Alex Schwartz, Georgetown Recruiting, Pittsburgh Recruiting, Providence Recruiting, Rutgers Recruiting, Seton Hall Recruiting, St. John's Recruiting, Syracuse Recruiting, Villanova Recruiting, West Virginia Recruiting

BIG EAST TARGETS AT SUMMER PRIMETIME SHOOTOUT

By ALEX SCHWARTZ

The Summer Prime Time Shootout always has a nice collection of regional teams, and this year was no different, with talented squads from five states. Teams such as St. Patrick’s (NJ), Plymouth-Whitemarsh (PA), Baltimore City College HS (MD) and Trenton Catholic (NJ) participated in this year’s event.

Although many of the squads that entered were shorthanded, there were still a handful of Big East caliber players on display at Allentown HS (NJ) during the three day event, primarily in the class of 2011.

Who were they? Where does their recruitment stand? What are their games like? Take a look…

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Jaylen Bond, 2011, 6-foot-7, F, Plymouth-Whitemarsh (PA)

Bond has really burst onto the scene over the past year, for scouts, fans, and college coaches. The big forward’s stock seems to be rising all the time, and he is drawing a lot of high-major interest. Villanova (offer), West Virginia (offer), Florida State (offer), Temple (offer), St. Joseph’s (offer), La Salle (offer), St. John’s (offer), Virginia Commonwealth (offer), Georgia, Kansas, Memphis and Georgetown are all involved in the recruitment of Mr. Bond.

Although he listed four of the Big Five schools, Jaylen is by no means set on staying in the Philadelphia area for his college ball.

“I might, but it depends. . . . It doesn’t really matter to me,” said Bond.

As of now, no schools have jumped out in Bond’s mind, as he has no favorites.

“Not right now. I’m just keeping my options open,” Bond said of his recruitment.

Jaylen Bond is built like someone who could take James Bond in a fight, and that is saying something. A combo forward with a huge frame, broad shoulders, large hands, and big feet, Bond just might have another inch or two in him (then again, he may not, as he has an older brother, Julian Bond ’10, who is only about 6’1). Jaylen is a phenomenal athlete, and for a player his height and build his athleticism is almost unreal. A dunking machine and a one man highlight reel, Bond’s game is actually more than just being a high flier. He can step out and take 15-foot jumpers and is quite comfortable doing so. Though he is not a fantastic rebounder, Bond does grabs boards. He runs the floor well and masks some of his weaknesses with his athleticism, but he does need to work on his overall game, and the improvement will come with time if he puts in the effort. Assuming Bond continues to progress, he has a chance to be special.
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Jarrod Davis, 2011, 6-foot-5, SF, Lakewood (NJ)

A talented wing who runs with Kyrie Irving ’10 on the AAU circuit, Davis has made a name for himself. It is a name, and a game, that college coaches want to bring to their campuses. So far, Kentucky, Syracuse (offer), Virginia Tech (offer), St. Joseph’s (offer), Rutgers (offer), Seton Hall (offer), UAB, Indiana, Georgia Tech, Fordham (offer), Georgetown, Villanova, Maryland (offer), and La Salle (offer) are involved in Davis’ recruitment.

“I’ll probably commit next April. It will probably be out of Virginia Tech, Maryland, Fordham, St. Joseph’s, and Syracuse,” remarked Davis.

What is his reasoning for that time frame?

“I just want to get it out of the way early so that I can worry about my grades and the SAT.”

The schools he mentioned there are “as of now” his top five, but “it can change.”

Another athletic specimen, Davis is an exciting player to watch. He drives to the cup with ease and seems almost unguardable at times. Jarrod can sky above the rim and throws down some nasty jams, but he also uses his athletic ability to help him maneuver in the air to create space for layups and finger rolls. Not a one-dimensional player, Davis can also shoot the ball from three-point land, which makes it even tougher to prevent him from penetrating. Some players who are stupendous athletes seem lost on the court at times, but not Davis (though he does stand around a bit too much on offense). Jarrod has a nice feel for the game and good court awareness. In addition, he rebounds the ball well and knows his position, finding the point guard after coming down with the pill. Davis needs to smooth out the rough edges of his game, and he is well on his way there. A wing who can really score the ball, Davis would be a nice piece of the puzzle for many schools.
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Desmond Hubert, 2011, 6-foot-9, C, New Egypt (NJ)

The most highly touted post player in New Jersey’s big-time class of 2011, Hubert has a whole host of schools coming after him. Wake Forest (offer), Penn State (offer), Villanova, St. Joseph’s (offer), Florida, Xavier (offer), Kansas, St. John’s, La Salle (offer), Rider (offer), Providence (offer), and Pittsburgh (offer) are involved in the recruitment of the 6-foot-9 center thus far. No one has taken the lead in the race to land Hubert’s services as of now. As time moves along, more schools will likely join that list, as Hubert is the type of player, and person, that almost all schools covet.

