LaSalle Recruiting

BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (6/30/2011)

In today’s News & Notes section around the BIG EAST recruiting tidbits dominate the discussion as there is some more about Zach Auguste as well as some touching base with Josh Fortune, Jaylen Bond and Daniel Dingle. Also so more on West Virginia players in this summer’s Pittsburgh Pro-Am summer league and the status of star incoming freshman Jabarie Hinds.

We will also be following closely the summer leagues in DC and Milwaukee when they get underway soon and hope to have some coverage of the Jersey Shore Basketball League in the near future (fingers crossed).

With the month of July bearing down on us…the main focus of course will be recruitng! Now…on to today’s News & Notes…

New England Hoop News has a series titled July or Never and today’s focus is 6-foot-8 New Hampton Prep forward Zach Auguste. As we detailed in yesterday’s BIG EAST News & Notes (6/29/2011) Auguste visited Connecticut earlier this week with prep teammate Noah Vonleh. The athletic forward has a lot of potential and will be on the circuit this July performing in front of the masses of college coaches on the road with the Mass Rivals in July as well as with the Albany City Rocks, during the Nike Peach Jam. In New England fans and coaches can look for Auguste at Elite 75 and Hall of Fame National Invitational, both starting on July 10th in the Western Massachusetts area.

According to Auguste’s Mass Rivals AAU coach, Vinny Pastore, schools that have offered scholarships include Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Boston College, Providence and Virginia to name a few.
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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (6/29/2011)

College basketball is a year-round sport. In the summer there is news of players coming and going from programs to keep track of, a busy recruiting season and more and more summer leagues that offer the players a chance to stay sharp against high-level competition. While many incoming freshmen just celebrated their high school graduation in the last few weeks and even days, many are already on a college campus and competing in the summer leagues and attending classes with their new teammates.

Today we take a quick run through some of the latest stories in the BIG EAST that touch on each of those subjects…

In Mike Helfgot’s Recruiting Notes in the Chicago Tribune there is an update on 6-foot-2 rising junior Jaylon Tate, who recently confirmed rumors he will be transferring from De La Salle High School to Chicago Simeon. At Simeon Tate will join a loaded roster that includes classmates Jabari Parker and Kendrick Nunn and senior Steve Taylor. All four players are considered sure-fire high-major recruits.

As for Tate, Helfgot reports that has offers from Northwestern, Providence and Xavier, according to his mother, Arisa Johnson, with several other high-majors such as DePaul, Marquette, Tennessee, Florida State and, as of this week, UCLA, expressing serious interest.
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JASON BOSWELL, TARIQ CAREY ON THE MOVE; RECRUITING UPDATES

The summer time brings news daily on recruiting and also of high school players looking for new homes for the fall. Two players NBE plans to see quite a bit this summer have decided on new schools for the 2011-2012 school year.

Jason Boswell, a Class of 2013 forward out of New York City who will be on the AAU circuit this July with the Long Island Lightning program, has decided to leave St. Patrick’s of Elizabeth (NJ) and attend Trinity Catholic High School in Stamford (CT). At Trinity, Boswell will play for head coach Mike Walsh.

“Trinity Catholic has a strong academic program which offers great basketball opportunities,” Boswell said by text this morning. “My commute will be significantly reduced to approximately 30 minutes as oppsed to the two hours traveled each day to Elizabeth.”

The 6-foot-7, 182-pound rising junior told NBE just over a week ago that he has heard from Cincinnati, La Salle, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Miami, Xavier, Houston and Dayton shortly after the June 15th timeframe when college coaches were allowed to contact players in the Class of 2013. Boswell is looking forward to continuing his career on the basketball court at Trinity.
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PHILLY GUYS BRING PHILLY TOUGHNESS TO NBA TOP 100 CAMP

By Ron Bailey

June 20, 2011 – Now that the National Basketball Players Association Top 100’s dust has settled, even more information can be reported on attending student athletes being recruited by BIG EAST member schools. Of course the league’s footprint was large, as kids from throughout the nation listed institutions from that conference. Two from Philadelphia are featured here.

Amile Jefferson – 6’8”, 195 lb, senior F, Friends Central (PA) – Jefferson, winner of the Camp’s Academic Achievement award put in work akin to good student’s preparing for final exams – he rebounded, filled lanes, defended, passed and scored his way to a stellar performance. To say he was one of the event’s most effective players is an understatement, as is noting Amile was a very hard worker.

