Central Florida Recruiting

2012 NATIONAL PREP SCHOOL INVITATIONAL — DAY ONE

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The National Prep School Invitational kicked off Thursday morning at a new venue of Rhode Island College after a number of years at the University of Rhode Island. The shift was made due to new NCAA rules not allowing tournaments of this nature to take place in Division-I gyms but the always well run event didn’t miss a beat. Eight games filled the schedule on Thursday with the nation’s No. 1 team Brewster Academy facing off against St. John’s Northwest Military Academy in the headliner. Two players faced off head to head in that matchup and they share top billing today after fantastic performances.

Co-Headliners of the Day:

Jakarr Sampson (Brewster Academy 2012) – Sampson played as well as I’ve ever seen from him in Brewster’s victory this afternoon. He has always been potent using a couple dribbles to attack the rim and showcase his absurd athleticism. Today, Sampson punished defenders for playing off him by consistently knocking down mid range jumpers from 12-18 feet. When that shot is falling he becomes basically unguardable because combined with his driving ability leaves defenders to pick their poison. On top of all his impressive offense, Sampson was the catalyst for Brewster defensively playing the top of their full court press. His length and quickness caused turnover after turnover often leading to rim shaking dunks. Undefeated Brewster was frankly in a bit of trouble before going to the press and letting Sampson wreck havoc. He made it obvious why he is one of the most sought after uncommitted players remaining in the 2012 class.

Aaron Ross (St. John’s Northwest Military Academy 2012) – A onetime Arkansas commit, Ross played like one of the nation’s bet forwards against the loaded frontline of Brewster. He tallied 30 points and 9 rebounds by mixing 3 point shots (3-7) with hard drives to the basket. Ross has the quickness to take his man out on the perimeter but also the strength to go to work on the low block. This combination gave Brewster fits all day as they tried various defenders to slow down the big man. Only Jakarr Sampson had any success but even he gave up his share of hoops against Ross. Finding balance between inside and outside will always be important for Ross as he doesn’t want to hunt jumpers and ignore his physical advantages. He also needs to be more committed defensively and will have to define a roll on that end. He is a little bit between a 3 and a 4 right now but needs to be a 4 defensively in my mind. Regardless of position he’s a beast and showed that off today.

Read more

HOOPHALL CLASSIC 2012: SATURDAY RECAP

After two days filled with local contests and a sampling of girl’s games, the Hoophall Classic took to the national stage on the boys side Saturday. Traditional powers like Oak Hill Academy, Gonzaga College Prep, St. Patrick’s and DeMatha Catholic headlined the action at Blake Arena in Springfield. Many players improved their stock on Saturday but none more than an undersized big man from Gonzaga College Prep.

Top Performer:

Kris Jenkins (Gonzaga 2013) – Jenkins had a breakout performance on national TV a week ago at the Cancer Research Classic in Wheeling, West Virginia and backed it up today at the Hoophall Classic by dominating an individual matchup with Riverside’s Ricardo Gathers. Jenkins is 6’6” at best but still has great strength for the power forward position. This allows him to hold his own defensively while causing all kinds of problems for opponents on the offensive end. He did the majority of his damage on midrange jumpers but showed that his range extends to the 3 point line knocking down a pair of triples. Jenkins was productive from the opening tip until the final whistle not even allowing an errant Ricardo Gathers elbow to the face to slow him down. After scoring at will on top 10 sophomore Jahlil Okafor and top 30 senior Ricardo Gathers in the past week, it’s safe to say that Jenkins can contribute at the high major level.
Read more

2011 CITY OF PALMS REPORT — TOP PLAYER PERFORMANCES

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Now that the 2011 City of Palms Classic has come to a close it’s time to put some measure on what I saw this week. Below are player rankings by class based on performances from this week alone. While they do impact my overall perception of these players, they are rankings strictly of what I saw in Florida this week.

Top 2012 Players:

1. Isaiah Austin (Grace Prep) – signed with Baylor – Austin was more committed to play inside on offense than he has been in the past and still rebounded and blocked shots at the highest level. He looked poised to challenge Shabazz Muhammad for top player in the class throughout the rest of the reason.

2. Shabazz Muhammad (Bishop Gorman) – It speaks to Muhammad’s talent that after a subpar week by his standards he still slots in at # 2. He was the most persistent scorer at the tournament, getting his points every way imaginable.

