Ohio State Recruiting
ANTHONY BENNETT DISCUSSES FINAL FIVE
January 18, 2012 by NBE Blogger · 3 Comments
There is still plenty of high-end talent still on the board in the college basketball recruiting Class of 2012. One such prospect is Findlay Prep’s Anthony Bennett, a 6-foot-8 power forward and native of Brampton, Ontario.
Bennett, whop runs on the summer AAU circuit with CIA Bounce, is an imposing force on the basketball court. He violently attacks the rim with strong finishes and his athletic ability is impressive for a player his size and strength. He has also shown the ability to hit from three-point range and his potential almost seems limitless at the power forward position at the college level. He continues to improve his skill level making him an even more dangerous offensive player.
“I’m trying to improve my ball-handling and shooting the ball consistently from the three-point line,” said Bennett of the areas of his game he has improved upon the most. “I think I need to be a better defender because in college I’m going to be guard the three or four so I think I need to get quicker.”
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HOOPHALL CLASSIC 2012: MONDAY RECAP
January 18, 2012 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment
By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst
The 2012 Hoophall Classic came to a close on Monday highlighted by four national games all broadcast live on national television. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and Kentucky front man John Calipari were front and center all day each flagged by two assistants. They were joined by a host of other coaches all trying to make an impression on the many uncommitted talents in action. While Shabazz Muhammad, Jabari Parker, Tony Parker, and others were the focus of these coaches, a senior guard who has already made his college decision stole the show and he receives top billing today.
Top Performer:
Katin Reinhardt (Mater Dei 2012) – signed with UNLV – After watching Reinhardt for a week at the City of Palms in Florida last month I came away seriously underwhelmed. He struck me as a player that forced shots, was careless with the ball, and cared more about making the flashy play than the right play. After dropping 35 points on a Hoophall Classic record tying nine three-pointers it’s safe to say he has changed my mind. Reinhardt got in the flow early with an easy dunk and once he found a rhythm the shots just kept falling and falling. Equally adapt off the catch or the dribble he made shots from well beyond the college 3 point line and was able to get enough elevation on his shot to make them over defenders. Not exclusively a shooter (although it was clearly his calling card today) Reinhardt used a low, tight crossover to get in the lane and finished a pair of floaters over help defenders. He also showed passion and aggression on the defensive end forcing Uconn commit Omar Calhoun into a miserable 6-22 shooting day. For now I’m willing to label Reinhardt a streaky shooter that has the ability to single handedly take over a game when he’s on a hot streak. If he can string together consistent performances like today’s I’ll be forced to simply label him a great shooter.
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DUKE FLIRTATION WITH AMILE JEFFERSON TURNS TO FULL COURTSHIP
January 11, 2012 by NBE Blogger · 2 Comments
by Alex Schwartz
WEST CHESTER, PA – Amile Jefferson, a 6-foot-8 power forward out of Friends Central (PA), is one of the nation’s elite basketball players in the class of 2012. In addition, he is one of the few top flight players still uncommitted.
Although Jefferson’s recruitment seemed fairly clear recently in terms of final options and perceived frontrunners, one school is making a late play for the senior: Duke University.
NBE was on hand Tuesday night at Westtown School (PA) on Tuesday for the showdown between Jefferson and Villanova-bound center Daniel Ochefu. Also in the stands were Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and assistant Chris Collins, sitting just a few rows behind the Friends Central bench.
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CRC CLASSIC: ANYA, LYLES SHINE IN DEMATHA WIN OVER NEUMANN-GORETTI
January 9, 2012 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment
By Ray Mernagh
DeMatha Catholic was led by the inside muscle of Beejay Anya and the outside shooting touch of Jairus Lyles in a 62-47 win over Philadelphia’s Neumann-Goretti. The Class of 2013 duo each scored 17 points in the win with Syracuse-commit Jerami Grant adding 14. As a team, Dematha was 26-43 from the field, setting a CRC CLassic record by making 60.5% of their shots from the floor.
