Louisville Recruiting

NIA PREP ON THE RISE ON THE PREP SCHOOL SCENE

Jamir Hanner headed to Seton Hall; Kelvin Amayo & Shaquille Thomas lead next group of NIA Prep prospects

By Matt Whitfield

The New York tri-state area is a hot bed for high school basketball. With perennial powers St. Anthony’s, St. Benedict’s, St. Patrick’s, Paterson Catholic, Rice, Lincoln and others, it is no surprise a plethora of talented high school players graduate to play in college and then sometimes at the highest level. Despite being such a breeding ground for talent the area also sees many talented players leave the area for stops at prep programs in New England such as Winchendon Prep, South Kent Prep, and others, to pepare them for college on and off the court. A rising program aims to begin to change the migration of talented NYC/NJ-area players to New England and keep them in the tri-state area as Alif Muhammad’s NIA School in Newark (NJ) has put itself on the prep basketball map this season. With the addition of former Bishop Loughlin head coach Rudy King to the coaching staff at NIA School, NIA Prep is posied for bigger things in the future.

NIA Prep’s basketball program is in it’s second season on the court and in it’s first year under Coach Rudy King. The team is 29-11 as of Monday and according to school President Alif Muhammad had it’s best stretch to date in late January/early February when they beat Mack Academy and then went up to Rhode Island for the National Prep Showcase and beat Westwind Prep and Brewster, all of who were ranked high amongst the ESPN top prep school schools. The school has taken on a national schedule this season, playing a mix of traditional New England prep powers as well as the top programs in New Jersey, including Paterson Catholic and St. Anthony’s. NIA Prep owns a two-game season sweep over a loaded Brewster Academy team, which recently captured the NEPSAC Class A championship.

The team right now has several Big East caliber players with the best of those right now being Jamir Hanner, according to Muhammad.

Read on for more on NIA Prep, including recruiting updates on 2011 prospects Shaquille Thomas and Kelvin Amayo who are both highly coveted by Big East programs. To see the latest you can sign up for NBE Premium access and SUBSCRIBE (HERE) to read on below…

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (3/5/2010)

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Here is a quick Happy Hour fix of the news and notes around the Big East as we take a quick glance back at last night’s action and preview the first game of the weekend tonight that kicks off the final games of the Big East regular season. Also in the news today is the visit list for tomorrow’s Freedom Hall finale as the host cards look to stamp that NCAA Tournament resume. The season has not gone quite as well as planned for Mick Cronin and Cincinnati, but the UC coach can expect to give it at least another try next year with the Bearcats. South Florida and Notre Dame enter this last weekend with hopes remaining of NCAA Tournament bids.

Speaking of tournaments this time of year, a good luck shout out goes to the girls team at Northwest HS in Wichita, Kansas as they play in the sub-state final tonight. Good luck to the Grizzlies in their quest to earn a spot in the state tournament.

It is now less than a week away, so be sure to visit our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page for the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big East fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. Stub Hub and the Big East conference have teamed up to provide fans with quality tickets and you can get tickets to ANY Big East conference or non-league game by following this link: StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online

Now, onto today’s News & Notes around the Big East…

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (3/4/2010)

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There was one lone Big East game on the Wednesday Night schedule and it was an important meeting in South Bend (IN) between UConn and Notre Dame. Riding Tory Jackson, the Irish picked up another resume padding late-season win while UConn is dealt a critical blow to their NCAA Tournament chances. Tonight, Pitt looks to lock down the final double bye into the 2010 Big East Tournament quarterfinals when hosting Providence and the Seton Hall/Rutgers rivalry commences for round two in nine days.

Austin Freeman returned to the practice floor for Georgetown on Wednesday, but the Hoya junior also released the news he has developed diabetes. It will not impact his long-term basketball career, but the immediate impact is still to be determined in regards to his availability on the court in upcoming Georgetown games of the next week or so.

Also, Pat Stevens updates us on some of the happenings in the NEPSAC playoffs with several Big East commits and targets looking to extend their seasons. Finally, Rutgers to the Big 10 looks like a possibility and a good fit for the Scarlet Knights if an offer is extended to them in the future.

