2012 Mongreltopia Class Top 50!

Without further delay here is the 2012 Mongreltopia Top 50! I'll try to do an updated top 50 list after the May evaluation period and again right before high school season gets started. Most of these guys are pretty close to where I'd have put them, but I've adjusted some guys up from reader persuasion and a few of them I'm going totally off other reports. Potential is a bigger part of the picture and its hard to predict who will be good in a few years, and I've seen less of most of these kids than I would if I were trying to do a list without help from the readers and tons of research! Let me know what you think, I'll move kids up and down the list if you make a good argument! Remember, this list is Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio only!

1. Emmanual Ochenje is a 6'9 forward/center prospect from Brehm Prep, IL. This inside force is already muscular, long, and moves very well. He's still a little raw but gets it done on both sides of the ball even at this stage of his development. He has an offer from Illinois. Its too tempting to go out on a limb a little for this one, but the kid is so big and should be excellent in two years. As kids get older, you give them less benefit of the doubt with big kids. National Rankings: ESPN #52, Sportspress TV #78, State Rankings Chicagohoops #1,

2. Devontes Smith-Rivera is a 6'3 combo guard from North Central HS (Indianapolis) who has been a big name in this class for a few years. Several people were worried a year ago he might have peaked early since like most of the kids on this list he's a year ahead of much of his class but his improvement this summer was spectacular as the sweet shooting bull of a guard continues to make plays driving to the basket with his strength and incredible balance but also is developing more point skills. He was outstanding at the Adidas Nations in July at point. He has offers from Indiana, Xavier, Purdue, Ohio State, and Tennessee and strong interest from North Carolina and others. National Rankings: ESPN #12, Hoopscoop #20, NY2LA #47, Hoopmasters #19, Sportspress TV #22 State Rankings: IndyStar #1,

3. Adolphus Washington is a 6'8 Taft HS (Cincinnati) power forward who was a dominant inside force for All-Ohio Purple who won AAU nationals in the age group yet again. Washington was dominant down the stretch at the AAU Nationals in Clarksville going for 20 in a semi-final win against Indiana Elite, 25 in a quarter against the Georgia Stars, and he recently transfered from Roger Bacon to Taft. Photo at right is from a Roger Macon game taken by Spiritofsports.net which has an outstanding collection of sports photos.

4. Elijah Macon is a 6'8 Marian-Franklin HS power forward who has already found his college home at West Virginia. He came up huge against Nike Team Florida in the AAU Nationals in Orlando with 16 points to lead his All-Ohio Red to the title. National Rankings: ESPN # 10, SportspressTV #30,

5. Ken Kaminski is a 6'7 wing forward from Medina HS (OH) who has a sweet stroke and can play in the paint. Kaminksi has wonderful leaping ability and can put the ball on the floor as well as float up there for some pretty slams. He has offers from Ohio State, Michigan State, and Indiana so far.

6. Ron Patterson is a long armed 6'3 shooting guard from Broadripple HS (IN). Patterson can shoot the three and is developing more of a handle but already one of the best defenders in his class and can score from anywhere on the court. His best trait is his extreme competitiveness which has helped him earn offers from Tennessee, Ohio State, Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, Cincinnati, Xavier, Depaul. National Rankings: Hoopscoop #89, NY2LA #44, Sportspress TV #95, Local Rankings: Indystar #2,

7. TJ Bell is a 6'8 forward for Bloomington South (IN). He has outstanding athleticism and great reach, but is still a little gangly. Bell is somewhat raw, but very good in the paint. He is getting some serious attention at wide receiver this year good speed for a 6'8 kid. He has an offer from Indiana (for basketball). National Rankings: ESPN #31, NY2LA #28, SportspressTV #37, State Rankings: Indystar #13,

8. AJ Hammons is a strong 6'11 kid from Carmel HS (IN). He is still a work in progress on offense but has soft hands and great potential. Hammons is not usually very aggressive on offense, however on defense he shuts people down and goes after the ball hard at times. When his light goes on he's quite possibly a top ten player nationally. National Rankings: ESPN #30, Hoopscoop # 67, SportspressTV #71, State Rankings: Indystar #5,

9. Jaylen Beckham is a 6'1 cat-quick point guard for powerhouse Lexington Catholic who can get to the basket at will. He’s got a lot of reach and athleticism and is amazing getting to the hoop, uses hesitation well, and has a soft shot but probably needs to extend his range. He made some wild passes when I've seen him, but he was a freshman. He has very good court vision but needs to tighten the whole package a little and could wind up best prospect from Kentucky in several years and is already a special defender. He played well for Hoop Dreams last summer especially at the Boo Williams Invitational and is being recruited by Cincinnati, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, and Indiana. National Rankings: Hoopscoop (6/17/09) #42, NY2LA #36, SportsPressTV #44, ESPN #83, State Rankings: Demling #1

10. Garry Harris is a 6'3 combo guard for Hamilton Southeastern who jumped around this summer on different AAU teams, he has big time bounce and command of the game. I'm not positive if he's going to be a point guard or not, but he can pass and has a nice three point shot and is a superior scorer. He was outstanding for Up Tempo, Team Indiana, and whomever he laced them up with but got hurt for a couple of weeks in July so not a lot of people got to see him. The Good Mongrel sat next to Tom Crean and Bruce Weber on the first day of the evaluation period at 9:05 AM so head coaches know plenty about him. His parents went to Purdue. National Rankings: State Rankings: Indystar #10,

