Illinois State Recruiting

NIKE EYBL PEACH JAM: DAY FOUR

BY JEFF BORZELLO

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. – The final day of the Elite Youth Basketball League/NIKE Peach Jam featured just four games, but two champions were crowned and one game was televised on ESPNU.

In the opening game of the day, one U-17 semifinal, the St. Louis Eagles knocked off Team Final behind 28 points from Brad Beal. Mike Gilchrist led Team Final with 26 points. In the other semifinal, Team Takeover overcame an early deficit to defeat Spiece Indy Heat by 15. Julian DeBose had a surprising 18 points and 14 rebounds, and held Marquis Teague to nine points on 3-for-12 shooting.

Up next was the U-16 championship between BABC and Georgia Stars. With Goodluck Okonoboh out with a sprained ankle, BABC did not look their usual self, but still kept it close. They had a chance in the final seconds, but L’Quan Arnum’s three-pointer bounced out and Rene Castro’s desperation shot at the buzzer fell short, giving the Georgia Stars a 59-57 victory. Marcus Hunt led the Stars with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Georges Niang had 25 points and eight boards for BABC.

The final game of the day was the EYBL Finals at the Peach Jam, and was televised on tape delay on ESPNU. It was a relatively evenly-matched game from the start, but the balance of Team Takeover started making the difference in the second half. Beal tried his best to keep the St. Louis Eagles in the game, but he was not enough. Takeover emerged victorious, 70-62. James Robinson led Takeover with 24 points and eight rebounds, while Michael Gbinije had 19 points. Beal had 26 points for the Eagles.

CLASS OF 2011

Rakeem Christmas, Team Final: Christmas continues to slide down the class of 2011 rankings. His physical tools and potential are outstanding, but he has yet to show he can consistently produce offensively. On the defensive end, he is one of the best shot-blockers in the country, and he is an effective rebounder at both ends of the floor. However, once he gets the ball with his back to the basket, Christmas struggles to score. He has limited post moves, and can’t face-up against defenders.
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Aaron Brown, Team Final: Brown had not had a very good week going into the semifinals, but he turned that around against the St. Louis Eagles. He went for 17 points and five rebounds, with most of his baskets coming off of well-timed cuts to the basket leading to lay-ups. The 6-foot-4 lefty from Penn Wood (Pa.) is a strong player who can get to the basket and finish. However, he still is unable to consistently knock down jump shots. Once he can do that, Brown will be an effective Big East player at West Virginia.
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Julian DeBose, Team Takeover: DeBose was one of the most surprising players I saw all day on Thursday. He impacted the game at both ends of the floor, guarding top-five guards Marquis Teague and Brad Beal in back-to-back games, making life difficult for both players. DeBose is long and athletic, using both attributes to be a very good rebounder for his size. He was active on the offensive glass and was also excellent in transition.
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Darion Atkins, Team Takeover: Atkins made his biggest impact on Thursday at the defensive end of the floor. Despite standing only 6-foot-8 and 215 lbs., Atkins was able to hold his own down on the low block against Spiece’s A.J. Hammons. He was effective at denying entry passes to Hammons and also demonstrated the ability to block shots and get rebounds. Atkins hit a baseline jumper and also was able to finish in transition. Once he gains some weight and develops post moves, look out.
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Antonio Wilson, Spiece Indy Heat: Although Wilson might not be the most talented forward on the court, he has a non-stop motor and never gives up on plays. He is very active on the offensive glass, creating second chances for himself and teammates. He constantly keeps the ball alive, chasing down loose balls or using his athleticism to get tip-ins and baskets. Wilson is aggressive in the paint at both ends of the court, and projects as a good mid-level guy.
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CLASS OF 2012

