West Virginia Recruiting

NEW INTEREST HIGHLIGHTS SEASON FOR TERRENCE SAMUEL

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South Shore (NYC) High School guard Terrence Samuel is one of the most intriguing prospects in the Class of 2013 nationally. The powerfully built 6-foot-3, 195-pound guard began to make a name for himself nationally helping New Heights AAU to five impressive tournament titles on the spring and summer AAU circuit.

The attention in his talents has continued into his junior season with South Shore and his recruitment has expanded. Some of the new schools that have become involved has been the highlight of his season so far.

“Highlight [of the season is] picking up [recruiting interest from] Kansas and Memphis,” Samuel told NBE Basketball Report over the weekend.
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HOOPHALL CLASSIC 2012: WEEKEND’S TOP PERFORMERS

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Now that the 2012 Hoophall Classic has come to a close and I’ve had a few days to process all the basketball I saw it’s time to compile player rankings from the weekend’s performances. Below you will see players ranked by class based solely on their performance from the Hoophall Classic. These rankings are not an opinion on players overall game or potential but rather on the way they performed in Springfield.

2012 Player Rankings:

1) Shabazz Muhammad (Bishop Gorman) – Muhammad only strengthened his place as the top overall player in the 2012 class for his efficient 37 point performance.

2) Kaleb Tarczewski (St Mark’s) – signed with Arizona – In an event loaded with top big men Tarczewski stood out as the top low post offensive option.

3) Katin Reinhardt (Mater Dei) – signed with UNLV – The future Runnin’ Rebel put on an offensive show knocking down nine 3 pointers en route to 35 points in a blowout victory.

4) Kyle Anderson (St Anthony) – signed with UCLA – Anderson’s fingerprints have been all over every one of St Anthony’s 44 consecutive victories and Monday was no different as he compiled 18 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals.
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ANTHONY BENNETT DISCUSSES FINAL FIVE

There is still plenty of high-end talent still on the board in the college basketball recruiting Class of 2012. One such prospect is Findlay Prep’s Anthony Bennett, a 6-foot-8 power forward and native of Brampton, Ontario.

Bennett, whop runs on the summer AAU circuit with CIA Bounce, is an imposing force on the basketball court. He violently attacks the rim with strong finishes and his athletic ability is impressive for a player his size and strength. He has also shown the ability to hit from three-point range and his potential almost seems limitless at the power forward position at the college level. He continues to improve his skill level making him an even more dangerous offensive player.

“I’m trying to improve my ball-handling and shooting the ball consistently from the three-point line,” said Bennett of the areas of his game he has improved upon the most. “I think I need to be a better defender because in college I’m going to be guard the three or four so I think I need to get quicker.”
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HOOPHALL CLASSIC 2012: SUNDAY RECAP

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

While the action at the Hoophall Classic was terrific on Saturday, the overall atmosphere jumped to a new level on Sunday. College coaches who had been busy coaching their own teams in action Saturday were out in full force. John Calipari (Kentucky), Jim Calhoun (Connecticut), Steve Lavin (St John’s), Mark Gottfried (NC State), Ed Cooley (Providence) and Mick Cronin (Cincinnati) all made appearances along with assistants from Florida, Texas, North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Oregon, Utah and DePaul. These coaches witnessed a large collection of highlight performances none more impressive than that by a player with the nation’s best haircut.

Top Performer:

Nerlens Noel (Tilton School 2013) – Noel and his high top fade put on a show worthy of the #1 2013 ranking I dubbed him with in my preview podcast of the event. Long considered the top shot blocker in America, Noel proved to be that and more in his nationally televised showdown with Mitch McGary and Brewster Academy. His final stat line reads 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 blocks with just about everyone in attendance agreeing that the 7 blocks is an extremely conservative estimate. I had one longtime scout tell me that Noel is the best shot blocker he has ever evaluated on the high school level. While his defense was as amazing as ever, Noel’s offensive progression continued its steady climb from the past year. He drove baseline and made a floater over Mitch McGary. He used a spin move and finished a lefty hook in the lane. He hammered down multiple tip dunks flying from out of nowhere to grab them. He drew contact at the rim repeatedly eventually fouling out Jakarr Sampson. Noel put on a virtuoso performance which stands up against the absolute best I’ve seen from him in the past. He looks like a future all-American, future lottery pick, future NBA all-star.

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RECRUITING UPDATE: CLASS OF 2013 PF MIKE YOUNG

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

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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RECRUITING UPDATE: ISAIAH WATKINS OF ST. BENEDICT’S PREP

Isaiah Watkins has seen his game grow tremendously in the past year and his recruitment has followed the same growth curve. The Class of 2013, 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward should be expected to see a continued increase in attention as he gets ready to hit the season with St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark (NJ), one of the most high-profile prep programs in the country. Watkins was drawn to the Gray Bees program, where he will play for coach Mark Taylor, for the opportunity to improve every day and play against the toughest competition possible at the prep level. Even with a daunting schedule ahead for the Newark school, Watkins has set his sights very high for the season.

