I'm going to break my recap into classes and then by team for easier navigating and comprehension of teams and players.
Spiece Select 2011
Tony Springmann 6'8 Fort Wayne Dwenger showed numerous moves and finishes with his left hand this week. It is a given that he is going to rebound and play strong inside. Needs to continue to develop offensive game.
Zac VanDeWater 6'4 Whitko is a legit 6'4 wing that can shoot, move laterally well, very good rebounder from a guard spot. I put him as a mid-major plus right now.
Kendal Griffin 6'4 Avon is very similar to VanDeWater but faster north and south although probably slower laterally on the defensive end. Also, a good rebounder and a competitor.
Torrey Nibbs 6'1 Brownsburg had a solid weekend. Nibbs has a great body/athleticism, good defender when he doesn't reach or gamble, terrific rebounder when playing the PG spot. He must improve handles, decision making, and consistently finish in the lane to be a D-1 player.
Tyler Greathouse 6'8 Columbus North is a flat out shooter who is adding a driving game. He has good post moves, but rarely posts. Aggressiveness, rebounding, and defense is holding him from being a mid-major prospect right now.
Indiana Elite-Team Indiana
Jeremiah Davis 6'3 Muncie Central is a strong, athletic combo guard who has been consistent from 3 this spring although it is a little slow. He does have a high release on it that helps when he shoots over people. Needs to improve decision making and handles against pressure.
Austin Etherington 6'6 Hamilton Heights is a long wing that can shoot it. He has had zero impact in two games against Spiece Select now. I'm not sure if they are in his head or if it is because he is being guarded by 6'4 quick wings that are good defensively. He is a match-up problem for nearly every team.
Dee Davis 5'10 Bloomington South is borderline unguardable at this level. The Xavier commit is quick, smart, can shoot, finds people well. Only negative that I can find is his height.
Deng Leek 7'0 is big and that is basically it. He has offers from Maryland, Syracuse, and NC State I believe. He is not very skilled or aggressive.
Vinny Zollo 6'8 Lexington (KY)hasn't gotten much love after his UK commitment fell through with the coaching change. He flat out gets after on the boards and is a solid defender. Right now, he is a solid mid-major to low-major prospect.
Indiana Elite One
Jalen Packer 6'1 Princeton is not the 6'4 I have seen him listed at by other sites. At most, he is 6'2 in shoes. Packer is what he is right now...he is a slasher that is looking to get to the rim to score, but he is a little too loose with the ball.
Matt Carlino 6'2 Bloomington South have been knocked by some because he is not a great shooter or a great athlete like Marquis Teague, but he is a solid athlete, slasher, creator for others, strong, and smart. Not a sexy recruit for the IU base, but he is solid.
Marshall Plumlee 6'11 NC Prep School via Warsaw plays extremely hard and posts agressively. He appears to be a leader and that is rare from a big man. His upside is as big as his 6'11 frame.
Spencer Turner 6'2 Bloomington South is a shooter and not much else. Although, there are many guys in the NBA earning a lot of money that can only shoot. It is a matter of a right fit and right timing for what level he can play at. I think he is still a mid-major type of kid.
Johnny Marlin 5'10 Center Grove is heady, quick, good competitor, solid shooter if left open. His height and weight is what might decide if he is a D2/NAIA player instead of a D-1 player.
Cody Zeller 6'9 Washington didn't play a lot when I saw him although he had 25 in a tournament bracket game. I would like him to really play inside and outside instead of just outside.
Justin Gant 6'8 Terre Haute North is a shooter and has decent handles. His stock has dropped a lot due to lack of aggressiveness, toughness, willingness to battle down low. If he does those types of things then he is a high-major player instead of a borderline mid-major to low-major player.
Indiana Select 2011
Spencer Comer 6'3 Rushville is a D-1 athlete...explosive, good lateral movement. Needs to improve handles and shooting consistency.
Matt Schauss 6'3 Centerville is a shooter with good length to him. He can handle it a little bit, but can be shaky against pressure. Needs to pick up his intensity on the defensive end.
