April 2012

NIKE EYBL SESSION #2 – BOO WILLIAMS (DAY II)

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

After a short day on Friday, the Boo Williams Invitational found its sea legs with a long day of hoops of Saturday. Action was fast and furious with the majority being the 17U Nike EYBL games with a little bit of 16U and 15U sprinkled in. Mobs of players had big performances in the star filled field and here are a few that NBE had the pleasure of viewing.

Top Performance of the Day:

Tyus Jones (Howard Pulley Panthers 2014) – Jones is the best point guard in America and showed all the reasons why in a masterful performance on Saturday night. A college head coach will be able to turn the ball over to Jones immediately as a freshman and be able to completely trust the young man. He plays with a maturity that is almost surreal for such a young player seemingly making the correct decision with the basketball every time down the floor. Jones can shoot it with range but only does so when the defense calls for it. He can slip passes into the tightest of windows on the money but only does so when the defense takes away an easier option. Perhaps most impressive was how every one of Jones’ passes seemed to land right in the hands of his teammate putting them in a position to score. Jones has a unique understanding of exactly where his teammates want the ball and he puts it right there. His recruitment with be crucial to the entire 2014 class because elite players are going to want to play alongside the elite playmaker. Tyus Jones is a bona fide stud.
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KENTUCKY CHECKS OUT JAMES YOUNG AT EYBL - BOO WILLIAMS

by Alex Schwartz

HAMPTON, Va. — In a 2013 class that is very strong at the top, James Young is one of the best of bunch. The 6-foot-5 small forward out of Troy (MI) is an elite scorer and he continues to develop as a player.

NBE Sports spoke with Young on Saturday at the Nike EYBL after he led The Family to a convincing win against the Tennessee Travelers.

Young only listed scholarship offers from just Michigan State, Ohio State and Providence, though he did note that there are a “couple others” he could not remember. Additionally, Young said he is receiving interest from Kentucky.

The Michigander grew up a fan of UK and said that Wildcats are his favorite right now.

“I love the offensive system,” Young said of what appeals to him about UK. “[John] Calipari is a good coach. I like the way they play offense and defense, and it’s a good educational school too.”

Calipari has only been in Lexington, Ky. for three years. So, why did Young like UK growing up even before Coach Cal got there?

“I must watched them growing up,” Young said. “I just always liked them. I liked how their offense is. They like to win [and] that’s something I like to do.”

Calipari was at Young’s game on Saturday night, something that did not go unnoticed by the athletic scorer.

“It means a lot, it’s a blessing,” Young said. “Not every kid gets that.”

Despite his interest in the reigning national champion, Young admits that there is some local pull to go to Michigan State.

“Yeah, I do [feel that],” Young said. “A lot of my friends, family, they want me to say home, attend Michigan State. I don’t know.”

Young, who compares his game to that of James Harden, spoke about the type of player he is.

“My strongest point is definitely getting to the hole,” Young said. “A lot of guys don’t know how to handle [me being left handed].”

Young said that his right hand is the weakest part of his game at this point.

NIKE EYBL SESSION #2 - BOO WILLIAMS (DAY I)

By Brian Bosworth

The Boo Williams tournament got underway on Friday night and with it the second session of Nike’s EYBL circuit. The amount of sheer talent in the gym was almost overwhelming as all eight courts were filled with future division 1 players all night long. Even in a field loaded with star power some players managed to separate themselves from the pack and here is sampling of Friday night’s best.

Top Performance of the Night:

Tahj Shamsid-Deen (Southern Stampede 2013) – Shamsid-Deen made a name for himself last weekend as the EYBL circuit kicked off in Minneapolis and continued his strong play Friday night. The 5’10” lefty point guard was deadly pulling up from midrange going in either direction. He used a quick first step to create space and then elevated over defenders to get off jump shots from 8-18 feet. While impressive scoring the ball for the majority of the game, Shamsid-Deen showed his true worth in the final moments with his team trailing by a point and 15 seconds on the clock. Southern Stampede ran an iso set for Shamsid-Deen and as he had done all game he got a step on his defender and pulled up from 10 feet. The ball slipped through the net giving Southern Stampede a one point lead and ultimately a victory. Both his desire to take the shot and ability to make it in that big spot spoke volumes about Shamsid-Deen’s leadership and accountability at the point guard spot.
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RED-HOT KAMERON WILLIAMS PICKING UP INTEREST

by Alex Schwartz

HAMPTON, Va. — There were not many players from last weekend’s Nike EYBL Session #1 more impressive than Kameron Williams. A 6-foot-2, 170-pound shooting guard out of Mount St. Joseph (MD), Williams entered this weekend’s EYBL session in Virginia with a bit of a raised profile.

