Memphis Roar

The top talent in the country lived up to the hype making, the Real Deal in the Rock turning Saturday into the actual “Real Deal.” With 400 teams and seven different age groups competing, the competition was fierce and if you blinked there is a good chance you were missing an unbelievable play. With the amount of teams, we primarily focused on the 17U age group, evaluating the soon to be stars in the college game. Some of the top teams and talent over the course of Friday and Saturday are:

Memphis Magic

Took a tough loss to 1-5 Elite by 8 in pool play, but bounced back in the Championship bracket, beating the Boo Williams Champs from last week, All Ohio Red. Joe Jackson and Tyreke Black handled most of the load making big shots and getting stops when they needed them. Joe finished with 21 points, while Tarik added 12 squaring up head to head with the #3 player in the coutry Jared Sullinger. Other guys who played consistently throughout the weekend were Mardracus Wade and Chris Crawford.

Joe Jackson flashed his freakish athleticism all weekend long with some big thrown downs at the rim. A true Allen Iverson clone, Jackson’s first step is so quick that he gets by about anyone he wants. He punishes defenders because he is relentless and fearless when attempting to get to the bucket. Tending to dominate the ball at times, Jackson does it all without seeming to be ’selfish’. He set up teammates well and helped lead the Magic to win after win. Teammate Tarik Black put on a interior defensive and rebounding clinic. Black’s offense is somewhat limited, but if he is close to the rim, consider it over. At some points, it appears as though Black would like to rip off the rim and take it back to Memphis with him. In the words of some in attendance, Adonis Thomas plays like Tarzan. With a body of a greek god and a jungle-like high-wire act, Thomas will definitely be a highly pursued wing. According to some we speak with, UNC head coach Roy Williams is absolutely in love with Thomas.

Southeast Elite

Southeast looked unstoppable throughout the weekend beating the Atlanta Celtics by 9 Saturday afternoon. Brandon Knight scoring 32 and Luke Cothron adding 26 were a great duo. Later Saturday night, they ran into a scrappy confident Brandon Bass team who beat the Elite by 8. Luke Cothron was very good on the interior. Showing solid fundamentals and a true desire to dominate, Cothron made an impact by stepping outside and hitting jumpers while finishing well in traffic inside the paint. Cothron mentioned Kansas several times when we heard him speaking and even spoke of a potential visit.

DC Assault

The Assault going unbeaten into Sunday’s championship rounds looks extremely tough, quick and skilled. Josh Hairston (committed to Duke) leading the way with strong performances in the paint. The most impressive ingredient with the Assault is their relentless tough-nosed defense.

NY Gouchos

One name comes to mind after watching the Gouchos, Doron Lamb. The man was flawless Friday night, making tough shot after tough shot.

All-Ohio

With the number three player in the country leading the way, Jared Sullinger, All-Ohio may have ran out of gas late Saturday dropping by 8 to Memphis Magic. All-Ohio has some high major players including Adriean Payne, Arron Craft, J.D. Weatherspoon all looking very impressive at different times throughout the tournament. Adreian Payne was extremely aggressive on the offensive end and made some ridiculously athletic plays on the defensive end. Payne is definitely someone that the new staff will try to maintain a relationship with.

Atlanta Express

Ian Miller led the way, controlling the tempo and making play after play, including the game-winning shot at the buzzer to beating Dallas Showtyme. Another notable player for the Express was Jershon Cobb, shooting the ball very well from the outside and taking some of the pressure off Ian Miller.

Atlanta Celtics

The Celtics didn’t have their best performance against the Southeast Elite on the big stage, losing by 9. Trae Golden was the bright spot, making tough shots and big time moves to keep the Celtics in the game. Also, Jordan McCrae was showing off his athleticism making plays and shooting the ball with confidence. The Celtics have found a way to stay in contention for the championship game, winning their two bracket games Saturday night.

Team Texas

A high tempo team with great length. Phil Presley leads the way, with high-flying Cameron Clark making extremely athletic plays all weekend. Trevor Fuller was also impressive finishing everything with authority.

I-5 Elite (Oregon)

Had an impressive win over Memphis Magic, running their flex to perfection. Terrence Jones was the go-to guy making tough shots with a very soft touch around the rim. Other players performing well in the win were Stephen Madison doing the dirty work and Garrett Jackson shooting the ball well.

Nashville Celtics

Despite getting absolutely dominated by Harrison Barnes during the Celtics game versus All-Iowa Attack, Casey Prather stood out looking dominating at times while the Celtics advanced to Sunday’s Championship rounds. Casey is a high flyer dunking anything around the rim. Playing with the Nashville Celtics, 2011 guard Kedren Johnson popped up on our radar mainly due to his big body for a guard. Johnson is extremely strong and showed a knack for finishing around the rim. Johnson is one of the guards that new Memphis head coach Josh Pastner scouted during the state playoffs as an assistant.

Other notables

Terrance Durham playing with the Memphis Select is a physical point guard who definitely stands out running the show. Durham is currently interested in Ole Miss, Missouri, Tennessee, Southeastern Missouri and Memphis.

Point-guard Deville Smith with MBA Hoops is extremely crafty and is a gifted scoring point in a small package.

LINKS ABOUT THE REAL DEAL

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/257630/

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/257612/

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/257610/

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