What’s more impressive is that he still is not the best shooter or ball handler; Jefferson does it with effort, intelligence and grit, the last evidenced by playing around half the camp with a dislocated pinky finger on his left hand (which could demand surgery). Sure he hit shots (particularly spot up wing jumpshots from just inside the three point arc) and patted getting the rim (particularly in fast break/scatter court situations), it’s just that these are necessary points of improvement. Add getting stronger to that list ,which Jefferson recognizes as necessary.
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CLASS OF 2013 STOCK RISER: JOSH BROWN (SPORTS U/ST. ANTHONY’S HS)

The Rumble in the Bronx can be a launching pad for a successful summer and bring with it significantly more recruiting attention. One player who caught the eye of NBE at the Rumble was 6-foot-2, 185-pound guard Josh Brown who was playing with the Sports U/Team Izod AAU program. The product of famed St. Anthony’s in Jersey City (NJ) 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. In the opinion of NBE’s contributor Brian Bosworth, Brown is only a consistent jump shot away from being a top 50 player nationally in the 2013 class.
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RASUAL BUTLER ALL-CITY CLASSIC RECAP & RECRUITING NOTES

by Alex Schwartz

PHILADELPHIA – The 17th annual Rasual Butler All-City Classic took place last night at Benjamin Franklin High School in Philadelphia. The top players in the Philadelphia area took the court for three games, one for each of the high school classes besides the outgoing seniors.

The first contest was the Freshmen Game and the White team defeated the Black team by a score of 94-78 in a matchup of 2014 standouts. The MVP from the victors was 6-foot-5 power forward Jamal Custis of Neumann-Goretti (PA) with 18 points. Eric Anderson was named White’s MVP, as the 6-foot-4 small forward from Haverford (PA) dropped 15 points.

The Defensive Player of the Game award went to the White team’s Conrad Chambers, a 6-foot point guard out of Friends Central (PA). He was the game’s top scorer with 19 points. It was Black’s Malik Smith, a 5-foot-10 point guard from Del Val (PA), who won the Unselfish Player trophy.

Other double-digit scorers for the White team were 6-foot-2 combo guard Ja’Quan Newton and 5-foot-11 point guard Troy Harper. The Neumann-Goretti (PA) teammates had 10 points apiece. For the Black team, 6-foot-1 combo guard Shep Garner and 6-foot-2 combo guard Rashann London, teammates at Roman Catholic (PA), had 14 and 12 respectively. In addition, 6-foot-2 shooting guard Malik Starkes of Olney (PA) added 11.

The second game was easily the best one, with the Black team winning 93-86 in the Sophomore Game featuring 2013 players. The MVP from the winning side was 6-foot-6 small forward Rondae Jefferson of Chester (PA) who had 18 points. For the White team, the MVP was 6-foot-2 shooting guard Rysheed Jordan of Vaux (PA) who also had 18.

The Defensive Player of the Game honor was given to 5-foot-6 point guard Yahmir Greenlee of Boys’ Latin (PA), a member of the White team. Stephen Vasturia, a 6-foot-3 combo guard from St. Joseph’s Prep (PA) on the Black squad, won the Unselfish Player honor. In addition to Jefferson and Jordan, both Black’s 5-foot-10 point guard Britton Lee of Roman Catholic and White’s 6-foot-5 power forward BJ Johnson of Lower Merion (PA) had 18 points.

Three other players finished the game with double figures in the points column. Shafeek Taylor, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Roman Catholic, scored 15 points for Black, while 6-foot-3 combo guard Miles Overton of St. Joseph’s Prep had 14. Finally, 6-foot-8 center Zac Tillman of Shipley School (PA) finished with 11 points for the White squad.
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PANGOS CAMP – DAY THREE RECAP

By Raphielle Johnson

The final day of the Pangos All-American Camp gave some of the best campers the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of a focused audience, as the Top 25 and Top 50 Cream of the Crop games were held at Cal-State Dominguez Hills. And there were players who took full advantage of the chance, most notably 2013 guard Stephen Domingo (San Francisco, CA). Domingo went off for 30 points, making 11 of 18 shots from the field (5-for-7 3PT) in leading the Blue team to an 88-84 victory in the Top 50 game.

