String Music Showcase Breakdown

2nd Annual String Music Showcase

by Brooks Hansen, Memphisroar.com

Some of the southeast’s brightest stars had a chance to shine this past weekend at the new A-Game Sportsplex facilities in Franklin, TN, the second annual String Music Showcase. The three-day event started Friday night, finishing up on Sunday with the Memphis Magic Elite, coached by Eric “Cowboy” Robinson, taking home the 17U title. The Magic defeated the BA Hoyas by roughly 20 points to win the String Music Showcase for the second year in a row.

2011 Standouts

Adonis Thomas – 6′6″ 210-pound SF (Memphis Magic) – Thomas is the definition on consistency. Despite throwing down a barrage of rim-rattling dunks all-weekend, Thomas’ most impressive asset this weekend was his defense. He constantly moves his feet, communicates with his team, and looks to push the ball the second he gets his fingers on it at the defensive end. Playing at the top of the Magic’s zone on more than one occasion, Thomas’ length caused all kinds of problems for opposing teams.

David Gardner – 6′7″ 180-pound SF (Da House) – Despite averaging 27 points and 11 rebounds a game his junior year at Mississippi’s Okolona High School, Gardner is still a relative unknown on the national scene.

Get ready for that to change. Gardner is long and shoots the ball from deep. He even launched a 30+ footer and made it look easy. He does it standing still or coming off of screens. He’s not a guy you leave unguarded. Gardner is also an above average defender. Constantly seeing ball and man, Gardner made his presence known on both sides of the ball. He didn’t have many opportunities to show his speed or atheleticism. While he can shoot it with the best of them, Gardner needs to get stronger and tougher when going to the rim while also working on not disappearing at times. A majority of his drives ended with him getting stripped or knocked down. That will change with added strength.

Chris Jones – 5′10″ 170-pound G (Memphis Magic) – Jones shook off a lot of labels on his game this weekend. Coming off a state championship with Melrose High School in which he scored 35 points without an assist, Jones has been the definition of a scoring guard. Despite his scoring capabilities–which were definitely on display this past weekend– Jones got many teammates involved. He showed an unmatched quickness that helped lead the Magic to their championship. It has been evident that the Magic coaching staff has asked Jones to do a little bit more than score, something Jones looked completely comfortable with. Jones also possesses a crossover that made defenders dizzy while trying to guard him. There were numerous occasions where he shook off his defender, got into the lane, drew the help-side defense, and found the open big man for an assist.

Andre Hollins – 6′1″ 190-pound G (Memphis Magic) – Hollins is a freak athlete for his size. In warmups, he made windmills look easy. Hollins has a pure stroke and is a big-time leader for this team. He’s scrappy, plays defense at a high level, rebounds extremely well for his size. You don’t realize how much he does for his team until you look at the box-score after the game. He finishes extremely well in transition, getting up the floor and scoring on the break. Hollins also possesses one of the smoothest shots on the Magic team. Leaving him open from outside made many teams pay. He had multiple 20+ point games over the weekend.

Trevor Lacey – 6′3″ 200-pound Combo Guard (Atlanta Celtics) – Lacey was quiet on Friday night in a blowout win for the Celtics, finishing with 15 points and getting a fair amount of rest while the younger guys got some run. Saturday was a different story. Lacey was dominant as he scored close to 30 points. In one stretch, Lacey scored 14 straight points. Hitting threes and pull-up jumpers, Lacey showed the best shooting touch in the tournament. Lacey then packed his bags and headed back to Huntsville, AL for his junior prom.

2011 Stock on the Rise

Nino Johnson – 6′8″ 235-pound PF (Memphis Magic) – Johnson rebounded well and provided a nice inside presence for the Magic throughout the entire weekend. Constantly attacking the rim from the post and showing a knack for loose-balls, the majority of Johnson’s points came from the offensive glass. At this point, Johnson needs to work on finishing more consistently, as he missed a few “gimmes”. He did hit a few jumpers out to about 12-15 feet. There is no doubt that, if Johnson can become more physical and consistent, he has a big opportunity to stand out this summer.

2012 Standouts

Alex Poythress – 6′7″ 215-pound SF (Nashville Celtics) – Poythress rebounds and finishes extremely well. One thing that stood out is that he has the ability to play both the small and power forward positions. With another inch or two, Poythress would be a highly skilled step out four. While he can do some nice things on the drive and finishes thru contact, Poythress needs to become more consistent with his shot and can be a little out of control on the drive. All that said, he has tremendous upside.

Martavious Newby – 6′3″ 180-pound G (Memphis Magic) – Newby is a very gifted athlete who has the size and loads of potential. He showed a big-time knack for scoring on tough drives to the bucket. This kid is flat out a finisher. He tough and hard-nosed. Newby also has a great frame and could be an elite level defender. He showed very little of a perimeter game, but that’s to be expected since he’s on a team with such a loaded backcourt.

Cameron Golden – 5′11″ 165-pound G (Memphis Magic) – Golden is a blur and will make your drop your jaw with his ability to elevate for such a little guy. His quickness enables him to get in the lane at will where he has enough athleticism to surprise every one in the gym. Step back on him and he’ll make you pay with a deep three. He is a good on-ball defender who plays a “hectic” style of defense. This little lefty will remind Memphis fans of Tiger-great Elliot Perry. In his own words, Golden just needs to work on his strength.

Surprisingly Quiet

Kevin Ware – 6′5″ 180-pound SG (Atlanta Celtics) – Ware had a relatively quiet weekend in Franklin, TN. The 2011 Tennessee commit didn’t do much to impress, nor did he do many things wrong to cause concern. Ware scored 10 points in his match-up against the Memphis Magic, but seemed to get lost on the court at times. Ware excels in transition, allowing his athleticism to create problems with his opponents. He posses good length and can play multiple guard positions, if needed. Ware needs to work on his outside shot and staying involved on both sides of the ball.

16U Notes

The Derek Smith All Stars, coached by Coach McRoberts, took home the 16U title. They went 6-0 and beat the Memphis Magic (15U that were playing up a year), Charlotte Court, Nashville Celtics and the Southern Select. Their roster includes Zach Davis (Knott Central), Charles Foster (Louisville Trinity), Hayden Stephenson (Greenup County), Troy Saxton (Louisville Trinity), Jalen Wesson (Louisville Butler), Nathan Dieudonne (Louisville Trinity), Kyle Young (Adair County), Adam Fatkin (Clark County), Trevor Tiller (Paintsville), and Andrew Perito (Louisville Trinity).