Seton Hall Recruiting

BIG APPLE BASKETBALL CHALLENGE: SUNDAY

by MATT WHITFIELD

This past weekend on the campus of Baruch College, Big Apple Basketball hosted their 6th annual Big Apple Basketball Challenge where eight NYC teams from the Catholic League (CHSAA) took on eight opposing teams from the NYC Public School Athletic League (PSAL). With bragging rights on the line, the results were split right down the middle with the PSAL and CHSAA representatives each winning four games. NBE Sports was at Baruch College for the action on Sunday, and here is our report…

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GONZAGA DC CLASSIC REPORT

BY JEFF BORZELLO

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With Christmas only two weeks away, a multitude of high school basketball tournaments kick off around the country this weekend. One of the more competitive ones in the mid-Atlantic every year is the Gonzaga DC Classic, held at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. This year will be no different, as some of the top teams in Maryland, D.C., Virginia, New York, Texas and California will be in attendance.

The tournament began on Thursday, with Gonzaga (D.C.), Mater Dei (Ca.), Calvert Hall (Md.) and Bishop McNamara (Md.) advancing in the winners’ bracket and Chantilly (Va.), Iona Prep (N.Y.), Sidwell Friends (D.C.) and Jesuit College Prep (Tex.) being relegated to the losers’ bracket. Here is a look at some of the top players from day two, Friday.

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (12/7/2009)

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It was a busy weekend in the Big East, but Saturday put a large dent in the conference’s gaudy non-conference record. Providence and Marquette lost big leads while DePaul and St. John’s lost games they were expected to lose. The shocker game in Louisville as the Cards were run out of their own gym. Overall, the conference was just 2-5 on Saturday (not counting West Virginia’s exhibition victory). Pittsburgh won a record-setting (for lack of offense) affair on Friday night while Rutgers, Notre Dame, UConn and Villanova picked up wins on Sunday to salvage the weekend for the conference. After a 7-5 mark this weekend, the Big East is still sitting pretty with an overall mark of 98-17.

In other news, Deniz Kilicli made the most of his opportunity to play in WVU’s Saturday exhibition win over Charleston. Recruiting updates on Maurice Harkless and Doron Lamb are also available as well as brief looks at Providence and Seton Hall’s games tonight on the schedule.

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NBE PREP CORNER WITH PAT STEVENS (VOL 3.1)

BY PAT STEVENS

The early returns from the prep school ranks look to be another good season ahead with the Big East signing the most prep school players of any conference in the Fall Signing Period.

Originally there were 13 expected Big East signees for the Fall Signing Period, however that number fluctuated some during the eventful week in mid-November.

In total, 10 prep school players signed with Big East teams – Russ Smith (Louisville/South Kent), J.J. Moore (Pittsburgh/South Kent), Austin Carroll (Rutgers/Brewster Academy), CJ Fair (Syracuse/Brewster Academy), Ron Giplaye (Providence/Notre Dame Prep), Gerard Coleman (Providence/Tilton School), Markus Kennedy (Villanova/Winchendon School), Nate Lubick (Georgetown/St. Mark’s), Isaiah Epps (Pittsburgh/Hargrave Military Academy) and Waverly Austin (South Florida/Heat Academy, Va.).

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MAURICE HARKLESS NEARING DECISION

2011 forward has plenty of Big East schools in pursuit as he looks to make early commitment

Forest Hills (NY) small forward Maurice Harkless, one of the top players in the country in the class of 2011, is expected to make his college commitment this month . According to Nathan Blue, Harkless will narrow his school list to six schools this weekend and then visit as many as he can before making a commitment.

“Harkless will be looking at the pros and cons of all the schools on his list,” Blue told NBE in an email.

According to Blue, the current list of schools Harkless is working to pare down this weekend includes Seton Hall, St. Johns, Florida State, Arizona, Pittsburgh, Providence, Kentucky, Connecticut, Hofstra, Cincinnati, Villanova and Rutgers.

Harkless is a very unique talent, standing at 6-foot-7 and possessing a wingspan of 7-foot-2, he first impressed NBE last April at the Hoop Group Elite NY Top 100 event where he proved he could get to the rim on anyone at the event. A great ballhandler for his size with length and athleticism, Harkless does not dominant the basketball, showing a very good basketball IQ at a young age. New York talent evaluator Tom Konchalski has compared him to West Virginia’s Devin Ebanks, a comparison Blue agrees with.

