Top 6 Rewind Final Project

Untitled from Daniel Martin on Vimeo.

Bird Watching

Jabari Bird is a new-school forward.

The lanky 6’5”, 175-pound guard/forward from Richmond, California is a rising stock in the class of 2013.

As a sophomore at Salesian (CA), Bird has impressed scouts with his mix of athleticism and shooting ability out past the mid-range. He is fearless with the pull-up jumper and can knock it down with relative consistency.

“I compare my game to Kevin Durant,” said Bird. “I’m long and lean. I can get to the rim, create for others, and score.”

He is most effective in transition, running the floor and throwing down some highlight-reel dunks on unsuspecting defenders. His athleticism creates space for him and his teammates, as defenses try to neutralize his ability to play above the rim.

“I’m still trying to work on my ballhandling,” Bird said. “I want to be able to blow by defenders and add another element to my game.”

Bird is beginning to get looks from major Division I programs like Washington, Washington State, Oregon, and Arizona.

“As of right now, I’m looking primarily west coast. I’m favoring Washington and Arizona,” he said. “I want to make sure I look at high majors that fit my style of play and has a system that runs the floor.”

Bird has just begun his second season playing AAU for the Oakland Soldiers and will continue to put his growing skill set on display for scouts as he pushes toward a major Division I program in the future. His coveted combination of half-court saavy and ability to run in the open floor will certainly draw some big-time attention.

BeeJay Anya Leads DeMatha and Team Takeover

There is no other way to put it. BeeJay Anya is a big, big man.

Standing 6’7” tall and weighing 275 pounds, the power forward from DeMatha Catholic (MD) is a rising star in the Class of 2013.

Anya, who has dropped a significant amount of weight to settle in at 275 pounds, looked much more agile and mobile at the 2011 Hoop Group Pittsburgh Jam Fest than he has in the past. Though he was playing in an older age group, he was dominating at times in the 17U division for his AAU team, Team Takeover DC.

Watching him play, there are parts of his game that look a lot like those of former Kentucky star DeMarcus Cousins. Anya is a big-bodied forward who knows how to use his size, boxing out and being a force down on the block at both ends of the floor. Though he is just 6’7” now, he will probably grow, being that he is only a rising junior.

During one game at Pitt Jam Fest, late in the second half, one of Anya’s teammates drove to the basket and missed a layup. Anya, going up for the tip slam, was fouled and lost the ball, but came down, hanging on the rim. This lifted the thousand-pound, bolted-down base of the rim, he let the rim go, and the base fell back down with a slam that echoed through the gym.

The only thing onlookers could do was look around at each other in awe and amazement.

Anya is still developing a go-to move in the paint, but the sky is the limit for his development. He does a good job taking up space in the lane and creating open spots on the floor for shooters on the perimeter when the offense runs through him on the block. For now, his biggest strength is offensive rebounding for put-backs and getting free on dribble-drives by his teammates.

On the defensive end, he is many times the largest player on the floor, but he showed he can play against bigger opponents at Pitt Jam. Against 7’3” Sim Bhullar of CIA Bounce, he used his size to hold his ground and limited Bhullar in both scoring and rebounding.

St. John’s has offered Anya a scholarship, but the list of possible suitors for the Hyattsville, Maryland native is long. Along with the Johnnies, there is interest from West Virginia, UCLA, Pittsburgh, Maryland, Georgetown, and Connecticut.

“I like the style of play St. John’s has,” said Anya. “Coach [Mike] Dunlap recruited me and I think he’s a good guy.”

Anya would fit well into the system Steve Lavin runs now because, though he is a big-bodied player, he is mobile for his size and has solid stamina. Many of Lavin’s players thus far have been long, athletic wings who are good for an up-tempo pace. Anya fits well because he brings a rebounding and inside presence, but will not slow the team down.

He still has two year left in high school, and the future is bright.

ESPN Insider recruiting ranks him as the 8^th-best player at his position and the 63^rd-best overall. He is surrounded by quality players and a great coaching staff at both DeMatha and with Team Takeover DC that will help him along in his development. If he can work on a more polished back-to-the-basket game, it will make him more well-rounded on the offensive end and give him the ability to dominate.

