Villanova Recruiting

NATIONAL PREP CHAMPIONSHIP RECRUITING NOTES

Lost in the shuffle of last week’s excitement with the Big East Tournament was the National Prep Championships that were held at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven (CT). Eight of the top prep schools in the country came together to battle it out over the course of two days last week and the action culminated with Brewster Academy taking the title with an overtime victory of Northfield Mount Hermon.

Big East coaching staffs were represented throughout as Villanova assistant Jason Donnelly was on hand Tuesday and Wednesday saw Rutgers’ Fred Hill and Darren Savino make the trip along with Connecticut’s Pat Sellers and Providence’s Pat Skerry.

2010 Big East commits in action included Isaiah Epps (Pittsburgh/Hargrave Military Academy), Gerard Coleman (Providence/Tilton), Ron Giplaye (Providence/Notre Dame Prep), CJ Fair (Syracuse/Brewster), Austin Carroll (Rutgers/Brewster) and Markus Kennedy (Villanova/Winchendon) and several potential spring targets of Big East schools in the class of 2010 were also in action. NBE has recruiting updates on Cleveland Melvin, Bryon Allen, Maurice Walker, who now has a list of six favorites out of the Big East and is looking to set up visits to three of them, and Majok Majok along with underclassman Naadir Tharpe.

To see the latest you can sign up for NBE Premium access and SUBSCRIBE (HERE) to read on below…

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MIKE TAYLOR BASKING IN PSAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Boys & Girls junior guard shines on MSG floor with 25 points leading ‘Roos to first title since 1979

They have been close before, but this time the Boys & Girls High School Kangaroos finished the job with a 55-50 victory over Cardozo to give the Brooklyn high school their first PSAL championship since 1979. It was their third trip in the last four years to the AA finals and the win made Ruth Lovelace the first female coach to lead a PSAL team to the boy’s title.

Junior (2011) guard Mike Taylor led the ‘Roos with 25 points and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard, who is being pursued by the majority of the Big East, understood the historical aspects of the win, relaying the weight of the accomplishments to NBE last night while returning to Madison Square Garden to take in the 2010 Big East Tournament as a fan.

“It was a good win on Saturday,” said Taylor. “We were down 10 at halftime, we just came out halftime and played hard. The last time we won was in 1979, so it was a 31 year drought. This was Coach Ruth Lovelace’s first championship.”

For more on Taylor’s thoughts on the PSAL championship and an update from him on his recruitment, you can sign up for NBE Premium access and SUBSCRIBE (HERE) read on below…

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NATIONAL PREP CHAMPIONSHIP OPENING DAY

by PAT STEVENS

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Gerard Coleman (Tilton/Providence) had the day’s high of 43 points as the fourth annual National Prep Championships are underway, this year from Albertus Magnus College.

Big East signees Isaiah Epps (Pittsburgh), CJ Fair (Syracuse) and Austin Carroll (Rutgers) all helped their teams to victories that have them slated for Wednesday’s semifinals and potential championship game.

Epps and No. 1 seed Hargrave Military Academy meet No. 5 Northfield Mount Hermon and Fair and Carroll lead No. 2 seed Brewster Academy against No. 6 St. Thomas More, with the championship set for 7:30 p.m.

Read on for more on the opening day of the National Prep Championship, including recruiting updates on Cleveland Melvin, who has plenty of Big East interest and plans a Big East visit in the near future, and Bryon Allen, who is likely to take a Big East official visit this spring. Both were previously Big East verbal commitments and still might land in the conference next season. To see the latest you can sign up for NBE Premium access and SUBSCRIBE (HERE) to read on below…

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NEPSAC CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES

BY PAT STEVENS — C.J. Fair (Syracuse) helped Brewster Academy to a NEPSAC Class A Championship as they knocked off Winchendon School and Markus Kennedy (Villanova), 72-69 on Sunday’s season finale at Endicott College. Brewster’s Will Barton (Memphis) was named MVP with 28 points. Naadir Tharpe (2011) added 14 points. Winchendon’s Khem Birch (2012) had 11 points and several key blocks.
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Gerard Coleman (Providence) scored 20 points as Tilton School won its third straight Class B Championship beating Marianapolis, 69-61. Ryan Canty (2011) added 12 points.
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Shabazz Napier (2011) scored 23 points to go with six assists and several steals for Lawrence Academy, who finished the season undefeated at 23-0 with its Class C title win over St. Mark’s, 55-43. Nate Lubick (Georgetown) had 15 points and 13 rebounds for St. Mark’s. Alex Murphy (2012) scored 11.
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Georgetown head coach John Thompson III, Providence head coach Keno Davis, Connecticut assistant Pat Sellers and Rutgers assistants Craig Carter and Darren Savino all made the trip.

