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Desert Classic news
*note: this is a little long.
Classic Part One
By: John Thompson
Date: 04/13/2000
Only the first two days of practice has passed for the Nike Desert Classic
and now the real games begin. So far, many scouts and GM's have already
expressed opinions on who they like and why, but the next three days are very
important to these players as their draft status is on the line.
So far, like any camp or all-star event, it is guard oriented. Guards like
Scoonie Penn of Ohio State, Jason Hart of Syracuse, A.J. Guyton of Indiana,
Craig "Speedy" Claxton of Hofstra, and Matt Santangelo of Gonzaga have all
been impressive. Another point guard hoping to show his skills, Pepe Sanchez,
had to withdraw from the Classic after suffering a right ankle sprain on the
first night. He was replaced by Eddie Gill of Weber State. Gill has had some
moments, but wasn't overly impressive, but missed a full day of practice.
Some players that were very impressive early on:
Desmond Mason - Probably the most athletic player in camp and very good all
around skills. Shooting well, but doesn't have great form.
Alex Scales - Has great hops and shooting well. He is looking more like a
point guard than anything with good passes and unselfish play.
Jarrett Stephens - Much more athletic than most thought. The strongest player
in camp. Powerful and even a bit explosive.
Terrance Roberson - A good shooter that wants to play, athletic and moves
well.
Craig Claxton - Has speed, quickness, and hops.
Pete Michael - one of the better all around players in the camp. Great
passing and defense.
Scoonie Penn - Solid at most aspects. Is closer to 5-8 than 5-10 though.
Jason Hart - Doing a good job of running his team. He was very quick and made
some really nice passes. His height advantage helped.
Dan Langhi - Is the best shooting big man, as well as very athletic.
Darnell Williams - Was able to shake his defender often and showed some nice
touch outside.
Other players of interest:
Chris Porter didn't shoot further than a foot from the basket, even though he
is the best leaper in camp and is dunking left and right, but hr also looks
closer to 6-5, than his listed 6-7 and has played strictly inside, instead of
outside like most scouts and GM's want. Vincent Jones out of Jackson State is
a jumping bean, ala Marcus Camby and even is even shooting out to fifteen
feet or more. He is frail and is being knocked down often.
Many other players made impressions, but now the real games begin, so all of
the practice may have little effect on player's performances or draft statis.
In the first game, the Pacidic team will meet Atlantic, while the following
game, Midwest will face Central.
Classic Day 3
By: John Thompson
Date: 04/14/2000
With a very famous crowd on hand, many of the potential NBA draftees showed
their stuff and at the 2000 Nike Desert Classic. NBA big wigs, like Jerry
Krause, Jerry West, Kevin McHale, Dr. J, and the newly born scout, Michael
Jordan were all on hand to witness the first competitive day of the camp.
After the first two days of practices, players like Desmond Mason, Pete
Mickael, Justin Love, Craig Claxton, Scoonie Penn, Alex Scales, Jarrett
Stephens, Terrance Roberson, and Mark Madsen were getting praise. The second
day was also the day for measurements. Craig Claxton was recorded with the
highest vertical jump, while Brian Cardinal was the lowest, by far. A few
players turned out to be much smaller than originally thought. Harold
Arceneaux is at least an inch shorter than his 6-6 listing. Malik Allen is
closer to 6-9, than 6-10. Chris Porter is a lot shorter than his 6-7 listing,
Pete Mickael is as well. Jarrett Stephens is probably hurt the most with all
of this. He is closer to 6-6, than 6-7. Lamont Barnes has the longest
wingspan, but rivaled by Malik Allen, Jabari Smith, and Vincent Jones.
Atlantic 102, Pacific 87
In the first game, the Atlantic team was led by an assortment of players,
like hometown boy, Eddie House. Atlantic took apart the Pacific team by a
nice 15-point spread. It was all Atlantic from the opening minute with two
straight baskets from Kevin Freeman. He first made a nice dunk, and then
followed it up with an alley-oop lay up. House and St. Louis product, Justin
Love led the way for Atlantic with 14 points each. Bootsy Thornton added 13
and four assists. Mark Madsen was extremely aggressive inside and gained a
dozen points a camp-high ten rebounds, four of them offensive. While Freeman
added a dozen points.
