Butler Recruiting

MBA SELECT G DEMETRIUS JACKSON IMPRESSIVE ON SPRING AAU TRAIL

MBA Select guard Demetrius Jackson has been opening many eyes on the AAU trail this spring. The Marian (IN) High School standout combines strength and athletic ability to be a dominant backcourt defender on one end of the floor and a dangerous offensive threat finishing in the lane on the other. An improving outside game has been on display this spring and will certainly raise his profile nationally among the top guards in the Class of 2013 in the country.

The 6-foot-1, 182-pound point guard talked to NBE about the qualities college coaches are expressing major interest in him with.

“[Coaches like my] leadership qualities and my ability to make a play for myself and others,” said Jackson. “And also [my] versatility.”

Jackson seemed destined for a quick recruitment a few months ago, but he is slowing things down to take his time as his profile raises from an impressive regional prospect to one of the guards in most demand nationally in the rising senior class. He talked with NBE on his preferred timeline for a decision.

“Fall [is my decision time frame],” he said. “Before my senior season of basketball.”

Most of the Big 10 region is hot on the trail of Jackson, whose current home in Indiana is also not far from South Bend.

“Missouri, Illinois, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Butler, Xavier and Florida State,” said Jackson of the schools that are actively recruiting him that he is currently considering. “No leaders [at this time], blessing to have all the schools recruiting me.”

Jackson is looking forward to the summer camp season. Right now the only concrete plans on his schedule is a stop at the Butler Elite camp, but he will fill in the rest of his time as summer nears.

Expect Demetrius Jackson to continue to see a rise in his national profile as a top recruit for the Class of 2013. NBE is looking forward to seeing him throughout the spring and summer months as his recruitment will heat up along with the weather.

MARY KLINE CLASSIC RECRUITING NOTEBOOK

By Alex Schiffer

Austin Colbert, a 6-foot-8 forward who attends the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut. The New Jersey native plays AAU basketball with Team Final in the EYBL. Prior to the underclassman game at the 2nd annual Mary Kline Classic Colbert talked with NBE on his current recruiting situation.

“So far Florida, Baylor, Georgetown, Harvard, Seton Hall are all looking at me,” said Colbert.

At this point in time Colbert is thinking about cutting his list down, but hoping to see some additional offers before doing so.

“I’m currently looking to narrow down my list but it would be nice to pick up a few more offers,” he said.

Since the open evaluation periods of April are now past, Colbert has a clearer view of the schools willing to put more effort into his recruitment and is looking to visit one of the schools entering the picture of late.

“Temple is starting to get on my really hard and Baylor, Georgetown, Harvard, Seton Hall are on me mad tight,” he said. “Also Texas is looking at me. I plan on making a trip down to Austin pretty soon.”
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One of the hottest names from the previous two weekends in the April open evaluation period in the Class of 2013 in NYC native Jermaine Lawrence, who is currently attending Pope John XXIII in Sparta (NJ). The 6-foot-9 PF has put a strong of impressive performances together with the New Rens AAU team and his recruitment has quickly taken off.

“Cincinnati, Rutgers, St. John’s, UCLA [and] Florida are all looking at me, Miami as well,” said Lawrence.

A couple Big East programs are among the new schools quickly entering the mix following his April performances.

“UConn and Villanova as well as Temple have all started with me recently.

Lawrence has no current favorites, but is looking into taking a couple visits in the near future.

“I have no favorites right now but I’m working on making a visit to Rutgers right now as well as Cincinnati,” he said.

Lawrence kept rolling on Saturday night, scoring a game-high 27 points in the underclassman contest of the Mary Kline Classic, earning one of the two MVP honors.
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Jared Nickens, a 6-foot-5 wing out of St. Patrick in Elizabeth (NJ) listed the schools currently recruiting him as VCU, Seton Hall, St. Joe’s, SMU, Georgetown, Charlotte and Mississippi State.

“Mississippi State, Georgetown and Charlotte all recently started with me,” he said. “I have a visit to Georgetown June 16th. My current favorite is VCU.”
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Nickens’ teammate at St. Pat’s DeAndre Bembry is also drawing plenty of recruiting interest at this time.

“Vanderbilt and Georgetown just showed interest in me,” said Bembry on Saturday night. “Villanova just offered me. UNC-Charlotte and Richmond as well as South Carolina are all giving me looks.”

