Memphis Roar

With the conclusion of summer AAU tournaments and events, and the beginning of high school basketball just around the corner, Memphis Roar is proud to bring you an extensive scouting report on the River City Showdown tournament.  The tournament, featured by BEAC, took place in mid-July in Memphis, TN and featured many high-profile prospects from around the country. The following is a breakdown of some players that stood out during the tournament, featuring some highlight videos and pictures taken at the River City Showdown.

 
Joe Jackson (Memphis Magic Elite):  One of the most talented players in the tournament, Jackson has excellent quickness, can get to the hole and score, and can run his offense efficiently. One thing that Jackson has worked on and displayed at theRiver City Showdown was his jump shot. Knocking down multiple pull-up jumpers and hitting outside shots, Jackson has become a defender’s nightmare. One area that Jackson could improve on would be to not push the ball when it is unnecessary.

Highlight Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8ZTQPcs1QU

Interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXNSjbP6kjg
 
Austin Hollins (Nashville Celtics):  The best way to describe Hollins is “silky smooth.” Hollins has an incredible jump shot and great range.  Hollins, like his teammate Casey Prather, plays a fundamentally sound game, not taking plays off at both ends of the floor; and he is willing to do the types of things that can often be overlooked, including setting up teammates with excellent passes. Hollins can also score in many different ways.  He is a “quiet assassin” that possesses a lot of intangibles.  One thing Hollins can work on is aggressiveness on the offensive side of the ball, not settling for the jump shot, and taking it to the hole.

Highlight Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHk0McfpX9A

Interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht3w00TrgC0

Tarik Black (Memphis Magic Elite): An inside presence that will never go unnoticed, Black turned heads and grabbed attention with his monstrous blocks and dunks, often providing a much needed spark for his Magic team.  Black worked a great deal over the summer on his offense.  Inserting an effective hook shot/leaner, Black makes use of his body and is becoming a great all-around power forward.  Black also displayed a good awareness on the court, finding the open man, and passing out of double teams down low.  One thing Black can continue to improve on is his post-up moves on offense.  Black has shown great improvement and can continue to develop on offense.

Highlight Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7l0B1PAv_E

Interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmpLzTf2U-Y

Adonis Thomas (Memphis Magic Elite): Probably one of the most intriguing prospects with unlimited potential,

Thomas contains a variety of skills and has the athleticism to be something special.  Thomas also showcased some of the best defense at the River City Showdown.  Thomas displayed something few will see in high school/AAU basketball—a perfect closeout on his opponent.  Thomas will need to hone in on his wide range of skills, becoming a more consistent scorer and not occasionally disappearing on the court during a game.

Highlight Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rj1EkMfeWQ

Interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bor6UtWw7c

Casey Prather (Nashville Celtics): Having the body of a college player already, Prather is an excellent small forward that showed good leadership qualities as he led his Nashville Celtics AAU team to win the River City Showdown Championship.  Prather makes good use of his body, making himself a great rebounder, and he does not back down to contact.  Prather has a good jump shot and is always moving on offense—a rarity in high school players.  Prather is very fundamentally sound and gets involved in almost every play, both on offense and defense.

Highlight Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg-pVwEgppE

Interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR2JIadSgC0

Chris Crawford (Memphis Magic): Silent but deadly threat for the Memphis Magic Elite squad. Crawford possesses an excellent long-range shot and when he is hot, not even a blindfold could stop him from hitting from deep.

Crawford’s role on the Magic did not ask him to penetrate and score, but Crawford did show flashes of good athletic ability.  One thing to note is that Crawford is also an excellent passer.  A high percentage of transition baskets by the Magic were initiated by an excellent Crawford pass.  Crawford is also a good rebounder.  A few small things that Crawford can develop on is keeping a positive attitude, no matter the outcome on the offensive end, ball-handling, and honing in on some defensive skills.

Highlight Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbb6qAP-lAs

Interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neIdL7Al_RU

Mardracus Wade (M33M): An attacking point guard that loves to get out in transition.  Wade pushes the ball very well and is not hesitant to pass off to a teammate on the run.  Wade penetrates the lane well and can finish contested and with contact.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDIJ6iP7-l4

Arthur McMillan (M33M): Technically an undersized power-forward, but the big man sure knows how to crash the boards and finished well with contact down low. McMillan is a hard worker on the glass and provided some great put-backs.

Brian Bethley (Louisiana D-1 Ambassadors): Bethley showed some good range, connecting on some deep open three-point shots.  Bethley can get out on transition, has good athleticism, and can throw down some nice dunks. Bethley also drove in while drawing contact and finished multiple times.

