Brian Bosworth, Cincinnati Recruiting, Florida Atlantic Recruiting, Florida Recruiting, Georgetown Recruiting, Notre Dame Recruiting, Ohio State Recruiting, Oregon, Providence Recruiting, Seton Hall Recruiting, St. John's Recruiting, Temple Recruiting, UCLA, Villanova Recruiting, Xavier Recruiting

RUMBLE IN THE BRONX REPORT – PART III

By Brian Bosworth

The Rumble in the Bronx came to a close Sunday at Manhattan College with four champions being crowned. In the 15U bracket, the NJ Playaz outlasted the Westchester hawks to take home the title. The New York Gauchos used a furious second half rally to force overtime and eventually defeat Sports U Izod in the 16U bracket. Two champions were crowned at the 17U level with the Cincinnati Knights overtaking the Franchise All Stars (TX) in the silver bracket and the NJ Playaz fending off host team Albany City Rocks in the gold bracket.

While plenty of talented players made the trip to New York for this weekend’s festivities, a recurring theme continued Sunday with more big names not suiting up for their respective clubs. Star players missing from the action on Sunday included Dajuan Coleman and Olivier Hanlon of Albany City Rocks, Dakari Johnson of the New York Gauchos, Darrick Wood of the New Jersey Playaz, and Wannah Bail of the Franchise All Stars. Despite these absences the tournament was left with more than enough firepower for an entertaining weekend and a handful of players separated themselves from the pack on Sunday.

Ricardo Ledo (Expressions Elite 2012) – After struggling to put the ball in the hoop on Saturday, Ledo put on an offensive clinic in the silver playoffs on Sunday morning leading his team to victory with 28 big points. He toyed with defenders using his go-to crossover move and got into the paint finishing all the way at the rim as well as from mid-range. Ledo also showed off deep NBA range on his jump shot making seven 3 pointers both after using that crossover dribble and in catch and shoot situations. He makes the game look so easy on the offensive end when he has it working and it’s this smooth, effortless style that has both college and NBA scouts craving his services in the future.

Jordan Fuchs (New York Gauchos 2013) – A 6’6” combo-forward from Christ the King, Fuchs outworks his opponents on both ends of the floor. He uses his high-motor to dominate the offensive glass and score while absorbing contact in the paint. Not just a worker, Fuchs also has above-average athleticism which he showcased with a two-handed put back dunk in the first half of a quarterfinal victory over New Heights. He is working on transitioning to the SF position full time at the next level by spending the summer improving his handle and his jump shot. The early stages of this work are showing already as multiple times Fuchs used 2-3 dribbles to get from the 3 point line to the rim and finish.

Jordan Washington (New Heights 2013) – At 6’7” 225 pounds Washington is a load in the paint at the 16U level. He has very broad shoulders and a muscular frame that allow him to bully opponents in the paint. Most of Washington’s scoring is done from right at the rim as he uses his quick feet and wide body to create space and has no problem absorbing contact and still putting the ball in the basket. He does have a tendency to pick up cheap offensive fouls because he is so much stronger than most defenders in his age group and loves to initiate contact. Going forward, he will need to learn how to channel his aggressiveness down low so that it can work in his favor but there is no doubt he has potential to be a low post scoring option at the high-major level.

Josh Brown (Sports U IZOD 2013) – The 6’2” rising junior should be the starter at the point for St. Anthony’s next season and Friar’s fans are in for a real treat. Brown is a freak athlete and uses his superior athleticism to make plays in all facets of the game. He’s a strong rebounder and once he grabs a defensive board it’s off to the races. An absolute blur in the open court, Brown is just as likely to dunk on an unsuspecting defender’s head as he is to make a simple bounce pass to a teammate for an easy score. In the half-court, he is simply devastating in pick and roll sets as he uses his speed to turn the corner and get to the rim and is also very adept at drawing the double team and whipping a pass to the screener for a layup. In my opinion, Brown is only a consistent jump shot away from being a top 50 player nationally in the 2013 class.

Kyle Anderson (New Jersey Playaz 2012) – One of the nation’s most unique prospects, Kyle has been on the national radar forever it seems. Standing at a muscular 6’8”, he plays both the point guard and the wing spots for the Playaz on the offensive end. He gets into the paint at will against top level defenders and once there is able to score by making floaters and pull-ups from unusual angles. Kyle is also an excellent rebounder at both ends of the floor and a strong finisher through contact after corralling an offensive board. He has arguably the highest basketball IQ of any high school player in America, always plays under control, and is a team-first winning player. Despite splitting time between positions on this level, Kyle plans to sign with a high-major program that will allow him to run the point on the college level.