11. Dejuan Marrero "Rico" Marrero's best trait is his unmatched motor, he is king of the offensive glass and most of his game revolves around cleaning up after others at this point. But the 6'6 Bowman Academy (IN) forward is developing some wing skills and has a decent perimeter shot while unguarded. He has offers from Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, Ohio State, Virginia, and Valparaiso. National Rankings: Hoopscoop #40, ESPN #50, SportspressTV #42, NY2LA #115, State Rankings: Indystar #3,

12. Raphael Davis is a 6'5 well developed kid from Ft Wayne who has committed to Matt Painter at Purdue. He's a pure scorer and can get hot from outside but shows outstanding aggressiveness and has the perfect scoring mentality. National Rankings: ESPN #59, Sportspress TV #62, State Rankings: Indystar #7,

13. Jeremy Hollowell is a rangy 6'6 wing forward from Lawrence Central. He is a smooth shooter with a very good handle to go with long arms. Hollowell has a calm demeanor and can lull you to sleep by looking passive but don't let it fool you because he usually plays great defense which has helped earn him offers from several high majors including Ohio State, Tennessee, Iowa, Cincinnati, and Indiana. National Rankings: NY2LA #76, State Rankings: Indystar #4,

14. Austin Burgett is a 6'8 Avon HS small forward that has three point range, nifty post moves and handles like a wing. He might project to be a power forward in college if he keeps puting on muscle but he grew late and played guard a couple of years ago. He has several good offers already including Cincinnati, Iowa, Ohio, and Northwestern. National Rankings: NY2LA #141, State Rankings: Indystar #6,

15. Yogi Ferrel is a pass-first 5'8 pure point and has really long arms for his size. He has an infectious wide-eyed Mike Singletary type of intense style and is a good defender. Yogi has offers from Purdue, Ohio State, Butler. National Rankings: SportspressTV, #35, ESPN #61, State Rankings: Indystar #8,

16. Jordan Hare is arguably the most promising prospect in Michigan from the 2012 class. He is a 6'7 forward from Saginaw Arthur Hill. Bankhoops has him as the top ranked forward in Michigan. National Rankings: ESPN #48 State Rankings:

17. Jalen Robinson is a 6'8 wing forward from Northland HS (Columbus) who has offers from West Virginia, Akron, and Kent State. Robinson has great length and has outstanding potential. National Rankings: State Rankings:

18. Keith Carter is a 6'0 point from Proviso East who is arguably the class of the special group of sophomore points in Illinois. He was a standout on Team NLP at the NY2LA Shootout along with teammate Aaron Simpson, they drew a crowd of Big Ten coaches to watch. According to Illinoisprepbullseye.com he is the best guard in 2012 in Chicago, he has good range and is strong and athletic and has a calm demeanor on the court. Purdue and Illinois are among the schools he is interested in. He's one of three kids Hendrickson considers vying for the top spot in Illinois in 2012. State Rankings: Chicagohoops #11,

19. Kyle Molock is a 6'1 point guard from Dublin-Coffman HS (Ohio) who committed to Purdue after having a big summer for Ohio Basketball Club. ESPN #65, SportspressTV #91, State Rankings:

20. Bobo Drummond is a 5'11 pg Peoria Central HS has big time potential is on the radar of several Big Ten programs. He is a pure point and still working on getting his own offense but has a great feel for the game. National Rankings , Local Rankings: Chicagohoops #5,

21. Edward Seay is an athletic 6'8 power forward from Merillville. He is long and athletic and should have a huge year. He played well for the SYF Players 2012 squad last summer. National Rankings: Hoopscoop #110, NY2LA #106, State Rankings: Indystar #11,

22. Dylan Kaufman is a 6'4 wing for Hiland HS (Akron) who is a fine shooter and good all around player. He and his CBIZ team were scouted by coaches from Ohio State, Indiana, North Carolina, and others but he already has some good offers including Miami and Akron. National Rankings: State Rankings:

23. Jermaine Morgan is a 6'8 combo forward for Whitney Young. Hendrickson of the Hoopsblog included him among 15 players to watch for this class and said he has as much upside as anyone in the class. National Rankings: ESPN #36 State Rankings: Chicagohoops #19

24. Aaron Simpson is a 5'11 combo guard for North Chicago Community HS who played this summer for Team NLP along with Keith Carter. He's a big time athlete and can shoot. Illinois and Purdue were two schools watching him IN July. Reader comments influenced a bump from 25 to 24 and Chicagohoops backed it up by puting him in a 3 way tie for #1 in the state. National Rankings: State Rankings: Chicagohoops #1

25. Malcolm Hill-Brey is a 5'9 point for Mt Carmel HS (Illinois). He played up for Chicago Summit on their 2011 team in the summer and made a splash. He also played with the Derek Rose All-Stars later in the summer and is being recruited by Tennessee, Indiana, Wake Forrest, Detroit, Marquette, and Illinois. National Rankings: State Rankings: Chicagohoops #14,

26. Jay Simpson had a good summer for the Illinois Wolves. He is a 6'8 forward from Champaign Central HS who committed to Purdue. National Rankings: ESPN #98 State Rankings: Chicagohoops #7,

