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Tri-City Junior Phenom Camp (Co-Ed, Grade 4-10) - Summer, 2019!

Tri-City Junior Phenom Camp (Co-Ed, Grade 4-10) - Summer, 2019!
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Sunday, May 05, 2019

Day 3 Recap: Tri-City Junior Boys' Top 40 Camp Presented By Adidas Brands

Another year, another Tri-City Top 40 Camp in the books. 

 Yes, Camp Director Imad Qahwash has now been running this invite-only affair since most of today's attendees were in kindergarten.

 From my perspective, a deep talent pool at this year's event might end up rivaling the accolades of that initial "graduating class" -- time will tell on that front.

 As far as Sunday's events were concerned, things got underway with an intense array of ball-handling drills; this was followed up by some offensive screen work, which included everything from how to effectively go about rejecting the ball-screen to coming off a screen without the ball.  With screen action being such a key part of basketball in this day and age, some valuable tips and tricks were certainly learned.

 After the lunch break, there was one final "set" of games (Team Wiggins (Green) vs. Team Harden (Grey); Team Murray (Black) vs. Team Lillard (Blue), and a final opportunity to impress the coaching staff before the presentation of the camp awards.

 Team Wiggins vs. Team Harden
Team Harden came out fast and strong in this one, running off 15 straight points in the opening 5 minutes of the contest.  Jackson Davidson (CCVI) and Richard Spencer-Raymond (Brantford CI) were a one-two punch at the guard position; both of them brought some serious energy on the defensive end that led to turnovers and easy buckets in transition.

 After subs came in for both teams, Wiggins' Jahsemar Olembe put down a dunk, and Diego Ramos knocked home a three-pointer to put their squad in flight, but just as they got going, Harden went on another 9-0 run, capped by a nice Mathew Oliver (Milton) three-pointer in transition:


In fact, Team Harden put up "James Harden-like" offensive numbers, scoring 46 points in the opening 20 minute half en route to a big lead at the break.

 Team Wiggins would get off to a good start in the second half, keyed by Grayson Davy (CWDHS), who had a nice euro-step move (applying one of the key teaching points from the morning's learning) and followed that up with a three-pointer.

 However, Team Harden's energy was just unmatched on Sunday afternoon.  They'd quickly regain their stride in transition, which included this nice rebound-to-layup bucket by Richard Spencer-Raymond (in about 5 seconds, to boot):


Spencer-Raymond and Davidson certainly had afternoons to remember as Harden would cruise to a 78-41 victory in that one.

 Team Lillard vs. Team Murray
With Josiah Davis in action on Sunday for Team Lillard, this one definitely had the 'star-power' matchup between two of the top guards in the CWOSSA region, Davis and Marcus Barnes -- and those two certainly did not disappoint.

 It was Barnes' Team Murray squad that jumped out early, surging to an 11-4 run before 6'5" guard Jackson Wallace (Centennial CVI) showcased his skillset with a nice spin-move and lay-in.  That seemed to energize Lillard, who were also further feeding off the energy brought to the table by Davis.  In fact, he was one of the biggest vocal supporters of his squad during his time on the bench, and really showed an all-around leadership package:


Marcus Barnes, though, was doing what he does best for Team Murray -- getting buckets.  He was able to help them weather the storm with a couple of timely shots, including this deep three-pointer:


Nick Poloniato (BMAC) would hit a three-pointer to give Murray a lead late in the first-half of the back-and-forth affair; Team Lillard, though, would take a 43-42 advantage to halftime after Davis nearly connected with Wallace off the backboard (with Owen Fox-Kristensen of CWDHS there to clean up):



Lillard came out of the gate strong in the second stanza, getting a big dunk from Davis and fast-break layups from Conor Oliver and Johnny Beaton as part of a quick six-point spurt.

 They would further extend their advantage, going up 9 on a beautiful move inside by Fox-Kristensen, before Davis brought out the "showtime assist" with a great between-the-legs pass to a streaking Conor Oliver:


In the end, Lillard's second half surge was too much for Murray to overcome as they would win the final showdown of the Tri-City Top 40 Camp, 77-62.

