DFW Area Update
Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 9:41 amJune 8, 2010
Texas Bluechips update...
By Van Coleman [email protected]
Texas Blue Chip head man gave us an update on his squads recently...
We received an update from Texas Bluechips head man Mitch Malone on some player changes; and his players recruiting over the weekend. Here's that look at the Bluechip squads:
The TX Bluechips Navy Team is currently in transition and didn't live up to the expectations they had previously set before last weekend!
Things should be looking up though, High Major Prospect 6'7 2011 PF Thomas Gipson of Cedar Hill TX H.S. will be joining the Navy Team as early as next week! Gipson currently has offers from: West Virginia, Oklahoma, Marquette, Kansas State, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, SMU, Arkansas, Syracuse, Baylor, Miami, Georgia, Clemson, Illinois, Florida State & Florida International.
Also committing for the remainder of the Summer Season is 6'8 260 lb (2012) C Chris Washburn of Duncanville TX H.S. who will be just as highly recruited in 2012!
Add them to backcourt of 6'0 2012 PG Deion Houston of Duncanville H.S. who's hearing from Kansas, Georgia, Old Dominion, Oklahoma, Marquette, SMU etc.., and 6'4 2011 SG Mark Brown of Dallas TX Woodrow Wilson who previously committed to Florida St. before decommitting, and is now hearing from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Central Flordia, Florida International, and TCU among others !
Another Player that has played his way into several offers is, Unsigned Senior 6'9 C Kedrick Tate of Garland TX Naaman Forest, who has improved by leaps and bounds and is now hearing from, UTA, Independance JC, Angelena JC, Mary Hardin Baylor, and Collin County CC, but will probably go to Prep School next year because he's a Full Qualifer with his best Basketball ahead of him.
The TX Bluechips White Team didn't play as well as they did a Month ago in the Pearland TX Classic, struggling with their inability to handle pressure, and to now utilize their New Post Players ?
Even with the disappointing showing in the Great American Shoot-Out last weekend several White Team Members did step up and play well, starting with 6'4 2011 SG Christein Sager of Wichita Falls Rider, who played with a lot of energy, scored well, and rebounded extremely well from the wing position too ! Sager plays stronger and more aggressive than he looks, and will sneak up on you if you're not paying attention to all the little things he does and can do ! Look for Christein to continue to impress as a Mid Major Prospect heading into the July Evaluation Period. Unsigned Senior 5'9 PG Jeron Caston of Plano TX East, had moments where he shot the ball well and provided leadership, but along with 5'9 Unsigned Senior Willie Tatum of Fairfield TX H.S. and 5'6 2012 PG Cedric Bowman of Ft. Worth Arlington Heights, all needed to communicate more with their Team when they were struggling ! 6'5 2012 SF Uche Ofogebu of San Antonio Stevens who has more upside than any other player on the White Team played well in spurts, but also needs to set more of an example on the defensive end as the go to guy for the White Team.
Newly added Postman 6'7 240 lb 2011 PF Sterling Smoak of San Antonio Brandeis, added size and a true post presence for the White Team for the first time this year ! Smoak has the ability to really make a difference rebounding if he sets his mind and and well chiseled body to becoming a rebounding machine ! Sterling also posseses the ability to score in the post, once he can catch the ball consistently, and get comfortable with the offense and the Team, which he will get better at before July ! 6'5 2011 PF Mike Mike Jefferies of Hugo OK H.S. finally got released from the Doctor to play. Mike Mike showed his bounciness again and again for rebounds and block shots, as well as he shot it pretty well at times from the perimeter. Jefferies will need to learn where his shots should come from and how to use all that athleticism to help his Team and himself more with added experience. Mr. Hustle and silent leader 6'0 2011 SG Chris Strong of Ft. Worth TX Arlington Heights, was hobbled by a bad ankle, and was not at 100%, but played as hard as he could on it to help his Team ! 6'3 2011 SG Jonathon Walter of Garland TX H.S. played fairly consistent, but not at the level he did at the last Tournament nor the level that The Bluechips have now become accustom to for Jonathon. Walter is a smooth wing player that has a smooth stroke, but can drive the lane if over played as well, which he did but again not at the same level or consistency to draw the Mid Majors that will be coming to see him in July ! 6'5 PF 2011 Michael Walker of Haltom City TX H.S. was only able to play the first two games of the Tournament because of family obligations, but did contribute on the boards and in the post ! Even though The White Team struggled in this Tournament, and not up to the level expected, Coach Robert Erger of McKinney Christian Academy and Coach Charles Brooks of Dallas Seagoville H.S. will workout the kinks and the new post presence of Jefferies and Smoak in preparation for success for the July Evaluation Period !