27. Matt Costello is a 6'8 center from Bay City, Western who is a very good perimeter shooter with excellent potential. He has good shot blocking instincts. I caught him at the Kentucky Hoopfest for Team Pride and he was very good. Bankhoops outstanding website has him ranked #1 post player in his class for Michigan. He has visited Purdue, Ohio State, and Michigan State but no offers yet. National Rankings: ESPN #63, State Rankings:

28. Kellon Thomas is an outstanding 5'9 true point guard from Southport HS who is a very good scorer with a smooth outside shot being recruited by Butler, Indiana, and others played for the Spiece Indy Stars 2012 club. National Rankings: Hoopscoop #126, State Rankings: Indystar #9,

29. Tyrone Sherman is yet another outstanding point guard prospect in this class from Illinois. He is a 6’0 score-first point guard from Homewood-Flossmoor who played up in the summer with the 2011 Illinois Wolves. Sherman was outstanding at the Next Level Invitational and has the confidence and presence on the floor that an elite player needs at the point as well as the ability to knock down three point shots when well guarded. In a link I can no longer find, IllinoisPrepBullseye.com called him one of the top five players in Illinois from the class. State Rankings: Chicagohoops #18,

30. Kellen Dunham is a 6'4 shooter from Pendleton Heights (IN) who I've had a couple of emails about. Here is a quote from comments section on him "Langkabel and Dunham are both highly skilled, solid players. Dunham can shoot from anywhere ...that only adds to his game." He grew four inches from his freshman year and has the attention of big ten and mid-major programs. Dunham had a big summer for the Eric Gordon Indy Stars 2012 squad.

31. Tameron Manning is a 6'3 guard from Scott Co who is an athletic player with great upside. He was dominant against older kids at the Tennessee Elite camp according to Tate on hoopsreport.com. He's had foul trouble a couple of times when I've had the chance to see him so I don't have a great feel for his game. He did get good reviews playing this summer for Hoop Dreams. State Rankings: Demling #3

32. Sean Sheldon is a 6'8 forward from Traverse City St Francis (Michigan) who Bankhoops has as the second best post player in his class from the state. A couple of emailers are big fans of his and suggest he is the best true post man in his class in Michigan. National Rankings: State Rankings:

33. Ray Lee is a 6'2 shooting guard from Detroit Cass Tech. Bankhoops has him as the top ranked shooting guard in Michigan's 2012 class. I have had an email and a reader comment sugesting he is undervalued so we'll give him a bump up from 41 and keep a close eye on him this fall. The anonymous comment also suggested he is more of a point than a wing. National Rankings: State Rankings: Bankhoops #2,

34. CJ Jones is a 6'0 combo guard from Chicago Orr who Hendrickson from the Hoopsreport considers one of three players vying for the top spot in the class and praises his toughness. * 11/11 update here's a great article from Chicagohoops which says CJ has a Depaul offer and is hearing from Northwestern, Illinois, Indiana State, and USC. http://www.chicagohoops.com/articles1/curtisjones1.html State Rankings: Chicagohoops #8,

35. Jelani Neeley is a 6'0 point guard from Chicago Simeon who Hendrickson from the Hoopsreport sees as one of the three players vying for top spot in the state in 2012. National Rankings: State Rankings: Chicagohoops #4

36. Cameron Harvey is a 6'3 guard from St. Joe's in Chicago. He played well for Indiana Elite Team Indiana in the summer and just committed to Wyoming! Congrats Mr Harvey, take lots of pictures its stunning out there! http://ilprepbullseye.com/page7.html National Rankings: ESPN #81, SportspressTV #51, State Rankings: Chicagohoops #10,

37. Malik London is a 6'8 forward from Chillicothe HS (Ohio) who is being tracked by mid-major and high major programs. National Rankings: ESPN #99

38. Desmond Dorsey is a 6'0 scoring point guard from Jeffersontown, Kentucky that I got to see playing for the Nashville Celtics. He's a big time scorer but not sure he is a point yet or not. State Rankings: Demling #2

39. Derrick Randolph is a 5'8 pure point for Chicago Whitney Young who has the quickness you need and plays with some intensity. National Rankings: State Rankings: Chicagohoops #13

40. Glenn Robinson Jr is a shooting guard who had a big summer for the 2012 SYF Players. He says his favorite is Dad's alma mater Purdue but he is also interested in Indiana. National Rankings: NY2LA #99, State Rankings:

41. Lamar Walker is another big man from Michigan. He's a 6'9 kid with potential from Detroit Community HS. Bankhoops has him as the 3rd best post player in his class in Michigan.

42. Delvon Rencher is a strong 6'5 forward for Homewood-Flossmoor (Illinois) that was co-MVP of the Windy City Classic in May for the Derek Rose All-Stars. When I saw him in May he was very strong but undersized for a power player for college so he'll have to grow some or expand his game. National Rankings: State Rankings: Chicagohoops #17

43. Davon Scott is a 6'7 forward for Columbus Northland who manages to stand out even among so many talented big kids on one team. National Rankings: SportspressTV #65.

