Jackson Brought His "A" Game Today!Day 2 of the Hoop Group Jr. Elite Camp gave us a chance to check out some new prospects and watch some familiar faces dominate the session. Today we decided to break our reports into two parts; a NBA division and NCAA division. Here’s the NBA report.
NBA Division Top Performers
Justin Jackson 6’5 Forward (Toronto, Canada)- Jackson moved up to the NBA division and delivered instantly. The lanky forward excelled on the wing by using his length and ball handling to get by defenders. His match up with Brandon Austin was a joy to watch as the rising 7th Grader gave Austin all he could handle. Jackson hasn’t even tapped into his potential. Remember this name!
Brandon Austin 6’4 Guard (Philadelphia, PA)- You have to love when this guy is running the show. He has a natural point guard feel and sometimes can be a little too unselfish. Austin got it going after Jackson woke him up and stayed in attack mode for the rest of the afternoon. His crossover is lethal because his length makes the defender bite on his first move.
Joshua Blagrove 6’5 Forward (Brooklyn, NY)- The rugged space eater has decent touch around the basket but enjoys banging bodies on the blocks. His post moves are developing and we will be keeping our eye on him.
Mike Young 6’7 Forward (Pittsburgh, PA)- Young is the tallest player in the camp and I expected him to be a post player. On defense he does a good job on the blocks but on the other end he prefers the face the cup. I like how he pushes the rock with confidence and his ability to play over the rim.
Carlton Carter 5’7 Guard (Stafford, MD)- Carter gave a good showing by showing some point guard and scoring skills. He beat defenders down the floor and stopped at the foul line for his pull up. On defense he stayed low to the ground and harassed ball handlers.
Geno Thorpe 6’3 Guard (Pittsburgh, PA)- Geno attacks from the wing and finishes with authority. He excels in transitions and looks very good when slashing to the hole. I like his upside because he has a strong but lanky frame.
Tarin Smith 5’5 Guard (Ocean, NJ)- Smith looked very smooth in his afternoon game. He was able to draw contact and convert at the basket. He also knew when to hit teammates and when to become a little selfish.
