Louisville Recruiting

2012 NATIONAL PREP SCHOOL INVITATIONAL — TOP PERFORMERS

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By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Now that the National Prep School Invitational has come to close and I’ve had a few days to process all the basketball I watched it’s time to rank the performances from the weekend. Below are player rankings by class based on this past weekend’s performance only. These are not an overall opinion on these players but rather a snapshot based on how they played at Rhode Island College over the weekend. The top spot in 2012 came down to the nation’s two best big men and is a decision I agonized over before finalizing it.

Be sure to check out our daily coverage from a great weekend of hoops at the 2012 National Prep School Invitational:
’12 NPSI – Day Four Report
’12 NPSI – Day Three Report
’12 NPSI – Day Two Report
’12 NPSI – Day One Report

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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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2012 NATIONAL PREP SCHOOL INVITATIONAL — DAY ONE

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The National Prep School Invitational kicked off Thursday morning at a new venue of Rhode Island College after a number of years at the University of Rhode Island. The shift was made due to new NCAA rules not allowing tournaments of this nature to take place in Division-I gyms but the always well run event didn’t miss a beat. Eight games filled the schedule on Thursday with the nation’s No. 1 team Brewster Academy facing off against St. John’s Northwest Military Academy in the headliner. Two players faced off head to head in that matchup and they share top billing today after fantastic performances.

Co-Headliners of the Day:

Jakarr Sampson (Brewster Academy 2012) – Sampson played as well as I’ve ever seen from him in Brewster’s victory this afternoon. He has always been potent using a couple dribbles to attack the rim and showcase his absurd athleticism. Today, Sampson punished defenders for playing off him by consistently knocking down mid range jumpers from 12-18 feet. When that shot is falling he becomes basically unguardable because combined with his driving ability leaves defenders to pick their poison. On top of all his impressive offense, Sampson was the catalyst for Brewster defensively playing the top of their full court press. His length and quickness caused turnover after turnover often leading to rim shaking dunks. Undefeated Brewster was frankly in a bit of trouble before going to the press and letting Sampson wreck havoc. He made it obvious why he is one of the most sought after uncommitted players remaining in the 2012 class.

Aaron Ross (St. John’s Northwest Military Academy 2012) – A onetime Arkansas commit, Ross played like one of the nation’s bet forwards against the loaded frontline of Brewster. He tallied 30 points and 9 rebounds by mixing 3 point shots (3-7) with hard drives to the basket. Ross has the quickness to take his man out on the perimeter but also the strength to go to work on the low block. This combination gave Brewster fits all day as they tried various defenders to slow down the big man. Only Jakarr Sampson had any success but even he gave up his share of hoops against Ross. Finding balance between inside and outside will always be important for Ross as he doesn’t want to hunt jumpers and ignore his physical advantages. He also needs to be more committed defensively and will have to define a roll on that end. He is a little bit between a 3 and a 4 right now but needs to be a 4 defensively in my mind. Regardless of position he’s a beast and showed that off today.

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NEW INTEREST HIGHLIGHTS SEASON FOR TERRENCE SAMUEL

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South Shore (NYC) High School guard Terrence Samuel is one of the most intriguing prospects in the Class of 2013 nationally. The powerfully built 6-foot-3, 195-pound guard began to make a name for himself nationally helping New Heights AAU to five impressive tournament titles on the spring and summer AAU circuit.

The attention in his talents has continued into his junior season with South Shore and his recruitment has expanded. Some of the new schools that have become involved has been the highlight of his season so far.

“Highlight [of the season is] picking up [recruiting interest from] Kansas and Memphis,” Samuel told NBE Basketball Report over the weekend.
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RECRUITMENT OF TYLER ENNIS POISED TO BE BIG STORY IN CLASS OF 2013

Our northern neighbors of Canada have been producing a steady stream of elite basketball prospects recently and St. Benedict’s Prep guard Tyler Ennis may be the best of the bunch in the Class of 2013. Nolan Shulman, the authority on Canadian prep basketball, certainly would agree with that assumption.

