Rutgers Recruiting

REEBOK SHOWDOWN SERIES - PHILADELPHIA (SATURDAY RECAP)

By Alex Schwartz

PHILADELPHIA – In its inaugural year, the Reebok Showdown Series has managed to attract some quality teams. In fact, the field at the Philadelphia event this weekend is one of the best of any tournament in the month of June. NBE Sports was on hand for much of the day on Saturday and had the chance to take in some impressive performances and talk with some talented prospects.

TOP PERFORMER

Rondae Jefferson: One of the top players in the class of 2013 on a national level, the Chester (PA) star was at his absolute best on Saturday afternoon. Versatile enough to play three positions, the 6’6 Jefferson is best suited as a small forward who can be a secondary ball handler and also provide aid down low. With Jaren Sina not present for Team Final, Jefferson actually played a lot of point guard in this affair and was fantastic in doing so. He has a great feel for the game, sees the floor quite well and knows how to hit the open man. Possessing a great build, quality athleticism and nice strength, Jefferson is also impressive from a physical standpoint. The younger brother of Temple’s Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, Rondae has an impressive skill set, gets to the cup with ease and can really score it. He continues to improve his game and does not seem to be done making progress.

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‘WHOLE BIG EAST’ & MORE ON ’14 NYC F CHRIS MCCULLOUGH

Chris McCullough burst onto the national recruiting radar last summer with a series of strong performances during the month of July, first at the Hoop Group Elite Session 1 Camp and the Hoop Group team camp playing with the Salisbury (CT) School. McCullough built up a strong following and next thing you knew college coaches were making sure they knew where his team SCAN AAU squad would be playing throughout the open evaluation periods of July last year.

Fast-forward to a year later and McCullough is regarded as one of the elite prospects in the Class of 2014. The NYC native is once again making the rounds with Team SCAN on the AAU circuit and beginning this weekend his camp tour is also picking up as he headed west for the Pangos All-American camp in California.

This past high school season the 6-foot-9, 207 pound forward scored 26 points in the New England Class A Basketball Championship game and led the Salisbury School to it’s first ever title. Considered a hybrid forward, McCullough filled NBE in on that he is working to fine tune everything in his game.

“Going to the rim [is my strength],” he said. “I need to improve my overall game.”

Last summer McCullough told us he made unofficial visits to UConn, Providence, Rutgers and St. John’s. He also at the time told us that schools that offered were St. John’s, Providence, Rutgers, Florida, Iowa State, Syracuse, Temple and Hofstra in addition to interest from Arizona, UMass, North Carolina, Seton Hall, Pittsburgh and Kansas State. As we head into this summer period McCullough is just taking the recruiting aspect as it comes, not really looking at things very seriously on that front yet.

“I’m wide open in my recruitment,” he recently told NBE. “The whole Big East, Temple, Iowa State, Hofstra, Arizona [and] Kansas [have offered].”

With the June 15th date of when college coaches can begin unlimited texting and calls of Class of 2014 players, you can be certain Chris McCullough will be a hot target of some of the biggest names in college basketball. Additional scholarship offers are certain to pour in for this elite prospect who cites “coaches and style of play” as the factors that will be most important in his eventual college decision. NBE will certainly make our way to see Team SCAN in action and follow up in July with how the recruiting process is going for Chris McCullough. Stay tuned…

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NIKE EYBL - OAKLAND (SUNDAY RECAP)

Parker vs. Randle highlights day

By Raphielle Johnson

Nike saved the “best” for its final regular season session of Nike EYBL, with the top two players in the class of 2013 facing off on Sunday afternoon. Jabari Parker and Mac Irvin Fire went toe-to-toe with Julius Randle and the Texas Titans, but a furious second half rally for the Chicago-based team fell just short. Behind 23 points and 13 rebounds from Randle and Matt Jones adding 19 and eight rebounds, the Titans won 63-59 to move into a tie for third in Division C with Mac Irvin.

That was a big win for the Titans from a Peach Jam standpoint as well, as the result guaranteed them a berth in the 24-team tournament to be held in July. A loss would have dropped them into a three-way tie with CPE and E1T1 Elite, and while all three would most likely advance (four at-larges join the top five in each division) it’s better to simply take care of business yourself instead of relying on help.

Jones had the assignment of guarding Parker in the first half while Jackson Forbes helped out in the second, and the nation’s top-ranked player seemed to settle for perimeter jumpers a bit too much. But he did guard Randle on the other end in the first half, and to be frank both seemed to be pressing in the first 16 minutes. But Randle’s teammates, most notable Jones, came up big as they led by as many as 18 in the first half.

