Oakland Recruiting

Mernagh’s Nightly Nuggets: Oakland/UNLV/Boeheim

Star of the Night: Reggie Hamilton Oakland

Tennessee couldn’t stop Oakland guard Reggie Hamilton, who gave the Vols a sour taste, not to mention a career-high 35 points, in road game that Counzo Martin is on record saying he never would’ve scheduled had it been up to him. Martin’s crew was just in Maui about 105 hours ago and has since played two games, both on the road, since returning from paradise. They will face Pitt in the BIG EAST/SEC Challenge this weekend. But tonight belongs to Greg Kampe’s Oakland Grizzlies, and their sharpshooter Hamilton. The O-Rena was rocking and one of the best smaller college atmospheres was on display for the entire country. Oakland has a program, in fact they’ve had one for a number of years now. They also just made it damn-near impossible to get any other BCS league school to come to Suburban Detroit to play them in the future. This was Oakland’s second win in as many seasons over Tennessee. The final was 89-81 and Drew Valentine added 15 points, Laval Lucas-Perry 14 and Travis Bader 13 for Oakland (4-2).

Belated Stars of Saturday Night: UNLV

Anytime you beat North Carolina it’s a huge win. When you beat the #1 ranked Tar Heels that are being proclaimed as the second coming of the Dream Team by some, it’s momentous. Oscar Bellfield (16 points and 9 assists) and Chace Stanback (28 points and 10 rebounds) were both instrumental, but the truth is the entire Rebels rotation contributed to their 90-80 victory in the Desert. Great win for Dave Rice in his first season at the helm, while a tip of the hat also goes to Lon Kruger for leaving the deck stacked in Sin City before leaving for Oklahoma. Shabazz Muhammad, the nation’s #1 ranked recruit and Bishop Gorman star, watched the upset from a seat in Orleans Arena.

Great Win of the Night: Xavier

Chris Mack’s squad went into Vanderbilt and won in OT after Mark Lyons made a great attacking play to send the game into the extra session.

Good Win of the Night: WVU

The Mountaineers drilled Akron but don’t get it twisted, while it was a really good win, and their second strong performance in a row, the Zips were without suspended star point guard Alex Abreu. He’s a difference maker for Akron. Still, props to Team Huggins — Jabarie Hinds, as we well knew, is a player player.

Goat of the Season (and not in the greatest of all time way): Jim Boeheim

The longtime pompous and arrogant Syracuse coach has done a lot of things over the years to prove to the discerning eye that he’s just another big-time coach living in the fantasy bubble that achieving success in places like Syracuse produces. Coming out in defense of longtime assistant Bernie Fine when Fine was being accused of molestation by a former ball boy for his program was okay, if that had been all Boeheim did. Instead he attacked the alleged victims, calling them liars and saying it was a scheme, a money grab. Boeheim said he’s known Fine for 35 years etc etc. Well, with the release of the tape of Fine’s wife openly discussing the alleged molestation with the victim it seems as if Boeheim really didn’t know his friend that well. Boeheim released a statement apologizing for his remarks (sort of) but I missed the part where he apologized for calling alleged victims of sexual assault, things that allegedly started happening when they were defenseless boys, liars. The victims coming out against Fine are growing in numbers. Boeheim’s words were unforgivable — he did exactly what bullies do. Then again, we’ve come to expect that kind of behavior from him.

JAVONTAE HAWKINS ON THE RISE AND ON THE MOVE

Motivated by the shooting deaths of two older siblings, JaVontae Hawkins keeps his eyes on the prize in life

One of the more impressive players on the spring AAU circuit that has cemented his name among the top players in the Class of 2012 has been JaVontae Hawkins. The 6-foot-5, 202-lb shooting guard has turned in some very impressive performances with the Michigan Mustangs, officially breaking out in a big way back in April at the King James Shooting Stars event in Akron.

