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SG Daequan Cook (Ironi Hai Motors Nes-Ziona - Israel)

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foxsports.com

8/26/05




Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">With August slipping away ever-so-rapidly, it's time to lock in my top 25 seniors for the coming high school season.


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<LI>Get more college hoops news from Scout.com

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The criteria used in shaping the list were the performances I watched at a half-dozen "national" events in June and July: the USA Basketball Youth Festival (San Diego), adidas Superstar Camp (Suwanee, Ga.) and Nike All-America Camp (Indianapolis), along with three July 22-26 tournaments in Las Vegas — the Reebok Big Time, adidas Super 64 and Main Event.

Fifth-year (prep school) players were excluded from consideration.

Ready. Set. Here you go!

1. Greg Oden (Indianapolis Lawrence North) 6-foot-11
Comments: After the considerable offensive improvement he displayed in June and July, his game has become nit-pick proof.

2. Spencer Hawes (Seattle, Wash., Prep) 6-10
Comments: As he displayed in July at the Nike All-America Camp, the Peach Jam tournament and the Main Event, there isn't a player with better offensive skills on the high school level — O.J. Mayo included.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
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</TD></TR><TR><TD class=caption><ID>Greg Oden's game has become nit-pick proof.</ID> (Scout.com / Special to FOXSports.com)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

3. Brandan Wright (Brentwood, Tenn., Prep) 6-10
Comments: His rebounding and shot blocking abilities are nearly the equal of Oden's. And that qualifies as a heap of praise.

4. Wayne Ellington (Merion, Pa., The Episcopal Academy) 6-4
Comments: He is as clearly the top prospect at his projected college position (shooting guard) as Oden is at center.

5. Kevin Durant (Rockville, Md., Montrose Christian) 6-9 1/2
Comments: Once he gets stronger and realizes that his effectiveness in the low post is just as critical to his success as a player as his ability to launch 3-pointers, he'll be as good as anyone in this class.

6. Mike Conley (Indianapolis Lawrence North) 6-1
Comments: So there may be players with more "upside" as college and, eventually, NBA prospects. But get this straight up front: He is the best point guard in the Class of 2006 — hands down.

7. Brook Lopez (Fresno, Ca., San Joaquin Memorial) 6-11
Comments: He gets the slight edge right now as the No. 1 prospect in a very good California senior class.

8. Tywon Lawson (Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill Academy) 5-11
Comments: The comparisons to Raymond Felton when he shows up in Chapel Hill in about a year will have plenty of merit.

9. Robin Lopez (Fresno, Ca., San Joaquin Memorial) 6-11
Comments: No one in the Class of 2006 improved any more from June until the end of July than did this half of the Stanford-bound twins.

10. Chase Budinger (Carlsbad, Ca., La Costa Canyon) 6-7
Comments: He might be competing for Olympic gold some day — in volleyball — while earning NBA paychecks.

11. Deshawn Sims (Detroit, Mich., Pershing) 6-7
Comments: An eye-catching performance at the Nike All-America Camp was repeated a few weeks later in Las Vegas during the Big Time Tournament. Getting his commitment (over Syracuse and Michigan State) was quite the coup for Michigan coach Tommy Amaker.

12. Stanley Robinson (Birmingham, Ala., Woodlawn) 6-9
Comments: If Brandan Wright isn't the best senior prospect in the South, then this is the guy.

13. Gerald Henderson (Merion, Pa., The Episcopal Academy) 6-5
Comments: His jump shot is the only part of his game that isn't already dynamic.

14. Duke Crews (Hampton, Va., Bethel) 6-6
Comments: No matter how long I ponder the question, I can't come up with the name of a high-level prospect that played harder than Crews did in July.

15. Lance Thomas (Newark, N.J., St. Benedict) 6-8
Comments: Ditto the comments about Gerald Henderson.

16. Vernon Macklin (Chatham, Va., Hargrave Military) 6-9
Comments: He teamed with Duke Crews to give the Boo Williams All-Stars a pair of rebounders — second only to the Lopez Twins on EBO/EA Sports on the traveling team circuit.

17. Daequan Cook (Dayton, Ohio, Dunbar) 6-5
Comments: Along with Gerald Henderson, he is one of the two best 6-5 or shorter "finishers" in the senior class.

18. Sherron Collins (Chicago, Ill., Crane) 5-11
Comments: If someone suggests to you that Collins is the quickest player in the senior class, take them at their word.

19. Thaddeus Young (Memphis, Tenn., Mitchell) 6-8
Comments: Early exits at the USA Basketball Youth Festival in San Diego (with an ankle sprain) and in the adidas Super 64 tournament in Las Vegas (when his team was upset in the first round of the playoffs) kept me from watching him as often as I wanted to.

