Basketball Prospect Evaluations at the 2011 Best of Summer Tournament

Los Angeles – Traditionally the last stop for the series of summer tournaments, this year's Best of the Summer tournament featured a number of high level players. Here are our evaluations of their talents:

Ishmail Wainwright, 6'5" F, Class of 2013 Kansas City 76’ers

Wainwright, a well-built combo forward, currently has more of an inside game. With a strong upper-body he can seal his defender and initiate his offense. At the same time, he is a very athletic player, and most project him to be an inside-outside player – think Ron Artest.

In terms of intangibles, considering he is only a rising junior, Wainwright has very good leadership skills.  He directs traffic very well on the defensive side, as he proficiently guards the paint. The next step of improvement for him is to develop a reliable mid-range jumper. This would be especially useful for him when facing zone defenses.


Chris Thomas, 6'5" PG, Class of 2012 Colorado Hawks

Considered the best point guard in the junior class, Thomas is athletic with very good size for his position. He plays under control, whether it be a slow or fast tempo, and distributes the ball very well.  If he needs to focus on one aspect of his game, shooting touch would be it, especially from three point range. His driving floater is quite effective.


Kaleb Tarcewski, 7'0" C,  Class of 2012 New England Playaz

Tarcewsky, the top center in the class of 2012, has all the tools to succeed in college and also the NBA. He runs the court well for a center, battles inside, has good footwork, and has more than enough athleticism required for his position. He will have to keep developing his post-up game and improve his stamina to realize his full potential.


DeMarquise Johnson, 6'5" F, Class of 2012 Team Elevate

Johnson has really stepped up his game. He has exceptional jumping ability that makes him a highlight reel waiting to happen every time he has the ball in his hands. However, he now has improved his shooting form to complement his driving game. He has good elevation on his jump shot and converts a high percentage of them. He should be moving up to among the top 50 prospects from his current rank outside the top 100.


Isaac Hamilton, 6'4" G, Class of 2013 Team Jennings Black

Hamilton handled quite a bit of the ball for his AAU team, and showed that he is capable of doing so. His shooting touch, which catapults him to a top 15 ranking in class of 2013, was also on full display here in the tournament. The only aspect of his game that is still lacking is his defense. His body makeup is not very physical, and there are times where his opponent simply blows by him at will.

SLEEPERS:

John Papale, 6'3" SG, Class of 2012 New England Playaz

Papale has a deft touch and can score in bunches. In addition, he is a solid defender with a good knack for steals. He will be a very good fit for a team looking to play an up-tempo game.


Matt Shrigley, 6'6" F, Class of 2012 SDA Pump N Run

Shrigley is a solid swing player who is versatile enough to play inside and outside on both ends of the court. He also is strong and fast. He should be an excellent player at San Diego State, where he has already committed. He is currently ranked in the top 150, but depending on how the other players fare in the summer, he should be able to get a bump up in the rankings.

By Christian Siagian
Contributing Writer for TheDailySportsHerald.com