The TX Bluechips Silver Team picked up where they left off from their 2nd Place finish in The Pearland Texas Classic a Month ago, by Winning the NCAA Silver Bracket Division of the Great American Shoot-Out in Carrolton TX last weekend ! Leading the way for the TXBC Silver Team was a trio of New Players, starting with 6'5 2011 PF Micah Ranie from Harker Heights TX H.S., who was Relentless on the boards, with his will to grab every rebound in his area and also rebounded well out of his area ! This along with his put backs and aggressive moves in the post allowed the Silver Team to compete at a high level for the whole Tournament ! Another one of the New Players 6'3 2012 SF Travis Williams of Ft. Worth TX Arlington Heights, added additional scoring from the wing which was badly needed. Travis shot the 3 ball well as did he shoot the midrange jumper which makes him really hard to defend. The last of the New Additions was 6'0 2011 CG Bryan Potter of Richardson TX Berkner, who added energy and consistent hustle as well as his defensive pressure to help the Silver Team with these intangibles that sometimes go completely unnoticed, but are vitally important for team success ! 5'9 2012 PG Thomas Cherry from Harker Heights TX H.S., has been the leader and the go to guy for the Silver Team, now with the additional help, Cherry can become more of a floor leader which should really help him develop into a really good Point Guard Prospect. Even with that being said, Thomas also provided point production as well as being the primary ball handler.
6'3 2011 SG Michael White of Terrell TX H.S. showed us as well as the other Teams we played that he's more than just a good shooter ! Icy Mike as he likes to be called, showed that he can also take the ball to the rack as well, which even surprised his Coaches ! 6'2 2011 SG Sean Power of Plano TX H.S. did what he usually does, knock down open jumpers of the kick out passes, which he did fairly consistently through out the Tournament ! 6'4 2011 CF Steven Carmona of Houston TX Scarborough started to look like his old self after starting the season late due to personal issues. Carmona is a hustle guy that plays will a lot of energy and reckless abandon, which he showed more of this Tournament than he did in the last one. 6'4 2011 CF Derrick Tate of Garland TX Naaman Forest is starting to show signs of improvement as a player that lacked experience. Tate is a really good athlete that's learning how to use all that athleticism, which he uses to block shots, rebound, and elevate over other players ! 6'6 2012 PF Travis Hornstein of Dallas TX Lake Highlands is learning to become a presence in the post along with his ability to play the stretch 4, and shoot it well from the perimeter. 6'5 2011 PF Connor Cutrer of Frisco TX H.S. tried to play with an injured Thumb, but wasn't able to play effectively and sat out the last 2 days of the Tournament.
Overall, The TX Bluechips Silver Team has managed to play pretty well as a Team, and continues to improve each outing. Coach Ray Scott of Princeton TX H.S. and Coach Cornelius Mitchell of Haltom City TX H.S. did a Great Job Coaching this group through out the Tournament and they look for continued success heading into the July Evaluation Period playing in front of the College Coaches !
The TX Bluechips 15's pretty much Dominated the field last weekend at the Great American Shoot-Out in Carrollton / Lewisville in the NIT Division ! The 15's went 6 - 0 for the Tournament, beating TX Select Orange 64 - 35 in the first Pool Play Game, then beating All Around Nets Red 65 - 44 in the second Pool Play Game, then beating Houston Elite 62 - 42 in the last Pool Play Game ! In the first Game of Bracket Play the 15's beat Dallas Showtyme 57 - 49, then in the Semi Finals playing Houston Elite again for the 2nd time in two days, which was really hard to get the Team motivated to play Elite again, and the 15's only won by 4 points 52 -48, then in the Championship Game the 15's beat a much older Westside Thunder Team 60 - 58 after being up by 8 points with 2 plus minuets left to play !
