SLAM Stalks the Sidelines at 17U Showcase
July 27th, 2009
The 2009 AAU 17U Super Showcase has the best talent in the country and that national media is taking note. Here, SLAM Magazine highlights some of the studs in this year’s competition
**Original Story found at SLAMONLINE.com**
Super Showcase Sampler
Watch Mike Gilchrist play before it gets expensive.
by Aggrey Sam
In honor of living another year on this Earth, I’m going to pay homage to my pledge to be more responsible by posting on the first day of action from the AAU Super Showcase in Orlando. While I was there most of the day, I’m only going to focus on five kids (be patient, I’m here for the entire event 
and I’m covering AAU Nationals, as well; you’ll be sick of me soon) for now, lest y’all think I’m not celebrating on this special day. Enjoy:
–Reggie Bullock, 6-7 rising senior wing, CP3 All-Stars/Kinston (NC): A future Tar Heel, Bullock should fare well against ACC competition, due to his mature skillset–he’s extremely fluid, possesses great size for his position and shoots it well from all distances–but his advanced understanding of the game is what truly sets him apart from most of his peers.
–Kaleb Clyburn, 5-10 rising senior point guard, Each 1 Teach 1 (aka Team Stat)/Montverde (FL): The least heralded kid on this list, I went into this thinking Clyburn (who I saw play over the holidays for his high school squad; he looked familiar to me here, but I wouldn’t have gotten his name correct–he was a late addition to the roster–if it wasn’t for my guy Rick Staudt) was pretty much a role player, but he controlled the tempo of the game for his squad (which featured elite rising junior Austin Rivers) through savvy decision-making, crafty scoring, quick and dynamic moves to the bucket and overall aggressiveness, especially on the defensive end.
–Michael Gilchrist, 6-8 rising junior wing, Team Final/St. Patrick (NJ): After today, even without doing it on a full-time basis, I believe he’s now in the running for top point guard–he’s becoming an increasingly proficient outside shooter and on a team with very well-regarded guards, things just go smoother when he has the rock in his hands–honors. What else needs to be said?
–Jeremy Lamb, 6-4 rising senior combo guard, Georgia Stars/Norcross (GA): Lamb, a kid who’s been blowing up somewhat under the radar impressed me immediately (I hadn’t seen him play before) and lived up to my man’s (a high-major assistant coach) Quincy Douby comparison, in terms of body type and game (extremely long, incredibly skinny), but while he’s not quite at the former Rutgers’ star level as far as shooting the ball (not many are, but he’s not that far away for a high school kid), he might be more athletic and better with the rock in his hands already.
–Alex Rossi, 6-4 rising senior wing, Rising Stars/New Trier (IL): To be honest, I’d heard so much about the Cal commit without seeing him have a truly standout performance, I was beginning to think I was jinxing him; thankfully, he lived up to his rep as a big-time shooter today, while also making some tough dribble-drive moves, finishing around the rim with more athleticism than I expected and displaying a high basketball IQ in general.
