Laney: Getting feedback on top basketball recruits

• By GARY LANEY
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Jul 8, 2009 - Page: 1C

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It’s not often you get as many of the state’s top basketball players in one place.

But that’s what happened in Baton Rouge on Monday with the I-10 Elite camp at Exer-fit Fitness Center.

With a couple of exceptions, like Peabody senior Markel Brown and Pickering junior John Isaac, the state’s top prospects were there, along with regional stars like LeAntwan Luckett of Ridgeland, Miss., rated the No. 40 player in the class of 2011 by Rivals.com.

The top-rated player there was from New Orleans’ highly touted 2012 class: Ricardo Gathers of Reserve Christian, rated the nation’s 12th best sophomore by ESPNU. The older classes were mostly filled with more marginal high-major and solid mid-major recruits.

Scouts and college coaches were there and here’s some feedback that was coming at camp’s end.

Best player: A couple of scouts liked Brian Williams of Glen Oaks, the Oklahoma State commitment who measured 6-foot-6 and showed a versatile game. Other coaches loved Chris Crawford, a smooth 6-3 combo guard from Memphis. Coaches from Ole Miss, Oklahoma State and Oregon State and LSU watched Crawford closely. A year behind them, Luckett’s game stood out.

Other local names: Langston Galloway of Christian Life, the recent St. Joseph’s commitment, and Matt Derenbecker of Metairie Park Country Day, the Gatorade Player of the Year who lists LSU as one of his favorites, were other big state names who participated.

Galloway, who spent much of his summer on the East Coast, showed some added toughness. Derenbecker, the 6-7 wing, didn’t have his best shooting day, but it was just one day.

A local kid who had a good day was Istrouma wing Ronald McGhee, who was getting plenty of attention from coaches. Players from around the state who had good days included Northside point guard Nick Syrie, Sulphur’s Chip Armelin and O.P. Walker’s Jarvis Ray, a high-jumping 6-5 guard.

Who stood tall: Some unheralded young big men were getting their names out with solid performances.

They included 6-8 Zwolle junior Marvin Frazier, 6-8 sophomore Michael Lewis of Slidell’s Northshore, Jernard Jarrou, a 6-8 junior from McDonogh 35, Aaron Jones, a fast-jumping 6-7 junior from Gautier, Miss., and Jeverick Nelson, a 6-7 senior from Jackson, Miss. who may have a future as a small forward.

In one game, Jones registered double-digits in blocked shots.

The distant future: While New Orleans’ Class of 2012 Fab Five — Gathers, Javon Felix, Sydie London and Malik Morgan — were centers of attention, an even younger player wowed coaches.