Bemnbry also mentioned Virginia Tech had been recruiting him hard as well. There are no favorites for Bembry yet, but he is starting to look into which school she would like to visit.

“[I] should be making some arrangements for visits in a few weeks<' said Bembry. "I'm going to try and visit UCF, Georgetown and Villanova.”
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From a pure talent standpoint, Tyler Roberson has as much of a ceiling as anyone in the Class of 2013. The 6-foot-7 forward out of Roselle (NJ) catholic and the NJ Roadrunners AAU club certainly has the recruiting list to back that up as well.

“Kansas, Rutgers, Seton Hall, South Carolina [and] Syracuse are all recruiting me,” said Roberson. “Everyone is coming at me really hard.”
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Jaren Sina, the 6-foot-1 point guard out of Gill St. Bernard’s in New Jersey made the switch this spring to Team Final on the EYBL circuit and the added exposure paid off with a Big East offer this past week.

“Pittsburgh offered me last week after the Nike EYBL,” said Sina.

Sina, who is coached by his father Mergin Sina at Gill St. Bernard’s was once committed to Alabama. The Crimson Tide remain involved but have plenty of company in the competition for his services.

“Northwestern, Pitt, Stanford, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Penn State, Alabama, Butler are all involved,” said Sina. Alabama and Northwestern as well as Penn State there all coming at me pretty hard.”

Ina ddition to the three coming at Sina the hardest, he mentioned three others schools specifically when asked where he might plans visits in the near future.

“I’m probably visiting Pitt, Michigan [and] maybe Villanova.”

Sina produced 10 points and 14 assists in the all-star game contest Saturday night, sharing game MVP honors with Jermaine Lawrence.

NIKE EYBL SESSION #2 – BOO WILLIAMS (TOP PERFORMERS)

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Now that a couple of days have passed since the Boo Williams Invitational and I’ve had time to process all the basketball I watched, it’s time to evaluate which prospects performed best this weekend. Below are rankings by class of all the prospects I was able to watch down in Hampton. As always, these rankings are based strictly on performances from the weekend’s tournament and do not reflect my overall views on these players. It should also be noted that given the amount of talent playing at any given time I was unable to see every prospect in Hampton and thus some players miss out on this list because I didn’t evaluate them. Julius Randle, Theo Pinson, Bobby Portis, and Duane Wilson Jr. all played to rave reviews over the weekend and likely would have cracked these rankings if I’d had the chance to see it for myself. Andrew Wiggins was also the best player at the event by all accounts but happened to have his one modest performance the only time I was courtside and therefore he doesn’t squeeze into the rankings either. Enough setup, here’s who dominated in Hampton.

Class of 2013 Rankings:

1) James Young (The Family) – One of the nation’s elite scorers, Young put up points in bunches from all three levels with Kentucky’s John Calipari tracking his every move. In addition to the interest from UK, his admitted leader, Young mentioned scholarship offers from Michigan State, Ohio State and Providence to NBE over the weekend.

2) Jarquez Smith (Georgia Stars) – Smith’s stock arguably rose more than anyone else’s with his weekend performance as the 6’9” forward mixed deep 3 point range with electric above the rim finishes. Florida State and Georgia as the leaders for his services at this point.

3) Kameron Williams (Baltimore Elite) – One of the tournaments purest scorers, Williams dropped 30 in a thrilling comeback victory over King James by unleashing a brilliant shooting display.

4) Keith Frazier (Houston Hoops) – Another pure scorer, Frazier mixed NBA 3 point range with relentless attacking of the rim netting himself 16 free throw attempts in one outing. Arizona, Texas, Texas A&M, Providence, Tennessee, Kansas, Baylor, Marquette, and Kentucky along with local North Texas, were the schools mentioned by Frazier when asked about his recruitment.

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NIKE EYBL SESSION #2 – BOO WILLIAMS (DAY II)

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

After a short day on Friday, the Boo Williams Invitational found its sea legs with a long day of hoops of Saturday. Action was fast and furious with the majority being the 17U Nike EYBL games with a little bit of 16U and 15U sprinkled in. Mobs of players had big performances in the star filled field and here are a few that NBE had the pleasure of viewing.

