John Lucas Top 160 Invitational

The 2019 John Lucas Top 160 Invitational Camp was as good as advertised and, format-wise, arguably the best it’s ever been. The annual Labor Day Weekend tradition for the WBB world brought players from nearly 30 states, camp coaches from across the country, and a solid contingent of National Evaluators and Media as well. 


The legendary Boo Williams and Premier Basketball's Shane Laflin.                                                                                   Photo Cred: Brittany Graham


(From left) Earl Allen (Cy Fair), Chad Hubbard (Team Elite), Jason Key (PBR), Shane Laflin (PBR), Boo Williams, Ron James (Team Takeover)
Photo Cred: Theresa Nunn 

As soon as the players check in and finish their registration to receive their jersey, they are greeted by the camp coaches that are prepared to warm them up with simple drills. The energy is immediately noticeable. The coaches are intense and sharp and they have a plan of action. 


Camp staff member Rob Amboree never lacks for intensity and enthusiasm.                                               Photo Cred: Brittany Graham



Camp staff member Jason McKinney is prepped and ready to go.                                                      Photo Cred: Brittany Graham

Once they get everyone settled and they’ve had a chance to get a ball in their hands for a bit, John Lucas (current Assistant Coach for the Houston Rockets and former #1 NBA draft pick) brings everyone together to give an overview and set the tone for the two days in the gym. Coach Lucas is direct and succinct; he expects players to work, have energy, be coachable, and he reminds them if they want to work towards being their version of great they are welcome, if not, maybe this isn’t the place for them. He also asks the parents to calmly sit and observe and to contain their commentary or their “coaching” (which when sitting amongst them at times is a welcomed request). 


John Lucas addresses the campers to set the tone for the camp.                                                            Photo Cred: Brittany Graham

The camp days both consisted of drill/station rotations, 5 on 5, and this year had the addition of a USA Basketball sanctioned 3X3 tournament, which really brought life to the camp. Joe Lewandowski has lead USA Basketball 3X3 since 2012 and he is the Head Coach of Point Park University Men’s Basketball. He was in attendance and made sure everyone understood the rules and nuances of the FIBA 3X3 Basketball game. 


Check up! 3X3 was a hit at the John Lucas Top 160 camp. 


The 3X3 is a fun way to add an evaluation tool as all of the players have to handle the ball and it is a way to see their overall game IQ and versatility. It shows which players have leadership quality and which ones really want to compete regardless of the situation. The FIBA 3X3 game is fast paced and players have to be ready to think quickly and react; they have to have that “next play” mentality. The games are relatively short so decision-making and shot selection are really important. 
 
The majority of the 3X3 action was played on Saturday with the finals being played Sunday morning in front of everyone. The teams were  Ruby Whitehorn (2022 – MI),  Jada Malone (2021 – TX),  Raven Johnson (2021 – GA) and  Landry Williams (2021 – OK) vs  Madison Hayes (2020 – TN),  Deja Kelly (2020 – TX),  Mikayla Tynes (2021 – VA),  Destiny McClendon (2021 – GA), and  Deborah Redmon (2021 – FL). 


FIBA 3X3 is fast paced and intense. Players must be ready to make plays.  

The team of Whitehorn, Malone, Johnson, and Williams won the event. Coach Lucas announced to everyone that they are funding flights for both of the teams to go to Colorado Springs for the USA Basketball 3X3 U18 event in the spring. (They will have to do age eligibility requirement checks for the participants and there will possibly be replacements made to the teams because of that.) They also are able to send a third team – and that will be a compilation of players of their choosing from the event. They are TBD. However, I believe the players and parents were unaware of the teams receiving flights to the event prior to them playing, so that was a pleasant surprise for everyone. 


