Virginia Recruiting

HOOPHALL CLASSIC 2012: MONDAY RECAP

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The 2012 Hoophall Classic came to a close on Monday highlighted by four national games all broadcast live on national television. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and Kentucky front man John Calipari were front and center all day each flagged by two assistants. They were joined by a host of other coaches all trying to make an impression on the many uncommitted talents in action. While Shabazz Muhammad, Jabari Parker, Tony Parker, and others were the focus of these coaches, a senior guard who has already made his college decision stole the show and he receives top billing today.

Top Performer:

Katin Reinhardt (Mater Dei 2012) – signed with UNLV – After watching Reinhardt for a week at the City of Palms in Florida last month I came away seriously underwhelmed. He struck me as a player that forced shots, was careless with the ball, and cared more about making the flashy play than the right play. After dropping 35 points on a Hoophall Classic record tying nine three-pointers it’s safe to say he has changed my mind. Reinhardt got in the flow early with an easy dunk and once he found a rhythm the shots just kept falling and falling. Equally adapt off the catch or the dribble he made shots from well beyond the college 3 point line and was able to get enough elevation on his shot to make them over defenders. Not exclusively a shooter (although it was clearly his calling card today) Reinhardt used a low, tight crossover to get in the lane and finished a pair of floaters over help defenders. He also showed passion and aggression on the defensive end forcing Uconn commit Omar Calhoun into a miserable 6-22 shooting day. For now I’m willing to label Reinhardt a streaky shooter that has the ability to single handedly take over a game when he’s on a hot streak. If he can string together consistent performances like today’s I’ll be forced to simply label him a great shooter.
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CRC CLASSIC: ANYA, LYLES SHINE IN DEMATHA WIN OVER NEUMANN-GORETTI

By Ray Mernagh

DeMatha Catholic was led by the inside muscle of Beejay Anya and the outside shooting touch of Jairus Lyles in a 62-47 win over Philadelphia’s Neumann-Goretti. The Class of 2013 duo each scored 17 points in the win with Syracuse-commit Jerami Grant adding 14. As a team, Dematha was 26-43 from the field, setting a CRC CLassic record by making 60.5% of their shots from the floor.

Neumann-Goretti sophomore Ja’Quan Newton scored 16 in the loss to lead the Saints.

Following the game NBE got the chance to catch up with a few of the big guns for DeMatha to talk recruiting and more…

Beejay Anya 6’9″ 2013 Center

Anya has lost a severe amount of weight over the last several months….and that’s a good thing! My guess is that he’s dropped 30 pounds if not more and the result is a dominating presence in the post both defensively and offensively. Anya had 3 blocks before I could write anything and just continued from that point. He’s unquestionably the Stags best player and it’s not really close. Anya scored over each shoulder, rebounded and defended with a physical preference that probably had Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon salivating as he watched courtside. Anya finished with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 7 blocks and is being courted by just about everybody in the country.
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CRC CLASSIC GAME RECAP – GAME OF THE DAY (MATER DEI – GILL ST. BERNARD’S)

By Ray Mernagh

Gill St. Bernard’s 76, Mater Dei 73 OT

There were supposed to be a lot of stars on the floor in this one.

Mater Dei was ranked #8 in the country coming into the game by whomever thinks they’re qualified to rank high school teams nationally (not really sure how it’s possible with the volume of teams etc but whatever) while Gill St. Bernard’s was kind of licking their wounds from a 2-2 trip to the City of Palms (which was so excellently covered by my guy Brian Bosworth).

Well, the biggest star in this game was a big man by the name of Dominic Hoffman who will soon become a nightmare for all the coaches in the Patriot League once he arrives at Bucknell in late summer. The game was the best of the day and it really wasn’t close — Mergen Sina from St. Bernard’s coached the hell out of his team and they responded by playing harder and smarter than Mater Dei and ultimately being rewarded with a much deserved W in overtime.

