LSU Recruiting

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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LAS VEGAS AAU WEEKEND UPDATE: FLORIDA RAMS FLEX MUSCLES; RECRUITING UPDATES GALORE

By Raphielle Johnson

The first open weekend of the spring/summer meant action throughout the country, including Las Vegas with Sin City hosting three events. The biggest of the three was the adidas VIP Exclusive Run, which featured most of the nation’s best programs under the three stripes banner.

The program that stole the show this weekend at adidas was the Florida Rams, whose 16u and 17u teams both won championships. The 17 and under team is well-known by this point, as they’re led by one of the country’s top prospects in the 2013 class in Chris Walker.

A slender forward who can run the floor and finish with the best of them, Walker played well on both ends of the floor for much of the weekend and likely had one of the early frontrunners for dunk of the AAU season. But he had plenty of help as well, especially from Florida commit Kasey Hill.

The 2013 point guard ran the show for the Rams, displaying the ability to get to the basket off the bounce at will. Hill also did a good job of distributing the basketball, setting up Walker and Kansas commit Brannen Greene frequently.
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Mernagh: Trent Johnson’s Still Hot…Despite Results

Back when he took the LSU job four years ago, Trent Johnson’s career resembled that of a craps player on a hot streak.

Johnson had built Nevada into a decent situation — he went a pedestrian 79-74 there overall — but his last season was the culmination of that building process as the Wolfpack caught lightening and rode it all the way to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. That last year saw the school from Reno post a 25-9 record that along with their March run, thrust their coach into the limelight. Johnson did what almost any coach does when the perfect situation happens and things just come together, he bounced for the better offer.

Johnson looked at his first four years in Reno, years that resulted in steady win increases of 9-to-10-to-17-to-18, looked at his star Kirk Snyder who had helped him churn out those 25 dubs about to be drafted into the NBA, and turned to his assistant Mark Fox and said “best of luck brother, I’m heading to Palo Alto!”

The players that Johnson left behind, Nick Fazekas and Marcelus Kemp plus the incoming Ramon Sessions, kept Nevada on top of the WAC for the next several years and Fox was able to eventually grab the job at Georgia because of their efforts. Johnson led the Cardinal to 3 NCAA berths in four years but the ride wasn’t without its bumps. Two of those tournament teams sported only 18 wins and went out in the first round of action, while his final Stanford squad reeled off 28 victories and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. Johnson then made what seemed like a really odd move to almost everyone, he left Stanford to go to LSU. The same LSU that had just fired a coach who was but two years removed from leading the Bayou Bengals to the Final Four.

Johnson’s first season was an immediate success as the Tigers went 27-8 and 13-3 in the SEC. His next two years were dreadful as LSU experienced back-to-back 11-20 seasons with a combined 5 SEC wins. This season saw some improvement as they went 18-14 and 7-9 in the league. After the season ended Johnson learned that his best front-court player was going to bolt for the NBA draft, a departure that would make next year’s Tigers extremely undersized. Then, just like that, things started looking up for Trent Johnson.

TCU lost a good coach in Jim Christian because he saw the writing on the wall. The Horned Frogs were improving but were also heading into the Big 12, and it was obvious they weren’t ponying up the resources needed to compete while Christian was still on the job (the man who had hired Christian was no longer in charge). It was just a matter of time before Christian would be getting his walking papers. Christian returned to his roots, and a better job, when he took over for John Groce at Ohio, reviving his career in the process.

With their Christian problem solved for them, TCU inquired with the usual names who wanted nothing to do with a difficult job no matter how much cash they were offering. That’s when Trent Johnson’s phone rang and TCU turned, ironically, to a coach who was arguably in a more precarious position than the one they just watched leave.

Trent Johnson went 58-59 in his four years at LSU and was 25-39 in the SEC.

He just accepted the job as head basketball coach at TCU and will be announced tomorrow.

For that he will be paid $2 million dollars a year.

