Liberty Play-day

[terop]

I will be in the house 2 see what this HUMBOLDT stuff is about. You no I will give it to you raw after I see whats up!

 

Legend is Brandon Bishop playing for you guys this year..

[Legend]

Legend is Brandon Bishop playing for you guys this year..

 

 

I think he made JV team this year.

[mrbigster]

I think he made JV team this year.

 

 

 

 

Must not be very good then !

[terop]

Must not be very good then !

 

Or it could mean that Manassas is loaded with good players...

[yankees8589]

Or it could mean that Manassas is loaded with good players...

 

That is true. Manassas may have one of the best scorers in the city of Memphis and his name is not Reginald Buckner. Think about that. Make no mistake about it though...Buckner is the MAN!!!!!!! I think this Manassas team has more high end talent than last seasons. What do you think? BTW, are you going to make it to Liberty tomorrow? I'm anxious to see the Melorose kids for the first time. I'm going and also going to see the Memphis Tigers next Saturday....GO TIGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mrbigster]

That is true. Manassas may have one of the best scorers in the city of Memphis and his name is not Reginald Buckner. Think about that. Make no mistake about it though...Buckner is the MAN!!!!!!! I think this Manassas team has more high end talent than last seasons. What do you think? BTW, are you going to make it to Liberty tomorrow? I'm anxious to see the Melorose kids for the first time. I'm going and also going to see the Memphis Tigers next Saturday....GO TIGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Tell us what your take on Humboldt is also..Supposedely their best team in a decade..Nobody has posted anything yet..They still may be at the gym but I would have thought had Humboldt won...that they would have run somewhere and found a computer..Even if they had to bribe the janitor to open the door in the computer room..

[chipper_jones_4mvp]

Tell us what your take on Humboldt is also..Supposedely their best team in a decade..Nobody has posted anything yet..They still may be at the gym but I would have thought had Humboldt won...that they would have run somewhere and found a computer..Even if they had to bribe the janitor to open the door in the computer room..

 

Lake Co fan 007 said that Liberty beat Humboldt by 10,but they was up 20 when they put in the subs.Bolivar also beat Humboldt by 2 points without Chris Reeves.I was told that Humboldt didnt look all that great today.I know if Legend was there,he will be on here later talking about how Manassas will blast Humboldt.Lol.

[yankees8589]

My take is that every team at the Liberty Plyday will have alot of success this season. This playday was almost like going to an AAU event. Talent, Talent, Talent, and then some. Personally I put 0 stock in the final scores, unless it was one team completely dominating another. These games are not coached like games that actually count in the win loss column, teams are playing back to back games, and many times the rotations are not what they might necessarily be in the regular season. Having said that , Melrose stole the show...in my opinion...followed by Liberty, Bolivar (minus Reaves and Ross), Humboldt, Rossview, and an Austin East team that was missing three players due to FB season.

 

(1) Melrose: Looked like a team in midseason form. It was quite stunning to see a team this young to play like they had already played 20 games. To many players to name but just about everybody that played looked like at least top 15 talents for there respective classes. This team is absolutley loaded. I would not be suprised if Melrose makes the state and actually makes a strong run once there. But, who knows...Memphis is such a meat grinder. The only thing that will hold this team back is inexpierence and from what I saw that may not be as big as I thought before seeing them. I would put Adonis Thomas in the same category as Buckner, Jenkins, and McDonald (Jackson and Prather to)...the only thing that seperates these three from Thomas right now is that they have two more years of development under there belt. I't wouldn't be a stretch to say Thomas is as good as Jenkins and McDonald right now and he is only a sophmore...Buckners defense is what seprates him form all the others (in my opinion). Thomas has the tools to be a McDonalds AllAmerican. His skill set may not be where Buckner, McDonald, and Jenkins are but it's not far behind and he still has three full season to play. Thomas reminds me of Clyde Drexler...his play and style. Thomas true potential probably will not be showcased at the highschool level because his talents will be somewhat harnessed by the highschool game just like most supestar highschool players. I can't wait to see him showcase his talent next spring/simmer at the AAU level. The other impressive think about Melrose is they don't hotdog..they were just out there getting the job done and doig it in an impressive manner.

 

(2) Liberty: Best defesive team at the playday...hands down. Same old Liberty...press, press, and press. Liberty doesn't have alot of size....but, they do have ALOT of players with considerable skills. LIberty is going to be really good this season. I wouldn't be suprised and actually think they may make it back to the State this season. Everybody knows about Tarius Johnson, but they have many more parts to. One kid that blew me away was Kendell Anthony...if I'm not mistaken he scored Liberty's first 16 points (in a five minute stretch) against Rossview. Anthony is only something like 5'5 an is a sophmore. I wouldn't be suprised at all if this kid ends up being one of the top PG's in the state by the time he graduates. No doubt will be a top 10 to 20 players in the state for his class. Tarius Johnson is already top 20 for the class of 2010.

