Basketball, broken down to its simplest compound, is about scoring more buckets than the team you’re playing against. The Semi-Automatic refers to players who leave bodies in their wake with their innate ability to get buckets. And this Saturday, April 17th, at the mecca of Madison Square Garden, the next class of semi-automatic candidates will have the stage all to themselves at the 2010 Jordan Brand Classic.
At last year’s event, before his super-duper freshman year at Kentucky, John Wall, #1 NBA draft pick in-waiting, gave us a sneak peek at the luminous brilliance to come, both in practice and in the actual game.
Over the years, a who’s who of modern NBA super studs like Chris Paul, Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo, LeBron, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, Dwight Howard, Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose, among a host of others, have used the game as their launching pad out of the high school ranks and into the world’s greater constellation hoop stars.
Last year’s roster, headlined by Wall, also featured some of this year’s most dominant young faces in college basketball, including Avery Bradley, DeMarcus Cousins, Derrick Favors and Xavier Henry. The 2010 class looks to be just as strong, with each Jordan Brand All-American holding more promise than a slick talking politician.
Here’s a cliff notes version of half the roster, what they do, and what to look for on Saturday night –
1. Harrison Barnes, 6′8″ Forward , Ames High School, Ames, IA
Harrison can be seen next year at The University of North Carolina. Arguably the top player in the class of 2010, Barnes is Pippen-like. He can bang the three while also maintaining a tight mid-range game. He can also post up, drive to the rack, finish through contact with ease and grab offensive and defensive boards with equal tenacity. Due to his size, he’s a match-up nightmare all over the court. Don’t look for much flashiness out of Barnes, his calling card is simple productivity.
2. Will Barton, 6′6″ Guard, Brewster Academy, Wolfeboro, NH via his hometown of Baltimore, MD
Barton will lace ‘em up for the University of Memphis Wildcats next year. A pure scorer, Will has exceptional range and can drive and bang it on anybody. Don’t let the offensive highlights fool you. Will’s defensive brilliance sets him apart.
3.Reggie Bullock, 6′6″ Guard, Kinston High School, Kinston, NC
Reggie Bullock, an elite scorer, is another weapon that coach Roy Williams has stockpiled for the UNC Tar Heels. He possesses supreme height and strength for a guard, can bang the three, scissor defenders off the dribble and score in the open floor. Money can also pass the rock and defend multiple positions.
4. Tobias Harris, 6′8″ Forward, Half Hollow Hills West High School, Dix Hills, NY
Harris, who’ll play for Bruce Pearl next year at the University of Tennessee, can play the small and big forward positions, offensively and defensively, with superb athleticism and quickness. A versatile player and tough rebounder, he’s had a good tutor in older cousin and NBA player Channing Frye.
5. Kyrie Irving, 6′2″ Guard, St. Patrick High School, Elizabeth, NJ
If you hate seeing Duke during Final Four weekend, you’re gonna be really upset at this guy. The cover boy of Bounce Magazine’s phenom issue, #21 (peep my man Sean Couch’s insightful profile of Kyrie and his pops, former college All-American and NYC playground legend Drederick Irving) has the size, speed, sizzle factor and intelligence of a future great in the making. He can hospitalize you from downtown and has rare explosiveness to the rim.
6. Perry Jones, 6′11″ Forward, Duncanville High School, Duncanville, TX
Jones will display his awesome skills on both sides of the ball for Baylor next year. A fearsome rebounder who can also go coast to coast, he can defend four positions, from shooting guard to center. Perry can drop the mid-range jumper, then go down low with either hand. Dudes like to play with him because of his unselfishness.
7. Terrence Jones, 6′8″ Forward, Jefferson High School, Portland, OR
Jones, who has yet to make his college choice, is a gifted athlete who does many things well. With his 84”, Pterodactyl-like wingspan, he shuts down opponents like Public Enemy. He also has perimeter skills and is proficient with the three-ball. He’s fast, can take cats off the dribble and finish strong in the paint. A relentless rebounder, he plays under control and sees the floor better than most players his size.
