Oklahoma State Recruiting

2012 NATIONAL PREP SCHOOL INVITATIONAL — TOP PERFORMERS

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By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Now that the National Prep School Invitational has come to close and I’ve had a few days to process all the basketball I watched it’s time to rank the performances from the weekend. Below are player rankings by class based on this past weekend’s performance only. These are not an overall opinion on these players but rather a snapshot based on how they played at Rhode Island College over the weekend. The top spot in 2012 came down to the nation’s two best big men and is a decision I agonized over before finalizing it.

Be sure to check out our daily coverage from a great weekend of hoops at the 2012 National Prep School Invitational:
’12 NPSI – Day Four Report
’12 NPSI – Day Three Report
’12 NPSI – Day Two Report
’12 NPSI – Day One Report

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2012 NATIONAL PREP SCHOOL INVITATIONAL — DAY THREE

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By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

With most college programs having games of their own on Saturday fewer coaches were on hand at Rhode Island College to take in the action but that didn’t stop the players from putting on a show. The best game of the day and arguably the weekend thus far was between New Hampton Prep and Canarias Basketball Academy. Canarias got out to a lead using their incredible size and strength but New Hampton came storming back to force overtime. New Hampton had lost stud sophomore Noah Vonleh to five fouls towards the end of regulation and it caught up with them in the extra session as Canarias prevailed 82-77. Despite coming up five points short on the scoreboard New Hampton had the top individual performance of the day from a somewhat unlikely source.

Top Performer of the Day:

Olivier Hanlon (New Hampton 2012) – committed to Boston College – Of the 10-12 times I’ve seen Hanlon play both with New Hampton and on the summer circuit with Albany City Rocks today clearly stands out as his best overall performance. The 6’2” physical point guard carried his team on his back for the entire 2nd half and overtime session by scoring and creating for others. Hanlon is at his best in screen and roll sets where he turns the corner aggressively and attacks the lane. In those situations he scored with the floater, got all the way to the rim, drew fouls on Canarias’ bigs, and found open teammates on the perimeter. New Hampton ran the same high ball screen seemingly every time down in the 2nd half and Canarias never found an answer for Hanlon’s fearlessness turning the corner. He also showed off his 3 point stroke as he played off the ball at times and knocked them down in catch and shoot situations. Just as impressive as his offense is Hanlon’s intensity and ball pressure on the defensive end. He never takes a possession off on that end and got multiple steals with his quick footwork and great hands. Boston College fans should look forward to a bulldog at the point guard for the next four years.
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HOOPHALL CLASSIC 2012: WEEKEND’S TOP PERFORMERS

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Now that the 2012 Hoophall Classic has come to a close and I’ve had a few days to process all the basketball I saw it’s time to compile player rankings from the weekend’s performances. Below you will see players ranked by class based solely on their performance from the Hoophall Classic. These rankings are not an opinion on players overall game or potential but rather on the way they performed in Springfield.

2012 Player Rankings:

1) Shabazz Muhammad (Bishop Gorman) – Muhammad only strengthened his place as the top overall player in the 2012 class for his efficient 37 point performance.

2) Kaleb Tarczewski (St Mark’s) – signed with Arizona – In an event loaded with top big men Tarczewski stood out as the top low post offensive option.

3) Katin Reinhardt (Mater Dei) – signed with UNLV – The future Runnin’ Rebel put on an offensive show knocking down nine 3 pointers en route to 35 points in a blowout victory.

4) Kyle Anderson (St Anthony) – signed with UCLA – Anderson’s fingerprints have been all over every one of St Anthony’s 44 consecutive victories and Monday was no different as he compiled 18 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals.
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HOOPHALL CLASSIC 2012: MONDAY RECAP

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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CRC CLASSIC: ANYA, LYLES SHINE IN DEMATHA WIN OVER NEUMANN-GORETTI

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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NATIONAL HOOPS FESTIVAL RECRUITING REPORT

On Saturday, Matt Whitfield made the trip to Hyattsville (MD) and DeMatha High School for the 2011 National Hoops Festival event. The early season event is typically one of the favorite stops for NBE on the December schedule and this year did not disappoint with several powerhouse programs headlining the event with a very solid day of action on the court. Here is the scoreboard from Saturday’s contests:

–Bullis 62, Riverdale Baptist 59
–Episcopal 44, Benedictine 38
–Paul VI 65, West Charlotte 58
–Oak Hill 68, Grace Prep 59
–DeMatha 83, Jamesville-Dewitt 57

NBE was able to catch up with players such as Kennedy Meeks, Beejay Anya, Stanford Robinson, Jordan Mickey, RJ Curington, Emmanuel Mudiay and more. See below for the latest in recruiting updates form many of the top uncommitted players participating on Saturday…