As for his recruitment, Muhammad told NBE on the opening day of the event that he has no timetable for a decision and sounds as though he’ll wait right up until the spring signing period to make his call. He listed an up-tempo style and a program that gets its players to the next level as the two most important factors in his decision making process. When the time comes Muhammad will be choosing from his final 6 of UCLA, Kansas, Duke, Kentucky, UNLV, and USC.
Read more

CITY OF PALMS REPORT — DAY THREE

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

What a day at Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, Florida. We saw great games, great individual performances, and one great comeback. The nation’s consensus top player, Shabazz Muhammad, went off for 42 points in the final game of the night and that wasn’t even the most impressive showing of the day. Kentucky head coach John Calipari continued his borderline stalking of Nerlens Noel by planting himself underneath the baseline for much of the day which instantly ups the intensity in the gym. Enough setup, on to the recap of Monday’s action at the City of Palms Classic.

Top Performance of the Day:

Jordan Mickey (Arlington Grace Prep 2013) – Grace Prep trailed Mater Dei by 18 at the half after Mickey had spent the majority of the half on the bench with 2 fouls. He came out in the 2nd half and put on a clinic on the low block tallying 22 of his game high 29 points. Mickey scored all of his points by working for low post position and then powering through his defender and scoring over his left shoulder. He has great strength which he uses to setup his shots and then a soft touch to finish off plays. Grace Prep fed Mickey in the same spot time and again and he used the same moves over and over without being stopped. He does a great job of making a quick, decisive move after he catches it in the post so that a double team does not have time to arrive. Mickey’s monster 2nd half and overtime led Grace Prep all the way back from that 18 point halftime deficit and carried them into tomorrow’s semifinals. For a recruiting update on Mickey, see our report from Saturday: City of Palms Report — Day Two.
Read more

RECRUITING UPDATE: DAIQUAN WALKER & KARONN DAVIS SEEING VARIETY OF SCHOOLS INTERESTED

by Alex Schwartz

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

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

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

’13 CLEVELAND – BENEDICTINE BIG MAN MARK WILLIAMS LOOKS AHEAD TO BIG SEASON

Those that have watched Mark Williams of Cleveland (OH)’s Benedictine High School and the TNBA East AAU program over the last year have described him as an ‘old-school’ big man. The 6-foot-8, 245-lb big man prospect in the Class of 2013 is not looking to play on the wing, face-up and shoot three-pointers. Instead he plans to go on the low block, fight for position and finish in the paint. He uses his strength and size to carve out space on the boards and to defend in the paint.

Williams drew a lot of interest from college coaches in the summer because of those traits. The willingness to play inside and bring that toughness attracted many programs to take an interest in him. His recruiting has slowed a bit this fall because of injuries, but expect many schools to be checking him ou this season.

“Many colleges didn’t come out this fall because I was injured,” Williamssaid when asked about visits from colleges this fall. “I had a slight fracture in my right shin.”

Still, the list of schools actively recruiting Williams that he is considering is an impressive list with Cincinnati, Indiana, Indiana State, Akron, Kent State, Robert Morris, George Mason, Xavier, West Virginia, Florida State, Central Florida, Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, Virginia Tech, Northwestern and Northern Illinois all getting a mention from Williams. The list spans many conferences and levels of Division 1-A basketball, a point he noted when he talked about the possibility of playing outside what we currently know as the BCS conferences.

“Kent State by far…made me understand that you dont have to go to a big conference to play top notch basketball,” Williams said.

Williams, who hopes to work on his athleticism this season as he progresses as a player and has a goal of winning a state title at Benedictine, currently has no favorites, but has an impressive offer list to choose from.

“No favorites just yet,” said Williams, “but Indiana, Ohio, Kent State, Robert Morris, George Mason, Central Florida [and] Toledo [have offered].”

When it comes time for a decision, Williams will likely keep it simple, looking at “location and just a family atmosphere” as factors likely to play the biggest role in his decision.

NBE will certainly keep an eye on Mark Williams this season and the developments in his recruitment. The ‘old-school’ Class of 2013 big man will definitely be one to watch in the next year as he becomes more of a priority for college recruiters.

