By Brian Crownover
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Mount Vernon

Kevin Jones (2008, 6-7 PF)
Kevin is a highly rated player, but was rather quiet the first time I saw him.  I now see what all the fuss is about.  Kevin is a very good combo forward.  He is long and athletic.  He has a good low post game and is a very solid three point shooter.  Kevin can also hit jumpers off the dribble.  He didn’t attempt to drive much so it’s unclear how developed that part of his game is.  He also rebounded very well.  Kevin finished with 26 points and 14 rebounds.  He was named Player of the Game.

Mike Coburn (2007, 6-1 PG/SG) - Rutgers
Coburn didn’t look nearly as good in this contest as he did in an all star game during the fall.  He was rather quiet offensively.  He had a few nice drives, but also was called for several offensive fouls after lowering his shoulder.  His jumper wasn’t falling either.  Mike’s size and quickness are a nice combination for a guard though.

Niagara Falls

Johnny Flynn (2007, 5-11 PG) - Syracuse
This wasn’t even the best I’ve seen Johnny play, but he still finished with 35 points in the contest.  The lightning quick guard finished well in transition.  He knocked down a number of jumpers off the dribble from all over the court.  Johnny got off to a great start, but cooled off through the middle of the game before finishing strong.  Solid defense by Wade made shots more difficult than usual for Flynn.  Not surprisingly, he was named Player of the Game.

Rashon Tabb (2008, 6-0 PG)
The young guard had a good game.  He had several nice pull up jumpers and a few transition buckets.  He is a good ball handler as well.

Linden

Des Wade (2008, 5-10 PG)
This diminutive guard had a good game as usual.  He’s a good finisher with is quick in transition.  He struggled with his jumper in this contest.  Des defended Johnny Flynn fairly well, despite being scored on quite a bit.  Des was awarded player of the game for his effort.  He finished with 23 points.

David Bruce (2009, 6-7 SF/PF)
This youngster showed some good skills.  He displayed a nice fade away post jumper.  He could benefit from some added weight as he progresses.

Notre Dame Academy

Michael Beasley (2007, 6-8 SF/PF) - Kansas State
Beasley is one of the most highly regarded players in the country.  The big man started off the game by showing his ability to knock down the three point shot.  The lefty moves very well, is strong and has great hands.  Michael has a great face up low post game.  He uses the glass well and has very soft touch.  He’s a solid passer.  He can handle the ball, but rarely looks to drive.  He spent a good amount of the game on the bench due to foul trouble.  Even when he was in the game, he didn’t get nearly enough touches for a player of his caliber.  Michael also plays on the perimeter more than I like to see for a big man.  He has a very impressive skill set though.  Michael finished with 16 points and won Player of the Game for his team.  He actually then gave the trophy to teammate Johnny Higgins. 

Johnny Higgins (2007, 6-1 PG)
Johnny was solid in this contest.  On a more balanced squad, he wasn’t nearly as spectacular as when I saw him over the summer.  He did hit an early three and made several nice passes.  Johnny actually didn’t play a lot of minutes.  He came up huge at the end with a game winning three pointer. 

Thomas Manzano (2008, 6-2 SG)
This lefty showed good three point shooting ability.  He has a smooth jumper and displayed a nice floater in the lane.

St. Benedict’s Prep

Rashad Bishop (2007, 6-6 SF) - Cincinnati
The smooth lefty had his usual strong game.  He buried an early three pointer and later even followed that up with a four point play.  Rashad also did a good job of attacking the basket.  He also rebounds well for a small forward.  The skilled lefty won Player of the Game and scored 23 points.

Chris Smith (2007, 6-3 SG)
Much like Bishop, Smith can just flat out score.  He really loves to utilize the step back jumper.  He is also quite aggressive and can score by taking it to the basket.  Chris even showed the ability to score in the post during this contest.  He is also an excellent transition player.

Ryan Bacon (2007, 6-8 PF) - Delaware
Bacon had two nice early offensive rebounds, but was rather quiet otherwise.  He got a good look on the inside, but missed a shot.  He gets very few shots with the talented guards and wing players on St. Benedict’s.

Jabari Edwards (2007, 6-10 PF) - George Washington
Jabari is a long, athletic forward.  He rebounded well in this game.  He has a decent handle for a big man and can knock down the three point shot.  He hasn’t developed a consistent low post game yet.  Jabari’s natural abilities are quite impressive though.

Bishop Loughlin

Jayvaughn Pinkston (2010, 6-6 SF/PF)
The young freshman was a monster on the boards.  He has a beautiful, soft touch around the basket.  Jay has a very bright future.

Kevin Phillips (2008, 6-7 SF/PF)
Kevin displayed a good mid range game in this contest.  He also rebounded well.