Neumann-Goretti sophomore Ja’Quan Newton scored 16 in the loss to lead the Saints.
Following the game NBE got the chance to catch up with a few of the big guns for DeMatha to talk recruiting and more…
Beejay Anya 6’9″ 2013 Center
Anya has lost a severe amount of weight over the last several months….and that’s a good thing! My guess is that he’s dropped 30 pounds if not more and the result is a dominating presence in the post both defensively and offensively. Anya had 3 blocks before I could write anything and just continued from that point. He’s unquestionably the Stags best player and it’s not really close. Anya scored over each shoulder, rebounded and defended with a physical preference that probably had Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon salivating as he watched courtside. Anya finished with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 7 blocks and is being courted by just about everybody in the country.
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2011 CITY OF PALMS REPORT — TOP PLAYER PERFORMANCES
December 23, 2011 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment
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
December 22, 2011 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment
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
December 20, 2011 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment
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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STATUS QUO ON RECRUITING FRONT FOR ANTHONY BENNETT
November 30, 2011 by NBE Blogger · 1 Comment
There is still some very impressive high-end talent in the Class of 2012 that has yet to make their college choices. One such talent is Canadian-born power forward Anthony Bennett who is holding steady with a list of nine schools he is considering signing with in the spring. The 6-foot-8, 235-lb standout with Findlay Prep and the CIA Bounce AAU program out of Canada recently took advantage of being in Kentucky to visit one of the schools on his list.
“The trip to Kentucky was fun,” Bennett said of an unofficial visit to get a look at John Calipari’s program, “coaches were cool, and the fans are crazy. But as of right now every school is the same, I have no favorites.”
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Mernagh’s M-M Minute: 2 for 32 in MAC vs Summit Battle
November 13, 2011 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment
South Dakota State beat Western Michigan earlier today 82-76 in a game that saw WMU’s 6’10″ sophomore center Matt Stainbrook go for 32 points. The Jackrabbits had no answer for “Big Stain” a lefty with a variety of post moves (although they all usually end up going over his right shoulder) and a soft touch who torched SDSU on 14-16 shooting from the floor and 4-5 from the free throw line.
Meanwhile, the victorious Jackrabbits got 32 points of their own from the splendid junior point guard Nate Wolters (who lit up the Broncos last year in Kalamazoo for 28 in a losing effort).
Both Stainbrook, a lightly recruited big man out of Ohio who’s at WMU because a former assistant talked head coach Steve Hawkins into watching him late in the recruiting period, and Wolters are players for college fans to keep an eye on as the season progresses and their teams compete for conference titles.
We didn’t get much of a chance to write about Akron’s beatdown of Mississippi State the other night. The Zips, led by Quincy Diggs on offense and Zeke Marshall on defense, controlled the SEC group for the full 40 minutes before winning by ten. Akron coach Keith Dambrot was kind enough to join us following the win for our new podcast called “The Experience” which will be available online tomorrow (keep your eye out for it).
Myself and Lauren Kirschman will be doing the podcast throughout the season and hope to bring you interesting discussions that you won’t get anywhere else.
The second podcast has been scheduled for tomorrow morning with a coach who has a Final Four on his record. I’ll also be checking out Wisconsin Green Bay vs Duquesne tomorrow afternoon before driving up the block to catch Pitt vs Rider in the evening (Robert Morris drilled Rider by 26 last night). Green Bay features a really talented sophomore big in 7’1″ Alec Brown, while the Dukes have a sophomore star of their own in TJ McConnell.
Watched Wright State and Ohio State Friday night in a game that the Buckeyes won handily. Not sure if Ohio State is a top-3 team as of yet. They have three really good players and a lot of inexperienced parts, but those three players (Jared Sullinger, Aaron Craft and William Buford) are special, just not sure this team is as good as Thad Matta’s previous team that featured David Lighty and had Dallas Lauderdale backing up Sullinger. Time will tell.
