UAB Recruiting

MORE PRIMETIME SHOOTOUT RECRUITING NOTES

Last weekend’s Primetime Shootout annually brings an impressive collection of high school basketball talent to New Jersey to compete over the course of two or three days. This year the venue moved to Union (NJ) on the campus of Kean University. Here is some of the previous coverage from Matt Whitfield for NBE from his time covering the 2011 version of the event:

- 2011 Primetime Shootout – Friday Night Notes
- Findlay Prep Trio Hot Prospects in Class of 2012 – A look at the recruitment of Landen Lucas, Anthony Bennett and Nazareth Long.
- Montrose Christian Rebounds to Rout Findlay Prep at Primetime Shootout – ‘Nova bound Tyrone Johnson shines in easy win over loaded Findlay team.
- Justin Anderson Update – Possible College Decision Forthcoming for Elite ’12 Forward?
- Recruiting on Hold for Andre Drummond – St. Thomas More Prep coach Jere Quinn taks about the recruitment of the nations top 2012 PF.

Today NBE takes a look at the recruitment and the latest of Trenton Catholic’s Brandon Taylor, the Lakewood duo of Anthony Walker, who is quickly making a name for himseld this year, and Jarrod Davis, who talks of his prep school options and the schools he is looking at as part of the Class of 2012. Also, Quality Education Academy’s Lekan Ajayi talks about the final five schools the Class of 2011 big man prospect will choose from.

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 the full story as we wrap-up our 2011 Primetime Shootout Recruiting coverage below. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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A BIG EAST LEADER FOR RYAN RHOOMES?

Another unsigned 2011 prospect out of Alif Muhammad’s NIA School is 6-foot-8 C/BF Ryan Rhoomes. The former Bayside (NY) Cardozo star took an extra prep year to develop his body and game more to prepare for college. After an eye-opening performance last April in a very talented Jordan Brand Classic Regional game many programs were set to follow Rhoomes on the AAU circuit. However that never came to fruition as Rhoomes was not on the travel scene too often and he began the 2010-2011 school year at a prep school in Mississippi.

Now back closer to home at the New Jersey school led by Muhammad, Rhoomes’ recruitment is picking up steam again. In a conversation with NBE’s Matt Whitfield earlier this week, Alif Muhammad updated NBE on Rhoomes’ recruitment including which BIG EAST school is currently leading the way in the quest to sign him as part of the 2011 recruiting class this April.

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 Ryan Rhoomes’ recruitment from Matt Whitfield’s discussion with Alif Muhammad. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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NATIONAL PREP SCHOOL INVITATIONAL RUNDOWN

by PAT STEVENS

Kingston, R.I. – It was a busy weekend starting Thursday and finishing up just before Superbowl XLV on Sunday last at Keaney Gymnasium on the campus of the University of Rhode Island as the 13th annual National Prep School Invitational took place. Featuring 33 games with programs spanning the United States and from Spain, including six televised contests, it was another successful run of the annual event.

Syracuse signee Michael Carter-Williams of St. Andrew’s was named Most Outstanding Player for the second straight year while other Big East signees Maurice Harkless (St. John’s/South Kent), Jakarr Sampson (St. John’s/Brewster Academy) and Shaquille Thomas (Cincinnati/NIA Prep) were named to the 12-man All-Tournament team for their performances over the weekend.

Pat Stevens, who is instrumental in running the event, took the time to break down the players who signed with BIG EAST programs this fall and their performances in the event. Also, staff members, including head coaches from Marquette, Providence and Seton Hall, and assistants from Louisville, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, South Florida and West Virginia stopped by during a busy weekend of action to check in on players already committed to their programs and targets they are currently chasing. Pat Stevens has all the details below in our subscriber section…

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 Stevens complete coverage from the NPSI last weekend for NBE. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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SFIC BASKETBALL CLASSIC RECAP – RECRUITING NOTES & MORE

By Matt Whitfield

On Sunday afternoon, Matt Whitfield made the trip to New Jersey’s Kean University for an exciting day of action at the SFIC Basketball Classic.

