NBPA Top 100- Thursday night session
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - After a break, the action continued at the 2010 NBPA top 100 camp on the campus of the University of Virginia on Thursday night. Through two sessions it's become clear that the camp is missing a bit in terms of star-power due to USA Basketball, but that means some different guys were able to make waves. During session number two, guys like Branden Dawson, Ryan Boatright, P.J. Hairston and Sheldon McClellan.
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NBPA Thursday night notables
Bishop Daniels, SG, Raleigh (N.C.) Word of God- Well known for his ridiculous athleticism, the 6-foot-2 dunking machine has worked hard to round out his game. Thursday night he was under control for smooth 17 foot pull-up jumpers, he shared the ball and he played good defense. He's going to heat up in July with more outings like this.
Sheldon McClellan, SG, Bellaire (Texas) High- At 6-foot-5, the Texas bound two guard has outstanding size. A fine athlete with outstanding body control, he's always been a competent jump shooter. Now, McClellan has improved off of the dribble and he's a very slick passer on dribble drives through the heart of the defense. If he wants to commit to it, he's got tools to be an outstanding defender.
C.J. Barksdale, PF, Danville (Va.) George Washington- A verbal commitment to Virginia Tech, the 6-foot-7 Barksdale was very active. He's got good quickness, is quick off of the floor and plays hard on both ends of the floor. He's got a body that can be built upon and can run the floor. Big guys with room to improve and athleticism to spare are never a bad thing.
Rodney Hood, SF, Meridien (Miss.) High- A tall wing with excellent length, the 6-foot-6 Hood has always had some game off of the bounce. Thursday night, the lefty was complimenting his dribble-driving with pull-up jumpers and a good looking three from the corner. He looks to be moving his feet better and has a body to build on.
Branden Dawson, SF/PF, Gary (Ind.) Lew Wallace- There aren't many guys in the class of 2010 who can match up with Dawson physically and he knows it. A rugged wing who can play the four because of his toughness and athleticism, he just gets it done. Most of his damage was done within 12 feet, but he does shoot pretty well from 15 feet.
Ryan Boatright, PG, Aurora (Ill.) East- Few guys in the country can match his quickness and explosion off of the dribble. He's little at about 5-foot-10 and 150 pounds soaking wet but he's tough as nails and doesn't let misfortune get him down. He can smoke jumpers from deep, is an electric finisher on the break , and shows signs as a playmaker for others. There aren't a lot of point guards left in 2011 and his recruitment will certainly benefit from it.
P.J. Hairston, SF/SG, Chatham (Va.) Hargrave- A big and strong kid who physically dominates most wings in his way, Hairston led all scorers on day one. Basically, he subscribes to the "feels like leather" theory on offense where if something feels like leather in his hands, he's going to shoot. That's fine, we've got zero problems with guys who are aggressive when they make shots. He was tough on the glass and attacked the rim more than in the past.
More Thursday night notes
Julian Royal had himself a nice evening. The 6-foot-7 forward from Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton seems to be coming to terms with where he's most effective. He got on the glass, used soft touch on the interior and then stepped out for some jumpers. It's always good to see him working the glass. … He wasn't spectacular in the way he did things, but Tyler Adams was solid on Thursday. The Duke commit is a space eater who has really worked his body into shape. He can play physical and rebounds pretty well and that's what the Blue Devils were looking for. … Anthony Gill had a solid outing during the last game of the night. He scored 12 points on a nice mix of short/medium range jumpers and offensive stick-backs. … North Carolina native Bernard Sullivan was outstanding in both Thursday games. A lean 6-foot-7 guy who is jumping much better in traffic than ever before and he also packs a high level of skill in his 215 pound frame. The southpaw will be looked at closely by high majors in this class. … With his ability to play the one or the two and his 6-foot-4 size and length, Levi Randolph should end up a perfect compliment to Trevor Releford at Alabama. He just keeps getting better in all aspects of the game. …
Cedric McAfee provided one of the lighter moments of the night when he said "Memphis Melrose" when asked for his school list. He also mentioned Miami, Cincinnati, Arkansas, South Carolina, Memphis and Auburn. … {db]Ryan Boatright[/db] listed West Virginia, Wake Forest (said he had an offer from old staff but didn't know about new one), Miami, Kentucky, Kansas State, DePaul, Baylor and Tennessee. … On the list for Florida native Chris Bryant are Murray State, Florida State, Connecticut, Tennessee, Providence, Marquette, Auburn, Georgia and Florida Atlantic. … Finally, Mikael Hopkins mentioned Syracuse, Kansas, West Virginia, Ohio State, Maryland, Georgetown, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Texas, Miami, Villanova and Florida State. … Phew.
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