Connecticut Recruiting, DePaul Recruiting, Georgetown Recruiting, Jeff Borzello, Louisville Recruiting, Marquette Recruiting, Notre Dame Recruiting, Pittsburgh Recruiting, Providence Recruiting, Rutgers Recruiting, Seton Hall Recruiting, St. John's Recruiting, Syracuse Recruiting, Villanova Recruiting, West Virginia Recruiting

NIKE TOC HIGH SCHOOL SHOWCASE RECAP

by JEFF BORZELLO

After the more-hyped Boost Mobile Elite 24 was moved from Rucker Park to the Gauchos Gym because of rain, we should have known what to expect with the NIKE Tournament of Champions High School Showcase Game later in the weekend. Originally scheduled for Saturday at Goat Park on the Upper West Side, inclement weather forced it to be moved to Sunday at Gauchos Gym in the Bronx.

The new schedule also created some scheduling difficulties with several of the top players expected to participate – namely Kyrie Irving, Jayvaughn Pinkston, Myck Kabongo, Isaiah Epps, Ashton Pankey, Devon Collier and Corey Edwards – but there was still plenty of talent on hand.

16 players showed up, with two eight-man teams. The “Red” team included Sterling Gibbs, Kyle Anderson, Doron Lamb, Mike Poole, Fuquan Edwin, Sidiki Johnson, Mike Taylor and Shaq Stokes, while the “Black” team featured Shaquille Thomas, Shane Southwell, Tyler Harris, Russ Smith, Myles Mack, Myles Davis, Maurice Harkless and Angel Nunez. Poole, Harris and Smith were late additions to fill the vacated spots.

In a wide-open, all-star-style affair filled with dunks and flashy play, the Red team jumped out to an early lead and were up 73-55 at halftime behind 29 points from Sidiki Johnson and 26 from Fuquan Edwin. With Doron Lamb sitting out most of the second half, the Black team was able to steadily trim the lead. A three-pointer by Myles Mack with 4:20 left cut the lead to one, 97-96.

With the game tied at 107, Edwin came flying in for a tip-in with 40 seconds left to give the Red team the lead. However, Myles Davis was fouled at the other end, knocking down two free-throws. With the clock winding down, Johnson had the ball in the post, seemingly waiting for more time to run off. He finally turned to the basket with 2.6 seconds left for a tough finish – and the game-winning points. A half-court heave by Davis hit the front of the rim as the Red team won 111-109.

Here’s a quick look at each of the performers (along with some of the nicknames given on Sunday):

- Sterling Gibbs:
Sterling “Sterling Sharpe” Gibbs became more aggressive in the second half, driving to the basket for finishes. He had several nice lay-ups, scoring with both hands.

- Kyle Anderson
Wasn’t involved all that much offensively, but had a nice lefty finish in the lane and held his own in the paint.

Anderson mentioned Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, La Salle and Marist in regards to recruiting. Last fall he had visited Georgetown, which has been his only visit to this point.

- Doron Lamb
Didn’t play much in the second half, but was outstanding in the first half despite scoring just four points. His passing ability was on display, as he racked up multiple assists, including several no-look passes and a full-length, underhanded bounce pass to a streaking teammate.

Lamb told NBE that he will visit Oklahoma and Kansas soon. He has visited Kentucky and is also considering Clemson, Arizona and the “entire Big East.”

- Mike Poole
Mike “Deep Water” Poole nearly brought down the house with an early dunk, but it rimmed out. He had several nice drives, but was unable to finish with the authority of his first attempt.

- Fuquan Edwin
Finished with 35 points, scoring at will in both halves. He ran the floor exceptionally well and had several outstanding dunks. More importantly, he consistently knocked down three-pointers, showing that the Seton Hall-commit is vastly improved in that area.

- Sidiki “Gettin’ Freaky” Johnson
The most dominant performer in the first half, by far. He was an absolute menace around the rim, controlling the backboards and getting plenty of putbacks and finishes at the basket. He also ran the floor very well and showed a solid ability to handle the ball and create. Finished with a game-high 36 points.

- Mike Taylor
Mike “Mike Teezy” Taylor drove to the basket very well throughout the night, but was unable to rack up many points. He did have a nice pull-up jumper in the first half though.

