Virginia Tech Recruiting

BASKETBALL RECRUITING NOTEBOOK (8/18/2010)

Many top prospects in the class of 2011 continue to work their way through the recruiting process towards their college decisions. One player doing so is Greg Lewis, a 6-foot-9 big man out of Baltimore. Lewis checked in with NBE earlier today and updated us on his recruitment, which includes leaders from the Big East and ACC and one official visit set for early September. We also caught up with a pair of 2012 prospects, Daniel Dingle of St. Raymond’s in New York City and James Robinson of DeMatha in Hyattsville (MD) for the latest in their recruitment as they will likely be hot commodities on the east coast for the 2012 class.

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to read today’s jam-packed Basketball Recruiting Notebook for August 17, 2010. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

Read more

BASKETBALL RECRUITING NOTEBOOK (8/17/2010)

The recruiting landscape is in full flux right now as dominos fall left and right in the class of 2011. Over the next several weeks we will try to keep a regular Recruiting Notebook to keep readers up to date on the latest news of offers, visits and other news on recruits from the classes of 2011, 2012 and 2013 as the summer AAU season is now complete and the recruiting news picks up speed. Players in the class of 2011 will be setting up official visits in the coming weeks for the fall while college coaches will hit the road to conduct in-home visits with their top targets for 2011 and hit gyms to watch workouts of players in that class as well as the younger players.

Today we hit the ground running with updates on 2012 prospects Dominique Bull who has picked up new interest after helping BABC win the 16-U AAU National Title, Bull’s AAU teammate Georges Niang also updates NBE on new offers as he is also making an unofficial visit today. One of the top players in the 2012 class is J-Mychal Reese and he has picked up a few new offers recently and we also touch base with Jevon Thomas, Chris Hill and get updates on prep school destinations of Jeremiah Davis (2011) and Anthony Bennett (2012) for this fall.

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to read today’s jam-packed Basketball Recruiting Notebook for August 17, 2010. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

Read more

BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (8/16/2010)

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

Here are a few news and notes from around the Big East conference for this Monday afternoon as the dog days of August continue to drag on. Beginning September 9th, college coaches can get back on the road and conduct in-home visits and stop by at high schools across the country to watch workouts. In the meantime, we expect to see more movement on the commitment front as players take unofficial visits and look to end the process before schools gets going for most. Others will take their time and begin setting up official visits for the fall.

There are a few recruiting notes below as well as updates on UConn’s battle with the NCAA, Seton Hall and Bobby Gonzalez settle their lawsuit, Mookie Jones is looking for a big year and Austin Freeman is determined not to let diabetes slow his basketball career.

Read on below for all of the latest News & Notes around the Big East basketball conference. Sports fans should also visit StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online for tickets to any NCAA event or NBA, MLB, NHL game or UFC, WWE or concert tickets at an arena near you this spring.

Read more

WORLD BASKETBALL FESTIVAL RECRUITING NOTEBOOK

Top area players hit famed Rucker Park in Harlem over the weekend

The World Basketball Festival has kept New York City buzzing the last several days as players from around the world have come to the Big Apple to compete. In the Battle of the Boroughs competition between some of the top NYC-area high school players, it was Queens getting past Harlem 79-65 on Saturday with the Bronx slipping past Brooklyn, 58-56, on a late three-pointer.

Queens and the Bronx will meet next Saturday for bragging rights in the championship game, part of the Nike Tournament of Champions at Dyckman Park.

On Friday NBE’s Matt Whitfield made the trip down to Rucker Park for the action and has some detailed recruitng notes on Ryan Rhoomes (14 points, 10 rebounds for Queens), Corey Edwards, Omar Calhoun and Nkeruwem (pronounced like Kerwin) Okoro.

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to read the recruiting updates from the World Basketball Festival from Rucker Park. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

Read more

TEAM TAKEOVER POST-JULY UPDATE

Championship summer for AAU team out of DC has college recruiters buzzing about the talent in the program

It was quite a July for Team Takeover out of Washington, D.C. as they were crowned the champions of the inaugural Nike Elite Basketball League by taking home the Peach Jam championship that closed out the first leg of the July live evaluation period. They were also a final four participant in the 17-U AAU Super Showcase in Orlando at the end of July, falling to the St. Louis Eagles in a rematch of the Peach Jam finale.

The Peach Jam title, which served as the championship of Nike’s new Elite Youth Basketball League format this spring and summer, will be cherished by the Takeover program for a long time.

“It was great to win the inaugural event plus the Peach Jam has been around for 15 years and Nike teams don’t always win it,” Team Takeover President/Director Keith Stevens told Ray Mernagh this morning by phone. “Winning that title was huge for myself, the players, the families and the parents involved in our program.”

