Tulane Recruiting

2011 ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK (PART 10): ELIJAH MACON, KALE ABRAHAMSON & MARTAVIOUS NEWBY UPDATES

By Alex Schwartz

MARYLAND OFFICIAL VISIT THE PLAN FOR ELIJAH MACON

If you are looking for a big man to rebound and defend in your Class of 2012 recruiting efforts, 6-foot-9 power forward Elijah Macon could be your man. Yes, he can also finish around the cup and is by no means a major weakness offensively, but his offensive skill set down low is still developing. However, what Macon does do quite well is rebound and defend, two things that are very important. A well built post player with a strong frame, Macon, for the most part, understands his strengths and weaknesses and does not force things. He plays solid interior defense and is an overall sound player who does a lot of the little things.

Miami, West Virginia, Iowa, South Florida, Cincinnati, Xavier, USC and Dayton were the offers listed by Macon this past weekend while playing in the AAU National Championships for the All-Ohio Red program in Orlando. He also mentioned Memphis, Maryland, Georgetown, Kansas and Florida, noting that he has more offers and interest.
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LAS VEGAS AAU DAY 1 NOTEBOOK: JABARI PARKER SHINES, KRIS DUNN SPARKLES & MORE

By Raphielle Johnson

When a who’s who of the college coaching profession is on hand a show is expected. And 2013 prospect Jabari Parker provided that and then some in Mac Irvin Fire’s win over Worldwide Renegades in the evening session of the Las Vegas Fab 48 at Bishop Gorman. Parker showed off his vast array of skills in front of the likes of Dave Rose (BYU), Oliver Purnell (DePaul), Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Bruce Weber (Illinois), Buzz Williams (Marquette) and Tom Izzo (Michigan State) among others.

Also playing well in the win for Mac Irvin were 2012 forward Steve Taylor and 2012 guards Aaric Armstead and Derrick Randolph. Taylor won’t be graded on the same level as Parker but make no mistake about it, the young man is skilled. Taylor showed off the ability to step out and attack the rim, doing a solid job of playing with contact and knocking down mid-range shots. Randolph, while he looks shorter than his listed height of 5’9”, is the kind of winning player that all successful teams tend to have.

Randolph was highly competitive at both ends of the floor, setting up teammates for easy baskets on quick drives to the basket and disrupting the Renegades defensively. Armstead may not have had the impact scoring-wise that some of the other players had, but he did the little things especially on the defensive end. And 2013 DePaul commit Billy Garrett Jr. proved to be a tough matchup due to his crafty handle and ability to knock down a variety of shots.
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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK: ELITE PROGRAMS REACHING OUT TO 2013 PROSPECTS

The live July evaluation period is right around the corner. Once again NBE will be out in full force during both 10-day recruiting periods, stretching from East to West and North and South to keep up with all the recruiting information. It is always a fun process to see what college coaches are out on the recruiting trail and who they are watching.

In the meantime, the phones of top prospects in the Class fo 2013 have been ringing off the hook as colleges are permitted to contact a recruit once a month on the phone or via email. June 15th was the first day contact was allowed and programs wasted little time reaching out to prospects.

“Santa Clara called me at 12:00 on the dot,” said Tyler Ennis. “Oregon State, Santa Clara and Iowa State all did.”

Ennis is a 6-foot-3, 178-pound guard who plays on the AAU spring and summer circuit with CIA Bounce out of Canada. He attended St. Benedict’s in Newark (NJ) last season and has had a busy early summer season with trips to LA for the Pangos Camp and to the University of Virginia campus for the recent NBA Top 100 Camp. His play has drawn very good reviews and it shows in the latest list of schools that have been in contact since the 15th.
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BIG SHOTS DCA – BIG EAST PROSPECTS SHINE ON AAU SCENE

By Ron Bailey

April 14, 2011 – This past weekend Big Shots teamed with DC Assault to put on a grassroots tourney in District Heights, Maryland. An estimated 100-plus teams spanning the 10-under through 17-under age groupings strapped on their shoes, taking the hardwood in battle. There were a number that played who are getting BIG EAST looks as future high-major recruits. Some of these players already have a reputation readers are aware off while others will be players to keep an eye on as they work to build up their names in the coming months on the AAU circuit.

First off, the well known….

