HOT RECRUITING INFORMATION FOR AUGUST 2010

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Our New York City Editor Ron Naclerio  has two major verbal commitments to pass along, as earlier today 6'7 Maurice Harkless from South Kent (Prep) CT verbally committed to St. John's and at 6:00 PM this evening 6'8 Kadeem Jack from South Kent (Prep) CT made it official for Rutgers.  Harkless is ranked #32 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and Jack checks in at #6 on our List of the Top 5th Year Players.  However, in both cases it's the upside and potential that really gets us excited.  Harkless also is young for his grade and this summer he really started to come into his own in terms of consistency and maturity.  We're talking about one of the best athletes in the nation and he's equally lethal with his explosiveness to the basket and deadly 3-point shooting.  This also is a major coup for Red Storm head coach Steve Lavin for several other reasons.  First, it's important for the new regime to keep the top players at home.  And, if Harkless hadn't transferred from Forest Hills (H.S.) NY to South Kent (Prep) CT, he would have been the top senior this year in New York City.  Second, Harkless was Lavin's top recruiting priority and Lavin made it a point to be in the gym almost every time Harkless suited up for the New York Panthers' club team this past July.  Third, the addition of Harkless should help keep the ball rolling as Lavin and his staff attempt to fill as many as 10 scholarships from a long list of players that includes 5'9 Tavon Sledge from Dix Hills (Half Hollow Hills West) NY, 6'7 Tyler Harris from Dix Hills (Half Hollow Hills West) NY, 5'8 Myles Mack from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, 5'11 Naadir Tharpe from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'3 DeAngelo Harrison from Missouri City (Ft. Bend Bush) TX, 6'8 Jakarr Sampson from Akron (St. Vincent-St. Mary's) OH, 6'6 Amir Garrett from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV, 6'8 DeAndre Daniels from Bradenton (IMG Academy) FL, 6'3 Jabari Brown from Oakland (H.S.) CA, 6'2 Josiah Turner from Sacramento (H.S.) CA, 6'9 Norvel Pelle from Los Angeles (Price) CA, 6'9 Angelo Chol from San Diego (Hoover) CA, 5'11 Corey Edwards from Middle Village (Christ the King) NY, and 6'9 Ryan Rhoomes from Memphis (Clarkview Academy Prep) TN.   Jack also is a guy who is still coming into his own and he reminds of Naclerio of Joakim Noah in a lot of ways.  "He's long, agile, and athletic and does all of the little things, like hustle, set picks and screens, and works hard away from the ball, that help you win."  Jack also has good length and athleticism, which he uses to rebound, block shots, and score around the basket.  The addition of Jack also moves Rutgers' recruiting class, which also already includes 6'8 Derrick Randall from South Kent (Prep) CT and 6'6 Malick Kone from Dyke (Blue Ridge School) VA, into a tie at #15, along with Virginia Tech and Kansas State, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011.  However, the icing on the cake will be if the Scarlet Knights can also get 5'8 Myles Mack from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, who is ranked #53 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP.   It's not done yet, but Naclerio thinks a decision could be forthcoming as early as next week and that the school he's going to pick is Rutgers.  So obviously new Scarlet Knights head coach Mike Rice and his staff are doing a great job of keeping their share of the top players in the New York City Metropolitan area at home.  And this should come as no surprise when one remembers that Rice has strong New York City and New Jersey ties (he is a graduate of Fordham University and spent three years as the director of the Hoop Group's Eastern Invitational Camp), new Rutgers assistant coach Van Macon, who held a similar position at Hofstra for the last nine years, is second to none recruiting in New York City, and Jim Carr, who is the now the Director of Basketball Operations and has been on the coaching staff at Rutgers for 12 of the last 14 years, is equally strong when it comes to getting it done in North Jersey.  It also looks like Tulsa has beaten schools like Texas Tech, Wichita State, Creighton, Santa Clara, and Virginia Commonwealth for 6'7 Rashad Smith from Plano (H.S.) TX.  And this too appears to be an excellent catch, because Smith is an athletic wing forward who can beat you with his ability to slash to the basket, hit the outside shot, and lock his man up defensively. 

Monday, August 30, 2010

Our Tennessee Editor Andre Whitehead has been busy lately as he's tracked a total of eight verbal commitments from players in the Volunteer State during the last week.  The latest two were by 6'8 Octavious Ellis from Memphis (White Station) TN to the University of Cincinnati and 5'8 Kendall Anthony from Jackson (Liberty Tech) TN to the University of Richmond.  Ellis doesn't like to bang inside and he spends too much time out on the perimeter, instead of taking advantage of his length, athleticism, and ability to defend and block shots.  But he does have a big upside and, once he gets bigger and stronger and physically and gains more confidence playing inside, he could end up being a lot like Louisville's Rakeem Buckles.  In other words, it looks like Bearcats head coach Mick Cronin may have a steal on his hands, as Ellis currently is Whitehead's #6-ranked senior in the state, behind 6'6 Adonis Thomas from Memphis (Melrose) TN, 6'4 Kedron Johnson from Lewisburg (Marshall County) TN, 6'4 Cedric McAfee from Memphis (Melrose) TN, 6'2 Andre Hollins from Memphis (White Station) TN, and 6'5 Lester Wilson from Strawberry-Plains (Carter) TN and ahead of 6'5 Malcolm Smith from Clarksville (Academy) TN, 5'8 Kendall Anthony from Jackson (Liberty Tech) TN, 6'5 Andre Brown from Clarksville (Northwest) TN, and 6'7 Nino Johnson from Memphis (White Station) TN.  "Anthony is an absolute jet," says Whitehead.  "He plays with a chip on his shoulder, is an unbelievable on-the-ball defender, and is a flat out winner.  All he lacks is size."  Anthony also promises to be an excellent complement to 6'5 Trey Davis from Richmond (Benedictine) VA and 6'10 Luke Piotrowski from Egg Harbor (Atlantic Christian) NJ, who are apart of the Spiders' current recruiting class that is now tied at #23, along with Xavier and Cincinnati, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011.  Whitehead also makes note of the fact that 6'6 Adonis Thomas from Memphis (Melrose) TN recently narrowed his list of schools down to six (Memphis, Tennessee, UCLA, Arkansas, Kansas, and Florida),.  But he adds that it's going be tough to beat Memphis when it is all said and done.  The Tigers don't miss many in the backyard and four of Thomas' former teammates - 6'0 Joe Jackson from Memphis (White Station) TN, 6'6 Jelan Kendrick from Marietta (Walton) TN, 6'8 Tarik Black from Memphis (Ridgeway) TN, and 6'4 Chris Crawford from Memphis (Sheffield) TN - in the Memphis Magic AAU program are currently freshmen at the University of Memphis.  We also have confirmed that 6'3 Paris Roberts-Campbell from Charlotte (United Faith Christian) NC has verbally committed to East Carolina, 6'3 Devonte Brown from Killeen (Ellison) TX has verbally committed to Indiana State, and 6'7 Dantiel Daniels from Wentzville (Holt) MO has picked Southern Illinois.  And that last one is a major steal!  If you will recall, Daniels was the undersized power forward who teamed with 6'4 B.J. Young from Florissant (McCluer North) MO on St Louis Gameface to form one of the best one-two punches that we saw all spring and summer.  Brown is a slashing athletic combo guard who picked the Sycamores over schools like Arkansas-Little Rock, Stephen F. Austin, Long Island, and Central Connecticut State.  Roberts-Campbell is an under the radar athletic 2-guard who can shoot the lights out, is an excellent defender, and also had interest from College of Charleston, Furman, Wofford, and UNC-Wilmington.  Our North Carolina Editor Rick Lewis also tells us that it's a two-horse race between Charlotte and East Carolina for 6'4 Terrence Williams from Charlotte (West Mecklenburg) NC and that the early favorites for 5'11 Jr Tyler Lewis from Lewisville (Forsyth Country Day) NC are North Carolina, N.C. State, Wake Forest, Charlotte, and Davidson.  It also looks like we missed the boat last week when we reported that 6'5 Jr Archie Goodwin form Sherwood (Sylvan Hills) AR had made an early verbal commitment to the University of Kansas.  Instead, it was just an offer by the Jayhawks and, as things stand now, Goodwin also is still being recruited by schools like Arkansas, Baylor, Kentucky, Memphis, and Tennessee. 

Sunday, August 29, 2010

It looks like University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari struck again with last night's verbal commitment from 6'9 Kyle Wiltjer from Portland (Jesuit) OR, who announced for the Wildcats at half-time of the Boost Mobile Elite 24 Game in Venice, CA.  Wiltjer is ranked #39 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is an athletic white kid with excellent skills, good post-up moves, and a great nose for the ball and a good outlet pass, which makes him a very effective rebounder on the defensive glass, despite the fact that he needs to get bigger and stronger physically.  And this is important, because Wiltjer is good enough to step in right away a year from now and get some playing time as a freshman, but also promises to be a four-year player for the Wildcats.  If you will recall, Kentucky had four freshmen (John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, and Daniel Orton) forego the rest of their college eligibility and enter the NBA Draft this past spring, will likely have at least two current freshmen (Brandon Knight and Enes Kanter) follow in their footsteps next spring, and will likely have three players in their current recruiting class (Michael Gilchrist, Anthony Davis, and Marquis Teague) do likewise year after next.  As things stand now, the Wildcats have 10 scholarship players on the team in 6'10 Sr Josh Harrellson, 6'7 Jr Darius Miller, 6'11 Jr Eloy Varges, 6'6 Jr DeAndre Liggons, 6'7 Soph Jonathan Hood, 6'3 Frosh Brandon Knight, 6'11 Frosh Enes Kanter, 6'4 Frosh Doron Lamb, 6'8 Frosh Terrence Jones, and 6'4 Frosh Stacey Poole and one player who may or may not be sitting out this year in 6'8 Jr Darnell Dobson.  So, with the graduation of Harrellson next spring and assuming that Knight and Kanter both enter their name in the draft next spring, it looks like Kentucky currently has either zero or one scholarship, depending upon whether Dodson is still around a year from now, still available for players in this year's senior class.  However, in this day-and-age these things have a way of working themselves out and, as a result, we still believe the Wildcats will tough to beat for players like 6'8 Quincy Miller from High Point (Westchester Country Day) NC and 6'7 Chane Behanan from Bowling Green (H.S.) KY.  Getting back to Wiltjer, it's our guess that this was a case where new University of Kentucky assistant coach Kenny Payne was able to go back to his old stamping grounds (Payne was previously was an assistant coach for the last six years at the University of Oregon) and beat schools like Gonzaga, California, Wake Forest, and Texas, all of which were vying for Wiltjer's services.  Wiltjer also stepped up last night and was the co-MVP, along with 6'2 Myck Kabongo from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV, and was one of the two leading scorers with 20 points in the Boost Mobile Elite 24 Game.  Kabongo also finished with a double-double (13 points and 10 assists) and 6'6 Kentavious Caldwell from Greenville (H.S.) GA tied Wiltjer with 20 points for high scoring honors in the game, as they led the Raymond Lewis Team to an impressive 131-128 win over the Marques Johnson Team in last night's game.  The co-MVP's for the losing team were 6'4 Austin Rivers from Winter Park (H.S.) FL, who finished with 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists, and 6'8 James McAdoo from Norfolk (Christian) VA, who also had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.  Other double-digit scorers in the game were 6'3 Jabari Brown from Oakland (H.S.) CA and 6'3 Nick Johnson from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV with 16 points apiece; 6'8 La Quinton Ross from Burlington (Life Center) NJ with 14 points; 6'8 DeAndre Daniels from Bradenton (IMG Academy) FL with 13 points; 6'9 Jr DaJuan Coleman from DeWitt (Jamesville-DeWitt) NY, 6'7 LeBryan Nash from Dallas (Lincoln) TX, 6'6 Adonis Thomas from Memphis (Melrose) TN, and 6'3 Quddus Bello from High Point (Westchester Country Day) NC with 12 points apiece, and 6'8 Quincy Miller from High Point (Westchester Country Day) NC with 11 points.  Bello also won the Slam Dunk Championship, 6'3 Bradley Beal from St. Louis (Chaminade) MO won the Skills Competition, and 6'8 Johnny O'Bryant from Cleveland (Eastside) MS was the only other player in the game to garner more than five rebounds, as he finished with seven points and seven rebounds. 

