Tag Archives: Alex Poythress

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NBA Top 100 Camp Morning Recap

June 16, 2011 Mark Watson

Charlottesville -
BDN is on hand for the NBA Top 100 Camp on the campus of the University of Virginia and we'll bring you updates on our message board all weekend long. We are focused in on key Duke prospects and have a lot of cool stuff coming members' way. Here are the stats and recaps from the morning session. For more detailed analysis, join BDN Premium for full site access.

THURSDAY MORNING RECAPS

Lakers 71
Spurs 68

Ryan Arcidiacono led a low scoring affair with 11 points and watched as Gabe York’s game-tying attempt sailed short and the Lakers edged past a tough Spurs squad 71-68 in the opening game of the 2011 NBPA Top 100 Camp this morning. Zena Edosomwan added 10 points in the close victory. George Niang, Brandon Bolden and Anton Gill finished with 11 points each and Jordan Tebbutt added 10.

Grizzlies 96
Mavericks 78

The Grizzlies, led by 6 players in double digits, defeated the Mavericks 96-78. J.P. Tokoto led the Grizzlies in scoring with 14 points. He was followed very closely by Evan Nolte and Daniel Ochefu with 12 each, Anthony Bennett and Terry Henderson with 11 each, and Adam Woodbury with 10. T.J. Warren led all scorers with 17 points for the Mavericks in the loss. Amile Jefferson added 16 and Marcus Hunt contributed 13.

Heat 89
Bulls 76

Chicken Knowles led with 15 points as the Heat blistered the Bulls 89-76 in opening day action at the NBPA Top 100 Camp. Justin Anderson added 14 points while Jabari Bird and Ricardo Gathers finished with 10 points apiece for the victors. Omar Calhoun and Jordan Adams finished with 14 points each for the Bulls in the tough loss. Brice Johnson added 12 and Montrezl Harrell finished with 10 in the loss.

Celtics 91
Thunder 86

The Celtics came out like a ball of fire scoring the game’s first 17 points, and then withstood a furious Thunder rally to come away with a 91-86 victory. Jerome Hairston led a crew of four teammates in double digits with 17. Joining him in the scoring column were Jordan Price with 14, A.J. Davis with 13 and Robert Carter with 12. Tyler Lewis led all scorers in the game with 19 points for Thunder. Danuel House added 15, Nate Britt 14 and Jordan Burgess 13 in the close loss.

Magic 101
Hawks 73

The Magic placed five players in double digits as they vanquished the Hawks 101-73 in the morning session’s final contest. Codi Miller-McIntyre was outstanding, scoring 16 points and controlling the tempo of the game throughout. Devonta Pollard added 15 points while Katin Reinhardt finished with 13, Denzel Valentine managed 12 and Yogi Ferrell added 11 in the convincing victory. Joell James led the Hawks with 13 points followed closely by Gavin Ware and Mitch McGary with 12. Michael Frazier added 10 in the loss.

#	Name	Year	Team	Game 1
3	Tyler Lewis	2012	Thunder	19
7	Jerome Hairston	2012	Celtics	17
73	T.J. Warren	2012	Mavericks	17
23	Codi Miller-McIntyre	2012	Magic	16
84	Amile Jefferson	2012	Mavericks	16
42	Danuel House	2012	Thunder	15
83	Devonta Pollard	2012	Magic	15
78	Chicken Knowles	2012	Heat	15
47	Jordan Price	2012	Celtics	14
15	Jordan Adams	2012	Bulls	14
44	Omar Calhoun	2012	Bulls	14
5	Nate Britt	2013	Thunder	14
9	J.P. Tokoto	2012	Grizzlies	14
51	Justin Anderson	2012	Heat	14
86	A.J. Davis	2013	Celtics	13
8	Jordan Burgess	2012	Thunder	13
109	Joell James	2012	Hawks	13
35	Katin Reinhardt	2012	Magic	13
60	Marcus Hunt	2012	Mavericks	13
53	Robert Carter	2012	Celtics	12
21	Brice Johnson	2012	Bulls	12
63	Mitch McGary	2012	Hawks	12
103	Gavin Ware	2012	Hawks	12
48	Denzel Valentine	2012	Magic	12
66	Steve Taylor	2012	Grizzlies	12
67	Daniel Ochefu	2012	Grizzlies	12
2	Yogi Ferrell	2012	Magic	11
33	Anthony Bennett	2012	Grizzlies	11
22	Terry Henderson	2012	Grizzlies	11
38	Ryan Arcidiacono	2012	Spurs	11
65	George Niang	2012	Lakers	11
75	Brando Bolden	2012	Lakers	11
88	Anton Gill	2013	Lakers	11
57	Montrezl Harrell	2012	Bulls	10