Top Performance of the Day:

Tyus Jones (Howard Pulley Panthers 2014) – Jones is the best point guard in America and showed all the reasons why in a masterful performance on Saturday night. A college head coach will be able to turn the ball over to Jones immediately as a freshman and be able to completely trust the young man. He plays with a maturity that is almost surreal for such a young player seemingly making the correct decision with the basketball every time down the floor. Jones can shoot it with range but only does so when the defense calls for it. He can slip passes into the tightest of windows on the money but only does so when the defense takes away an easier option. Perhaps most impressive was how every one of Jones’ passes seemed to land right in the hands of his teammate putting them in a position to score. Jones has a unique understanding of exactly where his teammates want the ball and he puts it right there. His recruitment with be crucial to the entire 2014 class because elite players are going to want to play alongside the elite playmaker. Tyus Jones is a bona fide stud.
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NIKE EYBL SESSION #2 – BOO WILLIAMS (DAY I)

By Brian Bosworth

The Boo Williams tournament got underway on Friday night and with it the second session of Nike’s EYBL circuit. The amount of sheer talent in the gym was almost overwhelming as all eight courts were filled with future division 1 players all night long. Even in a field loaded with star power some players managed to separate themselves from the pack and here is sampling of Friday night’s best.

Top Performance of the Night:

Tahj Shamsid-Deen (Southern Stampede 2013) – Shamsid-Deen made a name for himself last weekend as the EYBL circuit kicked off in Minneapolis and continued his strong play Friday night. The 5’10” lefty point guard was deadly pulling up from midrange going in either direction. He used a quick first step to create space and then elevated over defenders to get off jump shots from 8-18 feet. While impressive scoring the ball for the majority of the game, Shamsid-Deen showed his true worth in the final moments with his team trailing by a point and 15 seconds on the clock. Southern Stampede ran an iso set for Shamsid-Deen and as he had done all game he got a step on his defender and pulled up from 10 feet. The ball slipped through the net giving Southern Stampede a one point lead and ultimately a victory. Both his desire to take the shot and ability to make it in that big spot spoke volumes about Shamsid-Deen’s leadership and accountability at the point guard spot.
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Mernagh: View from the Horizon/Semi’s Set

Detroit Ices Penguins
A lot of folks thought Detroit would be the team to beat in the Horizon League coming into this season. Injuries, coaching, and depth have, at times, stopped the Motown ballers from living up to their potential in the regular campaign but hey, it’s all about the post-season baybay — I changed the spelling because I want you to pronounce it that way, it’s kind of a play on words and a kind of non-shoutout to that announcer that used to coach the Titans — and this group may have righted the ship just in time. 20-13 ain’t too shabby, just not good enough for the talent on this team in this writer’s opinion, of course when you have a beast like Eli Holman and refuse to play through him, well….that’s all for another time I guess.

Detroit made shots in this one and it’s really that simple. The Titans shot 60% and then made a lot of noise postgame about sending a message to Cleveland State with their performance, especially Ray McCallum Jr. The Vikings were watching the game and they will face the Titans today in one semifinal. Like I said, the Titans are talented and maybe they’ve turned it around. They beat Jerry Slocum’s team 93-76. We’ll see how they fare against Gary Waters and Crew.

Butler Pounds Milwaukee

71-49 was the score as, guess who, Butler is back in the semifinals hoping to upset league champ Valpo on the Crusaders floor later Saturday. Khyle Marshall had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Butler lost 71-59 last week to Valpo and Brad Stevens was channeling his inner-Jim Calhoun by addressing the fact that Valpo is a very physical team. “Nobody talks about this, but they’re really physical,” Stevens said. “They grab you, they get you, they hit you. They’re tough.” Bryce Drew has to love that!

Should be a great pair of games this evening.

RECRUITING UPDATE: 2013 PG DEMETRIUS JACKSON

Demetrius Jackson has made quite the name for himself in the Midwest as one of the top players in the Class of 2013. While nationally his reputation is slowly increasing, look for the Mishawaka (IN) native to kick start that reputation building this spring on the AAU trail. Several schools have already extended the Marian High School point guard scholarship offers and hope to nail down a commitment before word spreads of the talent the 6-foot-1, 185-lb Jackson possesses on the basketball court.

On the court Jackson has been instrumental in Marian’s 7-2 start this season. The junior is quickly closing in on the school’s scoring record which will likely be broken in his next outing.

