Duke Recruiting

2013 NBPA TOP 100 HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL CAMP — FINAL RECRUITING NOTES

By Matt Whitfield, Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA)’s 20th Anniversary of the NBPA Top 100 High School Basketball Camp kicked off Wednesday at the University of Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville and concluded over the weekend. Media was allowed to begin attending sessions on Thursday and NBE was back on the road and in attendence.

The NBPA Top 100 High School Basketball Camp was created by the NBPA in 1994 to assist elite high school student-athletes in the development of their basketball and life skills. Throughout the last 20 years, the Camp has grown into one of the most highly touted and renowned camps of its kind and has seen hundreds of its participants go on to successful NBA careers. You can follow the camp on Twitter @Top100Camp and be sure to follow @NBESports for all of our updates as well.

To close our recruiting updates, NBE caught up with Craig Victor, Satchel Pierce, Khadeem Lattin, Abdul-Malik Abu, Brandone Francis, Skal Labissiere, Chinanu Onuaku, Kevon Looney, Trevon Blueitt and Trayvon Reed, which you can see below…

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2013 NBPA TOP 100 HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL CAMP — RECRUITING NOTES (PART I)

By Matt Whitfield, Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA)’s 20th Anniversary of the NBPA Top 100 High School Basketball Camp kicked off Wednesday at the University of Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville. Media was allowed to begin attending sessions on Thursday and NBE was back on the road and in attendence.

The NBPA Top 100 High School Basketball Camp was created by the NBPA in 1994 to assist elite high school student-athletes in the development of their basketball and life skills. Throughout the last 20 years, the Camp has grown into one of the most highly touted and renowned camps of its kind and has seen hundreds of its participants go on to successful NBA careers. You can follow the camp on Twitter @Top100Camp and be sure to follow @NBESports for all of our updates as well.

IN our first recruiting notebook we take a look at the latest from

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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK (1/25/2013): BERRY GIVES TAR HEELS HEAD START ON ’14 CLASS & MORE RECRUIT NEWS

by Alex Schwartz

While the last week or so has not been crazy on the recruiting trail, it has certainly not been as slow as the holiday season. The rundown includes a few high-major programs adding 2013 commitments, a powerhouse getting a 2014 pledge, USA Basketball releasing some big news and more.

We begin with the 2014 pledge, which came from Joel Berry, the No. 20 prospect in the NBE Sports Class of 2014 Post-July Top 75. Berry, a 6-foot-1 point guard from Lake Highland Prep (FL), has popped for North Carolina, per Alex Kline of TheRecruitScoop.com. He is a major pickup for the Tar Heels and is the highest ranked committed player in the NBE Sports 2014 rankings.

Amida Brimah, a 6-foot-11 class of 2013 center committed to UConn, per Coast 2 Coast Hoops. Brimah attends Archbishop Carroll (FL), after transferring over from Monsignor Pace (FL). He is a bit under the radar and fairly raw, but has some definite upside and can really impact the game when he is in the groove.

Jerron Wilbut of St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy (WI) is off the board to Seton Hall, according to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. Wilbut is a 6-foot-3 class of 2013 shooting guard who is in a post-graduate year after attending Downers Grove South (IL).

Sticking with the news on ZagsBlog.com and the current BIG EAST, Rutgers picked up a commitment from South Kent (Conn.) point guard Shane Rector.  The 6-foot-1 Rector is the first commit in the 2013 class for Mike Rice and the Scarlet Knights.

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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK (12/27/2012): HOLIDAY SEASON BRINGS A QUIET TIME IN RECRUITING NEWS

by Alex Schwartz

First off, NBE Sports would like to say Happy Holidays to all of our readers. Hopefully you all enjoy the season!

As for the hoops, there was one big-time commitment that came down in the past week as well as a few other pieces of news.

Jabari Parker, ranked No. 3 in the NBE Sports Class of 2013 Post-July Top 125, committed to the Duke Blue Devils. Parker selected Duke over BYU, Florida, Michigan State, and Stanford. The 6-foot-8 small forward from Simeon (IL) is a huge pickup for Mike Krzyzewski and Co. and is the top ranked committed player in the nation not going to an SEC School.