Saturday, August 28, 2010

On a slow Saturday in late August our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin catches us up with what happened at the three events that he attended earlier this month.  The first was the Hoop Group Elite Camp at Albright College in Reading, PA on August 6th-8th.  This camp was for rising 9th and 10th Graders and 6'6 Soph Brandon Austin from Philadelphia (Imhotep Charter) PA was named the camp MVP and 6'4 Soph William Joyce from Newark (Eastside) NJ had 20 points and 12 rebounds in the all-star game and took home all-star game MVP honors.  Also noteworthy is the fact that in a day-and-age when everybody is looking for outstanding shooters the camp had two of them in 6'1 Soph Jaren Sina from Gladstone (Gill St. Bernard) NJ and 5'10 Soph Kalil Dukes from Hartford (Capital Prep) CT.  Rubin's list of the top players in camp based on performance includes 1) 6'6 Soph Brandon Austin from Philadelphia (Imhotep Charter) PA, 2) 6’5 Soph Dominique Reid from Philadelphia (Imhotep Charter) PA, 3) 6’1 Soph Jaren Sina from Gladstone (Gill S.t Bernards) NJ, 4) 6’4 Soph William Joyce from Newark (Eastside) NJ, 5) 6’3 Soph Elijah Brown from Lakewood (St Edwards) OH, 6) 6’4 Soph Johnny Davis from Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti) PA, 7) 6’4 Soph Davon Reed from Princeton (Day) NJ, 8) 5’10 Soph Kahlil Dukes from Hartford (Capitol Prep) CT, 9) 5’10 Soph Kavon Stewart from Jersey City (Hudson Catholic) NJ, 10) 6’1 Soph Markese McGuire from Elkhart (Memorial) IN, 11) 6’1 Frosh Jaquan Newton from Philadelphia (Neumann Goretti) PA, 12) 6’4 Frosh Basil Thompson from Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) PA, 13) 5’11 Soph Hallice Cooke from Jersey City (St Anthony) NJ, 14) 6’5 Soph Jahyde Gardner from Philadelphia (World Communication Charter) PA, 15) 6’1 Soph Tarik Diggs from Quicksburg (Stonewall Jackson) VA, 16) 5’10 Frosh Troy Harper from Philadelphia (Neumann Goretti) PA, 17) 5’11 Soph Jared Hall from Newark (Tech) NJ, 18) 5’10 Frosh Cheddi Mosley from Jersey City (St Anthony) NJ, 19) 5’9 Soph Hanif Sutton from Philadelphia (Neuman- Goretti) PA, and 20) 6’1 Soph Cornelius Tyson from Springfield (Central) MA.  The second was the War in the Woods at Competitive Edge Sports in King of Prussia, PA on August 14th-15 and 6'6 Andrew Nichols from Wrightsville (Eastern York) PA led the Jersey Shore Warriors to a 68-66 win over the Whitby Wildcats in the championship game of the 17-Under Division.  Rubin's list of the top players in the tournament based on performance includes 1) 6’6 Andrew Nicholas from Wrightsville (Eastern York) PA (Jersey Shore Warriors), 2) 6’2 Justin Edwards from Whitby (Anderson Collegiate) Canada (Whitby Wildcats), 3) 6’7 Jr Jameel Warney from Roselle (Catholic) NJ (New Jersey Hot Shots 16), 4) 6’5 Jr Dyshawn Pierre from Whitby (Anderson Collegiate) Canada (Whitby Wildcats), 5) 6’3 Soph Stephen Vasturia from Philadelphia (St Joseph's Prep) PA (Jersey Shore Warriors), 6) 6’0” Austin Tillotson from Wrightsville (Eastern York) PA (Jersey Shore Warriors), 7) 6’0 Whis Grant from Oakdale (St Thomas More) CT (Keystone Blazers 17), 8) 5’10 Nick Coppolla from Midlothian (Cosby) VA (Richmond Metro), 9) 6’2 Jr Yusef Savage from Phila (Northeast) PA (Eastern Berks Movement), 10) 6’5 Chris Santo from Cherry Hill (East) NJ (Jersey Shore Warriors), 11) 6’1 Garron Dumas from Raytown (H.S,) MO (Big Shot), 12) 5’11 Devonte Carey from Medford (Tech) NJ (New Jersey Arsenal), 13) 6’1 Frosh Jaquan Newton from Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti) PA (Hockessin Cougars), 14) 5’11 Jr J.W. Lawson from New Castle (Pencader Charter) DE (Team PAL Panthers 15), 15) 6’4 Jr Billy Dooley from Philadelphia (Chestnut Hill Academy) PA (Jersey Shore Warriors 16), 16) 6’5 Louis Briddter from Stamford (H.S.) CT (Samford Boys Club), 17) 6’3 Ron Curry from Haddonfield (Paul VI) NJ (Jersey Shore Warriors 16), 18) 6’4” Danny Turkvan from Stamford (H.S.) CT (Stamford Boys Club), 19) 6’3 Gio Atkins from Philadelphia (Rise Academy) PA (James Fox), 20) 6'6 Matt McMullen from Lincroft (Christian Brothers) NJ (Jersey Shore Warriors), 21) 6'6 Soph Tori Miller from  Lee Summit (North) MO (Big Shot), 22) 6'7 Greg Lawson from Medford (Tech) NJ (New Jersey Arsenal), 23) 6'4 Jr Greg Dodson from  Ft. Washington (Germantown Academy) PA (Sam Rines), 24) 6'8 Robert Mashi from Newtown (H.S.) CT (V.B.C.), and 6'5 Soph Dan Downs from Birdsboro (Daniel Boone) PA (Eastern Berks Movement).  The third was the KO Elite Camp at the Competitive Edge Sports in King of Prussia, PA on August 21st-22nd.  It attracted 110 players and the three guys who rose to the top were 6'4 Soph John Davis from Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti) PA, who was the 2012-2013 All-Star Game MVP; 6'5 Frosh Tony Toplyn from Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti) PA, who was the 2014-2015 All-Star Game MVP; and 4'9 7th Grader Verland Waayns from Jenkintown (Abington Friends) PA, who was the 2016 All-Star Game MVP.  Three other players that caught Rubin's eye were 6’8 8th Grader Trevaughn Wilkerson from Burlington (Life Center) NJ, 6’8 8th Grader Horace Spencer from Lansdale (Penndale Middle) PA, and 6’6 Soph Brandon Austin from Philadelphia (Imhotep Charter) PA.  "Austin can play the one, two, and three," says Rubin."  He has great vision, is a very good passer, gets to the rim, and shoots well from mid-range and beyond the 3-point line.  Spencer is a defensive intimidator.  He blocks and alters shots, rebounds, and scores from 10-feet and in.  Wilkerson is more advanced offensively.  He has good footwork and low post moves, is a good rebounder, and can step out to 18-feet.  Rubin also like some other players at this camp and his list includes 6’4 Jr Greg Dotson from Ft Washington (Germantown Academy) PA, 6’7 Jr Shakore Grant from Newark (H.S.) DE, 6’6 Soph Dom Reid from Trenton (Catholic) NJ, 6’4 Soph Raquan Johnson from Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) PA, 5’8 Soph Hanif Sutton from Philadelphia (Neumann Goretti) PA, 6’4 Soph Jabriel Chandler from Egg Harbor Township (Atlantic Christian) NJ, 5’10 Soph Zafir Copeland from Upper Darby (H.S.) PA, 6’4 Soph Jahyide Gardiner from Philadelphia (Friere Charter) PA, 5'10 Soph Britton Lee from Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) PA, 5’11 Frosh Troy Harper from Philadelphia (Neumann Goretti) PA, 5’6 Frosh Rip Engel from Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) PA, 5’9 8th Grader Maalik Ellison from Voorhees (Middle) NJ, 5’9 8th Grader Sam Foreman from Haverford (School) PA, 5’9 8th Grader Lamar Kimble from Burlington (Life Center) NJ, and 6’0 8th Grader Devin Liggons from Philadelphia (John Story Jenks) PA.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Our West Coast Editor Alan Utter finally has the scoop what 6'8 DeAndre Daniels from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA is going to do this fall.  If you will recall, the inquiry sign has been up for several weeks as there has been all kinds of speculation whether Daniels might return to his current high school and sit out a year, go the prep school route, or reclassify back into the Class of 2010 and enroll at a Division I college or university this fall.  However, Daniels told Utter yesterday that he plans to enroll at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, where he will continue to improve his skills and also concentrate on picking another college.  Obviously this is huge, because we're talking about a big time athlete with the skills necessary to play either forward spot and the talent necessary to be our #1-ranked 5th Year Player in the Class of 2011.  Daniels also is the equivalent of a top 25-ranked high school senior nationally and, as a result, it's easy to see why schools like Kentucky, UCLA, USC, Kansas, St. John's, Memphis, and Tennessee have all gotten into the race after he recently reneged on the early verbal commitment that he made over a year ago to the University of Texas.  Daniels will visit both UCLA and USC this weekend.  But the smart money is on the University of Kentucky, which has the #1-ranked recruiting class on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011 with 6'8 Michael Gilchrist from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, 6'9 Anthony Davis from Chicago (Perspectives Christian) IL, and 6'2 Marquis Teague from Indianapolis (Pike) IN already in the fold.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that the Wildcats are believed to be among the favorites for 6'8 Quincy Miller from High Point (Westchester Country Day) NC, 6'7 Chane Behanan from Bowling Green (H.S.) KY, and 6'3 Tony Wroten from Seattle (Garfield) WA and also are in the hunt for players like 6'3 Trevor Lacey from Huntsville (Butler) AL, 6'7 LaBryan Nash from Dallas (Lincoln) TX, and 6'9 Kyle Wiltjer from Portland (Jesuit) OR.  In other words, it's beginning to look more and more like we knew what we were talking about when we told you over a year ago that Kentucky's next two recruiting classes would likely turn out to be better than the one two years ago when they landed 6'10 DeMarcus Cousins from Mobile (LeFlore) AL, 6'3 John Wall from Raleigh (Word of God) NC, 6'10 Daniel Orton from Oklahoma City (Bishop McGuiness) OK, 6'7 Darnell Dodson from Miami-Dade (JC) FL, 6'0  Eric Bledsoe from Birmingham (Parker) AL, and 6'7 Jonathan Hood from Madisonville (North Hopkins) KY.  And, as it turns out, Kentucky's recruiting class from a year ago with 6'3 Brandon Knight from Ft. Lauderdale (Pine Crest) FL, 6'10 Enes Kanter from  from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA; 6'9 Terrence Jones from Portland (Jefferson) OR, 6'5 Doron Lamb from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'11 Eloy Vargas from Miami-Dade (JC) FL, 6'5 Stacey Poole from Jacksonville (Providence School) FL, and 6'2 Jarrod Polson from Nicholasville (West Jessamine) KY was the best recruiting class that we've seen in the last 21 years.  And, if Wildcats head coach John Calipari and his staff can add any three of the aforementioned players to the class that already includes Gilchrist, Davis, and Teague, then this year's class would easily eclipse last year's recruiting class.  We also will be interested to see if the University of Louisville can beat the Wildcats in their head-to-head recruiting battles for 6'8 Quincy Miller from High Point (Westchester Country Day) NC and 6'7 Chane Behanan from Bowling Green (H.S.) KY.  This past summer we thought West Virginia and Louisville were the two schools you had to beat for Behanan, who is a tough hardnosed blue collar athlete and a force to be reckoned with around the basket.  However, now it looks like the Wildcats may be the team to beat.  Miller, who is ranked #7 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and has incredible athleticism and versatility for somebody his size, also appears to be favoring Kentucky.  But he also has expressed a desire to attend college with 6'3 Quddis "Deuce" Bello from High Point (Westchester Country Day) NC, who has teamed with Miller in the past on the D-One Sports club team and will be his high school teammate this coming season.  As things stand right now, Kentucky is not even on the list and Louisville appears to be the leader over Baylor, Maryland, Florida State, and Oklahoma State for Bello's services.  If the Cardinals add Miller, Behanan, and Bello to a recruiting class that already includes the likes of 6'5 Wayne Blackshear from Chicago (Morgan Park) IL, 6'10 James "Zac" Price from Lakewood (St. Edwards) OH, and 6'5 Ryan Taylor from Indianapolis (Lawrence North) IN, then we'd be talking about the #2 ranked recruiting class on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011.  On the other hand,.....   Moral to the story, it's crunch time on the recruiting trail for Rick Pitino, if he wants to keep up with Calipari and keep the Cardinals near the top of the heap year-in-and-year-out in college basketball.  Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin tells us that 6'9 Steve Zack from Lewisberry (Redland) PA has verbally committed to La Salle.  And he thinks this is a good catch for the Explorers for several reasons.  First, Zack is a good low post player and rebounder who is one of those guys who still likes to play in the low post.  Second, he will join 6'10 Soph Aaric Murray and 6'10 Matt Lopez and provide La Salle head coach John Giannini with valuable depth inside.  Third, Zack is a local kid and in recent years the Explorers have gotten more than their fair share of good local players who have decided to stay home.  Our Tennessee Editor Andre Whitehead also checks in with four verbal commitments to Lipscomb by 6'6 Marvin Williams from Memphis (White Station) TN, 5'10 Zavion Williams from Clarksville (West Creek) TN, 6'5 Martin Smith from Clarksville (Academy) TN, and 6'5 Malcolm Smith from Clarksville (Academy) TN.  We also have confirmed that Providence has gotten an early verbal commitment 6'5 Jr Joshua Fortune from Hampton (Kecougton) VA and 6'6 Malick Kone from Dyke (Blue Ridge School) VA has picked Rutgers.  