“He was routinely the best player on the floor at every stop on the circuit this summer,” Shulman, National Recruiting Analyst of Flagrant Fouls and Editor-in-Chief of the Ultimate Recruiting Handbook which concentrates on Canadian basketball prospects, told NBE this fall. “His overall floor game is as good as any Canadian point guard we’ve had in the last six years, a group that includes Junior Cadougan, Cory Joseph and Myck Kabongo. He understands the strengths of his teammates and always puts them in a position to be their best.”

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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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2011 CITY OF PALMS REPORT — TOP PLAYER PERFORMANCES

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Now that the 2011 City of Palms Classic has come to a close it’s time to put some measure on what I saw this week. Below are player rankings by class based on performances from this week alone. While they do impact my overall perception of these players, they are rankings strictly of what I saw in Florida this week.

Top 2012 Players:

1. Isaiah Austin (Grace Prep) – signed with Baylor – Austin was more committed to play inside on offense than he has been in the past and still rebounded and blocked shots at the highest level. He looked poised to challenge Shabazz Muhammad for top player in the class throughout the rest of the reason.

2. Shabazz Muhammad (Bishop Gorman) – It speaks to Muhammad’s talent that after a subpar week by his standards he still slots in at # 2. He was the most persistent scorer at the tournament, getting his points every way imaginable.

As for his recruitment, Muhammad told NBE on the opening day of the event that he has no timetable for a decision and sounds as though he’ll wait right up until the spring signing period to make his call. He listed an up-tempo style and a program that gets its players to the next level as the two most important factors in his decision making process. When the time comes Muhammad will be choosing from his final 6 of UCLA, Kansas, Duke, Kentucky, UNLV, and USC.
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CITY OF PALMS – DAY FIVE

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The 2011 City of Palms Classic came to a close on Wednesday night with a wild day of hoops culminating in an all Texas title game between Prestonwood Christian and Grace Prep. Local fans, scouts, and college coaches packed the gym to the rafters and created a high intensity atmosphere for these young players. Even legendary ESPN analyst Dick Vitale stopped by to enjoy the action offering a few words to the crowd before the championship game. Prestonwood Christian turned the final into a laugher prevailing 62-42 with stud junior forward Julius Randle taking home MVP honors. While Randle led the team throughout the week, it was a freshman who carried Prestonwood on his back tonight while the big man sat for much of the game in foul trouble.

Top Performance of the Day:

Mickey Mitchell (Prestonwood Christian 2015) – After viewing Mitchell for 4 games this week I feel very comfortable saying that he is in the running for top player nationally in the 2015 class. Offensively, Mitchell does a bit of everything as a 6’7” guard including making jumpers, exploding to the rim, making high level passes, and crashing the glass. While all this is very impressive, it was Mitchell’s defensive ability that left the biggest mark. Over the course of 3 days he defended 5 star wing Shabazz Muhammad, 4 star big man Ricardo Gathers, and 5 star point guard Emmanuel Mudiay. It speaks volumes that Prestonwood’s coaching staff chose to use their freshman as the defensive stopper against this wide array of players. As long as Mitchell continues to work hard (which is basically all he talked about in a post game interview) the sky is the limit.
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CITY OF PALMS REPORT — DAY THREE

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

What a day at Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, Florida. We saw great games, great individual performances, and one great comeback. The nation’s consensus top player, Shabazz Muhammad, went off for 42 points in the final game of the night and that wasn’t even the most impressive showing of the day. Kentucky head coach John Calipari continued his borderline stalking of Nerlens Noel by planting himself underneath the baseline for much of the day which instantly ups the intensity in the gym. Enough setup, on to the recap of Monday’s action at the City of Palms Classic.

Top Performance of the Day:

Jordan Mickey (Arlington Grace Prep 2013) – Grace Prep trailed Mater Dei by 18 at the half after Mickey had spent the majority of the half on the bench with 2 fouls. He came out in the 2nd half and put on a clinic on the low block tallying 22 of his game high 29 points. Mickey scored all of his points by working for low post position and then powering through his defender and scoring over his left shoulder. He has great strength which he uses to setup his shots and then a soft touch to finish off plays. Grace Prep fed Mickey in the same spot time and again and he used the same moves over and over without being stopped. He does a great job of making a quick, decisive move after he catches it in the post so that a double team does not have time to arrive. Mickey’s monster 2nd half and overtime led Grace Prep all the way back from that 18 point halftime deficit and carried them into tomorrow’s semifinals. For a recruiting update on Mickey, see our report from Saturday: City of Palms Report — Day Two.
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NATIONAL HOOPS FESTIVAL RECRUITING REPORT

