At 5-9, Karon Abraham doesn't initially standout on the court. This past weekend at the Southern Invitational, he let his game do the talking though. While playing for a depleted Playaz AAU squad, Karon proved he can really score. The speedy guard was too much for the opposition to handle. Not only can he get into the lane with a quick handle, but he showed to be a very good shooter from beyond the arc. He has a quick trigger and often pulled up from deep.
Karon excelled in transition and really helped get the Playaz into their usual spot in Sunday's championship round action. Even while we were watching other games, Karon would put up points on the other court when we took a peek. Karon is small and that will hurt him some around the rim. He also could help himself out by showing he can be more of a setup man than he did this past weekend. There's still a lot to like about this Eastside guard.
Senior forward Rodrigo Peggau from the Paterson School in North Carolina is no longer considering attending James Madison.
Peggau had signed his letter of intent to play at JMU before head coach Dean Keener left the program. He requested his release from the letter of intent after meeting with JMU’s new coach Matt Brady.
Peggau is a skilled forward with a good all around game. He finishes well around the hoop, including with contact and is an active rebounder. Peggau runs the floor well and is a hustler. He also handles the ball pretty well and has good form on his jump shot.
This past high school season Peggau did not play due to a knee injury.
This past weekend, many of the top AAU programs on the east coast got together for the Southern Invitational in Charlottesville, Virginia. Many of the usual suspects were alive when the playoffs started on Saturday. One of the surprise teams still playing was a talented Petersburg Elite squad. Unfortunately for them, they ran into the always tough Playaz squad out of New Jersey in the first round. They didn't exit though without leaving a strong impression on CAA Insider.
Petersburg Elite brought what might have been the top frontcourt in the entire event. Cadarian Raines (6-8) is a player that has really started to make a name for himself. Two other forwards, Chris Evans (6-7) and Josh Brinkley (6-6) had a strong showings and were among the surprise players of the event.
Cadarian Raines had an exceptional tournament. The talented post player performed very well with his back to the basket. He'll often uses spin moves to get by defenders in the paint. He is quite athletic and displayed that on several dunks. He has good hands and seals off well. Cadarian will kick it back out and repost if necessary. Not only did he show a nice back to the basket game, but he proved he can hit the face up mid range jumper as well. Cadarian also pulled down a number of rebounds and blocked a few shots too.
New Marist head coach Chuck Martin has been hard at work this spring.
Coach Martin took advantage of his strong ties to New York City and grabbed one of the top unsigned players, in Rice High School's Dorvell Carter.
Carter committed to the Red Foxes program on Tuesday.
Dorvell is a player who does a lot of the little things both for his high school squad and over the past summer with the high profile New York Gauchos AAU program.
He is very long and athletic and can do a number of things. He can attack off the dribble, hit jump shots and get out and score in transition or even around the basket.
Dorvell helped the traditional New York Catholic power to a strong 19-5 season while playing against one of the toughest schedules in the entire country.
Playoff action took place at the Southern Invitational on Sunday in Charlottesville, Virginia. Here is a look at some of the top players from the day.
Carolina Raptors
Troy Daniels (2009, 6-3 SG) This guard showed he can really shoot it from the outside. Troy hit a step back jumper. He hit another jumper and a couple three pointers. He banked home one too. Troy possesses a very smooth stroke. He showed a nice handle. He hit a runner in the lane as well. Troy played very well for the Raptors.
Lucas Troutman (2009, 6-9 PF) Lucas is a big man who combines skill and athletic ability. He showed great leaping ability on a couple follow up dunks. He rebounded very well throughout the game. Lucas has a decent build, but could get stronger. He also showed the ability to put the ball on the floor. He used a head fake to beat his man off the dribble on once occasion. Lucas blocked a shot too. He didn't show too much of a back to the basket game. He did put together a strong game though.
At 5-9, 
Senior forward 
by Brian Crownover
