Tennessee Recruiting

2013 NBPA TOP 100 HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL CAMP — FINAL RECRUITING NOTES

By Matt Whitfield, Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA)’s 20th Anniversary of the NBPA Top 100 High School Basketball Camp kicked off Wednesday at the University of Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville and concluded over the weekend. Media was allowed to begin attending sessions on Thursday and NBE was back on the road and in attendence.

The NBPA Top 100 High School Basketball Camp was created by the NBPA in 1994 to assist elite high school student-athletes in the development of their basketball and life skills. Throughout the last 20 years, the Camp has grown into one of the most highly touted and renowned camps of its kind and has seen hundreds of its participants go on to successful NBA careers. You can follow the camp on Twitter @Top100Camp and be sure to follow @NBESports for all of our updates as well.

To close our recruiting updates, NBE caught up with Craig Victor, Satchel Pierce, Khadeem Lattin, Abdul-Malik Abu, Brandone Francis, Skal Labissiere, Chinanu Onuaku, Kevon Looney, Trevon Blueitt and Trayvon Reed, which you can see below…

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2013 NBPA TOP 100 HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL CAMP — RECRUITING NOTES (PART II)

By Matt Whitfield, Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA)’s 20th Anniversary of the NBPA Top 100 High School Basketball Camp kicked off Wednesday at the University of Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville. Media was allowed to begin attending sessions on Thursday and NBE was back on the road and in attendence.

The NBPA Top 100 High School Basketball Camp was created by the NBPA in 1994 to assist elite high school student-athletes in the development of their basketball and life skills. Throughout the last 20 years, the Camp has grown into one of the most highly touted and renowned camps of its kind and has seen hundreds of its participants go on to successful NBA careers. You can follow the camp on Twitter @Top100Camp and be sure to follow @NBESports for all of our updates as well.

In our first Top 100 Camp report yesterday we had recruiting updates on Stephen Zimmerman, Malachi Richardson, Leron Black, Myles Turner, Reid Travis and Devin Robinson. In our second edition, read on below for updates on Thon Maker, Jaquan Lyle, Ja’Quan Newton and MARYLAND-commit Romelo Trimble impressed in his effort…

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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK (4/1/2013): RECRUITING TRAIL HEATING UP ONCE AGAIN

by Alex Schwartz

There has been a lot of news in the world of high school hoops in the past few weeks, including a few talented juniors making early commitments, an elite senior ending his recruitment and some high-profile players in setting announcement dates.

One of the best players in the nation, Julius Randle, declared his intentions to attend Kentucky. The 6-foot-9 power forward from Prestonwood Christian (TX) opted for the Wildcats over Florida, Kansas and Texas. Randle joins an absolutely loaded seven-man 2013 recruiting class for UK that many are calling the greatest group ever assembled.

Also, according to Jason Jordan of USA Today, Julius Randle has been added to the McDonald’s All-American game. He was initially ineligible since he missed more than half the season—he was injured—yet has been added anyway. Randle is one of six players in the game headed to Kentucky next year.

One-time Murray State commit Demarcus Croaker is now headed to Texas for his college ball, per Reggie Rankin. He also noted that the class of 2013 prospect selected Texas over Murray State this time around. Croaker is a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Jones (FL).

Gavin Schilling of Findlay Prep (NV) became the first member of Michigan State’s 2013 recruiting class. The 6-foot-9 power forward tweeted his commitment to the Spartans. He selected MSU over Minnesota, UCLA and Villanova.

Rutgers landed a pledge from JuCo prospect Chris Griffin of Wabash Valley College (IL), according to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. Griffin is a 6-foot-7 small forward in the class of 2013.

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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK (3/1/2013): RIP JOSH LEVEL

by Alex Schwartz

Before getting into the recruiting news, we want to send our condolences to the family and friends of Josh Level. A standout basketball player from North Carolina in the junior class, Level sadly passed away last week, far too young. The guys over at Ball is Life put together a nice “Josh Level Tribute Mix,” which can be found Here.

On the trail, one of the biggest pieces of news involved a star dual-sport athlete. Derrick Griffin of Terry (TX) committed to Miami for football, in news that looks to have been broken by Peter Ariz of Canesooks to have been broken by Peter Ariz of CanesInSight.com. The class of 2013 prospect, who has signed a Letter of Intent, is expected to play basketball at Miami as well.

