spiece tournament

socalogo.gif (8739 bytes)
SoCalHoops Tournament News

Spiece Run N' Slam Tournament This Weekend
At Purdue University--(April 28, 1999)

Don't get too excited about this one, because unless you're prepared to buy airline tickets and get yourself to Lafayette, Indiana (which is where Purdue University is located) you won't be seeing this one and will have to "settle" for one of the local games, like the WSS Scholastic Hoops Jam, or the small Future Stars Spring Time Jamboree (see our separate article on that one). But if you're going to be in the area (Indiana, that is) you won't want to miss out on this great event.

As we wrote a couple of days ago, there are at least two teams from the SoCal area which will be playing, Rockfish and the Double Pump I team, although the way things have worked out, Pump N Run I actually has more of a West Coast flavor as it will have players from all over and not just SoCal, and most of the regular SoCal guys will be staying home for the SAT on Saturday or will be playing locally.

The Spiece tournament is great because it occurs during the non-evaluation period, and even though there won't be coaches in attendance, most of the major scouting services will be there (I guess since we won't that means were not "major". . . sigh). And the tournament is also interesting because it has teams sponsored by Nike and adidas (as well as Converse, and other shoe companies) who normally wouldn't be playing against each other during the tournament time.

Pump N Run I will have probably the best point guard in the junior class on the west coast in Brandon Brooks (6'-1" Jr. PG). If you haven't seen Brandon play, then you don't know what the excitement is all about, but if you have then you know. An excellent long range shooter, very smart and charismatic player, Brandon is a terrific floor general who can drive and dish, finish strong at the hoop and dunk, or pull up outside and drop the bomb. He's got very quick hands and lateral quickness, and is an oppressive defender. In short, he's the complete package. Brandon is looking right now at a ton of schools, but he told us that Arizona is really high on his list.

Pump will also have the services of Branduinn Fullove (6'-6" Jr. SG), Errick Craven (6'-2" So. PG/SG), Derrick Craven (6'-2" So. SG/PG), Doyle Cole (6'-7" Jr. F) Serra, Heath Bailey (6'-9" Jr. F/C) from Portland, and Salim Stoudamire (6'-0" So. G) from Portland, Cayce Cook (the one from Sacramento, not Chaminade), and a couple of other guys.

Yeah, we know that the Cravens are also listed on the WSS Scholastic Hoops Jam Underclassmen's roster for the Southern Section, but hey, we only report it as we have it reported to us. Since the Cravens have been playing with the Pump teams for the past couple of months, we'd expect to see them in Indiana, but then you never know with this stuff. Some of the other Pump N Run regulars will be staying home (Lou Wright, Aerick Sanders) to take the SAT, and as for a couple of others who've played with P & R, notably Travon Bryant and Wesley Stokes (well they each played a couple of games at the Easter Tourney at Dominguez a few weeks ago) it looks like they'll be at the Future Stars and the WSS deal.

Rockfish is taking a very talented team, and when we talked to Dave Benezra, he was hopeful that their bracket wasn't too tough, but then they're supposed to play a team from Massachusetts which has some really studly guys. Actually Dave is just hoping his guys get out of pool play and advance to the single-elimination championship round on Sunday.

Rockfish will have the following players:

Russell Lakey (5'-11" Jr. PG) Harvard-Westlake
Jacoby Atako (6'-1" Jr. PG) Santa Monica
Anthony Davis (6'-5" So. SG/SF) LA Locke
Tim Drisdom (6'-2" Fr. PG) Calvary Chapel
Alex Graham (6'-11" So. C) Redlands HS
Jermaine Harper (6'-3" So. SG/SF) Blue Ridge Virginia (formerly at Gardena)
DeVerion Mackey (6'-4" Jr. SG) Pasadena Marshall Fundamental
Rory O'Neil (6'-10" So. F) Ridgecrest Burroughs
Julian Sensley (6'-9" Jr. PF) Hawaii--Prep next year
Dustin Villapigue (6'-9" So. F) Simi Valley

As we also wrote last week, Mr. Hoops Purdue website is providing some great tournament coverage, so be sure to check it out.