UCLA

BRANDON RANDOLPH PICKS UP NEW OFFER; UPDATE ON TALENTED WEST COAST ’13 GUARD

Brandon Randolph is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound point guard who runs with Team Jennings on the AAU circuit and attends St. Bernard High School in Playa del Rey (CA) who has impressed college coaches with his play during the April evaluation period, leading one West Coast school to offer the Class of 2013 guard earlier this week.

Randolph is quick with the ball in his hands and has been aggressive goping to the basket. He is able to get into the lane and finish as he possesses solid strength for a guard. That strength also makes him a plus rebounder for a guard and he always plays with intensity. Randolph was hoping that college coaches took notice of his complete game during the April evaluation period, especially his ability to set up teammates.

“It was great so they can see me twice and not just once [in April],” he said o the open evaluaiton weekends. “I hope they saw my ability to pass [the basketball}."

Always known as a player that can score the ball it was important for Randolph to show the other aspects of his game, which he also continues to work to improve.

"I [work to] improve on my ball-handling everyday and try to keep my stamina up,” he said.

San Diego State has long been hot on the trail of Randolph, and were his first offer last fall. The Aztecs have company and the list of schools recruiting him will certainly continue to grow, aswill his offers, which increased by one this week.

“I got another from Pepperdine,” Randolph told NBE. He told NBE there are no current leaders and other schools involved include “SDSU, Arizona, UCLA, Texas A&M, Stanford and Washington for right now, but everything is open.”

Randolph expects to take his time in his recruiting, letting the AAU season and possibly the high school season play out before making a college decision.

“I’m probably looking at after high school season and just how I feel around the coaches and how much I really like the school,” he said of a time frame and the factors that will be most important in his decision.

In the meantime you can expect plenty of West Coast coaches to make their way out to see Brandon Randolph at St. Bernard and then again when the AAU circuit heats up in the summer. Randolph is a player that will likely see an uptick in his recruitment in the coming months while school slike San Diago State and Pepperdine hope their early offers hold off the major conference foes.

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!

SPIECE BILL HENLSEY MEMORIAL RUN-N-SLAM PLAYER EVALUATIONS

By N.D. Kendrick, special to NBE Basketball Report

Midwest star power was on display this past weekend in Fort Wayne, Indiana where some of the top clubs from the middle of the country and a few from other locations took part in the Bill Hensley Memorial Run-n-Slam.

Quite possibly the attraction that brought in the most basketball junkies was a battle between Spiece Indy Heat, featuring Indiana-commit Trey Lyles, Purdue-bound Bryson Scott and JaQuan Lyle, facing Mac Irvin Fire, which was tabbed as the favorite to win the event.

Mac Irvin Fire got a quiet 20 point effort out of the Gatorade National Player of the Year Jabari Parker, and won by the score of 80-70. Both the Mac Irvin Fire and Spiece Indy Heat – arguably the two most star-studded rosters – failed to reach the championship games of their respective brackets.

The Derrick Walton (Michigan-commit) and Monte Morris led Michigan Mustangs emerged as the champions of the 17u tournament when the coaches of The Family decided to forfeit due to several players cramping up.

Run-n-Slam allows you to evaluate several prospects due to the format and way the massive gym is set up. The focus of the weekend was incoming juniors and seniors. Provided are several prospects (not in any particular order) that impressed over the weekend…
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MARY KLINE CLASSIC RECRUITING NOTEBOOK

By Alex Schiffer

Austin Colbert, a 6-foot-8 forward who attends the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut. The New Jersey native plays AAU basketball with Team Final in the EYBL. Prior to the underclassman game at the 2nd annual Mary Kline Classic Colbert talked with NBE on his current recruiting situation.

“So far Florida, Baylor, Georgetown, Harvard, Seton Hall are all looking at me,” said Colbert.

At this point in time Colbert is thinking about cutting his list down, but hoping to see some additional offers before doing so.

“I’m currently looking to narrow down my list but it would be nice to pick up a few more offers,” he said.

Since the open evaluation periods of April are now past, Colbert has a clearer view of the schools willing to put more effort into his recruitment and is looking to visit one of the schools entering the picture of late.

“Temple is starting to get on my really hard and Baylor, Georgetown, Harvard, Seton Hall are on me mad tight,” he said. “Also Texas is looking at me. I plan on making a trip down to Austin pretty soon.”
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One of the hottest names from the previous two weekends in the April open evaluation period in the Class of 2013 in NYC native Jermaine Lawrence, who is currently attending Pope John XXIII in Sparta (NJ). The 6-foot-9 PF has put a strong of impressive performances together with the New Rens AAU team and his recruitment has quickly taken off.

“Cincinnati, Rutgers, St. John’s, UCLA [and] Florida are all looking at me, Miami as well,” said Lawrence.

A couple Big East programs are among the new schools quickly entering the mix following his April performances.

“UConn and Villanova as well as Temple have all started with me recently.

