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MERNAGH: ARRIVAL DAY AT NBAPA TOP 100 CAMP

by RAY MERNAGH

Yesterday was the first time I’ve ever used a GPS system while traveling and it scared the living hell out of me. I drove trucks for a short time oh so long ago and I’ve always mapped out trips and had directions written down in the passenger seat (or my passenger’s hands). I just couldn’t get used to hearing a voice telling me what to do — I felt completely powerless.

This doesn’t seem right.

I don’t think I should get off 81 right now.

What if this thing turns a five and a half hour trip into a eight hour one and I miss the practice at 4.

All three italicized thoughts raced through my mind as I made the trip here to Charlottesville, Virginia. My brother Jim called me halfway through and when I mentioned that I was in the process of losing my GPS virginity and how I was feeling a bit unpure about it he just laughed — “It’ll get you there bro, don’t worry.”

And I’ll be damned if it didn’t.

Pulled into the John Paul Jones Arena lot on UVA’s campus at 3:57.

WHEW!

Looking down at the floor I noticed Jerry Stackhouse and Chris Duhon right away putting kids through their paces (think I saw potential future UConn assistant Kevin Ollie as well, working with guards/forwards on side pick and rolls). Former Pitt great Charles Smith showed up with (I assume) his son in tow. Anyway, I was able to catch up with a few interesting kids, plus a current NBA free agent, before setting out — completely confident in technology — to find my hotel.

Naadir Tharpe looked fresh climbing up the arena steps despite just having gone through a workout. Tharpe, a 2011 guard from Brewster Academy — sorry Friar fans — recently backed off his verbal to Providence so I was eager to find out who was now on his radar.

“I talked to coach Buzz (Williams at Marquette) yesterday,” said Tharpe, “and that went real well. I also spoke with coach Capel (at Oklahoma), talked with Miami, BC and I just recently visited Wake Forest after the Chris Paul Camp.”

How did the visit go?

“It was nice man, it’s a small school but after talking with the coach he says it’s like a real community right there on campus and that kind of like the prep school I’m at right now so that’s pretty cool,” said Tharpe. “He’s a good coach so you never know.”

Other schools on Tharpe’s radar?

“Rutgers, Seton Hall,” said Tharpe before adding “there’s others but I can’t come off the top of my head with them right now but my list is looking real good. Tharpe was shocked when he stepped onto the floor for the initial Top 100 practice and saw Jerry Stackhouse among others ready to instruct him.

“You have great NBA players out here and I didn’t even know they were gonna be here,” said Tharpe. “It was a shock to walk out for my first group session and find myself working with Jerry Stackhouse!”

Another player excited to be at the camp was Jakarr Sampson. The 6’7 forward from “St. V” (St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron) said the thing he wants to find out most from the players is their opinions and points of view on different topics, including the league. “It’s pretty cool to get an NBA players input and ask them what it’s like to be in the league,” said Sampson.

Sampson had a top four list of schools all ready for me and some might find it surprising.

“Right now it’s St. John’s, USC, Louisville and Baylor,” said the kid who’s stock has risen dramatically over the last year. Sampson added that new St. John’s coach Steve Lavin seems like a “cool dude, you know a nice dude to hang around with.” Interesting.

Sampson does fit the Lavin profile of a long, athletic greyhound slasher-type.

Next player to walk by me was 2012 point Tyler Lewis, who I wrote about extensively after his performance at the Pittsburgh event earlier in the spring. Lewis has continued to show off his instinctive ability to run a team (something that should stand out in a camp setting like this). Lewis had ACC offers back then, plus some SEC and A-10 offers. He said those still stand (Wake was one) and added that his newest offers are from the ACC and SEC.

“Yes sir, since the last time we talked NC State has offered and Ole Miss has offered,” said Lewis, “and Charlotte‘s been on me real hard.” Lewis told me that he’s just trying to stay busy with basketball and work hard.

