Portsmouth Invitational Tournament: Day Four

The fourth and final day of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament provided three back to back to back exciting games filled with intriguing matchups and interesting performances from potential NBA draft picks. Jose Juan Barea shattered the all-time record for assists in a single game with 18 assists and one lone turnover in the first and best game of the day. Steve Novak had a terrific game shooting the ball from the perimeter with 7 threes and 25 total points. Solomon Jones led his team to victory and the championship in the final game.

Portsmouth Invitational Tournament: Day One

Day Two

Day Three



The Rumor Mill:

-DraftExpress has learned from NBA sources in Portsmouth that Tyrus Thomas is expected to declare his intentions to enter the 2006 NBA Draft as early as next week. Thomas is currently on vacation to “clear his head” in an undisclosed location and has narrowed his list of potential agents to four. He will be sending his letter in shortly to the NBA and will be in the draft 100% after deciding which agent to hire.

-In contrast to most everything else that has been reported as of late, DraftExpress has been informed by a source close to the situation that Rutgers junior Quincy Douby will indeed be testing the waters for this year’s NBA draft. According to the source, Douby will indeed be “staying in school,” but this extends strictly to this current semester in order to keep his options open. Douby is expected to send in his letter to the NBA announcing his intentions this Monday.

---

Beach Barton Ford 117- Norfolk Sports Club 100

Jose Juan Barea, 5-11, Point Guard, Northeastern

9 points, 18 assists, 1 turnover, 5 rebounds, 3-8 FG, 0-1 3P, 3-5 FT

Jonathan Givony

If there were any questions about who the best player in the camp is before the games today, Jose Juan Barea came in and left absolutely no question in anyone’s mind about that with the way he played.

Completely ignoring the fact that he shattered the all-time assists record for a single game with an incredible 18 compared with just one turnover, he did it against easily the 2nd best PG in this camp in Sean Dockery, a player who is considered one of the best perimeter defenders in the country from a top 5 NCAA program.

Barea had absolutely no problem getting to wherever he wanted on the floor against him, using an incredibly wide assortment of hesitation moves combined with his outstanding strength, quickness and ball-handling skills to absolutely shred apart the defense. Barea might not look like the most athletic guy in the world, but his terrific speed and leaping ability were evident throughout the camp as well as in the pre-game warm-ups where he put on a show with some extremely impressive dunks.

The start of the game was very intense as the duel for MVP of the camp between Barea and Dockery spawned a terrific individual battle between the two on both ends of the floor. Barea quickly showed that Dockery is not the same class as him with the way he blew right by him time after time and frustrated him equally well on the defensive end. Throughout the game, Barea moved his feet extremely well, always staying in front of his man, playing excellent pressure defense and showing off his instincts by anticipating what his matchup’s next move will be just as he was thinking about making it.

Barea pushed the tempo of the game intelligently all day long, making numerous pin-point accurate full court passes to a wide open man or getting in the paint himself. Barea looks out of control at times with the way he plays, but this is due more to how fast he thinks, acts and improvises-- not because of a lack of poise. He showed an incredibly wide variety of passes in his arsenal, whether it was a beautiful bounce pass from the perimeter or from 50 feet away, moving left or right from outside and whipping a perfect one-handed pass to a cutter, driving and dishing no-look passes with incredible court vision, or with an assortment of underhanded or over-handed alleyoop lobs. Every single one of his assists were for easy dunks, layups or wide open looks from behind the arc. He makes the game extremely easy for his teammates, passing the ball equally well to everyone to make sure they all stay happy. After the game his teammate Eric Hicks (who joined the team because of an injury to Kenny Adeleke) praised him incessantly for his ability to make everyone around him better. Fellow big man teammate Travis Garrison was saying the same exact thing.

Barea’s scoring wasn’t there as much as his passing was, but this was more by choice it seemed like rather than because of a lack of ability (as his 20+ ppg season average might attest). When he felt so inclined, Barea would use his awesome ball-handling skills and ability to change gears to work by blowing right by whoever was guarding him and finish beautifully off the glass. He missed the only 3-point attempt he took, and this could very well be the thing scouts will look at the most considering that he really has no other weaknesses besides his obvious lack of height. NBA comparisons here ranged from Earl Watson to Jameer Nelson. At the end of the day, Barea helped his draft stock tremendously, to the point that he will now be getting looks as early as the late first round. He has everything NBA teams look for and more in an incredibly smart and versatile backup point guard, and if teams value that the way they should in as weak of a draft as this in terms of point guards, his stock should have gone through the roof with what he showed.

