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Eddie Griffin finished July just as he began it -- as hot as South Philly asphalt in the summer.
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FASTBREAK RECRUITING |
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For exclusive interviews, highlight footage and an extensive database of the top prep players in the country, click on www.FastBreakRecruiting.com, the official site of the National Basketball Players Association Camp, the adidas ABCD Camp, and the adidas Big Time Tournament. Sports America, Inc., produces FastBreak and is the founder of the McDonald's All American Game and the Reebok Capital Classic.
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Griffin, a forward from Philadelphia's Roman Catholic High, gets our vote as the summer's hottest prospect after being named MVP of the adidas ABCD Camp in early July and capping his summer adventure with MVP honors at last weekend's Eastern Invitational Basketball Clinic, Session III. The smooth 6-foot-9 combo forward scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds in that camp's finale.
In between, Griffin was arguably the best camper at the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas. That honor was officially awarded Slidell, La., point guard Chris Duhon, who led his New Orleans Jazz club past Griffin's Timmy Thomas Playaz in the championship game.
Griffin, who began the summer as FastBreak's No. 5 national prospect, will challenge top-five standouts F Darius Miles (who was No. 1 at the start of the summer), WG DeShawn Stevenson, PG Marcus Taylor and F Jared Jeffries this winter for top billing. Griffin ended speculation on his college choice early by verbally comitting to Seton Hall on Aug. 9. Griffin can put the ball on the floor, create inside and out, is one of the best in the country with the ball above his head and really knows how to start a fast break with the outlet pass.
Combo forward Miles (East St. Louis, Ill.) and wing guard Stevenson (Fresno, Calif.) may be thinking NBA, while Taylor (Lansing, Mich.) likes Michigan State and Michigan. Indiana and Duke will likely be the finalists for Jeffries, the 6-9 combo forward from Bloomington, Ind..
The Blue Devils, who inked four McDonald's All Americans last spring, have their sights set on (and have offered) Jeffries and Duhon, two likely McDonald's choices this winter. Duhon has Duke, Kentucky and UCLA at the head of his list. The Blue Devils also covet FastBreak No. 12 Rolando Howell (6-9) of South Carolina, No. 25 T.J. Cummings (6-8) of Homewood, Ill., No. 32 Jared Reiner (6-11) of Tripp, S.D., and No. 33 Darius Rice (6-9) of Jackson, Miss. There is a good chance Duke will get four of these top 50 talents, all of whom will be up for McDonald's billing.
Led by Duhon's 19 points and teammate Brandon Mouton's 33, the Jazz edged Griffin's club 110-103 for the title among a field of 256 teams at the Big Time tournament in Las Vegas two weeks ago. Griffin had 34 points, including three 3-pointers as coaches from North Carolina and Maryland shadowed his every move all week. Griffin had 15 points in the first half while Duhon, limited to only three, went on a 3-point shooting binge in the second before turning his ankle with a little more than a minute left.
The all-tournament team was comprised of: Duhon, Griffin, Mouton, Marcus Toney-El (Tim Thomas Playaz), Kelvin Torbert (Michigan Mustangs), Anthony Roberson (Michigan Mustangs), Chris Sloan (St. Louis Gateway), Cliff Hawkins (D.C. Assault), Bernard Robinson (D.C. Assault), Aerick Sanders (Pump-N-Run), Brandon Brooks (Pump-N-Run), Russell Lakey (L.A. Rockfish), Julian Sensley (L.A. Rockfish), Brian Kennedy (Team Wisconsin), Lewis Monroe (Team Wisconsin), Terrance Ford (Houston Super Stars), Keith Triplett (Toledo Stars), Travon Bryant (Belmont Shore), Brian Morrison (Friends of Hoop), Taurence Johnson (Sam Rines Gold), Mario Austin (Alabama Ice), Gerald Wallace (Alabama Ice), Marcus Shropshire (Fort Worth Lions), Orien Greene (Team Florida), Imari Sawyer (Illinois Fire), Jamaal Brimmer (Las Vegas Stars), Sean Paul (Jam on It), Andre Hazel (QBL Lakewood), Jonathan Sanders (Colorado Jam), Jared Reiner (Dakota Schoolers), DeShawn Stevenson (Fresno EBO) and Ernest Turner (Gym Rats). Turner, a 6-2 junior guard from Sterling, N.J., had some monster games for the Gym Rats, including a 40-point effort against the Houston Super Stars.