On Saturday, Matt Whitfield made the trip to Hyattsville (MD) and DeMatha High School for the 2011 National Hoops Festival event. The early season event is typically one of the favorite stops for NBE on the December schedule and this year did not disappoint with several powerhouse programs headlining the event with a very solid day of action on the court. Here is the scoreboard from Saturday’s contests:

–Bullis 62, Riverdale Baptist 59
–Episcopal 44, Benedictine 38
–Paul VI 65, West Charlotte 58
–Oak Hill 68, Grace Prep 59
–DeMatha 83, Jamesville-Dewitt 57

NBE was able to catch up with players such as Kennedy Meeks, Beejay Anya, Stanford Robinson, Jordan Mickey, RJ Curington, Emmanuel Mudiay and more. See below for the latest in recruiting updates form many of the top uncommitted players participating on Saturday…

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JAKARR SAMPSON RECRUITING UPDATE

Fresh off a strong performance over the weekend at the National Prep Showcase, Brewster Academy forward JaKarr Sampson easily made the list of 2011 National Prep Showcase Top Performers compiled by NBE’s National Recruiting Analyst Brian Bosworth. The 6-foot-8, 205-pound forward is a long and skilled specimen who made countless plays in and around the paint as Brewster defeated Fishburn Military Academy (91-75 on Sat) and Massanutten Military Academy (95-65 on Sun).

Sampson scored 20 points in each contest showing that he loves to face up after catching in the post at which point his first step is too quick for helpless defenders. Brewster Academy coach Jason Smith said this is an area that Sampson has improved upon in the last year.

“JaKarr has gotten stronger and has really improved his ball-handling, specifically his first step,” said Smith. “He has a very explosive first step, which allows him to beat a lot of forwards off the dribble.”

Sampson is also able to defend the rim with his supreme athleticism. One high-major college coach compared Sampson over the weekend to former UNLV star Stacy Augman, and listening to coach Smith describe and project Sampson that comparison definitely holds water.

“JaKarr is a hybrid forward,” said Smith. “He’s a match-up problem for a lot of people due to his explosive athleticism and quickness. In a year or two, JaKarr can become an elite level defender in college.”

Formerly committed to St. John’s in the 2011 class before being ruled ineligible Sampson has re-opened his recruitment and is one of the elite members of the 2012 class still left on the board and high majors are going to be fighting for his services all year. He told NBE over the weekend he now has a list of Kansas, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Providence, Baylor, Miami, and St. John’s remains in the mix. Coach Smith also mentioned Florida as a school they are hearing from in the recruiting process.

After the Naitonal Prep Showcase Sampson flew home to Ohio and took the opportunity of some downtime to go check out one of the schools on his list for an unofficial visit according to his coach.

“JaKarr flew home on Sunday for the Thanksgiving break,” said Smith. “He’s scheduled to drive to Pittsburgh for an unofficial visit. Pitt is one of many schools showing interest in JaKarr.”

After opting not to sign a letter of intent in the early signing period it is certain JaKarr Sampson will be a hotly contested recruit for many programs in the spring signing period for the Class of 2012. It is expected Sampson will take his time in the process and in the meantime he will hone his skills under Coach Smith at Brewster. This is his second season in the Brewster program and will play for a team that will content for a NEPSAC and National Prep title this season. We will closely follow the recruitment of Sampson and the season of Brewster as it promises to be an interesting storyline throughout the season.

BOSWORTH: NATIONAL PREP SCHOOL SHOWCASE WRAP-UP (TOP PERFORMERS)

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Now that the National Prep Showcase has concluded it’s time to take a moment and digest everything that I witnessed in New Haven this weekend. One thing that jumps out is that the talent level in New England is at an all time high. While many players are imports from other areas of the country a large part of rosters on New England prep times are made up of local talent. Most notably, Nerlens Noel in 2013 and Noah Vonleh in 2014 both have a chance to become the top player in their class nationwide. These two separated themselves from everyone else at this event both with their current production and with their long term potential.