Lawrence has no current favorites, but is looking into taking a couple visits in the near future.

“I have no favorites right now but I’m working on making a visit to Rutgers right now as well as Cincinnati,” he said.

Lawrence kept rolling on Saturday night, scoring a game-high 27 points in the underclassman contest of the Mary Kline Classic, earning one of the two MVP honors.
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Jared Nickens, a 6-foot-5 wing out of St. Patrick in Elizabeth (NJ) listed the schools currently recruiting him as VCU, Seton Hall, St. Joe’s, SMU, Georgetown, Charlotte and Mississippi State.

“Mississippi State, Georgetown and Charlotte all recently started with me,” he said. “I have a visit to Georgetown June 16th. My current favorite is VCU.”
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Nickens’ teammate at St. Pat’s DeAndre Bembry is also drawing plenty of recruiting interest at this time.

“Vanderbilt and Georgetown just showed interest in me,” said Bembry on Saturday night. “Villanova just offered me. UNC-Charlotte and Richmond as well as South Carolina are all giving me looks.”

Bemnbry also mentioned Virginia Tech had been recruiting him hard as well. There are no favorites for Bembry yet, but he is starting to look into which school she would like to visit.

“[I] should be making some arrangements for visits in a few weeks<' said Bembry. "I'm going to try and visit UCF, Georgetown and Villanova.”
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From a pure talent standpoint, Tyler Roberson has as much of a ceiling as anyone in the Class of 2013. The 6-foot-7 forward out of Roselle (NJ) catholic and the NJ Roadrunners AAU club certainly has the recruiting list to back that up as well.

“Kansas, Rutgers, Seton Hall, South Carolina [and] Syracuse are all recruiting me,” said Roberson. “Everyone is coming at me really hard.”
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Jaren Sina, the 6-foot-1 point guard out of Gill St. Bernard’s in New Jersey made the switch this spring to Team Final on the EYBL circuit and the added exposure paid off with a Big East offer this past week.

“Pittsburgh offered me last week after the Nike EYBL,” said Sina.

Sina, who is coached by his father Mergin Sina at Gill St. Bernard’s was once committed to Alabama. The Crimson Tide remain involved but have plenty of company in the competition for his services.

“Northwestern, Pitt, Stanford, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Penn State, Alabama, Butler are all involved,” said Sina. Alabama and Northwestern as well as Penn State there all coming at me pretty hard.”

Ina ddition to the three coming at Sina the hardest, he mentioned three others schools specifically when asked where he might plans visits in the near future.

“I’m probably visiting Pitt, Michigan [and] maybe Villanova.”

Sina produced 10 points and 14 assists in the all-star game contest Saturday night, sharing game MVP honors with Jermaine Lawrence.

NIKE EYBL SESSION #2 – BOO WILLIAMS (TOP PERFORMERS)

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Now that a couple of days have passed since the Boo Williams Invitational and I’ve had time to process all the basketball I watched, it’s time to evaluate which prospects performed best this weekend. Below are rankings by class of all the prospects I was able to watch down in Hampton. As always, these rankings are based strictly on performances from the weekend’s tournament and do not reflect my overall views on these players. It should also be noted that given the amount of talent playing at any given time I was unable to see every prospect in Hampton and thus some players miss out on this list because I didn’t evaluate them. Julius Randle, Theo Pinson, Bobby Portis, and Duane Wilson Jr. all played to rave reviews over the weekend and likely would have cracked these rankings if I’d had the chance to see it for myself. Andrew Wiggins was also the best player at the event by all accounts but happened to have his one modest performance the only time I was courtside and therefore he doesn’t squeeze into the rankings either. Enough setup, here’s who dominated in Hampton.

Class of 2013 Rankings:

1) James Young (The Family) – One of the nation’s elite scorers, Young put up points in bunches from all three levels with Kentucky’s John Calipari tracking his every move. In addition to the interest from UK, his admitted leader, Young mentioned scholarship offers from Michigan State, Ohio State and Providence to NBE over the weekend.

2) Jarquez Smith (Georgia Stars) – Smith’s stock arguably rose more than anyone else’s with his weekend performance as the 6’9” forward mixed deep 3 point range with electric above the rim finishes. Florida State and Georgia as the leaders for his services at this point.

3) Kameron Williams (Baltimore Elite) – One of the tournaments purest scorers, Williams dropped 30 in a thrilling comeback victory over King James by unleashing a brilliant shooting display.

4) Keith Frazier (Houston Hoops) – Another pure scorer, Frazier mixed NBA 3 point range with relentless attacking of the rim netting himself 16 free throw attempts in one outing. Arizona, Texas, Texas A&M, Providence, Tennessee, Kansas, Baylor, Marquette, and Kentucky along with local North Texas, were the schools mentioned by Frazier when asked about his recruitment.

