(April 9, 2019)— Baseball is more than just the national pastime; it can also be a useful tool to exercise your brain. With baseball season in full swing, the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) is encouraging everyone to play ball.
"Baseball stimulates cognitive functions, promotes social interaction and helps relieve stress, all of which are great for brain health," said Peter Davies, PhD, Medical, Scientific and Memory Screening Advisory Board Member for the AFA and Director of the Litwin-Zucker Center for Alzheimer's Disease & Memory Disorders at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research.
"Whether you're a veteran player or a rookie, getting involved in the game can be a home run for your brain," said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA President and Chief Executive Officer.
Helps relieve stress. Stress negatively affects brain functions such as memory and mood. Playing a game, throwing the ball around or going to the batting cage expends physical energy and gets your mind focused on something enjoyable.
Promotes social When you're on a team, having a catch or watching a game and talking about it with friends, you're interacting with others. That social interaction positively impacts your brain by relieving stress and anxiety.
It can be a new skill. If you've never played before, that's ok! Like all muscles, the mind needs exercise to keep strong. Learning new skills and getting your brain to think outside of its normal routine promotes cognitive stimulation and fosters good brain health.
Increases vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is known as the "sunshine vitamin" because the body produces it naturally (and primarily) from being in sunlight. Some scientists have found that low levels of vitamin D are linked to cognitive decline, depression and dementia.
For additional information about brain health and wellness, visit the Alzheimer's Foundation of America's website at www.alzfdn.org or call AFA's National Toll-Free Helpline at 866-232-8484 to speak with a licensed social worker (live chats and Skype calls are also available by clicking here).


Homemade Garlic Bread is the absolute BEST Garlic Bread Recipe we have ever tried! If you want to learn How to Make Garlic Bread where the butter melts deep into the bread, creating the ultimate garlicky, carb filled side dish, you've come to the right place.... Spread ¾ of the garlic butter across the cut toasted bread, saving the remaining butter to serve with the garlic bread. Now close the top and bottoms together and wrap the foil up around tight. At this point, you could save this for later by refrigerating.
Elaine McCardel, author of The Italian Dish blog, rubs grilled bread with a cut garlic clove to make something called a fettunta which is surprisingly tasty, but unapologetically harsh: not quite... Transform a baguette into Crack Bread, the best homemade Cheesy Garlic Bread you've ever tried. This easy recipe lets you make delicious and affordable cheesy bread from scratch.
Cut the bread into thin, even slices. With Instructables you can share what you make with the world, and tap into an ever-growing community of creative experts.
Instructions. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Cut the baguette in half. Cut slices through each half loaf. Mix the vegan butter, crushed garlic, basil, chives and sea salt together in a bowl and spread inside the cut loaf on both sides of the bread and adding some more butter to the tops of the loaves of bread.
After eating factory produced garlic bread for so long, the taste of fresh bread topped with butter, minced garlic, olive oil and parsley was divine and a real eye opener. When I started cooking on my own in college, I learned how to make an easy homemade garlic bread bread and never turned back.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together the butter, oil, garlic and parsley in a small bowl. Using a serrated knife cut the bread into 1-inch-thick slices without cutting all the way through to the bottom, leave the slices attached to each other.


text:
Bernie Sanders Responds To Hillary Clinton's Foreign Policy Speech
Bernie Sanders responded to yesterday's speech by Hillary Clinton much as I responded in greater detail yesterday. We both agreed that, while Clinton's criticism of Trump's policy as dangerously incoherent was accurate, Clinton's own foreign policy views have also been rather dangerous. Sanders put out this release:
"I agree with Secretary Clinton that Donald Trump's foreign policy ideas are incredibly reckless and irresponsible. But when it comes to foreign policy, we cannot forget that Secretary Clinton voted for the war in Iraq, the worst foreign policy blunder in modern American history, and that she has been a proponent of regime change, as in Libya, without thinking through the consequences.
"We need a foreign policy based on building coalitions and making certain that the brave American men and women in our military do not get bogged down in perpetual warfare in the Middle East. That's what I will fight for as president."
In my post yesterday, I discussed Clinton's dangerous foreign policy views further, including regarding Libya and Syria. I also included several tweets from others which point out the contradiction in someone as militaristic as Clinton warning about the views of someone else.
While Sanders had a sensible response to Clinton's speech, Donald Trump responded by denying saying what Clinton accused him of saying in her speech. It was rather simple for Clinton to then respond by giving links to show what Trump has said in the past. Of course Trump appears to just make things up as he speaks, and nothing he says should be taken as having any further meaning. Even when he admits to something he has said previously, he now claims it was just a suggestion.
Posted in Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, Foreign Policy & National Security, Hillary Clinton. Tags: Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Iraq, Libya, Syria. 11 Comments »
« Warnings About Donald Trump's Dangerously Incoherent Foreign Policy From Dangerous Warmonger Hillary Clinton
Records Released Through FOIA Request Back Up Snowden Against NSA Attacks »

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Chameli Ramachandran is an Indian artist of Chinese origin, known for her distinctive artistic style and delicate brush work, derived from Chinese paintings and calligraphy. She is renowned for her ethereal portrayal of Indian flora and vegetation, transforming an individual flower or plant into an almost abstract form, while skilfully capturing its lightness, delicate texture and translucent hues. Born in 1940 in Santiniketan, West Bengal, Chameli Ramachandran is the daughter of the Founder-Director of Cheena Bhavana (Institute of Chinese Studies) Professor Tan Yun Shan, at the Visva Bharati University. She obtained a Diploma in Fine Arts and Crafts and a Master's Degree in Ancient Indian History and Culture from Visva Bharati University, and it was here that she was taught the brush and ink technique of Chinese paintings.
Ramachandran's art is heavily inspired by her father's calligraphy works. The dominant theme in her paintings is nature. Stimulated by the plants and vegetation that she observes around her, Ramachandran's art is spontaneous and fluid, but still showcases the strong control and command she has over the brush.
She has held numerous solo and group shows, including one with artist Paramjit Singh in New Delhi. She has also collaborated with artist A. Ramachandran in a number of projects, especially in writing and illustrating picture books, published in India, Japan and England.Chameli Ramachandran lives and works in New Delhi.


Tutor results near to Didsbury. Independent businesses are generally accompanied by a green icon and those where we know the location will appear on a map.
Choice Home Tutoring connects professional tutors with people of any age, from children to adult learners, who wish to have extra tuition in the comfort and relaxed atmosphere of the home. Our tutors can help build confidence & self esteem, improve grades, revise for exams and reinforce the core learning areas of numeracy and literacy.


text:
Our Lives | MIXED MATCHES
Print engineer slows down international nomad
Multilingual family: Atsushi Takagi and Mihaela Serbulea are seen in their house in Yokohama with their son, Luca. | MAMI MARUKO
by Mami Maruko
Nara native Atsushi Takagi and Mihaela Serbulea from Bucharest met in 2003 when Mihaela gave a lecture on SARS for an international exchange organization in which Atsushi is a member.
They hit it off at a social gathering after the lecture, when they found out they have a mutual interest in mountain climbing. They went on an overnight trip to Mount Gassan in Yamagata Prefecture, then started dating four months later. The couple married in June 2005, holding a wedding party in Togakushi, Nagano Prefecture, followed by a church wedding in a small town in Prahova County, Romania.
Atsushi, 44, works as a color printer engineer.
Mihaela first came to Japan in 1993 as a postgraduate student at Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine. After six years of studies, she went to work for the World Health Organization Kobe Center and took part in a new bioethics project for the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in Tokyo. She also traveled around Asia and Africa.
She quit her job right before giving birth to their son, Luca, who is now 6.
Mihaela is currently looking for work related to natural medicine and bioethics. She holds a Romanian medical license.
Luca attends Yokohama International School and speaks three languages: Romanian, Japanese and English. Mihaela's father comes to stay with the Yokohama-based family most of the year.
Why did you choose to travel to Mount Gassan?
Mihaela: I heard it was a great mountain. I emailed Assan (Atsushi's nickname) that I wanted to go there, not knowing where it was.
Atsushi: I told her that the trip would have to be overnight, and asked her where she wanted to stay. She replied that anywhere was fine.
Mihaela: Assan said he would bring a tent, and we stayed in an uninhabited hut. Although it was only the beginning of October, it snowed and it was freezing cold. We went to other mountains together many, many times after that.
How did you start dating?
Mihaela: I had never thought of it until now, but come to think of it, I think it was when Assan came to pick me up at Narita airport when I returned from my trip to Romania over the Christmas and New Year's holidays.
Atsushi: I wasn't thinking of marrying her at that point. After about half a year, we went to see my parents in Nara together.
How did you decide to get married?
Mihaela: When we went to Mount Ohira in Shizuoka together, I talked to Assan about my schedule, which was full until quite far ahead. Assan then asked me whether I had a plan to settle down at all.
Atsushi: As I said that, marriage was in my mind. She is like a nomad — always traveling and not settling in one place.
Mihaela: I replied by saying that I will settle down if there's anyone who would make me (settle down). I think the turning point came when we both talked about wanting a child. I was 36 back then, so I suggested that if we wanted a child, we would have to settle down quite soon.
What do you like about each other?
Mihaela: Assan is very intelligent and trustworthy. When he says something, he means it, and does what he says. I really feel comfortable with him. At first, we were living apart in Abiko, Chiba Prefecture, and in Yokohama, but he used to give me a call every single night on his way home from work. I thought that was really sweet.
Atsushi: Mihaela is funny and fun to be with. She has lots of ideas, and has a pure character which is somewhat like that of a child. She is active and has a lot of friends. She often goes abroad and moves around a lot, but I know that she will wither if somebody stops her.
Mihaela: I'm so happy that he understands that. I'll always come back to my family, though. Before meeting Assan, I had already given up on marriage. I thought that I was going to lead a life without family and children, and that my assets were my health and my friends. But everything changed after I met Assan.
Atsushi: I just took my chance. There aren't many chances like this in life, especially if your partner comes from the other side of the world.
What are your plans and dreams for the future?
Atsushi: We are not in such times where we can act thinking 10 years or 20 years ahead. So I would like to do my job steadily and move ahead.
My job has to do with technology. However, today's technology won't last forever, and new technology will come along, so I will have to develop new skills.
As for Luca, he has just entered school and is having fun, so we will stay in Yokohama for a while. We like the international school that he attends very much. I feel that Japanese schools tend to cast children into a mold, and when Luca went to a Japanese kindergarten, he seemed to have fallen into that kind of mold. I thought that if we sent him to a Japanese elementary school, he would become more passive.
Mihaela: I like the way the international school lets children think by themselves. They put emphasis on each child's uniqueness.
Atsushi: I know that Mihaela aims at a self-sufficient lifestyle. Maybe we can lead a nomadlike life and move from one place to the other, according to different seasons.
Mihaela: To make life easier, maybe we can go back and forth from Bucharest to Comarnic (where Mihaela's relatives live). That's when we're much older.
Reader participation is invited for this occasional series. If you wish to be featured, please email hodobu@japantimes.co.jp.


text:
Q: How can I show my magnifying glass only when I hover over the image in CSS?