Parker is the third member of Duke’s class in the top 45 of the NBE Sports rankings. He joins No. 29 Matt Jones of DeSoto (TX) and No. 41 Semi Ojeleye of Ottawa (KS).

Jevon Thomas of St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy (WI) committed to Kansas State, per ESPN.com’s Reggie Rankin. Thomas is a 5-foot-11 class of 2013 point guard from New York who is in a post-graduate year at SJNMA. He had originally committed to St. John’s, then decommitted and eventually pledged to Dayton. Instead of heading to Dayton, Thomas went to prep school and is now bound for KSU.

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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK (12/20/2012): JABARI PARKER DECISION NEARING; DAKARI JOHNSON CUTS LIST TO THREE

by Alex Schwartz

There have not been many high-major commitments of late, but there has still been a fair amount of news in the high school hoops world lately. In addition, one of the nation’s top prospects is set to announce his choice today.

First off, Jabari Parker is set to announce his college choice today on ESPNU, as originally reported by Joe Henrickson of the Chicago Sun-Times. Parker is a 6-foot-8 small forward out of Simeon (IL) who is ranked No. 3 in the NBE Sports Class of 2013 Post-July Top 125. KSL.com’s Greg Wrubell quoted Jabari’s father, Sonny Parker, as saying, “I think it will probably be between Duke and Michigan State.”

Samford landed a commitment from Jordan Capps, per Scout.com’s Evan Daniels. Capps is a class of 2013 small forward prospect from Peachtree Ridge (GA) who has some solid size at 6-foot-6.

St. Peter’s dipped into the JuCo ranks for a 2013 commitment, according to Brad Winton of JuCoRecruiting.com. He reported that the Peacocks landed Tyler Gaskins, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Lawson State Community College (AL).

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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK (12/3/2012): TOWNS DECISION COMING; OTHER NEWS TRICKLING IN ON RECRUITING FRONT

by Alex Schwartz

Things have been very quiet on the trail over the past week, with few major commitments. However, there were a few newsworthy items from the high school hoops world lately and they are detailed below.

First off, the Oklahoma High School Sports Express reported that Stevie Clark of Douglass (OK) had signed his Letter of Intent to attend Oklahoma State. Clark is a 5-foot-10 point guard and he is ranked as the No. 101 player in the NBE Sports Class of 2013 Post-July Top 125. He is the second talented guard to pledge to the Cowboys recently, joining 6-foot-2 shooting guard Detrick Mostella of La Lumiere (IN).

Jeff Tarpley of AggieYell.com had the news that Tony Trocha inked with Texas A&M. Trocha is a 6-foot-10 center from Colombia who attends Saint Thomas (TX). The long post player has some definite upside and Scout.com’s Evan Daniels reported that he may enroll in College Station this season.

Class of 2013 stud Julius Randle will be out for three months with a fractured right foot, per Jason Jordan of USA Today. Randle, a 6-foot-9 power forward from Prestonwood Christian (TX), is ranked No. 5 in the NBE Sports 2013 Top 125.

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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK (11/5/2012): COMMITMENT FRENZY HEATS UP AS SIGNING PERIOD NEARS

by Alex Schwartz

We only had one Recruiting Notebook last week, so there is a lot to get through in this one. Thus, we’re going to go with a bit more of a quick, rapid fire style this time.

First off, Baylor picked up a pledge from 6-foot-9 center Dominic Woodson of Huntington Prep (WV), according to Scout.com’s Evan Daniels. The big man is ranked No. 37 in the NBE Sports Class of 2013 Post-July Top 125 and is the second top-40 prospect to pop for Baylor in three weeks. Woodson’s other finalist was North Carolina State.

 

Earlier today Austin Nichols tweeted he had committed to Memphis.   Nichols, ranked #75 in the NBE rankings, is another major in-state coup for Josh Pastner and the Tigers over in-state rival Tennessee.

