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The NBA and FIBA (the International Basketball Federation) hosted 53 top high-school aged players to the Basketball Without Borders camp to get instruction from NBA players, many of whom came to the states to play basketball in college and the NBA.
St. John's target Thon Maker and St. John's commit were two of the players invited, and both shined at the three-day camp.
Thon Maker recap
Thon Maker impressed at this weekend's Basketball Without Borders camp, which highlights top International prospects at the NBA's All Star Weekend. Maker, the 7'1" forward with strong NBA potential, is considering St. John's along with Indiana, Kansas, Notre Dame and other schools.
Barry Rohrssen, Chris Mullin's assistant, paid Maker a visit after the Basketball Without Borders sessions; apparently, Mullin has told Maker's guardian, Ed Smith, that Maker looks like a combination of Jermaine O'Neal and Robert Horry.
Those are interesting and possibly smart comparisons; saying a player is "like Kevin Durant" is the laziest comparison one can make for a mobile seven-foot player with a dribble, and doesn't consider all the nuances in a player's game. Maker certainly looks to have an outside game, but he also has post moves; and his dribble is... well, he won't be playing two-guard in the NBA tomorrow as Durant was so ready to when he left college.
For example, here is Maker, following Gorgui Dieng's lead on a post drill.
Draft Express' Jonathan Givony evaluated the top prospect, noted that Maker has a great motor, is versatile defensively, and is physical. On the downside, Givony expresses concerns about his feel for the game, where he fits - not a consistent offensive threat from outside or in - and about his lower body strength.
Givony also mentions, along with Maker's small hands, that he might need a few years in college to improve his body and skills.
Richard Freudenberg recap
Freudenberg, the 6'9" St. John's commit from Germany, made the Basketball Without Borders all-tournament team.
Jonathan Givony from Draft Express took some notes on the lanky German, and noted that he has great raw size and a nice stroke, along with a "willingness to compete on defense", but needs to work on his dribbling, his shooting consistency, and needs time to develop physically and put weight on his frame.