Last week was another busy one on the basketball recruiting trail, as the second of July's three open evaluation periods brought plenty more events and lessons to be learned.
We already caught you up with what we learned from the first eval period (July 10-14). So with the second live period (July 17-21) now over and our team of RecruitingNation scouts out at events like the Nike Global Challenge, Under Armour Summer Jam, Best of the South, Elite 32, a pair of Hoop Group events, The Battle at the Beach and a pair of SoCal events, it's time to check in again and see what they learned from the second week. We'll weigh in again next week following the third live period (July 24-28) to recap not only the final evaluation period but also the entire month of July.
What was the biggest thing you learned from the second evaluation period?
Paul Biancardi: The second period opened my eyes to the shooting guard/small forward position in the Class of 2014. Combined, those two positions make up 44 of the spots in the ESPN 100. At the very top, North Carolina-bound small forward Justin Jackson (Tomball, Texas/HCYA) has such a fluid, textbook game, as he can score inside and outside. And when it comes to shooting, nobody shoots it deeper or better than Indiana commit James Blackmon Jr. Not only is the group talented at the top, though, it's also deep with plenty of value through the middle and end of the ESPN 100. No. 35 recruit Isaiah Whitehead (Brooklyn, N.Y./Lincoln) and Maryland-bound No. 45 prospect Romelo Trimble (Arlington, Va./Bishop O'Connell) were again outstanding, and both stand a strong chance of moving up in the rankings. And when you look at the last few spots in the rankings, you see that No. 98 Joe Burton (Porter, Texas/Lutheran North), No. 99 Boubacar Moungoro (Bradenton, Fla./IMG Academy) and No. 100 Trey Kell (San Diego/St. Augustine) are all high-level recruits who are being heavily recruited. And one name I haven't even mentioned is shooting guard Robert Johnson, who is not in the ESPN 100 but has stood out all spring and summer and continues to rise in our minds. The recruitment of a prospect is a clear picture of how a player is performing, and Johnson now has UNC and many others recruiting him. Look for his name to be in the ESPN 100 the next time we update the rankings. As we finish out the third and final July evaluation period this week, there is a good chance we will find more good wing players who can score from almost anywhere.
Dave Telep: Last week was a reinforcement of the value of the July evaluation periods. While at the Best of the South and Elite 32 I saw multiple examples of players who benefit from summer basketball. C.J. Jackson (Charlotte/Olympic), a guard who played for a 30-0 state championship team in North Carolina last season, shot his way from Division II to Division I prospect in the span of four days. His AIM High travel team won the Best of the South, and he was offered by Winthrop immediately following the event. Over at the Elite 32, a big man named Raasean Davis (Dallas, Ga./Paulding County) continued to collect scholarship offers. Davis plays at a small school in the Peach State and for the second event in a row was impressive. As if 17 points and 16 rebounds per game during the high school season wasn't impressive enough! Davis was offered by Kent State and Jacksonville, while teams like Cincinnati, UAB, Clemson and Miami got to see him in Atlanta. The stage is big in July, and there are no rocks to hide under this month. If you can play -- and more important help your team win -- good things will happen. In an era in which recruiting plays out on the Internet, it was fun watching two kids actually earn what's coming their way.
Joel Francisco: After watching the second evaluation period, there were two things that stood out to me: the "old" Jordan McLaughlin (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Etiwanda) returned, and Devearl Ramsey (Chatsworth, Calif./Sierra Canyon) needs to be mentioned with the elite point guards in the 2016 class. McLaughlin, ranked No. 18 in the ESPN 100, was spectacular at the Battle at the Beach, displaying explosive drives in transition and dropping in feathery jump shots. Ramsey, meanwhile, utilized his strength and burst to overwhelm opponents, regardless of class, at both ends.
Reggie Rankin: The biggest thing I learned from the second evaluation period is about the elite post players I evaluated at the Under Armour Summer Jam. Not only are several of them immediate-impact players at the major college level, but they project to be program-changers and have one-and-done potential with continued development and if they remain injury free. No. 2 overall 2014 prospect Cliff Alexander (Chicago/Curie) is blessed with strength and a high motor. His ability to rebound and block shots combined with his improved scoring ability make him special. Kentucky-bound center Karl Towns Jr. (Metuchen, N.J./St. Joseph) has a combination of massive size and skill, as he plays at times like a small forward in a 7-footer's body. At 6-foot-11, No. 10 rising senior Myles Turner (Bedford, Texas/Euless Trinity) has length, skills and a high motor that allow him to block shots like a big man while knocking down jumpers to the 3-point arc and passing like a wing player. He might be still be growing, and his upside is amazing. Finally, No. 4 rising junior Diamond Stone (Milwaukee/Dominican) has size and an ability to score inside and out that is special. He has a great back-to-the-basket scoring package that includes a turn shot and jump hooks with either hand, but hitting 3s is also not a problem for Stone. He is also in better shape now, which is very bad news for his opponents.
Adam Finkelstein: The biggest takeaway for me during the second evaluation period was just how limited the amount of available big men is. That's hardly uncommon, but this year it seems to be especially evident, especially in the Northeast region. I spent time watching big guys with mid- to high-major Division I offers already on the table who got virtually nothing done. This comes down to the fact that the demand for big men far exceeds the supply of available post players, and it's creating a scenario where prospects are likely going to end up going at least one level higher than they should. The takeaway here for college basketball programs is that unless you are one of the lucky few able to find a big man who is capable of making an immediate impact, you have to realize that the position is essentially a long-term stock. The schools that reap the biggest rewards will be those that are willing to invest the most time in player development, because there are going to be very few capable of making immediate contributions.
John Stovall: There are entirely too many travel teams and too many events during the July evaluation period. A few years ago, it used to be that there were two destinations during July. Everyone either went to Las Vegas or to Orlando at some point during the summer. A coach told me that this year there were more than 250 certified events that Division I college coaches could attend during July! The result of this is that most events are extremely watered down now. Each year there are approximately 500 high school players who receive Division I basketball scholarships. With all of these events and all of these travel teams, there are simply not enough good players to go around.