Although he did not have a huge game in a loss to Spiece on Friday night, Williams did knock down some 3-pointers, which is the forte of his game. After the contest, Williams took the time to speak with NBE Sports about his recruitment.
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MERNAGH: ILLINOIS STATE COACH LEAVES JOB UNDONE, STAFF HANGING

By Ray Mernagh

I remember my exact thoughts when Illinois State cut ties with their old coach and hired Tim Jankovich a few years back.

That guy’s inheriting a helluva team and is going to win big and get a huge job off of Porter Moser and his staff’s hard work.

It didn’t exactly work out that way.

Osiris Eldridge, a splendid guard left over in the coaching change from Moser to Jankovich (who sported a sweet haircut) never got to taste the NCAA tournament. Jankovich got to three conference title games but came up short each time and his non-conference schedule never gave his talented teams a chance for an at-large berth throughout his tenure in Bloomington-Normal. Of course I’m talking in the past tense here because yesterday it was announced that “Coach Jank” is leaving the Redbirds to become an assistant for Larry Brown at SMU. I guess it’s been implied/agreed/stated that he will be the next head coach once Brown decides to leave next week….okay, I’m joking (sort of).

And this decision by Jankovich, to me, is mind boggling from a strictly moral standpoint. I understand he got a raise. I understand SMU is moving into the Big East even though I’m not really sure, nor is anyone else, what the Big East exactly is or will be going forward.

Here’s what’s clear to me. One- Jankovich had a really talented team returning. Two- he has one of the better jobs in the Valley, a league where teams can get an at-large if they schedule even 2-3 good games out of the league. And three, most importantly, Jankovich has a roster and staff full of folks that believed in him and are just now realizing that when crunch time came — that belief wasn’t returned. All three of Jank’s assistants have families and suddenly, in just about freaking May, they’re without any clue of what their future holds.

The one hope is that the past week or so hasn’t really been about Jank trying to decide if he should take the SMU offer but instead has been about the coach making sure his entire staff is taken care of. I doubt that’s the case though. There’s a report that Rob Judson is guaranteed to stay on the next staff no matter what but that report probably doesn’t make Anthony Beane, his wife Katrina or his two sons (one who recently committed to ISU) feel any better. It certainly doesn’t make Paris Parham, his wife Keisha or their two boys feel secure either. When a man accepts a head coaching job it comes with a lot of perks, but one of the biggest responsibilities it comes with is the knowledge that your every move can effect families that have put their faith in you.

Jankovich also leaves behind 5 freshmen, 3 sophomores and six juniors on his old roster. He’s pulled this move before, leaving a head job back in the day to go work as an assistant at Kansas. It makes me wonder if Jank ever understood the history of the Valley or his now former program’s role in that storied history? It also makes me wonder how confident Jankovich is in his abilities.

After all, he had a roster, and a point guard in Nic Moore, that just about every non-big-six-conference coach would kill for…and he quit on them.

HOT WEEKEND FOR XAVIER RATHAN-MAYES IN EYBL TRANSLATES TO HOT RECRUIT

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Xavier Rathan-Mayes of CIA Bounce put on an offensive show this past weekend in the opening leg of Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League in Minneapolis (MN). The timing could not have been better as the NCAA reinstated the April open evaluation period and college coaches were in the building to see Rathan-Mayes fill it up all weekend.

All in all 40 NIKE affiliated AAU teams participated in the opening weekend and CIA Bounce was one of just six to finish the weekend with a 4-0 record. Rathan-Mayes finsihed the four games with an 18 points per game average, good enough to be tied for 7th in the league in scoring overall.

“It felt great to be able perform in front of the coaches, it’s an opportunity I’ve prepared for all my life since I was a small kid” Rathan-Mayes told NBE this morning, “[and it] felt great being out there with the guys winning games.”
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LAS VEGAS AAU WEEKEND UPDATE: FLORIDA RAMS FLEX MUSCLES; RECRUITING UPDATES GALORE

By Raphielle Johnson

The first open weekend of the spring/summer meant action throughout the country, including Las Vegas with Sin City hosting three events. The biggest of the three was the adidas VIP Exclusive Run, which featured most of the nation’s best programs under the three stripes banner.

The program that stole the show this weekend at adidas was the Florida Rams, whose 16u and 17u teams both won championships. The 17 and under team is well-known by this point, as they’re led by one of the country’s top prospects in the 2013 class in Chris Walker.

A slender forward who can run the floor and finish with the best of them, Walker played well on both ends of the floor for much of the weekend and likely had one of the early frontrunners for dunk of the AAU season. But he had plenty of help as well, especially from Florida commit Kasey Hill.