// magnify hover
function magnify(imgID, zoom) {
  var img, glass, w, h, bw;
  img = document.getElementById(imgID);
  /*create magnifier glass:*/
  glass = document.createElement("DIV");
  glass.setAttribute("class", "img-magnifier-glass");
  /*insert magnifier glass:*/
  img.parentElement.insertBefore(glass, img);
  /*set background properties for the magnifier glass:*/
  glass.style.backgroundImage = "url('" + img.src + "')";
  glass.style.backgroundRepeat = "no-repeat";
  glass.style.backgroundSize = (img.width * zoom) + "px " + (img.height * zoom) + "px";
  bw = 3;
  w = glass.offsetWidth / 2;
  h = glass.offsetHeight / 2;
  /*execute a function when someone moves the magnifier glass over the image:*/
  glass.addEventListener("mousemove", moveMagnifier);
  img.addEventListener("mousemove", moveMagnifier);
  /*and also for touch screens:*/
  glass.addEventListener("touchmove", moveMagnifier);
  img.addEventListener("touchmove", moveMagnifier);
  function moveMagnifier(e) {
    var pos, x, y;
    /*prevent any other actions that may occur when moving over the image*/
    e.preventDefault();
    /*get the cursor's x and y positions:*/
    pos = getCursorPos(e);
    x = pos.x;
    y = pos.y;
    /*prevent the magnifier glass from being positioned outside the image:*/
    if (x > img.width - (w / zoom)) {x = img.width - (w / zoom);}
    if (x < w / zoom) {x = w / zoom;}
    if (y > img.height - (h / zoom)) {y = img.height - (h / zoom);}
    if (y < h / zoom) {y = h / zoom;}
    /*set the position of the magnifier glass:*/
    glass.style.left = (x - w) + "px";
    glass.style.top = (y - h) + "px";
    /*display what the magnifier glass "sees":*/
    glass.style.backgroundPosition = "-" + ((x * zoom) - w + bw) + "px -" + ((y * zoom) - h + bw) + "px";
  }
  function getCursorPos(e) {
    var a, x = 0, y = 0;
    e = e || window.event;
    /*get the x and y positions of the image:*/
    a = img.getBoundingClientRect();
    /*calculate the cursor's x and y coordinates, relative to the image:*/
    x = e.pageX - a.left;
    y = e.pageY - a.top;
    /*consider any page scrolling:*/
    x = x - window.pageXOffset;
    y = y - window.pageYOffset;
    return {x : x, y : y};
  }
}
/* Initiate Magnify Function
with the id of the image, and the strength of the magnifier glass:*/
magnify("mag", 2);
.img-magnifier-glass {
  position: absolute;
  z-index: 3;
  border: 3px solid #000;
  border-radius: 40%;
  cursor: none;
  /*Set the size of the magnifier glass:*/
  width: 100px;
  height: 100px;
}

<input type="checkbox" name="movieboxes" value="Logan" style="width: 15px; height: 15px; margin: 0px;">

Hello,
How can I make the magnifier show only when I hover over the image? I have tried searching on this website and elsewhere, but I don't understand enough to make the solutions apply to my situation.
I copied this from W3School but they don't have a section where they explain that I can make it show when I hover over it.
I have modals on my sight and tried to replicate the hovering features of it but it doesn't seem to work.
Thanks!

A: Simply toggle opacity on hover:

// magnify hover
function magnify(imgID, zoom) {
  var img, glass, w, h, bw;
  img = document.getElementById(imgID);
  /*create magnifier glass:*/
  glass = document.createElement("DIV");
  glass.setAttribute("class", "img-magnifier-glass");
  /*insert magnifier glass:*/
  img.parentElement.insertBefore(glass, img);
  /*set background properties for the magnifier glass:*/
  glass.style.backgroundImage = "url('" + img.src + "')";
  glass.style.backgroundRepeat = "no-repeat";
  glass.style.backgroundSize = (img.width * zoom) + "px " + (img.height * zoom) + "px";
  bw = 3;
  w = glass.offsetWidth / 2;
  h = glass.offsetHeight / 2;
  /*execute a function when someone moves the magnifier glass over the image:*/
  glass.addEventListener("mousemove", moveMagnifier);
  img.addEventListener("mousemove", moveMagnifier);
  /*and also for touch screens:*/
  glass.addEventListener("touchmove", moveMagnifier);
  img.addEventListener("touchmove", moveMagnifier);
  function moveMagnifier(e) {
    var pos, x, y;
    /*prevent any other actions that may occur when moving over the image*/
    e.preventDefault();
    /*get the cursor's x and y positions:*/
    pos = getCursorPos(e);
    x = pos.x;
    y = pos.y;
    /*prevent the magnifier glass from being positioned outside the image:*/
    if (x > img.width - (w / zoom)) {x = img.width - (w / zoom);}
    if (x < w / zoom) {x = w / zoom;}
    if (y > img.height - (h / zoom)) {y = img.height - (h / zoom);}
    if (y < h / zoom) {y = h / zoom;}
    /*set the position of the magnifier glass:*/
    glass.style.left = (x - w) + "px";
    glass.style.top = (y - h) + "px";
    /*display what the magnifier glass "sees":*/
    glass.style.backgroundPosition = "-" + ((x * zoom) - w + bw) + "px -" + ((y * zoom) - h + bw) + "px";
  }
  function getCursorPos(e) {
    var a, x = 0, y = 0;
    e = e || window.event;
    /*get the x and y positions of the image:*/
    a = img.getBoundingClientRect();
    /*calculate the cursor's x and y coordinates, relative to the image:*/
    x = e.pageX - a.left;
    y = e.pageY - a.top;
    /*consider any page scrolling:*/
    x = x - window.pageXOffset;
    y = y - window.pageYOffset;
    return {x : x, y : y};
  }
}
/* Initiate Magnify Function
with the id of the image, and the strength of the magnifier glass:*/
magnify("mag", 2);
.img-magnifier-glass {
  position: absolute;
  z-index: 3;
  border: 3px solid #000;
  border-radius: 40%;
  cursor: none;
  /*Set the size of the magnifier glass:*/
  width: 100px;
  height: 100px;
  opacity:0;
  pointer-events:none;
}
a:hover .img-magnifier-glass{
  opacity:1;
  pointer-events:initial;
}

<input type="checkbox" name="movieboxes" value="Logan" style="width: 15px; height: 15px; margin: 0px;">

A: You can use javascript mouse event handlers. I modified your code snippet below.
What I did is,
.img-magnifier-glass {
  ...
  display:none; // hide the magnifier by default
}

// Show the magnifier when hover the container
$('.img-magnifier-container').mouseover(function(){
  $('.img-magnifier-glass').show();
});

// Hide the magnifier when leave the container
$('.img-magnifier-container').mouseout(function(){
  $('.img-magnifier-glass').hide();
});

// magnify hover
function magnify(imgID, zoom) {
  var img, glass, w, h, bw;
  img = document.getElementById(imgID);
  /*create magnifier glass:*/
  glass = document.createElement("DIV");
  glass.setAttribute("class", "img-magnifier-glass");
  /*insert magnifier glass:*/
  img.parentElement.insertBefore(glass, img);
  /*set background properties for the magnifier glass:*/
  glass.style.backgroundImage = "url('" + img.src + "')";
  glass.style.backgroundRepeat = "no-repeat";
  glass.style.backgroundSize = (img.width * zoom) + "px " + (img.height * zoom) + "px";
  bw = 3;
  w = glass.offsetWidth / 2;
  h = glass.offsetHeight / 2;
  /*execute a function when someone moves the magnifier glass over the image:*/
  glass.addEventListener("mousemove", moveMagnifier);
  img.addEventListener("mousemove", moveMagnifier);
  /*and also for touch screens:*/
  glass.addEventListener("touchmove", moveMagnifier);
  img.addEventListener("touchmove", moveMagnifier);
  function moveMagnifier(e) {
    var pos, x, y;
    /*prevent any other actions that may occur when moving over the image*/
    e.preventDefault();
    /*get the cursor's x and y positions:*/
    pos = getCursorPos(e);
    x = pos.x;
    y = pos.y;
    /*prevent the magnifier glass from being positioned outside the image:*/
    if (x > img.width - (w / zoom)) {x = img.width - (w / zoom);}
    if (x < w / zoom) {x = w / zoom;}
    if (y > img.height - (h / zoom)) {y = img.height - (h / zoom);}
    if (y < h / zoom) {y = h / zoom;}
    /*set the position of the magnifier glass:*/
    glass.style.left = (x - w) + "px";
    glass.style.top = (y - h) + "px";
    /*display what the magnifier glass "sees":*/
    glass.style.backgroundPosition = "-" + ((x * zoom) - w + bw) + "px -" + ((y * zoom) - h + bw) + "px";
  }
  function getCursorPos(e) {
    var a, x = 0, y = 0;
    e = e || window.event;
    /*get the x and y positions of the image:*/
    a = img.getBoundingClientRect();
    /*calculate the cursor's x and y coordinates, relative to the image:*/
    x = e.pageX - a.left;
    y = e.pageY - a.top;
    /*consider any page scrolling:*/
    x = x - window.pageXOffset;
    y = y - window.pageYOffset;
    return {x : x, y : y};
  }
}
/* Initiate Magnify Function
with the id of the image, and the strength of the magnifier glass:*/
magnify("mag", 2);

