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Rosenfeld: HG Future All-American All-Stars

08/09/2017, 12:30pm EDT
By Ari Rosenfeld

Ari Rosenfeld (@ARosenfeldDVHR)
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Annually the Hoop Group’s most talent-rich event, Future All American Camp brings in several hundred rising sophomores and freshman for several days of action at Reading’s Albright College, with potential McDonald’s All-Americans and high-major recruits all over the gym. This year’s camp was no different, with 20 teams comprising the camp’s main division and at least a few dozen young prospects who will ultimately play at the highest levels of college basketball.

I set out to comprise an all-star team from the performances I saw over two full days in Reading--using the NBA’s All-Star roster format--but something about having nearly 30 honorable mentions just didn’t feel right. So with the amount of talent in the building, I made up a “second team” of all-stars, with 15 players left over as honorable mentions.

Below are my 2017 FAA All-Stars, with prospects from as far as California and Georgia, plus a fair amount of local flavor:

First Team
Starters
Guard- Noah Farrakhan (2020/St. Benedict’s, N.J.)
Easily the best point guard in attendance, the five-star floor general lived up to expectations with his elite combination of skill and athleticism. Winning the slam dunk contest by soaring over a 7-footer, Farrakhan also demonstrated that he has the ball on a string and is capable of making some incredibly difficult jumpers off the bounce. Already holds 10 high-major offers after starting at St. Benedict’s and running with Team Rio’s 16U squad.

Guard- Jalen Green (2020/San Joaquin, Cal.)
Green has been coming on strong in recent months, with several reported strong showings at national-level events like USA Basketball junior tryouts and Nike Elite 100. With some touting him as the top prospect in the 2020 class, it’s easy to see why, as Green has as complete a scoring arsenal as you’ll find in a young SG prospect. He’s a smooth athlete who also has some explosiveness at the rim, and routinely made pro-level moves en route to establishing himself as the best scorer at camp. Holds 14 offers and visited Villanova after camp.

Frontcourt- Lance Ware (2020/Camden, N.J.)
Transferring to Big Picture Learning Academy--a charter school whose students play for Camden High--Ware will be the highest-level prospect that South Jersey has seen in some time. A 6-foot-8 forward, he’s at his best with the ball in his hands, where he can utilize his size and court vision to see over the defense and facilitate the offense. Further work on his jumper should allow him to play full-time on the wing offensively, which could make him a potential five-star prospect down the line.

Frontcourt- Noah Collier (2020/Westtown School, Pa.)
The next in line at what’s become the area’s top producer of high-major talent, Collier bided his time behind a loaded Westtown lineup last season, but has used the summer to establish himself as perhaps the top local prospect in his class. Standing around 6-foot-7, he’s transitioned almost full time from the interior to the wing, with fairly advanced ball skills and a quickly-developing perimeter stroke. Collier already holds an offer from St. Joe’s, but look for his recruitment to hit high-major territory as soon as this winter, with Westtown playing in several national showcase events.

Frontcourt- Richard Springs (2020/Bishop Loughlin, N.Y.)
An ideal modern big-man, Springs used his explosive athleticism and developing skillset to thrive in the up-and-down nature of camp play. The New York native runs the floor like a wing, with the ability to finish high above the rim as well as rip down rebounds and initiate the break himself. Originally a member of the 2019 class, reclassifying to 2020 has Springs tracking as a high-major big if for nothing else other than his size, athleticism, and energy.

Bench
Guard- Terrence Clarke (2021/Rivers School, Mass.)
Already touted as perhaps the top wing in his class at this early stage, Clarke showed off his advanced scoring arsenal all week, particularly in an exciting game that devolved into a one-on-one matchup between him and Green. While they essentially played to a draw, that should tell you all you need to know about Clarke’s upside in the 2021 class. There aren’t many discernable holes in his game at this point, so with continued progression he should emerge sooner rather than later as a national-level recruit. Toughest omission from the starting five.

Guard- Che Evans (2020/Dulaney, Md.)
Considered one of the top prospects in his class for some time now, the question mark for Evans over the last year or so has been his motor. Well it was running high all week, allowing him to showcase the skillset that makes him one of the highest-upside scoring guards in the country. Evans played with a clear alpha-dog mentality, including getting the better of Green in a one-on-one matchup, scoring from all three levels and showcasing his above-the-rim athleticism. Already holds offers from St. John’s, Georgia Tech, TCU, Penn State, and BC.

