Wisconsin Recruiting

SHELDON JETER ADDS WISCONSIN OFFER

Class of 2012 prospect from Pennsylvania looking closely at a trio of schools

Sheldon Jeter is a 6-foot-6+, 215-lb G/F who is playing his senior season for Beaver Falls High School and Coach Doug Biega. The Tigers have rebounded from a season-opening loss to win their last nine games, largerly thanks to the play of Jeter.

“The season has been going good, we’re 9-1,” Jeter told NBE earlier today. “The highlight so far is destroying Quaker Valley on their home court.”

Quaker Valley is the arch-rival of Beaver Falls, so the 32-point victory was especially sweet. The game was never in doubt and Jeter made sure, scoring 14 of his 33 points in the first quarter and he also finished with 17 rebounds, a dominating performance. He hopes more dominating performances in the future will allow him to accomplish his ultimate goal for the season.
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EARLY SIGNING PERIOD CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS – BIG 10

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Today we continue our look at the early recruiting classes nationally with a look at the Big 10 where three programs can clearly make a case for the top class in the conference to date…

Top 5 Big 10 Recruiting Classes:

1) Michigan
Commits – Mitch McGary (PF/C), Glenn Robinson (SF), Nik Stauskas (SF)
–McGary is without a doubt the top prospect that John Beilein has ever landed in his time at Michigan.

2) Indiana
Commits – Hanner Perea (PF), Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell (PG), Jeremy Hollowell (SF), Ron Patterson (SG), Peter Jurkin (C)
–Tom Crean landed a group of five pieces that all fit together and could eventually be the starting lineup for Indiana.

3) Michigan State
Commits – Gary Harris (SG), Kenny Kaminski (PF), Matt Costello (C), Denzel Valentine (SF)
–Already an impressive 3 man class, Gary Harris chose the Spartans over Kentucky, Indiana, and Purdue pushing Michigan State among the nation’s elite classes.

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CHAMBERS & PENN STATE SCORE KEY ’13 COMMITMENT FROM GENO THORPE

New Penn State head coach Patrick Chambers is actively preparing for the start of his first season in State College (PA) tipping off this weekend. The former Villanova assistant coach and head coach at Boston University is also working hard on the recruiting trail as he works to turn around the basketball prospects of the football-crazed school. That work paid off this morning with an early commitment from Class of 2013 guard Geno Thorpe of Shaler Area High School near Pittsburgh.

“Yes,” responded Thorpe enthusiastically when asked by NBE Sports if his commitment was official. “I wanted this to be my birthday present.”

Thorpe, who is celebrating a commitment and a birthday today, provided the Penn State community with a much-needed doese of good news during a dark week in the athletic department’s proud history with the swirling controversy surrounding the school and football program. Allegations of sexual abuse have been levied against former Joe Paterno assistant coach Jerry Sandusky and signs point toward an athletic department cover-up. Still, Thorpe is committed to the Nittany Lions and the program coach Chambers is determined to build.

“Pat chambers is a great coach and is looking to turn things around up there,” said Thorpe about why he chose PSU.

Thorpe also mentioned State College being close to home and the academic reputation of the school helping turn the tide for PSU when comparing to other options, which included Wisconsin and Pittsburgh.

Thorpe is a 6-foot-3, 175-pound guard who ran this summer with the NJ Playaz 16-U AAU program. He has the potential to be a high-flying back court player capable of highlight reel dunks. Thorpe is at his best with the ball in his hands and he shows both a high level passing ability and feel for the game. He will be an excellent piece for coach Chambers to begin building his program and Thorpe, who has long told NBE that playing where his family can see him play was important to him, feels the situation is best for him.

“It was just the right school for me,” he said.

RECRUITING NOTEBOOK: 2013 GUARDS THORPE, LEWIS & SAMUEL CHECK IN ON RECRUITMENTS

NBE caught up with a trip of guards in the Class of 2013 as college coaches hit the road in September to get a look at prospects across the country. Geno Thorpe of Shaler Area High School near Pittsburgh and New York City guards Terrence Samuel of South Shore High School and Isaiah Lewis of Christ the King touched base late last week to give us the latest on their recruitment as the busy month of September unfolds.