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KENDRICK NUNN TALKS RECRUITING

by Alex Schwartz

HAMPTON, Va. – Kendrick Nunn of Simeon (IL) High School is one of the top guard prospects in the class of 2013. The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder, who runs with Mean Streets on the AAU circuit, spoke with NBE Sports on Sunday at the Nike EYBL Session #2.

Nunn said that he holds scholarship offers from Texas A&M, Texas, Nebraska, Iowa State, Memphis, UCLA, Illinois, DePaul, Missouri, and others. In addition, he is garnering interest from Kansas.

The rising senior has no favorites at this point, but has taken visits to Ohio U., Illinois, Memphis, and Texas A&M. Nunn has no visits planned, but that does not mean he will not be taking any trips in the near future.
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NIKE EYBL SESSION #2 – BOO WILLIAMS (DAY III)

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The Boo Williams Invitational wrapped up on Sunday and with it concluded the second session of Nike’s EYBL circuit. Unlike the majority of AAU tournaments Sunday is not playoff day at Boo Williams but rather just continued EYBL regular season play as all 40 teams are competing for spots in July’s Peach Jam. Star performances showed up in droves just as they had on the first two days. Below are a sampling of the best showings NBE has the pleasure of viewing.

Top Performance of the Day:

Kameron Williams (Baltimore Elite 2013) – Despite being undersized for the shooting guard position at 6’2”, 170 pounds Williams is an elite scorer. His most dangerous weapon is the jump shot but labeling him as “just a shooter” is rather short sighted. Players who are strictly shooters rely on others to create open shots for them but Williams is more than capable of creating his own looks. He’s smart enough to know that at his size challenging the trees in the paint is a low percentage shot whereas his jump shot is very efficient. Williams makes deep three balls off the dribble or the catch but is most effective using 2-3 dribbles to create space and then burying midrange shots. In an afternoon comeback victory over King James Shooting Stars he put on a scoring clinic going for 30 points on 11-18 shooting including 5 triples. I honestly don’t recall him missing a shot in the entire second half as his Baltimore Elite squad made their furious comeback. Kam Williams is a scoring machine and not enough high major programs have looked past his lack of elite size to realize that yet.

Alex Schwartz caught up with Williams on Friday night as the Red Hot Williams is Picking Up Recruiting Interest and he proved once again this weekend that more high majors should be in pursuit.
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NIKE EYBL SESSION #2 – BOO WILLIAMS (DAY II)

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

After a short day on Friday, the Boo Williams Invitational found its sea legs with a long day of hoops of Saturday. Action was fast and furious with the majority being the 17U Nike EYBL games with a little bit of 16U and 15U sprinkled in. Mobs of players had big performances in the star filled field and here are a few that NBE had the pleasure of viewing.

Top Performance of the Day:

Tyus Jones (Howard Pulley Panthers 2014) – Jones is the best point guard in America and showed all the reasons why in a masterful performance on Saturday night. A college head coach will be able to turn the ball over to Jones immediately as a freshman and be able to completely trust the young man. He plays with a maturity that is almost surreal for such a young player seemingly making the correct decision with the basketball every time down the floor. Jones can shoot it with range but only does so when the defense calls for it. He can slip passes into the tightest of windows on the money but only does so when the defense takes away an easier option. Perhaps most impressive was how every one of Jones’ passes seemed to land right in the hands of his teammate putting them in a position to score. Jones has a unique understanding of exactly where his teammates want the ball and he puts it right there. His recruitment with be crucial to the entire 2014 class because elite players are going to want to play alongside the elite playmaker. Tyus Jones is a bona fide stud.
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NIKE EYBL SESSION #2 – BOO WILLIAMS (DAY I)

By Brian Bosworth

The Boo Williams tournament got underway on Friday night and with it the second session of Nike’s EYBL circuit. The amount of sheer talent in the gym was almost overwhelming as all eight courts were filled with future division 1 players all night long. Even in a field loaded with star power some players managed to separate themselves from the pack and here is sampling of Friday night’s best.

Top Performance of the Night:

Tahj Shamsid-Deen (Southern Stampede 2013) – Shamsid-Deen made a name for himself last weekend as the EYBL circuit kicked off in Minneapolis and continued his strong play Friday night. The 5’10” lefty point guard was deadly pulling up from midrange going in either direction. He used a quick first step to create space and then elevated over defenders to get off jump shots from 8-18 feet. While impressive scoring the ball for the majority of the game, Shamsid-Deen showed his true worth in the final moments with his team trailing by a point and 15 seconds on the clock. Southern Stampede ran an iso set for Shamsid-Deen and as he had done all game he got a step on his defender and pulled up from 10 feet. The ball slipped through the net giving Southern Stampede a one point lead and ultimately a victory. Both his desire to take the shot and ability to make it in that big spot spoke volumes about Shamsid-Deen’s leadership and accountability at the point guard spot.
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HOT WEEKEND FOR XAVIER RATHAN-MAYES IN EYBL TRANSLATES TO HOT RECRUIT

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Xavier Rathan-Mayes of CIA Bounce put on an offensive show this past weekend in the opening leg of Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League in Minneapolis (MN). The timing could not have been better as the NCAA reinstated the April open evaluation period and college coaches were in the building to see Rathan-Mayes fill it up all weekend.

