Brian Crownover

OPEN EVALUATION PERIOD MISC NEWS & NOTES

Going back through the notebooks, we have found several other items of note from the last 10 days that we have not put into previous articles. Over the next week we will have some other articles and player evaluations from the first 10-day live evaluation period. All the while, we gear up for the next 10 day period of live evaluation for college coaches to close out the month.

Here are some updates from our team thatwas on the road for the 10 days…

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HOOP GROUP SUMMER CLASSIC: DAY ONE (AM)

Matt Whitfield is back on his home state and at The Hoop Group headquarters in Neptune (NJ) for the 2009 Summer Classic East.

As usual, there is a solid field put together by the Hoop Group fellas and the main early attraction was St. Patrick’s point guard Kyrie Irving who had many of the schools on his list represented by staffers watching his opening game and Irving spent some time with NBE talking about the live evaluation period and ‘the dunk’ by Jordan Crawford at the LJSA that is taking the internet world by storm. You can ready Irvings thoughts from this morning HERE!

Here are some news and notes, and a nugget or two from Brian Crownover, from the morning portion of the Summer Classic East opening day…

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RUMBLE IN THE BRONX PLAYER REVIEWS (PART 2)

by BRIAN CROWNOVER

Here are some newer names for Big East fans to learn as they put on some strong showings at the Rumble in the Bronx from earlier this month.

(Don’t forget to follow NBE on TWITTER at twitter.com/nbeblogger)

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RUMBLE IN THE BRONX PLAYER REVIEWS (PART 1)

by BRIAN CROWNOVER

Here is a look at some of the players from the NE Playaz, NY Gauchos and Team Final from last weekend. We will have more player reviews from the Rumble over the weekend as we mix on our NBA Top 100 camp stories as well.

Nate Lubick
This Georgetown-commit really looked like he was playing with a purpose with the NE Playaz. Nate has such a rare combination of size, skills and athletic ability. He ran the floor and excelled in transition. He threw down a number of rim rattling dunks. He strung together a few plays that showed off his high skill level too. Nate scored on a reverse, a one handed tip in and had a short drive and reverse with a foul. He can put the ball on the floor and
attack or score over you. He even hit on a three pointer. He’s a decent outside shooter even though his form isn’t the greatest. Nate had an outstanding game for the New England Playaz.

DeJuan Coleman
This young big man is a terrific prospect. He is massive, but skilled too. Dejuan had some difficulty finishing and walked several times early on, but he picked it up as the game wore on. He can play with his back to the basket or facing up. He converted inside with a foul after one play on the interior and banked in a shot on another. Dejuan has good hands and is actually pretty nibble for his size. He’s also quite athletic. He put together a good game and he has a very bright future ahead of him.

Coleman, who was a high school teammate of Brandon Triche at Jamesville-DeWitt HS near Syracuse (NY) this past year, lists Syracuse, Ohio State, Georgetown, Rutgers, Kansas, Kentucky and LSU, according to Jeff Borzello.

Shabazz Napier
Shabazz normally plays for Boston Metro, but he ran with the NE Playaz for the weekend. He had a solid outing and made a few plays. The lead guard made several good passes. He attacked off the dribble a few times, including once with a nice scoop finish. Shabazz should’ve attacked more. He ran the floor and did some things on the break too. He was quiet from the perimeter though.

Doron Lamb
Doron is among the best scorers in the nation and he showed why early on in this game. He had it going on from deep. He buried a pair of three-pointers early on. He then followed that up by attacking and running the floor some. Doron came back and hit several more jumpers, including
another shot from beyond the arc. He threw down a transition dunk too. He played on cruise control in the second half of the blowout win. Doron was dominant for the Gauchos while playing back in his hometown.

Lamb would tell NBE that Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, St. John’s, Connecticut, Louisville, Arizona, UCLA and Rutgers were schools in the mix. He has visited Louisville and plans to see Kentucky, Kansas and Oklahoma in the relatively near future.

Shane Southwell
Shane played well in this up and down game. He showed very unselfish play as he dished off to teammates time and time again. He did a fine job of threading the needle and putting passes right on the money. When not looking to give it up, Shane was able to put the ball in the basket too.
He has excellent size for a guard and used that to finish with contact for an old fashioned three point play on one occasion. He can attack off the dribble in either direction. Shane didn’t do much from the outside, but still put together an outstanding game.

