Adidas Phenom 150 – Event Recap

NewEnglandRecruitingReport.com | Friday, September 14th, 2007

This weekend marked the first Adidas Junior Phenom Camp to come to the New England area.  The New England Recruiting Report was there on Saturday to bring you all the action and check out some of the top rising young players in the region. 

From the time we arrived on Sacred Heart’s campus on Saturday, Brandon Jones was the name we kept hearing.  Apparently the freshman from St. Joseph’s High School in Trumbull, Connecticut had been dominant throughout Friday’s opening session as well as Saturday’s morning session, so we were anxious to get a chance to see him play.  The youngster did not disappoint as he was silky smooth getting to the basket and also showed a nice shooting touch from the perimeter. 

Jones was paired with another potential star down the road in Hillhouse (New Haven, CT) High School’s Tavon Allen.  Allen is a long and athletic lefty who looked like a jumping jack on the court.  He blocked shots, finished around the rim, and even dunked the ball with his right hand.  If that weren’t enough the talented forward also showed he had three-point range on his shot as well. 

Two point guards stood out in the 9th grade division as Zaquan Nelson from Wilby High School in Waterbury, Connecticut and Rakim Smith-Lartey from Somerville High School in Massachusetts both impressed.  Both players led their respective teams with some adept ball handling and ability to create off the dribble. 

Kevin Clark, a 6’1” swingman from Christian Heritage School in Trumbull, Connecticut, managed to stand out not just with his impressive play but also with his noticeable hustle.  While many players in exposure events are often over-dribbling, taking bad shots, and playing no defense, Clark was refreshing to watch as he dove on the floor for loose balls, made the extra pass, and then knocked down open shots when they presented themselves. 

It wasn’t just New England’s young products that were on display this weekend as New York and New Jersey were also well represented.  Dennis Green may have been the most widely known name from New York in the building.  Despite his youth the 8th grader has already impressed at many of the national camps including at the Five Star Camp where he made the all-star game while playing up two divisions in the 10th grade group, as well as the Eastern Invitational where he made the top 20 game while playing up an age bracket with incoming freshmen.  This weekend the natural scorer could only be slowed by a twisted ankle that he suffered during action on Saturday. 

Other players from New York who were impressive enough to make the all-star game included: Geoffry Tolentino, a 6’4” forward from Lanmark High School in Harlem; Peter Aguilar, a 6’1” guard from Mount St. Mikas High School; and Jared Myers a 6’4” forward from All Hallows High School.  Their New Jersey neighbor Terik Bridgeman, a 6’4” forward from Hackensack High School was also selected to the all-star game. 

Other players who stood out included 6’5” forward Kevin Hoff from Career High School, 5’11” point guard Scott O’Brien from New Canaan High School, 6’1” shooting guard Zachary Restifo from the Hopkins School in Connecticut, 5’8” point guard Angel Ortiz from East Lyme High School, and 5’6” eighth grader Andrew Sawyer from Norwalk. 

Check back soon for complete all-star game rosters in all four age brackets.