2009 PRIMETIME SHOOTOUT RECAP

Here is a comprehensive look back at the two days on Trenton from February 14th and 15th…

Davis, Our Savior New American No Match for Life Center

Our Savior New American and Life Center Academy opened up the weekend of basketball in Trenton Saturday. Unfortunately this game was over by halftime. Our Savior New American was with the services of nationally recruited 6’8 sophomore Steele Davis; however, he was playing against a veteran Life Center team with just two players below six foot.

Despite being without the services of Syracuse bound Dion Waiters, this game was over by halftime as Daryus Quarles hit for 14 of 17 points and two other players added in 10 points giving Life Center a whopping 45-21 halftime lead. Not surprisingly Life Center went on to easily win this game 77-50.

Steele Davis, not surprisingly, led all scorers with 22. However his Our Savior New American team was easily outdone as Life Center had three players hitting for 15 points or more.

Steele Davis
Native of New Orleans, Louisiana. Built well for a sophomore (class of 2011), but for all of his size he could use it better. Isn’t overly quick at getting up and down the floor. Only average defense, however, with time and added muscle, things should improve. Played against a senior only an inch smaller than him, and while he got the better of him, you’d expect more from a nationally recruited sophomore. Most vocal Our Savior New American player. Finished with 22 points in the loss.

Following the game, Davis told NBE that West Virginia, Boston College, USC and Memphis have already offered.

St. Raymond’s Squeaks by Timber Creek

St. Raymond’s is known as one of New York City’s premier high school teams. This year is a little different for those who are used to excellence from St. Raymond’s. The team has just two seniors, and much of its talent lies in its youth. Assistant coach Danny Basile believes, however, that within a year or two their young talent is so good they could once again be team to be reckoned with in the city leagues, and nationally. On Saturday St. Raymond’s had their hands full with Timber Creek though.

This game came down the fourth quarter. In a quarter that featured several comebacks by Timber Creek, they gave St. Raymond’s a real headache at the end. St. Raymond’s Tyreak Johnson hit what many thought was the game winning free throws at the 17.3 second mark; however Marquis Jones came right back down the court hitting a three point shot making it a one point ball game. St. Raymond’s was up just one with ten seconds to go, and they got the ball to Harold McBride on the inbound pass. McBride was immediately fouled, but when the game was on the line, junior guard came through hitting both free throws putting St. Raymond’s up three again, 50-47. With 6.7 seconds left Timber Creek had one last chance. They got the ball to Montez Blair, their best shooter all night, and he got off a great looking shot, that what many though was money till it rimmed out ending the game and any Timber Creek hopes. St. Raymond’s won this one by a final of 50-47.

St. Raymond’s was led on the day by Tyreak Johnson with a game high 20 points, while Montez Blair led losing Timber Creek with 18.

Sidiki Johnson
Lanky, but has a frame of a potential college stud. Had a fair amount of points but was not overly impressive today. Adequate under the rim. Johnson finished with 9 points.

In our Class of 2011 Intro on Sidiki Johnson following the SNY Invitational of last month, it was learned that Providence, Pittsburgh and West Virginia have shown considerable interest already. Northstar Basketball Blog reported that Sidiki’s father, Bernard Bowen, mentioned this weekend that Memphis, Xavier, UMass and St. John’s are also showing interest.

Nkereuwem Okoro
Really hustles, is very intense on the floor; has great court poise for a freshman (class of 2012). Very, very active on the court. Physically sound for a freshman. When fighting for a rebound Okoro battles until the end. Very disruptive on defense too, constantly breaking up plays or creating plays that lead to fast breaks. Despite his age, Okoro looks like one of St. Raymond’s top players already. The amazingly enthusiastic and hard hustling Okoro is definitely someone to watch prosper. After the game assistant coach Danny Basile commented on Okoro saying, “[he’s] very talented. He makes mistakes, but he’ll probably be one of the more talented players at St. Raymond’s.” Okoro finished with a deceiving 6 points in a low scoring matchup.

According to Northstar Basketball, St. John’s and Pittsburgh have shown early interest.

