2009 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament - Day 4

Here's a rundown of the action, including the top performers from Day 4 of the Portsmouth Invitational:

Game 9 (Boxscore):

Micah Downs: 11 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 5-11 FG, 1-6 3FG
Gary Wilkinson: 26 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 10-11 FG, 1-2 3FG
Alex Ruoff: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, 10-15 FG, 1-3 3FG
Alfred Aboya: 10 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal 4-9 FG
Weyinmi Efejuku: 9 points, 1 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 4-9 FG, 1-2 3FG
A.J. Abrams: 22 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals, 7-17 FG, 2-8 3FG
Taylor Griffin: 24 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 8-14 FG, 0-3 3FG
Leo Lyons: 10 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 4-12 FG, 0-1 3FG

Comments: Gary Wilkinson had a monster game and so did Alex Ruoff. I don't think either one of them gets drafted, but the fact that Ruoff has been getting so many assists is definitely interesting. I never really saw him as much of a playmaker, but he seems to be showing that he does have the ability to do that. A.J. Abrams also had a strong game with 22 points and 9 assists. I'm not sure he'll get drafted either, but he definitely has helped himself by playing well in Portsmouth.

Game 10 (Boxscore):

Jermaine Taylor: 13 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 6-14 FG, 1-2 3FG
Ahmad Nivins: 5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 2-9 FG
Lee Cummard: 5 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2-4 FG, 1-2 3FG
Marcus Cousin: 11 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assist, 1 block, 5-11 FG
Courtney Fells: 2 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1-14 FG, 0-5 3FG
Jimmy Baron: 33 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, 11-19 FG, 9-15 3FG
Tyrese Rice: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, 6-12 FG, 1-5 3FG

Comments: Jimmy Baron went nuts and hit 9 threes and also had 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. He definitely can shoot, but I don't think that his great shooting ability will be enough to get him drafted. Tyrese Rice continued to show off his PG skills with 9 assists. Jermaine Taylor didn't have his best game and Courtney Fells was awful after too solid performances earlier on this week.

Game 11 (Boxscore):

Robert Vaden: 15 points, 1 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, 6-13 FG, 3-10 3FG
DeMarre Carroll: 20 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 8-14 FG, 0-1 3FG
Geoff McDermott: 7 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 3-6 FG
Josh Akognon: 5 points, 1 rebound, 10 assists, 3 steals, 2-6 FG, 1-3 3FG
A.D. Vassallo: 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 4-9 FG, 1-4 3FG
Ben Woodside: 16 points, 2 assists, 3 steals, 7-16 FG, 2-4 3FG
Wesley Matthews: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 5-11 FG, 3-7 3FG
Jon Brockman: 11 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 4-10 FG

Comments: DeMarre Carroll played well in all 3 games and probably has a good shot of getting drafted in the second round right now. Jon Brockman continued to dominate on the boards and I think he can make a squad off the bench as long as he keeps rebounding at such a high rate. Not sure what will happen with Wesley Matthews, but he's probably the only other player from this game who could possibly be drafted.

Game 12 (Boxscore):

K.C. Rivers: 11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 4-10 FG, 3-6 3FG
Paul Delaney: 11 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 4-9 FG, 0-2 3FG
B.J. Raymond: 4 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2-10 FG, 0-4 3 FG
Marcus Landry: 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2-7 FG, 0-2 3FG
Alade Aminu: 21 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks, 9-14 FG
Kahiem Seawright: 4 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 2-5 FG

Comments: Not too many NBA worthy performances considering this was the championship game. K.C. Rivers had a decent game, but B.J. Raymond struggled with his shot. Paul Delaney stuffed the stat sheet all week, but not sure how highly he is looked upon by NBA scouts. Aminu showed up the best in this game and could have a chance to sneak into the second round.

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2009 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament - Day 3

Here's a rundown of the action, including the top performers from Day 3 of the Portsmouth Invitational:

Game 6 (Boxscore):

Jermaine Taylor: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 9-18 FG, 1-4 3FG
Ahmad Nivins: 17 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 8-11 FG
Lee Cummard: 13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 5-8 FG, 1-1 3FG
Weyinmi Efejuku: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 5-9 FG, 1-3 3FG
Tyrese Rice: 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 3-11 FG, 2-5 3FG
A.J. Abrams: 23 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals, 8-17 FG, 2-6 3FG
Leo Lyons: 16 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 5-11 FG, 0-3 3FG

Comments: Jermaine Taylor and Leo Lyons continue to play well and have been two of the strongest players at Portsmouth so far. Ahmad Nivins bounced back from his poor showing in his first game and showed up pretty well here. A.J. Abrams played better in his second game too. Tyrese Rice didn't show off his PG skills as well in this game.

Game 7 (Boxscore):

A.D. Vassallo: 10 points, 7 rebounds, 5-11 FG, 0-2 3FG
Geoff McDermott: 3 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 1-4 FG
Josh Akognon: 7 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 1 steal, 3-9 FG, 1-3 3FG
Robert Vaden: 15 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 5-10 FG, 5-8 3FG
DeMarre Carroll: 11 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 5-12 FG
Paul Delaney: 14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 5-11 FG, 1-2 3FG
Diamon Simpson: 7 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal, 3-7 FG
K.C. Rivers: 17 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 7-1 FG, 2-6 3FG

Comments: Nothing outstanding here in this game but K.C. Rivers improved upon his poor Game 1 showing. Robert Vaden showed off his shooting range by knocking down 5 threes. DeMarre Carrol continues to play well.

Game 8 (Boxscore):

Kenny Hasbrouck: 14 points, 3 assists, 5-11 FG, 1-5 3FG
Wesley Matthews: 17 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 6-14 FG, 0-2 3FG
Jon Brockman: 11 points, 16 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 steal, 5-11 FG
Ben Woodside: 11 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assists, 3 steals, 4-6 FG, 1-1 3FG
Chris Johnson: 7 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks, 1 steal, 1-5 FG
B.J. Raymond: 16 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 steal, 6-10 FG, 4-6 3 FG
Kahiem Seawright: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 6-13 FG

Comments: B.J. Raymond has now knocked down 8-11 three pointers, so he's definitely impressed from long range. Brockman continues to be a beast on the boards. Chris Johnson now has 8 blocks in two games.

Here are some more observations, via Draft Express:

Jermaine Taylor: Jermaine Taylor had another very impressive performance, making 9-18 attempts from the field to finish with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 turnovers—in just 23 minutes. He again put his impressive physical and scoring tools on full display, utilizing changes of speed to get to the basket with NBA caliber moves, using screens intelligently, showing a terrific first step, and finishing through contact around the basket. His ability to use shot-fakes and score off the dribble is simply outstanding, and the way he’s able to operate out of quick actions with pinpoint accuracy and extreme aggressiveness has really put him at another level at this event. He probably heard the talk that he took too many shots in the last game and actually tried to be a little too unselfish at times, which took away from what makes him so effective, and also caused him to turn the ball over a few times. Defensively, he needs to improve, and his ability to dance with the ball and create for himself in pure one-on-one situations isn’t great just yet, but it’s hard to see how he could have helped himself more so far this week. There are some rumblings here that he might be able to make a case to hear his name called in the first round even when it’s all said and done.

