Utah Recruiting

HIGH SCORING ’13 G ZACH LAVINE HAS A FAVORITE

One of the top prospects in the Class of 2013 on the West Coast is Zach LaVine, a 6-foot-4, 165-pound guard attending Bothell (WA) High School. LaVine has brought comparisons to Steph Curry as a silky-smooth scorer with a slender frame. LaVine enjoyed the recent April evaluation period on the AAU trail where college coaches were out on the road.

“[It was] good to see the coaches out there,” LaVine told NBE. “I just hope they saw all the aspects of my game.”

Speed and scoring ability are always the immediate aspects that stand out with LaVine’s game. He is also a slick passer with a feel for setting up his teammates. There are also areas of his game the rising senior point guard continues to work at improving to prepare himself for the college game in the future, but most of his attention goes toward improving his frame.

“I’m trying to get stronger,” he said.

College coaches have long been aware of LaVine, especially in the Pac 12 conference, but his recruitment has gone national in the recent months. Missouri, Baylor and Texas have recently come into his recruitment and Louisville offered toward the end of the season. Those schools can be added to his long list of other offers that come from Arizona, Arizona State, Washington State, California , Colorado, Gonzaga, UCLA, USC, Utah and Washington. As has been the case for some time, one school on the West Coast continues to lead the pack for his services.

“UCLA is my favorite right now,” said LaVine.

LaVine is not quite ready to pull the trugger as he plans to play out the AAU season with Friends of Hoop out of Seattle and asses the situation at that time in regards to his recruitment.

“I think I’ll pick toward the end of AAU season and just comfortability level [will be the biggest factor],” he said of a decision timeframe and likely deciding factor in a school.

College coaches will be back on the road in July and at that time NBE hopes to catch Zach LaVine in action as well. Stay tuned here for any news on his recruitment as this talented Class of 2013 scoring point guard could be off the board by summer’s end. Will UCLA seal the deal? We shall find out!

ANDREW WHITE TALKS ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA VISIT

Bob Huggins and his West Virginia Mountaineers are getting an early start on the 2011-2012 season with an overseas trip to Italy this coming week. With the trip the team is allowed to have 10 practice sessions to prepare for their upcoming games. Bob Huggins also used the time this weekend to bring in a key target of their 2012 recruiting efforts for an unofficial visit as Andrew White came to Morgantown to see things for himself.

“I took a visit to West Virginia the past two days,” White told NBE’s Matt Whitfield this afternoon. “It went real well.”

White had a great summer on the AAU circuit with Team Loaded and quickly became a top target of many programs.
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IMPRESSIVE SUMMER FOR ANDREW WHITE LEADS TO MANY BIG OFFERS

By Matt Whitfield

Thanks to his recent performances at AAU events in Myrtle Beach and Milwaukee Andrew White has become one of the most hotly contested recruits in the Mid-Atlantic.

“A lot of schools have recruited me and they were somewhat serious, but in Myrtle Beach and Milwaukee I came out real sharp and my recruitment picked up real quick. I became a high target for some schools that got a good feeling [from my game],” said White.

White listed over a dozen high majors offers when NBE caught up with him on Sunday. White also stole the show as he had a plethora of college coaches watching him including West Virginia Head Coach Bob Huggins and assistant Larry Harrison.
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LAS VEGAS AAU DAY 4 NOTEBOOK: WILD, WILD WEST IN VEGAS

By Raphielle Johnson

By the end of the last college basketball season it was best to simply expect the unexpected. The same could be said for this weekend in Las Vegas, which has produced an unexpected champion in the Kansas City 76ers. The 76ers won the Las Vegas Fab 48 by beating Team Breakdown (Florida) in Monday night’s title game.

While the stands weren’t filled to brim as they were last summer (Oakland Soldiers tend to bring out the crowds), there were a few college programs represented in the coaches area with 2013 wing Ishmail Wainright the primary focus.

Ben Howland (UCLA) and Steve Lavin (St. John’s) were both there to watch Wainwright, who considers Earl Watson (who has connections to both as he played at UCLA under Lavin) to be an older brother and mentor. Other programs represented include Western Illinois, George Mason, Kansas, Missouri, UC Irvine, South Florida, Cal Poly, Nebraska, UM-KC and Creighton.