Jackson Renshaw 6'4 Columbus East is a combo guard with an "NBA body." That is an inside joke. He is a decent athlete, but not a great shooter or decision maker. If he improves those two areas then he is a D-1 player.
More to come soon!
Showing posts with label Spiece Select. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spiece Select. Show all posts
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
AMC Report-Recap
Now that I finally got all my player reports written up here is my recap of players.
Impressive List
Marcus Crider SYF-Looked great this weekend...really athletic and can also shoot. I like those types of players. Also, he has good size at 6'5ish.
Dee Davis Team Indiana-I have been a fan of Davis for years, but I have always wondered if he will be able to do it at the mid-major or higher level because of his height. This weekend he started to prove to me that his lack of height will not matter. He will find a way to get it done.
Tony Springmann Spiece Select-Springmann had a dominating performance over the wealth of height that Team Indiana has on their team. If he adds a face-up game (he has range to 16 feet), then he will be a high-major player. Right now, I would say he is a high-major football recruit.
Mitch McGary SYF-First weekend of the spring for McGary and he looked great. Quick for his size, good range to about 17 feet, ability to finish around the rim with both hands. Big potential if his grades don't hold him back.
Griffin Mckenzie Eric Gordon-Mckenzie showed his full range this past weekend. Hitting a handful of 3's, but he is not soft like a lot of big guys that can shoot. He is more than willing to bang inside and has decent athleticism.
Keith Appling Michigan Mustangs-Appling is ridiculously explosive. Also showed that he can shoot at least at the mid-range. Michigan State has a good one here.
Ray McCallum Jr. Team Detroit- Quicker than I remember, long for a point guard, smart as a coach's son, and also displayed his range behind the arc. Great weekend for Ray.
Terrone Johnson Eric Gordon-Johnson had a very solid weekend. He displayed his full game...driving, mid-range, 3pt. range. He is better than what I saw from him during the high school season.
Those would be my most impressive from the 16U and 17U age groups. I didn't see enough 15's to have a list for them. Also, Erik Fromm ended up committing to Butler University this week.
Spiece Memorial Day tournament this weekend in Fort Wayne. No Indiana Elite teams will be there. I will get a catch to see Spiece Indy Fastbreak who were not at the Adidas May Classic.
Impressive List
Marcus Crider SYF-Looked great this weekend...really athletic and can also shoot. I like those types of players. Also, he has good size at 6'5ish.
Dee Davis Team Indiana-I have been a fan of Davis for years, but I have always wondered if he will be able to do it at the mid-major or higher level because of his height. This weekend he started to prove to me that his lack of height will not matter. He will find a way to get it done.
Tony Springmann Spiece Select-Springmann had a dominating performance over the wealth of height that Team Indiana has on their team. If he adds a face-up game (he has range to 16 feet), then he will be a high-major player. Right now, I would say he is a high-major football recruit.
Mitch McGary SYF-First weekend of the spring for McGary and he looked great. Quick for his size, good range to about 17 feet, ability to finish around the rim with both hands. Big potential if his grades don't hold him back.
Griffin Mckenzie Eric Gordon-Mckenzie showed his full range this past weekend. Hitting a handful of 3's, but he is not soft like a lot of big guys that can shoot. He is more than willing to bang inside and has decent athleticism.
Keith Appling Michigan Mustangs-Appling is ridiculously explosive. Also showed that he can shoot at least at the mid-range. Michigan State has a good one here.
Ray McCallum Jr. Team Detroit- Quicker than I remember, long for a point guard, smart as a coach's son, and also displayed his range behind the arc. Great weekend for Ray.
Terrone Johnson Eric Gordon-Johnson had a very solid weekend. He displayed his full game...driving, mid-range, 3pt. range. He is better than what I saw from him during the high school season.
Those would be my most impressive from the 16U and 17U age groups. I didn't see enough 15's to have a list for them. Also, Erik Fromm ended up committing to Butler University this week.
Spiece Memorial Day tournament this weekend in Fort Wayne. No Indiana Elite teams will be there. I will get a catch to see Spiece Indy Fastbreak who were not at the Adidas May Classic.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
AMC Report-Part 5
I had another page of notes that I had forgotten about. So there will be a recap in part 6, this report is more player reports.
