NBA Players Camp: Day One Notebook

Following are news and notes from Day One of the NBA Players Association Camp which is being held in Richmond, Virginia.

Top Six Scorers from the Day:

#1. Dwight Howard 40 points (3 games)

#2. Alex Galindo 40 points

#3. Glen Davis 35 points

#4. Marquise Cooke 33 points

#5. Malik Hairston 33 points

#6. Mike Williams 33 points

Top Five Rebounders from the Day:

#1. LeMarcus Aldridge 27 rebounds (3 games)

#2. Dwight Howard 25 rebounds

#3. Mohammed Tangara 20 rebounds

#4. Marquise Gray 19 rebounds

#5. Drew Crank 16 rebounds

Stock on the Rise:

*** Rico Tucker was one of the most impressive guards in Day one. An ultra quick athlete, Tucker played tenacious defense while also finding a way to score. The scuttlebutt on Tucker is that he needs to continue to improve his handle in order to be considered one of the nation’s top point guards.

*** Michigan State commitment Drew Neitzel showed impressive ball handling skills by creating easy shots for his teammates. While not overly athletic, Netziel is a smart player that sees the floor well and gets his teammates involved.

*** Mohammad Tangara showed why he is one of the more athletic big men in the nation. Although he is still raw, Tangara demonstrated the ability to get to the basket and had several nice low post moves for buckets.

*** Michigan commitment Joe Crawford made a strong impression on the offensive end of the floor, displaying the ability to get to the basket and also knocking down the perimeter shot.

*** Malik Hairston is a silky smooth wing guard with a good feel for the game. Hairston proved to be patience on offense and didn’t force bad shots. Hairston has the ability to score from anywhere on the court and has a solid handle.

*** Mike Williams used his athleticism and continued to prove that he is as good as any big forward in the country in transition. Williams has the ability to score in bunches, making him one of the top talents in the nation.

Notes:

Sean Singletary (Virginia commitment) and Alexander Kaun were in attendance on Wednesday but did not compete because of injury. Ty Morrison, Charles Rhodes, Charles White, Juan Palacios and Lewis Williams did not show.

Al Jefferson told RivalsHoops.com that he was planning to leave the event after the first day of play due to a sore knee.

Forward/Center Joey Cameron (2005) sat out the third game of day one and it is unclear as to whether he will play the remainder of the tournament.

Featured Games:

Lakers fall to Magic 52-50: In one of the feature games of the day, center Al Jefferson scored 14 points and grabbed four rebounds in a losing effort. Despite an 8-0 run in the second half in which Jefferson scored six straight points, his Lakers fell to the Magic 52-50. The Magic were led by 5-11 point guard Rico Tucker, who finished with a team high 10 points.

Other players of note:

(Magic) Mohammad Tangara 8 points and 4 rebounds

(Magic) D.J. White 8 points and 3 rebounds

(Magic) RaSean Dickey 6 points and 6 rebounds

(Magic) Tasmine Mitchell 6 points and 5 rebounds

(Lakers) Marquise Gray 8 points and 4 rebounds

(Lakers) Bryce Taylor 8 points

Nets down Magic 65-61: The Nets received a solid effort from center Glen Davis, who scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds to hold off the Magic 65-61. Junior sensation Tasmine Mitchell kept the Magic close, scoring 12 points and grabbing five rebounds.

Other players of note:

(Magic) Rico Tucker 12 points

(Magic) Mohammad Tangara 8 points and 10 rebounds

(Magic) D.J. White 8 points

(Nets) Raymond Sessions 10 points

(Nets) Anthony Morrow 7 points

(Nets) Shaun Livingston 6 points

(Nets) Corey Brewer 6 points

Rockets capture overtime win over the Mavericks: The nightcap featured thirteen players ranked in the Rivals150 and promised to be one of the events most anticipated games. The game lived up to expectations as the Rockets pulled off a 56-54 victory over the Mavericks in overtime on a James Mayes layout on the first possession of the extra session. Mike Williams scored 21 points and five rebounds, LeMarcus Aldridge scored 8 points and 10 rebounds and Daniel Gibson chipped in eight points, as the three Longhorn commitments lead the Mavericks. The Rockets were paced by Michigan commitment Joe Crawford, who scored 13 points. Also playing well for the Rockets were Malik Hairston (11 points) and Randolph Morris (6 points).