Leo Lyons: Leo Lyons has showed off his intriguing skill set for the second straight game here, showing a very interesting package for a power forward, specifically with his dribble-drive game. Lyons is capable of driving in either direction while combining his very good athleticism with some nifty advanced ball-handling as well. While he looks out of control at times and doesn’t show seem to have the greatest idea of where he’s going with the ball, his ability to make subtle changes of direction, occasional behind-the-back moves, and creativity at the rim usually make up for it at this level. In addition to finishing on creative finesse moves at the rim, Lyons has also gotten to the line both in transition situations and halfcourt sets, showing no problem taking contact and even finishing through it at times. Lyons’ perimeter game has been a bit of a mixed bag, as he looks great hitting mid-range jumpers both spotting up and turning around, but will unnecessarily make his shots more difficult than they need to be, occasionally fading away for no reason. Lyons has also tried to show some added range here, attempting 5 three-pointers, though he’s only hit 1 thus far. While inconsistent, Lyons also shows some intriguing court vision along with the ability to make passes on the move, though this aspect of his game is still developing. On the defensive end, Lyons has always been known to have some issues, and it has been apparent at times here that his lack of fundamentals and awareness hold him back. He shows occasional flashes of mobility and clearly has potential in this area, as seen on one pick-and-roll switch where he stuck with the opposing guard down the lane to make the block, but consistently applying his tools to this end of the floor and developing his fundamentals and awareness will be critical if he ever wants to be respectable—a big key for his NBA potential. One NBA scout we spoke with mentioned that he would not be surprised if Lyons ended up being drafted in the second round.

Wesley Matthews: Wesley Matthews showed off his total package of skills today, doing a great job of playing within his team’s offense while still finding a plethora of opportunities to score for his team. Matthews’ constant motion off the ball and ability to recognize how to attack seams in the defense is very impressive, and he takes full advantage of it with strong drives to the lane and finishes at the basket. Matthews is looking a bit more athletic with the ball than we expected, having at least adequate athleticism for the NBA with his playing style, going strong to the whole while angling his body well to protect the ball.Matthews’ ball-handling has been a mixed bag, at time showing impressive crossover drives while attacking the basket in either direction, but at others he’s struggled to maintain his handle, specifically in traffic where he is prone to lose control. Matthews did a good job in other areas as well, showing very good court vision and decision-making ability while dishing out quite a few smart passes. His outside shot wasn’t falling today, though he didn’t force the issue with it, instead taking advantage of his slashing game as aforementioned. On the defensive end, Matthews played his usual tough defense, stifling the likes of Ryan Toolson.

B.J. Raymond: B.J. Raymond had yet another outstanding showing, knocking down another four 3-pointers (bringing him to 8 so far, on just 11 attempts) for an efficient 16 points. Raymond is one of the most vocal players you’ll find here on the defensive end, acting as somewhat of a captain for his team on this end of the floor, and really setting the tone for his teammates himself with the work he puts in. Despite not showing great lateral quickness, Raymond moves his feet exceptionally well and can really anticipate, playing a solid, fundamental brand of perimeter defense, and pretty much shutting down whoever he’s been asked to guard. His ball-handling appears to be average at best, and he seems to have problems finishing around the basket when driving in traffic, although he was able to finish nicely through contact in a few transition situations. Sitting right next to his team’s bench, you could constantly hear his voice during timeouts. It’s no surprise that his team is in the finals despite having likely the tournament’s worst “point guard” (the ultra selfish and constant showoff David Holston) running the show for them. It’s becoming more and more obvious why Raymond was such a winner as a college player in his time at Xavier.

Tyrese Rice: Tyrese Rice followed up a solid day first game performance with a fairly poor outing, posting 10 points on 3-11 shooting with 3 assists and 3 turnovers. He struggled in particular trying to finish around the basket, as his lack of size, strength and explosiveness really hindered him from converting his drives amongst the trees. He showed nice court vision, but also mixed that in with some risky passes that led to turnovers, and also had a very tough time on the defensive end, where he was pushed around a bit and had a hard time making his presence felt due to his below average size.

Jon Brockman: Jon Brockman cooled off a bit from yesterday, but still managed to pull in 16 rebounds while scoring 11 points. Brockman diversified his game by hitting a couple of spot-up 15-foot jumpers (a significant development for him) and he continued to make his presence felt in the paint by throwing his body around and using his magnet hands to pull down boards over the opposition. In the pre-game, Brockman’s teammate were putting on a dunk contest and Brockman demonstrated a bit more of his explosive vertical leap that we were surprised to see yesterday, but he still hasn’t found a way to translate it to actual game situations, being seemingly unable to power up from most basketball positions. Whoever Brockman trains with this summer, he should put an emphasis on trying to mix that into his game, as well as continuing to hone his mid-range jump-shot. Brockman continues to be mentioned by scouts here as a sleeper prospect to slip in the second round.

K.C. Rivers: K.C. Rivers rebounded very strong from his disappointing first day, pouring in 17 points on 13 shot attempts, showing off his full repertoire of offensive ability. Rivers showed versatility creating in the lane, using show-and-go and spin moves to get past his man for a few impressive finishes while also hitting from mid-range and long-range, pulling and spotting up. He played much better in the flow of the offense, getting more balls in position where he already had a step on his man, something that really helped his performance due to his average ball-handling skills.

A.D. Vassallo: A.D. Vassallo didn’t score quite as much as yesterday while also being much less efficient with the ball, scoring 10 points on 11 shots along with 4 turnovers. He shows a smooth pull-up game and can convert on a lot of high difficulty shots, but he’s failing to show what else he brings to the table, not excelling on the defensive end or contributing in many other areas.

Ahmad Nivins: Ahmad Nivins had a much better performance today with 17 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 steals, abusing opposing bigs Bamba Fall and Men McCauley, who were simply no match for his physicality and size. Nivins scored on a lot of simple moves, cutting to the basket, sealing his man beneath the rim, or finishing on the pick-and-roll, getting off a lot of high-percentage lay-ups even though he played quite below the rim. Today he matches with Marcus Cousin and Tony Gaffney, so it’ll be interesting to see if he can still perform in the lane against more formidable defenders, something that has always been a question mark due to his average athleticism.

Weyinmi Efejuku: Weyinmi Efejuku did a good job of showing off his versatile skill-set, scoring from all over the court, hitting spot-up jumpers and attacking the basket en route to 12 points on 9 shot attempts. In the lane, his combination of explosiveness and body control were on display once again, as he did a nice job with pump fakes and show-and-go moves. Defensively, Efejuku also performed well, really taking to the challenge on the few plays he was matched up with Jermaine Taylor, despite his limited wingspan. He appears to have all the makings of a productive European league shooting guard.

A.J. Abrams: A.J. Abrams dropped 23 points today, going 8-17 from the field, 2-6 from three, and 5-6 from the line. He took some tough shots off the dribble, but made a number of contested catch and shoot jumpers from the outside. He also made a major impact on the defensive end, showing great anticipation in the passing lanes en route to 5 steals. This game was largely indicative of what kind of player Abrams is: a scorer who can bring the ball up the floor, but isn’t going to make his teammates better. Despite his ability to get steals, there are still plenty of question marks regarding who he might defend at the next level.

Robert Vaden: Robert Vaden came alive today, knocking down 5 of the 8 three-pointers he attempted. His stroke is extremely compact, and he was able to get it off with little trouble today –even when he was well defended. He takes some extremely questionable shots on a regular basis, which probably isn’t endearing him to any of his teammates. Vaden hasn’t really shown much else besides his perimeter shooting ability.

Chris Johnson: Chris Johnson had a decent performance today, finishing with 7 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 4 turnovers. The long and rail-thin Johnson provides a good weak-side presence with his shot blocking ability, but isn’t carrying around enough weight to handle the rigors of interior play on this level. When his jumper isn’t falling, which it wasn’t today, it isn’t easy for him to impact the game when his man can position him out of the play at will. With his build at his advanced age, he looks like somewhat of a long-shot to be drafted at this point.