D'vauntes Smith-Rivera Team Indiana-Solid is always. Here is a comparison that I liked from Jim Reamer...Bloom himself on Peegs. Reamer compared him to Byron Eaton from Oklahoma State saying that Eaton matured early and wasn't particularly good from 3pt. range. Plus I like it because they kind of look alike in the face.
Daniel Turner Indiana Elite (Fox)- 6'6 strong body, jumps well, good 4/3 type for low to mid-major schools. Finishes strongly when in the lane.
Tyler Greathouse Spiece Select-6'8 shooter and that is about it for now. If he is more aggressive on the boards and posting up then he will become a big time player. He has the tools now he just needs to apply them more.
Scott Lascowski Indiana Elite (Fox)- Stock has been dropping since he has no true position and limited skills on the perimeter. The great motor that caught people's attention early has dropped off a bit also.
Marquel Curtis 43 Hoops- Strong, shot well, finished well inside, rebounded aggressively, looked good overall.
Jordan Hahn Spiece Select-When Hahn shoots it well from 3, he is very tough because he makes such good decisions. Needs to work on ball handling against tough pressure and needs to add strength to help defense.
Deng Leek Team Indiana-Leek is stronger than most of the African imports that Indiana Elite gets as he has been in the States for awhile now. Right now, he is still limited to rebounding, dunking, and blocking shots.
Vincent Zollo Team Indiana-Zollo rebounds and plays extremely hard. His skills need a lot of work though.
Levi Garner Team Indiana-6'5 strong, perimeter player that likes to penetrate more than shoot. Garner could be a mid-major if he develops a more consistent shot.
Peter Jurkin Team Indiana 16U-Less muscular version of Deng Leek.
Obij Aget-One of the most impressive dunks of the weekend when he dunked over about 3 guys and with power which was unexpected because he is skinny.
Ben Davisson SYF 16U-Could be a mid-major if he drops some weight but that could conflict with his football and his brother is a D1 football commit.
Akeem Freeman SYF 16U-jumps out of the gym but that seems about it for right now.
I have a handful more reports but I need to go to practice right now. I will post the rest tomorrow along with the weekend recap of most impressive players.
D'vauntes Smith-Rivera Team Indiana-Solid is always. Here is a comparison that I liked from Jim Reamer...Bloom himself on Peegs. Reamer compared him to Byron Eaton from Oklahoma State saying that Eaton matured early and wasn't particularly good from 3pt. range. Plus I like it because they kind of look alike in the face.
Daniel Turner Indiana Elite (Fox)- 6'6 strong body, jumps well, good 4/3 type for low to mid-major schools. Finishes strongly when in the lane.
Tyler Greathouse Spiece Select-6'8 shooter and that is about it for now. If he is more aggressive on the boards and posting up then he will become a big time player. He has the tools now he just needs to apply them more.
Scott Lascowski Indiana Elite (Fox)- Stock has been dropping since he has no true position and limited skills on the perimeter. The great motor that caught people's attention early has dropped off a bit also.
Marquel Curtis 43 Hoops- Strong, shot well, finished well inside, rebounded aggressively, looked good overall.
Jordan Hahn Spiece Select-When Hahn shoots it well from 3, he is very tough because he makes such good decisions. Needs to work on ball handling against tough pressure and needs to add strength to help defense.
Deng Leek Team Indiana-Leek is stronger than most of the African imports that Indiana Elite gets as he has been in the States for awhile now. Right now, he is still limited to rebounding, dunking, and blocking shots.
Vincent Zollo Team Indiana-Zollo rebounds and plays extremely hard. His skills need a lot of work though.
Levi Garner Team Indiana-6'5 strong, perimeter player that likes to penetrate more than shoot. Garner could be a mid-major if he develops a more consistent shot.
Peter Jurkin Team Indiana 16U-Less muscular version of Deng Leek.
Obij Aget-One of the most impressive dunks of the weekend when he dunked over about 3 guys and with power which was unexpected because he is skinny.