2011 ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK (PART 11): KEITH FRAZIER UPDATE; KASEY HILL; DOMINIC WOODSON; AARON HARRISON

By Alex Schwartz

KEITH FRAZIER IN AN ELITE TARGET IN ’13; PLANS LONG RECRUITMENT

Keith Frazier is one of the Class of 2013 elite prospects. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard out of Irving (TX) High School mentioned Georgia, Kentucky, Baylor, Texas, Houston, Marquette, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, North Carolina, Kansas and Memphis. He said each of those schools have offered except for UK and UNC.

On whether he has any favorites: “I like A&M a little bit, I like–actually, I like all of them I just named to be honest with you.”

Frazier, who said he will no longer be playing with Dream Vision and will just be with Houston Hoops, has visited Baylor, Texas and Kansas.

Although he has no visits planned, he did say of who he would like to visit, “I want to visit Georgia [and visit] Kansas some more. Who else do I wanna visit? Memphis, that’s all I can think of.”

On who is coming at him the hardest: “I would have to say either Baylor, Texas, A&M a little, Georgia, [and] Marquette,” Frazier said.
Read more

2011 ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK (PART 9): BRANNEN GREENE, TYLER CAVANAUGH, LANDRY NNOKO & THEO PINSON

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.”
Read more

2011 ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK (PART 7): RECRUITING LISTS FROM AAU NATIONALS

By Alex Schwartz

The grind continues in Orlando as we move into the home stretch of the 2011 AAU National Championships. On Thursday NBE caught up with Malik Price-Martin, Kasey Hill, Duane Wilson Jr., Kobe Eubanks and Zacarry Douglas for the latest on their recruitment.

The action continues on Friday and through the weekend in Orlando and NBE will be on hand right through the conclusion. In the 16U level they have reached the FInal 8 of Pool Play. Match-ups late this morning include BABC/Garner Road, Ohio Varsity White/Rising Stars Gold, NY Gauchos/All-Ohio Red & Team Takeover/Ohio Hoopsters Cash. The semifinals will be played later this afternoon and the championship game is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

17U action has moved into championship bracket play with 32 teams left after early morning play. The field will be narrowed to 16 later today and then tomorrow the Final 8 will square off. Some big names remain and Albany City Rocks and Texas PRO square off today for a spot in the final 16. The Arkansas Wings, Florida Rams, CP3, All-Iowa Attack, PA Playaz, Wisconsin Playground Elite and others highlight the remaining teams.

Below you will find our recruiting updates from yesterday….

Read more

2011 ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK (PART 4): ARCHIE GOODWIN UPDATES RECRUITING, MCGARY, NOEL CONTINUE TO DOMINATE & MORE

By Alex Schwartz

Ian Baker, a native of the DC-area now attending Arlington Country Day School in Florida, told NBE he has a top five school list he is working off of.

“I’d say my top four are Miami, South Carolina, Providence and Tennessee and you could say Marshall,” he said in Orlando where he is playing in AAU Super Showcase. “That’s my top five.”

Baker said Miami is his leader right now with South Carolina second and Tennessee third.

Baker has offers from four of his top five schools, with Tennessee as the only one who has not offered.

Asked if that is definitely his final five he cut his list to, Baker replied, “That’s about it. I wanna see how it’s gonna be after the tournament, who’s interested, who’s not, but as of now that’s how it’s gonna be.”

At one point Providence was his co-favorite with Miami, but Baker said he has not heard from PC as much of late and noted, “I’m not sure if I’m a top priority to them or not.”
Read more

HOOP GROUP WV JAM FEST RECRUITING NOTES – DAY 1

By Lauren Kirschman

The first of two 10-day evaluation periods for the month of July come to a close today. One of the top annual events each year to close the period is the Hoop Group’s West Virginia Jam Fest, predominately help in the Morgantown (WV) area. With recent NCAA legislation preventing the games to be held on the WVU campus local high schools hosted contests as well as other sporting centers, including a local ice rink.