 

(3) Bolivar: Played without Chris Reaves and Mitch Ross. Everybody knows about Reaves but Ross's contribuions to Bolivars success often goes unnoticed. Ross is 6'4/6'5 and is a husle guy that does alot of stuff that never shows up on the stat sheet. Ross may not big a bigtime college prospect but he will play a key role for Bolivar. Murphy didn't really play that well but he is one of the top PG's in the class of 2010. Not saying Murphy played bad just not up to his capabilities. Ricky Tisdale showed out against Melrose. Tisdale may only be 5'7 but he is a scorer and a good one at that. Murphy and Tisdale will form one of the top backcourts in the state in 2010. Bolivar lost to Melrose by 8 I think. Whitehorn didn't show out like he is capable of doing either. Bolivar looked a bit out of sync on the offensive end, but like I said Rudesill was not coaching as if this were the regular season. Bolivar is going to make alot of noise......providing Chris Reaves plays. Without Reaves they are still very good but with Reaves they will be able to play with anybody in the state. Bolivar and Liberty will be the cream of the crop from rural West TN.

 

(4) Humboldt: As many athletes as just about any team that played with the exception of Melrose. Taylor and Crayton have considerable talent and skill. Both could end up D1..Taylor for sure. The other player for Humboldt that really impressed me was the little (and I mean Little) guard, left handed. This kid has some serious range. He had the green light to shoot when open and did not dissapoint. If the Humboldt coach would simply take a hard line with this team as far as discipline they would be hard for anybody to stop. I saw way to many instances of the two big guys getting frustrated when they werent getting the ball....nothing out of line, just not the type of thing you like to see. Ive seen Humboldt every season for years (usually ony two or three times) and I would say this could be the most talented team they have had in quite some time. Humboldt showed they could play some really really good defense..that isn't the concern. They just need to work on all being on the same page. I know it's early and the first game hasen't even been played but this is typical of what I have seen in the past. If this team gets focused and has one midset they are going to be something else..especially since they play in single A. Having said that, those that think they may challenge Manassas...they have a ways to go to get to that level. That may be unfair to say that though becuase Manassas is simply the cream of the crop in Single A. Humboldt is not at the same level as Manassas in my opinion. With one midset and total focus to the team aspect they may have a shot though...who knows? I don't know enough about Lake County like others but If Lake County can match up with the Humbolt athletes and has some shooters they could beat Humboldt but it will be a tough task. Was told by a recruiting analyst that the Avery kid from Lake County is a for sure mid major talent.

 

(5) Rossview: I know hardly nothing about this team. One thing I know now is that thaey have a couple of big kids that are really good. One of the kids is most likely a for sure D1 talent. The kid can shoot, has handles, and likes to dunk. His speed and quicknees is deceptive. He is faster and quicker than he looks. I think his name is Jonathan Williams. Rossview is a pretty good team even though Melrose took them to the woodshed. Rossview best Bolivar early and held Bolivar to only 6 points in the second half.

 

(6) Knoxville Austin East: Was missing three of it's better players. I was told it was due to Football. But, their best player was there. Kids name is Lopez, a sophmore PG about 6'0 maybe 6'1. I was as impressed with this kid as anybody at the playday. This kid has a bright future. He certainly didn't look like a sophmore to me. He looked and played like a senior.

 

Having said all that, I realize this was only a bunch of teams scrimaging. Like I said I don't put much stock in the scores because the games don't count and coaches coach different when a win is a win and a loss is a loss and it counts. Every team was good and had lots of talent. I think all these teams are going to make alot of noise once the seasons starts. Way to many players to note on this post. I will just say that this playday had quite a few D1 players and it was truly a joy to watch all these kids. Some I look forward to watching the next few seasons. GOOD LUCK to all teams across the state. Can't wait for the season to start!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[chill]

My take is that every team at the Liberty Plyday will have alot of success this season. This playday was almost like going to an AAU event. Talent, Talent, Talent, and then some. Personally I put 0 stock in the final scores, unless it was one team completely dominating another. These games are not coached like games that actually count in the win loss column, teams are playing back to back games, and many times the rotations are not what they might necessarily be in the regular season. Having said that , Melrose stole the show...in my opinion...followed by Liberty, Bolivar (minus Reaves and Ross), Humboldt, Rossview, and an Austin East team that was missing three players due to FB season.