$('.img-magnifier-container').mouseover(function(){
  $('.img-magnifier-glass').show();
});

$('.img-magnifier-container').mouseout(function(){
  $('.img-magnifier-glass').hide();
});
.img-magnifier-glass {
  position: absolute;
  z-index: 3;
  border: 3px solid #000;
  border-radius: 40%;
  cursor: none;
  /*Set the size of the magnifier glass:*/
  width: 100px;
  height: 100px;
  display:none;
}

<input type="checkbox" name="movieboxes" value="Logan" style="width: 15px; height: 15px; margin: 0px;">

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
My Blood Approves
My Blood Approves, Book 1
By: Amanda Hocking
Narrated by: Hannah Friedman
Series: My Blood Approves, Book 1
Categories: Romance, Paranormal
Alice Bonham thinks she's finally found a balance in her life between the supernatural and real life with her brother Milo. Jack - her sorta vampire boyfriend - keeps her at arm's length to keep her safe. As for his brother Peter... she's not sure where he's at, or what he wants with her. Worse still, she's not even sure what she wants with Peter. When tragedy happens, Alice finds herself struggling with a terrible choice. Her decision has consequences that reach farther than she'd ever imagined.
Hopefully Connective Tissue To Book 3
Being undead doesn't make life any easier for Alice Bonham. Her younger brother's love life is heating up, while hers is.... more complicated. Mae is falling apart, her best friend Jane is addicted to vampire bites, and if Alice doesn't get her bloodlust under control, someone will end up dead.Alice volunteers for a rescue mission with Ezra. But going up against a pack of rabid vampires might be too much, even for him.
THIS BOOK IS MUCH BETTER
By Stephanie on 05-08-12
For her 18th birthday, Alice Bonham takes a vacation to Australia only to have her trip cut short by an unexpected murder. While Alice tries to understand what happened, she regrets some of the choices she's made, especially the more permanent ones. On top of that, the child vampire is running loose, and its attracting some very unwanted attention.
Worth Reading The Entire Series ...
Alice has moved on and is settling into a new country with a new career as a vampire hunter. Finally, she's created a stable, happy life for herself and her family, including her boyfriend Jack. Or at least as stable as her life can be, especially with a dangerous vampire cult resurfacing. But everything she's worked for is put in jeopardy when she receives a disturbing message - one that sends her on a quest that delves into a tragic mystery that has haunted Peter for years.
a long awaited ending.
By Georgia on 05-16-17
Trylle Trilogy, Book 2
Narrated by: Therese Plummer
When Wendy Everly first discovers the truth about herself—that she's a changeling switched at birth—she knows her life will never be the same. Now she's about to learn that there's more to the story…. She shares a closer connection to her Vittra rivals than she ever imagined—and they'll stop at nothing to lure her to their side. With the threat of war looming, her only hope of saving the Trylle is to marry a powerful royal. But that means walking away from Finn, her handsome bodyguard who's strictly off limits… and Loki, a Vittra prince with whom she shares a growing attraction.
✫✫ 5 Stars ✫✫
By ❤Cyndi Marie❤🎧Audiobook Addicts🎧 on 04-05-18
The Trylle Trilogy, Book 3
Wendy Everly is facing an impossible choice. The only way to save the Trylle from their deadliest enemy is by sacrificing herself. If she doesn't surrender to the Vittra, her people will be thrust into a brutal war against an unbeatable foe. But how can Wendy leave all her friends behind… even if it's the only way to save them?
When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until 11 years later that Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - a world both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy's not sure she wants to be a part of it.
Light and Fun!
By Felicity Fairchild on 06-28-12
Letters to Elise: A Peter Townsend Novella (My Blood Approves)
In My Blood Approves, Peter Townsend fell in love with Alice Bonham, but she wasn't his first love. In a new novella told through his letters, his history is revealed.
A Stunning Prologue To The Series (Spoilers)
The Omte Origins (From the World of the Trylle)
Narrated by: Thérèse Plummer
Twenty years ago, a woman sought safety from the spinning ice and darkness that descended upon a small village. She was given shelter for the night by the local innkeepers but in the morning, she disappeared — leaving behind an infant. Now 19, Ulla Tulin is ready to find who abandoned her as a baby or why.
By James Hodges on 05-08-21
The Morning Flower
The Omte Origins, Book 2 (From the World of the Trylle)
When Ulla Tulin took her internship at the Mimirin, the only mystery she thought she'd have to solve was that of her birth parents. After a girl named Eliana gets kidnapped while in her care, Ulla knows she has to find out the truth of who Eliana really is - and the only way to do that means traveling to the Omte capital, the place she suspects her mother is from. Ulla didn't expect that when she arrived she would discover the identity of a Skojare man who crossed paths with her mother - a man who could very well be her father.
great series
By Nikki Zuger on 10-01-21
The Ever After: The Omte Origins
From the World of the Trylle
Amanda Hocking, the New York Times best-selling author of The Kanin Chronicles, returns to the magical world of the Trylle Trilogy with The Ever After, the final novel in The Omte Origins arc. Buried memories.... Ulla Tulin has lost a month of her life. Her journey to learn who her parents are has brought her to the attention of the Älvolk sect - and a man claiming to be her father. But instead of a long lost family reunion, Ulla has forgotten her time there, and fears something terrible happened.
original😘😘
By Brit T on 05-25-21
Crystal Kingdom
Narrated by: Eileen Stevens
Cast out by her kingdom and far from home, she's the Kanin people's only hope. Bryn Aven - unjustly charged with murder and treason - is on the run. The one person who can help is her greatest enemy, the gorgeous and enigmatic Konstantin Black. Konstantin is her only ally against those who have taken over her kingdom and threaten to destroy everything she holds dear. But can she trust him? As Bryn fights to clear her name, the Kanin rulers' darkest secrets are coming to light...
Content not for young readers
By Kirsten O'Reilly on 08-06-15
Frostfire
Hidden deep in the heart of a snow-covered wilderness lies the secret kingdom of the Kanin - a magical realm as beautiful as it is treacherous... Bryn Aven has never fit into Kanin society. Her blond hair and blue eyes set her apart as an outsider - a half-blood unable to hold a respectable rank. But she's determined to prove herself as a loyal protector of the kingdom she loves. Her dream is to become a member of the King's elite guard, and she's not going to let anything stand in her way...
So much potential wasted…
By Ram on 01-16-15
Ice Kissed
The Kanin Chronicles, Book 2
Bryn Aven refuses to give up on her dream of serving the kingdom she loves. It's a dream that brings her to a whole new realm...the glittering palace of the Skojare. The Skojare people need protection from the same brutal enemy that's been threatening the Kanin, and Bryn is there to help. Being half Skojare herself, it's also a chance for her to learn more about her lost heritage.
I love this series of books.
By Kelly on 10-06-15
Narrated by: Nicola Barber
Gorgeous. Fearless. Dangerous. They're the kind of girls you envy; the kind of girls you want to hate. Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Lexi, and Thea have caught everyone's attention - but it's Gemma who's attracted theirs. She's the one they've chosen to be part of their group. Gemma seems to have it all - she's carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door. He's always been just a friend, but this summer they've taken their relationship to the next level, and now there's no going back. Then one night, Gemma's ordinary life changes forever....
By Shally on 10-04-13
A Watersong Novel, Book 2
Harper only wanted a safe, normal life. But when her younger sister, Gemma, runs off with a dangerous clique of beautiful girls, Penn, Thea, and Lexi, everything changes. Vowing to get her sister back no matter what the cost, Harper must face dangers unlike any she's ever experienced. Fortunately, she has Daniel by her side, a gorgeous guy who's devoted to helping her find her sister - and who's immune to the girls' dark powers. While Harper searches for her sister, Gemma struggles to adjust to her new life.
A Good Second Book!
By Andrew on 03-30-14
Hollowland
The Hollows, Book 1
Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way - not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies.
Decent zombie story but lacking depth
By Annie on 02-22-12
Hollowmen
After six months in the quarantine, Remy finds out things are much worse than she feared. Her plans to escape come with a heavy cost, and she realizes that zombies aren't the worst of her problems. This is a young adult novel with language, violence, and sexual situations. Not recommended for readers under the age of 17.
As good as Hollowland
By Joyce on 03-20-12
Seventeen-year-old Alice Bonham's life feels out of control after she meets Jack. With his fondness for pink Chuck Taylors and New Wave hits aside, Jack's unlike anyone she's ever met. Then she meets his brother, Peter. His eyes pierce through her, and she can barely breathe when he's around. Even though he can't stand the sight of her, she's drawn to him. But falling for two very different guys isn't even the worst of her problems. Jack and Peter are vampires, and Alice finds herself caught between love and her own blood....
©2010 Amanda Hocking (P)2011 Audible, Inc.
What listeners say about My Blood Approves
JDDPTA
okay once it gets going
This book ends up being okay, but the character and story-line development takes a good half of the book, leaving only the last third of the book to actually be good. The book takes place in only a couple of weeks, but a lot and yet very little occur in that time frame. The main female character is not a strong character, and it takes very little to get her attention. You end up understanding that her strong attraction to the male character is something entirely different than you initially think, but it doesn't improve her weakness. The narrator is pretty horrible, very choppy and slow, but oddly enough she has a rhythm that you can eventually get in with and not annoy so much. And thankfully, my MP3 player has a fast playback feature for audiobooks. So overall, this is an okay listen, just okay enough that I will give the second book a try.
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
This is by far the worst book I ever listened to. I don't think anything would make this book
Worth listening
Has My Blood Approves turned you off from other books in this genre?
How did the narrator detract from the book?
Narator was too slow
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from My Blood Approves?
Oh god, every one
I usually don't write bad comments but this time I had to. If you value your credits or your money stay away from this one. Honestly, bad writing, ridiculous dialogue, immortal people who act dumber than teenagers and most of all the stupidest main character.
My Blood Approves - But my Brain does not
I feel like a few brain cells died, flinging themselves over a cliff just to escape this horrid nonsense. I'd give it all 1 star if it weren't YA but even then I feel like teenagers are being cheated. Simply put, this is Twilight watered down.
No plot, no endgame (at least where I'm at just before the start of Part 2), Alice is a shallow, self-absorbed, 17-year-old idiot who has clearly never heard the word vampire despite throwing up werewolf as an excuse for Jack's strange behavior. Her only friend is a slut (no really, the girl does nothing but go out, get drunk, and have one-night stands), she hardly gives a thought to her mother who's apparently working 70 hours a week, and her brother is a shadow of a character. She gets saved from being attacked and immediately gets in the car with a complete stranger who is 25 who focuses all his attention on her because "there's just something about her that's different from other girls." He does all these weird things and she just keeps going with the flow while having midless drivel float through her brain for us readers to see how truely clueless she is. Ugh.
The narration is fair at best and mediocre most of the time, but then, it fits the story just perfect.
I bought this during a sale and boy do I feel stupid for going ahead and getting the next few novels just to save a little. Part of me thinks I want to finish it just to get my money out of it but the other part of me thinks I want to save the remaining brain cells. Save yourself the credit.
I JUST FINISHED THE AVAILIBLE BOOKS IN THS SERIES AND I HAVE TO SAY I WAS A BIT ANNOYED WITH I STARTED LISTENING TO THIS BOOK. I NEVER REALLY EXPECT THE FIRST BOOK IN A SERIES TO BE THE BEST BUT I WAS ALMOST REALLY DISAPOINTED BECAUSE I JUST REMINDED ME OF THE TWILIGHT BOOK. IT WAS PROBABLY THE AUTHORS BIGGEST INFLUENCE AND IT REALLY SHOWS. BUT... THE STORY IS REALLY GOOD AND THE AUTHORS DID DO A GREAT JOB ON THE SERIES SO IT IS WORTH LISTENING TO AND GETTING T NEXT BOOK.
Reading this was better than listening
I actually liked the book better when I read it. It took forever to get to the point, but once it did it was good. The narrator, not so good. She took forever like she was trying to drag the story out as long as possible. Almost as if she was reading one word per page. Or as if she'd never read it before and was looking back over the words before she said another sentence. It was pretty awful. The only reason I gave a 4 star overall and story is because it was better than the narration. If you're interested in this book I would suggest you read it instead of listening to it.
What disappointed you about My Blood Approves?
The storyline was disappointing. I guess if you want a combination of The Vampire Diaries and Twilight but not done well, this book is it!
What do you think your next listen will be?
Have you listened to any of Hannah Friedman's other performances before? How does this one compare?
No, but she did well.
You didn't love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
just the performer
Pass it by.
Captain Skurvy
Twilight - all is forgiven
This book has a Twilight-esque storyline, in as much there is a schoolgirl with little sense, self preservation wise or otherwise, who becomes involved with a vampire 'family'.
Unlike Bella, Sally is a self centered person who appears to care little to nothing for her single parent mother who works hard to keep her and her brother in a relatively good and safe home environment.
Sally appears to care a bit more for her younger bother when it suits her. This care however does not stop her from leaving him home alone and even leaving home for no other reason that her mother chastised her for coming home just as the sun was rising on a school day.
There is little to like about Sally as a person in this book in my opinion.
There is a few nice twists to vampire lore in this story and some of the vampire families back stories are nicely detailed.
The narrator does a passable job.
So if you are into Twilight-esque novels this may appeal. Be warned however the books ending leaves a lot to be desired as it resolve very little. One hopes the next book in the series with at least do that.
Sadly in my opinion it's claim to fame is that it makes Twilight look good in comparison
Tenesha
Really enjoyed.....
I really enjoyed this book and couldn't wait to download the second in the series..I could relate to the characters as if they were friends of mine. I hope the second book is just as good as the first.
A Worthy Effort In This Trendy Genre
Would you consider the audio edition of My Blood Approves to be better than the print version?
I've never read the print version of this book, but I have read the print version of the most popular series in this genre, The Twilight Saga. At 9 hours plus, the length of this audio book is good value for my membership credit.
What did you like best about this story?
I think I liked the more varied and intimate interactions with the vampires, in fact between all the characters, throughout the story, partially allowed by the protagonist, Alice's few positive human relationships and because the author seemed genuinely interested in exploring the humanity of her vampire characters.
Would you be willing to try another one of Hannah Friedman's performances?
I believe I will read the entire series, as the story seems incomplete after this first book in the series. The narration was not the best.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I was particularly moved by the antagonist, blood-lust filled Peter's attack on Alice in the kitchen. This is when Jack's feelings for her become clear, not just to her, but to all the characters present as he defends her against the stronger, more vicious Peter's cruel actions.
Well worth the read! Recommended.
Alysha M Parent
Great beginning
This was a great story. I read it a long time ago and never listened to the audio version. It was amazing to hear the words come alive. The narration was really good. Such a great story and I'm anxious to start book 2.
familiar territory
I great book to listen to: I actually had to run my ipod OFF so i could sleep instead of keeping myself awake just to hear the next part. however, if you're looking for something unique, this isn't it. Its so reminiscent of Twilight that i can't believe its not copyright infringement and if i heard the word "complicated" one more time i was going to shred my earphones. BUT it's fun to listen to and slightly more satisfying because its set for a older audience (albeit only by a smidgen). I'd have given it a 5 if it hadn't already all been said and done.