LSU landed a big-time commitment from Jarrell Martin of Madison Prep Academy (LA), per Ben Love of Tiger Sports Digest. The 6-foot-8 power forward is ranked No. 66 in the NBE Sports Class of 2013 Post-July Top 125. He is the third player in the top 75 to pledge to LSU in this class.

ESPN.com’s Reggie Rankin had the news that Jajuan Johnson of Southwind (TN) had selected Marquette. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard is ranked No. 63 in the NBE Sports Class of 2013 Post-July Top 125 and joins two other top-75 ranked prospects in Marquette’s class. Johnson chose Marquette over Alabama and Miami.

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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK (10/8/12) — DECISIONS, DECISIONS, DECISIONS…

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by Alex Schwartz

Andrew and Aaron Harrison, arguably the best set of twin brothers to ever come through the high school ranks, announced their intentions to attend Kentucky. Their decision came on ESPNU’s “Recruiting Nation” program on Thursday night.

Andrew, a 6-foot-5 point guard, and Aaron, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, selected UK over Maryland and SMU. The Travis (TX) High School stars are both ranked among the top five players in the nation in the class of 2013.

The Harrison twins are the two highest ranked committed players in the senior class, checking in at No. 1 (Andrew) and No. 4 (Aaron) in the NBE Sports Class of 2013 Post-July Top 125. John Calipari looks to be on his way to potentially landing the best recruiting class in the nation for the fifth straight time.
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CLASS OF 2013 POST-JULY TOP 125

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By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

With stops during the month of July at the Hoop Group Elite Camp, Adidas Invitational, Nike Peach Jam, Nike Invitational and Live in AC…NBE’s National Recruiting Analyst Brian Bosworth is ready to release his Class of 2013 National Top 125. The list has exanded from the Pre-July Period Top 75 and also includes a new #1 player in the class.

The Class of 2013 certainly flexed their muscles on the camp and AAU circuit all July. The class is widely regarded as one of the best in recent memory with a deep pool of talent, especially near the top.

Read on below to see the current rankings as we begin to prepare for the 2012-2013 prep and high school season which will be here before we know it!

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ORLANDO AAU REPORT – SATURDAY

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By Alex Schwartz

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Saturday was the final full day of the last Live period this month. Coaches will be back in the gym on Sunday, but must leave at 5:00 p.m. There were quite a few players who excelled on Saturday and it looked like one player had the Top Performer spot wrapped up–until one 2013 wing went bonkers from long range in the nightcap. Also, a trio of big men originally from Africa were quite impressive, two top-five players shined again and a top-100 prospect in 2013 listed a favorite.

TOP PERFORMER

Omar Prewitt needs to be in the discussion of the best shooter in the United States at the high school level. A 6’5 shooting guard out of Montgomery (KY) put on an absolute SHOW for The Ville in the final game of the night. In the first half alone, Prewitt had 22 points and knocked in six 3-pointers. The final stats sheet was swooped away before we could take a look at it, but one of The Ville coaches said Prewitt had 33 points and a D1 assistant told us he hd 34. He finished with eight or nine 3-pointers and was simply unstoppable off the catch. Prewitt is not just a one-dimensional shooter, though. He has a smooth game and is more than capable of knifing through a defense and getting to the rim. Prewitt handles the ball pretty well and he can block shots at the defensive end. His Saturday night performance was one of the best that this writer has seen all month.
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ORLANDO AAU REPORT – THURSDAY

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by Alex Schwartz

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The 2012 11th Grade AAU Nationals tournament continued rolling along yesterday, and NBE Sports was there yet again to take in the action. Check out our rundown of the day’s action below and see which Big East school’s head coach saw two of his commits turn in impressive performances. Also, learn which under-the-radar prospects impressed on the second day of the tournament.

TOP PERFORMER

Ryan Wilkins gets the nod as Thursday’s top performer over several worthy candidates, including one of his SEC-bound teammates. A 6’2 shooting guard out of Effingham County (GA), Wilkins is a smooth player in the backcourt whose game you almost have to love. A class of 2013 prospect who is now playing with the South Georgia Kings, Wilkins dropped in 20 points in the game we watched. He knocked down four shots from long range, but he is by no means just a long range marksman. Wilkins is quite capable of getting to the basket off the dribble and can utilize his quality crossover to help him do so. He possesses solid leaping ability and showed he will take a charge at the defensive end. Wilkins has just one scholarship offer at this point, but that needs to change. Low-major to mid-major programs should be all over Wilkins, who can flat out produce.