“As a player, he’ll be a SF/SG on the next level,” said Blue. “He fits the build of Devin Ebanks, Rudy Gay, or if he continues to grow, something scarier.”

Harkless is a NY Post 1st-team All City and Pre-Season Queens Player of the year. In the classroom he maintains an A- average according to Blue.

“Harkless is coming back from a stress fracture in his left foot and will visit as many schools as possible before his decision is made before Christmas,” added Blue.

Recently, Harkless was at UConn for their ‘First Night’ festivities and has also taken in games at Seton Hall (vs. LIU) and St. John’s (vs. Brown).

NBE will continue to follow the recruitment of Harkless as he works towards a decision this month.

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NATIONAL PREP SHOWCASE TOP PERFORMERS

BY JEFF BORZELLO

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – With nearly every top prep team in the country at Albertus Magnus College this past weekend for the National Prep Showcase, there was plenty of talent on hand for spectators and coaches to watch. There was something for everyone – post-grad prospects, senior signees, junior gems and sophomore superstars. However, with all the top-notch talent on hand, it was difficult to pinpoint the best players at the Showcase – but I will try my best.

2010 Top 10 Standout Performers (listed alphabetically)

- Will Barton, Brewster Academy, Memphis: On paper, Barton was the best player at the event. In reality, he struggled to find open shots but passed very well.

- Lorenzo Brown, Hargrave Military Academy, North Carolina State: Constantly put on a show when in the game, Brown is going to be a star in the ACC.

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NATIONAL PREP SHOWCASE RECAP, PART II

by JEFF BORZELLO

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The highly-anticipated National Prep Showcase got off to a somewhat slow start in the first couple of days, with one-sided affairs and blowouts galore. Only two games on the first were decided by fewer than 10 points, and those were seven and nine point differences. The second day wasn’t much different, as the first three games all had margins of at least double-digits. With plenty of quality basketball left to be played, though – including a match-up between Brewster Academy and Worcester Academy – there was a chance for the games to be more competitive. Seemingly on cue, Mack Academy (N.C.) had a furious comeback against Winchendon (Mass.) – before falling late, 79-77 – to jumpstart what would be an exciting final day and a half of basketball featuring several tight contests.

The three best games of the event came during day three. In the first one, NIA Prep overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to force overtime against second-ranked Brewster Academy. In overtime, the team from New Jersey pulled off the upset, 103-99. Immediately following that, Bridgton Academy and Tilton School went down to the wire before Seton Hall-commit Dashaun Wiggins hit a half-court three-pointer at the buzzer to give Bridgton a one-point victory. In the fourth game on Sunday, South Kent Prep (Conn.) defeated Champlain St. Lambert (Can.) on a lay-up at the buzzer by Nemanja Djurisic. Here is a look at some more player evaluations from the second and third days of the Showcase, in addition to those we wrote about on Friday:

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NATIONAL PREP SHOWCASE RECAP, PART I

BY JEFF BORZELLO

New Haven, Conn: The official start to the always hotly anticipated prep basketball season is the National Prep Showcase. Held in the past at Bryant University in Rhode Island, the Showcase moved this year to Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Conn. This season, it features nine of the top 10 teams in ESPN’s Prep rankings, and several of the top players in the country. Things kicked off on Friday with six games, including a match-up between Hargrave Military Academy and Notre Dame Prep, a contest that could feature more than 20 Division-I players. Here’s a look at some of the top players in New Haven:

Bryon Allen, 2010, St. Thomas More: The former West Virginia commit was the best player on the floor for much of the game against Lee Academy. He got into the lane almost at will, using his body very well to shield defenders and get his shot off. Allen knocked down a few three-pointers and used his vision to find open teammates often. He has a good flow to his game and never seems out of control. He finished with 20 points and six assists.
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BELLY OF THE BE-AST: MIXTAPE EDITION

by RAY MERNAGH

J. Period is providing the soundtrack via iTunes radio today. Now let’s go deep inside the Belly and see what we can find. Is Dev Ebanks in there waiting to get sprung by Hugs or is this a nightmare in the making for WVU fans? No word from anyone other than Hugs and the last thing he said was that Ebanks was still dealing with whatever personal issue has him out in the first place. West Virginia can be very good without Ebanks but they’re only going to be special with him. As one coach put it last night to me on the phone, “Hugs will make sure that gets straightened out whatever it is,” — I tend to agree with that take.
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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (11/18/2009)

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So far so good for the Big East conference with all 29 games Big East teams have participated in going into the win column. Only the Big 12 has also yet to lose a contest in the season’s first week plus to date.

