Final Ranking of the Top Players at the adidas ABCD Camp
(Rankings are based primarily on camp performance)
by Clark Francis, Adam Gorney, Chris Johnson, Mike Giuliani, Allen Rubin, and Dave Schultz

                    The Class of 2002 is down, but that didn't prevent adidas ABCD Camp from having what might be its best week ever.  Obviously the overwhelming number of great point guards had a lot to do with the success of camp, but just as important were the incredible number of underclassmen who stepped up and established themselves among the elite players in the nation regardless of class.  As a matter of fact, four of the top five players in camp - 6'6 Jr LeBron James from Akron (St. Vincent-St. Mary) OH, 5'11 Soph Sebastian Telfair from Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY, 6'8 Jr Leon Powe from Oakland (Vocational Tech) CA, and 6'10 Jr Kendrick Perkins from Beaumont (Ozen) TX - are underclassmen.  Digging a little deeper, 6'8 Soph Mike Williams from Camden (Wilcox Central) AL, 6'9 Jr Charlie Villanueva from Blairstown (Academy) NJ, 6'9 Jr Travis Outlaw from Starkville (H.S.) MS, 6'0 Soph Darius Washington from Orlando (Edgewater) FL, 6'5 Jr Olu Famutimi from Flint (Northwestern) MI, 6'7 Jr Trevor Ariza from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA, 6'9 Jr Chris Taft from Brooklyn (Xaverian) NY, 6'4 Jr Marquis Webb from Paterson (Catholic) NJ, 6'4 Jr Jai Miller from Selma (H.S.) AL, 6'3 Jr Omar Wilkes from Los Angeles (Loyola) CA, 6'0 Soph Jason Horton from Cedar Hill (H.S.) TX, 6'7 Soph Joshua Smith from Smryna (Whitfield) GA, 6'11 Jr Darryl Watkins from Paterson (Catholic) NJ, 6'8 Jr Warren Scott from New Orleans (Abramson) LA, 6'8 Frosh Joey Cameron from Calere (H.S.) AL, 6'10 Jr Major Wingate from Florence (Wilson) SC, 6'6 Jr Marcus Sikes from Middleburg (Notre Dame) VA, and 5'11 Soph Eric Price from Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD also were ranked among our top 50 players in camp.  In other words, 22 of the top 50 players or almost half of the top players in camp may all be back next year
                    And four of these underclassmen - Telfair, Washington, Horton, and Price - are also point guards, which was a big part of the reason why there was so much depth at this position in camp.   Combine that with the fact that the point guard spot is clearly the best position in the junior class nationally (nine of the our top 20 players in the Class of 2002 are point guards) and it is easy to see why we think this was the single best position ever at a superstar oriented camp, like the NIKE All-American Camp and adidas ABCD Camp.   Sure there were a few exceptions, like 6'2 Anthony Roberson from Saginaw (H.S.) MI, but most of the point guards gave up the basketball.  The power forward and center spots also turned out to be deep positions thanks once again to the overwhelming number of outstanding underclassmen in camp.  Perkins heads the list of underclassmen at the 5-spot, followed by Williams, Taft, Watkins, Scott, Wingate, 6'10 Jr David Padgett from Reno (H.S.) NV, 6'10 Jr Jackie Butler from McComb (H.S.) MS, and 6'9 Soph Randolph Morris from Fairburn (Landmark Christian) GA, all of whom were ranked among the top 20 centers in camp.  A similar situation existed at 4-spot, as Powe, Villanueva, Outlaw, Ariza, Cameron, 6'9 Jr Ekene Ibekewe from Carson (H.S.) CA, 6'8 Jr Ivan Harris from Springfield (North) OH, 6'9 Jr Nick Stiggers from Memphis (Hillcrest) TN, 6'8 Jr Sheray Thomas from Parkdale (Riverdale Baptist) MD, and 6'8 Jr Will Sheridan from Sanford (Hockessin) DE were all ranked among our top 20 power forwards in camp.  In contrast, the wing forward and 2-guard spots lacked depth and, with the exception of James, any great underclassmen who dominated the camp. 
                    Our rankings below are based primarily on camp performance and not college and/or pro potential.  So it makes sense that James would be the #1-ranked player in camp after he out played 6'6 Leonard Cooke from Old Tappan (H.S.) NJ, who is currently the #1-ranked rising senior nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.   "Currently" is the key word, because Cooke hasn't been the same player since he faced James on the third day of camp.  James also was outstanding in the Underclassmen All-Star Game with 22 points, four rebounds, and seven assists and he was the only player all week who clearly outplayed Telfair.  Speaking of Telfair, his 29-point performance in the Underclassmen All-Star Game was so incredible that it's something we'll likely be talking about in 20 years.  Telfair also finished 4th in camp in assists and out played every point guard he faced, except James and 6'2 Raymond Felton from Latta (H.S.) SC.  And that's some pretty fast company when you remember that Felton, 6'2 Anthony Roberson from Saginaw (H.S.) MI, 6'1 Sean Dockery from Chicago (Julian) IL, 6'0 Elijah Ingram from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, and 6'2 Allan Ray from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY were all on teams in the same pool as Telfair.  Only time will will tell whether Telfair lives up to all the Stephon Marbury comparisons, but up until now he's met all the challenges and, as a result, appears to be well on his way towards becoming a great one!  Already we mark him down as the #1 player in New York City regardless of class, as well as one of the top five players in the nation regardless of class, along with James, Felton, Cooke, and 6'9 Amare Stoudemire from Orlando (Cypress Creek) FL.