“I’m really looking forward to playing in big games against the top teams in the nation,” Watkins told NBE over the weekend of what he is most looking forward to this season. “I want to help St. Benedict’s achieve something great, collectively I [want] us to become the top ranked team in [the] nation this year.”

Watkins is certainly willing to put his individual accomplishments to the side and do what it takes to help the Gray Bees win. The native Canadian seems to understand that winning will take care of everything when it comes to exposure and the importance of playing for a winning program in the eyes of college recruiters.
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STATUS QUO ON RECRUITING FRONT FOR ANTHONY BENNETT

There is still some very impressive high-end talent in the Class of 2012 that has yet to make their college choices. One such talent is Canadian-born power forward Anthony Bennett who is holding steady with a list of nine schools he is considering signing with in the spring. The 6-foot-8, 235-lb standout with Findlay Prep and the CIA Bounce AAU program out of Canada recently took advantage of being in Kentucky to visit one of the schools on his list.

“The trip to Kentucky was fun,” Bennett said of an unofficial visit to get a look at John Calipari’s program, “coaches were cool, and the fans are crazy. But as of right now every school is the same, I have no favorites.”
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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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’13 CLEVELAND – BENEDICTINE BIG MAN MARK WILLIAMS LOOKS AHEAD TO BIG SEASON

Those that have watched Mark Williams of Cleveland (OH)’s Benedictine High School and the TNBA East AAU program over the last year have described him as an ‘old-school’ big man. The 6-foot-8, 245-lb big man prospect in the Class of 2013 is not looking to play on the wing, face-up and shoot three-pointers. Instead he plans to go on the low block, fight for position and finish in the paint. He uses his strength and size to carve out space on the boards and to defend in the paint.

Williams drew a lot of interest from college coaches in the summer because of those traits. The willingness to play inside and bring that toughness attracted many programs to take an interest in him. His recruiting has slowed a bit this fall because of injuries, but expect many schools to be checking him ou this season.

“Many colleges didn’t come out this fall because I was injured,” Williamssaid when asked about visits from colleges this fall. “I had a slight fracture in my right shin.”

Still, the list of schools actively recruiting Williams that he is considering is an impressive list with Cincinnati, Indiana, Indiana State, Akron, Kent State, Robert Morris, George Mason, Xavier, West Virginia, Florida State, Central Florida, Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, Virginia Tech, Northwestern and Northern Illinois all getting a mention from Williams. The list spans many conferences and levels of Division 1-A basketball, a point he noted when he talked about the possibility of playing outside what we currently know as the BCS conferences.

“Kent State by far…made me understand that you dont have to go to a big conference to play top notch basketball,” Williams said.

Williams, who hopes to work on his athleticism this season as he progresses as a player and has a goal of winning a state title at Benedictine, currently has no favorites, but has an impressive offer list to choose from.

“No favorites just yet,” said Williams, “but Indiana, Ohio, Kent State, Robert Morris, George Mason, Central Florida [and] Toledo [have offered].”

When it comes time for a decision, Williams will likely keep it simple, looking at “location and just a family atmosphere” as factors likely to play the biggest role in his decision.

NBE will certainly keep an eye on Mark Williams this season and the developments in his recruitment. The ‘old-school’ Class of 2013 big man will definitely be one to watch in the next year as he becomes more of a priority for college recruiters.

NOW AT VERMONT ACADEMY, DOMINIC WOODSON IS AN UNKNOWN COMMODITY NO MORE

by Alex Schwartz

Entering July, not many people outside of his part of Texas knew who Dominic Woodson was.

After breaking out during AAU Nationals in Orlando, Fla., the 6-foot-9 class of 2013 center is now a high-major priority.

Woodson transferred to Vermont Academy for his junior season. NBE caught up with Jesse Bopp, his coach at the New England prep school, to discuss Woodson’s recruitment, game and more.

“Vermont Academy was a great opportunity for him to be in a very controlled environment that resembles what life will be like for him as a college basketball player and he is a kid who talks about being the best and hopefully this environment gives him the opportunity at that,” Bopp said of why Woodson made the move, adding, “He has done a great job adjusting to all aspects of life here.”
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XAVIER RATHAN-MAYES HAS ‘AMAZING’ UCONN VISIT

Across the country college basketball programs hosted Midnight Madness events as they ushered in the beginning of another basketball season. At Connecticut the defending national champions had impressive line-up of recruits visiting this weekend to take in the festivities. One player, 2013 recruit Xavier Rathan-Mayes of Huntington (WV) Prep, made the trip and NBE caught up with him earlier today to get his thoughts on the visit.

“The visit was great! Had an amazing time,” said Rathan-Mayes. “The highlight was probably watching practice today and getting to know and shoot with Kemba Walker.”

