Recap Of NIKE Event

Russ Blake details the top local performances at the NIKE camp in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS -- For the first time in camp history, the Nike All-American Camp put on a pair of all-star games at the conclusion of the event.

Several players from the New York Metropolitan area were selected for the games. Here is a look at those players and how they fared:

• Samardo Samuels, St. Benedict's H.S., Newark, N.J. Picking up right where he left off a few weeks ago at the AND 1 High School Basketball Championships, husky 6-8, 236 pound power forward Samardo Samuels scored nine points on three of seven shooting for the victorious Team Flight/Blue squad. His penchant for contact on both sides of the basketball is what makes Samuels such an effective player.
• Michael Coburn, Mount Vernon H.S., Mt. Vernon, N.Y. Consummate floor general had a tough outing in the all-star game, registering two assists against four turnovers. He didn't take a single shot, so he didn't score. The 5-10 Coburn hasn't grown over the past few years, and bigger guards can sometimes give him trouble on the defensive end. That said, he has a high basketball IQ and is among the best guards in the country at advancing the ball up the floor without a dribble.
• Edgar Sosa, Rice H.S., New York, N.Y. Sosa put up the best numbers of the three area players selected for the first game, tallying 13 points and three assists in a losing cause. While still not a pure point guard, Louisville commit Sosa connected on three of six shots beyond the arc.
• Curtis Kelly, Rice H.S., New York, N.Y. Hobbled by a pair of bad ankles, Kelly played in the second all-star game, which lacked the competitiveness of the first game. His Team Uptempo Blue dismantled Team Shox White, 122-90. Kelly played a minor role in the win, compiling seven points, four rebounds, two assists and one block. It was clear from watching him that he was not operating at 100 percent.