There was nearly a couple losses last night, but Georgetown and St. John’s each pulled out tight ones by scoring with 6 seconds left. UConn had another tussle, needing to rally from a nine-point second half defecit for a win. DePaul was able to grind out a season opening win while Pitt, Marquette and Louisville, who blasted Arkansas from the SEC, all had easier times in their games.

Cincinnati will try to make it an even 30-0 for the Big East tonight when they host Toledo at Fifth Third Arena.

Elsewhere, Dion Waiters followed through with his verbal commitment to Syracuse, although it seems that he was considering other options recently. Recruiting update on Doron Lamb and is Jayvaugh Pinkston’s decision to hold off on his decision related to the upcoming decision from Tobias Harris?? Also, freshmen Danny Jennings and Brandon Triche are making their marks early in the college careers.

Read all of this in today’s news and notes below…

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (11/17/2009)

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The much anticipated debut of Lance Stephenson took place on Monday night and it probably did not go quite as planned, but Cincinnati was able to rally for a victory. The Big East also picked up their first win against another power conference, courtesy of the improved South Florida Bulls. Villanova continued their Big 5 dominance and Notre Dame earned their second victory to start the season. UConn won their opening NIT Season Tip-off contest, despite a sluggish 1st half. UConn is back in action tonight.

Louisville opens their season against Arkansas tonight while DePaul hopes to begin the healing process over last year by opening at home tonight against an Ivy League opponent. Pittsburgh is in action, but will again be without the services of their lone returning starter. Georgetown meets Temple in a game coached by a pair of former Ivy League coaching rivals. Marquette looks to earn a second win against a team amongst the bottom of the 1-A ranks and St. John’s travels to upstate NY to meet St. Bonaventure.

In a couple other brief notes, Providence is resting after a 3-0 weekend and looking ahead to a date in SEC country on Friday. Syracuse heads to MSG this week to meet a highly touted Cal club. Seton Hall added a signed LOI to their 2010 class.

Read about all this below in today’s News & Notes links…

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JAYVAUGHN PINKSTON TO ANNOUNCE WEDNESDAY

Bishop Loughlin forward to make college decision on Wednesday at his school

by RAY MERNAGH

Kimani Young of New Heights just texted me the following message: “Jayvaughn Pinkston will make his announcement on Wednesday at Bishop Laughlin High School. I’m working out the time and let you know as soon as I get it confirmed.”

I asked Young if Pinkston was down to Tennessee and Villanova and he replied “no, all five are still in it, he hasn’t cut anybody yet.”

The other three schools involved are St. John’s, Marquette and Seton Hall.

So we’ll find out Wednesday where the “King of New York” hoops will be heading.

Stay tuned to NBE for further developments.

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STERLING GIBBS TALKS RECRUITING

Class of 2011 guard taking time and letting recruiting process play out

NBE Sports caught up with Seton Hall Prep junior point guard Sterling Gibbs earlier this week to see how things are going for the 6-foot-2, 180-pound, class of 2011 prospect. Once thought as a potential player that could make a decision early in the recruiting process, Gibbs seems more content to let things play out, at least through his junior season.

“St. John’s, Maryland, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Virginia, Pitt, Indiana, Tennesse and Providence,” responded Gibbs when NBE asked which schools are actively recruiting him.

While he has not taken any visits of late, Gibbs was expecting to be on a Big East campus for at least part of this weekend.

“I haven’t taken any recent visits but I plan on visiting Pitt this weekend for their opening game,” Gibbs said.

Of course Pittsburgh is where Sterling’s older brother Ashton is a sophomore guard. Ashton scored eight points in Pitt’s 63-60 season opening win over Wofford Friday night.

While Sterling has a strong connection with Pittsburgh and an impressive listing of schools chasing after him, he is not thinking of deciding anytime soon.

“I plan on making my decsion after my junior season but if it takes longer I’m willing to wait,” said Gibbs.