Arceneaux and Brandon Kurtz each contributed 11 points. Kurtz had two blocks.
Arceneaux pulled down seven boards. Ed Cota looked for his shot some, but
dished out seven assists. Lamont Barnes made some mistakes, but pulled down
eight rebounds, while A.D. Smith isn't athletic or doesn't play good defense,
but he hustles and added five points and four assists.
Pete Mickael and Gabe Muoneke each had 17 points for the Pacific team. Each
also handed out three assists, while Muoneke had five rebounds. Mickael
showed his versatility by scoring inside and out, plus he showed his ability
to get to the line. Muoneke also had a good inside/outside game, shooting
long-range jumpers and also going inside to rebound.
Dan McClintock played only 12 minutes, but scored 11 points, he swatted three
blocks. He also managed to get down five rebounds. With his college coach on
hand, A.J. Granger scored ten points, all on long-range jumpers. He rarely
went in the paint though.
Desmond Mason was thought to possibly stand out in the games, didn't produce
much in the way of stays, but did show some great athletic ability and nice
moves with and without the ball in his hands. Kenyon Jones was the same way,
in which statistically he didn't do much, but he is showing he is a banger
and willing to make contact inside and put the ball on the floor and pound
away with his back to the basket.
The European, Matjaz Smodis, didn't impress many, but did have one of the
most emphatic dunks during day one. Darnell Williams and Matt Santangelo each
had fine games. Matt only scored two points, but had seven assists. Williams
shot well and has a nice shooting touch and added nine points in the game.
Jason Hart also did a nice job getting eight points and four assists.
ATLANTIC
Player FG 3PT FT rebs A F S T B PTS
Lamont Barnes 2-4 0-0 0-0 1-7-8 0 3 1 1 1 - 4
Kevin Freeman 4-10 0-0 4-4 1-3-4 0 4 1 1 1 - 12
Mark Madsen 3-5 0-0 6-8 4-6-10 0 3 0 1 0 - 12
Justin Love 6-9 1-1 1-2 1-0-1 1 0 0 0 0 - 14
Ed Cota 3-5 0-0 0-0 0-0-0 7 1 0 2 0 - 6
Harold Arceneauex 5-9 1-2 0-0 4-3-7 2 3 0 1 0 - 11
Eddie House 5-10 1-2 3-4 0-0-0 2 4 2 3 1 - 14
Brandon Kurtz 4-5 0-0 3-3 0-3-3 2 5 2 3 2 - 11
A.D. Smith 1-5 0-1 3-4 2-1-3 4 3 2 1 0 - 5
Bootsy Thornton 5-8 0-0 3-3 1-1-2 4 0 0 1 0 - 13
PACIFIC
Player FG 3PT FT rebs A F S T B PTS
Gabe Muoneke 7-12 0-0 3-4 3-2-5 3 3 2 2 0 - 17
Pete Mickael 6-9 0-0 5-8 3-0-3 3 3 0 1 1 - 17
Kenyon Jones 1-5 0-0 1-4 2-1-3 0 2 0 0 0 - 3
Desmond Mason 3-8 0-0 0-3 1-3-4 2 3 2 1 1 - 6
Matt Santangelo 1-4 0-1 0-0 0-1-1 7 1 0 1 1 - 2
Jason Hart 2-7 0-0 4-6 1-1-2 3 4 1 3 0 - 8
A.J. Granger 5-7 0-1 0-0 1-0-1 2 1 2 2 0 - 10
Darnell Williams 4-10 1-1 0-0 0-2-2 2 1 0 0 0 - 9
Matjas Smodis 2-3 0-0 0-0 0-1-1 1 3 1 4 0 - 4
Dan McClintock 5-7 0-0 1-1 0-5-5 0 2 0 1 3 - 11
Midwest 78, Central 73
In game two, it was a bit closer with a Big Ten flair as Team Midwest came
from behind to beat Central, 78-73. Penn State's Jarrett Stephens led the way
with a camp-high 19 points. He shot 9-for-11 from the field and also grabbed
five rebounds.
