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NBE PREP CORNER WITH PAT STEVENS (VOL 3.1)

BY PAT STEVENS

The early returns from the prep school ranks look to be another good season ahead with the Big East signing the most prep school players of any conference in the Fall Signing Period.

Originally there were 13 expected Big East signees for the Fall Signing Period, however that number fluctuated some during the eventful week in mid-November.

In total, 10 prep school players signed with Big East teams – Russ Smith (Louisville/South Kent), J.J. Moore (Pittsburgh/South Kent), Austin Carroll (Rutgers/Brewster Academy), CJ Fair (Syracuse/Brewster Academy), Ron Giplaye (Providence/Notre Dame Prep), Gerard Coleman (Providence/Tilton School), Markus Kennedy (Villanova/Winchendon School), Nate Lubick (Georgetown/St. Mark’s), Isaiah Epps (Pittsburgh/Hargrave Military Academy) and Waverly Austin (South Florida/Heat Academy, Va.).

Two players began the season at prep schools but have since left. Kelvin Gaines (Heat Academy, Va.) signed with Cincinnati but transferred to Arlington Country Day in Jacksonville, Fla. Jesse Morgan (South Kent, Conn.) signed with Seton Hall but also left school.

Verbally committed DaShaun Wiggins (Bridgton Academy, Maine) did not sign with Seton Hall for next year but is instead being considered a 2011 recruit.

Cleveland Melvin (Notre Dame Prep, Ma.) also made a verbal commitment to Connecticut the day after the signing period ended.

The number of signees could grow back to what was the expected 12 or even beyond, with Melvin signing in the spring and with Pittsburgh landing Maurice Walker (Brewster Academy, N.H.), who was close to signing in the fall. Other potential signees include Majok Majok (Northfield Mount Hermon, Ma.), Bryon Allen (St. Thomas More, Conn.), Jordair Jett (Notre Dame Prep, Ma.) and KC Ross-Miller (God’s Academy, Tex.).

There are also two underclassmen in the prep ranks already committed to Big East schools while a host of others have offers and serious interest from a range of programs not just throughout the conference but throughout the country as well.

As noted above, Wiggins is being considered a 2011 prospect and Michael Carter-Williams (St. Andrew’s, R.I.) verballed to Syracuse.

Players like 2011s Naadir Tharpe (Brewster Academy, N.H.), Shabazz Napier (Lawrence Academy, Ma.), Aaron Cosby (Northfield Mount Hermon, Ma.), Angel Nunez (Winchendon School, Ma.) and Tyler Olander (Worcester Academy, Ma.) along with 2012s Andre Drummond (St. Thomas More, Conn.), Khem Birch (Winchendon School, Ma.), Alex Murphy (St. Mark’s, Ma.) and Ricardo Ledo (St. Andrew’s, R.I.) are all high-major prospects in the prep ranks this season. All these players and a full list of top prospects throughout the prep ranks were published in our Top Prep School Players Preview that was released in August.

For the compiled list of press releases from each college announcing their Fall Signing Period recruits, visit our Fall Signing Period National Tracker.

IN THIS CORNER
The featured game for this week’s Prep Corner is St. Thomas More going up against New Hampton.

At the National Prep Showcase, both teams were of the few that left the event having won both its games at the annual season tip-off.

Additionally, it would serve as nationally-rated 2012 prospect Andre Drummond’s first NEPSAC game, featured one of the top combo guards left on the board in Bryon Allen along with 2011 rising prospect Trashon Burrell.

Playing in their home gym for the first time this season and showing no sign of nerves with 50 first-half points, St. Thomas More won the tightly contested match-up, 87-86.

Burrell led the team with 21 points, Allen scored 13 and Drummond had eight while New Hampton’s Brady Heslip (Boston College signee) led all scorers with 28 points, missing a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.

