October 2009

LOUISVILLE OUT AS JOSH LANGFORD RE-OPENS RECRUITMENT

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

Marquette among new favorites for Huntsville (AL) native

by IVAN MCDOWELL, special to NBE Basketball Report

Huntsville (AL) native Joshua Langford has proven he is one of the top young forwards in the country; he’s consistently ranked amongst the top 100 players (2010) in the nation by several recruiting services. After committing to Louisville last summer, Langford will re-open his recruitment process to other schools.

“I’m just not feeling them anymore. I’ve talked with my mom and we’re going to open it back up sometime this week,” remarked Langford, who transferred this summer to rival Lee High from J.O. Johnson.

Read more

NCAA SUSPENDS WVU’S DENIZ KILICLI 20 GAMES, MU’S MBAO GETS 2 GAMES; SHU ROLLS

Freshman big man played in professional league in native Turkey in 2007-2008

According to the Bob Hertzel in a story appearing in the Times West Virginian this morning, West Virginia‘s powerful 6-foot-9 freshman forward, who attended Mountain State Academy last season, has been suspended for 20 games by the NCAA.

Kilicli is part of a highly acclaimed class that included another big man hopeing to add muscle for the Mountaineers in the Big East in power forward Danny Jennings. Also joining WVU this season are junior college scoring guard Casey Mitchell and 6-foot-5 guard Dalton Pepper.

The West Virginia media guide says Kilicli played for the Pertevniyal Istanbul Club team in Turkey because his high school did not offer basketball. He averaged 15 points and 11 rebounds last season at Mountain State.

A 20-game suspension would make Kilicli eligible to play his first game February 3rd when the Mountaineers host rival Pittsburgh in a Big East conference match-up.
—————————————————

MBAO SUSPENDED TWO GAMES AT MARQUETTE

The news is a little easier to swallow for Marquette as 7-foot-2 freshman center Youssoupha Mbao, who had been undergoing additional NCAA scrutiny for playing on a team overseas prior to arriving at MU that included a professional player, wound up being suspended for the first two games of the season, according to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in his Haunted Hoops Scrimmage Report.

Mbao will have to sit out MU’s opener Nov. 13 against Centenary, and also Nov. 17 against Maryland-Eastern Shore, and be eligible to return Nov. 21 against Grambling.

According to Rosiak, Mbao will need the experience to develop, in last night’s scrimmage within a two-half, 15-minute running clock format, Mbao finished with twice as many fouls — eight — as he had points and rebounds combined in 22 minutes. He also didn’t block a shot, which was his calling card coming into MU.

As for the scrimmage, the Blue team beat the White team, 39-33, behind 13 points from Dwight Buycks and 12 from Lazar Hayward. Buycks scored 11 of his 13 in the second half.

Jeronne Maymon led the White squad with nine points and eight rebounds, while Jimmy Butler also added nine points and Darius Johnson-Odom eight points

SETON HALL ROLLS IN EXHIBITION OPENER

The excitment will continue to buld at Seton Hall as Bobby Gonzalez’s squad rolled to an 89-62 win over Carleton in Walsh Gym on the SHU campus.

Sophomore guard Jordan Theodore has a team high 17 points and Herb Pope added 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks in the win.

The Pirates were out-rebounded, 42-25, but more than made up for it shooting 60% from the floor and forcing 22 turnovers.

BASKETBALL COMMUNITY LACES UP FOR GOOD CAUSE: SHARETTE DIXON CLASSIC

NYC Legends Kenny Smith, Kenny Anderson and local all-stars put on special hoops showcase to raise funds for deceased professor’s family

The two most important things in Sharette Dixon’s life were her family and education. Now that she has passed away, her husband Kimani Young and the NYC basketball community are banding together to make sure that her children get the support and education that they need in the future. On Sunday, Nov. 8, New York City legends Kenny Smith, Kenny Anderson and a host of others NYC basketball personalities will participate in the Sharette Dixon Classic, a showcase of the top talent from New York and New Jersey.

