While everyone else was watching Michigan get run off the court in Bloomington, I spent the day at Lansing Eastern High School watching some of the best young basketball talent in the state duke it out. I got to see 2012 Michigan prospects Jordan Hare and Sherron Dorsey-Walker in action, as well as other big-time players like LaDontae Henton, Chris Harrison-Docks, and Tommy McCune. Be sure to check back over the coming hours and days as we will be posting game video and video interviews.
Jordan Hare (6-foot-8, 2012)
Strengths: Jordan Hare is very athletic and extremely long. He is very quick for his height and well-coordinated. He does a very good job of erasing his teammates’ mistakes on both offense and defense. On offensive end, he’s a good rebounder and a big target for his guards when they look to get him the ball down low. On defense, he moves his feet well and his length causes lots of problems. His quickness was on display when he would occasionally guard out on the perimeter and stay in front of guards. His athleticism and length allow him to make a few “wow” plays per game and his potential is obviously very high.
Needs to improve: First, free throws. Hare missed almost every free throw he took and looked very uncomfortable at the line, a place he’ll be spending a lot of time if his goal is to be a post player. He also has little back-to-the-basket post game to speak of. I didn’t see his team feed him the ball in the post and let him go to work once. He needs to be more assertive on both ends of the court and especially rebounding. He did a decent job of rebounding but he has the potential to be a great rebounder.
Final Thoughts: Jordan Hare is an extremely intriguing prospect but he’s still a project at this point. He finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks. His athleticism and length is great — he has all the tools he needs to be a very good player. He just needs to develop his offensive game and work on rebounding technique.
Sherron Dorsey-Walker (6-foot-4, 2012)
Strengths: Sherron Dorsey-Walker has great length and knows how to use it on defense. He is able to get in the passing lanes and be very disruptive on the perimeter. He also has a very smooth jumpshot and can hit from long range. He is able to do a lot with the ball at his size, including find open teammates. When Dorsey-Walker is fully engaged in the offense he can do a lot of different things: handle, shoot, orchestrate and rebound. Good all-around player.
Needs to improve: Dorsey-Walker played less than I thought he would in the game I watched yesterday for unknown reasons. Because of that, it was hard for him to develop a rhythm on the court. He took whatever he was given instead of being an instigator which, at his skill level, he needs to be. Dorsey-Walker shouldn’t be a non-factor on offense, but at times yesterday he was. Just needs to work on his consistency in all elements of his game.
Final thoughts: Sherron Dorsey-Walker is a very good all-around player who needs to work on bringing it every night. He has a good jumpshot and his offensive game is already very developed. His defense is solid. He’s clearly a very good, versatile prospect.
For the non-Michigan prospects I’m just going to be doing a quick recap instead of a full breakdown.
Chris Harrison-Docks (6-foot, 2012) Harrison-Docks had a bit of a slow start to the game I watched, but as the game went on he started playing very well. His handle and quickness can match up with anyone in the state. His speed when he gets past his man and into the lane is almost impossible to stop, and he’s a very good finisher for his size. His handle is solid, though he dribbles a little too much. His shot is improving (it’s gotten better since I saw him last summer) — his release is quicker and he’s getting more elevation. He has good vision, but he is still most definitely a shoot-first point guard.
Tommie McCune (6-foot-7, 2011) Tommie McCune didn’t do much of anything in the game I saw him play yesterday, but to be fair, he was going up against Lansing Eastern, a very good defensive team. Saginaw has oodles of athletes, and Tommie is no exception. He is extremely long and very athletic, which is mostly why he’s on his way to play at West Virginia next year. He would like to think he’s a wing player instead of a post player, but he still has a long way to go to get to that point — he still needs to work on his handle and his shooting if that’s what he wants to be. He is still what I saw last summer: a very intriguing project. McCune had just six points and eight rebounds.
LaDontae Henton (6-foot-5, 2011) It was vintage “Buckets” yesterday. In Lansing Eastern’s game against Saginaw, there was a small scuffle near the beginning of the game that Henton was wrapped up in. Up to that point, he hadn’t done much in the game. Whatever was said in the dust-up with the Saginaw players, it made him very angry. Henton went on a tear, driving to the basket, cleaning the offensive glass and locking down Tommie McCune. At the end of the game, he had racked up 29 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks. When he decides he’s getting to the basket, there are very few players — if any — who can stop him in the state of Michigan. Dayton is getting a heck of a player.
