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RECRUITING TRAIL VIDEO:
"HOT PROSPECTS" AT THE TOC

PrepStars staff
video assist: Jim Dallke
support@prepstars.com
May 29, 2009

Bob Gibbons' Tournament of Champions showcased a treasure trove of elite talent. While viewing the video clip, sit alongside PrepStars analysts Rob Harrington and Brick Oettinger and revisit a little trailtalk on:

Kyrie Irving, Reggie Bullock, Roscoe Smith, Jayvaughn Pinkston, Keith Appling, Casey Prather, Michael Gilchrist

TRAILTALK

Rob Harrington on point guard Kyrie Irving: "The player of the event has, without question, been Kyrie Irving. The 6-2 PG at Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick essentially is a one-man team for the New Jersey Roadrunners, and this weekend that has been just fine. Irving went up against very good guard Ian Miller on Day Two, and the result was another 40 points for Irving in a performance that may cinch a spot in the national top five. The only better guard in the rising senior class is Brandon Knight, and Knight gets the nod because of his superior speed and quickness. That said, Irving may be the best scorer in high school basketball off the dribble. He has a freakishly tight handle, and he changes direction and pace frequently -- including a great stutter-step move -- to keep defenders continuously off-balance. Additionally, his three-point shot has been downright lethal, and is playmaking off the dribble also superb. In short, he has been an elite guard in nearly every sense of the word, his potential for improvement mostly confined to the defensive end of the court..."

*****

Brick Oettinger critiqued immensely talented Reggie Bullock "...for being too unselfish on Day One at the TOC and thus actually hurt his team at times. In three Saturday wins, Bullock stepped up by playing much more assertively. In an 83-70 round of 16 victory over the Nashville Celtics, he not only drilled three long threes in the first half but also finished drives ambidextrously, rebounded effectively at both ends of the court, passed smartly and overall played solid, intelligence against extremely athletic and aggressive 6-6 rising senior WF Casey Prather (No. 48) of Jackson (TN) North Side."

*****

Harrington: "Roscoe Smith is a terrific athlete who jumps well from a standing position and as a result reaps rebounds and blocked shots. He has become a better jump shooter so he must be respected from deep. He uses head fakes very intelligently on the perimeter to clear space for drives and pull-ups. He moves his feet well defensively when determined to do so, and his body control and balance are truly outstanding. What Smith must achieve now is a dribble that's worthy of the rest of his game. He can be pressured into dribbling and passing turnovers, and clearly this is a long-term issue that should be addressed ASAP. He also must be careful not to fall in love with threes, though better handling likely would enable him to rely more on his ample slashing talent."

*****

Harrington: "Jayvaughn Pinkston enjoyed a fine Day One. ...Pinkston is a strong, agile driver who has his limitations, but those don't become an issue until you starting talking about other top-50 prospects. In this outing, Pinkston knocked in high-arching (albeit with little backspin) threes, drove strongly to the rim and made few ball-handling errors. Looking forward, he'll need to develop his left hand for finishing purposes, because he's obviously small for BF and he isn't a great straight-up leaper. The academic question marks that surround his recruitment notwithstanding, he's a very good high school player and consistently serves up solid production."

*****

Harrington: "Keith Appling's No. 33 ranking looks accurate. The 6-2 product of Detroit (MI) Pershing is a prolific scorer at the high school level and also for the Michigan Mustangs, and now we think it's time to go ahead and list him as a point guard. He's a scoring point guard, no doubt, and at times he does so at the exclusion of his teammates and against the advice of his coach. Nevertheless, Appling is quick and shifty with the ball, hits threes with a quick release, scores acrobatically at the rim and exudes confidence. We'd like to see him tighten his left hand dribble and not dribble so much mindlessly on the perimeter, but as a talent he should develop in a dangerous scorer for Michigan State, to which he has committed."

*****

Harrington: "It's going to be an interesting summer for Casey Prather. The 6-5 WF at Jackson (TN) North Side and featured player for the Nashville Celtics certainly is an athlete -- few players in the class can match his creative feats when catching lobs. He also has improved his scoring, as he now can use a crossover dribble and step-back for contested 17 footers. Still, he has a tendency to disappear in games, and he'll need to tighten up his control dribbling for the next level. For now, we think the national top 75 sounds around right for this clear high-major prospect."

*****

Oettinger: "Michael Gilchrist, who many project as a one-and-done collegian likely to wind up at Kentucky or Louisville for that one year, scored 22 points in the 17-Under National title game and was clearly the dominant player at this event. He is simply a potential superstar who only needs to continue improving his perimeter jump shot as well as his free throw percentage in order to become one of the best two wing forward prospects (along with Iowa rising senior Harrison Barnes) since LeBron James!"