LAKE BUENA VISTA --- The shootout of superstars Bradley Beal (6-4, 190, St. Louis, MO Chaminade Prep) and Austin Rivers (6-4, 198, Winter Park, FL) never materialized Tuesday night in the championship game of the AAU Super Showcase. Beal never could get into any kind of an offensive rhythm and Rivers was all to content to be a contributor and not the one carrying the weight of his team's expectations on his shoulders.
ESPN had the marquee matchup it wanted with Beal and Rivers, the top two shooting guards in the country, but it was clear almost from the beginning that Rivers' Each One Teach One team had energy to spare while Beal's St. Louis Eagles seemed to be playing on dead legs as they played their eighth game in four days. Rivers scored 24 points, 10 from the foul line, and actually played a secondary role in the second half as he spent most of his time handling the ball and distributing to teammates. The scoring load was taken up by Trevor Lacey (6-3, 215, Huntsville, AL Butler) who hit his first 10 shots en route to a 24-point performance as Each One Teach One routed the Eagles, 77-60.
Beal missed his first six shots before he got one to fall and finished the game 5-15 from the field for 12 points.
"This was the worst game I've ever played," Beal said. He admitted his legs were a bit dead after playing a non-stop schedule the past two months that included three weeks overseas while winning the MVP and leading the USA team to the FIBA 17-and-Under World Championship, but quickly added, "That's not a good excuse. I just didn't play very well and I needed to for us to win."
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Beal, who is committed to the University of Florida, has been the subject of one rumor after another in recent weeks, most of them claiming he is waffling on his Florida commitment and seriously thinking about switching to Kansas. Nothing could be further from the truth, Beal said following the loss to Each One Teach One.
"I'm a Gator, it's solid," he said, adding that he hears "a new rumor every week. I guess people don't have anything better to do than start a rumor about me I'm a Gator."
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Rivers, the one-time Florida commitment who has opened up things to include five schools --- Florida, Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky and Kansas --- seems to be at the center of attention for the Duke recruiting effort. In addition to two Duke assistants at the Tuesday night game, former Dookie Grant Hill was there in a Duke pullover shirt. He was seen chatting with Rivers post-game.
Yet for all the efforts by Duke, Rivers said he's not close to making a commitment to anyone and that he's going to give all five schools on his list careful consideration before he makes his final choice.
"It's still the same five schools," he said. "I like all five of them and I'm going to take my time before I make up my mind. You only go through this one time in your life so you really should think it over pretty good before you make up your mind."
Rivers said he will take some official visits in the fall before he makes a commitment anywhere.
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Florida coach Billy Donovan and assistant Rob Lanier were at the Beal-Rivers matchup game. Prior to that, they were seen taking in Omar Calhoun (6-4, 185, Middle Village, NY Christ the King), a 2012 combo guard who is playing for the New York Gauchos, and Michael Frazier (6-3, 185, Tampa, FL Plant), a scoring guard with serious elevation, who is playing for Florida Elite, coached by Buchholz head coach Bob Horydoski.
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Wednesday, the Florida coaches will be looking at Dorian Finney-Smith (6-8, 185, Portsmouth, VA IC Norcum), who is playing for Boo Williams Summer League, and Johnny O'Bryant (6-10, 248, Cleveland, MS), who plays for the Jackson Tigers.
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With the transfer of Kenny Kadji, the Gators have one more scholarship to give for 2011. That could open the door for the Gators to sign one big, one tall athletic wing and perhaps a combo guard. The Florida class could perhaps look like this: O'Bryant or Amir Williams (6-10, 225, Beverly Hills, MI Detroit Country Day), Adonis Thomas (6-6, 211, Memphis, TN Melrose) or Finney-Smith, and Kedren Johnson (6-4, 215, Lewisburg, TN Marshall County).
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