Free Report: Future Bruin Hoops Star Part I

The Spalding leather ball looks up at its owner and says, "Boy, eighth graders are not supposed to be able to do this kind of stuff with me." At 6'3" and cut as a gazelle Demar DeRozan looks down at this cynical ball with a shrug and says "I'm going to make a believer out of you too" and proceeds to do cut, spin, jab step, and drive to the lane with a monster jam finish that elevates his elbow near the rim. DeMar can do things only other 8th graders dream about.

A burning desire seeps out through Demar's hazel eyes, "I'm going to be better than my brother one day" he repeats to himself in practice, one should be informed that his brother, Jermaine DeRozan was a McDonald's All American out Lynwood high school in mid 90's that went on to star at Mississippi and recently played for the L.A. Clippers.

Personally, this evaluator has never seen such a mix of handles, pure scoring ability, and intense drive to succeed in one so young; he is humble, yet confident that all his dreams will come true.

This 14 year old out of Enterprise middle school in Compton is just like any ordinary 8th grader in many ways; he likes to play videogames, hangs out with friends, and has fun joking around, but makes no mistake about his basketball abilities.

On the court DeRozan is totally off the charts.

For example, this past Fall at Dinos Trigonis Pangos' freshman sophomore camp featured some of the best 200 players that age in southern California, Demar showed breathtaking tip in jams, glides galore to the basket, shot blocking, and a superior handle compared to the elite of this event. His reward was being named to the top 20 game that featured an assortment of youngsters that are so advanced in their game that I predict that 80% of the participants will surely be offered basketball scholarships by Pac-10 level schools in the next year or two.

DeRozan for all his superlative talents does has aspects of his game needing improvement before really being considered a total package and ready for elite 17 and under competition.

For example, his outside shot while developing, is not as advanced as the rest of his skill set, he is an unselfish player with a high basketball IQ, but his passing needs some improvement for him to be a true point guard with great varsity competition.

Humbly, Demar will be the first one to point out the aspects in his game that need sharpening, he exemplifies the athlete who doesn't talk himself up, and he is just a nice kid on a basketball mission to be the best while treating everyone around himself with respect and kindness in the process.

Many of these qualities can be traced back to Demar's father, Frank DeRozan, a hardworking employee of the city of Compton who was a superb athlete in his own right out south of the 1960's, he went on to play for the San Diego Chargers for a few years before an injury cut his career short early in life.

Undoubtedly, DeMar gets his confidence in himself from his father, the senior DeRozan showed great courage in the midst of oppressive racial discrimination of the Jim Crow 60's to helping to break the color barriers of segregation by being the first African American to play sports with whites at Louisiana's Vidalia high school in 1968-1969.

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