The 2013 point guard ran the show for the Rams, displaying the ability to get to the basket off the bounce at will. Hill also did a good job of distributing the basketball, setting up Walker and Kansas commit Brannen Greene frequently.
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THE HOOP GROUP’S PITTSBURGH JAMFEST: DAY THREE

By Brian Batko

The Hoop Group’s Pittsburgh Jam Fest came to a close Sunday with some very intense semifinals and championship games. Many of the usual suspects who had been playing well all weekend continued to do so on Sunday but one squad of 2014 players in particular stepped its game up an extra notch and NBE has the rundown.

Caleb Martin and Cody Martin (Team Loaded NC 16U, 2014, Davie) – Even more so than the Harrison brothers in the grade above them, these two 6’6” wings have extremely similar bodies and games. In fact, at this point in their development, they play almost exactly alike. They’re both fairly slender but appear to have the frame to really add strength and muscle. In leading Team Loaded (NC) to the 16U championship on Sunday, the two uber-talented North Carolina natives showed off a nice mix of skill and athleticism and played very well off of each other. Both are good passers that like to work in the high post and on the wing slashing to the basket. They also attack the glass and are active on defense. Their jump shots are decent right now but could certainly improve. In a competitive quarterfinal game against a solid Team Work (OH) squad in the morning on Sunday, Cody finished with 14 points, a handful of rebounds, and a couple of steals while Caleb put up 19 points including a couple of threes and several boards as well.

Also like the Harrisons, Caleb and Cody are 100 percent a package deal as far as their recruitment goes. Still early for the rising juniors, they already have offers from North Carolina State, Wake Forest, and Virginia Tech and are hearing from the likes of North Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Xavier, Clemson, Kansas, and Georgetown. Both said they can see themselves in the ACC but that they’d like to wait and take as much time as they can before making their decision.

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IMPRESSIVE ’13 PF DEVIN WILLIAMS DRAWING COACHES AT JAMFEST

by Alex Schwartz

PITTSBURGH — One of the players who really impressed during the second day of the Pitt Jam Fest was Devin Williams of the Ohio Basketball Club. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound power forward imposed his will down low and went to work down low in a victory over SEBL.

After the game, NBE Sports caught up with the class of 2013 standout from Withrow (OH) High School to discuss his recruitment.

Williams provided a school list that included Xavier, UCLA, West Virginia, Ohio State, Baylor, USC, Indiana, DePaul, and Illinois. He noted that there are others involved that he could not recall and claims offers from all of those schools except for Ohio State.

“No, not at this moment,” Williams said of whether he has any favorites. “I should have some during June though, because during the dead period I’ll get out and see some schools.”

Which schools specifically will Williams be checking out? “Out on the West Coast, gonna see UCLA and USC,” he said, adding that he will also visit some Midwest schools, specially naming Illinois.

Williams has yet to take any college visits, but there is a school whose coaches he has the best relationship.

“I talk to the Xavier coach a lot,” Williams said, noting, “My school is about five minutes away, right down the street. [I talk to] Chris Mack, and Travis Steele too.”

Xavier is amongst the schools that Williams said is coming at him the hardest right now. He mentioned UCLA, USC, Xavier, DePaul, West Virginia, and Illinois as the ones that fit that description.

Williams also spoke about what he is looking for in a college.

“Really just development, just helping me be more [effective] . . . with my back to the basket, just get developed,” Williams said.

The Buckeye State standout noted that location does not matter to him, as he is fine with the West Coast, the Midwest or the East Coast.

Williams said that he feels rebounding is the strongest part of his game, while ball handling and athleticism are his primary weaknesses on the hardwood.

Before concluding the interview, Williams had couple things to add.

“I’m just up and coming,” he said. “Trying to make on a name for myself.”

If Saturday evening was any indication, then Williams is certainly doing a mighty fine job of doing so.

THE HOOP GROUP’S PITTSBURGH JAMFEST: DAY TWO

By Brian Batko

A full slate of games on Saturday at the Hoop Group Pittsburgh Jam Fest meant a lot more players in action, a lot more eye-opening performances, and a lot more recruiting updates. Below is a rundown of all the players from various classes that NBE caught up with on Saturday at the Jam Fest:

Andrew Harrison (Houston Defenders, 2013, Travis HS) – Regarded as a top five player in 2013, Harrison did nothing to prove otherwise on Saturday. The 6’5” point guard handled the rock, showed off his nasty crossover and great vision, and was able to get his shot off whenever and wherever he wanted. He and his twin brother Harrison listed a top four of Kentucky, Maryland, Villanova, and Baylor but said that doesn’t mean that another school can’t still get into the picture with them.

