NBE Basketball Report
St. John’s Recruiting

RECRUITING UPDATE: CLASS OF 2013 PF MIKE YOUNG

January 4, 2012 by · Leave a Comment 

One of the players NBE was anticipating the most to see this past weekend at the Playaz ‘New Year’s Jump-off’ was Hudson Catholic junior Mike Young. The 6-foot-8 big man really brought his game up to another level through the summer, playing with both the 2012 NJ Playaz and the 2013 team.

NBE last saw Young in the IS8 fall league back in October where Young continued to show a progression in his game from the summer period. Always possessing major athletic talents and consistently being a force on both backboards, it is in his offensive game that Young has shown the most improvement in recent months. Young has showcased a soft jump hook with both hands and range on his jump shot out to 16 feet. In the fall he showed a more aggressive attitude in wanting the ball in the low block and expanding his game, likely putting himself in the mix as one of the top big men players in the Class of 2013.
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PLAYAZ NEW YEAR’S JUMP-OFF HIGHLIGHTS

January 3, 2012 by · Leave a Comment 

By Alex Schwartz

HACKENSACK, N.J. – The New Year’s Jump-Off at Hackensack High School featured four games to bring in the year 2012. Included were some of the Garden State’s perennial powers and NBE Basketball Report was on hand for two-plus contests.

In addition to taking in the action, we were able to catch up with a couple of standout juniors for recruiting updates.

GAME RECAPS & STANDOUT PERFORMERS

NBE caught the end of the Teaneck/St. Patrick’s game, in which the Highwaymen knocked off the Celtics in overtime. Junior guard Joel Hernandez hit a buzzer beating three for Teaneck to send it to OT and knocked down two of three free throws in a tie game with one second left in the extra session. He and St. Patrick’s junior wing Jared Nickens were named co-MVPs.
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2011 CITY OF PALMS REPORT — TOP PLAYER PERFORMANCES

December 23, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

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

December 22, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

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 TWO

December 18, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Day 2 at the City of Palms Classic featured national powerhouses Mater Dei (CA), Arlington Grace Prep (TX), and Miller Grove (GA) in action for the first time. Despite these big names the game of the day was St. Raymond’s (NY) come from behind overtime victory over Trinity (KY) in which they trailed by 15 in the 4th quarter. Through sheer force of will and a couple of standouts outlined below they stormed all the way back and then overcame another 5 point deficit in overtime. It highlighted a fun day of big time competition with quite a few monster individual performances.

Top Performer of the Day:

Isaiah Austin (Arlington Grace Prep 2012) – signed with Baylor – Austin is often criticized for floating on the perimeter and not using his 7 foot frame to score inside. If today’s performance is any indication, he has heard the critics and made an adjustment. Matched up against future Ohio State defensive end Adolphus Washington, Austin went to work in the lane and stayed there all day. He dominated the paint on both ends of the court finishing with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 blocks. While still a finesse player, Austin seems to have learned to use his extreme length to get into easy positions to score and then use his soft touch to finish plays. He even initiated contact with the 6’6” beast of man Washington and worked his way to the free throw line. On the defensive end, Austin basically sent back every shot attempt within 6 feet and caused opponents to settle for jumpers because of his presence. Today’s performance was one that makes it clear why Austin has as much long term potential as any member of the 2012 class.
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CITY OF PALMS REPORT — DAY ONE

December 17, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

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

Top Performer of the Day:

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

November 22, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

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)

November 22, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

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: SUNDAY’S NATIONAL PREP SHOWCASE BREAKDOWN

November 21, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

By Brian Bosworth, National Scouting Analyst

The National Prep Showcase was back in full swing on Sunday with top teams like Brewster Academy, New Hampton Prep, and the Tilton School all in action. While the rosters of most prep schools in this event are dominated by seniors and post-graduate players it was a pair of underclassmen that stole the show on Sunday.