The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children is a non-profit organization funded by corporations, foundations and individual donors who wish to invest in the future of needy inner-city children living in neighboring communities. The primary mission of SFIC is to provide these youngsters with elementary and high school scholarships that will enable them to attend private schools offering a high quality, values-based education.

Here was the game schedule for Sunday afternoon:

12:00 pm –
Seton Hall Prep vs. Hudson Catholic

2:00 pm –
St. Patrick’s vs. St. Benedict’s

4:00 pm –
St. Peter’s Prep vs. Trenton Catholic

6:00 pm –
St. Anthony’s vs. St. Joseph’s Montvale

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 our coverage from Sunday as we briefly recap each contest and provide recruiting notes and observations on some of the top players that are uncommitted at this time from the Class of 2011, 2012 and 2013. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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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.
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RYAN RHOOMES HAS BIG EAST SCHOOLS ON HIS TRAIL

Class of 2011 big man will take in a BIG EAST contest this weekend

By Matt Whitfield

With not too many quality big men left uncommitted in the 2011 high school class, NIA Prep founder Alif Muhammad receives about eight calls a week about Ryan Rhoomes, a 6-foot-8 power forward playing this season at NIA Prep. According to Muhammad however, one Big East program is setting themselves apart and going above and beyond to try and recruit Rhoomes.

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 the recruitment of Ryan Rhoomes as Alif Muhammad fills in readers who is coming after the Class of 2011 big man hot and heavy and what Big East game he will be attending this weekend. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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INTEREST RISING IN 2011 UNCOMMITTED GUARD CHRIS MARTIN

Now at St. Pat’s in NJ, Martin sees more schools involved; points to three leaders

New Jersey power St. Patrick of Elizabeth New Jersey picked up an important piece to their puzzle this season when senior guard Chris Martin decided to transfer to Kevin Boyle’s program. Already joining a powerful team led by Kentucky-commit Michael Gilchrist, Western Kentucky-commit Derrick Gordon and a host of talented youngsters, Martin adds a mix of scoring and playmaking to the Celtics’ backcourt and a veteran presence after playing a key role previously at St. John’s College HS in DC.

Martin played a key role in St. Pat’s winning the highly competitive City of Palms Classic in Florida just prior to the holidays. He scored seven points in the nationally televised championship contest and assisted on the game-winning three-pointer by Jarrel Lane.

“It was an exciting tournament with great players and great competition,” Martin told NBE of the highlight of his time so far at St. Patrick. “The amount of exposure and publicity we received was amazing. I am thankful and grateful to have played on such a big stage.”

The big stage at St. Pat’s has also allowed for his recruitment to increase with teams looking to add backcourt help in the late signing period this spring for the Class of 2011.

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 the developing recruitment of Martin and his thoughts his recruitment and experience in moving to St. Pat’s. 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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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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JUNE 18 RECRUITING NOTEBOOK

NBE catches up with Durand Johnson, Willy Kouassi and Daquan Cook for the latest in their recruitment

The last several days NBE has brought you a series of recruiting notebooks where we updated readers on the recruitment of many of the top players in the high school class of 2012 as college coaches could officially begin recruiting them this week. Many of the top players in the class saw their phones blowing up all week as college coaches attempted to make their interest in recruiting them known.

Tonight we take a look at another 2012 prospect, Daquan Cook of Baltimore (MD), but also touch base and find out what five schools currently are in the lead for the serviced for 2011 Baltimore prospect Durand Johnson and also introduce readers to Willy Kouassi, a 6-foot-10 big man in Alabama who is certain to draw a lot of interest from college coaches in July looking to get a good look at potentially one of the better big men in the class.

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 Johnson, Cook and Kouassi. 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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