Aaron Harrison (Houston Defenders, 2013, Travis HS) – Not quite as quick and smooth as his brother, Aaron prefers to play off the ball, spotting up for threes and also attacking the rim. He and Andrew are 100 percent a package deal at the college level, according to them, and whichever school ultimately lands this dynamic duo better have plenty of minutes to go around in the backcourt.
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ISAIAH WHITEHEAD HAS SYRACUSE ATOP HIS LIST, OTHERS IN HOT PURSUIT

Isaiah Whitehead, of the top guards in the Class of 2014, said that Syracuse is currently at the top of his list of schools.

Whitehead said that Arizona, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, St. John’s and UCLA are also very involved while Arizona, Pitt, St. John’s and UCLA have all offered.

The 6-foot-4, 190-pound guard cited Syracuse’s fan base, system and atmosphere when explaining why the school is currently his favorite. He added that he’s looking for a program with a good coach who is also a good teacher.

“I want a program that will be good down the road, not just good right now, because I won’t be in college next year,” he said.

As for style of play, Whitehead said he wants to play on a team that is uptempo, but that is also balanced because he likes to run through plays and screens.

While his list of schools stretches across the country geographically, he said that location will not be a deciding factor.

Whitehead added that he wants to make a decision by the end of his junior year.

Whitehead, who said he will play two-guard on college, averaged 18 points, five rebounds and five assists for Lincoln High School in New York City this season.

He said the strength of his game is his pull-up jumper, while he needs to work on driving to the basket under control.

Broad-shouldered and strong, Whitehead didn’t play particularly well on Saturday for the Juice All-Stars after earning high praise for his Friday night showing, but showed that he could get his shot off at will. He was impressive when driving to the basket, but often struggled to finish.

KRIS JENKINS SEEING RECRUITMENT EXPAND AFTER BIG SEASON

by Alex Schwartz

PITTSBURGH — There aren’t many players in the country who boosted their stock during the high school season than Kris Jenkins did. The class of 2013 prospect out of Gonzaga (DC) demonstrated an improved skill set and major production, leading to quite an increase in college interest.

Jenkins, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound combo forward, took the floor with DC Assault on Friday night at the Pitt Jam Fest to open up the first Live Evaluation period of the spring and summer. Although he did not turn in a major performance, Jenkins did do some nice work down low defensively and on the glass in a blowout victory over Virginia Elite.

After the game, the junior took the time to speak with NBE Basketball Report and discuss his recruitment.

At this point, Jenkins lists scholarship offers from Miami, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Penn State, George Washington, Xavier, Clemson, Villanova, and more. He added that Ohio State, Louisville, Georgetown, Pittsburgh and Tennessee are involved in his recruitment as well.

“No, I don’t have any favorites,” Jenkins said, also noting that there are no schools in particular coming at him the hardest.

On what he is looking for in a school, Jenkins remarked, “Just, you know, where I could fit best as well as great academics and [a good] relationship with the coaching staff.”

One thing that will not play a part in Jenkins’ decision is location. As for that decision itself, Jenkins knows when it will most likely be coming.

“I probably will make my decision in the fall before my senior season,” Jenkins said of his commitment timetable.

One of the concerns about Jenkins has been that he is a bit of a ‘tweener position-wise, which is why his improved perimeter play in the winter was so key. Jenkins, though, does not list himself as a player of any particular position.

“Just a basketball player,” he said of what position he sees himself playing in college. “I don’t think I can be labeled to a position.”

When asked how he can carry over his strong play during the school year into the spring and summer, Jenkins mentioned “staying aggressive” as an important aspect of that.

THE HOOP GROUP’S PITTSBURGH JAMFEST: DAY ONE

By Brian Batko

The Hoop Group Jamfest rolled into Pittsburgh Friday night with several intriguing 1st and 2nd round games in the 17 and under and 16 and under divisions. Many of the games were blowouts, as the elite teams were mostly matched up with the lower level squads for the early rounds, but there were still some high level players in action on Friday. Teams like Sports U/Team Izod’s 16U, Atlanta Xpress 17U, and DC Assault Gold 17U are littered with Division 1 prospects who put forth impressive performances, albeit in limited action.