Simply put Domingo can light it up, thanks to a very good perimeter shot while also being able to work his way to the basket. The rising junior also grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots and was named MVP of the game. Also playing well for the winners was the versatile Nigel Williams-Goss, who contributed across the stat sheet with 12 points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal and a blocked shot.

For the Red team 2012 forward Akoy Agau (Omaha, NE) led four players in double figures with 13 points in addition to six rebounds and a blocked shot. Agau was active on both ends of the floor, as he was the entire weekend. Another player who played well for the Red was 2012 guard Eddie Alcantara (Chicago, IL), who finished with 10 points and three rebounds.

Alcantara, who has heard from DePaul, Georgia Tech, La Salle, Oklahoma, Tennessee and UCLA, plays almost like a power guard (he described his game as “energetic and exciting”) in that he constantly attacks on the offensive end of the floor. He’s looking to improve upon his ball-handling, perimeter shot and decision-making just to name three areas he discussed following the game.
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NIKE EYBL – LOS ANGELES: SUNDAY RUNDOWN

By Raphielle Johnson

On a day that featured a great matchup between the Oakland Soldiers and Albany City Rocks (won 72-68 by the Soldiers), it was the final game of the night that took the honors for Sunday’s best. Boo Williams and CIA Bounce (Canada) put on a show, needing double overtime to decide things in a two-point win for Bounce. The major performers were all over the floor, with Virginia commit Justin Anderson (2012) lighting it up for Boo Williams and 2013 prospect Xavier Rathan-Myers doing the honors in the latter stages of regulation and both overtime periods for Bounce.

Anderson displayed a wide range of skills in the contest, one he had to leave late due to major cramping issues (Anderson did return for a final possession but the ball did not end up in his hands). Early on Anderson made his way to the basket while also setting up teammates, finishing inside with contact as it became quite apparent that Bounce would have their hands full with him. But in the second half the fun really started, as each three-pointer Anderson put up seemed to be further back than the last one. Guessing that one of the shots came from 30 feet out would not be an exaggeration, and his form didn’t change. Virginia is getting a serious player come 2012.

As for Rathan-Myers, whose next high school seems to be up in the air, wow. He didn’t play a whole lot in the first half, but once on the floor in crunch time the young man got it done. Rathan-Myers displayed a good perimeter shot while also getting to the basket when needed. He’s already got good strength but one would have to think that he’ll get a bit more chiseled before 2013 rolls around.

But while those two stood out there were a number of other solid performers for each team. 2013 point guard Anthony Barber had some issues early in the second half with regards to decision-making, but with Anderson sidelined due to cramps Barber stepped up. Normally a pass-first point, the Hampton, VA native was able to penetrate to the basket and make shots while also knocking down a few perimeter shots. The outside shot will need to improve but Barber is a name to keep in mind.
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JAYLEN BOND READY TO BE RE-RECRUITED IN 2012

Former Plymouth-Whitmarsh star forward re-opening process and working on developing all-around game this summer

It has been quite a while since we checked in on Jaylen Bond. The 6-foot-7+ forward had signed a National Letter of Intent with Jamie Dixon’s Pittsburgh program last November and was expected to be a key addition to the Panther’s 2011 recruiting class. Earlier this spring, however, plans changed and Bond decided to attend prep school next fall, reclassifying into the Class of 2012 and re-open his recruitment.

“They said they still wanted to recruit him,” Jaylen’s grandfather, William Bond, told NBE’s Matt Whitfield at this past weekend’s Nike Baltimore Elite Invitational of Pittsburgh. “What’s going to happen I don’t know.”

In the meantime Jaylen Bond is hitting the summer circuit playing for Philly’s Finest AAU program and looking forward to competing in the NEPSAC next season with St. Thomas More in Oakdale, Connecticut. At St. Thomas More Bond will play for long-time head coach Jere Quinn for a program that is coming off a National Prep Championship last season. The Chancellors are led by elite Class of 2012 prospect Andre Drummond, another drawing card for Bond as he looks forward to teaming in the frontcourt with the 6-foot-10 Drummond.

“Basically I would just work off of him and feed off of how he plays and basically we’re going to be a good combination together,” Jaylen Bond said of playing with Drummond next season.