But, most importantly, he will continue to reshape his body and add extra muscle, which is a scary prospect for anyone who wants to get between him and the rim.

Torian Graham Flies High in NC

The tides of the traditional basketball powerhouse are turning.

While long-established hotbeds like Chicago and New York are going through downturns in talent, the South is rising once again.

Led by former Kentucky star and current Washington Wizard John Wall, the humble state of North Carolina is beginning this young decade as the home of the highest quality basketball talent in the nation.

And, by the looks of it, Torian Graham of Word of God Christian Academy (NC) could be the next big name in line.

The high-flying, 6’4” guard from Durham whose AAU team, DC Assault Gold, is taking part in the Hoop Group Pittsburgh Jam Fest, takes the ups and downs of new-found recognition in stride.



“It’s really exciting, but at the same time we have a big chip on our shoulder,” said Graham of being part of the new generation of basketball players from North Carolina. “Sometimes we get frustrated because people expect a lot from us and if we don’t show up one game, people will think we’re not who we really are.”

Graham is explosive on the offensive end, with incredible bounce that makes his above-the-rim style tough to defend. At Hoop Group Pittsburgh Jam Fest, he had 13 points in a pool play game against Dayton Metro. He works best in transition when he can get out and run, the place where his athleticism is most lethal.

“It’s really exciting. There’s a lot of competition and I just come here to get better,” Graham said of Hoop Group Pittsburgh Jam Fest.

He is drawing collegiate interest from such high-major Division 1 schools as Kentucky, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Kansas, Florida, and many others, mainly in the Big East and ACC. “Everybody is equal at this point,” he said.

Graham says he will continue to work on his ballhandling which, coupled with his impressive athleticism, will spell even more trouble for defenders down the line. He hopes to improve while playing on the AAU circuit and of course it wouldn’t hurt, he said, to bring home a few titles.

“I know I came here to win this time. Last time I came up a little short, but now I’m here to win.”

Nerlens Noel: 2013 Big Man With Huge Upside

At 6’10” tall, and tack an extra four or five inches for the old-school hi-top haircut, Nerlens Noel is an intimidating force in the paint. But, the reason for the hi-top isn’t nearly as menacing as his impressive shotblocking ability.

“I’m just a fan of ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ with Will Smith,” said Noel with a laugh. “And watching the show growing up influenced me.”

The sophomore from Tifton Academy (MA) is the top-ranked center in the Class of 2013, according to ESPN Insider Recruiting, and the third overall prospect. Noel and his AAU team, BABC, took part in Hoop Group’s Providence Jam Fest this past February and the Everett, Massachusetts native is beginning to draw national attention.

After a strong showing recently, head ESPN Recruiting Expert Dave Telep said via Twitter, “It's certainly time we begin warming up to the notion that Nerlens Noels may be the top prospect in 2013.”

Even with the praise and buzz building around his name, Noel has stayed grounded.

“[Being the top overall prospect] would be a great honor for me,” he said. “But I try to maintain a level of humbleness and keep working hard to hold that spot.”

Major Division I programs are starting to take notice, too.

Noel is drawing interest from Big East schools who traditionally recruit quality big men, including UConn, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Georgetown. In addition, he is getting looks from Kentucky, UCLA, and Miami, but isn’t leaning toward anyone yet.

“When I’m choosing a school, I’m looking for a good, truthful coach that cares about his players,” says Noel. “I also want a school that fits my style of play.”

And, as a rising junior, that style of play is near-dominant.

Noel’s greatest strength is his long, lean frame, which has allowed him to flourish as a shotblocker on the defensive end and cause matchup problems on offense. With a wingspan larger than most anyone on the court and mobility in the paint, he covers a lot of space and still alters shots when he cannot block them cleanly.

Offensively, he is still developing and polishing a true post identity, but his size has made the sky the limit for him. As he continues to bulk up his 6’10” frame and add offensive moves to his repertoire, he’ll be making even more of an impact at both ends of the floor.

“The biggest thing for me is my strength, putting on weight and working more on my offensive skill set all around.”

Is Kickball Really Dangerous?

