Drexel Recruiting

CRC CLASSIC GAME RECAP: ST. JOSEPH’S PREP – WHEELING PARK

By Ray Mernagh

Wheeling Park battled and played hard throughout but didn’t have the skill of the St. Joseph’s group.

St. Joseph’s had three players really stand out and a fourth who came up big in limited attempts.

Miles Overton 2013 guard 6’5
Overton has a sturdy body for a Junior at 190 pounds and looks like he could add 10-15 pounds of muscle without any problem to an already basketball strong frame. Had three 3-pointers, two of which were big-time shots where he raised up off one hard dribble and was pure. He gets real good lift on his jumper and his form is correct. He’s a good passer and in control at all times (4 assists and no turnovers). He scored out of the mid-post as well. Had an athletic and good defender on him but it didn’t seem to bother him. Showed high basketball IQ when he was about to kick-out to a shooter on a drive, heard the whistle and turned in mid-play and shot the ball. Getting some high-major looks and has offers from A-10/Mids in his area and some out West. Overton finished the game with 19 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 0 turnovers on 6-14 shooting (3-6 from deep). Really solid looking guard with size.

Overton stated he’s looking for a school with “a good basketball program where I have a good relationship with the players that will be there when I get there and a real good coaching staff.” He went on to say that “academics matter because my high school is really strong academically and I also want to stay close enough that my Grandma can come to my games so a little far away but not too far.” Overton has taken visits to Virginia, James Madison and Drexel. “UVA has a beautiful campus and a beautiful new stadium.” On Drexel: “It’s a good relationship because I’ve known the coaches for a long time.” Offers from “the Big Five” before specifically naming James Madison, Drexel, La Salle and San Francisco.

Gene Williams 6’2 2012 guard
Williams made quite the impression from the jump, displaying a really diverse skill set the entire game. Williams played bigger than his 6’2 listing. Made three’s off the catch (2-4) and scored off his dribble in the mid-range. Has a variety of step-through and up and under moves from the mid-post area and in that he used to score. Williams played very hard and competed every possession. This kid needs a look from some low-majors out there because he can help somebody win games. Williams is getting some D-1 looks and said he will see where his recruiting goes by the end of the season. Smart kid who could play in the Ivy League. Finished with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. Was hearing from some Ivy’s during the summer.

Steve Vasturia 6’4 2013 guard (Notre Dame-commit)
Vasturia is a ND commit who really excels when his defender gives him the tiniest space. Got to the line a ton (10-11) while putting in an efficient day at the office (6-9 from the field and 2-3 from deep). Finished with 24 points, 6 rebounds and one assist in 31 minutes. Has a really nice shot. Need to see him some more because I thought he got bailed out on some of the fouls that were called but still his stat-line was impressive.

Kevin Oberlies 6’1 guard 2012
Oberlies made his only three to stem what felt like a run from the opposition and hit all three of his attempts to finish with 8 points and 4 rebounds. One of Speedy Morris’ many guards that can play. Should be a nice D-3 player somewhere if he chooses to pursue it and when I write that I hope that everyone understands how good you have to be to play at a D-3 level. Anyone playing ball in college anywhere is better than 95% of all the other kids that played ball in high school so please…respect that.

Wheeling Park

Boo Lathan 6’2 200 pounds 2012 forward
Lathan can play. He’s not big enough for his skill set to fit at the D-1 level but he can play –would be a real nice fit at the NAIA level. Gets tremendous lift on an unorthodox jumper that started finding the bottom of the net as the game wore on. Can be a lockdown defender with his length, athleticism and toughness. Competed. Liked how he came back from a poor shooting first half, still played hard, and made St. Joseph’s sweat a little in the second half. Finished with 14 points and 8 boards (4 offensive) and 1 assist after being pretty much shutout in the first half. Tough kid and good athlete.

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RECRUITING UPDATE: JOSH HART, AQUILLE CARR & BRANDON AUSTIN

By Alex Schwartz

CHESTER, Pa. – The second day of the Jameer Nelson Philly.com Holiday Classic featured five games with teams hailing from four different states and included a number of talented players.

NBE Basketball Report was on hand and had the opportunity to catch up with a trio of CLass of 2013 guards to discuss their recruitment.

