Duke Recruiting

2011 ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK (PART 8): DEVONTA POLLARD, TJ WARREN & BRANDON BOLDEN

By Alex Schwartz

WARREN SET FOR NORTH CAROLINA VISIT

Quite simply, T.J. Warren is a lethal scorer. One of the best players in the nation when it comes to putting the ball in the hole, Warren can hurt you in a number of ways. As a 6-foot-7 small forward, he has great height on the wing and with his thick build he can overpower defenders. Warren is a good enough athlete who is adept and navigating through traffic and finishing at the rim. He handles the ball well and is nearly impossible to stop from getting to the cup when he catches the ball on the wing. Warren has a nice mid-range game and can hit the pull-up or a floater. He can also connect on shots from beyond the arc, though he is inconsistent in that area. Warren is not overly quick and could slim down just a bit as well as improve on the defensive end.

Warren, a native of North Carolina who will attend Brewster Academy for his senior season, listed Georgetown, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Kansas, Kentucky and Louisville.
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BIG SHOTS – DCA RECRUITING NOTEBOOK

By Matt Whitfield

On the last two days of the July live evaluation period some of the top AAU programs on the East Coast converged near the nation’s capitol for the Big Shots – DC Assault event. Many college coaches used the chance to get one last look at their top recruiting targets as well. Below are some of the recruiting updates NBE gathered during their time Sunday at the event…

Long Island Lightning forward Daniel Dingle continues to be a player many programs are keeping a close eye on. The 6-foot-6 combo forward out of St. Raymond’s in NYC also added a new scholarship offer recently.

“Right now my recruitment is going good,” Dingle said Sunday. “I just got a scholarship offer from Maryland. [As well as interest and offers from] Arizona, Temple, Dayton, Miami, Florida and Texas.

Dingle is starting to think about where he will visit in the coming month.
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2011 DESERT DUEL MEMORIAL FINAL DAY RECAP: NJ PLAYAZ STORM BACK FOR TITLE

By Raphielle Johnson

The only thing better than the two best teams in an event playing in the title game is those teams putting forth a game for the ages. And that’s exactly what happened when the Mac Irvin Fire and New Jersey Playaz 17U teams met in Tuesday’s title game at the Desert Duel Memorial. Despite trailing by as many as 26 points early in the second half the Playaz found a way back, ultimately winning the game in overtime by the final score of 70-62.

Things most certainly didn’t look good for the Playaz at the start as Mac Irvin jumped them out of the gate thanks to the combination of solid offensive execution and the Playaz’s inability to make shots. The squad from Chicago had everything rolling, especially 2013 stud Jabari Parker who hit just about any shot imaginable in the first twenty minutes.

Steve Taylor (2012) was able to slash to the basket, DePaul commit Billy Garrett Jr. (2013) and Derrick Randolph (2012) made plays in the backcourt and Aaric Armstead (2012) was also a factor. A dunk just before the halftime buzzer made the score 43-20, and a Parker three in the first minute of the second half pushed the lead out to 26. To say the least things did not look good for the Playaz was an understatement.

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2011 ORLANDO AAU UPDATE (PART 5): CHAMPIONSHIP DAY FOR 17U SUPER SHOWCASE AHEAD

By Alex Schwartz

It is championship day at the 17U AAU Super Showcase in Orlando on Wednesday afternoon. At noon, Team Takeover DC will meet the Houston Defenders in one semifinal match-up while BABC will take on Hoop Heaven Elite at 3 PM in the other semifinal. The winners will meet in the Showcase ttile game scheduled for 7 PM and it will be televised by ESPNUI.

Last night ESPNU had a made-for-TV ‘highlight’ game in Orlando putting Texas PRO and the Georgia Stars on display for television viewers. NBE caught up with some of the top names from the highlight game, including Alex Poythress, Danuel House and Danrad ‘Chicken’ Knowles, to get the latest in their recruitment. Also a pair of 2013 guards, Stephen Vasturia and Allerick Freeman, are profiled in today’s report…

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2011 ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK (PART I): SELDEN, WILBEKIN, HAYES STANDOUT

By Alex Schwartz

The second July live evaluation period kicked off on Friday and the place to be over the 10-day period looks to be Orlando (FL). With AAU Super Showcases along with AAU National Championships being at the top age groups the action will be heating up like much of the summer weather our nation is currently seeing. In this first notebook, NBE chats with elite 2014 prospect Wayne Selden about his recruitment and covers the play and recruitment of Nigel Hayes, Mitchell Wilbekin while also getting a look at Marial Shayok, Che Bop and Jeremy Miller as well with the younger age groups taking center stage first. Read on below for the details…