Griffin, who checks in at 6-foot-6, is a wide receiver/tight end on the gridiron and a power forward on the hardwood. He had been committed to Texas A&M for a long time, but did not sign with the Aggies due to reported academic issues.

Tyrek Coger of Word of God Christian Academy (NC) tweeted that he pledged to Middle Tennessee State. Coger is a 6-foot-8 center in the class of 2013 and he is a former Missouri commit.

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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK (1/14/2013): ACTION HEATING UP ON RECRUITING TRAIL

by Alex Schwartz

After a long swoon during the holiday season, things have picked back up in a hurry on the recruiting trail. One of the nation’s best big men made his pledge and several, as did a top-notch junior guard and several other players.

Dakari Johnson of Montverde Academy (FL) became yet another part of the star-studded Kentucky recruiting class. The 6-foot-10 class of 2013 center picked the Wildcats over Georgetown and Syracuse.

Johnson had been ranked No. 3 in the NBE Sports Class of 2014 Post-July Top 75, but he has since reclassified up to 2013. UK already has four additional top-15 commits in the NBE Sports Class of 2013 Post-July Top 125, as John Calipari is putting together his, if not the­ best class yet.

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’14 BIG MAN ANDRE WALKER HAS PLENTY OF COLLEGE INTEREST

Now that the Class of 2013 is able to sign their Letters of Intents to officialy close their recruitment, the Class of 2014 will move more toward the focus of coaches, fans and scouts. The recruitment of the big men in any class is usually the slowest to come into focus, however one talented big man in the Class of 2014 has already gathered a strong following of interested college programs.

6-foot-10, 210-pound Andre Walker caught the eye of NBE reporters a few times last summer on the AAU trail as the Bullis School (MD) prospect was on the circuit with the always talented DC Assault program. Now back in the home environment of his high school, plenty of schools have made contact to let him know they will be following his development.
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D’ANGELO RUSSELL UPDATE: LIST LENGTHENS FOR ELITE ’14 SCORING GUARD

D’Angelo Russell has solidified his position as one of the lite prospects in the Class of 2014 at every stop on the summer and spring AAU trail and throughout a decorated high school and prep career. The current Montverde (FL) Academy standout completed the summer ranked #12 by NBE’s National Recruiting Analyst Brian Bosworth in the NBE Class of 2014 Post-July Top 75.

Russell has the complete skill package as a 6-foot-4+, 180-pound shooting guard. He can create off the bounce for himself and others. He is strong enough to get to the rim and finish through contact and he can hit the perimeter shot consistently out past the three-point arc. Russell is also not afraid to defend and will do so with effort consistently. While his goal is to win a national title with Montverde this season, he can’t help but look forward to his final year on the AAU circuit ahead where he will plans to either play with E1T1 out of Florida or All-Ohio Red closer to his home in Kentucky.
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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK (10/18/2012): POST MADNESS COMMITMENT CRAZE

by Alex Schwartz

Last Friday was Midnight Madness, which is the first day that college basketball programs can hold official practices. Many schools, at all levels, use the weekend of Midnight Madness as a chance to host and impress either their top target(s) or a large number of prospects.

As always, there have been numerous high-major commitments rolling in since players began their Midnight Madness visits. Below is a rundown of many of the top players to pledge over the past week.

I was out of the country over the weekend, which is why there was no Recruiting Notebook on Monday. Additionally, due to my trip—it’s crazy how disconnected to the world I am without my phone or constant internet access—the news on these pledges can be attributed to the Scout.com Commitment Tracker.

The biggest news coming from the weekend involved—who else?—the University of Kentucky. For the third straight week, John Calipari has landed at least one top-15 prospect in the class of 2013. This time it was 6-foot-9 center Marcus Lee of Deer Valley (CA), who selected UK over Cal. He is ranked No. 13 in the NBE Sports Class of 2013 Post-July Top 125.

Also nabbing a pledge from a top-20 recruit this week was Kansas. The Jayhawks added to their backcourt haul by picking up Wayne Selden, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard out of the Tilton School (NH). He is ranked No. 18 in the  NBE Sports Class of 2013 Post-July Top 125.