All in all 40 NIKE affiliated AAU teams participated in the opening weekend and CIA Bounce was one of just six to finish the weekend with a 4-0 record. Rathan-Mayes finsihed the four games with an 18 points per game average, good enough to be tied for 7th in the league in scoring overall.

“It felt great to be able perform in front of the coaches, it’s an opportunity I’ve prepared for all my life since I was a small kid” Rathan-Mayes told NBE this morning, “[and it] felt great being out there with the guys winning games.”
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IMPRESSIVE ’13 PF DEVIN WILLIAMS DRAWING COACHES AT JAMFEST

by Alex Schwartz

PITTSBURGH — One of the players who really impressed during the second day of the Pitt Jam Fest was Devin Williams of the Ohio Basketball Club. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound power forward imposed his will down low and went to work down low in a victory over SEBL.

After the game, NBE Sports caught up with the class of 2013 standout from Withrow (OH) High School to discuss his recruitment.

Williams provided a school list that included Xavier, UCLA, West Virginia, Ohio State, Baylor, USC, Indiana, DePaul, and Illinois. He noted that there are others involved that he could not recall and claims offers from all of those schools except for Ohio State.

“No, not at this moment,” Williams said of whether he has any favorites. “I should have some during June though, because during the dead period I’ll get out and see some schools.”

Which schools specifically will Williams be checking out? “Out on the West Coast, gonna see UCLA and USC,” he said, adding that he will also visit some Midwest schools, specially naming Illinois.

Williams has yet to take any college visits, but there is a school whose coaches he has the best relationship.

“I talk to the Xavier coach a lot,” Williams said, noting, “My school is about five minutes away, right down the street. [I talk to] Chris Mack, and Travis Steele too.”

Xavier is amongst the schools that Williams said is coming at him the hardest right now. He mentioned UCLA, USC, Xavier, DePaul, West Virginia, and Illinois as the ones that fit that description.

Williams also spoke about what he is looking for in a college.

“Really just development, just helping me be more [effective] . . . with my back to the basket, just get developed,” Williams said.

The Buckeye State standout noted that location does not matter to him, as he is fine with the West Coast, the Midwest or the East Coast.

Williams said that he feels rebounding is the strongest part of his game, while ball handling and athleticism are his primary weaknesses on the hardwood.

Before concluding the interview, Williams had couple things to add.

“I’m just up and coming,” he said. “Trying to make on a name for myself.”

If Saturday evening was any indication, then Williams is certainly doing a mighty fine job of doing so.

THE HOOP GROUP’S PITTSBURGH JAMFEST: DAY TWO

By Brian Batko

A full slate of games on Saturday at the Hoop Group Pittsburgh Jam Fest meant a lot more players in action, a lot more eye-opening performances, and a lot more recruiting updates. Below is a rundown of all the players from various classes that NBE caught up with on Saturday at the Jam Fest:

Andrew Harrison (Houston Defenders, 2013, Travis HS) – Regarded as a top five player in 2013, Harrison did nothing to prove otherwise on Saturday. The 6’5” point guard handled the rock, showed off his nasty crossover and great vision, and was able to get his shot off whenever and wherever he wanted. He and his twin brother Harrison listed a top four of Kentucky, Maryland, Villanova, and Baylor but said that doesn’t mean that another school can’t still get into the picture with them.

Aaron Harrison (Houston Defenders, 2013, Travis HS) – Not quite as quick and smooth as his brother, Aaron prefers to play off the ball, spotting up for threes and also attacking the rim. He and Andrew are 100 percent a package deal at the college level, according to them, and whichever school ultimately lands this dynamic duo better have plenty of minutes to go around in the backcourt.
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ISAIAH WHITEHEAD HAS SYRACUSE ATOP HIS LIST, OTHERS IN HOT PURSUIT

Isaiah Whitehead, of the top guards in the Class of 2014, said that Syracuse is currently at the top of his list of schools.

Whitehead said that Arizona, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, St. John’s and UCLA are also very involved while Arizona, Pitt, St. John’s and UCLA have all offered.

The 6-foot-4, 190-pound guard cited Syracuse’s fan base, system and atmosphere when explaining why the school is currently his favorite. He added that he’s looking for a program with a good coach who is also a good teacher.

“I want a program that will be good down the road, not just good right now, because I won’t be in college next year,” he said.

As for style of play, Whitehead said he wants to play on a team that is uptempo, but that is also balanced because he likes to run through plays and screens.

While his list of schools stretches across the country geographically, he said that location will not be a deciding factor.

Whitehead added that he wants to make a decision by the end of his junior year.