Ben Davisson SYF 16U-Could be a mid-major if he drops some weight but that could conflict with his football and his brother is a D1 football commit.
Akeem Freeman SYF 16U-jumps out of the gym but that seems about it for right now.
I have a handful more reports but I need to go to practice right now. I will post the rest tomorrow along with the weekend recap of most impressive players.
AMC Report-Part 4
Adidas May Classic report continued. These reports are mainly based off of action that took place Sunday which was a great day for basketball.
Dee Davis Indiana Elite Team Indiana-Davis recently got scholarship offers from Xavier and Purdue and he had a great weekend to make those coaches look good. He was unstoppable when he got into the lane finishing over and around defenders all day. He also showed his nice outside stroke and I don't remember him forcing any shots. I'm still worried about his height at th college level.
Jeremiah Davis Indiana Elite Team Indiana-Jeremiah had a good weekend. He took over offensively in the second half against Spiece Select although they still lost. When he looks to take over, he is going to shoot every time down the floor...his distributing skills go out the window which worries me. Overall, a great weekend for Jeremiah though.
Justin Gant Indiana Elite Team Indiana-Gant has all the skills to be a high major player and do well at that level. He isn't aggressive enough for my liking although he had a strong dunk over Tony Springmann in the game against Spiece Select. He settles for 3's way too much and doesn't post enough because he wants to be a perimeter player. College coaches want post skills to go along with perimeter skills for a player like Gant who is 6'8. It is that dual threat that makes him desirable. He needs to be more aggressive on the boards also.
Austin Etherington Indiana Elite Team Indiana-Etherington was a zero factor in the game vs. Spiece Select. It seemed like he was mentally out of it the whole game and when his shots did not fall early he was totally out of it. It makes me question his mental toughness a bit, but still a great prospect.
Tony Springmann Spiece Select-Springmann had a dominating performance against Team Indiana and all their big men. He outrebounded and out fought all of their inside players...him and Vincent Zollo going after it was fun to watch. In my opinion, Springmann ends up playing high-major...football although he will get recruited for high major basketball.
Torrey Nibbs Spiece Select-Nibbs had a great final four game after some disappointing performances earlier in the tournament. The difference was that he was finishing when he got into the lane. Nibbs is so explosive off the dribble he usually gets to the at will it is just a matter of if he finishes or not and a lot of the time he struggles with that. If he finishes consistently and hits mid-range jumpers then he is in the mix for high major...if he can't do those things then I'm not sure he can play at the mid-major level.
Dwight Cliff Spiece Select-Cliff had a break out weekend. He has been battling back injuries all spring and it looked like this weekend he was close to healthy. He is a bull getting to the rim and uses his strength to finish. He has a decent set 3pt shot, but struggles shooting off the dribble.
Max Landis Indiana Elite (Green?)-Landis had a great final four game vs. Spiece Select. He shoot it really well from 3 and also did damage going to the rim. I need to see him more to have a better idea of what level he can play at, but he was impressive on Sunday.
Dontray Chavis Indiana Elite (Green?)-Chavis looked really good Sunday. Inside and outside...he made some nice moves and fakes in the paint to finish a few times. He will need to add more and more outside skill sets while keeping his rebounding and post skills. I was impressed with Chavis.
Jon Trawick Indiana Elite (Green?)-Trawick wasn't overly impressive this weekend although he had powerful 2 hand dunk on Sunday after all the games he had played...that was pretty impressive. The keys for Trawick are his improvement handling the ball, defense, and range. He needs to work hard on all 3 areas.
Ray McCallum Jr. Team Detroit-Ray Ray had a very impressive weekend. Quicker than he looks...he was getting to the rim all weekend and he also showed a great stroke from 3 range. It will be interesting to see what happens with his recruiting with his dad the Head Coach of Detroit.
Justin Martin Derrick Rose-Martin looked unimpressive and lackadaisical to me. He always has that look and body language of "I don't care about this" and it bothers me. He was an early maturer which also makes me question how successful he will be at the next level.