Frazier, Loughlin Too Much For Union

The day’s third match-up was probably the days first good one. Bishop Loughlin of Brooklyn took on New Jersey public high school Union. Bishop Loughlin, one of New York City’s premier basketball teams, was without their big man, ‘Manchild’ Jayvaughn Pinkston. Without Pinkston at hand they faced an upstart Union team led by respected head coach Tony DiGiovanni. While Bishop Loughlin held the lead for much of the game Union really made things interesting down the stretch.

Considering the way the game had gone, Bishop Loughlin held a commanding lead at halftime, and continued that into the fourth quarter being up 58-52. Union got the game close within 5 points, at the 1:55 mark. But, in the end Trevonn Hamlet and Branden Frazier were too much, and the bigger better athletes of Loughlin won this game 76-66.

Frazier led all scorers on the day with 36 points, with 24 of those coming by halftime. Javon Moore led losing Union with 19 points.

Branden Frazier
BC’s Take on Frazier: This lanky guard exploded onto the scene for the Lions. Branden had a stellar afternoon as he used a smooth stroke to bury 6 three pointers en route to a 36 point performance. Branden hit from deep both off the dribble, as well as the catch and shoot variety. He ran the floor well too and converted on several lay-ups. Branden threw a nice pass and blocked a shot. His ball handling looked okay, but he didn’t attack much in this contest. Not surprisingly, he was named Player of the Game for his team in the victory. Branden will definitely be a player worth keeping an eye on this summer.

Bishop Loughlin head coach Rudy King tells NBE that Frazier has seen some medium-level interest from South Carolina and Rutgers, neither have extended an offer.

Rice Routs Rancocas Valley

Rice faced off against Rancocas Valley in the days fourth match-up. Rice had just squeaked by Paterson Catholic the night before in the Nike Super Six Invitational. Now down in the Garden State, a little less than a day later, Rice showed wear and tear early on.

Rice entered the third quarter with only a slight 19-15 lead. Miami bound star Durand Scott had hit for only 6 points. But with a Miami assistant looking on, Scott got hot from here on out, as he hit for 10 of his teams 25 points in the quarter. During the run Rice scored almost as many as Rancocas Valley did the entire game, and easily went on to win 61-35.

Durant Scott who was impressive offensively and defensively led all scores on the day with 17. Mike Bersh led the Jersey school with 12.

Kadeem Jack
In a day loaded with talented underclassmen, Kadeem put together a very nice game. The lanky forward put together a strong game on the inside. He finished well around the rim and really attacked the glass. With his back to the basket, Kadeem displayed a fine hook shot. He ran the floor well too and was often rewarded for it. Kadeem proved to be quite the athlete too as he finished with an alley oop and blocked several shots. Right now, Kadeem looks like a good mid major prospect with the chance to end up even higher.

Northstar Basketball reported that Jack was listing Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Arkansas and Miami as schools of interest with Pitt, SU and Miami among his leaders, claiming an offer from the Panthers.

Rice forward Shane Southwell, a 6-foot-6 junior, is back in action after sitting out the mandatory period after coming over from All Hallows High School. Southwell told NBE today that Big East schools such as Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Rutgers and Seton Hall, as well as Arkansas, have shown interest.

Mountain State Academy No Match for St. Benedict’s

In their first match-up since their former star, center Tristan Thompson was exiled, St. Benedict’s came together as a team and routed Mountain State Academy. Mountain State Academy featured two future West Virginia players in Noah Cottrill and Deniz Kilicli, and another target of WVU and other Big East schools in Shaquille Thomas; however, even with Bob Huggins watching courtside these, future college players were not enough to slow the blazing offense of St. Benedict’s.

This game was close coming into the third quarter. While St. Benedict’s was up 27-21, they also had just gone on a 6-0 run coming into the quarter in which led to their first lead of the game. In the quarter, however, Mountain State’s star in the box, Deniz Kilicli was injured with an apparent elbow to the face, and without another dominant big man Mountain State stood no chance. St. Benedict’s outscored Mountain State 26-18 this quarter and went on win the game easily by a final of 75-61.

In the loss, Shaquille Thomas finished with several highlight reel worthy dunks off open rebounds, as well as 9 points. Noah Cottrill also added in 18 for the Mountain State squad. St. Benedict’s for a change had four players scoring in double digits, as Aaron Brown led the way with 16.