And what a program it has been. Stevens, who also serves as the coach of the champion 17-U team, started the program with a Nike sponsorship late in the summer of 2008 after moving on from the highly successful Triple Threat program. In just two years, Team Takeover has risen to the top of the AAU landscape with a program rich in talent and dedicated athletes. Counting his time with Triple Threat, Stevens and his coaching staff have been a pipeline to the Division 1-A ranks and built teams that stay together and grow through the ranks.

Read more

MALCOLM GILBERT NARROWS LIST; DEVIN COLEMAN HAS TWO LEADERS

A couple class of 2011 prospects have begun to whittle down their college lists as the recruiting process continues toward a conclusion for many prospects. Academy of New Church big man Malcom Gilbert has narrowed his list to six schools and Friends Central guard Devin Coleman has two favorites among his list of schools.

Malcom Gilbert is one of the better big men still available in the class of 2011. The product of Bryn Athyn (PA) Academy of the New Church informed NBE this afternoon that he has narrowed hos list of schools to Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Ohio State, Wake Forest, Virginia and Clemson.

Gilbert competed on the AAU scene this summer with both East Coast Elite and City Rocks. NBE saw him in Orlando recently and Gilbert is a legitimate 6-foot-11 and is long (7′4 wingspan according to his father) with good athleticism. He alters a ton of shots defensively when he’s not blocking them. He can hit the 10-12 foot shot and scores inside using his length.

Academy of the New Church competes in the Friends school league near Philadelphia. Another league program, Friends Central, also has a high-major prospect in 6-foot-3 guard Devin Coleman, who runs with Philadelphia Team Phenom on the AAU scene.

Coleman told NBE he is currently considering offers from Rutgers, Iowa, Minnesota, Richmond, Temple, La Salle, Jacksonville and Siena with two schools currently standing out in front as his favorites.

“Leaders are currently Iowa and Rutgers“, said Coleman.

Gilbert and Coleman are just a few of the players in the class of 2011 working through the process and coming closer to making a college decision. Stay tuned at NBE for more updates on others in the rising senior class int he coming days…

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

Sports fans should also visit StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online for tickets to any NCAA event or NBA, MLB, NHL game or UFC, WWE or concert tickets at an arena near you this spring.

NYC SUMMER CLASSIC PLAYER & RECRUITING NOTES

BY JEFF BORZELLO

BRONX, N.Y. – After a busy July live period in which NBE was front and center at events across the country – from the King City Classic and LeBron camp to the Peach Jam and the Adidas Invitational, and from Las Vegas and the Desert Duel to the AAU Super Showcase/Nationals and various Hoop Group events – the NYC Summer Classic at Fordham University was the perfect way to cap the period. The top teams from the area were in attendance at the one-day event, and even teams like Expressions (R.I.) and East Coast Elite (Del.) came. Although some of the marquee players took the day off to rest, there was still plenty of talent and competition in the Bronx on Saturday.

Khem Birch, 2012, Expressions: Birch has really developed over the past several months, and his ranking among the top-10 players in his class is well-deserved. He is extremely long and athletic, and he can run the floor as well as any big man in the class. He blocks shots and rebounds well, at both ends of the floor. Offensively, he is solid in the high post with his passing ability, and his length and athleticism give him an edge on the offensive boards.

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to read more on our coverage from Fordham, including the evolution of Birch’s recruitment as he has exploded up the 2012 rankings. Plus the same on Ricardo Ledo, Angel Nunez (who gives info on his leaders), Derek Millinghous and more on Myles Mack, Reggie Cameron, Jason Boswell, Davontay Grace and others. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

Read more

DESERT DUEL SCOUTING REPORT & RECRUITING LISTS

The NY Panthers came out west and did work at Mesquite High School in Gilbert (AZ) by taking home the crown in a jam-packed Desert Duel field. The Panthers got a big performance over the two days from Maurice Harkless who earned NBE’s MOP award for the event. The Panthers, coached by Rafer Alston, defeated the NE Playaz in the championship game and DC Assault in the semifinals Wednesday to clinch the championship.

196 different colleges were represented over the two-day event with either a head coach, assistants or both as the field was strong up and down the 32-teams. Doug Ferguson spent a lot of time in the gym over the two days and below he runs through his scouting reports and recruiting notes from his time on top players from teams such as NJ Playaz, Franchize All-Stars, Team Loaded, Seattle Rotary, DC Assault, Illinois Wolves, Mac Irvin Fire, Team Philly, NE Playaz, Georgia Net Burners, Compton Magic and, of course, the NY Panthers.