A recap of all the action will be the final report on the Adidas May Classic coming either later tonight or tomorrow depending on how busy I am tonight. If there are any questions about players listed or unlisted, leave a comment and I will see if I can answer your question.
Dee Davis Indiana Elite Team Indiana-Davis recently got scholarship offers from Xavier and Purdue and he had a great weekend to make those coaches look good. He was unstoppable when he got into the lane finishing over and around defenders all day. He also showed his nice outside stroke and I don't remember him forcing any shots. I'm still worried about his height at th college level.
Jeremiah Davis Indiana Elite Team Indiana-Jeremiah had a good weekend. He took over offensively in the second half against Spiece Select although they still lost. When he looks to take over, he is going to shoot every time down the floor...his distributing skills go out the window which worries me. Overall, a great weekend for Jeremiah though.
Justin Gant Indiana Elite Team Indiana-Gant has all the skills to be a high major player and do well at that level. He isn't aggressive enough for my liking although he had a strong dunk over Tony Springmann in the game against Spiece Select. He settles for 3's way too much and doesn't post enough because he wants to be a perimeter player. College coaches want post skills to go along with perimeter skills for a player like Gant who is 6'8. It is that dual threat that makes him desirable. He needs to be more aggressive on the boards also.
Austin Etherington Indiana Elite Team Indiana-Etherington was a zero factor in the game vs. Spiece Select. It seemed like he was mentally out of it the whole game and when his shots did not fall early he was totally out of it. It makes me question his mental toughness a bit, but still a great prospect.
Tony Springmann Spiece Select-Springmann had a dominating performance against Team Indiana and all their big men. He outrebounded and out fought all of their inside players...him and Vincent Zollo going after it was fun to watch. In my opinion, Springmann ends up playing high-major...football although he will get recruited for high major basketball.
Torrey Nibbs Spiece Select-Nibbs had a great final four game after some disappointing performances earlier in the tournament. The difference was that he was finishing when he got into the lane. Nibbs is so explosive off the dribble he usually gets to the at will it is just a matter of if he finishes or not and a lot of the time he struggles with that. If he finishes consistently and hits mid-range jumpers then he is in the mix for high major...if he can't do those things then I'm not sure he can play at the mid-major level.
Dwight Cliff Spiece Select-Cliff had a break out weekend. He has been battling back injuries all spring and it looked like this weekend he was close to healthy. He is a bull getting to the rim and uses his strength to finish. He has a decent set 3pt shot, but struggles shooting off the dribble.
Max Landis Indiana Elite (Green?)-Landis had a great final four game vs. Spiece Select. He shoot it really well from 3 and also did damage going to the rim. I need to see him more to have a better idea of what level he can play at, but he was impressive on Sunday.
Dontray Chavis Indiana Elite (Green?)-Chavis looked really good Sunday. Inside and outside...he made some nice moves and fakes in the paint to finish a few times. He will need to add more and more outside skill sets while keeping his rebounding and post skills. I was impressed with Chavis.
Jon Trawick Indiana Elite (Green?)-Trawick wasn't overly impressive this weekend although he had powerful 2 hand dunk on Sunday after all the games he had played...that was pretty impressive. The keys for Trawick are his improvement handling the ball, defense, and range. He needs to work hard on all 3 areas.
Ray McCallum Jr. Team Detroit-Ray Ray had a very impressive weekend. Quicker than he looks...he was getting to the rim all weekend and he also showed a great stroke from 3 range. It will be interesting to see what happens with his recruiting with his dad the Head Coach of Detroit.
Justin Martin Derrick Rose-Martin looked unimpressive and lackadaisical to me. He always has that look and body language of "I don't care about this" and it bothers me. He was an early maturer which also makes me question how successful he will be at the next level.
A recap of all the action will be the final report on the Adidas May Classic coming either later tonight or tomorrow depending on how busy I am tonight. If there are any questions about players listed or unlisted, leave a comment and I will see if I can answer your question.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Adidas May Classic 2009
Here is my Adidas May Classic 2009 game schedule that I plan on watching. I am not 100% I will be making the trip and of course if I do I could get side tracked by other games while I am down there. But these are the games I picked out that I want to see as of now.
