BY NICK MEDLINE
SPECIAL TO ZAGSBLOG
CHICAGO — The perfect combination of big men highlighted Friday afternoon action at the Nike Global Challenge.
Stephen Zimmerman and Tyler Davis combined to make an excellent duo. Zimmerman — who recently lined up his home visits — lived up to his promise with 21 points on 10-of-16 shooting, making several difficult buckets. That coupled well with the strong physical play of Davis — who continues to be a riser in the class of 2015. “It makes the game easier, the way [Zimmerman] talks, it’s easier for me to play down low. It makes it fun,” the 6-9 Davis from Plano (TX) Liberty told SNY.tv. The Plano (TX) center also said he’ll visit Texas A&M and Baylor, with a likely trip to Arizona for the Red and Blue Game. Many have reported that he’s traveling to Kansas this fall. Davis was unaware but assumes that his mom planned the trip.
— Northfield (MA) Mount Hermon big man Aaron Falzon has earned the “underrated” tag — somehow earning little attention from many analysts. The stretch four, however, continues to hone his role in key games. He’s skilled at creating his own shot. While this sort of game does not lend well to “pick and pop” games (and passing in general), Falzon fights off defenders and then uses one of the best three-point shots for his class. Falzon told SNY.tv that he’s scheduled officials to Northwestern, Boston College and Harvard. He said Creighton and Stanford are still in the mix. “I’ve just got to show I can play the four, defend the four, so I’m just getting tougher and adapting to that,” he said. Falzon scored 15 points on four triples in just 19 minutes of action.
— Of course, the real question: Does Jaylen Brown of Marietta (GA) Wheeler deserve the No. 1 spot in recent Scout.com rankings? At times, he certainly did. He finished with 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists on Friday morning, but some of the numbers seem inflated. He’s a playmaker and score all across the floor—dominating at times. He was also turnover prone and was part of a team that had virtually no chemistry in its loss to underdog China. Still, he’s a great player with loaded potential who has the ability to play several positions. It’s hard not to like. He spoke earlier to SNY.tv about his interest in UCLA, Kansas and Kentucky — with in-state Georgia and Georgia Tech other major contenders.
— Jalen Brunson continues to dominate on the circuit. The five-star Lincolnshire (IL) Stevenson point guard looks like a true natural. He darts past opposing defenders on almost every possession at this point — and these usually end in an open shot for one of his teammates. Sure, he’s not a great perimeter shooter. If that develops for him, the Rivals.com No. 15 prospect in the class of 2015 would get even better. And that’s scary. His play earned rave reviews from everyone in attendance. Against Team USA West, he had 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting with seven assists. Brunson has five official visits set.
— Luke Kennard may have gone slightly quiet after committing to Duke back in March. But again, Coach K found someone who can contribute in big ways. Kennard can shoot, obviously, but also plays with more versatility than some give him credit for. He’s intense and plays with an edge: He’ll make plays off the dribble to draw fouls and then fight for steals on the other end. Kennard is a clear impact player and did well against other elite guys, scoring 15 points and adding six rebounds.
— Daniel Giddens received little playing time in a morning game for Team USA South. Still, he’s another ace pickup for Ohio State. Giddens used his size and skill in the post, recording eight points, five rebounds and three blocks in 13 minutes of action. Fellow OSU commit Austin Grandstaff didn’t put up flashy numbers on Friday but still played well. With commits from Giddens, Grandstaff, A.J. Harris (who fared well Friday) and Mickey Mitchell, Ohio State has done extremely well on the trail for the class of 2015.
— Other guys to like: Chris Clarke had 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting in an afternoon game. Joseph Toye committed to Vanderbilt early in the process, and continues to represent them well. Antonio Blakeney made an array of buckets — validating his recent surge on the trail. And after his five officials were scheduled to Hawaii, Oklahoma, Cal, Rhode Island and Dayton—and reported by Adam Zagoria—Jalen Poyser went for 23 points for Team Canada. He spoke to SNY.tv, explaining his growth: “[Coaches] say they like the way I attack the basket, how I can create for myself and my teammates.”
More to come from ZagsBlog.com from this weekend at the Nike Global Challenge
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