20. Derrick Caracter (Elizabeth, N.J., St. Patrick) 6-9
Comments: Consistency of effort and physical conditioning are his only roadblocks to becoming an exceptional college player at Louisville. But if anyone can remove those barriers, it's Rick Pitino.

21. Javaris Crittenton (Atlanta, Ga., Southwest Academy) 6-4
Comments: He seems to be making the transition from "scorer" to "true point guard" fairly well, which has to please his future college coach, Paul Hewitt.

22. Darrell Arthur (Dallas, Texas, South Oak Cliff) 6-8 ½
Comments: He was one of the most "up and down" players of the summer. He was spectacular at times. Conversely, you sometimes forgot he was on the floor.

23. James Keefe (Rancho Santa Margarita, Ca., Santa Margarita) 6-8
Comments: No one aspect of his game "wows" you. The sum of the individual parts does, though.

24. Quincy Pondexter (Fresno, Ca., San Joaquin Memorial) 6-6 ½
Comments: Once his jump shot becomes consistently accurate and he learns to play on balance all the time, there will be few more promising wings in college. 25. Phil Nelson (Keizer, Ore., McNary) 6-8
Comments: There are a lot of better all-around players right now, but his phenomenal deep shooting ability — and the "P" word is certainly apt — gets him the final spot.

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Upvote 0
he may move up a few spots, but I doubt he returns to his old ranking. That's fine with me, this kid has years of experience with the best pure PG in Conley and the best player in decades in Oden. The other schools can take their higher rated players, I'll take continuity anyday.
 
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MARVYMARV14 said:
Does anyone else feel that this kids ranking will sky rocket after a great season?
I've seen him play and I have a hard time believeing that there are 16 or 17 players better than him.
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the reality is the best evaluation period is in the summer with the elite AAU tourneys and camps. at these events it is nearly a shoein that each and every on the floor is a d-1 or high level d-2 caliber player. it is a lot easier to decide on talent when they play talent. in high school games it is likely that you could end up playing some twerp and/or pimply little kid. this just doesnt happen in the summer with kids on these caliber of teams.
 
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jimotis4heisman said:
the reality is the best evaluation period is in the summer with the elite AAU tourneys and camps. at these events it is nearly a shoein that each and every on the floor is a d-1 or high level d-2 caliber player. it is a lot easier to decide on talent when they play talent. in high school games it is likely that you could end up playing some twerp and/or pimply little kid. this just doesnt happen in the summer with kids on these caliber of teams.
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This is true to a certain extent, but HS basketball nowadays (other than last year's North College Hill schedule) isn't like it used to be. Daequan and Dunbar don't face a lot of "twerps." They play the best in Ohio on top of playing three or four tough teams at the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach. Last year, Dunbar lost to Danny Green's team (UNC) and D.J. Augustin (top PG in 06).

For instance, the announcers at Cav games sometimes say things like, "LeBron was just dunking on 5'9" kids two years ago." Well, actually St. V-St. M was playing Oak Hill, Amityville NY, Mater Dei, Kettering Alter, LA Westchester, etc....his HS schedule wasn't filled with a lot of twerps. Neither is Daequan's. Dunbar will play the best of the best this year. We'll get a good gauge on Daequan as a Senior leader.
 
Upvote 0
HabaneroBuck said:
This is true to a certain extent, but HS basketball nowadays (other than last year's North College Hill schedule) isn't like it used to be. Daequan and Dunbar don't face a lot of "twerps." They play the best in Ohio on top of playing three or four tough teams at the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach. Last year, Dunbar lost to Danny Green's team (UNC) and D.J. Augustin (top PG in 06).

For instance, the announcers at Cav games sometimes say things like, "LeBron was just dunking on 5'9" kids two years ago." Well, actually St. V-St. M was playing Oak Hill, Amityville NY, Mater Dei, Kettering Alter, LA Westchester, etc....his HS schedule wasn't filled with a lot of twerps. Neither is Daequan's. Dunbar will play the best of the best this year. We'll get a good gauge on Daequan as a Senior leader.
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i agree 100% on he will play talent in his hs games, but do you think his hs comp is tougher than his AAU comp, no way.
 
Upvote 0
For instance, the announcers at Cav games sometimes say things like, "LeBron was just dunking on 5'9" kids two years ago." Well, actually St. V-St. M was playing Oak Hill, Amityville NY, Mater Dei, Kettering Alter, LA Westchester, etc....his HS schedule wasn't filled with a lot of twerps. Neither is Daequan's. Dunbar will play the best of the best this year. We'll get a good gauge on Daequan as a Senior leader.
Click to expand...

How many kids from St Vincent played near the level of Lebron? These teams have talent but it is very diluted from the AAU squads. Cook may play half a dozen teams that have a player or even two with comparable talent, but that doesn't mean they will line up across from one another.
 
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