Louisiana Select Fall Exposure Camp

Mike Theus brought his Louisiana Select Nike Travel Team’s Fall Workout and Exposure Camp back to Ruston, LA on Saturday as nearly 100 players got a chance to showcase their skills.

Last year’s camp had several 6’4” and 6’5” wing players with college potential. This camp had a few, led by Oklahoma State commit Markel Brown from Peabody. The 2009 camp also brought a lot more size. Thomas (T.J.) Williams from Jonesboro Hodge and Kourtney Roberson from Arcadia were back. They were joined by 6’8” wing LaQuinton Ross, a national recruit from Jackson, MS. There were at least five underclassmen at the camp who are college prospects at the power forward and center positions. Ross, a junior from Murrah High School in Jackson, went up against Brown in the first game. Ross showed great handle for a 6’8” player and he has deep range on his jumper. Ross is a good athlete with long arms and a good feel for the game. Brown is extremely athletic and gets out ahead of the pack on the break. The 6’3” wing finishes well and is really quick to the hole. Ross said he is hearing a lot from Baylor and Mississippi State along with Kentucky, Marquette, Duke, and Ole Miss. Brown said he committed to Oklahoma State because they recruited him the hardest and he felt the most comfortable with the staff. He said he also heard from LSU, Tulsa, and Louisiana Tech. Williams went against 6’9” junior center Matt Moss from Anacoco on the other court. Williams slimmed down a little since last year and grew an inch to 6’7”. He is strong inside and has a nice touch. T.J. is able to absorb the foul ans still finish. Moss needs to improve his foot speed, but he showed surprising quickness inside and displayed a nice spin move around the basket. Moss was able to knock down a long three and has a good looking jump shot. Sophomore center Casey Oliverson from Simsboro also had deep range on his jumper. Oliverson is strong and he works really hard inside. The 6’8” big man has an assortment of post moves already. 6’8” Michael Lewis from Northshore is very long and plays really hard. The junior center will add weight before graduation, but he is already a very strong player. Lewis is a little raw offensively, but the lefty can knock down the jumper. Junior Leron Barnes from North DeSoto is another lefty that caught my attention. The 2011 wing is 6’5” and has a smooth pull up jumper. Junior Craig McFerrin was very impressive. The 6’7” forward is an aggressive offensive rebounder. He is somewhat limited offensively, but he knows how to operate within 5 or 6 feet. McFerrin is a strong defender and he never gives up on the play on either end. Treshawn Bolden, a teammate of LaQuinton Ross at Murrah, is 6’8” 230 and is only a freshman. Bolden is big, strong and a force inside. It will be interesting to see how he develops in the next couple of years. He has a chance to be a good one. Cedric Jenkins, a 2010 combo guard from Riverside, showcased his point guard skills at the event. Already a great scorer, Jenkins is becoming a good passer. At 6'1", he can finish around the basket and show off his athleticism. A couple of young players from Louisiana to keep an eye on are Carlton Lowe from Peabody and Stan May Jr. from LSU-Lab. Both players are in the 2013 class and looked good playing alongside McFerrin and Brown. May has a good basketball IQ and should grow into a good looking guard prospect. Lowe is 6’2” and has a good feel for the game entering his freshman year. Peabody also has a sophomore prospect. 6’5” forward Troy Jones is a 2012 prospect that is going to be a player. Jones is big and very athletic. Peabody has a lot of young talent to play alongside Markel Brown this year and they are looking good for the future. Two 2011 players that made their mark were A'torri Shine from Minden and DeSharrick Guidry from Washington-Marion in Lake Charles. Both players are 6'4" and very good athletes. Shine and Guidry were two of the better small forwards at the camp. Roberson said he will play at Christian Life Academy in Houston this year. The Texas A&M signee says he is still committed to the Aggies.

Photos:

T.J. Williams

Matt Moss

Michael Lewis

Craig McFerrin

Troy Jones

Treshawn Bolden

A'torri Shine

Markel Brown

Kourtney Roberson