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EARLY SIGNING PERIOD CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS – BIG 12

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Next up in our look at NCAA basketball early signing period classes is the Big 12. Rick Barnes has built quite a recruiting juggernaut in the Lonestar State. However, one in-state rival has become a surprising recruiting rival and challenges for the title of the conference’s best class. Here is a look at the top Big 12 classes and recruits so far for the Class of 2012…

Top 5 Big 12 Recruiting Classes for 2012:

1) Texas
Commits – Cameron Ridley (C), Prince Ibeh (C), Javan Felix (PG), Connor Lammert (PF), Ioannis Papapetrou (SF)
–While most programs have a tough time finding one true center Rick Barnes locked down two in one recruiting class with Ridley and Ibeh.

2) Baylor
Commits – Isaiah Austin (C), LJ Rose (PG), Chad Rykhoek (C)
–Scott Drew continues to attract long, skilled big men to Waco with Isaiah Austin following Perry Jones and Quincy Miller from the past two classes.

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ANDREW WHITE TALKS ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA VISIT

Bob Huggins and his West Virginia Mountaineers are getting an early start on the 2011-2012 season with an overseas trip to Italy this coming week. With the trip the team is allowed to have 10 practice sessions to prepare for their upcoming games. Bob Huggins also used the time this weekend to bring in a key target of their 2012 recruiting efforts for an unofficial visit as Andrew White came to Morgantown to see things for himself.

“I took a visit to West Virginia the past two days,” White told NBE’s Matt Whitfield this afternoon. “It went real well.”

White had a great summer on the AAU circuit with Team Loaded and quickly became a top target of many programs.
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IMPRESSIVE SUMMER FOR ANDREW WHITE LEADS TO MANY BIG OFFERS

By Matt Whitfield

Thanks to his recent performances at AAU events in Myrtle Beach and Milwaukee Andrew White has become one of the most hotly contested recruits in the Mid-Atlantic.

“A lot of schools have recruited me and they were somewhat serious, but in Myrtle Beach and Milwaukee I came out real sharp and my recruitment picked up real quick. I became a high target for some schools that got a good feeling [from my game],” said White.

White listed over a dozen high majors offers when NBE caught up with him on Sunday. White also stole the show as he had a plethora of college coaches watching him including West Virginia Head Coach Bob Huggins and assistant Larry Harrison.
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BIG SHOTS – DCA RECRUITING NOTEBOOK

By Matt Whitfield

On the last two days of the July live evaluation period some of the top AAU programs on the East Coast converged near the nation’s capitol for the Big Shots – DC Assault event. Many college coaches used the chance to get one last look at their top recruiting targets as well. Below are some of the recruiting updates NBE gathered during their time Sunday at the event…

Long Island Lightning forward Daniel Dingle continues to be a player many programs are keeping a close eye on. The 6-foot-6 combo forward out of St. Raymond’s in NYC also added a new scholarship offer recently.

“Right now my recruitment is going good,” Dingle said Sunday. “I just got a scholarship offer from Maryland. [As well as interest and offers from] Arizona, Temple, Dayton, Miami, Florida and Texas.

Dingle is starting to think about where he will visit in the coming month.
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2011 DESERT DUEL MEMORIAL FINAL DAY RECAP: NJ PLAYAZ STORM BACK FOR TITLE

By Raphielle Johnson

The only thing better than the two best teams in an event playing in the title game is those teams putting forth a game for the ages. And that’s exactly what happened when the Mac Irvin Fire and New Jersey Playaz 17U teams met in Tuesday’s title game at the Desert Duel Memorial. Despite trailing by as many as 26 points early in the second half the Playaz found a way back, ultimately winning the game in overtime by the final score of 70-62.

Things most certainly didn’t look good for the Playaz at the start as Mac Irvin jumped them out of the gate thanks to the combination of solid offensive execution and the Playaz’s inability to make shots. The squad from Chicago had everything rolling, especially 2013 stud Jabari Parker who hit just about any shot imaginable in the first twenty minutes.

Steve Taylor (2012) was able to slash to the basket, DePaul commit Billy Garrett Jr. (2013) and Derrick Randolph (2012) made plays in the backcourt and Aaric Armstead (2012) was also a factor. A dunk just before the halftime buzzer made the score 43-20, and a Parker three in the first minute of the second half pushed the lead out to 26. To say the least things did not look good for the Playaz was an understatement.

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LAS VEGAS AAU DAY 4 NOTEBOOK: WILD, WILD WEST IN VEGAS

By Raphielle Johnson

By the end of the last college basketball season it was best to simply expect the unexpected. The same could be said for this weekend in Las Vegas, which has produced an unexpected champion in the Kansas City 76ers. The 76ers won the Las Vegas Fab 48 by beating Team Breakdown (Florida) in Monday night’s title game.

