St. Peter’s Recruiting

RECRUITMENT OF ISAIAH WATKINS CONTINUES TO GAIN STEAM

There are a lot of new faces within the St. Benedict’s Prep basketball program in Newark (NJ) this season. From new head coach Mark Taylor to Class of 2015 must-see point guard Isaiah Briscoe and more new talent on the Gray Bees’ roster it is an exciting new era for the program in Newark. One player that still seems to be under the radar nationally is Isaiah Watkins, another member of the Canadian AAU program CIA Bounce that will look to excel this year for Taylor’s squad.

“What drew me to St. Benedict’s was the goal of becoming better,” Watkins told NBE earlier this evening. “Improving every day and hopefully being able to win at the highest level possible.”

The improvement of Watkins has been ongoing through the spring and summer according to Nolan Shulman, National Recruiting Analyst of Flagrant Fouls and Editor-in-Chief of the Ultimate Recruiting Handbook which is the authority on Canadian basketball prospects. Shulman also noted that Watkins will come to work every single day at St. Benedict’s, which should only enhance his goal of improving.
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NATIONAL PREP SHOWCASE: DAY THREE

by JEFF BORZELLO

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A long weekend of basketball culminated Sunday with another six games between the top prep schools in the country. It started off with an easy Brewster Academy (N.H.) win over a hard-working but fatigued Princeton Day Academy (Md.) club. After that came a battle between Maine Central Institute and Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.), where MCI pulled away in the second half. Kiski (Pa.) and La Lumiere (Ind.) was an interesting match-up on paper due to the frontcourts of both teams, but Kiski emerged victorious. NIA Prep and New Hampton had a back-and-forth battle that featured big leads and subsequent comebacks, but in the end, NIA Prep was too athletic and balanced. Tilton (N.H.) came out in a big way against Wilbraham & Monson (Mass.), blowing them out from the opening tap. The final game of the event kept everyone interested, with Blair Academy (N.J.) holding on to beat St. Andrew’s (R.I.). Here’s a look at some noteworthy players from the final day, starting with a player we will see in the BIG EAST next month:

Enosch Wolf, 2010, Wilbraham & Monson: Wolf will join Connecticut at the end of the fall semester, which comes in a couple of weeks. The German native is more versatile than one might think, showing off an ability to handle the basketball and step out to knock down outside shots. The 7-foot-1 lefty is very mobile and can run the floor. His stroke from the free-throw line is solid and he defends well. Moreover, Wolf is an effective rebounder – something the Huskies are lacking this year.

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual membership to read more detailed scouting reports and the latest recruiting notes gathered on Day Three of the National Prep Showcase. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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RUMBLE IN THE BRONX: SATURDAY RUNDOWN

BY JEFF BORZELLO

BRONX, N.Y. – At first glance, the 2010 Rumble in the Bronx seemed like it had a loaded field. All the top teams from the New York/New Jersey area and several of the best national teams, including the Southern Kings, Dallas Mustangs and Franchise All-Stars, were expected to show up in New York City this weekend. However, with three other major events going on this weekend, including Adidas Nations, CP3 Point Guard Camp and the NIKE Hoop Jamboree, the individual talent was watered-down. Studs who missed the event included Michael Gilchrist, LeBryan Nash, Shannon Scott, Dai-Jon Parker, Rakeem Christmas, Kyle Anderson, Alex Murphy, Wannah Bail, DaJuan Coleman, Kuran Iverson and many more. With that said, though, there were still a number of standout players and performances.

Devonta Abron, 2012, Dallas Mustangs: With LeBryan Nash out at Adidas Nations, Abron took over as the go-to-guy for the Mustangs. The athletic, 6-foot-7, lefty big forward can finish very well around the rim and also showed a nice touch from the mid-range. He runs the floor and can catch the ball in transition. Abron showed a few nice moves with his back to the basket and also threw down one of the more impressive dunks of the weekend, over 7-footer Blaise Mbargorba.
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Blaise Mbargorba, 2011, NJ Roadrunners: Mbargorba is still developing all facets of his game, but he clearly has potential. The 7-footer is extremely long and has a good build, although he does need to add strength. He can run the floor and is able to finish in transition with dunks at the rim. The athletic Mbargorba is mobile, but he needs to move far better without the ball. Too often, he stood around and did not utilize his size advantage effectively.

Mbargorba, a native of Cameroon who plays at St. Benedict’s, lists Virginia Tech as his current favorite because he likes its basketball and engineering programs. Mbargorba is also being recruited by Boston College, Georgetown, Providence and Columbia.

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 on NBE’s Rumble in the Bronx coverage from Saturday, and any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage.

Saturday’s content below includes Desmond Hubert discussing three schools out in front in his recruitment and a possible Playaz teammate he’d like to play with in college, the impressive performance of Angel Nunez and his current recruitment, Chris Martin hints at a leader after a recent visit, Keaton Miles has two in front of his recruitment with one being from the Big East as well as recruiting and performance updates from Shaq Thomas, Davontay Grace, Shaquille Stokes, Kelvin Amayo, Derrick Wilson, Tyrone Johnson, Myles Mack, Kamari Murphy and MORE…

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ROBINSON SCHOOL ROUNDING OUT TALENTED ROSTER

New prep school in New Jersey will have plenty of high-major prospects next year

by JEFF BORZELLO

Although The Robinson School is still a new entry into the prep scene, head coach and founder Vincent Robinson continues to make an impact with his personnel.

Last Thursday, Robinson picked up high-major prospect Jakari McCallop and former Boston College and Fordham commit Danny Lawhorn. On Wednesday, he garnered commitments from athletic guard Mike John and former Dartmouth commit Kyle Aiken.

Robinson is confident in his ability to get The Robinson School to compete with the top prep schools in the country within a few months.

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 on Vincent Robinson’s new venture as the Robinson School rounds out their roster with plenty of players getting high-major college attention, as well as any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage.

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