In the meantime Bond is working on his perimeter game and becoming a better all-around player. With April being predominately a dead period for the most part in recruiting, his recruitment is slowly beginning to pick back up after his late decision to re-open the process. According to his grandfather, schools are keeping tabs on him and the summer should prove very interesting in his recruitment.

“University of Tennessee has called since he got his release,” said William Bond. “Temple, La Salle and St. Joseph’s have also been involved.”

The younger Bond looks to put the extra year to good use. Still young for his grade as a senior, his development will continue this summer into the next school year.

“I know he’s going to be working hard this summer,” said William Bond to Matt Whitfield. “I think he’ll be working a lot on his premier skills and his defensive skills. That’s what he wants to continue working with. You figure another year doing that will better prepare him for the next level.”

NBE will continue to follow Jaylen Bond this summer and next season as he will likely become one of the most heavily recruited players in next season’s NEPSAC.

CLASS OF 2013 INTRO: DAVON REED

There has been quite a turnover of talent on the Team Final AAU roster and some new talent is taking their turn to shine on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League circuit this spring and summer. A younger line-up features several Class of 2013 prospects and one such player that started off the circuit impressively leaving NBE wanting to follow him throughout the coming months is shooting guard Davon Reed, who is honored to carry on the Team Final tradition as a top program on the scene.

“This program was founded around great players,” said Reed. “With that I have the honor to put the Team Final jersey on like those before myself. Also getting a chance to play on the Nike circuit is a great experience.”

Reed, a 6-foot-3, 175-pounder from Princeton Day Academy, started play off this weekend with a bang in Team Final’s opening game Saturday morning scoring 22 points. According to Jeff Borzello of CBS Sports, Reed is a long and athletic scorer who can really light it up from the perimeter and has a very good stroke from beyond the arc. Reed showed the ability to get his shot off under duress and got to the rim to score as well.

Colleges are already taking notice of Reed on the East Coast and he hopes a summer on the EYBL tour brings more exposure for more offers.

“I have seven offers from the following schools; VCU, St. Joe’s, La Salle, Temple, Rutgers, Seton Hall and West Virginia,” said Reed. “I am [also] hearing from Cincinnati, Florida, Villanova, Stanford, Providence, and many more.”

Reed has a few schools he really likes, a couple on his current list and a couple he will be hoping to hear from over the next two years as he tries to capitalize on the exposure playing with Team Final will bring.

“I really like Ohio State, UNC, Florida, VCU and Syracuse,” he said.

Reed is not thinking about a commitment any time soon, only really mentioning he would like to stay on the East Coast, but he does have an idea of what an ideal school might have to offer.

“Well, I want to major in sports medicine or marketing so I need a school that has a good department for either of those majors because education is most important,” said Reed when asked what factors would play the biggest role in his college decision. “I would definitely like to stay on the East Coast. I also need a team that fits my style of play with a good coach!”

Team Final is certainly a program to keep an eye on this year and in the coming year or two as several players in the Class of 2013 look to develop into a force on the AAU circuit together. One of those players who will play a large role in their success will be Davon Reed and NBE will certainly continue to follow his progress in the future.

KYLE ANDERSON RECRUITING UPDATE – - DUKE REACHES OUT

Versatile 2012 elite prospect preparing for monster high school match-up while recruiting continues to churn for his talents

by Matt Whitfield

This time last year as a sophomore, Kyle Anderson was seeing significant minutes on the top-rated Paterson Catholic High School Cougars. The Cougars were the favorite heading into the state playoffs, but saw its unbeaten streak and season halted by St. Anthony’s in what sadly was the final game for the Cougar basketball program. That’s because Paterson Catholic announced that it would be closing its doors for good a month later and thus Anderson and others needed to find a new school to continue their high school basketball careers.

Fast forward to nearly a year later, Kyle and former Paterson Catholic teammate Myles Mack have found a new home with one-time foe St. Anthony’s and are currently unbeaten at 22-0 and seemingly headed on a collision course to meet St. Patrick’s in the NJISSA Non-Public, North B Championship game which is essentially the unofficial national championship game for high school basketball. According to his father, Kyle Anderson Sr, his son is definitely enjoying the ride of the season, while maintaining focus on the bigger picture of what is ahead.

“Kyle is enjoying the success of the season immensely, but it is nothing new to him,” said Kyle Anderson Sr. “At this time last year he and Myles were also 26-0 at Paterson Catholic. He really likes the chemistry of the team and how they play well together, as he did last year too.”