St. John’s, Xavier, South Carolina, Marquette, Providence, Kentucky, Georgetown, Cincinnati, Miami and Kansas were programs mentioned Saturday by Shane to NBE.

Kadeem Jack
This big man was solid. Kadeem was able to make an impact by running the floor. He flashed his athletic ability on a transition dunk. He had several dunks on the day. He also showed that he can put the ball on the floor. Kadeem had a couple short drives to the hoop, once he drew a foul
and he banked in a shot on another occasion. He blocked a shot too in the contest.

Kadeem told NBE that his top three schools are Seton Hall, Pittsburgh and St. John’s. Rutgers, Miami, Arkansas, George Mason, Albany, Siena and others are also involved.

Markus Kennedy
Markus was efficient on the interior. The big man banked in a shot and finished with a foul on another. He drew another foul on the interior too. Following that, he hit both free throws. The Villanova-commit was solid on the glass too.

Michael Gilchrist
This high energy forward always has an impact. Michael attacked off the dribble time and time again. He hit a runner in the lane and did an excellent job of finishing around the rim. He’s one of the best around when it comes to converting. He ran the floor well too in the contest. Michael scored on a putback too. It’s easy to see why he’s so highly regarded when performance like this are the norm.

Gilchrist rattled off a school list of Villanova, Memphis, Indiana, Georgetown, Kentucky, Syracuse, Louisville and Seton Hall to NBE Friday night.

Rakeem Christmas
Rakeem had a strong game on the defensive end. The athletic forward blocked numerous shots. He finished a few times on the interior and drew some fouls. He was having more trouble establishing position than he had had with his own age group. Rakeem was solid, but not quite as dominate as he was in the 16 & under age group at the Southern Jam Fest.

Trevor Cooney
Trevor was able to hit a couple jumpers in this contest. He struggled to hit consistently from the outside though. He had a few nice drives to the hoop and dished off on one of them. He should attack more. Trevor was solid for Team Final.

His current schools of interest include Boston U, Delaware, Syracuse, Villanova, Ohio State, Rutgers, Texas and Maryland. He has been to Delaware and ‘Cuse, ‘Nova and Maryland and would like to see Ohio State and get a sense for what a Big 10 school is like.

This Week’s Featured Fan Links:

Basketball Tickets

See the New Yankee Stadium

World Champion Phillies Tickets!

Red Sox Ticket Deals!

RASUAL BUTLER ALL-CITY PLAYER REVIEWS

Philly area talent on display with many Big East targets shining

by BRIAN CROWNOVER

The top underclassmen in Philadelphia got together for the annual Rasual Butler All-City Classic on Thursday night at the Community College of Philadelphia. The freshmen and sophomore classes are loaded and provided some good action. The juniors put together and up and down high flying game. Brian Crownover took in the action and has a look at some of the outstanding players from this year’s event.

Scores
FR – White 76, Black 59
SO – White 77, Black 71
JR – Black 96, White 95

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ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLE??

Biggest Rumble in the Bronx yet set to tip on Friday evening at Fordham

Jim Hart and the City Rocks AAU program will host the unoffical kick-off to summer this weekend at Fordham University with the annual Rumble in the Bronx: Battle of the Supreme Court.

Here is the media release provided by Jim Hart:

This years RUMBLE in the BRONX features the best collection of 17U teams in the events 10 year history! Need evidence, how about the winner of Bob Gibbons – Team Final, got em. The winner of the NIKE MDC – California Supreme, got em. The winner of the King James Classic – New York Gauchos, got em. How about the Wallace Prather – Nike Team Florida, got em. THe Playaz Spring Fling – New England Playaz, got em. Everywhere you look their are talented Teams. Did I mention Nike Baltimore Elite, Louisiana Select, Albany City Rocks, Juice, NY Panthers, Team Odom LA, New Heights – all coming,

If your looking for individual talent, we have plenty. Jared Sullinger, Adreian Payne, Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Mike Gilchrist, Will Barton, Josh Selby, Gary Franklin Jr., Tobias Harris, Taran Buie, Will Regan, Doron Lamb, Jason Morris, Shane Southwell, Langston Galloway, Evan Smotrycz, Jayvaughn Pinkston, Devon Collier and many others.

