I watched Jordan Hamilton's Compton Dominguez HS play in CA State Championship versus Oakland McClymonds HS. Not sure what type of interest there'll be on this board, but given the fact that Texas is the favorite for Hamilton's services in '09, I thought I'd post some thoughts. I've found myself watching HS hoops games recently, curious to see players that UT is recruiting. I have to remind myself that the majority of these guys won't play at the next level. Basketball being a team game, sometimes a player's talent is so beyond that of his teammates that it makes objective evaluation of said player's abilities difficult. Compton Dominguez is one of the top programs in the country, having recently produced the likes of Tyson Chandler and Tayshaun Prince. With that said, they were soundly defeated by McClymonds. The guard play for Dominguez was particularly suspect. My thoughts on Hamilton, in particular are: He had a strong first half, leading all scorers w/ 13 pts. However, the struggled mightily in the 2nd half, missing a bunch of shots, pretty much disappearing down the stretch when McClymonds pulled away. He finished w/ 20 pts. Strengths: 1. Very nice outside jumper. He has a consistent release, good arc. He won't have trouble at all getting his shot in college. 2. Unlimited range on his shot. He was taking shots from beyond the NBA line and making them in the 1st half. 3. Skilled player, can take his man off the dribble. Has a nice cross-over move. Weaknesses: 1. Skinny and physically lacks strength in the upper body. He didn't finish drives very strongly when contested and bumped. He doesn't look as skinny as Durant, but Durant was 2 inches taller. 2. He was the tallest player on the floor (6'7"), but was not a factor on the boards. Had trouble boxing out his man (SMU signee Frank Otis), who is a year older and stronger. 3. Seems to lack some urgency in his game. This is difficult to assess, given that these are kids who are learning how to compete. My opinion is that Hamilton's smooth style starts to seem like a lack of intensity when he's struggling, which he was in the 2nd half. Overall, I can see many of the reasons why Hamilton is rated so highly. His skill level is impressive. Given the fact that he's just a junior, I don't think he's physically matured. Needs to finish drives better and be a bigger contributor on other facets of the game (rebounding, blocking shots, making plays for teammates). Would like to see him compete harder and w/ a bit more fire. With all of that said, I would consider him an absolute MUST get for Texas, given his preference for us at this time and the potential of Damion James leaving by then. McClymonds' Frank Otis, who's going to SMU, looked solid. He's undersized for a PF, but Matt Doherty's getting a pretty good player. By the way, the HS basketball talent in Southern California is ridiculous. Other than Hamilton, there is Renardo Sydney, of course, in the class of '09. Jrue Holiday, Demar DeRozen, Larry Drew Jr in '08. Jeremy Tyler in '10. That's a ton of top 10-15 prospects, all in SoCal.
That's an absolutely outstanding post. I appreciate you sharing it. You nailed everything I know about Hamilton.
Thanks for the report. He sounds like a guy who would be a good match for UT given the Todd Wright aspect of our program. OT- Isn't McClymonds where the great Bill Russell went to HS?
