2010 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament: Day 2By:

Portsmouth Invitational Day 2

Game 3

Tidewater Sealants 91 vs Portsmouth Sports Club 83

DeShawn Sims (17 pts, 7 rebs, 8-16 FG)

After a solid showing in his first game, Sims was able to put in an even more impressive performance the second time around. Displaying his touch from the midrange and outside, he hit a number of open and contested jumpers all the way out to the three point line.  He has a very good looking stroke and is comfortable pulling the trigger with his feet set.  On a few occasions he was able to take his defender down to the block and use his quickness to get to the basket for finishes.  He showed a nice mini jump hook going to his weak hand.  At this point he still hasn’t shown enough ability to play either of the forward positions full time, as he is a bit undersized and weak to play inside and his perimeter game is too limited to allow him to play on the wing, but he will have two more chances to prove himself further.  

Tory Jackson  (11 pts, 5 ast, 3/7 3FG)

For the 2nd straight game, Jackson showed his ability to run a team and make good decisions in the half court and in transition.  He is a steady player, he doesn’t try to make the flashy play, but he most certainly gets the job done.  What has been impressive about his game thus far is his ability to score the ball.  He looks much more confident shooting the ball and he has shown that he is more than capable of knocking down shots from deep.  The one thing that hurts him is his short frame as he is undersized at his position almost every time out on the floor.

Sylvester Seay (17 pts, 7 rebs, 2/3 3FG)

Showing his shooting ability, Seay was able to stretch the defense on a number of occasions with his outside jumper.  He has a solid stroke and a smooth release and is certainly not shy about letting it fly.  He has a very live body to go along with his length which allows him to make some energy plays on the defensive end as well as on the glass.  A big problem with his game is his unwillingness to operate in the low post, he has not shown anything with his back to the basket as he is only looking to get his shots from the outside.  

Aubrey Coleman (15 pts, 2 ast, 4-16FG)

For the second day in a row, Coleman has flashed his ability to create shots for himself off the dribble but he has also shown his unwillingness to distribute the ball in the half court.  (To be fair he did find teammates with a few passes on a couple of occasions in transition).  He suffers from a serious case of tunnel vision, and once he puts his head down you can almost be sure that he will be putting up a shot, no matter how difficult or off balance.  However, it doesn’t seem to be selfishness, rather that he is so used to handling the ball and taking all the difficult shots from his collegiate days that it is very difficult for him to change.   

Others: Jeremey Lin once again had a solid game with 10 points and 5 assists.  He plays the game the right way and makes very good decisions with and without the ball.  He has yet to show his outside shot (which is certainly not a strong point for him) and he has struggled a bit getting past defenders off the dribble.  Michael Washington put in a nice effort with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks.  His size and athleticism are factors inside, he was also able to show his outside shot by knocking down jumpers from midrange and deep.

Game 4

Portsmouth Partnership 104 vs Cherry, Bekaert & Holland 85

Mikhail Torrance (14 pts, 10 ast, 5 rebs, 10 TOs)

Certainly an intriguing prospect because of his size and ability to play as the lead guard.  He was able to use his height advantage to see overtop of defenders, allowing him to make good passes.  He handles the ball well both in transition and in the half court and is able to get into the lane on a consistent basis.  An extremely interesting thing about Torrance’s game is the fact that his jumpshot is with his right hand, yet the rest of his game is very lefty dominant.  When attacking the basket he looks much more comfortable going to his left hand and even when finishing his will look to switch the ball back to his left in order to finish plays.  He struggled with turnovers today, going too fast on a number of occasions and getting out of control with his passing.  His outside shot is also a question mark and he was not able to answer many questions in that department today.

Tyren Johnson (15 pts, 6 ast, 6 rebs, 3/3 3FG)

A player with size, length and a nice touch from the outside who also put in a good performance will certainly turn some heads in this sort of setting.  He is not a pure wing player, but he has a lot of confidence with the ball and is very capable of making plays, either with the shot or with the pass.  He showed off his ballhandling on the break where he got the ball under the basket and pushed it out in transition with the dribble.  He has a smooth looking jumper and is a dangerous threat from beyond the arc.  He is a skinny player, but with his length he is able to slither around defenders and still finish plays.