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LAS VEGAS AAU DAY 3 NOTEBOOK: UPSETS & CLOSE CALLS DEFINE SUNDAY’S ACTION

By Raphielle Johnson

On paper Sunday’s slate of games in both the adidas Super 64 and Las Vegas Fab 48 looked to be locks for the top teams. But many learned (once again) first-hand that games are played on the floor and not on some poster-sized sheet of paper in a gym lobby. The list of victims included the Oakland Soldiers, who dropped their first round playoff game to a Branch West Elite team that looked highly impressive in the first half against Play Hard Play Smart in the nightcap.

Also bounced from the Fab 48 were TP Elite and Team Loaded, both of whom fell victim to the Wisconsin Swing. Zak Showalter (2012) out of Germantown (WI), who scored 29 points in their 90-75 win over Team Loaded, can do a number of things on the floor from his guard position. He caught fire from deep but didn’t simply settle for those shots, also driving to the basket and setting up teammates for good looks as well. Ironically Showalter stated after the game that he’s working on becoming a better perimeter shooter, although he was referring to consistency as opposed to simply making the shot.

That matchup also featured a pair of excellent prospects in NC State commit Tyler Lewis (2012) and Andrew White (2012), who has many top programs after his services. When the ball was in Lewis’s hands things seemed to run smoother for Team Loaded, although the way in which Wisconsin Swing executed offensively it may have taken 100 points for Team Loaded to win the game.
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UA SUMMER JAM PRESENTED BY NY2LA SPORTS — TOP PERFORMERS

By Alex Jesswein

Standout Seven: Top Players from the UA Summer Jam last week

Robert Carter–6-8 Power Forward–Atlanta Xpress: Although he was hobbled by an ankle injury, Atlanta Xpress Robert Carter really impressed us with his ‘old school’ approach. He won’t wow you with his athleticism or finesse, he just gets down to work in the block and is very adept at finishing with either hand. He did show an ability to step out and hit an open jumper but he will make his money doing the dirty work on the inside.
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Chris Thomas–6-5 Guard–Colorado Hawks: Thomas is an extremely talented player. He reminds me of former Memphis guard Chris Douglas-Roberts because of his ability to play multiple positions. He seems to be very comfortable playing with the ball in his hand and because of his size and length should be able to defend multiple positions at the collegiate level.
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NY2LA SUMMER JAM RECRUITING FOCUS: 2012 TEAM LOADED’S ANDREW WHITE

By Alex Jesswein

With coaches from Louisville, North Carolina State, Richmond, Old Dominion and more on hand, Team Loaded’s Andrew White didn’t seem to mind.

The 6-foot-6 small forward scorched Team Jennings for 29 points including six three-pointers in a blowout win. White was also impressive in a 35-point outburst against KC Pray and Play in pool play.

White, who attends the Miller School in Charlottesville, VA., is quickly becoming a household name among high-major coaches in the rising senior class (2012).

According to White, he has offers from Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Richmond, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Miami (FL), Wake Forest, Providence, BYU, Utah and George Mason.

White is also receiving interest from BIG EAST schools Louisville and West Virginia along with “a few others”.

He has taken unofficial visits to Richmond, Virginia Tech, Old Dominion, North Carolina State and Wake Forest.

White is looking to narrow down his list and take some visits in August, once the summer AAU season is over.

When it comes down to it, White said he is looking for the school that has “the best mix of player development and team success” and a place where he can get a good education.

UA SUMMER JAM PRESENTED BY NY2LA SPORTS RECRUITING NOTES

By Alex Jesswein

While many across the country have turned their attention to the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Championship at the Peach Jam in North Augusta (SC), Antonio Curro and his crew at NY2LASports.com have assembled another strong field for the 2011 UA Summer Jam. Some of the biggest names in the 2012 Class are in Wisconsin for the event, including Shabazz Muhammad, Isaiah Austin, Mitch McGary, Perry Ellis and more. Top AAU programs like Dream Vision, Texas Pro, SYF Players, DC Assault, Playground Elite, Team Loaded, and more are competing in the event.

NBE will have much more on the event as it moves to completion on the 15th. For now here are some recruiting notes that NBE has been able to compile in the first two days of action:

Duane Wilson, Class of 2013 point guard with the Playground Elite AAU program, listed Marquette (offer), Minnesota, Memphis, Washington, Virginia, Missouri, DePaul, Wisconsin, Illinois, Miami (FL), Florida State, and Florida. He has visited Kentucky, DePaul and Missouri unofficially recently.