Karl Towns (Sports U 16U, 2015, St. Joseph Metuchen) – Only a freshman, Towns was easily the most talented player on the floor in Sports U’s 65-38 win over Blaze (WV), grabbing any rebound he wanted to and clogging the lane with his 6’10” frame. While not the most physically imposing Sports U big man – that would be 6’8” 2014 power forward Quadri Moore – Towns showed why he’s going to be one of the hottest names in the 2015 class. He’s still very thin at this point but his perimeter skills are awfully promising for such a young post player. Offensively, especially on the low block, Towns is still somewhat raw. He was forced into a travel after one catch in the post and failed to get position in the halfcourt a couple times. The rising sophomore also needs to get much stronger, as he was fouled multiple times by much smaller players and was unable to finish inside. The good news on that front, though, is that Towns is an excellent free throw shooter, going 6-6 at the line with great form. His free throw shooting ability translates to the outside, as well, where he has a nice stroke from beyond the arc. Towns, who finished with a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds, went 1-3 from downtown, hitting one from a few feet behind the line. Defensively, his natural gifts make him an intimidating shot blocker, but he also has very active hands and was able to get a steal or two in trapping situations. Despite his aggressiveness, Towns does a pretty good job of avoiding fouls, which is encouraging for a young prospect. Competing with and against players a year older than him – and in front of Jamie Dixon (Pitt), Bill Carmody (Northwestern), and a slew of other college coaches – Towns proved himself a (literally) big name in the class of 2015.
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BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR ISAIAH WATKINS ON SPRING AAU TRAIL

This weekend starting Friday evening colleg coaches will hit the road for AAU events across the country. Stops in Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and areas far and wide will be popular destinations for Division 1-A head coaches and assistants as they are allowed to evaluate talent for the first time in the busy April AAU schedule in a few years. While the intensity of the action is likely to be ratcheted up a few nothches, CIA Bounce big man Isaiah Watkins is taking it all in stride.

The 6-foot-8 Watkins attends St. Benedict’sPrep in Newark (NJ) and performing in front of college coaches is a regular event for him and his Gray Bees teammates. It was one of the reasons why he chose to attend a school like St. Ben’s and play with a powerful AAU program like the Canadian CIA Bounce program, which participates in Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL).

Yet, Watkins is looking forward to showcasing his improvement as a player, but also has goals for himself to continue to impove against the top flight competition he will be facing.
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2012 NBA DRAFT EARLY ENTRY LIST (UPDATED 4/12/2012)

According to the Connecticut Post, a href=”http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/UConn-s-Andre-Drummond-going-pro-3477403.php”>UConn Freshman Andre Drummond is Going Pro, bringing the total of underclassmen to declare for the 2012 NBA Draft to 28. Drummond joins Connecticut sophomore Jeremy Lamb on the list of early entrants. The Huskies are not eligible for the NCAA Tournament in 2012 due to a sub-par score in the NCAA’s APR, but both player was expected to make the decision to enter the NBA Draft regardless.

WWW.DraftExpress.com has Drummond (2) and Lamb (12) both going in the top half of June’s draft.

Below is an alphabetical list of the 28 players currently declared for the NBA Draft as early entrants:

Harrison Barnes, F, North Carolina
Will Barton, G, Memphis
J’Covan Brown, G, Texas
Dominic Cheek, G, Villanova
Jared Cunningham, G, Oregon State
Andre Drummond, F, Connecticut
Moe Harkless, G/F, St. John’s
John Henson, F, North Carolina
John Jenkins, G, Vanderbilt
Perry Jones III, F, Baylor
Jeremy Lamb, G, UConn
Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois
Damian Lillard, G, Weber St.
Kendall Marshall, G, North Carolina
Fab Melo, C, Syracuse
Khris Middleton, F, Texas A&M
Arnett Moultrie, F, Mississippi State
Austin Rivers, G, Duke
Thomas Robinson, F, Kansas
Terrence Ross, G, Washington
Renardo Sidney, F, Mississippi State
Jared Sullinger, F, Ohio State
Hollis Thompson, F, Georgetown
Dion Waiters, G, Syracuse
Maalik Wayns, G, Villanova
Royce White, F, Iowa State
Tony Wroten, G, Washington
BJ Young, G, Arkansas

AREA CODES EASTER CLASSIC REVIEW

By Raphielle Johnson

This past weekend the sixth annual Easter Classic was played at multiple locations in Phoenix. It was a good opportunity to check out some of the better talents in the region, with teams from New Mexico and California also taking part.

And with some of the top prospects showing up it was a good opportunity to ask recruits an important question when it comes to basketball on the West Coast:

What’s wrong with the Pac-12?

The league’s been down for a couple of years now, and with 11 of the conference’s top 20 scorers from this past season moving on there will be a lot of pressure on some highly touted newcomers to pick things up (Arizona likely being the team many pick to win the conference next season).

2013 wing Payton Banks, who played at Orange Lutheran with Arizona signee Gabe York, feels that the conference will bounce back in 2012-13 and the Wildcats are a big reason why.

“[This year] was a bad year for the Pac-12, but this year will change a lot,” remarked Banks when I asked him the question.

