March Madness is all well and good, but real Hoop Thinkers like us know that July Madness is really where it's at. Only in this case, the big prize at the end is One Shining Scholarship. Herewith, my Fab Fifteen:
Farouq Aminu, 6-8, F, Norcross, Ga.
Summer team: Georgia Stars (Nike)
Schedule: LeBron Academy, AAU Super Showcase, AAU 19-and-unders
Skinny: Aminu is a highly ranked prospect who is currently deciding between Georgia Tech and Wake Forest, but in Colorado Springs he seemed a bit overmatched. Aminu moves very well for a player his size and he was one of the better-passing big men at the festival, but he struck me as a player who was not used to going up against guys his size or bigger. Even so, he is very bright and outgoing and I can see why so many experts anticipate he will thrive in a college setting.
Devin Ebanks, 6-8, F, Queens, N.Y.
Summer team: Team Takeover (Adidas)
Schedule: It Takes Five, Super 64
Skinny: Every kid growing up in Queens dreams of playing his college ball in ... Bloomington, Indiana? That's where Ebanks is headed next season, and the Hoosiers faithful will love what they're getting. Ebanks reminds me of a young Rudy Gay, but mentally he's ahead of where Gay was at this point. For example, the gold medal game at the USA Basketball Festival tipped off at 8:30 in the morning. Most of the players were barely awake when the game began, but Ebanks put himself through a hard warmup routine (he listened to an iPod as he went through the paces) and was the only guy ready to go when play started. As IU coach Kelvin Sampson likes to say, that shows he's got a little mud in his blood.
Tyreke Evans, 6-5, G, Aston, Pa.
Summer team: Team Final (Nike)
Schedule: LeBron Academy, Peach Jam, AAU 19-and-unders
Skinny: This is clearly the most exciting player in the senior class. Evans was a scoring machine in Colorado Springs (he averaged 29.8 points in five games), but he did most of his scoring with one-on-one moves. Often times he'd go one-on-five and still score. I thought it was a good sign that, when I asked Evans what he needed to improve on, he said he needed to learn to play a team game better. Louisville and Villanova have long been at the top of Evans' list, but considering the fact that William Wesley, the famed king of the hoops underworld, has taken a close interest in Tyreke, the smart money is on Memphis. That's the team coached by Worldwide Wes' good buddy, John Calipari.
Derrick Favors, 6-9, C, Atlanta
Summer team: Atlanta Celtics (Adidas)
Schedule: It Takes Five, Super 64.
Skinny: Favors may only be a junior, but he was the strongest inside player at the NBA camp. Like most kids his age he doesn't play as hard as he could all the time, but every time he gets the ball near the rim he finishes, no matter how many guys are hanging on him. It's rare to see a player that young with that strength and the toughness to use it.
JaMychal Green, 6-9, C, Montgomery, Ala.
Summer team: Alabama Challenge (Nike)
Schedule: Peach Jam, Super Showcase, and AAU 19-and-unders
Skinny: Green really shined at the NBA camp. He was especially pumped to go up against fellow big man Samardo Samuels, who found many of his shot attempts against Green being sent the other way. Besides being a force on defense, Green has an array of scoring moves in the paint, and his coach raved about his attitude. Green's recruitment is pretty wide open right now, but it's a pretty safe bet that he'll wind up somewhere in the SEC, most likely Alabama.