Whitehead, who said he will play two-guard on college, averaged 18 points, five rebounds and five assists for Lincoln High School in New York City this season.

He said the strength of his game is his pull-up jumper, while he needs to work on driving to the basket under control.

Broad-shouldered and strong, Whitehead didn’t play particularly well on Saturday for the Juice All-Stars after earning high praise for his Friday night showing, but showed that he could get his shot off at will. He was impressive when driving to the basket, but often struggled to finish.

THE HOOP GROUP’S PITTSBURGH JAMFEST: DAY ONE

By Brian Batko

The Hoop Group Jamfest rolled into Pittsburgh Friday night with several intriguing 1st and 2nd round games in the 17 and under and 16 and under divisions. Many of the games were blowouts, as the elite teams were mostly matched up with the lower level squads for the early rounds, but there were still some high level players in action on Friday. Teams like Sports U/Team Izod’s 16U, Atlanta Xpress 17U, and DC Assault Gold 17U are littered with Division 1 prospects who put forth impressive performances, albeit in limited action.

Karl Towns (Sports U 16U, 2015, St. Joseph Metuchen) – Only a freshman, Towns was easily the most talented player on the floor in Sports U’s 65-38 win over Blaze (WV), grabbing any rebound he wanted to and clogging the lane with his 6’10” frame. While not the most physically imposing Sports U big man – that would be 6’8” 2014 power forward Quadri Moore – Towns showed why he’s going to be one of the hottest names in the 2015 class. He’s still very thin at this point but his perimeter skills are awfully promising for such a young post player. Offensively, especially on the low block, Towns is still somewhat raw. He was forced into a travel after one catch in the post and failed to get position in the halfcourt a couple times. The rising sophomore also needs to get much stronger, as he was fouled multiple times by much smaller players and was unable to finish inside. The good news on that front, though, is that Towns is an excellent free throw shooter, going 6-6 at the line with great form. His free throw shooting ability translates to the outside, as well, where he has a nice stroke from beyond the arc. Towns, who finished with a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds, went 1-3 from downtown, hitting one from a few feet behind the line. Defensively, his natural gifts make him an intimidating shot blocker, but he also has very active hands and was able to get a steal or two in trapping situations. Despite his aggressiveness, Towns does a pretty good job of avoiding fouls, which is encouraging for a young prospect. Competing with and against players a year older than him – and in front of Jamie Dixon (Pitt), Bill Carmody (Northwestern), and a slew of other college coaches – Towns proved himself a (literally) big name in the class of 2015.
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AREA CODES EASTER CLASSIC REVIEW

By Raphielle Johnson

This past weekend the sixth annual Easter Classic was played at multiple locations in Phoenix. It was a good opportunity to check out some of the better talents in the region, with teams from New Mexico and California also taking part.

And with some of the top prospects showing up it was a good opportunity to ask recruits an important question when it comes to basketball on the West Coast:

What’s wrong with the Pac-12?

The league’s been down for a couple of years now, and with 11 of the conference’s top 20 scorers from this past season moving on there will be a lot of pressure on some highly touted newcomers to pick things up (Arizona likely being the team many pick to win the conference next season).

2013 wing Payton Banks, who played at Orange Lutheran with Arizona signee Gabe York, feels that the conference will bounce back in 2012-13 and the Wildcats are a big reason why.

“[This year] was a bad year for the Pac-12, but this year will change a lot,” remarked Banks when I asked him the question.

2014 point guard Brian Beard and 2013 forward Chancey Hill both pointed to recruiting as the biggest problem for the conference, with Beard citing conference teams being outworked by the likes of Long Beach State and San Diego State while Hill said that the conference needs more diversity (geographically speaking) in recruiting.

Personally speaking, the recruiting issue is where the problem lies when it comes to the caliber of play in the Pac-12 in recent years. Lots of teams throughout the country have players leave school for the NBA after one or two seasons, making those recruits expected to spend three and four years on campus even more important.

Look at national champion Kentucky. While one could definitely argue that the Wildcats were talented enough to win with their youngsters this season, there’s no ignoring the role that senior Darius Miller played on that team. And from a recruiting standpoint there’s Kentucky and then everyone else she looking at who’s coming in annually.

Arizona and Indiana both welcome in outstanding classes this summer, but John Calipari and his staff do a good enough job to bring in a new team that can contend for a national title every year.

If you’re not able to do that you’d better be able to get a good mix onto campus, and that hasn’t happened for the Pac-12 outside of Arizona’s Elite Eight run in 2011. Can the conference come back? Sure it can, provided they win some important recruiting battles for the best talent on the West Coast.

But it’s also going to take the development of players who don’t fall into the “one and done” or two-year categories. That can’t be forgotten when discussing what the conference needs to do in order to return to the pinnacle of western basketball while also regaining national respect.

As for the action there were some high-level products on display, and below are updates on their recruitment along with other standouts this weekend.