Tavon Sledge
Very fast, stays very close with the people he’s guarding. Good handle too and isn’t afraid to try ankle breaking plays. Had four points on the day, expect to hear much more on him in the future as he is just a sophomore.

Early overtures have been received from Notre Dame, Villanova, West Virginia, Syracuse, Tennessee and Richmond already.

Shaquille Thomas

Undersized, looks to be the smallest player on Mountain State Academy, so gaining weight at strenght is a priority going foward. Shots didn’t go down for him early on. OK handle, however was heavily guarded in this game by Aaron Brown. Showed his special athletic ability with a few follow-up dunks that leaves a lasting impression.

Brian Crownover’s Take on Thomas: Shaquille was playing back in his home state after the recent transfer to Mountain State Academy in West Virginia. He’s such an explosive player and he really showed off his athleticism with a few impressive follow-ups. On the inside, Shaquille converted after a nice duck-under move. From the outside, he hit a three pointer (although he did miss another jumper). Shaquille grabbed a few boards too.

Following the game, Thomas told NBE that Florida, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Kansas and Clemson have been showing interest. Coach Huggins has been there for several games and Thomas was at WVU when they hosted rival Pitt last month.

Noah Cotrill

Listed at 6’2, which might be slightly generous, although his size should not be a problem. Solid with his handle and three-point shot, but the speed and strength of St. Benedict’s gave him trouble in getting into the lane, especially the quicks of Myck Kabongo. The 2010 West Virginia verbal commit had 18 points and team MVP honors in the loss.

BC’s Take on Cottrill: This wasn’t a dominant performance by Noah, but you could see why this lead guard is so highly regarded. He’s not super explosive, but he is quick enough to get into the lane. He’s a smart player who knows where to go with the ball. Noah displayed a smooth stroke on a couple three pointers as well. He did finish with an efficient 18 points and was named Player of the Game for his team.

Mike Poole
Very fast as well in transition (common trait of St. Ben’s players). Really hustling in this game. Looks very tough on defense, speed and proximity to people he’s guarding make him tough to beat. When he plays to his potential he can be stifling on defense. Finished with 12 points in the win.

BC’s Take on Poole: This lanky wing player was at his best in transition. He scored with a foul on two occasions, but failed to converted on either proceeding free throw attempt. Mike knocked down a mid range pull up jumper and picked up a steal on the defensive end.

Poole informed NBE that Connecticut, West Virginia, Seton Hall, Kansas and Wake Forest are schools he is looking at. He has been to the campuses of UConn and SHU.

Deniz Kilicli (photo below of Kilicli and future BE rival Patterson)
The West Virginia-commit is already college sized. Looks pretty hard to beat once inside the paint. Isn’t overly fast, but considering his size his speed is adequate. Left the game at the 4:48 mark in the third quarter with a cut to the face, was not the same when he re-entered. Had a few powerful dunks in his 8 points, but was limited with some foul difficulties.

BC’s Take on Kilicli: This big man already has the body for the Big East. The skilled European has some nifty footwork which allowed him to get some good looks at the hoop on the offensive end. He had a nice one handed tip as well as a bank shot on the inside. Deniz does need to finish better. He missed quite a few relatively easy shots. He needs to take the ball up stronger. Deniz does move well without the ball and made some nice passes out of the high pick and roll. He did grab a few boards, but he should be a better rebounder for his size.

Lamar Patterson (photo of Patterson and future BE rival Kilicli)
The Pittsburgh-bound G/F was starting to pick up for now for exiled Tristan Thompson. The quick handled wing is showing more skills offensively and defensively. Sweet layup around the five minute mark in the second quarter in which he blew by two defenders his size. Finished with 15 points and St. Benedicts MVP honors in the game.

BC’s Take on Patterson: This gritty guard will be such a fine addition the Pitt roster. In this contest, Lamar was very active and all over the glass on both ends of the court. He had a number of putbacks, the highlight of which was a terrific finish with a foul for a three point play. Lamar made several nice passes too. He didn’t look to score too much from the perimeter or off the dribble, opting instead to do the dirty work. Lamar was named Player of the Game after his 15 point, 13 rebound effort.