As one coach so succinctly put it earlier today in a text to me — “It’s a crazy business, guy got his ass beat for the last three years, is on the verge of getting fired, and he gets a new job for two million a year!”

Trent Johnson just rolled another winner.

2012 NATIONAL PREP SCHOOL INVITATIONAL — DAY THREE

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By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

With most college programs having games of their own on Saturday fewer coaches were on hand at Rhode Island College to take in the action but that didn’t stop the players from putting on a show. The best game of the day and arguably the weekend thus far was between New Hampton Prep and Canarias Basketball Academy. Canarias got out to a lead using their incredible size and strength but New Hampton came storming back to force overtime. New Hampton had lost stud sophomore Noah Vonleh to five fouls towards the end of regulation and it caught up with them in the extra session as Canarias prevailed 82-77. Despite coming up five points short on the scoreboard New Hampton had the top individual performance of the day from a somewhat unlikely source.

Top Performer of the Day:

Olivier Hanlon (New Hampton 2012) – committed to Boston College – Of the 10-12 times I’ve seen Hanlon play both with New Hampton and on the summer circuit with Albany City Rocks today clearly stands out as his best overall performance. The 6’2” physical point guard carried his team on his back for the entire 2nd half and overtime session by scoring and creating for others. Hanlon is at his best in screen and roll sets where he turns the corner aggressively and attacks the lane. In those situations he scored with the floater, got all the way to the rim, drew fouls on Canarias’ bigs, and found open teammates on the perimeter. New Hampton ran the same high ball screen seemingly every time down in the 2nd half and Canarias never found an answer for Hanlon’s fearlessness turning the corner. He also showed off his 3 point stroke as he played off the ball at times and knocked them down in catch and shoot situations. Just as impressive as his offense is Hanlon’s intensity and ball pressure on the defensive end. He never takes a possession off on that end and got multiple steals with his quick footwork and great hands. Boston College fans should look forward to a bulldog at the point guard for the next four years.
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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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CITY OF PALMS REPORT — DAY ONE

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The City of Palms Classic got underway at Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, Florida on Friday afternoon. In its 39th year of existence the City of Palms is unquestionably the top high school holiday tournament in America bringing in top teams from coast to coast. This year is no different as headlining teams span the nation including Montverde Academy (FL), Bishop Gorman (NV), Mater Dei (CA), Arlington Grace Prep (TX), and Miller Grove (GA.) Plenty of top young talent showed off on Friday and the headliners are outlined below.

Top Performer of the Day:

Anthony Perez (Montverde Academy 2012) – signed with Mississippi – Perez has long been thought of as a very talented big man who could have a very high ceiling is his skills came together. After his performance tonight, it would appear they are starting to come together. At a slender 6’9” Perez did two things very well tonight; he made long distance shots and he attacked the offensive glass. Montverde ran him through stagger screens on offense to create perimeter looks and he knocked them down with regularity. He also got countless offensive rebounds by using his length and a non-stop motor that frustrated the opposition. Perez even hit a pair of midrange jumpers after shot faking the deep ball and using a couple dribbles to create space. He looked every bit the part of an impact player for Ole Miss down the road.
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TANVEER BHULLAR POISED FOR A BIG RECRUITMENT

College basketball is becoming more and more of a guard’s game. So when a prospect comes along standing 7-foot-3 and weighing 315 pounds entering his junior year of high school plenty of debate ensues in regard to his place in the game. This is nothing new to Tanveer Bhullar who actually saw his older (and bigger) brother Sim go through the process. Like his brother, expect Tanveer to be one of the most evaluated, and debated, prospects in the country in the 2013 class.