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2009 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament - Day 2

Here's a rundown of the action, including the top performers from Day 2 of the Portsmouth Invitational:

Game 3 (Boxscore):

Micah Downs: 8 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 4-11 FG
Alfred Aboya: 6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3-11 FG
Gary Wilkinson: 13 points, 15 rebounds, 6-9 FG, 1-3 3FG
Alex Ruoff: 8 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 4-7 FG, 0-1 3FG
Marcus Cousin: 14 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 7-11 FG
Courtney Fells: 13 points, 1 steal, 5-11 FG, 2-3 3FG
Jimmy Baron: 13 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 5-11 FG, 3-8 3FG

Comments: Courtney Fells continues to shoot the ball well and might have a chance to be this year's Anthony Morrow. Gary Wilkinson has put together back to back good games. Big man Marcus Cousin put together a good game, so he might be someone to keep an eye on. I don't see much NBA talent playing in this game though.

Game 4 (Boxscore):

Jon Brockman: 24 points, 21 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 10-21 FG
Ben Woodside: 7 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2-9 FG, 1-2 3FG
Wesley Matthews: 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 5-12 FG, 0-1 3FG
Chris Johnson: 9 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocks, 4-9 FG
Kenny Hasbrouck: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assists, 4 steals, 6-14 FG, 1-3 3FG
Lee Cummard: 5 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 2-9 FG, 1-2 3FG
Jermaine Taylor: 30 points, 5 rebounds, 11-24 FG, 1-4 3FG
Ahmad Nivins: 7 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 3-11 FG

Comments: Just a monster game from Jon Brockman, who at 6'7 seems to be an undersized PF, however, he was one of the best rebounders in college and could possibly find his way into the NBA as a role player. Jermaine Taylor had a big scoring game and the buzz is that he has NBA-level scoring ability, so he's definitely someone who is going to have a great chance to get drafted. Ahmad Nivins had a disappointing game, but will have a few more chances to improve his play.

Game 5 (Boxscore):

Tyrese Rice: 14 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 5-11 FG, 4-7 3FG
Antonio Anderson: 0 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal, 0-4 FG
Taylor Griffin: 5 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 1 steal, 2-9 FG
Leo Lyons: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 1 steal, 6-11 FG, 1-2 3FG
Weyinmi Efejuku: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 5-11 FG, 0-1 3FG
A.J. Abrams: 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3-10 FG, 0-5 3FG
Marcus Landry: 13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 5-14 FG, 2-6 3FG
B.J. Raymond: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 7-14 FG, 4-5 3 FG

Comments: I think B.J. Raymond and Leo Lyons showed up the strongest in this game. I still think both of them have a chance to be drafted. Tyrese Rice and Weyinmi Efejuku didn't do anything to hurt their chances here either, but will probably have to do more to impress scouts, although Rice showed up nicely with 7 assists and 4 threes.

Here are some more observations, via Draft Express:

Jon Brockman: Jon Brockman had one of the more dominant performances we’ve seen thus far at Portsmouth, showing off his outstanding rebounding abilities to pull in an amazing 21 rebounds in 30 minutes. Brockman threw his body around all game, showing no hesitation to bang with Ahmad Nivins and Russell Hicks. Brockman’s combination of excellent timing, hands, and mobility to pursue in combination with his ridiculously high motor played a big role in his performance. Other than rebounding, Brockman was a force scoring in the paint as well, often on putbacks, but also on catch-and-finishes and a few occasional post moves. He shows good touch in the post and a solid base of moves, but he struggled getting separation from his opponent on his moves, not having much range. While Brockman occasionally shows good vertical explosiveness when he has time to gather himself or gets momentum going on the run, he isn’t able to power up from other positions, not being a very good overall athlete, something that will hold him back if he doesn’t improve.

Jermaine Taylor: Although his final stat-line might not have been quite as jaw-dropping as Jon Brockman’s, there wasn’t a player who helped their NBA draft stock in day two more than Jermaine Taylor. He displayed an NBA-level ability to create offense for himself, showing that his status as the #1 scorer in college basketball wasn’t just a product of the level of competition he played at, and that he has no problem putting the ball in the basket against some of the best wing players in the NCAA—for example Marquette’s Wes Matthews in this particular game. Physically, he passes the eye test and then some, showing a NBA caliber body and better athleticism than almost any wing player in attendance here. Taylor looked like nothing less than a scoring machine in this game, showing a complete offensive arsenal by scoring in a variety of ways. He showed an advanced ability to operate in the mid-range area, making a number of very smooth pull-up jumpers, showing excellent mechanics and creating separation from his defender in impressive fashion. Even though he only made 1 of his 4 attempts from beyond the arc, it’s pretty obvious from looking at him that he can really stroke the ball. He also showed the ability to move off the ball, utilizing screens nicely and then taking the ball to the basket with excellent body control. His ability to create his own shot looked much more impressive in person than we had given him credit for from watching him on film, as he has a quick, powerful first step, long strides, terrific footwork, and even some shifty hesitation moves. His strength and aggressiveness got him to the free throw line at will in this game, and he converted 7 of his 9 attempts from the charity stripe. Showing that same type of hunger to put the ball in the basket that all great scorers have, Taylor was an absolute jet leaking out in transition, creating numerous easy scoring opportunities in the process. We can now see why college football coaches were so interested in him at the wide receiver position, as his ability to get from one end of the court to another was absolutely outstanding, even if he might have been cherry-picking just a little on a possession or two. That same hunger to score translated to the offensive glass as well, where he picked up no less than 4 extra possessions for his team. It also may have caused him to look a little too much for his own offense at times, as he did get up 24 field goal attempts in just 32 minutes without recording a single assist. Some teams we talked to felt like he may have played a bit selfishly at times, but it’s a little bit hard to fault him for that too much considering what’s at stake here and how well he started off (with 18 points in the first half). Although you don’t want to take away too much from a single game in a setting like this, it was hard not to come away extremely impressed with what Taylor showed here in his first game. Judging by the reaction of a couple of scouts we spoke with, we weren’t the only ones who felt that way. He reminds us quite a bit of Kelenna Azubuike, both in his build, athleticism, scoring instincts, and overall game. We’re curious to see how he manages to follow this game up. Players like him are what makes the PIT great, as he’s really using this setting to separate himself from many of the wing players in this class.

Micah Downs: Micah Downs had another solid game today, making a couple athletic plays all over the floor, and playing aggressively on both ends. His ball handling ability still leaves a lot to be desired, but he stood out today with his physical tools and activity level, despite only tallying 8 points and 5 rebounds. Considering his size and athleticism for a wing, he may have the most potential of any player here in Portsmouth, which has helped him create a nice little buzz amongst teams we’ve talked to.

Marcus Cousin: Marcus Cousin was a force on both ends in this game. He showcased his athleticism with a couple of impressive tip dunks today, but also knocked down a couple of midrange jumpers. We criticized him in our last write-up for settling too much for perimeter jumpers, but he definitely showed that he can comfortably hit that shot, which makes him a little more intriguing. The touches that he got with his back to the basket today indicate that he needs more polish with his footwork and is more comfortable facing up, but his blend of size, length, and athleticism makes him an interesting player. Defensively he really lacks fundamentals, particularly guarding the pick and roll, but all in all he’s been one of the camp’s standouts thus far as far as big men are concerned, and has clearly helped his stock.

Wesley Matthews: Wesley Matthews showed some very nice flashes in his first day, showing a bit more advanced ball-handling than we’re used to, including a very nice crossover drive, but he wasn’t able to put it together for a complete performance, going for 11 points on 5-for-12 shooting. On the other hand, Matthews showed a lot of the little things he’s become known for, reading the floor well, making good cuts, finishing strong at the rim, and making opportune passes. We expect a better overall performance from Matthews in the next two days.