Taylor continues to be one of the most heavily recruited, yet over-looked nationally, targets in the class of 2011 on the east coast. Taylor listed Pittsburgh, Villanova, Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Seton Hall, Rutgers, St. John’s, Illinois, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Marquette and West Virginia as schools that have offered him on Sunday with Georgetown also showing interest. Taylor will attend a Five Star Basketball camp this week and then visit Pittsburgh shortly after it ends. He is also planning to visit Villanova, possibly for their elite camp.

- Shaq “Shaquille O’Neal” Stokes
Got into the lane at will against defenders, although defense was certainly not a priority on Sunday. He finished very well at the rim, and was even involved on the offensive glass on occasion. Could have had many more points if his attempts didn’t rim out.

- Tyler Harris
Passed the ball well and had several nice transition lay-ups. Also knocked down a three from the corner. Could be more aggressive offensively, looking for his own shot – especially in an environment like this.

Harris’ lists of schools include Tennessee, West Virginia, Hofstra (offer), Connecticut (offer), Duquesne (offer), Delaware (offer), Fordham (offer), Kentucky and Notre Dame for the recently re-classified 2012 Long Island product.

- Shaquille Thomas
Long and athletic, Thomas was the perfect fit for the Showcase game. He was active on the offensive glass with a nice tip-in, and was the recipient of many attempted alley-oop passes. Thomas also had some of the best dunks of the day.

Currently, Thomas is still a member of the 2010 class, but has not ruled out the possibility of re-classifying into the class of 2012. He will decide on a new prep school this week, with St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark (NJ) or South Kent (CT) the likely choices. As for recruiting, he is looking to make a decision around December with Providence, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Oklahoma State, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia the schools currently on his list.

- Shane Southwell
Shane “The Contender” Southwell showed excellent handle and point guard ability for a player his size. He beat defenders off the dribble, creating opportunities for himself and his teammates. Of course, Southwell also had multiple turnovers, which has been a problem for him on many occasions that I have seen him play.

- Russ “Steal the Show”/”Takeover the Game” Smith
Unarguably the most impressive player in the game. It wasn’t even close. From the second he got his first basket, he showed an aggressiveness and assertiveness that we don’t get to see very often from Smith. The announcers and fans had a feeling of anticipation every time he touched the ball, and was good enough to garner two different nicknames throughout the game. He had an excellent windmill dunk to kick things off, and was able to get to the basket whenever he wanted. His handle and quickness were on display the entire day.

As for his recruiting picture, Smith shared with NBE that he had hoped to make a decision earlier this month, but with school starting, he is now likely to decide later in the fall. Smith listed La Salle, St. John’s, Auburn, Houston, St. Bonaventure and Seton Hall.

- Myles “The Little One” Mack
He didn’t do that much, but did hit the three that brought the Black team to within one point. Unfortunately, that was his only made three of the day.

Syracuse, Fordham (offer), Virginia Tech (offer), St. John’s (offer), Providence, DePaul, Drexel, Xavier, Rutgers, Seton Hall and Rice were the schools of interest mentioned by Mack on Sunday.

- Myles Davis
Myles “The Sniper”/”The Shooter” Davis got off to an excellent start, scoring 12 points in the first half despite coming off the bench. He hit several deep shots from beyond the arc, off of pull-up jumpers as well as spot-up threes. He also got to the basket and finished well. He and Smith were the two best players for the Black team all day.

- Maurice Harkless
Was not involved or aggressive at all, but did demonstrate excellent handle and versatility for a player his size. Also showed off his athleticism.

- Angel “Too Tall” Nunez
Brought down the house on several finishes, including one particular baseline dunk that had everyone out of their seats. Nunez showed his handle and why he is such a match-up nightmare for defenders. He so tall and long, and is able to create off the dribble. He also knocked down a deep three-pointer with a hand in his face early in the second half.

Nunez, who draws comparisons from local basketball fans to former Louisville star and Bronx native Francisco Garicia, gave NBE a list of schools Sunday of Connecticut, Louisville, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Arizona, Miami, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and St. John’s. Nunez indicated he plans to visit Louisville in September and Connecticut soon after.

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