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NIKE ELITE INVITATIONAL 15U SEMIFINAL RECAP

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

While the Peach Jam took a long break during the afternoon on Saturday, 15U semifinal action at the Nike Elite Invitational more than filled the void. Elite talents both known and unknown had a chance to shine and here’s a sample of who impressed.

Top Performer of the Afternoon:

Thomas Bryant (Team Scan 2015) – Bryant is still far more prospect than player but his ceiling is enormous and all his incredible tools were on full display on Saturday. Growing rapidly and nearly 6-foot-10, the Rochester (NY) native who attends Bishop Kearney High School moves like a guard and possesses some guard skills on the offensive end. He is very comfortable shooting the ball out to 18 feet, and can handle and attack off the dribble. Bryant also backed his man down in the post but needs major work on his footwork when navigating on the block. Perhaps his most impressive offensive move came as a ball handler in a pick and roll when he turned the corner and dropped off a pretty bounce pass to his rolling teammate. Very few pros at Bryant’s size have that level of skill so for a 15 year old to flash it is borderline ridiculous. He also protects the rim and projects as an elite shot blocker but does need to become much more physical. Bryant can be bullied for position and doesn’t rebound as well as he should because of that but added strength and a better understanding of how to use that strength should clean that up.
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2012 PEACH JAM REPORT – DAY III (PART C)

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Friday night at the Peach Jam is a session I will never forget. It featured a game between CIA Bounce and the Texas Titans that will be talked about in recruiting circles a decade from now as the nation’s best player made it clear he has no equal in high school basketball.

Top Performer of the Night:

Andrew Wiggins (CIA Bounce 2014) – Wiggins didn’t just have the best performance of the night or the best performance of the tournament, but rather had arguably the best single performance I’ve ever seen in an AAU game. Matched up head to head with one of 2013’s best in Julius Randle, Wiggins ended any lingering debate over who is the top prospect regardless of class. He finished with 28 points and 13 rebounds but those numbers don’t even do justice to the greatness that he showed. Wiggins is the freakiest of freak athletes consistently making plays above the rim that leave scouts who have been doing this 20+ years with their jaws on the floor. His CIA team was down double digits at the half and Wiggins came out after intermission with a focus and determination to change that. It took about two minutes for the standing room only crowd to realize what was happening and they soon exploded with every play Wiggins made. He attacked Randle time and again finishing outrageous play after outrageous play. Words and numbers don’t even do justice to the greatness that Wiggins showed on Friday night as he just operates on a different level from everyone else on the court. I said it during the end of the game and I’ll stand by it here; I believe Andrew Wiggins will become the best player in the NBA before his playing career is over. He is an unstoppable offensive force.
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2012 PEACH JAM REPORT – DAY II (PART C)

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Thursday evening brought more 17U EYBL action to North Augusta with star players on every court in the facility. NBE had the chance to see its share of the action and here is who stood out to us.

Top Performer of the Night:

Moses Kingsley (Arkansas Wings 2013) – While already a well known name nationally, Kingsley outperformed his reputation in a victory over Cal Supreme. The 6’9” center was an absolute monster on the backboard and protecting the rim. Credited with 11 rebounds and 3 blocked shots, my eyes tell me that both of those numbers are a little bit low. In a game featuring highly touted big men like Marcus Lee, Torren Jones, and his teammate Bobby Portis, Kingsley was unquestionably the best big on the court. His defense has remained consistent but offensively is where he has really taken strides since the April live period. Kingsley was able to finish through contact, flashed good footwork on the block, and even showed a developing off the dribble game. If his offense is ever able to catch up to his prowess on the defensive end, Kingsley could challenge for top center in the 2013 class.
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2012 PEACH JAM REPORT – DAY II (PART B)

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By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Thursday afternoon I had the chance to watch elite 16U action at the Peach Jam while also skipping over to the Elite Youth Invitational to catch one game between the Jackson Tigers and the Carolina Hurricanes. Here’s who managed to impress.