Alabama head coach Anthony Grant also watched Shabazz Napier.
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Next Up:

National Prep Championship 2010
March 9th & 10th, 2010
Albertus Magnus College – New Haven, Connecticut

Quarter-Finals – Tuesday, March 9th

2pm – #1 Hargrave Military Academy vs. #8 Tilton School
4pm – #4 Notre Dame Prep vs. #5 Northfield Mount Hermon School
6pm – #2 Brewster Academy vs. #7 Westwind Prep
8pm – #3 Winchendon School vs. #6 St. Thomas More School

Semi-Finals – Wednesday, March 10th

11am – 1/8 winner vs. 4/5 winner
1pm – 2/7 winner vs. 3/6 winner

Finals

7:30pm – Championship
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The Big East Tournament tips off this week and 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

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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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NEPSAC PLAYOFF NOTES

by PAT STEVENS (patstevensbasketball.com)

It will be No. 1 vs. No. 2 as Brewster Academy faces Winchendon School with Big East signees C.J. Fair (Syracuse) and Markus Kennedy (Villanova) leading their teams into the NEPSAC Class A Championship on Sunday. Fair and Brewster beat St. Thomas More, 92-61, while Kennedy and Winchendon topped Northfield Mount Hermon, 91-77, on Friday in the semi-final match-ups.

In the Class B final, Gerard Coleman (Providence) leads top-seed Tilton in its championship defense when it faces Marianopolis. Coleman scored 32 points in Tilton’s semi-final win over Hotchkiss, 76-65. Marianopolis knocked off St. Andrew’s and Michael Carter-Williams (2011 Syracuse commit), who scored 23 points in the 58-48 loss.

In Class C, Nate Lubick (Georgetown) and St. Mark’s will meet Lawrence Academy and Shabazz Napier, one of the country’s top point guards in the junior class. Lawrence won the team’s lone head-to-head match-up back in mid-December, 76-72 at home.

The three championships take place at Endicott College in Beverly, Mass and begin at 2pm with Class C.

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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TARIQ CAREY UPDATE; LAWHORN DECIDES, HANNER CLOSE

by JEFF BORZELLO

One of the more underrated players nationally in the class of 2012 is New Jersey product Tariq Carey.

College coaches know all about the 6-foot-1 sophomore guard, though.

Carey is getting plenty of early attention from Big East schools and he has a ‘dream school’ out of the ACC showing him interest. NBE gets the latest update from the 2012 prospect that is sure to become a well-known name in recruiting circles in the near future…

Also, Danny Lawhorn contacts NBE about his commitment and a source updates Jamir Hanner who might be closing on on his…

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2011 NYC G/F JERMAINE SANDERS LIKES THE BIG EAST

And the Big East is liking him back with several school offering a scholarship

While Rice (NYC) High School junior Jermaine Sanders does not seem to have a big reputation nationally, that is not the case in the northeast among high-major college coaches.

Sanders is a 6-foot-5 swing man/small forward that can simply score the ball in a lot of different ways. Against Westchester (CA) High School last month at the Primetime Shootout in Morgantown (WV), he was deadly from beyond the three-point line. He’s also a solidly built kid who should continue to get stronger and shows the ability to share the ball and defend within a team concept.

Last weekend at the Primetime Shootout in Trenton (NJ), NBE’s Matt Whitfield caught up with the rising star in the 2011 recruiting class to get his thoughts on his recruitment…

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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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BIG EAST OFFER EXCITES TAVON SLEDGE

This past weekend in the 2010 Primetime Shootout a Sunday afternoon contest between Christ the King of New York City and Half Hollow Hills West of Long Island drew a lot of interested observers. With recently named McDonald’s All-American and 2010 Tennessee commit Tobias Harris saddled with foul trouble, it was junior point guard Tavon Sledge stepping up his play to hold off a Christ the King rally to lead HHHW to a 73-69 win at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton (NJ).

Sledge scored 23 points in the win and used his speed and quickness with the dribble to shoft through the defense for his points and drop dimes to open teammates. For his efforts, Sledge was named the co-Most Outstanding Player, along with Harris, for HHHW as he shot seven of 14 from the field, nine of 12 from the foul line and added four assists and four steals. Afterwards, Matt Whitfield caught up with Sledge to get a school list and NBE also got an update earlier this morning as his sparkling performance this past weekend has led to a Big East school making a scholarship offer to the 2011 guard prospect.