Dominic Hoffman 2012 6’7 Center (Bucknell)
Hoffman might be 6’7″ but he plays 6’10″. High energy player with a motor to match. Crashes offensive boards. Runs rim-to-rim. Blocks a lot of shots with his timing and long arms. Hits 18 footer. Has post moves and counter post moves that he uses to score consistently down low. Excellent in the two man game with either Jaren Sina or Alex Mitola all night. Would Not Let His Team Lose! Finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks. Outstanding performance of the day (along with Kris Jenkins).

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CRC CLASSIC GAME RECAP: ST. JOSEPH’S PREP – WHEELING PARK

By Ray Mernagh

Wheeling Park battled and played hard throughout but didn’t have the skill of the St. Joseph’s group.

St. Joseph’s had three players really stand out and a fourth who came up big in limited attempts.

Miles Overton 2013 guard 6’5
Overton has a sturdy body for a Junior at 190 pounds and looks like he could add 10-15 pounds of muscle without any problem to an already basketball strong frame. Had three 3-pointers, two of which were big-time shots where he raised up off one hard dribble and was pure. He gets real good lift on his jumper and his form is correct. He’s a good passer and in control at all times (4 assists and no turnovers). He scored out of the mid-post as well. Had an athletic and good defender on him but it didn’t seem to bother him. Showed high basketball IQ when he was about to kick-out to a shooter on a drive, heard the whistle and turned in mid-play and shot the ball. Getting some high-major looks and has offers from A-10/Mids in his area and some out West. Overton finished the game with 19 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 0 turnovers on 6-14 shooting (3-6 from deep). Really solid looking guard with size.

Overton stated he’s looking for a school with “a good basketball program where I have a good relationship with the players that will be there when I get there and a real good coaching staff.” He went on to say that “academics matter because my high school is really strong academically and I also want to stay close enough that my Grandma can come to my games so a little far away but not too far.” Overton has taken visits to Virginia, James Madison and Drexel. “UVA has a beautiful campus and a beautiful new stadium.” On Drexel: “It’s a good relationship because I’ve known the coaches for a long time.” Offers from “the Big Five” before specifically naming James Madison, Drexel, La Salle and San Francisco.

Gene Williams 6’2 2012 guard
Williams made quite the impression from the jump, displaying a really diverse skill set the entire game. Williams played bigger than his 6’2 listing. Made three’s off the catch (2-4) and scored off his dribble in the mid-range. Has a variety of step-through and up and under moves from the mid-post area and in that he used to score. Williams played very hard and competed every possession. This kid needs a look from some low-majors out there because he can help somebody win games. Williams is getting some D-1 looks and said he will see where his recruiting goes by the end of the season. Smart kid who could play in the Ivy League. Finished with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. Was hearing from some Ivy’s during the summer.

Steve Vasturia 6’4 2013 guard (Notre Dame-commit)
Vasturia is a ND commit who really excels when his defender gives him the tiniest space. Got to the line a ton (10-11) while putting in an efficient day at the office (6-9 from the field and 2-3 from deep). Finished with 24 points, 6 rebounds and one assist in 31 minutes. Has a really nice shot. Need to see him some more because I thought he got bailed out on some of the fouls that were called but still his stat-line was impressive.

Kevin Oberlies 6’1 guard 2012
Oberlies made his only three to stem what felt like a run from the opposition and hit all three of his attempts to finish with 8 points and 4 rebounds. One of Speedy Morris’ many guards that can play. Should be a nice D-3 player somewhere if he chooses to pursue it and when I write that I hope that everyone understands how good you have to be to play at a D-3 level. Anyone playing ball in college anywhere is better than 95% of all the other kids that played ball in high school so please…respect that.