THORPE SET TO VISIT KANSAS STATE; SCHOOLS COMING BY SHALER

Geno Thorpe had an impressive summer playing with the NJ Playaz 16U squad on the AAU circuit. The athletic 6-foot-3, 175-pound guard had toyed with the idea of transferring from Shaler Area High School to a few different programs in New Jersey, but he is staying put this season and looking forward to a big season in front of friends and family.
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GENO THORPE PLANNING WISCONSIN VISIT; HEARS FROM MARQUETTE

Shaler Area High School rising junior (Class of 2013) guard Geno Thorpe has picked up new scholarship offers and interest after a solid summer on the camp and AAU circuit. The 6-foot-3, 175-lb guard made the rounds with the NJ Playaz 16U team and plenty of head coaches were there to see him and his teammates play throughout the schedule. Still, Thorpe is not satisfied with himself and is working hard to improve.

“I have to get stronger and improve my shot,” said Thorpe when asked by NBE what he has improved the most this summer, showing the will to keep improving.

Currently Thorpe has an active list of schools he is considering of Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Wisconsin, Marquette, Baylor, Kansas State and Ohio.

“Marquette and Baylor are new interest,” said Thorpe of new interest and offers from the summer. “Offers are Pitt, Rutgers, Seton Halll, Kansas State and Ohio.

Marquette just recently joined the mix and Baylor is believed to be close to offering a scholarship, but hasn’t quite yet at this point Thorpe told NBE this afternoon.

“No Baylor has not offered yet until I meet [their] head coach,” said Thorpe. “I didn’t talk to any new schools this week besides Marquette.”

Thorpe still lists no favorites in the recruiting process at this time, but did mention he will be visiting Wisconsin, likely in September. Earlier this summer there was some chatter on the worldwide web that Thorpe could be deciding as early as next month, but he would not commit to such a time frame leaving the possibility a decision could come any time, now or later.

“No time period [for a decision],” he said. “It could be at any time and I think the coach[ing] staff, the style of play and academics will be the factors on my desicion.”

In the meantime Geno Thorpe will continue forward with the recruiting process and with a goal of a state title this season for Shaler to work towards. NBE will continue to follow his process closely.

2011 ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK (PART 2): ACTION HEATING UP IN DISNEY

By Alex Schwartz

The action continues in Orlando with the AAU Super Showcase for the 15U and 16U heating up on Saturday. On Sunday the 17U division gets going stronger as well and more and more college coaches are arriving at the ESPN Wide World of Sports venue. In this afternoon’s notebook we take a closer look at the recruitment of standouts such as Kavon Stewart, Geno Thorpe, Davon Reed, Kendrick Nunn and we take a look at the impressive games of Dakari Johnson, Aquille Carr and Phil Booth. Read on below for the detail…

At 5-foot-11, NJ Playaz/Hudson Catholic point guard Kavon Stewart might not have elite height for a point guard, but what he does have is a fantastic feel for the game and the ability to lead a team. A pure point, Stewart gets others involved and has superb floor vision. He is able to find the open man and get him the basketball in a position to score. Stewart has a solid build, though he could add a bit of muscle. The 2013 prospect has a nice mid-range game which keeps the defense honest.
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UA SUMMER JAM PRESENTED BY NY2LA SPORTS RECRUITING NOTES

By Alex Jesswein

While many across the country have turned their attention to the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Championship at the Peach Jam in North Augusta (SC), Antonio Curro and his crew at NY2LASports.com have assembled another strong field for the 2011 UA Summer Jam. Some of the biggest names in the 2012 Class are in Wisconsin for the event, including Shabazz Muhammad, Isaiah Austin, Mitch McGary, Perry Ellis and more. Top AAU programs like Dream Vision, Texas Pro, SYF Players, DC Assault, Playground Elite, Team Loaded, and more are competing in the event.

