US Elite Basketball Camp Report
January 14 & 15, 2006
Dallas, Texas
Prepared by Rob Taylor, Publisher
Buckeye Prep Report
Only Tim Miller could pull together a national level basketball camp in less than 3 months, and draw many of the top kids in the country to Dallas, Texas in mid January. With his national connections and resources, Miller was able to assemble players who are currently ranked among the top players in the country in the class of 2010.
Miller held his camp and the Cedar Hill High School in Dallas and drew about 250 kids total for the three divisions. Although the event was billed as a camp, because of the focus was primarily on exposure, the event was more of a showcase than anything.
In terms of coverage, in addition to the Buckeye Prep Report, Hoop Scoop’s Patrick Stanwood, Voices’ Mike Duncan, US Basketball Spotlight’s Dariel Ready, Southern Jr Preps’ Jamie Palmer and Dallas Preps’ Rodney Johnson were in the house to document the happenings.
Although the U.S. Elite Camp encompassed three camps in one (including the Adidas Jr. Phenom Camp for 5th -7th grade boys and girls), our primary focus was on the class 2010. In terms of the national level talent participating in the camp, we saw Jackson Jeffcoat (#2), Travis Robinson (#3), Tony Cheanult (#4), Julian Johnson (#5), Steve Whittingham (#7), KC Ross-Miller (#9), Ronald Brown (#13), Jamison Sterns (#20), Randy Collins (#23), Dundrecous Nelson (#29), Javaughn Pinkston (#32), Ray McCallum (#40), Brian Holsinger (#49), Tim Peete (#52), Evan Washington, (#57), Bakari Turner (#74) and Deshaun Wiggins (#75) (rankings from US Basketball Spotlight).
One of the most appealing aspects of the camp was the quality individual match-ups that were created. Where else in the country could you enjoy seeing, arguably the best two point guards in the country (KC Ross-Miller & Tony Chenault) go head-to-head, or quality big men like Javaughn Pinkston and Ronald Brown (I’ll talk about that match-up later) wage war in the post, or super wings (Travis Robinson & Julian Johnson) dual for bragging rights?
Elite Eleven All-Star Teams
Blue Team White Team
Tony Chenault KC Ross-Miller
Ray McCallum Steve Whittingham
Travis Robinson Julian Johnson
Randy Collins Preston Purifoy
Javaughn Pinkston Ronald Brown
Dundrecous Nelson Doron Lamb
Bakari Turner Deshawn Wiggins
Tim Peete Allen Farmer
Julian Washburn Evan Washington
Brian Holsinger Jackson Jeffcoat
Jason Pospichal Jamison Sterns
All-Star Game Recap
The 2010 all-star game was exciting and featured everything from deep 3-pointers to thunderous dunks. For you fans that think these 8th graders can only dunk with tennis balls or volleyballs, you are not hanging out in the right places. The elite players in this class are throwing it down in a verity of ways.
For the most part, the scoring was spread around between multiple players. However, as is the case in most all-star games, several players stood out. For the Blue team, (coached by Mike King) the leading scorers were: Javaughn Pinkston with a game high 16 points, Travis Robinson with 12 points, Randy Collins hit 9 points and Bakari Turner contributed 8 points. Julian Washburn scored 4 points; Dundrecous Nelson added 2 points and Tim Peete contributed 2 points.
The White team, (coached by Tony Jackson) was lead in scoring by Jamison Sterns who dropped a team-high 14 points, followed by Preston Purifoy with 13 points, Doron Lamb, Julian Johnson, Jackson Jeffcoat and Allen Farmer with 10 points each. Ronald Brown scored 4 points with KC Ross-Miller, Stevie Whittingham, Deshawn Wiggins and Evan Washington all scoring 2 points.
In terms of my all-star
game MVP, I would have to co with Javaughn
Pinkston and Jamison
Sterns as co-MVPs. Both players dominated the
game for their respective teams. Pinkston was very impressive handling the
ball in the open court and the way he ran the floor and scored in
transition. Of course I can’t forget about his slam-dunks; he had to have
two or three for the game.
