The 2005 spring/summer AAU basketball season began in earnest this month at the Kentucky Basketball Academy (KBA) in Lexington, Kentucky. The KBA was the host of an AAU Super Regional for the classes of 2009 and 2010. The early season qualifier, although small in numbers (18 teams in two divisions), featured several quality teams and a handful of nationally ranked players.

In the 2009 division the following teams participated: Spiece Cincinnati Tigers, Kentucky Prep Starz-Eli, Kentucky Prep Starz-Sheehan, Central Kentucky Warriors, Lexington Catholic, Kentucky Kings, Memphis Wildcats, Cincinnati Swoosh and Kentucky Kings.

In the 2010 division the following teams were in the house: Spiece Ohio Airmen (formally Cincinnati Royals), Kentucky Patriots, Louisville Yellow jackets, Whitley County Red Storm, Cincinnati Knights, Northern Kentucky Hawks, Kentucky Prep Starz, Kentucky Raiders and Kentucky Rockets.

The final four teams in the 7th grade division featured the top three teams in Kentucky and the # 2 ranked team in Ohio. Game one pitted the 2004 Kentucky AAU State Champion Kentucky Patriots vs. the 2004 Ohio AAU State Runner-up Spiece Ohio Airmen (formally Cincinnati Royals).

The first 7th grade semi-final game featured several contrasts including: urban vs. rural and up-tempo vs. half-court offenses. In addition, one of the marquee individual match-ups in the contest was against the Airmen’s Marcus Davis and Kentucky’s Josh Sewell. Both players have good and size and are very athletic.

Although the game was tight early, the Airmen’s constant pressure and up-tempo style of play eventually wore down the Patriots and the game ended in a lopsided victory. The Airmen did a great job of forcing Kentucky to play their game. The final score of the game was Spiece Ohio Airmen-80, the Kentucky Patriots-54.

In the 7th grade championship game the Spiece Ohio Airmen squared off against the Louisville Yellow jackets. Although the game was tight for most of 3 quarters, the Airmen’s constant pressure took the wind out of Louisville late in the game.

In the 3rd place game, the Patriots took their frustration out on the Whitley County Red Storm in a blowout victory to claim 3rd place and a bid to the Division I AAU Nationals in Memphis, Tennessee.

The 8th grade championship game featured the Spiece Cincinnati Tigers, the # 1 team from Ohio vs. the Kentucky Prep Starz, the # 1 team from Kentucky and turned out to be a game of runs. Although the Tigers jumped out to an early lead, the Prep Starz refused to fold and mounted a late game charge that got them to within 11 points by the end of the game. The final score was Spiece Cincinnati Tigers-85, the Kentucky Prep Starz-Sheehan-74.

Buckeye Prep Report MVP & All-Tournament Team Selections:

Class of 2009:

6’3 C Stefon Johnson- Spiece Cincinnati Tigers-CO-MVP
5’11 WG Sylvester Hopkins-Spiece Cincinnati Tigers-CO-MVP
6’2 PF Anthony Shoemaker-Spiece Cincinnati Tigers
5’8 PG Robbie Taylor-Spiece Cincinnati Tigers
6’2 PF/C Paul Bunton-Kentucky Prep Starz-Sheenan
5’9 PG Nick Hudson-Kentucky Prep Starz-Sheehan
5’8 PG Martell Morones-Central Kentucky Warriors
5’7 PG Jamar Kirksey-Kentucky Prep Starz-Eli

Top Performer Notes:

Stefon Johnson is arguably the top post player in Ohio, and has made tremendous improvement in his game over the past couple of years. What has improved the most is his aggressiveness and his touch around the basket. He has good size for an 8th grader, is athletic, and he gets off the ground quickly.

On the same team is Anthony Shoemaker or “Baby Shaq” to people who have seen him play. Shoemaker is a man in a man’s body. At 6’2 and about 260 pounds, Shoemaker is a space eater. Despite his size, he is quick and has good post moves. Shoemaker is very aggressive and finishes well at the basket.

Sylvester Hopkins is a 5’10 combo guard who can score in bunches. Because of his ability to score his game is better suited for the wing. Hopkins is a streaky shooter, likes to drive, and has a knack for anticipating a pass and stepping into the passing lane for a steal and layup. He is very athletic, fast and always plays hard.