NBE will have much more on the event as it moves to completion on the 15th. For now here are some recruiting notes that NBE has been able to compile in the first two days of action:

Duane Wilson, Class of 2013 point guard with the Playground Elite AAU program, listed Marquette (offer), Minnesota, Memphis, Washington, Virginia, Missouri, DePaul, Wisconsin, Illinois, Miami (FL), Florida State, and Florida. He has visited Kentucky, DePaul and Missouri unofficially recently.

As he heads into his next season, Wilson said he wants to work on getting stronger, playing better defense and hitting shots off of the dribble.
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LEBRON JAMES SKILLS ACADEMY RECRUITING FOCUS: ADAM WOODBURY & D’VAUNTES SMITH-RIVERA

By Lauren Kirschman

Class of 2012 center Adam Woodbury is getting looks from some of the nation’s high profile school.

After performing well at the NBA Top 100 Camp, Woodbury, who is from Sioux City, IA, is receiving interest from Kansas, Duke, Ohio State and North Carolina. Iowa, Wisconsin, Stanford and Minnesota are also interested. He wants to cut his list of potential schools down to five soon.

“It’s an honor,” Woodbury said of attracting the attention of elite programs. “I never dreamed I’d be in this position.”

He doesn’t know how interest in him increased, but he credits the teams he’s played with this summer. He added that he was thankful for the invitation to the LeBron James Skills Academy, saying that he never thought he’d have the opportunity to play with James.
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HOOP GROUP ELITE CAMP: FRIDAY MORNING RECRUITING RECAP

By Matt Whitfield

After spending Thursday in Philadelphia for the Reebok Breakout Challenge NBE headed to Reading (PA) and the campus of Albright College to take in some action at the Hoop Group’s Elite Camp Session One. The massive camp is always entertaining and well run for players at all levels. NBE will stay in Reading through the day taking in playoff and all-star game action. Tomorrow we will remain on the Albright College campus for the Hoop Group Elite team camp which will certainly draw an impressive crowd from the college coaching community.

Rutgers head coach Mike Rice was on the scene early on Friday morning, checking out the action by 9 AM. Below are some notes from the early action this morning. More to come throughout the day….

Lennard Freeman, a 6-foot-7 forward out of St. John’s College HS in Washington (DC) seemed to have the attention of the Rutgers head coach this morning. Freeman, who plays on the AAU circuit in the Team Takeover program, mentioned DePaul, Washington, South Florida, Penn, Northwestern and Albany. He has also taken an unofficial visit to NC State.
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Transferring to Suffield Academy from Westminster Prep is Myles Marshall. The Class of 2013 prospect was a 2nd-team All-NEPSAC Class B selection last season at Westmnster. At this point he is hearing from Elon, Siena and Iowa.
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Class of 2013 shooting guard Stanford Robinson of Paul VI High School is one of the top prospects coming into the Hoop Group Elite camp and his recruitment certainly backs that up.

“I got an offer from Miami, Rutgers and UMASS,” said Robinson. “Xavier has been calling as well as Georgetown, Virginia Tech, Maryland, and a lot of ACC and Big East schools. I got some calls from Syracuse as well.”

Calls from schools in the BIG EAST and other major conferences keep Robinson pushing towards his goals and making him feel like the hard work is beginning to pay off, motivating him to keep pushing.

“The calls from Syracuse makes me feel like I’m an elite player and I need to keep working so I can have more of these schools like Syracuse keep calling.

My goal is to play at an elite [basketball] school.”

Robinson has been to NC State on an unofficial visit and will hope to take a few more trips in August.
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One of the players drawing the most attention this week in Reading is Geno Thorpe of Shaler High School near Pittsburgh (PA) and the NJ Playaz AAU program. Word spread on the internet that Thorpe could be making his college decision by September, but the 2013 recruit seemingly backed off that speculation this morning and gave the picture he is unsure of what he’s going to do regarding colleges.

When asked if he was going to make his decision in September. Thorpe responded, “Yeah, but I might reopen it.”

Thorpe mentioned he considers himself open at the moment.

“I’m just kind of open with everything,” he said.

