Kendrick stands out at Beach Ball Classic

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.- The Beach Ball Classic ran through its first round games and even a quarterfinal match up on Monday. One of the standouts was Memphis signee Jelan Kendrick.

Wheeler (Ga.) 81, St. Edward (Ohio) 75- First Round

Jelan Kendrick (2010, Wheeler, Memphis commitment)

23 points, 9-14 from the field, 0-2 from the arc, 5-6 from the line, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 turnovers, 2 blocks, 2 steals in 27 minutes

Despite playing most of the game in foul trouble, Kendrick was the dominant performer on the court. Serving as a primary ball handler along with Phil Taylor, Kendrick was also a stabilizing force on the boards, leading his team in rebounding against an opposing frontline with two 6-foot-10 post players. And when Wheeler needed a play on offense, Kendrick was usually the one to make it happen.

Phil Taylor (2010, Wheeler, Florida International commitment)

14 points, 4-10 from the field, 1-3 from the arc, 5-6 from the line, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 turnovers, 0 blocks, 3 steals in 32 minutes

Taylor's major contribution in the win was finding the hot shooting K.K. Simmons, who scored 19 points on 5-9 shooting from the arc.

Miles Hamilton (2012, St. Edward)

23 points, 9-16 from the field, 2-3 from the arc, 3-3 from the line, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 0 blocks, 1 steal in 22 minutes

An energetic shooting guard, Hamilton did all he could do to keep St. Edward in the game. Explosive enough to play against the athletic Wheeler line up, Hamilton got most of his buckets on slashing moves to the basket. He also led his team in rebounding.

Zach Price (2011, St. Edward, Louisville commitment)

8 points, 4-8 from the field, 0-0 from the arc, 0-1 from the line, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 turnovers, 1 block, 0 steals in 25 minutes

Immediately Price's length stands out. He looks a good 6-foot-10 with long arms and athleticism. The potential is there, but he is still working to utilize his length and athleticism. Offensively he is relegated to put backs and left-handed jump hooks at the rim. The lefty struggles mightily at this point to make any move turning to his left shoulder and has not developed physical moves yet to pressure the defense and get him to the foul line. Nonetheless, there is a lot of potential in this prospect.

Bishop Gorman (Nev.) 79, Bishop O'Connell (Va.) 61- First Round

Anson Winder (2010, Bishop Gorman, BYU commitment)

32 points, 11-15 from the field, 2-2 from the arc, 8-10 from the line, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 turnovers, 0 blocks, 3 steals in 31 minutes

Winder was the dominant performer in this game. Besides having a strong all around game for a shooting guard, Winder is also a physical athlete. He took advantage of mismatches inside, was constantly slashing to the basket, made the two three-pointers he took and led his team in rebounding.

John Loyd (2010, Bishop Gorman)

7 points, 3-10 from the field, 0-2 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 1 rebound, 8 assists, 4 turnovers, 0 blocks, 3 steals in 31 minutes

Giving up quite a few inches to Bishop O'Connell point guard Kendall Marshall, Loyd did an admirable job limiting Marshall's penetration and scoring opportunities. He also played with poise on the offensive end, managing his team's offense and making sound decisions for the most part.

Rosco Allen (2012, Bishop Gorman)

16 points, 7-10 shooting, 2-3 from the arc, 0-0 from the line, 5 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 turnovers, 1 block, 0 steals in 18 minutes

A promising sophomore prospect, Allen is a good 6-foot-7 as a shooting guard. He utilizes his length to collect rebounds and loose balls and finishes the opportunities his size affords him around the rim. Allen has a feel for the game and European style to his play. Defense is a liability at this point, but, nonetheless, he registers as a no-brainer high major prospect.

Kendall Marshall (2010, Bishop O'Connell, North Carolina commitment)

14 points, 7-13 from the field, 0-0 from the arc, 0-1 from the line, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 8 turnovers, 0 blocks, 1 steal in 30 minutes

Marshall just doesn't have the shooters around him to maximize his penetrate and pitch skills. He is a situation where he must force the ball deeper than comfortable into the defense. Marshall finished a lot of these drives, but it was also the cause for a lot of his teammates. Primarily scoring off right to left spin moves in the lane, Marshall did not attempt a three-point shot throughout the game. Becoming a three-point shooting threat at North Carolina will be integral for his future success.