Wayne Selden said he has offers from Kentucky, Boston College, Connecticut, West Virginia and Pittsburgh. He has interest from Ohio State, Arizona and Providence. He noted, “A lot more other schools in the Big East, ACC.”
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LAS VEGAS AAU DAY 1 NOTEBOOK: JABARI PARKER SHINES, KRIS DUNN SPARKLES & MORE

By Raphielle Johnson

When a who’s who of the college coaching profession is on hand a show is expected. And 2013 prospect Jabari Parker provided that and then some in Mac Irvin Fire’s win over Worldwide Renegades in the evening session of the Las Vegas Fab 48 at Bishop Gorman. Parker showed off his vast array of skills in front of the likes of Dave Rose (BYU), Oliver Purnell (DePaul), Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Bruce Weber (Illinois), Buzz Williams (Marquette) and Tom Izzo (Michigan State) among others.

Also playing well in the win for Mac Irvin were 2012 forward Steve Taylor and 2012 guards Aaric Armstead and Derrick Randolph. Taylor won’t be graded on the same level as Parker but make no mistake about it, the young man is skilled. Taylor showed off the ability to step out and attack the rim, doing a solid job of playing with contact and knocking down mid-range shots. Randolph, while he looks shorter than his listed height of 5’9”, is the kind of winning player that all successful teams tend to have.

Randolph was highly competitive at both ends of the floor, setting up teammates for easy baskets on quick drives to the basket and disrupting the Renegades defensively. Armstead may not have had the impact scoring-wise that some of the other players had, but he did the little things especially on the defensive end. And 2013 DePaul commit Billy Garrett Jr. proved to be a tough matchup due to his crafty handle and ability to knock down a variety of shots.
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GONZAGA HS IN DC POISED FOR CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON AHEAD

By Matt Whitfield

Those that follow high school basketball closely know that the Washington, D.C. area is traditionally a hot bed for talent and that trend will continue for the next couple of years without a doubt. Gonzaga College High School is one of the many talented programs in the Washington, D.C. area and this upcoming season they return four starters as they look to avenge their loss to DeMatha in last season’s Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) Championship game.

“I think we’ve had a great summer thus far,” said Gonzaga Head Coach Steve Turner. “We’re sitting at a 29-3 record right now, with all three losses coming by three points. Two of the losses came to two very high level teams which are in our conference and the third was to a very good Neumann-Goretti team from Philadelphia which is probably going to be one of the best, if not the best team, in Philadelphia this year. So I’m very excited how our summer has gone thus far, how we’ve been able to start to gel and grow towards next season.”

Undoubtedly the marquee player on Gonzaga is nationally recruited point guard Nate Britt. Coach Turner describes his rising junior (Class of 2013) star as a classic point guard.
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UA SUMMER JAM PRESENTED BY NY2LA SPORTS — TOP PERFORMERS

By Alex Jesswein

Standout Seven: Top Players from the UA Summer Jam last week

Robert Carter–6-8 Power Forward–Atlanta Xpress: Although he was hobbled by an ankle injury, Atlanta Xpress Robert Carter really impressed us with his ‘old school’ approach. He won’t wow you with his athleticism or finesse, he just gets down to work in the block and is very adept at finishing with either hand. He did show an ability to step out and hit an open jumper but he will make his money doing the dirty work on the inside.
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Chris Thomas–6-5 Guard–Colorado Hawks: Thomas is an extremely talented player. He reminds me of former Memphis guard Chris Douglas-Roberts because of his ability to play multiple positions. He seems to be very comfortable playing with the ball in his hand and because of his size and length should be able to defend multiple positions at the collegiate level.
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CLASS OF 2013 Q&A: BRANNEN GREENE

NBE got a chance to conduct an interview with Brannen Greene over the weekend. Greene is a highly regarded G/F out of Mary Persons High School in Monroe (GA). Playing with the Charlotte Royals 17U AAU program you can be sure Greene will be a priority for college coaches to see in the next open evaluation period whihc runs from 7/22 – 7/31. The rising junior (Class of 2013) has heard from many high-major college programs since schools were officially able to contact players in the class beginning on June 15th. Below is our Q&A with Brannen Greene:

NBE: What is your current height and weight?

