DePaul Recruiting, Georgetown Recruiting, Matt Whitfield, Pittsburgh Recruiting, Providence Recruiting, Rutgers Recruiting, Seton Hall Recruiting, St. John's Recruiting, Syracuse Recruiting, Villanova Recruiting, West Virginia Recruiting

SATURDAY AT THE THE PLAYAZ SPRING FLING (PHASE I)

Big East targets of the future were on display in travel season’s opening event

The 2009 AAU travel season kicked off this past weekend with The Playaz Basketball Club hosting their annual Spring Fling (Phase One) this past weekend at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck (NJ).

This past weekend featured teams competing at the 16-U, 14-U, 13-U and 12-U age groups. The NBE Basketball Report swung by on Saturday to check out the action in the 16-U age group to get a sneak peek at some of the players to watch this spring and summer on the AAU trail.

The action will pick up this weekend as well with Phase II taking place at the RAC on the Rutgers campus Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A whose who of the east coast AAU super powers will be at Rutgers competing in the 17-U age level, including the Playaz, NY Gauchos, DC Assault, Team Takeover, NE Playaz, New Heights, NY Panthers and NYC Metro Hawks, to name a few. Again, the NBE Basketball Report will be checking out the action.

Read on below for a look at some of the highlights from this past Saturday.

By Matt Whitfield

Some top performers in the 16-U action:

Myles Mack (Playaz/Paterson Catholic HS)
The class of 2011 guard showed his blazing speed, but taller backcourt opponents on the Rising Stars held him in check. He was hot and cold with his shot in the early game. Later in the afternoon against Bingo’s All-Stars Mack had it going from the arc, connecting on at least four of seven from three-point range.

Vaughn Gray (Playaz/Don Bosco Prep)
Looks even more chiseled since the last time NBE saw him. Shot was falling consistently early on for the 2011 prospect. Nice steal followed up by a sweet looking dunk. Was one of the top performers for the Playaz in the first game. Didn’t miss many shots today.

Myles Davis (Playaz/St. Peter’s Prep)
Was dialed in from long distance in the opening game, going four of five from beyond the arc. The 2011 prospect continues to show he can fill it up from the perimeter.

Jordan Allen (Playaz/Bayshore HS)
Tall and agile, can run well for a man of his size (approximately 6’6). Almost has a college body already. Was one of the most energized players in the game. Rebounds well, but the big man is also a threat on both sides of the floor. Crisp, good passes. Good interior game. Can easily see him as a Big East player in three years. Looks to be the best college prospect on the court considering size and intangibles.

Nkereuwem Okoro (Gauchos/St. Raymond’s HS)
Just a freshmen, so we have a lot of development to watch as he matures. Good speed, could shore up his handle, but tough to stop once he penetrated into the paint. Plays very active on defense as well. Highlight play going coast to coast through several defenders, missed layup, but stuck with it and got own rebound for the put back. Bright future.

Angel Nunez (Gauchos/Cardinal Hayes HS)
Lanky, but adequate frame for growth. The 6’5 sophomore as a leader on the court. Good defensively. Has quick hands and really sticks it to the man he’s defending. Good at getting up and down the court quickly in transition for either offense or defense. Nice looking steal and dunk around the midway point. His shot will need to be more consistent, but defense and handle really seem to make him the player he is.

Desmond Hubert (Playaz/New Egypt HS)
Good frame to build strength as he is at least 6’8 as a high school sophomore. Adding the weight and strength is a must to elevate his game as he is more than just a little on the lanky side though.

Sidiki Johnson (Gauchos/St. Raymond’s HS)
Good size and adequate speed for a sophomore big man. Good inside game with a sweet shooting touch. Nice looking dunk towards the end of the game.

Juan’ya Green (Archbishop Carroll/Team Philly)
Fair size for a sophomore guard. Looks to have lingering effects from an injury as he was running up and down the court with a limp. Nice steal and drive that led to double coverage and an open three point look. Looking forward to seeing more of this intriguing 2011 prospect this spring and summer as he looks to take the mantle of Philly’s next top guard prospect.

School lists:

Georgetown, Syracuse, Fordham, Drexel, and Virginia Tech have all shown interest in Myles Mack.

Jordan Allen has offers from Arkansas, Kentucky, St. John’s, Wake Forest, and Georgia Tech, while Georgetown, Florida State, Miami, Maryland, Rutgers, Seton Hall, and a few others have shown interest.

Xavier has offered Angel Nunez while Wake Forest, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, DePaul, St. John’s, and Seton Hall all have shown interest.

Villanova, UMass, St. Joseph’s, LaSalle, Rutgers, and Rider have all shown Desmond Hubert interest.

Sidiki Johnson has interest from many schools including Duke, Tennessee, West Virginia, St. John’s, Pittsburgh and Providence. UMASS, Xavier, and Hofstra have all offered already.

St. Joes, Temple, Maryland, Villanova have all offered Green while Pittsburgh is also showing interest according to Juan’ya Green.

Top Five performers in limited Saturday viewing
1. Jordan Allen
2. Angel Nunez
3. Sidiki Johnson
4. Vaughn Gray
5. Myles Mack

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