Read more

BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (10/30/2009)

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

It is a pretty quiet Friday afternoon around the Big East basketball conference on this Halloween eve. In our links for the Big East news and notes we touch on UConn trying to make do with limited size this year. Ater Majok injury update and the status of a possible practice facility in Storrs is also in the news today. West Virginia is set to embark on a highly anticipated season and yesterday they were named in the top 25 of both major polls. However, the missed out on one of their top recruiting targets. Also, Providence College opens up their exhibition schedule on campus, a Big East preview from the South Bend Tribune is available and new NCAA proposals regarding influence gained on the recruitment of prospects takes a step forward towards becoming official rules yesterday.

As mentioned, West Virginia was ranked in both the AP and USA Today top 10′s. While the Big East is considered to be down this season, the conference was well represented in the preseason polls:

AP: Villanova (5), West Virginia (8), UConn (12), Louisville (19), Georgetown (20). Notre Dame, Syracuse and Pitt also received votes.

USA Today: Villanova (6), West Virginia (9), Connecticut (14), Georgetown (21), Louisville (23), Syracuse (25). Notre Dame and Pitt also received votes.

Read more

ADREIAN PAYNE TO MICHIGAN STATE

Sources indicate prized 6’10 center will choose Spartans over West Virginia, others tonight

by RAY MERNAGH

Sources out of Michigan are confirming to NBE that Dayton (Jefferson) Ohio’s Adreian Payne will verbal to Michigan State this evening.

We made some calls following Dave Telep’s Da Vinci Code-type tweet that his read on the situation was that Payne would be heading to play for Tom Izzzo and were able to confirm that the five-star center will indeed be putting on a Spartans hat this evening when he holds a press conference at Jefferson High School.

Here’s Telep’s tweet — etatsnagchimotenyapnaierda — hint: read it backwards.

Payne is a 6’11 monster with incredible athleticism and the thought here at NBE was he would be best suited to go with either MSU or West Virginia. Payne’s love for the game is questioned by some but his talent is undeniable — both Izzo and Huggins would do wonders with him.

We do believe that his final two were indeed MSU and West Virginia despite reports to the contrary.

Payne could be the piece that gets Izzo another NCAA Championship — he’s that capable of being dominant should he put the work in. Under Izzo, he will (he’ll have no choice).

BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (10/29/2009)

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

Exhibition action continued last night as Louisville had a tough tussle with NAIA power Georgetown. In the end, the UL muscle was too much for the undersized Tigers. Pittsburgh looks to be getting a nice lift from an unexpected source this season if their annual Blue/Gold Scrimmage is any indication of things to come. DePaul will have a closed scrimmage against the usually tough Bradley Braves this coming weekend.

Expectations are high and that was very evident during the recent Seton Hall media day gathering. At Rutgers, who also had a media day event, expectations are not quite as high, but optimism is also shown for their prospects this season. Providence hopes a favorable schedule helps their young squad this season in the Big East. Role players are likely to make or break several teams hoping to emerge from the pack in the conference, Cincinnati looks to have a big three, but contributions from players like Rashad Bishop will be vital. Villanova will look to help a prized big man recruit make his transition smoothly to big time American basketball while Reggie Redding deals with the consequences of not doing the right thing over the summer. South Florida is another team hoping to work their way out of the bottom rungs of the conference this year.

Read about all these and more today in our news and notes links below…

Also, a reminder, for the latest in news and notes on the Big East football conference, be sure to check out our NBE Football Report. For those who like to follow BiG East alums in the NBA, as well as keep an eye on the latest NBA draft chatter, we have launched a new NBE site, this is called our Association Report and it will keep track of the action in the NBA, through the eyes of the Big East fan. Check these sites out, too!!

Read more

KENO DAVIS, PROVIDENCE HOPE SPEED KILLS in 2009-2010

Second-year Friar coach hopes overal speed and quickness compensates for lack of size & experience

by JEFF BORZELLO

After posting 19 wins last season and finishing tied for seventh in the Big East, Providence will likely take several steps back in the conference this year.

