Oklahoma

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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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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2011 NIKE EYBL PEACH JAM REPORT (PART II)

By Brian Bosworth

After a lunch break for teams, college coaches, and scouts alike, the 17U tournament got back in swing on Tuesday evening with jaw dropping performances becoming commonplace.

Peach Jam 2nd Session Scoreboard:
Team Takeover 85, Athletes First 54
Oakland Soldiers 69, Texas Titans 51
Memphis YOMCA 71, City Rocks 62
BABC 79, Meanstreets 70
All-Ohio Red 73, Houston Hoops 69
Baltimore Elite 78, Boo Williams 71
NJ Playaz 72, California Supreme 60
CIA Bounce 55, All-Iowa Attack 53
Georgia Stars 78, Arkansas Wings 71
Indy Spiece 62, Louisiana Select 61
CP3 66, The Family 61
Mac Irvin Fire 60, Howard Pulley Panthers 53

Here are the highlights from some of the top performances NBE caught in action on Tuesday:
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LEBRON JAMES SKILLS ACADEMY RECRUITING FOCUS: JAMES ROBINSON & WILLIE CAULEY

By Lauren Kirschman

The Lebron James Skills Academy took it up another notch on Thursday as college coaches were allowed to watch the action at the James A. Rhodes Arena on the University of Akron campus. After getting their feet wet with several workouts and the opportunity to play with and against King James himself in their first day and a half of the camp, now the players are playing for scholarships.

Right out of the gates the big name coaches arrived. By the time the first morning high school workout had finished names and faces we all know populated the viewing areas like Tom Izzo, Coach K, Jim Calhoun, Jim Boeheim, Billy Donovan, John Thompson III, Thad Matta, Bill Self, Matt Painter, Lorenzo Romar, Anthony Grant, Josh Pastner, Bruce Weber and many more with others planning to be here before the day is done.

After the morning workout Willie Cauley (’12) and James Robinson (’12) spent time with NBE Basketball Report to fill our readers in on the latest with their recruitment…

James Robinson (DeMatha HS/Team Takeover DC)
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AUSTIN COLBERT CHERISHES OPPORTUNITY AT LEBRON JAMES SKILLS ACADEMY

New Jersey big man in Akron looking to show colelge coaches his talents and looking for a family atmosphere in his college choice

By Lauren Kirschman

Class of 2013 power forward Austin Colbert describes himself as a poor man’s Kevin Durant.

Long and athletic, the 6’9”, 195-pound Colbert is a quality passer and shooter with some range—two qualities he counts among his major strengths along with his high basketball IQ.

But during the summer, Colbert is still intent on improving those skills along with some aspects of his game he believes could use some work: ball handling, stamina and speed.

An invitation to the LeBron James Skills Academy in Akron, Ohio—something Colbert referred to as “a crazy opportunity”—offered him the chance to continue to develop as a player and take his abilities to the next level.

“It’s a great experience,” he said. “I know guys get to come back, but being here for the first time it’s just like wow. You are really invited to such a big, well known camp.”

He added that the invitation to the camp encourages him to keep working hard.

“[It means] our dreams are starting to shape a little bit,” he said.

Plenty of college coaches are hoping to get a look at Austin Colbert at 2011 LJSA this week

For Colbert, those dreams could take him to any number of universities as the forward is being recruited by Seton Hall, Oklahoma, Baylor, North Carolina, Marquette, Stanford, La Salle, Georgia Tech, Miami, Xavier, Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Florida, St. John’s, St. Joseph’s, Harvard, Princeton, West Virginia and Ohio State.

He’s taken an unofficial visit toGeorgetown.

Right now, he said North Carolina, Baylor, Pittsburgh, Harvard, Miami and Georgetown are the leaders—mainly because the teams seem so family-oriented.

“They were really circled around each other and that’s what really kind of got to me,” he said. “I didn’t think it was going to be like that, but it’s special. I think they each have their special qualities and that’s what kind of struck me a little bit.”

While Colbert is attracted to North Carolina’s fast break and transition game, he’s also intrigued by Ohio State’s four-out/one-in offense.

For now, though, Colbert has two more days of the skills camp to complete and he’s focused on playing well.

“You want to do good, you have to do good—you never know who’s coming out to watch you,” he said.