---

Sean Dockery, 6-2, Point Guard, Duke

11 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 0 turnovers, 4-9 FG, 1-2 3P

Eric Weiss

Sean Dockery didn’t have his best game today. Dockery was going up against his toughest match up of the tournament as he was facing a very promising NBA prospect in Jose Juan Barea.

Dockery started the game off well, picking up a couple of very nice assists by changing direction well to create a lane and finding the cutting man for easy baskets. But, Dockery was overly aggressive with his defense initially and seemed to be focusing in on steals rather than respecting Barea’s quickness and handle. Because of his defensive over-play, Dockery got beaten by Barea to the lane on a number of occasions early on and this seemed to noticeably frustrate Dockery.

Offensively Dockery didn’t necessarily force things, but he was clearly trying to make things happen as opposed to letting plays develop naturarlly, as he did so well in his two previous games. Dockery took a couple of off balance shots, which were not terrible as much as they were the type of shots a player is better off taking after creating some rhythm for himself.

Still, Dockery adjusted nicely in the 2nd half defensively and focused on postion instead of trying to dominate with ball pressure. Once he did that he effectively curtailed Barea’s half court penetration. It should be noted that most of the damage done in this game was in transition, so defense wasn’t a huge staple of how the action played out.

Overall, the only criticism that can be layed on Dockery from this game is that he put too much pressure on himself to perform. For a player who has basically curtailed all of his creativity and general enthusiasm for the game over the last 4 seasons during his Duke purgatory, the fact that he was able to translate the truly impressive elements of his game so quickly into on-court success is impressive. He took a group of players that were unfamiliar with each other and made them into a functioning unit, using his voice and presence to become a leader in a short period of time. His play deserves another look down in Orlando, where the stiffer competition will really show what type of player he can be.

---

Justin Williams, 6’10, Center, Wyoming

4 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks, 2 steals, 5 turnovers, 2-9 FG, 0-2 FT

Joseph Treutlein

Following a very impressive performance on day one, with a chance to improve his stock even more, Justin Williams struggled in his final game at Portsmouth. He started off the game strong, posting up on the baseline and fading away for a mid-range jumper. A few plays later, he got the ball in the lane and dropped his shoulder, going in strong and drawing the foul. But from that point on, Williams wasn’t able to get much going on the offensive end. For the rest of the first half, he’d receive the ball in the lane and hesitate, sometimes more than once, seeming very nervous and indecisive about what he should be doing. He’d often follow this moment of confusion with a dribble or an awkward move that wasn’t successful.

In the second half, Williams wasn’t able to snap out of his funk. While he got more decisive, not over-thinking, just quickly acting when he got the ball, he wasn’t able to convert any of his post opportunities into scores. He used some nice spin moves in the post, fading into jumpers, but wasn’t able to hit any of them. He has a very awkward release on his shot, only extending his arm to about 90 degrees and not fully following through. He also has some trouble banging in the post with stronger opponents, possessing a very thin frame and not much strength.

Defensively, Williams gave his normal contributions, grabbing 10 rebounds, blocking three shots, altering a few others, and making two steals as well. He’s very active on both the defensive end and the boards, using his length and athleticism to always be around the ball and usually get a hand on it. He also uses his mobility to frequently step up on the perimeter to contest shots of opposing guards.

---

Torin Francis, 6’11, PF/C, Notre Dame

8 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block, 4 turnovers, 4-7 FG, 0-2 FT

Joseph Treutlein

Torin Francis had a disappointing game to cap off a disappointing tournament, being seemingly not willing to really use his body and strength to bang in the post. The game started out with Francis showing more of the same, avoiding contact with the ball in the post. When posting up, he’d usually go up with a weak attempt, sometimes bailed out by a foul, or choose to fade away for a baseline jumper instead. He has mild success using either of these methods, but his effectiveness is only a shadow of what it could be should he really exert himself.

For a moment early in the second half, it looked as if Francis was going leave his psychological burden behind and finally start showing what he’s capable of doing. Matched up with the gritty, powerful Eric Hicks, the two began to bully each other back and forth on both ends, using their hands and bodies to incite one another. After taking an elbow in the chest by Hicks on the offensive end, Francis had a fire lit beneath him and called for the ball in the post, got it, backed Hicks down, and went strong right at him for a lay-in. In the following possessions, Francis had a strong jam in the halfcourt and a strong lay-in in transition that he was also fouled on after quickly getting down the floor. Francis’s intensity translated over to the defensive end, too, where he had an emphatic block on Hicks.