Dunk Contest Recap
Although the players in the class of 2010 are only 8th graders right now, this class is blessed with several athletes who can already dunk. In an effort to highlight the athleticism in this class, Miller held a slam-dunk contest during half time of the 8th grade all-star game. About eight players participated in the event and although the favorite coming into this event was Jamison Sterns, Travis Robinson and Lebryan Nash were named co-winners of the slam-dunk contest. The large crowd that assembled for the contest, was treated to a couple of spectacular dunks and serious excitement,
BPR Top Twenty-Five
1.Tony Chenault 5’11 PG Philadelphia, PA
2.Travis Robinson 6’4 WF Philadelphia, PA
3.Javaughn Pinkston 6’5 C New York, NY
4.KC Ross-Miller 5’10 PG Dallas, TX
5.Jamison Sterns 5’9 WG Dallas, TX
6.Doron Lamb 6’2 WG New York, NY
7.Ronald “Tank” Brown 6’4 C Memphis, TN
8.Jackson Jeffcoat 6’4 C Dallas, TX
9.Dundrecous Nelson 5-10 PG Jackson, MS
10.Julian Washburn 6’4 PF Duncanville, TX
11.Julian Johnson 6’3 WF Hazelwood, MO
12.Preston Purifoy 6’3 WF Conway, Ark
13.Brian Holsinger 6’8 C Ebensburg, PA
14.Jason Pospichal 5’5 PG Lewisville, TX
15.Ray McCallum 5’9 PG Norman, OK
16.Allen Farmer 5’10 PG Cordova, TN
17.Bakari Turner 5’10 WG Dallas, TX
18.Tim Peete 6’1 WF Memphis, TN
19.Steve Whittingham 5’8 WG Bronx, NY
20.Randy Collins 6’4 PF Laporte, TX
21.Deshawn Wiggins 6’0 WG Bronx, NY
22.Evan Washington 6’4 PF De Soto, TX
23.Aaron Brown 5’10 WG New York, NY
24.Johny Donavon 6’0 WF Houston, TX
25.Henry Gaskins 5’7 PG Philadelphia, PA
2010 Top Performers
Tony Chenault, a 5’11 PG from Philadelphia, PA., clearly established why he is the top point guard in this class. Chenault is a big strong and physical guard who knows how to use his body well to get to the cup. Chenault has great handle and he has the ability to create his own shot. In this evaluator’s opinion, Chenault can make a case for top player honors.
Travis Robinson, a 6’4 PF from Philadelphia, PA. has to be one of the most athletic players in this class. Robinson has full control of his body at all times, and can leave his feet, react to the defense while in the air and still finish consistently. Dunking is a forgone conclusion for Robinson who has great elevation and is quick off his feet.
Javaughn Pinkston, a 6’5 C from New York, NY, was simply a beast all weekend. Pinkston seemed to get better as the weekend progressed. I was really impressed with his ability to handle the ball in the open court. By the time the all-star game had ended, Pinkston had scored and dunked his way to All-Star Game MVP honors (per BPR). When the updated 2010 rankings are released I hope they reflect Pinkston’s recent camp and tournament success. He needs to move up.
Doron Lamb, a 6’2 WG from New York, NY, was my surprise player of the tournament. In my opinion, Lamb played as consistent as any kid in camp. The most impressive part of his game was his poise under pressure and his ability to consistently knock down the 3-ball. Lamb can shoot off the dribble or pass as well as any player in this class
Although many have questioned his status and ability to performer in camp environments recently, KC Ross-Miller, a 5’10 PF from Dallas, TX, re-established his place among the elite point guards in the country. Not only did Miller’s shot look much better, but also his defense was excellent. In fact, his defensive ability was on full display in his match-up with Tony Chenault on day one of camp. In the match-up, Ross refused to allow Chenault to bully his way to the basket as he had done to just about every other guard he faced. In addition, Ross seemed to play with a greater since of urgency, seeming to sense the need to re-establish his place in the pecking order.
