Rice Recruiting

ANTHONY FIELDS RECRUITING UPDATE

Michigan native seeing an uptick in his recruitment after solid July on AAU circuit

by RAY MERNAGH

Anthony Fields is a guard who likes to push the ball and for that reason, among others, he caught my eye during the grassroots season playing the point for D-1 Sports.

Fields is from Michigan (Detroit area) but took his game to Quality Education Academy in North Carolina to play for coach Issac Pitts’ loaded squad.

Fields says that he has options right now at the high-major and mid-major level and ultimately his decision will be made wherever he feels is the best fit regardless of level.

“Seton Hall, Temple, Western Michigan, Rice, Penn State and Minnesota will all be coming to school to watch me workout on September 9th,” said Fields, “after that I’ll sit down with Coach Pitts and figure out where I want to visit and probably make my decision by late October or early November.”

Asked if he has any visits planned right now he said only one: “I’ll be visiting Western Michigan on September 18th.”

Fields said he thought playing with D-1 Sports on the AAU circuit helped him for a couple of reasons — “I got to play with great players like Quincy (Miller) and Deuce (Bello) plus I’m a up and down guard and they really let me play with a lot of freedom so I think that helped me.”

Fields can get to the rim at will off the bounce and finish once there. He can also find people in transition and off of a dribble-breakdown. He also showed the ability to hit a mid-range pull-up when I watched him although not consistently. Fields thinks that any of the schools he mentioned would take him if he expressed he wanted to commit but conceded that not all of them have officially offered.

Here’s a YouTube clip of Fields that shows his incredible speed and quickness with the ball in his hands.

Here’s another that shows his finishing ability around the rim.

We will definitely stay in touch with Anthony up until that time when he decides what the best fit is for him.

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TEAM TAKEOVER POST-JULY UPDATE

Championship summer for AAU team out of DC has college recruiters buzzing about the talent in the program

It was quite a July for Team Takeover out of Washington, D.C. as they were crowned the champions of the inaugural Nike Elite Basketball League by taking home the Peach Jam championship that closed out the first leg of the July live evaluation period. They were also a final four participant in the 17-U AAU Super Showcase in Orlando at the end of July, falling to the St. Louis Eagles in a rematch of the Peach Jam finale.

The Peach Jam title, which served as the championship of Nike’s new Elite Youth Basketball League format this spring and summer, will be cherished by the Takeover program for a long time.

“It was great to win the inaugural event plus the Peach Jam has been around for 15 years and Nike teams don’t always win it,” Team Takeover President/Director Keith Stevens told Ray Mernagh this morning by phone. “Winning that title was huge for myself, the players, the families and the parents involved in our program.”

And what a program it has been. Stevens, who also serves as the coach of the champion 17-U team, started the program with a Nike sponsorship late in the summer of 2008 after moving on from the highly successful Triple Threat program. In just two years, Team Takeover has risen to the top of the AAU landscape with a program rich in talent and dedicated athletes. Counting his time with Triple Threat, Stevens and his coaching staff have been a pipeline to the Division 1-A ranks and built teams that stay together and grow through the ranks.

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NYC SUMMER CLASSIC PLAYER & RECRUITING NOTES

BY JEFF BORZELLO

BRONX, N.Y. – After a busy July live period in which NBE was front and center at events across the country – from the King City Classic and LeBron camp to the Peach Jam and the Adidas Invitational, and from Las Vegas and the Desert Duel to the AAU Super Showcase/Nationals and various Hoop Group events – the NYC Summer Classic at Fordham University was the perfect way to cap the period. The top teams from the area were in attendance at the one-day event, and even teams like Expressions (R.I.) and East Coast Elite (Del.) came. Although some of the marquee players took the day off to rest, there was still plenty of talent and competition in the Bronx on Saturday.

Khem Birch, 2012, Expressions: Birch has really developed over the past several months, and his ranking among the top-10 players in his class is well-deserved. He is extremely long and athletic, and he can run the floor as well as any big man in the class. He blocks shots and rebounds well, at both ends of the floor. Offensively, he is solid in the high post with his passing ability, and his length and athleticism give him an edge on the offensive boards.