8. Corey Joseph, 6′3″Guard, Findlay Prep, Henderson, NV via his hometown of Toronto, Ontario
Joseph, as he recently showed at the ESPN Rise National High School Invitational at Coppin State in Baltimore, is an opposing coach’s nightmare. His quickness, ability to handle, drive with either hand, dish, quarterback a team, pull-up in the short, mid-range and long distance game conspire with his explosiveness to prove that Canada, indeed, possesses weapons of mass destruction. He plays all-out on D too, by the way. Corey has yet to announce his future college team.
9. Jelan Kendrick, 6′7″ Forward, Wheeler High School, Wheeler, GA
Kendrick will play with Will Barton at Memphis next year. Jelan can play the point-forward position with his rare combination of size, quickness and perimeter skills. A versatile player with court vision, who can also run a team, his first step is crazy, with a mid range game that’s equally bananas.
10. Brandon Knight, 6′3″ Guard, Pine Crest School, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Let’s just say that this point guard-extraordinaire, who has yet to announce his college decision, can do it all. Let’s leave it at that. He can shoot, score any way you want him to, direct a team, willingly hand out dimes and can get into the lane against anybody. When you couple in his rare skill set with his pure unselfishness, you’re talking about a special talent here.
Stay tuned for Part II, where we’ll break down the rest of the roster.
April 12th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
funkalot says:
The game should be exciting, as little defense is played and the kids tend to get real bizz.
From this class, I really like Kyrie. He is pocket Rod Strickland. His game oozes with funk (he stank so good!) and he has a decent enough jimmy to keep you honest. He is the best Metro PG since Bassy, with a chance to be better than Bassy.
April 12th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
ali says:
i’m looking forward to watching duke’s backcourt next year with kyrie, seth curry and nolan smith.
April 12th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Jus' Joe says:
Ali,
That BounceMag piece on Dred & Kyrie was ill, for those of us in Boston saw Dred put in WORK for four years @ B.U.(cool Brother- too). After getting a load of Kyrie for the past two years… I may even root for the Dookies next year.. Cat is nice like ‘dat
April 12th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Zach Radz says:
cannot wait 4 this game on saturday . i am playing some aau ball in CT but will be taking the metro north in to catch this joint on the floor . just heard that Common is doing 1/2 time show … u know the celebs will be out in force too .
Z aka “Bright Future “
April 12th, 2010 at 6:15 pm
ali says:
no doubt jus’ joe. yo, did ya’ll ever receive the latest issue, w/ mousey on the cover, up there in beantown? kyrie’s got some of pops game, along with some of uncle rod’s – good-god-a’mighty!!!
April 13th, 2010 at 10:44 am
ali says:
it’s time for the real NBA season to get underway. nice to see aj price catch 19 points and 4 dimes off the bench last night for the pacers.
speaking of second round rookies that got no talk this year thanks to tyreke, the takeover, steph curry, the brown hornet and the remainder of this stellar class, jodie meeks had a nice run off the bench for philly last night.
glad terrence williams is getting that work in with the nets, nice 21, 13 and 6 in the loss to charlotte. i’ll stay on the rookie vibe and shout out gerald henderson for the bobcats. he’s been quieter than a church mouse this year, and i know it was against the woeful nets, but he had a decent 14 points and 9 boards in limited action last night.
what’s the consesus on bargnani? curious as to you guys’ thoughts.
wish i was gonna get a chance to see ben gordon in the playoffs this year. he always thrilled under the microscope with the baby bulls. how long does joe dumars get a pass on what’s happening in detroit. i don’t know what’s been worse for the city, the pistons this year or former mayor kwame kilpatrick.
and i’m happy for shaun livingston who’s been able to break a sweat at the end of this year with the wizards. nice 18 points and 7 assists for him against the knicks. i know he’ll never reach the ceiling he once had, before the horrific injury, but he can still be an effective player.
speaking of my knicks, how’s about the board machine earl barron? haven’t had a chance to really see gallinari the way i would have liked this year, to ascertain if he’s really legit.
shame that milwaukee’s not gonna have bogut in the fold during the second season. him, salmons, and jennings, with the resurgent stackhouse, could have made some noise.
why is darko milicic STILL in the NBA?
for all the mike conley haters, 22 points last night on mr big shot and ty lawson. and big ups to one of my favorites, marcus camby, for his 30 and 13 against the thunder.
kav martin went for 39 against the rockets. would’ve liked to have seen that.