St. Anthony’s Breezes by Hotchkiss, 71-45

Losing their first home game in years, St. Anthony’s came into Trenton perhaps a different team after being humbled by Coach Bobby Hurley. Despite playing against a dominant Hotchkiss backcourt, St. Anthony’s clearly had the upper hand in this game as they were the physically superior team and they showed it throughout the game holding Hotchkiss’s nationally recruited backcourt duo to just 20 points, and owning the boards through the game.

Hotchkiss put on a fight the first quarter, but other than that the game was a wash. With six players scoring in the second quarter, St. Anthony’s took a 39-24 halftime lead and the Jersey City squad never looked back from there.

St. Anthony’s was just too much physically and in the paint for the Connecticut prep school as they were led on the day by Dominic Cheek who finished with 25 points. Derrick Wilson led losing Hotchkiss with 12 points.

Derrick Wilson
Good size for a sophomore. For his size is an amazing rebounder. Finished with 12 points on the day.

BC’s Take on Wilson: Built like a fullback, this bulldog point guard was impressive. Derrick has very good quickness and is a fine finisher. He displayed excellent body control and used his size well in traffic. Derrick had a couple steals and pushed the action in the full court game. He made a few nice passes and had a solid game on the boards. He did hit a pull up jumper, but was rather quiet when it came to shooting the ball. Derrick is an impressive young talent who should to big things over the next few years.

Wilson told NBE after their loss against St. Anthony’s on Saturday that Syracuse, Rutgers, Georgia Tech, Xavier and Virginia have offered and Stanford is showing early interest, too.

Ashton Pankey
Good under the boards today. Followed a nice block on Jason Morris up with a bucket. Finished with a solid 14 points today in easy win over Hotchkiss.

BC’s Take on Pankey: Ashton also showed off his solid all around skills in this one. On the inside, he hit a turnaround jumper and banked home another shot. He had an athletic follow-up and hit a face up jumper too. Ashton showed more of his athletic ability with several blocked shots. He grabbed a few boards too. Ashton also threw a nice pass on one play.

Devon Collier
If Pankey was good under the boards today Collier was great on the glass. Had 13 points on the day, many of which came in the paint.

BC’s Take on Collier: This lefty is very talented and has been a huge addition to the St.
Anthony’s frontcourt. Devon finishes very well around the rim and runs the floor well. He can attack off the dribble too as he showed on a three point play. Devon had a monster game on the boards in this victory. The skilled forward really stood out.

Jason Morris
Fair size for a junior. Shots weren’t falling on Saturday for the Augusta, Georgia native. Between Williams, Pankey, and Collier the much smaller and sleeker Morris seldom was able to show off his handle driving to the rack. The few times he did drive his handle and control looked superb. On the perimeter, Dominic Cheek made sure everything was contested. Today’s game shows despite his plethora of college offers, the ultra lean Morris really needs to bulk up in the next year and a half. Morris who usually averages 18 points a game had 8 today.

BC’s Take on Morris: This talented underclass wing player was matched up with one of the nation’s best seniors in Dom Cheek. Dom’s strong defense threw Jason off of his game. Dom’s length really bothered Jason when it came to shooting from the perimeter. Jason buried a couple threes including a pull up jumper, but really failed to convert most of his shots from the outside. He did have several explosive drives when attacking the goal, but really didn’t attack enough. He grabbed a few boards too. Jason will certainly have better days and is still a very talented player.

The native of Augusta (GA) and has offers from Georgia Tech, Georgia, Xavier, Clemson, Wake Forest, Georgetown, Virginia and Stanford. Duke is also showing a lot of interest, too.

Dominic Cheek
Hobbling a bit today, but playing a lot harder and shooting a lot better than in his previous outing we saw. Had several steals that led to offensive points today. Three point shot was better as well, but his all around game was where he shined and got his points in a variety of ways.

BC’s Take on Cheek: Dom lead the Friars attack and showed why he’s one of the elite players in the country. The Villanova-bound wing played a great all around game. From the outside, he hit several jumpers including those of the pull up variety. He attacked off the dribble and finished with his left hand on one play and a scoop shot on another. Dom was terrific in transition and he makes good decisions, whether it is scoring or passing the ball. Quite a few of his transition plays were due to his ability to play the passing lanes on the defensive end. In addition to picking up steals, Dom’s strong defense forced talented Hotchkiss guard Jason Morris into difficult shots. He clearly frustrated Jason all game long. Dom finished with a very impressive 25 points in front of his future head coach Jay Wright.