There was speculation recently that Thorpe would be moving to New Jersey for his junior season, Blair Academy and Hudson Catholic being possible destinations, however a little more of an upgrades schedule will keep him at Shaler for now.

“I’m going to Shaler next year….they kind of upgraded the schedule a little bit.”

Currently the school list for Thorpe reads Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Wisconsin, Kansas State, Baylor and Gonzaga. His relationship with the Pitt staff has been documented, but he also has a strong relationship with the Rutgers head coach, who was watching him this morning, as he has known Mike Rice for several years.

“I went to the Robert Morris Camp in 7th grade and that’s how we met up,” said Thorpe.

If a decision is to come in the near future, Pittsburgh and Rutgers look to be in very good shape.

SIYANI CHAMBERS LOOKING FORWARD TO A BIG JULY AHEAD

Quietly Hopkins (MN) annually churns out quality Division 1-A prospects. This season is no exception as you can expect a variety of college coaches to hit the July evaluation period trail trying to get a look at Hopkins’ latest high-major prospect Siyani Chambers. The 6-foot, 160-pound lefty point guard will hit the AAU trail with the Howard Pulley Panthers and a strong June has assured him of being seen by college coaches this week as well, which he listed as his highlight of the June AAU period.

“Being invited to attend Deron Williams PG skills camp along with LeBron Skills Academy and qualifying for Peach Jam,” replied Chambers earlier this weekend when asked of the highlight so far this spring and summer on the AAU circuit.

Now his biggest goals are to play his best next week in Akron and the following weekend in South Carolina as the college coaches will be watching. Chambers has been working hard on his game in anticipation of the open July evaluation period.
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UNC VISIST MAKES BIG IMPRESSION ON ’13 R.J. CURINGTON

Despite only entering his junior season next fall, R.J. Curington has been a player many have kept an eye on for a couple years around the country. After terrorizing local players around Dyer (IN) in junior high school Curington made the move to Oak Hill Academy as an 8th grader, spending two years on the ‘Red’ squad at the elite basketball powerhouse. This past season Curington moved up to the ‘Gold’ squad as a sophomore and he has had a huge spring on the AAU circuit with CIA Bounce and is beginning to fulfill the potential many saw in him early on.

Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing in at 195 pounds Curington combines excellent size for a young wing with tremendous athletic ability. He has become a lethal scorer this spring and early summer as his skill development has been right on schedule and his confidence in his improved perimeter scoring skills is evident. Those traits have quickly raised his recruiting profile into one of the top targets for many schools in the Class of 2013.
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JAVONTAE HAWKINS ON THE RISE AND ON THE MOVE

Motivated by the shooting deaths of two older siblings, JaVontae Hawkins keeps his eyes on the prize in life

One of the more impressive players on the spring AAU circuit that has cemented his name among the top players in the Class of 2012 has been JaVontae Hawkins. The 6-foot-5, 202-lb shooting guard has turned in some very impressive performances with the Michigan Mustangs, officially breaking out in a big way back in April at the King James Shooting Stars event in Akron.

“This spring I just showed everyone that I can play against top talent and broke [out of] my shell by making athletic plays on both ends of the court and playing the shooting guard position at my best,” Hawkins told NBE earlier this week.

College coaches on the road in July will get a chance to see Hawkins at events such as the ScoutsFocus International Elite 80 Showcase July 10th and 11th in Greensboro (NC) and during AAU basketball’s Vegas week to close the live evaluation period. In the meantime Hawkins will continue to hone his skills for his moment to shine.
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2011 BOB GIBBONS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS: DAY TWO

by Alex Schwartz

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions continued to roll on, on Saturday as pool play finished up and the playoffs began. By the end of the day, just 16 total teams remained alive in either bracket from the three age groups.

During the course of the day there were a number of quality performances and a many talented players on display. As was the case on Friday night, NBE Basketball Report spoke with a few players for recruiting updates and also put together some player evaluations.

