In another well-played amateur all-star game, the US team handily defeated a watered-down group of internationals. Much like other all-star games this spring, there was a surprising amount of defense played. While much of what went on only confirmed previous conclusions, standouts for the US team included Duke-bound Greg Paulus and UNC signee Tyler Hansbrough. On the international side of things, a lesser known Blue Devil signee, Martynas Pocius, showed that he is going to make a major impact in Durham next season.
Here is 's recap of the game:
US prospects
Greg Paulus
6-2 PG, committed to Duke
While Greg Paulus has been getting rave reviews all spring for his ability to find teammates and his overall floor general skills, he probably still managed to surprise some people tonight. He broke the game's assist record in the first quarter alone, seemingly making a highlight reel pass every time he touched the ball. His freakish three quarter court pass to a seemingly covered Louis Williams gets my vote for the play of the day. Paulus was clearly the game's MVP, despite being a non-factor as a scorer. While it's difficult to see Paulus as an early-entry candidate any time soon due to his so-so athleticism and lack of scoring ability, he does have a very thick frame (his football background showing up), and his floor general skills are very unique. Greg Paulus is going to make a lot of ACC opponents very miserable
Tyler Hansbrough
6-8 PF, committed to UNC
Another player that probably has at least a couple of years in college ahead of him, the bullish Hansbrough absolutely dominated anybody the international team threw at him. Paulus gave him scoring chances all night, and Hansbrough ended up with 30+ points. He showed a variety of post moves, including a sweet baby hook. Most importantly, he finished around the basket with remarkable accuracy, even while absorbing a lot of contact. The problem with Hansbrough at the next level is that he's just 6'8, but that wasn't evident tonight.
Julian Wright
6-8 WF, committed to Kansas
While we didn't get the ballhandling display that Wright put on at the McDonald's game, what we did see was a downright fabulous open floor dunk show. Wright got out in front of the defense on several occasions, and threw down a couple of nasty windmill slams. Wright also showed his length on the defensive end, coming up with a couple of nice blocked shots and nearly catching several others. While his offensive game is supposed to be very raw, Wright did score on several short midrange-type jumpers tonight. All told, Julian Wright is my second favorite NBA prospect from the high school class of 2005 (behind Gerald Green), and Kansas fans should consider themselves lucky that he has apparently decided to forgo the league for now.
Martell Webster
6-6 WF, committed to Washington
Webster continues to put up some impressive scoring numbers, and display a very nice jump shot. He got going early, hitting several three-pointers from the corner on assists from Paulus. He also scored well around the basket, putting the ball up before shot blockers could react. Despite this, I have questions about his NBA future. He has a mature frame, but this isn't necessarily a good thing, as he is almost too thick to play the wing. He certainly doesn't have the sort of first step or off-the-dribble type scoring ability that a guard needs to play in the NBA. His ballhandling is nonexistent, as he shot the ball nearly every time he touched it. Some have Webster pegged as a mid-first round pick, and while he certainly has specific traits that appeal to NBA types, I feel that Martell Webster's overall package is quite mixed.
Monta Ellis
6'3 G, committed to Mississippi State
While Ellis played better here than he did in the McDonald's game, he still couldn't get his offensive game on track. Ellis seemed to be forcing things early, and never got his outside shot to fall. He was eventually was able to get going on a couple of slashing moves to the basket and two very nice anticipation steals. Ellis has nice size for a PG and can cover a lot of ground in a hurry, but there is nothing here that screams NBA to me. Ellis hasn't been able to show that he can take over a game scoring-wise, and while he hasn't shown a lack of PG skill, he's played mostly off the ball in the games that I have watched. He ought to play in the SEC for a couple of years and hone his PG skills.
Louis Williams
6'1 WG, committed to Georgia
Williams seems to think he is a lock for the first round, and that is a real shame â because he isn't. I have withheld judgement on Williams's game for quite some time, but after tonight, it is obvious to me that he has a very long ways to go before he ever is an effective NBA player. One would expect a guy with a purported Allen Iverson-style game to really dominate an event like this, but Williams doesn't seem capable of it. He did get assertive early in the 2nd quarter and converted on a couple of nice dribble drives, but he mostly looked timid with the ball. He just doesn't have that explosive step, leaping ability, or scoring move that one would expect from a player of his billing. He couldn't hit an outside shot, and most importantly, looked absolutely terrible nearly every time he got in a ballhandling situation, in which he could have shown off PG skills. Williams's basketball IQ and decision making skills are clearly behind the curve, even at the high school level. My hope is that somebody close to Louis Williams will get him the right information, because if I was an NBA GM, I wouldn't touch him with a 10-foot pole.
Brandon Rush, 6'5 WG, undecided
Richard Hendrix, 6'8 PF, committed to Alabama
JP Prince, 6'6 PG, committed to Arizona
The US coaching staff clearly went with a trimmed down rotation, as they wanted to win this game. Because of this, the above players didn't get much playing time at all. However, I was surprised not to see more of Hendrix and Rush. This clearly wasn't the coming out party that Rush had intended when he replaced Gerald Green on the roster.