McDonald's "All-American" or All-Twig game???

[Deadlift]

I forced myself to watch this boring "game"... and it's not only that they were VERY THIN, they generally didn't look "that tall" - either.

Michael Gilchrist is listed as only 6-foot-7.. heck, there are Whites (and Jews) in the Ivy League that are bigger.

This game did feature 3 White bigs: Cody Zeller, Kyle Wiltjer and Marshall Plumlee.. but, here's the thing, I would have liked them to feature a couple of the burly White bigs, that are often-times from the Midwest, and exist in every single recruiting year/class.

In basketball, there are some benefits to having a bigger body, and I like to watch different-types of White ballers. There are A LOT more White bigs' out there.. that are 6-10 to 7-1 and have great frames and can ball than the MSM would want people to believe...

Just because Plumlee, Wiltjer and Zeller are going to "big" programs, and are getting HS recognition, it doesn't mean that they are going to end-up as better players' than numerous other White bigs. I'm not knocking them, and they showed flashes in the McDonald's contest, but I'm just making a point.

 

[whiteathlete33]

I forced myself to watch this boring "game"... and it's not only that they were VERY THIN, they generally didn't look "that tall" - either.



Michael Gilchrist is listed as only 6-foot-7.. heck, there are Whites (and Jews) in the Ivy League that are bigger.



This game did feature 3 White bigs: Cody Zeller, Kyle Wiltjer and Marshall Plumlee.. but, here's the thing, I would have liked them to feature a couple of the burly White bigs, that are often-times from the Midwest, and exist in every single recruiting year/class.



In basketball, there are some benefits to having a bigger body, and I like to watch different-types of White ballers. There are A LOT more White bigs' out there.. that are 6-10 to 7-1 and have great frames and can ball than the MSM would want people to believe...

Just because Plumlee, Wiltjer and Zeller are going to "big" programs, and are getting HS recognition, it doesn't mean that they are going to end-up as better players' than numerous other White bigs. I'm not knocking them, and they showed flashes in the McDonald's contest, but I'm just making a point.

Wiltjer also won the three point shootout. At least this year there were three whites as opposed to last which had none.

 

[pistol pete]

Yeah, most of these guys aren't that tall. And they are skinny. You're right. Probably some good guys played but most looked average. Marshall Plumlee has great size and had a good showing in the dunk contest.

Too much hype though for a lot of these guys. Too many of them looked like 6'2 to 6'6 tweeners who won't really have a position past high school. The college game has way too many of these guys that don't really go anywhere.

 

[Deadlift]

I can acknowlege that former college players like Ed Davis and J.J. Hickson have some "real" ability and size, but this current crop at the McDonald's game looks rather unimpressive.

Despite being skinny, I would say that their arms didn't look that long - either.


P.S. -- I wasn't trying to "knock" the White bigs.. Cody Zeller made a good college choice (Indiana). Personally, I wanted Plumlee to choose someone other than Duke. As for Wiltjer, hard to say what's going to happen at Kentuck...

 

[snow]

Too much hype though for a lot of these guys. Too many of them looked like 6'2 to 6'6 tweeners who won't really have a position past high school. The college game has way too many of these guys that don't really go anywhere.

I thought that is what this game was about. The future employees of McDonalds. After Katrina I was desperate for some dough and worked at McDonalds, before there were a ton of construction jobs McDonalds was one of the first places to open back up in the area. There was this kid who swore he was just as good as Chris Duhon and was able to shut him down when they played and of course his stats were better each time he told the story. He swears he had scholarship offers. With this "all-star" game, I finally understood what he was talking about.

See this is where this the is league that affletes go to when they can't cut it out in the NBA or college, there are great opportunities waiting for them at McDonalds. They get to show off their incredible passing skills of getting a wrapped sandwiches from the back to the front (see there is a timer that goes off if a customer doesn't have their food within 5 minutes so they have to get it in before the buzzer) sometimes behind the back one handed while making another sandwich, and then there is the jump shot into the trash can. Then they can use their hand skills to do fancy things with the ketchup and mustard bottles. McDonalds needs more of these affletes to fill their corporation.

Sorry I was in a goofy mood.