The above sequence lasted about three minutes where Francis was actually looking very much like the player he was prior to his back injury. As the game went on, with Francis not being as physically opposed when matched against opponents other than Hicks, his fire died out and he reverted to the same soft, psychologically burdened player we’ve seen for the past few years.

In yesterday’s report, we proposed the theory that Francis could perhaps excel and overcome his mental barrier if matched with players that would challenge him physically on both ends of the court. In a brief sample against Hicks today, Francis showed signs of just that. Given that he can contribute something even when not playing very aggressively, and that he has a nice foundation in terms of skill set and physical ability, he may be worth taking a risk on, to see if he could put his past behind him through the rigors of competing with physical frontcourt players day in and day out in NBA practices.

---

Greg Brunner, 6’7, PF, Iowa

19 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, 8-13 FG, 2-2 FT, 1-3 3P

Joseph Treutlein

Brunner had yet another solid performance, using his basketball IQ and nonstop effort to make consistent contribution on both ends of the floor. Brunner showed a very versatile game around the basket today, scoring on post-up opportunities, drives to the basket, and even catching and throwing down an alley-oop. In the post, Brunner showed a vast array of efficient moves, using combinations of fakes, drop steps, and straight power to get to the basket for a lay-in. Brunner showed off his impressive strength in that he could basically get to any position he wanted on either end of the floor, bullying whoever tried to contain him. Plenty of times he was very deep in the post, calling for the ball, and he didn’t get it. Brunner also showed some nice poise when driving, using both hands to lay the ball in as well as the ability switch hands in mid air.

Brunner also finally got a chance to show off his mid and long range game, hitting a brief assortment of shots with his very pretty jumper. He also showed off some other offensive skills, including post entry passes as well as passes out of the post. He’s also very active in setting screens on the perimeter and has great understanding of offensive spacing, always putting himself in a position that will open the floor for the point guard or help him get spacing to create.

Defensively, Brunner was solid in the post, using his strong frame and fundamentals to match up with his man. He’s a virtual non-factor on the weakside, though, not possessing the length or athleticism to contest many shots from cutters. Brunner was solid on the boards once again, boxing out and always fighting hard for rebounds.

Brunner may not have much upside, and he may be undersized, but he has an elaborate understanding of how to play the game of basketball, is highly intelligent, works as hard as anyone, and has quite a few things he can contribute to a team. He may have a tough time catching on in the NBA, but there are niches for guys in his mold. He could play a similar role to a Malik Rose type player, banging on both sides, cleaning up the glass, setting screens, diving for loose balls, and just playing smart, solid basketball.

---

Travis Garrison, 6’9, PF, Maryland

17 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal, 8-12 FG, 1-1 3P

Joseph Treutlein

After solid performances in his first two games, Garrison was able to piece together all of his skills for a very notable third day performance. Showing off skills inside and out on the offensive end as well as some nice defense in the post, Garrison had a good all-around performance.

On the offensive end, Garrison was showing off his great shooting form from both mid and long range, hitting mid-range jumpers from all over the floor, including one very nice fadeaway jumper on the baseline that he still maintained excellent form on. Even from NBA three-point range, Garrison kept his form on his one three-point attempt, not compensating for the extra distance by leaning in or pushing his shot forward as many adjusting shooters do. It should be noted that Garrison also had one long two-point attempt with a foot on the line, showing the same impressive form.

Garrison didn’t show much in terms of post moves, an area that he himself stated he needs to work on, but he had a positive impact around the hoop on the offensive end. Benefiting off the amazing point guard abilities of teammate Jose Juan Barea, Garrison frequently got in position around the basket to receive a pass for an easy lay-in. He also was active on offensive boards, getting a few putbacks.

Defensively, Garrison played very solid man defense, bodying up, using strong footwork, and forcing his man into a tough shot or a pass out. He doesn’t do anything spectacular on the weakside, but makes all of the necessary rotations and steps up to alter or block shots when need be. He only had one block today, but had three more in the previous two games combined.