A.J. Hammons, Spiece Indy Heat: Hammons has certainly improved since the last time we saw him, as he is developing into a solid big man prospect. His footwork has gotten better and his hands are good enough at this point. He had a nice dropstep move against Mikael Hopkins and also played well defensively against the Team Takeover big man. On the negative side, he lacks athleticism and needs to improve his lift. Furthermore, he has to be more aggressive once he gets the ball.
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Georges Niang, BABC 16s: We have watched Niang before, and while he has always impressed us with his effort and energy, we didn’t think the Tilton (N.H.) product could be a high-major player until now. The kid is simply productive when it comes to scoring and rebounding the basketball. Niang plays hard at all times, outworking opposing big men and using his toughness and physicality to get baskets inside. He can finish with both hands, and also has nice post options and spin moves. He is more athletic than most give him credit; he can block shots and play above the rim.
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Marcus Hunt, Georgia Stars 16s: Although the Stars didn’t have as many stars (no pun intended) as some of the other U-16 teams, they have a host of players who can make an impact as mid-major-plus guys. Hunt is one of them, and he was outstanding in the title game. The 6-foot-5 North Clayton (Ga.) wing is a versatile offensive player, capable of shooting three-pointers from the perimeter or running the floor and finishing in transition. Hunt also has a mid-range jumper and can score when driving to the basket.
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Recruiting Notes:

- Darion Atkins said he has offers from George Washington, George Mason, Wake Forest, Maryland, VCU and Pennsylvania, with interest from Georgetown, Syracuse, Wisconsin and Xavier. The 6-foot-8 Landon (Md.) forward plans on visiting Syracuse in the next week, and also wants to take a second trip to Wake Forest. Atkins said his top three at this point would be Wake Forest, Georgetown and Florida State.
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- James Robinson’s stock is sure to rise after an outstanding week at the Peach Jam. Right now, though, he is hearing the most from Maryland, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Marquette, Virginia and Virginia Tech.
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- Nic Moore had an excellent week shooting the three-point shot, and he could make an excellent guard at the mid-major level. Spiece Indy Heat coach Jared Quarles said Moore has offers from IPFW, Northwestern, Bowling Green and Indiana State, with interest from Michigan and Indiana.
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- Elmhurst (Ind.) forward Antonio Wilson holds offers from IPFW, Indiana State and Eastern Michigan, according to Quarles. Illinois State is showing interest.
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Related Articles for Subscribers:
- Nike EYBL Peach Jam – Day Three; featuring detailed recruiting updates on Nick Johnson, Goodluck Okonoboh, Shaquille Johnson, Patrick Holloway, Malcolm Barber, Martavious Newby, Omar Calhoun, George Fant, Domonique Bull, Andrew Chrabascz, Aaron Gordon, Langston Morris-Walker, Steve Taylor, Jabari Parker, Thomas Hamilton, Willie Wiley and Cameron Biedschied.
- Peach Jam Recruiting Updates; featuring Egi Gjikondi, Josh Richardson, Darrick Wood and Phile Greene.
- Nike EYBL Peach Jam – Day Two; featuring Trey Burke, Shag Bogo, Steve Mondu-Missi, Jarnell Stokes, Jordan Granger, Rene Castro, James Robinson, Siyani Chambers, Justin Anderson, Jerami Grant and Kevin Johnson.
- Nike EYBL Peach Jam – Day One; featuring Malcolm Brogdon, Joe Coleman, Roquez Johnson, Cimmeon Bowers, Arnaud Adala-Moto, Richard Longrus, Stevie Clark, Justin Jackson, Ricky Tarrant, Roshcon Prince, Austin Colbert, Troy Williams, Kiwi Gardner, Rashaun Suarez and Chris Bryant.

Additional Nike Coverage:
- Final King City Classic Player Evals & Updates; featuring Gary Harris, Victor Nickerson, Alex Poythress, Sam Thompson, Josiah Turner, Mike Shaw, Dai-Jon Parker, Julian Royal, Toddrick Gotcher, Jelon Hornbeck and Dominique Pointer.
- King City Classic Evals & Updates – Part C; featuring Rodney Hood, Kedren Johnson, Bernard Sullivan, Cedrick McAfee, Jahii Carson, LJ Rose, Trey McDonald and J-Mychal Reese.
- King City Classic Evals & Updates – Part B; featuring LaQuinton Ross, Anthony Davis, Myles Davis, Myles Mack, Desmond Hubert and Ben McLemore.
- Recruitment of Rakeem Christmas & DaJuan Coleman ‘Open’
- Lebron James Skills Academy Recruiting Notes – Part II; featuring Amir Williams, Khem Birch, Deng Leek and Angelo Chol.
- Lebron James Skills Academy Recruiting Notes – Part I; featuring Jabarie Hinds, Ricardo Ledo, Ricardo Gathers, JaKarr Sampson, Branden Dawson, Archie Goodwin, Rodney Purvis, Trevor Lacey, Brandon Ashley, Ryan Anderson, Nick Faust and Anrio Adams.

