On the Bounce with Coach Meyer, YDF vo. 2

In this second installment of On the Bounce with Coach Meyer, Rivals.com National Scouts Jerry Meyer evaluates players off the South and West teams in the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival.

Note that all measurements are from the festival and in bare feet.

Calvin Miles (2005, 6-foot-5, 195-pounds, 8-foot-4 reach, combo wing, Dallas, Texas)

Miles excels in transition where ha can both finish on the run and make the difficult assist pass. He can slash to the basket and shoot the spot up three, but he needs to improve his midrange pull up jumper. Defense and lack of strength are weaknesses.

Richard Hendrix (2005, 6-foot-7.5, 263-pounds, 8-foot-8 reach, power forward, Athens, Ala.)

Hendrix’s strength, agility, and post moves make him a lethal scoring threat down low. He can also hit the face up jumper comfortably to 17-feet, and he can pass the ball. Defensively his 7-foot-2.5 wing span an his quickness to the ball make him a very good shot blocker, especially from the weakside. Lateral quickness in defending on the perimeter is not a strong suit.

A.J. Abrams (2005 Texas commitment, 5-foot-10.5, 142-pounds, 6-foot-1 wing span, shooting guard, Austin, Texas)

Abrams is a great shooter behind the arc coming off screen without the ball and coming off the high ball screen. Size is an issue defensively, and he needs to get stronger with the ball when handling on top. Primarily a shooting guard on offensive, and he can only guard the point on defense.

Tyler Smith (2005, 6-foot-6, 212-pounds, 8-foot-3 reach, small forward, Pulaski, Tenn.)

Smith is a very good athlete who can slash to the basket with either hand and finish with either hand. He is also very good running the lanes in transition and finishing. A strong defender and rebounder as well, but his skill on the perimeter and his midrange game need improving.

K.C. Rivers (2005 Clemson commitment, 6-foot-4, 216-pounds, 8-foot-2 reach, shooting guard, Charlotte, N.C.)

Rivers is a power guard who can do damage posting small guards and powering to the basket with his left hand. He is also a good spot up shooter behind the arc. Not exceptional with the ball, but he is solid and does not turn it over. Strong enough to guard any perimeter player, but not always quick enough.

Keith Brumbaugh (2005, 6-foot-8, 210-pounds, 8-foot-4 reach, small forward, DeLand, Fla.)

Brumbaugh is a very good athlete who specializes in attacking the basket primarily with his dominant left hand. He is also known to get hot behind the three point line, and he is a strong offensive rebounder when he goes to the glass although he has a short reach for a player his height. He does need to learn to pull up straight on midrange jumpers instead of floating. He also needs to get stronger and become a better on the ball defender.

Pierre Niles (2006, 6-foot-6.5, 265-pounds, 8-foot-5 reach, power forward, Memphis, Tenn.)

Niles has tremendous strength, but as he gets stronger he appears to be loosing flexibility and athleticism. He is good with the ball with either hands but often takes difficult shots on drives to the basket and does not always finish. Sort of a tweener, in that he has the size of a small forward, but does not have polished small forward skills.

Brandon Wright 2006, 6-foot-8.5, 190-pounds, 8-foot-7 reach, power forward, Nashville, Tenn.)

Wright is a tremendous shot blocker and a very good rebounder. His wing span of 7-foot-1.5 allows him to play above his opponents, and rarely does he turn the ball over. His skinny frame can be out muscled, and he needs to learn to hold his ground defensively and not always set up for the block and post up harder on offense.

Mike Mercer 2005 Georgia commitment, 6-foot-3.5, 170-pounds, 7-foot-11 reach, point guard, Snellville, Ga.)

Mercer is a very athletic and long point guard who can defend either guard position and rebound with the big boys. Very good with the ball, he can create a shot whenever he wishes and find the open man. He is prone to get lackadaisical with the ball at times, and then he turns it over.

Louis Williams (2005 Georgia commitment, 6-foot-.5, 177-pounds, 7-foot-10 reach, combo guard, Snellville, Ga.)