REEBOK BREAKOUT CHALLENGE: WEDNESDAY RECAP

By Alex Schwartz

PHILADELPHIA – The 2011 July Live Evaluation Period kicked off on Wednesday and one of the events that NBE Basketball Report was in attendance for was the Reebok Breakout Challenge. Featuring players from coast to coast in four different classes, there was no shortage of talent.

At least nine Big East schools were on hand at Philadelphia University during the course of the day, including Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard, and some of the players they were watching took the time to discuss their recruitment with NBE on Wednesday.

Kareem Canty, a 6-foot-1 class of 2012 point guard out of Bridgton Academy (ME), listed Miami, Seton Hall, Xavier, Baylor, UCLA, Providence, Oklahoma, Washington and Florida State.

The New York native said all of those schools have offered except for UCLA. He also noted that his most recent offer is from another Pac-12 school, Washington.
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LEBRON JAMES SKILLS ACADEMY RECRUITING FOCUS: JAMEL ARTIS & AUSTIN COLBERT

By Lauren Kirschman

The Lebron James Skills Academy rolled on this afternoon with another high school player workout at James A. Rhodes Arena on the University of Akron campus. The media had another chance for a round of interviews following the workout. It would be the last chance to interview players on Wednesday as the evening workout did not have a scheduled interview session following the on-court activities.

NBE had the opportunity to speak with Jamel Artis ’12 and Austin Colbert ’13 in the afternoon. Both players list BIG EAST schools among their leaders. Artis looks to be focusing most of his energy on the recruiting aspect on one school from the BIG EAST. Read about both below…

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JELON HORNBEAK BECOMING HIGHLY SOUGHT ’12 SHOOTING GUARD

While somewhat overshadowed both with his Grace Prep High School squad in Arlington (TX) and his Texas PRO AAU basketball team because of Isaiah Austin, the consensus top 5 player in the Class of 2012, Jelon Hornbeak is giving college recruiters a reason to continue to show up this summer to see Texas PRO in action. The 6-foot-4, almost 200-pound guard has long been considered a special offensive talent coming out of the Lonestar State. His recruitment is anticipated to be hot and heavy as well and the list of schools are impressive.

“Pitt, Oklahoma, Arizona, Providence, Marquette, Texas Tech, Oregon, Cal, Miami and West Virginia,” replied Hornbeak to a message asking what schools he was currently considering that are actively recruiting him. He is planning to visit a few schools in the coming months as well.

“Texas Tech sometime this month [and] Pitt hopefully in August,” said Hornbeak when asked of upcoming visits. “That’s all I know of [now].”

Hornbeak admits he is “pretty much open” in the recruiting process at this time. Always a player that excels offensively with the ball in his hands to create offense, either with a jumper off the dribble or attacking the rim, he is working this summer to broaden his game and improve on the little things.

“Improvements [in] the physical aspect of course,” said Hornbeak when asked what he will work on the most in the summer and prior to college, adding “ball-handling and spot up shooting. Before college I want to increase my range a little bit more, become more of a vocal leader and touch up on my on [mid-range] game.”

Hornbeak will continue to hit the road hard this summer with Texas PRO as well as Family First, a team made up of players from Grace Prep. He is looking forward to just playing basketball. He does not have any timeframe in mind on when he will decide on a college, just looking to play is what he told NBE this weekend.

“No timeframe as of now, said Hornbeak when asked when he might decide on a college. “I just want to be able to play.”

College recruiters certainly know that Jelon Hornbeak can play and they will be watching him this July. Expect the recruitment for this very capable scoring guard in the Class of 2012 to become very hot in the coming months.

RUMBLE IN THE BRONX REPORT – PART I

By Brian Bosworth

The Rumble in the Bronx got underway Friday night with a slightly different feel than in years past. Fordham University has traditionally been the epicenter of the action for the boys tournament but this year the girls took over at Fordham and the boys tournament was spread out at different sites in the greater NYC area. The main site for the 17U bracket was Manhattan College and the action can be described in one word, hot. While the gym itself reached sauna-like conditions, the action on the floor didn’t disappoint. A host of high profile teams were in action including the Long Island Lightning, Connecticut Basketball Club, Albany City Rocks and the Metro Hawks but the New York Panthers were unquestionably a cut above the rest. In addition to being the most impressive unit on this steamy Friday night in the Bronx, the Panthers had the best individual performance of the evening as well.