While the stands weren’t filled to brim as they were last summer (Oakland Soldiers tend to bring out the crowds), there were a few college programs represented in the coaches area with 2013 wing Ishmail Wainright the primary focus.

Ben Howland (UCLA) and Steve Lavin (St. John’s) were both there to watch Wainwright, who considers Earl Watson (who has connections to both as he played at UCLA under Lavin) to be an older brother and mentor. Other programs represented include Western Illinois, George Mason, Kansas, Missouri, UC Irvine, South Florida, Cal Poly, Nebraska, UM-KC and Creighton.

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LAS VEGAS AAU DAY 3 NOTEBOOK: UPSETS & CLOSE CALLS DEFINE SUNDAY’S ACTION

By Raphielle Johnson

On paper Sunday’s slate of games in both the adidas Super 64 and Las Vegas Fab 48 looked to be locks for the top teams. But many learned (once again) first-hand that games are played on the floor and not on some poster-sized sheet of paper in a gym lobby. The list of victims included the Oakland Soldiers, who dropped their first round playoff game to a Branch West Elite team that looked highly impressive in the first half against Play Hard Play Smart in the nightcap.

Also bounced from the Fab 48 were TP Elite and Team Loaded, both of whom fell victim to the Wisconsin Swing. Zak Showalter (2012) out of Germantown (WI), who scored 29 points in their 90-75 win over Team Loaded, can do a number of things on the floor from his guard position. He caught fire from deep but didn’t simply settle for those shots, also driving to the basket and setting up teammates for good looks as well. Ironically Showalter stated after the game that he’s working on becoming a better perimeter shooter, although he was referring to consistency as opposed to simply making the shot.

That matchup also featured a pair of excellent prospects in NC State commit Tyler Lewis (2012) and Andrew White (2012), who has many top programs after his services. When the ball was in Lewis’s hands things seemed to run smoother for Team Loaded, although the way in which Wisconsin Swing executed offensively it may have taken 100 points for Team Loaded to win the game.
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UA SUMMER JAM PRESENTED BY NY2LA SPORTS — TOP PERFORMERS

By Alex Jesswein

Standout Seven: Top Players from the UA Summer Jam last week

Robert Carter–6-8 Power Forward–Atlanta Xpress: Although he was hobbled by an ankle injury, Atlanta Xpress Robert Carter really impressed us with his ‘old school’ approach. He won’t wow you with his athleticism or finesse, he just gets down to work in the block and is very adept at finishing with either hand. He did show an ability to step out and hit an open jumper but he will make his money doing the dirty work on the inside.
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Chris Thomas–6-5 Guard–Colorado Hawks: Thomas is an extremely talented player. He reminds me of former Memphis guard Chris Douglas-Roberts because of his ability to play multiple positions. He seems to be very comfortable playing with the ball in his hand and because of his size and length should be able to defend multiple positions at the collegiate level.
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2011 NIKE EYBL PEACH JAM REPORT (PART V)

By Brian Bosworth

Thursday marked the end of pool play at the Peach Jam and the last opportunity for teams to fight their way into the playoffs. For some teams who know they are going to be on the outside looking in it is the last opportunity to perform in front of college colleges this week. With the stakes raised the play became even more intense and some players will able to stand above the rest…

Brandon Ashley (Oakland Soldiers/2012) – Ashley has been having a monster work and continued that trend this morning. After dominating from the low block when I watched him on Tuesday night, Ashley showed off his face up game in this contest. He hit multiple 18 foot jumpers from the baseline and once he established that shot used a shot fake and a couple of dribbles to get to the rim. He was in attack mode throughout the game earning himself 12 trips to the free throw line and converting 9 of them. Ashley’s handle, while adequate, will need to get better as his game progresses. He can use 1 or 2 dribbles effectively but in the open floor sometimes becomes a bit wild if he has to put it down more than that.
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NY2LA SUMMER JAM RECRUITING FOCUS: 2012 TEAM LOADED’S ANDREW WHITE

By Alex Jesswein

With coaches from Louisville, North Carolina State, Richmond, Old Dominion and more on hand, Team Loaded’s Andrew White didn’t seem to mind.

The 6-foot-6 small forward scorched Team Jennings for 29 points including six three-pointers in a blowout win. White was also impressive in a 35-point outburst against KC Pray and Play in pool play.

White, who attends the Miller School in Charlottesville, VA., is quickly becoming a household name among high-major coaches in the rising senior class (2012).

According to White, he has offers from Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Richmond, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Miami (FL), Wake Forest, Providence, BYU, Utah and George Mason.

White is also receiving interest from BIG EAST schools Louisville and West Virginia along with “a few others”.