All in all those 10 articles from the Live Recruiting period have recruiting updates on 90 DIFFERENT players as well as player evaluations on them and MANY more. This is in addition to our coverage from the Adidas Invitational, Hoop Group Elite Camp, King James Summer Showcase, NY2LA Sports Summer Jam, Super 16 Showcase and Hoop Group Summer Classic, all can be found by either logging-in or signing up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership. Its a steal…HAPPY READING and there is MUCH, MUCH more to come!

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NIKE EYBL PEACH JAM: DAY TWO

BY JEFF BORZELLO

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. – The finals of the inaugural NIKE Elite Youth Basketball League at the NIKE Peach Jam continued on Tuesday, as the 24 teams battled to finish in the top two spots in each group, which are the only places to advance. By the end of the day, only two teams – Team Takeover DC and the Oakland Soldiers – were undefeated, but plenty of clubs were still in contention for a playoff berth. Surprisingly, the regular-season champs, the NJ Playaz, were only 2-2 through two days and are unlikely to advance. Howard Pulley and Each One Teach One, also pool winners, are both 1-3. The heated competition to finish in the top two led to a great day two of action.

There are evals of players such as Mikael Hopkins, Amir Williams, Kyle Anderson, Anthony Davis, George Fant, AJ Hammons, Jevon Thomas and more along with recruiting updates from Trey Burke, who lists a top three, Jarnell Stokes, James Robinson, Justin Anderson, Jerami Grant, Kevin Johnson, who has two leaders, and many, many more from Day Two of the Nike EYBL championship pool play.

Related article: Nike EYBL Peach Jam: Day One

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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NY2LASPORTS.COM SUMMER JAM: DAY ONE

by RAY MERNAGH

The NY2LA Sports Summer Jam‘s first day was very solid, that is until the finale took it to an elite category.

Antonio Curro might be the best matchmaker since Don King and he filled the day with some mouth-watering contests. But it was one of the final games of the day, Dream Vision (CA) vs Franchize All-Stars (TX) on Court 5 at Homestead High, that brought back memories of the heydays of Sonny V’s ABCD Camp in New Jersey.

The game included several elite talents but in the end it was a kid named Muhammad (Shabazz or just “Bazz” to his teammates) who was crowned the champ — at least for Monday night. The game started out with Franchize jumping to a quick lead behind the scoring of the exquisite 2011 guard D’Angelo Harrison. Harrison had his mojo working and mates like Anthony Norris (a three) and Derail Green (ditto) and Micheal Carey tapped into Harrison’s vibe and rode it all the way until the halftime buzzer. Harrison finished strong through contact on one drive for the and one and then flipped the script and hit a trailing teammate with a sick over the shoulder pass. Carey ended the half for Franchize by finishing a strong drive for a 39-29 Franchize lead.

Franchize kept the lead for the first several minutes of the second half and then Evan Rocqamore, an “old school” guard in the words of Curro, gave Dream Vision a lift with his play from the point guard spot. Rocqamore seemed to realize that for his squad to get back in it they would have to get Shabazz Muhammad some looks…and that’s exactly what they started doing. Shabazz hit a 3 from the corner and while that sounds simple I’m not sure anyone can imagine how gorgeous Muhammad’s J is when he’s got it going. I was sitting right in line with the side of the basket and either saw the ball coming at me or could follow it as Shabazz released it with his back to me (depending on what corner he was releasing from)…and it’s really simply a work of art. Usually I use words like pull or jack to describe three-point shots, but Shabazz Muhammad simply releases his. Right around this same time Winston Shepard, who’d been good the whole game, started imposing his will on D and on the glass and the result was three or four and one’s for the 2012 forward from Vegas. After Anthony Norris and Evan Rocqamore hit back to back jacks (see) Shepard failed to convert one of those and 1′s and the score was 61-60 Franchize.