Lincoln Not Hard Enough For Westchester

Playing back to back games is tough, especially after getting squashed on national TV by your cross Hudson River rival, St. Patrick’s. Lincoln, though like the Jay Z song with the beat, “Brooklyn we go hard,” took its game down south to Trenton to face off against one of California’s top teams, Westchester. In the game itself the Brooklyn school did go hard, just Lance Stephenson and company just always seemed to be one step behind Westchester.

Lincoln went into halftime only down three points, 36-33. Jordin Mays, however hit for four consecutive three pointers to kick off the third quarter, and Lincoln could never recover from there. Lincoln had several runs late in the fourth quarter cutting the game as close as four; however, Westchester just could not be stopped. The California school hit for 21 of 26 free throws in the period, and went on to defeat Lincoln 85-78.

Jordin Mays had a game high 31 points, to go along with two other teammates also in double digits. Lance Stephenson led Lincoln with 26 points.

Jordin Mayes
BC’s Take on Mayes: This guard showed himself to be a big time talent. He showed excellent scoring ability and shooting range as he opened the second half with four three pointers. He hit six of those shots on the day. Jordin also attacked off the dribble. He converted on a floater in the lane, made a nice pass and got to the foul line. He was an impressive 8 for 8 from the foul line and helped close out the game from there. Jordin was without a doubt one of the most impressive players on the day.

Mayes gave Northstar Basketball Blog an extensive live of schools, most from the Pac 10, but Marquette was one of the schools he did mention.

Lance Stephenson
BC’s Take on Stephenson: Although it might not have matched his outstanding performances in this event in the past, Lance still played very well. He had a fantastic game in transition. The strong bodied guard finished well in traffic. He converted on a pair of old fashioned three point plays. The explosive guard found himself at the line often and converted time and time again. Lance is a long strider who gets to the rim with ease and can also adjust in traffic. As usual, he played well on the boards and threw a couple nice passes. He didn’t shoot much from the outside, opting instead to attack. Lance did injury his hand in the game, but came back and finished strong. His 26 point outing wasn’t enough against the talented Westchester (CA) team though.

While St. John’s fans have been long dreaming of ‘Born ready’ staying close to home to ressurect college hoops in the Big Apple, his college list seems to be expanding with Maryland and Wake Forest being mentioned and a trip to Kansas in the works as well.

Oak Hill Downs St. Patrick’s in a Classic

The day’s eighth and final match-up was also the most anticipated. In a game with twenty lead changes and ten ties, this had everything from no-look plays to a facial dunk to even one player taking charge in the final minutes leading his team to victory.

Going into the fourth quarter this game was neck and neck. Neither team had either led by more than five points, and Oak Hill held a four point, 51-47 lead. Despite relatively even action Doron Lamb would end the static and put Oak Hill up five, 63-58 with 2:33 left. St. Patrick’s came right back down the court though and clase the gap again with two made free throws by Michael Gilchrist. But tonight was Oak Hill’s night, Byron Allen made Coach Steve Smith and soon to be Coach Bob Huggins real happy when he answered as he took the ball down court and dunked on the 6’8 Gilchrist. Oak Hill got the ball again, and Allen would get in the paint for a put in that iced the game sealing the victory for Oak Hill as they won by a final of 73-69.

On the day Oak Hill had four players in double digits led by Bryon Allen who finished with 17 points. St. Patrick’s had two, led by ever so tough sophomore Michael Gilchrist who finished with 30.

Michael Gilchrist
Had most of the St. Patrick’s points early on. Very good down low, more than held his own versus the Oak Hill big boys. Perhaps the best rebounder down low today. Is not afraid to taste the hardwood to keep possession of the ball. It seemed like he almost always put it away in the paint. Adequate free throw shooting. Finished with a game high 30 points and MVP honors for St. Patrick’s.