Columbia (Ga.) 64, Concord (S.C.) 61- Quarterfinals

Jarmal Reid (2012, Columbia)

9 points, 3-7 from the field, 0-0 from the arc, 3-5 from the line, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 turnover s, 0 blocks, 0 steals in 28 minutes

Reid is a definite 2012 high major prospect. He has good feet, great hands and plays with a strong motor as a combo forward prospect. When he got his touches, he was a handful to guard. Reid also showed promise from the perimeter on both ends of the basketball.

Chris Grier (2010, Columbia)

17 points, 7-10 from the field, 0-0 from the arc, 3-5 from the line, 9 rebounds, 0 assists, 4 turnovers, 0 blocks, 1 steal in 25 minutes

A hardnosed wing prospect, Grier kept Columbia in the game by grinding out tough plays around the basket, leading the game in scoring and rebounding. He's not a shooter, but he has the physical, competitive style of play that will help a low to mid-major team win games.

Jershon Cobb (2010, Columbia, Northwestern commitment)

12 points, 5-15 from the field, 1-2 from the arc, 1-3 from the line, 5 rebounds, 0 assists, 5 turnovers, 0 blocks, 1 steal in 26 minutes

Cobb, who is in need of developing more strength and toughness, never really asserted himself in this game. The skill and talent is there, but Cobb is too content to play soft at times.

Scott Co. (Ky.) 75, St. Frances (Md.) 64- First Round

Chad Jackson (2010, Scott Co.)

24 points, 7-9 from the field, 1-1 from the arc, 9-10 from the line, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 turnovers, 0 block, 1 steal in 24 minutes

Jackson used his physicality to advantage, coring most of his points in the low post.

Dakotah Euton (2010, Scott Co., Akron commitment)

12 points, 4-10 shooting, 1-3 from the arc, 3-3 from the line, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 block, 0 steals in 27 minutes

Euton can always be counted on to provide a top notch effort. What he lacks in athleticism, he makes up for in grit and determination.

Greg Lewis (2011, St. Frances)

18 points, 6-10 shooting, 0-0 from the arc, 6-6 from the line, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 block, 5 steals in 32 minutes

Lewis looks better every time we have seen him recently. He is aggressively pursuing the ball off the glass and showing an increasing confidence as a scorer with the ball in the low post. 6-6 from the line bodes well for the future as well.

Cedar Hill (Texas) 56, Mount St. Joseph (Md.) 53

Thomas Gipson (2011, Cedar Hill)

16 points, 6-9 from the field, 0-0 from the arc, 4-6 from the line, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 0 blocks, 0 steals in 30 minutes

A physical offensive presence in the low post, Gipson does a great job of getting his right shoulder into defenders and scoring with his dominant left hand. His patience with the basketball allows him to take full advantage of his physical strength. His four rebounds and zero blocked shots are indicators of where he has room for improvement.

Eric Atkins (2010, Mount St. Joseph, Notre Dame commitment)

18 points, 7-16 from the field, 1-3 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 0 turnovers, 0 blocks, 3 steals in 32 minutes

The games leading scorer, Atkins is most impressive with his efficiency with the basketball as a playmaker. Put talent and shooters around this complete point guard, and he will thrive at Notre Dame.

J.L. Mann (S.C.) 76, Myrtle Beach (S.C.) 49- Consolation Bracket

Damien Leonard (2011, J.L. Mann)

26 points, 10-14 from the field, 6-10 from the arc, 0-0 from the line, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 turnovers, 0 blocks, 1 steal in 24 minutes

Leonard, the No. 14 ranked prospect in the Rivals150 for the class of 2011, was the story of this game. Myrtle Beach had no answer for Leonard's high release bombs from deep as Leonard registered as both the game's high scorer and rebounder. There is no doubt that Leonard's scoring will translate to the next level. The question is whether or not this high level shooter will develop the dribble drive game to get him some easy points from the free throw line. On the season he is averaging 23 points, six rebounds and five assists per game this season.

Recruiting News

Damien Leonard listed offers from Kentucky, Clemson, Texas, Kansas, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech and named these schools as the ones recruiting him the hardest. With visits to Clemson and Virginia Tech already under his belt, Leonard plans to visit Kentucky and Texas this spring.

Sophomore post player Charles Mitchell of Wheeler High School already has offers from Auburn, Clemson and Georgia and is receiving interest from Western Kentucky, North Carolina State and Georgia Tech. Mitchell noted that Auburn and Clemson are recruiting him the hardest.

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