Ben Uzoh (16 pts, 4 ast, 2 stl)

His physical package is one of the best at this year’s camp; he has great size for his position, a strong body, good quickness and next level athleticism.  He is crafty off the dribble and can get to the basket with consistency.  Using his strength he can force his way and absorb contact in the driving lanes to get to the basket where he can elevate with ease and finish above the rim.  He is an unselfish player and is more than capable of creating plays for his teammates.  For a player with his attributes, it is easy to expect a bit more, but he does have two more games to show his entire repertoire.   

Devan Downey (13 pts, 6 ast, 5 rebs)

There is no doubt that his size is an issue, but with his quickness and crafty game he is able to more than make up for it.  Showing a great feel for creating space by using his body or change of speed and direction moves, he can consistently get good looks.  He is very good at shielding the ball on penetration, and can use a variety of finishing shots to complete plays overtop of much bigger defenders.  His outside jumper is very good and he is comfortable shooting off the dribble and with a hand in his face.  He showed his ability to distribute the ball, finding teammates in good scoring position on numerous occasions.  Even though he is such a potent scorer, at his size he will most definitely be playing as a lead guard, so continuing to show his playmaking skills will be a key factor for Downey.  

Others: Anthony Johnson of Fairfield contributed a solid 13 points and 7 rebounds, showing a very chiselled body and good athleticism.  He is able to use his strength and wide frame to create space inside and finish at the basket with authority.  Dior Lowhorn was also a beast inside, finishing with 16 points and 9 rebounds.  When he goes inside he is a difficult matchup because of his strength, unfortunately he was too focused on proving his jumpshot was a weapon, which he was not able to do.  A player who is a terrific outside shooter is Roman Martinez, whose smooth lefty stroke helped him score 11 points on 3 for 3 shooting from the outside.

Game 5

Roger Brown’s 76 vs Sales Systems Ltd 66

Jerome Randle (18 pts, 10 ast, 5 rebs, 4 TOs)  

His all around performance is certainly worthy of Player of the Day honors.  His ability to handle the ball and use his quickness to break defenders down makes him an extremely difficult matchup for any defender.  People have to play up on him because he is a very dangerous outside shooter, which opens up his driving lanes and creates defensive breakdowns.  A very crafty passer, (both in traffic and in transition) he can find teammates on a regular basis and deliver the ball with good precision.  His size is the one thing keeping him back in terms of next level potential, but continuing to show that he can be such a big factor certainly gives him a chance.   

Raymar Morgan (17 pts, 10 rebs, 3ast, 8/11 FG)

A very efficient performance for Morgan, he was able to get a lot of easy looks around the basket thanks to his hustle and energy.  He has a great feel for spacing and movement and he finds the gaps in the defense where he can receive the ball.  He showed nice mobility in the post, using his quickness to beat his man to the spot.  However, overall he is a serious tweener and has very little ability to play either of the forward positions on a regular basis.  At his size he would be best suited on the wing, but he does not have a good outside shot and he cannot create off the dribble.

Reggie Holmes (24 pts, 6 rebs, 9/22 FG)

Holmes came in aggressively and he looked to score at every opportunity.  Attacking the basket, he showed good body control and the ability to absorb contact.  He has a nice first step and is capable of beating his man off the dribble with regularity.  He finished the game 3 for 6 from beyond the arc, showing a fairly smooth jumper a great confidence.  Unfortunately, he was not very keen on playing a team game and was strictly looking to get his own shot.  Every time he touched the ball, he became predictable because it was obvious that he would try to create a scoring opportunity for himself.  There is no doubt that he is a talented scorer, but people want to see more contributions rather than just points.   

Others: Wayne Chism played like his usual self, going for 13 points and 8 rebounds.  In the process he was able to do a bit of everything and score from a variety of spots on the floor.  He is a proven winner and his contributions are a vital part of his team’s success.  Ishmael Smith showed the good and the bad, almost going for a quadruple double, he finished with 6 points and 8 assists and 10 rebounds, but he also had 10 turnovers.  His speed and quickness are difficult to contain, but he needs to learn to harness it and cut back on his mistakes.  He goes too fast for his own good at times and he cannot make solid decisions because he is out of control so often.