2014 point guard Brian Beard and 2013 forward Chancey Hill both pointed to recruiting as the biggest problem for the conference, with Beard citing conference teams being outworked by the likes of Long Beach State and San Diego State while Hill said that the conference needs more diversity (geographically speaking) in recruiting.

Personally speaking, the recruiting issue is where the problem lies when it comes to the caliber of play in the Pac-12 in recent years. Lots of teams throughout the country have players leave school for the NBA after one or two seasons, making those recruits expected to spend three and four years on campus even more important.

Look at national champion Kentucky. While one could definitely argue that the Wildcats were talented enough to win with their youngsters this season, there’s no ignoring the role that senior Darius Miller played on that team. And from a recruiting standpoint there’s Kentucky and then everyone else she looking at who’s coming in annually.

Arizona and Indiana both welcome in outstanding classes this summer, but John Calipari and his staff do a good enough job to bring in a new team that can contend for a national title every year.

If you’re not able to do that you’d better be able to get a good mix onto campus, and that hasn’t happened for the Pac-12 outside of Arizona’s Elite Eight run in 2011. Can the conference come back? Sure it can, provided they win some important recruiting battles for the best talent on the West Coast.

But it’s also going to take the development of players who don’t fall into the “one and done” or two-year categories. That can’t be forgotten when discussing what the conference needs to do in order to return to the pinnacle of western basketball while also regaining national respect.

As for the action there were some high-level products on display, and below are updates on their recruitment along with other standouts this weekend.

G Payton Banks (2013)

Banks is a high-level wing who is on the radar of many of the top teams on the West Coast. A versatile guard with size, when Banks decides to attack the basket with authority he’s a tough player to deal with. That’s the key for him: being in attack mode consistently. Banks holds offers from Arizona State, Colorado, Penn State, USC, UTEP, Washington and Washington State.

G Brian Beard (2014)

The 2014 pass-first point guard was solid if not spectacular for the Compton Magic Black. Speaking with Beard on Saturday, he says that his goal this summer is to improve his perimeter shooting and thus become a bigger threat to opponents offensively. Recently the schools who have shown “medium-to-high” interest are Marquette, Oregon State and San Diego State with none having offered.

G Richaud Gittens (2013)

Gittens is one of three players on the Arizona Stars who stood out this past weekend, displaying some very good athleticism in the open floor. A left-hand dominant player right now, Gittens wants to improve his right this spring/summer. He’s looking for a bigger school that plays an up-tempo style of basketball, and currently has received interest from Colorado State, Drake, UCSB and Weber State. Obviously with his goal being to land at a larger institution this is going to be a big summer for him.

F Chauncey Hill (2013)

The Fairfax product had a good weekend in Phoenix, showing off a high-level motor and finishing ability above the rim. The key for Hill will be how he goes about expanding his offensive repertoire, something than can also be said for club teammate Jordan Bell (who played with ICP in a different event this week). Speaking with Hill, who said that he tries to model his game after Kenneth Faried, he’s looking to become more of a wing player skill-wise as he spends the majority of his time in the paint. Boasting a mohawk that’s dyed blonde on top, Hill has received interest from Colorado, Fresno State, Marquette, San Diego State and Washington but no offers as of yet.

G Jaron Hopkins (2013)

Hopkins is one of the best perimeter prospects on the West Coast; how he’s been unranked by multiple scouting sites is one mystery that’s difficult to explain. If Hopkins gets a step on his defender he’s going to the rim and he’s going with authority. He says he’s been attempting 500-600 jumpers a day in hopes of improving that aspect of his game. Hopkins currently holds offers from the likes of Boise State, Colorado, Colorado State, Pennsylvania, Penn State, San Francisco and Washington State, with interest from Harvard, Stanford and UCLA. Hopkins is aware of the coaching situation at Colorado State (Tim Miles moving on to Nebraska) but that’s something he’s left to his father, also noting that Miles has been in contact with his father since taking over at Nebraska.

G Dorian Pickens (2014)

Pickens is a smooth wing who was able to score in a variety of ways for the Arizona Stars. The recent recipient of an offer from Arizona State, Pickens knocked down perimeter jumpers while also showing off his mid-range game. He’ll need to get better at attacking the basket so opponents can’t play him too close, and he says he’ll also be working at becoming a better defender. He’s looking for a school with good academics that provides a family atmosphere while playing an up-tempo style of basketball. In addition to the ASU offer, Arizona, Boston College and Indiana have shown early interest. When asked if the high number of transfers at Arizona State (12 in three years) would affect how he viewed Herb Sendek’s program Pickens said no, stating that he’s just going to focus on how he meshes with the coaching staff.