 Awards, All-Stars and Notables
Now, with two of the camps top talents, Elijah Fisher and Josiah Davis only being able to attend a portion of the event due to prior commitments, they weren't eligible for selection to the all-star teams -- but nonetheless, deserve a "shoutout" for their great effort during their time there.  Definitely a bright future ahead for those two, as Camp Director Imad Qahwash mentioned in his tweet:



Also have to give a "shout out" to the three grade eight players in attendance -- Diego Ramos, Lucian Lavric, and Nicholas Herakovic -- who all had a very solid camp competing against players up to two years older.  All three of them came in and impressed, and will likely be All-Star and MVP potential candidates in their future appearances at this event.

 With a lot of talent alongside improvement throughout the weekend, there were certainly some tough decisions as far as all-star and MVP awards were concerned.  Here were the well-deserved recipients:

 All-Stars
Jackson Wallace (6'5" G / Centennial - Grade 10)
A guy that often put up double-digits for the CWOSSA finalist Centennial Spartans Senior Team this past year, Wallace has terrific size and mobility at the guard position -- and also isn't afraid to sacrifice his body, being perhaps the only player to take a charge during the course of the weekend.

Daniel Allen (5'11" G / Bluevale - Grade 10)
I mentioned that Daniel is the "consummate professional" at the point guard position and someone that you would love to have run your offense.  Had a great camp and was consistent throughout, during both drills and practices.  Showed the ability to score inside and out, but is just as happy to set up his teammates for scoring opportunities.
Marcus Barnes (6'1" G / Cameron Heights - Grade 10)
A "bucket-getter", Barnes made history on Sunday.  Will have to have Camp Director Imad Qahwash confirm, but there have been very few, if any, players that have won an all-star award in back-to-back years at the Tri-City Top 40 event, and Barnes accomplished just that this weekend (I'm aware of Matt Sanvido in 2016-17, not sure of any others).  Great range on the three-pointer, and has the ability to get inside and contort to make some tough finishes.

 Richard Spencer-Raymond (6'1" G / Brantford CI - Grade 10)
Another camp veteran, I had mentioned Spencer-Raymond in my recap of last year's event as someone that I really enjoyed to watch -- he continued with the hustle plays that earned him that recognition last season, but has added some further offensive weaponry to the mix, and has become a dynamic all-around player.
Conor Oliver (6'3" G / North Park - Grade 10)
We all know he can put up points, as evidenced by some of his totals during the high school season (including 29 in the D5 semifinals) -- but I was just as impressed by his defensive awareness, positioning, and ability to disrupt on that end.  Runs the floor well and puts himself in position for opportunities (like the receiving end of one of the camp highlights, finishing the pass from Josiah Davis).

 MVPs
As is customary at the Top 40 Camp, 2 MVPs are awarded -- and both of this year's recipients were certainly worthy of the recognition.

 Jahsemar Olembe (6'4", G / Resurrection - Grade 9)
A grade nine that played up in the senior ranks for Resurrection this past season, Olembe came into camp as one of the top ranked players and didn't disappoint.  From his offensive prowess, to taking everything in and working hard during the drills, to his quiet leadership -- he had a tremendous overall camp.  With grade nine to grade ten being a key year for development in a lot of players, I'm excited to see this young man's game next year.

 Jackson Davidson (6'0" G / Centennial - Grade 10)
Had probably the best all-around game in the final games on Sunday, demonstrating tremendous energy (especially on the defensive side) that helped his squad jump out to a huge lead over Team Wiggins.  Nice shooter from the outside, and has the play-making ability that you expect from the point guard position, but his grit, energy and leadership are second-to-none.


 Final Notes
I'd be remiss if I didn't recognize the great job of all of the coaches, but particularly Carleton Assistant Coach Jamie Campbell and former Orangeville Prep Head Coach Nate Johnson.  Both of those guys not only shared a tremendous amount of "on court" basketball knowledge, but their personal experiences and notes about the "off the court" side of things -- the scholarship process, recruiting, and the team dynamics at the next level -- certainly left a lasting impression on campers.

 It was a pleasure to cover the camp again this year and see the talent that our region continues to produce -- thanks to Camp Director Imad Qahwash for that opportunity!

 Photos from the event (by Nick from CREATR) will be available on the Top 40 Facebook Page, you can also follow on Instagram/Twitter @Top40Camp.
Posted by Mark Yolkowski at Sunday, May 05, 2019

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