April 23

This past weekend Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex hosted the 2008 AAU Spring Classic. While time constraints limited our ability to see as much as we would have liked, we were able to catch all of the Florida teams that made it to the finals.

In the 17U Division, the Jacksonville Rockets fell by one point to the Georgia Ballers, 91-90 in the championship game. We were able to catch the Rockets in their semi-final game against the Cape Coast Titans. Judging from that contest, the two players that powered the Rockets this weekend were Darius Robinson and Steve Roundtree.

As we've discussed before, Roundtree is a very versatile 6'7 wing forward out of Jacksonville Englewood. His game was much more controlled this weekend and that played a big part in the Rockets success. Roundtree spent much more time inside than on the perimeter in the semi-final matchup and his length, quickness to the basketball, and scoring skills were really too much for the Titans to handle. His points came primarily on offensive rebounds, post-ups, and in transition. Roundtree didn't attempt a single three pointer in the contest and knocked down the only mid-range jumper we saw from him. This shows a great improvement in shot selection and court awareness. Roundtree is still an excellent ball-handler in the open court and a fine passer. He is a tough match-up for anyone at this level.

On the outside, Darius Robinson was deadly for the Rockets. A 6'0 wing guard out of Jacksonville Englewood, Robinson was on target from beyond the arc for most of the contest. Not only did he knock down catch-and-shoot jumpers against the zone, he was able to manufacture points on his own. While his size would indicate he should be a point guard, he is not used in this manner by the team. Instead, he is the player most likely to get things going, either with a drive and finish in traffic or pulling up before the defense can react. While a bit on the thin side, Robinson's quickness and craftiness with the basketball allow him to avoid contact, create space, and knock down shots once he gets inside the arc. His collegiate future will depend on how well he can get his teammates involved but there is no question about his ability to put the ball in the basket.

For the Titans, their player on note has to be 2010 5'8 point guard Ralph Williams of Rockledge. While some might cast him as a typical "mighty mite", the things that separate him from other guards his size are his determination, leadership abilities, and desire to win. Williams gets his teammates where they need to be when running the offense but when things break down, he can create shots for himself or others when heading for the basket. He had a couple of nice finishes inside in traffic and ran the pick and roll well with his teammates. Williams' shot from deep is not yet consistent and to some his size will always be an issue.

We saw the Georgia Ballers play an early morning game against the Palm Beach Kings. While it is understandable that playing at 8:30 am at an off-site location does little for motivation to play, it was surprising how few of the Kings brought their game with them to the Celebration gym. The one player who did bring it was 6'5 WF/BF Vince Lewis of Glades Day. Our understanding is that Lewis has never played travel ball before and maybe that was a good thing. He was the only one that appeared interested in playing post defense, hitting the glass, and trying to out work the opposition. His buckets were limited to offensive rebounds and some scores inside, but his shots beyond twelve feet during warmups appeared to have good form, fluid motion, and regularly found the mark. Lewis's perimeter skills will need lots of work but it was a good outing for him.

In the 16U Division, the Florida Warriors defeated the GT Stars in the finals 71-67. It should have been an all-Florida affair as the Stars defeated Florida Rams Blue in OT after a phantom over the back call was whistled with 4 seconds left that sent the Stars to the line.

Regardless of that issue, the Warriors are the same team that won the Disney Easter Classic 15U title back in March. They decided to step up in age group despite the defection of arguably their best player, Jacoby Brissett, to the Florida Rams 17U group. We watched the team play earlier and it was clear that Jean Prophete, a 2011 6'3 BF from West Palm Beach Summit Christian was their primary scoring option. With the body of a defensive end, Prophete has a soft touch and nimble feet around the basket. After an up-and-under move and a jump hook, it was clear that he's very effective against taller opponents inside. He carves space for rebounds with his large frame and moves well up and down the court. Prophete actually handles and passes the ball fairly well on the perimeter but for right now, his play inside is what gets him noticed.

With 26 points in the 16U title game, it's clear that 2011 6'3 WG/WF Donnell McLean from Dwyer makes things happen. He looks more like a nose guard than a basketball player but then you start to notice that his skill set is pretty good. He handles the basketball very well, is a good passer on the move, and is a good rebounder on both ends of the court. McLean's shot is flat and therefore inconsistent from beyond fifteen feet but he still must be respected from the arc once he hits one or two. Quicker than he looks, he seemed to grab every loose ball or errant pass the came remotely close to him.