On day one of the event there was a large crowd of assistant coaches tracking down Amile Jefferson at University High School for an evening game and, as usual, the Team Final 16U club had their share of coaches on hand when they played. Below are some recruiting notes from the day’s action on Semaj Christon, Melvin Johnson, Rondae Jefferson, Dashawn Suber and more…
Read more

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.
Read more

RUMBLE IN THE BRONX REPORT – PART II

By Brian Bosworth

In the stands at Manhattan College on Saturday, spectators were consistently grumbling about who wasn’t in attendance for this years’ Rumble in the Bronx. Multiple high profile players chose not to make the trip to New York with their respective teams headlined by Andre Drummond and Kris Dunn of CBC, Omar Calhoun and Jason Boswell of the New York Gauchos, Kuran Iverson and Nkereuwem Okoro of the Long Island Lightning, Noah Vonleh of Mass Rivals, and Clyde Smith of New Heights. Despite missing all these future college stars, the tournament rolled on with plenty of guys stepping up in their absence. The top performances from Saturday at Manhattan College are documented below.

Ricardo Ledo (Expressions Elite 2012) – Ledo struggled mightily offensively throughout the majority of his teams’ early morning contest with the Riverside Hawks but showed down the stretch why he’s considered one of the nation’s best players. With his team trailing by 7 late in the second half, Ledo buried three consecutive NBA range 3 pointers each one deeper than the last to spark a 15-0 run and lead his team to victory. He is truly an elite scorer and only struggled today because he settled for the long ball too often. When Ledo is aggressive attacking the basket and takes 3 pointers in rhythm, he is completely unstoppable offensively.

Read more

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
————————————————

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
——————————————————
Read more

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…

Read more

TODD MAYO NARROWS LIST; 2011 SG HIGH ON MARQUETTE FOLLOWING VISIT

By Matt Whitfield

Todd Mayo is looking to pick a college before the month is up. While he has effectively narrowed his recruitment to four schools that have been on him the hardest of late, one school looks to be quickly emerging as the favorote in the race to land the Class of 2011 shooting guard as his recruitment enters the stretch run.

“I plan on making my decision before April…I’m going to go with the schools that have been on me the toughest,” Mayo told NBE earlier this afternoon. “I know West Virginia, Kansas and Maryland and some other schools have been recruiting me, but they haven’t been on me as tough as Marquette, Baylor, UCF and Oklahoma State, so I might have to go with those four schools. And make my decision by the end of March.”

Mayo just took a visit to Marquette this past weekend and came away pleasantly surprised with the BIG EAST’s Milwaukee representative, despite the weather.

“Marquette…the visit went well and I definitely bond with the team and the coaches real well,” said Mayo. “And Milwaukee is a nice place even though it was snowing. And it went well. It went better than I thought.”

Mayo also enjoyed spending time with the Golden Eagles personable head coach, Buzz Williams.

“Me and Buzz, the head coach, bonded pretty well,” he said. “He’s a tough coach and that’s something I’m looking for. I want a tough coach to push me to my limit and make better to get me closer to my dream and my short term goals.”

Mayo also is planning to visit the other three finalists before a final decision is made at this point.

“I have UCF, coming up sometime, either the 9th or the 12th, I’m sure yet, or it might be the 9th through the 12th,” he said of visiting Central Florida, a recent entry making a strong push in his recruiting sweepstakes. “They have to call me today and we got to figure something out, but I know it’s going to be around that area. I’m going to visit Oklahoma State and definitely get Baylor in there before March [is over].”

NBE will continue to monitor the recruitment of Todd Mayo as it winds down in the coming weeks.

**********************************************************************************************
The BIG EAST conference season has moved into the stretch run and the 2011 Big East Tournament in Madison Square Garden is just one week away. You can visit the NBE 2011 Big East Tournament & Tickets page for the event schedule and links to purchase tickets to each and/or all sessions. NBE is uniquely partnered with TicketNetwork.com to bring our readers Tickets to All Sporting Events during ANY season. WE HAVE YOUR SEATS!!
**********************************************************************************************

For travel deals and arrangements, click here: Book Air and/or hotel for NYC and 2011 BIG EAST Tournament

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

STEFAN JANKOVIC CLIMBING RECRUITING LADDER TO TOP TIER OF 2012 PROSPECTS

2012 forward seeing recruiting amp up higher with move to Huntington Prep

6-foot-10 Canadian import Stefan Jankovic continues to make a big name for himself on the recruiting trail and his recent mid-year transfer from Kiski to Huntington Prep was aimed to better prepare his game for the college level and the competition he would be facing with the schools recruiting him.