“This spring I just showed everyone that I can play against top talent and broke [out of] my shell by making athletic plays on both ends of the court and playing the shooting guard position at my best,” Hawkins told NBE earlier this week.

College coaches on the road in July will get a chance to see Hawkins at events such as the ScoutsFocus International Elite 80 Showcase July 10th and 11th in Greensboro (NC) and during AAU basketball’s Vegas week to close the live evaluation period. In the meantime Hawkins will continue to hone his skills for his moment to shine.
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ALL-OHIO RED F DEONTAE HAWKINS OPENS EYES ON AAU TRAIL

By Ray Mernagh

The Hoop Group’s traveling caravan of scouts, event promoters, camp directors, and future coaches returned once again to Pittsburgh Friday for their now annual stop.

The group’s Pittsburgh Jam Fest has been one of the primary stops on the April Grassroots circuit for a number of years now as it always brings loaded fields, timely starts and a buzz to this city for all the hoop junkies withdrawing from the sudden end to the college and high school season.

Along with revitalizing that dreaded hoop-rock itch (I showed up at 6:30 or so after a full workday planning on picking up my creds, catching a few halves of action and bouncing, but ended up staying until the last games and interviewing DJ Fenner from the DC Assault as the clock ticked towards Saturday) Friday night at the J-Fest always produces a player that makes you say o-k-a-y.

Last night, for a lot of us sitting along the baseline, Deontae Hawkins of All-Ohio Red was that kid.

The first kid to really pop during opening round play.
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HOOP HALL CLASSIC – - DAY THREE

BY JEFF BORZELLO

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Monday of the Hoop Hall Classic is annually the most loaded day of games, complete with a quartet of games on ESPNU. This year, the quality on Martin Luther King Day isn’t as high, but there are still some big-time contests. Prior to the television match-ups, Anthony Davis and Perspectives (Ill.) and Patrick Connaughton and St. John’s Prep (Mass.) got things kicked off. The first ESPNU game was Christ the King (N.Y.) vs. Westchester Country Day School (N.C.), sans an injured Quincy Miller. Following that was a battle between arguably the top players in the classes of 2011 and 2012 with Michael Gilchrist and St. Patrick (N.J.) taking on Bishop Gorman (Nev.) and Shabazz Muhammad. LeBryan Nash and Dallas Lincoln (Tex.) played Findlay Prep (Nev.) and then Academy of the New Church (Penn.) faced Boys and Girls (N.Y.).

In our Hoop Hall Classic – - Day 1 report, Jeff Borzello broke down the performances of BIG EAST commits Myles Mack, Wayne Blackshear, Mikael Hopkins and Jabarie Hinds. There were also scouting reports and recruiting updates on Kris Dunn (’12 PG), Kyle Anderson (’12 G/F), Jordan Adams (’12 SG), Kevin Johnson (’11 PF), C.J Blackwell (’11 SF), Billy Garrett, Jr. (’13 G) as well as a recruiting update on Evan Nolte (’12 SF) and more on Ben McLemore (’11 SG) and Damien Wilson (’12 SG). Hoop Hall Classic – - Day 2 coverage was more of the same with BIG EAST commits John Johnson, Michael Carter-Williams and Amir Garrett in action as well as top-level recruiting prospects such as Alex Murphy (’12 PF), DaJuan Coleman (’12 C/PF), Nik Stauskas (’12 G/F), Landen Lucas (’12 C), Kaleb Tarczewski (’12 C), Andre Drummond (’12 PF) and more…

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 of the coverage from the Hoop Hall Classic as Jeff Borzello completes his coverage with top player evals and recruiting updates from the standouts such as Omar Calhoun (’12 G), Isaiah Lewis (’13 G), Shabazz Muhammad (’12 SF), Rosco Allen (’12 SF), Winston Shepard (’12 SF), Anthony Bennett (’12 F) and BIG EAST commits such as Patrick Connaughton and Keton Miles. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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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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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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