Nate Britt shined at Big Shots - DCA last weekend. Class of 2013 guard has plenty of high-major attention from colleges

What does he think about the BIG EAST? “It’s the best conference in America right now” was Britt’s response. Nate was one of the best players in this tourney, making i95Ballerz.com’s first team all star unit.

His DC Assault teammate, 6-foot-4 Torian Graham was tagged second team, and is also in high demand from conference schools, identifying Georgetown as having offered, and West Virginia being interested. UCLA, Clemson, Boston College and Miami have also invited him to attend, while Florida, Kentucky, Florida State and Kansas and others may do so soon.

Graham is a high flyer, one that can also drain jumpers from long distance, and defend in open court/press situations. An up and down style would seemingly fit him just fine.
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MAJOR CANADY – 6’3 2013 PG – HIGH ON WAKE FOREST; PLANNING MORE VISITS

Major Canady was raised in ACC Country.

The 6-foot-3, 195 pound point guard prospect has long dreamed of suiting up and playing in the league he grew up watching in North Carolina. “I would really like to play in the ACC,” says Canady, “growing up in Carolina that’s all I saw.” Canady, if the interest he’s receiving — along with his athleticism and body — is any indication, will probably get that chance when the time comes for him to make a college decision.

This summer’s Grassroots circuit will go a long way towards Canady reaching that goal, with coaches from the ACC — not to mention the Big East, Big Ten and A-10 — all ready to be courtside to see if Canady can handle his business on the court at a projected high major level.

Wake Forest‘s staff is said to love him and most of the assistants on the Demon Deacon bench have already seen him play. Canady says that come July, head coach Jeff Bzdelik also plans to watch him play for the BSA U-16 squad (Canady will play with the 17′s at Bob Gibbons). In fact, Canady recently spent some quality time on the scenic campus of Wake Forest with his father and sister. And all of the Canady clan came away from the trip extremely impressed.

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AQUILLE CARR’S STOCK GROWING, GROWING, GROWING…

Dimunitive 2013 prospect shines in Big Apple Basketball HS Invitational on Saturday

By Zach Smart

Aquille Carr is the little engine that could potentially propel Patterson to a memorable season in the hoops hotbed of Baltimore. Carr put his crowd-pleasing arsenal of moves on display before a jam-packed crowd at Baruch College Saturday, dropping a game-high 34 points and dishing out four assists, but it was not enough as his Patterson (MD) team came up short as Cardozo gutted out a dizzying 62-61 win.

His success on the hardwood has garnered interest from a plethora of high-caliber Division-I schools from the Big East and all over.

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 Aquille Carr, one of the elite players in the 2013 class, and see what schools are already involved in his recruitment. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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NATIONAL PREP SHOWCASE: DAY ONE

by JEFF BORZELLO

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – College basketball has its 24-hour marathon; high school has the National Prep Showcase. Featuring 23 of the best prep school teams in the country, the National Prep Showcase is the official start to the high school basketball season. The teams gather at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Conn. for three jam-packed days of games. There will be well over 100 Division-I recruits throughout the weekend, so it is a great spot for college coaches to get a look at recently-signed recruits or uncommitted prospects.

The day started out with an uneventful Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.) win over Fork Union Military Academy (Va.), 80-73. Notre Dame Prep (Mass.) held on in the second game to beat Fishburne Military Academy (Va.), 75-66. Westwind Prep (Ariz.) and Bridgton Academy (Maine) had a back-and-forth battle, with Westwind pulling it out, 84-78. The best game of the day was Hargrave Military Academy (Va.) and South Kent (Conn.), a high-scoring and entertaining affair that Hargrave won 115-105. After that was St. Thomas More’s easy win over Lee Academy, 82-57, followed by Princeton Day Academy (Md.) defeating Winchendon (Mass.), 67-63. The final game of the day kept everyone entertained, as NIA Prep (N.J.) knocked off Maine Central Institute in overtime after Shaq Thomas hit a jumper at the buzzer to tie the game.

Here is a look at some of the top players, and recruiting notes, from day one:

Evan Cummins, 2012, Northfield Mount Hermon: Cummins has consistently gotten better over the last few months, and it continued today. He runs the floor well and has good hands for a big man. He can finish at the rim and is also able to kncok down mid-range jump shots. Cummins struggled a bit to finish in some instances, but overall he demonstrated a versatile offensive game and justified the increased recruiting attention he is receiving (detailed below).

