MARIO HEZONJAsg / 6'6'' 200 / Croatia / 2-25-95 The quickest way to start a fight in a European pub; Mention the name Drazen Petrovic and any other Croatian basketball player (even Toni Kukoc ) in the same sentence. Petrovic is a basketball legend in his homeland of Croatia, and rightfully so. I could not respect myself as a basketball mind if I were to compare someone with the late Petrovic's skill level to that of a 16 year old Mario Hezonja. The age discrepancy between the two is simply too big to truly give a fair comparison. That being said, the 6'6'' Hezonja has displayed a skill set, in particularly a jump shot that is well beyond his years and has him drawing comparisons to his fellow Croatian Petrovic; fair or not.
Some of you who are reading this might be well aware of who Mario Hezonja is and what he has been doing throughout his short basketball career. For those of you who are in the dark about Hezonja's game, I am about to shed some light on the subject. Mario Hezonja has been playing professionally for the well renown Croatian KK Zagreb basketball club and their affiliates since he was 14. A recent notable name signed to the KK Zagreb club is University of Pittsburgh graduate and star Gary McGhee (cut from team on 9/15/11). This just goes to show that despite his young age, Mario has been playing in a league that has its share of good basketball talent.
Mario's impressive resume does not end there. He showed many scouts that he was a name to keep track of at the 2011 Jordan Brand Classic International All-Star Game. He has also been part of numerous amount of championship winning teams in the younger Croatian divisions as well as being an absolute STAR on the 16U Croatian national team. He also played a small but instrumental role with the 19U national team. While he didn't have one of his better performances during the FIBA 19U Championships from Latvia back in July, he did have a 21 point performance against Canada and ended the tournament 4th in scoring for his team. Remember, he was 16 playing against competition that was 3 years older than him and featured future NBAer's in the likes of Jeremy Lamb and Patric Young to name a few.
His latest conquest was today, August 7th. He helped lead his Croatian national team to a gold medal in the FIBA European 16U championships against the host country Czech Republic. He finished the game with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals on his way to capturing MVP of the tournament. Watch the entire championship game by clicking right HERE. His tournament averages were 20.1ppg, 6.4rpg, 3.0apg and 2.1spg. A pretty impressive stat line given the severity of the event. I watched all 9 of Mario Hezonja's Croatian national teams games (and victories) at this link..... http://www.lshunter.tv/. Mario Hezonja has excellent physical attributes despite his young stature. His terrific size, nice frame and outstanding athleticism allows him to create plays for himself or others. Hezonja has a nice stroke behind the arch, showing the ability to knock down the 3-ball off the bounce or off the catch and shoot. His lightening quick release is not only very smooth, it is extremely deadly when it is "on". Because of his nice handles, he is also able to beat his defender off the dribble for the pull up jumper or get to the rack and finish through contact.
Despite all of Hezonja's excellent attributes, his game needs improvement in some crucial areas. While he has a very nice stroke from downtown and can light it up rather quickly, he can be very streaky as is evident by a 0-16 performance from three point range a couple months ago. He also can force the issue too much which results in him being very turnover prone at times. Mario's worse trait however, has to be the poor body language he often displays on the court. He seems to play with a "too cool for school" attitude that leads to him giving up on plays and not putting forth an adequate effort on defense. Hopefully this is just due to his immaturity and not an indication that early success is going to his head because that can become a serious detriment in his progress as a basketball player. For those of you who follow high school basketball, Mario Hezonja would be in the graduating class of 2013. Some pretty impressive names in that class and two future sure fire NBA lottery picks in Julius Randle and Jabari Parker. If I had to rank Hezonja in the class of 2013, I would put him somewhere within the top 15.
While Mario Hezonja is no doubt an extremely impressive talent and definitely a name to keep track of, there is debate if he is even the best future prospect in his own country let alone Europe. Dario Saric is a teammate of Hezonja's on various Croatian teams and might be the better future pro. Saric is just 17 years old and is already an established name throughout Europe. He also has a decent chance at being a lottery selection in the 2013 NBA Draft. I am not sure what Mario Hezonja plans to do with his basketball career. Many scouts believe, including myself, that he has the talent, athleticism and skill level to not only compete in the NBA, but to possibly be a lottery pick one day. If he really works on the mental aspect of his game and continues to develop his overall skill set, look for him to possibly make his way to the NBA within the next 5 years (or sooner).
