Hoop Hall Classic Recap, Sunday

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The first day of the Hoop Hall Classic was an eventful one. Northland edged Oak Hill by one point in the final minute, Austin Rivers went down with an injury, stars Tobias Harris and Reggie Bullock had monster games and Doron Lamb shut down Jared Sullinger. The second day did not have the same sort of hype, as there were only two national games on the original schedule – and one was changed at the last minute.

Simeon (Ill.) took on Neumann-Goretti (Pa.), while Paterson Catholic (N.J.) was supposed to face St. Frances Academy (Md.). However, Paterson Catholic had to pull out in the last week because they needed more in-state New Jersey games. “I’m not sure what happened,” PC junior guard Myles Mack told me on Friday. In its place was Newton North (Mass.), a public school outside of Boston that did not carry the same sort of weight as Paterson Catholic. Either way, here is a look at some of the top performers from Day Two:

Note: Top committed players that were featured on Sunday included Brandon Spearman (11 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, Dayton), Tony Chenault (18 points and 7 rebounds, Wake Forest), Tyreek Duren (9 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, La Salle), Mustafa Jones (9 points, Hartford), Daniel Stewart (12 points and 10 rebounds, Rider), Wayne Sparrow (11 points and 8 rebounds, Richmond) and Greg Kelley (19 points and 7 rebounds, Yale).

Jabari Parker, Simeon High School, 2013: This kid is going to be an absolute stud in a couple of years – if he is not already. Despite being a freshman, he starts and is certainly one of the go-to-guys for the Wolverines. He is a versatile scorer, capable of getting the ball down low and getting points, or facing up from the perimeter and knocking down mid-range jumpers. Furthermore, Parker showed an ability to take defenders off the dribble and drive to the basket for finishes. He had a couple of nice turnaround and fadeaway shots, as well as an up-and-under move. Parker also looks to pass when he is driving. Moreover, Parker is a capable rebounder who gets position very well. He finished with 16 points and eight rebounds.

Tywon Pinckney, Simeon High School, 2011: Pinckney has the potential to be a very solid point guard. He has good vision, is very quick with the dribble but can control tempo and can also get into the lane against most defenders. He also is an aggressive defender with a nose for the ball. However, at this point, he is often careless with the ball and turns it over far too often. Pinckney plays out of control at times and penetrates without much of a passing or scoring option once he gets there.

Derrick Stewart, Neumann-Goretti, 2012: The younger brother of Rider signee Derrick Stewart, Daniel is built from the same mold as his sibling. He is an athletic forward who can run the floor very well and finish around the rim. Stewart has great leaping ability, which he uses to his advantage on the glass and at the defensive end. However, if he wants to become a high-major player, he will have to develop a face-up or off-the-dribble game. Stewart also needs to be more aggressive offensively.

Lamin Fulton, Neumann-Goretti, 2011: A mid-major prospect, Fulton is a crafty guard who can score in the lane, shoot from the perimeter and find the open man effectively. He runs the offense well and is aggressive defensively. On the negative side, he might not be quick enough to play the point guard position and is undersized as a scorer. Furthermore, he had some unnecessary turnovers against Simeon on Sunday, and his outside shot was not falling.

Dante Holmes, St. Frances Academy, 2010: Holmes is a big-time scorer who can fill it up in a hurry. His outside shot was off in the first half, but he was able to get to the basket to either finish or get fouled. In the second half, Holmes heated up from the perimeter, knocking down several consecutive jumpshots. He has a nice pull-up jumper off the dribble and is an adept finisher at the rim with both hands. Holmes is athletic and can also pass once he gets in the lane. He finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.

Greg Lewis, St. Frances Academy, 2011: Lewis was very impressive throughout the game, using his size, length and athleticism to create problems for Newton North all game. Offensively, he gets good position down low and can turn towards the basket once he gets the ball for jump hooks or lay-ups. He also has a solid face-up game and can shoot from the perimeter. He is very good on the backboards at both ends, getting second chances for himself or starting a fast-break defensively. He is active around the rim and can block shots. Furthermore, for a player who contests as many shots as he does, he does foul often. Lewis had 21 points and seven rebounds.

RJ Williams, St. Frances Academy, 2011: Williams did not score a point all night, but his penetration ability and passing prowess helped St. Frances to an easy win over Newton North. He controls tempo very well, and loves to push the ball in transition. Williams has excellent vision and can find teammates for easy baskets. He is very quick and does not turn the ball over often. Williams finished with six assists.

Recruiting Notes:

- Derrick Stewart says that he has an offer from Rider if he wants to play with his brother, as well as interest from Georgetown, Saint Joseph’s and Penn State.

- Jabari Parker, the first freshman to ever play varsity at Simeon, has eight offers currently. Head coach Robert Smith listed Illinois, DePaul, Florida and BYU among the schools that have offered Parker.

- Smith also said that Tywon Pinckney is getting mostly mid-major interest at this point, from the likes of Cleveland State and Indiana State.

- Greg Lewis currently holds offers from Georgetown, Maryland, Florida State and Virginia Tech, as well as interest from Xavier, Temple and Clemson. He hopes to visit Xavier and Georgetown soon.

- Dante Holmes has offers from Loyola (Md.) and George Mason, with interest from Massachusetts, Temple, Baylor, Clemson and Delaware State.