F Pablo Rivas (2014)

Rivas is a 6-6 forward with very good athleticism as he’s also a wide receiver for his high school’s football team. And despite his wiry frame Rivas showed off some of the physicality gained from playing football, as he was more than willing to bang with opposing big men. Rivas runs the floor well and has room for growth from a skill standpoint; another summer spent working on his game could yield positive results when it comes to what he’ll be able to do offensively. Looking to major in engineering in college (mechanical and computer being the two disciplines he’s most interested in), Northern Colorado has shown some interest in Rivas. He did say that his “dream school” is Memphis, but this is going to be a big summer for him in terms of improving his skill set if he wants to draw the attention of the future Big East member.

F Paul Watson (2013)

Watson was solid but had a tough weekend due to the fact that he had to play center. To say the least the wing prospect who has received offers from high major programs is not a center. Watson’s a good scorer from multiple areas on the floor but for his sake hopefully they can get some size to help him out. But that doesn’t mean that Watson isn’t’ using this as an opportunity to add to his game, as he’s working on a turnaround jumper and a sweep-through move. Watson currently holds offers from Arizona State, Boise State, Fresno State, Oregon State and Texas Tech, and Arizona, Duke, New Mexico State, UNLV and USC have shown varying levels of interest.

Other Players of Note

G Bryce Alford (2013)

The New Mexico verbal commitment may be known by many for his famous lineage, but he’s a very good player in his own right. Alford played off the ball for much of the weekend, doing a good job of finding looks on the perimeter. Needs a little more work creating off the dribble but to be fair he didn’t man the point much for the Danny Granger Hurricanes.

G Malcolm Allen and G Marcus Allen (2013)

Twins from Las Vegas, these two played well this weekend alongside Jaron Hopkins and Paul Watson. Both are good athletes, with Malcolm showing a little better when it came to getting to the basket. Keep an eye on these two as the spring/summer rolls on, and that should be easy to do given the attention being heaped upon Hopkins and Watson from a recruiting standpoint.

G Sedrick Barefield (2015)

A member of the Compton Magic’s 2015 squad, Barefield is going to be one of the best guards in the country regardless of class by the time he’s a senior. Already ranked among the best guards in his class, Barefield is very good at finding quality looks. Good handle, good shooting form and a solid defender as well.

F Joe Boyd (2013)

The former New Mexico State verbal has bulked up some to match his 6-9 height, and he’s got the strength needed to bang inside. Still has to work on his mid-range jumper and free throw shooting, but he’ll be a good get for someone at the low to mid-major level with a solid spring/summer. At last check (a couple of months ago) New Mexico State remains high on his list, although depending on what happens with Marvin Menzies and the Colorado State opening maybe that changes.

F Kendall Lauderdale (2015)

He’s with Barefield on a Compton Magic 2015 team that recruiting fans are going to want to keep track of in the coming years. Already standing at 6-7, Lauderdale displayed a very good motor in the paint and good athleticism as well. Having his jersey ripped to the point where it looked like something Tarzan would wear didn’t slow him down either (they eventually gave him a new jersey. He’ll be one of the many high-major products on this roster with continued growth and development.

G Dikembe Martin (2016)

Martin can get to the basket off the dribble and while he’s got some work to do on his perimeter shot he was able to knock down a few jumpers as well. His best work may have come in the distribution area, where he set up fellow 2016 prospects Jace Rivera and Martin Tombe inside. This was as part of a Compton Magic 2016 class team that managed to beat a 17U squad on Saturday, and they’re only going to get better.

G Bubba Mears (2012)

Mears hasn’t been able to drum up enough interest scholarship-wise but the 5-9 point guard is a good athlete who also played football in high school. To describe Mears as a “bulldog” defensively would be more than accurate, as he helped lead the Tucson Heat seniors past the Compton Magic Black on Saturday afternoon. Offensively he did a good job of running the show, setting up teammates for quality looks while also using his quickness to get to the basket. Not sure if he goes D-1 due to the height, but he’d be a good late addition for a team in need of a point guard.

G Cullen Neal (2013)

Like teammate Bryce Alford, Neal’s the son of a coach (UNM assistant Craig Neal) who can also get the job done on the court. Neal, a Saint Mary’s verbal, was on the ball for most of the weekend for the Danny Granger Hurricanes and while his shot selection left something to be desired at times there’s no doubt that he can make plays. He’s got good size for a point guard, and he’ll be a very good addition when he steps onto the SMC campus next summer.

G Jeff Van Dyke (2013)

He was one of the good perimeter shooters on a tough Gamepoint 17U Black squad. Very good in catch and shoot situations this past weekend, Van Dyke was also able to create some good looks off of the dribble as well. High-major 2013 big Kameron Rooks didn’t play with them this weekend, which likely opened some things up for Gamepoint’s other 2013 prospects. 2012 wing Nathan Wright spent most of his time inside as a result.

