The former football and basketball star from Syracuse, N.Y., talks about leaving his hometown to go play hoops at Duke.
View full sizeShannon Scott from Team Kentucky drives past Anrio Adams of Team Michigan State during King City Classic play Friday at Cleveland Stateâs Wolstein Center.AKRON, Ohio — LeBron James is not the first prime-time prep recruit to leave his home to stake his claim elsewhere.
Remember Greg Paulus? The football and basketball star in Syracuse, N.Y., opted to leave after his prep career to play basketball at Duke.
He was one of the coaches this week both at the LeBron James Skills Academy and the King City Classic and reflected on his decision to leave home.
"The people in Syracuse helped make me," Paulus said on the last day of the event. "I still call it home, but it was a personal decision I made. I think everybody takes [his decision] differently. For me, I just tried to make the best decision possible for myself. Looking at all my opportunities, I had to go with my gut and my heart."
After playing four years of basketball at Duke, Paulus still had a fifth year of eligibility left to play another sport, so he returned to Syracuse and played one season of football for the Orange.
"When I had a chance to come home and play football, I had so much pride putting the Syracuse uniform on, representing the school, the city. I felt really lucky I had the opportunity to play at Duke and play at Syracuse."
With the LeBron James Skills Academy/King City Classic coming to an end, here are some final observations:
Smoothest player: A choice of two -- 6-6 Branden Dawson from Gary, Ind., and 6-7 Victor Nickerson from Atlanta. Along the baseline and around the rim, these two slashers handled the ball well enough to get their own shots, and knew how to put the ball in the hoop. Of the two, Dawson may have been the most prolific, but Nickerson had a knack for getting hoops when his team truly needed them.
Best big man: One could not ignore the presence of 6-10, 290-pound DaJuan Coleman from Syracuse, N.Y. He has been compared to incoming Ohio State big man Jared Sullinger, and justifiably so. But he was still No. 2 to 6-9, 220-pound Kyle Wiltjer from Portland, Ore. Wiltjer will have to be careful where he chooses to play, as he is far down on both the speed and athleticism lists.
But he's got the hands of a pro around the basket, rarely losing a potential rebound he touches. He has every tool on offense, from the short-corner jumper to the jump hook in the lane to a power post-up. He's automatic with the high-low play. Wiltjer won't go get a blocked shot, but he'll block whatever comes to him. And while he has average speed now -- and will likely get slower as he gets bigger -- Wiltjer does have "big moment" speed where he will blow past a defender who has been lulled to sleep.
Best point guard: Myles Mack (5-10, 151 pounds) came into the week with a reputation of a shooting guard in a point guard's body. He didn't shoot as well as many expected, but it's clear he has worked on his ball handling and getting others involved. Mack has quicksilver speed, and showed leadership as he was always in a teammate's ear.
Fill it up: P.J. Hairston, a 6-5, 227-pound guard from Greensboro, N.C., has the body of a linebacker and a buttery jump shot. And as soon as one locks in on defending that, he muscles to the ball with speed and quickness. Few players scored in bunches like Hairston did when he was on the floor.
Local ties: James Price, the 6-9 center leaving St. Edward to play his senior year in Louisville, Ky., continued to be somewhat of an enigma. As one recruitnik observed, "it depends on when you see him." His hands are clearly a question mark, and while he can score, he can only do so with his left hand and mainly from one spot on the floor. He has tools, but they mostly remain in the toolbox.
JaKarr Sampson, a 6-7 forward from St. Vincent-St. Mary, did not disappoint in his performance but was also clearly distracted by the LeBron circus as he was constantly asked LeBron questions when he was off the court and compared to LeBron on the court. The fact he held up under the spotlight bodes well for his future.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: ealexander@plaind.com, 216-999-4253