Well, I watched the game on Altitude this afternoon and, as you'd expect for a HS all-star game, it was pretty sloppy, but still somewhat entertaining, if only to watch a few of the prospects in the game. I don't think I've ever seen that many FT's air-balled in one game. Josh Perkins' Blue Team beat Collier's White Team, which shouldn't be a surprise if you looked at the rosters. The Blue Team featured Perkins, Hurst, and Paige, while the White Team featured Collier and...Chase Foster? Anyway, here are a few thoughts on players we've discussed here:
Carlton Hurst: Going into today, I hadn't seen a lot of Hurst, and really wasn't too excited about seeing him. I saw him as a one-trick pony, and a kid who would have to find a niche to be successful at the next level. I was wrong. Hurst and Collier were the most impressive players on the court, in my opinion. Hurst's athleticism was evident and with his speed and quickness, he just seemed to playing at a complete different tempo than anyone else not named Dominique. He does a good job finishing, and has the physical strength to translate to the college game. He even showed a nice stroke, hitting several jumpers, and had better handles than I expected. He's still an undersized 2 in D1, but CSU fans should be excited about him and he should make an immediate impact.
Dominique Collier: Along with Hurst, he was the most impressive player in the game. Dom played at a high tempo, did a good job of finding open looks for his teammates, and finished the opportunities he had to score. He hit a 3 (which the broadcast missed because of an on-screen graphic), had another pull-up 3 from the NBA line go in and out, and hit another pull-up mid-range jumper. He also did a good job penetrating and, despite his size, he's a pretty good finisher. He's crafty around the hoop, has decent hops, and does a good job of using his body to shield defenders. Dom still needs to add about 5-10 lbs of muscle and improve his outside shot (it comes off his shoulder too much now), but with his quickness and ability to involve his teammates, he was really impressive.
Josh Perkins: It was a mixed bag for me watching Perkins. In the first half, he looked completely disinterested in doing anything that wasn't going to make the SportsCenter Top 10 list, and didn't make much of an impact. His second half was much better, hitting a nice pull-up jumper from about 15 feet and a couple of tough, contested 3's from near the NBA line. He got to the hoop at times, but didn't finish well, even getting stuffed by the front of the rim on a clear breakaway opportunity. Perkins did have several assists, but most came on lobs, and I didn't see the distribution skills I saw from Collier. This obviously wasn't the best showcase for Perkins, but he wasn't a standout athletically, and I just expect to see more from a kid rated in the top-30 in his class.
Jeremiah Paige: At the end of the first half, I thought that Paige had been every bit as good, if not better, than Perkins and Collier. On the 2nd possession of the game, he buried a 3 from about a foot behind the NBA line, then showed his athleticism by finishing 2 lobs (the first he was almost under the basket when he caught it, but pulled it back and was able to lay it in) and took a pass from Perkins on the left wing and was able to finish on the play. He was also active on D, coming up with several steals. The 2nd half was a different story though, as Paige was practically invisible. It may be in part because he spent most of his time playing with Hurst and Perkins, and neither passed up many shots, but Paige needs to be more aggressive too. He finally took a couple of floaters late, but came up short on both. A kid with his athleticism should be able to get good elevation on those mid-range shots, but he didn't seem to get his legs under him off the bounce, and it made it easy on the defender. In the end, he looks like a kid who can do anything he wants on the court, but hasn't figured that out yet and isn't aggressive enough.
De'Ron Davis: Davis made an immediate impact, blocking a shot on his first defensive possession (I believe he had 2-3 for the game) and grabbing a couple of boards. He showed a nice little jump-hook from the post, even though it didn't fall, as well as flashing his athleticism on a dunk in the second half. He airballed a jump shot, as well as another one handed...attempt...that seemed to be something between a jump shot and a jump hook from about 18 feet. You can tell he's a 15 year old kid playing against 17-18 year olds, but what I did like was the way he used his body, both in establishing post position and boxing out on the boards. The reports I had read mentioned him more as a stretch 4, but he looks like he has potential to develop a solid post game to me. I also think he's closer to 6'8"-6'9" than the reported 6'10".
Chase Foster: Recent reports are that we're not pursuing him, and I'd agree he's not a Pac12 prospect. He showed his range, hitting a 3 from the NBA line, and showed solid athleticism at times, but was out of control and didn't appear to have a very good idea of what he wanted to do at others. He could be a solid mid-major prospect, but his court awareness is a question mark to me.