Wheeling Park

Boo Lathan 6’2 200 pounds 2012 forward
Lathan can play. He’s not big enough for his skill set to fit at the D-1 level but he can play –would be a real nice fit at the NAIA level. Gets tremendous lift on an unorthodox jumper that started finding the bottom of the net as the game wore on. Can be a lockdown defender with his length, athleticism and toughness. Competed. Liked how he came back from a poor shooting first half, still played hard, and made St. Joseph’s sweat a little in the second half. Finished with 14 points and 8 boards (4 offensive) and 1 assist after being pretty much shutout in the first half. Tough kid and good athlete.

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RECRUITING UPDATE: CLASS OF 2013 PF MIKE YOUNG

One of the players NBE was anticipating the most to see this past weekend at the Playaz ‘New Year’s Jump-off’ was Hudson Catholic junior Mike Young. The 6-foot-8 big man really brought his game up to another level through the summer, playing with both the 2012 NJ Playaz and the 2013 team.

NBE last saw Young in the IS8 fall league back in October where Young continued to show a progression in his game from the summer period. Always possessing major athletic talents and consistently being a force on both backboards, it is in his offensive game that Young has shown the most improvement in recent months. Young has showcased a soft jump hook with both hands and range on his jump shot out to 16 feet. In the fall he showed a more aggressive attitude in wanting the ball in the low block and expanding his game, likely putting himself in the mix as one of the top big men players in the Class of 2013.
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PLAYAZ NEW YEAR’S JUMP-OFF HIGHLIGHTS

By Alex Schwartz

HACKENSACK, N.J. – The New Year’s Jump-Off at Hackensack High School featured four games to bring in the year 2012. Included were some of the Garden State’s perennial powers and NBE Basketball Report was on hand for two-plus contests.

In addition to taking in the action, we were able to catch up with a couple of standout juniors for recruiting updates.

GAME RECAPS & STANDOUT PERFORMERS

NBE caught the end of the Teaneck/St. Patrick’s game, in which the Highwaymen knocked off the Celtics in overtime. Junior guard Joel Hernandez hit a buzzer beating three for Teaneck to send it to OT and knocked down two of three free throws in a tie game with one second left in the extra session. He and St. Patrick’s junior wing Jared Nickens were named co-MVPs.
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RECRUITING UPDATE: JOSH HART, AQUILLE CARR & BRANDON AUSTIN

By Alex Schwartz

CHESTER, Pa. – The second day of the Jameer Nelson Philly.com Holiday Classic featured five games with teams hailing from four different states and included a number of talented players.

NBE Basketball Report was on hand and had the opportunity to catch up with a trio of CLass of 2013 guards to discuss their recruitment.

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Josh Hart, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound shooting guard, turned in one of the day’s most impressive performances, leading Sidwell Friends (DC) to a win over Atlantic City (NJ). The smooth scorer first listed a quartet of schools: Georgetown, North Carolina State, Penn State and Marquette.
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2011 CITY OF PALMS REPORT — TOP PLAYER PERFORMANCES

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Now that the 2011 City of Palms Classic has come to a close it’s time to put some measure on what I saw this week. Below are player rankings by class based on performances from this week alone. While they do impact my overall perception of these players, they are rankings strictly of what I saw in Florida this week.

Top 2012 Players:

1. Isaiah Austin (Grace Prep) – signed with Baylor – Austin was more committed to play inside on offense than he has been in the past and still rebounded and blocked shots at the highest level. He looked poised to challenge Shabazz Muhammad for top player in the class throughout the rest of the reason.

2. Shabazz Muhammad (Bishop Gorman) – It speaks to Muhammad’s talent that after a subpar week by his standards he still slots in at # 2. He was the most persistent scorer at the tournament, getting his points every way imaginable.

As for his recruitment, Muhammad told NBE on the opening day of the event that he has no timetable for a decision and sounds as though he’ll wait right up until the spring signing period to make his call. He listed an up-tempo style and a program that gets its players to the next level as the two most important factors in his decision making process. When the time comes Muhammad will be choosing from his final 6 of UCLA, Kansas, Duke, Kentucky, UNLV, and USC.
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CITY OF PALMS REPORT — DAY THREE

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

What a day at Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, Florida. We saw great games, great individual performances, and one great comeback. The nation’s consensus top player, Shabazz Muhammad, went off for 42 points in the final game of the night and that wasn’t even the most impressive showing of the day. Kentucky head coach John Calipari continued his borderline stalking of Nerlens Noel by planting himself underneath the baseline for much of the day which instantly ups the intensity in the gym. Enough setup, on to the recap of Monday’s action at the City of Palms Classic.