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Recruiting Guru Van Coleman Breaks Down Duke Prospects

June 14, 2011 Varand Khachadouri

Our staff at BDN Premium has now seen Tony Parker (left) and Alex Poythress (right) play in over 16 times, so we can tell you firsthand our opinions. But on this occasion, we bring you a chat with Van Coleman, one of the nation

BDN has established a lot of genuine relationships in that for years, we have been covering the Grassroots Basketball scene live and in person. The great thing about being an independent site is that we can use a myriad of the nation's best recruiting gurus, whereas corporate sites are generally limited to those who work within their ranks. In the past, we've talked to the best of the best and this time is no different, as we enlist the help of long time talent guru, Van Coleman.

Coleman is well respected and established in his field and, like our past guest analysts, he brings years of experience to the table. And if you're looking for the best quality coverage around, BDN Premium is "the" place to be. Without further ado, here is Varand Khachdouri's chat with Coleman, as we give you a sample of the kind of work you will find inside BDN Premium, our subscription based service. - Mark Watson

Offering a loud and booming voice, long time scout Van Coleman really hammered home his points to the campers about what it takes to really make it. BDN got a chance to pick the brain of the long time scouting guru. Take a look at what he had to say about some current Duke prospects.

Shabazz Muhammad: He’s a tremendous athlete, a guy who can make plays on both ends of the court. He does it off the dribble and uses his hands on defense. Really has worked very hard on improving his jump shot. That’s one of the reasons why I think he’s right up there for the number one player in the country, because of his consistency of play, and the things that he can do kind of offsets what those big guys and all their athleticism. He really is a guy who can win ball games for people.

Rodney Purvis: He’s a tremendous ball handler, a guy that can score off the dribble, improved his jump shot to the point where it now freezes the defense. It makes him a much more effective player. He can play either guard spot. One of the nice things, like Nolan Smith, he’s a guy that in college becomes a guy who can take that spot over (point guard position) if he has to. He’s a scorer first but he’s a guy who can run the show. One of the top 20-25 kids in the country.

Rasheed Sulaimon:The guy can score! He flat out will put points up. Shoots the three, is a tremendous athlete. At the rim he finishes over big guys. Just a guy that’s going to put a lot of points on the boards for the Blue Devils.

Mitch McGary: One of the big surprises of the spring. He’s really had a tremendous spring. He’s improved his skill set away from the basket and face up. He knocks the jumper down now. He has developed the ability to get that 1-2 dribble drive, something he didn’t have a year ago. That’s really lifted his level to where now he’s in consideration for a top 10 spot by a lot of guys. He has become a McDonalds All American I think with that, that’s been the big change for him. He’s a power guy who can score around the basket, defend, and is smart and understands the game. That makes him a guy that Mike Krzyzewski is going to look at.

Tony Parker: A rebounding machine. If you love Kevin Love, you’re going to like Tony Parker. He’s a guy that can absolutely dominate on the glass, and finishes around the basket. I’d like to see his face up game get a bit better but that will come with time. Right now, he is a man on the back boards. No better rebounder maybe in high school basketball.

