Temple Recruiting

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 – DAY FIVE

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The 2011 City of Palms Classic came to a close on Wednesday night with a wild day of hoops culminating in an all Texas title game between Prestonwood Christian and Grace Prep. Local fans, scouts, and college coaches packed the gym to the rafters and created a high intensity atmosphere for these young players. Even legendary ESPN analyst Dick Vitale stopped by to enjoy the action offering a few words to the crowd before the championship game. Prestonwood Christian turned the final into a laugher prevailing 62-42 with stud junior forward Julius Randle taking home MVP honors. While Randle led the team throughout the week, it was a freshman who carried Prestonwood on his back tonight while the big man sat for much of the game in foul trouble.

Top Performance of the Day:

Mickey Mitchell (Prestonwood Christian 2015) – After viewing Mitchell for 4 games this week I feel very comfortable saying that he is in the running for top player nationally in the 2015 class. Offensively, Mitchell does a bit of everything as a 6’7” guard including making jumpers, exploding to the rim, making high level passes, and crashing the glass. While all this is very impressive, it was Mitchell’s defensive ability that left the biggest mark. Over the course of 3 days he defended 5 star wing Shabazz Muhammad, 4 star big man Ricardo Gathers, and 5 star point guard Emmanuel Mudiay. It speaks volumes that Prestonwood’s coaching staff chose to use their freshman as the defensive stopper against this wide array of players. As long as Mitchell continues to work hard (which is basically all he talked about in a post game interview) the sky is the limit.
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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 TWO

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Day 2 at the City of Palms Classic featured national powerhouses Mater Dei (CA), Arlington Grace Prep (TX), and Miller Grove (GA) in action for the first time. Despite these big names the game of the day was St. Raymond’s (NY) come from behind overtime victory over Trinity (KY) in which they trailed by 15 in the 4th quarter. Through sheer force of will and a couple of standouts outlined below they stormed all the way back and then overcame another 5 point deficit in overtime. It highlighted a fun day of big time competition with quite a few monster individual performances.

Top Performer of the Day:

Isaiah Austin (Arlington Grace Prep 2012) – signed with Baylor – Austin is often criticized for floating on the perimeter and not using his 7 foot frame to score inside. If today’s performance is any indication, he has heard the critics and made an adjustment. Matched up against future Ohio State defensive end Adolphus Washington, Austin went to work in the lane and stayed there all day. He dominated the paint on both ends of the court finishing with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 blocks. While still a finesse player, Austin seems to have learned to use his extreme length to get into easy positions to score and then use his soft touch to finish plays. He even initiated contact with the 6’6” beast of man Washington and worked his way to the free throw line. On the defensive end, Austin basically sent back every shot attempt within 6 feet and caused opponents to settle for jumpers because of his presence. Today’s performance was one that makes it clear why Austin has as much long term potential as any member of the 2012 class.
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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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RECRUITING UPDATE: DAIQUAN WALKER & KARONN DAVIS SEEING VARIETY OF SCHOOLS INTERESTED

by Alex Schwartz

Daiquan Walker and Karonn Davis might not be the biggest names in Philadelphia basketball right now, but there is no question that both of them are talented players.

Walker is a 6-foot-1, 170-pound senior point guard at Constitution High School, while Davis is a 6-2, 190-pound junior point guard at Friends Central School. On Tuesday, NBE had the opportunity to see both players in action and catch up with them to discuss their recruitment and more.

Although Walker had just nine points, his heady play was a key part in Constitution’s 61-53 victory over Council Rock North (PA). He split time at the point, but showed a superb feel for the game when at the one to go along with a quality handle.
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SAVON GOODMAN PLANNING TO SIGN IN SPRING, STAY IN 2012

by Alex Schwartz

PHILADELPHIA – On the last day of November in 2010, Savon Goodman committed to his local school, Villanova University. Just over a year later, the 6-foot-6 combo forward is looking for a new college, after decommitting from the Wildcats just before the start of his senior year.

Soon after reopening his recruitment, Goodman transferred to Constitution (PA), leaving the school where he had spent the first three years of his high school career, Academy of the New Church (PA). In addition, rumors began to swirl that he would have to reclassify to 2013 for academic reasons.

On Tuesday, NBE caught up with both Goodman and his high school coach after his second game as a Constitution General, a 61-53 win over Council Rock North (PA) in which he had a game-high 24 points.
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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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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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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK: ANTHONY BENNETT HOLDING LIST STEADY, CHINONSO OBOKOH TAKING VISITS & SCHOOLS WATCH YOUNG LAMONTA STONE

The big news of the college basketball recruiting world was delivered by St. Anthony’s senior guard Kyle Anderson who ended the speculation of his college destination with a simple announcement via twitter:

RT @KyleAnderson5 -Had a great family meeting. I’ve decided to be a UCLA BRUIN!!

Anderson’s announcement came on the eve of his birthday, the planned date of his college decision. Seton Hall (tickets) head coach Kevin Willard had made one last pitch to Anderson and his family with an in-home visit, but it was not enough in the end for the Pirates to land the recruiting coup of the early Fall.