It's often remarked, in response to instances of powerful communion or emotional engagement through sound, that music is 'a universal language.' The phrase is pretty vague, and it's demonstrably inaccurate in most ways you could interpret it. There's nothing universal about music's effects (what sounds 'sad' here might suggest 'morning' or 'high social status' somewhere else; I find death metal to be relaxing while driving, though I'm aware that not everyone in the car agrees). And music most definitely isn't language. Rather, as M.J.M. Hoondert hints in his RSP podcast, part of its power lies precisely in an irresolvable tension in relation to language.
There can be few areas where music's nonverbal power is drawn on more profoundly than when concerned with death and the (secular?) sacred, the areas with which Hoondert's research on contemporary requiem is closely concerned. Such requiems may well involve verbal texts, such as poems, liturgical texts altered for new purposes, or stanzas of hiphop or haiku. But, as Hoondert points out, the key issue is how the music can mobilize, transform or even subvert the apparent verbal meanings. He observes that, at their best, these musical ways of stirring up words can prompt deeply felt emotions, while helping us to process, interpret or otherwise deal with those responses in consolation or catharsis.
Participants in drone metal music are also involved in creating transient but extraordinary sacred spaces through musical rituals. This occurs in private practices developed to enhance the specialness of listening to vinyl records, and in attending live performances where elements described as ritualistic (smoke, incense, darkness, animal skulls and other weird paraphernalia) supplement the overwhelmingly amplified, distorted repetitive sound in creating an atmosphere which is powerful precisely because of its strangeness and opaque resistance to easy explanation. The music is often described with terms such as violence, aggression, pain and suffering, but it is these markers of extremity which allow a sense of catharsis, dark spirituality and even healing according to listeners. Drone metal, then, addresses deep issues of importance in rather different musical and conceptual registers to Hoondert's requiem composers and audiences. But in exploring the sacred in music, each are equally concerned with profound themes whose impact for many will elude language.
Through the music they find some what I call 'musical knowledge' about the meaning of life and death, and that's not a kind of knowledge which you can verbalize in a dogma or doctrine, but it's a kind of consoling knowledge that you find for a moment in the music, and perhaps then it's gone again.
Music and a powerful but ambivalent religiosity are further intertwined in the ways that mysticism has been understood in the study of religions. Freud linked the two in a 1929 letter to Romain Rolland, writing that 'mysticism is as impenetrable to me as music' (Freud quoted in Certeau, 1992, p. 12); William James uses the twin metaphors of musical listener and lover in order to explain the incompetence of language in communicating mystical feeling (W. James, 1982, p. 380); and Evelyn Underhill argued that in using 'suggestive and allusive language the mystical artist often approaches the methods of music' in order to enchant the reader/listener (Underhill, 1980, p. 408). Michel de Certeau further explores this connection (himself writing in characteristically suggestive and allusive style), drawing comparison between the reading of mystical texts, and the embodied and interpretative practice of playing music (1986, p. 83; 1992, p. 22), and describing the evocative paradoxes of mystical language as 'musical secrets' (1986, p. 99).
So, in claiming that music is a universal language, people might at least be indirectly suggesting something about the power of ambiguity: perhaps that music appears to be able to do things we wish that language could? It brings to mind another commonly heard aphorism, variously ascribed (ambivalently!) to Frank Zappa, Elvis Costello, Thelonious Monk and others: that writing about music is like dancing about architecture. That might be fair, but it certainly doesn't mean it's not worth doing. In acknowledging that strange productive tension between incommensurate modes of expression and experience, we might find ways of understanding the consoling, ritualistic, and sometimes sacred power of music.
Certeau, M. d. (1986) Heterologies: Discourse on the Other (trans. B. Massumi), Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press.
Certeau, M. d. (1992b) 'Mysticism' (trans. M. Brammer), Diacritics, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 11-25.
James, W. (1982 ) The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature, New York and London, Penguin Books.
Underhill, E. (1980) 'The Essentials of Mysticism', in Woods, R. (ed.) Understanding Mysticism, Garden City, Doubleday, pp. 400-15.


