Indiana Elite: A glance at 2011
After a hard fought 61-66 loss by Indiana Elite 15AU team. I still thought they looked good. The roster is currently host to a who's who of the sophomore to be class.
6'3 Spencer Turner who finished with 24 is a heck of a player and should continue to develop over the next couple of seasons. All three local schools have watched Turner play. Marshall Plumlee, Cody Zeller and Jeffersonville High School's Evan Maschmeyer also grace the roster.
The 6'7 Zeller (above) had 16 points and 8 boards and looked pretty mobile. Zeller is very coordinated and makes the game easier for his teammates. If he draws a double team he kicks it out and if he doesn't then it usually ends in 2. Should be a high four star player by the time his senior season rolls around. UK has watched the kid play.
After the game we caught up with the kid from Washington High school
Could you tell folks a little bit about your game?
"I just work hard every game to help my team win. Depending on what the team needs I can drive if I got a big guy on me and if I got a smaller guy on me I can post up. I just do whatever the team needs."
What do you think about the facilities here at Hoops?
"Their really nice. This is a really nice facility and hopefully we can get one close to home."
Have you even started to think about college?
"no not really, just filled out some questionnaire's."
Plumlee (45) looks like a great defender at this point, but his offensive skills do leave something to be desired, but the kid is going into his sophomore season so he has time. I am sure that his older brothers will help the kid quickly develop.
Evan Maschmeyer of Jeffersonville High School is expected to make a lot of noise this season. Maschmeyer is considered one of the top 2011 prospects in the state of Indiana.
Max Landis, who attends Perrin Meridian High is also a solid player. Landis plays point guard and was playing with an injured thumb (that was hurt at the Take5) and it was clearly hampering his play. His father played college basketball and is a major influence in his life. Butler is intrigued by the fundamentally solid youngster.
Another solid kid from the Tri-State area is Michael Nesbit from Evansville Memorial. We caught up with him as well.
Mike could you sums today's game up for folks who didn't get a chance to see it?
"We came out early played really well. In the end we didn't rebound, didn't block out. Me a little bit, but the whole team though. We just lost it after that."
What about you, what have you been working on this summer?
"I have mostly played as a post player so far in my career, but I have been working on my moves and being able to step out onto the wing and handle the ball a little bit. I have also been working on post moves and rebounding."
Have you even started to think about college?
"Evansville right now there sorta talking to me but that is pretty much it."
Year in and year out the Elite are among the top teams in the country. One thing that I do know is that Indiana,Purdue, Baylor, Indiana St. and Evansville are at almost every game played by the elite.
Updates From Abroad
I heard a couple of things from very good sources today.
DeAndre Liggins- will most likely be ruled eligible. Barring something crazy from the NCAA.
Jon Wall- I heard that Oklahoma St. is the most likely destination. This, like everything is subject to change, but please be prepared as this is a good possibility.
I am not the kind of person to post that this kid is going here or there, so please don't think that this is being posted for publicity. I was told this by multiple people that are connected throughout the recruiting world and I just thought that I would pass it along.
Some good action took place out at the Hoopfest today.
Harrison Barnes- had another big game today scoring over 30 points in a loss, Barnes was able to will the game to overtime but the Attack fell short. Coach Webster was on hand for the game.
We have a ton of stuff from the Hoopfest. I should have all day Monday to get some more stuff together. Cody Zeller is going to be a nice player. The whole Indiana Elite 15 and under team looks solid.
I have been attending the Hoopfest and working my other job all week, but I will get everything together as soon as I can. Thanks for stopping by it is really appreciated. If you ever need anything at all please e-mail us at alleyoopscoop@yahoo.com
Harrison Barnes at the Hoopfest
Harrison Barnes Finished the game with 13 points, at least 4 or 5 assists and a huge blocked shot. Teammate 6'8 Zach Mcabe added a game high 27 points as the Iowa Attack put on the cruise control and beat The Players 81-37. Barnes is a well rounded young man, very articulate as well. Barnes did not force the action and is a very team oriented player, but was clearly a cut above the other players on the court. After the game Barnes was kind enough to field questions from everyone.
