Two teams in the Memphis WarEagles organization have advanced to the Final Four of the National Tournament. The 13’s coached by David Kizer beat last year’s runner up, the Texas Select 2014 squad led by one of the best players in the country in Michael Seaborn and crafty guard Alex Robinson by a score of 62-57 but it wasn’t easy at all. After key turnovers on both teams including a huge one by the WarEagles, the Dallas team went up 53-52 with 9.3 seconds in the game. The WarEagles fouled Texas Select 3 straight times on the inbound play but on the 4th one, the biggest play of the game occured. After the ball was caught by Seaborn, Robinson and a WarEagle got tangled up and a technical foul was called after Robinson appeared to slap away his defenders hand with 3.3 seconds left. Jerry Johnson Jr went to line to win the game but made 1 0f 2 forcing the game into overtime. Texas Select struck first with a 3 but Johnson answered back on the very next possession calmly sinking one of his own to tie. Black got fouled and got the deuce but missed the free throw with it only being a 1 possession game. Free throws were missed by both teams down the stretch in OT but when it came time for them to be made, James Prather and Nick Smith sealed the deal and put them into a game to determine who went to the final four.

Tony Becton and Jerry Johnson Jr.

Nick Smith

What a luck of the draw for them though as they ended up with last years national champions, the Arkansas Mustangs in game two of the day. They jumped all over the Mustangs early up as many as 16 at one point but Arkansas fought back and took the lead as both teams went back and forth late in the game. Jahlil Okafor’s 20 points was not enough as the Mustangs found themselves on the losers side and giving the WarEagles an appearance in the Final Four tomorrow where they will take on the Houston Select tomorrow at 5:00 at Woodale High School.

Another set young of WarEagles have also punched their ticket into tomorrows semifinal as the 8’s led by Coach Rodney Newsome advanced with a win over a scrappy Detroit Elite team. Coach Newsome told me that this maybe the year that he gets his national championship and judging by their success so far during this tournament, we could have the best 8 year old team in the country, right here in Memphis. Good luck to both teams tomorrow and be on the look for a tournament overview of the best players that I saw during the week of hoops.

Tank Brown (pictured right)

Virtually a major player since he hit the highschool scene, Tank Brown( pictured)is one of the best seniors in the state. One word to describe Brown’s game is power. The 6′5 Brown is a beast, punishing defenders under the basket with his strenght and size  and always being the aggressor despite being undersized as a 4 man. Over the summer, Brown looks as though he has improved his jumper from about 15-17 feet out and he’s attacking the basket more although he always done that well. Teams that are showing interest include, Murray State, Clemson, Arkansas State and Portland State making him a hot commodity among the players in the area. He says he wants to improve on shooting the 3 but he definitely needs ball handling because he will have to play the 3 in college. “I’m just a grind hard player, whatever it takes to win, I will do it ” said Brown. With the loss of their head coach and 5 future college players, next year, the ball goes through him. Can Raleigh still be contenders? Judging by the grind hard baller, I would say yes.

Some of the best highschool ballers in the city were at the Finch Center today as the Top 40 camp got underway. Adonis Thomas, Tarik Black, Chris Crawford were among some of the top names there but some others players impressed as well. I will do a player profile for the rest of  the week on one player that I saw during the camp that will end on Tuesday ran by Tavias Rutherford of Skills and Drills and Eric Robinson of the Memphis Magic.

Meet Frankie Bougher (picture)of Christian Brother High School. The 6′3 sharpshooter is one of the best catch and shoot guards in the city. A pure shooter, he says that he needs to work on catching and scoring off the dribble.  He used to play for the Memphis Magic and did play with the Nashville Celtics for brief stint but now says he will probably finish out the AAU season with the Mid State Ballerz. Schools that are interested in him include Wright State, Northern Illinois, Army and most recently, MTSU has been showing interest. He consistently knocks down the 3 as well as anyone that I’ve seen but like he said he does need to work on creating his own shot and maybe trying to get to the basket everyone once in a while but he’s never had to because he shoots the ball so well. He even got a few tip ins on putbacks during the scrimmage games. While not the name of some of the more known seniors, Bougher is definitely a player and one of D-1 caliber who should start to recieve even more attention next year.

CBHS Senior Sharpshooter

Dedric Lawson 5'10

This is my first time ever ranking players so young (5th and 6th graders) but it’s never to early to start looking at the future of Memphis basketball. It’s to early!!! Lebron James was known as the best 6th grader in the country at the age of 12. Hard to believe but in these times, it’s never to early to start to see who will set themselves apart from their peers. Some will stop playing ball, some new faces will emerge but I guarantee, it will be fun watching these young players grow.