Frontcourt- Justin Lewis (2020/Calvert Hall, Md.)
A teammate of Evans on Team Melo’s 15U squad this summer, Lewis has made impressive progressions since last year’s FAA camp. He’s always had impressive physical tools, but the 6-foot-8 hybrid forward is starting to see his skillset catch up to his natural gifts. Lewis looks to have really improved his ball skills along with his perimeter jumper, and showed signs of being a potential go-to scorer down the line. He has the same offers as Evans, along with Kansas State.

Frontcourt- Trey Patterson (2021/Rutgers Prep, N.J.)
Right there in the running with Clarke for the top prospect in his class, Patterson understandably took some lumps playing two years up with Team Rio on the Under Armour 16U circuit. But playing back with his age group, he was able to showcase the ridiculous skillset that has earned him so many early accolades. Standing around 6-foot-6, he still needs some further refinement, but already has an advanced handle and the ability to hit contested jumpers off the bounce from beyond the arc. Offered by Rutgers and Wake Forest before graduating from middle school.

Frontcourt- Jon Kuminga (2021/Iona Prep, N.Y.)
The biggest revelation of the entire camp, Kuminga just arrived in the U.S. from his native Congo this summer, but is already proving himself to be one of the top prospects in his class. There’s still plenty of kinks he’ll need to iron out in his game, but with explosive athleticism and a frame reminiscent of top 2018 recruit and Youtube sensation Zion Williamson, Kuminga was utterly dominant for stretches, going coast-to-coast for a number of thunderous dunks.

Wild card- BJ Boston (2020/Norcross, Ga.)
One of the top long-term prospects in the entire camp, Boston suffered just a bit from a lack of efficiency throughout the week. But while his shot wasn’t falling consistently, it’s clear that he has as much talent as just about anyone in his class. An incredibly fluid athlete with great length on the wing, Boston was able to work his way to the rim for some impressive finishes and showed an ability to pull up from well beyond the arc. Holds four high-major offers at this point, and visited Kentucky in the week leading up to camp and Villanova immediately afterwards.

Wild card- Zed Key (2020/Brentwood, N.Y.)
A throwback, back-to-the-basket style big man, Key won’t wow you with his size or athleticism, but is great at sticking to his strengths and getting buckets on the block. Possessing a thick 6-foot-8 frame, he’s consistently able to establish deep post position where he can finish over either shoulder, and is a dominant rebounder with his length and strong hands. Similar style to 2019 Abington power forward Eric Dixon, a top-100 recruit in his class.

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Second team
Starters
Guard- Bol Akot (2020/Proctor Academy, N.H.)
Guard- Raejon Figures (2020/Immaculate Conception, N.J.)
Frontcourt- Taj Thweatt (2020/Wildwood Catholic, N.J.)
Frontcourt- Elijah Taylor (2020/Imhotep Charter, Pa.)
Frontcourt- Cliff Omoruyi (2020/Roselle Catholic, N.J.)

Bench
Guard- Cameron Thomas (2020/Oscar Smith, Va.)
Guard- Taelon Martin (2020/Masters School, N.Y.)
Frontcourt- Franck Kepnang (2021/MacDuffie School, Mass.)
Frontcourt- Henry Coleman (2020/Benedictine, Va.)
Frontcourt- Luke Kolaja (2020/Montclair Kimberly, N.J.)
Wild Card- Mark Williams (2020/Norfolk Academy, Va.)
Wild Card- Ronnie Ellis (2020/Hamden, Conn.)

Honorable Mention: Zion Bethea (2020/Immaculate Conception, N.J.), Enoch Cheeks (2020/Kimball Union, N.H.), Ryan Conway (2021/Dulaney, Md.), Marcus Dockery (2021/Theodore Roosevelt, D.C.), Dyondre Dominguez (2020/New Hampton, N.H.), Eddie “EJ” Evans (2020/Trenton Catholic, N.J.), KD Johnson (2020/Southwest Dekalb, Ga.), Darius Maddox (2020/St. John’s, D.C.), Quaran McPherson (2020/Lincoln, N.Y.), Woody Newton (2020/McKinley Tech, D.C.), Nnanna Njoku (2021/Sanford School, Del.), Zaire Rogers (2020/Notre Dame, N.J.), Dimingus Stevens (2020/Woodrow Wilson, D.C.), John Wilson (2020/Lincoln, N.Y.), Gabriel Wuor (2020/TBD)


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