Cactus Classic: Day 2 Rundown

TUCSON, Ariz. – Saturday at the Cactus Classic was non-stop ball. Jeremy Tyler has the biggest upside of anyone here. We found a few rising seniors who stood out amongst a strong contingent of younger guys.

D.J. Seeley, SG, M33M – Talented guard who should be in the mix to make his way into the Top 100. His day began as he made his first 6 shots then went 1-for-9 before finding the zone again. He finished with 18 points on 9-18 from the field. More importantly, we got a chance to see what he’s all about: scoring. Would like to see him eliminate some of the “cool” plays and stick to the script. Riser on the West Coast.

Anthony Jones, SF, T-MAC – We’re learning more and more about him each time out. Clearly a talent and a long term prospect, he’s 6-10+ and thinks of himself solely as a wing player to the point where during free throws he’s not on the low block. Has a great stroke and major league wingspan. We’ve gradually bumped him up each time we’ve seen him and see no reason to continue doing so as he becomes more confident and vocal.

Czyz Has Strong Day

Olek Czyz, PF, Las Vegas Prospects – The native of Poland has been in the States 3 years. Everyone’s always looking for surprises and since we’ve never seen this guy before he counts for us. He nips 6-foot-8, bangs what he can inside with surprising athleticism and then tantalizes you with a jumper every now and then. Conservatively, he’ll play in a big league.

James Watson, C, M33M – Tucked away off the path in Oklahoma lies a 6-8 shot blocker with a big reach. He popped up on a team laced with kids from various parts of the country and fared well. Only a few know about him and he’s at least a mid-major plus based off the tools he possesses.

Kemba Walker, PG, Gauchos – Over the spring we’ve come to believe that this is the fuel for the Gauchos engine. Often times he’s the sparkplug which gets the Gauchos pressing, tough attack into a faster gear. In the team’s first playoff game that’s exactly what happened. In the upset of Pump ‘n Run Elite, Chris Fouch shot it, Jordan Theodore finished and Devin Hill used his length.

Kwamain Mitchell, PG, Wisc. Playground – He’s sort of heated himself up this spring. He had 15 in one game and 5 the next (which was a blowout). Realistically, he’s an impressive mid-level prospect who loves contact in the paint. Tough minded guard.

Terrence Jennings, C, PHPS – Laced with fast-twitch muscles and athleticism to die for, Jennings dunks whatever he can get his hands on inside. The freewheeling style PHPS employs allows him to shake free and wreak havoc on the rims. What happens this fall with him is up in the air. He mentioned Notre Dame Prep and South Kent as possible options but don’t discount the junior college route which may be the avenue he takes to achieve qualification.

Daniel Orton, PF, Compton Magic – The young fella with enormous mitts said the biggest difference between this year and last is his confidence. Mix in the fact he’s now 255 pounds and you’ve got a recipe for an elite big man. His offense is beginning to look crisp and the race to land him is on.

Orton Getting Bigger

Hollis Thompson, SF, West Coast AS – Back in April – which seems so long ago! – we wrote about him as a rising prospect. Since then Thompson has shown more perimeter game, more ball skills and straight high-major game.

What impressed us the most was how he handled adversity against the Gauchos. When the tempo was turned up too fast for his team, Thompson was there to make shots and slow it down. He cranked up the toughness and intensity to an extremely competitive level. In his final game he pumped in 32 hard-earned points.

John Henson, C, Texas D-I Ambassadors – Usually in the case of young big men, their defense is ahead of their offense. With Henson, it’s reversed as he’s got some post tricks and enough perimeter game to keep you honest. Like Tayshaun Prince, he’s pretty all arms and legs.

Jordan Hamilton, SG/SF, I-Can – Lamar Odom’s crew led the bulk of the contest versus Cali Supreme in the playoffs. Unfortunately they didn’t lead when the buzzer sounded. Hamilton’s baseline drive fell of the rim with seconds left. Clearly he and his crew were exhausted in the 4th game of the day and it showed. Hamilton shot 7-for-24 from the field to finish with 21, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

Jeremy Tyler, C/PF, Cal. Supreme – Anyway you slice it, this guy is either No. 1 or No. 2 in the class and likely the best prospect in this event. If the strong post ups, advanced footwork and serious reach didn’t excite you, maybe the 4 3-pointers caught your eye? We caught his act twice on Saturday: he had 24 once and in a one-point win over I-Can he had fouls and didn’t receive enough touches; finished with 5 points and 6 boards.

Hank Thorns, a senior for the Las Vegas Dogcatchers, is qualified and ready to go. Last weekend he visited Virginia and Old Dominion. The deal is the Cavaliers have a schollie for the speedy point man should Sean Singletary decide to stay in the draft. … We didn’t see the contest but reportedly Peyton Siva had 7 trifectas in one outing. … From what we’ve seen, Tyler Lamb and Mark McLaughlin are two of the best shooters in this event. … Two of the bigger scoring games of the day were turned in by Jeremy Green who hit for 32 and Allen Tate who got 34. … G.J. Vilarino scored for Compton Magic in a win over Utah Pump ‘n Run. …

Seeley says California has offered and Illinois is looking. Arizona, Memphis and Oklahoma are showing interest. … Oklahoma, Oregon and Arizona know a little about James Watson. …

This is an important school list because Daniel Orton is that good: Florida, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Kansas. … Kwamain Mitchell indicated that St. Louis, Minnesota and Utah were chasing him the hardest. … Terrence Jennings indicated Arizona, Illinois, Oklahoma, Iowa State and Memphis are interested. Florida, Jennings said, gave him a ring. …

Jared Cunningham, only a sophomore, indicated Santa Clara is chasing him the hardest. … Olek Czyz is getting hit by Arizona State, Washington State, Colorado State, Santa Clara, Nevada and Pepperdine. Czyz indicated each has offered. …

Sophomore John Henson has an early offer from Baylor plus interest from Texas, Texas A&M and Rice. … Kemba Walker has a litany of programs chasing him. Having said that, Walker indicated Cincinnati was making an impact as the school chasing hardest in mid-May. … Jordan Hamilton gets interest from Washington, Syracuse, UCLA, USC, Arizona State, North Carolina State and Texas. He’ll visit NC State unofficially the Monday following the Tournament of Champions. …

Before fouling out against the Dogcatchers, Luke Babbitt dropped 19 points on 6-for-11 from the field. He also snatched 6 boards in a heated contest with the Prospects Vegas rivals. …

Sampson Carter has that long, athletic body. Would like to see him stick his nose in there and rebound. … Elston Turner’s spring has been a work in progress. He made a series of shots late against T-MAC that helped his team win in OT. … Anthony Jones could make himself a more effective defensive presence if he stays home and doesn’t bite on shot fakes. He’s long enough to where he if he stands his ground it’ll all come to him. …

Yesterday we wrote that Keith Gallon might be a better football prospect. Down here he’s turning in his best basketball event of the spring. … Larry Drew raised his level of play on Saturday. We didn’t see his games but the word is he found his jumper in the middle of the day. …

Cali Supreme has Tyler and shooter Tyler Lamb who gain a lot of headlines. However, junk-yard-dog forward Jamal Franklin played a big role on Saturday in the playoffs with his energy and drive. The young man made shots, got boards and competed at a higher level than just about anyone on the floor. He’s unsung but not unnoticed. …

"Ruff, ruff. Woof!"

Las Vegas Dogcatchers guard Montrell Clark after a made bucket