Wright State will be up and down all year but they have a really strong first year core of Reggie Arceneaux, Tavares Sledge and Kendall Griffin. Arceneaux is a 5’8″ jet who battled Craft and Shannon Scott all night long. Sledge is a 6’9″ athlete with a body who’s capable of defending and rebounding at a high level already (I think he had 8 in 16 minutes vs OSU) while Griffin will be a steady 2/3 for the Raiders for the next four years. Sophomore big man AJ Pacher has vastly improved his game as well. Wright State has Cole Darling and Matt Vest out with injuries right now and needs their two first-year junior guards (Julius Mays and John Balwigaire) to play well if they want to compete and win games. One thing that’s different about Wright State’s team from last years squad is that Arceneaux is the only Raider who can break his man down off the dribble consistently, while last year’s team had two real creative guys off the bounce in Vaughn Duggins and N’Gai Evans.
FALL IS8 CROWNS 2011 CHAMPIONS
October 24, 2011 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment
By Brian Bosworth
The IS8 Fall Semifinals took place on Saturday afternoon and the gym was buzzing from the opening tip of game number one. A standing room only crowd was entertained by two terrific contests featuring some of the most talented 19 and under players in the greater New York City area as well as a few imports from around the country. An environment unlike any other IS8 features a small cramped court with fans right on top of the action, a courtside announcer giving play by play and color commentary, and two referees who swallow their whistles and allow the players to decide the games.
Saturday Semifinal Scores:
The Playaz 73, Mount Vernon 66
The Panthers 77, Our Savior New American 76
As a player at IS8, you know you’ve arrived once the announcer has branded you with a nickname and the first five players outlined below received that honor.
Chris “The Game Changer” Obekpa (Our Savior New American / 2012) – Standing 6’9” 200 pounds, Obekpa is the premier shot blocker in the 2012 class. He has long arms, explosive leaping ability, and outstanding natural instincts which allow him to have complete control of the paint on the defensive end of the floor. Easily eclipsing double figures in rejections for the game, Obekpa altered or blocked every shot taken within 10 feet. By the second half the opposition entered the paint solely looking to pass because challenging Obekpa at the rim was a completely fruitless effort. Offensively, Obekpa currently relies only on dunks and layups, can’t put the ball on the floor, and has little or no back to the basket game. He is a beast in transition because of his athleticism but in a half court set put backs are his only scoring chances. Even without an offensive game, I would still consider Obekpa a top 25 player nationally in the 2012 class because he is so dominant defensively. He should be able to step in and be a top class shot blocker and paint enforcer at the high major level immediately.
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CHRIS WALKER IMPRESSED BY TEAM CHEMISTRY ON VISIT TO KANSAS
October 17, 2011 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment
As one of the top players in the Class of 2013 in America, 6-foot-9, 205-pound power forward Chris Walker of Holmes County (FL) High School had his choice of Midnight Madness events to choose from. Anually one of the most entertaining and well-attended by recruits drew Walker’s attention as he attended Friday’s Late Night in the Phog on the Kansas University campus. Recruits got a first-hand look at how the KU staff and players interact with each other, something that greatly impressed Walker.
“The chemisty of the team and the kind of relationship that coach Bill [Self] has with his players is phenomenal,” said Walker.
Walker has previously visited Alabama, Florida, Florida State and Georgia. He talked with NBE on what draws his attention to a school.
“Schools with good academics; schools that win school [and] that has a great fansbase,” he said. “[Also] a good relationship with [the] coach and a coach that will make you better on and off the court.”
With no leaders or favorites yet in the process, Walker mentioned Kansas, Kentucky, Florida, Ohio State, Texas, Baylor, Florida State and Memphis as the schools he is currently considering that are active in his recruitment.
While Walker continues to work hard on his game becoming a more versatile player, he has enjoyed the opportunity to showcase his talents this fall in front of college coaches who have come to see him work out.