The Friars lose four starters and return just three key players from a season ago.

Head coach Keno Davis is not overly concerned about the lack of returning talent, though.

“We weren’t a really good offensive team last year. We weren’t a good defensive team, and we were an average rebounding team,” Davis said. “But we won 19 games.”

The most glaring weakness for Providence heading into the year is its lack of size up front. The Friars have no one taller than 6-foot-9 and just four players bigger than 6-foot-7.

Again, Davis does not seem worried. He plans to spread the floor with several perimeter players and force opponents to match-up with his team rather than the other way around.

“We’re not going to be the biggest team,” he said. “But we’ll be one of the smallest and quickest. We’re going to have to find the match-ups to best be successful.”

Although the Big East lost several key big men, players like Luke Harangody, Greg Monroe and Devin Ebanks are going to pose major problems for the undersized Friars.

“I don’t know [how we’ll defend them],” Davis said. “We’ll try to defend with quickness, we’ll make it difficult to throw the ball inside. We’re going to try to get up and down more to negate the size differential.”

The top returnees for the Friars are senior Sharaud Curry and junior Marshon Brooks, while freshmen Vincent Council and Johnnie Lacy are expected to make an impact in the backcourt immediately.

Davis is looking forward to his newfound depth and will utilize it to the fullest.

“We’re going to find some guys to step up and contribute,” he said. “We’re going to be playing more players. I expect to play nine or 10 guys; we’re going to beat teams with numbers.”

Davis’ up-tempo, attacking style is already paying dividends in the recruiting game, as he is bringing in several quality players this season and has locked up three players for next year, too.

“We’re a program on the rise, I don’t think there’s any doubt,” he said. “Kids see our style and are attracted to it. Our staff works as hard as anyone in the country, and the future is bright for us.”

While the upcoming season might not be so bright, Providence will certainly be fun to watch.

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

MORE IS8 RECRUITING UPDATES FROM PLAYOFF ACTION

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

Updates on some of the standout performers from last weekend’s IS8 playoff action with a Halloween theme

by ZACH SMART

Juan’ya Green, a ghastly 6-foot-3 combo guard at Archbishop Carroll (PA) HS, is receiving plenty of Big East love. He’s sifting through letters, receiving the most interest from Villanova, Georgetown, Syracuse, Providence, Maryland, St. Joe’s and Temple.

“That’s all I can think of tight now,” said the Class of 2011 guard, after rattling off his current list.

Read more

CINCINNATI BEARCATS LURKING IN BIG EAST PACK

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

by JEFF BORZELLO

It’s no secret as to which Cincinnati player is the most well-known Bearcat heading into the season.

“I walk around, and people ask ‘How’s your freshman doing?’, sophomore Yancy Gates said, “and I know immediately who they’re talking about.”

Who they’re talking about is incoming freshman guard Lance Stephenson, the highly-touted guard from New York City who comes with a lot of hype – and a lot of baggage.

His recruitment had more twists and turns than a high-speed chase, and many questioned whether he would play college basketball at all.

Now that he is on campus, he will undoubtedly help Cincinnati move upwards in the standings.

“He’s taken a lot of heat,” senior guard Deonta Vaughn said. “But he wants to learn the game more; he’s matured a lot since he stepped on campus. He’s got love and passion for the game, and he’s going to help in the backcourt.”

“He’s going to take a lot of attention off all of us,” Gates added, referring to both on and off the court. “Teams can’t key on me and Vaughn, because Lance has the capacity to go for 20 himself.”

Cincinnati lost five of its last six regular-season games last season to fall out of NCAA Tournament contention, a feat the Bearcats don’t want to repeat this season.

“I was disappointed with the way we ended,” Gates said. “We lost some games we were capable of winning.”

With the return of four starters and the addition of a solid recruiting class, the Bearcats could be a sleeper in the Big East in 2009-10.

“I feel we’re underrated as a team,” Vaughn said. “We’re under the radar, but we know what have to do to get wins.”

