4SHOT Sports has made its stop in Suwannee Georgia to bring you the live coverage of the third annual Adidas Superstar Camp. The camp features some of the top players from across the nation and globe, giving them the opportunity to showcase their talent to prestigious college coaches and scouts. The camp is a way for stars to be comets and unknowns to be known.

Day 1 Afternoon Session

 

Just a appetizer! 4SHOT Hoops Elite 100

The beginning of the afternoon session was just exciting as any and what a way to get the camp started off. Senario Hillman from Irwinton Georgia committed to the University of Alabama set the day off right with a monster dunk that got the coaches buzzing. Even though Hillmans dunk set the pace no one had the most spectators at their court than Nolan Smith from Upper Marlboro Maryland committed to the legendary Duke program and the number four ranked player in the country in Michael “Mike” Beasley who was determine to bring home his second consecutive camp MVP award.

 

The player of the first afternoon session belonged to Swainsboro Georgia Tony Mitchell who hit numerous jumpers and almost bought a rim for the camp. Tony finished the first afternoon session with a high of 20 points. The high assist man went to (BK’s) Brooklyn New York Erving Walker with 6 assist and the rebound high goes to Ndoumba David with 7 rebounds from Klapps Baton Rouge Louisiana.

 

Day 1 Afternoon Session (Part 2)

 

The Afternoon Part 2 would be with Mike Beasley would wake up and poor in a day high of 27 points. Nolan Smith would increase the assist total from part 1 with 9 and Compton California’s Edar Garibay would snatch down 1 short of double digits with 9 rebounds. Some players seemed timid at first but as the big name coaches filled the seats the level of play when up.

 

Day 1 Evening Session

 

The evening session may have been one of the biggest surprises to some but I knew it was going to be a cold summer as Miramar Florida Rayford Shipman leads all scorers with 19 points. Rayford played big in the middle and showed he had range with 2 consecutive long range three-pointers. Shipman also collected 6 rebounds, showing his versatility to hustle and play defense. One player to beep loud was Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy Jahaziel Howard who played inside outside and show tremendous conditioning and hustle. Bloomington Indiana sent it’s very own Emanuel Negadu to clean the boards with 7 rebounds, along with Shawn Williams II from Desoto Texas. The high assist man would of course be Nolan Smith with 6. With that much happening in the first I couldn’t wait to see what would go down in part 2.

 

Day 1 Evening Session (Part 2)

 

Scotch Plains New Jersey Ashton Gibbs would be all over the court to lead the session with 19 points. Gibbs one hand dunk and mid range jumper wasn’t missing. Bloomington Indiana seemed to be the home of the board cleaners as Beas Hamga would lead in rebounds with 9. The player that soared to the top of most coaches list other than Terrell Bell was Philadelphia Pennsylvania Antonio Jardine with 7 assists.

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Adidas Superstar Camp
Day 2 - Friday, July 7, 2006
Reported by Jabari "Klapp" Glapion (4SHOT Sports)

The action picked up where it left off on Thursday.  You could sense a little more comfort and familiarity from the players.  Chemistry seemed a little more precise, passes were more crisp, and the dunks, well, the dunks spoke for themselves.

Afternoon Session

Like the Great Ray Charles would say, "Just a ole sweet song that keeps _ _ _ _ _ _ _ on my mind."

Beasley , a top five prospect in the nation according to 4SHOT Sports Elite 100, took control of the game with his play, as well as his trash talking, but his play is putting recruiters eyes on all him.  Beasley exploded for 27 points to lead all scorers in early action.   He also pulled down seven boards and four dimes to boot. 

Terrell Bell (Stone Mountain High School) out of Stone Mountain, GA continued to shine as well.  Bell, one of the more under the radar players with a multitude of potential, put his talent on the display with a 21 point, six rebound performance in early action.  Bell hit the lane, spotted up from outside, and threw it down a time or two just for good measure. 

Another player who was lights, camera, action was Ashton Gibbs (Seton Hall Prep.) .  Gibbs, who is out of Scotch Plains, NJ, was still on fire from his previous nights work as he dropped in 21 points from the floor.  Edgar Garibay (Compton High School) from Compton, CA and Beas Hamga (Cornerstone Christian) from Bloomington, IN brought their Windex with them on the trip keeping the glass nice and clean by swiping nine boards each, topping all other big men.  Bruno Ferreira (Uniara) Araraguara, Brazil and Jacob Ranger (Carpinteria) Carpinteria, CA also made their presence known in the paint with each player pulling down eight rebounds. 

In a camp setting, guard play is extremely important.  Coaches aren’t looking for anything flashy or overbearing on the court.  Let’s call it “pure” guard play.  Nolan Smith (Oak Hill Academy) from Upper Marlboro, MD pretty much exemplified the purity recruiters were looking for.  Too bad he’s unavailable. 

The future Duke Blue Devil led the way dishing out seven assists early on, continuing his penetration and dish method of the previous day. Ranger was also impressive with six assists to go along with his activity of the boards.  Cashmere Wright (Urban Christian Academy), who is from from Savannah, GA, continued to be a consistent scorer as he put in another double digit performance with 14 points.