Weyinmi Efejuku: Weyinmi Efejuku also had some good flashes, showing off his athletic abilities and shot-creating abilities, both pulling up and attacking the rim, but he struggled to put together an efficient performance, scoring 12 points on 5-for-11 shooting along with 3 turnovers. Picking his spots a little better and moving more off the ball to get the ball in prime scoring position should be among his priorities, although he did show nice potential.

B.J. Raymond: B.J. Raymond had an excellent first outing here, knocking down a number of deep three-pointers to finish with 19 points and 7 rebounds. He also played very strong defense, coming up with 3 steals and doing a good job containing his man. His physical build is impressive—like seemingly all Xavier players—but his below average athleticism really stands out.

Tyrese Rice: Tyrese Rice knocked down four of the seven three pointers he attempted en route to 14 points, but he also dished out seven assists. Clearly, Rice is being asked to do more distributing, and he had a pretty efficient game in doing so. He could have even finished with more than the 7 assists he was credited for, as some nice passes he made were dropped by his teammates. He looked under control and could have probably easily dropped another 15 points or so if he felt the urge to, but right now he looks focused on showing off his playmaking skills, which probably isn’t a bad idea.

Gary Wilkinson: Gary Wilkinson had another strong performance here, further increasing his stock for, at the very least, the many European league executives that came to scout this event. He hit a number of mid-range jumpers thanks to his superb touch, even showing range out to the three-point line, and also showed some crafty footwork in the paint, which led to some mixed results. He’s one of the biggest hustlers you’ll find at this tournament, grabbing 15 rebounds in 32 minutes today. Wilkinson draws some comparisons to Brian Scalabrine due to their obvious similarities in their build, hair color (fiery red) and comparable games, but at age 26, he is probably a long shot for the NBA.

Jimmy Baron: Had a very strong second half en route to a 13 point performance. He made shots from all over the floor but also showed a strong basketball IQ with some excellent passes and plenty of unselfishness. His physical limitations are obvious, and he’s clearly not a point guard, but this coach’s son will surely make a team happy overseas.

Ahmad Nivins: Ahmad Nivins had a tough time playing against the likes of Chris Johnson and Jon Brockman, scoring just 7 points on 3-for-11 shooting while pulling in a respectable 7 rebounds. Nivins’ lack of vertical explosiveness is clearly holding him back, with him being very much an under-the-rim player.

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2009 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament - Day 1

Here's a rundown of the action, including the top performers from Day 1 of the Portsmouth Invitational:

Game 1 (Boxscore):

K.C. Rivers: 3 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1-9 FG, 0-4 3FG
Diamon Simpson: 13 points, 15 rebounds
Paul Delaney: 20 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 7-15 FG
Courtney Fells: 19 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 7-12 FG, 3-4 3FG
Jimmy Baron: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 4-17 FG, 4-14 3FG
Josh Carter: 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 4-6 FG

Comments: K.C. Rivers is one of my draft sleepers, but he didn't get off to a good start missing all of his three point shots and shooting just 1-9 from the floor. He did chip in with some other things though. Courtney Fells out of NC State was the star in this game though, so I'll keep an eye on him. Jimmy Baron has come out firing, but looks to be shooting blanks.

Game 2 (Boxscore):

Josh Akognon: 16 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 6-12 FG, 4-5 3FG
A.D. Vassallo: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 9-17 FG, 3-6 3FG
DeMarre Carroll: 18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks
Robert Vaden: 7 points, 3-8 FG, 0-1 3FG
Geoff McDermott: 6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 3-8 FG
Micah Downs: 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocks, 1 steal
Alex Ruoff: 13 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, 6-17 FG, 1-7 3FG
Alfred Aboya: 2 points, 4 rebounds, 1-5 FG
Gary Wilkinson: 11 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block, 4-8 FG

Comments: Josh Akognon, A.D. Vassallo, and DeMarre Carroll showed up the strongest in this game. Vassallo is interesting because has good height at 6'6, so if he can knock down the three consistently then he could definitely help an NBA team. I still think Carroll is a tweener, but he played well here. He most likely will get drafted, I'm just not sure how he will perform in the NBA. Akognon can shoot the ball, but the fact he also dished out 6 assists could benefit him in the long run if he continues to show his PG skills.

Here are some more observations, via Draft Express:

Courtney Fells: Courtney Fells had an extremely productive outting in the opening game of this season’s Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, having easily the best showing of any player in attendance. Though he did a lot of good for his stock, he also made his limitations very clear. Fells drained a number of catch and shoot jumpers coming off of screens from three point range, putting his excellent perimeter shooting stroke on full display. He also knocked down two one-dribble jumpers from the outside, seeming unfazed by the fact that he was very well defended on both occasions. Despite his proficiency from the perimeter, Fells had very little success putting the ball on the floor and attacking the basket, showing very underdeveloped ball handling ability and looking very shaky going left. That weakness, coupled with his only average first-step, rendered Fells unable to create separation on a number of his touches today. Moving forward, Fells needs to recognize his limitations off the dribble and make a concerted effort not to force the issue, which was likely an issue during the season at N.C. State as well, judging by his negative assist to turnover ratio.Fells’s lack of standout athleticism didn’t plague him at the defensive end today, as he was working hard to keep his man out of the lane on most possessions. If he can maintain his defensive intensity and continue to shoot the ball well, Fells should turn heads all week—maybe making a case for himself as a Keith Bogans type rotation wing player. Though he still has a ton of work to do to hear his name called on draft day, Fells was the standout performer of day one.

Diamon Simpson: The most active player on the floor for the first two games here in Portsmouth, Diamon Simpson is holding nothing back in showing NBA teams why he thinks he belongs. The undersized power forward filled up the hustle categories yesterday, pulling in an outstanding 15 rebounds while picking up 4 steals and a handful more deflections. Simpson was a menace on the defensive end, playing pressure defense both on his man and off the ball, defending past the three-point line on most possessions. Showing very good mobility and reflexes, Simpson gave the opposition plenty of problems getting into their sets, and really impressed with his non-stop effort, especially seeing he played a game-high 35 minutes. On the glass, Simpson was equally menacing, getting his hands on every ball he could, showing good timing and pursuit abilities. On the offensive glass, Simpson showed some trouble powering up to finish once he got the ball, not being the most explosive athlete. His persistence paid off here, but he'll need to work on either his finesse or power-finishing to translate this ability. Working on his touch around the rim, his lower body strength and leaping ability should be among his priorities. Other than his hustle plays, Simpson didn't show much else here, not being a great shooter or having much ball-handling ability, which is not a surprise considering his role player status. A number of NBA executives we spoke with mentioned how impressed they were with his play, and one went as far as to compare him to another Portsmouth alumni—Chuck Hayes.

Paul Delaney: UAB’s Paul Delaney had one of the more impressive showings of day one, especially considering how far off the radar screen he was coming into this tournament. Delaney was one of the more aggressive players seen here early on, getting into the lane time after time and finishing strong, sometimes emphatically with a violent jam. He may have forced the issue a bit at times, clearly trying to make a strong impression, but he did show some solid unselfishness whipping the ball around the floor and finding teammates with creative passes. He was extremely active as well, crashing the offensive glass, getting in the passing lanes, and generally doing what players need to in order to stand out in this setting. A few potential weaknesses that seemed to stand out were his limited perimeter shooting ability, so-so playmaking skills, and struggles driving left, although we’ll have to look a little bit closer at these in the coming games.