Added Gates: “We’re going to be a lot better, just based on experience. We have a lot of returning players, and we’re going to have older players to help guide [the freshmen] in.”

According to Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency rankings, Cincinnati was near the bottom of the Big East when it came to defense a year ago.

Vaughn notices a major difference at that end of the floor this season.

“We’re talking more on defense,” he said. “We get at each other. We don’t worry about scoring; if we couldn’t score, we wouldn’t be where we are. We’re try to get each other going.”

Another important difference this season for the Bearcats will be the point guard position. With the return of Cashmere Wright from an ACL injury and the addition of freshman Jaquon Parker, Vaughn will be able to move over to the shooting guard position.

However, while many expected Wright to takeover the starting job, don’t give him the keys to the offense just yet.

“Jaquon Parker [has been very good],” Vaughn said. “He know what he’s doing; on the defensive end, he really gets after it. He won a state championship in Virginia, so he knows what it takes.

“[Wright] is looking like his old self,” he added. “But I’m working on him talking more. Cash is kind of a quiet guy, [and he needs to be more vocal].”

As long as Stephenson stays focused and point guard sorts itself out, this could be a memorable year for Cincinnati.

GEORGETOWN WILL NOT FORGET 2008-2009 DISAPPOINTMENT

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

BY JEFF BORZELLO

When a team finished the previous season losing 12 of its final 18 games, the common advice is to forget about it and move on.

That’s not the mindset Georgetown is bringing into this season, though. The Hoyas want to use the disappointing finish as a tool to improve and motivate them.

“It’s a learning process,” junior swingman Austin Freeman told NBE at the recent Big East Media Day at Madison Square Garden in New York City. “We want to learn from our mistakes. We’re going to take what happened last year and bring it into this season.”

After beginning the year 10-1, a record that included wins over Connecticut, Memphis and Maryland, Georgetown went just 6-12 the rest of the way en route to a 16-13 record, 7-11 in the Big East conference.

However, despite the loss of starters Jessie Sapp and DaJuan Summers, many people expect them to improve.

Many people point to a disconnect between the upperclassmen and the younger players as a key point in last season’s struggles.

“We won’t necessarily have better players, but we want to win more games,” sophomore forward Greg Monroe said. “We have to start finishing games.”

Even though the chemistry will likely be better this season, there is a lack of leadership heading into the season without Sapp and Summers as, for the second year in a row, the roster is void of seniors.

The Hoyas aren’t worried.

“Me, Chris [Wright] and Greg are going to have to step up even more,” Freeman said.

Added Monroe, “Everyone will have to become more vocal.”

Another question mark for Georgetown will be its supporting cast. The trio of Wright, Freeman and Monroe ranks up there with some of the best in the Big East, but only one other player returns who averaged more than five points per game – Jason Clark.

A deep group of freshmen and sophomores will need to play a big role immediately.

“All of them [will make an impact],” Monroe said. “It’s definitely a talented group of guys.”

Freeman also mentioned that the underclassmen will have to step up and become solid players, and singled one player out in particular.

“Jason Clark,” Freeman responded when asked which young player has impressed so far. “He’s been playing really well in the preseason.”

Expect Clark and several other unsung players to become major factors if the Hoyas are to return to the NCAA Tournament this year and put the 2008-2009 disappointment in the rearview mirror.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: RUTGERS

Verbal Commitment Alert: Austin Carroll, 6’3 shooting guard of Bedford (MA) currently attending Brewster Academy

With four scholarships available for the class of 2010, Fred Hill and staff have been busy on the recruiting trail trying to add talent to the Scarlet Knight’s roster. Rutgers finally put their first recruit on the board in their class earlier today when Brewster Academy shooting guard Austin Carroll picked the Big East school over Harvard.

“Austin contacted Coach Amaker and Coach Hill today and notified them of his decision,” Brewster Academy head coach Jason Smith told NBE, confirming the commitment news.

Carroll visited Rutgers the weekend of October 9th on an official visit. He had previously made an official trip to Harvard a few weeks earlier.