Rathan-Mayes is another youngster from the CIA Bounce AAU program out of Canada exceling in America. Rathan-Mayes is a volume shooter and he can really fill it up when he gets on a roll. The 6-foot-4, 200 pound Class of 2014 guard has very high upside as a scorer.
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SATURDAY PLAYOFF ACTION FROM IS8 FALL LEAGUE

By Brian Bosworth

The IS8 / Nike playoffs were in full swing on Saturday with action tipping off at 9am. IS8 or Intermediate School Number 8 is a middle school in Jamaica, Queens that seats approximately 400 people and yet it is one of the most famous courts in all of New York City. The tournament means a little more than an average event as Mike Young of the Playaz Club told me in a postgame interview. “IS8 is different than other tournaments. Our program takes a lot of pride in this event and a lot of pride in winning it. It means more than other events.” The level of play on the floor spoke to that with Young himself leading a group of standout performances.

Standout Performers:

Mike Young (2013) – Playaz Juniors – Young’s game has progressed since I saw him last in July. He still possesses major athletic talents and is a force on both backboards but his offensive game has improved by leaps and bounds as he scored a game-high 20 points in a win over Kendall Madison. on Saturday he showcased a soft jump hook with both hands and range on his jump shot out to 16 feet. He played with a demonstrative attitude on the low block and called for the ball inside during crucial situations in the game. Young was very efficient offensively and cleaned up any missed shots for put backs. Already a clear high major prospect, if Young’s game continues to progress on the offensive end he has a chance to be one of the nation’s top recruits.
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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK: ANTHONY BENNETT HOLDING LIST STEADY, CHINONSO OBOKOH TAKING VISITS & SCHOOLS WATCH YOUNG LAMONTA STONE

The big news of the college basketball recruiting world was delivered by St. Anthony’s senior guard Kyle Anderson who ended the speculation of his college destination with a simple announcement via twitter:

RT @KyleAnderson5 -Had a great family meeting. I’ve decided to be a UCLA BRUIN!!

Anderson’s announcement came on the eve of his birthday, the planned date of his college decision. Seton Hall (tickets) head coach Kevin Willard had made one last pitch to Anderson and his family with an in-home visit, but it was not enough in the end for the Pirates to land the recruiting coup of the early Fall.

While the Anderson story was unfolding, NBE was also able to get recruiting updates on ’12 forward Anthony Bennett, ’13 big man Chinonso Obokoh and ’15 point guard LaMonta Stone II.

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TANVEER BHULLAR POISED FOR A BIG RECRUITMENT

College basketball is becoming more and more of a guard’s game. So when a prospect comes along standing 7-foot-3 and weighing 315 pounds entering his junior year of high school plenty of debate ensues in regard to his place in the game. This is nothing new to Tanveer Bhullar who actually saw his older (and bigger) brother Sim go through the process. Like his brother, expect Tanveer to be one of the most evaluated, and debated, prospects in the country in the 2013 class.

“Obviously with the similarities in body type it’s natural that people are going to compare Tanveer to Sim,” Nolan Shulman, National Recruiting Analyst of Flagrant Fouls and Editor-in-Chief of the Ultimate Recruiting Handbook which is the authority on Canadian basketball prospects, told NBE this morning. “They both have very similar strengths. Great hands, great touch, and great size.”
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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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MANY SCHOOLS STILL INVOLVED WITH ANDREW WHITE

Playing this spring and summer with Team Loaded, Andrew White saw his recruitment explode with a series of strong performances on the AAU circuit. His recruitment has not slowed one bit as top college programs have already made their way to Charlottesville (VA) and the Miller School to visit the 6-foot-6, 205-pound small forward. More schools are expected this week as well.

“I have already received visits from Virginia Tech, NC State, West Virginia and Cincinnati,” White told NBE earlier this afternoon. “DePaul, UTEP, Kansas, Wake Forest and a couple others will visit me in the next couple weeks.”
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TOUGH DECISIONS AHEAD FOR ANTHONY BENNETT

One of the elite prospects in the Class of 2012 is FIndlay Prep forward Anthony Bennett. The 6-foot-7, 235-pound manchild terrorized rims and opponents all summer long playing with CIA Bounce on the AAU trail or Team Canada in international competition. NBE first identified Bennett as having the potential to be one of the top players in the Class of 2012 when he was playing for Mountain State Academy during the 2009-2010 season. Wrapping up that initial year in the United States after coming down from Brampton, Ont. in Canada, Bennett showed he was developing at a rapid rate at the 2010 National High School Invitational to close the season.

Bennett’s progress has only continued from those first viewings of him in action. Quite frankly, Bennett is a beast. He is every bit of the size he’s listed at and uses his strength to dominate the paint. He loves contact and has no problem finishing right through it inside. Not just a banger, Bennett also has a clean jump out past the three-point line, can put the ball on the floor, and runs in transition like a wing player. He has exploded on the national scene this past spring and summer and it’s easy to see why with his combination of power and skill. Bennett is only scratching the surface of his huge potential and is already drawing comparisons to the likes of Larry Johnson and Carmelo Anthony.

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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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