Paul Bunton, a 6’2 C/PF from Louisville, has a bright future in basketball if he continues to develop his game and he can harness the great emotion he plays with. This kid has a good size and a nice basketball body. He has good bounce; soft hands and knows how to finish. Bunton is very athletic and runs the floor well.

Robbie Taylor, a 5’8 PG from Gahanna, Ohio (class of 2008), is a smaller point guard with great fundamentals. Although not flashy, Taylor does a good job of running the offense. He has good quickness, great floor vision, and can shoot from behind the arc or pull-up for a mid-range jumper. His best attribute is his on ball defense. Taylor averages 3-4 steals per game and is a defensive specialist.

Nick Hudson is a stocky point guard with quickness and good handles. He is a good floor general with a decent jump shot but his game is dribble penetration. One word best describes Martell Williams, quick! This speedy point guard has deceptive speed and is difficult guard once he gets momentum. Although he will hit an occasional jump shot, he loves to get all the way to the bucket.

What Jamar Kirksey lacks in size he makes up for with quickness and aggressiveness. Kirksey keeps constant pressure of the defense with the threat of dribble penetration or a pull-up jumper. When he has the ball in his hand it is clear who is in control of the game. He can hit from the perimeter but prefers to drive to the cup and dish.

Montel Morones, a 5’4 PG from Lexington, is a talented floor leader who can score in bunches. With good quickness he likes to penetrate. He does a good job of keeping pressure on the defense and will go to the rack once he senses a defender has relaxed. When needed, Morones can also hit from outside which makes him even more of a threat with the ball in his hands.

Orlando Williams, 5’10 2G from Cincinnati, can really light it up from the outside when he gets hot. Although he has the height and shot for a 2 guard, he has enough handles to slide over to the point.

Class of 2010:

5’10 C Deon Stewart-Spiece Ohio Airmen-MVP
5’10 WG Marcus Davis-Spiece Ohio Airmen
5’9 PF Bradley Evans-Spiece Ohio Airmen
5’10 WG Arkansas Brewer-Louisville Yellow jackets
5’4 PG Wesley Cox-Louisville Yellow jackets
6’4 PF Dakotah Euton-Kentucky Patriots
6’0 WF Josh Sewell-Kentucky Patriots
5’11 WG Jamie Lebanion-Whitley County Red Storm
5’9 WG David Watkins-Cincinnati Knights
6’1 C Kenneth Knight-Cincinnati Knights

Top Performer Notes:

Deon Stewart, a 5’10 C from Dayton, Ohio, had a fantastic tournament and was his team’s driving force. Although a bit undersized for a post player, he consistently outplayed much taller players. Stewart is quick off his feet, has a couple of nice post moves, including his signature spin move in the paint. In the championship game Stewart led his team with 24 points with at least 2 blocked shots. Towards the end of the game, Stewart showed his athleticism with a big time block that excited the crowd and stamped his signature on the game and tournament.

Josh Sewell, a 6’0 WF from Louisville, just keeps getting better and better the more he plays. Sewell is a very athletic wing who likes to score off dribble penetration but he has a nice midrange shot. Because of his strength he can go down low with the big boys, draw contact and still score. He rebounds well and has figured out the secret of keeping the ball high on the rebounds and put backs. Sewell has great body control, has a floater if he needs it and a nice spin move that he uses consistently to score. With the quality coaching he will get from the Kentucky Patriots staff, this kid has great upside potential.

Marcus Davis, a 5’10 WG from Cincinnati, Ohio, is Mr. Daytona because his engine is always revved up full throttle. This kid is constant motion on the basketball court. Although he is a great scorer, his defense is what sets him apart from most of his peers. Davis is very aggressive defensively, anticipates well, and knows how to play the passing lanes as well as anybody this evaluator has seen. Davis’ first option is dribble penetration but he can hit from beyond the ark if left alone. With good size (5’10), Davis’ versatility allows him to play multiple positions. Although he still plays select baseball, if this kid continues to develop, including the ability to you his off hand, basketball could be very, very good to him.

Jamie Lebanion is a scoring machine that uses his 5’11 frame to attack the basket. During the tournament he put up big numbers including a 37 spot in one game. This kid is big and strong and can take the hit and still finish. He handles the ball well in the open court and can play all 5 positions. Despite the fact that he is the heart and soul of his team, Lebanion is very unselfish and can find the open man. He has good speed and he runs the floor well.