Brannen Greene (BG): I’m 6’7 and 197 lbs
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NBE: What was the highlight of the first 10-day open evaluation period for you?

BG: My highlight of this first half would probably be having so many top-notch coaches at my games in Indianapolis (Adidas Invitational).
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NBE: With coaches allowed to be at these open evaluation AAU games, do you notice who is in the stands watching? Anyone in particulat stick out who has been watching?
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UA SUMMER JAM PRESENTED BY NY2LA SPORTS RECRUITING NOTES (PART II)

By Alex Jesswein

The UA Summer Jam Presented by NY2LA Sports was a rousing success this past week. A loaded field converged on Mequon (WI), just outside Milwaukee at Homestead High School. Talented players and teams from across the country competed over the course of July 12th through the conclusion of the first live evaluation period on July 15th. A who’s who of college coaches came through Homestead to take in the action and in the end it was the SYF Players taking the gold title led by Mitch McGary.

Below are a few more recruiting notes from the event as NBE got the opportunity to speak with McGary, Danuel House of Texas PRO and Ishmail Wainright of the KC 76ers for the latest on their recruitment….

Texas PRO Wing Danuel House has been a hot name on the recruiting scene this spring.

His ability to finish in traffic and knock down open shots has impressed coaches across the country.
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2011 NIKE EYBL PEACH JAM REPORT (PART II)

By Brian Bosworth

After a lunch break for teams, college coaches, and scouts alike, the 17U tournament got back in swing on Tuesday evening with jaw dropping performances becoming commonplace.

Peach Jam 2nd Session Scoreboard:
Team Takeover 85, Athletes First 54
Oakland Soldiers 69, Texas Titans 51
Memphis YOMCA 71, City Rocks 62
BABC 79, Meanstreets 70
All-Ohio Red 73, Houston Hoops 69
Baltimore Elite 78, Boo Williams 71
NJ Playaz 72, California Supreme 60
CIA Bounce 55, All-Iowa Attack 53
Georgia Stars 78, Arkansas Wings 71
Indy Spiece 62, Louisiana Select 61
CP3 66, The Family 61
Mac Irvin Fire 60, Howard Pulley Panthers 53

Here are the highlights from some of the top performances NBE caught in action on Tuesday:
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2011 NIKE EYBL PEACH JAM REPORT (PART I)

By Brian Bosworth

The top high school talent in the nation invaded North Augusta, South Carolina on Tuesday morning as the 2011 Nike Peach Jam got underway. As the culmination of Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL), the tournament features the top 24 Nike sponsored AAU teams in the country. I knew I was in for a special day when I walked into the gym around 8:15 in the morning for a 9:00 tip-off and NBA superstar Chris Paul was on the court getting a personal workout in. His club, the CP3 All-Stars, was tipping off at 9 and he was on hand to support them. Action was fast and furious throughout the morning with high-major talent standing out all over the court.

Here are the results from the first set of games:
Athletes First 74, Georgia Stars 71
Indy Spiece 57, Texas Titans 56
CP3 76, City Rocks 63
Mac Irvin Fire 65, Meanstreets 56
Team Takeover 73, All-Ohio Red 68
Oakland Soldiers 87, Boo Williams 78
Memphis YOMCA 73, California Supreme 71
BABC 61, All-Iowa Attack 69
Houston Hoops 76, Arkansas Wings 61
Baltimore Elite 60, Louisiana Select 51
The Playaz 90, The Family 82
Howard Pulley 94, CIA Bounce 79

Here are some of the most notable performers from the morning…

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LEBRON JAMES SKILLS ACADEMY RECRUITING FOCUS: ADAM WOODBURY & D’VAUNTES SMITH-RIVERA

By Lauren Kirschman

Class of 2012 center Adam Woodbury is getting looks from some of the nation’s high profile school.

After performing well at the NBA Top 100 Camp, Woodbury, who is from Sioux City, IA, is receiving interest from Kansas, Duke, Ohio State and North Carolina. Iowa, Wisconsin, Stanford and Minnesota are also interested. He wants to cut his list of potential schools down to five soon.

“It’s an honor,” Woodbury said of attracting the attention of elite programs. “I never dreamed I’d be in this position.”