“He really developed a close relationship with Coach Hill and his staff, plus [Austin] has a previous relationship with a couple of RU players,” coach Smith said.

Carroll grew up around basketball all of his life. His father, John Carroll, was a long-time Big East assistant at Seton Hall under PJ Carlesimo and also the head coach at Duquesne University before moving into professional coaching positions which culminated with a stint as head coach of the Boston Celtics. Austin has also had the opportunity to play for his father who has been working as a coach with the NE Playaz AAU program the past few years.

Carroll has all the characteristics of a coach’s son, according to his current coach at Brewster.

“Austin has a very, very high basketball IQ,” said Smith. “He has a tremendous understanding of the game. Austin is a gym-rat. He has an outstanding work-ethic and desire to work on his overall game. A lot of players like the end product, but Austin genuinely enjoys the process of becoming a better player.”

At Rutgers, Carroll will be counted on to provide a perimeter scoring threat as he has always been regarded as a very good three-point shooter. His passing ability and understanding of the game will also be a major asset and allow him to make an impact on the court quicker than some may believe.

In the college game these days, you need that threat from the arc to keep defenses honest. Rutgers‘ commit Austin Carroll provides that, and much more to a program, according to his coach.

“Super, super kid who’s an asset to any community,” coach Smith said of Carroll.

JERMAINE SANDERS HAS BIG EAST INTEREST; MORE RECRUITING UPDATES

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

Rice junior has focus on upcoming season, recruiting can wait

By Zach Smart

For Jermaine Sanders, recruiting is an afterthought right now. Talk to him at the end of the season, this probably won’t be the case.

Right now, however, the subject of the electrifying 6-foot-4 wing’s recruitment is in the shadows.

So, what’s front-and-center on the Rice HS forward’s agenda? First and foremost is the ready-to-be filled scoring void left by high-volume scoring machine Durand Scott, who was claimed by June graduation.

Scott, now a freshman at Miami, was a highly sought after recruit last season. He ended up spurning UConn and Pittsburgh, both of which hounded him throughout the recruiting process last year, for the Hurricanes.

Read more

2009-2010 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 12) RUTGERS

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

There was a lot of hemming and hawing done when crafting this season’s Big East preseason countdown of the 16 teams. One perplexing team was the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and when the Big East coaches poll was released placing Fred Hill’s squad 15th, I really began wondering if I had this team too high.

One thing is certain, it is time for Fred Hill to show us something, anything, to indicate he has the program headed in the right direction. Hill enters his fourth season as the RU head coach and the first reporting to a new boss as Tim Pernetti was named Rutgers’ sixth Director of Intercollegiate of Athletics on February 26, 2009.

With a coaching record of 8-45 in Big East conference games (including last year’s Big East Tournament loss), it has taken three full years for Hill to win as many Big East contests as predecessor Gary Waters did in his final season (2005-2006) when RU went 8-10 and advanced to the second round of the NIT Tournament.

Read more

BRANDIN KNIGHT TALKS ABOUT RECRUITING THE ‘PITT WAY’

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

by RAY MERNAGH

Brandin Knight is in the perfect place as an assistant coach. As a point guard he engineered the return of on-court success for the Pittsburgh program while watching his current boss Jamie Dixon (along with UCLA’s Ben Howland) build a system that the program is now admired for.

That system gives anyone deemed good enough to enter it an excellent opportunity at success — both in the Big East and beyond. So it makes sense that Knight, along with associate head coach Tom Herrion, now goes out on the road looking for players that are the proverbial “good fit” at Pitt.

Read more

BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (10/26/2009)

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

With regular season games starting within two weeks, the exhibition season started last night with Syracuse hitting the Carrier Dome floor to take on Cal State-Los Angeles. The Orange saw a freshman newcomer light it up in the 97-54 victory. Also, Providence, Louisville and Cincinnati, where their heralded forsh Lance Stephenson made his public debut, held intrasquad scrimmages for fans to get an early look at their teams.