“[The] season’s going great, started of slow but now we have it rolling [now],” Jackson told NBE yesterday. “I broke 1,000 points last game, 10 [points] away from the [school]record now.”

While individual achievements like the scoring record and his own recruitment may get most of the attention, like any great point guard, Jackson is thinking team first. His goals for his junior season are all centered around the great team accomplishments he hopes to achieve with his teammates and friends.

“Cutting down the nets with my team, that would be the best memory,” he said.

During the spring and summer AAU season Jackson runs with MBA Select, one of the better Midwest programs. A basketball junkie, Jackson just loves the opportunity to lace up the sneakers and play ball.

“Playing against great competition and meeting and making new friends,” said Jackson of his favorite part of being with MBA Select, “also just hooping, love that!”

Even with the accolades that come with being one of the top players in the nation, Jackson is never satisfied with himself. He is always striving to be a better basketball player in all facets of his game. When asked where he wanted to improve the most before his time is done at the high school level, Jackson could not single out any one area.

“Everything in my game can improve, so when I go to the gym I work on it all, even if it takes me all day,” Jackson said. “You can never stop getting better.”

The coaches currently recruiting Jackson certainly love to hear that and he will make one program very lucky. Jackson mentioned schools such as Butler, Xavier, Notre Dame, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State and Georgetown as being active in his recruitment that he is currently considering, also indicating that is not a closed list at this time.

Jackson took an unofficial visit to Notre Dame recently and was on hand to see Mike Brey’s club upend Pitt in their BIG EAST conference opener. Following the game Jackson was spending time soaking up the victory with Irish players and staff members. There was some internet chatter that a college decision could come soon for Jackson, but he was not ready to tip his hand, or even name a leader when asked by NBE yesterday.

“Yes, I was at the game, good win for the Irish,” said Jackson. “As of right now all the schools are number one. [I'm] just happy to even have schools recruiting me.”

Probably not as happy as he will eventually make one school when he does decide. What will factor into his college decision and when will he come to his decision? “Family, friends, atmosphere, basketball program and whenever God lets me know.”

Until then we will wait…but, do not be surprised to see him blow up nationally if this spring he is still an uncommitted prospect. MBA Select will be a team to watch just to see for yourself how good Demetrius Jackson is.

Below are some Demetrius Jackson highlights from MichiganPrepStars.com from the summer when he was playing with MBA Select:

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.
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CITY OF PALMS REPORT – DAY TWO

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Day 2 at the City of Palms Classic featured national powerhouses Mater Dei (CA), Arlington Grace Prep (TX), and Miller Grove (GA) in action for the first time. Despite these big names the game of the day was St. Raymond’s (NY) come from behind overtime victory over Trinity (KY) in which they trailed by 15 in the 4th quarter. Through sheer force of will and a couple of standouts outlined below they stormed all the way back and then overcame another 5 point deficit in overtime. It highlighted a fun day of big time competition with quite a few monster individual performances.

Top Performer of the Day:

Isaiah Austin (Arlington Grace Prep 2012) – signed with Baylor – Austin is often criticized for floating on the perimeter and not using his 7 foot frame to score inside. If today’s performance is any indication, he has heard the critics and made an adjustment. Matched up against future Ohio State defensive end Adolphus Washington, Austin went to work in the lane and stayed there all day. He dominated the paint on both ends of the court finishing with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 blocks. While still a finesse player, Austin seems to have learned to use his extreme length to get into easy positions to score and then use his soft touch to finish plays. He even initiated contact with the 6’6” beast of man Washington and worked his way to the free throw line. On the defensive end, Austin basically sent back every shot attempt within 6 feet and caused opponents to settle for jumpers because of his presence. Today’s performance was one that makes it clear why Austin has as much long term potential as any member of the 2012 class.
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NEW SCHOOLS ADDED TO LONG LIST OF R.J. CURINGTON

Class of 2013 wing prospect R.J. Curington continues to see his recruiting list get longer before it gets any shorter. The 6-foot-6, 195-pounder attends powerhouse Oak Hill Academy and his national profile is only expected to increase more this season.

With CIA Bounce on the AAU trail Curington has shown to be a dedicated player that understands what it takes to be great. A scoring guard that has some ability to handle the point spot, Curington can lead the break and tends to make good decisions on the fly. Curington has a steady jump shot from behind the three-point line. He rarely forces up shots and plays a unselfish game. He continues to work on his handle and eventually could end up playing a lot of the point position.

