On the Bounce With Coach Meyer

There are many different ways to evaluate a prospect. You can evaluate where a player is right now, or you can try to project his abilities so many years down the road. You can evaluate him as a high school player, a college player, or as a professional player.

After watching many of the top 2005 prospects play in the month of April, I have come up with a list of the top 12 players that I would recruit for my team if I were a high major coach.

It is pretty safe to say that the RivalsHoops.com staff saw every top 2005 prospect play in the month of April. Unfortunately, I could not see all of them. This list was limited to only 2005 prospects I saw first hand in April.

I will catch all the players I missed this spring, starting with the Tournament of Champions and at all the other great summer events in June and July.

MEYER'S BEST OF APRIL

Bobby Frasor- 6-foot-3, 180-pound, combo guard (Illinois Fire & Brother Rice High School- Blue Island, Illinois)

Sharp shooting, tough, and great with the ball, Frasor is the consummate all around guard. He can defend, create his own shot, and create for his teammates. If I could only have one guard, Frasor would be the man.

Louis Williams- 6-foot-2, 165-pound, shooting guard (Georgia Stars & South Gwinnett High School- Snellville, Georgia)

If points are needed, Williams can get them. Smooth and explosive, Williams can score pretty much every way imaginable. During April he played with the maturity of a winning guard and made plays on the defensive end as well as on the offensive end.

Micah Downs- 6-foot-8, 185-pounds, shooting guard (Friends of Hoop & Bothell (Wash.) High School)

Downs has a solid floor game along with surprising athleticism and creative flare with the ball. In the open court he is dangerous either out on the wing or in the middle with the ball. Although he does need to get stronger, in the half court game he has a potent combination of length and shooting touch.

Tyler Hasbrough- 6-foot-9, 230-pounds, power forward (St. Louis Eagles & Poplar Bluff (Mo.) High School)

Hansbrough has great size, great feet, and great hands. He runs the floor from baseline to baseline and rebounds both sides of the basket. Relentless as a competitor, he is beginning to develop a polished back-to-the-basket game, and can do damage in the high post area.

Greg Paulus- 6-foot-1, 180-pounds, point guard (SRAP & Christian Brothers Academy- Manlius, New York)

Not the most explosive athlete, but I have never seen anyone athletic enough or good enough to stop Paulus from getting the ball and doing what he wants with it. In addition to being a tremendous handler and passer, he also displayed the ability to score the ball and shoot it from deep this spring.

Chris Douglas-Roberts- 6-foot-5, 170-pounds, combo guard (The Family & Cass Tech- Detroit, Michigan)

Douglas-Roberts has a tremendous feel for the game that makes him a dangerous offensive rebounder and a great passer. His jumper needs work and he needs to put on weight, but he is polished in every other aspect of the game. Like Paulus, he has a way of getting things done.

Mario Chalmers- 6-foot-1, 165-pounds, point guard (Alaska/New Mexico Pump N Run & Bartlett High School- Anchorage, Alaska)

Chalmers can do everything a point guard needs to be able to do. He can run a team, create shots for teammates, get his own shot outside the arc and inside the arc, defend, and rebound on the defensive end. As he gets stronger, he will only get better and better.

Jon Brockman- 6-foot-6, 240-pounds, power forward (Friends of Hoop & Snohomish (Wash.) High School)

Although undersized, Brockman is as powerful as a power forward gets. Gifted with balance and strength, he is an explosive athlete off two feet. He can get by defenders with his quickness and finish through them with his power. He will need to improve his passing and handling skills around the arc.

Keith Brumbaugh- 6-foot-8, 215-pounds, small forward (Team Florida & DeLand (Fla.) High School)

Brumbaugh is a gifted offensive player with all the tools to be a big time scorer. The lefty does need work going right and needs to get stronger and tougher. When he decides to really compete, there are not many high school players that can stay with him.

Calvin Miles- 6-foot-6, 210-pounds, small forward (Team Texas & Skyline High School- Dallas, Texas)

Miles is another small forward who can hurt you from long range, mid-range, and in the lowpost. He is also a good offensive rebounder when he hits the boards. Not only can he score, but he is also a very good passer in the open court. With more strength and defensive toughness, Miles could be a truly great all around player.

Kevin Swinton- 6-foot-7, 230-pounds, power forward (North Carolina Gators & Dudley High School)

Powerful and tough, Swinton is fun to watch operate with his back-to-the-basket. At times undersized down on the block, he usually has the finesse and power to get the ball and then get it in the basket. He also runs well and has the potential to develop small forward skills.

Gerald Green– 6-foot-8, 195-pounds, small forward (Houston Elite & Gulf Shores Academy- Houston, Texas)

There may not be an offensive move with the ball that Green does not have. Already utilizing pro type moves to score, Green’s size and multi-scoring capabilities make him a nightmare to match up with. He does need work rounding out his game on the defensive end and on the boards.