Syracuse Recruiting

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 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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CITY OF PALMS REPORT — DAY ONE

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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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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BOSWORTH: SUNDAY’S NATIONAL PREP SHOWCASE BREAKDOWN

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

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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EARLY SIGNING PERIOD CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS – BIG EAST

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The early signing period for college basketball got underway last Wednesday and runs into next week. Here is a look at the highlights from the BIG EAST conference in this early period.

Top 5 Recruiting Classes in BIG EAST:

1) Providence
Commits – Kris Dunn (PG), Ricardo Ledo (SG), Joshua Fortune (SG)
–In his first class at Providence Ed Cooley has landed two prospects in Dunn and Ledo that enter with more fanfare than anyone the previous regime was able to sign.

2) Pittsburgh
Commits – Steven Adams (C), James Robinson (PG)
–After landing McDonald’s All American Khem Birch in the 2011 class, Jamie Dixon has another of the nation’s best big men coming to Pittsburgh in New Zealand native Steven Adams.

3) Syracuse
Commits – DaJuan Coleman (C), Jerami Grant (SF)
–After considering national powers Kentucky and Ohio State, DaJuan Coleman decided to stay home in Syracuse and play his college ball for Jim Boeheim.
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL EXPERIENCE NOTES – 11/9/2011

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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TYLER ROBERSON PICKING UP NATIONAL RECRUITING INTEREST

By Alex Schwartz

After spending the beginning of his high school career at Union (NJ), class of 2013 standout Tyler Roberson made the move to Roselle Catholic (NJ) this summer.

Although the 6-foot-8 small forward has yet to play in a game for his new school, he already has his high hopes for the upcoming season.

Asked his goals for the 2011-12 season, the junior replied simply, “To win a state championship.”
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TYLER CAVANAUGH ENJOYS NOTRE DAME VISIT

It was a big weekend on South Bend (IN) with the Michigan State football team coming to town to face the Irish. Notre Dame (tickets) head basketball coach and staff took advantage of the big football weekend to host some key recruiting targets, including Jamesville-Dewitt (NY) High School forward Tyler Cavanaugh.

“The experience and environment on campus was amazing,” Cavanaugh told NBE’s Matt Whitfield by text this morning.

When talking about face-up four men in the Class of 2012, Cavanaugh is one of the first names that should come to mind. The 6-foot-7 power forward is a knockdown 3-point shooter with a smooth stroke and he is also a superb finisher around the basket. Cavanaugh has a great basketball IQ and rarely makes bad decisions with the ball. He is tough defensively and his motor is always running at full force. A good enough athlete, Cavanaugh can handle the ball and get to the hoop off the bounce. A great teammate who does all the little things, Cavanaugh is truly talented player. If he improves his quickness and agility, he could develop into a big-time player – traits that all have attracted the Irish staff and earned Cavanaugh a scholarship offer from Notre Dame (Irish Fan Gear).

“They say I am a basketball player not locked in a position at this time,” Cavanaugh said. “I was very impressed by the opportunity.”

Cavanaugh has also previously told NBE that he plans to take official visits to Wake Forest, George Washington and Davidson. Syracuse (tickets) also recently offered and he was expected to visit the Orange campus as well this fall. Next weekend Cavanaugh plans to take an official visit to Wake Forest.

There was some talk that the recent verbal by Jerami Grant could impact the recruitment of Cavanaugh with the Orange. Cavanaugh refuted that notion and is till very much considering the home town Syracuse (Orange Fan Shop) program.

“Yes, I am still considering SU because Jerami is a different player than I am,” said Cavanaugh. “We are players that could play beside one another.”

NBE will continue to closely follow the recruitment of Jamesville-DeWitt’s Tyler Cavanaugh as he continues the visit and recruiting process this Fall.

DAVON REED ENJOYS SETON HALL VISIT; MORE TRIPS PLANNED

While much of the attention in recent weeks have been paid to the Class of 2012 prospects hitting college campuses for official visits, several 2013 prospects have also used their free time to see some schools for themselves. One player with a very busy visit schedule the next month is Davon Reed. The 6-foot-5, 190-pound shooting guard was able to fit in a BIG EAST visit last weekend.

“I really enjoyed my visit to Seton Hall last Saturday,” Reed told NBE yesterday. “The staff was really welcoming and they seem to be have a bright future for the program! It was an excellent visit!”