Leading the TX Bluechips 15's was 6'7 2013 PF D.J. Miles who returned to the Team after missing the last two Tournaments with family issues. Miles is a load to handle because of his multifaceted game, D.J. is a really good shot blocker that had 21 blocks for the Tournament ! Miles is also a really good rebounder and have 63 rebounds for the Tournament ! D.J. is also bless with a really good midrange shot and post up game, and he also runs the floor in transition really well too ! The only thing that stopped Miles during the Tournament was the wear and tear of 6 games in 3 days which showed he was not in Tournament shape after missing the last two Tournaments with the Bluechips 15' s ! D.J. has the talent to be a Top 20 - 30 Player in the 2013 Class with a little more work and fine tuning, which he will be doing in the month of June before the College Evaluation Period starts in July, so look out for him to climb up the Ranking after July !
Also returning to the TX Bluechips 15's was 5'9 2013 PG Marcus Mathieu of Grand Prairie TX H.S. who suffered a ankle injury in the first game of the H-Town Classic Houston over almost 2 months ago ! Mathieu started to show the ability to drive to the rack and score, as well as being able to shoot his pull up jumper. Because of his ankle and conditioning, Marcus slowed down a bit down the stretch, but this will improve by July as well, so look for Mathieu to impress as one of 2013 Top Point Guard Prospects !
5'6 2013 PG Chance Houston of Dallas TX Seagoville was a valuable contributor to the Team by using his speed, quickness, and the ability to isolate his man one on one for easy scores or to get fouled and get to the free throw line ! Chance was also really good on defense guarding the other Teams best guard, and creating steals in transition and reading the passing lanes as well for steals which usually turned into easy transitions baskets !
6'5 2013 250 lb Man Child A'Shawn Robinson controlled the paint by rebounding and scoring inside ! A'Shawn also showed his incredible agility by driving to the paint from outside the the free throw line, and on one play Robinson got a defensive rebound went coast to coast, yeah all 250 lbs of him, imagine the Celtics Glen Big Baby Davis and it will give you an idea of A'Shawn !
6'3 2013 SG Keywan Robinson of Plano TX East H.S. is one of the most talented wing Players in the Class of 2013 when he has his head on straight and is focused ! Blessed with superior athleticism and the ability to shoot it from mid range and from the 3pt line, Robinson really can only be stopped by his attitude and moody behavior ! If he ever really buys into working on his game and attitude his upside is unlimited ! Keywan showed this in purts over the entire Tournament, he showed the good, the bad and sometimes the ugly, but what a Talent !
6'4 2013 PF Devonte Pryor of Emory TX H.S. has improved by leaps and bounds from last year when he was just trying to figure things out at the elite level. Now Pryor has figured things out and is now showing the aggressiveness, and the athleticism to go along with the intelligence he possesses. Devonte, can really shoot the ball on the face up and now attacks the rim from the post up as well ! Pryor is also becoming a really good rebounder in traffic and a bull going back up in traffic as well ! Hopefully, Devonte keeps on growing over the next 3 years because if he ends up 6'7 or over, look out !
5'7 2013 PG Kaelen Malone of McKinney Boyd started off the Tournament playing well, by getting the offense ran thru the right players, and making good decisions and good passes, along with shooting well from the free throw line. Then things fell apart for Kaelen when he got side ways with the Coach, who just so happens to be his Dad and the Director of the Program ! Not Smart on a lot of levels for him ! Stay tuned on this one for future details !
Newly added Player 6'1 2013 SF Justin Norton of Rowlett TX H.S. was feeling his way in his first Tournament with The TX Bluechips. Surprised by Justin's ability to shoot the 3 pointer which we had not seen him do in our practices ! Norton's made 3 point shots really helped the offense since most Teams elect to play zone defenses against The Bluechips 15's because of our size and athleticism.
6'2 2013 SF Shaqui Burden of Haltom City TX H.S. added additional depth on the wing because of his length and ability to also shoot from distance !