Top Performer of the Afternoon:

Mickey Mitchell (Texas Titans 2015) – Mitchell solidified his status as the #1 ranked player in my 2015 top 15. At 6’7” the guard has a combination of skills rarely seen among players his age. He is an excellent athlete most noticeable today with an explosive first step in either direction. While Mitchell is a more than capable scorer once he beats his man, he truly loves to pass and has a unique talent for it. His vision and ability to whip the ball into tight windows are extraordinary and are what separates Mitchell from other wing players. While he does have a tendency to try for the outstanding play when a simple one will do, this is something that he should clean up as he gets older. I’d also like to see him be a little bit more selfish at times because Mitchell could be an elite scorer as well as an elite passer if he chose to be that. Learning to balance getting his own offense with getting offense for his teammates will fuel Mitchell’s development over the next few years.
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2012 PEACH JAM REPORT — DAY I

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

While the 17U action for the EYBL crown will have to wait until Thursday, the 16U play kicked off Wednesday night. NBE was focused on Pool D for the night and had the chance to watch all four teams in the pool. The early game featured Southern Stampede defeating Each 1 Teach 1 while the night cap was a Texas Elite victory over The Family. A bunch of players managed to shine in the double dip led by a 2015 big man from Texas.

Top Performer of the Night:

Elijah Thomas (Texas Elite 2015) – In a head to head matchup with highly touted big man Diamond Stone, Thomas got the best of his friend who runs with The Family. He made a point to mention after the game that he was looking forward to the contest with Stone because he felt Stone had outplayed him earlier in the season at the Nike Elite 100 camp in St Louis. Thomas wanted another opportunity to prove that he was every bit the player and prospect that Stone is and did just that on Wednesday night. He’s an ambidextrous player who I legitimately thought was left handed for the entire first half until I watched him shoot his free throws right handed. Thomas is big, strong, and finishes everything in the paint with his left (off) hand. He welcomes and often initiates contact in the lane showing an ability to draw a foul and then finish anyway. Thomas can continue developing his game by expanding his range and furthering his set of moves on the low block but is already a very effective big man on strength alone.
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2012 NIKE GLOBAL CHALLENGE — RECRUITING NOTES

The Nike Global Challenge got underway on Friday at Episcopal High School in Alexandria (VA). It was the place to be of this first 5-day July evaluation period for Division 1-A basketball coaches as John Calipari, Rick Pitino, Jim Calhoun, Tom Izzo, Tom Crean, Jay Wright, Buzz Williams, Jamie Dixon, Oliver Purnell, Fran Dunphy, Billy Donovan, Frank Martin, Lorenzo Romar, Tubby Smith, Mark Gottfried, Scott Drew, Sean Miller, Mike Rice, Kevin Willard and more were on hand during the games NBE took in.

These coaches were on hand to watch some of the best players in the world at the youth level. There are eight teams total competing in the Nike Global Challenge with three from the United States (East, West & Midwest) and one each from Brazil, Canada, Lithuania, Puerto Rico and China.

Here are some recruiting updates from six of the US players we were able to catch up with on Friday…

Anchoring the middle for USA-East is Class of 2013, 6-foot-8 big man Beejay Anya out of DeMatha/Team Takeover DC. In the 109-70 USA win, Anya scored 12 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and blocked 4 shots in a productive 24 minutes of action. Matt Whitfield was able to spend some time getting an update on the latest in his recruitment, which many seem to believe there is one school that is clearly the one to beat for his services, but not so fast according to Anya.

“It’s not the case [that Indiana] is the favorite,” Anya told Matt Whitfield on Friday. “They’re a school I like and I’ll go out there [to visit].”

The links between Anya and Indiana are pretty strong. AAU teammate Stanford Robinson committed to the Hoosiers shortly after Tom Cream added Kenny Johnson to his staff as an assistant, hiring Johnson away from Towson. Prior to working at Towson, Johnson was a coach with Team Takeover DC working with both Robinson and Anya.

