Rankings & School Lists Select Item - Class Of - 2009 2010 2011 2008 2008JC 2007 2007JC 2006 2006JC 2005 2005JC 2004 2003 2003JC 2002 2002JC 2001 2001JC      Derrick Favors retains the top spot in 2009. Check out our top-10 player rankings from the past. You'll recognize a lot of these names. Program Profiles Select Item Alabama Arizona Arkansas Auburn California Charlotte Cincinnati Clemson UConn DePaul Duke Florida FSU G'town Georgia Ga. Tech Illinois Indiana Iowa Iowa State Kansas Kentucky Louisville Marquette Maryland UMass Memphis Miami Michigan Michigan St. Missouri UNC NCSU Notre Dame Ohio State Oklahoma Okla. State Pittsburgh Providence Purdue Rutgers St. John's Seton Hall S. Carolina So. Cal Stanford Syracuse Tenn. Texas UCLA Villanova Virginia Wake Forest Washington W. Va.      TimeTravel: 1980 Top Recruiting Classes Parade of Programs: Conference breakdown from the Recruiter's Handbook Event Coverage Select Item NCAA Calendar      Event Calendar: PrepStars.com features a comprehensive event calendar, courtesy of the NCAA

HEADLINER CAMP: JACKSONVILLE

By Rick Staudt
rickstaudt@bellsouth.net
June 4, 2008

Now in its third year, the Reebok Headliner Camp continues to be vital component of Reebok's grassroots basketball program. While the last two years the event was held in Orlando with limited success, this year it found a new home in Jacksonville and was sold out.

Eighty players showcased their talents, and the top players were extended invitations to Reebok's Underclassmen All-American Camp in Chicago in mid-June, while others received a bid to the Reebok All-American Camp (best players in all classes) held in Philadelphia during the July live period.

REPS ON THE RISE

The top player in the upperclassman division was Dexter Fields of Orlando (FL) Olympia. While Dex is known primarily as a physical driver and finisher, he showed this weekend that his overall game is developing and that he can do a lot of different things on the court. In one game, his outside shot wasn't falling and thus he turned his attention to rebounding, getting others involved with some solid passing, and getting to the basket and finishing with contact. After finally hitting a mid-range jumper off the dribble near the end of the game, it was evident that Fields had found his stroke. In the first game on day two, the two evaluators on that court raved about his play. Hopefully, his play this past weekend will carry over into the July live period, and he will get the credit he deserves on a national scale.

The player some thought was the best performer on day one was Pensacola (FL) High 6-5 wing Terrance Beasley. While he was not quite as sharp on day two, it was still plenty evident that he is a very talented player. A tremendous athlete with length and strength, Beasley skies for boards on both ends and finishes with authority on the break. He has range past the three point line on the offensive end, but he's better off the catch than the dribble with his shot. While he did have a few eye-opening assists, Beasley's passing and dribbling skills are only okay at this time, which makes him better suited to a wing forward spot.

Because of numbers, some sophomores had to play up in the Upperclassman Division to balance things out. There was no doubt that 6-8 Patrick Young of Jacksonville (FL) Paxon would fall into that category, but he ended up as the clear choice for the best big man in the camp. Young is strong and athletic, and his body type suggests he can add more muscle and not lose any of his prolific bounce. It wasn't so much Young's skills as his energy and effort that dominated other bigs during the two days. He's fast down the court in transition, attacks the glass on both ends and is quick off the floor for blocks. Young is still developing his offensive tools, but we are talking about a sophomore at one of the best academic schools in the state. Don't be surprised if a lot of high-major schools begin to follow him around this summer.

Stunning. That is the only way to describe the play of Ocoee (FL) High 6-0 point guard Rodney Blount. Out of the gate, his team leadership stood out and he was the clear top point guard at the event. And he plays the two for both his high school team and the Showtime Ballers! He is very effective and doesn't play around with the ball. He gets the rock up the court quickly and initiates the offense. On penetration, he does a good job of finding open players but can finish in traffic if no other option is available. Blount is also a deadly shooter from deep when left open and averaged about two steals per outing, which is pretty good when playing only twenty minutes a game. The play that sealed the deal was his offensive rebound over a 6-8 opponent and quick assist to a teammate underneath for a score. Here's hoping this wasn't just a weekend wonder for Blount and that he is the real deal.