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Josh Hart, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound shooting guard, turned in one of the day’s most impressive performances, leading Sidwell Friends (DC) to a win over Atlantic City (NJ). The smooth scorer first listed a quartet of schools: Georgetown, North Carolina State, Penn State and Marquette.
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DAVON REED ENJOYS SETON HALL VISIT; MORE TRIPS PLANNED

While much of the attention in recent weeks have been paid to the Class of 2012 prospects hitting college campuses for official visits, several 2013 prospects have also used their free time to see some schools for themselves. One player with a very busy visit schedule the next month is Davon Reed. The 6-foot-5, 190-pound shooting guard was able to fit in a BIG EAST visit last weekend.

“I really enjoyed my visit to Seton Hall last Saturday,” Reed told NBE yesterday. “The staff was really welcoming and they seem to be have a bright future for the program! It was an excellent visit!”

Reed was surprised that the campus was bigger than he thought. He was also able to see coach Kevin Willard’s squad hit the court for a preseason workout, which he singled out as the visit’s highlight.
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HOOP GROUP END OF SUMMER CLASSIC RUNDOWN – 16U EDITION

By Brian Bosworth

The July live period came to a close on Sunday with Hoop Group’s End of Summer Classic at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania. The tournament featured 24 teams in 3 separate 17U brackets and 16 teams in 2 separate 16U brackets. The 16U portion had many standout players including one who was a cut above the rest.

Top Performer:

Rysheed Jordan (Players Teaching Players/2013) – Although his team lost in the semifinals, Jordan left little doubt that he was the top prospect in the 16U division. A 6’3” 175 pound point guard, Jordan has immense physical talents. In his team’s first game, an easy win, he played the role of facilitator and got into the paint time and again to create easy scoring opportunities for teammates. He used his long arms to disrupt passing lanes on defense and start transition offense and showed the ability to finish high above the rim. In his second game of the day, Players Teaching Players were trailing by 27 points when Jordan took matters into his own hands. He must have had at least 5-6 steals all leading to easy buckets at the other end. Offensively, he attacked the rim relentlessly finishing through contact over and over and bringing his team back within 7 points. The deficit was eventually too much to overcome but in the process of trying Rysheed Jordan proved that he is an elite point guard prospect in the 2013 class.

Other Standouts:
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2011 DESERT DUEL MEMORIAL FINAL DAY RECAP: NJ PLAYAZ STORM BACK FOR TITLE

By Raphielle Johnson

The only thing better than the two best teams in an event playing in the title game is those teams putting forth a game for the ages. And that’s exactly what happened when the Mac Irvin Fire and New Jersey Playaz 17U teams met in Tuesday’s title game at the Desert Duel Memorial. Despite trailing by as many as 26 points early in the second half the Playaz found a way back, ultimately winning the game in overtime by the final score of 70-62.

Things most certainly didn’t look good for the Playaz at the start as Mac Irvin jumped them out of the gate thanks to the combination of solid offensive execution and the Playaz’s inability to make shots. The squad from Chicago had everything rolling, especially 2013 stud Jabari Parker who hit just about any shot imaginable in the first twenty minutes.

Steve Taylor (2012) was able to slash to the basket, DePaul commit Billy Garrett Jr. (2013) and Derrick Randolph (2012) made plays in the backcourt and Aaric Armstead (2012) was also a factor. A dunk just before the halftime buzzer made the score 43-20, and a Parker three in the first minute of the second half pushed the lead out to 26. To say the least things did not look good for the Playaz was an understatement.

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HOOP GROUP ELITE TEAM CAMP FINAL RECAP & RECRUITING NOTES

By Alex Schwartz

READING, Pa. — Featuring over 60 high schools from seven different states, The Hoop Group Elite Team Camp drew numerous Division I coaches to Albright College. At least half of Big East was represented there Sunday, the second and final day of the camp.

Head coaches from both of New Jersey’s Big East programs, Rutgers and Seton Hall, were in attendance along with at least one assistant. NBE Basketball Report also spotted or was informed that assistants from Cincinnati, DePaul, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Villanova and West Virginia were in Reading.