It is clear that he has received top notch instruction, which is to be expected coming out of the CIA Bounce program and playing for Coach Smith at Oak Hill. Curington is excited to get the season started at the prep powerhouse in Mouth of Wilson (VA).
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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.”
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TALENTED BALTIMORE ELITE SQUAD READY TO HIT JULY RUNNING

By Matt Whitfield

Baltimore Elite produces talented players that go on to high major programs year in and year out. Players such as Carmelo Anthony, Josh Selby, Donte Greene, and Malcolm Delaney all have played for the Baltimore squad at some point. Currently Baltimore Elite features talented youngsters such as Jamel Artis, Sam Cassell Jr., Isiah Miles and Daquein McNeil. NBE recently caught up with Assistant Baltimore Elite Coach Jerard Rucker to get the latest on Artis, Casell Jr., Miles, and McNeil.

“[Jamel Artis] he’s a 6’6 PG/combo guard. He has a lot of length. He can handle the ball well for his size. He’s an extremely good playmaker for our team. He’s getting better and better… I think he has a high ceiling. He can get a lot better, but he has been playing pretty well because the last couple months his play making ability has been out of this world and he’s really been paying a lot of attention to detail on the defensive end which has really helped us because he’s been playing against some of the better perimeter shooting guards and small forwards.”

In terms of colleges Artis, who as of now will be attending IMG Academy [FL] next year, has his share of new interest and offers.
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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.

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RASUAL BUTLER ALL-CITY CLASSIC RECAP & RECRUITING NOTES

by Alex Schwartz

PHILADELPHIA – The 17th annual Rasual Butler All-City Classic took place last night at Benjamin Franklin High School in Philadelphia. The top players in the Philadelphia area took the court for three games, one for each of the high school classes besides the outgoing seniors.

The first contest was the Freshmen Game and the White team defeated the Black team by a score of 94-78 in a matchup of 2014 standouts. The MVP from the victors was 6-foot-5 power forward Jamal Custis of Neumann-Goretti (PA) with 18 points. Eric Anderson was named White’s MVP, as the 6-foot-4 small forward from Haverford (PA) dropped 15 points.

The Defensive Player of the Game award went to the White team’s Conrad Chambers, a 6-foot point guard out of Friends Central (PA). He was the game’s top scorer with 19 points. It was Black’s Malik Smith, a 5-foot-10 point guard from Del Val (PA), who won the Unselfish Player trophy.

Other double-digit scorers for the White team were 6-foot-2 combo guard Ja’Quan Newton and 5-foot-11 point guard Troy Harper. The Neumann-Goretti (PA) teammates had 10 points apiece. For the Black team, 6-foot-1 combo guard Shep Garner and 6-foot-2 combo guard Rashann London, teammates at Roman Catholic (PA), had 14 and 12 respectively. In addition, 6-foot-2 shooting guard Malik Starkes of Olney (PA) added 11.

The second game was easily the best one, with the Black team winning 93-86 in the Sophomore Game featuring 2013 players. The MVP from the winning side was 6-foot-6 small forward Rondae Jefferson of Chester (PA) who had 18 points. For the White team, the MVP was 6-foot-2 shooting guard Rysheed Jordan of Vaux (PA) who also had 18.

The Defensive Player of the Game honor was given to 5-foot-6 point guard Yahmir Greenlee of Boys’ Latin (PA), a member of the White team. Stephen Vasturia, a 6-foot-3 combo guard from St. Joseph’s Prep (PA) on the Black squad, won the Unselfish Player honor. In addition to Jefferson and Jordan, both Black’s 5-foot-10 point guard Britton Lee of Roman Catholic and White’s 6-foot-5 power forward BJ Johnson of Lower Merion (PA) had 18 points.