It is now less than a week away, so be sure to visit our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page for the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big East fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. Stub Hub and the Big East conference have teamed up to provide fans with quality tickets and you can get tickets to ANY Big East conference or non-league game by following this link: StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online

Now, onto today’s News & Notes around the Big East…

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CLASS OF 2011 ELITE TARGET: QUINCY MILLER

Buzz has been Kentucky will land QEA junior big man, but Miller says options remain open

At 6-foot-10 with a varied skill set the comparisons have come early and often to NBA star and former Texas Longhorn Kevin Durant for Quality Education Academy junior Quincy Miller. He has all the tools athleticially with a body nearly identical to that of Durant’s. Nobody can deny the elite skill set the young big man prospect possesses if they saw him in action this past summer. One example, in front of the throng of college coaches watching intently at the King City Classic Championship game, saw Miller wow the crowd with a quick thinking offensive rebound and put-back slam dunk. Miller always seemed to be on the scene with a big play in the paint, drawing fouls or finishing the high percentage shots in traffic. Miller worked some great, finesse moves inside matched up against the highly regarded Johnny O’ Bryant, and even connected a few times on his mid-range jumper. His best move came late in the game, when he took a stutter step and drove two steps, worked a reverse pivot and dropped in the basket.

Miller is truly one of the elite prospects in the class of 2011 and his potential is limitless with his size, length, athletic ability and versatile skill set that, as QEA head coach Issac Pitts, Jr. tells NBE, “is a match-up problem for all teams.”

The common scuttlebutt on the recruiting scene is Miller is bound to be part of another monster recruiting class in 2011 for John Calipari and the University of Kentucky. While the Wildcats are certainly in the picture, the North Chicago (IL) native says UK is “just one of my many choices.”

It is a certainty that Miller has plenty of choices, including several in the Big East that are in the mix. He and his coach both took the time to update NBE yesterday on his situation on the recruiting front and his season at QEA in Winston-Salem (NC) and to see the latest you can sign up for NBE Premium access and SUBSCRIBE (HERE) to read on below…

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EDGAR SOSA IS A LOUISVILLE CARDINAL TO THE END

NYC native committed to UL before seing the campus, remained committed through up and down career

by MATT WHITFIELD

Edgar Sosa he has seen his share of ups and downs in his collegient career. As a freshman the highly touted Rice High School product out of New York City was second on the Louisville team in points (11.4/game), assists (2.6/game) and minutes played (25.2/game) behind Terrence Williams while leading the team in steals (44). His 31-point performances in a 2nd round NCAA Tournament near upset of three-seed Texas A&M to close his rookie season with the Cards had him moving quickly up NBE mock drafts on the internet predictions were made he would finish as one of the best ever at Louisville before his career was complete.

Those predictions did not come to to fruition immediately as Sosa’s production dipped significantly, along with his playing time, as a sophomore and stayed the same in his junior season. The 6-foot-1 guard routinely caught the ire of head coach Rick Pitino for his troubles on the defensive end of the court.

Prior to Sosa’s sophomore season his drop in playing time might have been foreshadowed by a remark by Pitino on his personal website, RickPitino.com. Pitino always has a motivating quip or two on his players, and as official practice began in mid-October the target was Sosa, who according to Pitino, “probably spent his summer hours guarding a chair.”

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (2/23/2010)

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Here come’s UConn! Jim Calhoun has directed the Huskies to three straight wins just as it looked like they were headed towards missing ghe NCAA Tournament. Now last year’s Final Four participant and #1 seed is right in the mix of the bubble talk. Work is still needed, but suddenly a season left for dead just 9 days ago after an ‘embarassment’ is very much alive with a team that could be very dangerous in March.

Three games on the Big East schedule tonight with the battle of Jersey bewteen SHU and RU taking palce at the ROC. A very big game on the conference schedule features Louisville and Georgetown as the two teams have been heading in opposite directions in recent weeks, but the Hoyas are still possessing a lofty national rank and the Cards are hoping to get off the bubble, even though it is Georgetown looking up at UL in the league standings. Syracuse looks to avoid looking ahead to ‘Nova this weekend when they travel to Providence, who has been run through the wringer of the Big East schedule.