                    Statistically Felton didn't rank among the leaders in any category, but he didn't have to, as he was easily one of the best players in camp.  In direct contrast, Powe has to be ranked among the top five in camp, because he was both the leading scorer (21.3 ppg) and the leading rebounder (9.9 rpg) for the week.  He also was terrific in the Underclassmen All-Star Game, as he scored 21 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and had three steals.  Rounding out our top five was Perkins, who was the most dominating big man in camp.  He also was the second leading rebounder in camp (8.9 rpg), as well as one of the leading scorers before leaving camp early.  As a result, we didn't get a chance to see Perkins in the Underclassmen All-Star Game.  We also didn't get to see any of the Michigan kids - Roberson, 6'10 Paul Davis from Rochester (H.S.) MI, 6'7 Matt Trannon from Flint (Northern) MI 6'2 Jr Byron Davis from Detroit (Rogers) MI, 6'5 Jr Olu Famutimi from Flint (Northwestern) MI, and 6'3 Jr Brandon Jenkins from Detroit (Southeastern) MI - in either the Underclassmen or the Senior All-Star Game, because the Michigan State High School Association prohibts their participation.  Also selected to play, but not participating in the Underclassmen All-Star Game were Padgett, Perkins, and Ibekewe.  Other Senior All-Star Game selectees who didn't participate were 6'9 Travis Garrison from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD, 6'7 Marcus White from Chicago (Whitney Young) IL, and 6'7 Carmelo Anthony from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, who played Cooke straight up the first day, but then had to go home to attend summer school. 
                    We've learned to expect politics to come into play when the all-star teams are selected, but we're still wondering who 6'7 Nik Caner-Medley from Portland (Deering) ME knew to get into the game.  We're also wondering why once he was selected Caner-Medley didn't play a single minute in the game.  Caner-Medley is a big-time athlete, but we still question his outside shooting and his willingness to consistently assert himself against big-time competition.  However, he did have several impressive dunks and he's extremely athletic for a white kid.  And Caner-Medley wasn't the only player who was picked to play in the all-star game who in our opinion didn't belong.  6'11 Sani Ibrahim from Winchendon (School) MA had a bad week and 6'3 Taquan Dean from Neptune (H.S.) NJ didn't play up to his expectations.  However, Wingate, 6'6 Curtis Sumpter from Brooklyn (Bishop Loughlin) NY, 6'4 Jr Rodrick Stewart from Seattle (Rainier Beach) WA, and 6'4 Jr Lodrick Stewart from Seattle (Rainier Beach) WA all  did get snubbed from the all-star game and they deserved to, as none of them came close to living up to their press clippings.  Also not making the Senior All-Star Game was 6'4 Marcus Watkins from College Station (A&M Consolidated) TX, who was one of the top best players in camp, but very ordinary the rest of the week, as he finished ranked no higher than #9 at the 2-guard position.  The only player ranked among our top 25 in camp who failed to get invited to play in the either all-star game was 6'4 Maurice Ager from Detroit (Crockett) MI.  However, we're still not convinced he's any better than top 50 in the senior class nationally (we had a discussion with several people, including his high school coach, prior to the start of the camp about where Ager is currently ranked nationally).  Also ranked among our top 50 in camp, but failing to get invited to play in either all-star game were 6'7 Derrick Byars from Memphis (Ridgeway) TN, 6'3 Devon Williams from The Colony (H.S.) TX, 6'5 Maurice Petty from Shelby (Crest) NC, 6'4 Jr Jai Miller from Selma (H.S.) AL, 6'7 Curtis Withers from Charlotte (West Charlotte) NC, 6'4 John Winchester from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, 5'9 Brandon Stockton from Glasgow (H.S.) KY, and Wingate.
                        The player who helped himself the most at the adidas ABCD Camp was 6'9 Ike Diogu from Garland (H.S.) TX, who prior to the camp wasn't ranked among our top 100 nationally, but who now has to be ranked among the elite big men in the class.  Diogu is a physical specimen who plays hard and is active on the boards.  Diogu also surprisingly athletic and very mobible for somebody his sieze.  Also skyrocketing in our ranking based on his performance at this camp was 6'11 Chris Bosh from Dallas (Lincoln) TX.  We're not sure that Bosh should be ranked among our top five nationally, but we're also not sure that he shouldn't.  Not only is Bosh an explosive athlete, a big-time shot blocker, and excellent rebounder, but he's also versatile enough to post you up inside and/or beat you away for the basket.  He even showed us a 3-point shot, but unlike a lot of the big soft finesse big men that a produced in this day and age, Bosh takes care of business inside first.  We also like the fact that he always comes to play and that he just better and better every time we see him.  Other players who are on the rise based on their performance at the Adidas ABDC Camp are 6'9 DeAngelo Collins from Inglewood (H.S.) CA, 6'7 Francisco Garcia from Cheshire (Academy) CT, 6'2 Gerry McNamara from Scranton (H.S.) PA, 6'8 Antoine Wright from Groton (Lawrence Academy) MA, 6'8 Charles Davis from Selma (Southside) AL, 6'5 Adam Haluska from Carroll (Community) IA, and 6'4 Shawn Harris from Fork Union (Military) VA.  Speaking of Harris, can you believe he didn't make our top 50 in camp?  No only did Harris have nine points in the Senior All-Star Game, but he also finished ranked #8 in camp in scoring with 15.6 ppg and #8 in 3-point shooting with 44.4% accuracy.  Part of the problem might have had to do with name recognition (the high profiles players often get ranked higher than the should based on the reputation), but also Harris is a like a jack-of-all-trades who doesn't do anything flashy and normally makes his living take what the defense gives him. 

Top 50 Players at the adidas ABCD Camp

Top Centers at the adidas ABCD Camp

Top Power Forwards at the adidas ABCD Camp

Top Wing Forwards at the adidas ABCD Camp

Top Second Guard at the adidas ABCD Camp

Top Point Guards at the adidas ABCD Camp

Underclassmen All-Star Game Box