On the Road: Scouting 4 of the top 6 in Alabama

Steele continues to have a fantastic junior campaign.

RivalsHoops.com was on hand to witness the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Classic at Fair Park's Bill Harris Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

The classic which featured a double header highlighted by the night cap which saw inner-city rivals Parker High School (25-1; ranked No. 2 in the 6A) take on West End High School (20-4; No. 5 in 5A).

The first game showcased John Carroll High School (23-0; ranked No. 1 in 6A) and Ramsey High School (10-10).

John Carroll was led by two of the top-rated players in the state, Ron Steele, 6-foot-1, 175-pounds, and rated the No. 7 prospect in the South by Rivals.com and 6-foot-5, 185-pound DeMarre Carroll, a fast rising prospect who has been impressive in the early part of the season.

The Cavaliers got an outstanding effort from their two stars, jumping out to a 41-22 halftime lead and then coasting to 84-59 victory with both Steele and Carroll sitting out the 4th quarter.

Steele showed a solid all-around effort and finished with 17 points, eight assists, four rebounds and three steals. Carroll was even more impressive, hitting 10 of 18 shots from the field, recording 25 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.

The second game was a rematch from an earlier contest this year that saw Parker outlast West End in overtime. The game featured 6-foot-4, 190-pound guard Glen Miles from West End, who is rated the South’s No. 9 top prospect by Rivals.com, and 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward Walter Sharpe for Parker. Sharpe is another fast rising prospect who is making a run at the Rivals 100 recruiting list for 2004.

Sharpe has tons of talent.

The game got off to a sluggish start with both teams showing the nerves of playing in front of 4,000 enthusiastic fans. Led by a good defensive effort, West End held Parker to less than 33% shooting from the field in the first half and held a 21-17 halftime advantage.

The contest continued at a snail’s pace in the 2nd half with both teams valuing every possession but Parker’s press proved to be too much in the fourth quarter and the Thundering Herd eked out a 47-44 win.

Stymied by West End’s zone defense and foul trouble, Walter Sharpe was held in check for most of the game. He did show great court vision several times with nice assists to teammates and finished the game with nine points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots.

Miles keep West End close in the final minutes with a couple of big baskets and led the Lions in scoring with 15 points, while also pulling down 12 rebounds and dropping six assists.

SCOUTING THE PROSPECTS:

DeMarre Carroll: He has showed nice improvement from last year. Carroll is an athletic player with impressive small forward skills. He can knock down the open jumper and put the ball on the floor and go strong to the basket. Carroll also has a solid handle and several times brought the ball down the floor for the Cavaliers. He will need to get bigger and stronger but will have looks from some high majors. UAB head coach, Mike Anderson, is his uncle and the Blazers will be involved in his recruitment. Carroll is a borderline top 100-150 prospect with a big upside that could see his stock rise.

Glen Miles: Despite playing out of position on the wing for much of the game, Miles showed maturity and a natural feel for the game. He is best with the ball in his hands and playing an up-tempo style, therefore West End’s patient offense does not allow him to showcase his abilities to the fullest. Miles rebounds well for a guard and works hard defensively. Alabama is his currently his favorite college choice. Miles is a top 40 prospect in the 2004 class that needs to improve on defense.

Walter Sharpe: He was not as impressive as his last performance against D.J. White partly due to his guards not getting him the ball in the post. Sharpe is a very athletic prospect who runs the floor well. He has a nice offensive arsenal and is capable of hitting his shot from outside the arc as well as knocking down the mid-range jumper. He is as physically gifted, as two of Alabama’s more celebrated big men, White and Mike Williams but desire is the big question with him. Currently his recruitment is wide-open. Sharpe is a definite top 100 player for the 2004 class based on potential alone but could move into the top 30-50 range if he plays hard the rest of the year.

Ron Steele: Another impressive performance from the state’s top point guard prospect. Steele showed great handle and vision, which resulted in several easy baskets for his teammate. He is a good athlete with a nice jump shot and the ability to penetrate and dish or draw the foul. Alabama, N.C. State, Vanderbilt among others are showing early interest. Steele is a top 40 prospect for the 2004 class.

IN THE HOUSE:

Coaches from UAB and Auburn were seen in attendance scouting the four prospects.