Dancing in the rain – "Be the change you wish to see in the world."
In one of my blog posts I mentioned I realized a passion for something. That passion is my ability to notice things out of order, or as my husband would call, "my OCDness".
I started, actually, continued online courses in a new direction, one in digital marketing. To find a way to assist an organization build their online presence.
With today being New Year's Day and focusing on building a new career path, I have been contemplating about my life and life in general.
I've beaten myself up mentality over the many jobs I've had in my life, or time I felt I have wasted not following my "one true path".
Inspiration comes at the oddest times. Maybe I had a "spiritual awakening", I do not know.
I realized there are many people who are in one career for many years, and feel dissatisfied. They feel the lack of something. Some find a way to venture out and try something new, or a passion they feel.
With the new year here, most of us are thinking of bringing a more positive life into focus for ourselves.
I watched an online video called, "How to know your life purpose in 5 minutes | Adam Leipzig | TEDxMalibu".
A simple, but profound way to begin to realize what you are here for.
Adam Leipzig asked five questions.
4) What do all those people want or need?
5) How do they transform and change by what you give them?
I put the five words together that came to me. "Mary inspires children to have hope". Now, I do not know what to do with this. For the past 36 years of my adult life, I have done nothing that seems connected to any of this.
What I DID notice was one comment.
I did not discover ONE life purpose, but discovered we have MANY things to do in each of our lives.
We love many people. I had three very different marriages. I had three children, again, all different, all needing different attention. I had many jobs. It wasn't failure to have so many. I was quite good at each of them!
I realized, as the above commenter stated, we are ALWAYS filling and refilling a glass in life. Constantly providing attention to different people and situations.
There is NO magic bullet for weight loss, NO one job that will fulfill anyone, NO one relationship that will be the end all to every other relationship we have, be it with friends, family or spouses.
We are constantly changing, evolving, and our focus needs to be as well. There is NO one way to learn, NO one way to teach, NO one way to do anything.
There is NO one job/career for anyone. We are all capable of learning anything if we put our minds to it and have the resources to back us.
If I can help make someone else's life a little brighter, give them hope in a hopeless situation, dance in the rain with them, or when the sun is shining brightly on them, let them know they matter, I will know I have found my purpose.
Yes, Mary, you're on the right track – just be ready to take turns ;-)!


Seattle Age Discrimination Lawyers – What Constitutes Age Discrimination?
Every day in the United States, dedicated employees are fired after working at the same company for 20, 30, 40 or more years. Not only is this wrong, but if the primary reason for such termination is due to age, such termination is illegal under state and federal law.
If you are over the age of forty and were fired, harassed, refused a promotion, or not hired due to your age, you may have been the victim of age discrimination.
Upon learning about the facts and circumstances of your matter, we can advise you as to whether we believe that a case of illegal age discrimination exists, and what legal options may be available.
The federal statutes protecting workers against age discrimination were enacted under The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA). Age discrimination includes being fired, not being hired, unequal or reduced pay, and/or segregation based on a person's age. If an employer or potential employer performs any of these discriminatory acts, they are in violation of Section 623 of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. State discrimination laws also prohibit age discrimination, and in some cases are more favorable than federal laws.
We invite you to contact our firm for a free initial phone consultation with us at your convenience so that we may learn about your case.
Because of important deadlines by which an age discrimination case must be filed (known as the statute of limitations), it's important to contact a lawyer as soon as possible to protect your rights.
If it appears that you were subject to illegal age discrimination, we can advise you of the alternatives and options that may exist for seeking compensation or corrective action, as well as how we can help. In some instances, a negotiated settlement for compensation may be the desired objective; in other cases, litigation may be required.
Similarly, if you were terminated as the result of age discrimination, you may also have a separate claim for wrongful termination. In this case, we can help you determine what relief may be appropriate, such as getting your job back or monetary compensation.
Age discrimination cases can involve multiple processes, as federal and state statutes have different requirements. Litigation for cases based upon federal law require that a complaint first be filed with an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) field office before a lawsuit can be initiated.
Unlike other discrimination matters, those filing age discrimination lawsuits do not need to wait for receipt of a "Right-to-Sue" letter from the EEOC before initiating litigation. Instead, age discrimination lawsuits can be filed as soon as 60 days following the filing of a charge with the EEOC. We can discuss these options and requirements for you so that you can make the decision that is best for you based upon your situation.


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Geoff Chapple never took charge of a League team. His managerial career never extended beyond the Conference and, although he saw his teams win five times at Wembley, they did so not in the FA Cup but in the FA Trophy, with the ground at best a quarter full. At first glance, then, an odd subject for a biography, let alone one that bears the startling subtitle "The Story Behind the Legend".
But there's more here than meets the eye, even if the primary market for the book – a relatively tiny congregation of non-League anoraks – is hardly going to try Amazon's server capacity. It's a local book for local people, but the story has charm and raises quite a few questions about what it is that makes a successful football manager, at any level.
The book takes a broadly chronological sweep through Chapple's career, touching briefly on his career as a semi-pro player in the old Southern and Isthmian Leagues before plunging into his managerial career with Windsor & Eton, Woking and Kingstonian, a career that brought him, as well as the five FA Trophy wins in seven years in the 1990s, six promotions within and from the Isthmian League structure, several FA Cup giant killings and a clutch of minor pots including an AC Delco Cup (you had to be there, really).
The recurrent question is: "How exactly did he achieve all that, then?" The recurrent answer is: "Buggered if I know." This was a manager who never supervised training, would avoid speaking to players unless he had to, showed little interest in tactics and often signed key players who had been found and approached by his assistant. There's no doubt that Chapple had firm views on how the game should be played – he was devoted to an eye-pleasing, passing game – and had the patter and people skills of a high-calibre salesman, his career outside football. But can that really be it? It's an eye-opener for anyone who believes that all successful managers, at whatever level, spend their leisure time like Arsène Wenger, poring obsessively over the latest match videos. Chapple, you feel, would not have sat comfortably through a demonstration of ProZone.
The tone does veer into the indulgent: the author was signed as a player by Chapple and makes no bones about how much he enjoyed writing the book. The affectionate vignettes of Chapple's life outside the game don't quite mesh with some of the straighter football talk, but this is no airbrush job. Too many of Chapple's enormous range of football contacts have been interviewed frankly for that and the richness of their agendas gives the book its texture. For the reader not steeped in the time and the clubs involved, there's plenty to take away on the way the non-League game functions, or used to, and the continuing creep of serious money into the game's backwaters is an intriguing part of the book's landscape.
If the man himself remains enigmatic, that's probably as it should be. A private man with a huge number of contacts but by his own admission few real friends, Chapple retains his mystique and charisma, and the clubs he left behind him are greyer places for his departure. The book serves him well.


The hotel Quattro Gigli (Four Lilies) owned and run by the Puccioni Family since 1930, is situated in the centre of the ancient town, and precisely in the 14 th century palace once housing the Podesteria (residence of the town's Podestà). …situated in the centre of the ancient town The inside is convenientely restored and offers an atmosphere of real tuscanity, consisting of hospitality, kindness and privacy.
The restaurant partly occupies the old stores of the odesteria and offers, in a context made more attractive by original earthenwares, the real, traditional, ancient cooking of the renaissance.