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 introductory membership to read more on our coverage from Fordham, including the evolution of Birch’s recruitment as he has exploded up the 2012 rankings. Plus the same on Ricardo Ledo, Angel Nunez (who gives info on his leaders), Derek Millinghous and more on Myles Mack, Reggie Cameron, Jason Boswell, Davontay Grace and others. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (7/19/2010)

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As we try to catch our breath a little bit from the first July live recruiting period, lets try and update readers on some News & Notes from around the Big East and college basketball recruiting. matt Whitfield got a couple tidbits from Vaughn Gray, Durand Johnson and the father of Ryan Arcidiacono over the weeked and updates the latest recruiting on each. Also, the standoff between Providence and Joseph Young continues, Quincy Miller, Yogi Ferrell and Kenny Kaminski are updated in sotries below. Rutgers is in good shape with a 2012 Nigerian wing as well.

Around the league there is a good story on Roburt Sallie and his travels that have brought him to Louisville. Still no official word on the status of Rashad Bishop at UC, but reading between the lines it might be encouraging that he will be back with the Bearcats. Aslo, UC adds an assistant and Cashmere Wright has some minor surgery on an injured knee. Marquette adds a walk-on transfer, Pitt is preparing for a trip to Ireland and getting a head start on the 2010-2011 season with high expectations. UConn’s Kevin Ollie is getting back into the college game and the program prepares to answer NCAA allegations. Notre Dame has two players finding themselves in a little trouble and former Marquette commit DJ Newbill has decided on his next home for college basketball.

Read on below for all of the latest News & Notes around the Big East basketball conference. Sports fans should also visit StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online for tickets to any NCAA event or NBA, MLB, NHL game or UFC, WWE or concert tickets at an arena near you this spring.

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NIKE EYBL PEACH JAM: DAY ONE

BY JEFF BORZELLO

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. – Annually, the best event of the summer is the NIKE Peach Jam – a collection of 24 of the best NIKE-sponsored AAU teams in one spot. This year, it took on added importance, as it was the culmination of a four-event tournament that spanned three months and four cities. The top 20 teams from the Elite Youth Basketball League in Hampton, Va., Houston and Los Angeles joined four wildcard teams and headed to the Riverview Park Activities Center in North Augusta, S.C. In other words, the best event got even better. Throw in a U-16 division with 16 of the best teams in the country, and the Peach Jam continued to stand above the rest. You can visit the Nike EYBL website for schedules, scores and boxscores from all the games Here.

Below is our look at some of the opening day standouts and some detailed recruiting lists and updates from many top players of note, which included a pair of future Big East players (Michael Carter-Williams and Tyrone Johnson) going for at least 40 points in one of their two contests and Joe Coleman of Howard Pulley racking up the points and gives NBE his latest recruiting update. As usual, nobody covers an event like Jeff Borzello and your favorite school is likely covered in a recruiting update below…worth the price of admission (3.95 a month or 24.95 a year).

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 introductory membership to read more of our coverage from North Augusta (SC) and the Nike EYBL Peach Jam. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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MORE HOOP GROUP ELITE RECRUITING NOTES

The July ‘live’ evaluation period moved into it’s second day on Wednesday and college coaches are out in force hitting the recruiting trail on the first day of two 10-period live evaluation days during July. NBE has stationed at the Lebron James Skills Academy in Akron (OH) as well as the Adidas Invitational in Indianapolis (IN).

With no Reebok All-American Camp this summer, the Hoop Group Elite Camp at Albright College in Reading (PA) has seen a nice influx of talent to this year’s camp roster. NBE’s Matt Whitfield braved the sweltering heat and the outdoor courts at Albright College Tuesday and Wednesday to track down several stories and bring us continued recruiting updates.

In this story the recruitment of Jarelle Reischel, Daniel Dingle, Keith Coleman, Julian Debose and Austin Colbert were updated for our readers.