Jackson Jeffcoat, a 6’4 C from Dallas, Texas, showed his usual signs of greatness. Jeffcoat is still the strongest big man in this class and he logged in a nice camp. As he has done so often, Jeffcoat proved to be a load down low. Oh yea, he may be big and strong, and play with an attitude on the floor, however, he is also a really good kid and one of the few elite players who can still manage to smile and have fun playing basketball. Quite refreshing I might add.
Ronald “Tank” Brown, a 6’4 C from Memphis, TN., impresses me more every time I see him play. Brown is a very skilled post player who used his athleticism well against bigger opponents. Brown has several signature post moves he uses to score. As an example, Brown will throw as many head fakes as he needs to get his offender off his feet before he scores. Brown seems to play with a little dog in his game and will try and intimidate his defender if he shows any sign of weakness.
Jamison Sterns, a 5’10 PG from Dallas, TX, is an athletic freak of nature (I mean that in a very positive way). Although he stands at only about 5’9, Sterns has crazy hops, and is one of the most explosive players in this class. Despite his obvious natural gifts, Sterns’ shooting range is very impressive. What I like most about Sterns’ game is the fact that he is a showman who loves to perform on the big stage. With his performances in Columbus, Ohio this summer and Dallas this past weekend, at least one evaluator believes he deserves a higher national ranking.
Julian Washburn, a 6’4 PF from Duncanville, TX, has as much upside potential as any player in this class. Although I always knew the kid could play, he was spectacular at times in Dallas. Washburn, the son of Chris Washburn, maybe destine to follow in his father’s footsteps. Washburn is very long and lean, is super athletic and has serious bounce to his game. With his significant wingspan and quick hands, Washburn is a good defender and can easily dunk off the dribble. Keep an eye on this kid; he has the potential to be a great one!
Julian Johnson, a 6’3 WF from Hazelwood, Missouri, started off a little slow, but by the all-star game Johnson was ballin. I was most impressed with Johnson’s was his defensive intensity and his ability to guard much smaller and quicker players. Johnson is still the same strong and explosive player I saw at the Buckeye Prep Invitational Tournament in Columbus last year and he still attacks the basket very aggressively.
Dundrecous Nelson, a 5’9 PG from Jackson, Mississippi, deserves to be mentioned among the best point guards in the nation. Nelson’s stock really went up based on his performance in Dallas. Not only is Nelson super quick with the basketball, he has crazy ups for a player his size. Nelson is not satisfied with simply beating you off the dribble, he wants to take you to the cup and dunk on you. He can do it, I saw him.
Ray McCallum, a 5’10 PG from Norman, Ok, was impressive at the camp. McCallum does a good job of controlling temp, he rarely turns the ball over, and he can shoot when open. McCallum seems to still be growing, and he was seen using his size to get to the rack. McCallum handles the ball well and he uses a nice in and out dribble to beat his man. Also, I saw him several times trying to elevate over his defender for a jump shop. Although not real flashy, McCallam has a solid game and he does a lot of the little things a coach loves. It’s good to see a kid continuing to develop.
Allen Farmer, a 5’9 PG From Memphis, Tennessee, was surely one of the fastest guards at the camp. Although Farmer has kind of played in the shadow of the “hardwood running back” in Memphis (you guys know who I’m talking about), he showed he could run the show on his AAU squad. Farmer made a case for more attention with his play in Dallas.
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce the country to Preston Purifoy, a 6’3 WF from Conway, Arkansas. Purifoy came to Dallas a virtual unknown, and before he left he had people asking who was that kid. Although Purifoy’s performance was sometimes inconsistent, he did enough early and in the all-star game to justify a lot more attention. Purifoy has nice size and an athletic frame. Purifoy shoots the ball well; he has a nice little pull-up jumper and he has a real smooth feel to his game. From what I saw in Dallas, Purifoy deserves a national ranking.
