Day 3 - Saturday, July 8, 2006

Reported by Jabari "Klapp" Glapion (4SHOT Sports)

The best of the best.  The chosen few.  The cream of the crop.  ALL-STARS.  The last day of action at the Adidas Superstar Camp culminated in one major event.   The Wallace Prather Memorial All-Star Classic gave those selected one last spot off in that light, light off in that spot...knowing that they could rock. Well, rock on...

 

Underclassmen:

 

Howard Thompkins and Luke Babbitt are the future.

The young guns were first up to bat in this classic renamed in honor of the great, Wallace Prather in 2005.  With fundamental play being the last thing on anyone’s mind, the ball was tipped and it was showtime.

 

The Superstar Black squad was led by 6’5 junior, Travis Releford (Bishop Miege).  Releford, who had been quiet throughout the camp, exploded at the right time to lead all scorers with 17 points.  The junior out of Kansas City, MO was also active under the basket pulling down six rebounds. 

 

Heavy contributions also came from junior, Walter Offutt (Warren Central).  Offutt finished with 12 points and was very impressive with his all-around play and activity on the floor.  Offutt put faint beeps on the 4SHOT radar during the weekend but the beep was loud and clear in his final showcase. 

 

Junior Troy Gilenwater (Fremont) came all the way from Venice, CA to leave his imprint on the East Coast.  Gilenwater was strong under the basket, racking up 13 points.   Larry Drew (Taft) also made the trip cross country to show his stuff on the court.  The 6’1 junior finished with a game high six assists. 

 

Reno, NV native, Luke Babbitt (Galena High School) showcased a sweet stroke for a 6’8 power forward.  The big man hit the boards for six rebounds but made more of an impression with a nice mid-range game that produced 11 points.

 

The Superstar White squad was led by an impressive output by Georgia’s own, Derrick Favors (South Atlanta High School).  The ATLien led his team with 16 points and played strong on the boards, pulling down five rebounds.  Favors ran the floor well and showed a nice array of post-up moves on the blocks. 

 

Future Ohio St. Buckeye, B.J. Mullens (Canal Winchester), made a huge impact as well, finishing with 15 points and a team high six rebounds.  Mullens may have garnered the most props on the day for a putback dunk in the face of opposing big man, Yancy Gates.

 

Miramar, FL native, Ray Shipman (Monsignor Pace), displayed good athleticism and activity on the court while coming up with 15 points.  Shipman also showed some range from outside, drilling a couple deep three-points.  

 

Travis Releford with 17 points in the underclassmen All-Star game to seal the MVP honors.

Noel Johnson (Fayetteville High School) did his thing, racking up 10 points, while fellow GA baller, Howard Thompkins III (Wesleyan) was also active around the basket scoring nine points and pulling down four boards.

The most impressive player on the court had to be the 5’7 junior out of Brooklyn, NY, Erving Walker (Christ the King).  The elusive point guard was aggressive and not afraid of the paint.  He also showed the ability to get his own shot off from outside.  Walker finished with 15 points, three assists, and 2 rebounds, but the stats don’t come close to heart and drive of this young player.

The game itself turned out to be a nail-biter.  Mullens hit two clutch free throws to cut the White lead to one at 125-124 with 23 seconds left to play.  Offutt came right back for the Black squad as he hit one of two to put Black up by two 126-124.  A last second shot missed for White as the Black squad prevailed 126-124.

Final Score:  Superstar Black 126 – Superstar White 124

Upperclassmen:

Mamadou Diarra ranked number 19 via 4SHOT Hoops Elite 100.

When the big boys got started, you could tell this one would have a little more razzle dazzle.  Of course all eyes were on the beastly, Mike Beasley (Oak Hill Academy) out of Upper Marlboro, MD.  The senior star started slow out the game but picked his game up in no time to finish with 15 points, and game highs with five assists and 11 rebounds. 

The Most Valuable Player award went to Indianapolis, IN native, Eric Gordon (North Central).  Gordon was the “man” for the White squad as he put 22 points in a plethora of ways.  The senior guard hit it from outside, took the ball to basket, and finished with seven boards to boot.

Guard, Nolan Smith (Oak Hill Academy), finished with an impressive 21 points.  Smith was a serious threat from three-point land and used his dribble to create other scoring opportunities.  Justin Knox (Central Tuscaloosa) matched Smith’s 21 points, but Knox’s points came from underneath the basket.  The 6’9 power forward was also able to step back and show defenders a nice face-up game.

The Superstar Black squad also had big contributions by forward, Laron Dendy (Greer) and Mamadou Diarra (Stoneridge).  Dendy finished with a solid 15 points and six rebounds, while Diarra settled for a 10 and 6 day. 

Superstar White featured one of the more exciting players in today’s matchup was senior guard, Antonio “Scoop” Jardine (St. John Newmann).  The Philadelphia, PA native displayed a killer crossover that freed him up on many an occasion and a sweet shot that helped him tally up a game high 24 points.  For a brief stint, Scoop was the offensive firepower and went “dumb” on the Black defenders.

Senior forward Jamelle Horne was certainly a beast in his own right.  Horne, who is from San Diego, CA, appeared to always be in the right spot at the right time for many follow-up baskets and put backs.  The Cali native finished with 20 points and tied for a team high, six rebounds.

Solid contributions were also made by guards, Anthony Randolph (Woodrow Wilson) and Lacedarius Dunn (Excelsior Christian School).  Randolph, who is long and lanky, used his size and length to finish with 17 points.  Dunn got his 15 points by darting and slashing, but also displayed a nice jumper when a defender gave him a little too much space.

The South GA Connection on the squad was Senario “Walk It Out” Hillman (Wilkinson County High School) and Martavious Adams (Wilkinson County High School).  Hillman, who finished with 13 points, showed some aggressiveness early and also had spectators impressed with his quickness off the dribble.  Adams saw limited action but made an impact when he was on the court.  The big man finished with seven points and two rebounds.

Mike Beasley Camp MVP and Eric Gordon Upperclassman game MVP.

The game was pretty much one-sided until the end.  Superstar White boasted three of the more talented players at the camp, Smith, Gordon, and Beasley.  When the threesome was on the floor, the White lead extended 13 and 14 points. 

At one point, guards Smith and Jardine went head-to-head with an impressive display of crossover pull-ups and takes off the dribble.  Jardine was able to get the better of Smith and the Black squad cut the lead to as close as three points with four minutes left in the game.

Ultimately, the White squad was able to hold the Black squad at bay, sinking clutch free throws at the end of the game to give them a 120-115 victory.

Final Score:  Superstar White 120 – Superstar Black 115