Past those top two, Ricardo Ledo deserves more recognition for his performance on Friday night. Ledo’s ability to score has never been questioned but his intangibles and whether or not he is a winner have long been debated. Against La Jolla Prep he not only scored from everywhere on the floor but he proved to be the vocal leader of a talent rich South Kent team. He specifically seems to have taken on somewhat of a mentor role for talented junior Chris Thomas. According to South Kent head coach Kelvin Jefferson Ledo has been everything he could have asked for and more both on the floor and in the locker room. He has taken Thomas under his wing in a sense and has been an incredible positive influence. If this progression continues, Ed Cooley landed an even bigger star than already thought.
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Bosworth: Friday’s National Prep Showcase Breakdown

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The National Prep Showcase kicked off Friday morning at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven. One the premier prep events in America on a yearly basis, the showcase features the top prep teams from the Northeast along with a sampling of the strongest teams from around the country. This year had a little bit of added anticipation as it was announced approximately a week prior to the event that NBA scouts would be allowed to attend. If any were on hand Friday they witnessed a performance worthy of a future lottery pick selection.

Top Performer of the Day:
Ricardo Ledo (South Kent Prep 2012) – committed to Providence – There is no debate over the top performer of the day as Ledo put on an offensive clinic in a 20 point South Kent victory. He scored 37 points including 7 three pointers and did so with his usual freewheeling style. Ledo keeps the ball on a string and almost toys with defenders as he routinely broke ankles and got into the lane or used his patented step back move to create space and bury long range shots. At one point on the break Ledo even through it to himself off the backboard and hammered down a dunk contest worthy jam without breaking a sweat. His offensive talents are immense and they were on full display Friday night but perhaps even more impressive was the way Rick carried himself on the court. Often labeled a head case or a moody player, Ledo showed real maturity coaching teammates on the floor and still getting others involved despite that fact that he had it working so well. South Kent head coach Kelvin Jefferson told me after the game that Rick has really progressed as a leader both in the locker room and on the court and that was evident in his play on this night.

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ROBERT UPSHAW CONCENTRATING ON FINAL FOUR SCHOOLS

The pool of quality big men available in the 2012 recruiting class continues to shrink, however Fresno (CA) Memorial High School product Robert Upshaw remains on the board and will take his time as he sees the recruiting process through.

“Fresno State, Georgetown, Kansas State [and] Louisville,” replied Upshaw to an inquiry from NBE Sports on which schools he is currently considering that are actively recruiting him.

Upshaw replied “No” when asked if any school would currently be considered a leader or favorite.

Over the weekend Upshaw was one of several impressive prospects to take a visit to Louisville for the festivities kicking off the Cardinals 2011-2012 season. This trip was just the beginning of the visit process for the 7-foot, 2700pound big man.

“First school so far is Louisville,” Upshaw said of official visits. “Three more to go.”

At Memorial this season Upshaw is looking to take on a leadership role and he is having fun this fall as his senior year is underway. On the court expect the big man to continue to show his improvement as he continues to develop into one of the top big men in the class. This summer at the Pangos All-American camp Upshaw showed he has developed by leaps and bounds over the last two or three years. Upshaw combined a solid skill set inside with his determination to give max effort when out on the floor. Those traits should help him accomplish the goals he hopes to achieve this season at Memorial.

“School is great, [I'm] really enjoying taking on leadership and having fun,” he said, adding that “winning a section championship and going on to state” are the goals he is looking forward the most to accomplishing this season.

On his visit tour of his four finalists Upshaw will take in the full environment of each program as he carefully navigates the recruiting process to find the right fit. As one of the top big men still available in the class, expect the recruitment of Robert Upshaw to be closely watched and contested by the four finalists right to the end, which might not even come until the spring, possibly.

NOW AT VERMONT ACADEMY, DOMINIC WOODSON IS AN UNKNOWN COMMODITY NO MORE

by Alex Schwartz

Entering July, not many people outside of his part of Texas knew who Dominic Woodson was.

After breaking out during AAU Nationals in Orlando, Fla., the 6-foot-9 class of 2013 center is now a high-major priority.

Woodson transferred to Vermont Academy for his junior season. NBE caught up with Jesse Bopp, his coach at the New England prep school, to discuss Woodson’s recruitment, game and more.