In other news, Notre Dame has to go deeper on the bench that Mike Brey might be comfortable with whil Luke Harangody has been out. Now, it looks like Harangody will be out longer than anticpated. The heat is rising against Mick Cronin as UC stumbles again down the stetch. With four years left on his contract, it has the Cincinnati athletic department in a tough spot. Of course, making a few free throws and this situation could be looking MUCH better. Buzz Williams is back to his aerodynamic hair style after growing out a little fuzz during a five-game winning streak. Mouphtau Yarous is adjusting to life on the Philly Main Line and hopes to make the impact he had hoped before this season is done.

In recruiting, Maurice Walker and Gorgui Dieng are 2010 uncomitted big men that Big East schools are actively recruiting into the spring signing period.

Also, it might still be another few weeks away, but our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page has the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big East fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. Stub Hub and the Big East conference have teamed up to provide fans with quality tickets and you can get tickets to ANY Big East conference or non-league game by following this link: StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online

Now, onto today’s News & Notes around the Big East…

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OMAR CALHOUN DRAWING COACHES, OFFERS

Even though they are just sophomores in high school, the class of 2012 is starting to take shape and it is looking to be an impressive class in the Northeast. One player that is certain to draw a lot of attention is Christ the King (NYC) guard Omar Calhoun.

Last weekend in Trenton (NJ), Calhoun and his CTK teammates hit the big stage as the Royals took on undefeated Half Hollow Hills West of Long Island (NY) in the Primetime Shootout at the Sun National Bank Center Sunday afternoon.

The Royals entered the contest as the NY Post’s #1 boy’s basketball team in their NYC rankings, but HHHW was too much on this afternoon, holding on for a 73-69 win. Calhoun was fantastic, as expected, finishing with a game-high 24 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in the contest. Calhoun’s father, Omar Sr., also caught up with NBE to talk about recruiting, summer plans and how deep the family cares for the game of basketball…

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PRIMETIME SHOOTOUT RECRUITING & PLAYER NOTES (PART II)

On Saturday afternoon at the 2010 Primetime Shootout Finlday Prep (NV) took on the Hotchkiss School (CT) at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton (NJ). Playing without Texas-bound forward Tristan Thompson, Findlay was still too deep and too big for Hotchkiss as Cory Joseph and Nick Johnson tossed in 19 points each to lead Findlay to a 64-48 victory.

Matt Whitfield was in Trenton for all the action on Saturday and Sunday and following the game between Findlay and Hotchkiss he was able to touch base with some of the top players to get the latest recruiting information from Nick Johnson, Winston Shepard, Godwin Okonji, Cory Joseph and Dekeeba Battee Aston from Findlay with updates from Derrick Wilson and Clyde Smith of Hotchkiss…

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BIG EAST SCHOOLS TRAILING IN RACE FOR KADEEM JACK

Plenty of Big East schools involved with Rice HS big man, but have ground to make up

Kadeem Jack is a hot name right now in recruiting circles. Having a big season at Rice High School in the powerful CHSAA of New York City, Jack is also causing a stir because he could be a class of 2010 recruit and be a coveted signature in the late signing period this April.

This weekend, Jack and his Rice teammates participated in one of the showcase games of the 2010 Primetime Shootout when they took on St. Patrick’s (NJ) at 7:30 PM on Saturday evening at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton (NJ). Afterwards, Matt Whitfield caught up with Jack to get his thoughts on where his recruitment currently stands…

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (2/9/2010)

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Big Monday saw a big conference tilt as top five teams Villanova and West Virginia met in Morgantown. It was the Wildcats coming up on top and remaining at the nead of the Big East standings with Syracuse. Also last night, Pittsburgh cruised in a non-conference match-up against a local neighbor. Pitt and WVU meet later during this ESPN Rivalry Week.

Tonight Georgetown looks to avoid a stumble following Saturday’s big win over Villanova when they travel to Providence as the Friars are in the midst of a killer portion of their schedule. Rutgers will also be in action tonight when they head out of conference to host Caldwell College.

In other Big East news, Providence is still recruiting for the class of 2010 and Rick Pitino has been making some rounds recently watching recruits in the NYC area. Marquette has been a surprise that seems under the radar and a Louisville line-up change seems to have helped both the new starter and new reserve.