Alex Poythress: Athletic, long, a guy who’s improved his jumper which has made him a more much affective player. I think he has lifted his stock this spring with a lot of folks. As that shot gets better, the more exciting of a player he’s going to become because when it comes to getting to the rim he’s one of those guys who makes highlights.

Julius Randle: Maybe the most skilled big man in the country as far as how he utilizes those tools. He can handle it, he can go to the middle on the break, he can take you off the dribble, he’s long, and he’s got a great shooting touch from 17ft to the basket. He just does a lot of things. He might be as good an all around big man as there is in the country.

Jabari Parker: Takes off 20 lbs and the comparisons to Paul Pierce really start showing up in a hurry. He’s got great skills, he’s really improved the jump shot, he makes people pay if you back off of him, he can get to the hoop with either hand. He’s a guy that right now I think has risen to challenge Randle for the top spot in that class.

Nerlens Noel: He’s long, he blocks shots. Offensively he’s very very raw. At this point it’s mostly right around the basket. The drop step dunk, those kinds of things. But man can he change the game in the paint with his shot blocking ability, and he can run the floor like he’s 6’5, so he gets up and down and creates opportunities. When the offense comes, he’s going to be a special player.

Theo Pinson: Well we’re talking about offense, I tell you what, we’re talking about a guy that can score a lot of points in a hurry. I think he’s really improved his ability to take people off the dribble with confidence and finish in the lane. He’s always been a guy that can pop that outside jumper and get people to freeze a little bit. Now he has the dribble drive game to go with it. I think he’s a kid that’s on the rise and is really going to be a tremendous talent for whoever he ends up with.

Brannen Greene: He can put it up from the perimeter, a real long range guy. He really bombs it. He has enough handle though that if you guard him he can get that 1-2 dribble pull up jump shot. A kid that’s on the rise, a lot of people hadn’t seen him a lot until this spring, and I think he’s a kid that could surprise a lot of people with that jumper. You know what, there’s never too good of a shooter.

You can visit Van Coleman here - http://hot100hoops.com/

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Nike EYBL Prospect Report

May 30, 2011 Admin

cannon boo 007 — Alex Poythress is playing at the Nike EYBL in Los Angeles this weekend. BDN Photo

BDN Premium has Andrew Slater and Varand Khacadouri covering the Nike EYBL event in Los Angeles this weekend and their reports are coming in via the message board and our twitter site. We'll have player interviews coming this week and much more including some members take on the prospects.

In fact, one of our knowledgeable members, Caleb has shared his early take on the kids and here they are while we await more reports from California.

Here are some thoughts and comments from what I saw this weekend -

Julius Randle: From what I saw he's the player I most like from the class of 2013. He looks to be a legit 6'-9" from looking at him. He is strong with the basketball and aggressive. Likes to use the glass alot when shooting in and around the paint. He has a good feel for the game and attacks the basket hard. He handles the ball well...but would be a serious matchup problem at the four. He was double teamed a lot by defenses yet still scored strong when I watched. When you watch him play it's hard to believe he is class of 2013! Very mature game.

Jabari Parker: Really [private] good all around player. Very smooth. Understands the game at a high level. Not super quick or fast but he is athletic. Fundamentally sound...gets team- mates involved well. Not as big or strong as Randle...more of a 3/2. His game reminds me of a slightly less explosive Grant Hill. I think with added strength he will be a special player. Very un-selfish. He is a very pleasant kid. Duke would be fortunate to get Jabari.

Nerlen Noels: I hope that Duke really goes after this kid. He blocks shots like he is on a pogo stick! He can go up down and then back up again really quick. I saw him block shots with both right and left hand. He can block jump-shots! He's just so long and makes you change your shot when driving to the hoop. On offense he plays within himself and doesn't force much. With time his offensive game will improve. He is not a liability at all on offense and he does display some touch around the basket. He does need some added strength. He will be a wiry, strong type of athlete.