OLB Kwon Alexander / 6'2'' 210 / Oxford, AL / Undecided Strength: Athleticism / Speed / Change of Direction / Intelligence Weakness: Vision Honorable Mention: Ifeadi Odenigbo / 6'4'' 220 / Centerville, OH / Undecided
ILB Reggie Ragland / 6'3'' 245 / Madison, AL /ALABAMA Strength: Athleticism / Shedding Ability / Size Weakness: Discipline / Lateral Movement Honorable Mention: James Ross / 6'1'' 215 / West Bloomfield, MI / MICHIGAN
OLB Noor Davis / 6'4'' 225 / Leesburg, FL / STANFORD Strength: Intelligence / Athleticism / Versatility Weakness: Shedding Ability Honorable Mention: Eli Harold / 6'4'' 220 / Virginia Beach, VA / VIRGINIA
CB Geno Smith / 5'11'' 170 / Atlanta, GA / Undecided Strength: Coverage Awareness / Speed / Hands / Technique Weakness: Jamming Ability Honorable Mention: Ronald Darby / 5'11'' 175 / Oxon Hill, MD / NOTRE DAME
S Landon Collins / 6'0'' 210 / Geismar, LA / Undecided Strength: Closing Speed / Hands / Body Control / Athleticism Weakness: Field Awareness Honorable Mention: Eddie Williams / 6'3'' 205 / Panama City, FL / ALABAMA
S Shaq Thompson / 6'2'' 210 / Sacramento, CA / Undecided Strength: Body Control / Closing Speed / Size Weakness: Jamming Ability Honorable Mention: P.J. Williams / 6'0'' 180 / Oacla, FL / FLORIDA STATE
Written by: T.E.Parker It's pretty hard not to notice Stephen Zimmerman in any setting. He's 6-foot-10, wears a size 19 shoe and towers above everyone in any room he enters. But here's the most astounding part of Zimmerman's story: He's only 14 years old and just finished the eighth grade. Zimmerman had already reached the 4-foot mark by the time he turned 4. At 11, he became a 6-footer and was dunking a basketball two years later. Now at 14, he's 6-10 and - get this - supposedly not done growing yet (doctors predict he'll stop between 7-1 and 7-2). So, no, Zimmerman certainly won't be a typical freshman walking the halls this fall at Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas. But Bishop Gorman isn't the typical high school, either. Gorman could be the top-ranked basketball team in the nation with four elite D-I prospects, including the No. 1 player in the 2012 class, Shabazz Muhammad. And the newest addition to this roster of stars already is emerging as one of the most intriguing. UNLV, UCLA, Kansas and national champion Connecticut already offered scholarships, Zimmerman says, and the NBA is certainly not out of the question.
Stephen Zimmerman already is talking NBA, and he's just 14.
"As a freshman he has the highest potential of any kid I've seen at Gorman," Gorman head coach Grant Rice said. "Just with his height, his ability and work ethic. He's definitely going to be a special kid. "It's going to be one of those things where the small- to mid-level schools won't even call because they know they won't be in the ballpark. He's one of those few kids that will be able to pick whatever school he wants to go to. He'll have his choice." Zimmerman's 2015 class won't hit the national rankings for another couple of years but rankings don't matter to him. His goals are set much higher than a high school ranking. "I'm just trying to get to my ultimate goal of being in the NBA and being the best player I can," said Zimmerman, whose father is only6-foot-5. "I want to be one of the best centers that the NBA has ever had." Eric Bossi, a national recruiting analyst for Rivals.com, said of Zimmerman: "Obviously he already has size, but he's more than just a big kid running around and looking big. Zimmerman shows excellent skill, has soft touch and is already pretty comfortable with his big frame. He's a pretty fluid athlete given his size and young age. "I first had the opportunity to see Zimmerman at a showcase last fall as an eighth grader and he's come a long way since then. Despite being the youngest player on the floor in basically every game he plays with Dream Vision's 16-and-under team (his AAU summer traveling club), he's acquitted himself quite nicely." His height, however, has hurt his chance at living a normal childhood - and it goes well beyond his 8,000-calorie/day diet needed simply to avoid losing weight. Because of his height and basketball ability, Zimmerman was exposed to the sketchy side of athletics at a young age. His stepmother, Lori Stevens, tells a disconcerting tale of how Zimmerman used to be cornered in public school during seventh grade by coaches from as far away as Southern California. "(Bishop Gorman) feels like home," she said. "We are accepted. He's accepted. We had him in public school and he would come home and say, 'This man brought me his business card and wanted my phone number.' That, as a parent, freaked me out. I called the school and there was nothing they could do about it because it was public property. We are doing what we have to do to keep him safe so we went to private school." Zimmerman's coach praised the work he's put in over the past six months, calling it "incredible" for someone of that age. "He's in the gym almost every night working out with some of the older guys getting after it," Rice said. "I've just seen the progression in the months I've known him and I can't imagine what it's going to be like the next three or four years."