Williams is a prolific scorer who specializes in hitting the tough shot. He can create shots at will going either direction and can pass the ball as well. Can get lazy on defense, and will turn the ball over when he gets both careless and pressured.

Tasmin Mitchell (2005, 6-foot-6, 247-pounds, 8-foot-4 reach, small forward, Denham Springs, La.)

Mitchell is a jack of all trades at the small forward position. Although not exceptional at any one area, he does everything well and has the potential to do everything very well. He can score on the spot up three, in the midrange area, and I the low post with a jump hook.

Marcus Johnson (2005, 6-foot-6, 190-pounds, 8-foot-4 reach, small forward, Los Angeles, Calif.)

Johnson is a very good athlete who excels at filling the lanes on the break and finishing. A hard working defensive player, Johnson has the length and athletic ability to be a very good defender. Not extremely skilled right now, Johnson’s skill level should continue to improve, and he does have a chance to be a solid three point shooter. He has a good upside.

Brayden Bell (2005, 6-foot-8.5, 244-pounds, 8-foot-5 reach, center, Salt Lake City, Utah)

Bell is best at hitting the face up jumper with his nice stroke. He does have post moves and a jump hook, but he struggles to score against bigger and more athletic players. Not very fast or explosive, he struggles defensively against high major talent.

Martell Webster (2005, 6-foot-6.5, 234-pounds, 8-foot-4, shooting guard, Seattle, Wash.)

Still recovering from an ankle injury and working to get in shape, Webster has a chance to be the best prospect in the class of 2005 when he gets healthy. He is a smooth shooter with deep range. His quick first step then sets up his very strong midrange game. On defense he has the size and athleticism to guard multiple positions.

Brian Morris (2005, 6-foot-7, 262-pounds, 8-foot-6 reach, power forward, Portland, Ore.)

Morris has good hands and solid skills 17-feet and in. Big bodied without good foot speed, Morris has trouble getting up and down the court in a fast paced game. His game is more suited for a half court style of play.

Andre McGee (2005 Louisville commitment, 5-foot-10, 179-pounds, 7-foot-4 reach, point guard, Moreno Valley, Calif.)

McGee is a shoot first point guard who can put up big numbers. He can also penetrate and find the open man. Although strongly built, his size and less than exceptional lateral quickness can hinder his ability to guard the ball.

Amir Johnson (2005 Louisville commitment, 6-foot-9, 217-pounds, 8-foot-9 reach, center, Los Angeles, Calif.)

Johnson can run and jump and will become an even better athlete as he gets stronger. He still has a raw post up game, but he has a jump hook and the skill base to develop a solid post up game. The mechanics on his face up shot and free throw need work. With his length and athleticism, he has a good upside.

Darren Collison (2005 UCLA commitment, 5-foot-11.5, 143-pounds, 7-foot-7 reach, point guard, Rialto, Calif.)

Very fast with the ball, Collison can get to the basket in transition and finish tough shots with either hand. He is also a good with the catch and shoot behind the arc. Lack of strength is an issue right now defensively and when handling the ball against pressure.

Jon Brockman (6-foot-7, 247-pounds, 8-foot-2 reach, power forward, Snohomish, Wash.)

Although undersized with only an 8-foot-2 reach at the power forward position, Brockman is a workhorse down low guaranteed to produce a double-double. He is extremely fast up and down the court and rebounds both sides of the basket. He can guard a small forward, but he still needs to develop small forward skills.

Micah Downs (6-foot-7.5, 187-pounds, 8-foot-4 reach, small forward, Bothell, Wash.)

Downs has the offensive skill to make all the plays as a small forward. He can shoot it and is very good with the ball especially in transition. He does need to gain weight and get tougher as a defender and rebounder.

Mario Chalmers (6-foot-.5, 179-pounds, 7-foot-10 reach, point guard, Anchorage, Alaska)

Chalmers can both shoot it and pass it although his primary intention is to create a shot, which he is very good at doing. He can score from deep, at the basket, and anywhere between, but he does not get much lift on his outside jumper. He is also a very good defender on the ball and off the ball, specializing in getting steals with his long reach and quick hands. He has a good upside in that he will only get better as he gets stronger.