Hoop Mountain SW2 Wrap-Up

Ephraim McDowell | Friday, July 8th, 2011

The final full day at Hoop Mountain Super Week II culminated with a riveting night session of games, followed by a dunk contest and an all-star game.

Some of the elite players at camp shined during the night session of games, especially a number of players from two upper-echelon east coast AAU teams that had their squads in attendance: BABC and Mid-Atlantic Select.

BABC Stars

Georges Niang, Tilton School- Niang continued to prove why he was the most dominant player in camp this week. His inspired performance, marked by bull-dozing moves to the basket, space-clearing rebounds, and a soft touch around the hoop, led his team to a playoff victory Thursday night. His size and strength advantage allowed him to win his one-on-one matchup against Mid-Atlantic Select’s talented young big man Andre Walker.

Andrew Chrabascz, Cushing Academy- There is no doubt that Chrabascz has showcased an improved jumper this week. He has knocked down shots from long-range with consistency, which continued during his playoff game on Thursday night. His jumper provides a tremendous complement to his ability to attack the hoop and make hustle plays.

Jake Layman, King Phillip- His fluidity and smoothness on the break is always impressive. He had a few resounding dunks in transition in his night game that wowed the crowd.

Mid-Atlantic Select Stars

Enerio Jones, Quakerdale Prep (IA)- Jones is a shifty point guard who flat out makes plays for himself and others. You simply cannot relax on defense when he has the ball. Jones lived in the paint tonight.

Andre Walker, Clarksburg HS (MD)- 6’10 with length, Walker has the size and athleticism that high major coaches dream of. He is still putting his offensive skill-set together however, and tonight he showed promising signs, including an assertive right-handed jump hook. Although his offensive game is still developing, his defensive impact is unquestionable—he disrupted countless shots in his game Thursday night.

Garland Owens, Magruder HS (MD)- Owens was unequivocally the best athlete at camp this week. He certainly showed this with his scintillating dunk contest performance. In his night session game, Owens had his head close to rim-level on a few occasions, one of which was on a transition tomahawk dunk.

Jaylen Myrie, Lawrence Academy- Myrie was special with the ball in his hands on Thursday night. He made a few electric passes to bigs running the floor in transition, and his vision overall was superb.

Best Performance of the Night

Adrian Oliveira, Brimmer and May- Despite being pressured full-court for the entire game by pesky on-ball defender Colby Smith of North Andover HS, Oliveira kept his composure and carried his team to a late-game victory. Oliveira was simply never rattled, and he made big play after big play. He looked incredibly comfortable with the ball in his hands, as he got into the lane, converted floaters and pull-ups, and created for others. His jumper also looked the best we’ve seen it, as he made two difficult step-back shots from just inside the 3-point line, with hands in his face. His play kept his team close, and then he punctuated the contest with a game-winning runner with 3 seconds left. In a tie game, Oliveira drove the ball the length of the court before finishing softly off the glass while protecting the ball from two defenders. Oliveira was truly excellent; he was, undeniably, the standout player of the Thursday night session.

Others Who Impressed

Ryan Spadaford, South Side HS (NY)- A hard-nosed, 6’4 wing player, Spadaford combined a deft 3-point stroke with some tough finishes in the paint.

Jeff Spellman, Beaver Country Day- Exhibiting a solid handle and a textbook stroke, Spellman made defenders pay for going under ball screens.

Kevin Crescenzi, Tilton School- A knock-down shooter, both off the catch and off the dribble.

Kenny Armstead, Career HS- The long, rangy wing made tough shots and handled the ball on the break.

Carlin Haymon, Rivers School- Though diminutive, Haymon is an absolute jet with the ball. He consistently broke down defenders Thursday night, which has become customary for Haymon.

Colin Pascoe, Suffield Academy- Pascoe proved his athletic ability by throwing down one of the best dunks of the week over a contesting defender on the break.

Kyle Reardon, Rivers School- Reardon gave a solid showing Thursday night, providing a nice perimeter complement to his camp teammate Georges Niang. Reardon made a clutch three and had a key and-one down the stretch of his game.

Awards

Camp MVP: Georges Niang, Tilton School- Certainly no surprise here, Niang was the most productive and outstanding player at camp this week.

Dunk Contest Winner: Garland Owens, Magruder HS (MD)- Owens put on quite a show for the crowd with a plethora of high-flying dunks.

All-Stars

John Powell, Brimmer and May
Andrew Chrabascz, Cushing Academy
Maurice Taylor Jr., Cambridge Rindge and Latin
Georges Niang, Tilton School
Rene Castro, Beaver Country Day
Jake Layman, King Phillip
Alex Furness, Cushing Academy
Will Defanti, Northfield Mt. Hermon
Peter Keaney, St. Dominic Regional HS
Garland Owens, Magruder HS (MD)
Dimitri Floras, Kimball Union
Jeff Amazan, East Boston
Ryan Hartung, Phillips Academy
Ed Lawrence, Canterbury School
Mike Auger, New Hampton
Kamari Robinson, Springfield Central
Jacquil Taylor, Cambridge Rindge and Latin
Matt Cimino, Worcester Academy
Connor Green, Phillips Exeter
Enerio Jones, Quakerdale Prep (IA)
Andre Walker, Clarksburg HS (MD)
Kamali Bey, Wilbraham and Monson
Steve Haladyna, St. John’s Prep

All-Star Game Recap

In an all-star game with an abundance of talent and great matchups all around, here’s who stood out the most:

Jaylen Brantley, Wilbraham and Monson- On two memorable occasions, Brantley gave his helpless defender a dizzying array of crossovers before stepping back and canning a long three. Brantley appeared to be toying with his defender, before deciding to calmly let go of his pure jump shot.

Andrew Chrabascz, Cushing Academy- Attacking the hoop with assertiveness and authority, Chrabacsz finished on the break quite effectively during this up-and-down affair.

Mike Auger, New Hampton- Auger showed he certainly belonged in this high-profile game by being extremely productive, putting points on the board and grabbing several rebounds. Auger was perfect on his attempts in transition and around the rim.

John Powell, Brimmer and May- Powell showed glimpses of his immense talent, as he once grabbed a rebound, took the ball the length of the floor, and then glided through traffic to finish effortlessly at the rim.

Georges Niang, Tilton School- As usual, Niang was hugely productive in the all-star game and even showcased some above-the-rim athleticism on one rousing baseline dunk.

Enerio Jones, Quakerdale Prep (IA)- Jones was certainly one of the top lead guards at camp this week. He was a pest defensively in the all-star game, getting several steals and deflections, and then leading the fast break with his lightning speed.