F Arren Wells (2012)

While Alford and Neal are the headliners for the Danny Granger Hurricanes they’ve got some good 2012 big men who are still on the market with Wells being one of them. A good athlete who can finish above the rim, Wells had no problem getting physical inside. Not sure what level he ends up playing at as a college freshman, but with the first open evaluation period coming up in less than two weeks western teams in need of some late size should make it a priority to check in on the Hurricanes.

Transfer Update: PG Anthony Fields

Anthony Fields has speed to burn and he’s looking to add that speed to another D-1 program after getting his release from Wake Forest following a freshman year that saw his minutes decrease as the year progressed.

Before the minutes went down though we were able to watch him make several exceptional plays in a November tournament against Dayton. Fields got in the lane repeatedly and found shooters for wide open 3′s or easy layups. Fields had no problem beating some high quality guards off the bounce in that contest and once he came out of the game Wake never got their momentum back before eventually losing.

Whatever happened at Wake, where the guard spot was loaded with bodies, Fields is now looking to bring his game, his leadership — including his excellent grades off the court — to a program soon. Fields will be visiting Bradley this Friday and tells us he has a variety of interest from programs in the CAA, the Valley, the Big 12 and the Pac 12 right now. Coach Isaac Pitts, who coached Fields at Quality Education Academy, is helping Fields navigate the recruiting game all over again.

Fields told us he wants a family atmosphere where he can lead both on and off the court. Anthony Fields is a quality young man who also possesses a lot of ability at the point guard spot. He should find a comfortable landing spot that will be a better fit for him than Wake was. We’ll keep you posted on any updates as they happen.

NJ PLAYAZ SPRING FLING REPORT — TOP PERFORMERS

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Now that the 2012 NJ Playaz Spring Fling has come to close it’s time to assess the talent I witnessed over the three days of the event. Below are player rankings by class based on performance in this tournament only. These do not reflect my overall opinions of these players and are only snapshots of this weekend’s performances. Because 17U and 15U tournaments took place only the 2013 and 2015 classes are ranked as that’s where most of the players fell.

Top Player Performances 2013:

1. Kuran Iverson (NY Lightning) – The versatile forward played with energy all weekend and made some of the tournament’s most spectacular individual plays.

2. Terrence Samuel (New Rens) – Samuel was the leader and aggressor of his Rens team navigating them to the 17U championship.
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NJ PLAYAZ SPRING FLING REPORT — PART III

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

After two days focused on the 17U tournament at Spring Fling, the 15U teams joined the party for Championship Saturday and ended up stealing the show. Team Takeover (DC) walked away with the Gold Championship in the 15U division and looked as strong as any 15U team in memory. They led the talent charge from the 2015 class but were joined by members of Team Scan, NY Lightning, and Albany City Rocks.

Top Performance of the Day:

Marcus Derrickson (Team Takeover 2015) – After sparking my interest Friday night, Derrickson convinced me of his elite status on Saturday winning tournament MVP honors after leading his team to the championship. The 6’7” 225 pound forward was unstoppable all tournament flashing NBA 3 point range on his jump shot as well as being the strongest 15U player in the paint. He was the dominant rebounder in every game he played in showing equal effectiveness on both ends of the floor. After proclaiming Derrickson a top 100 prospect after last night’s action I’m ready to go quite a bit farther and say he looks safely like a top 25 guy in 2015. IF he continues to grow and ends up a few inches taller that projection would go even higher.
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NJ PLAYAZ SPRING FLING REPORT — PART II

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

After a small slate of games Thursday night the 2012 Spring Fling came back with a long, full day on Friday. Pool play wrapped up, playoffs began, and contenders were separated from pretenders. Here is a sampling of the incredible level of talent of hand.

Top Performance of the Day:

Kuran Iverson (NY Lightning 2013) – Iverson is a name that’s been on the recruiting front for a few years already and he’s developed a reputation as an elite talent who struggles with consistency and doesn’t always utilize his natural gifts. Today he was sensational. Name a high level play that can be made on a basketball court and Kuran Iverson made it today. He rebounded above the rim. He blocked multiple shots in the lane. He went coast to coast and dunked on a defender. He made 4-5 perfect no look passes. He beat defenders off the dribble and finished in the lane. He hammered down a couple ridiculous alley-oops. When Iverson plays with energy and effort as he did today, he is basically unstoppable. His perimeter shot is still inconsistent at best and he settles for it too often but when he’s in attack mode on both ends of the floor like today Iverson is special.
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