Top Performer of the Day

Malik Nichols (New York Panthers 2012) – The former Hofstra commit as a member of the 2011 class confirmed after the game that he would be attending a yet to be determined prep school and re-classifying to 2012. Offensively, Nichols was literally perfect in this contest. He made all 10 shots he attempted totaling 22 points and scored every way imaginable. Nichols made 3 pointers off catch and shoot situations. He made a pull-up 16 foot jumper. He drove to the rim with both hands and finished. He finished in transition. He converted a tip-in on the offensive glass. Simply put, Nichols was unstoppable on the offensive end of the floor and led his Panthers club to a blowout victory. If he can string more performances like this together, Nichols should see his recruitment skyrocket when the July live period rolls around.

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PANGOS CAMP – DAY THREE RECAP

By Raphielle Johnson

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

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

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

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

By Raphielle Johnson

The third round of the Nike EYBL tipped off on Saturday, and there’s an awful lot on the line for many of the 40 teams taking part. The top 24 following the three rounds move on to the Nike Peach Jam in early July, making the games at Hangar Athletic Xchange that much more important.

The big matchups of the day wouldn’t come until the evening session of Saturday’s action, with a battle between BABC and Mac Irvin Fire kicking things off. The game provided an opportunity to watch 2013 big man Nerlens Noel and 2014 prospect Jahlil Okafor go head to head, and while there’s only a year’s difference between the two it was rather apparent which one was more prepared for the moment.

Noel, a rangy big man who at this stage in his development is better as a defender, got the better of this matchup in BABC’s 66-54 win. Noel finished with 13 points while also blocking a number of shots and sparking a late first-half run with a thunderous dunk over Okafor. BABC led by seven at the half, and thanks to solid performances from Iowa State commit Georges Niang (20 points) and 2012 guard Domonique Bull (12 points) were able to withstand Mac Irvin’s second half charge.

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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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BALTIMORE ELITE’S CHARLES TAPPER A HOT COMMODITY ON THE GRIDIRON

By Matt Whitfield

Watch Charles Tapper on the gridiron or the hardwood and you’ll notice that the youngster plays with fire, a tenacity that perhaps helped him become one of the one most sought after football recruits in the Mid-Atlantic. Tapper, a Class of 2012 recruit, who will be sticking to football in college told NBE Friday night at The Baltimore Elite Invitational in Severn, Maryland that West Virginia sticks out to him and is one of his top three schools, as he looks to take an official there as well as two other football powers.

“I’m probably eventually going to go to Miami, Oklahoma and West Virginia for official visits,” said Tapper.

Tapper who told NBE his natural position is defensive end agreed that he has always played with a fire.

“I just like to come out there with an explosion and just destroy my opponent,” said Tapper.

Starting immediately will be a factor for Tapper in what school he attends.

“That’s my goal. Hopefully I can start at any school I can go to.”

Although he’s not saying it West Virginia may be the favorite right now with Tapper, being that he’s already taken an unofficial there and that he wants his family to be able to see him play in most of his games.

“It probably will [weigh into where I go to school]. I want my mom and my brothers to be able to see most of my games,” said Tapper.

Another factor weighing into West Virginia’s favor is that Tapper has been mentored by Tavon Austin.

“We’re kind of close,” said Tapper of his relationship with Austin.

Tapper also added that, “West Virginia [is] in my top three.”

Will Charles Tapper fill the void when Bruce Irvin leaves after this season? West Virginia fans certainly hope so. Stay tuned to NBE for the latest on the 6’4, 240 pound man-child.

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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EYBL – BOO WILLIAMS: PREP SCHOOL PROSPECTS SHINE ON AAU TRAIL

BY PAT STEVENS

HAMPTON, Va. – The first major national event of the travel hoops season took place this past weekend with the first session of Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League getting underway in it’s annual spot of long-time coach Boo Williams’ backyard.

Several prep school players were in action with their 17-under division teams, as BABC went 5-0 with Tilton (N.H.) teammates Georges Niang, Nerlens Noel, Goodluck Okonoboh and Wayne Selden (who mostly played 15U where they reached the championship game).

The Playaz also went undefeated with its backcourt shared by Myles Davis (Notre Dame Prep) and Darrick Wood (NIA Prep).