The Midwest also got some help from Villanova's Malik Allen with a dozen and
Ryan Blackwell of Syracuse with 10, as they used the inside approach, unlike
Central, which was led by guards. Indiana's A.J. Guyton scored 14 points and
dished out four assists, while Ohio State's Scoonie Penn also contributed 13.
Surprise camper, Nick Sheppard had eight points and six rebounds in the loss.
Jabari Smith helped Midwest with his six points and team-high seven boards.
"So far, I am pretty pleased with my performance," adds Penn. "I'm just out
there to take care of my team and distribute the rock. I'm just trying to
play defense and play hard."
Lavor Postell had a fine game with nine points and Craig Claxton added seven
points and four assists for Midwest.
"My strength is creating and I think I am doing that. I think I am playing
pretty well. I'm hanging in there with some great players. I like to compete,
so the better the players the more I like it," says Hofstra's Craig Claxton.
Little known Vincent Jones of Jackson State is showing he can play with the
big boys, as he had two nice jumpers and was extremely pleased with his
performance with a couple of screams after the made baskets.
"It was just something to motivate me. My teammates also like it when I act
like that and it pumps us up," said Jones.
For much of the game, Midwest had the lead, but it wasn't until 2:55 to play
when Terrance Roberson made a three to get Central within two did the team
come to life. On the next play reliable Jarrett Stephens made two points from
the paint to tie it up. From then on, the Midwest team knew they could win
and just out-played Central for the last two minutes.
Many of these players know what teams expect from them and what they need to
do to stand out.
"I have to use my quickness, because playing inside I get banged around a
lot," said Vincent Jones. "I also like to use my right handed jumper, even
though I am left handed."
Here is Scoonie Penn's take on his what he thinks the teams are looking at
about his game. "I think I bring a lot of experience. I feel really good out
there playing since I have played against some of the best conferences and
players. I think I am pretty solid all around as well. Some people may say my
size may hurt me, but I don't think that is a problem. I don't mind that
though. As long as I go out there and play hard every day, all of the time
and I do a lot of little things to help the team out."
MIDWEST
Player FG 3PT FT rebs A F S T B PTS
Terrance Roberson 1-5 1-3 0-0 0-3-3 0 4 2 4 0 - 3
Eduardo Najera 3-5 0-0 0-0 1-3-4 0 3 0 1 0 - 6
Malik Allen 6-8 0-0 0-0 1-4-5 0 2 0 1 0 - 12
Alex Scales 2-7 0-1 0-2 1-1-2 1 0 0 4 0 - 4
Craig Claxton 3-6 0-0 1-1 0-2-2 4 3 1 3 1 - 7
Ryan Blackwell 4-7 0-0 2-2 0-1-1 2 0 0 2 0 - 10
Eddie Gill 0-5 0-2 2-2 2-2-4 5 4 2 2 0 - 2
Lavor Postell 2-7 0-2 5-6 1-3-4 1 0 0 0 0 - 9
Jabari Smith 1-4 0-0 4-4 3-4-7 1 2 0 1 0 - 6
Jarrett Stephens 9-11 0-0 1-1 3-2-5 0 2 0 2 0 - 19
CENTRAL
Player FG 3PT FT rebs A F S T B PTS
Chris Porter 2-5 0-0 2-3 0-1-1 1 1 3 0 0 - 6
Alex Jensen 2-7 0-1 0-1 2-3-5 2 2 2 2 0 - 4
Nick Sheppard 4-6 0-0 0-0 5-1-6 2 5 1 2 0 - 8
Scoonie Penn 6-11 0-3 1-1 1-1-2 2 2 1 3 0 - 13
Lamont Long 1-8 0-0 0-0 1-2-3 2 2 2 0 0 - 2
Dan Langhi 2-9 0-0 2-2 1-4-5 0 1 0 1 0 - 6
Brian Cardinal 2-8 0-1 5-7 0-3-3 1 1 1 0 0 - 9
A.J. Guyton 5-11 0-1 4-4 1-1-2 4 2 0 0 0 - 14
Johnny Hemsley 2-6 1-3 0-0 1-2-3 1 2 1 3 0 - 5
Vincent Jones 3-3 0-0 0-1 2-1-3 0 2 0 2 2 - 6
Desert Classic Day 4
By: John Thompson
Date: 04/15/2000
A few players are starting to show their true selves after four days in
Phoenix for the Nike Desert Classic. Many of the scouts and teams already
have their feelings about each player and whether or not they would draft a
certain player or not.