For now, Gibbs will concentrate on his junior season with Seton Hall Prep of West Orange (NJ) where he plays for long-time head coach Bob Farrell, who has won more than 700 games in his coaching career. The night he won #700 is also a special night in the Gibbs family as it was the night Ashton broke Keven McDonald’s all-time school scoring record of 1,774 points late in the 2007-2008 season. it is a record that Sterling could threaten before his SHP career is over.

When it comes time to make a decision, Gibbs has a pretty good idea of the factors that will influence his decision. After seeing an older brother navigate his way through the process, expect Sterling to have a sound plan as his works towards a decision.

“I want a family enviorment, good education, good playing style and somewhere where I know I’ll be able to make an impact and play my game,” Gibbs said of the factors that will play an important role when he makes a decision.

NBE will certainly see Sterling Gibbs and his Seton Hall Prep teamates this season and you can follow along with us on his progress on the court and with his recruitment.

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BIG EAST SIGNING DAY ROUNDUP (PART II)

BY JEFF BORZELLO

- Fuquan Edwin informed the NBE Basketball Report late last night that he had signed his papers to attend Seton Hall.

- Cory Joseph’s recruitment is likely headed to the spring. “At this time, he does not intend on signing early,” Findlay Prep head coach Michael Peck said. Added Ro Russell, Joseph’s AAU coach with Grassroots Canada: “Unlikely.”

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HOOP SKILLS BIG EAST SIGNING DAY ROUNDUP

by JEFF BORZELLO

- Chip Smith, the AAU coach of the Tennessee Tigers, said that Michael Bradley signed with Connecticut today. “Mike was scheduled to sign at 10 this morning,” Smith said. “As far as I know, all went well.”

- Cameron Wright’s high school coach at Benedictine (Oh.) confirmed that Wright did indeed sign with Pittsburgh this morning.

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (11/6/2009)

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It is Friday afternoon and we take a quick tour to see what is happening around the Big East as we head to the final weekend before REAL college basketball action begins. Remember, Syracuse is in action Monday night at 9 PM when they host Albany in the Carrier Dome. Following their exhibition loss to LeMoyne this week, Monday probably can’t get here soon enough for SU!

Cincinnati hit the court last night and they were able to do so with their star freshman eligible to play. Villanova also was in action last night and they had their offense revved up in high gear. DePaul looks to begin a better year in 2009-10 season with an exhibition game tonight. Connecticut hopes to have at least two of their players held out of this week’s exhibition cleared and in uniform Sunday against Lowell-UMass. A pair of redshirts from last season are anxious to contribute this season at Providence while at Notre Dame transfer Ben Hansbrough has found a niche in the Irish line-up. Syracuse assistant Rob Murphy showed of a hidden talent recently and heavy Big East target Devon Collier has made his college decision.

Read all this below…and, be sure to check in this weekend as more season preview articles from Jeff Borzello’s time at the Big East media day last month will be published…as well as some additional recruiting news, notes and breaking news.

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HOOP SKILLS BIG EAST RECRUITING SCUTTLEBUTT (11/3/09)

Updates from Tobias Harris, JJ Moore and a look at Devon Collier’s upcoming decision

by RAY MERNAGH/NBE Sports

Tobias Harris is one of the biggest prizes left in the recruiting class of 2010. He’s a smooth big capable of scoring in a variety of ways whether he’s in the post or taking guys off the bounce from the wing. Harris has said he’ll make his college decision on November 19th. Torrel Harris, his father, is usually quoted when it comes to his son’s situation but Tobias was kind enough to reach out and let NBE know how his recent visit to Louisville went.

Some speculate that Harris is a strong Syracuse lean, while others think he’s taking his time going through the process exactly the way a high-level recruit should (by hearing what everyone has to offer and then making a decision). Harris has all the heavyweights after him and says the trip to Louisville was well worth making, that the school offers a lot to a prospective recruit.

“The visit went very well,” says Harris, “and I got a chance to get a great feel for the school and the guys on the team. I really enjoyed it.”

Part of the trip was spent watching the Louisville team run through a few practices and observing Rick Pitino work with his team. “The guys go hard,” says Harris, “they really get after it.”

Harris said that Pitino is a “great coach who gets the best out of his guys.”
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Another Louisville target J.J. Moore was thought to be near a decision with the word on the street being he looked like a Louisville lean, but Moore reached out to us as well and said that he hasn’t made up his mind just yet.