Also stories today on Notre Dame’s quest to replace Scott Martin, PC’s Brian McKenzie looking for a bounce-back season, Pitt’s Jermaine Dixon trying to put the memory of their heartbreaking loss to ‘Nova in the Elite 8 behind him and how a pair of Rutgers sophomores try to lead the Scarlet Knights out of the conference’s lower half.

Also, Gary Parrish mentions a couple Big East coaches who are on the hot seat this seasona and speculates on a couple possible replacements for one Big East program that are interesting, to say the least.

Read these and more below in today’s Big East News & Notes…

Read more

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: SOUTH FLORIDA

Verbal Commitment Alert: Lavonte Dority, 6’2 point guard from Chicago (IL) – Foreman High School

With three scholarships to fill on the South Florida Bulls roster in their 2010 recruiting class, one spot has been accounted for as Lavonte Dority Chooses the Big East Program (Illinois Prep Bulls-eye).

The plan for USF has been to replace seniors Chris Howard (PG), Mike Mercer (big wing) and Alex Rivas (big man) this fall and with Chicago Point Guard Dority Choosing USF (St. Petersburg Times), they are on their way.

NBE got a chance to see Dority this summer with the Full Package Chicago Elite AAU squad and was always impressed with his toughness, leadership qualities and ability to make the tough plays when needed.

Dority visited USF for their recent Midnight Madness and had also visited New Mexico State previously. He canceled planned trips scheduled for Wisconsin and Baylor after making his decision yesterday.

“I think the program is on the rise,” Dority told Greg Auman of the St. Petersburg Times Sunday night. “I love the coaching staff, and I just liked the environment. And you can’t beat the Big East.”

So, with Dority onboard, the next objective for South Florida looks to be big man Waverly Austin who recently told NBE he will be taking his official visit to check out the Bulls program this coming weekend.

Another big man USF is keeping a close eye in this fall is 6-foot-8 power forward Cleveland Melvin, currently attending Notre Dame Prep. Melvin is originally a Baltimore native and reportedly has an offer from the Bulls.

Over the summer, USF was seen following Orlando (FL) point guard Shane Larkin at several AAU events. Larkin was strong for the Showtime Ballers at the AAU National Showcase in his hometown in late July. He was the one who made everything go and he is a terrific ball-handler who can get past his defender at will, and he has a nice floater in the lane. Furthermore, he can pull up from three and knock down shots. It was not surprising to learn Stan Heath and company extended an offer to Larkin recently.

Patrick Lucas-Perry is the younger brother of Michigan’s Lavell and a 2011 point guard out of Flint, Michigan (Powers HS). Lucas-Perry has been offered by Stan Heath this fall as a potential point guard prospect.

Another 2011 target for South Florida is St. Frances Academy of Baltimore (MD) big man Greg Lewis. USF watched him work out this fall. The Bulls have also made the list of 2011 bull Grandy Glaze, a Toronto native currently prepping at Proctor Academy.

Stan Heath has extensive ties in the midwest, especially the Detroit (MI) area. The local scene also has some talented prospects and it looks like the USF staff is making a very concentrated effort to establish ties in the talent-rich Baltimore/Washington DC area. We will continue to monitor the USF efforts on the recruiting trail as we approach the early signing period next month.
———————

EDDIE GRIFFIN CHALLENGE RECAP

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

New Jersey takes two of three from Philadelphia rivals in annual event

by JEFF BORZELLO

Over the past several seasons, one of the most talked-about events of the fall campaign is the Eddie Griffin Challenge, a three-game series matching the top players in New Jersey against the top players in Philadelphia. Last year, the Philly teams swept the players from the Garden State, and New Jersey came into Sunday looking for revenge.

The Challenge was held this year at the Fellowship House in Conshohocken, Pa. Although many of the top players originally scheduled to appear didn’t show – namely Mike Gilchrist, Ashton Pankey, Desmond Hubert, Rakeem Christmas and Tyrone Johnson (the latter two were injured) – there was still plenty of talent on hand for a jam-packed Fellowship House.