Stephen Zimmerman won't back down from his famous teammate.
He'll immediately step up to Gorman's varsity squad this year, even though he didn't play organized basketball in eighth grade because he was too much of a mismatch for his opponents. Playing alongside an athlete such as Muhammad, who people have compared with a number of NBA guards, should make Zimmerman even better. "It's a perfect fit for Stephen coming into a loaded team," Rice said. "There's so much hype surrounding him and he's so talented that the great thing about it is there's no pressure for him this year. If we didn't have some of these guys, the expectations would be extremely high for him this year. He's definitely going to get some minutes. He's definitely going to be a big part of the varsity team. "It's going to be a really good year for him to get to learn from some of the older guys, who are three and four years older than him. Once it comes to his sophomore year, he's going to have to take on the leadership role." Perhaps even more entertaining than watching this Bishop Gorman team in games this season would be watching its practices. Zimmerman talks about trying to defend the goal against the rim-rattling Muhammad in practices. He knows he has a chance to be one of the many that gets dunked on but would like to be one of the few who actually deny Muhammad near the basket. "Whenever I play against Shabazz, everyone else is afraid to go up against him but I go up with him just because," he said, "whenever he drives, everyone backs up and I'm the only one going up with him. I think of it as, if he's going to get the reputation of dunking on me, which he's done to a lot of people, I want to get the reputation of blocking Shabazz's shot." Zimmerman's idol and the player he most tries to emulate is 7-foot Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki. Just like Nowitzki, Zimmerman says his strength is his ability to hit the jumper all the way out to the 3-point line while also having a soft touch in the paint. A weakness? Zimmerman says that he needs to work on is his ball-handling. As Zimmerman tries to grow his game at the same rate as he's sprouted the past 14 years, he is also attempting to buck a trend that has been increasing in recent years. The United States doesn't generate big guys as much these days. The proof was in this past draft as five of the top seven players selected were 6-9 or taller, yet none of them hailed from this country. Those picks were Enes Kanter (Turkey), Tristan Thompson (Canada), Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania), Jan Vesely (Czech Republic) and Bismack Biyombo (Congo). The more Zimmerman becomes known nationally, the more pressure there will be for him to end that trend. Being the biggest puts added stress to succeed and, even though Zimmerman is having fun with it so far, his mother knows the pressure will arrive at some point. "I just want him to do his best," Stevens said. "He still really thinks like any other eighth grader. I'm still kind of a realist where I have to hold everybody down. I have to hold the balloon string and if it happens, it's amazing and wonderful but if it doesn't, you are still a success and we are still proud of you. "We love you whether you are a chiropractor, a dentist, whatever, as long as you give your best, it doesn't matter." Original Article.
Every year there is a new crop of talented young men thrust onto the scene of high school basketball. I am talking about freshmen of course. Now while some of these names might be new to the casual basketball fan, they are by no means a mystery to college coaches and recruiters. In this day and age, with the use of recruiting services and technology, coaches are able to keep tabs on their coveted young prospects easier than ever...and for good reason...these kids can play!!! Now it is obviously to early to call these ballers the "next anything", but when watching these young adults perform it is clear they have the talent to make a name for themselves in the world of high school basketball and possibly beyond. It is always a slippery slope however, when assessing talent that is so young because their games and bodies are constantly changing. For all I know not one of these players will play college ball (highly unlikely) but possible. While I would love to sit here and say that these 10 prospects are names that will become legends, that's just not the case. They are however very good players and worth keeping track of. With out further a due, here are 10 fresh faces from the high school graduating class of 2015. * names are in no particular order.
Horace Spencer IIIpf/c / 6'9'' 220 / Lansdale, PA
One of the more recognizable names on the list, Horace Spencer III has been on college coaches radar for over 2 years. When you are a 6'9'' fourteen year old it's easy to see why. While Horace is still very raw offensively and primarily uses his size advantage to do most of his damage, he is not completely un-skilled and he has shown dramatic improvement in just one short year. If you watch all of Horace's clips on my YouTube channel (they are in chronological order) you can see the improvement he has shown from the first video to the last. Horace is rapidly getting stronger and his athleticism is improving by the second. Just a year ago he could barely rise up and jam and now he is able to throw it down with ease. Along with his good athleticism and nicely developing skill set, Horace has a fantastic basketball body. If Horace Spencer III is able to fulfill most of his potential, then there is no telling how good this young man can become.