G Payton Banks (2013)

Banks is a high-level wing who is on the radar of many of the top teams on the West Coast. A versatile guard with size, when Banks decides to attack the basket with authority he’s a tough player to deal with. That’s the key for him: being in attack mode consistently. Banks holds offers from Arizona State, Colorado, Penn State, USC, UTEP, Washington and Washington State.

G Brian Beard (2014)

The 2014 pass-first point guard was solid if not spectacular for the Compton Magic Black. Speaking with Beard on Saturday, he says that his goal this summer is to improve his perimeter shooting and thus become a bigger threat to opponents offensively. Recently the schools who have shown “medium-to-high” interest are Marquette, Oregon State and San Diego State with none having offered.

G Richaud Gittens (2013)

Gittens is one of three players on the Arizona Stars who stood out this past weekend, displaying some very good athleticism in the open floor. A left-hand dominant player right now, Gittens wants to improve his right this spring/summer. He’s looking for a bigger school that plays an up-tempo style of basketball, and currently has received interest from Colorado State, Drake, UCSB and Weber State. Obviously with his goal being to land at a larger institution this is going to be a big summer for him.

F Chauncey Hill (2013)

The Fairfax product had a good weekend in Phoenix, showing off a high-level motor and finishing ability above the rim. The key for Hill will be how he goes about expanding his offensive repertoire, something than can also be said for club teammate Jordan Bell (who played with ICP in a different event this week). Speaking with Hill, who said that he tries to model his game after Kenneth Faried, he’s looking to become more of a wing player skill-wise as he spends the majority of his time in the paint. Boasting a mohawk that’s dyed blonde on top, Hill has received interest from Colorado, Fresno State, Marquette, San Diego State and Washington but no offers as of yet.

G Jaron Hopkins (2013)

Hopkins is one of the best perimeter prospects on the West Coast; how he’s been unranked by multiple scouting sites is one mystery that’s difficult to explain. If Hopkins gets a step on his defender he’s going to the rim and he’s going with authority. He says he’s been attempting 500-600 jumpers a day in hopes of improving that aspect of his game. Hopkins currently holds offers from the likes of Boise State, Colorado, Colorado State, Pennsylvania, Penn State, San Francisco and Washington State, with interest from Harvard, Stanford and UCLA. Hopkins is aware of the coaching situation at Colorado State (Tim Miles moving on to Nebraska) but that’s something he’s left to his father, also noting that Miles has been in contact with his father since taking over at Nebraska.

G Dorian Pickens (2014)

Pickens is a smooth wing who was able to score in a variety of ways for the Arizona Stars. The recent recipient of an offer from Arizona State, Pickens knocked down perimeter jumpers while also showing off his mid-range game. He’ll need to get better at attacking the basket so opponents can’t play him too close, and he says he’ll also be working at becoming a better defender. He’s looking for a school with good academics that provides a family atmosphere while playing an up-tempo style of basketball. In addition to the ASU offer, Arizona, Boston College and Indiana have shown early interest. When asked if the high number of transfers at Arizona State (12 in three years) would affect how he viewed Herb Sendek’s program Pickens said no, stating that he’s just going to focus on how he meshes with the coaching staff.

F Pablo Rivas (2014)

Rivas is a 6-6 forward with very good athleticism as he’s also a wide receiver for his high school’s football team. And despite his wiry frame Rivas showed off some of the physicality gained from playing football, as he was more than willing to bang with opposing big men. Rivas runs the floor well and has room for growth from a skill standpoint; another summer spent working on his game could yield positive results when it comes to what he’ll be able to do offensively. Looking to major in engineering in college (mechanical and computer being the two disciplines he’s most interested in), Northern Colorado has shown some interest in Rivas. He did say that his “dream school” is Memphis, but this is going to be a big summer for him in terms of improving his skill set if he wants to draw the attention of the future Big East member.

F Paul Watson (2013)

Watson was solid but had a tough weekend due to the fact that he had to play center. To say the least the wing prospect who has received offers from high major programs is not a center. Watson’s a good scorer from multiple areas on the floor but for his sake hopefully they can get some size to help him out. But that doesn’t mean that Watson isn’t’ using this as an opportunity to add to his game, as he’s working on a turnaround jumper and a sweep-through move. Watson currently holds offers from Arizona State, Boise State, Fresno State, Oregon State and Texas Tech, and Arizona, Duke, New Mexico State, UNLV and USC have shown varying levels of interest.

Other Players of Note

G Bryce Alford (2013)

The New Mexico verbal commitment may be known by many for his famous lineage, but he’s a very good player in his own right. Alford played off the ball for much of the weekend, doing a good job of finding looks on the perimeter. Needs a little more work creating off the dribble but to be fair he didn’t man the point much for the Danny Granger Hurricanes.

G Malcolm Allen and G Marcus Allen (2013)

Twins from Las Vegas, these two played well this weekend alongside Jaron Hopkins and Paul Watson. Both are good athletes, with Malcolm showing a little better when it came to getting to the basket. Keep an eye on these two as the spring/summer rolls on, and that should be easy to do given the attention being heaped upon Hopkins and Watson from a recruiting standpoint.