“No, I think he’ll do a good job there, but it won’t really affect me that much,” Anya said of Johnson’s presence on the IU staff influencing his decision.

Indiana is just one of the top programs Anya is currently considering.

“Louisville, Kansas, Indiana, Syracuse, Maryland, Georgetown, Connecticut, Ohio State, Villanova, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, and the list goes on,” said Anya.
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A last minute replacement joining Anya on the USA-East squad was Austin Colbert, an athletic forward who chipped in 12 points (on 6-11 shooting) in 18 minutes of action.

Colbert, a New Jersey native, attended Hotchkiss (CT) School last season and there are some whispers that he could be headed back to the Garden State to finish up his high school career, possibly Gil St. Bernard’s, but no final decision has been made at this point. As for his recruitment, five schools have put themselves currently in the best position.

“I don’t have any officials planned yet,” Colbert told Matt Whitfield on Friday. “Even though I narrowed it down I’m still wide open. I’m still accepting offers and trying to get as many offers as I can.”

Currently he considered Florida, Baylor, Georgetown, Seton Hall and Texas as his top five with only the Longhorns yet to extend an offer at this point. Other schools are still trying to make their pitch, and it could pay off as Colbert admitted he is still willing to consider other schools.

“Illinois, Virginia and Oklahoma have texted me as of late,” he said.

One could not help but notice Seton Hall, led by head coach Kevin Willard, looking very interested in Colbert’s work this afternoon.
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Kennedy Meeks had a strong few days last week at the Lebron James Skills Academy in Vegas, but the Team United big man struggled playing for USA-West in an 87-77 loss at the hands of USA-Midwest in his first Nike Global Challenge outing. Meeks finished with just 4 points and 5 rebounds in 20 minutes. His evening line (6 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists in 20 minutes) in a 98-69 in over Puerto Rico was much closer to the well-rounded game he showed in Sin City.

As for his recruitment, Meeks shared with NBE who is putting in the most effort with his recruitment of late.

“Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, Georgetown, NC State [and] Louisville” was the answer when asked by Matt Whitfield who was recruiting him the hardest.

Meeks also shared that he would like to visit Indiana as one of his official visits in the fall.
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Kyle Washington, who was a teammate of Colbert’s this past season at Hotchkiss School, had a very impressive week last month at the NBPA Top 100 High School Camp on the campus of the University of Virginia. Between that camp and the Nike Global Challenge, Washington spent some time take a couple unofficial visits, including a trip to Notre Dame.

“It was a good visit,” Washington told NBE Friday. “I needed to go and see how I would fit into the community, how I’d fit into the program. It was a good visit overall. I know how Coach Brey feels about me, how Coach Solomon feels about me so it was good.”

The Minnesota native is playing things close to the vest these next few weeks, so he is holding off on naming schools that are on his list until after the live recruiting periods of July. He is enjoying the attention fromt he college coaches at his games.

“It feels great [to be watched by so many major coaches], but you just got to remain calm in what you do because that’s what they like you for. The schools are great. The fans are great, but in the end it’s just basketball.”

Washington is teaming up with Anya and Colbert for USA-East here at the Nike Global challenge and in their lopsided win over China he contributed 9 points while collecting a game-high 13 rebounds and also adding a game-best 5 assists in his 25 minutes of action.

While a list is not coming out quite yet, Washington did confirm that “Wisconsin is still recruiting me really hard.”
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Kameron Williams of Baltimore Elite was the leading scorer of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League this spring and he brought his offense with him this week as well, getting off to a quick start with 20 points in 23 minutes in the win over China for USA-East.

As for his recruitment, Williams shared with Matt Whitfield that he is hoping to make an early fall decision, either in September or October, and admitted the ACC is his favorite conference. He mentioned schools such as Dayton, VCU, Virginia Tech, Miami, Providence, Rutgers, Florida State, Boston College, NC State and Marquette in the mix currently for his services.
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Class of 2014 wing Theo Pinson showed off his impressive scoring touch, putting 9 points on the board in just 15 minutes of action for USA-East against China.