Kejuan Johnsonsf / 6'6'' 220 / Atlanta,GA
If you are wondering why there is a grown mans picture next to 9th grader Kejuan Johnson's name, I don't know what to tell you. He is definitely in the early stages of developing the "James Harden" look. Kejuan is obviously well built beyond his years and subsequently has been a dominating force in his class for quite sometime. He uses his tremendous strength and good basketball skill set to get to the rim with ease and finish with authority. Kejuan recently played at the prestigious John Lucas International Basketball Combine; a camp featuring 100 of the best 8th and 9th graders in the world. He left the camp as one of the top performers and cemented himself as one of the best players in the class of 2015. Obviously Kejuan is far from a finished product. He needs to continue to work on his overall game, in particularly his rebounding and defense. As players in his class catch up to him physically, Kejuan will have to adjust by developing new facets to his offensive repertoire. All in all, Kejuan Johnson is a highly touted prospect despite having yet played a game of high school basketball.
Stephen Zimmermanc / 6'10'' 200 / Las Vegas,NV
Stephen Zimmerman is the latest young prospect to be offered a college scholarship even before he has officially entered high school. After putting up an impressive performance at the Adidas 64 club tournament, three powerhouse basketball teams offered Zimmerman a full ride at their schools; the UCLA Bruins, Uconn Huskies and Kansas Jayhawks. UNLV Runnin' Rebels' have offered a scholarship as well, but that's a given since he lives in their back yard. Not too shabby for the 14 year old if I say so myself. Stephen will be 15 in September and will attend Bishop Gorman who of course is led by senior sensation Shabazz Muhammad. I am not sure how much playing time the young freshman will receive because Bishop Gorman is returning many well established upperclassmen, but he should get a chance to display his nice basketball skill set and excellent athleticism for his size fairly early in the season. It will be very interesting to watch Stephen develop throughout the up coming years because he clearly has the size and skill level to do big things in the game of basketball.
Tyler Dorseysg / 6'4'' 170 / Pasadena,CA Tyler Dorsey is a nice developing prospect out of the southern California area. He was recently one of only three 8th graders (Steven Zimmerman & Horace Spencer III) invited to the prestigious Pangos All-American basketball camp. Dorsey has nice handles and a quick first step. This allows him to blow by defenders and get to the rim where he has shown the ability to finish through contact. Tyler needs to continue to add muscle and work on his outside shooting because at times it can be suspect. Despite being so young, Tyler has been a name that has been known throughout the AAU circuit for quite sometime. Back in February, he led his Cali Styles team (along with Steve Zimmerman) to the 14U AAU championship at the "Clash for the Cup". His 20 points along with Zimmerman's 16 were the deciding factor in the victory. If Tyler is able to grow 2-3 more inches he can stay at his natural wing position. If not, he will have to handle the rock more like a point guard, which I believe he can do.
Malik Newmansg / 6'3'' 170 / Jackson,MS
It is a given, like death and taxes, that every upcoming high school basketball season will have a prospect labeled as the "best" incoming freshman. Malik Newman MIGHT be that freshman. Blessed with excellent athleticism and a tremendously advanced skill set for his age, Malik Newman has been called a basketball "prodigy" by some. While I tend to hate to put such lofty expectations on a 14 year old, it is clear Malik has some serious game. He has been compared by some scouts to NBA star Tyreke Evans because of his natural ability to score points in a flurry. Once again, maybe a little too soon to compare a 14 year old to an NBA star, but people who have had a chance to see Malik play live have been thoroughly amazed. From what I have seen he is more than capable of beating his man off the dribble and his jump shot is very impressive to say the least. Whether Malik Newman is in fact the "real deal" or not, I have no idea. What I do know is he seems to have enough talent and athletic ability, that if coupled with a good work ethic and mind set, could take him very far in the game of basketball.
