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Antonio Kellogg MVP
@ Super 100

Oakland Slam N Jam presented their annual competition event at Contra Costa College bringing the best in NorCal together for two days of clinics, college recruiting workshops, and head to head battling. Usually, the chance for unknowns to get a rep, known players to solidify their reps, and players to show their skills, this weekend was no different as many players gained our attention for a variety of reasons.

Divided into sessions, the Super 100 exposed all players to a wide variety of isolated skill drills, informational sessions on college expectations, and then a chance to put the mental and physical together on the floor in the team games. The skill sessions uncovered every lacking aspect in the players’ games and truly measured the situational success of certain players against their actual competency.

The ballhandling station revealed possibly the most significant weaknesses of the camp in general as Casa Grande Head Coach, Jeremy Russotti, absolutely punished every attendee with drills demanding quickness, speed, dexterity, and full command of the ball with both hands. Not surprisingly, the only player to show comfort with his handle was Casa Grande’s own Top 40 senior PG, Josh Akognon. Otherwise, balls were flying as players were intent on picking up the rapid-fire series of complex moves.

Other stations revealed a distinct lack of footwork from the perimeter and around screens. Players showed a tendency to travel, not understand the usage of the pivot foot, and a distinct lack of ability to power to the basket with both hands equally. Unlike many traditional camps that employ mere shooting drills to score or dribbling drills of a basic nature, all the stations demanded emphasis on multiple moves and skills illustrating the lack of acceptance of single dimensional basketball if college participation is the goal.

Bishop O’Dowd co-coach, Lou Richie, provided the organization of the drills and monitored the progress of each station, moving continuously throughout the camp. The presence of high level coaches who understand the needs of the players in limited time really accentuated the value of the skills sessions and allowed every player to leave camp with a greater understanding of his game.

Obviously, the penultimate goal of the Super 100 lies in the end result. Who played well, who showed their game, and who needs attention leading into the season in a few short weeks? We saw many kids who impressed and saw some new faces sure to make their mark very quickly. That said, the following compilation entails our players of note and why, in no particular order.

Antonio Kellogg (6’2”, SR, PG, McClymonds, Oakland): One word. Unstoppable. By far, without a doubt, Kellogg was the best player in the gym and the best player in the immediate area. There is not a faster, quicker, headier PG in NorCal, and, as stated earlier by NorCal Preps, in the state of California. Kellogg was somewhat stigmatized by the presence of his teammate, Tim Pierce, who was solely intent on cherry picking and dunking, but, when the ball slowed in the half-court, Kellogg went off. For lack of a better analogy, he reminded us of Roy Jones Jr. loping for the big blow, dribbling slowly, standing straight up, and then exploding past anyone and everyone in front of him. A complete PG with more athleticism than anyone in camp, Kellogg maintained his rep and then some. And if anyone wants to doubt us, we know there are still dimes rolling around Court 1 since most of his passes were dropped because they were so on point.

Devon Hills (6’3”, SR, CG, Pleasant Valley, Chico): Not to be outdone, Devon showed up in a major way and was almost as unguardable as Kellogg. Very much left handed, but so fast off the first step it really didn’t matter. Noone could check him straight up or keep him from the rim. Devon had the dunk of the camp, reeling in a lefty tomahawk to throw down a two handed reverse on the other side of the rim, all to avoid the defender. Made some great passes off penetration and can still rain threes like a good lefty should. With 15 pounds of muscle and some attention to the classroom, Devon holds the talent and execution of a major D1 PG. A wise school would prep him one year, a la Marquise Kately, and then reap the rewards for the next four years.