Friday
Indiana Select Blue vs. Fieldhouse Elite Knights 7pm
Spiece Select 2011 vs. Shining Star Sports 8:15pm
SYF 16U vs. Indiana Black 9:30
Saturday
Spiece Indy Stars vs. SW Illinois Jets
NJ Roadrunners vs. Full Package White
Team Indiana 16U vs. Gateway Basketball Club
Spiece Select vs. Illinois Magic
Team Indiana 15U vs. JSA Express
Team Detroit vs. Illinois Magic
Indiana Elite One vs. Full Package White
I already saw that I would really like to see Indiana Elite One play against Kyrie Irving and the NJ Roadrunners but it is at Assembly Hall and that means I can only watch 1 game at a time. I prefer the places where I can see 2 solid games rather than 1 good game. It will be a game time decision if I go or not.
Lots of reports if I do go though.
Friday
Indiana Select Blue vs. Fieldhouse Elite Knights 7pm
Spiece Select 2011 vs. Shining Star Sports 8:15pm
SYF 16U vs. Indiana Black 9:30
Saturday
Spiece Indy Stars vs. SW Illinois Jets
NJ Roadrunners vs. Full Package White
Team Indiana 16U vs. Gateway Basketball Club
Spiece Select vs. Illinois Magic
Team Indiana 15U vs. JSA Express
Team Detroit vs. Illinois Magic
Indiana Elite One vs. Full Package White
I already saw that I would really like to see Indiana Elite One play against Kyrie Irving and the NJ Roadrunners but it is at Assembly Hall and that means I can only watch 1 game at a time. I prefer the places where I can see 2 solid games rather than 1 good game. It will be a game time decision if I go or not.
Lots of reports if I do go though.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Spiece Select 2011 Preview
Here is a little bit of a roster break down for Spiece Select 2011 (16&U). I haven't seen a few of the players play too much yet, but I have a general idea for them.
Zac VanDeWater-6'5 SG who can guard three positions. Great shooter and very good quick for his size. High majors have been watching him.
Tony Springmann-6'8 PF when you think Springmann think Luke Harangody. I believe Springmann is a better mid-range shooter at this point in their development. His best quality might be his motor as he rarely gets out worked on the floor.
Kendall Griffin-6'5 SG Strong shooting guard who shoots the ball very well. Good defender and took his game to the next level when he started rebounding hard. High majors are on Griffin's trail.
Torrey Nibbs-6'1 PG Great athlete that is still developing into a true PG. He is quick and strong which have attracted all the college coaches.
Eric Harris-6'2 PG Long, athletic point guard that plays at the powerhouse Lawrence North. He is very good off the dribble.
Dwight Cliff-6'5 SF Powerful wing who can shoot the outside shot. Still developing into a true perimeter player vs. the good players. Lots of potential.
Jordan Hahn-5'10 PG A smart point guard from New Castle...what a surprise. He is a true point guard that always wants to do what is best for the team. Sometimes he needs to look to shoot more.
Tyler Greathouse-6'8 PF Tyler will develop into a 3 on the next level. He can shoot the ball like a guard. Huge potential.
Colin Bowles-6'7 SF Developing into a big time player. Still very raw but plays under a great coach at Franklin Central so my money would be on the high major side.
Robbie Dickinson-6'3 PF Great kid who is also a football player. Developing outside shot so he can play on the perimeter more.
Matt Howard-6'5 PF Somehow didn't play much for his high school team. He has a good and still developing outside shot basically automatic from the mid-range. Should be a college player just a matter of what level right now.
Solid team. I will have lots of updates from tournaments this year with some break downs of other teams.
Zac VanDeWater-6'5 SG who can guard three positions. Great shooter and very good quick for his size. High majors have been watching him.
Tony Springmann-6'8 PF when you think Springmann think Luke Harangody. I believe Springmann is a better mid-range shooter at this point in their development. His best quality might be his motor as he rarely gets out worked on the floor.