Brian Holsinger, a 6’8 C from Ebensburg, PA, was the biggest player in the gym, and had to have blocked more shots than anybody at the camp. Holsinger is a post player and he knows it. Although most big men want to be guards or “work on their wing/perimeter skills,” Holsinger hangs out close to the basketball and understands where he will make his money. Holsinger is a smart player who does a good job of finding the open man and passing out of the post. As his athleticism improves, his game will continue to evolve.
Bakari Turner, a 6’1 WG from Dallas, Texas, continued to impressive me. I first saw Bakari at the AAU Nationals in Memphis. What I saw then was a very fast and athletic guard with good size and good handle. Rumor has it that Turner will be running with Tim Miller summer. I guess its true what they say, “the rich get richer…”
Jason Pospichal, a 5’5 PG from Lewisburg, Texas, shocked a lot of people with his ability to shoot from deep. Despite his small stature, the kid can straight up ball. Not only could he shoot, but also he handled the ball well, made good decisions, and was fearless. Although he just moved to Dallas from Florida and was a virtual unknown, something tells me he will be running with some Texas team in Orlando this August.
Tim Peete, a 6’1 WF from Memphis, Tennessee, represented well in Dallas. Peete was very active on both ends of the floor and often scored in transition. Peete, although slender, is long with long arms and appears to still be growing. I really like Peete’s upside potential.
LaQuintin Ross, a 6’6 WF from Jackson, Mississippi, has the potential to be the # 1 player in the class of 2011. With his height, agility and ability to handle the rock, Ross can play all five positions on the court. I was really impressed with Ross’s shot mechanics and his ability to shoot the 3-ball. Ordinarily, with the type of versatility that Ross possesses, the sky is the limit. Although he has great size right now, he still seems young and will probably continue to grow. If this kids continues to develop, and does not fall prey to the whole “star treatment” that is usually afforded to such promising talent, he could be the next great one coming out of the MBA Hoops program.
Right behind Ross (but not by much) is LeBryan Nash, a 6’6 C from Cedar Hill, Texas. Like Ross, Nash is a big man who can handle and play multiple positions. Unlike Ross, Nash is thicker, stronger, and better equipped to play the post. Although he is still not very consistent yet, Nash can shoot from beyond the arc. If Nash can continue to develop his game and control his emotions, he has the potential to do some nice things. Right now, he is easily a top 5 player nationally.
This report would not be complete if I did not say something about the top two 6th graders in the country. J Michael Reese and big John Allen, both from Brian, Texas, dominated the 2012 division as expected. As he has done every time I have seen him, J-Mike was his super smooth self and Big John imposed his will on much smaller players. In addition, both players played up in the 2011 division for parts of the camp and looked more than comfortable doing so. The fact that these two players play on the same AAU team seems kind of unfair to the rest of the competition.
Word has it that Devonte Greene, a 6’2 C from Dallas, Texas was clearly the top 6th grader (class of 2012) in the camp. Greene used his great size dominated the competition. I guess its true “everything is bigger in Texas.”
Key Match-Ups
In terms of the match-ups, day one of the US Elite Camp presented some pretty intense individual confrontations. Probably the most anticipated match-up in the camp was between the top two ranked point guards in the country, Tony Chenault and KC Ross- Miller. It was clear very early in the match-up that both players understood the significance of the moment and the potential impact on future rankings and status.
Although most observers thought that Chenault would simply murder Ross-Miller, KC stood up to the defense challenge and did not allow Chenault to consistently get to the bucket. In addition, Chenalt refused to allow Ross-Miller to play his usual physical game either. Seeing both of the guards in person, it is clear that Chenault is a bigger and stronger guard whose handle appears a little more developed at this point. On this day, both players were about even and will need future events to get any meaningful separation.