“Vermont Academy was a great opportunity for him to be in a very controlled environment that resembles what life will be like for him as a college basketball player and he is a kid who talks about being the best and hopefully this environment gives him the opportunity at that,” Bopp said of why Woodson made the move, adding, “He has done a great job adjusting to all aspects of life here.”
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XAVIER RATHAN-MAYES HAS ‘AMAZING’ UCONN VISIT

Across the country college basketball programs hosted Midnight Madness events as they ushered in the beginning of another basketball season. At Connecticut the defending national champions had impressive line-up of recruits visiting this weekend to take in the festivities. One player, 2013 recruit Xavier Rathan-Mayes of Huntington (WV) Prep, made the trip and NBE caught up with him earlier today to get his thoughts on the visit.

“The visit was great! Had an amazing time,” said Rathan-Mayes. “The highlight was probably watching practice today and getting to know and shoot with Kemba Walker.”

Rathan-Mayes is another youngster from the CIA Bounce AAU program out of Canada exceling in America. Rathan-Mayes is a volume shooter and he can really fill it up when he gets on a roll. The 6-foot-4, 200 pound Class of 2014 guard has very high upside as a scorer.
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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK: 2013 GUARDS THORPE, LEWIS & SAMUEL CHECK IN ON RECRUITMENTS

NBE caught up with a trip of guards in the Class of 2013 as college coaches hit the road in September to get a look at prospects across the country. Geno Thorpe of Shaler Area High School near Pittsburgh and New York City guards Terrence Samuel of South Shore High School and Isaiah Lewis of Christ the King touched base late last week to give us the latest on their recruitment as the busy month of September unfolds.

THORPE SET TO VISIT KANSAS STATE; SCHOOLS COMING BY SHALER

Geno Thorpe had an impressive summer playing with the NJ Playaz 16U squad on the AAU circuit. The athletic 6-foot-3, 175-pound guard had toyed with the idea of transferring from Shaler Area High School to a few different programs in New Jersey, but he is staying put this season and looking forward to a big season in front of friends and family.
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RECRUITMENT OF ISAIAH WATKINS CONTINUES TO GAIN STEAM

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

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

The improvement of Watkins has been ongoing through the spring and summer according to Nolan Shulman, National Recruiting Analyst of Flagrant Fouls and Editor-in-Chief of the Ultimate Recruiting Handbook which is the authority on Canadian basketball prospects. Shulman also noted that Watkins will come to work every single day at St. Benedict’s, which should only enhance his goal of improving.
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TROY WILLIAMS HAS GOOD TIME ON NORTH CAROLINA VISIT

Just like our earlier article on Davon Reed indicated, Troy Williams is another Class of 2013 prospect taking advantage of some free time to check out college campuses of schools that are recruiting him. Williams, who plays for his uncle’s Boo Williams AAU program, is a standout 6-foot-7, 200-pound forward from Hampton (VA) that is being recruited at the highest levels of college basketball. Last weekend he took the opportunity to visit North Carolina.

“It was really nice, I had a lot of fun,” Willaims told NBE last night of the visit. “Being able to play against the team in open gym [was the highlight].”

Williams is also planning to visit a couple more tradition-rich programs in the near future. He plans to make a swing to the Bluegrass State to check out both Kentucky and Louisville October 6th through the 9th and a trip to Georgetown is on the calendar for October 14th.

Williams told NBE late in the summer circuit that he holds offers from Texas, Georgetown, Virginia, Alabama, Virginia Tech, South Florida and DePaul with interest from North Carolina, Duke, Louisville, Miami and Northwestern.

Williams burst on the AAU scene this summer as a big time athlete at the wing position. He is at his best in transition where he can use his great speed to run the floor and then finish at the rim with impressive leaping ability. Williams has very long arms on his wiry frame and uses them along with his elite hops to be a high level rebounder from the wing. His jump shot needs work but his form appears to be solid so as long as Williams puts the work in he should be able to improve. He is a no doubt high-major wing and likely a top 25 player in the class when it’s all said and done and his list of offers and college interest will continue to soar.

Still, at this time, Williams is staying open in the recruiting process.

“I’m still open actualy. No favorites,” he said.

Williams has previously told NBE he will look to decide next summer and his recent visit has not changed that thought process. NBE will continue to follow his recruitment his development on the court as Troy Williams solidifies himself as one of the most highly coveted players in the Class of 2013 in the nation.

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