“It’s an honor to be here and play with some of the top guys in the country plus get instruction from guys who’ve been at the highest level or are still there — it’s truly an honor.” Charlotte‘s new coach Alan Major has been a busy man as three of the kids I grabbed yesterday mentioned his program very early in our talks.

Bernard Sullivan, a 6-8, 215 pound forward from Charlotte was one of them. “I’ve got offers from UNC-Charlotte, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Virginia and Davidson,” Sullivan told me while also saying he had interest from Duke, Rutgers, Marquette and Georgetown. Sullivan is excited at this chance to play against high competition.

“It’s an honor to work with the NBA players but also a great chance for me to go against the top guys and get more exposure,” said Sullivan.

Similar to Sullivan is Baltimore big man Greg Lewis (6-9, 220 or so). Lewis said his list is “Maryland, Ohio State, UMASS and USF.” Lewis will play for Baltimore Elite this July and it’s been reported elsewhere that he has an offer from Xavier and he told NBE last week he hopes to visit Villanova, Ohio State and South Florida “before the summer is over.”

Perhaps the biggest explosion this spring has been Langhorne, Pennsylvania guard Ryan Arcidiacono. NBE has been singing his praises for more than a year now (see here for proof, ha ha) and the rest of the country is finally appreciating what we have been seeing ever since we first laid eyes on him.

Arcidiacono is a bigger point guard at 6-4 and a member of the 2012 class. His stock was raised significantly on a national scope by his showing at the TOC a few weeks back, where he balled out even after taking a nasty shot in the face and needing several stitches to close the wound and having limited vision.

“Yeah I guess the right person finally saw me you could say,” said the Bucks County product. “Now that school is over I can just ball all the time so I’m excited about that.” That quote right there tells you why coaches seem to love this kid, and he most certainly is feeling the love. On the first day that coaches could call 2012 kids Arcidiacono heard from a plethora of them.

“Yesterday I got offered by Penn State, Temple, Seton Hall and Tulane,” he said, “and then I got calls from Georgetown, Florida, Texas, West Virginia, Nova, Miami, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Syracuse and Notre Dame.” All the bigger schools on the list told the kid they’d be watching him in July but he that won’t effect his style of play.

“I just have to play my game and not worry about all that,” he told me.

Kind of like me not worrying about the GPS system — oh yeah, it got me lost on the 3 mile drive to the hotel! Ha, knew it was bogus!

Games start at 10:45 this morning and I’ll be here through tomorrow afternoon so look for several reports throughout the days that follow in our Premium Content & Event Coverage section for subscribers.

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Stay tuned to the NBE Basketball Report for another series of recruiting updates today. We also start our early summer coverage blitz today as Ray Mernagh travels to the University of Virginia to cover the NBAPA Top 100 basketball camp. Here is our early summer coverage schedule:

June 16-18: NBAPA Top 100 Camp in Charlottesville (VA)
July 6-8: Adidas Invitational in Indianapolis (IN)
July 6-7: Lebron James Skills Academy in Akron (OH)
July 7-8: Hoop Group Elite Camp in Reading (PA)
July 8-9: King City Classic in Cleveland (OH)
July 9-11: King James Summer Showdown in Chicago (IL)
July 10: BasketBull’s First 8 in Springfield (MA)
July 11: Hall of Fame National Invitational in Springfield (MA)
July 12-15: NY2LA Summer Slam in Milwaukee (WI)
July 12-16: Nike EYBL Peach Jam in N. Augusta (SC)

Other event possibilities include the Team Takeover Tournament (June 18-20), Hoop Group Summer Classic (July 12), Playaz Ball (July 14-15), West Virginia Harley Jam Fest (July 14-16).

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to keep up to date all summer with our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage. But hurry, the introductory rate will not last forever…

Sports fans should also visit StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online for tickets to any NCAA event or NBA, MLB, NHL game or UFC, WWE or concert tickets at an arena near you this spring.

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