April 13th, 2010 at 10:51 am
illest says:
dumars should not get a pass anymore. he bombed that draft by drafting darko.
where is james? i know jordan didnt sit out games for rest. he played less minutes but he didnt sit out.
the knicks dont deserve any comments until july.
April 13th, 2010 at 11:42 am
ali says:
still can’t belive that joe d was in a position to scoop melo, after the most incredible freshman run through the NCAA’s and he grabbed darko. i’m still cramming to understand that. that’s so much worse than kwame brown, or frederick weiss over ron artest. his maneuverings as a gm were excellent in terms of that few year run. but melo would’ve taken that thing into the present and future.
no earl barron love for you warden?
April 13th, 2010 at 11:55 am
ali says:
and congrats to tyreke evans, who should be the unanimous rookie of the year in the NBA, for reaching that incredible rookie milestone of averaging at least 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in his first full season, joining the big o, bronnie and MJ as the ONLY rookies to ever do that.
think about that for a minute!
in my book, steph curry comes in second. and with the way he was playing, the brown hornet surpassed brandon jennings for third place.
now with that said, what rookie ever did it better than magic?
April 13th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
illest says:
ali…earl barron has played 6 games. he doesnt deserve mention (expect to repsond). no knicks comments til july.
bargnani…he can shoot and is definitely not a number one pick. but that draft was terrible except for roy and rondo. so toronto goes safe with the foreign pick.
April 13th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
illest says:
ali…evans shouldnt be unanimous. he is definitely ROY but it wouldnt be out of line if curry got first place votes. and you cant put the brown hornet past jennings because jennings played all year and is on a playoff team.
magic won a title as a rook so that puts him in a special class.
April 13th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
funkalot says:
Conley had a nice game and has proven to be competent, like an Earl Watson, but I am still not impressed. If you stick the Brown Hornet on that squad they are appreciably improved. Again, my knock is that he is not representative of a no.4 pick in an NBA Draft. His game should be stellar, not decent.
Joe D, has been inhaling exhaust fumes from defunct motors in the “D”, as his personnel moves have imploded like the D’s employment rate.
Read Bill Simmons’s “The Big Book of Basketball” and he sums it up succinctly, Lebron James can not be compared to Mike, at all and only when he reinvents himself three to four times and still dominates. So, the pressure is on Bron Bron, “chips or dips”. His young legacy is on the line. I hope the rest helps.
The 2009 rookie class is supreme ( first, second and no rounders have gotten bizz), in stark contrast to what we are about to be served with in the 2010 class. This portends to be one of the weakest drafts eva!
Yeah, like my man Jus Joe, I may have to root for the Dukies, next year. Dred was good people and showed a lot of funk on the Boston playgrounds, after graduating, but Kyrie is “hard as steel and still getting harder” more than his pops could.
April 13th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
ali says:
warden, i’m purposefully reaching on earl barron, trying to hold onto something as i wipe a tear from my eyes with my ‘99 knicks towel. and agreed on your ROY points.
and not only did magic win the chip as a rookie, after winning the ncaa’s, but the way he did it? not sure if that will ever be surpassed.
April 13th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
illest says:
ali…correct ali magics feat will not be surpassed. its always jordan jordan jordan….how about magic? its scary how good he was.
funk…and funk havent we said the same thing as simmons about james and jordan extensively?
April 13th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Blk Caesar says:
I know Tyreke put up numbers and I wouldn’t argue too much about him winning ROY b/c he literally could get anywhere he wanted on the court.. I am still sticking with Jennings b/c he did put up crazy numbers in the beginning but dropped off a bit.. However, the Bucks continued to win games… Not to mention, they are in the playoffs… Jennings is averaging 15.8 and about 5.8 assists a game and Evans is around 20.3 and about 5.8 as well. I can’t see based on those numbers how Tyreke is unanimous.. Its pretty close.. I will say that this rookie class got it in for sure…
April 13th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
funkalot says:
Yeah Caes,
I feel you, Jennings is probably the Most Valuable Rookie and Tyreke the Most Outstanding Rookie.