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‘THE TAKEOVER’ 2012 NATIONAL INVITATIONAL RECRUITING NOTEBOOK

By Matt Whitfield

Keith Stevens and his staff at Team Takeover DC welcomed a solid line-up to Bowie (MD) over the weekend to close up the July Live Evaluation period with some showcase games. The family of Team Takeover teams highlighted the field as well as We R One, Team United, Team Melo and others.

NBE Sports was on hand to see many of the top teams on Saturday morning into early in the afternoon and we have a full notebook on recruiting information below.

TEAM UNITED DUO IN HIGH DEMAND

Team United has had a good run this spring and summer on the AAU trail. Much of the credit belongs to their top two players, Kennedy Meeks and Sindarius Thornwell. NBE Sports had the opportunity to talk with both on Saturday morning.

Meeks is a 6-foot-9, big-bodied and very skilled post player. All throughout the live period he displayed a great face-up game and established himself as the best passing big man out of high-major prospects. As for his recruitment, Meeks mentiones schools such as Georgetown, Read more

ORLANDO AAU REPORT – SATURDAY

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By Alex Schwartz

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Saturday was the final full day of the last Live period this month. Coaches will be back in the gym on Sunday, but must leave at 5:00 p.m. There were quite a few players who excelled on Saturday and it looked like one player had the Top Performer spot wrapped up–until one 2013 wing went bonkers from long range in the nightcap. Also, a trio of big men originally from Africa were quite impressive, two top-five players shined again and a top-100 prospect in 2013 listed a favorite.

TOP PERFORMER

Omar Prewitt needs to be in the discussion of the best shooter in the United States at the high school level. A 6’5 shooting guard out of Montgomery (KY) put on an absolute SHOW for The Ville in the final game of the night. In the first half alone, Prewitt had 22 points and knocked in six 3-pointers. The final stats sheet was swooped away before we could take a look at it, but one of The Ville coaches said Prewitt had 33 points and a D1 assistant told us he hd 34. He finished with eight or nine 3-pointers and was simply unstoppable off the catch. Prewitt is not just a one-dimensional shooter, though. He has a smooth game and is more than capable of knifing through a defense and getting to the rim. Prewitt handles the ball pretty well and he can block shots at the defensive end. His Saturday night performance was one of the best that this writer has seen all month.
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ORLANDO AAU REPORT – FRIDAY

by Alex Schwartz

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Friday was a day at 11th Grade AAU Nationals where NBE Sports watched a number of games from outside the Gold pools. This allowed us to see some teams that might not be as nationally known and catch some players who might be flying under the radar a bit. However, we did check out some Gold games too and some of our top performers come from those squads too.

TOP PERFORMER

Trevin Joseph gets the nod as the top performer of the day on Friday, though several players could put together a nice case for the honor. Joseph is the second straight 2013 shooting guard from Georgia to get the nod, following Ryan Wilkins on Thursday. Joseph is a 6’3 rising senior from Stockbridge (GA) who runs with Gold Coast and is part of a deep, talented backcourt. Joseph showed off some major scoring ability in the night’s final game and it was rare to see him actually miss a shot. A strong player with a very good build, Joseph s a knockdown 3-point shooter and is lethal off the catch. He is a smooth player and is his stroke looks quite good. Joseph is also adept at getting to the basket and he finishes once there. Overall, he is a talented offensive player who could be a stud scorer at the next level.
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2012 PEACH JAM REPORT — CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY

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By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Championship Sunday in North Augusta capped an amazing 2012 Peach Jam by crowning champions in both the 16U and 17U divisions. The Texas Titans defeated the Southern Stampede in double overtime to win at the 16U level. A few hours later the Oakland Soldiers were crowned EYBL champions after defeating CIA Bounce 51-50 to capture the 17U title. In those games and the 17U semifinals before them, some players separated themselves from the competition. Here’s who stood out to NBE.