Ronald “Tank” Brown (M33M): Coming in to the River City Showdown, Brown was listed as a 6’5’’ power forward.  Despite the listing of his position, Brown showed that he could play multiple positions and finished well around the basket.  Brown flashes well to the basket, with hands ready, and is developing a good drop-step. Brown also excelled well on the fast break, at one point taking it coast-to-coast, finishing with a finger roll lay-up.

John Ingram (M33M): A developing forward that plays great help-side defense and possesses great shot blocking ability. Ingram also displayed a good pick and roll, sealing off his defender and isolating himself between his teammate and the basket.

Desmond Thompson (Louisiana D-1 Ambassadors): Thompson can absolutely light it up from outside.  The 6’2’’ guard was on fire from outside during the one game I had to evaluate him, connecting from further out than the NBA line.  Coaches and teammates did not seem the least bit shocked at Thompson’s range, noting it to be fairly common. Thompson also showed his ability to get inside the lane occasionally, and was not afraid to take the ball right at his opponent.

Meiko Lyles (Nashville Celtics): Lyles, a calm and collective shooting guard, lived up to his position title and then some.  Lyles knocked down countless three point shots throughout the River City Showdown.  Whether wide open or with a hand in his face, Lyles did not seem to notice or care, as the result almost always ended in three points.

Levon Tate (Nashville Celtics): A force to be reckoned with down low, Tate was often the hardest worker on the court.Fighting for rebounds, altering opponent’s shots, and not giving up on any plays, Tate provided some great play that tended to be overlooked by most.  Tate provided good put-backs and displayed some good post play.

Bobby “Ray” Parks Jr. (M33M)- Parks was fairly quiet in the few games we saw of him on both sides of the ball, but he did not commit many mistakes.  He did display some three-point range, knocking down a few three pointers to keep his team in the game, and also crashed the weak-side glass well.

Darryl Marshall (Memphis Magic Elite): Marshall is a quick, 5’10’’ point guard that is relentless on defense.  Applying constant pressure on his opponent, Marshall does a good job of agitating and forcing turnovers. Marshall also does a nice job of driving inside the lane and finding the open man for a jump shot or lay-up.

Joe Charles (Louisiana D-1 Ambassadors): A 5’10’’ point guard for the Louisiana D-1 Ambassadors, Charles can get it done in a variety of ways. Charles was most effective when driving to the basket, finishing with a lay-up, pull-up jumper, or a teardrop.  Not limited to just driving and scoring, Charles also hit from outside and created opportunities for his teammates.

Demarius Smith (Mid-State Ballerz Elite): Smith is a very active wing with great athleticism.  Smith does well in transition, getting down the court quickly and throwing down some impressive dunks. He also made some good off-ball cuts to the basket, resulting in lay-ups. Smith knocked down some important three-pointers to put the Magic away in a tournament game.

Wayne Martin (YOMCA): The 6’9’’ forward showed some great rebounding skills and appears to be on his way to being one of the top prospects for the class of 2011 out of “Memphis” (actually living in Florida currently), along with his teammate Andre Hollins, Memphis Stallion’s Chris Jones, and Memphis Magic’s Adonis Thomas.  Martin forced many opponents to alter their shots and has great athleticism. As Martin continues to develop his low post game, he becomes harder and harder to defend.

Andre Hollins (YOMCA): Floor general for the YOMCA, 6’3’’ Hollins has great size for his position and quick steps, creating problems for opponents to defend him. Although not getting significant time to evaluate Hollins, the limited action seen was quite impressive.  Hollins played good defense and inserted himself well on offense, driving and dishing to find the open teammate.

Chris Jones (Memphis Stallions): Creating a lot of buzz during the River City Showdown, Jones was the real deal.  Jones is a quick point guard that can score in just about any way possible. Long range to lay-ups, Jones makes it look easy. Offense is definitely Jones’ forte.  If Jones can develop more on the defensive end, Jones can be one of the best point guards in the whole recruiting class. Jones definitely possesses the ability and skill to do so.

Jonathan Williams III (YOMCA-15 & Under): Otherwise known as “J3,” Williams is going to be something special when he gets to college. Although Williams has quite a few years to develop (class of 2013), he has already impressed many with his size and dominance.  Williams, in large part due to his 6’8’’ frame, alters almost every shot that comes into the lane. Williams is developing good post moves on offense and at times, can take over a game with his inside game.  Williams is definitely a player to keep an eye on, as he could develop into one of the best post players to come out of Memphis in a long time.

***There were also many other talented players that participated in the River City Showdown; unfortunately MemphisRoar was not able to watch and evaluate every player, but will do it’s best to bring the reader the most information possible, when possible.***

For any comments, questions, or concerns, please email Clark Merriam at tigereye@memphisroar.com