 

(1) Melrose: Looked like a team in midseason form. It was quite stunning to see a team this young to play like they had already played 20 games. To many players to name but just about everybody that played looked like at least top 15 talents for there respective classes. This team is absolutley loaded. I would not be suprised if Melrose makes the state and actually makes a strong run once there. But, who knows...Memphis is such a meat grinder. The only thing that will hold this team back is inexpierence and from what I saw that may not be as big as I thought before seeing them. I would put Adonis Thomas in the same category as Buckner, Jenkins, and McDonald (Jackson and Prather to)...the only thing that seperates these three from Thomas right now is that they have two more years of development under there belt. I't wouldn't be a stretch to say Thomas is as good as Jenkins and McDonald right now and he is only a sophmore...Buckners defense is what seprates him form all the others (in my opinion). Thomas has the tools to be a McDonalds AllAmerican. His skill set may not be where Buckner, McDonald, and Jenkins are but it's not far behind and he still has three full season to play. Thomas reminds me of Clyde Drexler...his play and style. Thomas true potential probably will not be showcased at the highschool level because his talents will be somewhat harnessed by the highschool game just like most supestar highschool players. I can't wait to see him showcase his talent next spring/simmer at the AAU level. The other impressive think about Melrose is they don't hotdog..they were just out there getting the job done and doig it in an impressive manner.

 

(2) Liberty: Best defesive team at the playday...hands down. Same old Liberty...press, press, and press. Liberty doesn't have alot of size....but, they do have ALOT of players with considerable skills. LIberty is going to be really good this season. I wouldn't be suprised and actually think they may make it back to the State this season. Everybody knows about Tarius Johnson, but they have many more parts to. One kid that blew me away was Kendell Anthony...if I'm not mistaken he scored Liberty's first 16 points (in a five minute stretch) against Rossview. Anthony is only something like 5'5 an is a sophmore. I wouldn't be suprised at all if this kid ends up being one of the top PG's in the state by the time he graduates. No doubt will be a top 10 to 20 players in the state for his class. Tarius Johnson is already top 20 for the class of 2010.

 

(3) Bolivar: Played without Chris Reaves and Mitch Ross. Everybody knows about Reaves but Ross's contribuions to Bolivars success often goes unnoticed. Ross is 6'4/6'5 and is a husle guy that does alot of stuff that never shows up on the stat sheet. Ross may not big a bigtime college prospect but he will play a key role for Bolivar. Murphy didn't really play that well but he is one of the top PG's in the class of 2010. Not saying Murphy played bad just not up to his capabilities. Ricky Tisdale showed out against Melrose. Tisdale may only be 5'7 but he is a scorer and a good one at that. Murphy and Tisdale will form one of the top backcourts in the state in 2010. Bolivar lost to Melrose by 8 I think. Whitehorn didn't show out like he is capable of doing either. Bolivar looked a bit out of sync on the offensive end, but like I said Rudesill was not coaching as if this were the regular season. Bolivar is going to make alot of noise......providing Chris Reaves plays. Without Reaves they are still very good but with Reaves they will be able to play with anybody in the state. Bolivar and Liberty will be the cream of the crop from rural West TN.

 

(4) Humboldt: As many athletes as just about any team that played with the exception of Melrose. Taylor and Crayton have considerable talent and skill. Both could end up D1..Taylor for sure. The other player for Humboldt that really impressed me was the little (and I mean Little) guard, left handed. This kid has some serious range. He had the green light to shoot when open and did not dissapoint. If the Humboldt coach would simply take a hard line with this team as far as discipline they would be hard for anybody to stop. I saw way to many instances of the two big guys getting frustrated when they werent getting the ball....nothing out of line, just not the type of thing you like to see. Ive seen Humboldt every season for years (usually ony two or three times) and I would say this could be the most talented team they have had in quite some time. Humboldt showed they could play some really really good defense..that isn't the concern. They just need to work on all being on the same page. I know it's early and the first game hasen't even been played but this is typical of what I have seen in the past. If this team gets focused and has one midset they are going to be something else..especially since they play in single A. Having said that, those that think they may challenge Manassas...they have a ways to go to get to that level. That may be unfair to say that though becuase Manassas is simply the cream of the crop in Single A. Humboldt is not at the same level as Manassas in my opinion. With one midset and total focus to the team aspect they may have a shot though...who knows? I don't know enough about Lake County like others but If Lake County can match up with the Humbolt athletes and has some shooters they could beat Humboldt but it will be a tough task. Was told by a recruiting analyst that the Avery kid from Lake County is a for sure mid major talent.

 

(5) Rossview: I know hardly nothing about this team. One thing I know now is that thaey have a couple of big kids that are really good. One of the kids is most likely a for sure D1 talent. The kid can shoot, has handles, and likes to dunk. His speed and quicknees is deceptive. He is faster and quicker than he looks. I think his name is Jonathan Williams. Rossview is a pretty good team even though Melrose took them to the woodshed. Rossview best Bolivar early and held Bolivar to only 6 points in the second half.