Three other players finished the game with double figures in the points column. Shafeek Taylor, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Roman Catholic, scored 15 points for Black, while 6-foot-3 combo guard Miles Overton of St. Joseph’s Prep had 14. Finally, 6-foot-8 center Zac Tillman of Shipley School (PA) finished with 11 points for the White squad.
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SPIECE RUN ‘N SLAM SCOUTING REPORTS & RECRUITING NOTES

by DOUG FERGUSON

Hanner Parea: F (Indiana Elite)/6-8/200
Committed to Indiana
There is nobody in the Class of 2012 who has the athletic gifts that Parrea does. He has fans holding their breath at what he will do next. It doesn’t show in his numbers at times however due to his lack of fundamentals. His is frequently outrebounded by more fundamentally sound opponents due to lack of boxing out.
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Dejuan Marrero: F (Spiece Indy Heat)/6-5/220
School List: Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Marquette, Michigan, Minnesota
On the exact opposite end of the spectrum is Marrero who was possibly the best technically sound rebounder in the gym. He could stand to have a tad more touch around the basket which is where he should stay offensively.
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Marcus Paige: G (All-Iowa Attack)/6-0/160
Committed to North Carolina
Can’t help but draw comparisons to current Tar Heel point man Kendall Marshall. Paige is a little more athletically gifted than Marshall while he is not quite as crafty with the ball.
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NATIONAL RUNNER-UP BUTLER IN STRONG WITH SAM CASSELL JR.

Baltimore native and son of former NBA All-Star is rising up the recruiting lists of available ’12 guards this spring

Sam Cassell Jr. is used to having the spotlight shining on him when he hits the basketball court. Being the son of a long-time NBA guard brings a lot of opportunity and a lot of scrutiny. Cassell told NBE’s Matt Whitfield last weekend at the Nike Baltimore Elite Invitational that he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s wonderful,” said Cassell. “I’ve seen a lot of things. I’ve had a lot of experiences. When I step in the gym people are always going to watch me because of my name, so that gives me an opportunity to show my talents.”

The Baltimore native is currently attending Notre Dame Prep in Massachusetts and is seeing his recruitment pick-up as a member of the Class of 2012. As he shows his talents more and more he told NBE that he now has offers from Butler, Florida State, South Florida, Clemson and UNLV. At this time he is trying to take in the process and see how things will play out.

“I’m just trying to figure out the best place for me and where I know I’m going to play as a freshman,” he said last weekend.

One school that might be moving up on his list is Butler. Brad Stevens has led the Bulldogs to back-to-back national title appearances and their success has left a strong impression on the younger Cassell. He is planning to use one of his official visits to see the Indianapolis (IN) campus up close and personal in the future.

“It’s good. I think I fit in perfect [at Butler],” said Cassell.

Sam Cassell Sr. is a former NBA 1st-round pick out of Florida State who won three NBA World Champions as a member of the Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics. The elder Cassell was also honored in 2008 as one of the 20 greatest players in Milwaukee Bucks history for his success with the team. He had his best season in Milwaukee during the 2003-2004 campaign where he averaged 19.8 points a game and over 7 assists. The apple does not fall far from the tree as the younger Cassell has shown the ability to score and distribute as well on the floor, making him a very intriguing lead guard in the 2012 class.

NBE will be certain to follow Sam Cassell Jr. on the AAU trail this spring and summer with the Baltimore Elite program and keep readers updated on the latest news as it pertains to his recruitment. So stay tuned….

NATIONAL PREP SHOWCASE – DAY TWO

BY JEFF BORZELLO

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – After a first day that got better as the event progressed, everyone was ready for a jam-packed second day that featured eight games. Plenty of coaches were in attendance, keeping an eye on some of the top players in the country. The day started off with a great game between Bridgton Academy (Maine) and Fork Union Military Academy (Va.), with Bridgton overcoming a 20-point halftime deficit to win in the final minutes. In the second game, Andre Drummond led a comeback by St. Thomas More (Conn.) to beat Princeton Day Academy (Md.). After that, Hargrave Military Academy (Va.) opened up a big second half lead on New Hampton (N.H.), with an easy Brewster Academy (N.H.) victory over Fishburne Military Academy (Va.) following. South Kent (Conn.) proceeded to blow out La Lumiere (Ind.), but Notre Dame Prep (Mass.) and Westwind Prep (Ariz.) had a dynamite back-and-forth contest that ended with Notre Dame winning. St. Mark’s (Mass.) handled Lee Academy (Maine) easily, before Kiski School (Penn.) staged a big second-half comeback to beat Winchendon (Mass.).

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

Zach Auguste, 2012, New Hampton Prep: Auguste is a long and lanky lefty who is improving every game. He uses his length and athleticism to get blocks and rebounds at both ends of the floor and he also has fairly good vision and passing ability for a player his size. Auguste was in foul trouble for most of the game, but in limited minutes, he demonstrated his immense potential. He had a big-time baseline dunk and can finish with either hand. Once he learns how to stay on the floor for an entire game, he is going to be tough to stop.