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to read the scouting reports and recruiting updates from some of the top players in the nation at last week’s Desert Duel. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

Read more

MERNAGH: MORE ORLANDO AAU PLAYER REVIEWS

Recruiting notes and player evaluations from some of the top players in Orlando last week

by RAY MERNAGH

While the July ‘live’ period for recruiting ended yesterday, the 17-U AAU National Championship will be decided at 4 PM this afternoon with a match-up between the Carolina Ravens and Arkansas Wings. Here is yesterday’s 17-U Championship Bracket scoreboard:

Quarterfinals:

Connecticut Basketball Club 66, St. Louis Gameface 64
Arkansas Wings 61, LI-Lightning (Blue) 54
HCYP Elite 69, Old Gold/Dream Team 51
Carolina Ravens 79, CP3 All-Stars 68

Semifinals:

Arkansas Wings 65, Connecticut Basketball Club 61
Carolina Ravens 78, HCYP Elite 66

Here are more of Ray Mernagh’s player notes, evaluations and recruiting tidbits from his stay in Orlando…

Malcolm Gilbert — 6′11, 210lbs 2011 — Gilbert, a center out of Bryn Athyn, PA is one of the best available bigs in the 2011 class. Gilbert is a legitimate 6′11 and long with good athleticism. He alters a ton of shots defensively when he’s not blocking them. He can hit the 10-12 foot shot and scores inside with his length. Gilbert told me he’s working on an old school hook shot with his father because it’s unblockable with his 7′4 wingspan. He also mentioned working on a bust out dribble — “just one or two bounces to start the break when nobody’s open” — and trying to add that to his game. Gilbert runs the floor well and I get the feeling he’s more suited to a more structured setting than AAU allows, especially for an unselfish and intelligent big (big men are often ignored as guards jack shots). Gilbert wants to take a few more unofficial visits (telling NBE’s Matt Whitfield via text on Saturday that Notre Dame, Cornell, Penn and Virginia are schools he hopes to unofficially visit) before he trims his list to five but hopes to decide where he’ll be headed by the middle of the school year if not sooner. Gilbert said that Pittsburgh and Ohio State have been on him the hardest and that Duke has been checking him out as well. He plans to take all five official visits before making his decision. This kid is a special kid, somebody will be fortunate to get him no matter how well he plays for them. Malcolm Gilbert will be making a difference in the world long after his basketball days end.
————————————-

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to read similar coverage from Orlando as Ray takes a look at players such as DaJuan Coleman, Jabarie Hinds, Bernard Sullivan, Jaylen Brantley, Georges Niang, Chris Martin, Jaron Moore, Nerlens Noel, Egi Gjikondi, BJ Young, Dantiel Daniels and more with some recruiting tidbits and observations added. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

Read more

ORLANDO AAU UPDATE: PART II

While Ray Mernagh has an early wake-up call and a long day of travel tomorrow to reach sunny Orlando for the end of the 17-U AAU Showcase and the Nationals to follow, Alex Schwartz continues to keep us up to date in the meantime.

With the 17-U Super Showcase getting in full swing Saturday, some more familiar names are in this update. Recruiting updates are found on elite 2011 PF/C Johnny O’Bryant who has a final list of nine schools under consideration, 2011 PG Angel Rodriguez has some impressive offers and a leader out of the Big 12 while productive PF George Fant updates his growing list of schools today. You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to read more of our coverage from Orlando as we also run down the performances of Nick Faust, Trey Burke, Julian Royal, Jacob Lawson and O’Bryant as well. All of which is covered below in detail. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

Read more

DAY TWO VEGAS RUNDOWN

Cody Zeller, Gabe York and J.P. Tokoto among the impressive performances on Friday

By Raphielle Johnson

With games under their belts and jetlag likely shaken off on Thursday, many of the players at the adidas Super 64 and Fab 48 tournaments put forth far better performances in day two. The Super 64 featured a few very good individual and team matchups in the afternoon, beginning with Indiana Elite taking on The Magic (Arizona). Cody Zeller (with Roy Williams, Mike Brey and Brad Stevens among the many coaches in attendance) going head to head with Isaiah Austin did not disappoint, with the Hoosier State native getting the better of the battle in a close Indiana Elite victory. The same game also featured Jahii Carson going up against Kevin “Yogi” Farrell in the backcourt and with enough complimentary parts to make any hoops fan happy.

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to read more of our coverage from Las Vegas and the Adidas 64 and Fab 48 on Friday as Raphielle Johnson breaks down the impressive performances and key match-ups that highlighted the day. Also, recruiting updates on Tony Wroten, Gabe York, ‘Yogi’ Ferrell, Kaleb Tarczewski and more. Other impressive runs were put forth by the Oakland Soldiers, NJ Playaz and more. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

Read more

ORLANDO AAU UPDATE: PART I

Most of the college basketball world has their eyes sent on Las Vegas and Orlando this weekend as the live recruiting period to close July is underway. The Division I college coaches are back on the road from July 22 – July 31 and these are the two top destinations for college coaches this time around.