Amongst the attractions for the Big East schools were Kyle Anderson ’12, Nate Britt ’13, Reggie Cameron ’13, Hallice Cooke ’13, Will Ferguson ’13, Shep Garner ’14, Amile Jefferson ’12, Kris Jenkins ’13, Ja’Quan Newton ’14, Villanova-commit Daniel Ochefu ’12, Stanford Robinson ’13, Terrence Samuel ’13, Shamiek Sheppard ’13, Kavon Stewart ’13, Mike Young ’13, and more.
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REEBOK BREAKOUT CHALLENGE: THURSDAY RECRUITING ROUNDUP

By Matt Whitfield

The return to the summer basketball camp scene by Reebok has been well received. The competition and talent level is certainly solid at the Gallagher Athletic Center on the campus of Philadelphia University. NBE took in the action for the most part of the day Thursday and was able to touch base with many of the players to learn the latest on their recruitments. While the camp had a strong group of Mid-Major+ prospects, there was more than a fair share of players who will land at higher levels in college. Below is a rundown of who we caught up with yesterday.

Rysheed Jordan (Robert Vaux HS/Players Teaching Players)

There was a lot of hype centering Jordan entering the camp and many scouts, reporters and college coaches were anxious to get a look at him. He did not disappoint as the 6-foot-3, Class of 2013 point guard has all the look of a sure fire high major recruit. He has definitely noticed the increased attention of late.

“I think I’m blowing up,” said Jordan of the recent influx of recruiting attention. “I’m easing my way up.”
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HOOP GROUP ELITE CAMP: TUESDAY RECAP

by Alex Schwartz

READING, Pa. – The July Live Evaluation period kicks off today, but NBE Basketball Report’s coverage of the month began yesterday with the first day of Hoop Group Elite Camp. With players from 25 states (plus DC) as well as 14 foreign countries, there is talent from all over the map at Albright College this week.

One of the top young players at camp is 2014 star Ja’Quan Newton, a 6-foot-1 point guard out of Neumann-Goretti (PA). Newton said he is already garnering interest from Villanova, Syracuse, Rutgers, Temple, Kansas, Miami, Penn State, St. Joseph’s, and others.

Newton said that he is unsure of his offers, but does have a few schools standing out, saying, “Top three [are] Syracuse, Rutgers and Villanova,”
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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (6/29/2011)

College basketball is a year-round sport. In the summer there is news of players coming and going from programs to keep track of, a busy recruiting season and more and more summer leagues that offer the players a chance to stay sharp against high-level competition. While many incoming freshmen just celebrated their high school graduation in the last few weeks and even days, many are already on a college campus and competing in the summer leagues and attending classes with their new teammates.

Today we take a quick run through some of the latest stories in the BIG EAST that touch on each of those subjects…

In Mike Helfgot’s Recruiting Notes in the Chicago Tribune there is an update on 6-foot-2 rising junior Jaylon Tate, who recently confirmed rumors he will be transferring from De La Salle High School to Chicago Simeon. At Simeon Tate will join a loaded roster that includes classmates Jabari Parker and Kendrick Nunn and senior Steve Taylor. All four players are considered sure-fire high-major recruits.

As for Tate, Helfgot reports that has offers from Northwestern, Providence and Xavier, according to his mother, Arisa Johnson, with several other high-majors such as DePaul, Marquette, Tennessee, Florida State and, as of this week, UCLA, expressing serious interest.
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PHILLY GUYS BRING PHILLY TOUGHNESS TO NBA TOP 100 CAMP

By Ron Bailey

June 20, 2011 – Now that the National Basketball Players Association Top 100’s dust has settled, even more information can be reported on attending student athletes being recruited by BIG EAST member schools. Of course the league’s footprint was large, as kids from throughout the nation listed institutions from that conference. Two from Philadelphia are featured here.

Amile Jefferson – 6’8”, 195 lb, senior F, Friends Central (PA) – Jefferson, winner of the Camp’s Academic Achievement award put in work akin to good student’s preparing for final exams – he rebounded, filled lanes, defended, passed and scored his way to a stellar performance. To say he was one of the event’s most effective players is an understatement, as is noting Amile was a very hard worker.

What’s more impressive is that he still is not the best shooter or ball handler; Jefferson does it with effort, intelligence and grit, the last evidenced by playing around half the camp with a dislocated pinky finger on his left hand (which could demand surgery). Sure he hit shots (particularly spot up wing jumpshots from just inside the three point arc) and patted getting the rim (particularly in fast break/scatter court situations), it’s just that these are necessary points of improvement. Add getting stronger to that list ,which Jefferson recognizes as necessary.
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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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BRANDON AUSTIN MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF OUT OF PHILLY

By Matt Whitfield

Since the program’s inception in 2004 Team Philly has produced numerous BIG EAST players including Kyle Lowery, Shane Clark, Reggie Redding, Maalik Wayns, John Johnson, Nurideen Lindsday and more Division I players at all levels of the NCAA. Top sophomore guard Brandon Austin could very easily follow this trend and be the next highly recruited star from the program.