Texas Bluechips update...
By Van Coleman [email protected]
Texas Blue Chip head man gave us an update on his squads recently...
We received an update from Texas Bluechips head man Mitch Malone on some player changes; and his players recruiting over the weekend. Here's that look at the Bluechip squads:
The TX Bluechips Navy Team is currently in transition and didn't live up to the expectations they had previously set before last weekend!
Things should be looking up though, High Major Prospect 6'7 2011 PF Thomas Gipson of Cedar Hill TX H.S. will be joining the Navy Team as early as next week! Gipson currently has offers from: West Virginia, Oklahoma, Marquette, Kansas State, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, SMU, Arkansas, Syracuse, Baylor, Miami, Georgia, Clemson, Illinois, Florida State & Florida International.
Also committing for the remainder of the Summer Season is 6'8 260 lb (2012) C Chris Washburn of Duncanville TX H.S. who will be just as highly recruited in 2012!
Add them to backcourt of 6'0 2012 PG Deion Houston of Duncanville H.S. who's hearing from Kansas, Georgia, Old Dominion, Oklahoma, Marquette, SMU etc.., and 6'4 2011 SG Mark Brown of Dallas TX Woodrow Wilson who previously committed to Florida St. before decommitting, and is now hearing from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Central Flordia, Florida International, and TCU among others !
Another Player that has played his way into several offers is, Unsigned Senior 6'9 C Kedrick Tate of Garland TX Naaman Forest, who has improved by leaps and bounds and is now hearing from, UTA, Independance JC, Angelena JC, Mary Hardin Baylor, and Collin County CC, but will probably go to Prep School next year because he's a Full Qualifer with his best Basketball ahead of him.
The TX Bluechips White Team didn't play as well as they did a Month ago in the Pearland TX Classic, struggling with their inability to handle pressure, and to now utilize their New Post Players ?
Even with the disappointing showing in the Great American Shoot-Out last weekend several White Team Members did step up and play well, starting with 6'4 2011 SG Christein Sager of Wichita Falls Rider, who played with a lot of energy, scored well, and rebounded extremely well from the wing position too ! Sager plays stronger and more aggressive than he looks, and will sneak up on you if you're not paying attention to all the little things he does and can do ! Look for Christein to continue to impress as a Mid Major Prospect heading into the July Evaluation Period. Unsigned Senior 5'9 PG Jeron Caston of Plano TX East, had moments where he shot the ball well and provided leadership, but along with 5'9 Unsigned Senior Willie Tatum of Fairfield TX H.S. and 5'6 2012 PG Cedric Bowman of Ft. Worth Arlington Heights, all needed to communicate more with their Team when they were struggling ! 6'5 2012 SF Uche Ofogebu of San Antonio Stevens who has more upside than any other player on the White Team played well in spurts, but also needs to set more of an example on the defensive end as the go to guy for the White Team.
Newly added Postman 6'7 240 lb 2011 PF Sterling Smoak of San Antonio Brandeis, added size and a true post presence for the White Team for the first time this year ! Smoak has the ability to really make a difference rebounding if he sets his mind and and well chiseled body to becoming a rebounding machine ! Sterling also posseses the ability to score in the post, once he can catch the ball consistently, and get comfortable with the offense and the Team, which he will get better at before July ! 6'5 2011 PF Mike Mike Jefferies of Hugo OK H.S. finally got released from the Doctor to play. Mike Mike showed his bounciness again and again for rebounds and block shots, as well as he shot it pretty well at times from the perimeter. Jefferies will need to learn where his shots should come from and how to use all that athleticism to help his Team and himself more with added experience. Mr. Hustle and silent leader 6'0 2011 SG Chris Strong of Ft. Worth TX Arlington Heights, was hobbled by a bad ankle, and was not at 100%, but played as hard as he could on it to help his Team ! 6'3 2011 SG Jonathon Walter of Garland TX H.S. played fairly consistent, but not at the level he did at the last Tournament nor the level that The Bluechips have now become accustom to for Jonathon. Walter is a smooth wing player that has a smooth stroke, but can drive the lane if over played as well, which he did but again not at the same level or consistency to draw the Mid Majors that will be coming to see him in July ! 6'5 PF 2011 Michael Walker of Haltom City TX H.S. was only able to play the first two games of the Tournament because of family obligations, but did contribute on the boards and in the post ! Even though The White Team struggled in this Tournament, and not up to the level expected, Coach Robert Erger of McKinney Christian Academy and Coach Charles Brooks of Dallas Seagoville H.S. will workout the kinks and the new post presence of Jefferies and Smoak in preparation for success for the July Evaluation Period !