 

(6) Knoxville Austin East: Was missing three of it's better players. I was told it was due to Football. But, their best player was there. Kids name is Lopez, a sophmore PG about 6'0 maybe 6'1. I was as impressed with this kid as anybody at the playday. This kid has a bright future. He certainly didn't look like a sophmore to me. He looked and played like a senior.

 

Having said all that, I realize this was only a bunch of teams scrimaging. Like I said I don't put much stock in the scores because the games don't count and coaches coach different when a win is a win and a loss is a loss and it counts. Every team was good and had lots of talent. I think all these teams are going to make alot of noise once the seasons starts. Way to many players to note on this post. I will just say that this playday had quite a few D1 players and it was truly a joy to watch all these kids. Some I look forward to watching the next few seasons. GOOD LUCK to all teams across the state. Can't wait for the season to start!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Lopez(soph) for Austin East didn't even start last year. Saying he is the best player on the team is off-base. He is going to be very good and when the Jones twins(6/2 190, 6/5 210) and Pryor(6/7,230) get back AE will be loaded...All three of these kids have a chance to be play either b-ball or football at a high level......

[yankees8589]

Lopez(soph) for Austin East didn't even start last year. Saying he is the best player on the team is off-base. He is going to be very good and when the Jones twins(6/2 190, 6/5 210) and Pryor(6/7,230) get back AE will be loaded...All three of these kids have a chance to be play either b-ball or football at a high level......

 

Good point. Especially since I haven't seen the whole team. Maybe I should have stated Lopez was the best player there on the AE team. I bet Lopez ends up playing D1 though. I really didn't see anybody that could stop Lopez from getting to the hole or doing what he wanted to do. Austin East was certainly undermannned. I was basing my opinion on his play and that he still has three full seasons of highschool in front of him..and to play like that...he has a ton of upside. I bet by the time he finishes highschool he will have plenty of schools vying for his services. what do you thinkg?

[Mr.Clutch]

I think that was a very good assessment of the playday. There were good games all over the place throughout the day. Melrose, Liberty, and Rossview were all pretty impressive. The best game of the day that I saw was Rossview vs. Liberty, with Liberty squeaking one out at the end. Lots of talent on both of those teams, and Liberty has some outstanding guard play. Their press was giving Rossview fits early, but once they got into the flow of the game, they handled it pretty well. You were right, the kid you were talking about is Jonathan Williams. They have a dominant inside game that is going to give a lot of teams trouble this season. It's unfortunate that Rossview had to play back-to-back against Liberty and Melrose, as I think they could have given Melrose a better game in that second one, but Melrose is absolutely loaded. And that's not just in their starting lineup. They go 12 deep, and have tons of young talent. They were the most talented team from top to bottom at the playday.

 

All in all, it was a great day for a basketball fan. Very competitive games, and lots of D1 talent to watch. It would have been nice to see Reaves there for Bolivar. I would expect that all of these teams will be extremely successful this season, and you'll probably see a handful of these teams in Murfreesboro in March.

[JWhumboldt]

(4) Humboldt: As many athletes as just about any team that played with the exception of Melrose. Taylor and Crayton have considerable talent and skill. Both could end up D1..Taylor for sure. The other player for Humboldt that really impressed me was the little (and I mean Little) guard, left handed. This kid has some serious range. He had the green light to shoot when open and did not dissapoint. If the Humboldt coach would simply take a hard line with this team as far as discipline they would be hard for anybody to stop. I saw way to many instances of the two big guys getting frustrated when they werent getting the ball....nothing out of line, just not the type of thing you like to see. Ive seen Humboldt every season for years (usually ony two or three times) and I would say this could be the most talented team they have had in quite some time. Humboldt showed they could play some really really good defense..that isn't the concern. They just need to work on all being on the same page. I know it's early and the first game hasen't even been played but this is typical of what I have seen in the past. If this team gets focused and has one midset they are going to be something else..especially since they play in single A. Having said that, those that think they may challenge Manassas...they have a ways to go to get to that level. That may be unfair to say that though becuase Manassas is simply the cream of the crop in Single A. Humboldt is not at the same level as Manassas in my opinion. With one midset and total focus to the team aspect they may have a shot though...who knows? I don't know enough about Lake County like others but If Lake County can match up with the Humbolt athletes and has some shooters they could beat Humboldt but it will be a tough task. Was told by a recruiting analyst that the Avery kid from Lake County is a for sure mid major talent.

 

Humboldt played about as sorry and out of sync as possible the first two games. Never got into the flow of the game, but Bolivar and Liberty probably had a little to do with that.

The "little" left handed guard is Antonio Brooks. He is a 5'2 Freshman, but he doesn't know it /thumb[1].gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":thumb:" border="0" alt="thumb[1].gif" /> He's going to give people fits the next couple years! He hit 5 threes in the first half the last game against Austin-East. Humboldt beat them by over 20.