Thursday, August 26, 2010

The next big event on my agenda is John Lucas' Midwest Invitational, which will held right in my backyard at the Hoops basketball facility in Louisville, KY on October 2nd and 3rd.  Lucas is best known as a three time college All-American in the mid-70's at the University of Maryland and as a professional basketball player for 14 years in the NBA.  However, Lucas also has overcome more than his share of adversity along the way as he has gone from having dependencies on drugs and alcohol during this playing days to founding in 1990 John Lucas Resources, which is a network of drug treatment programs aimed specifically at athletes.  Lucas has been the head coach of three NBA teams and is recognized as an authority in skill instruction.  This past year Lucas was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers and in recent years has spent a great deal of time training some of the top college and professional basketball players during the spring, summer, and fall.  And now it looks like he's found another way to impact the game with the teaching and skill development that is clearly lacking in this day-and-age with his Camp Right Way in the winter, the Middle School Elite Combine in the spring, and the Southwest Invitational in the summer.  He also looking to expand to several other venues around the nation and perhaps Canada during the next year.  And who better to help Lucas run these events than Brian Merritt, whose résumé' includes working as the Director of Basketball Operations at the University of Louisville for three years under the tutorage of Rick Pitino, an assistant coach for a year at Hampton University, and an assistant coach at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for the last three years?  But what really makes Merritt so valuable are his vast array of contacts at the grassroots basketball level and the fact he's paid his dues in recent years working at places like the adidas Junior Phenom Camp and the Junior All-American Camp.  So, with Lucas' incredible reputation and Merritt's energy, enthusiasm, and unbelievable contacts, it's easy to see why the Midwest Invitational has a chance to be one of the premier events of the entire year.  There will be a total of 120 players in attendance with 30 players each from the Class of 2012, Class of 2013, Class of 2014, and Class of 2015.  The format also will include a minimum of two hours a day of stations and skill work and five or six games a days with an emphasis on team play and playing hard.  Merritt also tells us that the coaching staff will include an impressive list of former college and NBA players.  And, just as an added bonus, wouldn't it be neat if Merritt could convince a couple of legendary college coaches like Denny Crum, who guided the University of Louisville to NCAA Championships in 1980 and 1986 and NCAA Final Four appearances in 1972, 1975, 1982, and 1983, and Joe Hall, who guided the University of Kentucky to the NCAA Championship in 1978 and NCAA Final Four appearances in 1975 and 1984, to come out of retirement and coach against each other one more time?  Merritt also assures us that he will have more than his share of big time players that are being recruited by both Kentucky and Louisville, which means that you can also bet that there will be some big crowds on hand.  I'll also be there and, just like we always do, we'll provide you with player rankings and analysis that you won't be able to find anywhere else.  So stay tuned and also remember where you first heard about the Midwest Invitational.

Saturday, August 21, 2010, Sunday, August 22, 2010, Monday, August 23, 2010, Tuesday, August 24, 2010, & Wednesday, August 25, 2010

As many of you are already well aware, our web site has been down for the last several days due to the fact that the server that hosts our web site crashed.   And this isn't the first time we've experienced problems like this within the last several months.  Obviously this is unacceptable and, as a result, I have already taken steps to take our web site out of the hands of a company that has hosted it for well over a decade.  We also are switching from a shared hosting to a managed hosting environment, which means we should get much better service if something unforeseen happens in the future (we previously had a company that over the years has gone from providing great 24-hour tech support to having a lackadaisical attitude and keeping banker hours).  It also looks like a lot of our area editors and correspondents have been asleep at the switch lately as only now am I finding out that late last week 6'5 Nick Johnson from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV picked the University of Arizona over schools like Arizona State, Kansas, and Louisville and 6'0 Jahii Carson from Mesa (H.S.) AZ elected to stay home and attend Arizona State.  There is no doubt that both of these commitments are big, as Carson is ranked #24 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and Johnson is ranked #47 on the same list.  And Johnson is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Wildcats, because he's strong, versatile, and athletic, can beat you in a variety of ways, and is versatile enough to play multiple positions.  However, we like him best at the 2-guard spot, because he does not have a pure point guard mentality, is an excellent 3-point shooter, and has the explosiveness necessary to be very good at taking his man off the dribble.  Johnson also should provide the perfect complement to 6'8 Sidiki Johnson from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA in a recruiting class that is now ranked #20 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011.  Carson is the jet-quick point guard that Sun Devils head coach Herb Sendek was looking for to complement 6'4 Soph Trent Lockett and 6'5 Frosh Keala King in what promises to be one of the most athletic teams in the nation at the one, two, and three spots a year from now.  We also are only now finding out about the verbal commitments that 6'0 Trey Norris from Grand Prairie (South Grand Prairie) TX made to North Texas and 6'1 Trey Burke from Columbus (Northland) OH made to the University of Michigan.  Burke is a pure point guard who is ranked #145 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  However, even more important, Burke is a team player and he knows what it take to win after teaming with 6'8 Jared Sullinger and 6'6 J.D. Weatherspoon on one of the top high school teams in the nation and finished with a 23-1 record a year ago.  And we hope this time Burke, who is expected walk-in and provide valuable depth behind 6'4 Soph Darius Morris at the point guard spot, has it right.  If you will recall, Burke made an early verbal commitment to Penn State almost a year ago, re-opened his recruitment last spring, and more recently appeared to be favoring the University of Cincinnati.  Norris is not ranked among our top 200 seniors nationally, but he probably should after he did an excellent job of running the show this past summer for Dallas Showtyme Elite.  The commitment by Norris also comes right on the heels of the commitment by 6'6 Jordan Williams from The Colony (H.S.) TX, who is ranked #71 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, to the Mean Green a couple of weeks ago.  These two additions move North Texas's recruiting class into a tie at #30, along with West Virginia, Northwestern, Alabama, UNLV, and Michigan, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011.  And the best may be yet come, as there also is a lot of talk about the Mean Green being a viable option for both 6'5 Jalen Jones from Arlington (Mansfield Timberview) TX and 6'7 Jarion Henry from Dallas (Kimball) TX.  It also looks like our Texas Editor Tim Miller forgot to tell us that his own son - 6'0 K.C. Ross-Miller, who was ruled ineligible by the Southeastern Conference to enroll at LSU and has ended up Florida International, where he will sit out and year and then play for Isiah Thomas.  Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin does appear to be on the ball, as he was on top of the verbal commitment that 6'10 Malcolm Gilbert from Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA made  a couple of days ago to the University of Pittsburgh.  Gilbert does not score a lot of points and he needs to improve his offensive repertoire.  However, he's still ranked #10 on our List of the Top 5th Year Players and is one of my favorite players due to the fact that he rebounds and blocks shots and is tall and very athletic for his size.  Gilbert also will give Panthers head coach Jamie Dixon a little bit of everything in a recruiting class that is now ranked #8 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011 and also includes 6'7 Durand Johnson from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'1 John Johnson from Philadelphia (Girard College) PA, and 6'7 Jaylen Bond from Plymouth Meeting (Plymouth Whitemarsh) PA.  Rubin also tells us that 6'3 Mark Medley from Wilmington (Tatnall School) DE has picked Rider.  What he does best is shoot the basketball and play smart," says Rubin.  "And on his best days, he's good enough to be pushing the top 300 nationally, which makes him a good catch for the Broncos."  The same also can be said about 6'6 Shawn Valentine from Winslow Township (H.S.) NJ and 6'0 Eddie Mitchell from Springfield (La Salle) PA, who also are apart of Rider's current recruiting that is tied at #27, along with Northern Iowa and Butler, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011.  Our North Carolina Editor Rick Lewis also was ahead of the curve with regards to the verbal commitment that 6'8 Bernard Sullivan from Davidson (Davidson Day School) NC made over the weekend to Clemson.  And this an important catch for the Tigers for several of reasons.  First, Sullivan is an athletic power forward with big time talent and a #99 nationally ranking by the HOOP SCOOP.  Second, he's a North Carolina kid and the Tar Heel State promises to be a fertile recruiting ground in the future for the new regime.  Third, the Tigers are in need of front-line help and Sullivan is good enough to step in immediately and battle 6'8 Soph Devin Booker, 6'9 Soph Milton Jennings, and 6'6 Soph Noel Johnson for playing time at both forward spots.  We also have confirmed that 6'5 Jr Archie Goodwin form Sherwood (Sylvan Hills) AR has made an early verbal commitment to the University of Kansas and 6'4 Jr Michael Frazier from Tampa (Plant) FL has made an early verbal commitment to the University of Florida.  Our Florida Editor Rick Staudt reminds us that Frazier is a big time athlete with deep shooting range and that he has played well on some big stages this spring and summer.  Goodwin is ranked #77 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP and he has the athleticism and ability to put up prolific numbers necessary to evolve into one of the top high school players nationally in the Class of 2012.  It also looks like the University of Virginia has landed 6'5 Malcolm Brogdon from Norcross (Greater Atlantic Christian) GA and the new coaching staff at Auburn has more than compensated for the fact that 6'9 Luke Cothron from Red Springs (Flora MacDonald Academy) NC has failed to qualify academically with a pair of verbal commitments from 6'10 Willy Kouassi from Birmingham (Central Park Christian) AL and 6'8 Bernard Morena from Birmingham (Central Park Christian) AL.  Other verbal commitments that we've recently run across include 6'3 A.J. Mathews from Ann Arbor (Huron) MI to the University of Toledo, 6'6 Karam Mashour from Las Vegas (Impact Basketball Academy) NV to UNLV, 6'9 Kameron Woods from Louisville (Eastern) KY to Butler, 6'0 Jacoby Davis from Charlotte (West Charlotte) NC to North Florida, 6'6 Paul Gombwer from Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD to Colgate, 6'7 Tre Hale-Edmerson from Sheridan (H.S.) OR to Seattle, and 6'4 DeAndre Barnette from Jackson (Liberty Tech) TN to Northern Illinois. 

