Hoop Group Team Camp, July 10

This article was originally written on July 10.

READING, Pa. – With a mass exodus of players from the Reebok All-American Camp in Philadelphia, it was the perfect time to check out the Hoop Group Elite Team Camp at Albright College in Reading, Pa. The tournament began on Thursday, and by the time NBE arrived on Friday, pre-tournament favorites St. Patrick’s, Bishop McNamara, Neumann-Goretti, Xaverian, Jamesville-Dewitt, Roman Catholic, North Catholic, Boys & Girls and Archbishop Carroll were all already in the consolation bracket. Despite that, we were able to catch a few of those teams in the loser’s bracket, as well as the remaining top teams in the winner’s bracket.

Kyrie Irving, St. Patrick: Irving looked phenomenal in the game we saw him in, as he completely dominated a depleted Neumann-Goretti squad. He started off the game with a drive and dish for a basket, followed by a three. His most impressive play, by far, was an instance when he caught the ball behind him with his right hand, spun and switched the ball to his left hand and finished with a lay-up. He was aggressive going to the basket, was hitting his jumpers – both mid-range and behind the arc – and was distributing the ball well. Certainly the best player at the camp.

Shawn Oakman, Penn Wood: The big man did not show much offensively, but he rebounded the ball and played defense well. He blocks and alters shots, and boxes out for boards. If he was more involved offensively, he would have been more impressive, because he can pass out of the post well too.

Aaron Brown, Penn Wood: Brown looked excellent throughout the day, as he was nearly impossible to stop going to the basket. The lefty barreled his way to the rim over and over, and finished or got fouled nearly every time. He did not show much on his jump shot, and was overly selfish at times. However, when driving to the lane, he was outstanding. If he develops a jumper, he will be even better.

Joey de la Rosa, St. Raymond’s: Similar to what we’ve seen of de la Rosa before, he struggled to finish inside but showed potential because of his size and his length. He doesn’t get position inside often enough, but had a nice pump fake and finish off of one dribble.

Nkereueum Okoro, St. Raymond’s: Okoro, who said he is attempting to make a transition from the four to the wing, struggled somewhat against Penn Wood. He worked the high post well, but seemed to force his drives to the basket. He is crafty with the ball when going to the rim and can also distribute it to his teammates. Okoro moves well without the ball and can rebound.

Daniel Stewart, Neumann-Goretti: Against Bishop McNamara, Stewart was very impressive, running up and down the floor and finishing very well inside. He also dominated the backboards and even showed a mid-range jumper. However, he struggled mightily against St. Patrick’s, who had players to match his size and athleticism. He was clearly frustrated when he could not get easy lay-ups inside, and his face-up game is still not there.

Derrick Stewart, Neumann-Goretti: Similar to his brother, he was a lot more effective and impressive against Bishop McNamara than against St. Pat’s. He works the foul line and the high post well, and his face-up game is maturing. He moves very well without the ball and is an absolute menace on the backboards. If he continues to improve – and develops a more consistent jump shot – he will be better than his brother.

Cedrick Lindsay, Gonzaga: It still boggles my mind that Lindsay is so under-recruited. He has a very good body and is strong for the point guard position. He can beat his defender off the dribble and is a tough finisher at the rim. His jump shot is inconsistent, but he has the ability to knock down shots. Lindsay can run the offense and distribute the ball to his teammates, and his strength allows him to be a solid defender.

Ameen Tanksley, Imhotep Charter: Tanksley is widely-regarded as one of the top five or 10 players in Philadelphia for next season, but we did not see that today. The lefty struggled at both ends of the floor, not getting involved much offensively and getting beat at the other end of the floor. However, he is clearly athletic and has the ability to finish inside and also hit shots in the mid-range.

David Appolon, Imhotep Charter: Like nearly everyone on Imhotep, Appolon struggled mightily in their blowout loss to Gonzaga. He can run the floor well and is aggressive offensively. He can post up in the half-court and finishes at the rim. However, he sometimes has trouble with his footwork at times. He did have a nice pump-fake move and basket off the dribble.

Recruiting Notes:

- Kyrie Irving: Duke, Kentucky, Virginia, Seton Hall, Georgia Tech, Marquette, Indiana, Notre Dame, Connecticut, Texas A&M.
- Has visited Indiana, Connecticut and Texas A&M.

- St. Raymond’s coach Oliver Antigua said that Okoro has been receiving interest from St. John’s, Kentucky, Pitt and Arizona.

- Antigua also said that de la Rosa is receiving looks from Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, Virginia Tech and Massachusetts.

- Cedrick Lindsay: Penn State, Davidson, Brown, VCU, Richmond

- Aaron Brown: Providence, Villanova, St. Joseph’s (offer), La Salle (offer), Temple (offer), Maine, UTEP, Penn State (offer), Virginia

- Imhotep Charter coach Andre Noble said that Tanksley has been getting interest from Pac-10 and Atlantic-10 schools.

- Noble also discussed Appolon and Erik Copes, saying that Appolon has offers from Towson and Delaware, while Copes is getting interest from George Washington, La Salle and Temple.