1. Dedric Lawson (Faith Heritage Christian Academy) Consensus number one 11 year old in the city and according to some in the nationals last year, a top 10 player in the country on the national level. At 5′10, he is simply the most dominant of any post player in his class right now. He can rebound at a high level once recording 28 rebounds in a game in the nationals last summer in Florida. Block shots, that he can do at good pace and did I mention the guard skills! He ball handling is better than most pgs his age. He is the best passer of anyone in this class at 5′10 able to thread the need with full court bounce passes for lay ups. He can bring it up and start the offense looking very comfortable doing so. He can post on the block or go to the free throw line where he is very effective hitting the jumper, finding teammates when the D collapses or drawing fouls. His weakness is foot speed right now but that is mainly due to growing . According to one prominent AAU Coach who has coached him, Leslie McDonald, Ferrakhan Hall and a few other elite Memphis players, he says Lawson is better at this point then anyone that he has coached. Powerful words but don’t be surprised if Lawson is special for years to come.

2. Kevin (Lucky) Cheatham -  The young pg with all that handle and the ability to break his peers down with an array of moves, Kevin is his name for those who just know Lucky. The flashy lead guard is full of talent and everyone knows it. He’s very effective in transition where he can use his speed and quickness to get to the basket or find open teammates but he can also run the show in a halfcourt set. He’s also a pretty good defender often getting steals pressuring opposing guards with his relentless effort. Sometimes he trys to do a little to much which results in turnovers but that happens with a guard of his capability at times. His shooting must also get a little better to keep players from playing him for the drive all the time. He’s a classic Memphis guard in the making!!! Count on hearing Lucky’s name for the next 5-6 years on the scene.

3.  Jessie Neloms - He is a little like Cheatham in the fact that his skill level is above his classmates and that he can do a lot to impact a game. You need a steal, he can get that for you, you need a person to settle the team down, he can do that as well. He is not afraid to take big shots as well often hitting huge 3-pointers for his AAU team (Memphis Wareagles). He doesn’t try to do things that he can’t do, which makes him very effective in any type of style of offense right now. If there were a ranking of 2A and 2B, Neloms and Cheatham would be it. Because of his size right now, teams will try to trap him to force him into turnovers with bigger guards which does cause him problems. If he’s able to continue his progression, he could the best pg title in his grade in the not so distant future.

4. Javion Hamlett  - Out of no where is how you would describe him before he hit the AAU scene last summer. You watch and you think, this young guy can play. His offensive skills rival the two players above although he may not be as polished the two best guards in this class but that doesn’t mean he can’t take a spot in the coming years. He can create a bucket with a runner but is a better shooter than given credit. Hamlett’s better days are definitley ahead of him.

5. Maceo Wooden - Extremely long player with potential to be  really goodi f he works hard at it. His offensive skills still need work but he has make great strides in the last 2 years. The 5′10 Wooden could easily be a guard with work but right now is mainly a rebounder who is getting better every summer. Keep an eye this young player.

Lucky Cheatham

John Ingram 6'6 Forward

If you went to a Mitchell game last year, odds are you didn’t see John Ingram.The 6′6 forward was often buried at the end of the bench, but I guarantee that will not happen this year. Ingram a wing in the making is giving people a reason to think to that Mitchell along with Madracus Wade,might have a chance to compete in the very strong 16AAA district. He has shown that he can be a very effective high post player but his future is as a 3 in college. He has a nice midrange jumper, his rebounding has improved tremendously, nice handle although it needs to better and he has showed some surprsing toughness over the summer. Before the season started, one Coach told me that he was better than Arnette Moultrie at the same age. You know the Arnette that just made the Fiba 19 and under team, yeah that Arnette Moultrie. I wasn’t to enthused with at first but I’ve been shown the light this summer and his future looks bright.

Man that was the joint back in the 1990’s, I’m referring to Wu-Tang hit classic, C.R.E.A.M but apparently some people think that’s what my game in May was about. I know this is as little off collar during the summer but I have to speak on this. The game I’m referring to was my all-star game that pitted some of the best players in Memphis against a team comprised of guys from Mississippi and Arkansas, well at least the Sip was in the house. Success in some people’s eyes is about the money that you make but that is not what success is to me. The game was about trying to help some seniors who were trying to be seen by a few college coaches. It was about putting together an event and sticking to it. It was about 10 to 15 adults who came together on a Saturday when they didn’t have to and doing so without being paid. It was about the 6 colleges that came out on a Saturday afternoon some from a couple of hundred miles away. Help some guys was all I was trying to do as I did last year getting some players who played in the game last years game some scholly offers and 2 scholarships. Even if it’s one guy signed, the fact that I helped someone is great to the person that I helped and their families. I made tons of money, yeah right!!! What I spent on the game did not come close to what I profited but one thing that I did profit was a sense of accomplishment. It wasn’t about me making a ton of money because that’s not what I’m about. In this I found out what money does to some people. I also found out that people are not always who they seem to be but you know what, you live and you learn. I could get tacky and call names but if I’m right, they will tell on themselves soon enough. By the way, once again, the game went well even though some dirty tactics forced me to use a hand held clock for time keeping and a scorebook to keep score. It’s all good though and the guys had fun and in the end, it was all about trying to help some players get into college. If I never said this before, thank you to all those that helped, the College coaches that attended and a special thanks to all of the players who played in the game.