44. Jerad Drew is a 6'5 wing from Lawrence Central (Indianapolis) who has outstanding reach and athleticism. He can drive, shoot, and defend but needs to be a little more polished. He's getting early interest from Indiana, Illinois, and several mid-major schools. He came up huge on the defensive side of the ball in two separate championship games against JP Tokoto as he teamed with Jeremy Hollowell to hold Tokoto to the peremiter where he was less effective.

45. Marcus Jones is a 6’4 forward playing for Team Detroit who is one of the top 2012 players in the midwest. He had nice write-ups for his performance at the King James event in April.

46. Fred Van Vleet 2012 is a 6’0 point guard for Rockford Auburn who plays summer for Rockford 5-O. He was playing well at 17U for them at the Chicago Tip-Off Classic. Chicagohoops raved about him saying he has a strong frame, is a good decision maker, passer, and handles the ball well. At the Nike Spring Shootout in Merrillville he played for Pryme Time and won the bronze division and also when winning the 15U division at End of Summer Classic in Merrillville. He's thin but changes speeds well and is a leader on the floor. Depal and Illinois are recruiting him. National Rankings: State Rankings: Chicagohoops #6,

47. DJ Ballantine is a 5'11 point guard from Kokomo (IN) who had a big performance at the Michigan Elite Camp this summer. National Rankings: Hoopscoop #190 (June/09), State Rankings: Indystar #20,

48. Rhett Smith is a versatile 6'5 wing forward from Sullivan HS (IN). Smith is tough, has range and plays with some strength and is one of those prospects who really needs a couple of inches and will explode up the rankings. He came up big playing with his 2012 Spiece Indy Stars going up against the 2011 King James All-Stars scoring 18 points including the game winning three pointer in a game at the Kansas City Hoopfest this July. Southern Illinois and Indiana State are recruiting him and he has an offer from Deleware.

49. Desmond Ridenour is a guard from Cleveland Benedictine to keep an eye on. According to comments from readers... "6'0 PG on the same (Cleveland)Benedictine team as Cameron Wright(your 2010 #10). With schools such as Florida, Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan State coming to the open gyms to see this crafty yet explosive young player he is definitely one to watch for.",

50. Orlando Berry Jr is an undersized point who runs the show for Taft HS and his dad's dominant All-Ohio Purple AAU program. They won the Nationals in Clarksville, Tennessee behind Berry's leadership. His old man played with Alan Houston at UT.

50. Charles Harris is a 6'3 guard for Lake Forrest academy and Full Package Athletics in the summer. I had him in the honorable mention until Chicagohoops updated their state rankings and put him in a 3 way tie for #1 so I'll give him a debut on the list. National Rankings: State Rankings: Chicagohoops #1

Possible top 50 candidates:

Austin Angel is a 6'3 guard from Boylan (Rockford) State Rankings: Chicagohoops #12

Aaric Armstead is a 6'4 guard from Chicago Hales-Franciscan. State Rankings: Chicagohoops #16

Conner Boehm is a 6'6 New Trier forward.

Travis Britt is an outstanding point guard prospect for Culver Millitary Academy. He is being recruited by Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Drake, Michigan, and Dayton. National Rankings: Hoopscoop #149, State Rankings:

Nathan Boothe is a 6'7 forward from Warren. Chicagohoops #20,

Nate Brooks is a 6'5 Whitney Young guard who got MVP of the 15U division for Illinois T-Wolves at the tip-off classic 3/30.

Deontra Brown is a 6'1 guard for Plainfield HS (IL).

Brent Calhoun is a 6'7 forward for Indianapolis Warren Central who played for the Spiece All-Stars 2012 squad with Patterson, Hollowell, Burgett, and company. State Rankings: Indystar #17,

Trashaun Carroll is a 6'5 forward from Proviso East (was with Curie last year) who plays strong, plays on the Chicago Summit and did a good job playing up with 16U at the tip-off classic per chicagohoops. The next week he was with the 15-U Derek Rose All-Stars playing in the Knoxvegas Heat tourney. State Rankings: Chicagohoops #20,

Max Clemons is a guard from Scottsburg, IN who had a huge summer for Team Southern Indiana (Red).

Jaleel Cousins is a 6'8 forward for Tates Creek who just so happens to be Demarcus Cousins' cousin.

Charles Foster plays for Derek Smith All-Stars in the summer and Trinity (Louisville) for school. I've read Hoopmasters has him in their top 150 but can't find a free link for that.

Jordan Foster is a 5'11 point guard from Oak Park-River Forrest who is among the best of the several elite points in this class from Illinois. Some reader comments from "anonymous" suggest he's equally effective on both sides of the ball.

Myles Hamilton is a point guard from St Edwards OH.

Chris Harrison-Docks is a 5'11 combo guard playing this year for Okemos HS (MI). He was in Kentucky last year and played for Indiana Elite Team Indiana over the summer.

Brad Hartman is a 6'7 forward from Union (IN) with a big future but he's a bit skinny now. he shows excellent fundamentals and improved rapidly this summer for the Spiece Indy Stars 2012 squad.

Chris Heaney is a 6'3 guard from Lincoln Park (IL).

RJ Hunter is a 5'10 point guard from Indianapolis whose dad is the famous African shoe donor who coaches IUPUI.