Myles Davis (New Jersey Playaz 2012) – Davis is a 6’3” combo guard from Notre Dame Prep (MA) and is one of the best long range shooters in the 2012 class. He buried three consecutive triples to spark a second half run and lead his team to a semifinal victory over New Heights. Equally effective shooting off the catch or dribbling in either direction, Davis forces defenders to always be aware of him on the court thus opening up space for his teammates. While long range shooting is his strongest skill, Davis is also able to put the ball on the floor after a shot fake and use his strong frame to finish with either hand in the paint. Defensively, Davis needs to work on his lateral foot speed as he will likely have to guard the point guard spot at the next level but he is already adequate in this area.

Savon Goodman (New Jersey Playaz 2012) – verbally committed to Villanova – Goodman is a 6’6” combo forward who consistently showcases the highest motor on the court and uses superior athleticism to make plays. He’s an above-average rebounder on both ends and usually converts at least a couple of offensive rebounds into highlight reel dunks. Goodman should become a fan favorite at Villanova quickly with his lunch pail, blue collar style to go along with his above the rim playmaking ability.

Ricardo Gathers (Franchise All Stars 2012) – Gathers is one of the most physically imposing players in the country standing at 6’7” and 240 pounds. He looks more like an NFL linebacker than a high school basketball player and also has some serious hops to go along with his physicality. A power forward for most of his high school career, Gathers has started to expand his game to the perimeter showing the ability to handle in the open court and beat his defender off the dribble. He even buried an open 3 pointer in the silver championship game but his shooting stroke seems to have a bit of a hitch and needs work. Gathers should be an impact player as a freshman at whichever high-major program he chooses because he will step in and be one of the strongest players in college basketball right away.

Semaj Christon (Cincinnati Knights 2012) – The dynamic 6’3” lead guard scored the ball every way imaginable in leading his team to an upset victory in the silver championship game. He made 3 pointers and long jumpers. He got to the rim off penetration and finished through contact. He hit fade-aways and step-back jumpers from mid range. He even threw down a vicious dunk in transition over a helpless defender. To go along with his impressive scoring ability, Christon was a willing and capable distributor getting his teammates the ball in position to score. He pushed the tempo in transition and didn’t turn the ball over the entire game despite playing at a fast pace and being his teams’ primary ball handler. To cap off his impressive performance, Christon had the ball in his hands with under a minute to play and a tie score. He attacked his defender, got into the paint, and hit a running floater for a 2 point lead and a silver championship victory. Big players make big plays at big times and Christon did just that on this Sunday afternoon in the Bronx.
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Recruiting Updates:

Jordan Fuchs – The rising junior wasn’t sure on a full list of schools as he can’t be personally contacted until June 15th. He did mention that his coaches have told him Ohio State, Florida, Providence and Rutgers have already expressed interest with Rutgers having offered.

Jordan Washington – Washington is undecided on whether he will return to Pathways for his junior season or seek a prep school option and won’t make a decision until later in the summer. He has received early interest from Villanova, Notre Dame and Oregon.

Kyle Anderson – Anderson confirmed Sunday what he told NBE’s Matt Whitfield on Saturday morning that he recently cut his list to a final 5. He is considering offers from Georgetown, UCLA, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Florida. He said that when it was time he would sit down and talk everything over with his family and make whatever was the best decision for him, but there is no current time table for a decision.

Josh Brown (Sports U IZOD 2013 – According to Sports U IZOD president Eddie Bright, the main schools calling about Brown’s services at this point are Temple and Florida Atlantic. Expect that to change drastically once the July live period rolls around as Big East coaches should be fighting over his services once they get a look at him.

Semaj Christon – Christon completed his high school career at Winton Woods H.S. in Ohio but will be attending prep school next year. He said it will most likely be at St. Thomas More in Connecticut but he is still considering Brewster Academy as well. Colleges are on the lead guard aggressively and he is hearing the most from Georgetown, Providence, Xavier and Cincinnati with Xavier having offered. He mentioned that he is interested in “mostly Big East schools.”

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NBE is very excited to begin working with Brian Bosworth. Brian lives in Connecticut and is a self-described ‘high school hoops junkie.’ You can see more of his work from this spring, including his excellent coverage from the IS8 spring league, at his blog: Bosworth Hoops. Look for more from Brian at NBE this spring and summer.
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