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17U National Qualifier Player Evaluations: Day One
April 5, 2008

Lenzelle Smith-SOPH, 6'4" 205 lbs, SG, Team NLP - This was our first extensive look at Smith and he made a very good impression.  He has a great body and is good at recognizing and taking advantage of mismatches.  He's got good strength and finished well around the rim.  Also, he had a few explosive drives that ended in electrifying jams.

Markus Yarbrough-JR, 6'7" 230 lbs, PF, Team NLP - Markus played very well on this day.  He was strong with the ball and displayed affective post moves around the rim.  He also stepped out to the perimeter and knocked down a couple of threes.  He runs the floor very well for his size and is definitely climbing the rankings.

Brandon Paul-JR, 6'4" 180 lbs, SG, Team NLP - Paul played very nonchalent on Saturday but still made his presence felt.  He really looked to get his teammates involved and pretty much took what the defense gave him if it was WIDE open.  He had a nice two hand slam down the middle of the lane through traffic and he shot the ball well from the perimeter.

D'mitri Riggs-JR, 6'3" 190 lbs, G, Team Illinois I - Riggs was better than he was in the high school season, as expected, but was nothing spectacular.  He showed his ability to fill both guard slots as his handle, passing, and 3-point shooting were all on display.  D'mitri plays without much passion which limits his effectiveness on the game.

James Monroe-JR, 6'4" 185 lbs, SF, Team Illinois I - James is an athletic, hard nosed kid.  He can defend the perimeter and post and is relentless on the boards.  He finished very well around the rim and also showed a nice midrange jumpshot.

Lavonte Dority-SOPH, 6'0" 185 lbs, PG, Illinois Heat - While the Sherron Collins comparisons may be a little overexaggerated, the sophomore point does resemble him in look and style of play.  He's not as explosive as Sherron but does have very good strength and quickness.  He got to the rim well and was good at finding teammates off the dribble.  He was dominant going towards his right and showed that he was a capable shot maker but didn't show the desire to take over a game.

Ryan Walker-SOPH, 5'10" 160 lbs, PG, Illinois Heat - A very smooth point guard with a game very reminiscent to his older brother, current DePaul point guard Willie Walker.  Ryan has a good handle and a high IQ.  He passes the ball well and is good at pulling up off the dribble.  He doesn't make many mistakes but at the same time isn't a big time impact on the game.  It will be interesting to see how he develops.

Nathan Haynes-SOPH, 6'5" 200 lbs, F, Team Illinois 16U - Nate was forced to play in the post because he was by far his team's biggest player but is more of an inside-out combination forward.  He has very good timing on his shot blocking and a great feel for the game.  He's not a great athlete but has an IQ enabling him to outsmart opponents.  Offensively, Haynes has good footwork inside, can knock down the three, and seemed comfortable handling it on the perimeter in spurts.

Nik Garcia-JR, 6'6" 175 lbs, SG, Rising Stars 5 - Nik was outstanding on this day.  He shot the ball lights out and played his role well.  With his size, a slim 6'6", and mobility he's already an attractive perimeter prospect.  His uncanny ability to knock down the 3 just makes his potential that much better.  In the game we saw, Nik had 20 points in the first half including shooting 6-for-7 from the three point line.

Jack Cooley-JR, 6'8", 235 lbs, PF, Rising Stars 5 - He has solidified his position as the #1 junior in the state of Illinois for the time being.  Cooley has been playing at a high level on a consistent basis and just better confirmed this with his play on Saturday.  He's a strong and scrappy 6'8" that plays with great aggression and gives 120% effort at all times. Jack was the first one on the floor to loose ball and pursued every rebounds whether or not it was in his vicinity.  He played very strong inside and never gave up on plays.  He finished it well.  The only fault we saw is that he got winded quickly but, as hard as he worked, we wouldn't expect anyone to be able to compete very long without feeling fatigued. He left us most impressed!

Marcus Jordan-JR, 6'3" 195 lbs, PG, Rising Stars 5 - Jordan spent the majority of his time running the point guard, even when playing alongside DePaul bound-Cully Payne.  He was much better than usual today and you can tell he's been improving his skills on a consistent basis as he was hitting most of his shots.  He played within himself and has made a big improvement in his game.

Jereme Richmond-SOPH, 6'7" 180 lbs, G/F, Rising Stars 5 - There's no denying Richmond's talents and abilities.  He performs at a high level and has a swagger about him that lets you know that he's the best player on the floor.  He's really comfortable handling the ball and pushing it up the floor.  He's got a finesse game and is a finesse finisher.  He's got great court vision but got a bit ahead of himself at times as he tried to force flashy passes that weren't quite there yet.  Nonetheless, he's a very polished player and may be the solution to Illinois' point guard situation in the next few years.

Mikel Brigham-JR, 6'6" 190 lbs, F, Illinois Stars - Mikel brought a lot of energy to the Stars.  He was very active and really ran the passing lanes defensively.  He was good in transition and showed that he's been improving his ball handling skills.  He blocked some shots, rebounded well, and has shown improvement since the conclusion of the 2007-08 season.

Rayvonte Rice-SOPH, 6'2" 190 lbs, G, Illinois Stars - Rice kept the Stars rolling.  He was the one that put the ball in the basket everytime they needed a score.  He's got a great build and deceptive athleticism as he had a nice runout dunk.  His 3-ball was falling a lot in the contest we watched him and proved to be more of a lead guard than a point guard.

Seth Evans-JR, 6'0" 170 lbs, PG, Illinois Stars - Seth was aggressive yet poised as always.  He was a floor general that made good decisions and helped steer his team.  He hit open shots and had some nice dishes.  He's very smooth.

Shaquille Florez-JR, 6'2" 165 lbs, SG, Team Illinois II - Florez showed that he has a chance to be a Division I caliber player with some work.  He scored in streaks but his skill level is high when it comes to shooting technique.  He has good footwork on the perimeter and was very good at spotting up in transition.  He knocked down nearly every shot he took when he was on balance.  He really utilized screens and read the defense when making his cut.

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