To some people the AAU Season is more important than the high school season. In many ways it does have more of an importance. I’ll be the first to tell you that AAU is out-of-control lately with all the shoe companies becoming involved with teams, but truth is players enjoy their time with their AAU team over their school team.
JJ Moore excelled with the Panthers
Just ask South Kent’s (CT) JJ Moore. While being forced to play center during his high school career at Brentwood high school (Brentwood, LI), Moore was playing out of position and receiving minimal looks from schools. During this past summer and playing with Gary Charles’ NY Panthers squad, the rising 6’6″ senior was given the freedom to play his true position at the wing. The Long Island native took full advantage of the opportunity to perform at the wing. After scoring an offer from high-major schools such as Louisville, UCONN and Pittsburgh, AAU has been Moore’s best friend this summer.
Similar to Moore, Bishop Loughlin’s Jayvaughn Pinkston was a high priority for many high-major schools this summer. Playing with Kimani Young’s New Heights program, Pinkston’s athleticism and hustle made it a non-challenge for college coaches to make this 6’6” 235 lbs. small-forward an immediate target. Pinkston too had to take on a different role in positions while playing AAU. Pinkston was an extremely dominant big man during the high school season, but knew his game had to change in order to be an impact player on the college level. By expanding his game outside the perimeter, Pinkston is making it that much easier for colleges to notice him, and that much harder for defenders to cover him.
I wasn’t able to check out #1 ranked Tobias Harris at too many events this summer but when I did see the Long Island native in action, it was extremely impressive. His versatility is the strongest facet of his game. His outside/inside combination has improved over the course of the summer, and is now that much more difficult to contain on the defensive end. His perimeter jump shot has been risen to another level. Harris now has offers from most of the top programs in the nation, including Maryland (where he took an unofficial visit on Saturday), Louisville and UCONN.
A Bronx native, Doron Lamb, who will now be in the next updated rankings had a great summer while playing with the New York Gauchos. The 6’4″ combo guard played his heart out over the summer and his hard work/determination has earned him a scholarship offer from John Calipari’s University of Kentucky. Along with the Wildcats in the mid-south, the Arizona Wildcats also have offered the Oak Hill Academy star. I was on hand to watch Lamb win MVP at the Boost Mobile Elite 24 game, where he was dazzling the crowd with his impressive ball-handling and sharp-shooting skills.
A teammate of Lamb’s on the Gauchos, Shane Southwell is a prospect unlike many others. At 6’6″ most people think the Rice (Manhattan, New York) standout is strictly a wing player. That’s not why Southwell holds offers from Marquette, Providence, South Carolina, St. John’s and Xavier. Those coaches are intrigued by the rising seniors’ talents because even at a forwards height, he has the ability to lead a team and run the point guard position. Watching Southwell play in the NIKE Tournament of Champions High School game (Southwell is #20 for the Black team) gave me even more confidence that Southwell can be a dominant player on the college level. His intangibles are impeccable.
Most people know how high I am on South Kent’s (CT) Russ Smith. His ball-handling skills cannot be challenged and his scoring persona is beyond expectations for a player at an even 6’0″. Smith’s summer went from AAU team to AAU team, leaving the Gauchos for “Tiny” Morton’s Juice All-Stars. Smith played with Southwell in the NIKE TOC game (#13 in Black) at the Gauchos gym and scored an impressive 35 points in a 2-point loss. “I have offers from Auburn, Arkansas, Stanford, Depaul, Louisville, Notre Dame, Seton Hall, Rutgers, George Mason, Houston, Virginia, Lasalle, St. Bonaventure, South Carolina, Iona, and Ball State,” Smith said to GothamHoops’ Jeremy Bauman in an exclusive interview. “I also have interest from UConn, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, USF, and USC.”
This will conclude my Summer Recap; 2010 Edition.
Expect new rankings for the class of ’10 soon!