Patrick Ingram is a 6'1 combo guard for North Central (Indianapolis) who was outsanding for the Eric Gordon 2012 all-stars. State Rankings: Indystar #15,

Logan Irwin is a 5'9 high scoring point guard for dad's team Whitko HS. State Rankings: Indystar #16,

Ronnie Johnson is a 6'0 combo guard for Indianapolis North Central. National Rankings: State Rankings: Indystar #12,

Andrew Jordan is a 6'5 small forward for the Illinois Wolves in 2012.

Jason Kilongi is a wonderful sleeper from Bishop Leurs in Ft Wayne who looked great for Spiece Gym Rats Davis. He was on JV last year but should be unleashed this year.

Dylan Lankabel is a guard from Morristown who was outsanding for the Eric Gordon Indy Stars 2012 club.

Michael Mache is a 6'5 forward for Illinois Select and Glenbard HS (Glenelyn, IL).

Matthew Mache is a 6'5 forward for Glenbard (Glenelyn, IL) and Illinois Select.

Kellon McCormick is a 6'6 wing from Notre Dame Prep who shoots the lights out and is still growing.

Nick Osbourne is a 6'7 Muncie Central with a bright future. State Rankings: Indystar #14,

Jordan Potts is a 5'10 point guard for Columbus Northland HS who hit a string of big three pointers in the tournament last year. He has an offer from James Madison.

Michael Ramey is a 6'4 wing for Southport (Indianapolis). State Rankings: Indystar #18,

Jacoby Roddy is a 6'5 swingman for Peoria Manual that played for the Illinois Wolves 2012 club in the summer.

Jordan Smith is a 6'3 wing guard for Chicago Whitney Young and the Illinois T-Wolves in the summer.

Akeem Springs is a 6'3 guard from Waukeegan (IL).

Jeff "Kiki" Stokes is a sleeper to watch from Peoria Manual. He's a point guard in the summer for the Illinois Wolves 2012 club.

Steve Taylor is a 6'7 forward for Simeon (Chicago). State Rankings: Chicagohoops #9,

Tim Williams is a 6'7 forward from Homewood-Flossmore. State Rankings: Chicagohoops #15

Anton Wilson is a 6'5 wing from Flint who played for Team Pride over the summer who looked great. Cleveland State has offered and Iowa is also interested.

* Note on rankings, ESPN only ranks a top 25 officially, but if you search 2012 prospects and then click on grade, it gives them in the order they have them picked in thus far. I don't have a prescription to Hoopscoop or NY2LA unfortunately, I've included their rankings on several prospects that I ran across online in different articles. A kid showing no rankings doesn't mean they are really unranked.

Hoosier Shootout Day 1 Top Players:

2010:

Christian Kabongo Mt Zion Academy NC was the most dominant player I got to see on day one. He was playing with a team from Toronto called Scadding Court Ballhawks that I'm having trouble finding a roster for. He's a legit 6'5 and went coast to coast at will. He dribbles between his legs way too much but its impressive nonetheless and he pulls it off against some really quick players. He missed almost all of his deep shots but the people on hand assured me he usually hits them. He played great on defense for most of the game against one of the quickest points I saw yesterday. He took a lot of possessions off on defense too, but was extremely talented. He's the sort of guy who I'm sure will be a pro but I'm not sure if he'll make it to college. I was told he has a Nebraska offer on the table but is 19 already. He's an instant impact D1 talent if he makes it to a campus but might need reigned in a bit. He scored 30, had at least 8 assists and several steals and rebounds (and turnovers) as well.

Robert Wade from Team Nashville has to be one of the least talked about future college high major stars in the country. Here is a link I found while digging for more dirt on Wade. He was the player that all the kids from other teams gathered to watch and he kept going up strong on offensive rebounds and jamming the ball with one hand and having near misses. I didn't get to see enough of his game to get a feel for how good the little things are, but the big things are great, ask the Indiana Dawgz about him! Cincinnati and other schools were there watching and a couple of coaches were seen flipping through their $125 programs on the sidelines as they walked by. http://www.tnprephoops.com/content/view/1161/48/

Crishawn Hopkins from Indianapolis Manual was outstanding for Team Blaze but he was the only highlight for his team. He scored well over 20 of his teams 30 or so points. He is every bit of 6'0 tall but skinny, but the kid can jump out of the gym and has some range. He reportedly got a Miami (Oh) offer and did well at Miami and Indiana's elite camps recently. Coaches from Wright State, Eastern Illinois, Northern Colorado, Morehead State, and Princeton were on hand for his game against a loaded Atlanta All Stars team.

David Mason was the most impressive college prospect on the Atlanta All Stars. I haven't dug for their roster yet to see who some of his talented teammates were, but Mason was about 6'5 with good reach and had high major athleticism and some explosion to his game. This was one of the most talented teams I got to see in the 17U group yesterday and should be a tough out in the tournament. #34 was about 6'9 and played well as did #55 who was about the same size but a little bit stronger. Both looked like mid-majors or better to me.

Jeff Johnson was outstanding for the Peoria Irish 17U squad against Camp Daryl. #0 and #30 were both 6'8 forwards with nice games. I'm pretty sure Johnson was #0 so please correct me if I'm wrong. He had a shaved head and a headband and kept draining jumpers and defending well and being physical. #30 was also about the same size but more mobile and longer and made some nice plays with the ball and hustled. Let me know if you know who he was. Just found out Josh Piper was the other one. They both play for Champaign Centennial.