---

Eric Hicks, 6-6. Power Forward, Cincinnati

27 points, 17 rebounds, 9 offensive, 13-17 FG, 1-1 FT, 26 minutes

Jonathan Givony

After two fairly disappointing games that resulted in losses and were supposed to have ended his participation at Portsmouth, Eric Hicks got not one, but two incredible gifts from someone that looking out for him from above. The first was the fact that an injury to Kenny Adeleke allowed him to even play in the last day, while the second was the team he was placed on, specifically his point guard, Jose Juan Barea.

Hicks showed the few scouts still in attendance a nice compilation of everything he did in his junior and senior years at Cincinnati. He was being super physical from the minute he got off the bench, dishing out pain to anyone that dared get in his way and being incredibly active for every moment he was on the floor. His work on the offensive glass was especially impressive, coming up with a number of awesome put-back dunks that got the crowd off its feet. His strength, ferociousness and athleticism were always evident in everything he did; coming up with 7 offensive rebounds just in the 12 minutes he played in the first half. This was particularly impressive considering that he doesn’t even have the best hands. Although he didn’t show the mid-range game today his former teammate Jason Maxiell did last year at PIT, something that escaped him all tournament long, he did have one very nice turnaround jumper after going to work with his back to the basket. This was possibly the only sign he showed in the tournament that he has a chance to make up for his lack of height in the NBA with more than just brute strength once the competition stiffens.

Hicks should have done enough in this last game and especially his college career to get himself an invite to the Orlando pre-draft camp, but he has one person in particular to thank for that today—Jose Juan Barea.

---

Rashad Anderson, 6-5, Small Forward, Connecticut

20 points, 3 rebounds, 1 turnover, 10-16 FG

Eric Weiss

Anderson continued to show the same excellent touch on his perimeter shots that have become a staple of his game these past 4 years at UCONN. The thing that has really garnered the most attention is his ability to shoot contested and off balance shots with equal effectiveness. Anderson continued to show an ability to shoot effectively off one or two short dribbles from mid range, as well moving off the ball. What was particularly impressive in today’s performance was Anderson’s ability to score inside the 3 point line, something that greatly adds to the diversity of his offensive attack.

Every one knows that Anderson’s spot up 3 point game is already a plus NBA attribute, what the scouts are looking for now is a commitment from Anderson to maximize his physical conditioning so his skills can be applied to other elements of the game. If Anderson can tone his physique to its optimal level and make a commitment to being a quicker and more assertive defensive presence he could develop into a valuable rotation player and possibly a starter down the road.

Very few players posses a single NBA ready skill, so Anderson has a nice base that he can build his game off of. Hard work and a dedication to his craft will determine his future success.

---

Joah Tucker, 6-5, Small Forward, Wisconsin-Milwaukee

17 points, 3 rebounds, 1 turnover, 5-11 FG

Eric Weiss

Tucker added another element to his game today which makes him worthy of mention. Throughout the tournament, Tucker has shown himself to be a very adept ball handler and offensive rebounder for his height. Tonight Tucker displayed a very fluid and deeply arching perimeter jumper which he hit both as a spot up shot as well as with the pull-up.

If Tucker was even 6’8” he’d get looks as a very versatile power forward if he’d take to defensive instruction. But, as it stands now Tucker should be able to find himself a good role on a higher level foreign league team. His play has been aggressive, but under control and usually when he gets the ball in an attack position some good result comes of it.

Defensively, Tucker has the body and athletic lateral movement to be a good defender. If he’s coachable he could be a great on ball defender because he has the strength to bang against 3’s and the quickness to stay with them when on the face-up while possessing the size to guard 4’s without being out muscled. This all is if this tournament is any indication of his regular abilities.

---

M D Designs 86 Naval Shipyard 80

Steve Novak, 6-10, Small Forward, Marquette

25 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 9-14 FG, 7-11 3P

Jonathan Givony

Yesterday we talked about how it would be nice to see Steve Novak get his 3-point shooting numbers at this camp close to where they were in college. Today, he did exactly that, making 7 of his 11 attempts overall and 6 of 8 in one scintillating ten minute stretch at the end of the first half. Novak scored 18 of his team’s 36 points in the first half, putting on an offensive clinic for the off the ball movement and picture perfect shooting form the entire way through. He’s been the definition of a streaky scorer at this camp, being extremely quiet almost throughout, but erupting for a huge amount of points in a short stretch in every game he played in.