Tony Parker: I like Tony. I hope Duke gets him. He really grew on me this weekend. Varand described his game well. He has good footwork...especially this strong low post spin move that he uses well to score with. He's definitely a power forward/college center. He seems to be a legitimate 6-8+ but the days of 270lbs are over. Some are saying he hasn't been playing well of late...if that is the case, he may be adjusting to playing at a lighter weight. Regardless, he played well this weekend. He plays best when he's getting the ball. He is a good kid...I repeat he is a good kid.

Alex Poythress: Effortless leaper. Long and athletic. Offensively he is a 4/3... defensively he could probably guard the 2 and 3 very effectively. Could develop into a passing lane nightmare. He had a two handed dunk where he literally glided through the air without much effort and with plenty of hang time. It would be hard not to take this kid if he wanted to commit. Seems to be tight with Tony Parker. Another really good kid.

Theo Pinson: Very gifted but young. When it's all said and done he'll be a great one. Displayed a nice shooting touch out to 3. His handle is good. He can dribble with both hands. He was active around the basket at times but definitely needs more strength to finish inside. The game I saw him play was against Houston Hoops, (Rasheed's team). It was probably a little tough for Theo to shine against such a talented trio of elite level Houston Hoop guards...led by Rasheed. Theo's dad is really cool and level headed. He mentioned that the experience of playing in such a high level game would only help Theo get better. Lots of up-side.

Rodney Purvis: I think we're all fairly familiar with Rodney's game. He is strong and really has the look of a player. Very confident player and he traded baskets with Rasheed a couple of times. I think Varand mentioned that he deferred a little too much during crunch time against Houston Hoops but he will be big time. He is a legit 6-3 and he can take it to the hole strong. After the game against Houston Hoops which was easily the best and most competitive game that I saw, Rodney was very nice and forthcoming with answering questions and picture taking. I would really like to land him.

Rasheed Suilamon: He has the tools to be great. In what was probably the best game of the weekend (Houston Hoops vs. CP3) he was the best player. His handle is legit. He can lose a defender with his cross-over and changing of speeds. Once he gets past his defender he attacks the basket hard. With added strength he will finish more consistently. He can knock down the deep three or pull up for his jumper off the dribble. He's an energy player who can defend well. His personality is magnetic...I really like him and predict he will be one of my all-time favorite's when he leaves Duke. He will represent Duke very well.

Thanks again to Andrew and Varand for a great weekend! [/private]

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball

Huge recruiting coverage weekend in store

May 26, 2011 Mark Watson

03-25-2010_ns_25Julius_randle_GME2PPBDM_1 — Top notch coverage of the main Duke recruiting targets awaits you - join BDN Premium and judge for yourself the quality input. Pictured Julius Randle

If you are not a member of Blue Devil Nation Premium, now is a great time to join for our Nike EYBL live coverage begins on Friday. As many of you know, the Tournament of Champions features no main Duke prospects at this time, but at the Nike EYBL in California?

BDN Recruiting Analyst Andrew Slater and our west coast correspondent Varand Khachadouri will both cover the loaded event. You will get first hand reviews and live updates on our members only message board from the events start to finish.

And who will you hear about? Let's start with the Georgia duo of Tony Parker and Alex Poythress, two front court players at the top of the Blue Devils wish list. Our staff will also follow Jabari Parker and Julius Randle, two absolute studs.

They will also check out the talented CIA Bounce team with Andrew Wiggins and a young upstart named Theo Pinson. And of course, covering Pinson means you will hear from another hot name on the Duke recruiting radar, PG Rodney Purvis.

Heck, I am just scratching the surface with names ... Nerlens Noel, Brannen Greene, Trent Williams and others will be checked out as well. And of course, the interviews then start rolling in all next week and beyond. And if you haven't seen one of our interviews of late, let's just say they are about as concise as one can get, averaging almost 2000 words each.

Summer time balling and covering the grass roots circuit is our time of year, a strength of this site, but we are more than that.