While the Anderson story was unfolding, NBE was also able to get recruiting updates on ’12 forward Anthony Bennett, ’13 big man Chinonso Obokoh and ’15 point guard LaMonta Stone II.

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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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DAVON REED ENJOYS SETON HALL VISIT; MORE TRIPS PLANNED

While much of the attention in recent weeks have been paid to the Class of 2012 prospects hitting college campuses for official visits, several 2013 prospects have also used their free time to see some schools for themselves. One player with a very busy visit schedule the next month is Davon Reed. The 6-foot-5, 190-pound shooting guard was able to fit in a BIG EAST visit last weekend.

“I really enjoyed my visit to Seton Hall last Saturday,” Reed told NBE yesterday. “The staff was really welcoming and they seem to be have a bright future for the program! It was an excellent visit!”

Reed was surprised that the campus was bigger than he thought. He was also able to see coach Kevin Willard’s squad hit the court for a preseason workout, which he singled out as the visit’s highlight.
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STEPHEN VASTURIA ENJOYS NOTRE DAME VISIT; PENN STATE TRIP UP NEXT

It might be tough to label Stephen Vasturia as a point guard or a shooting guard, but there is no mistaking the St. Joseph’s Prep High School standout as a sure-fire high major recruit in the Class of 2013 out of Philadelphia. This past Labor Day weekend Vasturia made an unofficial visit to Notre Dame, one of the schools that has been long on the trail of the 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard.

“I really enjoyed my visit to Notre Dame and learning more about the school and basketball program,” Vasturia told NBE Basketball Report last night. “The thing that made the biggest impression on me was the overall combination of success they have had over the years on the court and in the classroom.”

Vasturia, who won the Unselfish Player Honor at the Rasual Butler All-City Classic in Philadelphia this spring, is a very good long range shooter with nice form on his jumper and he can also hit shots from midrange. In addition he possesses a quality handle to go along with superb court vision, passing ability, feel for the game and overall basketball IQ. The consistency of his long-range jumper will improve with experience and his defense will also improve as his physical stature matures.

Mike Brey’s Notre Dame club has had a lot of success with similar backcourt talents in their system and Vasturia seems to be very interested in the Irish program and the visit only enhanced those feelings.

“Nothing about the trip really surprised me,” he said. “I was just really impressed with everything at the school.”

Notre Dame is just one of the schools currently involved in the recruitment of Vasturia. He will take another unofficial visit this coming weekend and continue to look at the other options that are coming available in his growing recruitment.

“I will be visiting Penn State this weekend,” Vasturia said. “Schools that are recruiting me are ND, Georgetown, Boston College, Villanova, Penn State, Northwestern and Temple.”

NBE will continue to monitor the development on the court of Stephen Vasturia this season at St. Joseph’s Prep High School in Philly and any recruiting developments off the court as the 6’4 guard is sure to be one of the most highly recruited backcourt talents in the 2013 class on the East Coast.

2013 C/PF CHINONSO OBOKOH SEEING MORE COLLEGE INTEREST; PLANNING VISITS

One of the intriguing big men in the Class of 2013 is Rochester (NY) product Chinonso Obokoh. The 6-foot-10, 220-lb center attends Bishop Kearney High School where he plays for coach Jon Boon. He is still a relative unknown in many recruiting circles since he only came to the United States from Nigeria in the spring of 2010 and has had limited exposure on the AAU circuit the last two summers. In the early July evaluation period he attended the Hoop Group Team Camp with his Bishop Kearney teammates and drew a lot of attention from scouts and coaches anxious to get a look at him on the floor.

Obokoh saw some time with the City Rocks AAU program and his highlight of the summer was getting the chance to play against another highly touted big man in the Class of 2013.

“Playing against Nerlens Noel of BABC,” said Obokoh of his highlight of the summer. “I thought I held my own.”
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SUMMER SHOOTOUT NOTEBOOK

By Alex Schwartz

ALLENTOWN, N.J. — Although the Summer Shootout is not necessarily well-known outside of New Jersey, the event is filled with quality teams and talented players on a yearly basis. The 2011 edition was no different, as NBE Basketball Report took in some of the action on Saturday and got to catch up with a handful of Big East recruits.

Isaiah Watkins, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound power forward, really saw his stock increase this summer. A class of 2013 prospect who hails from Toronto and is in his first year at St. Benedict’s (NJ), Watkins already lists a number of high-major offers.

Watkins said that Santa Clara, Missouri, Arkansas, Cincinnati and Virginia have all extended scholarship offers to him. In addition, he is hearing from Harvard, Ohio State, Georgetown, Michigan, Elon, Lafayette, Niagara, Villanova, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Temple, West Virginia, Kansas and more.
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ELITE ’14 PROSPECT CHRIS MCCULLOUGH ENJOYS UCONN VISIT

Chris McCullough burst onto the national recruiting radar this summer with a series of strong performances during the month of July, first at the Hoop Group Elite Session 1 Camp and the Hoop Group team camp playing with the Salisbury (CT) School. McCullough built up a strong following and next thing you knew college coaches were making sure they knew where his team SCAN AAU squad would be playing throughout the remaining of the month.