text:
Tag Archives: High School Basketball
Leave a comment Posted by fendo on May 14, 2021
Over the course of a few days in May, a collection of top-ranked high school basketball players descended on Memphis for the Allen Iverson Roundball Classic, an NBA-sanctioned event (meaning NBA personnel could attend to whet their appetites for future employees) hosted by one-time Memphis Grizzly, Allen Iverson.
This time of year is typically the season for post-season all-star/All-American games with the McDonald's game, Jordan Brand Classic, and probably some others that aren't coming to mind. In this second year of global Covid disruptions, most events are on hiatus, but not the Iverson Classic which stood alone as the sole national event this year. Spread across three days, there were (allegedly) competitive scrimmages withheld from the masses, dunk and three-point contests, a one-on-one tournament, and finally, the main event, an all-star game on Saturday night (May 8th) 28 of the top high school players in the country (27 boys and one girl). The game was streamed through SUVtv for a not unreasonable $9.99 and is available on-demand. Before I get into the players, notes on the stream and game:
SUV, as usual, provides competent and mostly knowledgeable announcers.
For viewers who enjoy rewind/fast forward hot key features (think five-second forward/back), SUV's video player does not include these features. This is inexplicable.
The white jerseys have light-colored (light gold? White?) numbers making it difficult at times to determine who's who. Similar to the video player, this is a small nuisance likely only impacting a handful of viewers, but even the announcers were tripped up at times.
The rosters (and all players are included below) are accurate
The head coaches of each team were Stephen Jackson and Rasheed Wallace. Both were engaged and vocal. From my lens, the gravitas of these former players contributed to sustained energy and competitiveness from the players. All-star games have long been the domain of coasting, but imagine your 18-year-old self defying Sheed or SJax.
Black Team (number next to each player is their jersey number):
#1 Paolo Banchero: Seattle kid with 11/12/02 (18.5 years old) b-day, somewhere between 6-9 and 6-11 (he's not 6-11 despite what ESPN has listed) depending on source, 5* Duke commit, mocked #2 in 2022 ESPN mock, consensus top-3 high-school rank:
All we heard all week was how him and Chet Holmgren competed hard against each other all week and, for me, they're the most tantalizing players and prospects.
Banchero settled for a lot of jumpers in the game, both off-the-catch and off-the-bounce, but I'm not too concerned as he has sound mechanics and some of the shots felt like they in search of rhythm.
Banchero's combination of size, movement and ball skills are somewhat mesmerizing. So many bigs his age are rail thin, still growing into their bodies and creating uncertainty as long-term prospect, but Banchero already has a solid frame complimented by a clean handle, tight cross and effective hesitation. Combined with strong body mechanics and mobility, the aggregate is extraordinary.
Given his general focus/engagement and build, I was surprised to see him pummeled on the o-glass by Holmgren who's length, timing, and underestimated strength caused Banchero problems all day. Holmgren had at least four o-rebs that were a direct result of out-working Banchero.
Banchero's defense doesn't worry me because he's a smart player who has a solid motor, but I don't necessarily see him as a high-impact defender long-term; particularly with him going to Duke where Coach K seems to have given up on teaching defense to big men.
A crossover dribble move executed by Paolo Banchero of Seattle
#21 AJ Griffin: son of former NBA player and current assistant coach, Adrian Griffin, 8/25/03 (17.7) b-day (2nd youngest player in game), 6-7 or 6-8, listed at 200 pounds but there's no way he's that light, 5* Duke commit, mocked #6 in 2022 ESPN mock, no consensus on HS rank due to not having played in over a year, but pre-hiatus, was consistently top-10 in national ranks and top-3 in Draft Twitter circles:
Griffin looks like he spent the past year locked in the weight room alternating between shoulder presses and lat pulldowns. He's fucking huge and gives off some Kawhi Leonard vibes as a power wing – although he's nowhere near weaponizing that power right now.
The handle is slick and he hit someone with a nasty inside out that I should've clipped, but didn't. My bad.
Range extends beyond NBA three line without effort.
In love with pull-ups and it's a pretty shot with a variety of dribble moves to set it up, but lot of settling.
Could see the rust from long time off, but both the current ability and long-term potential outstrip any lack of rhythm.
#2 JD Davison: Alabama native with 10/3/02 (18.6) b-day, 6-2 or 6-3 (I'd lean to 6-2), with a solid 180-poundsd, 5* Alabama commit, not included in 2022 ESPN mock, consensus top-13 in class:
Got a coveted Givony tweet about his play
Showed some flair for passing/reading floor that hadn't popped as well in other viewings.
Power guard who used his strength/athleticism well a couple times including shrugging off Jaden Akins on a dribble drive and recovering on a Nolan Hickman ball fake to get the block on second jump.
Not sure if he shot a jumper.
#26 Johnathan Lawson: member of Memphis basketballing Lawson family, 10/7/02 (18.6) b-day, listed at 6-6 170 but looks taller, 4*Memphis commit (de-committed from Oregon), mostly a top-100 rank:
Jersey number was strangely a different color from teammates
Didn't focus too closely on him, but lack of physical development seems to be holding back better body control
#11 Tyrese Hunter: Wisconsin kid with 8/11/03 (17.8) b-day, listed at 6-1 175, high 4* Iowa State commit, consensus top-40:
My first viewing of Hunter
Able to breakdown primary defender with handle/quickness; handle is tight, improvisational
Good speed, fluid movement
Good feel, able to read/react to defense both on/off ball à low-key, probably the secret ingredient to his effectiveness
In part because I hadn't seen him before, but walked away really being impressed by him
#15 TyTy Washington: big time rankings riser with 11/15/01 (19.5) b-day, 6-3 or 6-4, 5* de-commit from Creighton with crystal balls pointing to Kentucky, #13 on ESPN 2022 mock, ranks between #12 and 21 depending on source:
Able to create for self and others as lead guard – can beat the primary defender and make plus-decisions at second and third levels à drive-and-kick game solid, floater game solid
Totally in-flow here, comfortable as primary or off-ball; plays well with others which was important to see after seeing him force things a bit at Geico
Good range and shoots an easy ball
Showed some defensive awareness with early rotation/anticipation
In general, a joy
#5 Peyton Watson: Cali kid with 9/11/02 (18.7) b-day, listed 6-8 but could be taller, 5* UCLA commit, #6 on ESPN 2022 mock, consensus top-10 in class:
Am generally a big-time Watson fan, but he was quiet in this one – some of which could be attributed to normally being a ball-dominant offensive player and needing to find place alongside three high-level guards (TyTy, Hunter, Davison).
Lanky kid with long strides
Showed good body control/concentration with off-hand finish against Chet Holmgren contest
Not a player I typically think of as big-time athlete, but pulled out an impressive windmill on breakaway
#5 Hunter Sallis: from Omaha with 3/26/03 (18.1) b-day, listed at 6-5 but could be taller, 5* Gonzaga commit, N/A on ESPN 2022 mock, ranks between 7 and 14:
Like Tyrese Hunter, this was my first time seeing Sallis, but like Watson, seemed like struggled a bit to get into an off-ball role.
I don't know what I was expecting, but Sallis's athleticism exceeded my expectations; he gets up well off two feet, had an electric windmill in transition, and showed some impressive speed/burst getting out in a sprint.
I'm intrigued, but not wowed.
#23 Bryce McGowens: out of South Carolina with 11/8/02 (18.5) b-day, listed at 6-6, high 4* or low 5* depending on who you ask committed to Nebraska after de-committing from FSU, N/A on ESPN 2022 mock:
McGowens is a slender wing who's still growing into his body. In this game, similarly to Sallis and Watson, he played more off-the-ball than he's accustomed to, but unlike the other two, it felt like a more natural fit.
Had couple of read/reacts and improvisations on a help side steal and drive into Chet's chest for free throws that were good to see as in-the-flow, unforced impact. (This idea of in-rhythm, organic impact versus forced impact is something that I'll return to throughout. In an all-star setting like this where you have 28 players who are accustomed to being focal points, getting a feeling for how players assimilate into team construct in unfamiliar capacities isn't a panacea for scouting or projection, but it is helpful to get a feel for how a player will adapt in different situations.)
His shot and mechanics are fluid and polished, but I often find myself wanting more with the overall output.
#0 Benny Williams: DMV kid born on 4/30/02 (19), listed at 6-8 (was 5-9 as a frosh in HS), high 4*/low 5*, committed to Syracuse, N/A on 2022 ESPN mock, consensus top-35:
I believe Williams was the last guy off the bench and in my imperfect notes and memory, he had a comparable role; forced to nibble around the edges and get shots/make plays as opportunity presented itself.
His jumper has always been a strength at his size and while I didn't see him make one, the mechanics still look good.
Flashed some plus-awareness/BBIQ with a quick dump-off on an offensive rebound à it's a small thing, but making heady plays in limited opportunity is about all you can ask.
#35 Matthew Cleveland: Atlanta native born 9/15/02 (18.7), listed at 6-7, high 4*/low 5* FSU commit, N/A on 2022 ESPN mock, consensus top-30, much higher in draft Twitter communities:
Big, strong, athletic, engaged, Cleveland has long been a draft Twitter darling that I've been closer to mainstream on (15-20ish) than draft Twitter and a lot of my reservation is revealing of my own limitation in focusing on his HS/AAU role as an on-ball, high-usage player where, in my viewings, he's been over-aggressive with questionable decision making and shot selection.
If Watson and Sallis struggled towards total all-star integration, Cleveland was impressively in his element repeatedly making plays (backcutting an over-laying defender, combining awareness and athleticism on an emphatic help side block, making quick reads with the pass) and making a positive impact.
Showed impressive touch/concentration finishing through/over contests at rim.
Seems like a Florida State guy.
#4 Terquavion Smith: North Carolina kid with 12/31/02 (18.4) b-day, listed at 6-3, 4* NC State commit, N/A on 2022 ESPN mock, consensus top-100 player with top-rank of #73:
First experience with Smith and regrettably don't have much to offer. He hit a nice floater, showed some touch, and defended well on-ball.
#33 Brandon Huntley-Hatfield: 8/6/03 b-day (17.8), listed at 6-9 230 but wouldn't be surprised if he's heavier, 5* Tennessee commit, not included on ESPN 2022 mock, anywhere from #5 to #20 in class:
Big, thick forward without a ton of explosiveness
Deep love for jab steps to setup sidestep and step-back threes – competent shooter; opened this game with back-to-back threes; shot 39% on 43 attempts in 2019 UAA season. 61% from FT on 23 attempts in same UAA sample.
Not a quick decision maker, ball tends to stick to his hands while he jabs/surveys.
Big body, but not particularly effective utilizing it; not a banger, was out-worked/out-physicaled by Michael Foster.
White Team (number next to each player is their jersey number):
