Junior Elite Camp – Day 2 Recap
July 11th, 2008
by Ephraim McDowell
Friday marked Day 2 of Hoop Mountain’s Junior Elite Camp at Stonehill College. The camp has brought together some of the region’s finest youngsters, and the New England Recruiting Report has been on hand to catch all the action. Here are some players who made their presence felt on Friday:
Shawn Strickland, 2013- The best player of the morning session was undoubtedly Strickland. The combo guard was on his game, breaking down defenders off the dribble and pulling up with great elevation. He was almost impossible to stop at times, and his crucial drives helped his team hold on in a tight victory.
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Levy Gillespie, 2014- Strickland’s backcourt mate is Gillespie—a smart point guard who controls the tempo of the game. Gillespie can also really shoot the ball. In his morning game, Gillespie pulled up from deep with regularity and accuracy.
Darrius Edwards, 2013- This athletic wing player gets to the basket at will and finishes with strength. He is a shifty slasher who loves contact. He had several and-1’s in his morning game.
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Matt McClure, 2012- A solid mid-range player, McClure is great off of one or two dribbles. Not to mention, he is incredibly unselfish and a great team player.
Casey Weld, 2012- A little guy with tight handle, Weld’s court awareness is tremendous for a young point guard. Once he grows and gets stronger, Weld will be very capable of running a team.
Stephen Haladyna, 2012- One of the most versatile talents at camp, Haladyna is physical inside and can step out and shoot it. He blocks shots and rebounds at a proficient rate, and he puts points on the board. Haladyna was terrific in his morning game, although his team came up short in the end.
Sam Dowden, 2013- Dowden is an intriguing post prospect in the class of 2013. He possesses remarkable footwork for a youngster and can finish confidently with both hands. Dowden is one of the more polished young big men you will find, and has established himself as a monster on the block so far this week.
Foster Eymer, 2013- A 2 guard who thrives in the transition game, Eymer sealed his team’s victory with two crucial finishes on the break last night. This kid really knows how to finish in the open floor.
Josh St. Fort, 2012- An athlete at the forward spot, St. Fort is a bit undersized but he makes up for it with his heart and aggressive play. He attacks the rim in both the halfcourt and transition and rebounds effectively.
Shancor Privott, 2013- Coming up big in the morning session was Privott, who was an animal on the interior. He consistently caught the ball around the foul line area, and then utilized his strength to bull his way to the hoop. Privott has proved himself to be virtually unguardable at camp this week and a dominant force on the interior.
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Thomas Mannion, 2011- Mannion is almost impossible to stop in transition. He gets out on the break and finishes in traffic. Mannion is at his best when he catches in the open floor, breaks a retreating defender down with the dribble, and then finishes around the rim.
Ken Miyachi, 2013- This pure point guard is deadly off the dribble. In his afternoon game, Miyachi got into the lane and dumped off to open finishers time and time again. He possesses good height for the point guard position allowing him to see over defenders when he is in traffic in the lane. Simply put, if a teammate is open, Miyachi will find him.
Jaquan Collins, 2013- Collins may be short, but he certainly isn’t afraid to mix it up inside. He is a playmaking guard who can guard any position on the floor. He is tough and rebounds extremely well for his size. His intensity spurred his team to a blowout victory in the afternoon.
Dan Caveney, 2013- A small point guard who can finish amongst the trees, Caveney is fearless when he penetrates. He appears extremely comfortable with the ball in his hands, and has a lethal arsenal of floaters and reverse lay-ups.
Tommy Rae, 2013- This lefty has a phenomenal fundamental skill set. He can dribble, pass, and shoot, and he is a willing cutter passer and cutter. He knows how to play, and it shows because his team runs very efficient offense.
Jared Goodwin, 2013- This kid has unbelievable shooting range for an eighth grader. He is capable of consistently knocking down shots from well beyond the arc. You better start guarding Goodwin right as he crosses halfcourt because you never know where he will pull up from.
John Powell, 2012- Powell is a big lefty who has impressed throughout camp. He works hard on the inside, where he bangs on the glass and scores numerous offensive rebound put backs. He also gets up and down the court very well for a big man, making him a huge asset to a team that plays transition basketball.
Anton West, 2013- Another blue collar big man, West does everything you can ask a post player to do. He is active on the glass, keeping possessions alive and cleaning up misses. He also defends the post with a lot of energy and desire.
DeWayne Wynn, 2012- Hands down, Wynne is one of the best athletes at camp. He is a combo forward who runs extremely well and is capable of going coast to coast off of a defensive rebound. Additionally, Wynne is an aggressive rebounder and interior defender.
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Zachary Stone, 2012- Stone is what coaches call a “glue guy.” He is a wing that loves to defend, pass, and make all the hustle plays. He is also very capable of stepping up and hitting big shots. Players like Stone are essential to all winning teams.
Trevor Rabidou, 2012- Rabidou is an unbelievable hustle guy and a lock down defender. He also has a fairly polished offensive game, especially in the mid-range area. Rabidou shined in the afternoon session both with his performance and his desire.
Adam Ek, 2013- A tremendous scorer from the point guard spot, Ek can really put points up on the board. He is quick to the basket and can also shoot the three. A rising eighth grader who is playing in the older league, Ek is certainly making a name for himself this week.
Ryan Hagerty, 2014- An interior player with a good skill set, Hagerty battles inside. He has done a commendable job rebounding against longer, taller players this week. With seasoning and experience, Hagerty will turn into a very good high school big man.
Greg Kalogeropoulos, 2015- Greg is a strong, tough guard who fights for every rebound. He feels very comfortable underneath the hoop despite his relative lack of size.