Top Performer of the Day:

Andrew Wiggins (CIA Bounce 2014) – While his team came up a point short of an EYBL title this day, this tournament, and the entire EYBL circuit have belonged to Andrew Wiggins. In the morning semifinal Wiggins looked passive and a non factor for much of the game until his team needed him down the stretch. He turned a tight game into a double digit lead in a matter of minutes by scoring at will in the game’s biggest moments. In the title game Wiggins’ stat line wasn’t his best of the week (7-22 shooting, 23 points) but his dominance was as evident as ever. The Soldiers had two future pros to throw at Wiggins defensively in Aaron Gordon and Stanley Johnson and frankly neither one stood a chance. He was too quick, too strong, too explosive, and too good for every elite defender that was thrown at him all week. Stanley Johnson was the best defender in this tournament and even he couldn’t handle Wiggins. While I’ve been on record since last year’s Peach Jam that Wiggins was the top prospect regardless of class, the 2012 Peach Jam erased that debate in everyone’s mind. Everyone else in America is looking up at Wiggins and the gap is rather substantial.
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2012 PEACH JAM REPORT – DAY IV (PART A)

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By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

17U teams concluded pool play on Saturday morning and many of the games had major playoff implications. Here’s who stood out on the courts NBE was camped out at.

Top Performance of the Morning:

James Young (The Family 2013) – With John Calipari, Bill Self, Tom Izzo, and a host of other high major coaches watching courtside, Young showed why he is such a coveted wing in the 2013 class. He finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists remaining in constant attack mode throughout his team’s win. Young’s 19 free throw attempts are a perfect indication of how aggressive he played throughout not settling for jumpers but rather forcing the issue in the paint. At a well built 6’6” he has the ability to overpower other wing players at the high school level and to shoot over them from the perimeter. In addition to grinding his way into the paint all game Young also buried deep shots going 5-6 from behind the arc mostly off the dribble. He uses a tight crossover to create space and then rises over his defender to sink shots. A clear cut top 10 player in the 2013 class, Young has his choice of basically any college program in the country.
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2012 NY2LA UNDER ARMOUR SUMMER JAM RECAP – PART II

By N.D. Kendrick

Mequon, WI – The second July “live period” kicked off on Wednesday night and NBE Sports joined coaching staffs from numerous college programs at Homestead High School near Milwaukee to scout the prospects at the NY2LA Under Armour Summer Jam. Here is a rundown from Thursday’s long day of action…

Top Performance

T.J. Haws, Nick Emery and Eric Mika (Utah Reign) – Just had to go with this trio because they play like they are one. T.J. Haws has a little flash and flare to his game and is great ball handler that can shoot from distance but focuses on driving to the hoop. Emery is lethal from anywhere in the gym. He is not limited to being a catch and shoot player, he can take you off the bounce. Mika may be on the verge of becoming a household name (More on Mika below). They all three will be making noise at BYU in a few years.
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2012 PEACH JAM REPORT – DAY II (PART A)

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By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

After a fun sample of 16U action on Wednesday night, the 2012 Peach Jam kicked into full gear with 17U action taking center stage on Thursday morning. While plenty of players had standout performances, a trio of wings from the Oakland Soldiers squad separated themselves from the pack.

Top Performers of the Morning:

Aaron Gordon (Oakland Soldiers 2013) – After missing a large time of time this AAU season with a foot injury, Gordon seemed determined to erase any question marks about his health moving forward. He was better than ever before making plays from the wing that weren’t in his arsenal 12 months ago. Gordon flashed off the dribble skills that firmly project him as a SF going forward and make him an even more devastating player than I previously thought. In addition to his improved handle, Gordon remains the most electric finisher in high school basketball around the rim. He drew more than a few Blake Griffin comparisons after a series of ridiculous dunks in transition.
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2012 NIKE GLOBAL CHALLENGE — RECRUITING NOTES

The Nike Global Challenge got underway on Friday at Episcopal High School in Alexandria (VA). It was the place to be of this first 5-day July evaluation period for Division 1-A basketball coaches as John Calipari, Rick Pitino, Jim Calhoun, Tom Izzo, Tom Crean, Jay Wright, Buzz Williams, Jamie Dixon, Oliver Purnell, Fran Dunphy, Billy Donovan, Frank Martin, Lorenzo Romar, Tubby Smith, Mark Gottfried, Scott Drew, Sean Miller, Mike Rice, Kevin Willard and more were on hand during the games NBE took in.