Kendall Griffin-6'5 SG Strong shooting guard who shoots the ball very well. Good defender and took his game to the next level when he started rebounding hard. High majors are on Griffin's trail.
Torrey Nibbs-6'1 PG Great athlete that is still developing into a true PG. He is quick and strong which have attracted all the college coaches.
Eric Harris-6'2 PG Long, athletic point guard that plays at the powerhouse Lawrence North. He is very good off the dribble.
Dwight Cliff-6'5 SF Powerful wing who can shoot the outside shot. Still developing into a true perimeter player vs. the good players. Lots of potential.
Jordan Hahn-5'10 PG A smart point guard from New Castle...what a surprise. He is a true point guard that always wants to do what is best for the team. Sometimes he needs to look to shoot more.
Tyler Greathouse-6'8 PF Tyler will develop into a 3 on the next level. He can shoot the ball like a guard. Huge potential.
Colin Bowles-6'7 SF Developing into a big time player. Still very raw but plays under a great coach at Franklin Central so my money would be on the high major side.
Robbie Dickinson-6'3 PF Great kid who is also a football player. Developing outside shot so he can play on the perimeter more.
Matt Howard-6'5 PF Somehow didn't play much for his high school team. He has a good and still developing outside shot basically automatic from the mid-range. Should be a college player just a matter of what level right now.
Solid team. I will have lots of updates from tournaments this year with some break downs of other teams.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Final Four
The Final Four is set. UCONN, UNC, Michigan State, and Villanova. A pretty unlikely foursome. Most probably had UCONN and UNC as they have been at the top of the rankings all year, but Nova and MSU really sneaked up on me. I really did not watch Nova much this year for some reason. I believe they were on tv a decent amount since ESPN covers The Big East like no other. Michigan State has been improving every game basically since the start of the year due to youth but most injuries. Tom Izzo is a great coach and I really hope he doesn't make the move to Kentucky.
I did not get to watch the Sunday games because we had aau practice. We had a double session since some people have a far ride. It would be pointless to drive down for a 2 hour practice and drive for 5 hours. We are ranked 8th in the nation by some website. Obviously that has about zero credibility. I would say we could be in the conversation for the top 25 though. Looks like they just took the end of the year rankings last year and put them up for this year.
I did not get to watch the Sunday games because we had aau practice. We had a double session since some people have a far ride. It would be pointless to drive down for a 2 hour practice and drive for 5 hours. We are ranked 8th in the nation by some website. Obviously that has about zero credibility. I would say we could be in the conversation for the top 25 though. Looks like they just took the end of the year rankings last year and put them up for this year.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Progress Report
I believe it is about time to give a little update on my coaching journey since that is the name of the blog. I haven't talked about my coaching situation in awhile so I probably should address it.
Right now, I'm not actively doing any coaching. I have been going to high school games especially sectional games. I try to analyze the players I see like a college coach would. What I like about a player and what I dislike...how much potential he has for the next level and if his game could translate to the college game. Obviously, it is hard since I'm not looking for a certain type of player like a college would be i.e. they need a small forward or a big man or a shooter. So, I might say yes that player could play D-1 in the right spot...finding that spot is the key though because I think a lot of Indiana players could play D-1 in the smaller conferences but a lot of the time those conferences aren't coming to Indiana to recruit due to budget problems and what not. That player might end up being a D-2 player in reality.
I've been trying to keep up with my contacts I have met through camps and other venues. I try to help them out with players if possible but usually they are on top of things and have already made a judgment about the player. I'm not doing it to "suck up" or try to prove I know what I'm talking about although those could be pluses in the long run. I do it just to be nice because coaching is a rough business sometimes.
I'm starting to try to plan out my camp schedule. It is basically just for June for me since I have AAU tournaments in July. I believe that rules out working Five-Star Basketball camp in Pittsburgh. I really want to work that camp since I went there as a player and the coaches that have worked that camp are legendary. I tentatively plan on working Brad Stevens' camp for the third year and the Xavier camp for the first time. I'll try to work Purdue and Indiana University camps also but those are always tough since a lot of people want to and I don't have any really strong tie to either program. I was supposed to work Purdue's camp one week last year, but I had already committed to working another camp.