Read more

ANGEL NUNEZ LIKES UCONN, BIG EAST, ETC

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

Class of 2011 wing impressed with Connecticut track record of NBA wings

BY JEFF BORZELLO

Most of the top recruits in the country were busy visiting various campuses for Midnight Madness last weekend, but there was one key recruit not able to go anywhere – Angel Nunez.

The 6-foot-7 wing had to miss his scheduled visit to Connecticut for academic reasons.

Read more

DURAND JOHNSON HIGH ON PITT AFTER VIST

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

Lake Clifton junior wing has thoughts of committing

After making the trip from Baltimore (MD) to Pittsburgh (PA) this weekend, 6-foot-7 junior (2011) Durand Johnson of Lake Clifton High School came extremely close to making his college decision. In fact, a commitment on the horizon can not be ruled out.

“I did not commit, but I am close at making my decision,” Johnson told NBE on Sunday. “Next for me is making my decision.”

Johnson had an impressive close to the summer on the AAU scene with Cecil Kirk. At the AAU Nationals in Orlando (FL) to close out the live evaluation period, Johnson displayed his three-point marksmanship with a quick trigger to let it fly against top competition. Since the nationals, Johnson saw his recruiting hit a new level and a recent decision to reclass into the class of 2011 has made him into a hot target.

Earlier this month, Johnson told NBE that Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Florida State. Virginia Tech, USC, Xavier, UNLV, UMass, Seton Hall, Georgetown, Maryland, Boston College and Marquette are schools recruiting him and “every school in the A-10 has offered and are recruiting me.”

However, it looks as though his visit to Pittsburgh has certainly elevated the Panthers into the driver’s seat in his recruitment.

“My biggest impression was the team, the coaches and the fans”, said Johnson. “They showed me alot of love and really wanted me to be a part of the Pitt family.”

Along with the Panthers, Johnson indicated to NBE that Connecticut, Marquette and Florida State are still under consideration.
————————

Attention Big East and college basketball fans! Please follow the link below and vote in the Capital One Mascot Challenge! You can vote once a day, every day. Do not forget to write-in for your school’s mascot as well! Your participation will help support NBE Sports!

THANK YOU!

JABARIE HINDS WEIGHING OPTIONS; BIG EAST RECRUITING NOTES FROM IS8

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

by ZACH SMART

It was during a Westchester County high school football game under the evening lights when I encountered Patrick Theodole. Beyond the Section I sports junkie pleasantries, we became immersed in conversation.

The topic? Not football.

Instead, we talked the leaps-and-bounds growth of Jabarie Hinds. Hinds, who cooked opponents to the recipe of 37 points per game down at Bob Gibbons and has evolved into more of a prolific scorer while developing a dependable jumper, has become the hunted in the world of Big East recruiting.

I rattled off a number of top-flight Division-I schools that were actively hounding the latest guard from Westchester’s richest hoops real estate. It certainly elicited a response from Theodole, who’s one of the Knights’ many assistant coaches under longtime coach Bob Cimmino.

“Oh, there’s more schools on his list than that,” Theodole said, reacting to my list of around 8-10 potential Division-I suitors for Hinds.

Theodole—who teaches at Hastings High School, my alma mater—is not wrong here.

“They all seem hungry,” said Hinds, a junior guard who was Pippen to Sherrod Wright’s Jordan, operating offense for the Knights last season.

“I got offers from Oklahoma State, UNLV, Wake Forest, Seton Hall, St. John’s, James Madison, Louisville, and a couple more.”

Hinds has no favorites, no leaders yet. He hasn’t cut any schools from a list that’s akin to a 7-year-old’s Christmas gift list in length.

You can’t write off any team yet. The blink-quick, springy guard still has two years of high school remaining.

Even James Madison, which may or may not be at the bottom of his list, has a tie to Hinds. Former Mount Vernon standout Jomo Belfor, who plays against Hinds during the Knights’ traditional open gyms, played for the Dukes a few years ago.

Hinds keeps his former teammates, many of whom Mount Vernon molded and launched to Big East careers, close to his presence. Kevin Jones (West Virginia), Mike Colburn (Rutgers) and Jonathon Mitchell ((Rutgers) remain tight with Hinds.