Burell is long with decent quickness and showed great anticipation in the passing lanes that combined enabled him to rack up five steals that led to baskets, several of which he took himself for big dunks. After the game, he said Connecticut has showed new interest since his play at the National Prep Showcase and also listed West Virginia, Providence and Syracuse (in order).

Allen’s shot was falling for him from deep and kept his turnovers in check considering the amount of times he set-up and created for his teammates both off the dribble and against the zone in the half-court, as well as in transition. Allen said Oregon and Siena are two new schools among others that have showed initial interest since the National Prep Showcase.

Drummond played roughly 10-15 minutes as he did at the National Prep Showcase and is being brought along slowly in this early season by head coach Jere Quinn, with recovery from a foot injury also playing into that. He picked up two early fouls in his first-half minutes and didn’t play down the stretch. Impressively he made five-of-six free throws after commanding double-teams during his time in the early second half.

We’ll see St. Thomas More again before the Christmas break when they play South Kent and Russ Smith (Louisville) and JJ Moore (Pittsburgh).

NEXT ROUND
This upcoming week we’ll trip to see underclassmen with Big East interest Shabazz Napier (2011/Lawrence Academy, Ma.) and Ricardo Ledo (2012/St. Andrew’s, Ma.).

Napier was Co-MVP of the 2009 National Prep School Invitational and drew attention with his play at July’s Reebok All-American Camp and AAU Nationals.

Ledo was one of the few 2012 invites to July’s Reebok All-American Camp and was one of November’s National Prep Showcase’s top performers.

COLLEGE FRESHMEN TRACKER
From our Top 30 Class of 2009 Prep School Players…

Jamal Coombs-McDaniel (Connecticut/Tilton School, N.H.) – 11.8 MINS, 4.5 PPG, 6-21 FG, 4-14 3PT, 11-13 FT through 6 games (5 assists, 1 steal)

Alex Oriakhi (Connecticut/Tilton School, N.H.) – 31.8 MINS, 6.8 PPG, 18-36 FG, 5-13 FT through 6 games (10.5 RPG, 10 blocks)

Omari Lawrence (St. John’s/South Kent, Conn.) – 12 MINS, 3.3 PPG, 8-21 FG, 1-4 3PT, 3-9 FT through 6 games (7 assists, 5 turnovers, 3 blocks, 6 steals)

James Southerland (Syracuse/Notre Dame Prep, Ma.) – 7.3 MINS, 3.7 PPG, 8-21 FG, 5-16 3PT, 1-2 FT through 7 games (1.7 RPG, 4 blocks, 6 steals)

Mike Marra (Louisville/Northfield Mount Hermon, Ma.) – 11.5 MINS, 2.0 PPG, 3-20 FG, 2-17 3PT, 4-4 FT through 6 games.

Dan Jennings (West Virginia/St. Thomas More, Conn.) – 7.8 MINS, 4.3 PPG, 7-13 FG, 3-5 FT through 5 games (4.0 RPG, 3 blocks)

Malik Stith (St. John’s/Bridgton Academy, Maine)– 12.6 MINS, 3.0 PPG, 5-12 FG, 0-1 3PT, 5-5 FT through 6 games (8 assists, 5 turnovers, 1 steal)

Johnnie Lacy (Providence/Notre Dame Prep, Ma.) – 7.0 MINS, 1.7 PPG, 4-17 FG, 0-3 3PT, 2-3 FT through 7 games (5 assists, 4 turnovers, 2 steals)

Mike Burwell (South Florida/South Kent, Conn.) – 4.5 MINS, 1.5 PPG, 3-12 FG, 2-4 3PT, 1-2 FT through 8 games.

Vincent Council (Providence/Patterson School, N.C.) – 23.7 MINS, 7.9 PPG, 17-41 FG, 6-12 3PT, 15-18 FT through 7 games (23 assists, 8 turnovers, 2 steals)

It was just announced this past week that Sean Kilpatrick (Notre Dame Prep, Ma.) will redshirt at Cincinnati.

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