In Orlando at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is a series of events, including the AAU National Champions and Super Showcases of various age groups. While the 17-U Super Showcase and National Championship gets going a little later in the stay, some other champions were crowned today, including the CP3 All-Stars capturing the 15-U Gold Championship in that age group’s Super Showcase behind the dominating play of Rodney Purvis.

Here are some additional news and notes from the event as Alex Schwartz has kept NBE up to date on the action throughout the day…

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to read more of our coverage from Orlando as we take a look at Julius Randle (2013), Quinten Payne (2013), Anthony Bennett (2012), Dominique Bull (2012) and Neville Fincher (2012) and detailed recruiting updates from Payne, Braxton Obgueze and Evan Nolte. All of which is covered below in detail. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

Read more

DAY ONE VEGAS RUNDOWN

Solid, not spectacular, summarizes the opening day of second live period in Las Vegas

By Raphielle Johnson

With the beginning of the second 10-day open evaluation period of July tipping off Thursday, teams and coaches descended upon Las Vegas with more than just bright lights in mind. Time was spent at the two major tournaments in Sin City, the adidas Super 64 and the Las Vegas Fab 48, but unfortunately the spectacular performances you hope to see did not come with the first day of action. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, with many players putting forth solid showings in front of a who’s who of college coaches. Opening up super pool play in the Super 64 was the matchup between the New England Playaz and Dream Vision, featuring two of the nation’s better players in the class of 2012 with Alex Murphy and Shabazz Muhammad.

Neither of the two headliners had the best of games, and to be honest the officiating had as much to do with the lack of flow to the game as the players (if not more). Murphy showed off his versatility despite the fact that his outside shot wasn’t falling. The rising junior doesn’t force the issue on offense and can score around the basket with both hands. The player currently in college that comes to mind is Kyle Singler in regards to overall skill set, and as Murphy matures physically (adding some muscle to his frame) he’s only going to get better.

Muhammad is an outstanding athlete, as many already know, and this was rather apparent on occasions when he was able to get his own offensive rebound for a basket. His second jump was quicker than his opponents, and his athleticism also serves its purpose on the defensive end. He’s a capable perimeter shooter but didn’t display much in this area against the Playaz but it’s no secret that the Las Vegas native can get the job done. Point blank, Muhammad has no limits on which school he’ll attend for college.

Read more

NY2LA SPORTS SUMMER JAM WRAP-UP – PART I

by RAY MERNAGH

Everybody’s talking about the Peach Jam and their 24 team tournament that got a lot of national run because of the marketing wizardry that is Nike/ESPN — the LeBron debacle exluded of course –but just like Em said 11 years ago when he talked about people doubting Dre, it seems like folks forgot about the NY2LA Summer Jam.

Here’s all I know — Bill Self, Ben Howland, Tom Izzo, Matt Painter, Tom Crean, Buzz Williams, Lorenzo Romar, Josh Pastner, Rick Pitino, Tony Bennet, Doc Sadler and Frank Martin were in Milwaukee for a great deal of this tournament. And just like Dre came hard with “The Chronic 2001″ the kids in Milwaukee showed why this tourney is now officially a must-stop in July’s opening Live Period for any true hoop junky. The talent matched up with any other tournament out there and might have surpassed them all top to bottom.

Enough with the accolades — here’s what you’all might have missed if you were elsewhere July 12-15th. Here’s what I saw and in part I of my final wrap-up I take a look at the games and recruiting of names you probably already know, like Branden Dawson, Perry Ellis, Paul Jesperson, Marcus Paige, De’Angelo Harrison, Nick Jacobs and Angelo Chol.

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to read more of our coverage from NY2LASports.com Summer Jam as Brendan Dawson talks about new schools in the mix, Paul Jesperson talks new offers and more from the players mentioned above. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

Read more

NIKE EYBL PEACH JAM: DAY FOUR

BY JEFF BORZELLO

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. – The final day of the Elite Youth Basketball League/NIKE Peach Jam featured just four games, but two champions were crowned and one game was televised on ESPNU.

In the opening game of the day, one U-17 semifinal, the St. Louis Eagles knocked off Team Final behind 28 points from Brad Beal. Mike Gilchrist led Team Final with 26 points. In the other semifinal, Team Takeover overcame an early deficit to defeat Spiece Indy Heat by 15. Julian DeBose had a surprising 18 points and 14 rebounds, and held Marquis Teague to nine points on 3-for-12 shooting.