“Things are going good [at Holmes County],” said Walker. “The best part is just being able to bring college coaches in the gym. “[This season I'm] looking forward to getting better and being more versatile and getting my team more exposure.”
With many eyes on Chris Walker as one of the elite prospects in the Class of 2013 you can be sure his team will be getting plenty of exposure this coming season. With some of the top programs across the country very active in his recruitment expect Holmes County to be playing in front of interested coaches and media throughout the season. NBE will hope to catch Walker and his teammates in action this season and keep readers up to date on his recruitment.
RECRUITING NOTEBOOK: ANTHONY BENNETT HOLDING LIST STEADY, CHINONSO OBOKOH TAKING VISITS & SCHOOLS WATCH YOUNG LAMONTA STONE
September 20, 2011 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment
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.
RECRUITMENT OF ISAIAH WATKINS CONTINUES TO GAIN STEAM
September 16, 2011 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment
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
September 15, 2011 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment
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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DANUEL HOUSE IMPRESSED WITH VISIT TO HOUSTON; CONSIDERING LIST OF SIX SCHOOLS
September 7, 2011 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment
It was a big weekend on the University of Houston campus last week as head coach James Dickey and his staff welcomed highly regarded Texas PRO AAU teammates Danuel House and Danrad ‘Chicken’ Knowles to campus for visits. The Cougars’ football team held on for a thrilling 38-34 win over UCLA and the basketball program made a strong impression on their visitors.
“It was good and it was very fun,” House told NBE yesterday, adding the highlight was “how I and Coach Dickey talked the moment they have when you walk in the school.”
House would be a huge get for Dickey’s Conference USA program, pushing 6-foot-7 and weighing 195 pounds, House has good size for the small forward position to go along with big-time athleticism. A high-flyer, House is an explosive finisher at the rim who can produce highlight reel dunks. He has good length and a strong build. House can connect from long range, though he is still improving his consistency with his perimeter shot. He handles the ball well and gets to the rim off the bounce. He has a good motor and could become a superb perimeter defender if he works at it. House was one of the spring’s biggest stock boosters and his development is by no means finished as he only started playing basketball in the 8th grade and has recently hit a growth spurt which pushed him from a mid-level prospect to one of the nation’s elite in a few short months.
House has visited Houston before so he continues to build the relationship with the staff and school. He also previously visited Baylor and he updated NBE the current list of schools he is considering that are active in his recruitment.
“U of H, Baylor, Georgetown, Ohio State, Kansas and Texas,” said House of the schools recruiting him, adding that there are “no favorites right now.”
House has previously told NBE during the AAU Super Showcase that he was looking to decide towards the end of the early signing period around November and that he “might sign early”. Despite the excellent visit to Houston last weekend the time frame for his college decision has not changed. However, there are reasons for the Cougar fans to be optimistic as the factors that will play the biggest role in his decision seem to bode well as he continues to develop a strong relationship with Coach Dickey and the UH staff.
“A coach that’s going to reach out and teach me more about the game,” replied House when asked of the factors most important in his pending college decision. “Schooling and my relationship with the staff [also].”
With some of the elite programs in the nation after Danuel House Houston definitely has their work cut out for them in landing the electric 6’7 Class of 2012 small forward. NBE will continue to follow the recruitment of House and other Texas PRO athletes to see if the Cougars can pull of the coup and rekindle memories of Phi Slamma Jamma in the Lonestar State.
TOUGH DECISIONS AHEAD FOR ANTHONY BENNETT
August 18, 2011 by NBE Blogger · 2 Comments
One of the elite prospects in the Class of 2012 is FIndlay Prep forward Anthony Bennett. The 6-foot-7, 235-pound manchild terrorized rims and opponents all summer long playing with CIA Bounce on the AAU trail or Team Canada in international competition. NBE first identified Bennett as having the potential to be one of the top players in the Class of 2012 when he was playing for Mountain State Academy during the 2009-2010 season. Wrapping up that initial year in the United States after coming down from Brampton, Ont. in Canada, Bennett showed he was developing at a rapid rate at the 2010 National High School Invitational to close the season.