In the 2nd half Novak was again going through one of his quiet spells, only taking 5 shots in 17 minutes of play, of which he made three, and getting his points in this half off an offensive rebound, a jump-hook in the post and only one spot up three. Playing with a selfish 6 foot shooting guard in Tony Skinn who is getting way too many minutes at the point doesn’t help, but Novak did a nice job showing the scouts what he is capable of doing regardless.

---

Carl Krauser, 6-2, Point Guard, Pittsburgh

20 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 turnover, 4 steals, 8-13 FG

Eric Weiss

Krauser put in another strong showing to go along with his first game performance and solidified himself a spot in Orlando in all likelihood.

The most impressive thing about Krauser’s game is his vocal leadership. Krauser could even be heard from the bench encouraging teammates to do well in the brief moments he was out of the game.

Krauser showed decent range tonight on his suspect jumper, enough so that it looks to be workable if Krauser is willing to put in the time. Krauser also passed the ball decently, though his assist opportunities must increase before anyone will consider him a legit point guard prospect.

Krauser makes quick decisions with the ball and doesn’t waste too much time or energy fooling around with the ball even when he is in possession of it for significant lengths of clock time.

His team is better with him on the court than without him, and that’s the best thing that can be said about any prospect that’s participated here in Portsmouth.

---

Nick George, 6’6, SG/SF, VCU

12 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block, 6-13 FG, 0-3 3P

Joseph Treutlein

Nick George had another solid performance, showing off a few offensive skills, defensive intensity, and the willingness to actively crash the boards. On the offensive end, George had trouble adjusting to NBA three-point range, leaning in and pushing his arm forward a bit, trying to compensate for the added range. In his senior year, George shot an impressive 47% from three-point range, and judging based on his shooting form, this was no fluke. Given time to adjust, he most likely would develop into a very reliable outside shooter.

George also showed some nice ability in the lane, often hanging in mid-air for a long time, being patient, and still having the control and upper body strength to get off a high-percentage shot. His ball-handling abilities are still suspect, but he did show a nice crossover move today, followed by a nice first step and a quick drive to the basket for a dunk.

Defensively, George was very active, getting up on his man both on and off the ball to pressure. He also had a very nice block on his own man on a failed drive attempt. George’s intensity was also apparent in loose ball situations, diving on the floor, jumping out of bounds, and tipping balls to his teammates to keep a possession alive.

---

Chris Hernandez, 6-2, Point Guard, Stanford

19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnover, 7-8 FG, 3-3 3P

Eric Weiss

Hernandez was quietly effective in every game of this tournament. At the end of the week Hernandez shot a whopping 75% from the field and didn’t miss a single 3 point shot.

Hernandez is gritty and intensely competitive on both offense and defense. He never takes a play off and goes full tilt into whatever he’s doing on the court. It is hard to force Hernandez into a mistake and even when outmatched he typically finds a way to get the ball into play.

Hernaandez’ problem is that he isn’t particularly adept at handling the ball, at least not on a level that allows him to penetrate the lane and make assists. Hernandez will compensate by shielding himself between the defender and the ball with the purpose of creating a handoff or a quck dump off to a cutting man. He can see the floor very well and uses this to keep the play running whenever possible, he just lacks the ability to make the initial push into the fray that would allow him to really be a significant factor running a team.

With the way he shoots the ball and makes smart decisions, he should find himself a solid job somewhere in professional basketball because he has almost all the qualities one would want out of a point guard. While he lacks some essential elements to his game, he has enough to be a player worth mention.

---

Portsmouth Sports Club 104 Holiday Inn Portsmouth 88

Solomon Jones, 6’10, PF/C, South Florida

16 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocks, 4-5 FG, 8-10 FT

Joseph Treutlein

Solomon Jones had his best performance of the tournament in the championship game, leading his team to the title with the help of teammate Terrell Everett. Jones and Everett played a great two-man game for much of the first five minutes, with Everett frequently feeding the ball to Jones down low with an easy chance for a lay-in or a drawn foul. Jones, using his soft hands, caught all these passes and converted on each attempt either by getting to the line or making a dunk or lay-in. Jones didn’t show much in terms of post moves in this game, though, simply feeding off the play of his point guards. He did have one especially nice putback tip-in off an offensive rebound, though. Trailing his teammate in the lane, Jones used his length, athleticism, and some excellent timing to tip the ball off the rim right into the cylinder.

