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TEANECK, N.J. -- A roundup of news and notes out of the adidas ABCD Camp on Wednesday:
Sidelined with a wrist injury, LeBron James, the top-ranked rising senior in the country, arrived at adidas ABCD Camp on Wednesday night. James, the 6-foot-6
small forward (St. Vincent-St. Mary's H.S./Akron, Ohio) was still sporting a cast on his lower left arm. He made his way to New Jersey after spending a couple of days
in Indianapolis, courtesy of the Nike All-America Camp. Both shoe companies are in a major bidding war to have James as a shoe endorser, come next June,
when James is expected to be a high lottery pick in the NBA draft.
In Tuesday's chatter, we stated that 6-2 lefty point guard Tyler Smith, who hails from Baltimore, would be prepping at West Nottingham Prep in Colora,
Md. We learned Wednesday at camp that he is now slated to attend Mount Zion Academy in Durham, N.C. Smith stars for the Baltimore Select
AAU squad and one of his teammates is Richard Dorsey, a 6-7, 230-pound power forward from Douglas High in Baltimore. Dorsey, who has been impressive at
the camp with his power moves and athleticism, is now slated to accompany Smith to Mount Zion Academy in North Carolina.
Who Looked Good
Though we have been a little critical of his consistency in the past (he's been terrific in some stretches and he's invisible in others), keep in mind
that 6-11 rising senior Darryl Watkins (Paterson Catholic H.S./Paterson, N.J.) is a very talented player, but still a work in progress. One of the things
that's really impressed us about Watkins is his ability to run the floor. It's not something you pick up on right away, since Watkins appears to be the
quiet type, but this kid can run all day. Often, he just outruns his defender down the court. He's a good shot-blocker, has some post moves and has
shooting touch. It's called "upside," baby, and Watkins has lots of it.
We've also been a little hesitant about ranking 6-3 rising senior Omar Wilkes (Loyola H.S./Los Angeles) very high, because he seemed to be a totally
finesse player, someone who spends most of the time spotting up for 3-point shots. Well, our opinion of Wilkes is rapidly changing. He's looked very good
at adidas ABCD, especially with his ability to put the ball on the deck and get himself a good look. He could always shoot, but the diversity in his game
is quite appealing to college coaches. And he's tougher than he looks. Wilkes has demonstrated a good first step move and he's very good at reacting
to the defense and making good shooting decisions (not to mention that he's got a feathery shooting touch).
6-5 rising senior small forward Bobby Nash (Iolani H.S./Honolulu, Hawaii), the son of former UH star and current, long-time Hawaii associate head coach Bob Nash, was impressive Wednesday, stroking his mid-range jumper from all over the floor, at both of his camp games. Nash was draining his 15-foot jumper with great consistency and he can also put the ball on the floor and create his own shot.
Continuing his strong play from the spring, 6-7 small forward Sean Banks has been impressing college coaches with his scoring ability. Banks (Bergen
Catholic H.S./Oradell, N.J.) is a very fluid wing, who works well without the ball. He's a good shooter from 3-point land, but he's even better at creating
his mid-range jumper off the dribble. And with his athleticism, he's also
good on the break or productive attacking the bucket.
5-11 rising sophomore point guard Andre McGee (Canyon Springs H.S./Moreno Valley, Calif.) has really picked up his game in the 24 hours. The very talented McGee, a strong dribble penetrator, was stroking 3-point jumpers with alarming consistency (he's now shooting over 50-percent from behind the arc for the camp and he shoots quite a few 3s). Very quick and very poised for a rising
soph, McGee is cementing his status as one of the top point guards in the
Class of 2005.
Another stud in the Class of 2005 is 6-8, 220-pound Michael Williams (Wilcox Central H.S./Camden, Ala.). He's got the well-developed frame, but his game
is also equally advanced for his age (he's still just 16 years old). He's very good in the key, has a good feel for scoring in the paint and he's got
toughness. Williams is also a strong rebounder and has a good shooting touch.
6-8 rising junior combo forward Josh Smith (McEachern H.S./Powder Spring, Ga.) was impressive on Wednesday. He's a lefty with a good shooting touch,
who can play more than one position and creates match-up problems for the defense. He can shoot it from deep, but he's also very good at slashing to
the bucket. Smith is very good at posting up smaller opponents and he's active. He was also active on the defensive end, blocking several shots,
including two by Kendrick Perkins.
Olu Famutimi, the 6-6 rising senior small forward from Flint, Michigan
(Northwestern H.S.), has looked impressive with his shooting skills and his
athleticism. Famutimi has an explosive vertical, and has caught more than one
camper with one of his patented tip-jams, flying in from the wing. He's also
been consistent, knocking down his pull-up jumper off the dribble.
Samario Clancy, the younger brother of recent USC draft pick Sam Clancy, has also been impressive. Clancy (St. Edward H.S./Lakewood, Ohio) is very
athletic and very active. He gets after it and gets more than his share of points off of hustle plays. He's a rising senior, who should see his
recruiting pick up after his performance at adidas ABCD Camp.
6-7 rising junior Marvin Williams, Jr. (Bremerton H.S./Bremerton, Wash.) has had the camp buzzing with the numbers that he's putting up. Simply put,
Williams, who didn't have any national reputation before the camp, is too good to be playing on a second unit (he's too active and too talented). He's one
of the better juniors, regardless of what unit he's playingon, in camp. Williams is a good athlete, has a nose for the ball and has no trouble
scoring.
Two players who have no "national name" were also very impressive. Willie Irick (Teaneck H.S./Teaneck, N.J.) is listed at 6-7, but looks around 6-5, has a strong frame
and is playing the power forward for the second unit on his team. But Irick can shoot, and gives his best effort on every play. His teammate, 6-5 Earl Smith
(Lakewood H.S./Lakewood, N.J.) is an athletic player who can really shoot the ball.
6-10 Dwight Howard (S.W. Atlanta Christian H.S./Atlanta, Ga.) may be the top
center in the Class of 2004. Howard will eventually be a power forward with
skills. A quick leaper, who is also quick to the glass with a great first step, Howard is
all over the place and he has touch too.
The move of the day may have been turned in by 6-9 senior Lamont Hamilton (Milford Academy/Milford, Conn.) who stepped out to 17-feet and put a wicked
crossover move on Kendrick Perkins, going baseline and making a difficult shot in traffic. Hamilton has already made a verbal commitment to St. John's.
Who Didn't Look Good
Who didn't look good at the camp? That would have to be the NCAA staffers who spoke at the camp hotel Wednesday. After making a brief presentation,
they opened it up for a questions-and-answers session, where they were continually being grilled by campers (every adidas ABCD camper was in
attendance) about some of the perceived inequities of various NCAA rules.
In particular, the staffers were asked by campers and camp staff, about rules which appear to be discriminatory in nature, targeting AAU or club programs. A simple Q&A session turned into a town hall meeting which would have been appropriate for Nightline. And as the questions continued, the meeting became
more impassioned.
Sonny Vaccaro, adidas ABCD camp director and adidas consultant, was cheered loudly by the campers whenever he spoke, countering statements/answers from the NCAA representatives.
David Benezra and Mark Mayemura cover the national college basketball recruiting scene. E-mail at: hoopsusa@mindspring.com or call (818) 783-2244 or (818) 783-2212 for subscription information.
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