Football recruiting is red-hot and we have the fastest growing premium football coverage around where Patrick Cacchio is on the ball with the latest breaking news. He's broke the last two recruits at Duke and this site is definitely football friendly. He also pens a weekly in depth article called Football Friday for members only.

Check out BDN Premium for yourself if you are a Blue Devils fan that loves a dedicated site that is Duke-centric. While we are starting to cover the national recruiting scene as well, we are the only site sending reps to get the information you really want to hear, that being the latest on Duke prospects and that will not end.

And changes are in store as well, as we rework the site to better suit your needs. Quite frankly, we have a great staff, friendly members that want you to join them in the latest discussion on a flame free message board that isn't filled with not so witty one liners distracting from the subject matter.

And we are all Duke fans at heart just like you and that shines through as well.

If there is a press conference at Duke, we are there in person. If there are events from the Men's Basketball Banquet, the NC Pro Am action to the Coach K Academy, we are there. And if there is a basketball or football game, we are there in person as well. In short, BDN a full coverage site.

I'm excited about the future here and again, I love the staff I have assembled that has a perfect balance of youth and wisdom. I personally invite you to join us and promise you that you will love the information within. We want you to compare BDN's coverage with our competition for we are more than proud of our product and think you get a lot of bang for the buck over a years time,

Lastly, thanks for visiting Blue Devil Nation and be sure to bookmark the site and follow us on our informative Twitter and Facebook pages which can be found on the main page. And it is you that makes up the Blue Devil Nation, a site with total dedication to Duke Athletics. Now, come on in and join us!

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BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

BDN Recruiting Focus – Budding Prospect Alex Poythress speaks

May 6, 2011 Andrew Slater

Alex Poythress is a very athletic 6'7" forward from Clarksville, Tennessee, hometown of Pat Summitt, Shawn Marion, and Trent Hassell. He's made the quick and relatively smooth assimilation into the Georgia Stars AAU program , where he teams with Duke recruit, Tony Parker. The laconic forward spoke with us about the latest in his recruitment, playing with Parker at this level and the next, and his impressions of Duke.

Let's start with recruiting. What schools are after you right now?

The schools would be Vandy, Memphis, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Alabama, Stanford, Duke, Texas..I've got a lot. Ohio State, Minnesota, and Marquette.

Which of those are offers versus those expressing serious interest? [private]

UConn has offered. Georgia, Florida, Vandy, Tennessee, Miami, Alabama, Stanford, Marquette, and Memphis. There might be a couple of other schools, but that's all that I can remember right now.

That's plenty. Now, which schools came in recently to watch you during your "open gyms?"

Duke, Ohio State, Minnesota, Texas, Florida, Memphis, Marquette, Vandy, and Tennessee. Alabama came to my open gym as well.

Do you have any timeline for when you'd like to decide by?

I'd like to cut my schools down by the end of the summer and then take my visits in the fall.

And you must be a pretty good student to have some of those schools interested in you.

Oh, yeah, I have a 3.9.

Congratulations.

Thanks.

Finally, there's somebody around here cracking the books.

(laughs) Oh, yeah. I try.

Can you describe your game for an audience that may not have seen you play in person?

I'm like an athletic wing player that can post up small defenders and can take bigger defenders away from the basket. Just being a really versatile player that can help a coach or a team in whatever way is necessary.

In terms of a position, what do you view yourself as?

A wing player. A 3 or a 4.

What would you like to improve upon?

I'd like to get my outside shot to become more consistent and work on my ball-handling as well.

Who are some players that you try to emulate?

I don't really try to emulate nobody. I just try to play out there.

Who's been the most difficult match-up or player for you to defend so far?

The most difficult match-up was probably against Andre Drummond. We played him in Arkansas.

Sure, he's an athletic 6'10' to 6'11" guy.

Yeah, he was tough guy to defend.

Whenever you decide on a program, what are you ideally looking for?