“I made the change because I felt that it was needed, I wasn’t facing the top competition at Kiski that I’m facing now at Huntington Prep, as they play a nationally ranked schedule,” said Jankovic. “Skill development was huge too, I didnt think at Kiski I was developing enough, especially in the weight room, but Huntington Prep is a whole different situation, they have me in the weight room constantly, and practice is tough and I’m getting a lot better.”

Jankovic also feels he has seen the results and his game and body are improving…

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 Stefan Jankovic as the impressive 2012 prospect talks about the transition of moving to Huntington Prep, the improvement in his game since arriving at Huntington and his recruitment, which continues to grow, and although he is still open, he gives a preview of what schools would be at the top of his list today. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

Read more

TODD MAYO: SEARCHING FOR OWN PATH TO BASKETBALL GLORY

by MATT WHITFIELD

The basketball odyssey of Todd Mayo’s older brother has been well chronicled, in fact, in many ways, given the rise of the internet, the story was the first of its kind due to the subject’s age at the time we all began hearing about him. That, the locations involved, and a prepubescent teen with a seemingly full mustache made everyone interested in hoops stand up and take notice.

O.J. Mayo was from Huntington (WV) but began playing high school basketball as a seventh grader at Rose Hill Christian School in Ashland (KY). And he didn’t just play with kids five years older than him, he mostly dominated them, averaging over 20 points a game on the varsity in both his 7th and 8th grade years. The hype and microscope followed O.J. throughout his celebrated four-year (or can we say six-year?) prep career, which included another stop at North College Hill HS in Cincinnati (OH), before winding up back home at Huntington (WV) High School. Next came the single season at USC, where Tim Floyd eventually paid for Mayo’s matriculation with his job. Finally, the day critics said would never come back when he was getting so much attention as a 13-year-old did, and Mayo became the third player selected in the 2008 NBA Draft.

The microscope in which O.J. Mayo operated under was always intense. Being a celebrated prospect before turning 14 years old brought all sorts of attention and hangers-on. Just a month prior to the 2008 NBA Draft a story from ESPN alleged Mayo received improper benefits both before, and during, his time at USC. Ultimately, Mayo was found to be ineligible during his time in LA, and the Trojans vacated all 21 wins earned with Mayo on the team while also withdrawing from postseason competition during the 2009-2010 season.

After averaging over 18 points a game in his first two NBA seasons, where he was the runner-up for the NBA’s rookie of the year award in the 2008-2009 season, Mayo’s third season in the NBA has not gone as well. His numbers are down (he’s currently scoring under 13 points a game) and even more damning, he’s in the midst of serving a 10-game suspension for testing positive for the steroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which violates the league’s anti-drug program. Mayo blamed an over the counter supplement, that he didn’t know was banned by the NBA, for the positive test.

So it’s pretty clear that O.J. Mayo has been a magnet for attention over the last several years and that much of that attention has been negative in scope.

Now…imagine trying to be his younger brother.

Not enough context for you?

Okay, imagine trying to be his younger basketball playing brother, a talented guard in your own right trying to make your way in a game who’s talking heads — the holier than thou voices of the “amateur/billion dollar basketball industry” — seem to never pass on a chance to hold up your hero as an example of everything that’s wrong with it.

It’s got to be tough right?

Well, Todd Mayo has been living just outside the glare of that spotlight and in his brother’s shadow, for years now. A 6-foot-3, 190-pound guard, Mayo is now officially a person of interest to some of the same college basketball coaches that once salivated over his more (in)famous brother. In fact, as college basketball heads towards the late signing period this spring, Todd Mayo is among the hottest unsigned names remaining in the 2011 class.

This is his story…

When asked Monday evening by NBE, Mayo rattled off a strong list.

“I got Baylor, Kansas, Marquette, Oklahoma State, Providence, West Virginia and I’m not sure if Pitt’s going to talk to me, but they said something would open up in the offseason. Then just today Donnie Jones just called me from Central Florida.”

Mayo recently had a very good visit to Providence, seeing the Friars upset nationally ranked Villanova, and told NBE he had a visit to Baylor lined up on February 22nd.

At this time he is still talking to all of the coaches recruiting him and he had no favorites, but Mayo did say he planned on making his decision sometime in mid-March.