#34 Chet Holmgren: Minnesotan with 5/1/02 (19) b-day, listed at 7-0, 195 pounds, 5* Gonzaga commit, #2 on 2022 ESPN mock, consensus #1 player in class:
Offensively, spent much more time in post/around paint than he did with his Minnehaha team. Unsurprisingly effective around basket with length and soft touch.
Coordination/handle continue to impress given size/build/age and reveal ability to create off bounce which he showed with drive-and-dish.
Despite frame, appears to be stronger than he looks as he was able to dislodge heavier/thicker Paolo on more than one occasion.
Combination of strength, length, and positioning made him a nightmare on offensive glass – much of which was at Paolo's expense.
#11 Michael Foster: Milwaukee native played high school ball in Phoenix at Hillcrest, 1/16/03 (18.3) b-day, listed 6-9 233, 5* G-League Ignite signee, #32 on 2022 ESPN mock, consensus top-20 in class ranging from #7 to #17:
Burly and physical with elite production (32-points and 18-rebounds-per-game as a senior), the biggest knock on Foster is that he doesn't know how to play and makes dumb decisions and while it was an all-star exhibition, early on Foster helped off of Huntley-Hatfield when he didn't need to and gave up a wide open three.
Additionally, he struggled with his handle forcing dribble drives and getting stripped for TOs.
The burly physicality was evident though as he was a bully on the offensive glass, repeatedly pummeling Huntley-Hatfield under the hoop for putbacks.
Flashed nice passing/awareness with a cross-court hook pass with a ton of velocity and accuracy to wide open shooter.
Unable to contain or deter Paolo in space.
#4 Kowacie Reeves: 1/31/03 (18.3) b-day, listed at 6-6 170, 4* Florida commit, N/A on 2022 ESPN mock, ranked between #27 and #69 in class:
First time seeing Reeves, a long, bouncy wing out of Georgia
Jumper didn't fall and didn't see enough or close enough to get a feel for mechanics
Could see his well-regarded athleticism attacking the closeout for an and-1 dunk
#0 Jaden Akins: Michigan native with 2/25/03 (18.2) b-day, listed at 6-3 160 though assume that's an outdated weight, 4* Spartan commit, N/A on 2022 ESPN mock, consensus top-55 recruit:
Fluid, smooth athlete; movement in general is pleasant and balanced
Maybe overly reliant on jumpers and if it's not falling, struggles to impact game especially in this setting
By my unofficial and incomplete tracking, was 0-4 from field with a pair of missed pull-ups, a missed catch-and-shoot, and a blown lob.
#8 Josh Minnot: Florida kid with 11/25/02 (18.5) birthday, listed 6-8 but lot of indications he's 6-9 or 6-10, 4* Memphis commit, N/A on 2022 ESPN mock, ranked between #35 and #68:
First time seeing Minnot; he's slim, long, tall; saw he has a 7-2 wingspan but not convinced from eyeballs
Showed good body control and functional usage of aforementioned length with balance on change of direction and scoop finish around AJ Griffin
Aggressive in attack though occasionally forced the issue on rim attacks that resulted in off-balance attempts
Not prettiest form/release, hips seems slightly turned inwards, release on the abrupt side, but was able to at least a pair of threes
#2 Nolan Hickman: Seattle native with 5/7/03 (18) b-day, listed 6-1 180, high 4*/low 5* former Kentucky commit who's currently undecided, N/A on 2022 ESPN mock, roughly in 20-40 range in class:
Recently decommitted from Kentucky and building on a strong performance at the Geico Nationals
Decently put together with solid athleticism, high-level awareness, quick processing/decision making, and oodles of skill. Awareness and processing allow him to anticipate and react in ways that frequently put him in the right place at the right time – these aren't accidents are evidence in clip below.
I'm not much for superlatives, but am mildly confident that Hickman was the best passer in this event though JD Davison was at least flashier on this day.
Mostly average shooter with a floater and maybe a bit better off catch at present
Nolan Hickman (undecided 5* 2021), #2 in white w/black undershirt, doing all kinds of positive in this sequence –> love the cross in tight space, gets an o-reb putback, triggers a TO w/active hands/timing, finishes w/offhand thru contact. pic.twitter.com/teWLKKRzJ0
— fendo (@dancingwithnoah) May 9, 2021
#32 Daimion Collins: hailing from the Lone Star State, born 1/23/02 (19.3), listed 6-9 210, 5* Kentucky commit, N/A on 2022 ESPN mock, generally accepted as a 10-15 recruit:
Collins is a lanky, bouncy 4/5 with defensive upside for days and a bit of a jump shot who maybe thinks it's an excellent jumper.
He's a good case study for my particularly haphazard scouting technique as an example of not throwing out the baby with the bathwater. To wit, last summer I witnessed the lithe Collins thoroughly outplayed and out-toughed by 2022 Vincent Iwuchukwu, a near-seven-foot big in a much more traditional back-to-the-basket model. Collins had his moments, but they were few and far between and he was generally mauled. Unfortunately, this left an indelible mark on me as a character defining defeat, not dissimilar to a thumping Scottie Lewis once put on Jaden McDaniels which upturned my whole idea of McDaniels or, from what I've heard of others, the merciless roasting Jaden Springer put on Jalen Suggs and his soft handle a couple summers ago. For my process, I have to consciously guard against the Iwuchukwu battle being a character-defining moment for Collins.
Contextual baggage aside, Collins was active and engaged in this game where he strung together deflections, hit ahead passes, and length-revealing dunks. The ill-advised jumpers (contested pull-up straddling the three-line) were still there, but largely overshadowed by his athleticism, length, and effort.
Extending put back dunk shot from Daimion Collins, basketball player
#10 Kendall Brown: another elite Minnesota native, born 5/11/03 (18), listed 6-8 205, 5* Baylor commit, N/A on ESPN 2022 mock, top-15 in class:
Strong forward, with well-built frame, elite leaper, two-way playmaker who gives me Shawn Marion vibes.
Didn't show a ton of new this game, but that's not a bad thing either: caught a pair of lobs, knocked down a pull-up from 16-feet, was a tad wild (spinning jumper and errant no-look pass) at times, remains a favorite of mine.
#24 Trey Alexander: Oklahoma native listed at 6-4 185, 4* recently decommitted from Auburn because the program allegedly "didn't keep their word," N/A on ESPN 2022 mock, ranked between #55 and #83:
Bit of a ball-dominant combo guard, mostly smooth with handle and pull-up game, good, not great as athlete
Alexander was put in a bit of a weird spot as the opponent matched him up with Raven Johnson, the only female player in the game. Johnson is a 5-9/5-10 5* committed to South Carolina. Alexander attacked the matchup with vim and vigor, attacking the smaller opponent on both sides of the ball, coming up with steals and beating her off the bounce multiple times.
It's hard to take much away from this type of scenario except that Alexander played hard and his 55-83 slot feels accurate.
#23 Jordan Longino: Pennsylvanian listed at 6-5 195, 4* Villanova commit, N/A on ESPN 2022 mock, ranked as high as #39 and low as #81:
My first experience with Longino, a thickly-built off-guard/small wing – his build could be somewhat confused based on an undershirt that possibly made him look bulkier than he actually is.
Showed plus-awareness and ability to quickly process/react to openings/opportunities with quick pass/reads; played a step ahead of the game.
Plays at measured pace, under control
Jay Wright had to be pleased see him make an early rotation and force a TO
Good body control with step-thru in transition.
Didn't note him shooting any jumpers and I don't have any shooting %s for him.
Walked away a fan, but patience is always the virtue with Villanova kids.
#12 Ahamad Bynum (Black Cat): Chicago kid with 2/21/03 (18.2) b-day, listed at 6-3 175, 4* committed to DePaul (since 2019), N/A on ESPN 2022 mock, consensus top-100:
Nicknamed "Black Cat," my first time seeing him
Have seen him listed at both 6-3 and 6-1 but felt more in the 6-1/6-2 range
Aggressive instincts were there, but struggled to find any rhythm
#1 Daeshun Ruffin: Mississippi native listed at 5-10 160, 4* committed to Ole Miss, N/A on ESPN 2022 mock, generally a top-55 recruit:
Surprisingly my first time seeing Ruffin as he's been on the scene for several years.
Smaller lead guard, not just height, but build as well. Plays point, but loads of aggressiveness and scoring/attack instincts.
Good quickness with a low handle and electric spin move; showed some ++touch with a high-banker off the glass on the move
Able to hit threes off catch and bounce
Targeted in post by TyTy and beaten handily
#26 Bryce Hopkins: Illinois kid with 9/7/02 (18.7) b-day, listed at 6-7 220 but looks thicker than 220 and not in a bad way, 4* Kentucky commit after a Louisville decommit, N/A on ESPN 2022 mock, top-30 recruit who got that coveted Givony love:
Thick-bodied, highly skilled forward with great feet and feel
Like Kendall Brown, didn't see a lot of new stuff from Hopkins à he's skilled/polished with a clean handle, a willingness to pass, and ability to grab-and-go off the board
Able to create space off-the-bounce with a tight cross and get to pull-up or rim
Don't have stats on him and don't have a good feel for his jumper. In other settings, he's struggled to hit off the catch, but I haven't noted any wonky mechanics.
I like Kentucky as a landing spot
#5 Trevor Keels: DMV kid with 8/26/03 b-day (17.7 – youngest player in game), listed at 6-5 210, 5* committed to Duke, N/A on ESPN 2022 mock, top-20 recruit:
Just second time seeing Keels as a senior after seeing several games of his previous years
Has outgrown some of baby fat and looks strong/thick; not an explosive athlete, but a good one with burst off the catch.
Was slow to get going in this game, but found confidence in second half with variety of drives and threes of catch and bounce.
Showed some creation with a drive-and-dump dime
Bit of a ball stopper with a penchant for pounding the ball in search of openings at the expense of decisively moving/attacking
Trevor Keels engages evasive maneuvers
A final note, despite being physically overmatched and somewhat targeted, the previously mentioned Raven Johnson was sound in effort and execution with quality passing/reads. She struggled to finish/hit shots, but was game as a competitor.
Basketball, High School Basketball, Summer League/Scouting chet holmgren, High School Basketball, iverson classic, paolo banchero, raven johnson, recruiting, scouting
Scottie Barnes & Vernon Carey Jr: Precocious Basketballing Minors
Leave a comment Posted by fendo on January 5, 2019
Somewhere in Florida, at a prep school called Nova Southeastern University, aka The University School, play two of the best non-NBA basketball players in the country of the United States of America. Scottie Barnes, a 17-year-old high school junior and Vernon Carey Jr, a 17-year-old senior, are runaway barrels tumbling down the hill of high school basketball, flattening obstacles that impede their inevitable progress. This isn't about winning or losing, but about a unification of ability and skill that arrives before its time and lays waste – except when it doesn't which is some of the time because teenagers, high school, imperfection.