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TEAM FINAL G/F B.J. JOHNSON CONTINUES TO PILE UP OFFERS

One of the hgihest stock risers in the Class of 2013 this spring has been B.J. Johnson of Team Final. The 6-foot-6, 170-pound G/F has excelled on the Nike EYBL circuit, putting back-to-back eye-opening weekends together when the EYBL kicked off and college coaches were in the stands.

“It was exciting to get to play in front of a lot of big time coaches,” Johnson told NBE Sports shortly after the April open evaluaiton periods. “I hope they saw what I do well on both the offensive and defensive side of the floor as well as how much effort I put into what I do.”

Through three EYBL sessions Team Final is sitting with an 8-6 ranking and in position to clinch a spot in the EYBL Championship round this July at the Peach Jam with a solid performance in Oakland (CA) this coming weekend.

For his part, Johnson is second on the team in scoring (9.8 ppg) and rebounding (4.8) trailing only Rondae Jefferson in both categories. That type of performance really got the attention of college coaches as he had schools such as Boston College, Rutgers and >Pittsburgh exppress new interest right away. BC followed up with a scholarship offer joining the likes of James Madison and Penn State in the days immediately following the Boo Williams EYBL event.

Johnson has always been high on the Big 5 radar for the local Philadelphia schools as he attends Lower Merion (PA) HS. St. Joseph’s, Temple and La Salle have been in the mix with him previously, as well as Boston University, and they all have company now as the scholarship offers continue to come in.

“New offers from Rutgers, Richmond, Duquesne, Manhattan and UMASS,” Johnson told NBE earlier today.

NBE will be on hand this weekend in Oakland (CA) as Raphielle Johnson will be reporting on the action. So stay tuned for more coverage on B.J. Johnson, Team Final and the Nike EYBL this weekend and through the summer

HOOP GROUP’S SOUTHERN JAM FEST: DAY THREE

by Alex Schwartz

HAMPTON, Va. – Sunday was the final day of the 2012 Hoop Group Southern Jam Fest and champions were crowned in the afternoon. Team Takeover beat BWSL Woods, 77-53, to win the U15 Gold championship and Team Takeover also won the U16 Gold championship with an 82-75 victory over the SC Raptors Elite. The U17 Gold title went to Garner Road, who beat UA Baltimore’s Fines, 49-44, in the championship.

TOP PERFORMER

Therence Mayimba: While the Team Takeover U16 team has several players who are more well-known, Mayimba was terrific in both the semifinals and championship. A 6’7 combo forward who attends Montrose Christian (MD), Mayimba is a bouncy player with a great frame. The 2014 prospect repeatedly sliced right down the lane past defends and to the rim, where he showed nice body control in air. He handles the ball pretty well and also does a nice job of getting rebounds. Mayimba has room to continue to improve as a player and will be someone whose stock will rise as time goes on.

TOP SLEEPER PERFORMER

Scott Spencer: BWSL Kelly made a surprise run to the championship game of the U15 Gold bracket and Spencer used that contest to show what he can do. He was the game’s top scorer, with 15 points, which accounted for nearly 30% of his team’s total in the lopsided defeat. Spencer is a 6’4 shooting guard who has great length and nice athletic ability. He is a bouncy wing who can really jump, but he is by no means only about his physical tools. Spencer has a nice midrange jumper from the baseline that he utilizes as well.

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CLASS OF 2013 SPRING STOCK RISER: B.J. JOHNSON

The Team Final 17U AAU squad that hit the road in April for the first two legs of the Nike EYBL had plenty of names familiar to college coaches and recruiting followers throughout their rister. Rondae Jefferson, Davon Reed, Austin Colbert and newly added Jaren Sina need little introduction to the masses. One player many were not very familiar with was B.J. Johnson, a 6-foot-6 wing from Ardmore (PA) Lower Merion High School.

Through the first two legs of the EYBL Johnson is third on Team Final in scoring in EYBL action as his team is off to a 5-4 start. Johnson is shooting 46% from the field overall and connecting on 40% from three-point range. He is also tied for second on the team in rebounds and leads the team in steals. Getting a chance to showcase his ability in front of college coaches has been a welcomed opportunity for Johnson.

“It was exciting to get to play in front of a lot of big-time coaches like Coach K and many others,” Johnson told NBE. “I hope they saw what I do well on both the offensive and defensive side of the floor as well as how much effort I put into what I do.”
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SPIECE BILL HENLSEY MEMORIAL RUN-N-SLAM PLAYER EVALUATIONS

By N.D. Kendrick, special to NBE Basketball Report

Midwest star power was on display this past weekend in Fort Wayne, Indiana where some of the top clubs from the middle of the country and a few from other locations took part in the Bill Hensley Memorial Run-n-Slam.