After Vegas, the summer hoops circuit raged on at the AAU Nationals at Orlando's Disney Wide World of Sports Complex. There, the state of Illinois took center stage as the Illinois Hawks defeated the Illinois Warriors 73-59 for the national title despite having no player over 6-4.
Swingman Cedrick Banks of Chicago Westinghouse High scored 37 points and collected tournament MVP honors. The Warriors fell despite the presence of Miles and Cummings, who were held to six and four points, respectively, not to mention national sharpshooters Matt Lottich (who gave a verbal commitment to Stanford) and Brett Melton (Illinois). Also contributing for the Hawks were Craig Franklin (15 points) and Dennis Trammell (13).
Making up the 1999 AAU All-American team were: Mario Austin (Alabama Ice), Martell Bailey (Illinois Hawks), Cedrick Banks (Illinois Hawks), Jimmy Baxter (Suncoast), Andre Brown (Ferrari), Jared Jeffries (Bloomington Red), Matt Lottich (Illinois Warriors), Darius Miles (Illinois Warriors), Brian Polk (Delaware Sharpshooters), Zach Randolph (Spiece Gym Rats), Melvin Scott (Oliver Rec. Owls), Johnnie Story (Boo Williams), Gerald Wallace (Alabama Ice), Kendall Williams (Connecticut Select) and Glenn Worley (Martin Brothers). Scott, a point guard from Baltimore, was the only underclassman.
The second team: Erroyl Bing (Suncoast), Tony Bowne (Grand Rapids Storm), Brett Buscher (SYF Players), T.J. Cummings (Illinois Warriors), Modibo Diarra (BABC), Neil Fingleton (CMAC Hawks), Alton Ford (Houston Select), Ryan Gomes (Connecticut Select), Julius Johnson (Cleveland Stars), Brett Melton (Illinois Warriors), Jonathan Redick (Boo Williams), Wojiech Sewascivk (RBS All-Stars), Derrick Snowden (Oliver Rec Owls), La'Detris Stallworth (Queen City Prophets) and Chevon Troutman (Championship Sports). Fingleton, one of the nation's most intriguing prospects at 7-6, has narrowed his list to Wake Forest, Notre Dame and Holy Cross.
Commitments starting to roll in
Alabama stars and AAU teammates F Gerald Wallace and C Mario Austin -- two of the fastest rising players in the nation this summer -- have made Crimson Tide head coach Mark Gottfried a very happy man. The pair committed to Alabama on Tuesday. Wallace is FastBreak's
No. 6 national prospect, Austin No. 44.
Another top recruit to commit this month was South Carolina WG Jerome Harper, who gives Cincinnati a bright, bright future if he can qualify. Harper, the 6-5 wing from Columbia, S.C., was in summer school at Oak Hill trying to improve his academics before abruptly bolting the Mouth of Wilson school on the eve of the ABCD Camp. Harper will likely attend Washington College (Tenn.) Academy this fall, the latest prep basketball power to emerge on the scene. Harper has a ways to go before qualifying, and Maryland may have been the biggest loser in this one had he been in better shape in the classroom.
Another big program netting a commitment was Stanford, which picked up three-sport star Matt Lottich (6-4) of Winnetka, Ill. Lottich, of the Illinois Warriors AAU club, was named an AAU All-American after scorching the Gerald Wallace-led Alabama Ice for 27 points at the AAU Nationals. Lottich was also steady at the ABCD Camp in early July, and just missed out being in FastBreak's Top 50.