The TX Bluechips Silver Team picked up where they left off from their 2nd Place finish in The Pearland Texas Classic a Month ago, by Winning the NCAA Silver Bracket Division of the Great American Shoot-Out in Carrolton TX last weekend ! Leading the way for the TXBC Silver Team was a trio of New Players, starting with 6'5 2011 PF Micah Ranie from Harker Heights TX H.S., who was Relentless on the boards, with his will to grab every rebound in his area and also rebounded well out of his area ! This along with his put backs and aggressive moves in the post allowed the Silver Team to compete at a high level for the whole Tournament ! Another one of the New Players 6'3 2012 SF Travis Williams of Ft. Worth TX Arlington Heights, added additional scoring from the wing which was badly needed. Travis shot the 3 ball well as did he shoot the midrange jumper which makes him really hard to defend. The last of the New Additions was 6'0 2011 CG Bryan Potter of Richardson TX Berkner, who added energy and consistent hustle as well as his defensive pressure to help the Silver Team with these intangibles that sometimes go completely unnoticed, but are vitally important for team success ! 5'9 2012 PG Thomas Cherry from Harker Heights TX H.S., has been the leader and the go to guy for the Silver Team, now with the additional help, Cherry can become more of a floor leader which should really help him develop into a really good Point Guard Prospect. Even with that being said, Thomas also provided point production as well as being the primary ball handler.
6'3 2011 SG Michael White of Terrell TX H.S. showed us as well as the other Teams we played that he's more than just a good shooter ! Icy Mike as he likes to be called, showed that he can also take the ball to the rack as well, which even surprised his Coaches ! 6'2 2011 SG Sean Power of Plano TX H.S. did what he usually does, knock down open jumpers of the kick out passes, which he did fairly consistently through out the Tournament ! 6'4 2011 CF Steven Carmona of Houston TX Scarborough started to look like his old self after starting the season late due to personal issues. Carmona is a hustle guy that plays will a lot of energy and reckless abandon, which he showed more of this Tournament than he did in the last one. 6'4 2011 CF Derrick Tate of Garland TX Naaman Forest is starting to show signs of improvement as a player that lacked experience. Tate is a really good athlete that's learning how to use all that athleticism, which he uses to block shots, rebound, and elevate over other players ! 6'6 2012 PF Travis Hornstein of Dallas TX Lake Highlands is learning to become a presence in the post along with his ability to play the stretch 4, and shoot it well from the perimeter. 6'5 2011 PF Connor Cutrer of Frisco TX H.S. tried to play with an injured Thumb, but wasn't able to play effectively and sat out the last 2 days of the Tournament.
Overall, The TX Bluechips Silver Team has managed to play pretty well as a Team, and continues to improve each outing. Coach Ray Scott of Princeton TX H.S. and Coach Cornelius Mitchell of Haltom City TX H.S. did a Great Job Coaching this group through out the Tournament and they look for continued success heading into the July Evaluation Period playing in front of the College Coaches !
The TX Bluechips 15's pretty much Dominated the field last weekend at the Great American Shoot-Out in Carrollton / Lewisville in the NIT Division ! The 15's went 6 - 0 for the Tournament, beating TX Select Orange 64 - 35 in the first Pool Play Game, then beating All Around Nets Red 65 - 44 in the second Pool Play Game, then beating Houston Elite 62 - 42 in the last Pool Play Game ! In the first Game of Bracket Play the 15's beat Dallas Showtyme 57 - 49, then in the Semi Finals playing Houston Elite again for the 2nd time in two days, which was really hard to get the Team motivated to play Elite again, and the 15's only won by 4 points 52 -48, then in the Championship Game the 15's beat a much older Westside Thunder Team 60 - 58 after being up by 8 points with 2 plus minuets left to play !
