Gilbert, Az, Labor Day, 2010 (Mesquite HS)
The future shines bright like the hot Arizona sun in Gilbert, Az, as the First Annual SWS Frosh/Soph Showcase Combine takes place at Mesquite high school. With 170 players of the 2013 and 2014 classes the combine was a huge success. Thanks to Ron Coleman of SWS Basketball Tournaments & all the staff that helped make this event happen.
2013 Checklist
Torren Jones, 6'8 Forward, (Basha): Dynamic, strong, fierce competitor. The kid has a strong athletic build, is explosive around the rim and finishes well. He is very mobile for his size and plays a great transition game offensively and defensively, sprinting every possession. His defensive transition recognition is superb for a kid his age. He is a great open court player who is virtually un-stoppable attacking the basket. He sets good screens and knows how to seal and open to the ball. His release on the jumper is a little pro-longed, not releasing at the climax of the jump, leaving it flat and short many times. I would like to see him create more room clearing with the ball while facing the basket, opening up his drive. Smaller players seem to give him trouble by crowding his space. With more work on his jumper and fakes this kid is a top level DI product.
Maurice Kirby, 6'9 PF/C, Poston Butte: Smooth, finesse player with beautiful footwork. Kirby is in a way a polar opposite of Jones, in the sense Jones is brute strength, Kirby is refined and finesse. He favors the turnaround jumper around 10ft, plays well with his back to basket, and has great footwork. It’s not easy to double him because he has some of the best hands and is the best passing big seen all summer. He keeps his head up and is patient with the ball. He struggles if his opponents can control the pace and they prefer an up-tempo game. Doesn’t possess explosiveness or step to finish big around the sauce pan.
Jaron Hopkins, 6’5 W, Basha: Jaron possess great size and athleticism on the wing. Can knock down the big shot as well as put it on the ground and finish above the rim. His length and athleticism enable him to be a great defender that can defend multiple positions. He is a guard that will secure rebounds for his team. I would like to see Jaron play with a greater sense of urgency and energy. A different forum might have suited him better. He seemed content with coasting at times.
Joe Boyd, 6’8 SF, Chaparral: Joe can shoot the ball from virtually anywhere on the floor. He possesses great court sense and vision. Shows a lot of maturity and basketball IQ for his age. He might struggle against stronger forwards that can post and having to defend quicker guards and forwards. He is still young and will no doubt become more agile and add more strength to his frame.
Drew Bender, 6’4 SG, Pinnacle: Drew is a technician of sorts with his positional skills. He moves great without the ball. With the ball he knows how to get the shot off and set up his defender to drive. He picks the right course of action, right or left depending on floor balance and defender’s deployment to get the lane for shot or finish. He has great upsize, and possesses prototypical shooting guard body. He shows experience, poise and leadership qualities. What I would like to see more from him by next summer is a stronger frame that can finish better, and quickness using more economy of motion.
HM’s: Jalen Richard, Damian Mendoza, Joshua Braun, Devante Walker, Devin White.
2014 Checklist
Roberto Reyes, 6’3, Gilbert Christian: Extremely athletic cutting, slashing guard who can create his own shot at will, get to the basket and finish. He has great body control and an incredible explosive step. He has been playing high level basketball for as long as I can remember but while others are fizzling out, He has consistently improved, no doubt a tribute to his work-ethic and coach ability. I want to see him get a stronger frame while remaining agile. He can shoot but seems hesitant to pull the trigger from beyond the arc at times. He possibly looks to drive too much rather than take the shot if that is what the defense is giving. I want to see better ball pressure defense from him.
Zylan Cheetman, 6’4, Saint Mary’s: Zylan has a long wiry frame, and appears to have several more inches of growth. He has point guard ball-handling abilities, and ok shooting form but can use some work and more repetitions. I would have preferred to not see him walk the ball up so much and look for his own isolation. Want to see if he can efficiently run an offense and create for others. Look for this kids play to rise if his work-ethic matches his natural abilities. I believe his potential is just being tapped.
Dorian Pickens, 6’4, Pinnacle: Dorian possesses a very silky smooth stroke from 3 and off the dribble, which has been a missing art all summer. As well, Dorian shows a lot of ability to efficiently run a team’s offense from the point position. I would like to see Dorian work on his foot speed and quickness over the next year, and his ability to pressure the ball. He shows leadership qualities and I want to see that become a formidable part of his game.
Rolando Rhymes, 6’, Saint Mary’s: Rolando has some of the quickest handles and is a hard guard. He can get to the rim at will but fails to finish at times making much more difficult shots than needed. His defense is antagonizing and extremely frustrating for dribblers. With all his skill, his jumper is light years away from the rest of his game. He tends to dribble too much and must put in work on his jump shot. With his ability to beat players off the dribble I would especially like to see him develop the pull-up jumper.
Pablo Rivas, 6’4,Cesar Chavez: In basketball, length equals strength, and this kid has lots of it and no doubt will add more inches to his frame in years to come. He doesn’t mind doing the dirty work, from grabbing boards, setting screens, and snuffing out shots. He needs some refinement with his basketball skills. His game is still very raw but shows lots of promise.
Gino Littles, 5’6, Chaparral: This little man put in work. He is pure joy to watch, plays with a lot of good energy. Has a great ability to lead and run a team. He possesses an“AI” like killer crossover. He makes good decisions up the court and when penetrating, knowing to dish, kick, shoot the pull-up or leaner. He can knock down the three but has a slight lean and push in his shot that needs to be corrected for consistency and next level. Also, because his lack of height needs to obtain a more smothering on-ball defense.
HM’s: Pete Leroy (Chavez), Chaz Mack (Tucson), Christian Harris (Mesa), Alasan Turay (Saint Mary’s), DeRon Kyle (Deer Valley), Chris Mclemore (Chavez), Jamarius Claiborne (Chavez),
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