A long and lanky post player, Hubert is a fantastic shot blocker and also alters many shots that he does not bat away with his long arms. He does not try to swat the rock out of bounds every time, usually keeping it in play, a trait that is lost on most bigs nowadays. Hubert does a good job of seeing the floor at both ends and moves well, getting up and down the court without a problem. Active on both offense and defense, Desmond does not let his height get in the way of him contributing however possible. He will step outside a bit on offense to help out a teammate if need be, though he does not yet have a reliable jumper. Hubert is not a good free throw shooter, but he also does not get to the stripe that often. His offensive game is still very much a work in progress, as he does not really score the ball all that way. His rebounding also needs some work. Once Hubert gets true weight training in college, his offensive game and play on the boards may well benefit, as he will not be so frail and thus will not be pushed around. Hubert is an intriguing prospect with great upside and a high ceiling.
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Tyrone Johnson, 2011, 6-foot-2, PG, Plainfield (NJ)

Although he is not as well known on a national level as some other 2011 New Jersey players like Desmond Hubert and Texas-commit Myck Kabongo, some in the Garden State feel that Johnson is the best junior that New Jersey has to offer outside of Michael Gilchrist.

The well-built, sturdy lead guard is being pursued by the liked of Georgetown, Villanova , Rutgers, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Virginia Tech, UCLA, UNLV, Memphis, Seton Hall and Oklahoma State.

“Right now I’m wide open. I don’t have any favorites,” stated Tyrone.

Although Johnson did not want to discuss offers, he did mention that there are some schools he wants to check out.

“I plan to visit West Virginia again and I want to visit Kentucky, Virginia Tech, and Oklahoma State.”

A standout on the gridiron—he is a dual threat quarterback—as well, Johnson has yet to decide which sport he will play in college, and will not do so until he begins his senior year.

Johnson is a very talented offensive player. He has great size for a player his height, as he is chiseled and has a good frame. Tyrone uses his body to get past players and get the rim. A lead guard, Johnson can really score the ball and thus is capable of moving off the ball as well despite his height at 6’2. He is more effective when he has the rock in his hands though, as he is a playmaker who can either get it to a teammate or create for himself. The rising junior does not shot the ball all that much, but he can knock down jumpers. At the free throw line, he is inconsistent, but that can be improved with practice. Johnson is quite athletic and has a chance to be a very good player.
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Jarelle Reischel, 2011, 6-foot-44, SG, Pt. Pleasant Beach (NJ)

The Jersey Shore star has only been in the US for about a year, coming over from Germany before his sophomore year. Nonetheless, schools are taking notice of his game. To date, Providence, Georgetown, Maryland, Penn State, St. Joseph’s, St. John’s, Rutgers (offer) and Monmouth (offer) are involved with Reischel, who does not have any favorites.

A player without a true position, Reischel can play the 1, 2, and 3, but might be best suited for the shooting guard spot at the next level due to his size and skill set. At the high school level, the offense focuses on Jarelle, which leads him to stand around and wait for the ball a lot, a habit that he will need to break in order to be effective in the NCAA. A streaky shooter, Reischel can definitely make shots, but he also has stretches where he struggles to put the ball in the cup. A very good athlete, the German import has some shake ‘n bake to his game, a little pizzazz if you will. Jarelle possess a nasty crossover that he uses effectively when driving to the cup, though he is not overly flashy. He is tough to defend, as he can beat his defender off the dribble, or pull-up and shoot a J beyond the arc. Reischel rebounds the ball very well, especially on the offense end, for a player his size. He needs to work on refining his game, becoming a more consistent shooter, and must give 100% every time he sets foot on the court, but there is no questioning the fact that Reischel can play ball.
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