Ben Simmons (LSU) SF/PF, 6-9, 225
Simmons didn’t overwhelm anyone with his scoring in this one, but he was still able to show why he’s regarded as the best player in his class. The LSU-signee finished with just seven points but he dominated the glass with 10 rebounds. He’s such a smooth player, makes the game look so easy and is extremely versatile (scores like a wing but passes like a guard). His passing ability (very good at passing teammates open) and court vision for someone his size are outstanding. Simmons made one of the plays of the game when he blocked a shot, grabbed the rebound, went behind his back before pushing the ball up the court in a full sprint. His dished out a beautiful off-hand pass to future LSU teammate Antonio Blakeney during the fast break play, which led to a layup. Even when he’s not making shots (shot 3-for-8), he makes sure that his presence is felt in other areas of the game. His length was a major plus on the defensive end, as he came up with a few steals that led to transition points for the East.
Dwayne Bacon (Florida State) SF, 6-6, 209:
On Monday night, Bacon showcased his hops by walking away the winner of the Powerade Jam Fest Dunk Contest. He followed that up with a solid performance in the All-Star game, finishing with 12 points, three assists and two steals in 16 minutes of game action. Bacon is a high-flying scoring wing, who was able to add a few more highlights to his resume due to the up-and-down tempo of Wednesday night’s game. He can handle the ball really well and is a shot creator from almost anywhere on the court. He didn’t have a particularly good efficient shooting night, but he’s an aggressive player who isn’t afraid to look for his shot and assert himself.
Antonio Blakeney (LSU) G, 6-4, 170:
Blakeney is one of the best wing scorers in his class. He proved that as such with 14 points on a 6-for-14 shooting effort. He scored the ball in numerous ways, including in the open court, on dribble penetration drives, and hit a few jumpers. Blakeney was the recipient of a fancy pass from LSU-bound teammate Ben Simmons in transition, and finished with a layup. The two showed great cohesiveness during the game, which is a terrific sign for fans of the LSU Tigers. He’s normally a strong 3-point shooter, but failed to make any of his three attempts from long range. It was still a solid performance all around for the high-volume scorer, who also came up with four offensive rebounds on the night.
Isaiah Briscoe (Kentucky) PG, 6-3, 200:
The Kentucky-bound Briscoe is a quick, versatile and physical combo guard who packs a ton of confidence. So much confidence that the word “pressure” isn’t in his vocabulary and he noted that he would try to record a triple double during the game. He didn’t get the triple double, but did finish with 11 points, five rebounds and three assists. Briscoe has a very strong upper body, making it easier to absorb contact when driving to the rim. He’s quick, explosive and has a 6’9” wingspan coupled with great ball handling abilities. He used a nice in-and-out move on a defender to free himself up for a corner jumper during the second half. Briscoe is more of a scorer than facilitator, but he’s still a great passer and can create opportunities for his teammates as good as anyone else who played in this game.
Jaylen Brown (Undeclared) SF, 6-7, 220:
Brown was pretty much fearless and unstoppable going to rim throughout the entire game. He kept putting pressure on the defense by consistently taking the ball to the basket with his blazing speed and off the charts athleticism on his way to nine points on 4-of-8 shooting and six rebounds. He didn’t take any jumpers. Instead, he decided to stick to his bread and butter and plow through traffic and finish at the rim through contact or draw fouls. He’s athletic, physical, skilled, plays above the rim, and is able to use both power with finesse to generate offense in both the half court and transition. He was also active defensively, using his strong build and quick feet to stay in front of his man at all cost. Brown also finished with two assists, two blocks and two steals. He did shoot poorly from the free throw line (1-for-7).
Thomas Bryant (Undeclared) C, 6-10, 220:
In 16 minutes off the bench, Bryant scored nine points on 4-for-5 shooting and recorded three rebounds. The high-energy, 6-foot-10 big man had a quiet game, but showed flashes of a skill set that has made school’s such as Kentucky, Syracuse, Villanova, and Indiana among others, continually go after him. Bryant is agile for his size and a powerful finisher at the rim. Majority, if not all, of his made field goals were two-handed dunks. He’s strong and physical in the post and can move defenders out of the way without committing offensive fouls. His on-ball post defense is also nothing to scoff at. He does need to polish his offensive game and his jumper, but the potential is most certainly there.