BC’s Take on Gilchrist: Gilchrist is the nation’s best sophomore and it was easy to see why after dominating against a talented Oak Hill team. Michael brings so much energy every time he takes the court. Rarely will you find anyone who can outwork him and that rang true in this one. The athletic forward has a nose for the ball and just finds ways to put it in the basket. He has very good hands. Michael is an excellent rebounder on both ends of the floor and a stellar finisher around the rim and in traffic. He pulled down rebounds on both ends of the court. He runs the floor very well and scores in transition. As he continues to progress, he could show more on the wing. He’ll also have to get stronger before he gets to the next level. Michael is a terrific talent though as was evident from the 30 point outburst.

Adam Zagoria reports that Gilchrist Has an Early Top Five (ZagsBlog.com) list of schools that includes Villanova, Memphis, Connecticut, Rutgers and Virginia, according to his mother, Cindy Richardson. She made sure to note it is still early in the process.

Kyrie Irving

Not overly active this game. On one play Irving had a steal followed by finishing with contact. Irving showed his spectacular handle off a little bit today too, driving around defenders mostly bigger than him. Like Gilchrist, isn’t afraid to taste the hardwood either. Nice looking fade away jump shot. Irving had 6 points on the day.

BC’s Take on Irving: This talented guard had a rough game. Kyrie made a couple fine plays while attacking off the dribble, including a scoop finish. He finished one time with contact. Kyrie really struggled with his jumper though. He did hit a fall away jumper and a shot from beyond the arc. He missed jumper after jumper throughout the contest. It wasn’t one of Kyrie’s best games.

Glenn Bryant
Brian Crownover’s Take on Bryant: This lanky forward put together an impressive game. Glenn was at his best playing around the goal. He had several athletic dunks after nice passes from his teammates. In the post, he also converted on a hook shot. Glenn put together a strong game on the glass. Defensively, he showed more of his leaping ability with a couple blocks. He did hit a three pointer from the outside. Showing more on the wing than he did today would certainly help his game.

Following the game, Bryant told NBE’s Matt Whitfield he is looking at offers from Marquette, South Florida and Alabama. The Detroit native also has Michigan and Nebraska looking at him hard.

Christ The King Holds Off Elizabeth, 76-73

In the Sunday’s second match-up, tough New Jersey team Elizabeth took on revered New York City Catholic league program Christ The King. In a game that went down to the wire, the team that had the hottest hand wound up being victorious.

Despite being down five at halftime, Christ The King entered the fourth quarter with a four point 57-53 lead. This quarter was an all out battle. To start the quarter the Queens school went on a 9-3 run. Elizabeth answered back though late in the quarter with several three pointers by Latif Rivers. The Union county school had to a chance to tie with the final shot, but Elizabeth’s prayers were not answered and Christ The King went on to win 76-73.

Christ The King’s Sean Johnson led all scorers on the day with 38, while Kevin Brown led losing Elizabeth with 21 points.

Corey Edwards
Blazing handle. Good size for his age. Played bigger future Pitt RB Raymond Graham real tight. Is fast enough to take it from one side of the court to another, and split defenses in the process. Is a true PG, looks first then passes if need be. Had numerous assists today. Pretty shot as well. Only sophomore on an all upperclassmen team; and he played every minute. Good break away speed getting past defenders. You forget he’s a sophomore watching him. Probably one of the top five NYC sophomores right now. Had 5 points in the win.

Edwards tells NBE that he has scholarship offers from St. John’s and Auburn while Seton Hall, Villanova, Kentucky, George Mason and Princeton have also expressed early interest.

Trenton Catholic Too Much For Carmen Sol, Cintron

In the days most intriguing match-up local team Trenton Catholic faced off versus Puerto Rico’s top team, Carmen Sol. Carmen Sol featured internationally known and arguably Puerto Rico’s best player, PG Raymond Cintron.

Cintron was a major factor in this game. However, despite his four straight three pointers going into the half, Cintron and his Carmen Sol squad didn’t have enough fire power to hang with the Trenton squad. Carmen Sol was outscored 29-13 in the third quarter, and that’s all it really took as it was mostly Trenton Catholic in the second half. Trenton Catholic won this one 83-73.