Manhattan landed a fast-rising prospect last week in Washington, D.C., Coolidge High forward David Holmes (6-5½). Holmes emerged at the adidas ABCD Camp in early July averaging a blistering 22.1 points per game, second only to DeShawn Stevenson. At almost 6-6, Holmes is a 'tweener but gets the job done inside and out. He may transfer to Oak Hill for his senior year.
Another smaller school to land a big-time recruit is Duquesne, which added Pittsburgh Penn Hills High sharpshooter Drew Schifino (6-3). Schifino, who was attracting much ACC and Big East interest, had back-to-back games of 34 and 28 points at the Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas.
Massachusetts added a late pickup this summer in Wabash Valley JC swingman Jovann Johnson (6-6), while former Providence wing Sean Connolly landed at Ohio State as a transfer. Also in the Big East, St. John's has added a backup point guard in Heath Orvis of Longmont (Colo.) High School.
In the ACC, Georgia Tech received a commitment from Top 200 PG Brendan Plavich of Tennessee, who will learn the trade behind Tony Akins. Additionally, Florida State locked up its first signee for coach Steve Robinson's third class, Georgia WF Andrew Wilson.
Another summer commitment was 5-11 combo guard Brody Boyd of Dugger, Ind., who committed to Iowa and new coach Steve Alford last month. Boyd is a big-time shooter who averaged 31.4 points as a junior. Iowa State, Indiana State and Indiana had been previously involved. Boyd competed at the Nike Camp this summer.
The rumor mill has D.C. area/FastBreak Top 50 stars Bernard Robinson (6-5½) and Cliff Hawkins (6-1) headed to New Mexico following unofficial campus visits two weeks ago. The players' former AAU coach -- Troy Weaver of D.C. Assault -- is on Fran Fraschilla's new staff at New Mexico, and the program is taking aim at several city prospects for this year and next. Robinson denied last week that he has committed.
Georgetown is also in the hunt for Robinson, looking for a wing to add alongside 6-8 PF/C Mike Sweetney of Oxon Hill, Md., who committed last year. Sweetney was among the top five centers at the Nike Camp this summer, and has developed his body and game nicely this summer in assorted leagues in the DC area. Last week in the Jabbo Kenner High School League All-Star Game at Georgetown, Sweetney and another early committer -- 6-11 C Mohamed Diakete (St. John's) -- had an epic battle in the paint. Sweetney finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks, while Diakete, who will play for Stu Vetter this year at Rockville (Md.) Montrose Christian, had 20 points, 16 boards and six blocks.
North Carolina signee Jason Parker, a FastBreak Top 15 prospect last year, did not qualify and will attend Fork Union (Va.) this fall. Parker, the 6-8 power forward, hopes to get a passing test score but his lingering status could impact Carolina's next wave of recruits as standout forwards Eddie Griffin and Chris Wilcox, among others, wait in the wings. Tar Heel junior forward Vasco Evtimov left school and is playing professionally in Greece, giving UNC at least three scholarships for next year. New York PG Omar Cook heads the Heels' wish list, as did Griffin before he gave a verbal commitment to Seton Hall.
In other academic developments, Seton Hall coach Tommy Amaker can breathe a sigh of relief now that 7-0 center signee Samuel Dalembert has received a qualifying SAT score last month. With the recent news last month that Top 50 small forward Marcus Toney-El had committed, Amaker is on a roll -- which continued when Griffin looked past North Carolina (and others) to play for the Pirates. He and Toney-El were summer teammates for the Timmy Thomas Playaz.
Tragedy strikes the prep ranks again
For the second time in six months a high school star prospect has died. Last weekend, Custer, S.D., guard Derek Paulsen was killed in an automobile accident. Paulsen played at Custer High School and was an all-state selection last season. He had been touring with the Dakota Schoolers AAU club this summer, and we watched him compete at last month's Big Time AAU Tournament in Las Vegas. He was coached this summer by Paul Seville. Last March, Kentucky-bound center John Stewart of Indianapolis collapsed during a playoff game because of a heart ailment.
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ALSO SEE
Top prep prospect Griffin commits to Seton Hall
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