Quite possibly the attraction that brought in the most basketball junkies was a battle between Spiece Indy Heat, featuring Indiana-commit Trey Lyles, Purdue-bound Bryson Scott and JaQuan Lyle, facing Mac Irvin Fire, which was tabbed as the favorite to win the event.

Mac Irvin Fire got a quiet 20 point effort out of the Gatorade National Player of the Year Jabari Parker, and won by the score of 80-70. Both the Mac Irvin Fire and Spiece Indy Heat - arguably the two most star-studded rosters - failed to reach the championship games of their respective brackets.

The Derrick Walton (Michigan-commit) and Monte Morris led Michigan Mustangs emerged as the champions of the 17u tournament when the coaches of The Family decided to forfeit due to several players cramping up.

Run-n-Slam allows you to evaluate several prospects due to the format and way the massive gym is set up. The focus of the weekend was incoming juniors and seniors. Provided are several prospects (not in any particular order) that impressed over the weekend…
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MARY KLINE CLASSIC RECRUITING NOTEBOOK

By Alex Schiffer

Austin Colbert, a 6-foot-8 forward who attends the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut. The New Jersey native plays AAU basketball with Team Final in the EYBL. Prior to the underclassman game at the 2nd annual Mary Kline Classic Colbert talked with NBE on his current recruiting situation.

“So far Florida, Baylor, Georgetown, Harvard, Seton Hall are all looking at me,” said Colbert.

At this point in time Colbert is thinking about cutting his list down, but hoping to see some additional offers before doing so.

“I’m currently looking to narrow down my list but it would be nice to pick up a few more offers,” he said.

Since the open evaluation periods of April are now past, Colbert has a clearer view of the schools willing to put more effort into his recruitment and is looking to visit one of the schools entering the picture of late.

“Temple is starting to get on my really hard and Baylor, Georgetown, Harvard, Seton Hall are on me mad tight,” he said. “Also Texas is looking at me. I plan on making a trip down to Austin pretty soon.”
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One of the hottest names from the previous two weekends in the April open evaluation period in the Class of 2013 in NYC native Jermaine Lawrence, who is currently attending Pope John XXIII in Sparta (NJ). The 6-foot-9 PF has put a strong of impressive performances together with the New Rens AAU team and his recruitment has quickly taken off.

“Cincinnati, Rutgers, St. John’s, UCLA [and] Florida are all looking at me, Miami as well,” said Lawrence.

A couple Big East programs are among the new schools quickly entering the mix following his April performances.

“UConn and Villanova as well as Temple have all started with me recently.

Lawrence has no current favorites, but is looking into taking a couple visits in the near future.

“I have no favorites right now but I’m working on making a visit to Rutgers right now as well as Cincinnati,” he said.

Lawrence kept rolling on Saturday night, scoring a game-high 27 points in the underclassman contest of the Mary Kline Classic, earning one of the two MVP honors.
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Jared Nickens, a 6-foot-5 wing out of St. Patrick in Elizabeth (NJ) listed the schools currently recruiting him as VCU, Seton Hall, St. Joe’s, SMU, Georgetown, Charlotte and Mississippi State.

“Mississippi State, Georgetown and Charlotte all recently started with me,” he said. “I have a visit to Georgetown June 16th. My current favorite is VCU.”
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Nickens’ teammate at St. Pat’s DeAndre Bembry is also drawing plenty of recruiting interest at this time.

“Vanderbilt and Georgetown just showed interest in me,” said Bembry on Saturday night. “Villanova just offered me. UNC-Charlotte and Richmond as well as South Carolina are all giving me looks.”

Bemnbry also mentioned Virginia Tech had been recruiting him hard as well. There are no favorites for Bembry yet, but he is starting to look into which school she would like to visit.

“[I] should be making some arrangements for visits in a few weeks<' said Bembry. "I'm going to try and visit UCF, Georgetown and Villanova.”
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From a pure talent standpoint, Tyler Roberson has as much of a ceiling as anyone in the Class of 2013. The 6-foot-7 forward out of Roselle (NJ) catholic and the NJ Roadrunners AAU club certainly has the recruiting list to back that up as well.

“Kansas, Rutgers, Seton Hall, South Carolina [and] Syracuse are all recruiting me,” said Roberson. “Everyone is coming at me really hard.”
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Jaren Sina, the 6-foot-1 point guard out of Gill St. Bernard’s in New Jersey made the switch this spring to Team Final on the EYBL circuit and the added exposure paid off with a Big East offer this past week.