Dakotah Euton, a 6’4 PF from Ashland, Kentucky, is arguably one of the top two or three 7th grade players in Kentucky right now. At 6’4 with a deadly outside shot, Euton is a serious match-up problem for most teams. Although he played more in the post than we have seen in a while, he is still money from midrange and from behind the arc. With his size and versatility, Euton is the best player on a Kentucky Patriots team that has dominated the competition in Kentucky for the past couple of years.

Arkansas Brewer, a 5’10 WF/PF from New Port, Kentucky, has to be considered as 1 of the top 2-3 players in Kentucky in his class and one of the top 75 players in the country. Brewer is a thick kid with a rare combination of speed and power. Despite his size, Brewer can handle the ball well, can power his way to the cup and has a nice jump shot. This kid is a warrior who plays with great passion and emotion. I don’t think I ever saw this kid take a break on the court the entire tournament.

Wesley Cox, a 5’2 PG from Louisville, is one of the better point guards we have seen from Kentucky. Cox shows composure on the court and does a good job of controlling the tempo of the game. He has decent handles and can go both left and right. His jump shot is serviceable but he has a floater and spin move in his basketball toolbox. Cox does well with dribble penetration and can pass when the defensive help arrives.

Keep an eye on 6’1 center Aaron Mann from Corbin, Kentucky. Unlike a lot of kids his age, Mann is a post player and knows it. Nothing fancy with this kid, just rebounds and put backs. Hey, somebody has to do the dirty work.

Another player to watch is 5’9 WF Bradley Evans, who is quietly establishing himself as one of the top players on a very talented Spiece Ohio Airmen team. Although he does not get a lot of attention, if you watch him play, you can see the value he adds to this team. Evans does a lot of the little things well including rebounding and put backs.

If you need a steady floor general then 5’3 PG Duwan Thomas from Dayton, Ohio is your man. Although he doesn’t put up big numbers, he is a sold floor general who has accepted the role his coach has asked him to play.

Andy Earls, a 6’5 center from Florence, Kentucky is still a project right now but he has a ton of upside with his game. He is the biggest post player we have seen in Kentucky at his age, and by the time it counts, he could be a fixture on many college coaches’ radars. The more this kid plays the better he is going to get. As they say, you can’t coach size.

Now that 6’1 WG Chad Jackson from Lexington has been reclassified to the 6th grade, he has to be considered as one of the top players in the nation in the class of 2011. Jackson has good height, is very athletic and can play multiple positions. When he comes to play, Jackson can impact a game. He is a slasher who prefers to penetrate rather that score from the perimeter.

Kenny Knight, a 7th grader from Cincinnati, has a bright future if he can keep his emotions in check. At 6’1, he has nice height and he jumps well. He has a nice touch around the basketball and is quick off his feet. He is long and lean, but like most big men his age, he will need to put on some weight, as he gets older.

The top player on that Cincinnati Knights team is David Watkins from Avondale. At 5’9, Watkins is a swingman and the team’s leading scorer. According to his coach, Watkins is averaging approximately 17 points per game. Also keep an eye on Torrell Johnson from Cincinnati. Although thin, Johnson has good height and loads of potential.

Other players to watch:

6’1 PF Qualin Daniels-Cincinnati, Oh (2009)
5’11 WG Orlando Williams-Cincinnati, Oh (2009)
6’1 WF Cameron Clemons-Lousiville, Ky (2009)
6’1 C Aaron Manns-Corbin, Ky (2010)
6’0 WF Chad Jackson-Lexington, Ky (Reclassified to 2011)
5’5 WG Gene Primus-Cincinnati, Oh (2011)

All in all, the first real AAU level tournament of the season was a competitive event and represented an opportunity for teams to qualify for the AAU Nationals, to gage where they fit in the pecking order and to determine where they need improvement. Continue to follow the Buckeye Prep Report Magazine for more event reports through out the spring and summer.

Stefon Johnson (Co-MVP) - 8th Grade - Spiece Cincinnati Tigers

Deon Stewart (MVP) - 7th Grade - Spiece Ohio Airmen

8th Grade (Champions) - Spiece Cincinnati Tigers

7th Grade (Champions) - Spiece Ohio Airmen

7th Grade (Runner-Up) - Louisville Yellow Jackets