He doesn’t know how interest in him increased, but he credits the teams he’s played with this summer. He added that he was thankful for the invitation to the LeBron James Skills Academy, saying that he never thought he’d have the opportunity to play with James.
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LEBRON JAMES SKILLS ACADEMY RECRUITING FOCUS: KENDRICK NUNN & ALEX POYTHRESS

By Lauren Kirschmann

The 2011 Lebron James Skills Academy hosted by Nike is underway once again on the campus of the University of Akron. Scouts and media members have converged on James A. Rhodes Arena for the first full day of workouts for the college and high school players who received invitations to the camp. Tomorrow we can expect the intensity to be ratcheted up another notch as the college coaches will converge upon the arena as the July evaluation period frenzy comes to Akron.

NBE’s Lauren Kirschman made the trip into Akron this morning and will be bringing NBE readers continuous coverage into Friday afternoon with recruiting updates and notes on some of the top players in action. So stay tuned right here at NBE for all the important news & notes from the July evaluation period.

In Lauren’s first update from the camp, she catches up with Kendrick Nunn (’13) and Alex Poythress (’12) to learn the latest from the pair as they embark on the July evaluation period journey:
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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK: CLASS OF 2013 TAKES CENTER STAGE

While many of the top players in the Class of 2012 have convened on the University of Virginia campus for the NBA Players Association Top 100 camp this week, Wednesday also marked the first day colleges could place phone calls to players in the Class of 2013. The action is hot and heavy as colleges show their interest in players in the rising junior class and begin to map out their recruiting plans for the coming year. With the July evaluation period just around the corner, many of these players will now see coaches from the schools that touched base evaluating them on the court next.

Here are some of the highlights we have come across in our conversations with some of the recruits who have seen their phones ring often the last 48 hours:

WILL FERGUSON HAS TOP FIVE

Will Ferguson of Bishop O’Connell HS in Arlington (VA) has had a very good spring on the AAU trail since making the change to DC Assault. The 6-foot-2, 165 pound true point guard has the ability to score when need be, but has impressed onlookers at every stop on the circuit this spring with his ability to distribute the basketball. The word is out and is evident by the interest he has drawn from colleges in the early stages of this contact period.

Ferguson indicated he has heard from Pittsburgh, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Xavier, Penn, Miami and Georgia Tech pretty quickly once the calls began. Even though it is early, Ferguson has developed a list of top schools he is considering.
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PANGOS CAMP: DAY TWO RECAP

By Raphielle Johnson

While the showcase matchup on Friday night was the battle between big men Isaiah Austin and Andre Drummond, there were two rounds of play on Saturday and some players took full advantage of the opportunity. Two of those players would be Jordan Bell and Alex Caruso, both of whom have played well in each session of the event.

Bell, a 2013 prospect from Long Beach, CA (Long Beach Poly), was outstanding on both ends of the floor. Bell’s an athletic finisher offensively while being a solid defender as well. His block count in the first game approached eight, an impressive number for a 6’7″ three. But the offensive skill set will need to expand if he’s to be an impact high-major player at the collegiate level.

As for Caruso, it’s reached a point of “what can’t he do” at this stage in the event. The 6’6″ 2012 prospect from College Station, Texas, who according to ESPN’s Dave Telep earned an invite to this month’s NBPA Top 100 camp, can do a number of things on the floor to help his team win. Whether it’s scoring from the perimeter, finishing above the rim or setting up the open teammate Caruso gets it done.

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NIKE EYBL – LOS ANGELES: SATURDAY RUNDOWN

By Raphielle Johnson

The third round of the Nike EYBL tipped off on Saturday, and there’s an awful lot on the line for many of the 40 teams taking part. The top 24 following the three rounds move on to the Nike Peach Jam in early July, making the games at Hangar Athletic Xchange that much more important.

The big matchups of the day wouldn’t come until the evening session of Saturday’s action, with a battle between BABC and Mac Irvin Fire kicking things off. The game provided an opportunity to watch 2013 big man Nerlens Noel and 2014 prospect Jahlil Okafor go head to head, and while there’s only a year’s difference between the two it was rather apparent which one was more prepared for the moment.

Noel, a rangy big man who at this stage in his development is better as a defender, got the better of this matchup in BABC’s 66-54 win. Noel finished with 13 points while also blocking a number of shots and sparking a late first-half run with a thunderous dunk over Okafor. BABC led by seven at the half, and thanks to solid performances from Iowa State commit Georges Niang (20 points) and 2012 guard Domonique Bull (12 points) were able to withstand Mac Irvin’s second half charge.