Raymond Cintron led all scorers with 23, while Markese Tucker and Reggie Coleman keyed Trenton Catholic to the win with 17 and 16 points, respectively.

Trenton Catholic point guard, Dondre Whitmore, a 5’9 junior, mentioned to NBE that St. John’s and Seton Hall have shown some interest. Schools like Robert Morris and Iona, among others, have offered scholarships.

Carmen Sol, out of Puerto Rico, made the trip to New Jersey for the Primetime Shootout and star senior Raymond Cintron, Jr. is a player to watch. Cintron, a 6’1, approximately 200 lb. point guard, connected on five three-pointers in the game with local powerhouse Trenton Catholic. After the game, Cintron mentioned that Rutgers, LaSalle and Florida International have offered scholarships. Cintron told NBE that he is very high on the Scarlet Knights.

Oak Hill Squashes Linden, 74-37.

Linden, without 6’10 David Bruce, took on Oak Hill, a team coming off their biggest win of the year Sunday. In this game Linden had its moments including an actual lead going into the second quarter but in the end the better team turned it on, and turned it on hard.

Oak Hill led by only four, 26-22 at halftime. Coach Steve Smith must have had something to say because his squad came out and ripped Linden apart in the second half. Linden was outscored 48-15 the next two quarters, and never really stood a chance. The Oak Hill offense was rather subtle though compared to the previous days, until a jaw dropping slam dunk by Glenn Bryant late in the third quarter. Oak Hill easily won this by a final of 74-37.

Doron Lamb and Byron Allen led Oak Hill respectively with 14 and 13 points. Tevin Calhoun led losing Linden with a game high 25.

Doron Lamb

Superb handle, beautiful no-look passes, all this to go with blazing break-away speed. Was human for several quarters tonight, but proficient shooting down the stretch really helped his team out. Finished with 14 points on Saturday.

On Sunday, Lamb continued to show a great handle in which he can shift it into high gear on a dime to out-maneuver defenders. Very fast too, pretty in the paint as well. Finished with 13 in the easy victory.

BC’s Take on Lamb: Doron had a solid game as well. As usual, the explosive guard attacked off the dribble. He finished well in the lane, including a three point play. He scored on a floater and hit a jumper too. Doron put together a fine game on the boards as well.

Lamb, the former Bishop Loughlin star out of NYC, has a strong affinity for the Big East. Lamb rattled off a Big East heavy list of offers that he currently has on his mind to NBE on Saturday. The list included Kansas as well as Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Syracuse, Louisville, St. John’s, Marquette and West Virginia from the Big East.

Baye Moussa Keita

Native of Senegal. Real tall and lanky. Has a great frame to grow into. Despite playing sparingly the 6’11 junior got posterized on a dunk by North Carolina-bound Dexter Strickland in one play on Saturday.

Thin, but when you look at him you see frame of potential college or NBA stud and see why Syracuse took an early pledge. Good speed for a big man. Aggressive under the basket. Had 4 points all coming in the 4th quarter in Sunday’s action.

BC’s Take on Moussa Keita: With the talented frontline of Oak Hill, Baye didn’t see much action. He appeared to have good size, but wasn’t really involved in the game so it
was tough to get much of a read on him.

Bryon Allen

Fair handle, average size for a junior. Does not look as athletic as some other players on the floor. The WVU-bound guard had a slick looking spinning no look fade away jump shot which resulted in a basket near the end of the half. While he didn’t play the whole game, and it seemed he wasn’t overly noticeable at times, he was lethal at other times. When the game was close in the fourth he had a good old fashion three point play. Soon thereafter Allen then dunked on 6’7 Michael Gilchrist, then followed that up with another basket to seal the Oak Hill victory. Allen finished with 17 points and Oak Hill MVP honors in the game.

On Sunday, Allen really played tight defense. Is capable of driving and breaking down defenses; however, for whatever reason he doesn’t always do it. Active in the spurts in this game. Proficient free throw shooting today. Finished with 14 points in Sunday’s win.