Top Performance of the Day:

Jordan Mickey (Arlington Grace Prep 2013) – Grace Prep trailed Mater Dei by 18 at the half after Mickey had spent the majority of the half on the bench with 2 fouls. He came out in the 2nd half and put on a clinic on the low block tallying 22 of his game high 29 points. Mickey scored all of his points by working for low post position and then powering through his defender and scoring over his left shoulder. He has great strength which he uses to setup his shots and then a soft touch to finish off plays. Grace Prep fed Mickey in the same spot time and again and he used the same moves over and over without being stopped. He does a great job of making a quick, decisive move after he catches it in the post so that a double team does not have time to arrive. Mickey’s monster 2nd half and overtime led Grace Prep all the way back from that 18 point halftime deficit and carried them into tomorrow’s semifinals. For a recruiting update on Mickey, see our report from Saturday: City of Palms Report — Day Two.
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CITY OF PALMS REPORT — DAY ONE

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The City of Palms Classic got underway at Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, Florida on Friday afternoon. In its 39th year of existence the City of Palms is unquestionably the top high school holiday tournament in America bringing in top teams from coast to coast. This year is no different as headlining teams span the nation including Montverde Academy (FL), Bishop Gorman (NV), Mater Dei (CA), Arlington Grace Prep (TX), and Miller Grove (GA.) Plenty of top young talent showed off on Friday and the headliners are outlined below.

Top Performer of the Day:

Anthony Perez (Montverde Academy 2012) – signed with Mississippi – Perez has long been thought of as a very talented big man who could have a very high ceiling is his skills came together. After his performance tonight, it would appear they are starting to come together. At a slender 6’9” Perez did two things very well tonight; he made long distance shots and he attacked the offensive glass. Montverde ran him through stagger screens on offense to create perimeter looks and he knocked them down with regularity. He also got countless offensive rebounds by using his length and a non-stop motor that frustrated the opposition. Perez even hit a pair of midrange jumpers after shot faking the deep ball and using a couple dribbles to create space. He looked every bit the part of an impact player for Ole Miss down the road.
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RECRUITING UPDATE: ISAIAH WATKINS OF ST. BENEDICT’S PREP

Isaiah Watkins has seen his game grow tremendously in the past year and his recruitment has followed the same growth curve. The Class of 2013, 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward should be expected to see a continued increase in attention as he gets ready to hit the season with St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark (NJ), one of the most high-profile prep programs in the country. Watkins was drawn to the Gray Bees program, where he will play for coach Mark Taylor, for the opportunity to improve every day and play against the toughest competition possible at the prep level. Even with a daunting schedule ahead for the Newark school, Watkins has set his sights very high for the season.

“I’m really looking forward to playing in big games against the top teams in the nation,” Watkins told NBE over the weekend of what he is most looking forward to this season. “I want to help St. Benedict’s achieve something great, collectively I [want] us to become the top ranked team in [the] nation this year.”

