Portsmouth Invitational Day 3 2022

It was a good day. Yes, Ice Cube has been referenced in the first sentence. You’re welcome. The last game was ugly at times, then I jinxed it when I mentioned to my friend Jamaill we haven’t had overtime yet in the showcase. Then, the basketball god’s blessed us with a double OT game. Everyone in the gym tonight, You’re welcome.. Or, I’m sorry!

Players That Impressed

Timmy Allen Texas 6’6 200 G/F

Allen was super efficient. He has a lot of toughness and physicality. He has a great feel in the m/r and mid post. Takes contact well. Strong bodied and looks thicker than 200lbs. in a good way. Allen also was chipped in with 12 rebounds. He had 25 points and went 11-14 from the field. Almost all of his damage was in the m/r.

Kris Bankston Norfolk State 6’8 220 PF

Bankston struggled to make an impact his first game. Today he flashed athleticism that may be unmatched compared to any other player here. He has great hangtime and body control in the air when attacking the rim. He’s a dangerous roll man for lobs and has a great motor as a rim runner. Bankston had a massive one hand throw down, where it literally looked like he threw the ball from straight down ala Dwight Howard in the dunk contest. I don’t think he touched the rim, because he was too far away…. but, man he was way over the rim.

Kevin “Tha Dogg” Obanor Texas Tech 6’8 225 G/F

Man…. Obanor is intense. Plays extremely hard with emotion and authority. He also takes care of his body. He had ice on both knee’s and ankle’s when he left the gym. I liked seeing that because I don’t recall anyone else ever doing the same here. He is a freak athlete and super strong he can do a little bit of everything. I would be stunned if he’s not at the combine. He can make the three, attack the lane or just p/up in m/r. He can literally guard 1-4. He’s strong enough and agile enough either way. I loved his intensity and letting everyone know he’s that DUDE. Obanor finished with 29 points, five rebounds and three blocks.

Ed Croswell Providence 6’8 245 F/C

Big Ed flashed today. He started slow, but really came on after that. Ed is strong in the paint. He showed good hands and a soft touch. He’s solid in the p/roll game. He was relentless on the boards today also. Croswell finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds….. Ten were offensive!

Sales Systems Team

KJ Williams struggled from three, but still managed to score around the rim and with a post fadeaway. Williams also chipped in on the glass. He had 15 points and 17 rebounds.

Caleb McConnell chips in wherever he can. He showed the ability to score at times and he’s always a lockdown type defender. He plays within himself and that’s always refreshing to see nowadays.

I love Erik Stevenson’s confidence. He’s a flat out scorer. He can get hot quick and has a nice stroke from deep. Stevenson can occasionally shoot shots that may not be the best, but what scorer/shooter doesn’t. Stevenson finished with 23 points, going 5-8 from three.

Nathan Mensah had three late buckets in double OT that basically sealed the game. Mensah has a nice stroke 15 feet and in. Good rotation and doesn’t fade when shooting. I’ve watched a lot of him throughout his career. He’s a steady big. Defends well, has switchability and mobility. Ohhh and a 7’5 wingspan. Mensah had 17 points, ten rebounds and went 8-10 from the field.

Tanner Groves Oklahoma 6’10 235 F/C

Tanner is not the strongest or most physically skilled player. But, I would take him with me to a fight everyday. He’s a tough son of a gun. He plays with passion and he may be the toughest dude here. He never backs down. He keeps getting up off the ground. He struggled from three tonight, yet still made an impact. He had 19 points and eight rebounds. Next time though….. Shoot the open three at the end of the game. There were two chances you passed it out.

Players That Disappointed

Trey Jemison UAB 7’0 260 C

Trey is a massive man in the post. He really struggled today though. His hands looked very questionable. There were three straight p/roll plays where he just couldn’t catch and handle the pass and fumbled it away….. And the passes weren’t bad either.

Grant Sherfield Oklahoma 6’2 190 Combo Guard

Sherfield fell back to struggling today. He couldn’t make anything. He finished with two points and 1-11 from the field…..

Dane Goodwin Notre Dame 6’6 200 SG

Goodwin clearly is a good jump shooter and has a very nice stroke. He just missed shots today. None looked bad, they just didn’t fall. I like him. Today was just not his day. He had six points, four rebounds and was 1-9 from the field.

Things I Loved Today

Kevin Obanor’s competitiveness. He is “Tha Dogg”. He has so much confidence and isn’t afraid to let people know. One other thing I liked is when he left the gym he gave a nod to the trainer that helped ice him up after the game. That was cool and she appreciated it as well.

Tanner Grove’s passion. He made an and one and then had a weird, yet awesome counting motion with both hands while laying on the ground…… I realize my explanation is anticlimactic. But, If you were here at the PIT…… It was Electric, and very much a goofy white guy thing. And as I reread this I just can’t do it justice. Sorry, I’m a goofy white guy too!

KJ Williams showed some more physicality. I’m still not sure he can or is willing to post up on offense. He had one baby hook shot and a fadeaway post jumper score….. But, both were going away from the basket……. So, maybe I just kinda had a fling and didn’t fully love it yet….

The Bier Garden in Olde Towne, downtown Portsmouth, VA. I highly recommend this place. Its very relaxed and authentic German cuisine. I make sure I eat there every year I attend and its just fun and doesn’t disappoint. They also have a ton of beer selections. And whenever you have a beer referencing James and the Giant Peach….. I have to try it…… Johann beware of the Rhinoceros in the sky. And Aslin job well done!