Eric Gaines was very impressive for Orange Crush. They had a very athletic team and the 6'4 rangy Gaines was chosen for his work on the baseline, he's quite an impressive athlete for his Hillcrest high school.

Jeff Hoskins is a 6'1 shooting guard from Kalamazoo who looked really good against the Irish for Camp Daryl. He was playing point yesterday and hustled all game long and showed off a nice 3 pointer even when well guarded. He was #10 unless the rosters have shuffled around.

Illinois Titans had some impressive athletes. I mentioned Siakhem and Ochenje from the younger class playing up with this squad and they were dominant. But the team was loaded with guys with muscles and mohawks. #32 and #23 were especially impressive physically.

Nashville Celtics Green #2 was big time as well. I'm not sure who he was, have three suspects so until I narrow it down somebody help me out. He was a 6'4ish kid who had a nice stroke, star level athleticism and had Vanderbilt and Michigan coaches among others watching he and his Nashville Celtics Green team. #1 and point guard #8 were good as well.

2011:

James Siakhem is playing up with the 17U Illinois Titans and was extremely impressive. He didn't look near the 6'7 height I'd seen him listed before but he's got to be one of the most physically imposing players in his age group. He hustled and is a special athlete. Word on him is that Depaul, Vanderbilt, and Southern Illinois have already offered. The 17U Titans had several other good athletes, check them out.

Khristian Smith from Indianapolis Pike has had a good summer. He led his Pike team to a victory at Purdue's team camp without Marques Teague and has picked up some D1 offers. If he continues to play alongside the special 2012 prospects who joined his team for the Shootout, the college coaches following them like a band of gypsies will continue to be impressed with him. He is about 6'5 with good length, athleticism, and a mature game. He plays hard on defense, cuts at the right time, and has a decent stroke. Keep an eye on him.

2012:

Emanuel Ochenje had the most potential of the 2012 kids I got to see yesterday. He is ranked #1 in the class by Chicagohoops and was playing up with the 17U Illinois Titans. He is an amazing athlete, you simply have to go see this team play if you are checking out the shootout. They have outstanding athletes at many positions and should be one of the favorites to win the tournament. When I saw them play they didn't get a challenge from the Kansas Express who were most notable for having a kid play who reminded me of Seth Rogen from Badass but kept sticking nice 12 footers off the glass nonetheless.

Ron Patterson keeps playing great ball. He plays for Broad Ripple in Indianapolis and is only about 6'2 but his arms are so long he plays with the length of a forward. He's a really impressive defender and can shoot some and make it to the hoop. Look for him to continue to improve his handle and be a star in the class of 2012.

Gary Harris from Huntington Southeast was with a new AAU team and word apparently hadn't spread beyond Bruce Weber and Tom Crean who joined the Mongrel and a few others to watch Harris go to work. Harris changes speeds well, can drive, and looks good going up for pull up jumpers. He got hurt early in the second half, I can't wait to see him again expect to see him rocket up the charts with the national guys and make the Mongrel stop talking about him. Up Tempo had a really long lanky kid who came off the bench and stroked some 3's and played really good defense that had Tom Crean walking over to the scorer's table, he was #32 but not sure yet who he was.

Austin Burgett from Avon, Indiana keeps getting better and better. He looks a legit 6'7 now and is getting stronger. He was very aggressive yesterday in front of legions of college coaches for the first time and really took over his team's second game on both ends of the floor. He's got a very nice handle and shot for a big kid.

Yogi Ferrel from Park Tudor in Indianapolis was outstanding yesterday playing against older kids. The teams the Indy Stars went up against were not offering the kind of competition he's likely to face as the tournament goes on, but he was easily the most impressive of the 2012 kids playing up with Quarles' Indy Stars. He was efficient and made great assists at times. I believe he had 20 points in the second game and was all over the glass, penetrating, and his shot keeps looking better. I also think he might have grown an inch or so since last time I saw him and his arms look a bit longer than you'd expect from a 5'9 point guard.

Jeremy Hollowell from Indianapolis was outstanding. He is about 6'6 and has a smooth 3 point stroke and was active driving to the basket as well as off the ball yesterday. He has great length and a good handle.

Raphael Davis is another outstanding prospect on that Indy Stars team. He is going to be big time in college. Right now he dominates the ball too much for a kid with a shaky handle and 3 outstanding point guards on his team and he tends to shoot the team out of rhythm from time to time. But he's got talent to burn and will be an extremely good small forward in college. What could be seen as shooting too much to some is probably a killer instinct to Matt Painter. This kid will score a ton of points in college. He might not have the handle and defensive quickness you want a shooting guard to have, but he is 6'4 with good length and I can't wait to watch him mature.

Brad Hartman, Kellon Thomas, Rhett Smith, and Larry Drew were also impressive for the 2012 Spiece Indy Stars. DeJuan Marrero was extremely impressive rebounding and getting put backs. AJ Hammons didn't play in the second half of the first game or at all in the second game presumably because of a minor injury but he looked fine. RJ Mahurin was an impressive floor general for Up Tempo.