Anthony Jones (Holmes Community College)

Nick King C/O 2013

3 days long with over 30 games played, the Mus Summer Classic came to an end  on Saturday and I came away with some positive things about many of the players over the weekend.For one, Woodale will be a team to watch this year. They have 3 pretty good guards in Kevin Covington, Phillip Mays and one of the top players at the event, Marquis Wilson (pictured). The Woodale senior guard shot the ball as well as any player that I saw and is aiming to have a great seniors. Some colleges that are interested in him include, Southeast Missouri State, Middle Tennesse State and College Of Charleston. His ball handling has really improved since the last time I saw him, now making him more than just shooter that he used to. He can score with the pull up in transition, shoot the 3 with consistency and he has good anticipation of the defensive end as he picked off a bunch errant passes from other teams. Mays is quick pg that can score going to the rim and Covington is similar to Mays but a little bit bigger at about 6′1. They also have an undersized post who rebounds well and he can score in transition and he’s has a nice outside touch. Is Woodale for real? Don’t doubt them, Coach Johnson is one of the best basketball coaches in the state.

Top 5 Shooter In The City

 Division 2 State Champions were crowned last with one of those winners being the 14 & Under WarEagles. Not to be confused with the Memphis WarEagles, Wilfong’s WarEagles are a team of immensely talented 8th graders with potential stars all over their roster. It starts with Matthew Butler. The 6′1 shooting guard is one of if not the best scorer in Middle School this past season. Former ECS Middle School pg Nourse Fox runs the show at the lead guard spot. He is flashy passer who always looking to give a little razzle dazzle but also shows the ability to put guys in their positions in a half court set. Frank Herron, a future Central Warrior mans the middle along with Austin Nichols who I was thoroughly impressed with. Nichols has very soft, huge hands used to rebound and score and do it with a consistency that few show in the city his age. This Briarcrest future freshman definitely has a bright future and quite possibly one that says Division 1. Josh Jones also gives them scoring from the guard spot. I love his demeanor on the court and the poise that he plays with. Everytime I see him, I think of a young Reggie Miller. Markell Morgan also gives them a scoring  guard who can spell Fox at times. Off the bench is former 901PrepScoop Rising Star Camper, Rhyan Townes who’s game is getting better and better and former A Maceo guard, Darius Simms. John Wilfong and John Lewandowski are two of the better 3 point shooters in their class. If this team is able to stay together for the next several years, they could be a threat to the reigns of other city AAU powers. The WarEagles are definitely a team on the rise.

Wilfong's WarEagles

TGAND Express (AAU Team Watch)

TGAND Express

On the stock market it’s simple you buy stocks are on the rise or you go broke. After watching some players earlier in the day, I have can definitely, say there ranking in their respective class is on the way up. If you have followed the junior class the last couple of years, you know all of the big names but their is one player who has flown under the radar, showing some people during last year’s season that he is a name to know. His name, Jarekious Bradley, his game, strong. At 6′4 maybe 6′5, the long armed Bradley had over 10 games where he scored 20 or more points and grabbed 10 over more rebounds virtually every night for his team, East High School. What can he do? Score from the block with his back to the basket or with the face up, rebound at a high rate and be the go to guy in the crunch for his young team last year. He even showed today that he can hit the 3 hitting two from the same spot in their blowout win over the Knights. Get to the basketball with the dribble, yeah he can do that and finish strong with a dunk but his handle does need work to have a true position, maybe a 3 type. He plays with a high motor and he plays hard all the time. Some people will be surprised when the rankings come out but if you saw him last year, you shouldn’t be.

Anderson Cunningham is a name that you should know but some of you already do. At 6′6, he is a your proto type of a college 3.  He shoots the ball extremely well for a player his size from all over the court and he handles as well as some of the city’s top guards. After a year in which the Wolves almost upset the state champion White Station Spartans, next year could be a down year for Cordova and their new Coach, Terrance Scales. One thing they will not have to worry about is the production of Cunningham who puts in work everynight for his team but he will need to rebound at a better clip and get stronger. I would like to see AJ become a bit more active on the defensive end as well. Is he a top 10 player in this class? Keep checking 901Prepscoop and you will find out soon.