THis is the last Big team event before July that promises to have some elite level showdowns between great individual players, but more important for the Team Hardware.

Just like last year, the NBE Basketball Report will have the Rumble in the Bronx covered completely. Jeff Borzello will be there starting Friday, Matt Whitfield will join the fun on Saturday and Brian Crownover will make the trip from Philly to cover the event for NBE as well as RecruitRecon.com.

We will have LIVE updates each day on our blog of game results, top performances and recruiting information, as well as the event wrap-up and summaries…so, stay right here this weekend and check on NBE often!!

SOUTHERN JAM FEST PLAYER REPORT

by Brian Crownover

This past weekend at the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton (VA), The Hoop Group hosted the Southern Jam Fest. As with any Hoop Group event, the action was top-notch and the event run well. On Sunday, it was CP3 out of North Carolina taking the championship over the Boo Williams Summer League entry. DC Assault and Cecil Kirk were the other members of the 17-U division’s final four teams.

Here is Brian Crownover’s look back at some of the top players that have Big East schools very interested in their talents…

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PLAYAZ SPRING FLING (PHASE II) REVIEW

The AAU travel season kicked off last weekend with the annual Playaz Spring Fling, put on by The Playaz Basketball Club. Pool play action took place on Friday night and all day Saturday at the RAC on the Rutgers campus. Championship rounds on Sunday were held at the Lady Stirling School in New Brunswick (NJ). This weekend, Phase II highlighted the efforts of some of the top U-17 and U-15 travel teams from the East Coast. Phase I, with the U-16, U-14 and U-12 teams, was held the previous weekend in Teaneck on the FDU campus. For our look at some of the play of the top U-16 players, see our story from the previous weekend: Saturday at the Playaz Spring Fling (Phase I).

Matt Whitfield took on the action Friday night for NBE while Brian Crownover stopped on for the day on Saturday to check out the action. The action concluded Sunday with the NE Playaz claiming the championship in the finales over DC Assault. Below are their reviews of some of the top players they saw as well as some of the latest recruiting information NBE has learned on the players…

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PRIMETIME PLAYER EVALS; CLASS OF 2011/2012

The NBE Basketball Report was out in full force this past weekend in Trenton (NJ) for the annual Primetime Shootout at the Sovereign Bank Arena. The action was jam-packed both Saturday and Sunday with Matt Whitfield and Brian Crownover spending time covering the most anticpated event of the year in the high school basketball landscape on the east coast. Here is the second of a three-part series on player evaluations (and recruiting updates) from the two long days of basketball. The look at the top players we saw from 2011 and 2012 is up next…

Class of 2011:

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.

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PRIMETIME SHOOTOUT EVALS; CLASS OF 2010

The NBE Basketball Report was out in full force this past weekend in Trenton (NJ) for the annual Primetime Shootout at the Sovereign Bank Arena. The action was jam-packed both Saturday and Sunday with Matt Whitfield and Brian Crownover spending time covering the most anticpated event of the year in the high school basketball landscape on the east coast. Here is the second of a three-part series on player evaluations (and recruiting updates) from the two long days of basketball. The look at the class of 2010 is the deepest report of them all…

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.

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PRIMETIME SHOOTOUT EVALS; CLASS OF 2009

The NBE Basketball Report was out in full force this past weekend in Trenton (NJ) for the annual Primetime Shootout at the Sovereign Bank Arena. The action was jam-packed both Saturday and Sunday with Matt Whitfield and Brian Crownover spending time covering the most anticpitard event of the year in the high school basketball landscape on the east coast. Here is the first of a three-part series on player evaluations (and recruiting updates) from the two long days of basketball. The class of 2009 is first…

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.

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DMV – PHILLY CHALLENGE, PART II

A look at the Junior and Senior games and the players who competed

Junior Game (Class of 2010)
DMV 87
Philly 81

Senior Game (Class of 2009)
DMV 79
Philly 73

October 15, 2008 – In conjunction with NBE Basketball Report’s previous DMV vs. Philly Challenge coverage, following are selected evaluations of junior and senior players involved. For general event coverage, see i95Ballerz.com for their coverage of each game.

