pump first day highlights

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SoCalHoops Recruiting News

adidas Double Pump Fall Premier
First Day Highlights--(Sept. 25, 1999)

What: 1st Annual adidas Double Pump Fall Premier Tournament
Where: Cal State Dominguez Hills
When: Friday, Sept. 24-- Sunday, Sept. 26, 1999
Start Time: First Games on Friday at 4:30 p.m.
Who: Top players from all over the West Coast
NCAA Certified Event

For those who were there for the last round of games last night, you saw something really special, a great game with tremendously talented players, and probably the most shocking upset of this tournament. For those who weren't, well, you'll just have to take our word for it, this was an amazing game, one that we'll remember for a long time. The OC Rebels, a team of all local guys, with only one tall guy, the relatively unknown Robert Turner (6'-8" Sr. F) from the equally relatively obscure (at least in the past few years in CIF playoffs) Western HS in Orange County, beat the tallest team in the tournament, the one which we called "insanely talented," the Pump N Run II team. The Pump N Run II team has the tallest front line we can recall seeing in a long time in club basketball, with five guys on the roster who stand 6'-9 or bigger, and two of the quickest and most highly sought after junior guards in the country. Pump had Jason Carter (6'-9"), Kevin Fellows (6'-10"), Dustin Villapigue (6'-9"), Chris Jackson (6'-11") and Dennis Lattimore (6'-9"). Oh, for the spring, they'll also have Rick Rickerts (6'-10"). . . and last night, as if there wasn't enough height and talent, they also added Chris Schlatter (6'-8") from DeLaSalle in Oakland and Joe See (5'-11" Jr. SG), who normally play for Oakland Slam N Jam. . . sheesh.

But this truly was David v. Goliath. OC Rebels, a team coached by Roger Hogan, Sr., had only Turner for size, but they had lots of speed, tons of talent, and a lot of very quick, able guard play from Roger Hogan (6'-1" Sr. SG/PG)), Geoffrey Clayton (6'-3" So. PG) from Magnolia, Alex Rasmussen (6'-5" Sr. SG/SF) from Foothill, Akachi Axubuike (6'-0" Sr. G) from Fullerton, Maan Siowu (6'-0" Sr. G) from Fullerton, and Allan Purnell (6'-4" Sr. G/F) from Savanna. In the lofty world of well-known names among club basketball, these guys were just a bunch of working-stiffs, good players, but not well-known, and in fact some nobody had really ever seen or heard of. Not any longer.

Turner was a well-kept secret for at least three years, and then in the last two weeks, just exploded from out of nowhere. Frank Burlison blew his cover after an event in Orange County, and at the Fall Hoops Classic, he played phenomenally. Some of the local schools who had been recruiting him and trying to keep him a secret are ready kill, but hey, this kid is the real deal. Turner hit for at least 15 points, 9 rebounds, and three blocked shots last night, rebounded great and in one memorable play, went to the rack late in the game, got shut out, and completely turned, facing away from the basket to draw the foul, and then to be sure he got the call in the act of shooting, threw the ball up over his head, not even looking at the hoop. . . . it went in. This guy could do no wrong.

Roger Hogan also played very well, picking up 15 points, at least a dozen assists, and a couple of steals, and a lot of D-I coaches looking for guards were impressed. Roger started out playing shooting guard, but he can also play the point with a great handle, he's strong, tough and has good court vision; not a truly exceptional passer in the open court (some would argue that he is though), he is really crafty and a great passer under the rim, deceptively drawing the defenders in and then finding the open guys, which is what a good, smart point is supposed to do. Defensively, he looks like he'd be slow, but looks can also be deceiving. OC Rebels also got a tremendous boost from Ryan Wilbur (6'-3" Sr. SG) from Brea who hit some amazing three pointers while standing alone out on the wing for what seemed like an eternity. . . terrible defense, no one would go out to guard him, which we found stupefying, given that it was at most a one or two point game every time Wilbur would hit one of those threes.

