Day one of this year's Reebok Breakout Camp is now officially in the books, and it was an exciting day of action on the campus of the University of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA. With more than 400 division-I college coaches in attendance on the evening, it made for an exciting environment as many head coaches and their staffs were in he gymnasium observing the loads of talent in display on the evening.
With games getting underway at 5PM (EST) due to NCAA rules not permitting division-I coaches to view college prospects until then, the action was exciting from start to finish.
"I have never seen this many college coaches before," said Poston Butte HS 6-foot-3 rising senior guard Jalen Richard after walking into the gymnasium.
With many of the nation's top prospects from the 2013, 2014 and even 2015 classes in participation, this is the best field of talent at a Reebok camp since the 2008 Reebok All-American Camp, which included many current NBA draft picks - such players as Thomas Robinson (Sacramento Kings) and Tobias Harris (Milwaukee Bucks).
Four Arizona high school products are in competition this week, and I was able to observe each game of each Arizona camp participant on Wednesday evening.
First of all, Casa Grande HS standout guard Jonathan Milligan, a 2012 graduate that is now enrolled at Word of God Prep School in North Carolina, looked very impressive on the evening. Milligan was an invite to last year's camp after a standout performance from last year's Arizona Reebok Headliner. Milligan has returned again this year as a post-grad and looked awesome on day one. In fact, Milligan was as good as any other point guard in the camp on day one, as he showed superior confidence and an excellent feel for the game. Milligan's ability to handle the basketball and distribute the ball amongst his teammates, while also being able to penetrate the lane and score effectively in traffic was impressive. This young man seems to thrie in this kind of setting and his college recruitment continues to soar as a result.
Poston Butte HS 6-foot-3 rising senior guar Jalen Richard had his best performance against stiff competition on the evening. Richard played the point position for much of the game n the evening and looked very comfortable in his ability to run the team and make plays for himself and others. Richard shot the basketball very well and with excellent range, and also scored on drives to the basket over bigger defenders. Richard had a strong showing on day one, and showed excellent confidence in his first appearance in the camp. Richard definitely raised his stock as a college prospect on day one, and left many college coaches in attendance excited to see him again. Several college coaches extended offers to Richard after his game on the day one. Look for Richard to continue to perform at a high level as the camp continues, and while he gets more comfortable with his team.
Westwind Prep Academy 6-foot-7 rising junior forward Zylan Cheatham was among the younger prospects in his game on day one, and he fit right into the competition. Cheatham knocked down a three-pointer, and had several baskets in the paint - two off putbacks. Cheatham played with good energy and also played strong on the defensive end in his team's close victory on the evening. Cheatham's exellent length and athleticism are glaring in this event. Elite national college scout Clark Francis of Hoop Scoop commented that Cheatham is among the best 2014 prospects in the camp.
Chaparral HS 6-foot-8 rising senior post Joe Boyd was also impressive in his game on the evening. Boyd played with excellent energy and competed hard on the glass on both ends. Boyd looked very comfortable in his game and impressed many college coaches wih his ability to play inside and out. Boyd knocked down shots from the perimeter and also scored on the low block over bigger low post players - something that he does not see often in the state of Arizona. Drake University head coach Mark Phelps was in attendance just to watch Boyd on the evening. Boyd was definitely one of the better low post prospects in action on the evening, and should benefit a great deal from this week's camp.
The campers will pick up action again on Thursday when they will pick up games again at 8AM (EST). Each camper will participate in two games on Thursday, morning and evening. I will be there to catch all of the action and bring you updates of any top performances throughout the remainder of the week's camp.