When asked about the Louisville rumor Moore replied: “Nah, not yet, I haven’t made my decision yet.”

Moore is thought to be down to Pittsburgh, Louisville and St. John’s.

With South Kent closing for a few days to prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu, Moore was reportedly planning a midweek trip to to check out one of his finalists. I asked Moore if a reported visit to Pitt for Tuesday was still on and he said “yeah, I think so.”

Moore took a trip over the weekend to see St. John’s while home for IS8 playoff action. Several NBE friends spotted Moore at Madison Square Garden with Redstorm head coach Norm Roberts Saturday evening.
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Louisville was sitting pretty last spring with three verbal commitments in the class of 2010 and was able to get a head start on their 2011 class. However, as of today, they currently have nobody committed for the 2010 class as they continue to wait anxiously for a decision from Harrris and/or Moore. Previously Jeremy Tyler opted for the professional ranks overseas and Justin Martin parted ways with the Cards. Now it looks as if Louisville is Out as Josh Langford Re-Opens Recruitment as the contact with the Cards staff has been non-existant for several weeks.

The Cards have also turned up the heat on Moore’s South Kent and NY Panthers teamate Russell Smith of late and will likely receive an official visit in the next two weeks from the NYC native.
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New Heights is fresh off a championship in the IS8 (they defeated a Panthers squad featuring Moore, Smith and others) and two of their premier talents are also on the wish list of several teams. Jayvaughn Pinkstona> is getting worked from all kinds of schools (we hear Tennessee and Villanova are doing a great job) and Devon Collier has three of his final four schools coming from the Big East.

Speculation in some corners, speculation that NBE thinks could be wrong, has Collier 50/50 between Seton Hall and St. John’s. We’re buying the fact that Gonzo and the Hall are right there in the fight, but we see the other main competition being Providence (along with Oregon State). Oregon State’s Craig Robinson has been rumored as a possible replacement for Wainwright at DePaul should that job open up like so many think it will. Collier is probably thinking twice about traveling across the country to play for a guy that might not even be there when he arrives. The smart money here says it’s probably down to a battle between Gonzo and Keno for Collier’s services.

Today’s Big East Recruiting Scuttlebutt is brought to you by…

BASKETBALL COMMUNITY LACES UP FOR GOOD CAUSE: SHARETTE DIXON CLASSIC

NYC Legends Kenny Smith, Kenny Anderson and local all-stars put on special hoops showcase to raise funds for deceased professor’s family

The two most important things in Sharette Dixon’s life were her family and education. Now that she has passed away, her husband Kimani Young and the NYC basketball community are banding together to make sure that her children get the support and education that they need in the future. On Sunday, Nov. 8, New York City legends Kenny Smith, Kenny Anderson and a host of others NYC basketball personalities will participate in the Sharette Dixon Classic, a showcase of the top talent from New York and New Jersey.

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MORE IS8 RECRUITING UPDATES FROM PLAYOFF ACTION

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Updates on some of the standout performers from last weekend’s IS8 playoff action with a Halloween theme

by ZACH SMART

Juan’ya Green, a ghastly 6-foot-3 combo guard at Archbishop Carroll (PA) HS, is receiving plenty of Big East love. He’s sifting through letters, receiving the most interest from Villanova, Georgetown, Syracuse, Providence, Maryland, St. Joe’s and Temple.

“That’s all I can think of tight now,” said the Class of 2011 guard, after rattling off his current list.

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JERMAINE SANDERS HAS BIG EAST INTEREST; MORE RECRUITING UPDATES

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Rice junior has focus on upcoming season, recruiting can wait

By Zach Smart

For Jermaine Sanders, recruiting is an afterthought right now. Talk to him at the end of the season, this probably won’t be the case.

Right now, however, the subject of the electrifying 6-foot-4 wing’s recruitment is in the shadows.

So, what’s front-and-center on the Rice HS forward’s agenda? First and foremost is the ready-to-be filled scoring void left by high-volume scoring machine Durand Scott, who was claimed by June graduation.

Scott, now a freshman at Miami, was a highly sought after recruit last season. He ended up spurning UConn and Pittsburgh, both of which hounded him throughout the recruiting process last year, for the Hurricanes.

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