Up next was the U-16 championship between BABC and Georgia Stars. With Goodluck Okonoboh out with a sprained ankle, BABC did not look their usual self, but still kept it close. They had a chance in the final seconds, but L’Quan Arnum’s three-pointer bounced out and Rene Castro’s desperation shot at the buzzer fell short, giving the Georgia Stars a 59-57 victory. Marcus Hunt led the Stars with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Georges Niang had 25 points and eight boards for BABC.

The final game of the day was the EYBL Finals at the Peach Jam, and was televised on tape delay on ESPNU. It was a relatively evenly-matched game from the start, but the balance of Team Takeover started making the difference in the second half. Beal tried his best to keep the St. Louis Eagles in the game, but he was not enough. Takeover emerged victorious, 70-62. James Robinson led Takeover with 24 points and eight rebounds, while Michael Gbinije had 19 points. Beal had 26 points for the Eagles.

CLASS OF 2011

Rakeem Christmas, Team Final: Christmas continues to slide down the class of 2011 rankings. His physical tools and potential are outstanding, but he has yet to show he can consistently produce offensively. On the defensive end, he is one of the best shot-blockers in the country, and he is an effective rebounder at both ends of the floor. However, once he gets the ball with his back to the basket, Christmas struggles to score. He has limited post moves, and can’t face-up against defenders.
———————

Aaron Brown, Team Final: Brown had not had a very good week going into the semifinals, but he turned that around against the St. Louis Eagles. He went for 17 points and five rebounds, with most of his baskets coming off of well-timed cuts to the basket leading to lay-ups. The 6-foot-4 lefty from Penn Wood (Pa.) is a strong player who can get to the basket and finish. However, he still is unable to consistently knock down jump shots. Once he can do that, Brown will be an effective Big East player at West Virginia.
———————-

Julian DeBose, Team Takeover: DeBose was one of the most surprising players I saw all day on Thursday. He impacted the game at both ends of the floor, guarding top-five guards Marquis Teague and Brad Beal in back-to-back games, making life difficult for both players. DeBose is long and athletic, using both attributes to be a very good rebounder for his size. He was active on the offensive glass and was also excellent in transition.
———————

Darion Atkins, Team Takeover: Atkins made his biggest impact on Thursday at the defensive end of the floor. Despite standing only 6-foot-8 and 215 lbs., Atkins was able to hold his own down on the low block against Spiece’s A.J. Hammons. He was effective at denying entry passes to Hammons and also demonstrated the ability to block shots and get rebounds. Atkins hit a baseline jumper and also was able to finish in transition. Once he gains some weight and develops post moves, look out.
———————

Antonio Wilson, Spiece Indy Heat: Although Wilson might not be the most talented forward on the court, he has a non-stop motor and never gives up on plays. He is very active on the offensive glass, creating second chances for himself and teammates. He constantly keeps the ball alive, chasing down loose balls or using his athleticism to get tip-ins and baskets. Wilson is aggressive in the paint at both ends of the court, and projects as a good mid-level guy.
——————————————————————————————-

CLASS OF 2012

A.J. Hammons, Spiece Indy Heat: Hammons has certainly improved since the last time we saw him, as he is developing into a solid big man prospect. His footwork has gotten better and his hands are good enough at this point. He had a nice dropstep move against Mikael Hopkins and also played well defensively against the Team Takeover big man. On the negative side, he lacks athleticism and needs to improve his lift. Furthermore, he has to be more aggressive once he gets the ball.
———————

Georges Niang, BABC 16s: We have watched Niang before, and while he has always impressed us with his effort and energy, we didn’t think the Tilton (N.H.) product could be a high-major player until now. The kid is simply productive when it comes to scoring and rebounding the basketball. Niang plays hard at all times, outworking opposing big men and using his toughness and physicality to get baskets inside. He can finish with both hands, and also has nice post options and spin moves. He is more athletic than most give him credit; he can block shots and play above the rim.
———————

Marcus Hunt, Georgia Stars 16s: Although the Stars didn’t have as many stars (no pun intended) as some of the other U-16 teams, they have a host of players who can make an impact as mid-major-plus guys. Hunt is one of them, and he was outstanding in the title game. The 6-foot-5 North Clayton (Ga.) wing is a versatile offensive player, capable of shooting three-pointers from the perimeter or running the floor and finishing in transition. Hunt also has a mid-range jumper and can score when driving to the basket.
—————————————————————————————-

Recruiting Notes:

- Darion Atkins said he has offers from George Washington, George Mason, Wake Forest, Maryland, VCU and Pennsylvania, with interest from Georgetown, Syracuse, Wisconsin and Xavier. The 6-foot-8 Landon (Md.) forward plans on visiting Syracuse in the next week, and also wants to take a second trip to Wake Forest. Atkins said his top three at this point would be Wake Forest, Georgetown and Florida State.
———————-

- James Robinson’s stock is sure to rise after an outstanding week at the Peach Jam. Right now, though, he is hearing the most from Maryland, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Marquette, Virginia and Virginia Tech.
———————

- Nic Moore had an excellent week shooting the three-point shot, and he could make an excellent guard at the mid-major level. Spiece Indy Heat coach Jared Quarles said Moore has offers from IPFW, Northwestern, Bowling Green and Indiana State, with interest from Michigan and Indiana.
———————

- Elmhurst (Ind.) forward Antonio Wilson holds offers from IPFW, Indiana State and Eastern Michigan, according to Quarles. Illinois State is showing interest.
——————————————————————————————-

Related Articles for Subscribers:
- Nike EYBL Peach Jam – Day Three; featuring detailed recruiting updates on Nick Johnson, Goodluck Okonoboh, Shaquille Johnson, Patrick Holloway, Malcolm Barber, Martavious Newby, Omar Calhoun, George Fant, Domonique Bull, Andrew Chrabascz, Aaron Gordon, Langston Morris-Walker, Steve Taylor, Jabari Parker, Thomas Hamilton, Willie Wiley and Cameron Biedschied.
- Peach Jam Recruiting Updates; featuring Egi Gjikondi, Josh Richardson, Darrick Wood and Phile Greene.
- Nike EYBL Peach Jam – Day Two; featuring Trey Burke, Shag Bogo, Steve Mondu-Missi, Jarnell Stokes, Jordan Granger, Rene Castro, James Robinson, Siyani Chambers, Justin Anderson, Jerami Grant and Kevin Johnson.
- Nike EYBL Peach Jam – Day One; featuring Malcolm Brogdon, Joe Coleman, Roquez Johnson, Cimmeon Bowers, Arnaud Adala-Moto, Richard Longrus, Stevie Clark, Justin Jackson, Ricky Tarrant, Roshcon Prince, Austin Colbert, Troy Williams, Kiwi Gardner, Rashaun Suarez and Chris Bryant.

Additional Nike Coverage:
- Final King City Classic Player Evals & Updates; featuring Gary Harris, Victor Nickerson, Alex Poythress, Sam Thompson, Josiah Turner, Mike Shaw, Dai-Jon Parker, Julian Royal, Toddrick Gotcher, Jelon Hornbeck and Dominique Pointer.
- King City Classic Evals & Updates – Part C; featuring Rodney Hood, Kedren Johnson, Bernard Sullivan, Cedrick McAfee, Jahii Carson, LJ Rose, Trey McDonald and J-Mychal Reese.
- King City Classic Evals & Updates – Part B; featuring LaQuinton Ross, Anthony Davis, Myles Davis, Myles Mack, Desmond Hubert and Ben McLemore.
- Recruitment of Rakeem Christmas & DaJuan Coleman ‘Open’
- Lebron James Skills Academy Recruiting Notes – Part II; featuring Amir Williams, Khem Birch, Deng Leek and Angelo Chol.
- Lebron James Skills Academy Recruiting Notes – Part I; featuring Jabarie Hinds, Ricardo Ledo, Ricardo Gathers, JaKarr Sampson, Branden Dawson, Archie Goodwin, Rodney Purvis, Trevor Lacey, Brandon Ashley, Ryan Anderson, Nick Faust and Anrio Adams.

All in all those 10 articles from the Live Recruiting period have recruiting updates on 90 DIFFERENT players as well as player evaluations on them and MANY more. This is in addition to our coverage from the Adidas Invitational, Hoop Group Elite Camp, King James Summer Showcase, NY2LA Sports Summer Jam, Super 16 Showcase and Hoop Group Summer Classic, all can be found by either logging-in or signing up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership. Its a steal…HAPPY READING and there is MUCH, MUCH more to come!

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

Sports fans should also visit StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online for tickets to any NCAA event or NBA, MLB, NHL game or UFC, WWE or concert tickets at an arena near you this spring.

