Hoop Group Elite Camp - Event Recap

New England Recruiting Report | Friday, July 11th, 2014

There was an unprecedented New England presence at this year’s Hoop Group Elite Camp, not just in terms of the sheer volume of prospects attending the camp, but also in terms of those who stood out the most over the course of the four days.  

Award Winners

Most Outstanding Player, Unique McLean – The incoming MacDuffie guard took home the camp’s highest honor despite the fact that he is only a rising junior.  The explosive lefty was up to his normal high wire antics and bringing energy into the gym at each stop.  

Most Outstanding ’17 Prospect, Kimani Lawrence – His talent level has never been debated, but he’s approaching the game as if he’s got something to prove recently and that allowed him to stand out among a loaded 2017 class here.  

Top 20 All-Star, Chris Baldwin – His combination of power and athleticism is hard to find and so when he applies himself there is simply not much opposing defenders can do to stop him.  Combine that with some deceptive skill and he’s a talented prospect.    

Top 20 All-Star, Saul Phiri – Coming off his spot in Scout.com’s national 100 rankings, Phiri came into camp with an X on his back, but he defended his reputation, showing well from start to finish to earn a spot in the camp’s top all-star game.  

Senior All-Star, Nisre Zouzoua – He picked up right where he left off at last week’s Elite 75, showing his length, athleticism, and overall playmaking ability to make a strong impression and attracting a variety of scholarship level interest in the process.  

Underclassmen All-Star, Tyonne Malone – The long lefty was up to his normal antics, making super smooth drives to the rim and splitting defenders with his knife like angles.  He was aggressive and productive throughout the week.  

Underclassmen All-Star, Kendrick Gray – His length and athleticism makes him an ideal threat for the camp environment.  He’s a highlight reel waiting to happen and on several occasions this week the cameras were rolling for his aerial assault.  

Underclassmen All-Star, Hassahn French – The lefty power forward has made distinct strides in his game over the course of the last year all while adding another two inches to his frame and so he had no problem imposing his will on much older competition.  

Others Who Impressed

Kealen Ives – The incoming Putnam Science Academy guard was another who picked up right where he left off after last week’s Elite 75.  He was handing out dimes left and right and showing plenty of his individual offense as well to score offers from Maine and Rider.  

Mamadou Diarra – There’s no denying he would have been a camp all-star had he not had to depart camp early.  Diarra was an absolute force inside the paint combining power, athleticism, and a high motor alike.  

Marcel Pettway – His powerful body and low center of gravity have always made him an especially tough match-up.  He had a solid line of followers this week and captured his latest offer from the new staff at Maine.  

Lavar Harewood – The Brooks guard is off to a strong start this month turning in consecutive strong showings at the Elite 75 and now Hoop Group Elite.  He again showed off his improved skill set to make shots as well as a few high level drives.  

Mark Gasperini – The rising junior big man had the gym buzzing on Friday afternoon as he showed the ability to stretch defenses out to the three-point line, a jump hook on the block, and terrific size as a true center.  

David Labossiere – He’s well known for his explosive athleticism and there were plenty of examples of that throughout the week, but what was just as impressive was the quickness of his first step as he blew right by his defenders on a number of occasions.