“I really don’t have any favorites yet because I’m still getting to know all the coaching staffs,” he said. “And I want to be around and take my visits and see how they play and be around players and just vibe with them. I really don’t have a favorite team yet because I just [don't] know where I fit in yet. I’m just looking. Then by the end of this month, the end of February I should know where I fit in. Then by mid-March I really should know where I fit in and make my decision.”

Like his older brother, Todd Mayo has been a bit of a basketball nomad moving from high schools in Ohio to Memphis before landing in the prep school ranks this season, but he has found stability playing for coach Ryan Hurd at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg (MA) this season. He is greatly enjoying the experience of playing on a talent-laden team that is among the best in the country at the prep level.

“[I came to Notre Dame Prep] just to win games and I knew that there was a lot of good talent here,” he said. “And I hadn’t won that many championships in my basketball career and high school career and I just thought Notre Dame had the pieces to win a national championship this year and I just thought it would be the best position for me to come here and play. Before I came here I talked to Will Barton and Antonio Barton. I saw them at Memphis and we had conversation when I saw them out, after the Memphis-Bucks, it was a little summer league event. I just talked to them and I thought Notre Dame would be the best place for me.”

Always gifted offensively, Mayo has learned to concentrate more on the other half of the game playing under Hurd.

“I am more focused on defense, not just offense, because defense is a big part of a prep school.”

Mayo also feels Notre Dame Prep has helped him become much better prepared for the rigors of college basketball and the competition he will see at the next level.

“It [has] helped me by just not settling. And getting to the rim. Mentally and physically, just keeping my head on the court. Just playing through any bad game because every night we play competition.”

Mayo feels he’ll be ready for the college game next season assuming he doesn’t slack off in the offseason.

“I see myself doing pretty good [next season],” he said. It all counts on what I do in my off season. So right after the Notre Dame season and I get qualified and I pick my school and after the National Tournament I go home and not just sit around and just workout in the off season and just get ready for the college level.”

Last month Notre Dame Prep took on South Kent (CT) in a highly anticipated match-up in the Big Apple Basketball High School Showcase over the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in NYC. IN a game littered with high-major college talent, including several BIG EAST commits playing for South Kent, Mayo scored 20 points on an array of deep jumpers, drives to the rim and fast break finishes as ND Prep overcame a slow start in an 86-70 victory.

Hurd referred to Mayo as a “beast” after the game when discussing his guard with Zach Smart of NBE, mentioning the high-motor guard can create his shot in traffic, off the dribble, and doesn’t get fazed by Ziploc-tightened defense.

“His ability to take over games this year,” Hurd said of what has impressed him the most of Mayo this year. “I don’t think, since I’ve been here, we’ve had a guy who can put up numbers as quickly as he can. And I’ve had great players.”

High praise from a coach who has seen top talent annually flow from his program to the top programs of college basketball and Todd Mayo is looking more and more like the next in line to do so out of the ND Prep program.

Even with his older brother’s experience of being one of the most hotly contested and highest profile basketball recruits ever, Todd Mayo told Matt Whitfield he is taking his future in his own hands to make the decision that is best for himself.

“My brother, lately, he hasn’t been trying to tell me what college to go to,” said Todd. “It’s a 100 percent my decision and he doesn’t want to interfere with me and my decision because this is going to be the biggest decision of my life and I’m going to become a man after this and he really wants me to become a man and be a better person and want me to fit in wherever. He’s going to be behind 100 percent in whatever decision I make.”

Todd did mention how impressed he was to see his older brother pick a school away from home and excel on his own, outside of the normal comfort zone he had developed. With his brother currently playing in Memphis, many thought the Tigers would be very involved in the recruitment of the younger Mayo, but Todd is looking to take the next step of his life away from his brother’s shadow and get away as well.

“When I moved to Memphis I was looking at Memphis hard when Calipari was there,” said Todd. “But I kind of marked that off my list two years ago. So, I mean maybe it probably will be good for me to get away and play away from home. And just grow up a little bit because I remember when O.J. was out at USC and I was in Ohio I was just amazed how he did that and I want him to feel the same about me when I go off to play.”

Wherever Todd Mayo winds up playing his college basketball comparisons to his older brother will be made.

However, this Mayo is certainly succeeding on his own path to basketball glory and will leave his own mark in the game at the college level for one lucky program.

