OSU-bound Sullinger named East MVP
Associated Press
ESPN.com
Originally Published: March 31, 2010
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No harm, no foul, for Brandon Knight.
Knight's 3-pointer from the right wing with 3 seconds left gave the West a 107-104 victory over the East in the McDonald's All-American game on Wednesday night at Ohio State's Value City Arena.
Knight drove the right wing and stopped short as a defender fell down, taking his time to set up for the winning 3. It appeared he may have pushed off to get open.
"No, he just fell down," Knight said of the defender. "I didn't even know. I just tried to get it off."
But East MVP Jared Sullinger, a Columbus native and crowd favorite who has signed with Ohio State, quickly kidded him.
"Nah, he pushed off," he said with a laugh.
Sullinger missed a long heave at the buzzer.
Knight, out of Pine Crest School in Coral Springs, Fla., is undecided about his college.
"Harrison [Barnes] tried to flash up, but they denied him," he said of his last shot. "We wanted to get the best shot available."
Barnes, who is going to North Carolina, led the West with 18 points, Terrence Jones had 14, Doron Lamb had 12, Jereme Richmond (Illinois) had 11 and Keith Appling (Michigan State) and Joshua Smith (UCLA) each had 10 for the West, which overcame a halftime deficit by scoring 16 of the first 20 points in the second half.
Sullinger was hospitalized on Tuesday night with a mild case of food poisoning that left him dehydrated.
"Early this morning I didn't think I'd play," he said. "But I went to the hospital, got an IV and now it's all good."
Kyrie Irving (Duke), Tobias Harris (Tennessee) and Josh Selby each had 13 points for the East, while Deshaun Thomas (Ohio State) added 11, including the dunk that tied the game with 33 seconds left off a backdoor assist from Selby.
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McCallum's athleticism a revelation
By John Stovall
ESPN Recruiting
Archive
Originally Published: March 31, 2010
Here are the five things that I'll will take away from Wednesday night's McDonald's All-American Game in Columbus Ohio:
1. Ray McCallum is a better athlete than anyone thought
The Detroit product's athletic ability was evident throughout the weekend it certainly showed in the dunk contest and the way he played in practices and scrimmage. McCallum (Detroit/Country Day) is a really bouncy point guard with explosive ability. This is an elite class of point guards, but outside of Josh Selby (Baltimore), Kyrie Irving (Elizabeth, N.J./St. Patrick) and Brandon Knight (Coral Springs, Fla./Pine Crest), he could be the most talented point guard in the nation.
On another note, I'm hearing that McCallum has narrowed his college choices to Detroit and Arizona (MUH: "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!! WHERE'S UCLA?!?). Could you imagine the impact he'd have playing for his father --Ray McCallum Sr. -- in the Horizon League? Wow!
2. Brandon Knight is not a natural point guard
All the buzz has Knight heading to Kentucky. If that happens and Eric Bledsoe leaves for the pros, it will be interesting to see what UK does with Knight. He can play the point and certainly can guard it, but he's not an instinctive point. He's aggressive enough for the dribble-drive system, but he might just be more comfortable off the ball (keep in mind, John Wall often played at the 2 position for UK this past season). In fact, I think that Knight, who could be the top perimeter scorer in this class as he showed on Wednesday night, isn't the only point guard in the class who might not have a true point guard's skill set. Selby, an nonstop attacker, is not really a true lead guard.
3. Patric Young is a grown man
Patric Young is a grown man. Young (Jacksonville, Fla./The Providence School) runs the floor with an active motor. He will be a very impactful college player and has the chance to be a pro. He's kind of like a more athletic Buck Williams. The Florida recruit is the second best rebounder in this class -- next to Jared Sullinger (Columbus, Ohio/Northland). He'll be a great fit in Florida's frenetic system. You can be the ultimate role player inside. You don't have to run a play for him and he can still get a double-double. Coaches love guys who can be productive without be an offensive focal point, Young falls into that category.
4. Jared Sullinger will have no problems compensating for his lack of athletic ability
No one has ever doubted Sullinger's skills. He has the best hands, feet and feel for the game of any player in this class and it's not even close. At the college level, he has a chance to be an All-American from Day 1 at Ohio State. He's not a great athlete but that's the only thing that's missing from his package. People fixate on Sullinger''s marginal athletic ability, but they shouldn't. Most coaches would rather have a guy who can play than an athlete who is still developing. The common thought is that you can't teach athleticism. Well, you'd have a hard time teaching a big man the kind of skills Sullinger possess. They're plenty of productive guys in the pros -- such as Kevin Love and Elton Brand (both former McDonald's All-Americans) -- who aren't great athletes. Sullinger can play.
5. Fabricio Melo and Josh Smith are heading in opposite directions
Melo (Weston, Fla./The Sagemont School), a Syracuse recruit, was the only traditional center in this game. He is ready to be an impact college center, and that fact has a lot to do with his commitment to conditioning. Melo is running the court better, and he's more bouncy. Last year at this time, if he didn't get the board in his first jump his second jump wasn't high or explosive. Now he's blocking shots and running the floor to finish fastbreaks. He looks great.
Smith (Covington, Wash./Kentwood) checked in well over 300 pounds, and it showed. In fairness, he missed some time with injury, which has a lot to do with his weight fluctuation. When Smith gets to UCLA, the staff needs to get Smith a nutritionist and start working him. He's going to get down to 280 or 290 to be productive in Year 1. He's going be able to move effectively on both ends of the court -- especially on the defense -- to be a key player for the Bruins. That said, we still love his low-post skills and rebounding ability.
John Stovall is a recruiting coordinator for Scouts Inc. He has worked as part owner and director of scouting for Prep Spotlight Scouting Service and magazine for 15 years.
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