Also, it might be another month and a half away, but our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page has the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big East fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. Stub Hub and the Big East conference have teamed up to provide fans with quality tickets and you can get tickets to ANY Big East conference or non-league game by following this link: StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online

Read on below for all of today’s News & Notes…

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THE ‘REAL’ DANNY LAWHORN UPDATE; COLEMAN COMMITS TO UL

BY JEFF BORZELLO

Late last week, the Facebook and Twitter accounts for prep school school senior Danny Lawhorn sent shockwaves through the recruiting world: it was posted that he was committing to Connecticut.

However, shortly after, it was apparent that someone had hacked into Lawhorn’s social networks and posted the commitment messages.

“I don’t even know,” Lawhorn told the NBE Basketball Report last week by phone. “Like, a few people have my password so I’m assuming that was it. I’m going to see who did it.”

While the commitment announcement might have been premature, the fact that Connecticut is Lawhorn’s favorite is no secret.

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NPSI DAY FOUR RECAP

BY PAT STEVENS – Two of the Class of 2011’s best shined as Michael Carter-Williams of St. Andrew’s locked up the MVP award while Shabazz Napier of Lawrence Academy made a push at retaining it for the second straight year as the 12th annual National Prep School Invitational concluded on Sunday.

Big East assistant coaches on hand included Connecticut’s Pat Sellers and Providence’s Pat Skerry.

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (2/8/2010)

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A busy and snowy weekend in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic is over and the basketball action of Rivalry Week will likely help thaw things out. Before the week got started, there were a pair of Big East match-ups on Super Bowl Sunday and Notre Dame cooled off the red hot USF Bulls and Syracuse laid claim to the top spot in the conference by winning at Cincinnati.

Tonight is a big one as West Virginia welcomes in Villanova for a BIG Monday match-up. Pittsburgh is also in action taking on a local non-conference rival.

In other news, UConn is still looking at a chance to make the NCAA Tournament but it will take some impressive wins in the near future. The opportunity is definitely there. Rutgers will have a big recruiting visit in the near future and Jabarie Hinds could be the next Mount Vernon product to land in the Big East.

Also, it might be another month and a half away, but our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page has the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big East fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. Stub Hub and the Big East conference have teamed up to provide fans with quality tickets and you can get tickets to ANY Big East conference or non-league game by following this link: StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online

Read on below for all of today’s News & Notes…

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NPSI DAY THREE RECAP

BY PAT STEVENS – J.J. Moore and Shabazz Napier were two of the top performers leading their teams to wins as the 12th annual National Prep School Invitational rolled along for a third day on Saturday at the University of Rhode Island. South Florida’s Eric Skeeters was the lone Big East assistant in attendance.

-South Kent’s J.J. Moore (6-6 WF/Pittsburgh) led all scorers on the day with 30 points in a 70-69 win over the Canarias Basketball Academy of Spain. Russ Smith (6-1 PG/Louisville) scored 11 points as the two teams’ traded baskets down the stretch with South Kent eventually pulling away.

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NPSI DAY ONE RECAP

BY PAT STEVENS — A number of coaches made the trip to Rhode Island for the 12th annual National Prep School Invitational, with South Florida’s Stan Heath the lone Big East head coach and he was joined by conference assistants such as Connecticut’s Pat Sellers, Georgetown’s Mike Brennan, Louisville’s Ralph Willard, Providence’s Pat Skerry, Seton Hall’s Scott Adubato, and West Virginia’s Larry Harrison all taking in the first day of play.

The Big East-bound matchup of Waverly Austin (South Florida) of Heat Academy and David Nyarsuk (West Virginia) of Mountain State Academy went the way of the Sudan native. Nyarsuk scored 13 points and had eight rebounds with two blocks in 31 minutes. Austin had eight points, five rebounds and three blocks in 31 minutes as well. MSA went up 17 at the half, 37-20, and went on to win 75-47. PJ Lockridge, who visited Louisville last weekend, had six points and four rebounds in 28 minutes for Heat Academy.