Austin, although a slender 6-foot-6, 170 pounds, is very skilled offensively with great handle and a knack for attacking the basket. Thus, not surprisingly Austin already has a slew of colleges interested in his services.

“The schools that are recruiting me are Syracuse, Villanova, Providence, Rutgers, Temple, Pittsburgh and Drexel.“ Austin also added that, “all of them [have] offered.”

A self-described playmaker, Austin tells NBE he feels a strength of his is his versatility off the bounce with the basketball.

“As a player I’m a playmaker for other players. [I'm] versatile off the bounce and I’m a combo guard,” said Austin.

Austin mentioned recently that he is improving on his shooting and defense but the youngster has already drawn the attention of the Philadelphia’s most prominent college basketball coach.

“Jay Wright,” responded Austin when asked if he had developed any good relationships with college coaches thus far. “I’ve talked to Jay Wright a couple of times.”

His Team Philly AAU coach Kyle Sample also added that Austin has spoken with Drexel Coach Ashley Howard as well.

Still only a sophomore (Class of 2013) attending Imhotep Charter, Austin is not thinking that far ahead and is just focused on this summer with Team Philly.

“I’d like to get my team better so we can get some more wins,” said Austin.

In the coming months and years Brandon Austin is definitely one to watch. The youngster stated the BIG EAAT is his conference of preference and that he feels he will play the one or the two position at the next level. Be sure to check out Austin and Team Philly if they’re playing at an event near you.

For more on Team Philly and to see where they will be playing next, check out their brand new website HERE.

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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MORE SPRING FLING RECRUITING NOTES

As usual, the Spring Fling hosted by the NJ Playaz and Jimmy Salmons was a great event, bringing in most of the top teams of the Northeast to kick off the AAU season. Here are some more of the recruiting updates Matt Whitfield collected from his time down on the New Jersey shore this weekend…

Nate Britt, a left-handed point guard who attends Gonzaga High School in DC is already a well-known name on the DC Assault for a Class of 2013 prospect. Britt rattled off a school list that includes Villanova (offer), Georgetown (offer), Texas, Arizona (offer), Seton Hall (offer), Duke, Virginia, UCLA and Virginia Tech.

Britt has made unofficial visits to Duke, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Seton Hall.

“Definitely the Big East is my favorite conference because it’s close and that’s the best conference in the NCAA right now,” Britt told Matt Whitfield Saturday.
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Britt’s classmate at Gonzaga and DC Assault teammate Kris Jenkins is a bull inside. The 6-foot-5 power forward is a top rebounder and finisher in the paint among Class of 2013 prospects. Off the top of his head, Jenkins mentioned Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Boston College, Miami, Virginia Tech, Virginia and Georgetown as the schools recruiting him.

Jenkins has taken unofficial visits to Virginia Tech and Virginia.
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It seems as though Kyle Anderson has been with the NJ Playaz forever. The Class of 2012 G/F is starting his last AAU season and remains one of the most coveted recruits in the class. Anderson told Matt Whitfield on Saturday that Seton Hall, UCLA, Villanova, Georgetown, Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, Miami and Virginia Tech have offered while Duke and North Carolina have interest. On Friday night his Dad told NBE that Seton Hall is “recruiting (Kyle Jr.) the hardest.”

Expect this one to me one of the most covered recruiting stories if the year.
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Imhotep Charter in Philadelphia (PA) is home to Brandon Austin. The Class of 2013 prospect is running with Team Philly on the AAU circuit and is a player we expect to rise in profile nationally this summer. With his size (pushing 6’6) and smooth skill set, Austin can play all three perimeter positions and excels with the ball in his hands with great vision and delivery. It is no wonder that Villanova, Syracuse, Drexel, West Virginia, Rutgers and Pitt are some of the schools he could remember off the top of his head showing interest in him.
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The always productive Dom Hoffman was in action this weekend with Hoop Heavan. The 6-foot-7 junior (Class of 2012) out of Gil St. Bernards, where he eclipsed the 1,000-point mark this past January, told NBE Friday that Penn, Lafayette, Bucknell and Rider are the four schools he is considering right now. Hoffman has been to each school and would be a very good addition to any of those programs.

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