“Obviously with the similarities in body type it’s natural that people are going to compare Tanveer to Sim,” 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, told NBE this morning. “They both have very similar strengths. Great hands, great touch, and great size.”
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2011 ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK (PART 8): DEVONTA POLLARD, TJ WARREN & BRANDON BOLDEN

By Alex Schwartz

WARREN SET FOR NORTH CAROLINA VISIT

Quite simply, T.J. Warren is a lethal scorer. One of the best players in the nation when it comes to putting the ball in the hole, Warren can hurt you in a number of ways. As a 6-foot-7 small forward, he has great height on the wing and with his thick build he can overpower defenders. Warren is a good enough athlete who is adept and navigating through traffic and finishing at the rim. He handles the ball well and is nearly impossible to stop from getting to the cup when he catches the ball on the wing. Warren has a nice mid-range game and can hit the pull-up or a floater. He can also connect on shots from beyond the arc, though he is inconsistent in that area. Warren is not overly quick and could slim down just a bit as well as improve on the defensive end.

Warren, a native of North Carolina who will attend Brewster Academy for his senior season, listed Georgetown, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Kansas, Kentucky and Louisville.
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2011 ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK (PART 3): GARY HARRIS IMPRESSES; JERAMI GRANT UPDATE & AQUILLE CAR TALKS RECRUITING & MORE UPDATES

By Alex Schwartz

As things begin to head towards the climax in Las Vegas the action in Orlando continues to heat up. More and more of the nation’s attention will turn to the sunshine state in the recruiting world. NBE continues to be ahead of the game with continued coverage from the land of Mickey. On Sunday the 17U pool play got going with an impressive slate of games while the 16U Super Showcase playoff action got underway.

Here are some player evals and recruiting updates from Aquille Carr, Gary Harris, Kennedy Meeks, Jerami Grant, Marcus Hunt, Robert Carter and Sindarius Thornwell to highlight the action occurring in Orlando…

Aquille Carr listed offers from Syracuse, Memphis, Wake Forest, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Texas, LSU, Texas A&M, and Connecticut. His favorites at this point are Wake Forest, Syracuse and UConn.
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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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RICARDO GATHERS SHOWS BIG AT NBA TOP 100; PLENTY OF BIG EAST INTEREST & MORE

By Ron Bailey

Ricardo Gathers, 6’7”, 250 lb senior power forward, Riverside Academy (LA) – If there was a BIG EAST prototypical four man, a guy that at first blush one would say belongs in the nation’s most physical league it’s Gathers, who looks like he might be very comfortable attacking quarterbacks from the defensive end position. Despite reportedly claiming he doesn’t push iron, Gathers looks as if he lives in the weight room.

It’s evident to say he’s a physical beast on the hardwood.

“I’m a power man. I can play finesse but I mean, I’m bulling everybody” he said of his NBAPA Top 100 Camp play. It was an accurate description, as Gathers routinely muscled his way into scoring and rebounding position, while also playing stout interior defense.

But that doesn’t mean he’s wed to only playing that way.

“That’s when I’m going to start using my mind, thinking it out more” responded Ricardo to the need for diversification in college. “You know, finessing people.”

Doing so dovetails with his goal to “try and become the three (small forward) by the time I set foot on the college campus”. He understands that work needs to be done. Subsequently, Gathers indicated “I have to live in this gym; just watch the players at that position, so you can learn.”

Ricardo on whether hitting jumpers from around 15 feet and attacking the rim off a couple of dribbles is advantageous: “Of course. A 15-17 foot jumper is going to help; I’m mean that just makes the game a whole lot easier. Then being able to beat your defender off at least one or two dribbles, I mean, that’s just domination right there. 15 feet in, that’s what I’m trying to work on.”

The shooting work is starting to show; while not draining outside shots left and right, Gathers did hit open ones from about 17 feet, including fast break pull ups.

Where do schools envision him playing? “Some say four, some say three” he shared.

BIG EAST institutions “St. John’s, West Virginia, Syracuse, UConn, Seton Hall, South Florida” are recruiting him, and have offered according to him, as have “LSU, Texas, Baylor, USC, Cal, Arizona” and others. The choice will be made “Probably my decision after the summer, like mid-Fall maybe” with “atmosphere, would I love being there if I wasn’t playing basketball” as “It’s not guaranteed, I might get hurt or anything. And then just academics and stuff” driving the decision. Ricardo expects to major in “finance or something.”