Albany City Rocks featured New Hampton (N.H.) teammates Zach Auguste and Olivier Hanlan along with Ricardo Ledo (Notre Dame Prep, MA), who averaged just under 24 points per game for the weekend.

Other prep school players included Mike Tobey (Hotchkiss/NY Gauchos/Virginia commit) and Sam Cassell Jr. (Notre Dame Prep/Baltimore Elite).

We managed to catch a pair of games in between session of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament while in town last weekend…

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GEORGES NIANG CONTINUES TO PRODUCE AGAINST ALL COMPETITION; RECRUITMENT HEATING UP

Tilton (NH) School forward Georges Niang is a flat-out producer on the court. The 6-foot-7, 235-pound forward has a knack for putting up numbers against any type of competition he faces. The Class of 2012 prospect was the leader in Tilton’s NEPSAC Class AA championship run, averaging over 26 points a game as the Rams captured their fourth straight final. Against a St. Mark’s team that featured elite Class of 2012 prospects frontline prospects Alex Murphy and Kaleb Tarczewski in the championship game, Niang shredded their defense for 23 points, shooting a perfect 11 of 11 from the field. In typical Niang fashion, he added 10 rebounds and 7 assists for good measure in the 72-57 victory at Endicott College last month.

The Tilton season came to an end in their next game, a thrilling 87-85 loss to Notre Dame Prep in the National Prep Championships. Niang continued his postseason dominance in that game, scoring 31 points. At one stretch, Niang scored 13 straight points for the Rams helping them erase a 10-point deficit and nearly steal the victory. His versatility was on display, knocking down a pair of three-pointers down the stretch helping the comeback.

This spring and summer Niang is playing with another high-profile program as he embarks on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League with the Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC) on the AAU circuit, an experience he is greatly looking forward to.
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’12 OKORO TALKS ABOUT SHU VISIT; ’13 MIKE YOUNG UPDATES RECRUITMENT

Late last week NBE caught up with Class of 2012 prospect Nkereuwem Okoro of St. Raymond’s HS in the Bronx (NY). The 6-foot-5, 200-lb G/F gave us a list of Seton Hall, Iowa State, Arizona, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma and Providence as schools currently involved in his recruitment he was considering. Since our conversation, Okoro was able to visit one of the schools on his list, Seton Hall, and enjoyed his trip.

“I got to see the campus, locker rooms and cafeteria,” said Okoro of the visit.

It was a tough year on the court for the Pirates under new head coach Kevin Willard, who was previously the head coach at Iona. SHU finished the season with a 13-18 record and 7-11 mark in the BIG EAST. Their season was sidetracked early on by the health issues of Herb Pope in the off-season, an injury to Jeremy Hazell that sidelined him for 13 games and lingering off the court issues from the previous coaching regime that led to Keon Lawrence and Jamel Jackson being kicked off the team. In the face of it all, Okoro is impressed with coach Willard’s dedication to turning things around at the New Jersey school.

“I like coach Willard’s determination to get Seton Hall back on track,” he said.

Okoro, who also previously visited Iowa State, would like to visit more schools this spring and summer, but has nothing currently in the works. In the meantime, he will look forward to a big AAU season with the Long Island Lightning. NBE will stay in touch for the latest developments in his recruitment.
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Mike Young is a Class of 2013 prospect that will certainly get a lot of looks on the AAU scene this spring from scouts and in the summer from college coaches when they are on the road. The native of Pittsburgh, where he previously attended Shadyside Academy, just completed his first season at the Newark (NJ) school St. Benedict’s Prep. It was a transition for the young big man.

“At first it was tough, but now I got used to it,” Young told NBE’s Matt Whitfield on Wednesday night while attending games for the Playaz Spring Fling.

Young plays in the Playaz AAU program where the organization’s mentor Jimmy Salmon has helped him feel at home in New Jersey.

“I live at Benedict’s, but on the weekend I go to my AAU Coach Jimmy (Salmon)’s house,” said Young. “I go to his house sometimes and I go to some of [the] player’s, their family’s houses, just to make it like home.”

Young promises to be a very intriguing prospect in the Class of 2013. Already standing at 6-foot-8, Young has the look of a high-major forward and schools have been recruiting him all season.

“Nothing’s really changed,” Young said to Matt Whitfield when asked about his recruitment. “I still got offers from Georgia Tech, Pitt, Rutgers and Seton Hall.