Mickey Mitchellsf / 6'7'' 220 / Plano,TX
Where do I begin with "young" (year older than classmates) Mickey Michell??? Of all the names on this list, Mickey Mitchell is the first name I remember hearing about....and for good reason. To sum it up, "Dude has more game than Milton Bradley!!!". Even though Mickey is a year older than his peers, I still believe he would be one of the best players in his class if he wasn't. He recently put up a fabulous performance at Clay Dade's Fab Frosh All-American Camp as well as helping his AAU team Texas Titans to an 8th grade national championship. I watched him play in the semi-finals and finals of that tournament and I was very impressed to say the least. He has the ability to play a "point forward" type of role ala Miami Heat's Mike Miller. By no means am I comparing the freshman to a legitimate NBA'er, but his ball handling and passing ability is extremely impressive for his size and he has shown the ability to hit a consistent 17 footer as well. One glaring issue with Mickey is the fact that he is also a highly coveted football prospect. This could hinder his development as a basketball player. I am not sure what the future holds for Mickey Mitchell, but it is clear it looks very promising.
Isaiah Briscoepg / 6'2'' 180 / Union,NJ
Isaiah Briscoe comes from a family of point guards. His cousin is the 2011 NBA #1 draft pick Kyrie Irving and he is not shy in letting that be known. Like Irving once was, Isaiah is a highly coveted prospect despite his young age. He has already received two scholarship offers from Seton Hall and Rutgers respectively. After watching Isaiah play this spring and summer, I am sure those are not the last offers the 9th grader will receive. Because of a significant growth spurt, Isaiah has transformed his once chubby body into a strong, solid 6'2'' frame. He is able to use his tremendous strength to bully his way into the lane and finish through contact or dish the rock for an assist. Shows incredible poise with the basketball, Isaiah possesses a very high basketball IQ, which allows him to truly run a team like a point guard should. While Isaiah is not the most athletic player on this list, he is still quick enough to beat his defender off the dribble as well as stay in front of smaller, faster guards. If Isaiah continues to show a steady work ethic, he should be one of the better point guards in the class of 2015.
Karl Towns, Jr.c / 6'10'' 220 / Piscataway, NJ
Karl Towns Jr. might not be as well known as some of the other names on this list, but his game should change that this upcoming season. I have only seen a little bit of Karl play, but form all appearances it seems he is a legit prospect for the next level. Standing 6'10'', the fourteen year old obviously has the size to compete at the high school level and beyond. It is his advanced skill set however, in particularly his shooting, that really sets him apart from the rest of the players in his class. Karl has tremendous range on his jump shot and is able to get it off quite easily due to his impressive size. Add this to his rapidly developing post play, and it appears Karl Towns Jr. will be a serious problem for almost any defender this upcoming season. He also seems to be more than capable of getting after it on the defensive end as well. Karl has displayed a solid work ethic which you love to see from prospects with his size and talent. Along with his physical tools and solid basketball skill set, Karl Towns Jr. has all the makings to be a serious force in high school basketball for the next four years (unless he pulls a "Jeremy Tyler" of course). With the amount of emphasis his parents put on education, that does not seem likely.
Jamar Ergassg / 6'3'' 170 / Scarborough, Ont.,CAN
If you haven't seen any Jamar Ergas highlights on YouTube yet, then I don't know why you are reading this article because you are clearly not a fan of high school basketball...lol...JK. But seriously though, this Canadian sensation has to be the most exciting player to watch in the class of 2015. He is able to jump through the roof and throw down outlandish windmill and tomahawk jams with ease. Jamar is more than just a freak athlete. He has very nice handles to go along with good court vision and a willingness to pass the ball. His elite athleticism and unselfishness allows him to create easy buckets for himself or his teammates. He also has shown very active hands on the defensive side of the ball. As of right now, Jamar's jumper is a bit streaky. If he can develop a consistent stroke, he might be near impossible to guard. Whether he chooses to play his high school ball in Canada or the United States, Jamar Ergas will be dunking over his classmates for sometime to come. *Jamar Ergas will be playing in the United States for his freshman season at the well renown Montverde Academy in Florida.
Skal LaBissierepf/c / 6'9'' 190 / Memphis,TN
Skal LaBissiewhoooo??? If you don't know who Skal LaBissiere is, you're not alone. Besides college coaches and recruiters, Skal (might be Skai) LaBissiere is relatively unknown. Skal has only been in this country for 8 months due to the devastating earthquakes in his homeland of Haiti. While he hasn't played much in this country, Skal does have some decent statistics to look at (HERE) from his youth club performances in the spring. He really had his coming out party however, at Clay Dade's Fab Frosh All-American Camp back in July. In the All-Star game of that camp (watch it HERE), Skal showed great ball handling abilities despite his 6'9'' frame as well as very active hands and feet. Even with his highly developed basketball skill set, what impressed me the most from watching that All- Star game was his beautiful stroke and deadly accuracy from long range. It appears Skal LaBissiere is another talented young freshman ready to make a name for himself in the world of high school basketball.