Watkins is certainly willing to put his individual accomplishments to the side and do what it takes to help the Gray Bees win. The native Canadian seems to understand that winning will take care of everything when it comes to exposure and the importance of playing for a winning program in the eyes of college recruiters.
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NATIONAL HOOPS FESTIVAL RECRUITING REPORT

On Saturday, Matt Whitfield made the trip to Hyattsville (MD) and DeMatha High School for the 2011 National Hoops Festival event. The early season event is typically one of the favorite stops for NBE on the December schedule and this year did not disappoint with several powerhouse programs headlining the event with a very solid day of action on the court. Here is the scoreboard from Saturday’s contests:

–Bullis 62, Riverdale Baptist 59
–Episcopal 44, Benedictine 38
–Paul VI 65, West Charlotte 58
–Oak Hill 68, Grace Prep 59
–DeMatha 83, Jamesville-Dewitt 57

NBE was able to catch up with players such as Kennedy Meeks, Beejay Anya, Stanford Robinson, Jordan Mickey, RJ Curington, Emmanuel Mudiay and more. See below for the latest in recruiting updates form many of the top uncommitted players participating on Saturday…

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JUSTIN ANDERSON WILL MAKE IMMEDIATE IMPACT AT VIRGINIA

By Matt Whitfield

Surely the average, non-basketball fan might mistake the chiseled Justin Anderson for a sophomore or a junior in college. The baby-faced Anderson, however, is a high school basketball prodigy in his senior year at Montrose Christian in Rockville (MD). Anderson has the potential to follow in the footsteps of Grevis Vasquez and Kevin Durant as he takes his game to the ACC after playing for Stu Vetter as the biggest prize of coach Tony Bennett’s tenure at Virginia.

Before he begins to make an impact in the ACC, Anderson is looking forward to his senior season as he takes on the role of team leader this year.

“It feels good to finally become the leader of my team,” said Anderson. “I think we have potential to be really good like in the past and I can’t wait to lead my team hopefully to another national title.”
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THREE LEAD FOR ’13 SIDWELL FRIENDS’ JOSH HART

One player expected to have a big season is Class of 2013 shooting guard Josh Hart of Sidwell Friends. While his name does not currently hold a lot of clout nationally, that will likely change in the coming months. Many in the DC-area have been singing his praises and a strong summer on the AAU trail last July with Team Takeover DC has certainly pushed his profile among college coaches much higher than it was previously.

The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Hart listed Georgetown, Penn State, NC State, Pitt, Xavier, Virginia, St. Joe’s and Indiana off the top of his head as some of the schools that came by this fall to watch him work out. With scholarship offers from the likes of Georgetown, Penn State, VCU, Xavier, NC State, UMass and Penn, Hart told NBE that currently three schools are standing out to him.
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BOSWORTH: NATIONAL PREP SCHOOL SHOWCASE WRAP-UP (TOP PERFORMERS)

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Now that the National Prep Showcase has concluded it’s time to take a moment and digest everything that I witnessed in New Haven this weekend. One thing that jumps out is that the talent level in New England is at an all time high. While many players are imports from other areas of the country a large part of rosters on New England prep times are made up of local talent. Most notably, Nerlens Noel in 2013 and Noah Vonleh in 2014 both have a chance to become the top player in their class nationwide. These two separated themselves from everyone else at this event both with their current production and with their long term potential.

Past those top two, Ricardo Ledo deserves more recognition for his performance on Friday night. Ledo’s ability to score has never been questioned but his intangibles and whether or not he is a winner have long been debated. Against La Jolla Prep he not only scored from everywhere on the floor but he proved to be the vocal leader of a talent rich South Kent team. He specifically seems to have taken on somewhat of a mentor role for talented junior Chris Thomas. According to South Kent head coach Kelvin Jefferson Ledo has been everything he could have asked for and more both on the floor and in the locker room. He has taken Thomas under his wing in a sense and has been an incredible positive influence. If this progression continues, Ed Cooley landed an even bigger star than already thought.
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BOSWORTH: SUNDAY’S NATIONAL PREP SHOWCASE BREAKDOWN

By Brian Bosworth, National Scouting Analyst

The National Prep Showcase was back in full swing on Sunday with top teams like Brewster Academy, New Hampton Prep, and the Tilton School all in action. While the rosters of most prep schools in this event are dominated by seniors and post-graduate players it was a pair of underclassmen that stole the show on Sunday.