2013:

VJ Beachum from Ft Wayne played a great game for his Spiece Indy Heat 2013 game playing up a year against Up Tempo and Gary Harris. Tom Crean and Bruce Weber got to take it in. Beachum is very long and can shoot, drive, and block shots. He's about 6'5 already and usually had the ball and didn't look outclassed against extremely underrated 2012 prospect Gary Harris. If anyone has a roster for his team I'd love to know who #9 and #12 were on his team as they have bright futures as well as #5 who appears to be a Matt Howard clone in the making.

Hoosier Shootout Update 2

Ok, back in between venues and sorry sorry Spiece Indy Stars for mislabeling you as Heat this morning (2012 anyway, I think the 13 was Heat at least for now)...

I missed the beginning of the 10:30 AM games at Sports of All Sorts so won't be able to offer stats yet. The program with all the rosters was also $125 so forgive me for using some numbers til I can double check a few things. Well, I suppose I'm a blogger and under some sort of organizational code to mess things up a little so I will jump in a little more than I should before I can look up some correct spellings.

10:30 games at SOAS first caught the Spiece Indy Heat (for real this time) Quarles team. They are a little different than last time I got to see them and some of the younger kids are playing up a year now. Purdue commit Raphael Davis, DeJuan Marrero, AJ Hammons, and Yogi Ferrel headline this group. I've been a little lukewarm on Yogi's potential as a high major player because of his size, but he continues to grow on me. The 2012 kids on the team were joined by some older kids. Brad Elam from Ben Davis handled point most of the game. I continue to be more and more impressed with Khristian Smith. He isn't the go for the jugular scorer that Raphael Davis is, but seeing them play next to each other I think Raphael can learn a lot from his game. Smith is about the same size and a good athlete and has good reach. I expect Smith to have a huge year this year for Pike. They won the recent high school summer shootout at Purdue University without Teague. Hammons didn't play at all in the second half, no word on why. Rangy combo guard Steven Jamison also handled himself well. The juniors have a year on the more hyped younger kids, and they played like it today. Bruce Weber and Tom Crean must be riding together because they were there at Arlington this morning and at SOAS later in the morning. They were joined by Mike Lewis from Eastern Illinois and coaches from Lipscomb, Drake, Southern Illinois, and other squads to watch the Indy Heat win this one 82-36 against the Runners.

Team Southern Indiana red beat Minnesota select 68-44, will have a little more on this one tomorrow after digging for some rosters.

The best player I've seen today so far is Christian Kabongo. He's the most talented certainly, I'm hearing he plays for Mt Zion Academy and he was on a team from Toronto and he is a gifted athlete and scored 30 points and had to be close to a triple double. He brought the ball up and has a great handle but goes between his legs constantly and overdoes it some. I heard he has some academic issues but has a Nebraska offer on the table, will find out more about him too.

Team Southern Indiana White beat the Wisconsin Force 60-56. More on this one later.

Over at Warren Central I was able to catch the Atlanta All-Stars dismantle Team Blaze. Team Blaze has hot 2010 recruiting name Crishawn Hopkins who reportedly has a recent offer from Miami (Oh) and was outstanding at Miami and Indiana's elite camps. He was outstanding, a gifted leaper with good range. I didn't catch his point total but he has most of the 30 or so points his team scored. Atlanta All-Stars had several impressive players which I will update later. Wright State, Princeton, North Colorado, Morehead State, and Eastern Illinois coaches were among the crowd gathered for this one.

Peoria Irish beat Camp Daryl 17U. The Irish had a couple of skilled big kids I will be getting back to you on as well.

The Illinois Titans had the most impressive athletes I've seen today as a group. Emanual Ochenje (Illinois offer) was very impressive physically but some of his older teammates were even better and almost as physically gifted. I look forward to seeing this squad again. They dismantled the Kansas Express.

Team Nashville has an extremely impressive player named Robert Wade. I was watching a different game, but I noticed a crowd gathering mostly of other players to watch the display he was pouting on. They were in a good game with the Indiana Dawgs when I left, Cincinnati and other schools had coaches on hand. More on this, you guessed it, later...

Back over at SOAS for the Spiece Select 2011 team (playing up with 2010) and Spiece Select won by 15. I didn't get to see the beginning of the game so I'll update the scores later. Coaches from Michigan and other schools were on hand for this one.

The Nashville Celtics Green had a few impressive players. They were beating the Michigan Mavericks when I left the building. The Mavericks point guard was very impressive and coaches from Vanderbilt and Michigan were on hand for the game among others.

More later, on my way to see the Spiece Indy Stars 15U team one more time at Arlington then back to Warren Central for another round of games before I retire for the evening...

Hoosier Shootout to Kick off July (Part 1).

The Hoosier Shootout begins at 8 AM sharp on Monday, July 6. Much of the national spotlight will be on Cincinnati this week for the Adidas Take Five tournament which is loaded. But the nearby Hoosier Shootout will draw the Mongrel out of his June cave. Every national scout worth his salt will be in Cincinnati telling the Mongrel the same news, meanwhile a deep and impressive field will be on hand in Indianapolis and the Mongrel will be there with about a million college coaches.

Indiana is a known hotbed of hoops talent and the Hoosier state will be well represented as usual with several Speice, Indiana Elite, Team Southern Indiana, and other programs well represented. Part 2 of the Mongrel's Hoosier Shootout preview will discuss some of the Indiana talent. For now, lets look at just a sample of some of the talent descending on Indianapolis with out of state plates.