I know that the country is now at war, and nothing can ever compare to that, but in terms of youth basketball at the elite level, there was a war waging in Dallas. New York’s Javaughn Pinkston and Memphis’ Ronald Brown took the whole match-up thing to another level. Although both players ordinarily patrol the paint, much of the action occurred on the perimeter, as they both tried to beat one another off the dribble.
Although Pinkston is clearly the bigger and stronger of the two players, Brown is quicker, more agile and a little more athletic. The battle got so heated that at one point in the game, Brown was spotted taking a cheap shot at Pinkston and was kicked out of the game. Before that moment, the match-up was about even. After that, the scale tilted in Pinkston’s favor.
Have you ever heard the old saying, “be careful what you ask for, you might get it?” During the camp, word circulated that Dundrecous Nelson wanted to go heads up with Jamison Sterns. Although he got his wish, I don’t think it turned out the way he was hoping. In that match-up, Sterns proved too tough to guard for Nelson. When Nelson backed off of Sterns to prevent dribble penetration, Sterns pulled up and shot jumpers. When Nelson guarded him closely, Sterns drove by him. I think most observers would agree that Sterns won that battle. With that said, big ups to Nelson for wanting the challenge. Far too often these days players try to avoid the risks associated with challenging other elite players. Nelson gets this evaluator’s respect for putting it on the line.
On of the most intriguing match-ups of the camp occurred in the 2011 division, when potential top five big men, 6’6 LaQuintin Ross and 6’6 LeBryan Nash, collided to determine top player status. Although the casual basketball fan would expect a big man battle to occur in the lost post, for Ross and Nash, the match-up went down on the perimeter, with each player trying to either beat the other off the dribble, or drop a 3-pointer in the other’s face.
In round one of the match-up, Nash took an edge with his size and strength. Ross was intent on beating Nash off of the dribble but was ineffective the first time the two met, while Nash was successful when he took Ross closer to the cup. In round two, Ross showed superior agility and quickness as he consistently got by Nash and finished. Nash was clearly frustrated with his inability to hit from beyond the ark.
In the all-star game, according to Tim Miller, Ross consistently took Nash off the dribble. From what I saw at the camp, right now, Ross is more skilled, and better prepared to play multiple positions. However, Nash is a bigger and stronger player who can also handle the ball, but is more valuable closer to the basket. Although they both still have a lot of development (who doesn’t at this age?), both players were very impressive.
BPR Top 5 Match-ups
1.Javaughn Pinkston v Ronald Brown (After Brown was tossed, advantage Pinkston)
2.Tony Chenault v KC Ross-Miller (Too close to call)
3.Jamison Sterns v Dundrecous Nelson (Nelson asked for it and he got it)
4.LaQuinton Ross v LeBryan Nash (Ross emerged as the clear favorite)
5.Travis Robinson, Jackson Jeffcoat (Contrasting styles, wing v post player. No real winner)
2011 Top Performers
LaQuintin Ross, 6’6 WG/WF/PF/C Jackson, MS
Lebryan Nash, 6’6 PF/C Cedar Hill, TX
Trey Davis 4’10 PG De Soto, TX
Oscar Lewis 5’4 PG Dallas, TX
Austin Chatman 5’2 PG The Colony, TX
Marc Brown 6’1 WF Mansfield, TX
Cameron Lenzy 5’6 WF Dallas, TX
Chris Washburn 5’9 WF Duncanville, TX
I would like to congratulate Tim Miller and Dr. Glenn Wyant for committing the time, energy and resources necessary to make this event happen. Even with some of the larger elite camps we have seen, the US Elite Camp assembled a serious group of very talented players. Not only did most of the elite players maintain their rep, but also the camp provided an opportunity for some unknown players to shine on the big stage.
As I have always said,
if I failed to recognize a player in this report I apologize. Although I do
my best to see and evaluate as many players as I can, I can’t see
everybody. So, just keep working on your game and exposure and success will
come your way. If you have any comments about this report, or you would like
BPR to cover your upcoming event, please feel free to email me at
Taylorobe@aol.com, or call me at 614-203-2929.
2006 US Elite
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