Schools that have demonstrated good player development, a quality coaching staff, academics, and finally just a good fit for me.

What schools have you visited so far?

I've visited Florida, Georgia, Memphis, Vandy, Tennessee, and Alabama

Will distance be a factor for you?

No, sir.

What would you like the audience to know about you away from the court?

I like to play tennis.

Excuse me.

I like to play tennis.

Wow. That's another thing that I don't hear very often.

(laughs) Yeah, yeah.

Do you play on the school's team?

Yeah, I play.

What are you first singles?

No, I'm doubles.

And can you talk about playing alongside Tony Parker?

Oh, he's a good player. He's unselfish. He'll like pass the ball, if he doesn't have his shot. He's a good, dominant post player.

What's you current height and weight?

I'm 6'7 1/2" and 216 pounds.

Whenever you get close to deciding, who will you turn to for guidance?

Probably my mom and my high school coach.

Physically, what are you going to try to work on this summer?

Just lifting a lot of weights. Building my arms.

In terms of in your community, with your success on the court and in the classroom, do you view yourself as a role model?

Yes, at my school, we have this thing called freshman focus. I just try to help the freshmen get acquainted to high school and stuff like that. I do that as like a leader.

You're a mentor?

Yeah.

Lastly, you and Tony have a bit of an overlap in terms of schools that are interested in you. Have you talked about playing in college together?

No, we haven't talked about it yet, but we might though because we're roommates and stuff like that.

One of the programs that you and Tony have in common is Duke. What do you know about their program and can you talk about them a little bit?

I know Duke is a good school and has a very good track record. Coach K's a great coach. They've been in the finals and like all of this stuff. They're in the finals like every other year.

Which coach came to visit you recently?

Coach James.

Do you follow college basketball pretty closely?

Yeah, I love watching basketball.

Thanks for your time.

Oh, alright, thanks. [/private]

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Georgia Stars Coach talks Tony Parker and Alex Poythress

April 27, 2011 Mark Watson

cannon boo 012 — Tony Parker - Mark Watson BDN Photo

One thing you can generally count on is that the Georgia Stars AAU Basketball team will have some big time college prospects on the team year in and year out. BDN caught up to their well known head coach of 23 years Norman Parker recently where we talked about two of his studs. Duke has long been after Tony Parker,Tony Parker a force in the paint and now Alex Poythress has caught their eyes as well.

Talk about Alex Poythress for me. He has really come on since last season and just joined the Stars this season.

He's got great character an brings a wonderful attitude to our team and to be honest with you we are learning how to use him and fit him into to our offensive scheme. I think our team will get better as we get used to [private] working with him as a team. He is an outstanding young man that I think will be a future pro one day.

It is intersting to see just how much he has improved in a year.

We think he has improved a lot in one season. I wanted him to come play with us to play the perimeter, not just wanting him to play in the paint because he does handle the ball. He shoots the ball well and does a lot of things good handling the ball well to be 6-8.

He played really well in Hampton, especially when Parker went down.

He stepped up when Tony Parker could not play, he was our go to guy and I think you could see that more and more as games get on the line, we will have to use him and Tony. Getting those two to play together will be a challenge but they are rooming together and like each other so we are beginning to build out chemistry and when you get two kids like that it take a while.

Tony reshapped his body in the off season in a big way ...

Tony works really hard. He works out daily. He runs, he lifts weights, he does everything he can to get his body in shape and I told him during high school his body looks as fine tuned as I have ever seen him. He's big, got great hands, good footwork and he's been a little injury prone. We worry about that a little. He didn't play in any games in the final day in Hampton but we just have to be patient with that as he gets his back well.

You guys lost to a couple of really good teams this weekend, but seem to be in good shape to make it to Peach Jam or the NYBL Finals.

As we continue to grow, we'll come together and make it to the Peach Jam. The Georgia Stars always have and we'll do it again especially when Tony and Alex continue to get accustomed to one another. [/private]