Does he think favorably of the B-EAST?

“It’s tough. (Great) Preparation for the NBA” was the response. “Eighteen teams in one conference, I mean it doesn’t get any better than that.”

NIKE EYBL – LOS ANGELES: SATURDAY RUNDOWN

By Raphielle Johnson

The third round of the Nike EYBL tipped off on Saturday, and there’s an awful lot on the line for many of the 40 teams taking part. The top 24 following the three rounds move on to the Nike Peach Jam in early July, making the games at Hangar Athletic Xchange that much more important.

The big matchups of the day wouldn’t come until the evening session of Saturday’s action, with a battle between BABC and Mac Irvin Fire kicking things off. The game provided an opportunity to watch 2013 big man Nerlens Noel and 2014 prospect Jahlil Okafor go head to head, and while there’s only a year’s difference between the two it was rather apparent which one was more prepared for the moment.

Noel, a rangy big man who at this stage in his development is better as a defender, got the better of this matchup in BABC’s 66-54 win. Noel finished with 13 points while also blocking a number of shots and sparking a late first-half run with a thunderous dunk over Okafor. BABC led by seven at the half, and thanks to solid performances from Iowa State commit Georges Niang (20 points) and 2012 guard Domonique Bull (12 points) were able to withstand Mac Irvin’s second half charge.

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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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MORE PRIMETIME SHOOTOUT RECRUITING NOTES

Last weekend’s Primetime Shootout annually brings an impressive collection of high school basketball talent to New Jersey to compete over the course of two or three days. This year the venue moved to Union (NJ) on the campus of Kean University. Here is some of the previous coverage from Matt Whitfield for NBE from his time covering the 2011 version of the event:

- 2011 Primetime Shootout – Friday Night Notes
- Findlay Prep Trio Hot Prospects in Class of 2012 – A look at the recruitment of Landen Lucas, Anthony Bennett and Nazareth Long.
- Montrose Christian Rebounds to Rout Findlay Prep at Primetime Shootout – ‘Nova bound Tyrone Johnson shines in easy win over loaded Findlay team.
- Justin Anderson Update – Possible College Decision Forthcoming for Elite ’12 Forward?
- Recruiting on Hold for Andre Drummond – St. Thomas More Prep coach Jere Quinn taks about the recruitment of the nations top 2012 PF.

Today NBE takes a look at the recruitment and the latest of Trenton Catholic’s Brandon Taylor, the Lakewood duo of Anthony Walker, who is quickly making a name for himseld this year, and Jarrod Davis, who talks of his prep school options and the schools he is looking at as part of the Class of 2012. Also, Quality Education Academy’s Lekan Ajayi talks about the final five schools the Class of 2011 big man prospect will choose from.

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 the full story as we wrap-up our 2011 Primetime Shootout Recruiting coverage below. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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CLASS OF 2013 UPDATE: TANVEER BHULLAR A ‘BIG’ TARGET

Even though he is only a sophomore, Tanveer Bhullar has been a big name in prep basketball for some time already. When your 7-foot-3 and 300 pounds and are still the ‘little’ brother to 7-foot-4, 300-pound Sim Bhullar, people take notice and close attention has followed the Bhullar brothers on the AAU circuit and in their time at Kiski and now their new homes, Huntington Prep for Sim and Montverde Academy for Tanveer.

Just a sophomore and Class of 2013 prospect, Tanveer Bhullar has alreadt picked up a scholarship offer from Seton Hall of the BIG EAST. NBE caught up with the younger Bhullar over the weekend to get his thoughts on his transition to Montverde, his development and his recruitment, which is going strong with schools from across the country in contact already.

