Before some of your top ranked players hit high school, there are
many camps which are used to forecast whose next up. Tony Parker,
Jordan Price, J-Mychael Reese, and Kyle Anderson all have something
in common. Each of these guys participated in the invite only Junior
All-American Camp during their middle school years.
This past weekend, founder Clay Dade has brought his camp
downsouth to hotlanta to showcase a group of elite middle school
ballers. This camp is invite only and Dade travels across the
country to hand pick the cream of the crop 6-8th grade players.
One of the first things I noticed from looking at the rosters was
that the camp did a great job of pulling talent from each region of
the country. Camp participant Ryan Bay and his family traveled all
the way from Portland, Oregon to attend. One parent said, "I was
always told these camps are a waste of money but my son's coach told
us Jr. All-American is a must attend."
Even though its way too early to tell which kids will turn out to
be major high school prospects, Perry Dozier Jr. clearly stood out
amongst all campers as the most polished. He pretty much had his way
with anybody who dared to check him on the perimeter.
Some of the other players I liked were Ryan Bay, Dennis Shout, Ty
Hudson, and Aaron Augustin. Overall, the camp seemed to be run very
well with kids playing hard every possession. As you may know, we
don't do a lot of coverage of middle school events, but camps like
Junior All-American are good forums for us to see whose got next.
Perry Dozier Jr. finished his
basketball season by dominating two national camps. His
first stop was the Jr. All American Camp in Florida
where he finished as the #1 player in his class while
also cashing in on a 50 point performance. He then flew
across the country for the Adidas Jr. Phenom Camp where
he once again took home top player honors and earned big
time pub from Clark Francis of Hoop Scoop.
Francis stated “Dozier simply reinforced the fact
that he is the best player nationally in his class with
his incredible skills, athleticism, silky smooth
demeanor, and ability to play any position on the
basketball court. He also has a great bloodline, as is
father (Perry Dozier) and uncle (Terry Dozier) both
played for the University of South Carolina in the
1980's.
However, right now Dozier's game is a lot more like
that of Kobe Bryant due to his great ball handling and
passing skills, ability to light up a scoreboard,
incredible feel for the game and innate understanding of
when to get his own points and when to make his
teammates better” he finished. Wow that’s a big
statement!
Clark Francis of hoopscoop.com ranks 12 yr old Perry "PJ" Dozier,
Jr. the #1 sixth grade basketball player in the country. I called
him for this piece and his comments were, "At his age, he plays his
tail off. He can play inside or outside. He's probably going to
grow. And, he has great parents."
So, why is Dozier, on a golf website?
Here's why...I met Dozier, Jr. and his father Perry Dozier, Sr.
playing golf at Northwoods Golf Course (a P.B. Dye layout that is a
sponsor of this site) in Columbia, SC. I was playing by myself and
they were playing a couple holes in front of me. They were keeping a
good pace until some guy with a tank top (How did he get on the
course in the first place?) and a playing partner asked them to play
through, then proceeded to hit both of their balls in the woods and
spend nearly ten minutes trying to find them.
During my tenure of covering basketball I have come
across several players that I have given “The Stamp”.
“The Stamp” is an approval that I give to a player that
I feel has some serious potential and at least is a High
Major Division 1 prospect. This weekend Perry Dozier Jr.
has received “The Stamp” from Basketball Spotlight.
Other players that received “The Stamp” during their elementary
years include Tyreke Evans (8th), Dexter Strickland (8th) and Mike
Gilchrist (7th). Dozier got the nod after showing the capacity crowd
all facets of his game. Special players have the innate ability to
make others better, get a clean look anytime they want and just
impact a game with their mere presence. This kid has all those
tools.
Anybody in attendance that watched this kid play and understands the
game knows actually what I’m talking about. He has the size, skill
level and basketball IQ to go as far as he wants in this game. Young
Fella, just keep working hard because you are just getting started.
Perry Dozier Jr. used the South Carolina 14 and Under State
tourney as his personal showcase but the real problem is that
he’s only 12. The smooth combo guard destroyed the competition
off the dribble and pulled jump shots from the cheap seats. This
youngster has poise beyond his years and the game that makes
your mouth water. Dozier will be joining the Columbia Slammers
at the Basketball Spotlight MDC. He’s regarded as the top 6th
Grader in the country by a few scouting services and we will get
to see first hand. Wow we can’t wait.
P.J. Dozier: Emerging from the shadows
A local sixth-grader is already making a huge splash on the national hoops scene
March 22, 2009
By AKILAH IMANI NELSON - ainelson(at)thestate.com (Original Article)
Columbia, SC - The video is fuzzy and dim, but in Perry
Dozier Sr.’s mind, the images are clear and bright.