2021 Jada Malone shown here focused during the camp drills.                                           Photo Cred: Brittany Graham 

Saturday ended with 5 on 5 action and the teams were pretty balanced and overall played well. There are always the players who decide for it to be all about them, which is always a bit disappointing. That has nothing to do with the confident aggressiveness, but to do with basketball decision-making. The other thing that stood out is that during the drills and (mostly) during the 3X3, the parents were relatively quiet. However, once the 5 on 5 started, they simply couldn’t help themselves. Disinterested in the drills, etc, but they turn on their “attention” during 5 on 5 … sound familiar? It shows they don’t value the technical details of the craft building (but some will pay for it anyway) but want the “product” to be perfect. And we wonder why we can’t get the players to generate a mature approach to practice or skill acquisition? Think about it … and make necessary adjustments please. 


2020 Madison Hayes is locked in defensively, as usual.                                                                         Photo Cred: Brittany Graham 


2022 Bridget Utberg made some exciting plays during 5on5 play.                                                       Photo Cred: Brittany Graham


2022 Janiah Barker is one of the best in her class nationally. Look at 2021 Zaakaya Young (far right). You think she loves the game?                                                          Photo Cred: Brittany Graham



2022 Zyanna Walker is one of the best in her class. Scorer!                                                         Photo Cred: Brittany Graham


2021 Sara Puckett is a stand out in her class. Strength and skill.. Versatiltiy is valuable!                                  Photo Cred: Brittany Graham


Coach Lucas always spends time on the mic and drops nuggets for everyone to take with them from the talks. Here are some bullet points:
 

• EVERYONE should want to work on shooting … Always.

 

• The pace of the women’s game HAS to pick up: with advance passes vs dribbles; Everyone will run the floor if you reward them with passes up the floor 

 

• Little guards – Pace is your WEAPON; and you can create pace on the offensive end and the defensive end with your ball pressure and energy 

 

• The point is to raise the level of basketball (as some of the top players) and set the tone and example for the next generation to follow; The game evolves and has patterns of development and change

 

• Ask this question of “events” or “camps” or “trainers”: How are you being developed? Are you just “in the gym” for the event with nothing really being given to you but video and pictures? Or are you coming away with game nourishment and new things to add? An “event” doesn’t develop, but the methods do and the coaching does; the details do. Development is not the same for every player … it can be different in the nuances for everyone. 

 

• The pressure being put on young players is too much … it is ok to be the best YOU are and stop comparing all of the time

 
2021 Karoline Striplin (shown here in a passing drill) showed very well all weekend.                                               Photo Cred: Brittany Graham


2022 Jordana Codio shown here in a finishing drill.                                                                                                         Photo Cred: Brittany Graham



BUCKETS anyone? Here is a top 2020 matchup between Kateri Poole and Deja Kelly.                                                        Photo Cred: Brittany Graham

John Lucas is known for his Sunday sermon before the start of camp and this year he did the same. He talked about being discerning in college decisions and again hammered home the point of player development for working towards greatness. These players cannot and should not hide from the challenge of competition and failing … and it is not just supposed to happen in games. Seek the player development options that are best for you or educate yourself on the game and get in they gym and work … but seek guidance with people who have a legit basketball resume!!


The John Lucas "Sunday Sermon" is legendary. 

I was very fortunate for Coach Lucas to ask me to speak for a few minutes along with a few of the other attendees (Mark Lewis, Prentice Beverly, and Bret McCormick. Dan Olson spoke at the end of camp). They made some excellent points from their collective years of experience. Here are the bullet points of what I shared:
 

• Please be careful confusing ATTENTION with SUCCESS. The social media era has created an avenue for a lot of attention, but that doesn’t equal success. There is no amount of buzz created or likes or clicks that can replace skills and the ability to play … but if not careful, it can in some people’s minds. And for some, that seems to be the goal. But, once the ball is tipped, it doesn’t matter. 

 

• For a young player, TAKE OWNERSHIP of YOUR PLAYER DEVELOPMENT. The drive should not come from parents (guidance, but not drive) and/or trainers. As a player who owns their development, you will be more resilient to the failure and hardship it takes to develop to your best. It’s not about comparing, it is about competing … and when you own your development, you realize you are in your own race, on your own path. The pace of development isn’t the same for everyone. You will be able to gain more from your gym sessions and you will retain more knowledge when you are the driver of your development.