This last day is hopefully for those players that have not had a good camp to
work harder and have a good night to get some extra looks. The Classic will
conclude tonight with the Championship game, the consolation game, and
three-point contest championship pitting Scoonie Penn and A.J. Guyton, and
the slam-dunk contest.
Tonight's games will pit Central against Pacific, as they won the first round
match ups Friday night. Each team has a 1-1 record so far in the Classic.
One a few down notes, Kevin Freeman joins Pepe Sanchez as injured players
from the camp. Freeman will not play tonight as he has injured his right
elbow and will have an MRI. The other down side is three-point shooting is
just plain terrible. In four of the eight games, teams' three-point shooting
percentage was in the teens. The Central team has only made 2-of-15 from
beyond the arc.
Central 92, Atlantic 78
Down by six at half-time, Central came back early in the third quarter to get
a six-point lead by the end of the quarter and finish with a 12 point win.
A.J. Guyton paced Central with 19 points on 16 shots. Chris Porter also
stepped up and scored 15 and getting six rebounds which is a much better
showing that previous few days.
"I just go out and play hard. I'm having fun and always try to. I am not
worried about what anyone says or what my draft status would be. I just do my
thing and they will do what they do," said Chris Porter.
Guyton is the camp's leading scorer after the first two days. He is averaging
16.5 points a game, but only averaging three assists a game and has missed
open players on occasions. His ball handling skills need a bit of work still.
He has played very feisty defense though.
The surprise player, Nick Sheppard scored 12 points and grabbed seven
rebounds. He is averaging 10 points and 6.5 rebounds in his first two games.
He isn't the most athletic and isn't that much of a defender either, but has
a big body.
Shooting guards, Lamont Long and Johnny Hemlsey combines for 22 points and
five assists for Central. Neither has really been impressive on three-point
shooting.
Mark Madsen picked up 15 points and is having a good camp. He is averaging
13.5 points a game and 8.5 rebounds a game. He has shown a good tenacity to
bang and move around a lot. He also has shown a leaping ability some thought
he didn't have. He still needs to work on a touch and too often gathers
himself inside, when he shouldn't.
Lamont Barnes stepped up in his second game. He like Madsen had 15 points and
seven rebounds in the game. He can be a bit explosive inside.
Brian Cardinal had a decent camp; he is getting nine points a game, but
averaging five rebounds. He has been physical and showing a bit of range, but
athletically he is one of the worst players in the camp.
Scoonie Penn only scored two points in the game, but dished out six assists
and between him and Guyton; they played good defensively. Penn is not a great
passer and has made a few poor decisions.
One of the most animated, fun loving players, Vincent Jones, scored another
six points and is showing a lot of moves: hook shot, jumper, nice leaping
ability, and shot blocking. If he gained 40 pounds, he would be a sure-fire
draft pick.
Dan Langhi also has had some nice shots, but is still having a lot of trouble
on defense.
For Atlantic, they are rounded out by Ed Cota with six points, six rebounds,
and six assists. Bootsy Thornton added nine points and shot well and moved
really well without the ball to get open.
Brandon Kurtz is having a good camp, he picked up 12 points and eight
rebounds. He is averaging two blocks a game, plus a dozen points a game. A.D.
Smith is not the most athletic, but he picked up 10 points on a variety of
shots.
Eddie House and Justin Love didn't have good games, but still show good
aspects of their games. Love is one of the fastest and most athletic point
guards in the draft. House has the quickest shot of anyone and is starting to
show a few more point guard skills. Both combined to shoot 2-for11 from the
field though.