TJ Warren, a 6-foot-7 class of 2012 small forward out of Word of God Christian Academy (NC), was one of the day’s best players. The Garner Road star showed why he able to list off scholarship offers from Georgetown, Florida, Ohio State, North Carolina State, Miami, Arizona State and Kansas. Warren said that he has no favorites and that all of the schools are recruiting him equally hard.

So far Warren has only taken visits to Georgetown and North Carolina State. He will visit NC State again next Tuesday and also has three other trips visits on tap. Warren will head down to Florida in about three weeks, Georgetown from June 23-25 and will also be at Kansas’ elite camp.
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2011 BOB GIBBONS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS: DAY ONE

by Alex Schwartz

RALEIGH, N.C. – The 2011 Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions tipped off on Friday night. While the field is not as strong as it has been in the past in large part due to new NCAA regulations that caused last minute changes, there are still a number of talented players in attendance.

NBE Basketball Report will have coverage of all three days of the event. Here is part one of our coverage of the TOC, which features both recruiting updates and player evaluations.

Carlos Morris, a 6-foot-5 wing in the class of 2012, is part of a three-headed monster for the U17 Dwight Howard Warriors. The Arlington Country Day (FL) standout teams with fellow high-major recruits Ian Baker ’12 and Solomon Poole ’13 on the Sunshine State squad.

Morris is garnering interest from a number of Big East programs at this point. He lists offers from Cincinnati, Providence, Miami, South Carolina, Georgia and South Florida. The other schools on his list are Florida, Seton Hall, Missouri, Arkansas, and VCU. Morris lists Cincinnati and Georgia as his favorites at this point.

When 6-foot-8 power forward Jordan Goodman played with the Dwight Howard Warriors last weekend, he was committed to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. A teammate of Morris at ACD, Goodman has since reopened his recruitment. Although Goodman was not in attendance this weekend, Dwight Howard Warriors coach and ACD assistant Antwain Tennell provided an update on the class of 2012 standout’s recruitment.
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SPIECE RUN ‘N SLAM SCOUTING REPORTS & RECRUITING NOTES

by DOUG FERGUSON

Hanner Parea: F (Indiana Elite)/6-8/200
Committed to Indiana
There is nobody in the Class of 2012 who has the athletic gifts that Parrea does. He has fans holding their breath at what he will do next. It doesn’t show in his numbers at times however due to his lack of fundamentals. His is frequently outrebounded by more fundamentally sound opponents due to lack of boxing out.
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Dejuan Marrero: F (Spiece Indy Heat)/6-5/220
School List: Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Marquette, Michigan, Minnesota
On the exact opposite end of the spectrum is Marrero who was possibly the best technically sound rebounder in the gym. He could stand to have a tad more touch around the basket which is where he should stay offensively.
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Marcus Paige: G (All-Iowa Attack)/6-0/160
Committed to North Carolina
Can’t help but draw comparisons to current Tar Heel point man Kendall Marshall. Paige is a little more athletically gifted than Marshall while he is not quite as crafty with the ball.
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NIKE BALTIMORE ELITE INVITATIONAL RECRUITING NOTEBOOK

Last weekend many of the top teams on the AAU scene in the Mid-Atlantic region invaded Baltimore to participate in the Nike Baltimore Elite Invitational. Most of the 17U action took place at Annapolis Area Christian School and that is where NBE Basketball Report’s Matt Whitfield spent his time Friday night and much of the day on Saturday. Below are some of the key recruiting notes he was able to pick up on in his time at the event.

Mike Owona: 6-foot-9; Class of 2013; Baltimore Elite – College physique already and just finished his sophomore season at John Carroll in Bel Air (MD). The native of Cameroon has decent agility and athletic ability for a young big man, moving well for a player his size. Battles on the boards, but still has a very raw offensive game with little in low post moves to score with back to the basket. While Owona definitely needs to work on his basketball fundamentals, he definitely has a shot to play basketball at the high-major level in the future as he has only been playing the game for four years.