After watching South Florida Elite 16U on Friday night, we really thought they had a shot to win the whole thing. After finishing first in their pool, they lost a close one in their first game of bracket play. The team has pretty good size inside, most notably Jermaine Barton, a 2010 6'8 post player from St. Thomas Aquinas. A football player, his size allows him to get his spot offensively in the post and keep it. Barton has a pretty good touch around the basket and is a good offensive rebounder. However, he puts the ball on the floor almost every time he grabs a teammate's miss and that allows the defense time to react. Barton gets up and down the court pretty well for a guy his size and while he isn't a shot blocker, he will change a few. His future may be in football, but he's doing pretty well inside for the Elite.

On the perimeter for the South Florida Elite we were impressed with our first look at Brice Jenkins, a 2010 6'3 wing from Dwyer. While he may not have shown a lot in the way of scoring tools, he did impact the game with his passing, rebounding, and defense. With 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 3 steals on the evening he's a guy that can stuff the stat sheet without dominating the basketball. The one jumper he did take (a three pointer) was a little flat but otherwise looked good. We hope to see him again to get a better idea of the level of his ball-handling and scoring skills.

In the 15U title game, Florida Elite came from a long way back to defeat the surprising Tri-Star Elite 50-49. Florida Elite looked on the ropes going into the fourth quarter down ten, but that is when Brandon Farmer came to life. The 6'2 combo guard out of Ocala Vangaurd had fourteen points in the final quarter and did so in a variety of ways. He opened with a mid-range jumper off the dribble, nailed a three, hit two free throws after being fouled on a drive, scored in transition on a pretty ball-fake, and put back a missed shot. Also an aggressive defender, Farmer will most likely be the next star to come out of Vanguard.

The guy that complemented Farmer on the inside for Florida Elite was Xavier Owens, a 6'5 BF/WF from Tampa Wharton. Owens certainly handles the ball well enough to play on the wing but he was most effective in the title game going after rebounds and playing defense on the interior. A good but not great athlete, Owens is smart, plays with passion, and will be one of the players to watch as the spring turns to summer. He could be one of the better players on Florida's west coast when it is all said and done.

Tri-Star Elite is out of the Orlando area and put together a solid run to the finals. In our eyes, the team's two best players were 2011 6'2 wing guard Dewayne Gallimore from West Orange and 2011 6'3 wing forward Jordan Clark from Wekiva. Both are physically similar with lean body types and above average athletic ability. Gallimore is the better shooter of the two with a nice stroke from deep off the catch and the ability to pull up from inside the arc and score off the dribble. Clark is more of a slasher that gets to the basket in a hurry and finishes in traffic. Both have work to do in other areas of their game but the have promise as freshmen.

After watching South Florida Elite 15U play on Saturday, we thought they had as good a chance as any one to reach the finals. They loss to Florida Elite in the semis but it was still a good showing for the team. 2011 BF Fred Landers from Dillard probably had the most dominating performance we saw during the event. At 6'5, Landers currently is at his best inside. He has very good post moves for a young player, scores with either hand around the rim, and has long arms to out-duel taller player when going for rebounds. But perhaps the best thing he does is block shots. He had eight blocks in the game we saw and the best part about them is that he keeps them in play and usually comes down with the basketball. Add in fifteen points and twelve rebounds and you can tell he is one to keep an eye on as his high school career progresses.

Our thanks to Jim Clark of the Hoop Scoop for his assistance in scouting players.

Perhaps one of the more exciting things to see this past weekend was how far along the new Jostens Center is coming along on the DWWS property. Among other things, it will have six full-size basketball courts, bring the number to twelve between it and the Milk House. It is also conveniently located, just across the walkway from the current Milk House entrance. The Jostens Center is connected to the back end of the All-Star Café and it will be an easy walk from one to the other. It is scheduled to open in June and it allows AAU and Disney to host more events at the DWWS campus. With twelve courts at one location, expect AAU and Disney to give the events in Vegas a run for their money.