It Takes 5IVE: Johnson impresses

CINCINNATI- Although the star power is a little down from years past at the It Takes 5ive adidas Classic, a slew of head coaches and assistant coaches descended upon the Cincinnati campus. One of the top standouts, however, was Terone Johnson who is already committed to Purdue.

Terone Johnson (Eric Gordon All Stars)- A physical combo guard, Johnson plays with tremendous composure with the basketball. Quick and powerful going left or right, he finds scorers off the dribble and can punish defenders with physical finishes. He is also built to be a quality defender. Playing primarily the point guard position on Monday, Johnson has the qualities to be quite a productive player during his Big Ten career.

Will Sheehey (Florida Rams)- The bouncy 6-foot-4 wing was one of the surprises of the day. After making a couple positive plays in his early game which rallied his team around him, Sheehey was full of confidence and stayed on the attack the rest of the day. He made a number of impressive plays off the dribble, had a couple athletic finishes and continually moved with a purpose without the ball. Sheehey looked every bit like a high major prospect.

Jordan McRae (Atlanta Celtics)- When McRae gets dialed in from the outside like he did Monday, he is awful difficult to defend. Not the most physical of players, McRae has more room to slash to the basket and his energy level perks up when his outside shot is falling. The skill and length are there for him to be an impact player at the high major level. The challenge is to develop the physical strength to translate his abilities at Tennessee.

Ryan Harrow (Atlanta Celtics)- Harrow's slight frame is still a concern defensively is one on one isolation situations, but we are beginning to like his potential for being a pesky defender. He has quick hands and instinct and appears to be making more of a concerted effort on that side of the ball. Offensively, there really isn't much of a question concerning his ability. His elusiveness with the ball makes up for a lack of strength, and his athleticism and body control make him a high level playmaker.

Fabricio de Melo (Florida Rams)- You just don't find that many big bodies who are as naturally talented offensively as de Melo. He is in the same category as Al Jefferson and DeMarcus Cousins in terms of offensive skill level. There is still work to do defensively and as a rebounder, but the improvement is evident primarily because of a steady improvement in his conditioning. It also would be nice to see de Melo keep the ball higher after his rebounds.

Jordin Mayes (Pump N Run)- The combo guard played well at the lead guard position for his squad. In typical fashion, he drained three-pointers, but he also created opportunities with his dribble penetration. He appears to be getting stronger and more athletic, which certainly bodes well for the future.

Jershon Cobb- The future is bright for this wiry combo guard. Cobb has an advanced feel for the game and shoots a quality runner off the dribble

2011 Prospects

Darwin Davis (Indiana Elite)- With his instincts and quickness, Davis is a disruptive force defensively both off and on the basketball. His body control and ability to make plays off the dribble make him special offensively. If the Xavier commitment can take his outside jumper up a level, it will take his entire game up a level or two.

Jeremiah Davis (Indiana Elite)- The second Davis of this backcourt tandem, is a physical guard who also has speed. Jeremiah puts constant pressure on the defense and has the ability to knock down shots from a variety of areas on the court. The careless turnover when he plays to fast is his Achilles Heel.

Kevin Ware (Atlanta Celtics)- Yes, his jumper needs an overhaul, but there aren't many point guards out there with his length, athleticism and instincts. Ware is one of the best transition defenders regardless of class, and he is a natural playmaker on offense.

Dominique McCoy (Atlanta Celtics)- An active athlete as a combo forward, McCoy has some intriguing upside. The physical lefty is good in transition and hits the glass hard. He is coming along as an offensive player and knocked down a three-pointer during our viewing.

Ryan Fucci (Kentucky Ice)- This physical shooter certainly won the respect of the Atlanta Celtics program. Draining shots both off the catch and the dribble, Fucci put up 35 points against the Celtics. Right now he is hearing from Wright State, Evansville and IUPUI.

Loose Ends

2011 wing prospect Levi Randolph of the Nashville Celtics has an Alabama offer.

With Alabama signee Shawn Kemp reclassifying and attending Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy to work on getting a qualifying ACT score, first year head coach Anthony Grant has his initial 2010 commitment. Kemp said he still plans to attend Alabama once he finishes at Hargrave.

2010 four-star prospect Casey Prather had a litany of head coaches tracking him on Monday. Roy Williams watched both of Prather's games, and Billy Donovan, John Calipari, John Beilein, Oliver Purnell and Josh Pastner watched him as well.

2010 four-star prospect Jershon Cobb has offers from Auburn and Boston College and is receiving interest from Alabama, Cincinnati, Florida, Florida State, VCU and Xavier.