5/11/2013 football Edit

Chatman displays versatility in EYBL

Eric Bossi

Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting Analyst

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FRISCO, Texas -- Now that April has come and gone, the grassroots circuit has calmed down a bit. Well, that is if you aren't at Fieldhouse USA, where Nike is holding its Dallas leg of the Elite Youth Basketball League. The EYBL is a cornucopia of high school talent, and there was no shortage of options on Friday night. Kameron Chatman led ICP Elite to a big win over the Mac Irvin Fire, and then teammate Daniel Hamilton announced his college plans on a night filled with high-level play.

Chatman leads ICP

Standing at 2-7 through the first two sessions of the EYBL, ICP Elite needed a win on Friday night. Standing in the way was the Mac Irvin Fire and their imposing front line of five-stars Jahlil Okafor and Cliff Alexander. The Portland, Ore.-based squad had some firepower of its own, though, as five-star sophomore Tyler Dorsey and five-star-to-be junior Daniel Hamilton have joined ICP. The additions were outstanding, and so was ICP stalwart Chatman, who had 16 points and nine rebounds in a come-from-behind win.

What you have to love about the 6-foot-6 (and growing) Chatman is his versatility. At times, he brings the ball up the floor and initiates the offense, others he plays on the wing, and then he plays in the high post and the offense is run through him there. He is also a way-above-average rebounder for a wing.

According to Chatman, Washington, Oregon and Michigan are on him the hardest, while Arizona, Louisville and Gonzaga are among others in the mix. He will visit Michigan unofficially on June 1, and the Wolverines and other schools are recruiting him for what he showed on Friday night.

"They say I can play one through the four probably," Chatman told Rivals.com. "Any position that I need to play to win, depending on the lineup, I can go to the wing or work off the post in the middle of the floor or bring the ball up the floor."

While Chatman was outstanding playing the role of point forward, his new teammates Dorsey and Hamilton were good as well. During the last 10 minutes or so of the game, it was Dorsey who put constant pressure on the Fire by attacking the lane and earning trip after trip to the free throw line. Hamilton -- who announced his commitment to Connecticut after the game -- was hitting jump shots and getting to the rim at will off the dribble. Dorsey was good for 20 points and three assists, while Hamilton chipped in 19 points and 12 rebounds.

Robinson rising to the occasion

Before Friday night, there was a bit of a buzz going around about Alex Robinson. The No. 81 player in the class of 2014, the 6-foot point guard from Mansfield (Texas) Timberview has been drawing rave reviews for his play with the Texas Titans.

During a bit of an ugly game against Wisconsin Playground Elite, Robinson was on his game. Although his teammates weren't knocking down shots, he continually hit them when open and he showed more burst than before in getting to the lane. In the past he's been somewhat more of a scorer, but now he is playing as more of a pure point guard.

"It wasn't really a change in my game," Robinson said. "I have a whole bunch of guys who can score around me, so I showed that I can be a true point guard."

According to Robinson, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and SMU have offered and are putting on the full-court press. Minnesota is his latest offer, and Florida State and Stanford have been showing recent interest.

MoKan grinds out win

Because of a broken foot, leading scorer Marvin Clark is out for MoKan Elite. With the 6-foot-6 forward out of the lineup, the Kansas City-based squad needed somebody to step up on Friday night if it was going to beat Team Final from Philadelphia. As it turns out, several guys stepped up at different times as it grinded out a 54-46 win.

Tough defense and control of the pace of play were important, and four-star point guard Lourawls Nairn was up to the task. A speed demon, Nairn did a good job of controlling his speed and mixing when to run offense with when to get into the lane and make things happen as he led a balanced attack with 11 points and five assists.

Class of 2015 power forward Juwan Morgan showed promise. He's got very soft hands, he shoots with good touch, and he is a solid rebounder. He was also efficient as he converted all three of his shot attempts and grabbed eight rebounds to go with seven points.

Late in the game, MoKan got key toughness plays from guard Noah Knight, who is a gritty wing player who got to the free throw line. Point guard Charlie Brown came off the bench to stick some crucial jumpers in the second half and like Knight finished with 10 points as MoKan improved to 5-5 in the EYBL.

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