Friday, August 20, 2010

Donnie Wilkie, who is the Vice President and the guy in charge of inviting the teams for the State Farm City of Palms Classic, has made our job easy on a slow lazy Friday in the middle of August with an email previewing this year's tournament, which will be held on December 17th-22nd.  The 16-team field will include 10 defending state champions and there will be a total of 16 players on hand who should be locks for the McDonald's All-American Game in the spring of their senior year in high school.  We start with the list of teams which includes Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV, which is fresh off its second consecutive Nevada Class 4A State Championship; Alpharetta (Milton) GA, which won the Georgia Class 5A Championship; Memphis (Melrose) TN, which won the Tennessee Class 3A Championship; Middle Village (Christ the King) NY, which won the C.H.S.A.A. (Catholic High School Athletic Association) city title and the New York Federation Class 2A State Championship; Winter Park (H.S.) FL, which won the Florida Class 6A State Championship; Reserve (Riverside Academy) LA, which won the Louisiana Class 2A State Championship; Arden (The Christ School) NC, which won the North Carolina Class 3A Private School State Championship; Ft. Myers (H.S.) FL, which became the first boys' state champion from Southwest Florida in any classification when it claimed the Florida Class 4A Championship; Orlando (Christian Prep) FL, which won the Florida Class 1A Championship; Norfolk (Christian) VA, which won the Virginia Independent Schools Division I Championship; Elizabeth (St Patrick) NJ, which finished ranked #6 in the nation in the final USA Today Super 25 poll; Chicago (Whitney Young) IL, which was the Illinois Class 4A State Runner-up; Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, which was a California State Division I Semi-Finalist; Miami (Dr, Krop) FL, which was a Florida Class 6A Semi-Finalist Palm Beach Gardens (Dwyer) FL, which was a Florida Class 5A Semi-Finalist; North Port (H.S.) FL, which was one of the best young teams in the state a year ago with 21-4 record.  And, if that weren't enough, Wilkie also has Southborough (St. Mark's) MA, Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA, High Point (Westchester Country Day) NC, and Ulm Urspringschule) Germany scheduled to play in the Signature Series, which is a four-team mini-tournament that while be held on December 20th and December 22nd, and Ft Myers (Bishop Verot) FL versus Thomasville (H.S.) GA in a Sunshine Series Game on December 17th.  The 16 players that we think will be locks for the McDonald's All-American Game includes four of our top seven-ranked seniors in 6'8 Michael Gilchrist from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, 6'4 Austin Rivers from Winter Park (H.S.) FL, 6'8 James McAdoo from Norfolk (Christian) VA, and 6'8 Quincy Miller from High Point (Westchester Country Day) NC; two more players who ranked in the 11-15 range in 6'6 Adonis Thomas from Memphis (Melrose) TN and 6'10 Rakeem Christmas from Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA; our #1-ranked junior in 6'5 Jr Shabazz Muhammad from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV; another top five-ranked junior in 6'6 Jr Xavier Johnson from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA; six more players who belong in the 10-20 range nationally in 6'6 Jr Savon Goodman from Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA, 6'8 Jr Alex Murphy from Southborough (St. Mark's) MA, 6'6 Jr Ricardo Gathers from Reserve (Riverside Academy) LA, 6'4 Jr Omar Calhoun from Middle Village (Christ the King) NY, 6'11 Jr Kalen Tarczewski from Southborough (St. Mark's) MA, and 6'8 Jr Rosco Allen from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV; a guy who is potentially the next great big man to come out of the Windy City in 6'8 Soph Thomas Hamilton from Chicago (Whitney Young) IL, and a young sharpshooter with Reggie Miller written all over him in 6'5 Frosh Shaqquan Aaron from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA.  From there the list of big time players who are expected to participate in this year's State Farm City of Palms Classic is almost endless as it includes the likes of 6'4 Quiddus Bello from High Point (Westchester Country Day) NC, 6'2 Dai-Jon Parker from Alpharetta (Milton) GA, 6'2 Shannon Scott from Alpharetta (Milton) GA, 6'8 Julian Royal from Alpharetta (Milton) GA, 6'6 Sam Thompson from Chicago (Whitney Young) IL, 6'11 Malcolm Gilbert from Byrn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA, 6'11 Marshall Plumlee from Arden (The Christ School) NC, 6'3 Derrick Gordon from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, 6'2 Cedrick McAfee from  Memphis (Melrose) TN 6'0 Angel Rodriguez from Miami (Dr. Krop) FL, 6'7 Kasey Wilson from North Port (H.S.) FL, 6'4 Jacoby Brissett from Palm Beach Gardens (Dwyer) FL, 6'3 Malik Muller from Ulm (Urspringschule) Germany, 6'5 Kevin Bright from Ulm (Urspringschule) Germany, 6'1 Corey Edwards from Middle Village (Christ the King) NY, 6'4 Telvin Wilkerson from Memphis (Melrose) TN, 6'2 Brett Comer from Winter Park (H.S.) FL, 6'8 Jr Evan Nolte from Alpharetta (Milton) GA, 6'3 Jr Louis Dabney from Reserve (Riverside Academy) LA,6'8 Jr Willie Clayton from Thomasville (H.S.) GA, 6'1 Jr DeShawn Suber from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, 6'8 Jr Robert Carter from Thomasville (H.S.) GA, 6'2 Jr Eli Stalzer from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 6'4 Jr Shaquille Johnson from Alpharetta (Milton) GA, 6'6 Jr Nik Stauskas from Southborough (St. Mark's) MA, 6'8 Jr Ben Carter from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV, 6'8 Jr Jermaine Morgan from Chicago (Whitney Young) IL, 6'7 Jr Ronnie Stanley from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV, 6'8 Soph Thomas Hamilton from Chicago (Whitney Young) IL, 6'9 Soph Austin Colbert from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, 6'1 Soph Jordan Strawberry from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, and 6'6 Soph Jason Boswell from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ,

Thursday, August 19, 2010

After last year's rain-out debacle, the Boost Mobile Elite 24 All-Star Game has been moved from New York City's Rucker Park to Venice Beach, CA.  The game will be held at 7:30 PM and televised live on EPSNU on Saturday, August 28th.  There also will be a slam dunk contest at 8:00 PM on Friday, August 27th.  The Raymond Lewis Squad (Gold) will feature 6'3 Bradley Beal from St. Louis (Chaminade) MO, 6'3 Quddus Bello from High Point (Westchester Country Day) NC, 6'6 Kentavious Caldwell from Greenville (H.S.) GA, 6'0 Jahii Carson from Mesa (H.S.) AZ, 6'10 Rakeem Christmas from Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA, 6'8 DeAndre Daniels from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA, 6'6 Michael Gbinije from Richmond (Benedictine) VA, 6'2 Myck Kabongo from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV, 6'8 Quincy Miller from High Point (Westchester Country Day) NC,  and 6'5 Jr Shabazz Muhammad from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV, 6'8 Johnny O'Bryant from Cleveland (Eastside) MS, and 6'9 Kyle Wiltjer from Portland (Jesuit) OR.  The Marques Johnson Squad (White) will feature 6'3 Jabari Brown from Oakland (H.S.) CA, 6'9 Jr DaJuan Coleman from DeWitt (Jamesville-DeWitt) NY, 6'0 Quinn Cook from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'6 Amir Garrett from  Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV, 6'3 Nick Johnson from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV, 6'8 James McAdoo from Norfolk (H.S.) VA, 6'8 Jr Alex Murphy from Southborough (St. Mark's) MA, 6'7 LeBryan Nash from Dallas (Lincoln) TX, 6'4 Austin Rivers from Winter Park (H.S.) FL, 6'8 La Quinton Ross from Burlington (Life Center) NJ, 6'2 Shannon Scott from Alpharetta (Milton) GA, and 6'6 Adonis Thomas from Memphis (Melrose) TN.  Not only does this year's game totally lack a presence from the New York Metropolitan area, but it also doesn't have quite the star power that it has had in the past as the aforementioned list includes only two of our top five-ranked seniors (Rivers and McAdoo), three players in the 6-10 range (Kabongo, Miller, and Beal), four players in the 11-20 range (Thomas, Christmas, Garrett, and Nash), three players in the 21-30 range (Cook, Carson, and Gbinije), playrers seniors in the 31-40 range (Ross, O'Bryant, Bell, and Wiltjer) and four players in the 41-50 range (Caldwell, Brown, Johnson, and Scott).  The game does feature three of our top 10-ranked juniors (Muhammad, Coleman, and Murphy and our #1-ranked 5th Year Player (Daniels).  Speaking of Daniels, it looks like the inquiry sign is up with regards to exactly where 6'8 DeAndre Daniels from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA will be next year.  If you will recall, we reported yesterday that Daniels planned to attend prep school at Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH.  However, Daniels is not on the Brewster Academy roster that Jason Smith emailed to us earlier this week and now Pat Stevens, who had Daniels listed at Brewster Academy on his 2010-2011 Top Prep School Players Preview List is correcting the record as well.  Our best source on this would be Dinos Trigonis, who is Daniels' club team coach and always seems to be wired into everything that is going on in the Southern California basketball scene.  Unfortunately Trigonis is out of the country and won't return until early next week.  Other attempts to reach Daniels and people close to him for an official comment also have been unsuccessful.  We do know that last weekend 6'8 Jakarr Sampson from Akron (St. Vincent-St. Mary's) OH, who is ranked #49 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, visited Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, NH.  So, with this in mind, be sure to stay tuned, as there are still a lot of things yet to be determined with regards to where a number of players will end up this fall in the prep school ranks. 

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Pat Stevens is one of the bright up-and-coming guys in our business and a couple of days ago he published on his web site, which can be found by clicking onto patstevensbasketball.com. his 2010-11 Top Prep School Players Preview List.  And this is a must for anybody who is interested in keeping track of the seemingly never end of stream of transfers and players going the prep school route.  Stevens also provides us with some interesting side notes that include Angel Nunez, Grandy Glaze, Markus Kennedy, Eugene McCrary, Dashaun Wiggins, Danny Lawhorn, Khem Birch, Ricardo Ledo, and Dominique Bell all transferring from one prep school to another for this upcoming season.  And transferring from prep school back to high school are Quincy Miller, Andre Henley, and Emmanuel Ochenje   Miller is a 6'8 combo forward who was is ranked #7 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is transferring from Winston-Salem (Quality Education Academy) NC to High Point (Westchester Country Day) NC.  Henley is a 6'6 wing forward who is ranked #170 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is transferring from Carbondale (Brehm Prep) IL to Chicago (De La Salle) IL.  Ochenje is a 6'9 power forward who is ranked #75 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is transferring from Carbondale (Brehm Prep) IL to Sacramento (Sheldon) CA.  It also looks like this could be Jason Smith's best team ever, as he has will go to war this winter at Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH with five of our top seven-ranked 5th Year Players.  This list includes #1-ranked 6'8 DeAndre Daniels, who last year was at Woodland Hills (Taft) CA; #2-ranked 5'11 Naadir Tharpe, who was the starting point guard a year ago at Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH; #3-ranked 6'7 Durand Johnson, who last year was at Baltimore (Lake Clifton) MD; #5-ranked 6'8 Markus Kennedy, who last year was at Winchendon (School) MA; and #7-ranked 6'4 Elijah Carter, who last year was at Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ.  And providing valuable depth will be 6'2 Ge-Lawn Guyn, who last year was at Georgetown (Scott County) KY and 6'5 Soph Deonte Burton, who last year was at Milwaukee (Vincent) WI.  We also find it interesting that Kevin Keats is loading up with regular high school players at Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA.  We're talking about 6'6 P.J. Hairston, who last year was at Greensboro (Dudley) NC; 6'7 C.J. Barksdale, who last year was at Danville (George Washington) VA; 6'5 Dezmine Wells, who last year was at Raleigh (Word of God) NC; and 5'11 Marquis Rankin, who last year was at Charlotte (Vance) NC.  They will join 6'3 Todd Mayo, who is the younger brother of O.J. Mayo and also has surfaced at Hargrave Military Academy after spending last year at Germantown (H.S.) TN.  Stevens also provides us with the scoop on all of the good younger players who will be at Tilton (School) NH.  The list includes 6'10 Soph Nerlens Noel, who last year was at Everett (H.S.) MA; 6'7 Soph Goodluck Okonoboh from West Newton, MA; 6'3 Soph Dominique Bull, who last year was at Ashburnham (Cushing Academy) MA; 6'7 Jr Georges Niang from Methuen, MA; 6'4 Frosh Wayne Selden from Roxbury, MA, and 6'8 Ryan Canty from Danvers, MA.  It's also clear that South Kent (Prep) CT will once again have a strong New York city presence with the likes of 6'7 Maurice Harkless, who last year was at Forest Hills (H.S.) NY; 6'8 Kadeem Jack, who last year was at New York (Rice) NY; 6'1 Devon McMillan, who last year was at Uniondale (H.S.) NY; 6'8 Derrick Randall, who last year was at Paterson (Catholic) NJ; and 6'4 Jr Ricardo Ledo, who last year was at Barrington (St. Andrews) RI.  There also is the list of transfers, which includes 6'9 Jr Khem Birch, who last year was at Winchendon (School) MA; 6'8 Angel Nunez, who last year was at Winchendon (School) MA; 6'7 Grandy Glaze, who last year was at Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME; and 6'4 Jeff Short, who last year was at Bronx (John F. Kennedy) NY, who will be at Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA.  And complementing 6'11 Jr Andre Drummond at Oakdale (St Thomas More) CT will be 6'6 Adam Jones, who last year was at Winter Park (H.S.) FL, and 6'7 Trashon Burrell, who is from Albany, NY.  Oak Ridge (Military) NC has 5'9 Chris Jones, who is transferring from Memphis (Melrose) TN; 6'7 Jacob Lawson from Greensboro, NC; and 6'5 Frosh Theo Pinson, who is one of the top freshmen in the nation.  The list of players at Northfield (Northfield-Mt. Hermon) MA includes 6'2 Aaron Cosby, who originally is from Louisville, KY; 6'11 Vince Van Nes, who originally is from London, England, 6'9 Jr Evan Cummins, who originally is from Westboro, MA, and 6'2 Joe Sharkey from last year was at Northfield (Northfield-Mt. Hermon) MA.  Stevens also confirms that 6'5 Michael Carter-Williams is still at Barrington (St. Andrews) RI, 6'8 Donnie Hale from New Albany (H.S.) IN has surfaced at North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME, and 6'2 Jr Clyde Smith and 6'1 Derrick Wilson will both be back at Lakeville (Hotchkiss School) CT.  It also looks like 6'8 Jr Alex Murphy, 6'11 Jr Kaleb Tarczewski, and 6'6 Jr Nik Stauskas will pave the way each of the next two years at Southborough (St. Mark's) MA and 6'8 Jamir Hanner from Philadelphia, PA, 6'8 Shaquille Thomas from Paterson, NJ, and 6'2 DeShaun Wiggins from the Bronx, NY via Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) MD should make Newark (Nia Prep) NJ a force to be reckoned with this winter.  The guy to watch at Somerset (Central Jersey Each One Teach One Academy) NJ is 6'8 Eugene McCrary from Riverdale, MD and Worcester (Academy) MA should be pretty good with the likes of 6'7 Tavon Allen from New Haven (Hillhouse) CT and 6'10 Pat Ackerman from Rutland, MA.  New Hampton (Prep) NH will feature 6'9 Jr Zach Auguste from Marlborough, MA and 6'1 Jordan Laguerre from Manchester, NH; 6'5 Khristian Smith, who originally is from Indianapolis (Pike) IN, will spend a year at Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME before he heads to the University of Cincinnati; 6'9 Keith Coleman from Philadelphia, PA is back at Lee (Academy) ME; and 6'1 Xavier Pollard is making the move from Suffield (Academy) CT to Winchendon (School) MA.  The list of players who will be at Beckley (Mountain State University Academy) WV includes 7'0 Jr Obij Aget from the Sudan, 6'6 Jr Anthony Bennett from Toronto, ON, 6'6 Ahmad Ibrahim from Lebanon, and 6'0 Ronald Ross from Indianapolis, IN.  Saltburg (Kiski School) PA has great size with 7'4 Jr Sim Bhullar from Toronto, ON and 7'2 Soph Tanveer Bhullar from Toronto, ON and Phoenix (Westwind Prep) AZ also has a pair of Canadian imports in 6'9 Jr Richard Peters from Toronto, ON and 6'10 Jr Keanu Post from Victoria, BC.  It also look likes 6'0 Danny Lawhorn, who last year was at South Kent (Prep) CT, has surfaced at Newark (The Robinson School) NJ; 6'3 Bruce Barron will run the show at Carbondale (Brehm Prep) IL; 6'10 Dennis Clifford from Bridgewater, MA will anchor the front line at Milton (Academy) MA; 6'10 Chris Coleman will be back at Humble (Christian Life) TX; 6'7 Jr Negus Webster-Chan from Scarborough, ON is the guy who have to watch at Huntington (Prep) WV; 6'1 Jerome Seagers from Bethesda, MD has taken his act to Red Springs (Flora MacDonald Academy) NC; 6'5 Dominique Porter  is expected to be the star at Winston-Salem (Quality Education Academy) NC; 6'1 Phillip Greene from Chicago, IL is at Bradenton (IMG Academy) FL, 6'8 Ryan Rhoomes now appears to be slated to attend Bay St. Louis (St. Stanislaus) MS, and 6'6 Roy Marshall from Milwaukee (Pulaski) WI and 6'9 Brandon Mobley from Savannah (Groves) GA both are expected to surface at Delafield (St. John's Northwest Military) WI. 