Young also mentioned a few new schools have turned things up of late.

“Kansas was…new…they’re starting to recruit me now. Wake Forest is starting to recruit me a little harder. West Virginia, I picked that up at the Primetime Shootout and Marquette.”

Young was hoping to take a trip to see Georgia Tech in the near future but the recent dismissal of Paul Hewitt has left those plans up in the air at the moment.

“I was looking to take an unofficial to Georgia Tech….I really don’t know too much about [the coaching change], but…I really liked Paul, but I’m ready to see who the new coach is going to be,” said Young.

Young, who still lists the BIG EAST as his favorite conference, is now looking ahead to the AAU season, which will begin over the course of the next two weekends with the Playaz Spring Fling in New Jersey.

“I just want to show all the things that I improved on over the high school season and show some of the things that I can do and some of the things that apply to my game,” he said of the AAU season ahead.

If he continues his improvement he very well may end up in his favorite conference in the future.

2012 BIG MAN GAVIN WARE HAS THREE MAIN SUITORS

The pool of available big men in the Class of 2012 already seems to be thinning out quickly. One target likely to draw a great amount of interest on the spring and summer AAU circuit is Starkville (MS) High School big man Gavin Ware. The 6-foot-8, 252-pound center has been out of action since just after the Christmas holiday because of a knee injury, but he is looking forward to getting back into competition next month when the AAU season gets going.

“Now my doctor has me in therapy working hard to get my knee better,” Ware told NBE last week. “I should be ready by the beginning of April.”

Ware looked like he would be on his way to a big season with his impressive performance against Brandon (MS) High School and their Class of 2011 Georgetown signee Tyler Adams. Ware scored 17 points, in just the first three quarters in a 57-37 win.

“My most favorite highlight dates back to when I played 6’10″ senior Tyler Adams, I had 17 points and I held him to a season low 4 points,” Ware told NBE.

Unfortunately Ware did not get to build much on that performance as he suffered a hyper-extended knee injury shortly after. Once weighing over 300 pounds, Ware has worked hard to get into better shape and make himself into a top prospect in the Class of 2012. His plans this spring and summer are to hit the AAU tour with the Southern Phenoms out of Meridian (MS) and earn their way in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League and top events.

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NKEREUWEM OKORO HAS LEADER IN HIS RECRUITMENT

Nkereuwem Okoro and his St. Raymonds Ravens teammates came up short this season, losing in overtime to Christ the King in the CHSAA Class AA semifinals. With just two seniors on their roster this season, Okoro, a junior G/F, is looking forward to his senior season with coach Oliver Antigua already as St. Ray’s will certainly have lofty expectations.

“The season was alright…just loved the oppurtunity to work hard with my team all year,” said Okoro.

Okoro scored 11 points in their season-ending 70-67 loss to CTK. His lay-up to beat the buzzer of regulation would send the game into overtime, but in the end, the experience of the opponent won out, leaving Okoro and his teammates thinking big next season when many believe it is their turn.

“(Goal next season is) win a city and state championship,” he said.

Okoro has been around the New York City basketball scene for several years, and still has not lost his work ethic or his determination. While he is basically a 6-foot-5 power forward, he is difficult to stop due to his toughness and physicality around the rim. Okoro is quicker than you might think, and is very strong and active defensively, filling out his solid 200-pound frame.

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RECRUITMENT OF KAREEM CANTY CATCHING UP TO HIS TALENT

Last spring on the AAU circuit it became pretty clear that the recruitment of Kareem Canty would soon be taking off. The NYC native had a string of impressive showings with the LI Lightning program during the AAU travel season before the live July period began. Yet, his recruitment was still most heavily involved with mid-majors from the Northeast as he was in the Class of 2011.

Fast-Forward seven or eight months, Canty has moved to Bridgton Academy in the NEPSAC from Bishop Loughlin of NYC and after reclassing into the Class of 2012, his recruitment has definitely caught up to the talent he has displayed not only on the AAU scene, but also since transferring to Bridgton, which included a 28-point performance against a strong Northfield Mount Hermon squad in the National Prep School Invitational last weekend on the campus of Rhode Island University.

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 about Kareem Canty and his recruitment as the 2012 point guard has seen an uptick in interest and a longer list of schools is beginning to form. Contrary to some previous reports, there are no favorites and other schools are getting involved. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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