The youngster mentioned Louisville, North Carolina, Duke, Baylor, Florida State, Alabama, Indiana, Wake Forest, NC State, Syracuse, Seton Hall, DePaul, Tennessee, and others involved in the early process of his recruitment.

Pinson wants to work on the consistency of his jump shot and also improve defensively and on the boards to make himself a complete basketball player. He hopes that will lead to an aggressive recruitment from his favorite school growing up.

“My favorite school when I was young was Duke,” he said. “They said they were going to come watch me, so we’ll see.”

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2012 LEBRON JAMES SKILLS ACADEMY RECAP – MONDAY

A glimpse at the future stars

by Raphielle Johnson

The final day of the LeBron James Skills Academy provided the first match-up of two of the best players in high school basketball in Julius Randle and Andrew Wiggins. While one also has to account for the likes of Jabari Parker and Andrew Harrison when discussing the top player regardless of class, Monday’s battle gave those in attendance the fodder needed to debate such an issue.

In a game that Wiggins’ Duke squad won by double digits it looked as if he had the edge in this particular debate. The thing for Wiggins is that the things he does on the floor come across as being effortless, and while he had moments this weekend when he wasn’t at his best there looks to be clear separation between he and the other elite players.

Randle had his moments as well and he’s able to play on the perimeter in addition to flourishing in the paint. But he can spend too much time on the perimeter, which takes away from his effectiveness. Those two stood out on paper, but a match-up of 2015 big men took center stage in the second half.

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2012 LEBRON JAMES SKILLS ACADEMY RECAP – SUNDAY

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Game play begins at camp

by Raphielle Johnson

The afternoon session of the LeBron James Skills Academy on Sunday brought about the beginning of game play at the event, with the campers splitting up into eight teams of approximately ten players each.

There were some injuries to account for, most notably 2013 forward Jermaine Lawrence spraining his ankle early in the camp and 2013 prospects Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Jarell Martin both having to deal with ankle injuries at some point in the day.

But despite those injuries there were some standouts on Sunday, with many looking better in game action than they did during the drills portion of the camp. One player who made an impact on Sunday was guard Shelton Mitchell, whose dunk over Kuran Iverson may be the play of the camp to this point.

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CLASS OF 2013 PRE-JULY LIVE PERIOD TOP 75

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

After an exhaustive spring, hitting the EYBL at Boo Williams, Rumble in the Bronx, Playaz Spring Fling, Elite 75 and elite high school events like the National Prep School Invitational, Hoophall Classic, City of Palms Classic, National Prep Showcase & more, we are ready to publish our Class of 2013 pre-July Live Period ranking of the top 75 players in the class. These rankings will be fine tuned and expanded following the busy month of July which included stops at the Hoop Group Elite Camp, Adidas Invitational, EYBL Peach Jam and Live at AC to close the month, and maybe a few other stops in between.

So, here is the Top 75 players in our eyes for the Class of 2013:

 