For Pump, well, we won't say why we thought they lost (ok, we will. . . .guard play and lack of defensive effort), but things like a "loss" in a tournament really are not all that important, at least they aren't to the college coaches, who probably couldn't tell you who won or lost in the typical club game. . . but this wasn't the typical club game, and a lot of people will remember this one for a long time. As far as observations of players go, here's what we saw from the Pump guys:

Jason Carter (6'-9" Jr. PF) Bishop Gorman--looking stronger, taller and better than last spring and this summer, he's tough, can run the floor, potential NBA player-type body. Smart, he rebounds well, has extremely long arms and last night did all the things you'd want a big guy like this to do.

Kevin Fellows (6'-10" Jr. PF/C)-- Really more of a budding center, he plays well facing up or with his back to the basket, a great player with excellent footwork and tremendous rebounding ability, maybe not as much rebounding ability as a few others on this team, but certainly enough to be a high D-I impact player for a top program.

Dustin Villapigue (6'-9" Jr. PF)-- has great mobility, can defend on the perimeter like a guard, faces up well and can put the ball in the hole from about 10' out with great regularity. Excellent rebounder, big body, not quite of the NBA-type yet, but he's still growing and putting on strength

Chris Jackson (6'-11" Jr. C)-- has all the makings of a true college center, very long legs, and runs as well as anyone that big we've seen. Pretty raw still in the skills department, and while he'll go in and bang, he doesn't seem to necessarily enjoy the contact, but won't shy away from it either. A red-shirt year, and he'll be extremely dangerous. Reminds us a lot of Bill Walton in high school, although Bill was probably a lot more fundamentally skilled. Still there's a ton of talent waiting to be tapped.

Dennis Lattimore (6'-9" Jr. PF) --- Dennis was definitely the best player on the floor for the Pumps, and he's got big man skills, unbelievable footwork, is a great shot all the way out to three, and has the ability to drive, penetrate and spin. If anyone needed a 6'-9" point guard with real athleticism, speed, size and bulk, Dennis is the guy. He's got this big "Kansas" tatooed on his arm. . . and at the risk of drawing the ire of the Kansas fans again (no we're not going to make any comments about Roy Williams. . . ), his mom told us last night that it has nothing to do with which school he'll attend, but was a reflection of something that happened while he was living in Arizona last year with his dad. . . .Kansas fans will interpret that any way they want. . . . . So here's the bottom line on Dennis: Do the words "Magic Johnson" mean anything? Not that Dennis has that same charisma, but he's about the best "point-forward" we've seen in a long time.

Chris Hernandez, didn't make the game because he had hurt his back, and the lack of a point guard, a true point, really hurt this team. The Craven twins played great and did the things they do well, scoring, getting to the rack, driving, shaking and baking, but they were having difficulty running the point last night. They are still two of the most high regarded junior slashers in the class, and nothing that happened last night did anything to disturb their reputations as great players, but their point guard skills need honing. . . Joe See from Oakland DeLaSalle tried to fill in at point, but while he's a superb three point shooter, who can be deadly at times, he wasn't really getting the ball in his hands enough out on the wing without a defender in his face because there was no one feed it to him. While he did manage to hit a huge three with about 11 seconds to go to bring the game within 2 points, the Pump team was thereafter forced to foul, and Turner went to the line and sealed the win, hitting two and making it a four point game with only four seconds on the clock, not enough time to score four points.

Unfortunately there was one casualty in this game (no we're not talking about bruised egos). . . Chris Schlatter, who was supposed to be playing with the Pump I team for the weekend (with Branduinn Fullove, Aerick Sanders, David Gale, E.J. Harris, Torin Beeler, and Heath Bailey), ,missed his early flight, showed up late, and so he was just going to play one game with this Pump II team. . . but in the first three minutes he was in the game, he went up for a rebound, and someone knocked his feet out from under him, he came down hard, and the result is he's out with a bruised Medial Cruciate Ligament. . . done for the weekend. Nothing serious (we hope) but he won't be playing and told us at dinner last night he'll probably fly home to Oakland today.

We've got a lot more to write about, but unfortunately, there are more games starting as we now write, and we've got to get over to Dominguez. . . . More later. . . See you there.