As he heads into his next season, Wilson said he wants to work on getting stronger, playing better defense and hitting shots off of the dribble.
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2011 BOB GIBBONS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS: DAY TWO

by Alex Schwartz

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions continued to roll on, on Saturday as pool play finished up and the playoffs began. By the end of the day, just 16 total teams remained alive in either bracket from the three age groups.

During the course of the day there were a number of quality performances and a many talented players on display. As was the case on Friday night, NBE Basketball Report spoke with a few players for recruiting updates and also put together some player evaluations.

TJ Warren, a 6-foot-7 class of 2012 small forward out of Word of God Christian Academy (NC), was one of the day’s best players. The Garner Road star showed why he able to list off scholarship offers from Georgetown, Florida, Ohio State, North Carolina State, Miami, Arizona State and Kansas. Warren said that he has no favorites and that all of the schools are recruiting him equally hard.

So far Warren has only taken visits to Georgetown and North Carolina State. He will visit NC State again next Tuesday and also has three other trips visits on tap. Warren will head down to Florida in about three weeks, Georgetown from June 23-25 and will also be at Kansas’ elite camp.
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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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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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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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NY2LA SPORTS SUMMER JAM WRAP-UP: NAMES TO KNOW

by RAY MERNAGH

In NBE’s article last night, NY2LA Sports Summer Jam Wrap-up we took a look at the top performers from the event you probably already know of. With head coaches like Bill Self, Ben Howland, Tom Izzo, Matt Painter, Tom Crean, Buzz Williams, Lorenzo Romar, Josh Pastner, Rick Pitino, Tony Bennet, Doc Sadler and Frank Martin, among others, being in Milwaukee for a great deal of this tournament, you know there were big names at this event and not everyone was down in Georgia.

So the first part of our wrap-up (HERE) concentrated on those big names, like Branden Dawson, Marcus Paige, De’Angelo Harrison, Perry Ellis, Angelo Chol, Nick Jacobs and Paul Jesperson and their updated recruiting situations (which have changed of late in several cases).

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 NY2LASports.com Summer Jam as we take a look at new names on the scene that caught the attention of the coaches in the stands, those mentioned above and others. Guys like Adam Woodbury, Tanner Williams, Bruce Barron, Austin Richie, Darnell Harris, Tyrell Robinson (and brother Tyree), RJ Hunter and more are names you should know and are covered below. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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KING JAMES SUMMER SHOWCASE STANDOUT PLAYERS

RAY MERNAGH

In between the Adidas Invitational in Indianapolis (IN) and the NY2LASports.com Summer Jam just outside of Milwaukee (WI), NBE made a stop at the King James Summer Showcase which was being held in and around Chicago (IL) this past weekend. Most of the top 17-U teams competed at the Fieldhouse is Waukegan (IL) and that is where NBE found a spot to watch the action Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. Below we detail the performances (and update the recruitment) of some of the event’s top players, including Zach Price, JaKarr Sampson, Percy Gibson, Ryan Boatright, Michael Chandler, Nyles Evans, TJ Buchanan, Paxton Strub, Shelby Moats, Jonah Travis and Kendall Griffin.

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 the coverage from Waukegan and the 2010 King James Summer Showcase below. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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NIKE EYBL PEACH JAM: DAY ONE

BY JEFF BORZELLO

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. – Annually, the best event of the summer is the NIKE Peach Jam – a collection of 24 of the best NIKE-sponsored AAU teams in one spot. This year, it took on added importance, as it was the culmination of a four-event tournament that spanned three months and four cities. The top 20 teams from the Elite Youth Basketball League in Hampton, Va., Houston and Los Angeles joined four wildcard teams and headed to the Riverview Park Activities Center in North Augusta, S.C. In other words, the best event got even better. Throw in a U-16 division with 16 of the best teams in the country, and the Peach Jam continued to stand above the rest. You can visit the Nike EYBL website for schedules, scores and boxscores from all the games Here.

Below is our look at some of the opening day standouts and some detailed recruiting lists and updates from many top players of note, which included a pair of future Big East players (Michael Carter-Williams and Tyrone Johnson) going for at least 40 points in one of their two contests and Joe Coleman of Howard Pulley racking up the points and gives NBE his latest recruiting update. As usual, nobody covers an event like Jeff Borzello and your favorite school is likely covered in a recruiting update below…worth the price of admission (3.95 a month or 24.95 a 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 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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