Kyle Anderson was one of the standouts at the Primetime ShootoutThe Primetime Shootout took place this weekend and ESPN.com reported that many of the standouts were former Basketball Spotlight stars.
By: John Stovall (ESPN)
ROSELLE, N.J. -- The Primetime Shootout has historically been one of the best events in the country that showcases some of the nation's best talents. It has become more of a regional event, but still has most of the best teams and players from Metro New York and South Jersey. Here is a profile of some of the better players who were at this year's event.
Standout players
Kyle Anderson (Jersey City, N.J./St. Anthony)
2012, SF, 6-9, 220 pounds
College: UCLA
He is a special talent who can truly dominate a game on the offensive end. He is a great passer and can play every position on the floor offensively. He is a matchup nightmare because of his size and skill level. He is perfect in St. Anthony's system because he can control the tempo with the dribble, get in the lane and score or find open teammates. It will be interesting to see where the UCLA Bruins play him at the next level. You can bet wherever it is, he will be effective.
Rondae Jefferson (Chester, Pa./Chester)2013, SF, 6-7, 190 pounds
He is a more athletic version of Anderson. He handles the ball offensively and has great vision. Jefferson thinks pass first and is the ultimate glue guy. He finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists, eight blocks and five steals! He is extremely versatile and plays very hard. He literally plays all five positions during the course of the game for his team. Jefferson only needs to improve his outside shot to complete the package.
Austin Colbert (Lakeville, Conn./Hotchkiss)2013, PF, 6-9, 210 pounds
He is a skilled power forward who has a lot of tools. Colbert is mostly a high-post player who can drill jump shots to 20 feet but his athleticism allows him to be very effective around the basket. Colbert has always been talented but has needed to be more assertive and productive. Well, I think the time has come. Colbert was MVP of Hotchkiss' win over Trenton Catholic with 16 points and eight rebounds. If he is starting to realize his enormous potential, watch out America.
Players to watch
Isaiah Briscoe (Newark, N.J./St. Benedict)2015, PG/SG, 6-3, 190 pounds
He is a strong and powerful combo guard who plays, looks and has a feel for the game of someone much older. Briscoe is a great scorer and creator with a solid shot out to 20 feet. He is also a pretty good defender for someone so young because of his size and strength. Overall, he is one of the better freshmen in the United States.
Karl Towns (Metuchen, N.J./St. Joseph)
2015, C/PF, 6-9, 210 pounds
He is a high-post player who has to be one of the better shooters in the 2015 class, period. He has range to 25 feet and is a great catch-and-shoot player. Towns has nice length and looks to still have room to grow, especially given his size 20 shoes. He is only a decent rebounder now but that will improve as he adds strength to his thin frame. Towns has a great upside and has to be one of the five best players overall in the 2015 class.
Malachi Richardson (Trenton, N.J./Catholic)2015, SG, 6-4, 180 pounds
He is a very intriguing prospect with great size and nice length. Richardson has a knack for putting the ball in the hoop, which is craved by coaches at every level of basketball. He is a very good shooter with range to 20 feet and as he continues to grow and improve he has a chance to be one of the best players in the 2015 class.
Notes
The first game on Sunday, which pitted Gill St. Bernard versus Plainfield, might have been the best game I have seen this year. All the stars came to play as Plainfield defeated nationally-ranked St. Bernard, 78-77, in overtime.
The game was won on a last-second layup that out of the half-court set as time expired. Dartmouth-bound point guard Alex Mitola shot his way to 30 points for St. Bernard and junior point guard Jaren Sina added 22. However, the star of the game may have been Plainfield point guard Sekou Harris who had 20 clutch points.
Harris, an unsigned senior with definite Division I talent is an interesting story because his family is moving to Phoenix and he wants to attend a school on the West Coast. Any low- to mid-major program that needs a dynamic guard should definitely take a look.
John Stovall is the Southwest recruiting coordinator. He has worked as director of scouting for Prep Spotlight Scouting Service and its magazine for 15 years.