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NERR SPRING INVITATIONAL – SATURDAY RUNDOWN

Could Andre Drummond be on a college campus next fall? Possibility was not ruled out on Saturday

By Brian Bosworth

After the Bob Gibbons’ Tournament of Champions field was trimmed at the last minute, many teams were left scrambling for a new home for Memorial Day Weekend. Thankfully, the NERR Invitational sprung together quickly and some of the nations’ top amateur players had a venue to display their talents. Saturday’s action was chock full of future college stars as high profile programs Connecticut Basketball Club (CBC), NE Playaz, Mass Rivals, New Heights, Team Philly, and a host of others were in action. A few players proved themselves to be a cut above the rest and they are outlined below.

Andre Drummond (CBC 2012) – Drummond stands at 6’10” 275 pounds and he is the best high school basketball prospect in the country regardless of class. While often criticized for inconsistent play and a lack of dominance neither issue showed itself on this day. In an afternoon contest with Drive 4 Stardum Drummond had 20 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, and 7 rim shattering dunks. He showcased his full arsenal of skills and truly punished the opponent with his incredible force. Three of his monster dunks came on offensive rebound tip-ins but to simply call them tip-ins doesn’t do them justice. Drummond rises above everyone else on the floor in traffic with his hand easily above the box, grabs offensive boards, and hammers them down all in one fluid motion. It’s the kind of play that maybe 20 people on the planet could pull off and Drummond is an 18 year-old kid who just finished his Junior year of high school.
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MITCH MCGARY: RISING 2012 BIG MAN SEEING RECRUITMENT INTENSIFY

By Lauren Kirschman

Since transferring to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire last year, class of 2012 big man Mitch McGary has been opening some eyes.

McGary began to shine this past season as the sixth man for one of the nations’ top prep schools and he’s continued to show off his improved skills on the AAU circuit this spring.

Now McGary is attracting the attention of top schools from across the country, including Duke, Texas, Arizona, Florida, Florida State, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, Maryland, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Xavier and Cincinnati.

He’s already taken trips to Illinois, Marquette, Purdue and Indiana and is attempting to plan visits to Cincinnati, Maryland, Florida, Indiana and Texas.

McGary said that both Indiana and Cincinnati are recruiting him hard, but he hasn’t reached a college decision yet. Right now, he’s keeping his recruitment wide open.

Mitch McGary '12 prospect of Brewster Academy

“I want to go to whatever school fits me best,” he said. “Everyone is still in the mix.”

All of those potential schools will be watching as McGary continues to climb the recruiting rankings. The 6-foot-11, 250-pound center said the improvement in his game since he transferred to Brewster is indescribable.

“It was a big step for me,” he said. “Brewster is a lot tougher, it’s the highest level of play. The intensity is at another level. It’s so much faster.”

He’s gotten stronger in his year at Brewster, putting on muscle as he focused on lifting and conditioning.

But the concentration on lifting led McGary to falter with other aspects of his game, including his 18-foot and 3-point shots, but he said he’ll be working on returning those skills to his repertoire throughout the summer.

“I’m working on shots, working on post moves,” McGary said. “I want to focus on using post work in these [AAU games].”

And even if the hot prospect big man doesn’t end up playing his college basketball in Pittsburgh, he gave Panther fans an indication of the level of player they’ll be seeing inside next year.

When asked who was the toughest player he faced at Brewster this past season, McGary said that distinction belonged to incoming 2011 Pitt recruit Khem Birch.

MORE PITTSBURGH JAMFEST RECRUITING NOTES

By Lauren Kirschman

Recruiting rundown of some of the top names from this past weekend’s Pittsburgh Jamfest put on by the Hoop Group…

Jalen Robinson (2012)
Power forward
AAU Team: All-Ohio Red
Height: 6’7″, Weight: 215
Considering: Wisconsin, UCLA, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Xavier, Iowa, Penn State, DePaul, Cincinnati, Ohio University, Tennessee, Michigan
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Elijah Macon (2012)
Power foward
AAU Team: All-Ohio Red
Considering: West Virginia, South Florida, USC, Cincinnati, Tennessee
Offers from: South Florida, USC
Height: 6’7″, Weight: 200
Leaders: West Virginia and Cincinnati
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