As for his recruiting, he told NBE he has interest from Oklahoma, Old Dominion, Virginia Tech, Xavier and Maryland.
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Kameron Williams: 6-foot-2; Class of 2013; Baltimore Elite – Williams is an exciting scorer that starred in his sophomore season for Mount St. Joseph coach Pat Clatchey. He has continued to see his stock rise early this AAU season with some high scoring outbursts this spring. Williams told NBE over the weekend he is on the radar of progrms such as Providence, Miami, George Mason, VCU, Richmond and Maryland.
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MORE PITTSBURGH JAMFEST RECRUITING NOTES

By Lauren Kirschman

Recruiting rundown of some of the top names from this past weekend’s Pittsburgh Jamfest put on by the Hoop Group…

Jalen Robinson (2012)
Power forward
AAU Team: All-Ohio Red
Height: 6’7″, Weight: 215
Considering: Wisconsin, UCLA, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Xavier, Iowa, Penn State, DePaul, Cincinnati, Ohio University, Tennessee, Michigan
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Elijah Macon (2012)
Power foward
AAU Team: All-Ohio Red
Considering: West Virginia, South Florida, USC, Cincinnati, Tennessee
Offers from: South Florida, USC
Height: 6’7″, Weight: 200
Leaders: West Virginia and Cincinnati
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MERNAGH: EVALUATING 2013 PROSPECT GENO THORPE

Geno Thorpe is a sophomore at Shaler Area High School (outside of Pittsburgh, PA) and a high major prospect at point guard in the 2013 class.

Thorpe has had Pitt, Wisconsin, Ohio State and a slew of others recruiting him for a while now.

Here’s what I thought of his game when I watched him last Saturday against State College High School.

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 the scouting report on Geno Thorpe. Thorpe also recently discusse with NBE what college coaches have been out to see him this season and some factors that will be most important in his college decision as he is already getting plenty of interest from some top schools in the Big East, Big 10 and Big 12. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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2013 RECRUIT FOCUS – GENO THORPE

The Shaler Area High School boy’s basketball team continues to roll along. Earlier this week they dominated Section rival North Hills in a 72-51 victory. Star sophomore guard Geno Thorpe scored 14 points, but spent a good portion of the game resting as Shaler built a 43-14 lead at the half.

It has been pretty much that kind of season for Thorpe and his Titan teammates are undefeated and ranked as the No. 1 team in the WPIAL. They have established themselves as the team to beat in the competitive AAAA division of Section 3.

Thorpe estimates he is averaging about 21 points and 4 assists a game. This past summer the 6-foot-3, 178-lb guard began making a name for himself outside of the Pittsburgh (PA) area by playing AAU basketball with the powerful NJ Playaz program. As a freshman he teammed with current St. Benedict’s of Newark (NJ) big man Mike Young, also a Class of 2013 top prospect, at Shadyside Academy near Pittsburgh. Thorpe has moved back to his home district and couldn’t be happier.

“Our season is going great! We are currently 11-0, and No. 1 ranked in the WPIAL,” Thorpe told NBE earlier this week.

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 season Geno Thorpe is having. Thorpe also discusses what college coaches have been out to see him this season and some factors that will be most important in his college decision as he is already getting plenty of interest from some top schools in the Big East, Big 10 and Big 12. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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CRC GAME 1 – NORTHLAND (OH) OUTLASTS RICE (NYC), 63-54

Michigan-bound Trey Burke lights up Wheeling Jesuit University scoreboard with 22 in the win

by ANTHONY JASKULSKI

The Cancer Research Classic tipped off at Alma Grace McDonough Center on the campus of Wheeling Jesuit University Saturday afternoon with a marquee match-up featuring Columbus (OH) Northland and New York (NY) Rice taking the court.

This tournament promotes men’s health issues including prostate cancer, testicular cancer, erectile dysfunction, urinary disorders (BPH and overactive bladder), obesity, wellness, heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. Heath care screenings will also be available and administered by physician residents.

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 opening contest of the CRC as Anthony Jaskulski recaps the action and runs down the top performers, including Michigan commit Trey Burke, Cincinnati bound Jermaine Sanders and Northland PF Jalen Robinson gives NBE the scoop on his recruitment, including the top three schools he is currently considering. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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