NIKE EYBL PEACH JAM: DAY THREE

BY JEFF BORZELLO

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. – If Tuesday was the day when the stars came out, with big-time performances from Mike Gilchrist, Anthony Davis, Austin Rivers, Marquis Teague and Brad Beal, Wednesday was the time to showcase some lesser-known talents from the class of 2012. There were only four sessions of U-17 games, with four sessions of U-16 contests. The playoffs also kicked off during the night session for each age group, with Team Takeover, BABC, St. Louis Eagles and Spiece – the group winners – advancing to play Metro Hawks, Team Final, Oakland Soldiers and Boo Williams, the runners-up in each group. In U-16, group winners Team Takeover, Georgia Stars, BABC and Memphis YOMCA squared off. With the night session featuring all playoff games, the semifinals in U-17 and finals in U-16 are set for tomorrow. Thursday will see Team Takeover take on Team Final and the St. Louis Eagles face Spiece in U-17 action, while BABC and Georgia Stars battle for the U-16 title.

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to read more of our coverage from North Augusta (SC) and the Nike EYBL Peach Jam’s third day of action as 18 more players update NBE on their recruitment and additional player evals are posted. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

Read more

ELI CARTER & DURAND JOHNSON PICKING UP OFFERS

Former Jersey City St. Anthony’s guard Eli Carter is now officially back on the market. After originally signing a letter of intent with St. Bonaventure, Carter is taking an extra prep season and re-opening his recruitment. His release from the LOI is now official and Carter is allowed to be recruited once again.

“These are the schools recruiting me, in no order, Texas A&M, Cincinnati, Rutgers, St. Joseph’s, Oregon State, Iowa, Iowa State, Penn State, Virginia, Charlotte [and] Creighton,” Carter told NBE’s Matt Whitfield earlier this evening by text. “Rutgers and St. Joseph’s have offered, not sure about the other schools yet.”

Carter played for the legendary Bob Hurley at St. Anthony’s in high school and will be with another powerful program in his prep season as he will attend Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro (NH) next season.

“I want to work on pretty much every aspect of my game (be)cause all of it needs work,” said Carter when asked what he hopes to improve in his game in the extra season.
——————————————————

Durand Johnson has been asking for more exposure and is looking forward to playing in front of some of the national talent evaluators this month. While Cecil Kirk has not been as prominent on the AAU scene as some of the other power programs, Johnson is hoping to finish off July with a strong showing. There will likely be plenty of interested eyes on him as he closes the first July live period at the Hoop Group’s West Virginia Jam Fest in Morgantown (WV) and then travels to Orlando in the second July live period.

NBE got a chance to see him at the Hoop Group Elite Camp in Reading (PA) and the Hoop Group Summer Classic in Neptune (NJ) last week and it was quite noticeable that college coaches were coming by to get a look at him and it looks like the liked what they saw.

“Yeah, I got an offer from Cincinnati and Providence and St. John’s,” Johnson told Matt Whitfield by text last night.

Johnson’s 9 AM game last Sunday in Neptune (NJ) brought out an impressive group of coaches as Mike Rice (Rutgers), Seton Hall assistant Dan McHale, later joined by Kevin Willard, Pat Skerry of Pitt, Ron Sanchez of Virginia and the duo of Steve Lavin and Tony Chiles of St. John’s were there to see him play.

Johnson also lists offers from Pittsburgh, Marquette, Seton Hall, DePaul, Virginia Tech, Xavier, Maryland and Rutgers with interest from schools such as Connecticut and West Virginia
—————————————————————–

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

Sports fans should also visit StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online for tickets to any NCAA event or NBA, MLB, NHL game or UFC, WWE or concert tickets at an arena near you this spring.

PEACH JAM RECRUITING UPDATES

Some new names out of the Peach Jam emerge with Big East schools at, or near, the top of their lists

by ALEX SCHWARTZ

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C.– The talent at the Nike Peach Jam/EYBL Finals is off the charts, with multiple high-major players on each and every court at just about all times. Every school from the Big East has been represented, and 13 of the 16 have had their head coach present watching the action at one time or another. A number of top prospects are receiving interest from Big East programs and some took the time to update the status of their recruitment.

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to read more of our coverage from North Augusta (SC) and the Nike EYBL Peach Jam and see what 2011 Chicago shooting guard calls WVU his leader and the impressive list of schools, from the Big East and beyond, that top the lists of Josh Richardson (‘11), Egi Gjikondi (‘12) and Darrick Wood (‘12) . Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

Read more

NIKE EYBL PEACH JAM: DAY TWO

BY JEFF BORZELLO

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. – The finals of the inaugural NIKE Elite Youth Basketball League at the NIKE Peach Jam continued on Tuesday, as the 24 teams battled to finish in the top two spots in each group, which are the only places to advance. By the end of the day, only two teams – Team Takeover DC and the Oakland Soldiers – were undefeated, but plenty of clubs were still in contention for a playoff berth. Surprisingly, the regular-season champs, the NJ Playaz, were only 2-2 through two days and are unlikely to advance. Howard Pulley and Each One Teach One, also pool winners, are both 1-3. The heated competition to finish in the top two led to a great day two of action.

