CP3 advances in matchup of giants

DURHAM - The opening round of the playoffs Saturday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium matched the CP3 All-Stars team that's favored to win the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions against the best big man in the event.

Andre Drummond, a 6-foot-11 Class of 2012 center modeling his game to be a combination of Dwight Howard and LeBron James, couldn't pull off the upset as Connecticut Basketball Club fell 73-69.

Drummond, who isn't revealing much about his college leanings, scored 19 points and nearly engineered a comeback after his team trailed by 13 with three minutes remaining. But 6-9 N.C. State commitment Joe Uchebo nearly matched Drummond's output with 17 points. Raleigh Word of God forward Dez Wells (committed to Xavier) scored 19 to lead CP3.

Although Drummond has a body that seems almost certain to make him an NBA lottery pick eventually, he has a lot to work on. He's comfortable away from the basket, which is a plus, but needs to learn to use his size (265 pounds) to overpower people in the lane.

"I feel like [I need to work on] stuff with my back to the basket and a little bit more on my ball handling and shooting ability," Drummond said.

He also said he has enjoyed being exposed to Duke and North Carolina this weekend and would be interested in coming back for a visit to learn more about the academics at those schools.

Ken Tysiac