Jon Hood:
Jon is a talented and skilled wing. He has good size for a combo wing. He can play either wing forward or scoring guard. Jon is talented, he has range on his jumper to 20 feet. He can also do some things off the bounce like slashing to the basket or creating his own shot. He will need to get stronger to be effective at the next level but he has the talent. He can sometimes be passive and unaggressive but that should change with added strength. He is a below average defender but hopefully more strength and a concerted effort should help alleviate that issue. He is an above average rebounder for his position.
Darnell Dodson:
Dodson is a quick and athletic small forward who uses his perimeter jumper to set up his slashing and pull up game when needed. He can knock down open jumpers off the catch and dribble if the defense gives him space. He also has range from 20 to 22 feet. He has improved his strength and is finishing stronger at the basket.
Eric Bledsoe:
Eric is a solid pass first point guard. He is excellent at running a team and creating opportunities for his teammates. He has a strong body and is effective getting in the lane for dump offs or scoring on his own. He is a good defender on the ball. Eric is an ok shooter with range to 19 feet. He has a very good basketball IQ and has good leadership ability. Eric is a tough competitor and has some bulldog in him as a player. He is an average basketball athlete.
Daniel Orton:
Orton is a true center that is very strong and athletic. He runs well even through when I saw him he was wearing a huge knee brace on his left knee that seemed to slow his mobility at times especially when he became tired. His productivity in the post is centered on his quick post moves after he establishes himself in the lane by using his big body to seal his man. Orton likes to use the up and under move on the left low box and on the right low box he favored the quick spin baseline to attack with his right hand if the defender was to close on the catch. He would also catch the ball with a foot in the lane and attack the middle on both sides of the floor. Orton is very explosive and can score through contact with ease. A good passer from the high post in the Athletes First high-low offensive set and can pass out of the low post to a shooter spotting up or a cutter from the weak side. Powerful defensive rebounder and shot blocker on the ball or coming to the rescue from the weak side. Orton is a physical defender that works to move his opponent out of the lane and preventing deep post ups. He will be a major factor right away in the post at the college level as long as he is in shape and healthy.
Demarcus Cousins:
2009: This top-five 2009 prospect absolutely dominates games when he focuses on the task at hand. He has the tools to score on the low block as well as take his man away from the rim. Cousins also passes the ball well and throws solid outlet passes. However, he has to alleviate his tendency to loaf, sometimes not making it over half-court. His effort and level of interest tends to fluctuate throughout games, seemingly more engaged when his opponent (in the Hoophall Classic, James Padgett from Lincoln High in New York) gets the best of him. Cousins, when interested, also uses his very big frame to establish position in the post and finish at the rim while taking on contact from opposing bigs trying to defend him in the painted area. He will also step away from the basket and score on jump shots and drives to the rim. He will connect on jumpers, but he has a tendency to rely too much on jump shots at times. Cousins needs to make effective uses of his very solid footwork and scoring abilities with his back to the bucket. He has to keep his emotions in check when he faces an opponent that plays big-time defense on him and matches Cousins' level of physicality.
John Wall:
John is perhaps the best athlete in the class. He is definitely the most athletic point guard in the class. He is the fastest guard in America from end line to end line with the ball. He has tremendous size and his athletic ability is comparable to that of current NBAer Derrick Rose. Offensively he is best as a slasher. In high school it is IMPOSSIBLE for one man to keep him out of the lane. His size, speed, handle and athletic ability are too much for any high school player. He has the ability to go left or right (he is best going right) and can finish above the rim or create for a teammate. He is a good and creative passer and has improved his decision making a lot over the last year (though he could still use some improvement). His shooting is ok and streaky. He has range to 20 feet. John is a very good rebounder for his position. Defensively he is decent. His tools should enable him to be an excellent defender in the future. Currently he looses focus and gambles a bit too much. Wall has a solid basketball IQ and has some leadership tools but could use a little improvement there. He is one of the country's top unsigned players. Wall is a long-armed and athletic lead guard. He can organize and run the team and is an excellent ball handler and passer. At times, he seems to have eyes in the back of his head. He changes speed and directions with a great burst of speed around defenders. He pushes the ball with great pace and makes the right decision on the fast break. He also penetrates deep into the lane and has a special talent to fit the ball into tight places for layups that would result in a turnover for most players. Wall can also drive, draw and kick to open shooters. During this event, he kept his turnovers to a minimum. Wall's an explosive driver both ways in the half court, he likes to drive baseline especially from the left corner. He understands how to play, I saw him repeatedly pass read the defense and make the proper cut after giving up the ball. He's not a great shooter, but is good enough to keep the defense honest. He also showed range with all his 3-point attempts being from off the catch. His shooting form is not bad, but he has an inconsistent release and he does not put his hand toward the rim on his follow through. That problem can be corrected by shooting a high number of quality shots on a daily basis. He's a good defensive rebounder and is always a threat to go coast-to-coast in about four or five dribbles. He is also a skilled offensive rebounder at the scoring guard position when his coach inserts a smaller point guard. He plays in a defensive stance and is a pretty good on-ball defender with quick hands. At times, he hops around too much which could get him beat off the dribble. He's a good shot-blocker from behind in transition or from the weak side in the half court. Wall reminds me of Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics at times; he's an immediate impact player at the high major level.
-ESPN
