LAS VEGAS -- The month of July has been a long grind for players, coaches and scouts alike. The end of the tunnel can be seen, though, and on Saturday players were fighting through fatigue to make impressions. Nobody in Las Vegas made a bigger impression on Rivals.com than rising junior combo guard Kwe Parker who proved that he is much more than just a freakish leaper.
Parker rounding out game
Make no mistake, rising junior combo guard Kwe Parker is as freakishly athletic a player as you will find in America. Nobody will argue that. However, there have been questions about exactly how much game Parker has outside of being able to jump really high.
On Saturday, Parker answered many of those questions during a sensational 33-point performance against Salt Lake Metro in the Fab 48.
Of course, Parker made his fair share of plays that were possible only because of his absurd leaping ability. At one point, he jumped so high on a baseline alley-oop that he surprised even himself when, after catching the ball and realizing how high in the air he was, yelled out "Oh my God" before slamming the ball home with two hands.
As impressive as plays like the one described above are, the other things Parker showed were more important. Parker showed both a tight and creative handle with the ball, he broke down defenders at will with the bounce and he shot deep jumpers and made crisp passes. For an "athlete", it was one heck of an all-around performance and there is little doubt that he will make his way into the next round of 2016 rankings.
"We can all play good and have good games," Parker said. "I'm trying not to use my athleticism so much. I'm trying to prove that I can play winning ball. I feel like I can play either the one or the two."
Word from sources was that Parker backed up his afternoon play during a late playoff game and he currently has plans to visit UVA for an elite camp in August and is also set to hit Rutgers in late August, along with Miami and Tennessee in October.
Big games for James
Rising senior shooting guard Christian James had spent most of the last year inside the Rivals150. However, during the most recent update to the class of 2015's rankings, the 6-foot-3 product of Houston just slid out. It looks like he might be playing himself back in.
Aggressive, strong and confident, James looked much more like the player that hit the floor last summer and during his junior season when he took the floor with the Houston Hoops at the Las Vegas Classic on Saturday.
James drove to the rim, invited and finished through contact and played an all-around solid game. He felt good about his game, but noted that it had a lot to do with his team playing well.
"We are playing together as a team and it has been good for all of us," James said. "I've been playing well and I'm trying to get guys involved and attack when I can."
There were plenty of coaches on hand to see him Saturday and James doesn't lack for high major offers. He listed offers from Oregon (Dana Altman was on hand), Creighton, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Tulsa, UT-Arlington, LSU, TCU, Houston, Wake Forest, Texas Tech and New Mexico (head coach Craig Neal on hand).
James said that he'll look to trim things down when he gets home from Las Vegas, but he is happy to have finished out his grassroots basketball career on a high note.
"During Peach Jam and in Las Vegas has been my best ball," James said. "I'm staying aggressive, attacking the rim and playing to get my teammates involved."
The Blue Squad here in Vegas is a team of hoopers from Senegal that are spread out all over the globe. They took a tough loss to the Mac Irvin Fire, but not without impressing. Two players stood out in particular. Six-foot-nine power forward Abdouleye Ndoye, who could end up a class of 2015 prospect, and 6-foot-8 class of 2016 power forward Mamadi DiakiteClick News and notesHere to view this Link. can both ball.
Per his coach, there is a chance that Ndoye -- who currently plays for French club team Chalon -- could come to the U.S. to play a season of ball. Or, he could stay overseas and come over for college. Or -- and his coach didn't say this -- it looks like Ndoye could consider pro opportunities. During a 36-point performance, he did everything. His jumper was pure from as far out as 25 feet, he rebounded, he posted and he looked like the kind of player who could set off a major recruiting battle. Will he ever make it stateside? Only time will tell. But if Ndoye is even 75 percent of the player he showed on Saturday, then he is somebody Rivals.com would strongly consider assigning five-star status to.