A.D. Vassallo: A.D Vassallo had a strong statistical performance, putting in 21 points on 17 shots in his team’s losing effort, showing the versatile scoring ability he’s known for, hitting from behind the arc as well as with some mid-range shots on the move. Despite scoring impressively, Vassallo didn’t alleviate any concerns about the rest of his game, however, as he is a below average athlete and defender and shows very questionable shot-selection at times.

K.C. Rivers: K.C. Rivers had one of the more unimpressive performances in the first day, relative to his draft stock coming into the event, hitting just 1-for-9 from the field while missing all of his three-point attempts. Rivers created some impressive lay-up attempts in the lane with his creativity, but wasn’t able to finish consistently, and his outside shot just wasn’t falling, in part because he was taking some higher difficulty attempts. Rivers is probably not the type of player who will stand out in a setting like this, as he’s a system guy who needs a clearly defined role to bring out his biggest strengths.

Josh Akognon: Josh Akognon displayed the same aggressive scoring mentality that he did throughout his career at Cal State Fullerton, finishing with 16 points on 4-5 from three-point range. Though he forced a couple of tough shots from the perimeter, he did a solid job running his team, and needs to continue to distribute the ball effectively moving forward.

DeMarre Carroll: DeMarre Carroll was extremely active today, and finished the game with 18 points on 8-11 from the field due in large part to how hard he played. He had no trouble performing well in this up-tempo contest, but didn’t show a great deal of skill with the ball.

Micah Downs: Micah Downs showed better defensive intensity today than we're used to seeing from him, looking very good defending the perimeter and blocking four shots. He also knocked down a couple of three pointers as well, and had a very athletic dunk in transition. He likely helped himself with the way he played.

Alex Ruoff: Alex Ruoff didn't have a good day shooting the ball, going 6-17 from the field and 1-7 from three, but showed good court vision and was a vocal leader for his team. He was very aggressive defensively, coming up with a number of loose balls and tallying four steals in total. Considering that he made 2.7 3-pointers per game at West Virginia on 37% shooting, his struggles from beyond the arc probably aren’t the end of the world.

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2009 Portsmouth Invitational - Official Rosters

Oh yeah, it's about that time. The time when some of the players we've enjoyed watching in college for 4 years will be competing against each other for the right to get drafted by the NBA. Just like last year, I will be keeping track of all the action to see who is and who isn't performing well.

Here are the rosters, via Draft Express:

CHERRY, BEKAERT & HOLLAND

Chris Johnson LSU C 6' 11"
Korvotney Barber Auburn PF 6' 7"
Josh Bostic Findlay SF 6' 5"
Jon Brockman Washington PF 6’ 7”
Wesley Matthews Marquette SG/SF 6' 5"
Lorrenzo Wade San Diego State SF/PF 6' 6"
Levance Fields Pittsburgh PG 5' 10"
Ben Woodside North Dakota State PG 5' 11"

Who I'm Checking For:

- Wesley Matthews is an interesting prospect, since he spent most of his time playing small forward for Marquette. Now he will probably get the chance to show what he can do as a straight up shooting guard. He was an efficient scorer this season, shooting 47.5% from the floor, 82.9% from the line, and 36.8% from three, while averaging 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, & 1.2 steals per game.

- Levance Fields was a great college player, but I kind of see him as the next Mateen Cleaves or Khalid Al-Emin. He'd be a decent backup point guard but offensively I don't expect much out of him.

- We know Ben Woodside can score and shoot it from the outside, but is he quick enough for the NBA on both sides of the ball? It will be interesting to see how he does against some top notch college talent.

K&D ROUNDS LANDSCAPING

Aron Baynes Washington State C 6' 10"
Robert Dozier Memphis PF 6' 9"
Courtney Fells NC State SG/SF 6' 6"
Stefon Jackson Texas-El Paso SG 6' 5"
Kevin Rogers Baylor PF 6' 9"
Jimmy Baron Rhode Island SG 6' 3"
Byron Eaton Oklahoma State PG 5' 11"
Ron Steele Alabama PG 6' 1"

Who I'm Checking For:

- At, 6'9, Robert Dozier has the NBA size to be a SF or PF, however, I think he'd be more valuable defensively as a SF if he can handle the task. If he's in the NBA, then he's probably a role player, but if he has the potential to be a 5th option, defensive minded type SF on a contending team.

- Of course I will be checking for URI's Jimmy Baron, but he he's going to get torched on defense, so don't get your hopes up. I also think someone else will emerge from the rest of the players and play well. Whether they are drafted is another story though.

NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD

Alade Aminu Georgia Tech PF/C 6' 10"
Bamba Fall SMU C 7' 1"
Lawrence Kinnard UAB PF 6' 8"
Marcus Landry Wisconsin PF 6' 7"
B.J. Raymond Xavier SF 6' 6"
David Holston Chicago State PG/SG 5' 8"
A.J. Price UCONN PG 6' 2"
Ryan Toolson Utah Valley SG 6' 4"

Who I'm Checking For:

- A.J. Price is an interesting case because he's an electric scorer who hits a ton of tough jumpers and runners in the lane and shoots the ball well from three. However, he is only shooting 41.6% on the season, which is pretty bad for a guard. Seems like he needs a lot of shots to get his points, but he has been shooting much better in the NCAA Tournament. He's not a natural playmaker as PG, but I think he can make the NBA as a bench player for now at least.

- There's some height on this squad, especially 7'1 Bamba Fall, who I have never even heard of. Bamba is from Senegal, which means he's probably pretty raw, and he only averaged 8.9 points and 7.3 rebounds a game this season, but with his height you know NBA teams are going to watching him closely looking for signs that he can make an improvement.

- B.J. Raymond is 6'6, can hit the three, and played for a defensively minded Xavier squad. Remind you of anyone? Yup, he could be a James Posey type in the NBA, but I'm not exactly sure how good he is on D, even though his team was strong in that area. The fact he only averaged a half steal a game probably suggests he's not the next James Posey. Still he has NBA size, so he should at least get a look.

NORFOLK SPORTS CLUB

Jeff Adrien UCONN PF 6' 7"
Connor Atchley Texas PF 6' 10"
Lee Cummard Brigham Young SF 6' 7"
Lawrence Hill Stanford SF/PF 6' 8"
Ahmad Nivins St. Joseph PF/C 6' 9"
Wink Adams UNLV PG 6' 0"
Curtis Jerrells Baylor PG 6' 1"
Jermaine Taylor Central Florida SG 6' 4"

Who I'm Checking For:

- You know I'll be checking for Jeff Adrian, but since he is slightly on the small side for an NBA PF, I think he'd better start practicing his mid-range jump shot a little more. There's always a spot for the Corliss Williamson/Clearance Weatherspoon/Craig Smith types in the NBA, so Adrian should get a legit shot to play, but it will most likely be as a bench player.

- Ahmad Nivins is a straight up beast averaging 19.2 points. 11.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks a game, while shooting 61.2% from the field this season. He has good enough size to be an NBA PF and I think he's a sure bet to get drafted.

PORTSMOUTH PARTNERSHIP

John Bryant Santa Clara C 6' 10"
DeMarre Carroll Missouri PF 6' 8"
Geoff McDermott Providence PF 6' 8"
Josh Akognon Cal State Fullerton SG 5' 11"
Alonzo Gee Alabama SF 6' 6"
Aaron Jackson Duquesne PG 6' 4"
Robert Vaden UAB SG 6' 5"
A.D. Vassallo Virginia Tech SF 6' 6"

Who I'm Checking For:

- DeMarre Carroll is a nice college player, but I don't see him doing one thing well enough to be successful in the NBA. He's not big enough in the body or explosive enough to be a PF and when he shoots from the outside, he just looks awkward to me. Unless he can channel his inner-Ryan Gomes, then I just don't see DeMarre making the cut. He does have good numbers though, shooting 55.8% from the field and 36.4% from three, while averaging 16.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals a game. He did only hit 16 three's on the season though and I don't think he has NBA range.