These coaches were on hand to watch some of the best players in the world at the youth level. There are eight teams total competing in the Nike Global Challenge with three from the United States (East, West & Midwest) and one each from Brazil, Canada, Lithuania, Puerto Rico and China.

Here are some recruiting updates from six of the US players we were able to catch up with on Friday…

Anchoring the middle for USA-East is Class of 2013, 6-foot-8 big man Beejay Anya out of DeMatha/Team Takeover DC. In the 109-70 USA win, Anya scored 12 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and blocked 4 shots in a productive 24 minutes of action. Matt Whitfield was able to spend some time getting an update on the latest in his recruitment, which many seem to believe there is one school that is clearly the one to beat for his services, but not so fast according to Anya.

“It’s not the case [that Indiana] is the favorite,” Anya told Matt Whitfield on Friday. “They’re a school I like and I’ll go out there [to visit].”

The links between Anya and Indiana are pretty strong. AAU teammate Stanford Robinson committed to the Hoosiers shortly after Tom Cream added Kenny Johnson to his staff as an assistant, hiring Johnson away from Towson. Prior to working at Towson, Johnson was a coach with Team Takeover DC working with both Robinson and Anya.

“No, I think he’ll do a good job there, but it won’t really affect me that much,” Anya said of Johnson’s presence on the IU staff influencing his decision.

Indiana is just one of the top programs Anya is currently considering.

“Louisville, Kansas, Indiana, Syracuse, Maryland, Georgetown, Connecticut, Ohio State, Villanova, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, and the list goes on,” said Anya.
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A last minute replacement joining Anya on the USA-East squad was Austin Colbert, an athletic forward who chipped in 12 points (on 6-11 shooting) in 18 minutes of action.

Colbert, a New Jersey native, attended Hotchkiss (CT) School last season and there are some whispers that he could be headed back to the Garden State to finish up his high school career, possibly Gil St. Bernard’s, but no final decision has been made at this point. As for his recruitment, five schools have put themselves currently in the best position.

“I don’t have any officials planned yet,” Colbert told Matt Whitfield on Friday. “Even though I narrowed it down I’m still wide open. I’m still accepting offers and trying to get as many offers as I can.”

Currently he considered Florida, Baylor, Georgetown, Seton Hall and Texas as his top five with only the Longhorns yet to extend an offer at this point. Other schools are still trying to make their pitch, and it could pay off as Colbert admitted he is still willing to consider other schools.

“Illinois, Virginia and Oklahoma have texted me as of late,” he said.

One could not help but notice Seton Hall, led by head coach Kevin Willard, looking very interested in Colbert’s work this afternoon.
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Kennedy Meeks had a strong few days last week at the Lebron James Skills Academy in Vegas, but the Team United big man struggled playing for USA-West in an 87-77 loss at the hands of USA-Midwest in his first Nike Global Challenge outing. Meeks finished with just 4 points and 5 rebounds in 20 minutes. His evening line (6 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists in 20 minutes) in a 98-69 in over Puerto Rico was much closer to the well-rounded game he showed in Sin City.

As for his recruitment, Meeks shared with NBE who is putting in the most effort with his recruitment of late.

“Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, Georgetown, NC State [and] Louisville” was the answer when asked by Matt Whitfield who was recruiting him the hardest.

Meeks also shared that he would like to visit Indiana as one of his official visits in the fall.
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Kyle Washington, who was a teammate of Colbert’s this past season at Hotchkiss School, had a very impressive week last month at the NBPA Top 100 High School Camp on the campus of the University of Virginia. Between that camp and the Nike Global Challenge, Washington spent some time take a couple unofficial visits, including a trip to Notre Dame.

“It was a good visit,” Washington told NBE Friday. “I needed to go and see how I would fit into the community, how I’d fit into the program. It was a good visit overall. I know how Coach Brey feels about me, how Coach Solomon feels about me so it was good.”

The Minnesota native is playing things close to the vest these next few weeks, so he is holding off on naming schools that are on his list until after the live recruiting periods of July. He is enjoying the attention fromt he college coaches at his games.

“It feels great [to be watched by so many major coaches], but you just got to remain calm in what you do because that’s what they like you for. The schools are great. The fans are great, but in the end it’s just basketball.”