 

• We have to balance individual skills training with PLAYING MORE PICKUP BASKETBALL. I have no problem with individual skills training (I have a problem with some of the methods or what they think is important, or the trainers inserting themselves into your recruiting process, but no problem in you seeking out the work). But, it has to be balanced with application to game play that is not in front of fans, referees, or evaluators. It should be in a gym with players only. You all set the rules, call the fouls, and settle the disagreements. It develops leadership skills and it allows you to learn through game situations yourself through trial and error. Sometimes you are the best player on the floor and sometimes you are the eighth best player. You’ll learn to value roles and you’ll find a way to win, no matter what role you have. [Efforts in this manner are being prepared for October 13th! News coming ASAP.]

Sunday morning sharing a few points with the camp players and parents. 


Thank you to Coach Lucas for giving us a few minutes to talk with the camp. 

This camp was a fantastic display of skills, talent, and teaching with a lot of high-level players from different classes. There are areas that are lacking that will hold these players back in terms of reaching their development for the next level(s). 
 
Some things I would like to see improve:
 

• Shot prep and consistency. There needs to be more focus on the technical parts and the sharpness to the footwork and base preparation to each shot. There are not a lot of shots at the next level that don’t require some kind of relocation or coming off of an action. The effort and attention to detail must improve. 

 

• There are a lot of loose habits being demonstrated: lack of talk on the floor, lack of defensive stance, “chin and check” on rebounds, keeping the ball high on finishes or rebounds by post players, sloppy passing technique, running lanes wide, patience in the post, post feeding, and transition habits both offensively and defensively (just some examples). The fundamentals require a tightness to execute elements of the game well. This is not so much of a complaint, but to say they are easily controlled and could be simply improved if these elements were emphasized and players learned that they were important (preferably before college). 

Take your pick! (From left) Kateri Poole, Raven Johnson, Treasure Hunt, Madi Scott, Angel Reese, Elauna Eaton, Myra Gordon. Players from all over the country ... basketball is a beautiful game!                                                                                                                   Photo Cred: Brittany Graham
 
Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer and it feels like there is a decent break from important events nationally (there are some relevant regional events) between now and the start of the High School season. 
 
Congratulations to John Lucas and staff, especially LaQuita Thompson, who works all year to identify players to invite to this camp, on another successful year. We appreciate the hospitality and the input before, during, and after the event. 
 
Players, we wish all of you the best and applaud you for your efforts to improve your skills and improve and grow this game. We can assure you that we will be out to see you play and continue to support you in any way we can. 
 
Here are some players that caught our eye and stood out from the camp:
 
(We didn’t include the 2020’s obviously)

2021
Messiah Hunter 
Azaiha James
Laila Jewett
Sara Puckett
Karoline Striplin
Asia Broughton 
Destiny McClendon
Kayla McPherson
Madison Ott
Ava Stevenson
Makayla Timpson
Zaakyaa Young
Knisha Godfrey
Kiya Dorroh
De’Mauri Flournoy
Deborah Redmon
Mikayla Tynes 
Raven Johnson
O’Mariah Gordon
Jada Malone
Morasha Wiggins
Kyndall Hunter
Landry Williams 
Ashante Bailey
Madison Roshelle
 
 
2022
Tionna Herron
Amanda Hill
Zyanna Walker
Isuneh Brady
Jordana Codio
Kennedy Fontleroy
Aizhanique Mayo
Kennedy Clifton
R’Mani Taylor
Ayanna Thompson
Janiah Barker
Sydney Bowles
Fatima Kaba Diakhate
Kennedy Basham
Ruby Whitehorn
Jayla Hearp
Saniya Glenn
Gia Cooke
Yonta Vaughn 
Bridget Utberg
Shay Ciezki
Olivia Delancy
 
 
2023
Sahnya Jah
Sydney Colleoni
Jamiah Gregory
Laci Steele
Erica Moon
Raven Sims
Tanner Strickland
Quedence Samuels 
Dallysshya Moreno


2022 Fatima Kaba Diakhate had an eye opening weekend. Here she gets quizzed by Coach Lucas.                               Photo Cred: Brittany Graham