Arkansas, #40
In addition to having the best hair of the bunch with his spiked-out 'do, Madden was the smoothest player on the court, as he plays the game with such fluidity. Some have questioned whether Madden can run the point in college, but he is vocal, has superb floor vision, and should be able to play the one.

Dominique McKoy, SF, 6'7, South Atlanta (GA), uncommitted, #143
McKoy is a sturdy, versatile three-man  with a fairly strong build, he does a lot of the little things on the court. The Peach State native does not have a game that wows you, but he plays hard.

Hunter Mickelson, PF, 6'10, Westside (AR), Arkansas, #42
Despite his lack strength and need for bulk, Mickelson can really block shots down low and did so a number of times on Friday. He is a skilled four-man who runs the floor well, but in the halfcourt offense he needs to play more to his strengths and stay in the paint.

Bobby Parks, Jr., SG, 6'4, n/a, Georgia Tech, #102
Parks, Jr. spent the last several months in the Philippines and has thus been out of the spotlight for a bit, but his ability to score the ball and get to the basket remains intact. A strong, power guard, Parks, Jr. looks to have changed his body a bit and is in pretty good shape.

Aaron Ross, SF, 6'7, Parkview (AR), Arkansas, #80
Versatile combo forward has a nice inside-outside game, as he can score around the bucket and also step out and hit the midrange jumper. He is a showed off a great game on the glass rebounding the ball on Friday, but he would do well to shed some extra weight to make him more nimble.

Kevin Thomas, SF, 6'8, Christian Faith Academy (NC), Texas, NR
A native of Canada who recently committed to Texas, Thomas is a guy who has a chance to crack the final top 150. The combo forward did not have a loud showing on Friday, but did display his athletic ability.

BJ Young, PG, 6'3, McCluer North (MO), Arkansas, #13
The best player in this all-star game, Young showed on Friday, as usual, that he can score the ball in a number of ways. The scoring lead guard is adept at both attacking and finishing and at hitting the 3-point shot, but he does need to look for his teammates more often and also not over-dribble. He has a scorer's mentality and is a lethal offensive weapon.

Note- photo is of BJ Young and is from http://www.ny2lasports.com/