Washington is teaming up with Anya and Colbert for USA-East here at the Nike Global challenge and in their lopsided win over China he contributed 9 points while collecting a game-high 13 rebounds and also adding a game-best 5 assists in his 25 minutes of action.

While a list is not coming out quite yet, Washington did confirm that “Wisconsin is still recruiting me really hard.”
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Kameron Williams of Baltimore Elite was the leading scorer of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League this spring and he brought his offense with him this week as well, getting off to a quick start with 20 points in 23 minutes in the win over China for USA-East.

As for his recruitment, Williams shared with Matt Whitfield that he is hoping to make an early fall decision, either in September or October, and admitted the ACC is his favorite conference. He mentioned schools such as Dayton, VCU, Virginia Tech, Miami, Providence, Rutgers, Florida State, Boston College, NC State and Marquette in the mix currently for his services.
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Class of 2014 wing Theo Pinson showed off his impressive scoring touch, putting 9 points on the board in just 15 minutes of action for USA-East against China.

The youngster mentioned Louisville, North Carolina, Duke, Baylor, Florida State, Alabama, Indiana, Wake Forest, NC State, Syracuse, Seton Hall, DePaul, Tennessee, and others involved in the early process of his recruitment.

Pinson wants to work on the consistency of his jump shot and also improve defensively and on the boards to make himself a complete basketball player. He hopes that will lead to an aggressive recruitment from his favorite school growing up.

“My favorite school when I was young was Duke,” he said. “They said they were going to come watch me, so we’ll see.”

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2012 ADIDAS INVITATIONAL – THURSDAY RECAP

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The Adidas Invitational in Indianapolis brings together all the Adidas sponsored AAU teams from around the country and in doing so collects one of the largest pools of talent of any tournament all summer. It was on full display throughout the day Thursday with high major talent playing in front of college coaches. A selection of players was able to separate themselves from the pack led by a pair of teammates from the Memphis area.

Top Performers of the Day:

Leron Black (Team Thad 2014) – Black is a 6-foot-7 power forward who has a motor that runs nonstop. His energy wore down the opposition to the point that he was beating his man down the floor every single time. Team Thad’s offensive system is similar to that of the old Loyola Marymount teams of the late 80s and early 90s that routinely scored over 100 points on the college level. They run and run and run until they can’t run anymore and over time this style wears down the opponents. Black never wore down himself but rather got stronger as the game went on dunking on four consecutive possessions at one point in the second half. His energy and smile on the court are infectious as the whole team seemed to rally around him after he got going in the 2nd half. Black even showed a developing face up game beating taller opponents off the bounce on his way towards more dunks at the rim. On top of the big finishes, he’s also a fantastic rebounder both in and out of his area, particularly on the offensive end. Every college program in the country that plays and up tempo style should be banging down Black’s door begging him to become part of their family.
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2012 REEBOK BREAKOUT CAMP REPORT

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by Alex Schwartz

PHILADELPHIA – Reebok restarted its July camp last year after some time off and had some pretty nice talent on display. This year, though, the Reebok Breakout Challenge has gone to a whole new level and is absolutely filled with big-time talent from coast to coast.

NBE Sports was on hand the past two days and had the opportunity to see each and every team. Several usual suspects turned in impressive performances, while some lesser known players also made names for themselves.

TOP PERFORMER

Aaron Harrison of Travis (TX) is the best shooting guard prospect in the country and he played like it in Philly. The 6-foot-5, class of 2013 recruit has a terrific combination of skill and athleticism that makes him extremely difficult to contain when he is on his game. While at Reebok, he was absolutely fantastic and basically scored at will. Harrison showed off a lethal stroke from long range right from the get-go, nailing six 3-pointers in the first half of the very first game of camp on Wednesday evening. He has deep range so he cannot be sagged off of too much, but if you play him too tight he is more than capable of getting to the rack off the bounce. Harrison is also adept at drawing fouls around the rim, so even if he misses down low, there is a strong chance he will still get some points for his effort.