Co-Headliners of the Day:

Nerlens Noel (Tilton School 2013) – With college coaches such as John Calipari (Kentucky), Steve Lavin (St. John’s), and Ed Cooley (Providence) on hand to watch him play Noel put on quite a show Sunday night. Having already established himself as the premier defensive big man in America during the summer with BABC, Nerlens showcased an expanding offensive game that brings his upside to a new level. He played on the wing for much of the first half and repeatedly used a deadly right to left crossover to attack the rim and finish with his left hand. Despite being right handed he seems to prefer using his left to finish around the basket and did so with startling efficiency in this game. If Noel can continue to develop his offensive skills to complement his defensive brilliance he will give Jabari Parker a serious challenge for the spot of #1 overall player in the class of 2013.
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Bosworth: Friday’s National Prep Showcase Breakdown

November 19, 2011 by · 1 Comment 

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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NATIONAL BASKETBALL EXPERIENCE NOTES – 11/9/2011

November 9, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

If you follow along all the social networking media today’s news of the day is dominated by the (sickening) scandal unfolding at Penn State which will end the Hall of Fame career of coaching legend Joe Paterno. For the best coverage on the scandal, be sure to check out the Patriot News out of Harrisburg (PA) which has been on this story from the beginning. They are now reporting that PSU President Graham Spanier will either be fired or resign by the day’s end.

The other news of the day dominating the talk on twitter (be sure to follow us on twitter as well) is the beginning of the early signing period for college basketball. Today is the first day when college players can sign for the Class of 2012 and it certainly has been a busy day. One of the best recaps of the action can be found with trhe CBS Sports signing day blog headlined by good pal Jeff Borzello.

One of the biggest news coming from the busy week of recruiting news was that Ricardo Gathers has reopened his recruitment. Riverside’s Gathers Decommits from St. John’s< ?a> (Nola.com) and will now look to sign in the spring.
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JAREN SINA OPEN TO ANYTHING IN SECOND RECRUITING GO-ROUND

November 3, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

Jaren Sina looked like he had ended the recruiting process early and was off the board before college basketball fans across the country really had a chance to begin to follow his recruitment. Sina, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound point guard from Gill St. Bernard in New Jersey verbally committed to the Crimson Tide last January, during his sophomore season. Now as he is preparing for his junior season the Class of 2013 prospect is back on the open market and looking forward to going through the complete recruiting process.

“I have a great relationship with the coaching staff at Alabama, but I just wanted to have the opportunity to go through the recruiting process again and make sure that I am making the right decision and that I am 100% sure on my choice,”Sina told NBE Sports earlier this evening.

That relationship with the Alabama staff is especially true with head coach Anthony Grant and Sina is definitely still considering the SEC program.

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FALL IS8 CROWNS 2011 CHAMPIONS

October 24, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

By Brian Bosworth

The IS8 Fall Semifinals took place on Saturday afternoon and the gym was buzzing from the opening tip of game number one. A standing room only crowd was entertained by two terrific contests featuring some of the most talented 19 and under players in the greater New York City area as well as a few imports from around the country. An environment unlike any other IS8 features a small cramped court with fans right on top of the action, a courtside announcer giving play by play and color commentary, and two referees who swallow their whistles and allow the players to decide the games.

Saturday Semifinal Scores:
The Playaz 73, Mount Vernon 66
The Panthers 77, Our Savior New American 76

As a player at IS8, you know you’ve arrived once the announcer has branded you with a nickname and the first five players outlined below received that honor.

Chris “The Game Changer” Obekpa (Our Savior New American / 2012) – Standing 6’9” 200 pounds, Obekpa is the premier shot blocker in the 2012 class. He has long arms, explosive leaping ability, and outstanding natural instincts which allow him to have complete control of the paint on the defensive end of the floor. Easily eclipsing double figures in rejections for the game, Obekpa altered or blocked every shot taken within 10 feet. By the second half the opposition entered the paint solely looking to pass because challenging Obekpa at the rim was a completely fruitless effort. Offensively, Obekpa currently relies only on dunks and layups, can’t put the ball on the floor, and has little or no back to the basket game. He is a beast in transition because of his athleticism but in a half court set put backs are his only scoring chances. Even without an offensive game, I would still consider Obekpa a top 25 player nationally in the 2012 class because he is so dominant defensively. He should be able to step in and be a top class shot blocker and paint enforcer at the high major level immediately.
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CONRAD CHAMBERS IMPRESSED BY RUTGERS TRIP

October 21, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

With the Team Scan AAU program this summer much of the attention was centered around Class of 2014 forward Chris McCullough, who quickly cemented himself as one of the top players in the country in the sophomore class. When one thinks of Friends Central in Philadelphia currently, the name of one of the elite players in the Class of 2012, Amile Jefferson certainly comes to mind.

