This past weekend in Houston was a special one full of talented basketball players looking for their chance from all across the world. The Walton Sports & Entertainment Pro Exposure Camp gave them that opportunity to shine in a major way. The Walton Sports & Entertainment Owner Anthony Walton has always had a passion for basketball and his passion oozed all over the court this weekend as he continues to be a role model in the Houston community with and without sports. The basketball players that came out to showcase their talents were met with NBA scouts, overseas teams, and NBA Legend Steve Francis who watched them put on a show. The Walton Sports & Entertainment group put on an amazing but competitive pro camp that was very impressive/competitive. Some of these players were able to play in front of Steve Francis who just announced the ownership of the Houston Push basketball team for “The Basketball League”. A lot of the basketball players this past weekend were very talented and had a competitive edge that was unmatched. The Walton Sports & Entertainment Pro Camp was a huge success as they split the ballplayers into 4 teams and had them play against each other elimination-style all the way to the championship. After the championship game the group of basketball players that were selected played in the All-Star Game.
There were a lot of players that were talented in attendance at the pro camp but these were the players that stood out to me. I was looking at players that played the game with passion but also could take their game to the next level in the NBA. Most of these players have had success in the collegiate atmosphere but just needed some more eyes on their situation. Below I will list the players that stood out to me and describe what caught my attention while watching them play.
Tyree Crump – University of Georgia
There wasn’t really any weakness or weak part in Crump’s game that he showcased. He was able to showcase a lot of his talents as he had a lot of defenders on skates with his quickness/ball-handling skills this weekend. One of the things that stood out to me was his willingness to be a leader on the court being very vocal and locked in. Crump was able to show that he can get to the basket with ease and he was able to get his shot whenever he wanted against the defense. Once Tyree brought the ball up the court he was either blowing by you with his speed or pulling up for the 3 point shot. Crump’s jumper was on point and he was able to get open enough to create his own shot to operate with ease. One of the things that I wish that Crump showcased more was his playmaking ability but when you have scouts and Steve Francis watching you it’s time for buckets/wins. That was exactly what Crump came there for and he was able to do that. Another thing that really stood out to me was the fact he wanted to guard the other team’s best player without hesitation. His competitive edge was off the charts and he looks to have a bright future in pro basketball regardless of where he’s playing.
Curtis Jones Jr. – Penn State/OK State
As soon as I walked into the gym to watch the games in warm-ups Curtis Jones Jr was getting up there for dunks. I was instantly impressed and was ready to see what he was all about during the 5 on 5 games. The first thing that stood out to me was his court vision and IQ out there playing. The way that Curtis was playing you would have thought they had some set plays and played together for about a year. Curtis Jones Jr was able to locate his teammates and put them in the right position to be successful just like a point guard should do. He’s the definition of the combo guard as he was able to showcase his vision as a point guard and then he was able to attack the paint with no fear in sight. Jones Jr. was out there putting pressure on the defense and he was also taking it personally when he was playing defense. You can tell that he’s very passionate and that oozed out on the court as he was able to will his team to victory. Curtis Jones Jr. showed that you don’t have to be the tallest player in the game to put on a great performance like that because he has “HEART”. One of the things that I noticed is that he got a little fatigued at times late in the games and that affected his attacking to the basket late but besides that, he’s a special talent. The way he puts pressure on defenses to make them collapse to him and then dish it out to the open man was unmatched.
Terry Winn – UTEP/Texas RGV
Terry Winn is the true definition of a swiss army knife. In my opinion, you can put him anywhere on the basketball court and he will be successful. I was extremely impressed with Terry’s game because he was able to showcase post moves, his jump shot, and his passing ability was on full display. The best thing about his game is his confidence when he was on the court you could feel his energy and he was able to will his team to some wins. His game is very easy to watch and he has the fundamentals down easily. Winn is a stretch four that was able to bang in the paint as well with some of the bigs showing that he was versatile and wasn’t pinned down to one position. Terry Winn had the best stamina out of all the talent to me because his coach was playing him almost the whole game for a couple of games and Winn wasn’t phased at all. Terry Winn showed me that he has what it takes to be a monster on the inside and outside with his game. The only thing I think he needs to work on is his emotions as he gets caught up in the trash talk and they forced him into some bad three point shots. There was a stretch where Terry hit a 3 pointer but then came down and tried to hit 2 more in a row after stops but missed them. If he turns his anger into buckets he will be a problem because he’s a great rebounder, shooter, and playmaker.
Jesse White IV – Southwest Tennesse CC
Jesse came out of nowhere honestly because the first game or two I watched with his team he wasn’t as aggressive. Then I want to say about the 3rd game of the night he turned into this monster. Jesse was probably just scoping out the talent or something because once he got comfortable and in a zone, he didn’t look back at all. Jesse White put on a show and I loved the aggression in his game as he attacked the paint and let his opponents know what he just did after his bucket. Jesse White put on a show as he was showing the ability to attack the paint and showed that he has a jumper that he can pull out the stash any time he wanted as well. My only issue with his game was the fact that he starts off slow but when he gets it going it’s over from that point on. Jesse was honestly one of the only players that were on the court this weekend that was truly unguardable. You didn’t know which way he was going to go off the dribble and he was able to get his teammates involved as well as the playmaker. He has bounce and he also has finesse which really caught my attention. His game was very smooth and it translates to today’s game in professional basketball. To simply put it Jesse White IV is a dog and he was going after any team that took his bone. I see a lot of potential in his game and he can take it as far as he wants to with his talent. The intensity he played with should be used in basketball training videos and his passion was on full display.
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