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 introductory membership to read more recruiting updates below from the Hoop Group Elite Camp and upcoming July ‘live’ period news and notes. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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JUNE 28 RECRUITING NOTEBOOK (FREE PREVIEW)

Aaron Cosby commits to SHU and updates on Jarrod Davis and Michael Carey as their lists expand

BY JEFF BORZELLO

After making an immediate impact in the class of 2010, new Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard picked up his first 2011 commitment on Sunday, as Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.) guard Aaron Cosby chose the Pirates.

“They have been recruiting me the hardest over the past couple months,” Cosby said on Sunday. “My family and I had a stronger comfort level with the staff and the 2011 class will be a big class for that program, and they see me stepping in and playing right away.”

Cosby, a 6-foot-3 point guard originally from Kentucky, took a visit to the South Orange, N.J. campus this weekend and came away impressed.

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RUMBLE IN THE BRONX: FRIDAY RUNDOWN

BY JEFF BORZELLO

BRONX, N.Y. — With the proliferation of AAU events in the past couple of years, some of the bigger tournaments have fallen into obscurity. However, one that has stood the test of time is the Rumble in the Bronx, held at Fordham University. Although it always has a heavy New York metro-area flavor, it also brings in some of the top AAU programs from around the country. This year was no different, as the Southern Kings (GA), Dallas Mustangs (TX), Franchise All-Stars (TX) and others flew into New York for the tournament. Despite Adidas Nations taking place in Oregon and the NIKE Hoop Jamboree in St. Louis, there is still plenty of talent on-hand in the Bronx this weekend. Here’s a look at some of the top players:

Andre Drummond, 2012, Connecticut Basketball Club: Although Drummond didn’t show up until halftime of his team’s first game, he made an impact in the few minutes he played. He can finish with contact and runs the floor extremely well. On one play, he got a rebound over three players and then took two players off the dribble before driving to the basket. Drummond is also an adept shot-blocker and defender. Additionally, he showed good vision and passed the ball effectively. However, he did struggle with his footwork and back-to-the-basket game at times, resulting in difficult and awkward shots. Drummond also spends too much time on the perimeter as opposed to utilizing his size (6′10, 250) and skill down low.
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WHAT PROVIDENCE SHOULD DO WITH JOSEPH YOUNG

by RAY MERNAGH

I recently went on the radio and Joseph Young’s name came up — the hosts of the show were asking about him and I pointed out that he was Michael Young’s son. This info sent one of the hosts into a tizzy because he, like me, was elderly enough to remember the teams Young played on.

Michael Young, for those of you that are too green in the shorts to know, was one of the cogs in a 1980’s era machine known as Phi Slama Jama at the University of Houston. The Cougars, coached by Guy Lewis, were flat-out sick as a unit. Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon and Young were the main players (along with point guard Alvin Franklin and Mr. Mean, Larry Micheaux), but even the guys behind the scenes (Bennie Anders anyone?) were a high-flying circus act that attacked rims with a punishing/violent force from 1982-84.

I hear you, come on Ray, they had Drexler and Olajuwon, of course they were good!

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (6/3/2010)

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The 3rd Annual Frankie Williams Charity Classic is set for tonight, June 3rd, 2010, at the Theodore D. Young Community Center, located at 32 Manhattan Ave, Greenburgh (NY). Doors Open at 7 PM and the game time for the all-star game is 8 PM. For expected rosters and more information, see our game preview post HERE. NBE is very excited to cover the event for the second consecutive year!

Also in today’s News & Notes section there is the latest on the happenings at UConn as they are busy recrutiing, announcing transfers and looking to fill assistant coaching vacancies in the wake of NCAA allegations of recruiting violations. Rutgers announces a new staff addition and hosts a highly-sought after big man for an unofficial visit. Jamir Hanner is prepping another year and opening up the recruiting process and a few more news links of some notes around the league.

Read on below for all of the latest News & Notes around the Big East basketball conference. Sports fans should also visit StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online for tickets to any NCAA event or NBA, MLB, NHL game or UFC, WWE or concert tickets at an arena near you this spring.

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