If there were any remaining skeptics about Demar DeRozan’s status as one of the elite handful of high school basketball players in the country, the Compton High senior-to-be has been busy dashing them over the past couple of days during the LeBron James Skills Academy at the University of Akron.
The 6-foot-6 (that’s what he was measured at without the benefit of shoes in the equation) DeRozan has shot, passed and handled the ball with the skill one would expect from a potential (and maybe even probable) future NBA player while competing with the 70 or so other players from across the country that are showing off their wares to, seemingly, every high profile college coach in America.
What was impressive about DeRozan’s two-game performances on Sunday, at least for someone like yours truly who has watched him play 30-plus times since he was in the eighth grade, is how he seemingly did everything within the flow and context of what was going on around him, instead of constantly trying to create his own scoring opportunities like so many other heavily touted players do in these kinds of camps.
He says he’s going to sign a letter of intent with USC in November and, if he follows through with that commitment, the probable departure (after one season) to the NBA of O.J. Mayo isn’t going to be lamented as much as the arrival of DeRozan will be eagerly anticipated.
Other Western-based players who looked very good Sunday included forward Jordan Hamilton (Dominguez), guard Brad Tinsley (Oregon City) and center Jeremy Tyler (San Diego), as well as Mater Dei’s 6-9 twins, David and Travis Wear.
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