CJ Fair (Syracuse) had 25 points and four blocks in 31 minutes as Brewster Academy ran away from Hotchkiss School in the second half, 95-64. Naadir Tharpe, who has interest from Providence and West Virginia, had 13 assists in the win. For Hotchkiss, its backcourt of Derrick Wilson (2011) had 26 points and Clyde Smith (2012) had 18 points in the loss. Both recently received Notre Dame offers according to their coach.

Ron Giplaye (Providence) scored 12 points and four rebounds in 24 minutes as Notre Dame Prep held off a comeback by the Canary Islands’ Basketball Academy, 63-51. Cleveland Melvin (Connecticut verbal) did not play but was with the team.

Calvin Newell (6-1 CG/Evelyn Mack Academy), one of the top five performers back at the National Prep Showcase in November, says he has interest from West Virginia and Connecticut to go with Baylor and Nebraska. Bob Huggins was in to see him last month and he said he hopes to visit later February. Newell scored 13 points with three assists in a 67-57 win over Progressive Christian.

Kelvin Amayo (6-4 SG/NIA Prep) is being tracked by Seton Hall and will be a 2011 prospect, according to his coach. Shaquille Thomas (6-8 WF), who has several Big East schools interested, had 25 points while Amayo scored 14 with eight rebounds to lead NIA in its second-half rout of Arizona’s Westwind Prep, 94-66.

Andre Drummond, one of the nation’s top prospects, scored 14 points and had 10 rebounds in St. Thomas More’s 88-55 win over Wilbraham & Monson of Massachusetts. The 6-foot-11 sophomore center played 25 minutes while one-time West Virginia commit Bryon Allen added four points and four assists in 17 minutes as St. Thomas More maintained its 20 point lead from before halftime.

Moses Abraham, who has interest from Georgetown and Connecticut, was not with Progressive Christian of Maryland as he plays with their high school team rather than their prep team.

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See the Big East stars of today on the big stage as our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page has the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big East fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. Stub Hub and the Big East conference have teamed up to provide fans with quality tickets and you can get tickets to ANY Big East conference or non-league game by following this link: StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online

NBE PREP CORNER – UNDERCLASSMEN UPDATE (PART II)

BY PAT STEVENS — As mentioned in Part I of the Prep Corner’s Underclassman Updates, the group of young talent in the NEPSAC this season is pretty unprecedented when comparing to recent years.

The 2011 class has a pair of point guards who are among the best in the country at their position in Shabazz Napier (Lawrence Academy) and Naadir Tharpe (Brewster Academy). Two more have already given verbal commitments to Big East schools in Michael Carter-Williams (St. Andrew’s) to Syracuse and DaShaun Wiggins (Bridgton Academy) to Seton Hall.

Evaluating the 2012 class is still in the early stages but Andre Drummond (St. Thomas More) started at center to lead the USA U16 team to a Gold Medal this past summer at the FIBA Americas Games and Khem Birch (Winchendon School) will be one of the select few underclassmen who will play at this June’s annual NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp. Ricardo Ledo (St. Andrew’s) and Alex Murphy (St. Mark’s) have high-major offers from teams across the nation.

Expect the Big East to be in for another loaded year if the top talent elects to stay home.

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OMAR CALHOUN PICKING UP ELITE RECRUITING INTEREST

2012 NYC prospect seeing UK, UNC, UCLA, ‘Zona, etc joing Big East schools on his trail

by MATT WHITFIELD

The 2010 Newark Invitational at the Prudential Center drew some of the top teams from Jersey and destinations far and near. One team that traveled from over the river to compete in Newark (NJ) was Christ the King of NYC. CTK was matched up against Jersey City (NJ) power St. Peter’s Prep and the game lived up to expectations as the boys from New York City came away with a 75-72 overtime victory.

Also living up to expectations was Christ the King sophomore forward Omar Calhoun. The 6-foot-4 sophomore guard put on a show in his match-up against highly regarded St. Peter’s Prep junior (2011) guard Myles Davis, both showing why they have bright futures on the basketball court.

For his part, Calhoun finished with 23 points, displaying a high basketball IQ for a young player and showed off an accurante and picture-esque jump shot, extending out past the three-point arc where he was four of eight on the afternoon. Calhoun has a solid size and a good frame to add more weight before getting to college. His lack of strength and weight made some of his opportunities in the lane more difficult to finish in this contest.