Coach Cox was in attendance. I saw scouts from Duke, IU, Memphis and a slew of Mid Major programs.
We will have more from the Hoopfest over the next couple of days
2009, Brings Plenty of Options for the Cat's
The 2009 class is seemingly on course to be among the top 10 nationally. With commitments from Jon Hood and G.j. Vilarino already lined up, the Cat's seem poised to make the leap from fringe recruiting classes to standing in the batters box with the rest of the titans.
The Cat's have made it clear that Jon Wall and Daniel Orton are the primary targets for the class. With Lance Stephenson having an outside shot to land in Lexington or Europe or the Military? The obvious needs for the Wildcat's are at the point and in the post. Here is a look at a couple more o9' players that the staff has been in contact with.
6'10- Center Anthony Borden is a compelling prospect that the staff has scouted. Borden has ideal size and decent post moves, however his fundamental skills do leave something to be desired. Borden is from West Memphis, Arkansas and has also received some interest from the Razorbacks as well. The odds of this kid being offered have to be slim, however the big fella could possibly contribute early in his college career. Borden averaged 16 points and 10 boards as a junior.
6'2 Combo guard Ramon Galloway is also another kid that the staff is keeping in contact with. The Palm Beach Gardens, FL native plays his AAU ball for the talent laden Florida Rams squad.
The Rams roster includes talented 09' prospect Rakeem Buckles. Matt Ramker the Program Director for the Florida Rams had this to say to floridahoops.com about the kids game:
"Galloway can play both guard spots effectively as he shoots with range, makes good decisions with the basketball, and can penetrate and make plays for others or himself."
The Kentucky Hoopfest is July 9-13 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in downtown Louisville. Eddie Ford puts on one of the best tournaments in the nation right here in our backyard. For more info click here
Ferrakohn Hall Mentions 3 Schools In July
Hall played his sophomore season for the Memphis University School in Memphis (TN), Where he and guard Elliot Cole led the MUS Owls to a state title. In the title game they defeated St. George’s at David Lipscomb University in Nashville 65-54.
Jon Wall Enjoys More Success + Ferguson & Jenkins Update
At the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions recently Wall continued his hot play adding another solid performance to one at the Pagnos Camp. Wall averaged over 24 points per game and was constant spark plug for his D1 sports club. Wall recently had this to say to scout.com about his recruitment process:
Trae Golden is Still on the Market
One time Kentucky target and one of the top players in the 10' class withdrew his verbal committment from Ohio State. The 6'1 Golden mentioned Florida State, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech and Georgia according to Evan Daniels of scout.com.
Vilarino and Gillispe: Still Committed
Vilarino was Coach Gillispie’s first commitment as the WIldcat’s coach. Over the past year Vilarino was supposed to evolve into a more complete player according to Van Coleman and others. Well, the expectations have been tapered for the prodigy’s game. As he still needs to develop physically and improve his inconsistent jump shot. Despite that, Coach Gillispie has remained firm in his belief in Vilarino and McKinney High coach, Lee Watson spoke of Vilarino’s belief in Gillespie:
“He was really high on A&M with Gillispie down there, and I think he likes coach Gillispie a lot,” said Watson, who has been one of the major intermediaries between the schools and Vilarino during the recruiting process. “
“The fact that [Gillispie] has coached and recruited some great point guards, [Vilarino] sees this as a great opportunity,” added Watson. “Kentucky’s about as good as it gets, and this was one of those things that it was the perfect storm.”
As a sophomore Vilarino averaged 20 points and 4.5 assists per game. Vilarino is solid. The Wildcat nation should be proud to have the probable 4 year player as a commit.
The national perception seems to be (for obvious reasons) that Kentucky has gradually fallen off over the last decade. The pride of the fan base has not wavered but, players around the country clearly took notice because ( insert any number of reasons here). A comment by Vilarino’s father, Gerry Vilarino, regarding his son’s decision to commit early. Left me feeling good about the Cat’s chances of a quick recovery from recent inconsistent spurts:
“Well, if Coach Gillispie had stayed at A&M, G.J. might have waited a little longer,” Mr. Vilarino explained. “But, the combination of Kentucky coupled with the chance to be coached by Coach Gillispie was just too much to pass on.”