Wisconsin Playground Warriors are one of the top AAU programs in the midwest and this year is no different. The 17U team is filled with D1 talent. Evan Anderson (UW), Noah Cotrill (WVU), and Kameron Cerroni (UW-GB) have committed to D1 programs and rugged Dakota Euton was committed to UK before Billy Gillespie was ousted. The Warriors boast one of the most formidable front courts on the circuit with Euton and twin 7'0 towers Anderson and Ben Mills. Mills has offers from Indiana State, Ball State, and UW-GB along with interest from Marquette, Indiana, and Minnesota.

The Warriors younger squads are strong as well. According to Wishoops.net, the two best players in the Warriors system are 2011 Quevyn Winters and JP Tokoto. Winters is a 2011 6'4 wing who has offers from Marquette and Wisconsin and is considering Purdue University and plans to attend the late August elite camp there http://www.wissports.net/sports/hoopsb/blog/blog.aspx?f=123. Tokoto has offers from Kansas, Marquette, and Wisconsin and has been spotted at the Marquette elite camp recently by the JS Online Golden Eagles blog. Both Tokoto and Winters have played up before so check your program the Warriors brought teams in all three divisions. Brett Vandenburgh is another fine 2012 player but he is listed on rosters for both the Wisconsin Playground Warriors and the Wisconsin Blazers.

Georgia Stars are yet another of the country's elite travelling teams, the Georgia Stars are sending their premier 17U team but not the rest of their fleet. The 17U team will be one of the favorites at the Shootout and have several of their own D1 players. Marcus Thornton has already committed to Clemson. According to their Rivals.com profiles, 6'7 power forward Adrian Hubbard has a Clemson offer and is looking at ACC and SEC programs, 6'0 pg Devonte White is looking at ACC and SEC programs, 6'5 Jeremy Burgess is looking at Minnesota, Indiana, Georgia and others, and 6'4 Chris Grier is looking at SEC and ACC programs as well.

Illinois Titans are only sending their 17U team, but they have two outstanding younger players who have been playing up. Watch for 2011's 6'7 power forward James Siakham or even 2012's 6'9 Emanual Ochenje who Chicagohoops has #1 in the class of 2012 in Illinois. Siakham already has offers from Depaul and Southern Illinois and Ochenje has already landed an Illinois offer.

Randolph Boys Club are sending 15, 16, and 17U teams. Look for 2010's 6'3 gritty combo guard Austin Armga and 6'0 Kevin Hurd from Portage to lead the way. Sam Mader and Avery Hinz lead the way for their 15U team but watch out for Duke Vander Galien if he makes the trip. He's been playing up 3! years with this team. They keep getting younger, but its like a car wreck and the Mongrel can't look away!!

Peoria Irish are sending 3 teams although their 16U and 17U teams will both compete at the 17U division. One of the Irish's top 17U players is James Johnson, a 6'8 forward whom Chicagohoops gave good reviews to at the Chicago Tip Off classic. The 16U team beat the Mac Irvin Fire to win the title in the same event and will compete up with the 17U teams this time around. Jordan Nelson from Lincoln and Hayden Hordeman pair up to make for a deadly shooting duo. Hordeman is a 6'3 shooting guard from Bloomington Central Catholic who has offers from Northern Illinois and Eastern Illinois and jumped on the radar screen for several Big Ten programs after his MVP performance in the Tip Off classic including Illinois, Iowa, Penn State, and Indiana.

Illinois Old School is sending four teams to the tournament. 6'1 Oswego East guard Jay Harris is ranked #53 in the class of 2010 by ESPN and he will be leading the Old School's 17U team. He teams with 6'0 point guard Hollis Hill who recently committed to UW-Milwuakee.

Other players of note: The Tennessee Travelers 17U team will feature Jalen Steele, who is a 6'2 highly recruited guard from Knoxville the Mongrel blogged about in some recent Dayton entries. The Shining Stars have five teams in the field so once again check your program, but watch for 17U point guard Chad Jackson from Scott County who claims offers from Xavier and West Virginia. The Mongrel has watched a couple of Jackson's games and likes his ability to get to the rim but he might need a little tweak or two to be a high major point guard. His shooting is ok and he's not super quick but has great length if he can be a point guard. Donovan Gibbs from Iriquois is a good point guard as well. On the 16U squad Austin Flannery can light it up from deep quickly. Terry Porter Elite has 3 teams at the event. Their most anticipated prospect might be Deonte Burton who some have called a top 20 player nationally in the class of 2013 but he'll be playing with TP Elite's 15U team. 15U Birmingham Storm made the trip but not the older teams. 6'6 JaCorey Williams is one of the players to watch for them. 17U Wisconsin Force will feature 6'1 Josh Cameron who is a fine scorer and getting mid-major looks from schools such as Akron. Waterloo's 6'6 Sam Gage is also getting mid-major interest, hearing from Old Dominion and Northern Iowa among others.

This is only a small sample of the talent at the Hoosier Shootout. The website for the tournament is http://www.hoosiershootout.com/ and the Mongrel will provide some updates from some of the most impressive talent in the building and a second part of the preview focusing on the many Indiana squads at the tourney and a few out of state teams we overlooked the first time around.