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Our New York City Editor Ron Naclerio has three noteworthy recruiting items to pass along.  The first involves 6'8 Kadeem Jack from South Kent (Prep) CT, who is ranked #6 on our List of  the Top 5th Year Players and has narrowed his list of schools to West Virginia, Arkansas, Miami-FL, and Rutgers.  Jack has already visited all four schools and is expected to make a decision in early September.  The second involves 6'6 Joel Wright from Thomasville (Brittain Academy) NC, who has signed a financial aid agreement with Duquesne University and plans to enroll into school this fall.  Wright lacks a true position, but this athletic combo forward was ranked #8 in our Final Ranking of the Top 5th Year Players for the Class of 2010, he's an excellent rebounder and is tough to stop around the basket, and brings that New York City toughness to the table.  The third involves 6'2 Davontay Grace from Brooklyn (Thomas Jefferson) NY, who has backed out of his verbal commitment to St. John's and now appears to be heading to Manhattan.  And we think this strong physical slashing 2-guard who is ranked #167 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP got right the second time around.  Grace doesn't have the speed and quickness necessary to defend the jet quick point guards that he would have had to match up against in the Big East.  However, at the mid-major level he will be one of the most talented players on the court and physically should be a match-up problem for smaller guards.  This also makes another scholarship available for new St. John's head coach Steve Lavin and his staff who are expected to have as many as 10 scholarships available in this year's recruiting class and are involved with a long list of players, which includes 6'7 Maurice Harkless from South Kent (Prep) CT, 5'9 Tavon Sledge from Dix Hills (Half Hollow Hills West) NY, 6'7 Tyler Harris from Dix Hills (Half Hollow Hills West) NY, 5'8 Myles Mack from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, 5'11 Naadir Tharpe from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'3 DeAngelo Harrison from Missouri City (Ft. Bend Bush) TX, 6'8 Jakarr Sampson from Akron (St. Vincent-St. Mary's) OH, 6'6 Amir Garrett from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV, 5'11 Jahii Carson from Mesa (H.S.) AZ, 6'8 DeAndre Daniels from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA, 6'3 Jabari Brown from Oakland (H.S.) CA, 6'2 Josiah Turner from Sacramento (H.S.) CA, 6'9 Norvel Pelle from Los Angeles (Price) CA, 6'9 Angelo Chol from San Diego (Hoover) CA, 5'11 Corey Edwards from Middle Village (Christ the King) NY, 6'9 Ryan Rhoomes from Memphis (Clarkview Academy Prep) TN.  In other words, it looks like first-year Red Storm assistant coach Tony Chiles is doing a great job of taking advantage of his strong New York City ties and Lavin and assistant coaches Mike Dunlap, and Rico Hines are doing likewise on the other side of the country and have the Johnnies involved with many of the top players on the West Coast.  We also have confirmed that the University of Delaware has gone South to land a pair of players - 6'7 Marvin King-Davis from Richmond (Meadowbrook) VA and 6'1 Jarvis Threatt from Highland Springs (H.S.) VA - who were teammates this past summer in the Virginia Assault club team program.  Threatt is a combo guard who plays good defense and can beat you with his deep shooting range and good mid-range jump shot.  King-Davis also has a well-rounded game, can score in a variety of ways, and does a good job of boxing out on the boards.  It also looks like Virginia Commonwealth is stocking up on 2-guards, as 6'4 Treveon Graham from Leonardtown (St. Mary's Ryken) MD joins 6'3 Briante Weber from Fork Union (Military) VA and 6'3 Pierra Henry from Charleston (South Charleston) WV in the Rams' current recruiting class.  Our North Carolina Editor Rick Lewis tells us that 6'9 Jackson Simmons from Sylva (Smokey Mountain) NC, who is ranked #194 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, has decided to walk-on at North Carolina, where he will have a chance to eventually earn a scholarship. 

Saturday, August 14, 2010, Sunday, August 15, 2010, & Monday, August 16, 20106

Our West Coast Editor Dinos Trigonis tells us that 6'8 DeAndre Daniels from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA has reneged on his verbal commitment to the University of Texas and, as a result, is now back on the recruiting board.  And this is big when one remembers Daniels is ranked #1 on our List of  the Top 5th Year Players, which was published last week in the Members Section.  However, before you start to feel too sorry for the Longhorns, it's important to remember that they still have 6'1 Myck Kabongo from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV, 6'5 Sheldon McClellan from Houston (Bellaire) TX, and 6'5 Julien Lewis from Galverton (La Marque) TX in the fold in a recruiting class that drops from #2 into a tie at #3, along with Syracuse, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011.   We also have confirmed via our Mississippi Editor Lavel Johnson that 6'8 LaQuinton Ross from Burlington (Life Center) NJ has picked Ohio State over schools like Syracuse, West Virginia, Rutgers, Baylor, and Mississippi State.  And this too is big because Ross has incredible natural talent and is a great 3-point shooter, which makes him ideally suited to step in year after next and complement 6'8 Jared Sullinger from Columbus (Northland) OH, 6'8 DeShaun Thomas from Ft. Wayne (Bishop Luers) IN, and 6'4 Jordan Sibert from Cincinnati (Princeton) OH, who were the three marquee players in last year's recruiting class, and 6'2 Shannon Scott from Alpharetta (Milton) GA, who is already apart of the Buckeyes' current recruiting class.  In other words, it looks like Ohio State head coach Thad Matta and his staff have a quality player at every position when you combine last year's and this year's recruiting classes.  But one still has to wonder whether Sullinger will stick around for a couple of years or whether he follow in the footsteps of Greg Oden, Kosta Koufos, and B.J. Mullens and be a one and done kind of guy.  It also looks like the University of Pittsburgh has stolen one in 6'7 Durand Johnson from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH.  Yes, that's the same guy who is ranked #4 on our List of  the Top 5th Year Players and was one of the top players that our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin saw at all of the events that he covered in July.  If you will recall, Rubin ranked Johnson as the #1 player at the Hoop Group's Summer Classic in Neptune, NJ and the #2 player at both the West Virginia Jam Fest in Morgantown, WV and the Big Shots Showcase in King of Prussia, PA.  Rubin describes Johnson as "a terrific shooter who makes big shots, puts it on the floor and gets to the basket with ease, and rebounds well for his position."  Rubin also makes note of the fact that this obviously was a case of new Panthers' assistant coach Pat Skerry's strong prep school ties in New England coming into play.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that Skerry also was the one primarily responsible for landing Johnson's teammate - 5'11 Naadir Tharpe from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, who is ranked #2 on our List of  the Top 5th Year Players - when he held a similar position at Providence College.  However, that commitment fell apart when Skerry moved from Providence to Pittsburgh a couple of months ago and out of respect to Skerry's former boss the Panthers have decided not to recruit Tharpe.  Rubin also is reporting that Monmouth has received verbal commitments from 6'0 Austin Tillotson from Wrightsville (Eastern York) PA and 6'6 Andrew Nichols from Wrightsville (Eastern York) PA.  Nichols is an excellent 3-point shooter and this wiry wing forward who is ranked #8 in the senior class in the area by Rubin originally verbal committed to Rutgers, but then changed him mind last spring after the coaching change.  Tillotson is a point guard who knows how to run the show, make shots, and defend.   Another player who could have gone to a school at a higher level, but apparently decided he wanted to be a big fish in a smaller pond is 6'6 Jordan Williams from The Colony (H.S.) TX, who earlier today elected to stay home and attend North Texas.  Williams is ranked #71 nationally in the senior class and he has excellent athleticism and is a lights out 3-point shooter.  Antonio Curro, who runs NY2LA Sports, tells us that late last week 5'10 Charles Lee from Milwaukee (Hamilton) WI made a verbal commitment to Cleveland State.  Lee is ranked #181 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and he's got the speed and quickness, ability to make the outside shot, and the ball handling and passing skills necessary to step right in and make an immediate impact a year from now for the Vikings.  We also have confirmed 6'9 Jr Matt Costello from Bay City (Western) MI, who is ranked #100 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, has made an early verbal commitment to Michigan State.  That's their fifth verbal commitment this month, as the Spartans also recently landed 6'6 Branden Dawson from Gary (Lew Wallace) IN, 5'11 Travis Trice from Huber Heights (Wayne) IN, 6'5 Jr Denzel Valentine from Lansing (Sexton) MI, and 6'8 Jr Kenny Kaminski from Medina (H.S.) OH.  It also looks like 6'7 Timmy Knipp from Sandy Hook (H.S.) KY has become Eastern Kentucky's third addition in the last 10 days and 6'9 Jalen Reynolds from Livonia (Stevenson) MI has picked Xavier.  Currently we have Reynolds ranked #507 nationally in the senior class.  However, that's clearly too low, as we're talking about a skilled power forward who is aggressive on the boards and very much on the rise.   There also is the early verbal commitment that 6'3 Jr Ron Patterson from Indianapolis (Broad Ripple) IN, who is ranked #77 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, made over the weekend to Indiana University.  Patterson joins 7'0 Jr Peter Jurkin from Charlotte (United Faith Christian) NC, who also recently picked the Hoosiers, and, as a result, Indiana now has a recruiting class that is ranked #6 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2012.   However, even more important, this gets the ball rolling as Tom Crean and his staff attempt to get more than their fair share of the top young player in the state to stay home.  It's also been reported within the last few days that 6'6 Jonah Travis from Minneapolis (De Salle) MN picked Harvard, 6'2 Joel Lindberg from Superior (H.S.) WI picked North Dakota State, 6'2 Shaquille Hunter from Villa Park (H.S.) CA picked Long Beach State, 6'6 Dante Williams from Ann Arbor (Huron) MO picked Oakland, and 5'9 Ricky Johnson from Akron (St. Vincent-St. Mary's) OH picked Lehigh.  That last one is especially significant, because Johnson is currently ranked #261 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP. 