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 on Tanveer Bhullar as the giant 2013 prospect goes in detail about his recruitment, transfer and progress at Monteverde. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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FINDLAY PREP TRIO HOT PROSPECTS IN CLASS OF 2012

The star power on the Findlay Prep basketball team is certainly impressive and the Pilots are one of the headline teams participating in the 2011 Primetime Shootout schedule. Findlay will take on Montrose Christian on Saturday evening at 7:30 at Kean University and on Sunday they will take on Newark (NJ) Eastside. While Class of 2011 stars Myck Kabongo (Texas), Nick Johnson (Arizona) and Amir Garrett (St. John’s), along with highly touted 2013 prospect Nigel Williams-Goss (UNLV) have made their college choices already, plenty of talent remains availabel tofr college coaches to recruit on Michael Peck’s squad.

On Friday night, NBE’s Matt Whitfield caught up with three of the talented 2012 prospects for Findlay Prep as they were checking out the action themselves Friday night preparing for a weekend of basketball. 6-foot-9 Landen Lucas of Portland (OR), 6-foot-8 Anthony Bennett of Brampton, Ontario (Canada) and 6-foot-3 Nazareth Long of Mississauga, Ontario (Canada) are being recruiting by elite programs across the country and shared the latest with NBE last night in their recruitment.

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 detailed updates on Landen Lucas, Anthony Bennett and Nazareth Long as the Findlay Prep trio are being pursued by some of the top college programs across the country. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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AQUILLE CARR’S STOCK GROWING, GROWING, GROWING…

Dimunitive 2013 prospect shines in Big Apple Basketball HS Invitational on Saturday

By Zach Smart

Aquille Carr is the little engine that could potentially propel Patterson to a memorable season in the hoops hotbed of Baltimore. Carr put his crowd-pleasing arsenal of moves on display before a jam-packed crowd at Baruch College Saturday, dropping a game-high 34 points and dishing out four assists, but it was not enough as his Patterson (MD) team came up short as Cardozo gutted out a dizzying 62-61 win.

His success on the hardwood has garnered interest from a plethora of high-caliber Division-I schools from the Big East and all over.

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 on Aquille Carr, one of the elite players in the 2013 class, and see what schools are already involved in his recruitment. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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ORLANDO AAU UPDATE: PART II

While Ray Mernagh has an early wake-up call and a long day of travel tomorrow to reach sunny Orlando for the end of the 17-U AAU Showcase and the Nationals to follow, Alex Schwartz continues to keep us up to date in the meantime.

With the 17-U Super Showcase getting in full swing Saturday, some more familiar names are in this update. Recruiting updates are found on elite 2011 PF/C Johnny O’Bryant who has a final list of nine schools under consideration, 2011 PG Angel Rodriguez has some impressive offers and a leader out of the Big 12 while productive PF George Fant updates his growing list of schools today. 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 we also run down the performances of Nick Faust, Trey Burke, Julian Royal, Jacob Lawson and O’Bryant as well. 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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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (7/21/2010)

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It is the eve before the second ‘live’ recruiting period of July. College coaches are packing their bags and most are making their way to Orlando or Las Vegas to check out the next wave of AAU events to close the summer evaluation period. NBE will be checking in from las Vegas, Orlando and later Phoenix, New York City and possibly the DC-area from some of the live events to close July.

In the meantime, here are some of the latest News & Notes from around the Big East to get people caught up on with some of the latest happenings in the conference. UConn’s AD has been a rumored candidate for a similar position at an ACC school, but now looks to be solidifying his place at the Big East school with his appointment as chair of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament committee in 2011, a coveted position that does not follow an AD to a new job.

Elsewhere, the turmoil-filled offseason at Providence continues with another arrest and roster shuffling. The Notre Dame duo recently arrested for alleged underage drinking at a house party over weekend will be sweating their arrest, likely in more ways than one. Also, Irish junior Scott Martin wil be back on the court soon competing, helping him knock off some of the rust from two seasons away from game action. In recruiting news, updates on Shaq Thomas and Jarrod Davis can be found, a pair of NJ small forwards who have seen their share of twists and turns on the recruiting trail.

Read on below for all of the latest News & Notes around the Big East basketball conference. Sports fans should also visit StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online for tickets to any NCAA event or NBA, MLB, NHL game or UFC, WWE or concert tickets at an arena near you this spring.

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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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