Aaron Cosby, 2011, Northfield Mount Hermon: The Seton Hall-signee is much more aggressive than he was a year ago. He looked for his shot more often today, driving past his defender into the lane for leaners and lay-ups. Cosby also knocked down outside shots consistently and was able to make shots over defenders. He had a few nice passes and led the fast break effectively. He does need to protect the ball better on his drives, though; he had the ball batted away or stripped while he was in the air several times. Cosby finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

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 detailed scouting reports and the latest recruiting notes gathered on Day One of the National Prep Showcase. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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MERNAGH: ARRIVAL DAY AT NBAPA TOP 100 CAMP

by RAY MERNAGH

Yesterday was the first time I’ve ever used a GPS system while traveling and it scared the living hell out of me. I drove trucks for a short time oh so long ago and I’ve always mapped out trips and had directions written down in the passenger seat (or my passenger’s hands). I just couldn’t get used to hearing a voice telling me what to do — I felt completely powerless.

This doesn’t seem right.

I don’t think I should get off 81 right now.

What if this thing turns a five and a half hour trip into a eight hour one and I miss the practice at 4.

All three italicized thoughts raced through my mind as I made the trip here to Charlottesville, Virginia. My brother Jim called me halfway through and when I mentioned that I was in the process of losing my GPS virginity and how I was feeling a bit unpure about it he just laughed — “It’ll get you there bro, don’t worry.”

And I’ll be damned if it didn’t.

Pulled into the John Paul Jones Arena lot on UVA’s campus at 3:57.

WHEW!

Looking down at the floor I noticed Jerry Stackhouse and Chris Duhon right away putting kids through their paces (think I saw potential future UConn assistant Kevin Ollie as well, working with guards/forwards on side pick and rolls). Former Pitt great Charles Smith showed up with (I assume) his son in tow. Anyway, I was able to catch up with a few interesting kids, plus a current NBA free agent, before setting out — completely confident in technology — to find my hotel.

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JUNE 15 RECRUITING NOTEBOOK (UPDATED)

BY JEFF BORZELLO/NBE STAFF

With June 15 as the first day that college coaching staffs could officially offer players in the class of 2012, or reach out to them directly, there was plenty of buzz surrounding many of the top prospects in the country.

Coaches hit the phones early and often, beginning at 12:01 a.m. last night in some cases, and kept the contact going throughout the day. As a result, here at the NBE Basketball Report, we spoke to various players and sources to get a handle on which schools are working at them the hardest.

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 news and notes on the contact received by Perry Ellis yesterday as well as Jordan Tebutt, Xavier Johnson, Tariq Carey, Nkereuwem Okoro and more. Also notes on a few West Virginia targets that emerged on the 15th. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers and detailed below is our coverage schedule for the next month.

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ALL-OHIO RED BACKCOURT GETTING HIGH MAJOR ATTENTION

Trey Burke and Stevie Taylor are seeing plenty of college recruiting attention

by RAY MERNAGH

Stevie Taylor is a pure point guard out of Lincoln High School in Gahanna (OH) who has played AAU for All-Ohio Red this spring. He will run a team with precision and share the ball while hitting deep three’s and runners off the bounce. Taylor can play at any level because his instinct for the game combined with his craftiness and speed is a rare mix for a point guard so young in the class of 2011.

Entering the spring AAU circuit it looked like local MAC schools such as Ohio and Akron had the inside edge of his recruitment, but as word of his strong spring on the court has spread and another 2011 PG has backed out of a commitment with one of his early suitors, Taylor has been seeing more attention of late.

All-Ohio Red is the defending champs of just about everything on the AAU circuit and Trey Burke told NBE they were playing with a chip on their shoulder this season. With a fraction of the expectations of last year, All-Ohio Red came to the wire in many close games during the Nike EYBL’s three legs this spring. Crunch time could have been known as ‘Burke time’ in Los Angeles as the 6-foot-1 guard out of Columbus (OH) Northland came through on multiple occasions down the stretch taking his team from middle of the pack to a Peach Jam berth. Burke told NBE in April he was open to new suitors and has since backed off his commitment from Penn State and new schools are calling and interested…

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 Taylor and Burke as the interest in both is heating up with a variety of schools, as well as any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage.

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