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DMV – PHILLY CHALLENGE, PART ONE

A look at the Freshman and Sophomore games and the players who competed.

Freshman Game (Class of 2012)
Philly 46
DMV 45

Sophomore Game (Class of 2011)
Philly 57
DMV 49

October 14, 2008 – Saturday’s DMV vs. Philly Challengewas a success, providing a chance for top level high school basketball players to compete and observers to evaluate young people most only read about.

To that end, selected player evaluations for the DMV’s freshman and sophomore entries follow. Despite the difficulty in completely assessing a player’s game in the loosie-goosy environment of ‘all-star’ games, it was nevertheless attempted. At the very least, readers will get a general understanding of the players covered.

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BOOST MOBILE ELITE 24 PLAYER EVALS & NOTES

by Brian Crownover

The third annual Boost Mobile Elite 24 brought a collection of the nation’s best players to the famed Rucker Park playground in New York. While it might have been a national event, the Elite 24 seemed more like a regional game as three of the four MVPs were from the northeast. The top player was New York’s own Lance Stephenson. Maalik Wayns took home co-MVP honors along with Lance for The Goat squad, while Dominic Cheek (St. Anthony’s, New Jersey) and John Wall (Word of God, NC) combined as MVPs for the Skip to My Lou team. Skip to My Lou won the contest 135 to 121.

Here is a look at the above players and some additional standout performers:

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VEGAS REPORT: NIKE MAIN EVENT

by Brian Crownover

Brian Crownover, lead recruiting analyst of the CAA Insider, and the NBE Basketball Report’s main man in Philly, hit the road this past week and hit the scene in Vegas where AAU teams galore came together to showcase their talents in front of college coaches.

In Brian’s third installment from his time in Vegas, he takes a look at some of the top players from the Nike Main Event. Coaches from Louisville, Connecticut, West Virginia and Providence were also spotted at certain games (listed below).

Previous stories:
Reebok Summer Championships
Adidas Super 64

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VEGAS REPORT: ADIDAS SUPER 64

by Brian Crownover

Brian Crownover, lead recruiting analyst of the CAA Insider, and the NBE Basketball Report’s main man in Philly, hit the road this past week and hit the scene in Vegas where AAU teams galore came together to showcase their talents in front of college coaches.

In Brian’s second installment from his time in Vegas, he takes a look at some of the top players from the Adidas Super 64. Coaches from Louisville, Villanova and Marquette were watching some of their commitments shine in Vegas. Also, coaches from Providence, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Georgetown, Seton Hall and West Virginia were also spotted at certain games (listed below).

Previous story: Reebok Summer Championships

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VEGAS REPORT: REEBOK SUMMER CHAMPIONSHIPS

by Brian Crownover

Brian Crownover, lead recruiting analyst of the CAA Insider, and the NBE Basketball Report’s main man in Philly, hit the road this past week and hit the scene in Vegas where AAU teams galore came together to showcase their talents in front of college coaches.

In Brian’s first installment from his time in Vegas, he takes a look at some of the top players from the Reebok Summer Championships.

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RASHAD WHACK AIMS HIGH

DC Assault guard looks to land in ACC or Big East for college

by Brian Crownover

Last week, I crossed paths with numerous talented prospects from all over the map. In my journey, one of the most impressive players that I encountered was super talented guard Rashad Whack from Bishop McNamara in Maryland.

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NEWS & NOTES FROM ‘CAMP’ WEEK

News and notes from ‘camp’ week courtesy of Brian Crownover’s travels

by Brian Crownover

July is the biggest month when it comes to basketball recruiting. Once the “live” period gets going, it hits with a flurry of action. I attended various events during that first week, including the Reebok All American Camp, the Reebok Summer Classic East, Hoop Group Elite Camp, Hoop Group Team Camp and even the Stellar “Catch a Rising Star” Tournament. Here is a look at some of the standout players along with other notes.

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SATURDAY RUMBLE IN THE BRONX PLAYER EVALS

Brian Crownover set out from Philadelphia early Saturday morning for New York City and the much anticipated Rumble in the Bronx on the Fordham University campus. Brian took in contests played by the NY Gauchos, Team Final, Raising Champions and LA Dream Team while sneaking a peak at Sherrod Wright for the NJ Playaz. His review of the players in action from Saturday can be found below.

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