Jordan Brand Classic Wrap-Up

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="775"] ballislife.com[/caption] The 16th Jordan Brand Classic rolled through Brooklyn's Barclays Center last night, rounding out the third straight weekend of High School All-Star tournaments for the class of 2017. Quade Green, Nick Richards, Jarred Vanderbilt, and P.J. Washington were on hand representing Jordan Brand's tournament-high four commitments for Kentucky. Duke and Alabama notched two each. Divided into East and West, Green and Vanderbilt represented the East with Richards, Washington, and Kentucky-hopeful Bamba on the West.

Jarred Vanderbilt injured with :36 remaining

With 36 seconds remaining in the game, Jarred Vanderbilt had to be carried off the court after a nasty ankle injury. This happened after Vanderbilt lead all Kentucky players with 17 points, adding on an impressive 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1 steal. Coming into the week, I had the most questions about Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt answered these, and then some. Vanderbilt was 'positionless' on the court. He was a high-efficiency scorer, hustled for rebounds, and displayed a surprising ball-handling ability. Here, Vanderbilt goes coast-to-coast for an and-1. https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/853045272871669760 After the game, I asked P.J. Washington if he had any updates on Vanderbilt "He was just in the training room and I went in to see if he was okay. It seem like he's doing fine, but I'm not sure."  Vanderbilt posted this on Instagram shortly after the game. Prayers out to Vanderbilt. There is no question that the young man has put in work on court over the past few months. It shows up on the stat sheet and will be rewarded as he continues to soar up the recruiting rankings. We hope this is just a minor setback.

From Kentucky to Bowling Green 

Quade Green turned in 6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal and a game high 9 assists. Other than the alarming 9 turnovers, Green looked to be the dominant point guard on the floor. Providing highlight after highlight in the first half, Quade Green hooked up with WKU commit Mitchell Robinson for countless ally-oops. https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/853045735868256256 Aside from the no-look, dime dropping delights, Green exhibited annoying defense and a sweet jumper. The comparisons heard throughout the week to Tyler Ulis are no joke. As for rooming with Mo Bamba and his efforts of getting the big man to Kentucky, Green said, "I only need Mo to come in. Get the papers ready to sign for us."

Nick Richards likes to dunk

The New Jersey native went 5-7 from the field for 10 points, three of which were backboard-rattling dunks. Having trouble developing a rhythm on the boards, Richards turned in an underwhelming 3 rebounds and 1 block. Richards did, however, give us the highlight of the night. https://twitter.com/overtime/status/853040434947514368

Bamba (Surprisingly) Struggled 

Despite being one of the more impressive players during practices, Bamba went 3-9 from the field for a mere 6 points, 2 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal. Luckily, Bamba dominated the boards leading the West with 10 rebounds. Bamba was a a media member's dream. There's no telling how many times Bamba has answered the same recruiting questions over-and-over again. Nevertheless, each is answered with a smile. I couldn't pick up any signs throughout the week as to where I felt Bamba swayed. During the practices, I saw him hanging out a lot with P.J Washington and Nick Richards, even hugging them in the huddles. Tonight, I leave feeling that Texas and Duke are still very much in the thick of it. Hearing some of the non-Kentucky guys yelling "Hook 'em, Mo!" during media interviews, and Duke-commit Gary Trent Jr. encouraging Bamba to "tell them really where you are really going," left me feeling less confident. I understand that both of these pro-Texas and Duke signs could be paranoid observations on my end, but take it as you will.