ATLANTIC
Player FG 3PT FT rebs A F S T B PTS
A.D. Smith 4-8 1-1 1-1 1-4-5 1 4 1 3 0 - 10
Harold Arceneaux 2-8 0-3 2-2 1-1-2 1 3 1 3 0 - 6
Brandon Kurtz 4-12 0-0 4-5 3-5-8 0 2 0 2 2 - 12
Bootsy Thronton 4-8 0-0 1-2 2-3-5 1 1 0 2 0 - 9
Eddie House 1-5 0-1 0-0 0-3-3 5 2 1 1 0 - 2
Lamont Barnes 6-11 0-1 3-3 3-4-7 2 4 1 2 1 - 15
Ed Cota 2-6 0-0 2-4 2-4-6 6 2 1 2 0 - 6
Kevin Freeman 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0-0 0 0 0 1 0 - 0
Justin Love 1-6 0-2 1-2 1-3-4 0 2 0 2 0 - 3
Mark Madsen 6-10 0-0 3-6 3-4-7 0 3 0 2 0 - 15
CENTRAL
Player FG 3PT FT rebs A F S T B PTS
Dan Langhi 3-9 0-0 1-1 1-3-4 1 2 0 1 0 - 7
Brian Cardinal 3-9 0-0 3-4 3-5-8 1 3 3 0 0 - 9
Chris Porter 7-13 0-0 1-1 1-5-6 1 2 3 1 3 - 15
Johnny Hemsley 4-7 0-0 2-2 0-2-2 2 1 0 1 2 - 15
Scoonie Penn 1-4 0-2 0-0 0-1-1 6 1 1 2 1 - 2
A.J. Guyton 6-16 1-3 6-6 0-0-0 2 1 1 1 0 - 19
Alex Jensen 0-2 0-0 0-0 0-1-1 2 0 2 1 0 - 0
Vincent Jones 2-5 0-0 2-4 3-1-4 0 5 1 1 1 - 6
Lamont Long 6-7 0-1 0-2 1-2-3 3 1 2 1 0 - 12
Nick Sheppard 4-6 0-0 4-8 3-4-7 1 4 2 2 0 - 12
Pacific 71, Midwest 63
Pacific took the lead from the start and never let it go. It was close
throughout the game, Pete Mickael and company held the Midwest team from
getting to close to take a lead. Mickael had 13 points, seven rebounds, and
was a terror on defense. His team just played better with him in the game.
Mickael is averaging 15 points for the camp.
Alex Scales had 13 points to lead the Midwest squad, while Terrance Roberson
added a dozen points in the losing cause. Both players used the three-point
shot to stay in the game. They were the only two to even attempt a shot
beyond the arc for Midwest in the game. They combined for 5-of-12 shooting.
Desmond Mason showed tremendous athleticism and added 10 points for the
victorious Pacific team. Gabe Muoneke and Matjaz Smodis each had nine points
and both played in the paint and out. Each made their only three-point shot.
Offensively both players are small forwards and are showing it, but
defensively they are power forwards, as they can't keep up with many of the
quicker players.
Jason Hart put eight points, five rebounds, and five assists and is just as
quick as the smaller point guards in the camp.
Midwest's Craig Claxton scored eight points and had four assists and is
averaging 7.5 points and four assists so far. He has had a few problems, but
is the best overall athlete in the camp and can easily get into the lane, but
is looking for his teammates.
Jarrett Stephens scored nine points and had six rebounds. He is an extremely
nice guy and works very hard and could become an all-camp player.
"So far, these last two camps, I went out and play hard and did the best that
I can. I think I am a powerful player. I think that is an upside to my game,"
said Jarrett Stephens. "I try to keep moving and that helps to get rebounds
and get in position."
Another very nice guy at the camp is Dan McClintock. Dan is the best shot
blocking big man in the camp and has displayed some athleticism for his size.
Dan added, "Coming from a small school like Northern Arizona, you don't get a
lot of exposure and these camps help. I can only move up. I am getting my
name out by going to the going to a popular camp like Portsmouth and a more
recognized one like the Desert Classic. My ability to run the floor is one of
my strengths and I think many of scouts like that. I try to run the floor as
much as possibly."
Unlike some players looking to be drafted, Jarrett and Dan both realize they
need help in their games and are not afraid to say so.
"My dribbling is a weakness. I envision myself to be more of a combo forward
in time with some hard work. I think I can work on my outside game a bit and
then am able to play inside and out, said Jarrett.