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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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PRIMETIME SHOOTOUT PLAYER & RECRUITING NOTES (PART I)

Matt Whitfield spent Saturday and Sunday of this past weekend at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton (NJ) for the 2010 Primetime Shootout. Once again the field was loaded with talented teams and some of the top high school prospects in America put their games on display.

In today’s update, NBE catches up with LaQuinton Ross and Dion Waiters of Life Center Academy as Ross updats his recruitment since his move from Mississippi to New Jersey and Waiters had his tremendous talents on display as a preview to what fans will see in the Big East. Also, Kamari Murphy and Shaquille Stokes of Lincoln HS update their recruitment and Davontay Grace discusses the status of his verbal commitment.

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MICHAEL GILCHRIST HOLDING STEADY WITH LIST OF 6

Elite 2011 prospect shines in Primetime Shootout and talks recruiting

For the past year, many have referred to Michael Gilchrist as the best current high school player, regardless of class. This weekend at the 2010 Primetime Shootout Gilchrist only enhanced that notion.

On Friday night, the 6-foot-7 forward playing with St. Patrick’s of Elizabeth (NJ) scored 28 points in a 79-78 loss to Oak Hill Academy. St. Pat’s rebounded Saturday at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton (NJ) with a 74-56 win over NYC power Rice High School. Gilchrist scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, all in the first three quarters, and earned the game’s Most Outstanding Player award. St. Pat’s led 59-37 after three periods and began going to the bench often.

Following the game, Gilchrist spoke with Alex Schwartz for NBE Basketball Report to give an update on how things are going in his recruitment…

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TYRONE JOHNSON COUNTS FIVE BIG EAST OFFERS

Plainfield (NJ) junior is a two-sport star in high demand on the hardwood by Big East

The 2010 Primetime Shootout wraps up today and tomorrow at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton (NJ). Many of the top players in the country are participating. On Friday night the action was at Kean University and Tyrone Johnson shined among the brightest on the evening that featured many future college basketball stars. Johnson scored a night’s best 31 points helping Plainfield to a 62-49 win over another New Jersey rival, St. Joseph’s.

Following his spectacular performance, Johnson chatted with Alex Schwartz for the NBE Basketball Report and gave a rundown on his recruitment, that is shaping up to be quite a Big East battle…

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BIG SEASON BRINGS BIG INTEREST FOR JAYLEN BOND

Plymouth-Whitemarsh junior forward is starring on nationally ranked squad, picking up Big East interest

Last spring the NBE Basketball Report took notice of an athletic and powerfully built class of 2011 forward named Jaylen Bond at the IS8 Spring League in NYC. Bond made the trip with several other Philadelphia area players with a team called East Coast Elite out of Delaware. The newcomers to the IS8 action more than held their own and Bond finsihed up the spring proving ground league as a player to take notice of.

Now, with his Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School team enjoying a tremendous season, currently 21-1 and the District 1 and PIAA state title favorites, his college recruiting profile is beginning to kick into high gear. Along with some of the top local Philadelphia programs, several Big East schools are also taking notice of the 6-foot-7, 215-lb forward’s multi-faceted game and picturing him in a Big East uniform.

Bond took some time out from his busy schedule to chat with the NBE Basketball Report on the big season with P-W and to update us on his recruiting…

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QUINN COOK GETTING LOOKS FROM NCAA’S ELITE PROGRAMS

College basketball mega-powers have been in to see him this season with offers from top programs

By Matt Whitfield

Quinn Cook is universally regarded as one of the elite point guard prospects in the high school class of 2011. With his silky smooth handle and great court awareness, Cook, when it’s all said and done will likely be enshrined with former DeMatha Catholic guard greats of recent vintage such as Keith Bogans and Joseph Forte to come through the storied program. This season, even with the attention of being recruited by many of college basketball’s glory programs, Cook still has his eye on the prize and wants to win another City Championship with his teammates.

“I’m just focused on winning another championship this year,” stated Cook after Dematha’s gut-wrenching loss to St. Anthony’s of Jersey City in the recent Newark Invitational.

Cook also took the time to speak to the NBE Basketball Report after the game on his recruitment, the season to date and the recruiting process that has seen him become one of the most coveted players in the nation.

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NPSI DAY TWO RECAP

BY PAT STEVENS – St. Mark’s Nate Lubick (Georgetown) and Alex Murphy had big days along with St. Andrew’s Michael Carter-Williams who went for 36 points on the second day of the 12th annual National Prep School Invitational.

Assistant coaches in attendance included Rodell Davis of Providence, Craig Carter of Rutgers, Scott Adubato of Seton Hall and Eric Skeeters of South Florida.

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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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