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2012 HOOP GROUP ELITE CAMP – TUESDAY

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By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Hoop Group Elite Session II kicked off a day before the live period and gave players from the Northeast and around the country a chance to showcase their skills in a high intensity camp setting. The collection of talent put together by the Hoop Group staff was impressive to say the least with high major talent all over the place. A select group of players managed to separate themselves from the pack led by a pair of scoring guards who dominated game play.

Top Performers of the Camp:

Shadell Millinghaus (Albany City Rocks 2013) – Millinghaus is a truck with the ball in his hands, flying up and down the court while defenders bounce off him on his forays to the rim. His combination of power and speed is unusual from the guard position and it allows him to overpower most opponents on the perimeter. He’s at his best grabbing defensive rebounds and starting the fast break himself by taking off with the ball. Millinghaus is just as likely to dunk on someone’s head at the rim as he is to make a crafty pass thru traffic to a teammate for an easy bucket. His advancement this spring and summer has been remarkable and has solidified his status as a top 50 player in the 2013 class, currently ranked #33 in the NBE Class of 2013 Pre-July Live Period Top 75.

Isaiah Whitehead (Juice All Stars 2014) – While Millinghaus dominated the afternoon slate of games, Whitehead was the top performer from the evening games. He was simply unguardable off the dribble getting to the basket whenever he pleased. Whitehead finished in every which way imaginable once he got into the paint to the point that it almost looked like he was inventing new acrobatic shots on the fly. While I would normally nitpick that he made shots around the rim more difficult than they had to be, Whitehead made all of them regardless of difficulty so it’s hard to question him. He also made jumpers well past the three-point line and rebounded at a high level for the guard position. My only concern is Whitehead’s tendency to float when he doesn’t have the ball. He will become an even more dominant scorer if he can learn to operate without the ball and create scoring chances that way. Whotehead checked in at #27 in the NBE Class of 2014 Pre-July Live Period Top 40.

Sleeper Performance of the Camp:

Shaquille Scott (BC Eagles 2013) – Scott was the first name to make a big impression at camp as he had everyone running around trying to find out who was wearing number 749. The 6’5” wing is explosive off the dribble and tries (usually successfully) to dunk everything in the paint. He didn’t flash much of a perimeter shot but honestly got past his man off the dribble so consistently that it wasn’t necessary. He will be a player I want to watch further both throughout July and next year at The Robinson School (NJ.)

Other Standouts:

Junior Etou (DC Assault 2013) – Etou is a combo forward in the process of transitioning from the power forward spot out to the wing. If Wednesday morning’s game action is any indication the transition is going quite well. Etou made jump shots out to 18 feet and showed an ability to beat his man off the dribble. He also dominated the back boards against bigger front line players and scored inside through contact without a problem. If his handle and overall perimeter skills catch up to his athleticism over the next year, high majors will be lined up to secure his services.

Marcus Derrickson (Team Takeover 2015) – The best long term prospect I saw at this event, Derrickson is a man among boys despite playing against older competition. The 6’7” combo forward toyed with defenders throughout game play on Tuesday looking his best as a facilitator from the post. Derrickson had the skill and strength to score at will from the block but chose to get teammates involved by using his vision from the post to find shots for others. He easily played to his national top 10 ranking and may even have room to move up as he is currently #8 in the NBE Class of 2015 Pre-July Live Period Top 15.

Jevon Thomas (Team Melo 2013) – Thomas is lightning quick from the point guard position and can carry a team for stretches when he gets hot from outside. That was the case on Tuesday as he buried four consecutive three-pointers in the 2nd half of a game with each one looking more ridiculous than the last. Shot selection and overall decision making from the point are areas where Thomas can improve but his athleticism and scoring ability are second to none for the position.

Kahron Ross (Arkansas Hawks 2014) – A slender point guard with a high basketball IQ, Ross stood out even though the camp setting doesn’t highlight his strengths. He’s not going to blow you away with above the rim finishes but Ross is a pinpoint passer who really makes others better. He found angles to create passes in transition that I couldn’t see until they happened and routinely got layups for his teammates.

Cassidy Ryan (CIA Bounce 2014) – The Canadian forward was an unknown to me entering play Tuesday but he is certainly on my radar now. The 6’7” physical specimen attacked hard off the dribble and was too strong for opponents at the rim. He has an excellent blend of power and athleticism for a kid his size which will serve him well as time progresses. I’ll need a more extended viewing to project an exact level for Ryan but he’s at least a mid-major player.

