It has to be one of the great stories of the entire summer, as two players in the 8th Grader Division of this year's JR Phenom Camp, which was held July 31st-August 2nd in San Diego, CA, were originally slated to be alternates in the All-Star Game, but ended up being the co-MVP's in that game. We're talking about 5'2 8th Grader Evan Carter from Montgomery, AL and 5'6 8th Grader Carter Whitt from Raleigh, NC and they both were last minute additions to the All-Star Game after it became glaring obvious that the Blue Team was totally void at the point guard position. Not only were they both more than up to the task, but they did a great job of running the show, getting their teammates involved, and, when the dust had cleared, they had led the the Blue Team to an impressive 70-52 win over the White Squad. Carter finished with seven points in the all-star game and he impressed us all weekend with his excellent ball handling and passing skills, good quickness to the basket, terrific poise and court savvy, and the fact that he's versatile enough to play both the one and the two-guard spots. Whitt finished with 10 points and, in addition to being a savvy floor general who knows how to run a team, he also impressive us with his ability to get to the basket and knock down the outside shot.
Another possible choice for MVP honors in the 8th Grade All-Star Game was 6'1 8th Grader Marcus Joseph from Carson, CA and he finished with 10 points and didn't take any prisoners inside with his bulk and size in the paint. He also is surprisingly effective with his moves and knack for being able to score around the basket and he doesn't take any prisoners on the boards. However, he definitely runs the risk of falling into the tweener trap if he doesn't grow at least six or seven inches, because he's never going to have the foot speed and quickness to defend out on the perimeter. Or, if we wanted to go with the player who clearly was the most naturally talented player in the all-star game, the choice would have been 5'8 8th Grader Joshua Joiner from Chicago, IL, who finished with 12 points in a losing effort and was the #1-ranked player in this age group. Joiner has a great combination of strength and athleticism and is a match-up problem when he attacks the basket.
Also really separated themselves from the rest of the pack in this age group were 6'2 8th Grader Jace Howard from Miami, FL, 6'1 8th Grader Michael Jefferson from Southlake, TX, and 6'0 8th Grader Adam Weingard from Ladera Ranch, TX. Howard also has big time athleticism, is a strong finisher around the basket, and has good nose for the ball when it comes time to get more than his share of rebounds, plus the fact that his father (Juwan Howard) played nearly 20 years in the NBA means that his pedigree is off the chart. Jefferson played the four spot in camp, but what separates him from most of the rest is his strong motor and the fact that he clearly was one of the best 3-point shooters in camp. Weingard also is versatile enough to play both the three and the four spots due to his ability to knock down the outside shoot and effectiveness on the boards, plus he has a lot of the other intangibles that we look for in a player, as is evident by the fact that his name can be found on the lists for Sportsmanship, Hustle, and Defense that we published yesterday.
Picking the MVP's in the 6th Grade and 7th Grader Divisions was a lot easier, as 5'2 6th Grader Everton Browne from Middletown, NY and 5'5 7th Grader Jackie Johnson from Wichita, KS both totally took over in these respective all-star games. The former is an athletic wing who had 17 points and three 3-pointers in a 67-63 winning effort in the 6th Grader All-Star Game. And, in addition to being able to beat you with his outside shooting, Browne also has great speed, quickness, and anticipation, which allows him to come up with more than his share of steals in the open court, and he's very explosive to the basket. The latter finished with 19 points and he's not bashful with regard to pulling the trigger, as is evident the fact that he had five 3-pointers in the 7th Grader All-Star Game. He also can be described as a point/forward due to the fact that he can play anywhere on the court from the point guard spot to the power forward spot.
The two players ranked ahead of Johnson in the 7th Grade Division are 6'0 7th Grader Malik Thomas from Rancho Cucamonga, CA and 4'11 7th Grader Lorenzo Washington from Middletown, NY and, quite honestly, we would have given the nod for top players honors in this age group to Washington, if he had not totally disappeared in the 7th Grade All-Star Game. We're talking about a super quick point guard who was clearly the best pick pocket in camp and he made a living turning all of those steals into baskets off transition at the other end. Thomas solidified the top spot in this age group with 11 points in the 7th All-Star Game and he can also be a bull on the boards with great combination of strength and athleticism. He also has great hands, can step out and shoot the three, and go strong to the basket. We also want to to give special mention to 5'3 7th Grader William Richardson from Englewood, CO, 5'5 7th Grader Dasonte Brown from Boston, MA, and 5'11 7th Grader John Christofilis from Seattle, WA. Richardson is an athletic 2-guard who can both slash and shoot. Bowen is a multi-dimensional athletic wing with good enough ball handling and passing skills to play some at the point, but what he does best is go strong to the basket. Christofilis is not that athletic, but he handles well for his size, is an excellent rebounder, and was one of the best 3-point shooters in camp.
The best player in the 6th Grade Division clearly was 5'7 6th Grader Charles Cheatham from Plano, TX and he also was one of the best players in the All-Star Game with his big time athleticism, length, and ability to rebound and block shots. We also don't want to forget about 5'3 6th Grader Dimitrius Dudley from San Diego, CA, 5'1 6th Grader Isaiah Tolmaire from Trabuco Canyon, CA, and 5'1 6th Grader Nicholas Klaiber from Bloomington, IN, 5'0 6th Grader Isaac Peralta from Laguna Nigel, CA, 5'3 6th Grader Rashard Walls from McKinney, TX, and 5'0 6th Grade Carstein Sabathia from Alpine. US. Dudley is another one of those guys with the versatility and athleticism necessary to play both inside and outside, but what he does best is slash to the basket. Tolmaire is a crafty floor general with good ball handling and passing skills, a good understanding of how to play the game, and he moves well without the ball. Klaiber has great skills, good moves to the basket and the ability to knock down the open three. Peralta is capable of playing either guard spot,has good moves to the basket, and can more than just keep you honest with his outside shooting. Sabathia is one of those guys who had to play out of position in this camp, but we liked his versatility, athleticism, ability to score in a variety of ways, and pedigree (his father is New York Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia).