Notre Dame Recruiting

FOUR SCHOOLS IN THE MIX FOR ’12 PG JAMES ROBINSON

Over the last couple years DeMatha High School and Team Takeover DC have won a lot of basketball games. While many of the players in each program have moved on from one year to the next and several others spend time playing for both programs, there has been one common denominator for the Takeover 17U team and the DeMatha Varsity the last two years: James Robinson.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound point guard has not only established himself as one of the best basketball players in the Class of 2012, but one of the biggest winners in the class as well. The most accurate description one can offer Robinson as a basketball player is a winner. In the 2010 Nike EYBL championship run of Team Takever Robinson was a scorer. Robinson saw his stock explode with a 24-point, 8-reboiund performance in the championship game win over the St. Louis Eagles in a game televised by ESPN U.

James Robinson '12

This year Robinson played the role of distributor throughout much of the AAU season and Robinson may have had one of the most impressive stat lines of the weekend during the EYBL stint in Los Angeles in late May in a win over Seattle Rotary as he finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and just one turnover. Robinson has excellent floor vision and can do just about anything on the floor. He’s the kind of lead guard that makes it possible for teams to win a number of games and plays both ends of the floor. He is an aggressive and physical defender who uses his strength to create problems for opponents.

Now with his AAU career behind him Robinson will try and focus on his recruitment and currently has a short and tidy list he is working from.

“Pitt, Miami, UVA (Virginia) and Notre Dame,” said Robinson when asked what schools he was considering that are actively recruiting him.

While he has not decided or planned any official visits, he will be checking out one of the two BIG EAST schools on his list in the coming weeks with an unofficial visit.

“[An] unofficial visit to Pitt [is] set up towards the end of the month,” Robinson told NBE this afternoon.

Robinson claims no leader at this point in the recruiting process and, in general terms, hopes to come to a decision in the not too distant future.

“No set timetable [for a decision, but] hopefully soon,” he said.

Whichever program is the lucky recipient of a Letter of Intent from James Robinson is certain to have a winner entering their program. NBE will continue to follow the story as Robinson’s recruitment winds down…

2011 ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK (PART 9): BRANNEN GREENE, TYLER CAVANAUGH, LANDRY NNOKO & THEO PINSON

By Alex Schwartz

BRANNEN GREENE SETS LOUISVILLE VISIT; PLANNING OTHER TRIPS

Pushing 6-foot-7, Brannen Greene is a mismatch on the wing due to his height and refined skill set. The Monroe (GA) native is a solid athlete with a good build who can do quite a bit with the ball in his hands. Greene has a high basketball IQ and good court vision, allowing him to hit the open man in position to score. His handle is superb and he can get through the defense on the way to the rack. Greene finishes pretty well at the rim and is crafty down low against the big bodies. He has nice form on his jumper, though he has yet to become a truly consistent shooter from deep. Greene puts in effort at the defensive end and can cause problems on the perimeter due to his length.

Greene has seen his stock explode as much as anyone in the Class of 2013 this summer and he a school list to prove it. He said that he has offers from Louisville, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Alabama, Marquette, Florida State, Florida, Connecticut, Kansas, Ohio State, Memphis, South Carolina, the equivalent of such from Harvard as well as “a lot more.”
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2011 ORLANDO AAU UPDATE (PART 6): HOUSTON DEFENDERS TAKE 17U SHOWCASE TITLE

By Alex Schwartz

It was a busy day in Orlando on Wednesday as the 17U AAU Super Showcase came to a close. The Houston Defenders earned the crown with an impressive 55-45 victory over BABC. Class of 2013 twins Aaron and Andrew Harrison led the Defenders as Aaron scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Andrew finished with eight points and 10 assists. Earlier in the afternoon the Defenders got past Team Takeover, rallying from a halftime deficit to advance to the championship game. For their part, BABC survived a stiff challenge in the semis from Hoop Heavan Elite out of NJ to advance to the televised championship game.

Now the full focus will shift to the AAU National Championships. The 16U is in full swing and the 17U championships are also getting going in pool play as well. Still plenty of basketball left these next four days as the second July live evaluation period closes out.

Below we have some additional player evaluations and recruiting information from yesterday’s action with a heavy concentration on the Houston Defenders (Derrick Griffin), Team Takeover (Jerami Grant), BABC (Jaylen Brantley, Jake Layman, Goodluck Okonoboh) and more (Bobby Portis)…

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2011 ORLANDO AAU UPDATE (PART 5): CHAMPIONSHIP DAY FOR 17U SUPER SHOWCASE AHEAD

By Alex Schwartz

It is championship day at the 17U AAU Super Showcase in Orlando on Wednesday afternoon. At noon, Team Takeover DC will meet the Houston Defenders in one semifinal match-up while BABC will take on Hoop Heaven Elite at 3 PM in the other semifinal. The winners will meet in the Showcase ttile game scheduled for 7 PM and it will be televised by ESPNUI.

Last night ESPNU had a made-for-TV ‘highlight’ game in Orlando putting Texas PRO and the Georgia Stars on display for television viewers. NBE caught up with some of the top names from the highlight game, including Alex Poythress, Danuel House and Danrad ‘Chicken’ Knowles, to get the latest in their recruitment. Also a pair of 2013 guards, Stephen Vasturia and Allerick Freeman, are profiled in today’s report…

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2011 ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK (PART I): SELDEN, WILBEKIN, HAYES STANDOUT

By Alex Schwartz

The second July live evaluation period kicked off on Friday and the place to be over the 10-day period looks to be Orlando (FL). With AAU Super Showcases along with AAU National Championships being at the top age groups the action will be heating up like much of the summer weather our nation is currently seeing. In this first notebook, NBE chats with elite 2014 prospect Wayne Selden about his recruitment and covers the play and recruitment of Nigel Hayes, Mitchell Wilbekin while also getting a look at Marial Shayok, Che Bop and Jeremy Miller as well with the younger age groups taking center stage first. Read on below for the details…

Wayne Selden said he has offers from Kentucky, Boston College, Connecticut, West Virginia and Pittsburgh. He has interest from Ohio State, Arizona and Providence. He noted, “A lot more other schools in the Big East, ACC.”
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Q&A WITH CLASS OF 2013 STOCK RISER HALLICE COOKE

One of the players that has made a quick ascension in the Class of 2013 in recent weeks is St. Anthony;s of Jersey City (NJ) guard Hallice Cooke. After playing well in the early July events on the East Coast, Cooke and his teammates at Sports U./Team Izod made a major splash by taking home the 16U crown at the UA Summer Jam presented by NY2LA Sports. Their championship run was culminated last Friday afternoon with a 51-48 win over the Illinois Wolves to take home the 16U Platinum Bracket Championship.

NBE was able to catch up with Cooke this afternoon to get his thoughts on the impressive early July run and hear the latest on his recruitment, which is starting to explode rapidly. Another impressive 10 days to close July and Cooke could become one of the most heavily recruited players on the East Coast in the 2013 class…

NBE Basketball Report (NBE): What is your current height and weight?

Hallice Cook (HC): I’m 6’3 and my weight is 175.
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NBE: Where do you live?

HC: I live in Union City, New Jersey
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NBE: Can you talk about what is the best part of attending St. Anthony’s and playing for Coach Hurley?
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2011 NIKE EYBL PEACH JAM REPORT (PART V)

By Brian Bosworth

Thursday marked the end of pool play at the Peach Jam and the last opportunity for teams to fight their way into the playoffs. For some teams who know they are going to be on the outside looking in it is the last opportunity to perform in front of college colleges this week. With the stakes raised the play became even more intense and some players will able to stand above the rest…

Brandon Ashley (Oakland Soldiers/2012) – Ashley has been having a monster work and continued that trend this morning. After dominating from the low block when I watched him on Tuesday night, Ashley showed off his face up game in this contest. He hit multiple 18 foot jumpers from the baseline and once he established that shot used a shot fake and a couple of dribbles to get to the rim. He was in attack mode throughout the game earning himself 12 trips to the free throw line and converting 9 of them. Ashley’s handle, while adequate, will need to get better as his game progresses. He can use 1 or 2 dribbles effectively but in the open floor sometimes becomes a bit wild if he has to put it down more than that.
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2011 NIKE EYBL PEACH JAM REPORT (PART III)

By Brian Bosworth

Back in North Augusta bright and early Wednesday morning, amazing talent was standing at every turn. Some well known stars continued their dominance while new faces emerged as well. Here is the scoreboard from Wednesday’s early slate og games:

Athletes First 84, Houston Hoops 74
Texas Titans 60, Baltimore Elite 48
NJ Playaz 58, Albany City Rocks 57
CIA Bounce 80, Meanstreets 53
All-Ohio Red 59, Arkansas Wings 51
Boo Williams 89, Louisiana Select 84 (2 OT)
Cali Supreme 78, The Family 70
All-Iowa Attack 69, Howard Pulley 64
Georgia Stars 62, Team Takeover 61
Oakland Solders 65, Indy Spiece 60
Memphis YOMCA 73, CP3 59
BABC 83, Mac Irvin Fire 59

Here is just a sampling of the guys who made the biggest impact in those contests:

Kyle Anderson (Playaz Basketball Club/2012) – Anderson unique game has been well documented over the years which is bound to happen when you’re among the country’s best. He was up to his usual tricks this morning getting into the lane at will with a series of crossovers, spins, and inside out dribbles. Kyle has really improved his outside shot this spring and showed it off by going 2-2 from behind the arc and making a couple other long jumpers. Then with 20 seconds remaining and the Playaz down by a point he did what he does best, win. Anderson posted up on the left block, worked his way across the lane, hung in the air floating from left to right, and knocked down a floater with 5 seconds left on the clock to win the game.
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HOOP GROUP ELITE TEAM CAMP FINAL RECAP & RECRUITING NOTES

By Alex Schwartz

READING, Pa. — Featuring over 60 high schools from seven different states, The Hoop Group Elite Team Camp drew numerous Division I coaches to Albright College. At least half of Big East was represented there Sunday, the second and final day of the camp.

Head coaches from both of New Jersey’s Big East programs, Rutgers and Seton Hall, were in attendance along with at least one assistant. NBE Basketball Report also spotted or was informed that assistants from Cincinnati, DePaul, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Villanova and West Virginia were in Reading.

Amongst the attractions for the Big East schools were Kyle Anderson ’12, Nate Britt ’13, Reggie Cameron ’13, Hallice Cooke ’13, Will Ferguson ’13, Shep Garner ’14, Amile Jefferson ’12, Kris Jenkins ’13, Ja’Quan Newton ’14, Villanova-commit Daniel Ochefu ’12, Stanford Robinson ’13, Terrence Samuel ’13, Shamiek Sheppard ’13, Kavon Stewart ’13, Mike Young ’13, and more.
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LEBRON JAMES SKILLS ACADEMY RECRUITING FOCUS: GARY HARRIS & TERRY ROZIER

By Lauren Kirschman

College coaches were allowed at the Lebron James Skills Academy on Thursday for the first time and the turnout was as expected. A who’s who of college coaches were in the stands at the University of Akron’s James A. Rhodes Arena and they were not disappointed as the level of play at the camp has been very high. NBE is finishing up its coverage of the camp this morning and then will be on our way to the next stop on the evaluation trail. After yesterday’s afternoon session we had the opporunity to speak with Gary Harris (’12) and Terry Rozier (’12) as both have been putting in some impressive work this week. Both players have certainly helped their recruiting stock and will likely see an increased level of interest on the trail as they finish out the month and begin to work through the recruiting process.

Rozier lets NBE in on who his leaders are while Harris tells NBE he is continuing to be recruited for football as well as hoops…

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REEBOK BREAKOUT CHALLENGE: THURSDAY RECRUITING ROUNDUP

By Matt Whitfield

The return to the summer basketball camp scene by Reebok has been well received. The competition and talent level is certainly solid at the Gallagher Athletic Center on the campus of Philadelphia University. NBE took in the action for the most part of the day Thursday and was able to touch base with many of the players to learn the latest on their recruitments. While the camp had a strong group of Mid-Major+ prospects, there was more than a fair share of players who will land at higher levels in college. Below is a rundown of who we caught up with yesterday.

Rysheed Jordan (Robert Vaux HS/Players Teaching Players)

There was a lot of hype centering Jordan entering the camp and many scouts, reporters and college coaches were anxious to get a look at him. He did not disappoint as the 6-foot-3, Class of 2013 point guard has all the look of a sure fire high major recruit. He has definitely noticed the increased attention of late.

“I think I’m blowing up,” said Jordan of the recent influx of recruiting attention. “I’m easing my way up.”
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LEBRON JAMES SKILLS ACADEMY RECRUITING FOCUS: JAMES ROBINSON & WILLIE CAULEY

By Lauren Kirschman

The Lebron James Skills Academy took it up another notch on Thursday as college coaches were allowed to watch the action at the James A. Rhodes Arena on the University of Akron campus. After getting their feet wet with several workouts and the opportunity to play with and against King James himself in their first day and a half of the camp, now the players are playing for scholarships.

Right out of the gates the big name coaches arrived. By the time the first morning high school workout had finished names and faces we all know populated the viewing areas like Tom Izzo, Coach K, Jim Calhoun, Jim Boeheim, Billy Donovan, John Thompson III, Thad Matta, Bill Self, Matt Painter, Lorenzo Romar, Anthony Grant, Josh Pastner, Bruce Weber and many more with others planning to be here before the day is done.

After the morning workout Willie Cauley (’12) and James Robinson (’12) spent time with NBE Basketball Report to fill our readers in on the latest with their recruitment…

James Robinson (DeMatha HS/Team Takeover DC)
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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (6/30/2011)

In today’s News & Notes section around the BIG EAST recruiting tidbits dominate the discussion as there is some more about Zach Auguste as well as some touching base with Josh Fortune, Jaylen Bond and Daniel Dingle. Also so more on West Virginia players in this summer’s Pittsburgh Pro-Am summer league and the status of star incoming freshman Jabarie Hinds.

We will also be following closely the summer leagues in DC and Milwaukee when they get underway soon and hope to have some coverage of the Jersey Shore Basketball League in the near future (fingers crossed).

With the month of July bearing down on us…the main focus of course will be recruitng! Now…on to today’s News & Notes…

New England Hoop News has a series titled July or Never and today’s focus is 6-foot-8 New Hampton Prep forward Zach Auguste. As we detailed in yesterday’s BIG EAST News & Notes (6/29/2011) Auguste visited Connecticut earlier this week with prep teammate Noah Vonleh. The athletic forward has a lot of potential and will be on the circuit this July performing in front of the masses of college coaches on the road with the Mass Rivals in July as well as with the Albany City Rocks, during the Nike Peach Jam. In New England fans and coaches can look for Auguste at Elite 75 and Hall of Fame National Invitational, both starting on July 10th in the Western Massachusetts area.

According to Auguste’s Mass Rivals AAU coach, Vinny Pastore, schools that have offered scholarships include Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Boston College, Providence and Virginia to name a few.
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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (6/29/2011)

College basketball is a year-round sport. In the summer there is news of players coming and going from programs to keep track of, a busy recruiting season and more and more summer leagues that offer the players a chance to stay sharp against high-level competition. While many incoming freshmen just celebrated their high school graduation in the last few weeks and even days, many are already on a college campus and competing in the summer leagues and attending classes with their new teammates.

Today we take a quick run through some of the latest stories in the BIG EAST that touch on each of those subjects…

In Mike Helfgot’s Recruiting Notes in the Chicago Tribune there is an update on 6-foot-2 rising junior Jaylon Tate, who recently confirmed rumors he will be transferring from De La Salle High School to Chicago Simeon. At Simeon Tate will join a loaded roster that includes classmates Jabari Parker and Kendrick Nunn and senior Steve Taylor. All four players are considered sure-fire high-major recruits.

As for Tate, Helfgot reports that has offers from Northwestern, Providence and Xavier, according to his mother, Arisa Johnson, with several other high-majors such as DePaul, Marquette, Tennessee, Florida State and, as of this week, UCLA, expressing serious interest.
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JASON BOSWELL, TARIQ CAREY ON THE MOVE; RECRUITING UPDATES

The summer time brings news daily on recruiting and also of high school players looking for new homes for the fall. Two players NBE plans to see quite a bit this summer have decided on new schools for the 2011-2012 school year.

Jason Boswell, a Class of 2013 forward out of New York City who will be on the AAU circuit this July with the Long Island Lightning program, has decided to leave St. Patrick’s of Elizabeth (NJ) and attend Trinity Catholic High School in Stamford (CT). At Trinity, Boswell will play for head coach Mike Walsh.

“Trinity Catholic has a strong academic program which offers great basketball opportunities,” Boswell said by text this morning. “My commute will be significantly reduced to approximately 30 minutes as oppsed to the two hours traveled each day to Elizabeth.”

The 6-foot-7, 182-pound rising junior told NBE just over a week ago that he has heard from Cincinnati, La Salle, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Miami, Xavier, Houston and Dayton shortly after the June 15th timeframe when college coaches were allowed to contact players in the Class of 2013. Boswell is looking forward to continuing his career on the basketball court at Trinity.
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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK: ELITE PROGRAMS REACHING OUT TO 2013 PROSPECTS

The live July evaluation period is right around the corner. Once again NBE will be out in full force during both 10-day recruiting periods, stretching from East to West and North and South to keep up with all the recruiting information. It is always a fun process to see what college coaches are out on the recruiting trail and who they are watching.

In the meantime, the phones of top prospects in the Class fo 2013 have been ringing off the hook as colleges are permitted to contact a recruit once a month on the phone or via email. June 15th was the first day contact was allowed and programs wasted little time reaching out to prospects.

“Santa Clara called me at 12:00 on the dot,” said Tyler Ennis. “Oregon State, Santa Clara and Iowa State all did.”

Ennis is a 6-foot-3, 178-pound guard who plays on the AAU spring and summer circuit with CIA Bounce out of Canada. He attended St. Benedict’s in Newark (NJ) last season and has had a busy early summer season with trips to LA for the Pangos Camp and to the University of Virginia campus for the recent NBA Top 100 Camp. His play has drawn very good reviews and it shows in the latest list of schools that have been in contact since the 15th.
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PHILLY GUYS BRING PHILLY TOUGHNESS TO NBA TOP 100 CAMP

By Ron Bailey

June 20, 2011 – Now that the National Basketball Players Association Top 100’s dust has settled, even more information can be reported on attending student athletes being recruited by BIG EAST member schools. Of course the league’s footprint was large, as kids from throughout the nation listed institutions from that conference. Two from Philadelphia are featured here.

Amile Jefferson – 6’8”, 195 lb, senior F, Friends Central (PA) – Jefferson, winner of the Camp’s Academic Achievement award put in work akin to good student’s preparing for final exams – he rebounded, filled lanes, defended, passed and scored his way to a stellar performance. To say he was one of the event’s most effective players is an understatement, as is noting Amile was a very hard worker.

What’s more impressive is that he still is not the best shooter or ball handler; Jefferson does it with effort, intelligence and grit, the last evidenced by playing around half the camp with a dislocated pinky finger on his left hand (which could demand surgery). Sure he hit shots (particularly spot up wing jumpshots from just inside the three point arc) and patted getting the rim (particularly in fast break/scatter court situations), it’s just that these are necessary points of improvement. Add getting stronger to that list ,which Jefferson recognizes as necessary.
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JERAMI GRANT & ANTHONY BENNETT CONTINUE GREAT SPRINGS AT NBA TOP 100 CAMP

By Ron Bailey

June 18, 2011 – Yesterday the action picked up even still at the National Basketball Association’s Top 100 Camp. With BIG EAST prospects in abundance, it wasn’t hard catching up to a few.

Anthony Bennett – 6’7”, 230 lb senior F, Findlay (NV) – Hailing from Toronto, over the course of two years being in the States Bennett has been involved in a transformation of sorts. The change is clearly continuing and successful.

“That’s what I’m trying to do, because when I was in Canada, I was like the tallest person so they put me down low” shared the Toronto native when asked if he is in fact migrating to the perimeter. “When I came out here (America), everybody is the same height as me, if not taller, so I had to develop my game to a three-man (small forward) and take my player off the wing.”

He’s done that in NBAPA play, attacking the tin hard, finishing similarly. He also has been solid in pick and roll situations, battled inside, rebounded against everyone, and stepped up to defensive challenges. The only thing he really hasn’t demonstrated frequently is deep outside shooting and top notch ball handling.
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GABE YORK, CAMERON BIEDSCHEID PERFORM WELL AT NBA CAMP

By Ron Bailey

June 17, 2011 – Packed with talented players, this year’s NBAPA Top 100 Camp has not disappointed on-lookers, as the action has been hot and furious. This series will document the play/recruitment of a number of players participating. These individuals are being recruited by BIG EAST schools.

Gabe York, 6’2”, 170 lb senior SG, Orange Lutheran (CA) – Previously more of a shooting guard, York has determined to he needs to be more of a set up man in NBAPA play (dropping five points a game on Day 1 for the 1-1 Spurs), saying “My coach told me he wants me to be more of a point guard. He doesn’t know how good of a scorer I am, and that’s fine, I’m not here to show anybody up, I’m here to help my team win”.

That’s a good mentality to have for any of his recruiting list schools, which includes Marquette, Notre Dame, Louisville, Kansas and Memphis.
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RUMBLE IN THE BRONX REPORT – PART III

By Brian Bosworth

The Rumble in the Bronx came to a close Sunday at Manhattan College with four champions being crowned. In the 15U bracket, the NJ Playaz outlasted the Westchester hawks to take home the title. The New York Gauchos used a furious second half rally to force overtime and eventually defeat Sports U Izod in the 16U bracket. Two champions were crowned at the 17U level with the Cincinnati Knights overtaking the Franchise All Stars (TX) in the silver bracket and the NJ Playaz fending off host team Albany City Rocks in the gold bracket.

While plenty of talented players made the trip to New York for this weekend’s festivities, a recurring theme continued Sunday with more big names not suiting up for their respective clubs. Star players missing from the action on Sunday included Dajuan Coleman and Olivier Hanlon of Albany City Rocks, Dakari Johnson of the New York Gauchos, Darrick Wood of the New Jersey Playaz, and Wannah Bail of the Franchise All Stars. Despite these absences the tournament was left with more than enough firepower for an entertaining weekend and a handful of players separated themselves from the pack on Sunday.

Ricardo Ledo (Expressions Elite 2012) – After struggling to put the ball in the hoop on Saturday, Ledo put on an offensive clinic in the silver playoffs on Sunday morning leading his team to victory with 28 big points. He toyed with defenders using his go-to crossover move and got into the paint finishing all the way at the rim as well as from mid-range. Ledo also showed off deep NBA range on his jump shot making seven 3 pointers both after using that crossover dribble and in catch and shoot situations. He makes the game look so easy on the offensive end when he has it working and it’s this smooth, effortless style that has both college and NBA scouts craving his services in the future.

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