CatsPause.com - Fab Frosh Camp: Saturday Notebook

June 27, 2009

Jeff Drummond
CatsPause.com Publisher

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The Freshman All-American Camp wrapped up another day of intense competition Saturday on the University of Kentucky campus with a Sunshine State prospect making his case for top point guard honors.

Eustis (Fla.) standout Kasey Hill, perhaps appropriately wearing jersey No. 1 for the camp, was a commanding presence in helping lead his Spurs squad to victories in all three of their games and position them for a spot in Sunday's championship game. The 6-foot-2 Hill showed confident ball-handling skills and a willingness to get all his teammates involved, something of a rare attribute with many of the point guards in the "Fab Frosh" event. He also displayed a deft mid-range game with a nice floater and running jumper off penetration.

Hill helped lead his AAU squad to the 13-U national championship last year and could be well on his way to positioning himself as one of the top names to watch at his position for 2013. He has played the last two years for Mount Dora Bible School, averaging more than 15 points per game against older competition.

On Sunday, he'll try to solidify his spot as the top point guard at the camp. Challengers include North Carolina's Rodney Purvis and Indiana's Brent Scott.

More notes and tidbits from Saturday's action:

* Tyrek Coger of Raleigh, N.C., has cemented himself as the most productive big man in the camp. Not coincidentally, he's a teammate of Hill on the Spurs. Coger -- who has picked up the "Big Baby" nickname a la former LSU star Glen Davis -- had 22 points and 16 rebounds in a win over the Heat and two other double-figure rebound games. He's generously listed at 6-8, but is nevertheless a major presence in the paint. And he's one of the most competitive kids in the entire camp, making up for his lack of explosiveness with brute strength, smart positioning and determination.

* Powhatan, Va., product Dakotah Jongebloed has caught my eye not only for his unique name, but his rock-solid play for the Magic. The versatile combo guard hasn't put up eye-popping scoring games, but he hasn't had that many opportunities, either. When he gets his hands on the ball, something positive usually happens. And even more impressively, while most of the other 150 campers left Memorial Coliseum during one long break between game sessions, Jongebloed remained in the sweltering heat of the venerable old gym where Adolph Rupp forged championship teams and took close to 200 jumpers on his own. That shows up in his stroke from long range. Something about Jongebloed reminds me of a smaller version of former Duke standout Mike Dunleavy Jr.

* Shelbyville, Ky., product Darryl Hicks is representing his home state in a big way this week. After a solid showing on Friday, the 6-3 guard blew up in a big way on Saturday with 26- and 28-point efforts. In three games, he drained 13 shots from beyond the arc and has positioned himself nicely for a spot in Sunday's all-star game.

* Nigel Williams-Goss of Oregon continues to show why he's long been considered one of the top players in his class for more than a year. He'll be heading to Findlay Prep in Nevada, where his versatile scoring arsenal will help that program continue to challenge programs like Oak Hill Academy for prep school supremacy. The 6-2, 160-pound guard a pair of 24-point games on Saturday for the Celtics.

* The beat kept on rolling for likely camp MVP Ishmael Wainwright of Kansas City, Mo. The 6-4 swingman had an 11-point, 10-rebound game in the Hawks' win over the Spurs and a highly-anticipated matchup with Memphis standout Johnathan Williams. He also had a 13-point, 12-rebound game in a win over the Jazz. Wainwright is one of the most unselfish players in the camp. He could likely challenge for top scoring honors, but he bypasses many opportunities in favor of getting teammates the ball. When they miss, he's often there to soar above the rim and flush the rebound back down with authority. There's little doubt he'll be one of the top names when the spotlight picks up on the Class of 2013.

* Los Angeles native Jahmel Taylor is small (6 foot) for a shooting guard, but that hasn't stopped him from scoring on anyone and everyone in the camp. He has his third 30-point effort of the event, netting 32 points on the strength of seven 3-pointers.

* Cocoa Beach (Fla.) product Bradley Christian is a wiry, but active forward who turned in his best game of the camp Saturday night with 20 points against the Cavs. Until that game, the bespectacled Christian was getting more attention for his rebounding and defense, but he showed the ability to put the ball on the floor and finish plays on the drive and the break.

* Winston-Salem (N.C.) product Greg McClinton had two really nice games for the Celtics on Saturday. The 6-6 forward had a 19-point, 9-rebound effort against the Jazz and an 11-point, 16-rebound performance against the Rockets that matched Coger for the highest rebound total in a game thus far.

* Jordan Swopshire, the younger brother of University of Louisville player Jared Swopshire, exploded for a 27 and 23 points in back-to-back wins by the Cavs. The 6-4 wing from O'Fallon, Mo., also had a 10-point, 9-rebound, 5-assist game that displayed his overall versatility.

The Fab Frosh Camp is open to the public. On Sunday, the camp championship game will be played at 12:30 p.m. with the Top 40 All-American Game following at 2 and the Top 20 All-American Game at 3. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for those under the age of 18.

Kentucky NEWS

[More]

Latest Headlines:

Resources:

FEATURED PRODUCT