Oden to Joy

Oden to Joy

11 November 2006

Flint-- Norm Oden’s Post/Perimeter Camp at Flint Carman-Ainsworth was a great exhibition of talent before the start of the season. I was left with a few conclusions coming away from Saturday: 1) Flint Carman Ainsworth is going to be good this season and incredible the next, 2) the sophomore class may have been the most impressive one and 3) the 2008 class is extremely deep with good point guards. The following is a breakdown of the players I noticed:

Doug Anderson 6’5” So. Kalamazoo Central

I demand to see this kid’s birth certificate because there is no way that he is just a sophomore. The muscular Anderson was easily the best athlete at the camp. He can dunk it any way imaginable and on one in particular it appeared that his head was level with the rim. He seems to have a fine handle for the perimeter, but resides in the paint relying on his strength and hops primarily. I think every point of his was a dunk. He’s a ridiculous talent.

Kieondre Arkwright 5’10” Jr. Flint Carman Ainsworth

His game is progressing nicely. He's quick with or without the ball. He exhibited his trademark shooting skill, but also showed a lot of playmaking ability. He and Lee will make for a great passing backcourt.

DeMarcus Bracy 6’4” So. Flint Southwestern Academy

He’s another sophomore that looks like he’s 25, similar to Anderson. Bracy has a man’s body. Check that; he’s got an NFL player’s body. He can bang with anyone and has pretty good athleticism. He showed some nice handles for a guy at his position in the drills. In the games he stuck to working inside, which he was very effective at. I also noticed him knocking down a couple of jumpers. Has an all-business attitude on the court.

Demondre Chapman (pictured right) 6’5” Fr. Flint Carman Ainsworth

Is it just me, or are kids looking older at a younger age? Demondre is another good example of that. He’s got a well developed body. Showed some pretty good ups and appeared at times to have some nice touch with the ball. His game needs polish, but he has a knack for scoring inside.

Andrew Charlesworth 6’5” Sr. Flint Powers Catholic Central

Today, Charlesworth showed some athleticism and the ability to handle the ball. It looks like he’s ready to make the transition to the wing, but his football frame is probably going to keep him inside for the high school season. He has a great attitude and seems to be the kind of guy you want any coach would want on his roster.

Ahmad Cheers 5’9” Jr. Flint Carman Ainsworth (pictured left)

A true blue-collar player. He gets after it on every possession. An exceptional defender that gave some future division one point guards fits. His jump shot looked good as well. Cheers missed a lay-up that could have won his team the game in overtime, and, like a true gamer, came right back and hit the game-winning jumper.

JC Cruse 6’3” Sr. Grosse Pointe South

He’s an extremely efficient player with the ball. JC made the most of his chances by taking the ball straight to the rack. His shot doesn’t appear to be a huge threat, but his athletic frame can get him in close every time.

Caleb Dean 6’8” Jr. Novi

Possesses a nice jumper for a big man and loved the idea of the tip dunk as he grabbed the rim after almost every shot. Doesn’t appear to favor working on the blocks where he would be most effective, but doesn’t quite have the muscle for banging.

Adrian Hunter 5’11” Jr. Grand Blanc (pictured right)

Quintessential floor general that seems to do everything right. His deep ball isn’t much of a factor, but does a great job of getting his teammates involved. Exceptional defender. At his best in transition.

Austin Harper 6’0” So. Grand Haven

Harper is a tough and savvy young point guard. Made nice passes and shot with a high field goal percentage. He always seemed to end up with any loose ball. Harper was a real surprise to most in attendance.

Abner Kamps 6’8” Sr. Grand Haven

Big and physical frame. Abner lacks polish, but works as hard as anyone on the floor.

Laval Lucas-Perry 6’3” Sr. Flint Powers Catholic Central

May as well have been Michael Jordan on the floor. He possesses a near flawless shot, a quick first step, great defense and the strength to finish in any situation. I figured that he would have some rust from football, but he looked great today. Arizona is getting a good one.

Patrick Lucas-Perry 5’10” 8^th East Grand Blanc

Has a lot of characteristics that are reminiscent of his older brother. Nice shooter and solid ball-handler. Will have the luxury of playing guard for the next four years, while his brother had to develop his guard-game from the forward spot. Could be great.

Sean Jones 6’10” Jr. Carson City – Crystal (pictured right)

Despite his lanky frame he seems to love the post. Never strays too far from the paint. Has a lot of nice inside moves including a money jump-hook that I saw him use against Dean at least three times. Decent on the boards, but has to get stronger.

Dontae Molden 5’10” Jr. Detroit Pershing

Strong and effective point guard that hit a lot of big shots.

Courtland Patterson 6’4” So. Flint Carman Ainsworth

Long and awkward body to deal with. Showed some athleticism and ability.

Brad Redford 6’0” Jr. Frankenmuth (pictured left)

Great ball-handler and unbelievable three-point shooter. Made a ton of well-contested deep threes. He’s an absolute handful to cover. Outside of Lucas-Perry, Redford may have been the most impressive player.

Ricky Rowse 6’2” Sr. Flushing

Didn’t get too many touches, but made the most of the ones he got. Great shooter and played good position defense. Has improved as much as anyone in mid-Michigan over the summer.

Reggie Stallings 6’2" Jr. Flint Carman Ainsworth (pictured at top)

He’s got talent coming out of his ears, but doesn’t appear to have the killer instinct of his teammate Lee. Settled for too many long three-pointers even when he was cold. Tough to deal with around the basket. Another guy that can dunk it any way you want. Had one of the quickest first steps in drills, but didn’t utilize it in games. A potential star.

Drew Valentine 6’3” So. Lansing Sexton (pictured right)

Fantastic basketball player. Has a nice jumper, but is at his best going to the basket either finishing for himself or setting up a teammate, which he did for Doug Anderson several times. Very skilled young performer that can beat you in a myriad of ways.

Jake Wild 6’4” So. Hanover – Horton

Has a sick cross-over move that he uses to get separation for a three-ball. He showed a lot of hustle. It would be nice to see him post up from time to time.

Christian Vaughn 6’0” Fr. Saginaw (pictured left)

Tough guard that scored from all over the floor. Got a lot of buckets by backing down smaller guards, a la Gary Payton. It's easy to see why he's so liked.

Terrence Willis 5’11" Sr. Jackson Lumen Christi

Wonderful and competitive guard. He made smart decisions and took it upon himself to run the team. Great teammate. He and Adam Hiday over at Lumen Christi make for a dream backcourt for any coach.

Jonathan Lee 6’1” Jr. Flint Carman Ainsworth (pictured right)

This kid is a witch. He has a competitive edge that he took out on everyone he could Saturday. Great ball-handler who has no problem pushing the ball through traffic. Fantastic passer; probably led everyone in assists. His team was its best when he was getting a lot of touches. Showed a lot of versatility today on both ends of the floor. Doesn’t appear to be a deep threat, but has a nice mid-range jumper. He and Hunter on the floor together equaled a nightmare for their opponents.