Eric Gordon (North Central) hailing from Indianapolis, IN was next in line in scoring with 24 points.  Gordon, considered a top ten prospect in the nation via 4SHOT Sports Elite 100, did his thing on the floor.  An all-around baller, Gordon slashed, stopped and popped all day.  Not to mention, the young man got above the rim on occasion.    

Another highly ranked recruit on display at the camp was Anthony Randolph (Woodrow Wilson).  The senior out of Dallas, TX dropped in 22 points, while putting on an impressive display of defensive skills guarding smaller, quicker guards.  His length and ability to rise off the floor surely caught the eyes of recruits in the building.

With so much ball going on at the same time, I don’t see how the evening session could get any better.

Evening Session

It did.  With coaches from the likes of Duke University, University of Tennessee, Kansas State University and University of Washington patrolling the complex, it was time for these “superstars” to get their weight up.  It became quite evident that they were much obliged to do so.

Eric Gordon (North Central) led the way with another impressive scoring output, leading the way with 27 points.   The 6-4 senior out of Indianapolis, IN continued to wow onlookers as he boasted a sweet, mid-range “j”. 

Antonio Jardine (St. John Newmann) and Danny McElroy (LaSalle) followed with each putting up 25 points to finish up the day.  Jardine, who is from Philadelphia, PA, is a strong slashing guard who will most certainly get his in the paint, but don’t sit back because he’s liable to pop one from deep as well.  McElroy is hustler, homie.  The 6-6 sophomore out of Cincinnati, OH was pesky around the basket and considered every loose ball his.  With three years of growth before hitting the college scene, McElroy will certainly be heard from.

To continue the excellent guard play on the day, Justin Holiday (Campbell Hall), Rayford Shipman (Monsignor Pace), and Jamar Samuels (Carroll) finished with 24, 22, and 21 respectively.  Samuels also showed some tenacity under the basket, pulling down six rebounds, while Holiday was able to distribute the rock collecting four assists. 

Walter Offutt (Warren Central) showed that he was a consistent player as he finished off another day of double-digit scoring.  Offutt, who is a 6-3 point guard and an Indianapolis, IN native, took it right at the big boys inside, slashing and cutting straight to the basket.   Another guard who was able to put his skill on display was senior point guard, Joey Rodriguez (Lake Howell).  Rodriguez, who is from Oviedo, FL, finished the day with 10 dimes and showed the true ability to be a floor general.

But the guards were able to showcase their abilities more so than the big men because they handled the ball.  However, there was one big man who would have no problems leaving an impression on college coaches’ minds.

Michael Beasley (Oak Hill Academy) let loose a double-double on his unsuspecting foes.  Beasley finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds, garnering a rare double-double in camp action. The senior power forward is just a beast on the floor and will very rarely be denied.  If it was pounding the boards, driving through the lane, or sinking a 12 footer from the baseline, Beasley did it, as he told you that he was going to do it.

Rick Jackson (St. John Newmann) also played big in the paint.  He, too, was able to fill the stat sheet with a double-double of his own.  Jackson displayed pretty good footwork for a big man as he pulled down 10 boards and dropped in 16 points.  Jackson’s size certainly came in handy inside the paint.  The 6-9 Philly native played big and owned the paint when he was on the floor.  Jackson, who is not necessarily a shot blocker, but more of an intimidator, definitely throws his weight around and should be an asset for any program inside.

Local-area athlete, Howard Thompkins III (Wesleyan) also showed up big in day 2 action with 15 points and six rebounds.  Thompkins III is a big body that can get up and down the floor.  The Lithonia, GA native played the blocks well but was slowed down by a bothersome knee that allowed him to see limited action.

With one more showcase before the All-Star selection, it was time to let it all out…..Ya Dig?

Afternoon Session

Right out the gate, there’s definitely a reason Michael Beasley (Oak Hill Academy) is a highly touted senior with colleges waiting on him to make a decision.  Hence the following stat line…17 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.  Beasley led the way in rebounding, but put on a full display of skill for those on hand.  The word must have certainly gotten around because on the third day of action, there was one court that seemed to be a tad bit more crowded than the others.  It was Beasley’s court, in more ways than one and the young man did not disappoint.

Yancy Gates (Hughes Center) was the scoring leader on the day finishing with 19 points and also pulling down seven rebounds.  The junior out of Cincinnati, OH impressed the coaches, the camp, and the crowd with his final opportunity on the floor.  Gates controlled the paint and when the ball came to him, a move was made, and so was a basket.  

Elston Turner Jr. (Roseville) piled up 18 points on the day doing this thing from wing.  Turner Jr., who hails from Roseville, CA, played like a conscious player who knew when to take his shots and when to distribute.  Justin Holiday (Campbell Hall) continued to be impressive ending early action with 17 points.  His length is hard to counter especially when he can rise above other guards so easily for a face-up shot.

The two shooting guards also have to give credit where credit is due.  Joey Rodriguez (Lake Howell) led the way in assists for the second day with another double-digit outpouring of 10 assists.  Rodriguez, Turner, and Holiday were on the same team and their cohesiveness was apparent on day three. 

There was a lot more consistency on day three and no one really stepped away from the pack in any statistical category.  Relationships had formed on and off the court.  The third consecutive day of basketball also appeared to have taken its toll.  Or, maybe they were resting up for what was to come.