In home-video footage, 5-year-old Perry Dozier Jr. dribbles
through a crowd of 6-, 7- and 8-year-olds toward the basket as
his parents, Perry Sr. and Theresa, cheer him on from behind the
camera.
The basketball is twice the size of his head but putty in his
small hands. PJ, as his parents call him, displays a mean
crossover dribble and a spot-on jump shot. He handles the ball
deftly.
2009 14U South Carolina State Championship - Perry Jr. Highlight
Video
A special thanks to
AmakerInteractive.com (Anthony Amaker) for producing this excellent highlight
video of PJ during the 2009 14U South Carolina State Championship
series games.
First Impressions Can Create Unrealistic Expectations for Recruits
Perry Dozier Jr. of Columbia, S.C., has been
ranked by recruiting analysts as the top
prospect in the country for the class of 2015. - Brett Flashnick for The
New York Times
March 10, 2009
By ADAM HIMMELSBACH, The New York Times
(Clark)
Francis, who charges $499 a year for a subscription to his
recruiting service, said he would rather not rank sixth graders, but
since he was one of the few analysts who did, it made his business
stand out.
He said it was not his job to determine which players could be
negatively affected by his reports. He does not scour elementary
schools, but when a sixth grader attends an A.A.U. tournament or a
showcase camp, Francis considers him eligible to be ranked.
Perry Dozier, Jr. Wins the Junior NBA Skills Challenge &
MVP Award
February 14, 2009 - Perry Dozier, Jr. won the skills challenge and earned the MVP
award during the game this weekend in Phoenix, AZ. In only two
quarters he had 13 points, 6 blocks, 5 assists and 7 rebounds.
Columbia 12 year old heading to NBA All Star weekend
COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - A
Columbia 12 year old is getting ready for one exciting
basketball weekend.
Perry Dozier, Jr. is one of only five boys who will
travel to the NBA All Star game in Phoenix to take part
in the Junior NBA Exhibition Game on Sunday.
And if he needs advice about what to expect, he can ask
his older sister.
Basketball is clearly in the genes for the Dozier
family. Former Gamecock big man Perry Dozier, now the
head basketball coach at Spring Valley High School, has
a son heading to the NBA All-Star game.
His son 12-year-old son Perry has been named to the
Junior NBA national team. His sister Asia was named a
Junior WNBA player IN 2006, she's now a standout at
Spring Valley. Big sis has been a big help to her
younger brother through the process. They are the only
brother-sister duo to ever earn the honor.
-- Ten Children to Experience Unforgettable Weekend at NBA
All-Star 2009 in Phoenix --
The NBA and WNBA have selected five boys and five girls to
comprise the 2008-09 Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA National Team presented by
Gatorade. The group will represent more than 830,000 Jr. NBA/ Jr.
WNBA members and will be honored guests at the 58th NBA All-Star
Game in Phoenix, Ariz. As part of being selected to the team, the
boys and girls will be recognized during NBA All-Star Saturday Night
and will participate in an exhibition game on Sunday, Feb. 15, where
they will take on a team of local Phoenix Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA
All-Stars on Center Court of NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by
Adidas at the Phoenix Convention Center.
Perry Dozier, Jr. Selected to the 2009 Jr. NBA National Team
January 20, 2009 - Congratulations to Perry
Dozier, Jr. as he was selected to the 2009 Jr. NBA National
Team! As a member of the National Team, he will be introduced
to a sold-out crowd at US Airways Arena during the opening
ceremonies of NBA All-Star Saturday Night. His introduction will
include his photo being shown on the video boards inside of the arena.
Perry attended the highly prestigious
Fifth Annual Boys JR Phenom Camp sponsored by Adidas.
The event was held at San Diego, CA. At the
conclusion of the camp, Perry was recognized as
the number one player in his class, as well as number
one in
his position. This is a tremendous
accomplishment for the young man from Columbia,
South Carolina, considering that the camp invited
150 of the top 6th graders in the country.
Perry was interviewed by
The American Baller online magazine.
As a matter of fact, Dozier was so good that there
is no question in our mind that he gets the nod as
the best 5th Grader in the nation, ...
June, 2008 - Congratulations to Columbia Slammer,
Perry Dozier, Jr. as he was named by The Hoop
Scoop
as the top 5th grader during the
Junior All-American Camp held at the Hoop
Magic Sports Academy in Chantilly, VA., and as a Top
Performer by
Basketball Spotlight News.
(Clark)
Francis, who charges $499 a year for a subscription to his
recruiting service, said he would rather not rank sixth graders, but
since he was one of the few analysts who did, it made his business
stand out.