- Obviously, I will be keeping an eye on Geoff McDermott, but he is horrific on offense and I don't see him having any chance here. Super-scorer Josh Akognon and three-point specialist Robert Vaden are definitely two guys to watch though.

PORTSMOUTH SPORTS CLUB

Goran Suton Michigan State C 6' 10"
Antonio Anderson Memphis SG/SF 6' 6"
Weyinmi Efejuku Providence SG 6' 5"
Taylor Griffin Oklahoma PF 6' 7"
Leo Lyons Missouri PF 6' 9"
Sam Young Pittsburgh SF 6' 6"
A.J. Abrams Texas SG 5' 11"
Tyrese Rice Boston College PG 6' 1"

Who I'm Checking For:

- My first impression of this team is that it is loaded, which could be a bad thing for my boy Weyinmi Efejuku. Efejuku really stepped his game up this year for PC once he decided to drive to the basket more. He went to the line 186 times this season in total. He has great athleticism and I think he has a chance to open some eyes.

- Sam Young is a late-first round draft pick and will be trying to get himself into the lottery by playing in this tournament. His age and lack of upside could prevent him from getting drafted that early, but I'm sure he's hoping he can follow the path of Al Thornton. I love Young's game and think he could play right away for whoever drafts him. I can't wait to see if that pump fake works in the NBA too.

- Leo Lyons in my mind is a better NBA prospect than DeMarre Carrol. He has better size at 6'9 244, so he should be able to play some PF. I liked the touch I saw on his mid-range jumper and he seems pretty agile. I think he can help an NBA sqaud off the bench.

- Antonio Anderson is hoping to become the next Bruce Bowen. A solid defender he is, but he can't shoot the 3 right now, so he should be working on that every day for the rest of career.

- Tyrese Rice is explosive on the offensive end and has some quality point guard skills, but he also is inconsistent and not that efficient with his shot. I think his size is what does him in, but he should get a look for sure and I think a team will take a chance on him. I think he has a better chance than A.J. Abrams, because of the passing ability and he is more explosive.

SALES SYSTEMS LTD

Scott VanderMeer Illinois-Chicago C 7' 0"
Michael Bramos Miami (Ohio) SF 6' 5"
Josh Carter Texas A&M SF 6' 7"
Jeff Pendergraph Arizona State PF/C 6' 9"
K.C. Rivers Clemson SG/SF 6' 6"
Diamon Simpson St. Mary PF 6’ 7”
Paul Delaney III UAB PG 6' 2"
Kyle McAlarney Notre Dame PG 6' 0"

Who I'm Checking For:

- Josh Carter has size and can shoot, so he will get a look. He doesn't do anything else well though. He could be one of those guys who goes undrafted, but ends up making a team at some point, maybe like Anthony Morrow.
- Jeff Pendergraph is an efficient player, shooting 66.0% from the floor, while averaging 14.5 points and 8.2 rebounds. I think he lacks toughness though, so he should go out there and be aggressive if he hopes to get drafted.

- At 6'6, I actually think K.C. Rivers could be a sleeper here and get drafted. Not only does he have good size, but he shoots well from three over 39.0% the last three seasons. He also averaged 6.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals a game this season, so he is more than a 1 dimensional player. I definitely think he could make an impact here.

TIDEWATER SEALANTS

Garret Siler Augusta State C 7' 0"
Alfred Aboya UCLA PF 6' 9"
Micah Downs Gonzaga SF 6' 8"
Gary Wilkinson Utah State PF/C 6' 9"
Lewis Clinch Georgia Tech SG 6' 3"
Brandon Ewing Wyoming PG 6' 2"
Dominic James Marquette PG 5' 11"
Alex Ruoff West Virginia SG 6' 6"

Who I'm Checking For:

- This team just seems like the misfit team. A collection of guys who are either too small or too slow or not polished enough to make the NBA. I never liked Dominic James' game offensively. He is atheltic though, so I'm sure he'll get a look.

- Alfred Aboya is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his teammate Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who has actually surprised me with his play in the NBA this season.

More: Portsmouth Invitational

Portsmouth Invitational NBA Pre-Draft Tournament - Day 5 - Championship Game

The final day of the Portsmouth Invitational Pre-Draft Tournament featured a championship game that showcased many potential NBA prospects.

Here's a look at how they performed.

Pat Calathes: Calathes continued his remarkable play at Portsmouth with another solid outing. He scored 14 points and collected 7 rebounds as his team won the championship game in a blowout.

Along with Gary Forbes, Calathes was considered one of the top two prospects at Portsmouth. Both will be receiving invites to the Orlando Pre-Draft camp which will feature the best prospects in the draft. It will be interesting to see how both of them fare against talent that is superior to what they have seen in Portsmouth.

Calathes finished averaging 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1 block a game. He also knocked down 56.3% of his shots.

Josh Duncan: Duncan did not dissapoint in the final game here at the tournament, having one of his more impressive games so far. He finished the game with 15 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block. He also knocked down both of his 3-Point attempts.

Duncan's averages for the tournament were 14.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2 assists, while knocking down 40.0% of his 3's.

Rob McKiver: McKiver did not have an outstanding game in the final, scoring 15 points on 4 of 13 shooting. He only managed 1 assist and his domination of the ball was seen as a bad thing by the scouts.

McKiver finished the tournament averaging 16.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1 steal. He shot on 42.1% from the floor overall and 38.5% on 3-Pointers.

Reggie Williams: Williams had an outstanding game in the final despite being on the losing side of the game. He finished with 22 points and 3 assists, knocking down 9 of 15 from the floor and 3 of 5 from downtown.

Overall for the tournament, Williams shot a blistering 61.5% from three, knocking down 8 of 13. He also averaged 16.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.0 steal, while shooting 55.6% from the floor.

Kyle Hines: Hines continued his suprisingly strong play in Portsmouth finishing with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks, while shooting 8 of 9 from the floor. I would imagine that Hines would receive an invite to the Orlando Pre-Draft camp as he proved to be an intriguing prospect in Portsmouth.

Hines finished averaging 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 blocks, and 2.3 steals, while shooting an impressive 78.6% from the floor.

Game 12-Boxscore-Championship Game

Here is the link for the complete statistics for all the players in the camp and below are some other standout performers and their averages for the tournament:

Gary Forbes: 15.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 8.67 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Forbes led the camp in assists.

Charron Fisher: 22.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1 assist. Fisher led the camp in scoring.

Othello Hunter: 15.7 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 2.0 blocks. Hunter led the camp in rebounding.

Deron Washington: 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.

Previous posts:

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Portsmouth Invitational NBA Pre-Draft Tournament - Day 4

Day 4 of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament featured 3 games before the championship game on Sunday.

The first two games were consolation games and judging by the talent involved, it's no surprise these teams were playing in the consolation games.

Despite the fact there wasn't much NBA talent in the first two games, there were a few players who could have some intrigue to NBA teams:

In Game 9, Hofstra's Charron Fisher had another strong game shooting 12 of 20 from the floor and scoring 27 points. He also grabbed 7 rebounds. However, he did only shoot 1 of 7 from three. Fisher is not a great 3-Point shooter as he only shot 31.8% from there on the season. That is not a great percentage for a 6ft4 shooting guard.