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SFIC BASKETBALL CLASSIC RECAP – RECRUITING NOTES & MORE

By Matt Whitfield

On Sunday afternoon, Matt Whitfield made the trip to New Jersey’s Kean University for an exciting day of action at the SFIC Basketball Classic.

The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children is a non-profit organization funded by corporations, foundations and individual donors who wish to invest in the future of needy inner-city children living in neighboring communities. The primary mission of SFIC is to provide these youngsters with elementary and high school scholarships that will enable them to attend private schools offering a high quality, values-based education.

Here was the game schedule for Sunday afternoon:

12:00 pm –
Seton Hall Prep vs. Hudson Catholic

2:00 pm –
St. Patrick’s vs. St. Benedict’s

4:00 pm –
St. Peter’s Prep vs. Trenton Catholic

6:00 pm –
St. Anthony’s vs. St. Joseph’s Montvale

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 membership to read our coverage from Sunday as we briefly recap each contest and provide recruiting notes and observations on some of the top players that are uncommitted at this time from the Class of 2011, 2012 and 2013. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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The BIG EAST conference season might be just getting underway, but it is not too early to begin thinking about tickets for the 2011 Big East Tournament this coming March in Madison Square Garden. You can visit the NBE 2011 Big East Tournament & Tickets page for the event schedule and links to purchase tickets to each and/or all sessions. NBE is uniquely partnered with TicketNetwork.com to bring our readers Tickets to All Sporting Events during ANY season.
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INTEREST RISING IN 2011 UNCOMMITTED GUARD CHRIS MARTIN

Now at St. Pat’s in NJ, Martin sees more schools involved; points to three leaders

New Jersey power St. Patrick of Elizabeth New Jersey picked up an important piece to their puzzle this season when senior guard Chris Martin decided to transfer to Kevin Boyle’s program. Already joining a powerful team led by Kentucky-commit Michael Gilchrist, Western Kentucky-commit Derrick Gordon and a host of talented youngsters, Martin adds a mix of scoring and playmaking to the Celtics’ backcourt and a veteran presence after playing a key role previously at St. John’s College HS in DC.

Martin played a key role in St. Pat’s winning the highly competitive City of Palms Classic in Florida just prior to the holidays. He scored seven points in the nationally televised championship contest and assisted on the game-winning three-pointer by Jarrel Lane.

“It was an exciting tournament with great players and great competition,” Martin told NBE of the highlight of his time so far at St. Patrick. “The amount of exposure and publicity we received was amazing. I am thankful and grateful to have played on such a big stage.”

The big stage at St. Pat’s has also allowed for his recruitment to increase with teams looking to add backcourt help in the late signing period this spring for the Class of 2011.

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 membership to read more on the developing recruitment of Martin and his thoughts his recruitment and experience in moving to St. Pat’s. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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BIG EAST SCHOOLS, OTHERS IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH KYLE ANDERSON

A-10, ACC and West Coast power looking at versatile 2012 prospect preparing for the season

By Matt Whitfield

When the announcement was made that Paterson Catholic was closing it’s doors before the 2010-2011 school year, many talented basketball players were left to look for a new home. One of the schools to benefit from the news was Bob Hurley’s legendary St. Anthony’s of Jersey City (NJ) program as senior guard Myles Mack and junior G/F Kyle Anderson decided to take their talents to the Friars this season.

At St. Anthony’s, Anderson, a 6-foot-8 junior who is one of the top 25 players in the Calss of 2012, is adjusting to life onder coach Hurley while making improvements in his game and seeing plenty of Big East, A-10 and ACC schools maintaining regular contact with him in the recruiting process.

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 membership to read more on Anderson as Matt Whitfield recently caught up with his father, Kyle Sr., in advance of the Hoop Group Tip-off Classic where he was making his St. Anthony’s debut. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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NATIONAL PREP SHOWCASE – DAY TWO

BY JEFF BORZELLO

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – After a first day that got better as the event progressed, everyone was ready for a jam-packed second day that featured eight games. Plenty of coaches were in attendance, keeping an eye on some of the top players in the country. The day started off with a great game between Bridgton Academy (Maine) and Fork Union Military Academy (Va.), with Bridgton overcoming a 20-point halftime deficit to win in the final minutes. In the second game, Andre Drummond led a comeback by St. Thomas More (Conn.) to beat Princeton Day Academy (Md.). After that, Hargrave Military Academy (Va.) opened up a big second half lead on New Hampton (N.H.), with an easy Brewster Academy (N.H.) victory over Fishburne Military Academy (Va.) following. South Kent (Conn.) proceeded to blow out La Lumiere (Ind.), but Notre Dame Prep (Mass.) and Westwind Prep (Ariz.) had a dynamite back-and-forth contest that ended with Notre Dame winning. St. Mark’s (Mass.) handled Lee Academy (Maine) easily, before Kiski School (Penn.) staged a big second-half comeback to beat Winchendon (Mass.).

