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Tonight, the Jordan Brand Classic game will take place, and some of the best players in the country will take the floor, including Kentucky’s entire recruiting class. This is the only event this year where Kentucky will have every one of their future players at the game.
Particulars
Date: | April 17th, 2015 |
Time | 8:00 PM Eastern |
Where: | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York |
TV: | ESPN2 |
Streaming: | Watch ESPN |
Rosters
East Team
Name | Position | Height / Weight | High School / College | Hometown |
Isaiah Briscoe | G | 6-3 / 200 | Roselle Catholic / Kentucky | Union, NJ |
Jaylen Brown | F | 6-6 / 200 | Wheeler | Alpharetta, GA |
Jalen Brunson | G | 6-1 / 180 | Adlai E. Stevenson / Villanova | Lincolnshire, IL |
Jalen Coleman-Lands | G | 6-3 / 160 | La Lumiere / Illinois | Indianapolis, IN |
Eric Davis | F | 6-3 / 170 | Arthur Hill / Texas | Saginaw, MI |
Cheick Diallo | F | 6-9 / 220 | Our Savior New American | Centereach, NY |
Henry Ellenson | F | 6-10 / 230 | Rice Lake H.S. / Marquette | Rice Lake, WI |
Luke Kennard | F | 6-5 / 180 | Franklin H.S. / Duke | Franklin, OH |
Skal Labissiere | F/C | 6-10 / 200 | RYD Prep, TN / Kentucky | Olive Branch, MS |
Charles Matthews | G | 6-6 / 170 | St. Rita / Kentucky | Chicago, IL |
Malachi Richardson | G | 6-5 / 190 | Trenton Catholic / Syracuse | Trenton, NJ |
Caleb Swanigan | C | 6-9 / 270 | Homestead H.S. / Michigan St. | Fort Wayne, IN |
West Team
Dwayne Bacon | G | 6-6 / 190 | Oak Hill Academy / Florida St. | Mouth of Wilson, VA |
Malik Beasley | G | 6-4 / 185 | St. Francis / Florida St. | Alpharetta, GA |
Antonio Blakeney | G | 6-4 / 170 | Oak Ridge / LSU | Sarasota, FL |
Deyonta Davis | F | 6-8 / 205 | Muskegon / Michigan St. | Muskegon, MI |
Tyler Davis | C | 6-9 / 270 | Plano West / Texas A&M | Plano, TX |
Tyler Dorsey | PG | 6-4 / 180 | Maranatha / Oregon | Los Angeles, CA |
Austin Grandstaff | SG | 6-4 / 180 | Rockwall / Ohio St. | Rockwall, TX |
Dedric Lawson | PF | 6-8 / 195 | Hamilton / Memphis | Memphis, TN |
Malik Newman | G | 6-3 / 175 | Callaway | Jackson, MS |
Ivan Rabb | F | 6-10 / 210 | Bishop O'Dowd / California | Oakland, CA |
Ben Simmons | F | 6-9 / 190 | Montverde Academy / LSU | Melbourne, AUS |
Allonzo Trier | G | 6-2 / 175 | Findlay Prep / Arizona | Tulsa, OK |
Stephen Zimmerman | C | 7-0 / 230 | Bishop Gorman H.S. / UNLV | Las Vegas, NV |
Kentucky’s signees — Isaiah Briscoe, Skal Labissiere, and Charles Matthews will all play for the East. Unsigned recruits that have Kentucky on their list are:
- Jaylen Brown
- Cheik Diallo
- Malik Newman
You can find all their bios here at the Jordan Brand Classic website.
How to watch
This is an all-star game, so don’t expect anything as competitive as the Nike Hoop summit. These guys have just been together since Thursday, so don’t expect a lot of teamwork.
What I like to look for in games like this is:
Shooting form
Points come and go, but proper shooting form is the key to being a quick success when moving from high school to pro. Great form isn’t always necessary, but the better a player’s form, the more consistent they are likely to be. Look for things like hitches, funny spins on the ball, low (flat) shots, and players who don’t jump straight up and down
Ballhandling
How well does the player handle the ball in traffic? Does he use both hands interchangeably, or is he right or left-hand dominant?
Passing
Is he a willing passer? Does he go for "home run" passes a lot, or just look to get the ball to players in places where they can score? Does the player outlet the ball well, or does he tend to dribble it up himself.
Effort
Cheik Diallo will be your model for effort. If you see anyone approaching his level of motor, you know you want that guy. Defense falls into this category as well, since defense is really not expected in games like this. Does the player put forth a lot of effort on defense? If so, that’s a guy you want.
Finishing ability
Can the player finish at the rim when challenged? Is he able to be creative around the rim and get the ball into the basket under duress? Does the player finish at the rim with both hands on open layups? On challenged shots?
Strength
Can the player finish through contact? Does he get stripped a lot in the post? Can he overpower players his size?
Court vision
Does the player keep his eyes up the court, or does he watch the ball when he dribbles? Does he find open guys in the middle of the defense in transition?
Athleticism
Is the player able to run faster, jump higher, or blow past his peers? Is he one of the more athletic players, or less?
That’s what I have. Enjoy the game.