Gonzaga DC Classic: Carr impresses
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Each December, a stop in the Capital is a must. As
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usual, the weekend began at Gonzaga College High School for the 27th annual
Gonzaga DC Classic featuring many top Catholic School programs from the region.
It was a day for point guards to make you think as Top 50 senior Tony Carr showed off why he can be a game changer for Penn State and three-star
junior Chris Lykes showed why he's forcing people to think outside the
box.
I was impressed with...
The 2016 recruiting class for Penn State has been touted as perhaps the
program's best ever and the four-man crew is currently ranked No. 18 nationally.
Three of those four signees play together at Philadelphia (Penn.) Roman Catholic.
Friday, four-star forward Lamar Stevens was saddled by foul trouble but
three-star wing Nazeer Bostick and top 50 point guard Tony Carr did their thing.
I want to start with and focus the most on Carr because I really feel that the
6-foot-4 point guard is a difference maker. Ranked No. 47 nationally, he's the
highest-ranked player to commit to Penn State during the Rivals.com era and he's
backing up his lofty status. Carr's size for the position is easy for anybody to
see but the subtle things in his game are impressive. He was in total control of
his team mixing scoring, passing, defense and leadership. Roman Catholic won in
a romp over Washington (D.C.) Coolidge so he never really had to turn it on but
there was no question about his effort and who his teammates were looking to.
While Carr scored 14 points, Roman Catholic was actually led in scoring by his
current and future teammate Bostick who scored a day high 25. Athletic and
tough, Bostick is a transition finisher and potential ace defender who has the
tools to develop into a very valuable guy at Penn State.
Future #PennState point guard Tony Carr has looked outstanding. Size, confidence and total control of his team. #GonzagaClassic— Eric Bossi (@ebosshoops) December 12, 2015
I was surprised by...
Maybe surprised isn't the right word, but 2017 point guard Chris Lykes
of host Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga is going to make people like myself and
college coaches think outside of the box when it comes to evaluating him. Though
he probably stands no taller than 5-foot-6, the sheer force of will with which
he plays the game and the toughness he has to impose that will has to be
respected and accounted for. It's one thing to have will, but the three-star
junior has developed skill to go along with his toughness. He is very creative
with the dribble, passes extremely well and he knocks down open shots. He is an
A-type personality on the floor and his teammates gravitate to him.
La Salle and Dayton are among those who have seen enough to offer while
looking hard as well. Currently unranked, Lykes deserves serious consideration
for the Rivals150.
Sophomore teammate Prentiss Hubb is a four-star shooting guard and he
looked solid. A good jump shooter with 6-foot-2 size and the skills to slide
over and play the point, he did an excellent job playing off of Lykes before the
game got out of hand in Gonzaga's favor (which didn't take long). Lykes listed
Mason, Maryland and Penn State. He recently took an unofficial
visit to Georgetown.
Other thoughts...
Three-star
junior shooting guard Keith Williams of Brooklyn (N.Y.) Bishop Laughlin
said after dropping 20 points in an opening round win that he feels a little
underrated. He's got 6-foot-4 size, is physical and is athletic and uses those
tools to attack off the dribble. He gets to the rim when he wants to and his
jumper is showing some promise. He's not currently in the Rivals150 but should
at least be in the discussion and currently has offers from VCU, Dayton, Hofstra,
are also keeping tabs.
Even
though they have two four-star juniors on the perimeter in point guard
Isaiah Washington and small forward Sid Wilson, St. Raymond's
from the Bronx (N.Y.) took a loss to Olney (Md.) Good Counsel. They looked
rattled by Good Counsel's defense for stretches and the excellent team play of
Good Counsel led by point guard Cameron Norman and junior wing
James Valle was too much to overcome. Norman is small at around
5-foot-9 but he had excellent command of his team and made the right plays at
the right time while Valle proved to be a tough scorer and did a good job of
getting to the free throw line.
All isn't lost for Washington, Wilson and St. Ray's. They have a team with lots
of nice options and those two will get it together. Washington can create off
the dribble and knock down shots but he has to be sure to blend it with getting
others involved. Wilson is a long and slender wing who can attack the rim but
has to be careful not to tune himself out of the game and to make sure he stays
in attack mode.
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