Note – NBE Staff and RAY MERNAGH contributed to this story

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

**********************************************************************************************
The BIG EAST conference season might be just getting underway, but it is not too early to begin thinking about tickets for the 2011 Big East Tournament this coming March in Madison Square Garden. You can visit the NBE 2011 Big East Tournament & Tickets page for the event schedule and links to purchase tickets to each and/or all sessions. NBE is uniquely partnered with TicketNetwork.com to bring our readers Tickets to All Sporting Events during ANY season.
**********************************************************************************************

BATTLE OF THE BORDERS SHOWCASE – HUNTINGTON PREP ROLLS PAST COOLIDGE

by RAY MERNAGH

This one was in doubt for about literally 45 seconds or so.

Huntington’s talent, led and orchestrated on the floor by their terrific point guard Charles Lee, swarmed Coolidge from the jump.

Negus Webster-Chan got to the rim in transition, hit a three and then caught an oop back-to-back-to-back. By the time Coolidge coach Vaughn Jones (ex-DeMatha star) got a chance to try and slow things down with a timeout it was 17-0 with barely 3 minutes gone.

And Coolidge is a decent team. They had some players, one in particular that kind of “popped” to me, but Huntington is just too deep and talented for most teams at the HS level. And the Express also get coached, which was the best thing about sitting next to head man Rob Fulford and his staff courtside. They stay on their kids every possession no matter what the score is — taking them to task when they stray from their core principles both defensively and offensively. It’s also done with a great deal of what I like to call “coach humor” — which can be described as things coaches say that would make you laugh pretty hard if you ever had the chance to hear them.

Examples: Sim Bhullar, the 7’4 junior center who recently transferred to Huntington from Kiski, watching as a guard penetrated the lane and scored on an easy layup. “Get Sim,” Fulford told a kid on his bench. As he was coming off the floor Fulford pointed to the first seat on the bench and told Bhullar to sit in it.

“How tall are you?” he asked Bhullar.

“Seven-four,” the kid responded.

“Why are you out of the game?” asked Fulford.

“I didn’t contest the shot,” said Bhullar.

“Do I need to say anything else?,” said Fulford, “contest shots!”

Bhullar went back in shortly thereafter and…contested shots!

Another highly regarded player came in, didn’t run the play that was called and then had a mental breakdown on defense. Fulford calmly called him over and said in a discussion-tone of voice “I’m trying real hard to find a reason to keep you on the floor but you keep doing things that are gonna have you sitting next to me, you got to give me a reason to play you out here.”

Jeremiah Davis, a highly-regarded guard out of Indiana who’s headed for Cincinnati, had some breakdowns as well and Fulford subbed him out. “I can’t play you if you’re gonna do that JD.” Davis went back in and stayed on task.

Stefan Jankovic, the 6’10 junior with enormous skills, got more than a few reminders to run the floor and also to get where he needed to be. Those are just afew examples.

Even Maurice Aniefiok, the strong physical senior guard, didn’t run at one point when Webster-Chan had a breakaway. Webster-Chan ended up losing the ball as he went up and it bounced off the rim. A Coolidge player ended up getting the ball after it came off. “That’s why you run Maurice! Come on man! That will kill us in a close game!” Fulford reiterated his message when Aniefiok came out of the game. “You know better than that man, you have to run.” Aniefok nodded his head.

Huntington won handily but Coolidge competed throughout.

Scouting reports are below and also look for at least three premium updates in the near future — today or tomorrow — on Jankovic, Webster-Chan and others from the event with new schools that are involved and how their recruiting process is progressing.

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 from the Huntington/Coolidge match-up as many high-major recruits hit the floor. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

Read more

KEEP AN EYE ON IAN BAKER IN 2012 CLASS

Ian Baker Intro: Brother’s Keeper Getting Looks From All Over

By Zach Smart

Is Ian Baker his brothers’ keeper?

Baker, a rising junior at Arlington Country Day school in Jacksonville, Fla., is certainly keeping the Baker name alive and intact on the court. The cerebral combination guard, who averaged 10 points and four assists per game as a sophomore, has been actively pursued by a number of Division-I hardwood homes. One Big East school has been the front runner, with schools from the ACC and CAA looking to sell the kid from the rich basketball bloodline.

Two of Ian’s older brothers, Evann and Jeremy Baker, played for Quinnipiac in the Northeast Conference.

Read more

Next Page »