May 29, 2008

Jerry Meyer
Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting

With 2010 prospects playing both in the 17-under and 16-under divisions at the Nike Memorial Day Classic, Rivals.com's Jerry Meyer did his best to watch as many underclassmen as he could over the weekend.

Here is a breakdown on five prospects that caught his eye over the holiday weekend.

Memorial Day Classic Top 2010 Performers
Daniel Bejarano, SG, AZ Stars-Team Jefferson
	Does the game ever come easy to this smooth shooting and athletic shooting guard. Bejarano created a buzz all weekend and then capped it off with a 29 point effort in a win over Team Odom. Bejarano simply has the total package as a shooting guard. At 6-foot-5, he has strength and athleticism. He gets his soft, high arcing jumper off with a high release and can make shots from anywhere on the court. Also a strong rebounder, Bejarano has no qualms about attacking the basket with the dribble either.
Vander Blue, PG, Illinois Warriors 16-under
	A Wisconsin commitment, Blue made a strong impression with his play at the Nike Memorial Day Classic as a part of the 16-under champion Illinois Warriors. Despite playing with a new travel team, Blue steadily worked himself into a leading role on his talented squad. Strong with the basketball, Blue worked his way into prime positions with the dribble and did an outstanding job distributing the ball. He also used his athleticism to make plays in the lane as a scorer and rebounder. And his touch from outside kept the defense honest.
Deshaun Thomas, SF, Spiece Indy Heat
	It has to be tough living up to the hype of being designated the next great one as soon as you hit high school. Thomas is playing under that type of scrutiny, and although the hype is way overboard, there is no doubt that Thomas is one of the top prospects in 2010. A well-built athlete at close to 6 feet 7, Thomas punishes defenders with his strong drives to the basket and his physical back-to-the-basket moves. Thomas also took a number of jumpers from behind the arc with mixed results, but against the Portland Elite Legends he made six three-pointers.
Aaron Bright, PG, Friends of Hoop
	Bright might be undersized at 5 feet 10, but he is a physical, competitive and highly-skilled floor general. In his statement game, Bright led Friends of Hoop to an overtime upset over fellow 2010 point guard Kendall Marshall's Boo Williams squad. Bright went for a game-high 28 points and hit 17 of those points in the final quarter. Strong and quick with the basketball, Bright set up teammates for scores and shot the ball well off the dribble.
Ty Armstrong, C, Team Florida 16-under
Armstrong did not put up overwhelming numbers, but the well-built 6-foot-8 center is a promising big man who is rapidly developing. A baseline-to-baseline player, Armstrong both runs the floor well and isn't afraid to mix it up in a crowd. He did a nice job snagging rebounds. His offensive game is limited to around the basketball, but he has touch and showed an ability to turn to either shoulder.

MORE: Nike MDC Gallery | MDC Top 2009 Performers | Rivals.com Hoops Tour