“I learned a lot (from the older guys). I played behind Mike Colburn when he was in high school, so I learned a lot from him. (Former Mount Vernon Knights now playing in the Big East or elsewhere) always come up to the gym, in the off-season we work out. We play open gym. They teach me a lot of stuff, and you know, I teach them stuff too.”

As the lone acclaimed player—and one of the few players who played a significant role on last year’s squad—returning, Hinds has rapidly evolved into the face of this storied program.

He knows he’s going to hold some ownership of the team this year.

“Everything is mine now,” said Hinds. “I’m the captain. I’m the only starter back right now, so everybody’s got to work for a spot and go hard in practice every day.

Is keeping a perennial power intact a heavy burden?

“Always,” said Hinds.

“The pressure is there, big time. We need to play hard, go hard every day in practice, make sure we take no plays off, and we should be alright.”

If Hinds continues to orchestrate the offense and grow as a scorer, his future hardwood home should be better than alright.

JUMP BALLS:

Jordan Allen, a 6-foot-5 junior at Bayshore HS, has emerged into a highly sought after product on the recruiting market.

While Allen hasn’t narrowed his list down to favorites, he’s received an uptick in interest from Providence, UMass, Notre Dame and Georgia Tech.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt attended one of Allen’s practices during the last days of the contact period.

“Providence has been going pretty hard right now,” said Allen. “Coach (Pat) Skerry, I’ve been in contact with him. Notre Dame has been showing me some interest, too. That’s it for right now. Before school started, I was hearing from Seton Hall.”
——————

Devon Collier is currently on his visit at St. John’s. The hotly pursued 6-foot-8 forward from St. Anthony’s has also visited Oregon State—where Craig Robinson, our commander-in-chief’s brother-in-law, is loving his game—and Providence. Collier took his visit during StormFest weekend, SJU’s midnight madness.

The Johnnies look revved up to re-write the script this season, with DJ Kennedy exploding for emphatic, extravagant, and violent dunks. Newly-minted Johnnie junior Dwight Hardy, who was dominant in the Orchard Beach league this summer, was also impressive. He netted threes and showed some range.
——————-

Corey Edwards, a New York point guard with savvy and game managing skills beyond his years, is wide open right now. The 6-foot-1 junior at Christ The King said Villanova and West Virginia are no longer the leaders. Rick Pitino and Louisville have shown interest, taking in one of his workouts during the open contact period. Coaches from Pittsburgh have also started to take notice. Edwards, who averaged 12 points and seven dimes his sophomore season is primed for a breakout campaign at Lamar Odom’s alma mater. This comes after a successful summer playing for New Heights on the AAU circuit.

Edwards, who visited Marquette over the summer, enjoying the gut-busting antics of funnyman forward Jeronne Maymon but detesting the weather, is taking his time with the recruiting process.

“No new visits yet,” Edwards said.

“George Mason coach (Jim Larranaga) wanted me to go to their midnight madness but I couldn’t make it out there. Right now, I’m wide-open. West Virginia is no longer (leading the list). They just got some guard from Cincinnati.”
——————-
editors note – NBE has been unable to confirm the commitment for WVU that Edwards was referring to.
——————-

Tyquan Goodlet, a 6-foot-3 combination guard at St. Anthony’s HS, is receiving the most interest from Big East schools such as Providence, St. John’s, Rutgers and Marquette. He visited Rutgers this fall, taking in the Rutgers/Pitt football game. The class of 2011 playmaker has watched his stock balloon over the summer and through the fall. A crafty guard who loves shredding up defenses and taking it to the cup on the big men, Kimani Young has Goodlet pegged as “New Heights’ favorite player to watch.”
———————————————————————————

Attention Big East and college basketball fans! Please follow the link below and vote in the Capital One Mascot Challenge! You can vote once a day, every day. Do not forget to write-in for your school’s mascot as well! Your participation will help support NBE Sports!

THANK YOU!

Next Page »