spiece run n slam players

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SoCalHoops Recruiting News

HoopScoop's Take On The Top Spiece
Run N' Slam Tourney Players--(May 9, 2001)

While we've been writing our own evaluations of some of the players we watched at the Spiece Tournament, we came across Clark Francis' takes on some of the players he liked at the tournament. But Clark's stuff is sometimes hard to read, and we think that even he would be the first to recognize that sometimes even his stuff can use a little editing. So that's what we did, moved things around, cut, pasted and in general made it easier to read.

Remember, these evaluations and the comments which follow are those of Clark Francis, not anyone here at SoCalHoops. Again, we'll have a separate article focusing on the SoCal players who participated shortly.

HoopScoop's Spiece Run N Slam Evaluations

Dee Brown (6'-0" Jr. PG) Proviso East HS, Maywood, Ill--This year the most outstanding player was 6'0 Jr Dee Brown from Maywood (Proviso East) IL, who now has to be ranked among the top 10 or 15 juniors by the HOOP SCOOP. Brown simply picked up where he left off when we saw him two weeks ago in the Kentucky Hoopstars Classic in Louisville, KY. He also had the best individual performance of the entire tournament when he had six 3-pointers and 20 points against St. Louis Gameface in a 8:00 AM round of 16 game on Saturday morning. And that was just in the first quarter, as Brown finished with 38 points for the game. However, he didn't put up big numbers at the expense of his teammates. Brown is a streaky shooter, but he's also jet-quick, makes good decisions, and has excellent handling and passing skills.

Other Top 5 or 6 players:

Jimmy McKinney (6'-4" Jr. G) Vashon HS, St. Louis, MO
DeAngelo Collins (6'-9" Jr. F) Inglewood HS
David Padgett (6'-11" So. F/C) Reno H.S, Nevada
Chris Rodgers (6'-3" Jr. G) Portland Jefferson HS, Oregon
Jeff Horner (6'-2" Jr. G) Mason City HS, Iowa.

Top Players meriting special attention:

Greg Brunner (6'-7" Jr. F) Charles City HS, Iowa--along with Horner, he led Martin Brothers Select to a 48-40 victory in the championship game in the Seniors-To-Be Division. Brunner had 20 points in the championship game, but even more important were the intensity and toughness he provided for his team throughout the tournament. Sure, you can argue that Brunner isn't tall enough to be a power forward at the college level and he doesn't shoot it well and doesn't appear to be quick enough to play out on the perimeter. But it doesn't matter, because his team usually wins and he's a big reason why. As a result, he was our choice for tournament MVP and he legitimately has to rank among our top 75 nationally.

Ray Nixon (6'-7" Jr. F) Dominican HS, Milwaukee, WI--Nixon is a multi-dimensional athlete who can play any position on the court at this level, because he can block shots, rebound, beat you off the dribble with his quickness, handle, pass, and shoot the three. He isn't as big as Antoine Walker was at the same stage, his court demeanor and style of play reminds me of Walker's. I also am intrigued by the fact that a lot people from Wisconson are overlooking this guy. As a result, we went back and watched Nixon play several more times. And the last time he was the guy who brought the ball up the court and started the offense. He also is a big-time athlete and plays with a lot of intensity. So write him down as one of the biggest sleepers in the class, as well as a legitimate top 50 junior nationally.

Kyle Wilson (6'-9" Jr F) Jesuit HS, Dallas, Texas--Wilson isn't as athletic as Luke Axtell, but that's the best comparison. Not only does Wilson have long arms, athleticism, and an excellent 3-point shooting touch, but he also is extremely mobile and versatile for somebody his size. He also rebounds well for size, which is why he too is a legitimate top 100 junior.

Derrick Grubb (6'-9" Jr. F) Hereitage HS, Colleyville, Texas--Normally we don't like big slow white none athletic big guys, but the more you watch Grubb, the more you realize he's an exception to the rule. Not only is he really skilled, but he has great hands, excellent passing skills, and overpowering moves when he gets the ball inside. As a result, we have to rank him among our top 150 nationally in the junior class and he has the potential to move much higher, especially if he grows another inch or two and/or becomes a little more mobile.

Robert Frazier(6'-7" Jr. F) Manual HS, Denver, Colorado--Frazier is a big time athlete with long arms, quick hands, and the ability to get his shot against anybody. However, this wing foward needs to develop more consistency, get stronger and, at times, play more under control. As a result, ranking Frazier among our top 150 juniors nationally is safe right now, but he might explode this summer.

Delco Rowley (6'-8" Jr. F) Arlington HS, Indianapolis, Indiana--Rowley is already a physical specimen with mobility and athleticism, but, once again, the key here is potential, because he is young for his class and is expected to grow several more inches. Rowley also was tough to stop around the basket and, as a result, was the big reason why the Indianapolis Warriors advanced to a final eight finish.

James Augustine (6'-9" Jr. F) Lincoln Way HS, New Lenox--Augustine didn't show up until the playoffs, but we really liked this long armed mobile white kid who rebounds, scores inside and passes extremely well from the high post. Is he top 100 nationally? Well, that was one of our topics of debate on Sunday at lunch. If he's not, it's close! And it may be a lock, if he can go out and hit the 3-point shot consistently. And, if he can, Scott Padgett comparisons are in order. Just like Padgett, he would be able to play the three spot offensively, but defensively he would have problems matching up against smaller and quicker wing players.