"My footwork and lateral movement need some work," adds Dan. "I've watched
Patrick Ewing for a long time and really like his game and look up to him. He
may be an old guy no, but he is a warrior and he battles night in and night
out and is having one of his best years at his age. His intelligence level of
the game is amazing."
MIDWEST
Player FG 3PT FT rebs A F S T B PTS
Ryan Blackwell 2-7 0-0 0-0 0-6-6 1 1 0 1 2 - 4
Jarrett Stephens 0-2 0-0 2-6 1-1-2 0 3 1 3 1 - 2
Jabari Smith 0-2 0-0 2-6 1-1-2 0 3 1 3 1 - 2
Lavor Postell 1-5 0-0 2-2 0-4-4 1 1 0 1 0 - 4
Eddie Gill 0-1 0-0 5-6 0-4-4 4 3 2 1 0 - 5
Malik Allen 1-4 0-0 2-2 2-2-4 0 3 1 1 2 - 4
Craig Claxton 3-4 0-0 2-4 0-2-2 4 5 2 5 0 - 8
Eduardo Najera 1-4 0-0 0-2 3-4-7 2 1 3 3 0 - 2
Terrance Roberson4-11 2-5 2-2 1-1-2 1 1 1 1 0 - 12
Alex Scales 4-13 3 7 2-4 4-0-4 0 3 1 3 0 - 13
PACIFIC
Player FG 3PT FT rebs A F S T B PTS
A.J. Granger 2-11 0-2 0-0 1-4-5 0 1 1 0 0 - 4
Pete Mickael 5-9 0-1 3-3 4-3-7 0 2 1 2 0 - 13
Dan McClintock 2-7 0-0 0-0 1-4-5 2 4 1 0 1 - 4
Darnell Williams 1-9 0-2 2-2 1-2-3 3 1 2 1 1 - 4
Matt Santangelo 2-8 1-2 0-0 0-4-4 3 3 2 2 1 - 5
Jason Hart 2-5 0-0 4-6 1-4-5 5 1 2 6 0 - 8
Kenyon Jones 2-3 0-0 1-3 2-3-5 0 4 0 1 0 - 5
Desmond Mason 2-6 0-1 6-8 2-2-4 1 0 2 2 0 - 10
Gabe Muoneke 4-6 1-1 0-4 1-2-3 3 0 1 1 0 - 9
Matjaz Smodis 4-7 1-1 0-0 2-2-4 1 2 3 1 0 - 9
JT EXTRA'S - Some players that have really moved up are Desmond Mason, his
athleticism is great and can defend really well. Alex Scales is doing very
well. He hasn't shown he can distribute in the games, but I would play him at
the point guard spot, as I think he could do it. Stephen's height
disadvantage hasn't bothered him all that much. He has been blocked, but he
works even harder then.
Pete Mickael and A.J. Guyton would be my picks for MVP of the camp right now,
but there is still one more game to go. Each team has a player worthy of that
honor. Mark Madsen is possible, as well as Jarrett Stephens. Brandon Kurtz
needs a big game to possibly get that honor. Gabe Muoneke has had some really
nice moments as well.
Before coming to the camp, I was expecting it to be a guard-oriented camp,
with great battles with Penn, Claxton, Hart, Cota, Santangelo, House, and
Guyton. It has been a stalemate with many of their match ups.
A few players have been very disappointing and are dropping fast. Jabari
Smith has been very disappointing in games and is not looking like a first
rounder, maybe not even a draft pick. He is not a center and could not play
that position in the NBA on a regular basis. I think Chris Porter is dropping
as well. He just doesn't have much of a perimeter game is too short to play
small forward, let alone power forward. He is still one of the most athletic
players here. Eduardo Najera is dropping as well. He is just not as athletic
to play small forward and can't get his own shot, the same goes for Brian
Cardinal. Both players fight hard and make many big put backs, but may not be
able to play in the NBA game.
Matjaz Smodis will move down a lot. When I saw tape of him, he was great, but
he has gained some weight and is not nearly athletic enough to play any kind
of defense in the league. He does have a nice shooting touch from anywhere on
the floor. Johnny Hemsley is not that god of a defender either and will drop
some.