Despite being limited because of foul trouble on Saturday, colleges were still intrigued by his potential. According to New Hampton Prep coach Pete Hutchins, Auguste has offers from DePaul, Notre Dame, Boston College and Oregon State, with interest from Kansas and Syracuse.

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 more of the latest recruiting notes gathered on Day Two of the National Prep Showcase. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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WILTJER NOT CUTTING LIST; CARSON NOT NAMING FAVORITE

Jeff Borzello follows up on reports on two of the West’s top 2011 prospects and their recruitment

A report Wednesday morning stated that 2011 NBE Top 100 prospect Kyle Wiltjer had trimmed his list to Gonzaga, California, Oregon and Kansas.

However, the 6-foot-9 forward denied the report.

“Not true,” Wiltjer told Jeff Borzello Wednesday afternoon from the Double Pump Best of the Summer Classic in California. “Won’t start narrowing down schools until after this tourney.”

He said he is considering Washington, UCLA, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Connecticut, Kentucky, Wake Forest and Texas, in addition to the aforementioned four of Gonzaga, Cal, Oregon and Kansas.

“Everyone’s equal at this point,” Wiltjer said.

You can read the rest of Jeff’s story HERE, at his MarchMadnessAllSeason blog.

Also out west, Jahii Carson has been making some news. After decommitting from Oregon State right before the spring AAU season, Carson has seen his recruitment skyrocket to new levels.

The 5-foot-10 Mesa (Ariz.) point guard has been outstanding for the Compton Magic in AAU tournaments during the spring and summer, and has also impressed at various camps.

With new interest comes increased media coverage, though, and Carson now has to refute incorrect rumors. A report earlier in the week stated that Carson had named UCLA as his leader.

However, Carson Refutes Report, Has No Leader.

“[It’s] not all the way true,” he told MarchMadnessAllSeason on Tuesday. “I have no leader. I’m still wide-open, but I like UCLA a lot.”

Carson said simply mentioning the Bruins first led some to believe he had named them as his frontrunner.

“Probably because I said UCLA first before all schools, and then I talked about their tradition,” he said.

In addition to UCLA, Carson also lists Arizona, North Carolina, Arizona State, UNLV, Washington, Alabama, Butler, USC, Oregon State and Oregon.

“Right now, they’re all tied.”

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ORLANDO AAU UPDATE: PART IV

Tuesday in Orlando has the 17-U AAU National Championship pool play tip-off as well as the 17-U Super Showcase championship being settled in the Gold Bracket this evening between Each 1 Teach 1 and St. Louis Eagles. The Silver Bracket laso had their semifinals this morning with championship game slated for a little later on.

Yesterday was the Austin Rivers show as the local standout reminded all that might have forgotten, or simply did not know, that Rivers is G-O-O-D. Alex Schwartz had a very short player eval on Rivers’ semifinal performance yesterday: WOW. ‘Nuff said.

Alex Schwartz again checks in from Orlando and 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 Orlando as he runs down additional impressive performances from Monday by Chris Walker, James Robinson, Steve Mondu-Missi and Matt Costello with the latest on the recruiting front on Costello and Julian Royal, all of which is covered below in detail. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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MARCUS PAIGE DRAWING BIG-TIME COACHES IN ORLANDO

2012 point guard out of IA has been a must-see player this week for coaches looking for a floor general

Marcus Paige has had a great spring and summer and when NBE has seen him on the court he has been impressive. Word is essentially out on the class of 2012 point guard who hails from Maron (IA) and attends Linn Marr Community High School. Playing with the Martin Brothers AAU program, a virtual who’s who of college coaches in Orlando checked him out for themselves.

In a class many consider to be a down year for point guards during early evaluations, Page has elevated himself as one of the top floor generals in the class of juniors-to-be. Based on his play in Orlando and throughout the spring and summer, and by the top head coaches watching him here, expect the 6-foot Paige to be among the most highly sought after in the Midwest and nationally.

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 about Marcus Paige and see what coaches were on hand in Orlando to watch him play. He also talks about those schools and his recruitment with NBE’s Alex Schwartz. You can also check out any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage by logging in.

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