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MIKE SHAW RECRUITING UPDATE

More Big East schools join Louisville on the list of talented junior big man from Illinois

by MATT WHITFIELD

Chicago (IL) De La Salle High School came East last weekend to participate in the Newark Invitational at the Prudential Center in Newark (NJ). It was a showcase game pitting the Grey Bees of St. Benedict’s in Newark against the highly touted De La Salle squad that is led by one of the top prospects in the class of 2011 nationally, Mike Shaw.

The 6-foot-8 F/C had a productive game, using his long and athletic body to accrue 19 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals in the contest. Shaw has the look of an athlete and a body that should allow him to make an early impact at the college level.

Once thought of as a package deal with Mac Irvin Fire AAU teammate and 2011 Louisville-commit Wayne Blackshear, Shaw is keeping his options open and expanding his list, looking at additional schools from the Big East in the process.

“I really don’t care where I play [at the next level],” said Shaw when asked if conference affiliation will play a role in his decision. “I’m just taking my time with it and seeing what’s out there.”

Louisville remains a school on his list and Shaw also mentioned interest in Texas, Florida, USC, Providence, Xavier, Connecticut and Villanova when talking with NBE on Saturday.

Shaw has been to Texas, Illinois, Southern Illinois amd Louisville for unofficial visits.

Shaw will be back on the AAU circuit this spring with Mac Irvin Fire and NBE will be certain to catch up with him again in the future to see how his recruiting is progressing.

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (2/2/2010)

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Lots of good stuff to get to today. Big Monday action last night had two teams with much need for a win and Louisville held serve and defeated a slumping UConn, 82-69. Tonight features Villanova (against Seton Hall) and Syracuse (against Providence) in action on their home courts looking to defend their lofty national rankings. Rutgers looks to build momentum following their first Big East win of the season from over the weekend and deal a damaging blow to St. John’s season tonight at the RAC.

In other Big East news, speculation on Pitt moving to the Big 10 looks to be WAY TOO premature. Right now, the Panthers are looking to stay positive and shake themselves out of a rut that has led to three losses in four games, but things get tougher with WVU on the schedule next. Notre Dame looks to be in a slide that is very familiar to Irish followers of a year before.

In recruiting, Pitt and Providence are involved with a young Chicago prospect, Anthony Wroten Jr updates his top five schools and Justin Coleman also lists his favorites. Adam Zagoria also has a very nice story on Rice HS junior guard Jermaine Sanders and his handling of a personal tragedy from last fall.

Also, it might be another month and a half away, but our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page has the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big east fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. Stub Hub and the Big East conference have teamed up to provide fans with quality tickets and you can get tickets to ANY Big East conference or non-league game by following this link: StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online

Read on below for all of today’s News & Notes…

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (1/27/2010)

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A couple games on the Big East schedule Tuesday night and the drama was taken out of them early as WVU led Depaul 20-4 early and Marquette was up 25-7 over Rutgers. The Mountaineers and Golden Eagles cruised to victory without much of a fight, well, DePaul did get a little feisty, from the opposition.

Tonight, two more games, with UConn trying to avoid a letdown when they travel to Providence. Jim Calhoun will miss his third straight game for medical reasons. The Friars try to put the collapse of Saturday night behind them against a team they have had recent success against. Also, Notre Dame travels to Philly to take on Villanova.

In other Big East news, Syracuse is off to a great start, but still keying on one game at a time. Pitt’s guards have been logging a lot of minutes and Jamie Dixon hopes to use his bench more, find more interior production and hope that leads to some open three’s.

We also have several recruiting updates we found across the web of interest to Big East fans, including Jabarie Hinds, Josh and Devin Langford, Desmond Hubert and Jamal Lewis.

Also, it might be another month and a half away, but our 2010 Big East Tournament & Tickets page has the links needed for Big East basketball fans to purchase tickets to any or all of the 2010 Big East Tournament sessions. The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is an event Big east fans must experience when they have the opportunity and here is your chance to get your tickets early before they become harder, and more expensive, to find. Stub Hub and the Big East conference have teamed up to provide fans with quality tickets and you can get tickets to ANY Big East conference or non-league game by following this link: StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online

Read on below for all of today’s News & Notes…

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