Here is a look at some of the top players, and recruiting notes, from day two:

Zach Auguste, 2012, New Hampton Prep: Auguste is a long and lanky lefty who is improving every game. He uses his length and athleticism to get blocks and rebounds at both ends of the floor and he also has fairly good vision and passing ability for a player his size. Auguste was in foul trouble for most of the game, but in limited minutes, he demonstrated his immense potential. He had a big-time baseline dunk and can finish with either hand. Once he learns how to stay on the floor for an entire game, he is going to be tough to stop.

Despite being limited because of foul trouble on Saturday, colleges were still intrigued by his potential. According to New Hampton Prep coach Pete Hutchins, Auguste has offers from DePaul, Notre Dame, Boston College and Oregon State, with interest from Kansas and Syracuse.

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 membership to read more detailed scouting reports and more of the latest recruiting notes gathered on Day Two of the National Prep Showcase. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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NATIONAL PREP SHOWCASE: DAY ONE

by JEFF BORZELLO

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – College basketball has its 24-hour marathon; high school has the National Prep Showcase. Featuring 23 of the best prep school teams in the country, the National Prep Showcase is the official start to the high school basketball season. The teams gather at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Conn. for three jam-packed days of games. There will be well over 100 Division-I recruits throughout the weekend, so it is a great spot for college coaches to get a look at recently-signed recruits or uncommitted prospects.

The day started out with an uneventful Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.) win over Fork Union Military Academy (Va.), 80-73. Notre Dame Prep (Mass.) held on in the second game to beat Fishburne Military Academy (Va.), 75-66. Westwind Prep (Ariz.) and Bridgton Academy (Maine) had a back-and-forth battle, with Westwind pulling it out, 84-78. The best game of the day was Hargrave Military Academy (Va.) and South Kent (Conn.), a high-scoring and entertaining affair that Hargrave won 115-105. After that was St. Thomas More’s easy win over Lee Academy, 82-57, followed by Princeton Day Academy (Md.) defeating Winchendon (Mass.), 67-63. The final game of the day kept everyone entertained, as NIA Prep (N.J.) knocked off Maine Central Institute in overtime after Shaq Thomas hit a jumper at the buzzer to tie the game.

Here is a look at some of the top players, and recruiting notes, from day one:

Evan Cummins, 2012, Northfield Mount Hermon: Cummins has consistently gotten better over the last few months, and it continued today. He runs the floor well and has good hands for a big man. He can finish at the rim and is also able to kncok down mid-range jump shots. Cummins struggled a bit to finish in some instances, but overall he demonstrated a versatile offensive game and justified the increased recruiting attention he is receiving (detailed below).

Aaron Cosby, 2011, Northfield Mount Hermon: The Seton Hall-signee is much more aggressive than he was a year ago. He looked for his shot more often today, driving past his defender into the lane for leaners and lay-ups. Cosby also knocked down outside shots consistently and was able to make shots over defenders. He had a few nice passes and led the fast break effectively. He does need to protect the ball better on his drives, though; he had the ball batted away or stripped while he was in the air several times. Cosby finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

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 membership to read more detailed scouting reports and the latest recruiting notes gathered on Day One of the National Prep Showcase. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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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.

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SUPER 16 SHOWCASE NOTES

by RICHARD KENT

The event was held at the brand new TD Banknorth Arena on the campus of Quinnipiac University. Quinnipiac’s head coach Tom Moore, formerly an assistant at UConn, was like a proud poppa in the stands, watching some of the top talent in the country eye his digs.

Probably the best player on display was former Providence-commit, 6-foot point guard Naadir Tharpe of Brewster Academy and the New England Playaz. Tharpe can see the court well and is a pure point. He is now still involved with Providence along with Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Indiana and UMass, among others. He was coached in the event by John Carroll,former head coach of the Celtics.