There are evals of players such as Mikael Hopkins, Amir Williams, Kyle Anderson, Anthony Davis, George Fant, AJ Hammons, Jevon Thomas and more along with recruiting updates from Trey Burke, who lists a top three, Jarnell Stokes, James Robinson, Justin Anderson, Jerami Grant, Kevin Johnson, who has two leaders, and many, many more from Day Two of the Nike EYBL championship pool play.

Related article: Nike EYBL Peach Jam: Day One

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to read more of our coverage from North Augusta (SC) and the Nike EYBL Peach Jam. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

Read more

NY2LASPORTS.COM SUMMER JAM: DAY ONE

by RAY MERNAGH

The NY2LA Sports Summer Jam’s first day was very solid, that is until the finale took it to an elite category.

Antonio Curro might be the best matchmaker since Don King and he filled the day with some mouth-watering contests. But it was one of the final games of the day, Dream Vision (CA) vs Franchize All-Stars (TX) on Court 5 at Homestead High, that brought back memories of the heydays of Sonny V’s ABCD Camp in New Jersey.

The game included several elite talents but in the end it was a kid named Muhammad (Shabazz or just “Bazz” to his teammates) who was crowned the champ — at least for Monday night. The game started out with Franchize jumping to a quick lead behind the scoring of the exquisite 2011 guard D’Angelo Harrison. Harrison had his mojo working and mates like Anthony Norris (a three) and Derail Green (ditto) and Micheal Carey tapped into Harrison’s vibe and rode it all the way until the halftime buzzer. Harrison finished strong through contact on one drive for the and one and then flipped the script and hit a trailing teammate with a sick over the shoulder pass. Carey ended the half for Franchize by finishing a strong drive for a 39-29 Franchize lead.

Franchize kept the lead for the first several minutes of the second half and then Evan Rocqamore, an “old school” guard in the words of Curro, gave Dream Vision a lift with his play from the point guard spot. Rocqamore seemed to realize that for his squad to get back in it they would have to get Shabazz Muhammad some looks…and that’s exactly what they started doing. Shabazz hit a 3 from the corner and while that sounds simple I’m not sure anyone can imagine how gorgeous Muhammad’s J is when he’s got it going. I was sitting right in line with the side of the basket and either saw the ball coming at me or could follow it as Shabazz released it with his back to me (depending on what corner he was releasing from)…and it’s really simply a work of art. Usually I use words like pull or jack to describe three-point shots, but Shabazz Muhammad simply releases his. Right around this same time Winston Shepard, who’d been good the whole game, started imposing his will on D and on the glass and the result was three or four and one’s for the 2012 forward from Vegas. After Anthony Norris and Evan Rocqamore hit back to back jacks (see) Shepard failed to convert one of those and 1’s and the score was 61-60 Franchize.

That’s when all hell broke loose in the forms of Shabazz and Harrison.

Minutes later Muhammad’s release from the corner was true and the game was knotted at 65.

But Harrison, while on a dead sprint and dribbling, pulled up on a dime and nailed an 18-footer and then stole the inbounds pass and scored to make it 69-65 Franchize.

Shabazz…yep you guessed it…corner 3 to cut the lead to one.

Harrison…yep…71-68 Franchize.

‘Bazz, I kid you not, 3 from the corner, 71-71.

Harrison, panting, puts his head down and careens across halfcourt on the bounce but Rocqamore’s D forces a turnover and the result is a Muhammad bucket plus a foul. Muhammad misses the free throw and Dream Vision is up 73-71. After Franchize fails to convert Rocqamore finishes through contact (the slap on his skin was audible at the top of the gym) and Dream Vision goes up 75-71.

Harrison is such a great player that the refs sometimes give him calls that he seels them, and he does just that from behind thae arc sending Rocqamore running and grabbing his head. Harrison makes 2-3 to cut it to 75-73. Franchize is forced to foul Rocqamore, who hits 1-2 but Shepard again is Winston-on-the-spot with a steal. Dream Vision pulls it out again, Rocqamore is fouled and makes both and the game ends 78-73 for Dream Vision.

Incredible game filled with enormous talent, which also captured the attention of head coaches such as Rick Pitino, Lorenzo Romar, Frank Martin and Mark Fox sitting courtside. Shabazz Muhammad finished with 35 while D’Angelo Harrison had 33 for the losers.

Classic game closes out a really good day of basketball. You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to more of our coverage on the top performers from Day One of the NY2LASports.com Summer Jam and recruiting updates from the likes of Perry Ellis, Angelo Chol, Nick Jacobs, Deonte Burton, Shonn Miller, Hayden Hoerdemann and more. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

Read more

Next Page »