Friday, August 13, 2010

When was the last time a school landed three of the top five-ranked players nationally by the HOOP SCOOP in the same recruiting class?  This is important because 6'9 Anthony Davis from Chicago (Perspectives Christian) IL has made a verbal commitment to the University of Kentucky and, as a result, joins 6'8 Michael Gilchrist from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, who is the consensus #1-ranked senior nationally, and 6'2 Marquis Teague from Indianapolis (Pike) IN, who is ranked #4 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, in a recruiting class that is now ranked #1 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011.  And that comes on the heels of Kentucky's recruiting class last spring, which included 6'3 Brandon Knight from Ft. Lauderdale (Pine Crest) FL, 6'10 Enes Kanter from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA, 6'9 Terrence Jones from Portland (Jefferson) OR, 6'5 Doron Lamb from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'11 Eloy Vargas from Miami-Dade (JC) FL, 6'5 Stacey Poole from Jacksonville (Providence School) FL and 6'2 Jarrod Polson from Nicholasville (West Jessamine) KY.   Not only was that recruiting class ranked #1 in our Final Ranking of the Top Recruiting Classes for the Class of 2010, but it also was the highest ranked recruiting class in the last 21 years.  Getting back to Davis, we're talking about a guy who has grown eight inches during the last two years and is in the process of transforming himself from a perimeter player into the a shot blocking/rebounding/intimidating presence inside.  He also runs the court like a guard, has a great motor and incredible endurance, agility, and coordination, and has as much upside and potential as anybody in the class.  And Davis is pretty good right now, as is evident by the fact that he finished ranked #1 in our ranking of the top players at the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp, #3 in our ranking of the top players at the LeBron James King City Classic, and #3 in our ranking of the top players at the NIKE Peach Jam.  Davis is not better right now than 6'8 Michael Gilchrist from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ.  But we think Davis will evolve into a better player down and, as a result, we have Gilchrist and Davis tied as the #1-ranked player in the nation in our Ranking of the Top 200 Players Nationally in the Class of 2011 (Rising Seniors), which was published last week exclusively in the Members Section.  Davis picked the Wildcats over schools like Syracuse, Ohio State, and DePaul.  And even more incredible is that Wildcats were able to get this done so quickly, especially in light of the fact that the Chicago Sun-Times recently has run stories that claim that somebody close to the Kentucky program had agreed to pay $200,000 to secure Davis' commitment.  The University of Kentucky and the Davis family have denied the allegations and the Chicago Sun-Times has yet produce a credible source who is willing to go on the record and substantiate what is obviously a very damaging charge.  On the other hand, it looks like Wildcats head coach John Calipari has called their bluff and it appears to be time for the Chicago Sun-Times to either get their source to come forward and go on the record or for heads to roll at the newspaper.  As for the answer to our original question, the only time in the 27-year history of the HOOP SCOOP that a school has previously landed three top-five ranked players in the same recruiting class was North Carolina when the Tar Heels signed Tywon Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Brandan Wright, who were ranked #3, #4, and #5 in our Final Ranking of the Top Players Nationally in the Class of 2006.  There also have been four other times when a school landed three top 10-ranked players in the same recruiting class.  The first was when Michigan landed Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, and Jimmy King in the Class of 2002.  And, in case you were wondering, we had Jalen Rose and Ray Jackson, who were the other two members of the Fab Five, ranked on the Fourth Team and the Sixteen Team respectively.  The second was when Duke signed Chris Burgess, Elton Brand, and Shane Battier in the Class of 1997.  The third was when Duke signed Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer, and Casey Sanders in 1999.  And the fourth was when North Carolina signed Raymond Felton, Sean May, and Rashad McCants in the Class of 2002.  Another quick check of our archives finds that it's a lot more common to have a recruiting class that features two top five-ranked players.  Kentucky did it in 1983 with James Blackmon and Winston Bennett.  North Carolina did it in 1986 with J.R. Reid and Scott Williams.  Michigan did it in 1986 with Terry Mills and Rumeal Robinson.  Kentucky did it in 1987 with LeRon Ellis and Eric Manuel.  North Carolina did it in 1990 with Eric Montrose and Clifford Rozier.  Michigan did it in 1991 with Chris Webber and Juwan Howard.  North Carolina did it in 1993 with Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace.  LSU did it in 1993 with Randy Livingston and Ronnie Henderson.  St. John's did it in 1994 with Felipe Lopez and Zendon Hamilton.  Kentucky did it in 1999 with Marvin Stone and Keith Bogans.  Michigan State did it in 2000 with Zach Randolph and Marcus Taylor.  North Carolina did it 2006 with Tywon Lawson and Wayne Ellington.  Kentucky did it in 2009 with John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins.  And now Kentucky has done it again in 2011 with Michael Gilchrist and Anthony Davis.  And in case you weren't keeping track, Kentucky has had five, North Carolina has had four, Michigan has two, and LSU, St. John's, and Michigan State have all had one recruiting class since 1983 that has included two top five-ranked players nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. 

Thursday, August 12, 2010

A week ago we published our Ranking of the Top 200 Players Nationally in the Class of 2011 (Rising Seniors) and now to provide the perfect complement to that list is our Ranking of the Top 5th Year Players, which by definition are players who are in their 9th semester or more of high school.  And this is important because more often than not these players have an age advantage in terms physical development and maturity and it provides you with a different way to look at things.  However, publishing this list prior to when school actually starts in early September is risky in itself, because so many things are likely to change in the next month.  Some players may qualify academically at the last minute and, as a result, decide to enroll at a four-year college or university, instead of going the prep school route.  Other players may opt to enroll in a junior college and the number of players that make last minute switches on prep schools is always amazing.  It's also noteworthy to point out that the fastest rising player on this list is 6'7 Durand Johnson from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA.  Yes, that's the same guy who was ranked by our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin as the #1 player at the Hoop Group's Summer Classic in Neptune, NJ and the #2 player at both the West Virginia Jam Fest in Morgantown, WV and the Big Shots Showcase in King of Prussia, PA.  Rubin describes Johnson as "a terrific shooter who makes big shots, puts it on the floor and gets to the basket with ease, and rebounds well for his position.  "He's not good enough to be named to the McDonald's All-American, if he were a high school senior," says Rubin.   "But he's in the next group."  In other words, we're talking about a player in the 25-50 range nationally, as well as the #3-ranked player on our list behind 6'8 DeAndre Daniels from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA and 5'11 Naadir Tharpe from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH and ahead of 5'9 Chris Jones from Oak Ridge (Military) VA, 6'8 Markus Kennedy from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'8 Kadeem Jack from South Kent (Prep) CT, 6'4 Elijah Carter from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'9 Donnie Hale from North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) NH, 6'8 Jamir Hanner from Newark (Nia Prep) NJ, 6'11 Malcolm Gilbert from Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA, 6'7 Tavon Allen from Worcester (Academy) NH, and 6'2 Aaron Cosby from Northfield (Northfield-Mt. Hermon) MA.  And, to give you an even better idea of exactly where all of these players fit in on the spectrum, Daniels, Tharpe, Johnson, Jones, and Kennedy are all the equivalent of a player in the 11-40 range nationally; Jack, Carter, and Hale are all the equivalent of a player in the 41-70 range nationally, and Hanner, Gilbert, Allen, and Cosby are all the equivalent of a player in the 71-100 range nationally.  Also noteworthy is the fact that five of these dozen players are already off the board, as Daniels is already a done deal for Texas, Jones has committed to Tennessee, Kennedy is still committed to Villanova, Hale still plans to attend Purdue, and Cosby is now bound for Seton Hall.   And when we dig a little deeper we also find that 6'2 Ge'lawn Guyn from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH has picked Cincinnati, 6'4 Jeff Short from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA plans to return home and attend Fordham, 6'1 Devon McMillan from South Kent (Prep) CT plans to do likewise and attend Fordham, and 6'2 Joe Sharkey from Northfield (Northfield-Mt. Hermon) MA has been committed to Brown for what seems like forever. 

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

August is supposed to be a nice slow time when I can focus on watching younger players at venues like the adidas Junior Phenom Camp in San Diego, CA.  However, in the recruiting world it looks like all hell has broken loose since we last updated you with commitments and recruiting news a week ago, as four players who ranked among the top 100 players nationally in their respective class have picked schools, a top notch junior college player has picked a school, and 19 other players have done likewise.  And the school that has been the busiest is Michigan State, which has received verbal commitments in the last week from 6'6 Branden Dawson from Gary (Lew Wallace) IN, 5'11 Travis Trice from Huber Heights (Wayne) IN, and 6'5 Jr Denzel Valentine from Lansing (Sexton) MI.  Obviously the big prize is Dawson, who is currently ranked #9 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is the tough hardnosed athletic power forward that is ideally suited to step in next year and replace the graduated 6'8 Raymar Morgan.  However, Trice and Valentine are both also pretty good catches.  The latter is currently ranked #113 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and the former is a prolific scoring high energy combo guard with great court savvy and explosive speed and quickness.  Trice also has a great bloodline (his father played college basketball at Purdue and Butler), which means all he lacks is size.  The addition of Dawson and Trice moves the Spartans' current recruiting class, which also already includes 6'5 Brandon Kearney from Detroit (Southeastern) MI and 6'4 Dwaun Anderson from Suttons Bay (H.S.) MI, up to #6 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011.  Valentine joins 6'8 Jr Kenny Kaminski from Medina (H.S.) OH, who also made an early commitment to Michigan State in early August, as the Spartans also have landed a couple of potentially good role players for the future.  We also are impressed with the fact that 6'10 Rakeem Christmas from Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA, who is ranked #13 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, made a verbal commitment to Syracuse late last week.  We talking about an athletic big man who is an excellent shot blocker and rebounder, which should make him ideally suited to step in and complement 7'0 Frosh Fabricio DeMelo year after next.  Christmas joins 6'5 Michael Carter-Williams from Barrington (St. Andrews) RI and 6'4 Trevor Cooney from Hockessin (Sanford) DE, in a recruiting class that is now ranked #3 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011.  However, even more important, the addition of Christmas keeps the Orangemen's strong pipeline intact into one of the premier club team programs in the nation.  If you will recall, Syracuse's 6'3 Frosh Dion Waiters and 6'4 Trevor Cooney from Hockessin (Sanford) DE also came up through the AAU ranks playing for Team Final.  And what about the fact that 7'0 Jr Isaiah Austin from Arlington (Grace Prep) TX has picked Baylor?  There is no doubt that we are one of Austin's biggest critics, because he wants to do too much out on the perimeter, is not killer inside, and appears to be more interested in his press clippings than being a dominant force night-in-and-night-out.  On the other hand, Austin is one of the best rebounders in the country regardless of class, his upside and potential are off the chart, and he picked the Bears over a number of big time schools like Texas, Kansas, Kentucky, Georgetown, Oklahoma State, Iowa, and Arizona.  There also was the verbal commitment to Kansas State by 6'7 Thomas Gipson from Cedar Hill (H.S.) TX, who currently is ranked #68 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and has a great combination of size, athleticism, and toughness around the basket.  In other words, he's ideally suited to step in and make an impact for Wildcats head coach Frank Martin, plus he should provide an excellent complement to 6'5 Nino Williams from Leavenworth (H.S.) KS and 7'0 Adrian Diaz from Hialeah (Miami Lakes) FL in a recruiting class that is now ranked #13 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011.  It also looks like Middle Tennessee State has a major steal on its hands in 6'2 Marcos Knight from Chipola (JC) FL, who was a Second Team Junior College All-American last season when he led Middle Georgia to the Region #17 Championship and a trip to the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Tournament in Hutchinson, KS.  Even more impressive is the fact that Knight averaged 19.7 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, and 3.0 spg and was ranked #1 the region in both scoring and steals.  One also has to wonder if the early verbal commitment by 7'0 Jr Peter Jurkin from Charlotte (United Faith Christian) NC to Indiana University is a prelude of things to come for Hoosiers head coach Tom Crean?  If you will recall Jurkin plays for the Indiana Elite 16-Under team that also features 6'4 Jr D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera from Indianapolis (North Central) IN, 7'0 Jr Obij Aget from Beckley (Mountain State University Academy) WV, 6'9 Jr Hanner Perea from Charlotte (United Faith) NC, and 6'5 Jr Cameron Harvey from Westchester (St. Joseph) IL.  Also don't forget about the fact that Indiana Elite's 17-Under team has 6'10 Jr Cody Zeller from Washington (H.S.) IN, 5'11 Soph Kevin Ferrell from Indianapolis (Park Tudor) IN, and 6'6 Jr Austin Etherington from Arcadia (Hamilton Heights) IN, who already is verbally committed to Indiana, and their 15-Under Team has 6'6 Frosh Collin Hartman from Indianapolis (Cathedral) IN.  Speaking of Zeller, he recently narrowed his list of schools down to three (North Carolina, Indiana and Butler).  And, if Zeller, who currently is ranked #19 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, picks the Hoosiers, then that would be a major step in the right direction for Crean and his staff continue who are in the process of rebuilding the program from the ground up.  We also are intrigued with the verbal commitment that 6'11 Kyle Caudill from Brea (Brea-Olinda) CA made to Boston College and the verbal commitment that 6'10 Luke Piotrowski from Egg Harbor Township (Atlantic Christian) NJ made to the University of Richmond.  Neither player is going to win any sprints up-and-down the floor.  But both players have good skills and excellent post moves, they both continue to get better each time we see them play, and, like they say, you can't teach size.  The trend also appears to be continuing for Ohio State, which in recent years has done a good job of locking up more than their fair share of the top in-state players early.  The latest being 6'8 Soph Marc Loving from Toledo (St. John's) OH, who is ranked #33 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is the highest ranked sophomore currently in the Buckeye State.  It also looks like Dayton head coach Brian Gregory has returned to his old stamping grounds (Gregory previously was an assistant coach at Michigan State) and landed 6'6 LaDontae Hinton from Lansing (Eastern) MI and Eastern Kentucky has gotten a pair of verbal commitments from 6'4 Robbie Stenzel from Winchester (Clark County) KY and 6'8 Eric Stutz from Newburgh (Castle) IN.  And,  of course, there is the verbal commitment by 6'8 Tommie McCune from Saginaw (H.S.) MI to West Virginia, 6'1 Corey Hilliard from Raytown (South) MO to Nebraska, 6'0 Trey Lewis from Garfield Heights (H.S.) OH to Penn State, 6'3 Chris Wilson from Fayetteville (Terry Sanford) NC to St. Joseph's, 6'2 Breon Key from Hampton (Phoebus) VA to Old Dominion, 6'3 Hayden Hoerdemann from Bloomington (Central Catholic) IL to Western Michigan, 6'4 Zach Chionuma from Thompson (Marianapolis Prep) CT to Boston University, 6'9 J.J. Panoske from Brodhead (H.S.) WI to Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 6'4 Chris Santo from Cherry Hill (East) NJ to Vermont, 6'3 Marcus Thornton from Forestville (Bishop McNamara) MD to William & Mary, 6'6 Jordan Allen from Bayshore (H.S.) NY to Hofstra, and 5'9 Nic Moore from Warsaw (H.S.) IN to Illinois State.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