Reed was surprised that the campus was bigger than he thought. He was also able to see coach Kevin Willard’s squad hit the court for a preseason workout, which he singled out as the visit’s highlight.
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STEFAN JANKOVIC HAS A LEADER; PREPARING FOR OFFICIAL VISITS

Coming off an unofficial visit last weekend, 6’11 Huntington forward sets to begin official visits with an ACC school as the team to beat

Stefan Jankovic missed much of July because of an injury, but make no mistake about it, the 6-foot-11, 235-pound Huntington Prep forward has his share of quality suitors in the mix for his future services.

Jankovic is a sought-after recruit for good reason. Despite missing the summer and not getting a lot of publicity because in the past he has been overshadowed by the Bhullar brothers as his teammates, he is an absolute match-up nightmare due to his versatile offensive game and 6-foot-11 size. Jankovic can stroke it consistently from the arc and is also capable of posting up and finishing with a jump hook. He can get past his defender off the dribble and has a nice mid-range pull-up. He rebounds the ball well at both ends, and is very fundamentally sound.

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WILL FERGUSON READY FOR BIG SEASON AHEAD

An intriguing point guard in the Class of 2013 is Will Ferguson of Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington (VA). A true student of the game, the DC Assault 16U standout told NBE over the summer his style is influenced by well-known point guards when it comes to learning more about the position. In a quick conversation at the Desert Duel in Arizona in late July Ferguson referenced Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Deron Williams, Steve Nash and Rajon Rondo as players with an impact on his game.

Ferguson has shown the ability as a dynamic point guard to play a little bit like each of the stars he mentioned over the summer. the extremely fast floor general has shown the ability to be an elite distributor and also the ability to score when needed. Over the summer he has worked more on the intangibles that are key to helping a point guard become the leader of his team.

“I would say being a leader and my defense has picked up a lot,” said the 6-foot-2, 170-pound Ferguson when asked what he has improved the most this summer in his game. “I’m starting to knock down more long range shots [too].”
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ELIJAH MACON HEADING FOR PITT VISIT; MORE HUNTINGTON PREP UPDATES

By Ray Mernagh

Elijah Macon is a talented basketball player. Macon, now at Rob Fulford’s powerhouse Huntington Prep program, has decided to take a trip to Pittsburgh this weekend to check out the campus and Jamie Dixon’s program. Fulford says that Macon is much more diverse in his talents than he was allowed to show on the AAU scene (where Macon was primarily an inside presence for All-Ohio Red).

“He’s got a chance Ray,” Fulford told me, “especially if he gets stronger” (which he will in Huntington’s strength program).

Let me translate that for all you college basketball fans out there: When Rob Fulford says a kid has a chance, he means one thing — that the kid can be a pro someday (not a European pro, but an NBA pro).

Fulford thinks that Pitt‘s interest is fairly new but it’s not surprising at all if you think about it — new Pitt assistant Bill Barton and Fulford have had a relationship for years. It started with both in the Prep School ranks and continued when Barton left Notre Dame Prep for Duquesne and then when Barton was right down the road from Fulford last year at Marshall. It’s a good development for Pitt that Barton can be in on kids like Macon (a high-major kid without a doubt) because it shows that he might be able to keep up with the recent recruiting successes in the Pitt program –Khem Birch and Steven Adams, both top-10 kids in the ’11 and ’12 class –that were facilitated by the current staff and the departed Pat Skerry (now the head coach at Towson).

Macon, who’s always presented himself extremely well in NBE’s encounters with him, has impressed Fulford since he showed up on Huntington’s court.

“We love him, he’s a funny, gregarious kid,” says Fulford. “And he’s skilled, great passer, great rebounder and he shoots it well too.” I asked how his handle was? “It needs some work but he’s a worker and it’s pretty good for his size, I’ve already told him if he gets a rebound and has an open floor that I want him to go with it.” Huntington Prep is short a point guard right now after Ray Lee was dismissed from the program after getting into a legal scrape inside the dorms at Marshall.

Fulford always gives his team clear instructions regarding the dorms at the nearby school — “I tell them if they go into them they’re gone,” says Fulford. The charges against Lee are serious but it sounds as if the situation has a lot more to it than the local press has reported. Either way, Fulford says he had no choice, once Lee walked into that dorm he was history.

A point guard will be important for Huntington because of the sheer talent they will have taking the court this season. Besides Macon — who is also considering knocking out visits to Maryland and West Virginia after he takes his trip to Pitt — the Express also have a guy many consider the best player in the 2014 class in Andrew Wiggins, along with a trio of his Canadian brothers in Stefan Jankovic (’12), Tanveer Bhullar (’13) and Negus Webster-Chan. Jankovic is planning visits to Missouri, Florida State, Syracuse and Purdue, with Wake Forest very much involved, while Webster-Chan will trip to Iowa State next weekend. Webster-Chan is hungry to improve his stock after he fell off a bit last Spring and Summer due to some poor play and injuries. We’ve seen Webster-Chan at his best and when he has it clicking he’s a special talent.