“Pittsburgh offered me last week after the Nike EYBL,” said Sina.

Sina, who is coached by his father Mergin Sina at Gill St. Bernard’s was once committed to Alabama. The Crimson Tide remain involved but have plenty of company in the competition for his services.

“Northwestern, Pitt, Stanford, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Penn State, Alabama, Butler are all involved,” said Sina. Alabama and Northwestern as well as Penn State there all coming at me pretty hard.”

Ina ddition to the three coming at Sina the hardest, he mentioned three others schools specifically when asked where he might plans visits in the near future.

“I’m probably visiting Pitt, Michigan [and] maybe Villanova.”

Sina produced 10 points and 14 assists in the all-star game contest Saturday night, sharing game MVP honors with Jermaine Lawrence.

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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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.

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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PLAYAZ SPRING FLING REPORT — PART I

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The spring AAU season is here! After Findlay Prep’s miraculous comeback victory over Montverde Academy capped a thrilling high school season last Saturday, the NJ Playaz Spring Fling marks the start of the grassroots circuit. The 17U tournament kicked into full gear Thursday night with the hometown Playaz themselves taking center stage.

Top Performance of the Day:
Mike Young (NJ Playaz 2013) – Young started his final AAU season in great form showing off his rapidly improving skill set. Rebounding has been and will continue to be his greatest strength as Young cleaned the backboard on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he showed a significantly expanded perimeter game from when I had last seen him in the fall. Young knocked down multiple 3 point shots off the catch using solid form and looked very comfortable doing so. His ability to stretch the floor combined with his elite rebounding are a unique combination that will serve him well going forward. Young has excellent lateral quickness for someone his size and could potentially play both forward positions at the next level if his offensive game continues to improve. This versatility increases his already high stock and helps explain why Mike Young has become such a priority for so many high major programs.
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CLASS OF 2014 GUARD JA’QUAN NEWTON RECEIVING HEAVY INTEREST

By Matt Whitfield

John Mosco, the Assistant Coach at Philadelphia’s Neumann-Goretti High School has seen his share of high major Division-One players come through the Saints program; Scoop Jardine, Tony Chenault, and others. Ja’Quan Newton, an active combo guard is likely the next to follow in this trend. Newton is only a sophomore, but he has certainly has impressed this season as Neumann-Goretti is currently in the Pennsylvania State playoffs.

‘He has a chance to be one of the better ones [to come out of Neumann Goretti] because he just flat out scores and gets to the hole at will,” said Mosco.

Newton currently already has several high major offers.

“He has Wake Forest, Virginia, Boston College, Rutgers, Villanova, Temple and St. Joe’s,” said Mosco.

Local schools Rutgers, Villanova and Temple are all on hot on Newton’s trail too, but Mosco thinks Newton can play wherever.

“I think he could go anywhere to be honest. He doesn’t have to stay in [Philadelphia]. It’s not just staying locally [as a main factor in his recruitment]. He would like to have his mom and dad watch him play, but I don’t think he’s stuck on staying home.”

However, at this stage Mosco feels Newton needs to work on his jump shot to ensure that he is that high major player that he is expected to be.

“He needs to work on his jump shot to really be that high major player. If he could shoot it a little better it would really help him…but his athleticism is still really coming along. He’s still only a sophomore.”

Mosco added, “Carl [Arrigale], our Head Coach, thinks he can be a great two-way player defending the ball. He’s got long arms and he can play both sides of the floor.”

NBE will certainly see Ja’Quan Newton a lot this summer as he will be playing for Team Final. We expect to see many college coaches also checking out his development on the road and we will report back often on his developing recruitment.

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MARY KLINE CLASSIC TO RAISE MONEY FOR NATIONAL BRAIN TUMOR SOCIETY

Second annual cancer research fundraiser to feature top talent

Pennington, NJ - The Mary Kline Classic, an all-star basketball fundraiser to fight cancer, will showcase more than 50 of the best high school basketball players from around the east coast in an event taking place on Saturday, May 5, in Pennington, NJ.

“Coming off of a successful inaugural event in 2011, we are expecting the Mary Kline Classic to have a breakout year,” said Mary Kline Classic organizer Alex Kline. “With the high level of talent, both on and off the court that will be represented in this cancer fundraising event, it is evident that this year’s players all bring something special to the table. We are extremely excited to host such a talented and humble group of young men for a purposeful day of basketball to help in the fight against cancer.”