However, Chester (PA) native Conrad Chambers is a player that is quickly building his own reputation as well, even if he is in the shadows with both programs. So far this fall, after a successful run over the summer with Team Scan, Chambers is happy with how things are looking at Friends Central and looking forward to a fun season.

“Things have been going well at school [and] the team is looking good,” said Chambers. “What I feel is best about the program is our coaching staff, how hard our team plays and how we are all like a family.”
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RUTGERS CHECKS IN ON ’14 ISAIAH WHITEHEAD AT FIRST WORKOUT

September 22, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

Lincoln (NYC) High School guard Isaiah Whitehead is just beginning his sophomore season but he already seems to have been a name we have been following for years. Such is life when your regarded as one of the top players, regardless of class, in New York City. The summer with Juice All-Stars playing top competition in Las Vegas, Whitehead displayed his ability to get to the basket off the dribble. His athletic ability is apparent on both ends of the floor, and Big East and other teams from across the country have taken early notice of his talents.

Kentucky, Arizona, North Carolina, Miami, Syracuse (tickets), St. John’s (tickets), Pittsburgh (tickets), Florida, Georgetown (tickets) [and] UCLA,” said Whitehead told NBE yesterday when asked what schools he was considering that are actively recruiting him. “Rutgers (tickets) came today and it was our first workout.”

Just after the July live period ended Whitehead was able to take a visit to “Rutgers (RU Fan Shop). Mike Rice’s program has been the only school he has been able to visit and the unofficial visit impressed Whitehead.

“[The] trip was great and it’s a great school close to home that’s really looking to [become] big time within time with a good coach,” Whitehead told NBE shortly after that visit.

The 6-foot-4. 200-lb guard combines strength and athleticism into an impressive on the court package. Whitehead enters the 2011-2012 season with a City title on his mind while he also continues to work on improving his perimeter jump shot which has gotten better with his efforts.

At this stage of his recruitment Whitehead has no favorites or leaders and does not plan on ending the process any time soon. He told NBE that after his junior year and maybe around this time of his senior season would most likely be the time frame he would decide. In the meantime he looks to continue to enjoy his time on the AAU circuit with the “kids he grew up with” on the Juice All-Stars. When it is time to decide he is starting to get an idea of what he will look for in a college.

“Location,” he said of a factor in his future decision. “[I] have to fit style of play, feel like [I'm in a] family environment and just a nice campus.”

As one of the top recruits in the country for the Class of 2014, expect many to follow the recruitment of Isaiah Whitehead closely for the next two years. NBE will do our best to keep up on the updates along the way as well.




FRANCHISE CLASSIC NOTEBOOK: UK, OHIO STATE & FLORIDA STRONG IN THE MIX FOR CHRIS WALKER; GREG MCCLINTON HAS VARIED LIST: JEVON THOMAS UPDATE

August 14, 2011 by · 1 Comment 

by Alex Schwartz

BRONX, N.Y. — Despite rain causing a delay of over two hours and a change of venue, NBE was still in attendance for the inaugural Franchise Classic.

Team New York defeated Team USA, 146-138. Connecticut-bound Omar Calhoun led the way with 34 while Kyle Anderson and Villanova-commit Savon Goodman added 28 and 26 respectively. For Team USA, Archie Goodwin poured in 46 points in the loss and Shaq Goodwin contributed 31 of his own.

After the game, which was held at the South Bronx Job Corps, NBE had a chance to catch up with a trio of players.

Holmes County (FL) star Chris Walker is a top 10 player in the class of 2013. The 6’9 power forward has three schools standing out to him at this point–Florida, Kentucky and Ohio State.

“That’s the three I’m really feeling right now,” Walker said of the Gators, Wildcats and Buckeyes.

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ELITE ’14 PROSPECT CHRIS MCCULLOUGH ENJOYS UCONN VISIT

August 12, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

Chris McCullough burst onto the national recruiting radar this summer with a series of strong performances during the month of July, first at the Hoop Group Elite Session 1 Camp and the Hoop Group team camp playing with the Salisbury (CT) School. McCullough built up a strong following and next thing you knew college coaches were making sure they knew where his team SCAN AAU squad would be playing throughout the remaining of the month.

McCullough, who credits the work off the court with Team SCAN for helping him achieve honor roll status in school, visited Connecticut earlier this week with AAU teammate Conrad Chambers, another highly regarded player in the 2014 recruiting class. McCullough told NBE earlier today he enjoyed the trip.

“The trip was good, good experience,” said McCullough of the visit to UConn. ‘[The highlight was] chilling with Coach Kevin Ollie.”
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VISIT TO RUTGERS IMPRESSES ’14 ISAIAH WHITEHEAD

August 3, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

Since Mike Rice has hit the banks of the Raritan River on the campus of Rutgers University, a new attitude has come along with him. Long a BIG EAST basketball doormat the Scarlet Knights are working hard to shed that image and the first step is on the recruiting trail. Rice’s energy and passion that he displays on the sidelines has also been utilized in his recruiting efforts, landing a nationally touted class in 2011 and working the NYC/NJ area and beyond very hard.

On Tuesday Rice and his staff welcomed one of the most talked about members of the rising sophomore (Class of 2014) high school class in America to campus for an unofficial visit as NYC-Abraham Lincoln guard Isaiah Whitehead took an unofficial visit. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound shooting guard enjoyed his trip and liked what he saw.

“[The] trip was great and it’s a great school close to home that’s really looking to [become] big time within time with a good coach,” Whitehead told NBE.

After a 13-17 first year with the Scarlet Knights Rice will have some time to impress Whitehead. While the hope is for RU to become big time they will be up against programs already big time if they hope to land Whitehead who has already scored offers and interest from some of the top programs in America including UCLA, Kentucky, North Carolina, Arizona, Florida, as well as many BIG EAST powers.

Kentucky is the most recent school to enter the mix and Whitehead feels North Carolina is very close to offering, joining several BIG EAST schools that already have, like St. John’s, Rutgers, Pittsburgh and Syracuse. Another BIG EAST unofficial visit is also being planned.

Syracuse on August 16th and that’s about it I think,” Whitehead said when asked about other upcoming visits planned.

Over the summer Whitehead played with the Juice All-Stars and counted the Fab 48 in Las Vegas as the highlight of the summer. He is also looking forward to finishing up the summer playing in the NYC Battle of the Boroughs as well as on the famous outdoor courts at Rucker Park and Dyckman, so fans can get another look at the player considered the next great NYC guard prospect.

When working on his game Whitehead is concentrating on improving his left hand and jump shot. He feels his ball-handling ability has improved this summer and he also wants to get physically stronger as his sights are set on a championship season ahead for the Lincoln Railsplitters.

NBE will be certain to continue following the promising career of Isaiah Whitehead in the coming years.




HOOP GROUP END OF SUMMER CLASSIC RUNDOWN – 17U EDITION

August 1, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

By Brian Bosworth

The 17U brackets at Hoop Group’s End of Summer Classic featured some familiar names along with some newcomers as many young players were playing up. The NJ Playaz were the big winners capping their successful summer with a triple overtime victory in the platinum bracket final over New Heights. Players from those teams and others stood out on this day.

Savon Goodman (NJ Playaz/2012) – verbal to Villanova – Goodman had one of the best performances I’ve seen out of him all summer on the last day of the live period. He was up to his usual tricks of cleaning both backboards, running the floor hard, and finishing with authority at the rim. Those skills have defined his game and will make him a fan favorite at Villanova. Today he mixed in some perimeter skills that I hadn’t previously seen from him. Goodman knocked down numerous jump shots including some corner 3s and once he established the jumper used a shot fake to explode past defenders to the rim. If he can continue improving his perimeter game and become a full time small forward, Goodman would jump his game up to a different level. He has NBA athleticism but only the size to contribute at small forward at that level so it will be interesting to track his progress in this area.
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AMILE JEFFERSON STILL OPEN IN THE RECRUITING PROCESS AS JULY CLOSES

August 1, 2011 by · 3 Comments 

By Matt Whitfield

Contrary to what was reported recently Amile Jefferson stated to NBE yesterday at the DC Assault-Big Shots event that he has not narrowed his list down to eight schools and as he is taking the recruiting process very seriously.

“Ah no, not really,” responded Jefferson when asked if he’d narrowed his list down to eight schools. “I’m still pretty wide open with the recruiting process. We’re hoping to get some visits in and try and narrow this list down.”

Jefferson did mention that he’s looking to take some visits to some East Coast schools in the coming months.

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