Also on the squad is Xavier Rathan-Myers. Fulford calls him a stud while he says Bhullar needs a lot of work but also works very hard and probably moves laterally and end-to-end better than his older brother Sim.

Huntington Prep always plays in a number of places nation-wide and if you get the chance to see them you should take advantage of it — always fun to watch the Express go up and down.

WITH NEW INTEREST, JERMAINE LAWRENCE LIKELY TO TAKE A FEW VISITS

Bayside Cardozo rising junior (Class of 2013) Jermaine Lawrence is a player full of potential. The 6-foot-8 1/2, 192-pound forward is a high-riser of an athlete but also shows a deft touch from the perimeter beyond the three-point line. His game reminds many onlookers of another past star that game through Ron Naclerio’s program, current Syracuse forward James Southerland.

Still there is almost an unknown quantity to Lawrence who does not travel the country on a high-profile AAU team, spending most of his time playing for the Positive Direction program. As one of the stand-out performers at the Hoop Group Elite Session I Camp in Reading (PA) to kick off the July evaluation period last month his recruitment has kicked up another notch in the weeks since.

“Georgetown and Xavier have most recently showed interest,” said Lawrence.
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2013 C/PF CHINONSO OBOKOH SEEING MORE COLLEGE INTEREST; PLANNING VISITS

One of the intriguing big men in the Class of 2013 is Rochester (NY) product Chinonso Obokoh. The 6-foot-10, 220-lb center attends Bishop Kearney High School where he plays for coach Jon Boon. He is still a relative unknown in many recruiting circles since he only came to the United States from Nigeria in the spring of 2010 and has had limited exposure on the AAU circuit the last two summers. In the early July evaluation period he attended the Hoop Group Team Camp with his Bishop Kearney teammates and drew a lot of attention from scouts and coaches anxious to get a look at him on the floor.

Obokoh saw some time with the City Rocks AAU program and his highlight of the summer was getting the chance to play against another highly touted big man in the Class of 2013.

“Playing against Nerlens Noel of BABC,” said Obokoh of his highlight of the summer. “I thought I held my own.”
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SUMMER SHOOTOUT NOTEBOOK

By Alex Schwartz

ALLENTOWN, N.J. — Although the Summer Shootout is not necessarily well-known outside of New Jersey, the event is filled with quality teams and talented players on a yearly basis. The 2011 edition was no different, as NBE Basketball Report took in some of the action on Saturday and got to catch up with a handful of Big East recruits.

Isaiah Watkins, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound power forward, really saw his stock increase this summer. A class of 2013 prospect who hails from Toronto and is in his first year at St. Benedict’s (NJ), Watkins already lists a number of high-major offers.

Watkins said that Santa Clara, Missouri, Arkansas, Cincinnati and Virginia have all extended scholarship offers to him. In addition, he is hearing from Harvard, Ohio State, Georgetown, Michigan, Elon, Lafayette, Niagara, Villanova, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Temple, West Virginia, Kansas and more.
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FRANCHISE CLASSIC NOTEBOOK: UK, OHIO STATE & FLORIDA STRONG IN THE MIX FOR CHRIS WALKER; GREG MCCLINTON HAS VARIED LIST: JEVON THOMAS UPDATE

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

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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STEFAN JANKOVIC Q&A: 6’10 2012 CANADIAN FORWARD SET TO VISIT WAKE FOREST

NBE was able to catch-up with Stefan Jankovic earlier this weekend. After originally attending The Kiski School in Saltsburg (PA) when coming into the States from Canada, Jankovic not always got much publicity because he was overshadowed by the Bhullar brothers (7’4 Sim and 7’2 Tanveer). However, he consistently showed to be the best player on Kiski and his move to Huntington (WV) Prep last December only helped in development and exposure. He is an absolute match-up nightmare due to his versatile offensive game and 6-foot-10 size. Jankovic can stroke it consistently from the arc and is also capable of posting up and finishing with a jump hook. He can get past his defender off the dribble and has a nice mid-range pull-up. He rebounds the ball well at both ends, and is very fundamentally sound.

Jankovic has been a little bit of a forgotten prospect this summer as an injury kept him out of action for much of July. Still, his recruitment is moving forward and he took the time to chat with NBE about the injury, the year ahead at Huntington and his recruitment…

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