It is also worth noting that Tulane's David Gomez had a solid peformance in this game, finishing with 17 points and 12 rebounds. I don't know much about Gomez but he has played well in this tournament. He is only 6ft6 though, so I would imagine he would be an undersized Power Forward in the NBA because it doesn't look like he is much of a 3-Point shooter, only hitting 9 three's all season.

Game 9-Boxscore

In Game 10, the second consolation game, Tennessee's Chris Lofton was the most impressive player. Lofton has had a decent showing so far in this tournament but this was by far his best shooting game so far. Lofton had 25 points and nailed 5 of 10 from deep to go along with 6 rebounds. However, he also had 5 turnovers.

Ohio State's Othello Hunter had another strong performance in this game as well. He scored 12 points, pulled down 13 rebounds and blocked 2 shots. It will be interesting to watch his draft stock as we get closer to the NBA Draft.

Game 10-Boxscore

Game 11 was the Third Place game of the tournament and had a little more NBA quality talent involved then the other games.

The star of this game was Virginia Tech's Deron Washington. He scored 21 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, dished out 3 assists and blocked 2 shots. Most importantly though for him is that he shot 4 of 5 from three point land. 3-Point shooting is what I considered his weakness and what he needed to work on and from him to nail 4 of 5 in this game might be the key to getting him more attention from the NBA.

One of the biggest stars in this tournament so far has been Gary Forbes and while he did not have a bad showing in this game, it was an interesting one. Forbes shot 1 of 6 in this game and scored only 3 points, however he dished out 13 assists. It definitely appears as though Forbes was making an effort to show off his play making abilities in this game and at 6ft7 the fact that he dished out 13 assists definitely has to be appealing to NBA teams. I think they already have seen what Forbes can do scoring the ball and he may have surprised them with his playmaking abilities.

The other NBA quality talent in this game was Butler's Mike Green. Green had a better scoring game then passing in this one, as he finished with 16 points but only 1 assist. Not sure how much this game helped Green since he is a Point Guard but he did knock down 2 of 4 from deep which should help his cause.

Game 11-Boxscore

Finally, here is an update on Patrick Ewing's injury status, which I touched on in my Day 3 post:

On the other team, Patrick Ewing Jr. got off to an outstanding start in the game, showing off his outstanding basketball IQ on both ends of the court, playing excellent man and help defense, picking off passes, fronting the post, getting deflections, and turning his steals into fast break opportunities by pushing the ball himself, even with a shaky handle. On the offensive end, he made an incredible pass from the high post to a cutter for an assist, and also attacked the boards, pulling down rebounds in a crowd. Unfortunately, Ewing went down with an injury to his right ankle 12 minutes into the game, and was in the trainer’s room on the trainer’s table with his ankle wrapped up until midway through the second half, where he returned to the bench in sweats with a noticeable limp. There’s no telling how serious the injury is, but it’d be unfortunate if Ewing can’t play tomorrow, as he really started to show some intriguing things here. Teams we talked to here are quietly starting to look at him as a legit NBA prospect, as they like his size, athleticism, hustle, work ethic and feel for the game. He looks like a lock to get invited to Orlando at this point. (Draft Express)


Previous posts:

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Portsmouth Invitational NBA Pre-Draft Tournament - Day 3

Day 3 of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament featured three more games and alot of action. I already covered Day 1 and Day 2 in case you missed them. Now let's get into the player performances from Day 3.

Game 6 had the least to talk about in terms of legit prospects to me. For some reason Patrick Ewing JR only played 12 minutes and didn't even score a point. Not sure if he hurt himself or what but I didn't understand why he would play so few minutes after he had such a strong game on Day 2 of the tournament.

The star of this game was Hofstra's Charron Fisher. Fisher, who averaged over 27 points per game during the season, scored 28 points in this game. He didn't do much else so I'm not sure how much of a prospect he is. Fisher is 6 ft 4, which isn't great size for a shooting guard but he's certainly not a tweener.

Game 6-Boxscore

Game 7 might have featured some of the best talent in the tournament so far with Gary Forbes, Pat Calathes, and Josh Duncan all in action.

Forbes followed up his outstanding Day 1 performance with another strong performance in this game. He finished with 18 points 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Forbes is definitely showing a nice all around game so far and I would expect that his draft stock has gone up due to his performance here in Portsmouth.

Calathes, who scouts felt was the most impressive player of Day 1, also followed up well in his second game of the tournament. He had 15 points 8 rebounds 4 assists and 2 blocks. Calathes and Forbes have probably helped themselves the most so far in this tournament.

Josh Duncan had another "Josh Duncan" like performance scoring 14 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. However, he also shot 0 of 4 on three pointers and had 5 turnovers.

I also am a little disappointed that Duncan is not trying to take over these games a little more than he is on the offensive end of the floor. Maybe the other guys on the team aren't getting him the ball but I have a feeling that the NBA scouts want to see if he can dominate a game much in the same way Forbes is doing right now. Hopefully Duncan will be more assertive in the next game, for this might be his biggest weakness as his unassertiveness might lead to him not fully utilizing his talent on the offensive end.

Game 7-Boxscore

There were three players in the last game of the day who had a reversal of fortunes from their Day 2 performances. However, as you will see, this was not a good thing for two of the three.

Rob McKiver had a turnaround from his lackluster Day 2 performance. He finished with 19 points and 7 assists while shooting 3 of 4 from downtown.

However, Reggie Williams and Mike Green were not able to repeat their great performance from Day 2.

Williams, who had 22 points in his first game, was only able to score 5 points on 2 of 8 shooting in this game. Not sure why he didn't shoot as much, maybe he was trying to show off his passing skills because he did have 5 assists or maybe the other players just shut him out of the offense.

Green did not fare well either as he had only 8 points to go along with 3 assists and a whopping 5 turnovers. This was a far cry from his strong performance earlier in the tournament.

The star of this game was actually UNC-Greensboro's Kyle Hines. Hines who is a 6 ft 6 Forward scored a game high 25 points on 10 of 12 shooting and pulled down 10 rebounds to go along with 3 blocks and 3 steals. Definitely an impressive line, so I will have to keep an eye on him from now on.

Game 8-Boxscore

Portsmouth Invitational NBA Pre-Draft Tournament - Day 2

Day 2 of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament was not as eventful as Day 1.

It appears that some of the bigger names pulled out of the tournament, such as URI's Will Daniels, which has hurt the quality of play that we have seen so far:

There is very little question at this point that the pullout of 17 of the top prospects hurt the depth of this camp, even if there were still a decent amount of solid performers today, from at least a handful of players that will play in the NBA sooner or later(DraftExpress).

There were 3 games played yesterday, so here are the standouts from each game:

Game 3 of the tournament was the consolation game between the losers of Game's 1 & 2 from the day before.

The standout here was Ohio State's Othello Hunter, who actually had a strong game the first day as well. In yesterday's game, he came up with 18 points 10 rebounds and 3 blocks, while shooting 6 of 9 from the floor. In the two games so far he has scored 35 points grabbed, 23 rebounds, blocked 4 shots, and is shooting a combined 14 for 19 from the floor. Not bad at all.

I had not mentioned Hunter's play in the first game because I felt at 6 ft 8 he may be too small to play in the NBA but check out this tidbit about Hunter:

Ohio State’s Othella Hunter wasn’t very tall at 6-8 ½, but his 7-2 ¾ wingspan more than makes up for that.

That is definitely an impressive wing span and he could be compared favorably to Carl Landry of the Houston Rockets, who was also overlooked last year due to his height.

Also in the first game, Iowa's Jiri Hubalek seemed to come down to earth from his impressive performance on Day 1:

....coming up with 9 points to go along with 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks on 4-8 shooting. He once again showed off his very nice looking stroke, complete with a high release point and excellent range, and also looked to be competing very hard once again. It’s more evident though why he struggled the way he did at times in college, though, as his feel for the game and fundamentals clearly aren’t the best you’ll find here, and he at times looks wild with the shots he takes or the passes and plays he tries to execute(DraftExpress).