1	Jabari Parker	SF	Simeon (IL)
2	Julius Randle	SF/PF	Prestonwood Christian Academy (TX)
3	Aaron Gordon	SF/PF	Archbishop Mitty (CA)
4	Andrew Harrison	PG	Travis (TX)
5	Aaron Harrison	SG	Travis (TX)
6	Kasey Hill	PG	Montverde Academy (FL)	Florida
7	James Young	SG	Troy (MI)
8	Chris Walker	PF	Holmes County (FL)
9	Wayne Selden	G	Tilton School (NH)
10	Anthony Barber	PG	Hampton (VA)
11	Rondae Jefferson	G/F	Chester (PA)
12	Isaiah Hicks	PF	Webb (NC)	North Carolina
13	Tyler Ennis	PG	St Benedict’s Prep (NJ)
14	Nick King	SF	Memphis East (TN)
15	Keith Frazier	SG	Kimball (TX)
16	Isaac Hamilton	SG	St John Bosco (CA)
17	Rysheed Jordan	PG	Vaux (PA)
18	Kuran Iverson	SF	Northwest Catholic (CT)
19	Beejay Anya	F/C	Dematha Catholic (MD)
20	Sindarius Thornwell	G/F	Oak Hill Academy (VA)
21	Ishmail Wainright	G/F	Montrose Christian (MD)
22	Jabari Bird	G/F	Salesian (CA)
23	Derrick Griffin	SF/PF	Terry (TX)	Texas A&M (football)
24	Jermaine Lawrence	SF/PF	Pope John XXIII (NJ)
25	Marcus Lee	PF	Deer Valley (CA)
26	Bobby Portis	PF	Hall (AR)	Arkansas
27	Kennedy Meeks	C	West Charlotte (NC)
28	Johnathan Williams III	PF	Southwind (TN)
29	Nate Britt	PG	Gonzaga (DC)	North Carolina
30	Troy Williams	SF	Oak Hill Academy (VA)
31	Kameron Williams	SG	Mount St. Joseph’s (MD)
32	Jordan Mickey	PF	Arlington Grace Prep (TX)
33	Shadell Millinghaus	PG/SG	Evelyn Mack Academy (NC)
34	Matt Jones	SG	Desoto (TX)	Duke
35	Dominic Woodson	F/C	Vermont Academy (VT)
36	Stephen Domingo	G/F	St Ignatius (CA)	Georgetown
37	Solomon Poole	PG/SG	Terry Parker (FL)	Georgia Tech
38	Brannen Greene	SG	Tift County (GA)	Kansas
39	Jimmie Taylor	C	Greensboro (AL)	Alabama
40	Moses Kingsley	C	Huntington Prep (WV)
41	Tyler Roberson	SF	Roselle Catholic (NJ)
42	Aquille Carr	PG	Patterson (MD)	Seton Hall
43	JaJuan Johnson	SG	Southwind (TN)
44	Brandon Austin	SF	Imhotep Charter (PA)	Penn State
45	Karviar Shepard	C	Arlington Grace Prep (TX)
46	Nigel Williams-Goss	PG	Findlay Prep (NV)	Washington
47	Xavier Rathan-Mayes	SG	Huntington Prep (WV)
48	Semi Ojeyele	SF	Ottawa (KS)
49	Jarquez Smith	PF	Jones County (GA)
50	EC Matthews	PG/SG	Romulus (MI)
51	Anton Gill	SG	Ravenscroft (NC)	Louisville
52	Deonte Burton	SF	Milwaukee Vincent (WI)	Marquette
53	Reggie Cameron	SF/PF	Hudson Catholic (NJ)
54	Duane Wilson Jr.	PG	Dominican (WI)	Marquette
55	Allerik Freeman	SG	Findlay Prep (NV)
56	Stevie Clark	PG	Douglass (OK)
57	Kris Jenkins	SF/PF	Gonzaga (DC)
58	Devon Hall	PG	Cape Henry Collegiate (VA)	Virginia
59	Bryson Scott	PG/SG	Northrop (IN)	Purdue
60	Josh Hart	SF	Sidwell Friends (MD)
61	Marc Loving	SF	St John’s (OH)	Ohio State
62	Mike Young	SF/PF	Hudson Catholic (NJ)
63	Josh Brown	PG	St Anthony (NJ)
64	Davon Reed	SG	Princeton Day (NJ)
65	Stanford Robinson	SG	Paul VI	Indiana
66	Akoy Agau	SF/PF	Central (NE)
67	Jarell Martin	SF	Madison Prep (LA)
68	Dayshon Smith	PG	Putnam Science Academy (CT)
69	Jairus Lyles	PG/SG	Dematha Catholic (MD)	VCU
70	Roschon Prince	SF	Long Beach Poly (CA)
71	Soma Edo	PF	Berkner (TX)
72	Brian Bridgewater	PF	Episcopal (LA)
73	Kendrick Nunn	SG	Simeon (IL)
74	Shane Rector	PG	St Raymond’s (NY)
75	Deandre Bembry	SF	St Patrick’s (NJ)

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