According to Scout’s Inc. Vilarino was also being recruited by Kansas, Illinois, Memphis and Baylor before committing to UK. One of the most respected men in the recruiting business Van Coleman had Vilarino ranked as one of the top 30 sophomore’s in the nation at the time of his commitment. Although the expectations have been tapered for the Texas prodigy. I remain confident that he will develop into a consistent SEC caliber player while at Kentucky. Hopefully he will reassert himself while on the Adidas Nations team this summer.
On a side note, Josh Dickinson has reported that there is at least a little interest on both sides, with talented 2009 PG Mfon Udofia, however Udofia will not trim his list until July: click here for more
“The University of Kentucky continues to recruit a point guard from the 2009 class and Mfon Udofia has their attention. KentuckySportsReport has an exclusive update from Udofia and his interest in the Kentucky Wildcats.”
Humble, Derrick Favors in no Hurry to Make Decision
Derrick Favors is pretty much a household name at this point. Favors graces the top 5, in every major publication in the nation. Favors has that factor to his advantage so he is enjoying the recruiting process and soaking up the attention. Favors list of potential suitors are pretty much a who’s who list of college basketball and has always included 15 or more programs. Favors, was recently asked what schools he is considering, he went on to rail off,
“Georgia, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Memphis, UConn, N.C. State, Texas,” he eagerly said with a smile.
Favors went on to name off another formidable list,
“Indiana, Illinois, Miami,” he continued. “Florida State, Tennessee, Kentucky, Kansas, Duke.”
Favors has made it clear for sometime that his decision will be a well thought out one, he wants to find that perfect fit for his 6′9 235 pound frame. Over Memorial Day weekend Favors gave the schools on his list a reason to be patient, leading his Atlanta Celtics AAU squad to the Tournament of Champions Title over Kenny Boynton and Team Breakdown in the U17 championship game. Favors had a triple double in the final scoring 20 points, pulling down 16 boards and declining 11, two-point transactions. When asked about his time frame for a decision Favors said,
“I probably won’t make a choice until next April,”
Favors has been rumored to be leaning towards choosing a school close to his family and support system. Gergia Tech has long been in with Favors. The Yellow Jackets are probably the team to beat at this point for the kids services. Georgia is fresh off of a Cinderella S.E.C. tournament win and has peaked the interest of Mr. Favors as well. Derrick’s Coach’s, Family and Friends have been title lipped for the most part on which way he is leaning. When Favors was asked what the determining factor would be for his decision he stated,
“What feels right,”
“What feels right” to most people, is what they are familiar with and those three words may very well be the difference in the frantic frenzy for Favor’s phenomenal presence
2009 Update: Shaunessy Smith
Smith had achieved some great things before his recent set back. As a sophomore he averaged over 19 points 8 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists. Smith also scored a season high 35 points against Nesoba central. Smith's coach loves his game
"I think Shaunessy is the best player in the state."
"He's so versatile, he has the ability to shoot, pass and run the point. He has the ability to creat space and give himself a shot. You don't find a lot of players who can do that."
Smith is a gym rat and can be found on the hardwood at least 6 days a week.
"Basketball is his hobby." said coach Billups
Smith's summer Coach is equally excited of his potential,
"I get excited when talking about the play and potential of Shaun," said Smith's travel team coach, Danny Pritchett, of the Birmingham Storm."
He can play all of the perimeter positions well and if the match-up is favorable, he can play power as well. Smith's high school does have strong ties to Miss St. Smith plays for former Bulldog guard T.J. Billups. Coach Stansberry has done a good job of keeping a lot of the recent talent in state Romero Osby, Quentin Smith and Tang Hamilton. Smith lives only about 20 miles from Starkville and has taken several unofficial visits to the campus.
What Went Wrong With Willie Warren?
What happened to Kentucky? I wouldn’t fret Wildcat fans!