G Sedrick Barefield (2015)

A member of the Compton Magic’s 2015 squad, Barefield is going to be one of the best guards in the country regardless of class by the time he’s a senior. Already ranked among the best guards in his class, Barefield is very good at finding quality looks. Good handle, good shooting form and a solid defender as well.

F Joe Boyd (2013)

The former New Mexico State verbal has bulked up some to match his 6-9 height, and he’s got the strength needed to bang inside. Still has to work on his mid-range jumper and free throw shooting, but he’ll be a good get for someone at the low to mid-major level with a solid spring/summer. At last check (a couple of months ago) New Mexico State remains high on his list, although depending on what happens with Marvin Menzies and the Colorado State opening maybe that changes.

F Kendall Lauderdale (2015)

He’s with Barefield on a Compton Magic 2015 team that recruiting fans are going to want to keep track of in the coming years. Already standing at 6-7, Lauderdale displayed a very good motor in the paint and good athleticism as well. Having his jersey ripped to the point where it looked like something Tarzan would wear didn’t slow him down either (they eventually gave him a new jersey. He’ll be one of the many high-major products on this roster with continued growth and development.

G Dikembe Martin (2016)

Martin can get to the basket off the dribble and while he’s got some work to do on his perimeter shot he was able to knock down a few jumpers as well. His best work may have come in the distribution area, where he set up fellow 2016 prospects Jace Rivera and Martin Tombe inside. This was as part of a Compton Magic 2016 class team that managed to beat a 17U squad on Saturday, and they’re only going to get better.

G Bubba Mears (2012)

Mears hasn’t been able to drum up enough interest scholarship-wise but the 5-9 point guard is a good athlete who also played football in high school. To describe Mears as a “bulldog” defensively would be more than accurate, as he helped lead the Tucson Heat seniors past the Compton Magic Black on Saturday afternoon. Offensively he did a good job of running the show, setting up teammates for quality looks while also using his quickness to get to the basket. Not sure if he goes D-1 due to the height, but he’d be a good late addition for a team in need of a point guard.

G Cullen Neal (2013)

Like teammate Bryce Alford, Neal’s the son of a coach (UNM assistant Craig Neal) who can also get the job done on the court. Neal, a Saint Mary’s verbal, was on the ball for most of the weekend for the Danny Granger Hurricanes and while his shot selection left something to be desired at times there’s no doubt that he can make plays. He’s got good size for a point guard, and he’ll be a very good addition when he steps onto the SMC campus next summer.

G Jeff Van Dyke (2013)

He was one of the good perimeter shooters on a tough Gamepoint 17U Black squad. Very good in catch and shoot situations this past weekend, Van Dyke was also able to create some good looks off of the dribble as well. High-major 2013 big Kameron Rooks didn’t play with them this weekend, which likely opened some things up for Gamepoint’s other 2013 prospects. 2012 wing Nathan Wright spent most of his time inside as a result.

F Arren Wells (2012)

While Alford and Neal are the headliners for the Danny Granger Hurricanes they’ve got some good 2012 big men who are still on the market with Wells being one of them. A good athlete who can finish above the rim, Wells had no problem getting physical inside. Not sure what level he ends up playing at as a college freshman, but with the first open evaluation period coming up in less than two weeks western teams in need of some late size should make it a priority to check in on the Hurricanes.

NJ PLAYAZ SPRING FLING REPORT — PART II

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

After a small slate of games Thursday night the 2012 Spring Fling came back with a long, full day on Friday. Pool play wrapped up, playoffs began, and contenders were separated from pretenders. Here is a sampling of the incredible level of talent of hand.

Top Performance of the Day:

Kuran Iverson (NY Lightning 2013) – Iverson is a name that’s been on the recruiting front for a few years already and he’s developed a reputation as an elite talent who struggles with consistency and doesn’t always utilize his natural gifts. Today he was sensational. Name a high level play that can be made on a basketball court and Kuran Iverson made it today. He rebounded above the rim. He blocked multiple shots in the lane. He went coast to coast and dunked on a defender. He made 4-5 perfect no look passes. He beat defenders off the dribble and finished in the lane. He hammered down a couple ridiculous alley-oops. When Iverson plays with energy and effort as he did today, he is basically unstoppable. His perimeter shot is still inconsistent at best and he settles for it too often but when he’s in attack mode on both ends of the floor like today Iverson is special.
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HOOPHALL CLASSIC 2012: WEEKEND’S TOP PERFORMERS

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Now that the 2012 Hoophall Classic has come to a close and I’ve had a few days to process all the basketball I saw it’s time to compile player rankings from the weekend’s performances. Below you will see players ranked by class based solely on their performance from the Hoophall Classic. These rankings are not an opinion on players overall game or potential but rather on the way they performed in Springfield.