Defensively, Jones was quiet for the first half, but made some very impressive blocks in the second half. The first came on a weakside rotation against a cutter, with Jones using his entire wingspan to reach out and get his hand on the ball for a clean block. On another possession, Jones, using his mobility, stepped up on the perimeter to help a teammate, recovered back into the post, and as the guard he stepped up against was coming around a screen, Jones came around the other side and swatted his shot down. Jones was using his mobility all night to assist on the perimeter, always being able to quickly recover following the step-out. Jones’s last two blocks came on one play where he came out of nowhere to swat a cutter, sending the ball back into his hands. When the opponent tried going up one more time, Jones again sent the ball away, this time to a teammate leading into a fast break.

Jones needs to add some bulk to his thin frame, improve his fundamentals on post defense, and develop some moves on post offense. Even without these things, he should be able to contribute in some fashion in the NBA, blocking shots, using his mobility on defense, crashing the boards, and getting easy lay-ins off guard penetration.

---

Terrell Everett, 6’4, PG, Oklahoma

10 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 5-9 FG, 0-1 3P

Joseph Treutlein

Terrell Everett finally was able to show what he could do here at Portsmouth, not having to play second fiddle to shooting guards masquerading as point guards like teammate Keydren Clark. Everett actually got to run the offense for long stretches today, looking very poised doing so.

Everett showed his passing ability both on the break and in the halfcourt, creating scoring opportunities for teammates down low and on the outside. The team’s first play of the game was a fast break where Everett made a nice pass ahead to teammate Solomon Jones for a jam. Next, Everett made a nice pass down low to Jones after drawing the defense with his first step. Everett also made two assists for open three-pointers. He made another nice pass in the halfcourt, through the seams of the defense, again to Solomon Jones for the easy jam. He also made some other nice passes for post entry passes and in transition, some of which were credited for assists.

Everett was able to score for himself today, too, showing some nice ability in the lane but not much from outside. Using his ball-handling and quick first step, Everett got into the lane a few times for easy lay-ins. He had one very nice move in transition, faking a pass and then going past his man for the lay-in. Everett, a natural lefty, used his left hand on the shot, on the right side of the rim, which worked, but could pose a problem at the next level. He has a tendency to avoid using his right hand around the rim for lay-ins, something he could use some work on. He also had another impressive sequence on the break where he astutely surveyed the floor, saw none of his teammates open, and decided to take action himself, hitting a floater in the lane. He had another nice pull-up jumper in the lane with the shot clock winding down on a halfcourt possession.

Everett didn’t show much with his outside shot, though, taking a few perimeter attempts and missing badly. His shot form is not very consistent and could use a lot of work. He needs to straighten his arm on release and work on establishing a more consistent release point.

Defensively, Everett played some good man defense, using his length and quick hands to pester his man. On one play where his man got by him, he followed him into the lane and used his length to poke the ball away from behind, saving an easy basket. He had some occasions where he overcommitted on help defense, though, leaving his man open for a shot.

---

Keydren Clark, 5-9, Point Guard, St. Peters

16 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 turnover, 6-15 FG, 2-4 3P

Eric Weiss

Clark had arguably his least effective scoring performance in the game that led to his being named tournament MVP. I should be noted that the award given only to a player from the winning team, so Clark’s MVP award isn’t totally an endorsement of his play relative to the other competitors.

Clark showed an excellent ability to score in a variety of ways during this tournament. His form on the jumper is smooth and fundamentally sound. His ability to create space for himself is excellent, and his dribbline skills are very sound.

Clark’s limitations lie in his lack of true point guard skills, or at least his lack of showing those skills. It is understandable that at St. Perters, Clark would be asked to shoulder a tremendous portion of the offensive load. But, here in Portsmouth Clark was being evaluated on what he could do as a point guard and in that area he did not show the type of passing ability or defensive pressure he needed to in order to really impress the pro scouts.

As a scorer, Clark has real ability. But at his size he will need to be a much more dynamic distributor in order to have real pro potential. Even in Europe, the top teams all have good shooters. It is the team game that makes a player successful and while Keydren’s attitude and approach seem very good, his game must alter for him to be a true asset to a winning organization.

There is potential there, but he must recognize his own limitations and harness the abilities that are most advantageous for a player of his stature in order to attract the type of attention that will really spring his game to the next level. Clark’s not quick enough to be Earl Boykins, so being a true passer is his best bet at having a solid pro career.