The chase for positioning for the Under Armour Elite 24 game
held annually in New York City; got off to a resoundingly great start at St.
Johns College/High School in the Nation’s Capital this past weekend. The event featured the top 40 players from
the Mid-Atlantic Region and Canada and started off with a skills and drills
session led by NBA and Professionals Trainers.
At the conclusion of the skills and drills; players were put
into situational drills focusing on specific elements of the game. Rowland Houston graced the event with his
presence and spent time with the players providing them inspirational and detailed
information as what it will take to make and excel at the next two levels up.
In many instances “camp” games can get a little sloppy and
not resemble a true game – but due to the tremendously high stakes basketball
was played the right way with players sharing the pill and making the right
plays. With multiple video media and
print media, and national ranking services in attendance including formal live
game statistic the stage was sent for players to make a name or solidify one
that has already been established.
POINT GUARDS:
Noah Farrakhan (6’1/PG/NJ) squarely put himself into the
conversation as a top national point guard - he has a very efficient stroke
with little to no wasted motion, had enough of a high IQ to run to his sweet
spots in transition situations, and showed he is more than capable of pulling
up off the dribble at virtually anytime. He also showed off a surprising
explosiveness, finishing a number of plays acrobatically at or above the rim
and consistently creating with his dribble. He was impossible to deal with in space and
was equally comfortable driving right or left, had a quick first step, and
sought out contact while cradling the ball in order to get himself to the
free-throw line. He also passed the ball tremendously well, showing excellent
court vision and good versatility in terms of the various types of passes he is
capable of throwing. 
Anthony “AJ”
Hoggard (6’2/PG/PA) came to the table with a big reputation and did nothing to
derail the train which has got him to the title of best in class; smooth as
silk and a multi-faceted scoring point guard. He is an elite level scorer,
works tremendously off the bounce where he can use his skillful ball-handling
to create space for himself and others. He is a very good shooter with range to
22+ feet. He is a next level finisher, who absorbs contact and finishes through
it on the other end of the floor he is a decent defender when motivated or
challenged by the guy in front of him. He has a solid build with nice length
and solid athletic ability. In time he should be more than solid on the
defensive end as he has all the requisite tools. 
Tyler
Brelsford (5’10/PG/MD) there is no question that Brelsford is an elite point guard with his advanced
skill, confidence and high basketball I.Q. He runs a team with poise, excellent
peripheral vision and an ability to score the rock with the jumper to distance
and in the middle pull up game. He
exhibited a beautiful retreat, cross-over-attack dribble to create space and
when he saw the double team coming at him or when his defender is really
applying strong ball pressure he was able to adjust. On his penetration he
demonstrates the adept ability to read defenses, see the assist and deliver the
correct pass on time and on target. In the transition game when Tyler receives
the outlet pass he has his eyes and head up as he looks to throw ahead or push
the ball with the speed dribble.  |
| Rahim Ali John Wilson Keyshawn Johnson |
We analyzed
Rahim Ali (5’11/PG/MD) as a lead guard but is truly more of a combination guard
in term of style and dominant skill set; Ali is a good athlete with sneaky
athletic ability in transition. He is finishing near the rim when he is ahead
of the pack serving more than adequately he is a point guard first that can
slide over and play the shooting guard because his has the ability to knock
down the open three. He doesn’t use a ton of lift on his shot and isn’t always
on balance but his shot, release and follow through is excellent. He pushes the
ball in transition with great pace; he has a strong handle and does a pretty
good job of dribbling through contact. He is a terrific passer especially in
the open court where he has great touch and feel for where to place the ball. John Wilson (5’10/PG/NY) is a true point that
has a pass first mentality. He plays under control and makes excellent
decisions with the ball. He pushes the ball in transition and does a great job
of always looking to advance the ball down the floor. He can also finish in the
open court with excellent touch and body control. Wilson has a good basketball
IQ and feel for the game as well. He is a good ball handler and passer and in
the half court he is one of the few guards we saw that regularly looked to feed
the post. Keyshawn Johnson (6’0/PG/DC)
is a scoring point guard. He is one of the best player in the class at creating scoring opportunities for
himself. He is great off the dribble getting to the basket with his exceptional
quickness and craftiness. He can also create jump shots off the bounce out to
20 feet. Sometimes he can lose focus of the team concept and look too much for
his own offense but that his natural gift and he is a true weapon. He can
create for others very effectively when motivated as he is a solid passer and
decision maker when he is creating for his teammates. He was in selfish mode a
little in his first game but there is no denying the talent as he turned that
around to lead the event in assist by a substantial margin over the next player.
He is an average on the ball defender but his quickness allows him to be very
effective at playing the passing lanes.
 |
| Hakim Boyd (DE) |
Hakim Byrd (5’6/PG/DE) is a explosive,
lighting quick point guard who is clever with the ball in his hands. He does a
good job of handling the break as he pushes the ball coast to coast with a
speed dribble or will look up an advance the ball with the pass. This scoring
point guard can take it all the way to the paint and score or make the pass
from his penetration to an open teammate. He is in control of the game when the
ball is in his hands. Ahmad Fair (6’0/PG/PA)
a deceptively quick point guard attacks his opponent in transition and in the
half court with great athletic ability and cleverness. He is a pass first guard
that can finish with great body control and hang time which allows him to draw
fouls. He can get anywhere he wants on the floor due to his great ball handling
ability. Fair is a great 'penetrate and kick' guard when the defense collapses. Trevon Thomas (5’9/PG/Canada) His game is
reminiscent of your smaller elite scoring guards (ie. AI, Tiny,) as he can
score in a variety of ways. His explosiveness and speed are peerless in the
open court as well as in the half-court set. He can blow by defenders utilizing
his extremely quick 1st step and he usually scores with an acrobatic finish
amongst the bigs. He isn't a true 1 for the next level and he needs to work on
his decision-making because his shot selection can be troublesome at times. His
jump shot is streaky but he makes more than enough of them where you have to
honor it. Thomas is a bit of a 'tweener’ because he doesn't possess great size
for the 2 and he is much more of a scorer at this stage rather than a
playmaker, but none-the-less he is a major talent that should be monitored
moving forward.
UA Next Combine Series next stop May 14, 2016 Columbus, OH.
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