Co-Headliners of the Day:

Nerlens Noel (Tilton School 2013) – With college coaches such as John Calipari (Kentucky), Steve Lavin (St. John’s), and Ed Cooley (Providence) on hand to watch him play Noel put on quite a show Sunday night. Having already established himself as the premier defensive big man in America during the summer with BABC, Nerlens showcased an expanding offensive game that brings his upside to a new level. He played on the wing for much of the first half and repeatedly used a deadly right to left crossover to attack the rim and finish with his left hand. Despite being right handed he seems to prefer using his left to finish around the basket and did so with startling efficiency in this game. If Noel can continue to develop his offensive skills to complement his defensive brilliance he will give Jabari Parker a serious challenge for the spot of #1 overall player in the class of 2013.
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EARLY SIGNING PERIOD CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS – ACC

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Today we continue our look at the early recruiting classes nationally with a look at the ACC where Mark Gottfried has hit the ground running at NC State…

Top 5 ACC Recruiting Classes:

1) North Carolina State
Commits – Rodney Purvis (SG), TJ Warren (F), Tyler Lewis (PG)
–Mark Gottfried’s first recruiting class at NC State is a big one with 3 impact ACC players already on board led by do everything guard Rodney Purvis.

2) North Carolina
Commits – Brice Johnson (PF), Marcus Paige (PG), Joel James (C), JP Tokoto (SF)
–While lacking an instant impact player that recent UNC classes have had such as Harrison Barnes and James McAdoo, this group brings Roy Williams four players whose games complement one another and features potential down the road stars in Johnson and Paige.

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JAREN SINA OPEN TO ANYTHING IN SECOND RECRUITING GO-ROUND

Jaren Sina looked like he had ended the recruiting process early and was off the board before college basketball fans across the country really had a chance to begin to follow his recruitment. Sina, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound point guard from Gill St. Bernard in New Jersey verbally committed to the Crimson Tide last January, during his sophomore season. Now as he is preparing for his junior season the Class of 2013 prospect is back on the open market and looking forward to going through the complete recruiting process.

“I have a great relationship with the coaching staff at Alabama, but I just wanted to have the opportunity to go through the recruiting process again and make sure that I am making the right decision and that I am 100% sure on my choice,”Sina told NBE Sports earlier this evening.

That relationship with the Alabama staff is especially true with head coach Anthony Grant and Sina is definitely still considering the SEC program.

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ST. ANTHONY’S GUARD DUO DRAWING PLENTY OF INTEREST

As teammates with Sports U/Team Izod on the AAU circuit as well as with Hall of Famer Bob Hurley’s St. Anthony’s of Jersey City (NJ) program, Class of 2013 guards Hallice Cooke and Josh Brown have seen their recruiting profiles expand greatly over the last several months.

Brown exploded on the scene right before our eyes at the Rumble in the Bronx back in June. While many people took note of who did not show up at the Rumble, it was clear that Brown did show up and his play stood out. Brown showed he is a freak of an athlete and used 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.
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RECRUITMENT OF ISAIAH WATKINS CONTINUES TO GAIN STEAM

There are a lot of new faces within the St. Benedict’s Prep basketball program in Newark (NJ) this season. From new head coach Mark Taylor to Class of 2015 must-see point guard Isaiah Briscoe and more new talent on the Gray Bees’ roster it is an exciting new era for the program in Newark. One player that still seems to be under the radar nationally is Isaiah Watkins, another member of the Canadian AAU program CIA Bounce that will look to excel this year for Taylor’s squad.

“What drew me to St. Benedict’s was the goal of becoming better,” Watkins told NBE earlier this evening. “Improving every day and hopefully being able to win at the highest level possible.”

The improvement of Watkins has been ongoing through the spring and summer according to Nolan Shulman, National Recruiting Analyst of Flagrant Fouls and Editor-in-Chief of the Ultimate Recruiting Handbook which is the authority on Canadian basketball prospects. Shulman also noted that Watkins will come to work every single day at St. Benedict’s, which should only enhance his goal of improving.
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