DeVon Hardin (6’10”, SR, PF, Newark Memorial): Since we’re talking about unstoppable, then we must mention the scariest big man NorCal has seen in many, many years. The frightening thing about DeVon is he’s not even close to scratching the surface of his ability. The consensus is a more athletic and better-coordinated version of Yogi Stewart with the potential to truly be Kwame Brown when it’s all said and done. DeVon has no true footwork, no real series of go to moves, but, in the span of two hours, he soaked up every bit of knowledge Riordan coaches Rich Forslund and Ray Kelly could dish out about post movement and footwork, and then inhaled all of Jeremy Russotti’s ball-handling instruction, indicating the shortest learning curve of any kid we’d seen in a long time. Figure he’s 6’10” with a 35+ inch vert, probably runs a 4.5 40 yard time, and has nice hands. DeVon is a monster and Cal will have the Pac-10 sleeper without a doubt when he arrives next year.

Dior Lowhorn (6’7”, JR, SF, Berkeley): Welcome to the show because this young man has arrived. Complete from a mercurial summer, Dior showed he’s in great shape and has completed the work on his skills to define the position of high major D1 small forward. Dior hit threes, ran the floor, rebounded everything, made nice moves to the cup from 15 feet, dunked on everyone, and, finally showed the confidence in his game when he shredded Tim Pierce on Sunday afternoon. Yes, he still needs work on his handles but his comprehension regarding where to shoot, when to shoot, and how to move to get open were tremendous. Not a one-dimensional rebounder/dunker anymore, Dior showed he was the main event at the Super 100 party. By far the most impressive player at the camp.

Devante Thomas (6’4”, JR, Swing, JFK Fremont): We love when we see a kid do things they have never done before and the Super 100 is the time for such emergence. Entering the Super 100, Devante was an athletic, undersized PF with zero handles or perimeter game. Or so we thought. After two days of rigorous ball-handling drills, something awakened and Devante literally exploded. He caught the ball on the wing, shot faked, attacked the lead foot, and went to the basket all day against everyone from 20 feet. He showed multiple dribble moves, showed the ability to counter dribble against the defender, and then showed he could finish in the lane with either hand. Furthermore, he played hard the entire time, only slogging back once on defense, but almost immediately catching himself and sprinting moments later to recover. From a PF to a certified swing in two days, Devante has begun a path of growth that could see him as a mid-major SG by the end of next summer.

Derek Brown (6’6”, JR, Swing, Chaminade High, Dayton, OH): No he’s not from NorCal completely but he spends every summer here with his father and we can’t ignore possibly the most potential laden kid in the camp. Long, lithe, with great wingspan, and a lovely lefty jump shot, Derek has hops, coordination, the ability to put the ball on the floor, finish in the lane, and step out comfortably beyond the arc. Not quite laconic, he does need that intensity and needs to learn to want to kill the players on the other team, but as a 15 year-old JR, he’s young and has all the tools to be superb. Derek looked very good in all the skill drills and showed surprising, low-to-the-ground dexterity in small man ball-handling drills. His spring off the floor is quick and explosive, and he’s got nice hands. All the makings of a Top 100 player in his class once he gets that intensity on every play.

Ryan Rivers (6’0”, FR, PG, O’Dowd): Young, a tad timid, but precocious and intent, Rivers showed a really nice perimeter game, a solid release, and the ability to defend the PG spot. He had some trouble with the strength and size of the older players, but his instincts to move without the ball, make the right pass, and shot selection to maximize the possession for his team, were all traits beyond his years. The strength of his handle needs improvement but he’s so young and the innate skills to be a very good PG exist prominently.

Bennie Rhodes (6’4”, SO, SG, St. Joe’s): Bennie was lightning in a bottle on the break and showed the skills we saw over the summer but in improved fashion. An excellent first step to the baseline from the right wing was unchecked for the whole camp, but we loved his receptiveness to learning new skills and his immediate ability to add those skills to his game. The dribble station revealed his need for work on his handles, but he worked on every move until it worked right technically and then used those new moves in the games. Solid perimeter game though his release is a tad slow, Bennie also showed nice court presence and the ability to find his teammates when his lane closed down. A very long and agile defender, Bennie gave smaller guards fits and showed nice reaction to block shots of larger players inside the lane.

excerpted from NorCalPreps

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Antonio Kellogg MVP @ Super 100

Antonio Kellogg MVP
@ Super 100