Bennett’s progress has only continued from those first viewings of him in action. Quite frankly, Bennett is a beast. He is every bit of the size he’s listed at and uses his strength to dominate the paint. He loves contact and has no problem finishing right through it inside. Not just a banger, Bennett also has a clean jump out past the three-point line, can put the ball on the floor, and runs in transition like a wing player. He has exploded on the national scene this past spring and summer and it’s easy to see why with his combination of power and skill. Bennett is only scratching the surface of his huge potential and is already drawing comparisons to the likes of Larry Johnson and Carmelo Anthony.
SUMMER SHOOTOUT NOTEBOOK
August 15, 2011 by NBE Blogger · 1 Comment
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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FRANCHISE CLASSIC NOTEBOOK: UK, OHIO STATE & FLORIDA STRONG IN THE MIX FOR CHRIS WALKER; GREG MCCLINTON HAS VARIED LIST: JEVON THOMAS UPDATE
August 14, 2011 by NBE Blogger · 1 Comment
by Alex Schwartz
BRONX, N.Y. — Despite rain causing a delay of over two hours and a change of venue, NBE was still in attendance for the inaugural Franchise Classic.
Team New York defeated Team USA, 146-138. Connecticut-bound Omar Calhoun led the way with 34 while Kyle Anderson and Villanova-commit Savon Goodman added 28 and 26 respectively. For Team USA, Archie Goodwin poured in 46 points in the loss and Shaq Goodwin contributed 31 of his own.
After the game, which was held at the South Bronx Job Corps, NBE had a chance to catch up with a trio of players.
Holmes County (FL) star Chris Walker is a top 10 player in the class of 2013. The 6’9 power forward has three schools standing out to him at this point–Florida, Kentucky and Ohio State.
“That’s the three I’m really feeling right now,” Walker said of the Gators, Wildcats and Buckeyes.
2011 ORLANDO AAU FINAL NOTEBOOK: RECRUITING NOTES & PLAYER EVALUATIONS
August 4, 2011 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment
By Alex Schwartz
FLORIDA & ALABAMA LEAD FOR 2012 C HAUGHTON
Tyrone Haughton, a 6-foot-9 center out of Miami’s Dr. Krop High School, said he has offers from Western Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, West Virginia and Miami to go along with interest from Marshall.
As for his favorites, he said, “Florida or Alabama, either one.”
Haughton said Alabama, Florida and West Virginia are the three schools coming at him the hardest.
He has yet to take any visits, but plans to visit each of the schools on his list. Haughton plans to commit in the “fall this year” and will sign early.
Haughton would like to remain close to home for college.
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2011 ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK (PART 9): BRANNEN GREENE, TYLER CAVANAUGH, LANDRY NNOKO & THEO PINSON
August 2, 2011 by NBE Blogger · Leave a Comment
By Alex Schwartz
BRANNEN GREENE SETS LOUISVILLE VISIT; PLANNING OTHER TRIPS
Pushing 6-foot-7, Brannen Greene is a mismatch on the wing due to his height and refined skill set. The Monroe (GA) native is a solid athlete with a good build who can do quite a bit with the ball in his hands. Greene has a high basketball IQ and good court vision, allowing him to hit the open man in position to score. His handle is superb and he can get through the defense on the way to the rack. Greene finishes pretty well at the rim and is crafty down low against the big bodies. He has nice form on his jumper, though he has yet to become a truly consistent shooter from deep. Greene puts in effort at the defensive end and can cause problems on the perimeter due to his length.
Greene has seen his stock explode as much as anyone in the Class of 2013 this summer and he a school list to prove it. He said that he has offers from Louisville, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Alabama, Marquette, Florida State, Florida, Connecticut, Kansas, Ohio State, Memphis, South Carolina, the equivalent of such from Harvard as well as “a lot more.”
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