April 13th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Blk Caesar says:
my man Funk…. That’s probably the best description I have heard.. Jennings most valuable and Tyreke the most outstanding.. That UNC/Duke game next year will be must see TV.. and umm.. Why is Ed Davis declaring for the draft???
April 13th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Blk Caesar says:
oh and I just realized we might a have goodie of a first round matchup in the West.. Since OKC lost last night I beleive that gives them the 8th seed.. If that holds true then the young boys have a date with the Lakers in the first round.. I love watching that OKC team play.. That should be a fun series to watch.
April 14th, 2010 at 9:17 am
ali says:
the first round games out west are gonna be serious. ya’ll catch d-rose last night? ooohweee!
i would have liked ed davis to stick around the college game. the potential is tantalizing and you could see flashes of dominance, but i wanted to see him put that together for a full season, especially next year when the tar heels re-load.
same with ebanks at west virginia, hassan whiteside at marshall, born ready, manny harris, tommy mason-griffin, larry sanders at vcu, willie warren, brackins at iowa state, elliot williams and new mexico state’s jahmar young. they’re definitely coming and i’m not convinced that they should, right now.
the guys who look ready, in my eyes, are evan turner, jordan crawford, sylven landesberg, cole aldrich, malcolm delaney, al-farouq aminu, gordon hayward, xavier henry, james anderson, fredette, the great wall of america, wes johnson, derrick favors and demarcus cousins.
i hope the other guys like derrick caracter, avery bradley, lacedarius dunn, tiny gallon, darrington hobson, elijah millsap, daniel orton, patrick patterson, bledsoe, udoh, herb pope and kemba walker come back for one more good run where they can elevate themselves from iffy to bonafide.
April 14th, 2010 at 10:01 am
illest says:
rose is an unbelievable basketball player. everyone is john wall john wall. i want to see wall do what rose has done immediately.
April 14th, 2010 at 10:43 am
ali says:
i think he can illest. wall is a rare, special talent with IQ, athleticism and an understanding of the point guard position. he can run a team and take over by himself, with the size, speed, hops and mental which portend greatness.
is there any debate, that whoever gets the top pick, is taking him?
April 14th, 2010 at 11:26 am
illest says:
ali…it shouldnt be but it depends who gets the top pick.
April 14th, 2010 at 12:09 pm
ali says:
what lottery bound team should consider someone else, other than wall, as the top pick? i can’t see any other player, whether it’s evan turner or demarcus cousins, that would take my ravenous glaze away from wall. he can initiate a pradigm shift in the fortunes of a franchise. when a point guard like him comes along, you gotta snatch him up like they did jimmy hoffa!
April 14th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Blk Caesar says:
Did ya’ll peep the Iverson 30/30 last night?
April 14th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
illest says:
you never know with these owners. they better take wall.
the iverson 30/30 was enlightening. it made me hate white people for a minute. the white word vs the black athlete. you didnt even see iverson in the video. and i remember that like it was yesterday. the irony is bruce hornsby being in it. that town and what happened and what it is today is what hornsby said in that song….thats just the way it is.
April 14th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
ali says:
missed it caese, to my dismay. i gotta check the upcoming listings and DVR that joint. what did you think? i followed the situation pretty closely while he was in high school and i’m sure the film is gonna dredge up alot of frustration when i re-experience that mayhem and circumstance all over again.
April 14th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
funkalot says:
The 30/30 piece was insightful and spoke to the dangers of coddling and enabling youngsters early. The repercussions are spoiled , entitled and dysfunctional young people, who develop a skewed sense of reality before they can approriately mature.
As for the cultural bigotry and systemic racism portrayed in the piece, they will always exist and the rules of the game are fixed. Therefore, it is incumbent upon folk to be persistent in advocating and demonstrating on behalf of social and economic justice causes.
We can never rest, nor hope to be relevant only in times of crisis. The dream remains alive, as long as we continue wake-up and take action.
Fellas,
This draft will, again, be one of the weakest in recent memory. As such, it dupes the fringe and ill-prepared player, into believeing that they have a legitimate shot, with Europe as the cushion.
April 14th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Blk Caesar says:
The Iverson doc caught me off guard a little bit last night. I was unaware how deep that whole situation cut into that community.. Still after all these years, I find it difficult to see Iverson in that tape throwing a chair. I would love for someone to do a full-length interview with him now. No-holds barred and just get his opinion on everything.. Bounce?? Ali???