In this age of sky-rocketing childhood obesity numbers, an increasingly sedentary lifestyle for kids, and an out-of-control obsession with video games and television, it is good to see that lawmakers have finally done something: they have identified physical activities and deemed many “unsafe”.

In an attempt to regulate summer camp safety statewide, legislators have created a list of activities they feel need more oversight, which is set to include such childhood favorites as kickball, wiffleball, and tag.



As is the case with many pieces of legislation that pass into law, it is typically with good intentions, but will have many unintended consequences. It is clear that there is legitimate concern about the number of staff at a camp compared to the campers. Regardless of the activity taking place, there should be enough medical staff to accommodate the children. What is unintended in this legislation is the fact that small camps will be hit hard (and perhaps have to close) because they will need to pay a fee and maintain a medical staff if they take part in certain activities.

I played all of these games as a kid. They are hardly “risky”. The worst injury I have ever gotten from games like these is probably a jammed finger or scraped knee. I worked at a summer camp over the summer and it was amazing to see how little these kids knew of “getting up and moving”. They truly enjoy, as most kids do, running around and playing games. Unfortunately, many of their parents are too busy doing other things to foster and environment where physical activity is encouraged.

Legislation like this continues down the path toward the day when no one will get off of couches and be too fat to tie their own shoes. I’m just waiting to see the day.

Langston Morris-Walker Has Interesting Connection to St. John's

When head coach Steve Lavin brought his Southern California roots to Queens in spring 2010, the ties between the east and west coasts were made much tighter for this St. John’s program.

Dwayne Polee II, who had a solid freshman season in limited minutes, is a California player who Lavin was able to nab in his first few weeks on the job, and Amir Garrett and Norvel Pelle, both west coast products, will wear Johnnies’ red and white this fall.

For versatile 2012 Berkeley High (CA) forward Langston Morris-Walker, his connection to St. John’s is different.

“I call [St. John’s legend] Chris Mullin my ‘Godfather’,” said Morris-Walker. “He wants me to look into St. John’s.”

Mullin, the newly-inducted Hall of Famer, has a son (Chris Jr.) who used to play AAU basketball with Morris-Walker. Through that relationship, the two have grown to be good friends.

“He’s not actually my godfather, but I call him that because we’re so close,” says Morris-Walker.

The Berkley, California native, who did not start playing organized basketball until 8^th grade, is a crafty and smooth 6’5” swingman who has transcended the label of simply “athlete” and has transformed himself into a complete basketball player.

His athleticism adds something to his game on both the offensive and defensive ends, allowing him to play above the rim, but that is not all he has in his repertoire. He is continuing to develop a mid-range and outside game, and, if he could do that, would settle in nicely as a large shooting guard at the college level, at 6’5”.

Morris-Walker is drawing interest from across the country, including west coast schools like Oregon, Stanford, Nevada, and UC-Santa Barbara, and east coast schools like West Virginia, Marquette, and Boston College.

“The big thing for me is what kind of school it is, what it’s known for,” he said. “I really like Oregon and Stanford. Oregon is an up-and-coming team; they show a lot of promise.”

Morris-Walker compares his style of play to that of Memphis Grizzlies’ forward Rudy Gay, and the comparisons are not far off. “He’s an athlete that can really shoot it,” he says. “[Gay] gets the team involved and is a leader.”

This summer, he is working on his ballhandling to become the shooting guard he feels like he can be: “My whole life I’ve been a small forward. I want to become a complete player.”

The Oakland Soldiers, Morris-Walker’s AAU team, is currently ranked third in the country by Five Star Basketball in the 17U Division, and includes other high-major recruits, top prospects like Brandon Ashley, Jabari Bird, and Richard Longrus.

Though St. John’s has not come calling yet, Morris-Walker says much of his family lives in New York, in Brooklyn and upstate, so he is open to the idea of going to the school on the east coast.

“I haven’t gotten a phone call or anything from St. John’s, but [Lavin] is a good coach,” Morris-Walker said. “I like how he has his guys playing.”

Heading into the summer AAU circuit and his senior season at Berkley, Division 1 coaches will continue to take notice of this athletic wing and his recruitment should pick up, coast-to-coast.