 

[Deadlift]

I saw Michael Gilchrist again.. this time in the Jordan Game. He doesn't look nearly "as explosive" as the MSM suggests.

Him, Khem Birch and Rakeem Christmas (those are real names..) appear to be the most overrated.

In college basketball right now, I could name about 2-dozen White bigs that have very long arms and SUPERIOR frames to Khem Birch. What one needs to note in these "showcase games" is that it's skinnies-against-skinnies.. what's going to happen to these skinnies when they face bigger-bodies that know how to box out? Think Josh Harrellson..

This past year, I gave props to JaJuan Johnson, Rick Jackson and Bernard James.. Birch just doesn't appear to be in their league and he doesn't "intimidate"...
Edited by: Deadlift

 

[j41181]

This past year, I gave props to JaJuan Johnson, Rick Jackson and Bernard James.. Birch just doesn't appear to be in their league and he doesn't "intimidate"...

The 3 you mentioned are really good players who could make an impact in the NBA. While most of the current All-American class don't have it, they'd all falter if they leave college early.

Again, the 3 you mentioned spent a great deal developing their skills in college, staying in school. That's why I too applaud them.

 

[pistol pete]

The past draft was fairly weak. This year's draft is supposed to be weak too. Maybe most of these guys aren't that great and get hyped too much. Too many combo guards and undersized forwards. Those guys are a dime a dozen.
And usually the combo guards and undersized forwards who DO make it have great fundamentals and tenacity.

I remember seeing clips of Derrick Rose in high school. He was impressive. I watched Kevin Love at the Nike Hoops Summit. He had good size. He also had impressive high school highlights to go along with great size and skill. Some of these new guys aren't that good.

I remember another Nike Hoops Summit game were Psycho T, Josh McRoberts, and Jon Brockman all played well. Those guys were true big men. There aren't as many of those guys as there should be.
Is a skinny 6'7 or 6'8 guy gonna make it as a dink and dunk center in the NBA? I doubt it.

I think that college basketball recruiting is just as flawed as college football recruiting.
Look, I love high flyers like Jordan, Dominique, and Vince Carter as much as anyone, but lots of these guys are getting too much hype. Most of these high recruits are modest athletes with mediocre shots. Oh, and all these guys are gonna
"fill out." lol

 

[Deadlift]

The MSM pushes the idea that these uber-thin black "bigs" are quicker and superior leapers..

The reality is, however, not as clear cut. Not every thin black is going to be Ibaka or Javale McGee.

For instance, the MSM has a crush on Melsahn Balsabe of the Iowa Hawkeyes. He has the fairly typical small-build of the blacks I'm seeing, and I don't see him having a position in the NBA.. Too small for center, and not strong enough for "power forward." I don't see him as a "game-changer" in the NBA.

Contrast them with about 2-dozen White bigs in college, "combo" bigs (that are 6-10 to 7-0), that have the size and athleticism to play PF or Center in the NBA. Some of them are.. Tyler Zeller, Alex Kirk, Jon Kreft, Meyers Leonard, Nate Hicks, Jeff Withey, Natyazhko, Mason Plumlee, Colton Iverson, Angus Brandt, Garrett Stutz, Tyler Olander, maybe even Carl Engstrom. There are several other young White men out there - in the college landscape - and we'll likely learn more about them in the upcoming season.

I look at players' like Jack Cooley, Daniel Miller, Jared Berggren, Brandon Ubel and Josh Duinker as strictly power forwards.

Others like Ruslan Pateev, Jordan Bachynski and Andrew Smith - strictly centers. All we need is an opportunity, good minutes, to prove ourselves!

 

[pistol pete]

Deadlift,Draft Express says that Tyler Zeller needs to "fill out" and that he is not big enough. Yeah, he could probably bulk up some, but that same UNC team has John Henson who is a stick figure.
Zeller and the 3 Plumlee Brothers, aka The Flying Plumlees will have great years next year. The Duke vs. UNC games next year will be great! They could play each other four times next season. Twice in the regular season, in the ACC championship, and finally in the NCAA championship game.

One good thing though is that nbadraft.net has 4 white players in the top 7. Three international guys plus Jimmer.