AAU is starting up. Parents meeting Sunday. I am planning on being an assistant for the Spiece Select 2011 team. I haven't been a true assistant in like 4 years and that was only part-time assistant and part-time head coach of the 2nd team. I'm applying for assistant jobs so I figure I should have some solid assistant experience if I expect to get an assistant job. I might help out a different team because they had a head coach have to back out of the position at the last second. I would rather be an assistant this summer but I will help a brotha out if he needs me to.
I emailed about 200 junior colleges last spring about potential openings they might have. I heard back from approximately half of them and had correspondence with about 15 I would say. I was a finalist for an assistant spot with Coffeyville CC in Kansas. I was on a short list for about 3 or 4 others. I will admit that my resume wasn't put together very well last year. I definitely have improved the aesthetics of it while also adding some experience. Hopefully that will lead to more opportunities this year. We will see.
I think that is it for now. Probably will be hitting up the Big Ten Tournament tomorrow since it is just down the street. Prices seem ridiculous especially since I always remember it being half full. I guess there must be some demand if they think they are going to get takers for those prices. I will probably just try to scalp some cheap seats. Scalping is legal in Indiana although I think legally the sellers can't ask for more than the face value but I'm not sure about that. I might have made that up in my head.
Right now, I'm not actively doing any coaching. I have been going to high school games especially sectional games. I try to analyze the players I see like a college coach would. What I like about a player and what I dislike...how much potential he has for the next level and if his game could translate to the college game. Obviously, it is hard since I'm not looking for a certain type of player like a college would be i.e. they need a small forward or a big man or a shooter. So, I might say yes that player could play D-1 in the right spot...finding that spot is the key though because I think a lot of Indiana players could play D-1 in the smaller conferences but a lot of the time those conferences aren't coming to Indiana to recruit due to budget problems and what not. That player might end up being a D-2 player in reality.
I've been trying to keep up with my contacts I have met through camps and other venues. I try to help them out with players if possible but usually they are on top of things and have already made a judgment about the player. I'm not doing it to "suck up" or try to prove I know what I'm talking about although those could be pluses in the long run. I do it just to be nice because coaching is a rough business sometimes.
I'm starting to try to plan out my camp schedule. It is basically just for June for me since I have AAU tournaments in July. I believe that rules out working Five-Star Basketball camp in Pittsburgh. I really want to work that camp since I went there as a player and the coaches that have worked that camp are legendary. I tentatively plan on working Brad Stevens' camp for the third year and the Xavier camp for the first time. I'll try to work Purdue and Indiana University camps also but those are always tough since a lot of people want to and I don't have any really strong tie to either program. I was supposed to work Purdue's camp one week last year, but I had already committed to working another camp.
AAU is starting up. Parents meeting Sunday. I am planning on being an assistant for the Spiece Select 2011 team. I haven't been a true assistant in like 4 years and that was only part-time assistant and part-time head coach of the 2nd team. I'm applying for assistant jobs so I figure I should have some solid assistant experience if I expect to get an assistant job. I might help out a different team because they had a head coach have to back out of the position at the last second. I would rather be an assistant this summer but I will help a brotha out if he needs me to.
I emailed about 200 junior colleges last spring about potential openings they might have. I heard back from approximately half of them and had correspondence with about 15 I would say. I was a finalist for an assistant spot with Coffeyville CC in Kansas. I was on a short list for about 3 or 4 others. I will admit that my resume wasn't put together very well last year. I definitely have improved the aesthetics of it while also adding some experience. Hopefully that will lead to more opportunities this year. We will see.
I think that is it for now. Probably will be hitting up the Big Ten Tournament tomorrow since it is just down the street. Prices seem ridiculous especially since I always remember it being half full. I guess there must be some demand if they think they are going to get takers for those prices. I will probably just try to scalp some cheap seats. Scalping is legal in Indiana although I think legally the sellers can't ask for more than the face value but I'm not sure about that. I might have made that up in my head.
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