That’s when all hell broke loose in the forms of Shabazz and Harrison.

Minutes later Muhammad’s release from the corner was true and the game was knotted at 65.

But Harrison, while on a dead sprint and dribbling, pulled up on a dime and nailed an 18-footer and then stole the inbounds pass and scored to make it 69-65 Franchize.

Shabazz…yep you guessed it…corner 3 to cut the lead to one.

Harrison…yep…71-68 Franchize.

‘Bazz, I kid you not, 3 from the corner, 71-71.

Harrison, panting, puts his head down and careens across halfcourt on the bounce but Rocqamore’s D forces a turnover and the result is a Muhammad bucket plus a foul. Muhammad misses the free throw and Dream Vision is up 73-71. After Franchize fails to convert Rocqamore finishes through contact (the slap on his skin was audible at the top of the gym) and Dream Vision goes up 75-71.

Harrison is such a great player that the refs sometimes give him calls that he seels them, and he does just that from behind thae arc sending Rocqamore running and grabbing his head. Harrison makes 2-3 to cut it to 75-73. Franchize is forced to foul Rocqamore, who hits 1-2 but Shepard again is Winston-on-the-spot with a steal. Dream Vision pulls it out again, Rocqamore is fouled and makes both and the game ends 78-73 for Dream Vision.

Incredible game filled with enormous talent, which also captured the attention of head coaches such as Rick Pitino, Lorenzo Romar, Frank Martin and Mark Fox sitting courtside. Shabazz Muhammad finished with 35 while D’Angelo Harrison had 33 for the losers.

Classic game closes out a really good day of basketball. 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 more of our coverage on the top performers from Day One of the NY2LASports.com Summer Jam and recruiting updates from the likes of Perry Ellis, Angelo Chol, Nick Jacobs, Deonte Burton, Shonn Miller, Hayden Hoerdemann and more. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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NBPA TOP 100 EVALUATIONS (POINT/COMBO GUARDS)

by RAY MERNAGH

First of all, props to Dave Telep — and the players association — for doing an excellent job with this camp. Telep’s rapport/honesty with players is refreshing and in turn he gets a level of respect back that’s pretty hard to match.

One of the things that’s awesome about camps like this is the way kids respond to being in a situation with other players of similar ability and athleticism. It shows you exactly where a kid is competitively. Some really, really hyped kids looked absolutely lost in the headlights through three games, others took a game or two to get acclimated and then responded positively. On the flip side of that some guys who’ve been under the radar a bit have responded in a big way to this chance to continue earning respect and building on their resumes as ballers.

Here’s eleven point guards or combo guards that stood out to me.

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 NBE’s evaluations and recruiting notes on 11 guards we got a good look at this week, including Tyrone Johnson, Tyler Lewis, Myles Mack, Jahii Carson, Josiah Turner and more. 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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GIBBONS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS: DAY ONE RECRUITING NOTES

Jeff Borzello is in North Carolina to kick off this Memorial Day weekend by taking in the Bob Gibbons’ Tournament of Champions AAU tournament being held at different gyms in Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh and other places in between.

While much of the attention this spring has been paid to the Nike EYBL and the strong field it has assembled, Bob Gibbons and his staff have done a tremendous job pulling together a strong field with eight of the top 20 teams in the latest PrepHoopsAssist.com Grassroots AAU Poll. For a comparison, the EYBL currently has seven ranked AAU programs in their line-up this weekend in Los Angeles.

Here is a rundown on some of the recruiting notes from the first night, spent in the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill watching the WI Playground Warriors and Carolina Elite battled in a 16-U pool clash while also catching up on some of the talent playing for St. Louis Gameface 17′s and the loaded Indiana Elite 17-U team.

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 our opening night notes from the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions, as well as any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage.

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