McCullough, who credits the work off the court with Team SCAN for helping him achieve honor roll status in school, visited Connecticut earlier this week with AAU teammate Conrad Chambers, another highly regarded player in the 2014 recruiting class. McCullough told NBE earlier today he enjoyed the trip.

“The trip was good, good experience,” said McCullough of the visit to UConn. ‘[The highlight was] chilling with Coach Kevin Ollie.”
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TERRENCE SAMUEL RECRUITING UPDATE: NEW HEIGHTS GUARD IN DEMAND AFTER SUCCESSFUL SUMMER

One of the more impressive team performances throughout July was put on by the New Heights 16U AAU club. Including their Adidas Invitational championship to kick off the early July evaluation period and a Summer Classic East title that included a thrashing of highly touted Team Final 16U, New Heights claimed five impressive tournament titles on the AAU circuit this spring and summer. One player very instrumental in their success was South Shore (NYC) High School guard Terrence Samuel who loved every minute of his time with New Heights.

“The best part of being with New Heights is the expierence [of] being able to travel the world for free,” Samuel told NBE this week. “And to play in front of college coaches.”

And college coaches have liked what they have seen out of the 6-foot-3, 198-pound (rising) junior (Class of 2013) guard who is very happy with how his recruitment is going at the moment.
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CLASS OF 2012 PF VISITING WAKE FOREST TODAY

Wake Forest head coach Jeff Bzdelik and his staff will host a Class of 2012 power forward for an unofficial visit today as Devin Thomas will make a trip to Winston-Salem (NC) to check things out.

“Yeah, I am going to Wake Forest tomorrow,” said Thomas last night when asked if he has any visits upcoming.

The 6-foot-8, 230-pounder out of Central Dauphin HS in Harrisburg (PA) had an excellent summer playing with Mid-Penn Motion on the AAU circuit. Displaying a constant motor that was always turned on, Thomas was able to get things done in the paint and in doing so he drew many new suitors for his services from college coaches.

“Wake Forest, Temple and Marquette,” were new schools of note that Thomas mentioned adding that, as of now, he is considering “Wake Forest, Maryland, Clemson, Temple, Marquette, Penn State, Virginia Tech and VCU.”

Thomas does not have any favorites at this point and is looking to make a college decision in September. At this time, though, he is sad to see his AAU career come to an end and he wouldn’t trade anything for the experiences he has shared with friends and teammates.

“The best part has been experiencing everything with my best friends,” he said, adding “I dont want anything to end, I feel like this is alot of fun and a great experience.”

Now Devin Thomas will move his focus from the AAU circuit to the recruiting process. Hoping for a September decision will allow Thomas to enjoy one last year of high school basketball with his friends and teammates and create more lasting memories. With the energy and heart that he puts forth on the basketball court, expect Thomas to make an impact on and off the court in a positive way no matter where he lands in the future.

HOOP GROUP END OF SUMMER CLASSIC RUNDOWN – 17U EDITION

By Brian Bosworth

The 17U brackets at Hoop Group’s End of Summer Classic featured some familiar names along with some newcomers as many young players were playing up. The NJ Playaz were the big winners capping their successful summer with a triple overtime victory in the platinum bracket final over New Heights. Players from those teams and others stood out on this day.

Savon Goodman (NJ Playaz/2012) – verbal to Villanova – Goodman had one of the best performances I’ve seen out of him all summer on the last day of the live period. He was up to his usual tricks of cleaning both backboards, running the floor hard, and finishing with authority at the rim. Those skills have defined his game and will make him a fan favorite at Villanova. Today he mixed in some perimeter skills that I hadn’t previously seen from him. Goodman knocked down numerous jump shots including some corner 3s and once he established the jumper used a shot fake to explode past defenders to the rim. If he can continue improving his perimeter game and become a full time small forward, Goodman would jump his game up to a different level. He has NBA athleticism but only the size to contribute at small forward at that level so it will be interesting to track his progress in this area.
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HOOP GROUP END OF SUMMER CLASSIC RUNDOWN – 16U EDITION

By Brian Bosworth

The July live period came to a close on Sunday with Hoop Group’s End of Summer Classic at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania. The tournament featured 24 teams in 3 separate 17U brackets and 16 teams in 2 separate 16U brackets. The 16U portion had many standout players including one who was a cut above the rest.

Top Performer:

Rysheed Jordan (Players Teaching Players/2013) – Although his team lost in the semifinals, Jordan left little doubt that he was the top prospect in the 16U division. A 6’3” 175 pound point guard, Jordan has immense physical talents. In his team’s first game, an easy win, he played the role of facilitator and got into the paint time and again to create easy scoring opportunities for teammates. He used his long arms to disrupt passing lanes on defense and start transition offense and showed the ability to finish high above the rim. In his second game of the day, Players Teaching Players were trailing by 27 points when Jordan took matters into his own hands. He must have had at least 5-6 steals all leading to easy buckets at the other end. Offensively, he attacked the rim relentlessly finishing through contact over and over and bringing his team back within 7 points. The deficit was eventually too much to overcome but in the process of trying Rysheed Jordan proved that he is an elite point guard prospect in the 2013 class.

Other Standouts:
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