Gorman’s Watson saw his stock rise with tourney performance

Victoria Sun

Monday, July 30, 2001 | 10:29 a.m.

They don't call it the Big Time for nothing.

At this year's adidas Big Time Basketball Tournament that concluded Sunday night, many of the best high school basketball players showcased their skills in front of college coaches, recruiting experts and hoops fans at gyms all over the valley.

"To have that many of the top elite players and a number of the top young players as well, I think it probably makes this tournament as good as it has ever been," said Clark Francis, editor of Hoop Scoop. "I mean there's no split in terms of the top players in the country.

"Most of them are here."

Some players elevated their game to new heights over the course of the five-day tournament while others didn't live up to the hype surrounding them.

Bishop Gorman guard C.J. Watson earned a new following with his heady play. The 6-foot-2 senior played for Pump N Run of California and was named to the all-tournament team.

Fox Sports.com college basketball writer Frank Burlison thinks Watson may get a few more scholarship offers after his performance at the Big Time.

"I think before the tournament, C.J. Watson was considered a major college player being recruited by mostly schools in the West," Burlison said. "I think after this tournament, not only does he have to be considered one of the best guards in the West, but one of the best point guard prospects in the entire country."

Another Nevadan who played well was 6-foot-11 David Padgett of Reno who played on Watson's team. Padgett will be a junior this fall.

"I've seen him a lot," Burlison said. "A year from now, he'll be recruited by almost every college in America that wants a big man."

The two players who caused the most excitement were Carmello Anthony and Paul Davis.

Anthony, an athletic small forward who has committed to Syracuse, averaged 25.2 points per game for the Baltimore Select, scored the most points (227) of any player in the tournament and made the most field goals.

On several nights, NBA scouts were lined up to evaluate him.

"I think Carmello Anthony has really risen the value of his stock dramatically," Francis said. "He's gone from being a top 10 player in the country probably to the No. 1 high school senior in the United States.

"Really there's nothing that he can't do."

Davis, a strong 6-10 big man, averaged 27.1 points per game for the Michigan Mustangs.

He showed his tremendous range by knocking down 3-pointers, scoring inside and cleaning up around the basket. He verbally committed to Michigan State last summer.

"This is the best I've ever see him play," said Brick Oettinger, a talent evaluator for Prep Stars. "I've seen him shoot well, but never as well from the perimeter as he has here.

"Also, he plays bigger inside, more aggressively and more effectively than he had previously."

Burlison agreed.

"Every one else who follows closely knew that Paul Davis was a very, very good player," Burlison said. "One of the top 30 or 40 players in the country.

"I think after this, most people who evaluate will say he's top 10."

The most highly rated player to be left off of the all-tournament team was 6-10 Shavlik Randolph. Before the Big Time he was considered a top five recruit.

But Randolph had a mediocre tournament playing for the Raleigh Heat while teammates Matt Walsh and Michael Thompson showed why Walsh will be going to Florida and Thompson is headed for Duke.

"Randolph was struggling for health reasons," Burlison said. "He's just not strong enough right now to compete with Paul Davis.

"He needs maturity, weight training, all those things. For people who expected him to be the best player in the country and a guy who could go straight to the NBA, he's not that. He's a very good player who will be a very good college player and someday a good NBA player."

Another NBA prospect, LeBron James, averaged 26 points for the NE Ohio Shooting Stars, but wasn't able to lead his team to the quarterfinals of the tournament. Neither were highly touted Sani Ibraham (Atlanta Celtics) or Lenny Cooke (Prep Stars International) or Anthony Roberson (Michigan Hurricanes).

"I think everybody has to be disappointed that James and Cooke didn't go farther," Burlison said. "I think everybody expected to see James and Cooke today."

Some names to remember for the future are juniors Brandon Roy of Seattle, Wash., Thomas Gardner of Portland, Ore., and Sean Phaler, who averaged a tournament-best 30 points, of Villa Park, Calif.

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