Sonny's Top 100 Fall Showcase:Class of 2009

Sonny Johnson Fall Showcase 2009 Evaluations
By Rodger Bohn
Rodger.bohn@draftexpress.com


Carl Jones, 5’10, Point Guard, Garfield Heights- “Tay” was the best performer of the showcase, playing on a loaded white squad that included Andre Paulk and Mario Hines. The St. Joe’s commit did the bulk of his scoring through a variety of mid-range jumpers off of the dribble, but also showed his usual deep range. The open gym type setting of this event was beneficial to Jones, who thrives in the up and down style of play.

Robert Johnson, 6’6, Small Forward, Bedford- Johnson was the best player throughout the first half of the event, although his play marginalized a bit as the day went on. The long wing got to the rim at will and displayed an improved jumper from beyond the arc, in addition to his crafty mid-range game. Robert, who has the potential to play all three perimeter positions, did a very nice job passing the ball and should make an immediate impact as a freshman at Kent State.

Andre Paulk, 6’2, Shooting Guard, Kent Roosevelt- Paulk was the most athletic player that the event had to offer, and one who would be receiving some serious mid-major interest if he were in a better situation academically. He is an outstanding finisher at the rim, evidenced by the ridiculous reverse dunk he caught off of an alley-oop in traffic. Still far from a finished product, he has shown improvement in his ball handling and outside shooting since we last saw him. It appears that barring some sort of miracle, Paulk’s next stop will be at either a prep school or a junior college in 2009 to sure up his academics.

Jamell Harris, 6’8, Power Forward, Euclid- The Eastern Michigan recruit continued the strong play he showed this summer on the AAU circuit with a very strong performance. He showed off a gorgeous shot from the outside extending out to the three point line and looked perfectly comfortable putting the ball on the floor against more immobile defenders.

Randal Holt, 6’0, Point Guard, Glenville- There were not enough shots to go around for the scoring guard, who played on the same team as Ohio State recruit Cameron Wright and a number of big men who liked to put the ball up. He never really seemed to get in a groove, playing much more conservatively then he usually does. The Kent State commit did show off some nice playmaking skills, setting up his teammates for a number of wide open looks.

Mario Hines, 6’8, Power Forward, Garfield Heights- Mario had a bit of a lackluster performance, looking disinterested at times and showing mediocre work ethic. When he decided to turn it on, he played outstanding defense on the perimeter and really changed the game with his length. Hines displayed very nice footwork in the pivot offensively, where he showed no problem finishing around the basket with either hand. After attracting serious interest from a number of mid-major programs, Hines will likely be forced to go the junior college route because of academic concerns.

Fred Chatman, 6’8, Power Forward, Cleveland JFK- Chatman came with his usual “dirty work” style of play, showing of a great motor and finishing well inside. Not overly skilled or athletic, he is able to produce by simply outworking opponents inside and running the floor. There is plenty of room for improvement for Fred in the low post though, but he appears to be a player a low division one program is going to take a chance on.

C.J. McCollum, 5’11, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Canton Glenoak- The recent Lehigh recruit showed off his usual game, putting points on the board and shooting it from beyond the arc with no conscience. McCollum was the best shooter the event had to offer, combining the ability to create his own shot with deep range. There is plenty of room for improvement in terms of his point guard skills, but he will have time to do that over the next four years during his tenure at Lehigh.

Joe Vidovic, 6’7, Power Forward, Willoughby South- Vidovic was one of the more productive big men at the event, despite his lack of explosiveness vertically. He showed off his cerebral style of play through a series of dives to the rim, reading the double team well, and finding the open man on the weak side. It appears that Joe is receiving some low division one interest, but will certainly have a vast number of choices at the D-2 level if things don’t work out.

Isaiah Kikland, 6’4, Small Forward, John Adams- Originally a 2008 prospect, Kirkland failed to graduate high school and is currently finishing up. He was tied with Paulk for the most athletic player the event had to offer, as seen by his countless windmill dunks on the break. Incredibly strong, he also had the best first step of any player the event had to offer and played nice defense. Kirkland is still very rough around the edges, but could become a very nice player if he is able to graduate and spend a couple of years at a junior college.

Keene Cockburn, 6’5, Small Forward, North Ridgeville- Cockburn showed off a very nice stroke from the outside and played the game with a high basketball IQ. He is deceptively quick getting to the rim, where he shows no problems finishing with either hand. Cockburn has received some feelers from a few low division one programs, but has a ton of solid division two schools knocking on his door.

Jamil Brooks, 6’1, Shooting Guard, Warrensville- Brooks was one of the better pure scorers at the event, and the open gym style of play perfectly catered to his skill set. He shot the ball well from beyond the arc and his slick ball handling skills allowed him to get to the rim with relative ease. Not receiving any division one interest that we know of, Brooks appears to be a player who could put points on the board at the division two or division three level, wherever he winds up.