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NPSI DAY FOUR RECAP

BY PAT STEVENS – Two of the Class of 2011’s best shined as Michael Carter-Williams of St. Andrew’s locked up the MVP award while Shabazz Napier of Lawrence Academy made a push at retaining it for the second straight year as the 12th annual National Prep School Invitational concluded on Sunday.

Big East assistant coaches on hand included Connecticut’s Pat Sellers and Providence’s Pat Skerry.

-South Kent (Conn.) and its pair of Big East signees J.J. Moore (6-6 WF/Pittsburgh) and Russ Smith (6-1 PG/Louisville) pulled away from a two-point halftime lead, 34-32, and topped Christian Faith Academy (N.C.), 84-75.

Moore had 21 points and 11 rebounds and Smith scored 18 to lead the way.

Christian Faith’s Andrew Wiggins (2013/6-6 WF) scored the team high 18-points and bank on this freshman from Canada being a target of the conference’s best down the road.

-St. Thomas More (Conn.) was done early with Massanutten Military Academy (Va.), going into halftime ahead 55-27 and winning 94-62.

Top 2012 prospect Andre Drummond (6-11 C) had 14 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 17 minutes against an undersized frontline.

Bryon Allen (6-1 CG), once a West Virginia verbal, isn’t looking like a Big East spring signee. There was some talk of him doing a post-graduate year but he says he’d like to go to college in 2010 if he finds the right fit. Oregon and Siena jumped in on him after November’s National Prep Showcase and he’s also considering Boston College, Cleveland State and Houston. Allen had 12 points and six assists in just 18 minutes.

Trashon Burrell (2011/6-6 WF) listed Connecticut, Providence, Syracuse and West Virginia back in December but says those are still the only Big East schools he has interest from, also adding Boston College, Drexel, Penn State and UNLV to the mix. Burrell sat Sunday to rest a hamstring.

-Saint Andrew’s (R.I.) won another of the tournament’s featured games when the NEPSAC Class B team knocked off Class A’s Maine Central Institute, 87-81.

Michael Carter-Wiliams (2011/6-5 PG/Syracuse verbal) went for 37 points on 12-16 FG/5-8 3PT/8-10 FT to go with eight assists, six rebounds and four steals.

Ricardo Ledo (2012/6-5 SG) hit four three-pointers in the second half and flashed his athleticism on drives to the hoop in a 28-point day on 10-19 FG/4-9 3PT/4-6 FT.

For MCI, Tyshawn Bell (6-6 CF), one of the top unsigned forwards, was in the zone with six three-pointers and went perfect from the field in 31-point day on 9-9 FG/7-8 FT. He had visited South Florida earlier this year.

-Lawrence Academy (Mass.) and Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.) delivered in their matchup as there were 11 lead changes until Shabazz Napier delivered the final blows, winning it for Lawrence, 82-81.

Last year’s MVP of the event was typically clutch with back-to-back three-pointers in the final 30 seconds. He scored 37 points on 13-27 FG/7-16 3PT/4-13 FT with six assists in the full 40 minutes.

Napier said he’d like to cut his recruiting down to five schools after the summer and make a decision before next season.

For NMH, Majok Majok (6-7 PF) posted another double-double, 20 points and 12 rebounds, this time against the undersized Lawrence frontline. Marquette was at NMH this past week to see him along with Oklahoma and Illinois. Alabama, Georgia Tech, Harvard, Fordham and George Washington are also involved.

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