Cheick Diallo (Undeclared) PF, 6-9, 225:
Uncommitted big man Cheick Diallo finished the contest as the John R. Wooden Player of the Game after racking up an impressive double-double with 18 points on 8-for-14 shooting and 10 boards (six were offensive). Diallo played extremely hard on both ends of the floor, as he didn’t miss any opportunities to display his high motor and athleticism. During one sequence, the 6-foot-9 Diallo used his 7’3” wingspan to block a PJ Dozier layup attempt, only to run the full length of the court and finish a layup off an assist in transition. He was also a force in paint and showed nifty footwork on several jump hooks and dunks. His most impressive play of the game came when he used a quick spin move past a defender out in transition and finished at the rim with a layup. You don’t see too many 6-foot-9 guys with the ability to move as fluid as he does on the fastbreak or in the half court. Defensively he recorded just one block, but altered so many other shots and made it difficult for players to score at the rim.
Henry Ellenson (Marquette) PF, 6-10, 230:
The Marquette-signee missed the McDonald’s All-American game due to a broken left hand. He’s expected to resume basketball-related activities in 6-8 weeks. Still, he’s a highly skilled for a big man with a polished inside and outside scoring repertoire. His size is prototypical for a power forward, and he has a good looking shooting stroke. Ellenson can knock down jump shots from the mid-range out the the 3-point line, which could make him a stretch-4 and viable pick-and-pop player in college or the pros. He can also drive the ball to the basket and has the ability to handle the ball in traffic. When it comes to post play, he has displayed skilled footwork and can finish with either hand over the shoulder.
Jawun Evans (Oklahoma State) PG, 6-0, 180:
Despite being tied for the most minutes played in the game with 21, Evans was not much of a factor scoring the ball with six points on 1-for-8 shooting. However, Evans is mostly known as a natural facilitator who knows how to get his teammates involved. He was able to do just that with four dimes in the game. Although he didn’t score much, he got to the line twice and showed that he can handle the ball exceptionally well. He’s also good at changing paces when he’s driving to the basket. At 6-foot, 175 pounds, his size is a concern. But he’s a pure point guard with a high basketball IQ and feel for the game.
Luke Kennard (Duke) G, 6-5, 180:
The Duke-bound guard is do-it-all player on the offensive end. But in this game, the lefty displayed a beautiful shooting stroke and was able to get himself open for a few jumpers. At the end of the first half, he hit a bank shot from 3-point land that drew “oohh and ahhs” from the crowd. Kennard finished the game with nine points on 4-for-7 shooting with four rebounds. He isn’t the most athletic or the strongest, but he’s a player who can score, shoot with ease, pass, and handle the ball.
Dedric Lawson (Memphis) PF, 6-8, 195
Lawson didn’t show much of anything offensively, scoring two points on 1-for-5 shooting, but he did make an impact on the boards with six rebounds, and swatted away three shots. The 6-foot-8 forward is an intriguing prospect because of his versatility, size and ability to score on face ups. Despite the fact that he’s doesn’t wow anyone with his jumping ability or explosiveness, he’s still a skilled offensive player who can score the ball on many levels. He’s also a good help-side defender, which is how he managed to get his blocks.
Diamond Stone (Maryland) C, 6-10, 250
When watching stone, you can’t help but notice how much of a load in the paint he is. He’s a fierce competitor on the inside with an overwhelming presence, and powerful dunker who’s willing to put any unfortunate defender on a poster. Along with having one of the best names, he also had one of the best games of any player, finishing with 14 points on 7-for-9 shooting from the field. He has a little bit of a mean streak when he’s on the court. Stone is beast with his back to the basket, and he often bullied his way for positioning and was able to finish with a few over the shoulder moves. His hands are big and his feet are quick, which is usually a deadly combination for a big man to possess. What’s even more impressive about his game is that he’s comfortable with attacking the basket from face up positions and is capable of knocking down mid-range shots. His conditioning will have to improve moving forward, though.