2012 Player Rankings:

1) Shabazz Muhammad (Bishop Gorman) – Muhammad only strengthened his place as the top overall player in the 2012 class for his efficient 37 point performance.

2) Kaleb Tarczewski (St Mark’s) – signed with Arizona – In an event loaded with top big men Tarczewski stood out as the top low post offensive option.

3) Katin Reinhardt (Mater Dei) – signed with UNLV – The future Runnin’ Rebel put on an offensive show knocking down nine 3 pointers en route to 35 points in a blowout victory.

4) Kyle Anderson (St Anthony) – signed with UCLA – Anderson’s fingerprints have been all over every one of St Anthony’s 44 consecutive victories and Monday was no different as he compiled 18 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals.
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HOOPHALL CLASSIC 2012: MONDAY RECAP

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The 2012 Hoophall Classic came to a close on Monday highlighted by four national games all broadcast live on national television. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and Kentucky front man John Calipari were front and center all day each flagged by two assistants. They were joined by a host of other coaches all trying to make an impression on the many uncommitted talents in action. While Shabazz Muhammad, Jabari Parker, Tony Parker, and others were the focus of these coaches, a senior guard who has already made his college decision stole the show and he receives top billing today.

Top Performer:

Katin Reinhardt (Mater Dei 2012) – signed with UNLV – After watching Reinhardt for a week at the City of Palms in Florida last month I came away seriously underwhelmed. He struck me as a player that forced shots, was careless with the ball, and cared more about making the flashy play than the right play. After dropping 35 points on a Hoophall Classic record tying nine three-pointers it’s safe to say he has changed my mind. Reinhardt got in the flow early with an easy dunk and once he found a rhythm the shots just kept falling and falling. Equally adapt off the catch or the dribble he made shots from well beyond the college 3 point line and was able to get enough elevation on his shot to make them over defenders. Not exclusively a shooter (although it was clearly his calling card today) Reinhardt used a low, tight crossover to get in the lane and finished a pair of floaters over help defenders. He also showed passion and aggression on the defensive end forcing Uconn commit Omar Calhoun into a miserable 6-22 shooting day. For now I’m willing to label Reinhardt a streaky shooter that has the ability to single handedly take over a game when he’s on a hot streak. If he can string together consistent performances like today’s I’ll be forced to simply label him a great shooter.
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HOOPHALL CLASSIC 2012: SATURDAY RECAP

After two days filled with local contests and a sampling of girl’s games, the Hoophall Classic took to the national stage on the boys side Saturday. Traditional powers like Oak Hill Academy, Gonzaga College Prep, St. Patrick’s and DeMatha Catholic headlined the action at Blake Arena in Springfield. Many players improved their stock on Saturday but none more than an undersized big man from Gonzaga College Prep.

Top Performer:

Kris Jenkins (Gonzaga 2013) – Jenkins had a breakout performance on national TV a week ago at the Cancer Research Classic in Wheeling, West Virginia and backed it up today at the Hoophall Classic by dominating an individual matchup with Riverside’s Ricardo Gathers. Jenkins is 6’6” at best but still has great strength for the power forward position. This allows him to hold his own defensively while causing all kinds of problems for opponents on the offensive end. He did the majority of his damage on midrange jumpers but showed that his range extends to the 3 point line knocking down a pair of triples. Jenkins was productive from the opening tip until the final whistle not even allowing an errant Ricardo Gathers elbow to the face to slow him down. After scoring at will on top 10 sophomore Jahlil Okafor and top 30 senior Ricardo Gathers in the past week, it’s safe to say that Jenkins can contribute at the high major level.
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CRC CLASSIC: ANYA, LYLES SHINE IN DEMATHA WIN OVER NEUMANN-GORETTI

By Ray Mernagh

DeMatha Catholic was led by the inside muscle of Beejay Anya and the outside shooting touch of Jairus Lyles in a 62-47 win over Philadelphia’s Neumann-Goretti. The Class of 2013 duo each scored 17 points in the win with Syracuse-commit Jerami Grant adding 14. As a team, Dematha was 26-43 from the field, setting a CRC CLassic record by making 60.5% of their shots from the floor.

Neumann-Goretti sophomore Ja’Quan Newton scored 16 in the loss to lead the Saints.

Following the game NBE got the chance to catch up with a few of the big guns for DeMatha to talk recruiting and more…

Beejay Anya 6’9″ 2013 Center

Anya has lost a severe amount of weight over the last several months….and that’s a good thing! My guess is that he’s dropped 30 pounds if not more and the result is a dominating presence in the post both defensively and offensively. Anya had 3 blocks before I could write anything and just continued from that point. He’s unquestionably the Stags best player and it’s not really close. Anya scored over each shoulder, rebounded and defended with a physical preference that probably had Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon salivating as he watched courtside. Anya finished with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 7 blocks and is being courted by just about everybody in the country.
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