Oh yeah the food was awesome! I had Curry Bockwurst, with German potato salad and beer battered fries.

Paired with Aventinus Weizendoppelbock

The second day of 3 games is in the books. Some players started to stand out more today. In years past it seemed players popped immediately. Well not that it matters, but some started to separate themselves with showcasing their skills more than others. And of course some struggled or continued to struggle.

Things I Liked

Javante McCoy had another solid game. I’ll admit I was surprised to see him at the PIT originally. But this year there seems to be a lot more love shown to low-mid major to D2-D3 players than anytime I’ve been here and I’ve been going for like 5-6 years. I’m not complaining I actually prefer that. With all that said McCoy is a lot more explosive off the dribble than I originally thought. I’ve watched him in the Patriot league for years and knew he was one of the better players. But he is proving his athleticism transfers for sure. His m/r p/up off drives has been deadly. He is creating separation off the dribble and hasn’t even showcased much of his 2 man game skills that I know he has.

D’Shawn Schwartz had a much better day today. He showed his scoring ability. He’s solid in the m/r game. Can post up smaller players. He also can knock down the c/s 3.

Alonzo Verge Jr. has continued to show his ability to create for others and pass. I’ll admit every time I’ve watched him in college it was all about him in Arizona State and Nebraska. How many buckets can he get, how many iso. shots etc. Well here at the PIT he has been a great PG. He’s setting up his teammates and is super vocal. He is playing with love and passion and its clear.

The domination by the Big Boys. Gaige Prim and Josh Carlton combined for 36 points and 16 rebounds. There was a span in the game where they were on the floor together and they were passing to each other in high-low post situations. It was beautiful to watch. I love big man basketball.

Fabian White Jr.’s shooting ability. He shot the ball very well from 3 today going, 4-7. I didn’t know he had that skill set. I knew his athleticism and defensive motor, but he can carve himself a role if he shoots like this from 3.

Tyrese Martin had a nice bounce back game. He showed an ability to score in transition and was effective attacking the basket.

Three players that had another good game that have separated themselves from the pack are…. Keve Aluma, Jared Rhoden and Jeriah Horne. Aluma has continued to show his versatility on offense. He can score inside and out. P/pop threat, and has lateral mobility on defense. Jared Rhoden is killing it in the m/r game. He has a nice stroke. He elevates and gets to his spot with ease. Horne has thee most obvious pro skill. Its NBA level. His shooting from 3 is on point. He is showing flashes or versatility in other ways as well.

Whoops I forgot one guy Justin Bean is the man. Super versatile. Freak athlete high motor and has added a 3pt shot to his repertoire this year. I’m a big fan. He’s a utility player in basketball. Ask him to do something and he will bring it to the table.

Players That Struggled

Michael Flowers was held scoreless. Not good for a scoring guard.

Darius Days was not as effective or aggressive today. He settles too much for jumpers from 3 or the m/r. Get to the rim with your big body fella.

One of the biggest surprises here honestly is how much Trent Frazier is struggling shooting. I know he’s streaky, but he hasn’t got hot at all yet.

Nick Muszynski has struggled with opportunities in the post. Obviosuly a showcase tournament doesn’t always favor bigs…. But, with his lack of athleticism he hasn’t flashed much.

Bryce Hamilton has struggled big time. He isn’t creating separation off the dribble. He’s struggling shooting in general. He’s a slasher/driver but can’t really even get that going. It’s been a tough go for him. He has tried to bring the defensive intensity though, which is admirable when you’re struggling offensively.

Things I Found Intriguing

Dallas Walton’s mobility. He is an athlete and rim runner. Hasn’t been able to showcase his ability to shoot from 3, but he’s had flashes of hustle and mobility that isn’t normal for someone his size.

Michael Devoe’s playmaking and basketball IQ. He flashed today in the 2 man game. He was aggressive attacking the basket. I like his game. Not a great athlete, but uses angles and his craftiness to gain advantages.

Silvio De Sousa has shown a few flashes of post footwork and mobility that opened my eyes. The problem is he has only had maybe 4 post ups in two games. The two I remember displayed quick feet and athletic finishing on the opposite side of the basket.

Trevor Hudgins once again shot well from 3. I know this is his main skill, but he has more than held his own this week.

I love Tommy Kuhse, but he had several turnovers today in p/roll from defenders deflecting passes. I view this more as an anomaly, because like I said I love Tommy Kuhse and the Gaels. They are always a must DVR for me during the season.

Something I Loved

Ryan Turell D3 Yeshiva University. He struggled his first game going 1-7 from the field with 3 points. Today he went 5-11 from 3, with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. I’m not just trying to blow smoke here, but Turell hit his shots and showed confidence. For a D3 guy to come in here and bounce back like that is pretty awesome. He also had a 36o dunk after the buzzer just for the sake of fun. The thing that impressed me the most honestly was Turell showing a feel for the 2 man game. He called for a p/roll situation several times and created advantages every time. I didn’t know he had that feel in the 2 man game. I though he was strictly a c/s guy from 3. His confidence is growing and it’s cool to see. Also, I’m assuming it’s Turell’s family but they were electric in the crowd. Heckling the refs for fun. High fiving each other and fellow fans in the crowd. It was honestly the coolest crowd moment I’ve seen at the PIT since i’ve attended. Bravo.

See you all tmw for the conclusion of the PIT

Tag: Portsmouth Invitational Day 3 2022

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