Dan Oppland (6'-8" Jr. F) Whitefield HS, St. Louis, Missouri--Oppland doesn't pass the lock test, but he is the ultimate blue collar warrior, as he scores inside and usually beats you with his hardnosed work ethic. He also is stronger and quicker than he looks, plus he has a great nose for the ball. Still, it came as somewhat of a surprise that Oppland, who reminds us a of poor man's David Lee, led St. Louis Gateway to a final four finish in the 17-Under Division and was the second leading scorer in the tournament behind Brown with 139 points in six games.

Steve Cobbley (6'-11" Jr. F/C) Highland HS, Pocatello, Idaho--Cobbley is a big white kid with surprising quickness and athleticism. He also plays hard, scores around the basket, blocks shots, and is an excellent rebounder. However, it is his aggressivness and skills that make us think he should be ranked among the top 100 juniors nationally.

Nicholas Kern (6'-8" Jr. F) Vashon HS, St. Louis, Missouri--Make no mistake about it, Kern is a four who can step out and shoot the three. As a result, this athletic power forward, who also is very effective scoring around the basket and on the boards, has to be ranked among our top 100 nationally.

Derrick Finn (6'-1" Jr. PG) Newbergh Castle HS, Indidana-- (see Matt Kiefer below)

Matt Kiefer (6'-9" Jr. F) Mater Dei HS, Evansville, Indiana--Finn and Kiefer both have to make this list after leading Warrick County to into the championship game of the 17-Under Division. They also finished ranked among the top 10 in scoring in the tournament (Finn was sixth with 121 points and Kiefer with 114 points in eight games). Kiefer needs to get bigger and stronger, but is still is very effective inside at this level, because he likes to compete, has good hands, and has a good nose to the ball. He also can go out on the perimeter where he shoots the 3-pointers and puts the ball on the floor. Finn is not a lashy point guard. Instead, he just gets the job done, because he is quick off the dribble, an excellent ball handler and passer, excellent 3-point shooter, and terrific competitor.

Nik Caner-Medley (6'-7" Jr. F) Deering HS, Portland, Maine-- Nik played extremely well for the Pump'N Run Team on Saturday As a matter of fact, one person who saw the game told us that Caner-Medley was one of the best players in the entire tournament. However, his numbers (32 points in five games) reflect more what I saw - a solid role player on a good team. Caner-Medley is a big-time athlete, but the word he gets is that he needs more of uptempo setting to show what he's capable of doing. [Ed Note: In all fairness to Nik, and with all due respect to Clark, his perception of what occurred at this tournament is a bit skewed when it comes to scoring totals for players. . . We personally stood next to the scorekeepers at the tables on Friday and Saturday during the Pump N Run games, and only running scores (for the team) were kept for all the games that the Pump N Run team played in, not individual scoring. Likewise, because of SAT attendance by the Spiece team scheduled to play the Pump N Run team on Saturday morning, P&R received a win by forfeit. . . in other words, if points were kept for other players, that's news to us because they sure weren't for the P&R team's games. . . we also don't agree with the "role player" assessment either, but then that's why opinions are what they are. . . opinions].

Underclassmen

Stefan Zimmerman (6'-10" So. F) Mountain View, Orem, Utah--Zimmerman isn't as good a shot blocker, but otherwise he reminds us of Joel Pryzbilla. Zimmerman was unstoppable when we saw him score 34 points in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday night. Not only does he have great post moves, an incredible wing span, soft hands, and a nice touch from 15-feet, but he's also surprisingly mobile for somebody so big and so young.

Brian Butch (6'-11" So. F) West HS, Appleton, Wisconsin--Butch has surpringly short arms for somebody his size, but does have a great feel for the game and, as a result, is already a great passer. He also has a nice touch, good moves to the basket, and plays hard, plus even more growth is expected and he's already really quick and athletic. In other words, just like with Zimmerman, the sky is the limit for Butch.

Andrew Lavender (5'-8" So. PG) Brookhaven HS, Columbus, OH--Lavender is extremely small, but this small quick point guard was instrumental in leading All-Ohio Red into the semi-finals, as he scored 131 points in seven games and was the leading scorer in the Juniors-To-Be Division.

Paul Paradoski (5'-10" Fr. G) Vianney HS, St. Louis, Missouri--Paradoski is the point guard who led the St. Louis Gateway team into the finals of the Sophomore-To-Be Division. He's excellent at breaking the double team, has good handling and passing skills, and is a good 3-point range. But it's his savvy, and speed and quickness, and thin build that reminds us of Luke Ridnour at the same stage.

Luke Zeiller (6'-8" 8th grade F) Washington Middle School, Washington, MO-- The guy with the most potential is Zeiller and he's pretty good right now for somebody who is only 13 years old and only supposed to be in the 7th grade. Yes, we have confirmed that Zeiller is a genius and, as a result, his parents pushed him ahead in school a year. In other words, we're talking about a guy who likely will be 7'3 or 7'4 and we know for a fact he's already drawing big time looks. As a matter of fact, he's already been to the University of Iowa on an unofficial visit. Actually, this comes as no surprise, because he has family that lives in Iowa. Zeiller used his soft touch inside and a nice looking hook shot to score 12 points in the Sophomores-To-Be Championship Game.

Luke Meyer (6'-6" So. F) St. Francis Borgia HS, Washington, MO--Paradoski's teammate. He had 19 points in the championship game and was the leading scorer among players in the Sophomores-To-Be Division in the Tournament.