Within their respective graduating classes, these players are ranked second (Carey in 2019) and third (Barnes in 2020). Theirs are games that flash with the brightest of lights like when Carey Jr goes coast to coast bulldogging his way through 175-pound, underdeveloped high school bodies, leaving carnage and hurt feelings in his wake. Or when Barnes pulls off the kind of interior pass that makes one think Draymond Green, not a high school junior. But, and probably less so, their games are littered with peculiar teenage funk and I don't mean funk in a good kind of way, but in the kind of way where Carey Jr's coast to coast forays are ill-advised with his handle too high, rumbling, bumbling, stumbling towards turnover town. Or you cringe when Barnes convinces himself that the pull-up contested three is the right decision even though there's no shot clock and his shot is kind of broke and his release is something preceding the work-in-progress stages. This appears to be high school basketball and even the best players aren't exempt.
I'm lumping these two together simply because they're teammates. Beyond them being highly talented teammates, as players they have very little in common: Barnes, a 6-8 combo forward with guard skills, has innate ability and feel. When I first saw him as a sophomore against prep juggernaut Oak Hill Academy, his passing immediately popped and had me like Whoa (h/t, Black Rob). He's an instinctual player whose shot looks like it's never been loved though I'm sure it has been loved and tended to. Carey Jr, by contrast, is a combination of highly refined skill mixed into the human form of a freight train: he's listed as 6-11, 275-pounds. He has the jawline of a boxer and the shoulder-neck of a football player which makes sense since his dad is a 6-5, 340-pound former NFL player named Vernon Carey who had an 8-year career as an offensive lineman.
The giant Carey Jr is already committed to Duke for the 2019-2020 season. How his game translates at both the collegiate and pro levels isn't difficult to imagine, but the degree to which he improves his game is harder to predict. Carey Jr's already more offensively skilled than a lot of NBA big men – he's highly coordinated, light on his feet with sound footwork and a fluid jumper. He has no issue playing the role of bully, muscling straight through or over shorter, weaker high school opponents. I wouldn't go as far as calling it a mean streak, but he's happy to use his size and strength as a weapon. More often though, he defaults to catching in the post and then turning and facing. From the face up range, he has a variety of attack options, most of which involve putting the ball on the floor. While his handle exceeds that of many NBA centers, his decision-making and decisiveness do not. At times, it appears that he's already decided he's going to shoot before he ever assesses the defense which is unfortunate as he's a capable passer with above average vision. Carey Jr negates all this well-developed skill when he lulls himself into pounding the ball and bailing out defenders with contested fadeaways.
Carey Jr's biggest challenges as a senior have been against elite teams full of D1 players and athletes: IMG, Sierra Canyon, and Gonzaga-bound Anton Watson. The challenges aren't all his fault. The University School lost two high D1 guards last season and there's a thinness to the roster that has shifted much of the offensive load to Carey Jr and Barnes, neither of them equipped as primary initiators. The result of that imbalanced load, for Carey Jr in particular, has been forced attempts and default isolations. This is all well and good when he's competing against Central Catholic of Oregon, pushing the grab and go and Earl Campbelling and Julius Randling through the entire opposition for monster dunks. Against the better teams and athletes though, the lack of facilitators leads to indecisiveness and contested attempts. While his handle is solid and he has some shake for a near-7-footer, on the move the handle gets looser and higher, making him vulnerable to swipes and strips. Against Villanova commit, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl of IMG, a versatile and sturdy 6-8 combo forward, Carey struggled to put the ball on the floor as the smaller player encroached on his space. Against more complex college and pro defenses, these types of weaknesses will quickly be exploited.
On the face up, Carey Jr is at his best when being decisive: catching, turning and attacking, usually to his left as he did against the aforementioned Watson at the Les Schwab Invitational over the holidays when he attacked hard to his left off the catch, never giving help defenders a chance to settle, and dunking straight through the 6-10 Watson. His footwork and tight spin move are advanced even for college kids. If and when he's able to use the handle and footwork to create space, he has a fluid mid-range jumper that he shoots with confidence. Carey Jr can improve upon his decision making which will lead to greater efficiency and less isolation. This could be mitigated by better guard play and a more balanced court, but he can go a long way to improve his own reads and timing.
I struggle to assess high school defenders in part because the talent gap can be so massive, but so far Carey Jr's defense could best be described as opportunistic disinterest: IE; if he can pick up a highlight help side block, he's there. If not, sorry. He's not the most expressive player, but his facial expressions and defensive effort and awareness call to mind another Duke Blue Devil, Jabari Parker and his "they don't pay players to play defense" ethos. Going back to games I've seen of his as a junior, there's a lackadaisical tendency to stand around and almost look bored on the defensive end. Against Watson and Gonzaga Prep's cutting offense, he was easily beaten backdoor more than once and one occasion, he saw Watson cutting and didn't react, giving up an easy score in the process. Part of the frustration around his defensive effort comes from his obvious ability. At his size and with his athleticism, he'll occasionally get his shit together long enough to destroy shot attempts on help side blocks and based on how well he moves with the ball, it's clear he can move well laterally. The lack of focus and effort are decisions he's making or bad habits he's forming. I'd expect these lapses to be directly addressed at Duke, but Coach K's had plenty of players who never learn or commit to that end of the court and if Carey Jr produces offensively, it won't be a surprise if he cruises on defense.
Stylistically, Barnes couldn't be much more different from Carey Jr. At 6-8 with a 7-2 wingspan, per ESPN, his measurements compare to Al-Farouq Aminu and Jerami Grant; a pair of long, versatile, defensive-minded NBA forwards. Barnes, as a high school sophomore, was a better passer than both of those players are now as seasoned pros. He's long, strong, and athletic with an ability to think the game. If Carey Jr plays with a poker face and obscured emotions, Barnes is expressive and plays with high energy. During the Geico Nationals telecast last season, he was described as the "alpha dog" of the team (as a sophomore) and in October, ESPN wrote of him at the USA mini-camp that "players gravitate to his joyful nature."
Last season with University School, he was able to facilitate without having to be the primary ball handler. This year, Barnes has been forced at times to act as the primary initiator, a role that's revealed more weaknesses to what's an otherwise strong all-around game (jump shot notwithstanding). While he has a quality handle for a front court player, bringing the ball up against smaller, peskier defenders, Barnes is forced to turn and put his body between himself and the defender to protect the ball, Mark Jackson style but without the intent or ability to back the opponent down from 30-feet. Barnes is much more effective catching the ball in the half court set and attacking off the dribble or pushing in the full court. Off the dribble, he's adept at driving and kicking or driving and dumping. His first step is quick enough and his handle tight enough that he can regularly get a step on defenders and when help comes, he's elite at recognizing where the open man is before defenders have a chance to respond – be it on the perimeter or around the rim. No-looks and look-away passes are functionally executed and commonplace for Barnes.
Defensively, his engagement and effort are superior to Carey Jr's in that he's more physically capable and he tries. Physically he has the tools to be an excellent defender, but technique-wise, there's room for growth. On the interior, he'll lean on his man with arms straight up in the air and just stand there like a 6-8 turnstile hoping or expecting opponents to shoot the ball into his outstretched hands. He doesn't move great laterally, but he's long enough that as he develops his defensive awareness, his length can be used as a cushion against quicker opponents. As a high school underclassman, it's not surprising that he can wind up out of position defensively, but against current opponents (many of whom include high-level D1 players) he's still long and athletic enough and plays with enough effort and pride to recover.
The biggest cause for concern, and it's visible in every game I've seen of his, is the shot. Be it the free throw line, on catch-and-shoot 3s, on pull-ups. It doesn't matter where the shot's coming from or even if it goes in, it's just mangled and hasn't improved much in the year I've been watching him. In four games at Les Schwab, he was 2-10 from 3 and one of the makes was an ill-advised side-step attempt that defenses would love for him to take. And his misses are bad misses: airballs, bricks, shots that are woefully short. I'm not a shot doctor, so I'll borrow from ESPN on his shot description: "he's a non-shooter who doesn't show much potential to improve at this stage, with side spin and unconventional shooting mechanics." Shooting is a critical skill necessary to fully unlocking his passing and creation. He's not on Ben Simmons's level as a passer, but he may end up getting the same type of treatment as Simmons at upper levels as teams just sag off and dare him to shoot. He's also not as bad a shooter as Simmons. In 17 games of Nike EYBL play in 2018, he shot 12-33 (36%) from deep which, on its own, hardly constitutes a destitute shooter, but when viewed alongside his game tape, gives pause as a possible fluke. How his shooting potentially limits his playmaking is of interest at the next levels. Smart coaches will find ways to take advantage of his passing similarly to how Golden State's continued to do with Draymond Green despite him shooting a career-worst 24% from deep. Less coherent teams will struggle to maximize his game and this is the risk of any player who has a massive hole in his game.
In an ideal world, Carey Jr commits to learning the defensive side of the ball the same way he's clearly committed to honing his offensive craft. Barnes becomes a high-energy, high-IQ player who can impact the game on both sides of the ball and at least keep defenses honest with 30-35% 3-point shooting. What I'm asking for from either player is no small thing, but they are addressable things. Both players already have the requisite physical tools and skills for NBA ball which already place them in the upper echelons of a craft that our society places a massive monetary value on. They'll both make the NBA, but the nits I'm picking at (defense, effort, shooting, and decision making) differentiate rotation players from starters, starters from All-Stars, and All-Stars from All-NBA players. As 17-year-olds, their destinies aren't completely in their own hands. Team and scheme still matter and we're already seeing how a departure of skilled teammates is affecting their current games, but Carey Jr and Barnes are complete enough already to chart their own courses, shape their own trajectories, land on their own moons. Whether they do or not is a burden they shoulder as minors beset with in-demand, cash-generating talents. What could possibly go wrong?
College Basketball, duke, High School Basketball, Summer League/Scouting duke, High School Basketball, recruiting, scottie barnes, vernon carey jr