Probably the biggest buzz from the crowd on day one came when Tyshawn Patterson crossed over a defender, sending him to the ground, and then continued to the basket and finished in traffic. The 6-0 guard from Orlando (FL) Christian Prep was a late addition to the event but a very welcomed one. About as fast as anyone with the ball in his hands, Patterson can do more than just get from end to end in record time. His ball-handling and quickness allow him to get to the basket, and he's starting to show the ability to pull up and knock down the mid-range jumper. His shot from behind the arc has good form but is not yet consistent. While he doesn't normally play the point guard spot, he was forced to at times this weekend and proved that with more experience he'll be able to fit into that position. A knock on Patterson had been that his aggressive, attacking mentality too often went into overdrive and thus he played out of control, but he didn't have issues with that this weekend.

OTHER HEADLINER NOTABLES

It's a long drive from Miramar (FL) High to Jacksonville, but for 6-7 BF Thomas Hawkins, it was certainly worth it. He doesn't yet have a strong frame, but it appears he will in the future and already is capable of scoring inside in heavy traffic. Hawkins was as good an offensive rebounder as we saw all weekend and showed the ability to step away from the basket and knock down shots when given room. Only an average run/jump athlete, Hawkins still managed to block a few shots from the help side and run the court hard on the break. His ball-handling and passing skills when facing the basket could use some improvement, but they aren't bad for this level.

Despite being a sophomore, 6-5 wing Aaron Bowen of Jacksonville (FL) Wolfson played in the Upperclassman division and proved he belonged. Bowen excelled at playing without the ball, scoring several times on cuts to the hoop where teammates found him for open scores. With the rock in his hands, he's a proficient slasher and finisher at the rim. His jump shot didn't make the trip to camp with him in the game we saw, but his form looked good enough that consistency should come with time and repetition. He has performed well this spring playing in the 17-U division with the Lee Bulls, and his reputation is growing beyond the Sunshine State.

The player considered the best performer in the Underclassman division was 2010 5-11 point guard Brandon Boyd of Jacksonville (FL) Arlington Country Day. One of the few guards in the division who didn't dribble the ball as though his existence depended on it, Boyd made steady plays, passed well on the break and scored when the opportunity presented itself. While his jump shot didn't fall in the game we witnessed, Boyd was so good at getting to the rim that it really wasn't that much of a concern. He's a point guard, he knows it, and doesn't feel the need to prove that he can score in bunches.

Another player from Arlington Country Day who enjoyed a good camp was 2011 6-4 BF Delron Summey. The best inside player in the division, no one could keep him off the boards at either end of the court. While Summey may not have scored every time he got on offensive rebound, he often kept the ball alive for another chance to grab it. He showed that he can score from 15 feet and in, run the floor and finish the break, and passes alertly to cutters for hoops. Sumey also gets off his feet pretty well and had a couple of solid blocks when playing on the ball. How much he grows in the future, both physically and in skill, will go a long way in determining his collegiate level.

Only in the Class of 2011, Jacksonville (FL) Wolfson 5-10 point guard William Cummings played with a poise that anyone seeing him for the first time would have thought he was at least a junior. Lithe and quick, Cummings makes good passes on the break and when penetrating the lane. One of the more memorable moments of the events was when he took it to the basket, and when faced with opposition switched the ball from his right to left (off) hand and finished. His jumper has good form but didn't fall in the game we witnessed. He'll one to watch in the future.

If he can develop a consistent jump shot, DaQwan Knight will get the attention of a lot of coaches. A 2010 6-3 wing guard out of Jacksonville (FL) Raines, Knight has excellent court vision, makes the right pass at the right time and overall makes his teammates better. He had five assists and three steals in the game we watched, and that was playing only half a game. Knight also hit a couple of baskets in transition, scored on a cut to the hoop and put back a couple of teammates' misses. His jumper looks good and he did hit a three off the dribble, but all too often he came up empty when not around the basket. Knight has time to improve that deficiency and is certainly one to keep track of for the future.