Game 3 - Boxscore

Game 4 was the best game of the day as far as talent and performance go.

Patrick Ewing JR was impressive with 12 points 11 rebounds 4 blocks and 2 steals:

Ewing played his trademark tough defense throughout, getting a lot of weak side shot blocks and steals in man-to-man situations, using his athleticism and anticipation skills well. On the offensive end, he hit one three-pointer, but didn’t show much with his ball-handling skills, looking sloppy on some occasions, but also making good use of a few short dribble drives where he demonstrated his explosiveness. He showed more potential than most players here, and dropped some glimpses at times of being a better player than we were able to see at Georgetown. He’s someone to keep an eye on in coming games(DraftExpress).

VMI's Reggie Williams, who led the nation in scoring, also was the leading scorer in this game with 22 points to go along with 6 assists and he nailed 4 of 5 from deep. I definitely think he can play in the NBA and I was interested to see how he would perform in this tournament. He could end up being a deadly shooter in the NBA, he may just need to work on the rest of his game:

He was awesome coming off screens and knocking down shots, despite his strange mechanics. He also displayed better athleticism than we may be giving him credit for by finishing a thunderous alleyoop lob, and also showed a nice basketball IQ and solid unselfishness by making a number of excellent passes to open teammates (helping him net 6 assists). We’ll be keeping a close eye on him for the rest of his game, even though his average lateral quickness and ball-handling skills may limit his NBA potential in the long-run(DraftExpress).

Wisconsin's Brian Butch had a solid showing with 17 points and 7 rebounds. He is 6 ft 11 so I will keep an eye on him despite the fact he may not be athletic enough to cut it in the NBA.

Houston's Rob McKiver, who scored 52 points in a game this season, struggled in this game shooting only 1 of 6 from three. He did finish with 14 points 4 rebounds and 3 assists despite his poor shooting from deep.

Game 4 - Boxscore

Butler's Mike Green was probably the only prospect worth talking about in the dreadful Game 5, here is the scoop on Green who dished out 10 assists to go along with his 13 points and 8 rebounds:

The best prospect on the floor may have been Butler point guard Mike Green, who is slowly emerging as the Jose Juan Barea/Dashaun Wood style floor general extraordinaire that seems to pop up every year here. Green was terrific running his team’s offense today, coming up with 10 assists to go along with 13 points and 8 rebounds on 3-8 shooting, but was just as impressive with the leadership skills he showed on and off the court directing his teammates from the bench, clearly something that is in his blood with how natural it comes to him. He was very good in transition, was effective setting screens and making his teammates better, changing directions well and using his strength to get to the hoop, and set the table in a variety of ways, particularly with smart post-entry passes. He also played solid defense and looked very intense throughout. While his physical tools or perimeter shooting ability may not be ideal, there is no question that he is one hell of a player(DraftExpress).

Game 5 - Boxscore

Portsmouth Invitational NBA Pre-Draft Tournament - Day 1

Here's a rundown of who played well on the first day of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament:

In Game 1, my main man, Xavier's Josh Duncan, had a decent showing with 14 points 7 rebounds, and 3 assists while shooting 2 of 4 from 3.

However, the scouts were most impressed with St Joe's Pat Calathes, courtesy of DraftExpress:

The most impressive player on the floor in both games, and really by a huge margin, was St. Joe’s forward Pat Calathes. He came off the bench like a hurricane scoring 8 points and grabbing 6 rebounds in his first 8 minutes on the court, knocking down shots, showing a nice first step taking his man off the dribble, running the floor in transition, and looking extremely active crashing the glass.

His incredible feel for the game was evident from the moment he stepped out on the floor, particularly with the terrific court vision he showed on a number of drive and dish plays or post-entry passes—often times bringing the ball up the floor and starting up his team’s offense as their defacto point guard. He finished repeatedly around the hoop with his left hand, scored on catch and shoot 3-pointers or pull-up jumpers from mid-range, and generally did everything humanly possible to show just how versatile and skilled a player he is in this setting.

Defensively, the biggest question mark most people have about him, Calathes did a solid job staying in front of his man, and even when he got beat at one point, still managed to recover nicely and block the player’s shot at the rim. He did have some problems getting backed down around the basket by stronger players than him (he only weighed out at 206 pounds reportedly)—he will clearly have to work on his technique here and find a way to add some bulk to his lanky frame. It was nice to see how active he was trying to contest shots, using his length and timing intelligently in transition to bother players—but it won’t be quite the same against NBA caliber players most likely.

Speaking to NBA people here about Calathes, it seems this was the first time that many here had seen him—which probably ends up working in his favor considering how impressive he looked. We heard comparisons to Mike Dunleavy being made here on more than one occasion, and one NBA scout we spoke to who is extremely familiar with his game even went as far as to say that in his mind, Calathes is just as gifted athletically as Dunleavy is.

There just aren’t many players who are 6-10 ¼ (his measurements today) that can beat players off the dribble from the perimeter and handle full-court pressure the way he did today, and the fact that he’s as versatile as he is and clearly nowhere near a finished product at this point makes him all the more unique. We’re looking forward to seeing how he can follow up his performance today in the next game—he’s been ranked all season on our board, so we obviously weren’t caught off-guard by the way he played—but he really exceeded all expectations.

Game 1-Boxscore

In Game 2, the standout player looks to be UMass' Gary Forbes, he finished with 26 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and hit 4 3-point shots. Now Forbes was a big time scorer in college but I think the 6 assists and 4 3-point shots will stand out with the scouts. Forbes is not normally a good 3-Point shooter, shooting only 29% on the year. I would think this is something that scouts would be looking for him to improve.

Draft Express was also impressed with Forbes:

Gary Forbes had a very nice showing—scoring 26 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 6 assists on 10-18 shooting in 35 minutes. Forbes showed his credentials as a scorer through and through, putting the ball in the basket in a variety of ways, be it with his mid-range jumper, his shifty first step and body control taking the ball to the rim and finishing with either hand, stroking 3-pointers coming off screens or pulling up on the move, or otherwise. He looked a bit more athletic than we initially thought he was, and also more unselfish than we had seen at UMass—and seems to be helping himself quite a bit with the way he’s played so far. We’ll keep watching and follow up with a more in-depth report.

Other standouts in Game 2 include:

Virginia Tech's Deron Washington, who had 22 Points and 9 rebounds. Washington is a physical freak but he only shot 1 of 5 from 3 in this game and I think that could be his weakness when it comes to the NBA. You would think that he has the size(6ft7) to go along with his athleticism that would make him a good defensive player, so this may be something for him to focus on as far as finding a niche in the NBA.

Iowa State Center Jiri Hubalek also performed well, here is what DraftExpress had to say about Jiri:

Jiri Hubalek might have had the best game of his entire career—scoring 27 points to go along with 10 rebounds, and 3 assists on 10-19 shooting. Everything was dropping for him, be it spot-up 3-pointers, mid-range jumpers, crafty layups off the glass after sharp cuts to the hoop, put-backs after offensive rebounds (some his own), or basic back to the basket moves around the paint. He had 18 points in the first half alone, on 7-9 shooting, but cooled off a bit after that. As impressive as he was with his extremely confident display and undoubtedly high skill level, you’ll have to excuse us for being a bit skeptical considering that he only averaged 12 points per game playing for an awful team in the Big 12 this year. Maybe he can keep this up, though…you never know.

Game 2-Boxscore

Day 2

Day 3