The Mary Kline Classic is held in honor of Mary Kline who passed away seven years ago after a five year battle with brain cancer. Alex Kline organized this event in memory of his mother and for all those touched by this horrible disease. Our goal is to raise as much money as possible to fund cancer research. This year’s proceeds will be contributed to the National Brain Tumor Society. This basketball event thrives off of the energy of the players, coaches, volunteers, fans and media.

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JENKINS, BRITT HAVE GONZAGA POISED FOR WCAC PLAYOFF RUN

By Matt Whitfield

Gonzaga Head Coach Steve Turner feels good about his team with the playoffs in the WCAC set to begin this week.

“I think we’re having a tremendous season. I’m excited where we are. I think what a lot of people don’t understand is we’re sitting at 24-4 and in 28 games I haven’t played one game with my whole arsenal.”

Nate Britt, Gonzaga’s star Class of 2013 point guard who is verbally committed to North Carolina is one of the players who has sat out some games due to an injury this season, however when he has played he has often been lights out.
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2012 NATIONAL PREP SCHOOL INVITATIONAL — TOP PERFORMERS

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Now that the National Prep School Invitational has come to close and I’ve had a few days to process all the basketball I watched it’s time to rank the performances from the weekend. Below are player rankings by class based on this past weekend’s performance only. These are not an overall opinion on these players but rather a snapshot based on how they played at Rhode Island College over the weekend. The top spot in 2012 came down to the nation’s two best big men and is a decision I agonized over before finalizing it.

Be sure to check out our daily coverage from a great weekend of hoops at the 2012 National Prep School Invitational:
’12 NPSI - Day Four Report
’12 NPSI - Day Three Report
’12 NPSI - Day Two Report
’12 NPSI - Day One Report

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2012 NATIONAL PREP SCHOOL INVITATIONAL — DAY FOUR

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By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The first three days of the National Prep School Invitational were dominated by Steven Adams and his Notre Dame Prep squad. The 2012 big man from New Zealand erased any concerns after his foul-plagued showing at the Hoop Hall Classic and cemented his status as one of 2012’s top players. On Sunday it was time for another 2012 big man to steal the show and make his case for the #1 overall ranking in the senior class. With the gym buzzing and filled to a capacity that it saw at no other time all weekend the Tilton School and REDA (Ontario) took the floor at 1:30 PM. Nerlens Noel jumped center for the Tilton School sporting his trademark bright pink Nikes and his high top fade and put on the best show of the weekend.

Top Performance of the Day:

Nerlens Noel (Tilton 2012) – This was Noel’s first national appearance since announcing his intentions to graduate this year as a member of the 2012 class early Thursday morning. Providence fans packed the gym to see him as they made the cut of his seven final schools along with Kentucky, Syracuse, Connecticut, Florida, Georgetown and North Carolina. Dominance doesn’t even begin to describe the defensive effort put forth by Noel as he tallied 10 blocks to go along with countless more altered shots. It reached a point where REDA coaches could be heard screaming at their players who even attempted to challenge the big man as a shot in the lane against Noel was basically a turnover. Perhaps the most telling statistic of his dominance was on the scoreboard. Noel played the majority of the game’s first 29 minutes at which point REDA had only scored 19 points. At that time Nerlens went to the bench in a blowout victory and in the remaining 11 minutes REDA was able to put up 29 points. His defensive prowess is certainly nothing new but Sunday’s was a particularly stunning performance even by his high standards. Offensively Noel looked better than ever and as crazy as it sounds was literally playing point guard for his Tilton team during the 2nd half. He brought the ball up the floor every time and got his team into their offense sometimes breaking his man down off the dribble and other times running a play for someone else. I’m not suggesting that Noel is making a drastic position change but it was an indicator of how far along his ball handling and passing skills have come in the last year. Once only a defensive standout, Noel’s offense is catching up seemingly by the day.
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FOUR SCHOOLS ON ISAIAH WHITEHEAD THE HARDEST

Lincoln (NYC) High School guard Isaiah Whitehead is just in his sophomore season but he already seems to have been a name we have been following for years. Such is life when your regarded as one of the top players, regardless of class, in New York City.

The 6-foot-4, 195-lb guard combines strength and athleticism into an impressive on the court package. Whitehead enters the stretch run of the 2011-2012 high school season with goals of a City and State title as well as Player of the Year honors.

This past summer with the Juice All-Stars playing top competition in Las Vegas, NBE saw Whitehead displaying his ability to get to the basket off the dribble. His athletic ability is apparent on both ends of the floor, and Big East and other teams from across the country have taken early notice of his talents.
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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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