There were a number of players who deserve special recognition for their efforts over the weekend at adidas Junior Phenom Camp in San Diego, CA and we start with the Sportsmanship Award Winners in the 8th Grade Division, which include 5'6 8th Grader Josh Holliday from Marietta, GA, 5'6 8th Grader Corbin Stephens from Cedar Park, TX, 5'0 8th Grader Anthony Jensen from San Diego, CA, 5'10 8th Grader Benjamin Turk from Tucson, AZ, 5'8 8th Grader Brett Meci from Las Vegas, NV, 6'2 8th Grader Sequan Walker from Long Beach, CA, 5'5 8th Grader Anthony Bilas from Charlotte, NC, and 6'1 8th Grader Nolan Thompson from Temecula, CA.  The Hustle Award Winners in the 8th Grade Division are 5'11 8th Grader Colby Daniels from Hayden, ID, 5'7 8th Grader Zachariah Gomez from Phoenix, AZ, 5'11 8th Grader Connor Talleur from Ontario, CA, 6'0 8th Grader Center Valley, CA, 5'4 8th Grader Rashaun Lawson from Las Vegas, NV, 5'6 8th Grader Thomas McCarthy from Rancho Santa Fe, CA, 5'10 8th Grader Juan Rascon from Tucson, AZ, and 5'11 8th Grader Cole Grinde from Marysville, WA.  The Defense Award Winners in the 8th Grade Division are 6'1 8th Grader Nickalas Blair from Las Vegas, NV, 6'0 8th Grader Dallas Taylor from De Soto, TX, 5'4 8th Grader Derrick White from Boise, ID, 5'7 8th Grader Dante Henley from Sacramento, CA, 6'5 8th Grader Christopher Dorrah from Gaston, SC, 6'0 8th Grader Isaiah McCullough from Chino Hills, CA, 5'11 8th Grader Edward Ware from Elk Grove, CA, 5'7 8th Grader Xavier Smith from Surprise, AL, 5'7 8th Grader Xavier Johnson from Bend, OR, and 5'6 8th Grader Myles Stephens from Lawrenceville, NJ.  The Sportsmanship Award Winners in the 7th Grade Division are 5'10 7th Grader Daniel Venzant from Midland, TX, 5'5 7th Grader Eric Monroe from Del Mar, CA, 5'4 7th Grader Jervae Robinson from Aurora, CO, 5'7 7th Grader Trevon Ary-Turner from Seattle, WA, 5'2 7th Grader Jeremy Carter-Sheppard from Chesterfield, VA, 5'2 7th Grader DeAnthony Melton from Panama City, CA, 5'3 7th Grader Venkant Valluri from Eagan, MN, 5'5 7th Grader Noah Peterson from Stevenson Ranch, CA, 5'6 7th Grader Colin Ferrier from San Clemente, CA, 5'3 7th Grader Andre Harrison from Parkton, NC, and 5'5 7th Grader Russell Hernandez from La Verne, CA.  The Hustle Award Winners in the 7th Grade Division are 5'10 7th Grader Daniel Venzant from Midland, TX, 5'5 7th Grader Eric Monroe from Del Mar, CA, 5'2 7th Grader Michael Hueitt from Raeford, NC, 5'7 7th Grader Christian Turner from Hawthorne, CA, 5'3 7th Grader Jordan Lyons from Peachtree City, GA, 5'3 7th Grader Bryce Coleman from Tucson, AZ, 5'6 7th Grader Wayne White from Huntington, NY, 5'2 7th Grader Elishja Duplechan from Sacramento, CA, 4'4 7th Grader Triston Hartfiel from Tremonton, UT, 5'3 7th Grader Amiri Chukwuemeka from Gilbert, AZ, 5'8 7th Grader Tony Goodwin from Scottsdale, AZ, 5'3 7th Grader Andre Harrison from Parkton, NC, and 4'10 7th Grader Ethan Ardalan from Calabasas, CA.  The Defense Award Winners in the 7th Grade Division are 5'7 7th Grader Gabe Adzich from Cupertino, CA, 5'10 7th Grader Daniel Venzant from Midland, TX, 5'5 7th Grader Eric Monroe from Del Mar, CA, 5'7 7th Grader Christian Turner from Hawthorne, CA, 5'8 7th Grader Tony Goodwin from Scottsdale, AZ, 5'0 7th Grader Justice Solon from Vallejo, CA, 5'7 7th Grader Lonell Lenox from Hot Springs, AR, 5'0 7th Grader Morgan Means from Compton, CA, 5'3 7th Grader Amiri Chukwuemeka from Gilbert, AZ, 6'1 7th Grader Kassiel Del La Cruz-Monteon from Tijuana, BC, 5'3 7th Grader Trevon Allen from Lipwai, ID, 5'1 7th Grader Gage Shelmidine from San Clemente, CA, and 5'9 7th Grader Tyler Garlitos from San Francisco, CA.  The Sportsmanship Award Winners in the 6th Grade Division are 5'0 6th Grader Jamison Hunt from Ripley, WV, 5'7 6th Grader Myles Johnson from Lakewood, CA, 5'0 6th Grader Michael Curley from Temecula, CA, 4'10 6th Grader Jonah Tolmaire from Ladera Ranch, CA, 5'4 6th Grader Brandon Pappas from Las Vegas, NV, 5'2 6th Grader Cameron Parker from Beaverton, OR, 4'9 5th Grader Gage Sanders from Spring Valley, CA, 4'10 5th Grader Pierre Crockrell from University Place, WA, 5'8 5th Grader Cal Hensen from Normandy, WA, and 5'10 5th Grader Russ Strong from Porter Ranch, CA.  The Hustle Award Winners in the 6th Grade Division are 5'7 6th Grader Jared Smythe from Boise, ID, 5'4 6th Grader Ethan Thompson from Gardena, CA, 4'7 6th Grader Shyan Bandaranaike from Long Beach, CA, 5'2 6th Grader Jaxon Edelmayor from Rexburg, ID, 5'10 6th Grader Jalen Hines from Bellflower, CA, 5'2 5th Grader James Bridges from Las Vegas, NV, 5'3 5th Grader Dean Panaganiban from RSM, CA, 4'2 5th Grader Chase Adams from Forest Park, IL, 4'10 5th Grader Zion Young from Dolton, IL, and 4'8 5th Grader Ryan Rose from Brooklyn, NY.  The Defense Award Winners in the 6th Grade Division are 5'2 6th Grader Cameron Parker from Beaverton, OR, 5'7 6th Grader Myles Franklin from Brea, CA, 5'1 6th Grader Braxton Bertolette from Ft. Collins, CO, 4'8 6th Grader Vincent Chopra from Aliso Viejo, CA, 5'1 6th Grader Jaylin Fleming from Chicago, IL, 5'0 6th Grader Ricky Nelson from Houston, TX, 4'10 6th Grader Taiga Miyano from Henderson, NV, 5'0 6th Grader Alex McCall from Oro Valley, AZ, 4'8 5th Grader Ken Asai from Torrance, CA, and 4'5 5th Grader Dajon Howe from Las Vegas, NV. 

Friday, August 6, 2010, Saturday, August 7, 2010, Sunday, August 8, 2010, & Monday, August 9, 2010

I've spent the last three days at the adidas Junior Phenom Camp in San Diego, CA and our ranking of all 355 players that we saw in camp can now found exclusively on the yellow links page immediately after you sign into the Members Section.  The highlight of the week clearly was the battle for top players honors between 6'0 8th Grader Allonzo Trier from Garland, TX and 6'3 8th Grader Austin Grandstaff from Rowlette, TX, who off the court are best friends, but on the court are both very competitive and extremely talented.  The first two days Grandstaff was clearly the best player in camp, as he blocked shots, rebounded, passed, and hit more than his share of outside shots.  On the other hand, it appeared to take Trier a while to get going, as his jump shot wasn't falling on the first day and his speed and quickness have not yet caught up with his added strength and growth during the last year-and-a-half.  But the roles were reversed in the 8th Grade All-Star Game, as the outside shot was not falling until late in the game for Grandstaff and Trier was clearly the dominant player in the game en route to 19 points and game MVP honors.  And to make the story even more interesting is the fact that this is the first time in three attempts at this camp that Trier has not gone home with the #1-ranking in camp, as Grandstaff edged him out for top players honors.  We actually thought about making it a tie, but Grandstaff was the better player from start-to-finish and 10 years down the road nobody is going to remember who was the #1-ranked player at this year's adidas Junior Phenom Camp.  However, it is a great starting point for what promises to be a great ongoing rivalry, as few players have the same level of drive, determination, and the desire to do whatever it takes to achieve greatness that these two guys do.  Several of the other big stories in this year's camp could be found in the 6th Grade Division, which featured an overabundance of point guards and players playing up a year or two in class.  Believe it or not, there were 20 5th Graders and three 4th Graders in this year's camp and 4'2 5th Grader Chase Adams from Park Forest, IL, 4'11 5th Grader Jordan Simmons from Crete, IL, and 4'10 5th Zion Young from Dolton, IL all played well enough to be named to play in the 6th Grade All-Star Game.   And, if that weren't enough, they also joined 4'11 6th Grader Damon Harge from Mountain House, CA, 4'8 6th Grader Selassie Bourne from Brooklyn, NY, 4'9 6th Grader Kihei Clark from Reseda, CA, 4'11 6th Grade Tyson Etienne from Englewood, NJ, 5'0 6th Grader Cameron Norman from Severn, MD, 4'8 6th Grader Sam Holtze from Manhattan Beach, CA, 4'7 6th Grader Raymond Lu from San Diego, CA, and 4'11 6th Grader Isaish Holmes from Lowell, MA in two very important categories.  They all are point guards and they all were ranked among the top 26 players in camp by the HOOP SCOOP.  And the first name on that list is one you might want to remember.  Not only did 4'11 6th Grader Damon Harge from Mountain House, CA score 50 points in one camp game, but he also has the speed, quickness, explosiveness, and natural talent necessary to draw Allen Iverson-like comparisons.  And, if Harge works hard, doesn't get caught up in the hype, and comes back to this camp for the next two years, he'll have a chance to rank right up there along with 6'0 8th Grader Alonzo Trier from Garland, TX, who to-date has had the best career in the history of the camp.  We also have to mention the total dominance by 5'10 7th Grader Ryan Murphy from Calabasas, CA, who came out of nowhere in the 7th Grade All-Star Game with 19 points to claim both game MVP honors and the #1-ranking in his age group.  And what about the race between 5'5 8th Grader Jerron Love from Bronx, NY and 5'9 8th Grader Sedrick Barefield from Temecula, CA for the #4-ranking, behind 6'3 8th Grader Austin Grandstaff from Rowlette, TX, 6'0 8th Grader Allonzo Trier from Garland, TX, and 6'7 8th Grader Stephen Zimmerman from North Las Vegas, NV, in the 8th Grade Division?  Barefield is a pure point guard who makes great decisions and knows how to runs a team and he made several big shots in the 8th Grade All-Star Game at crunch time.  However, we gave the nod to Love, because he's got incredible natural talent, is capable of putting up prolific numbers, and has unbelievable speed and quickness.  We also have to give Zimmerman a special mention, because he'll probably be a 7-footer someday and he's got good hands, is an great passer and has excellent court vision, and is a superb shot blocker.  He also showed us that he has deceptive agility, coordination, and mobility in the 8th Grade All-Star Game when he was match-up against 6'4 8th Grader Daniel Giddens from Mableton, GA, who was easily the most athletic big man in camp. 