Leading the TX Bluechips 15's was 6'7 2013 PF D.J. Miles who returned to the Team after missing the last two Tournaments with family issues. Miles is a load to handle because of his multifaceted game, D.J. is a really good shot blocker that had 21 blocks for the Tournament ! Miles is also a really good rebounder and have 63 rebounds for the Tournament ! D.J. is also bless with a really good midrange shot and post up game, and he also runs the floor in transition really well too ! The only thing that stopped Miles during the Tournament was the wear and tear of 6 games in 3 days which showed he was not in Tournament shape after missing the last two Tournaments with the Bluechips 15' s ! D.J. has the talent to be a Top 20 - 30 Player in the 2013 Class with a little more work and fine tuning, which he will be doing in the month of June before the College Evaluation Period starts in July, so look out for him to climb up the Ranking after July !
Also returning to the TX Bluechips 15's was 5'9 2013 PG Marcus Mathieu of Grand Prairie TX H.S. who suffered a ankle injury in the first game of the H-Town Classic Houston over almost 2 months ago ! Mathieu started to show the ability to drive to the rack and score, as well as being able to shoot his pull up jumper. Because of his ankle and conditioning, Marcus slowed down a bit down the stretch, but this will improve by July as well, so look for Mathieu to impress as one of 2013 Top Point Guard Prospects !
5'6 2013 PG Chance Houston of Dallas TX Seagoville was a valuable contributor to the Team by using his speed, quickness, and the ability to isolate his man one on one for easy scores or to get fouled and get to the free throw line ! Chance was also really good on defense guarding the other Teams best guard, and creating steals in transition and reading the passing lanes as well for steals which usually turned into easy transitions baskets !
6'5 2013 250 lb Man Child A'Shawn Robinson controlled the paint by rebounding and scoring inside ! A'Shawn also showed his incredible agility by driving to the paint from outside the the free throw line, and on one play Robinson got a defensive rebound went coast to coast, yeah all 250 lbs of him, imagine the Celtics Glen Big Baby Davis and it will give you an idea of A'Shawn !
6'3 2013 SG Keywan Robinson of Plano TX East H.S. is one of the most talented wing Players in the Class of 2013 when he has his head on straight and is focused ! Blessed with superior athleticism and the ability to shoot it from mid range and from the 3pt line, Robinson really can only be stopped by his attitude and moody behavior ! If he ever really buys into working on his game and attitude his upside is unlimited ! Keywan showed this in purts over the entire Tournament, he showed the good, the bad and sometimes the ugly, but what a Talent !
6'4 2013 PF Devonte Pryor of Emory TX H.S. has improved by leaps and bounds from last year when he was just trying to figure things out at the elite level. Now Pryor has figured things out and is now showing the aggressiveness, and the athleticism to go along with the intelligence he possesses. Devonte, can really shoot the ball on the face up and now attacks the rim from the post up as well ! Pryor is also becoming a really good rebounder in traffic and a bull going back up in traffic as well ! Hopefully, Devonte keeps on growing over the next 3 years because if he ends up 6'7 or over, look out !
5'7 2013 PG Kaelen Malone of McKinney Boyd started off the Tournament playing well, by getting the offense ran thru the right players, and making good decisions and good passes, along with shooting well from the free throw line. Then things fell apart for Kaelen when he got side ways with the Coach, who just so happens to be his Dad and the Director of the Program ! Not Smart on a lot of levels for him ! Stay tuned on this one for future details !
Newly added Player 6'1 2013 SF Justin Norton of Rowlett TX H.S. was feeling his way in his first Tournament with The TX Bluechips. Surprised by Justin's ability to shoot the 3 pointer which we had not seen him do in our practices ! Norton's made 3 point shots really helped the offense since most Teams elect to play zone defenses against The Bluechips 15's because of our size and athleticism.
6'2 2013 SF Shaqui Burden of Haltom City TX H.S. added additional depth on the wing because of his length and ability to also shoot from distance !