April 14th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Blk Caesar says:
As far as the draft.. I agree it will not be as deep as this past year.. I also think that one year in college rule is an absolute joke.. Either you let dudes declare right out of high school or you make it a minimum of at least two years in college.. I really miss watching great teams grow(imagine if that Kentucky squad came back next year), but I will never protest a young man going to get paid if he can…
April 14th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
ali says:
i’d love to be the one to do the iverson piece, caese, no holds barred. yo funk, you broke it down somethin’ real proper.
and my thoughts excatly on the one and done. i miss the growth of the great teams as well, but fully advocate dudes getting paid if they have what the market demands.
April 14th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
ali says:
i hear that brandon knight to kentucky is now official, like a referee w/ a whistle!!! and mike gilchrist as well in 2011.
April 14th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Blk Caesar says:
Calipari just keeps reloading…
April 15th, 2010 at 8:35 am
illest says:
i would never want to hear an iverson interview on that. why would he want to relive that? the producer of the film tried to get iverson for a year to do an interview for it and couldnt.
April 15th, 2010 at 10:15 am
illest says:
this is lebron james time right now. the ring should be his this year. no excuses. he has rested (even though jordan didnt). he has his best supporting cast. he needs to get it done.
April 15th, 2010 at 10:18 am
Blk Caesar says:
Illest,
When I said everything I didn’t mean just the stuff from high school. I meant everything.. How felt he was perceived by his peers, the league, fans.. His impression of what his legacy will be. His years at Georgetown, what really happened in Detroit, etc, etc.. I really think it would be a great interview.
April 15th, 2010 at 11:03 am
illest says:
blk…thats fine black. im just not interested in that. most true black basketball fans loved iverson. the true white fans loved the way he played. and the other white fans thought he was a ball hogging thug. his peers loved the way he played. and in detroit dumars told him one thing and the opposite happened. and his legacy….you know he always says that people remember that he played every game like its his last. so there you go.
April 15th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
funkalot says:
Illest,
In the end Iverson was an entertainer and that’s cool,as baskteball’s best render physical performances beyond belief. They are majestic, and Iverson was truly iconic.
His skillsets, however, did not mesh with winning, as he could not subjugate his position for the betterment of the team. So, in most instances folks did not get appreciably better for having played with him. His travails are not unlike Wilt’s, great numbers, incredible talent, but not a winner.
April 15th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
Ali says:
i think he was a “winner” funk, for what he was able to overcome and achieve, especially for someone of such slight stature. that run to the finals with philly, considering the other talent on that team, was some phenomenal stuff. he just never copped a championship. at the end of the day, there’s no shame in that.
April 15th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
illest says:
funk….wilt was a center though. hard to compare.
April 15th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
funkalot says:
Illest,
I would say it is easy to compare them and their impact irrespective of position, not unlike the impact Magic had on the Lakers or Bill Russell had on the Celtics in transforming their respective teams into consistent winners, by emphasizing “we” instead of “me”.
They made their teammates better and created a situation where opponents had to worry about contending with multiple entities versus shutting down one. When Wilt did win, guess what, he “shared”. This is what winners do.
Ali,
Yes, from a Horatio Alger standpoint, Allen is a winner and I am always proud of any brother for making it as a professional. But as a professional the ultimate is to be considered a champion. If A-Rod did not win a chip with the Yankees he would still be A-fraud. Ya dig.
We play the game to win, not just for show. I respect the show and admire the win.
April 16th, 2010 at 8:41 am
illest says:
funk…it also helps that russell and magic had way better teams than iverson and wilt.
April 16th, 2010 at 10:25 am
ali says:
from the horatio alger standpoint? funk, it warms my heart to talk and debate the game, players and the greater impact of sport in society with such learned, intelligent brethren.
April 16th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
funkalot says:
Ali,
You know like I know, bruh, NERDS rule, from prep school, to college, to the board room, the Presidency, social advocacy and various other leadership forms.
N- normal
E -erudite and
R – respected
D – decision makers
Euphemizing is a must! Reclaiming “one mind and one behind at a time”.