Adidas Invitational: Pool Play Recap



Kasey Hill and Florida Elite broke onto the national recruiting stage at last year's Adidas Invitational. Who has the talent to do the same this year in Indy?



     As the July evaluation period opened on Wednesday, college coaches were out in force at North Central High School for the first pool play games at the Adidas Invitational. While the tournament is missing some of the big name players it's carried in the past (Andre Drummond, Shabazz Muhammed, Kasey Hill, Chris Walker), it still has the talent to draw the likes of Mike Krzyzewski and Rick Pitino. With teams traveling from all around the country to Indianapolis, the past two days have been nothing but great basketball. Teams such as Dream Vision and the Compton Magic have traveled from the West Coast to play in this year's tournament. As the past two days have come and gone, some of the big time recruits have stood out in the spotlight, while others have faded. Tournaments like this are a great opportunity for players to showcase their talent, but can also exploit severe weaknesses. Now, let's look at some of the biggest storylines heading into tournament play this weekend.

Brandone Francis (2014) Is Legit

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     The 6'5" Francis has been the most impressive player in the class of 2014 at this year's invitational so far. The future Florida Gator is ranked number 25 nationally in his class according to Rivals. While he is not the top ranked player in Indy this week, the Florida Elite star has shown the most skills. In the first game of the tournament, Francis wowed a large crowd at North Central High School against a very talented Team Loaded squad from North Carolina. Twin brothers Caleb and Cody Martin, both North Carolina State commits, led Team Loaded to a hot start.

     However, Francis seemed un-phased with a quick deficit, showing great poise throughout the first half. His offensive game is nothing short of brilliant. Out of any player I've seen so far, he possesses the quickest, and most likely best, ball-handling skills. His tight dribble allows for easy dribble-drive penetration, and those abilities were out in full force Wednesday night. On multiple occasions, Francis split the double team and slashed to the rim. After only a few minutes, it was quite evident that Francis is a freak athlete. His great leaping ability and strength allows for great finishing at the rim. Add in his keen basketball awareness, and there's a multitude of ways for the rising senior to finish around the basket.

     And it does not stop there. Francis showed great shooting ability, knocking down three-point shots and shooting well off of the dribble. Most notable was a step-back, fade away shot from just inside the arc in the left corner. He led the way for Florida Elite's comeback, in which they ultimately won the game by a score of 72-66. Throughout the rest of pool play, Francis led Florida Elite to a 2-1 record and the number one overall seed in the 17u Platinum Bracket. If Florida Elite wants to repeat last year's tournament, in which they brought home the trophy, they will have to be carried by the offensive abilities of Brandone Francis.

While Kevon Looney (2014) Has Been Off, Teammate David Burrell (2014) Has Shined In The Spotlight

     Milwaukee Running Rebel's forward Kevon Lonney came into the 2013 Adidas Invitational as the highest ranked prospect in the class of 2014 at the tournament. But Looney has played nothing like it. In Milwaukee's first game against New Orleans Elite, Looney, the nation's  11th ranked player, was all but impressive. Matched up against the 21st ranked player, Craig Victor, Looney faded out of the spotlight. His performance was hard to watch as Coach K, Thad Motta, Tom Izzo, and Rick Pitino were all in appearance for the Wisconsin native.

     Looney was bullied around by Victor, who played below average as well, and showed no real mental drive to win the game. There's no doubt Looney is one of the surefire athletic specimens the 2014 class has to offer. However, after watching the first half, I was starting to believe that's all the big man has to offer. Aside from a pull up shot in transition, he showed no real talent on either end of the court. He rebounded poorly, showing no instinct to box out or go for the ball. While he did block a few shots, that was the only noticeable thing I took from his showing at the tournament. However, I would like to believe the kid had a rough game. If Coach K personally flew in to watch Looney, you know he is a legit talent.

     With Looney playing poorly, his teammate David Burrell stepped into the spotlight and led the Milwaukee team offensively. He showed great scoring abilities on the offensive end, showcasing his ability to knock down shots from behind the arc but also his driving capabilities. He basically took over the game midway through the first half, scoring what seemed like ten straight points for the Running Rebels. With so many big name coaches in the house, Burrell's performance is sure to draw the interest of some school out there.

There Is A Reason Why People Compare Carlton Bragg (2015) To Kevin Durant

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     At Northview Middle School on Wednesday night there was a large crowd to see the Eric Gordon All-Stars matchup against the Ohio Basketball Club. A large portion of the crowd was decked in the Crimson of the Indiana University Hoosiers. However, Hoosier Nation was not in attendance to see a local talent from EG10, but rather Carlton Bragg, a Cleveland native. Bragg is ranked number 12 nationally by Rivals, and has expressed strong interest in Tom Crean's basketball program. And it showed, as Tom Crean was across the court in the coaches' section. Along with Crean was Thad Motta, John Groce (Illinois), Bob Huggins (West Virginia) and former Park Tudor coach Ed Schilling (UCLA Assistant).

     Bragg was all that the crowd had bargained for when they made the trip to NVMS. He showed great offensive abilities, getting to the rim and also knocking down shots. Many scouts have compared his game to Kevin Durant. While it is a pretty lofty comparison, I can see why scout's have done so. His 6'9" frame allows for him to get off shots over defenders. He has extremely long arms, which benefit him on the glass and on the defensive end. I think the play of the day was his block that sent the ball past the half-court line. As for now, it seems Bragg will remain at the very top of the 2015 class. It will be interesting to see how he comes back and performs at the invitational next year.

Trevor Clay (2014) and Chris Clark (2014) May Not Be Big Name Players, But They Sure Can Play

    
     Both Trevor Clay (pictured) and Chris Clark play for the St. Louis Gateway basketball program. Neither Clay nor Clark are nationally ranked recruits. The highest ranked player on their team is 6'11" center Austin Gillman, who is the 33rd ranked center in the class of 2014. The squad drew a tough super pool schedule, and finished 1-2. And on top of that, the team's missing some of its better players (and more sizable) in Andrew Maddock and Brandon Leuders. Still, guards Trevor Clay and Chris Clark have somehow managed to shine in this year's tournament.
 
     Aside from the big name players like Brandone Francis and Goodluck Okonoboh, Clay and Clark have been two of the most impressive talents I've seen so far. I've watched the Gateway team play two games against the Houston Hoopstars and Memphis Pure Magic Elite. In both games, the guard combination of Clay and Clark have carried a undermanned Gateway team. Both guards are lightning quick and excel at getting to the rim from dribble-drive scenarios. And both of them, especially Clay, are uber-athletic for their frame. I have been completely and utterly blown away from the talent level of these two kids.
 
     While the Gateway lost their first two games to Houston and then to the New England Playaz, they still have a chance at making a run in the tournament. It is very unlikely that the team advances far, but I would not discount this team after watching Clay and Clark dominate the guard position over the past two days. safe to say that both of them will be seeing increased interest from colleges scouts in the near future.