He has taken unofficial visits to Richmond, Virginia Tech, Old Dominion, North Carolina State and Wake Forest.

White is looking to narrow down his list and take some visits in August, once the summer AAU season is over.

When it comes down to it, White said he is looking for the school that has “the best mix of player development and team success” and a place where he can get a good education.

2011 NIKE EYBL PEACH JAM REPORT (PART III)

By Brian Bosworth

Back in North Augusta bright and early Wednesday morning, amazing talent was standing at every turn. Some well known stars continued their dominance while new faces emerged as well. Here is the scoreboard from Wednesday’s early slate og games:

Athletes First 84, Houston Hoops 74
Texas Titans 60, Baltimore Elite 48
NJ Playaz 58, Albany City Rocks 57
CIA Bounce 80, Meanstreets 53
All-Ohio Red 59, Arkansas Wings 51
Boo Williams 89, Louisiana Select 84 (2 OT)
Cali Supreme 78, The Family 70
All-Iowa Attack 69, Howard Pulley 64
Georgia Stars 62, Team Takeover 61
Oakland Solders 65, Indy Spiece 60
Memphis YOMCA 73, CP3 59
BABC 83, Mac Irvin Fire 59

Here is just a sampling of the guys who made the biggest impact in those contests:

Kyle Anderson (Playaz Basketball Club/2012) – Anderson unique game has been well documented over the years which is bound to happen when you’re among the country’s best. He was up to his usual tricks this morning getting into the lane at will with a series of crossovers, spins, and inside out dribbles. Kyle has really improved his outside shot this spring and showed it off by going 2-2 from behind the arc and making a couple other long jumpers. Then with 20 seconds remaining and the Playaz down by a point he did what he does best, win. Anderson posted up on the left block, worked his way across the lane, hung in the air floating from left to right, and knocked down a floater with 5 seconds left on the clock to win the game.
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REEBOK BREAKOUT CHALLENGE: FINAL RECAP

by Alex Schwartz

PHILADELPHIA – The Reebok Breakout Challenge came to a close yesterday, and NBE Basketball Report was on hand to take in the event’s final five game sets and catch up with a few more players.

One of the top uncommitted 2012 players at the camp was Daniel Dingle, a 6-foot-6 power forward out of St. Raymond’s (NY). He listed offers from Auburn, Temple, Xavier, Arizona, and Rutgers to go along with interest from Florida, Miami, Texas, and others.

Dingle said he does not have any favorites, but did note that a few schools are coming at him the hardest.

“I’d probably say Auburn, Temple and Arizona, those are the three,” Dingle said. “And Florida, Florida too, coach Norm [Roberts].”

At this point Dingle has visited Auburn, Temple and Rutgers. He does not have any visits scheduled, but may is thinking of working out a trip to Arizona.
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LEBRON JAMES SKILLS ACADEMY RECRUITING FOCUS: GARY HARRIS & TERRY ROZIER

By Lauren Kirschman

College coaches were allowed at the Lebron James Skills Academy on Thursday for the first time and the turnout was as expected. A who’s who of college coaches were in the stands at the University of Akron’s James A. Rhodes Arena and they were not disappointed as the level of play at the camp has been very high. NBE is finishing up its coverage of the camp this morning and then will be on our way to the next stop on the evaluation trail. After yesterday’s afternoon session we had the opporunity to speak with Gary Harris (’12) and Terry Rozier (’12) as both have been putting in some impressive work this week. Both players have certainly helped their recruiting stock and will likely see an increased level of interest on the trail as they finish out the month and begin to work through the recruiting process.

Rozier lets NBE in on who his leaders are while Harris tells NBE he is continuing to be recruited for football as well as hoops…

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REEBOK BREAKOUT CHALLENGE: THURSDAY RECRUITING ROUNDUP

By Matt Whitfield

The return to the summer basketball camp scene by Reebok has been well received. The competition and talent level is certainly solid at the Gallagher Athletic Center on the campus of Philadelphia University. NBE took in the action for the most part of the day Thursday and was able to touch base with many of the players to learn the latest on their recruitments. While the camp had a strong group of Mid-Major+ prospects, there was more than a fair share of players who will land at higher levels in college. Below is a rundown of who we caught up with yesterday.

Rysheed Jordan (Robert Vaux HS/Players Teaching Players)

There was a lot of hype centering Jordan entering the camp and many scouts, reporters and college coaches were anxious to get a look at him. He did not disappoint as the 6-foot-3, Class of 2013 point guard has all the look of a sure fire high major recruit. He has definitely noticed the increased attention of late.

“I think I’m blowing up,” said Jordan of the recent influx of recruiting attention. “I’m easing my way up.”
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