BC’s Take on Allen: Bob Huggins spent most of the day courtside. After watching two of his future players put together solid, but not spectacular games, he had to be thrilled with the play of Bryon in the nightcap. The junior who has also already committed to play for West Virginia came of the bench and exploded to the tune of 17 points. He was terrific in the lane as he dropped in several floaters. Bryon has an impressive crossover move that froze the defense. He got out and ran the floor and finished, including an athletic dunk. Bryon used a spin move and banked home a shot with a foul for an old fashioned three-point play. He also buried a tough fall away jumper and found time to mix in a nice pass. He was rewarded for his fine play by being named Player of the Game.

Shabazz Fails to Stop Montrose Christian’s Big Boys

The day’s second real interesting match-up featured premier Essex County program Shabazz versus prestigious Montgomery County prep program Montrose Christian. This game was a battle for a good part of three quarters but one team had too much size and too many weapons down low.

Montrose Christian only led 26-25 at the half, after a nice two pass put in by Isaiah Armwood. However, Montrose continued the high flying play in the third, with a nice dunk by Terrence Ross to kick off the quarter. In the quarter they outscored Shabazz 21-11, and rapped up the game, leading by 11 going into the fourth quarter. Montrose Christian won by a final of 57-48.

Mouphatau Yarou led Montrose Christian with 21 points on the day, while teammate Justin Anderson added in 11. Sahid Williams led all scores and Shabazz with 23 points.

Mouphtaou Yarou
The Villanova-bound center is college sized already, not just a skinny big man. Really used his size and strength to his advantage down low. Has a scoring touch. No one stood a chance against him under the boards today. Reminds me of a smaller big baby Davis. Will be known as freshman in college next year. Finished with 21 points and team MVP honors.

Isaiah Armwood
The third Villanova-bound recruit on display in the two-day event. Armwood is another big man with moves, a little undersized for a senior division one prospect, so gaining strength and muscle is a must. Hustles hard on both sides of the ball. Had just 4 points on the day as he continues to battles some leg ailments.

Terrence Ross, the Montrose Christian 6’7 underclassmen swingman who has come east from the great Northwest rattled off a list of Louisville, Maryland, Washington, Washington State, UCLA, USC, Oregon, Kentucky, Kansas and UNLV as schools showing interest.

Additional Primetime features and specials:

Catching Up With Dajuan Wagner
by Matt Whitfield

Despite his inactivity, Dajuan Wagner will always be remembered as one of the greatest high school basketball players ever to come from the Garden State. Wagner who had an illustrious high school career at Camden, where he averaged 42.5 points a game his senior season, including nine 50 point or more games, and one 100 point game stopped to talk briefly with NBE this past weekend at the Primetime Shootout.

Wagner who has been out of the NBA several years, looked like his same old self Saturday. Wagner who was last a member of the Golden State Warriors told NBE that lately, “[I’m] just working out, but I’ll be [back] in basketball sometime late this year.”

Wagner also indicated to NBE some of his favorite high school basketball moments, including the state championship captured his junior year and the time as an unheralded freshman where he scored 45 points versus Red Bank, a team that had three eventual division one college basketball players.

Despite his short stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team that drafted him sixth overall in 2002, Dajuan still thinks very highly of his former teammates. When asked if he thought Lebron James was the NBA’s answer to Michael Jordan, Wagner simply replied, “Yea, look what he does.” Wagner also stated to NBE that he thinks the Cavaliers have what it takes as he picked the Cavaliers to beat out the Lakers in seven, in this year’s NBA Finals.

Matt Whitfield’s Primetime Shootout Player Rankings (based on their weekend performances and next-level potential):

Class of 2009 Top 10
1. Mouphtau Yarou
2. Lance Stephenson
3. Dexter Strickland
4. Dominic Cheek
5. Durand Scott
6. Keith ‘Tiny’ Gallon
7. Paris Bennett
8. Glenn Bryant
9. Deniz Kilicli
10. Raymond Cintron

Class of 2010 Top 10
1. Jordin Mayes
2. Doron Lamb
3. Kyrie Irving
4. Byron Allen
5. Aaron Brown
6. Devon Collier
7. Ashton Pankey
8. Jason Morris
9. Baye Moussa Keita
10. Mike Poole

Top 5 underclassmen
1. Michael Ghilchrist
2. Justin Anderson
3. Shaq Stokes
4. Nkereuwem Okoro
5. Corey Edwards

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