Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Martyre Demarco - 2012

Martyre Demarco is a tough, good shooting 6'4 combo guard. He has a long frame, an excellent work ethic, and great control of his upper body. Martyre can create his own shot, and play through contact. He is an excellent passer, a good communicator, and is also a good defender. What separates Demarco from others like him is his ability as a scorer. Martyre is an excellent shooter coming off of screens and when he catches and shoots. However, his real strength is creating for himself off of the dribble. Martyre has an excellent step back jump shot. He has excellent control on his upper body, so he is able to create space and angles to shoot over taller defenders. He can get this shot off from nearly anywhere on the floor, and Martyre is not afraid to create when the offense breaks down. Martyre also finishes well through contact and runs the floor well in transition.

Martyre's biggest area for improvement is in his quickness. Defensively, he uses his length well to keep quicker guards in front of him, but he needs to become a more light footed defender so he can put more pressure on multidimensional guards that he will see in college. Martyre is easy to coach and takes instruction well. He has been working hard this year, and I don't see any reason why he wouldn't improve in this area.

Martyre played his first three years at Shadow Mountain HS in Phoenix, AZ before moving to California and playing his senior season at Redondo Union HS outside of L.A. He averaged over 20ppg for his last two seasons at Shadow Mountain, and scored 19ppg last season for Redondo Union. Martyre is going to be an excellent addition to a program that is looking for a scoring guard.

I expect Martyre to end up going to a low to mid major Division 1 school, or a high D2 school if he feels it is a better fit. Currently, he is recieving interest from UC-Davis, Louisiana Tech, and Hawaii Pacific.
Below are links to video of Martyre. Please contact me at adam.desautels@westwindacademy.org with any questions about Martyre Demarco.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-K5OfMmXQU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpxtYB_zE5E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJDjPZvYx84
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_H_Fa7veXg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC2sRMNSgKM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgfsSvZiQ-M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKtjt1wy20A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4dQeIg3tlk

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Tuff Barnes - 2012

Tuff Barnes is a physical face up post man who has a high work ethic on and off the court. At 6'6, Tuff is physical and uses his frame well to get position on his defenders. He is quick enough to defend on the perimeter, and is an above average rebounder. Tuff finishes around the rim well, and crashes the offensive glass efficiently. Tuff is long, which helps defensively, and can hit the mid range jump shot with consistency. He prefers to face the basket, but also is effective on the low block with his back to the glass. Tuff also runs the floor extremely well for a post player. Tuff is a low risk, high reward player because of his height, frame, and mindset. he will be a consistent and solid player at the D2 or NAIA level.

This season with Westwind Prep, Tuff needs to get stronger and work on his quickness. He needs to add about 15 lbs to his frame to get up to 210lbs to be more effective, and to withstand the beating that posts take during a collegiate season. Tuff has been well coached in the Scottsdale Christian system, but needs to become quicker in order to guard more athletic, face up 3-4s on the perimeter.

With Tuff, you know what you're going to get. He is a hard working forward who listens and gives maximum effort. Tuff is a smart player who has good reactionary skills and reads plays well. He will rebound the ball, defend a variety of spots, and will be effective in a variety of offensive situations.

Tuff has recieved interest from quality schools at the D2-NAIA levels. He would prefer to stay on the west coast, and hopes to find a spot in a University or Christian School in California. Moving outside the west coast is not a deal breaker for Tuff, as he understands the right fit may be elsewhere. Tuff is currently recieving the heaviest interest from San Diego Christian.

For more information on Tuff, please contact me at adam.desautels@westwindacademy.org

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Creshawn Jude - 2012

Creshawn Jude is a highly effective shooting guard out of Christ the King High School in New York City. This season, Creshawn will be working through a post graduate basketball season at Westwind Prep. At 6'1 and 170lbs, Creshawn has a typical 2 guard frame. His wide shoulders allow him the room to grow into a very physical and tough player. Creshawn has shown consistency and range on his jump shot that are going to serve him well at the next level. He plays hard. Listens and works in practice, and is improving every day. His defensive fundamentals are solid, he has good explosion off of his first step, and he battles in every situation. Because of his consistent jump shot, Creshawn compares favorably to 2011 Westwind graduate Dushon Carter who recently signed with D2 Western State in Colorado.

During this season, Creshawn needs to become a stronger and more physical player. He has a tendency to stay on the perimeter, and needs to mix it up in the key a little more often. While his instincts are good, he needs to become more confident with the ball, so he can create more opportunities for himself and his teammates. Throughout our practices so far, Creshawn has improved in all of these areas. In the weight room, Strength and Conditioning coach Matt Allen has been pushing him, and will continue to do so all year.

Look for Creshawn to take a big leap forward this year and develop into a highly effective high D2 guard. Before deciding to play a year of prep, Creshawn has drawn  interest from many quality programs. He lists: NJIT, Adelphi, LIU:CW Post, Queens, St. Thomas Acquinas, and Sage College of Albany.

If you have any questions about Creshawn, do not hesitate to contact me at adam.desautels@westwindacademy.org.