Josh Reaves (Team Takeover 2015) – A teammate of Derrickson’s at Paul VI, Reaves played well off the big man by making perimeter shots. The slender 6’4” lefty buried multiple 3-pointers by creating space after feeding Derrickson in the post and getting it back from his big man. I’d like to see more off the dribble in future viewings but Reaves is certainly a young name to keep an eye on.

Lamarr Kimble (Team Final 2015) – In camp settings everyone tends to look for their own offense so when a player like Kimble plays like a true point guard and sets everyone else up, it stands out. The 6’0” rising sophomore showed great poise and leadership, setting his team up in offensive sets. He was crafty in screen and roll sets and rewarded big men for running the floor.

Will Ferguson (Team Takeover 2013) – Ferguson is a super athletic combo guard who was deadly from midrange on Tuesday afternoon. He has a very quick first step which he used to create space and then elevated over defenders to get off jump shots from 12-18 feet. Ferguson can expand his game by learning to play at different speeds and facilitating for others a bit more.

Shavar Newkirk (Team Scan 2014) – The New York City point guard had a very strong day on Tuesday by repeatedly beating defenders off the dribble and making plays in the paint. He flashed a nice floater and the ability to pass in traffic once surrounded by big men in the lane. Added strength and more consistency on his 3-point shot could vault Newkirk up another level in his recruitment.

Recruiting Updates:

Shadell Millinghaus (Albany City Rocks 2013) – Millinghaus somehow remains under the radar despite a monster spring season. He has the most contact with Oregon, Penn State, La Salle and Iona while Tennessee, Mississippi and Cincinnati are also involved. The powerful guard can play just about anywhere and schools that figure that out quickly will have themselves a steal.

Isaiah Whitehead (Juice All Stars 2014) – One of the best scorers in the 2014 class, Whitehead has had the attention of high major schools for a few years already. He lists a pair of dream schools in Syracuse and Kentucky with the Orange having already offered. Whitehead listed head coach Jim Boeheim as his main recruiter from SU while assistant Orlando Antigua has been the lead for UK. In addition to these two at the top of his list, Whitehead also listed offers from Rutgers, Iowa, Iowa State and UCLA.

Junior Etou (DC Assault 2013) – Etou will be leaving Arlington Country Day (FL) next year and finish his high school career at Bishop O’Connell (VA.) The combo forward already has a host of high major schools after his services as he claimed offers from Cincinnati, Miami, Memphis, West Virginia, Temple, Kansas, Arizona and Maryland. He plans to take his time and sign in the spring of next year as he really hasn’t delved into the recruiting process all that much to this point. He’s looking for a school that can offer him a chance to play immediately and wants to be recruited as a SF as opposed to a PF.

Jevon Thomas (Team Melo 2013) – Thomas has moved on from his commitment to Dayton as they were looking for a guard in the 2012 class and both parties will be going in different directions for 2013. He is mulling interest from UNLV, Kansas State, Penn State, Oklahoma State and Seton Hall. Thomas is looking for an up and down system that allows him to show off his open court skills and says location doesn’t matter because he’s already been away from home for 2 years at high school so he’s adjusted to it.

Kahron Ross (Arkansas Hawks 2014) – The rising junior point guard has yet to receive his first scholarship offer but has high interest from some high major Southern schools. Arkansas, Arkansas State, Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Memphis have all been in contact since June 15th but none have pulled the trigger on an offer as of now.

2012 LEBRON JAMES SKILLS ACADEMY RECAP – SUNDAY

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Game play begins at camp

by Raphielle Johnson

The afternoon session of the LeBron James Skills Academy on Sunday brought about the beginning of game play at the event, with the campers splitting up into eight teams of approximately ten players each.

There were some injuries to account for, most notably 2013 forward Jermaine Lawrence spraining his ankle early in the camp and 2013 prospects Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Jarell Martin both having to deal with ankle injuries at some point in the day.

But despite those injuries there were some standouts on Sunday, with many looking better in game action than they did during the drills portion of the camp. One player who made an impact on Sunday was guard Shelton Mitchell, whose dunk over Kuran Iverson may be the play of the camp to this point.

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