Tharpe played against J.B. Hoops of Pennsylvania led by rising junior 6-foot-5 forward Terry Turner, drawing looks from Penn State,Temple, La Salle, St. Joe’s and to a lesser extent Syracuse and Rutgers. 6-foot-7 Mark Bevacqua also impressed. He has a high ankle sprain but is being looked at by some Big East schools.

The New England Playaz 16s were led by 6-foot-9 Evan Cummins of Northfield Mt. Hermon who is drawing looks from Ivies such as Brown, Penn and Cornell.

The New York Panthers were stuck in traffic and didn’t show by press time. Many coaches were there to see 6-foot-7 Maurice Harkless of South Kent (via NYC), heavily recruited by Rutgers, who is on his new list, along with Memphis, St. John’s, Georgetown, Miami, South Florida, Xavier, Virginia, Maryland, Syracuse, Temple, Pitt, Providence and Cincinnati, according to adviser Nate Blue’s twitter this afternoon, since retracting his verbal commitment from Connecticut. Many coaches were also waiting on Kadeem Jack, who will join Harkless at South Kent next season, as Jack is Working Through Recruiting Process as a 2011 Prospect now.

Rising sophomore Kuran Iverson was a star for Connecticut Select 16s and was being looked at by Big East assistants from UConn (Andre LaFleur), Pittsburgh (Pat Skerry) and Cincinnati (former Rutgers assistant Darren Savino was there on behalf of the Bearcats).

Present for Rutgers was Van Macon, who previously coached under former Hofstra and now Fordham coach Tom Pecora, who was also present. The two remain friendly.

ESPN’s Andy Katz headed the media contingent and was looking all over the place for West Virginia coach Bob Huggins, who was due to arrive by evening. Word is Huggins made sure to make himself seen when elite 2012 prospect Andre Drummond took the floor for Connecticut Basketball Club later on.

Affable Harvard head coach, and former Seton Hall head coach, Tommy Amaker was there looking at some prep players. He did not rule out coaching in the Big East again.
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NBE recently welcomed Richard Kent, a veteran college basketball writer, to our growing team. Richard has written for SI.Com, Athlon and has covered the NCAA Tournament in the CBS Studio. He also has done extensive work on women’s college basketball, having founded the Big East Women’s Basketball Report and written three books on the topic. He broke the story nationally that UConn and Tennessee would no longer be playing. His day job is practicing law as a matrimonial attorney in Fairfield, Connecticut where he is a member of Best Lawyers In America.
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HOOP GROUP SUMMER CLASSIC RECRUITING NOTES

Matt Whitfield headed down to the Hoop Group Summer Classic on Sunday at The Hoop Group headquarters in Neptune (NJ) for some ‘live’ period basketball action. He was joined by head coaches such as Mike Rice, Kevin Willard, Steve Lavin, Fran Dunphy and many more high-profile assistant coaches checking out the action yesterday.

Below Matt runs down some of the key recruiting stories from the event, including listing coaches seen watching Durand Johnson and Cecil Kirk, Ryan Arcidiacono and the PA Playaz 2012, the NY Panthers as well as some individual updates from Jordan Allen, Davontay Grace, Savon Goodman, Jared Sina, Dom Hoffman, Blaise Mbargorba, Jabarie Hinds, Chris Martin, Jamir Hanner and more…

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 The Hoop Group’s Summer Classic. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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AMILE JEFFERSON: OFFER FROM SYRACUSE “HUMBLING”

Top 2012 prospect in high demand as recruiting heats up already

Mining the talent of Friends Central in Philadelphia (PA) has been pretty successful for Syracuse in the past as one of NBE’s All-Tome Top 50 Big East Players came from the school and was a key member of Jim Boeheim’s national championship club of 2003. The school that brought SU Hakim Warrick is now home to one of the most coveted prospects in the class of 2012: Amile Jefferson.

While the Orange will hope lightning strikes twice, many other schools hope that Jefferson chooses their school in the end. The local Big East program (Villanova) has also made a strong impression with a scholarship offer and others are certainly in the mix as well.

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 below as Matt Whitfield catches up with Amile Jefferson earlier today at the Hoop Group Summer Classic in Neptune (NJ). Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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