Thursday, August 5, 2010

One of the many things that separates the HOOP SCOOP from the rest of the competition is our ability to stay ahead of the curve and, as a result, it should come as no surprise that we already have our updated Ranking of the Top 200 Players Nationally in the Class of 2011 (Rising Seniors) ready for publication.  It also should come as no surprise that six of the top 10-ranked seniors, nine of the top 20-ranked seniors, and 39 of our top 100-ranked seniors are already off the board.  This list includes 6'8 Michael Gilchrist from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ to Kentucky, 6'2 Marques Teague from Indianapolis (Pike) IN to Kentucky, 6'8 James McAdoo from Norfolk (Christian) VA to North Carolina, 6'2 Myck Kabongo from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV to Texas, 6'3 Bradley Beal from St. Louis (Chaminade) MO to Florida, 6'5 Mike Carter-Williams from Barrington (St. Andrews) RI to Syracuse, 6'6 Samuel "P.J." Hairston from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA to North Carolina, 6'4 Kevin Ware from Conyers (Rockdale) GA to Tennessee, 6'5 Wayne Blackshear from Chicago (Morgan Park) IL to Louisville, 6'0 Marquavius "Deville" Smith from Jackson (Callaway) MS to Mississippi State, 6'6 Michael Gbinije from Richmond (Benedictine) VA to Duke, 6'9 Tyler Adams from Brandon (H.S.) MS to Duke, 6'7 C.J. Barksdale from Danville (George Washington) VA to Virginia Tech, 6'7 Aaron Ross from Little Rock (Parkview) AR to Arkansas, 6'6 Kentavious Caldwell from Greenville (H.S.) GA to Georgia, 6'2 Jamal Branch from Arlington (Grace Prep) TX to Texas A&M, 6'2 Shannon Scott from Alpharetta (Milton) GA to Ohio State, 6'10 Joseph Uchebo from Raleigh (Word of God) NC to N.C. State, 6'0 Sterling Gibbs from West Orange (Seton Hall Prep) NJ to Maryland, 6'10 Hunter Mickelson from Jonesboro (Westside) AR to Arkansas, 6'5 Sheldon McClellan from Houston (Bellaire) TX to Texas, 6'8 Anthony Gill from Charlotte (Christian) NC to South Carolina, 6'10 James "Zac" Price from Lakewood (St. Edward) OH to Louisville, 6'4 Julien Lewis from Galveston (La Marque) TX to Texas, 6'3 Tyrone Johnson from Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD to Villanova, 6'5 Brandon Kearney from Detroit (Southeastern) MI to Michigan State, 6'8 Sidiki Johnson from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA to Arizona, 6'7 Grandy Glaze from Andover (Proctor Academy) NH to UNLV, 6'3 Tre Demps from San Antonio (Reagan) TX to Northwestern, 6'5 Darrun Hilliard from Bethlehem (Liberty) PA to Villanova, 6'1 Tracy Abrams from Chicago (Mt. Carmel) IL to Illinois, 6'4 Levi Randolph from Madison (Bob Jones) AL To Alabama, 6'4 Achraf Yacoubou from Brookville (Long Island Lutheran) NY to Villanova, 6'2 Carlton Brundidge from Southfield (H.S.) MI to Michigan, 6'2 Gary Bell from Kent (Kentridge) WA to Gonzaga, 6'4 Trevor Cooney from Hockessin (Sanford) DE to Syracuse, 6'9 Nnanu Egwu from Chicago (St. Ignatius) IL to Illinois, 6'5 Aaron Brown from Lansdowne (Penn Wood) PA to West Virginia, and 6'1 Sean Grennen from Toms River (Monsignor Donovan) NJ to Davidson.  6'1 Sean Grennan from Toms River (Monsignor Donovan) NJ

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin was at a number of the best events in the East during the month of July and he provides us with his ranking of the top players from each event.  We start with the Hoop Group Elite Camp, which was held on June 5th-8th at Albright College in Reading, PA, and 6'7 Maurice Harkless from South Kent (Prep) CT and 6'8 Kamari Murphy from Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY were named the co-MVP's of the camp.  The MVP of the Top 20 All-Star Game was 6'8 Kadeem Jack from South Kent (Prep) CT.  The Best Underclassman in camp was 6'4 Jr Terry Tarpey from Fairfield (Prep) CT.  And the MVP of the Top 40 All-Star Game was 6'1 Nieronn Miles from Greenbelt (Eleanor Roosevelt) NY.  Rubin's ranking of the top 15 seniors in camp based on performance is as follows:  1) 6'7 Maurice Harkless from South Kent (Prep) CT, 2) 6'8 Kamari Murphy from Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY, 3) 6'8 Kadeem Jack from South Kent (Prep) CT, 4) 6'7 Durand Johnson from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, 5) 6'0 Sterling Gibbs from West Orange (Seton Hall Prep) NJ, 6) 6'3 Derrick Gordon from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, 7) 6'8 Derrick Randall from South Kent (Prep) CT, 8) 6'0 Chris Martin from Washington (St. John's) DC, 9) 6'10 Joey De La Rosa from Montverde (Academy) FL, 10) 6'8 Lionel Gomis from Blairstown (Blair Academy) NJ, 11) 6'5 Vaughn Gray from Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ, 12) 6'6 Shaquille Thomas from Newark (Nia Prep) NJ, 13) 6'4 Julian DuBose from Washington (St. John's) DC, 14) 6'2 Antoine Myers from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, and 15) 5'11 Shaquille Stokes from Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY.  Rubin's ranking of the top 10 juniors in camp based on performance is as follows:  1) 6'7 Jr Daniel Dingle from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY, 2) 6'4 Jr Terry Tarpey from Fairfield (Prep) CT, 3) 6'3 Jr Andre Horne from Wilmington (Hodgson Tech) DE, 4) 6'8 Soph Austin Colbert from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, 5) 6'1 Jr Tony Hicks from Chicago (St. Rita) IL, 6) 6'2 Jr Brian Bernardi from Brooklyn (Xaverian) NY, 7) 6'10 Soph Chinononso Obokoh from Rochester (Bishop Kenny) NY, 8) 6'3 Soph Kethan Savage from Alexandria (Episcopal) VA, 9) 6'8 Jr Barrington Alston from Christ Church (H.S.) VA, and 10) 6'6 Jr Anthony Avery from Chicago (St. Rita) IL.  Rubin also stuck around for the Hoop Group Team Camp on July 9th-10th at Albright College in Reading, PA and 6'8 Oliver Ellison led Washington (Gonzaga) DC to the championship with a win over Lansdowne (Penn Wood) PA in the title game.  Rubin's next stop was the Summer Classic East on July 11th-12th at Rebounds in Neptune, NJ, where the Jersey Shore Warriors knocked off Team Izod, 67-66, in the championship game.  The tournament MVP was 6'5 Darrun Hilliard from Bethlehem (Liberty) PA and he finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, and four assists in the title game.  Rubin's list of the top 35-ranked players based on performance is as follows:  1) 6'7 Durand Johnson from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA (Cecil Kirk), 2) 6'0 Jabarie Hinds from Mt. Vernon (H.S.) NY (West Chester Hawks), 3) 6'5 Darrun Hilliard from Bethlehem (Liberty) PA (Jersey Shore Warriors), 4) 6'7 Jr Amile Jefferson from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA (Team Philly), 5) 6'3 Jr Ryan Arcidiacono from Langhorne (Neshaminy) PA (Pennsylvania Playaz), 6) 6'2 Elijah Carter from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH (Sports U-Team Izod), 7) 6'7 Maurice Harkless from South Kent (Prep) CT (New York Panthers), 8) 6'6 Jr Savon Goodman from Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA (Team Philly), 9) 6'4 Jeff Short from South Kent (Prep) CT (New York Panthers), 10) 6'0 Chris Martin from Washington (St. John's) DC (Westchester Hawks), 11) 6'3 Deshon Minnis from Egg Harbor Township (Atlantic Christian) NJ (New Jersey Demons), 12) 6'8 Lionel Gomis from Blairstown (Blair Academy) NJ (New Jersey Demons), 13) 6'5 Ameen Tanksley from Philadelphia (Imhotep Charter) PA (Team Philly), 14) 6'1 Jr Jaren Sina from Gladstone (Gill St. Bernard's) NJ (New Jersey Hoop Heaven), 15) 6'6 Matt Townsend from Chappayua (Horace Greely) NJ (Westchester Hawks), 16) 6'1 Sean Grennan from Toms River (Monsignor Donovan) NJ (New Jersey Shore Shots), 17) 6'2 Antoine Myers from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA (Cecil Kirk), 18) 6'0 Austin Tillotson from Wrightsville (Eastern York) PA (Jersey City Warriors), 19) 6'3 Soph Stephen Vasturia from Philadelphia (St. Joseph's Prep) PA (Jersey Shore Warriors), 20) 6'8 Jamir Hanner from Newark (Nia Prep) NJ (New Jersey Demons), 21) 6'7 Mario Moody from East Orange (Campus) NH (NJ Sports U/Team Izod), 22) 6'3 Jr Ron Curry from Haddonfield (Paul VI) NJ (Jersey Shore Warriors), 23) 6'3 David Appolon from Philadelphia (Imhotep Charter) PA (Team Philly), 24) 6'3 Khalid Lewis-El from Hamilton (Trenton Catholic) NJ (Team New Jersey ABC), and 25) 6'4 Zaid Hearst from Salisbury (Prep) CT (Mid-Atlantic Select).  Rubin also attended the Hoop Group West Virginia Jam Fest on July 14th-16th in Morgantown, WV and the New England Playaz took home the championship with a 67-57 win over Friends 4 Life in the title game.  The tournament MVP was 6'8 Jr Alex Murphy from Southborough (St. Mark's) MA and he also was Rubin's #1-ranked player at the event.  The rest of his list of the top players based on performance includes 2) 6'7 Durand Johnson from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA (Cecil Kirk), 3) 6'7 Jr Amile Jefferson from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA (Team Philly 16), 4) 6'0 Jabarie Hinds from Mt. Vernon (H.S.) NY (Westchester Hawks), 5) 6'5 Ricardo Ledo from South Kent (Prep) CT (Expressions), 6) 6'5 Darrun Hilliard from Bethlehem (Liberty) PA (Jersey Shore Warriors), 7) 6'7 Anton Grady from Cleveland (Central Catholic) OH (Friends for Life), 8) 6'0 Naadir Tharpe from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH (New England Playaz), 9) 6'3 Jr Ryan Arcidicanco from Langhorne (Neshaminy) PA (Pennsylvania Playaz), 10) 6'9 Jr Khen Birch from Winchendon (School) MA (Expressions), 11) 6'7 Jr Montreal Harrell from North Edgecomb (H.S.) NC (North Carolina Elite), 12) 6'4 Chase Fischer from Ripley (H.S.) WV (West Virginia Wildcats), 13) 6'6 Jr Savon Goodman from Bryn Athyn (Academy of New Church) PA (Team Philly 16), 14) 6'5 Rob Poole from Haddonfield (Paul VI) NJ (Jersey Shore Warriors), 15) 6'9 Jr Daniel Ochefu from Westtown (Friends) PA (Westtown), 16) 6'7 Max Hooper from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH (New England Playaz), 17) 6'8 Kenny Kaminski from Medina (H.S.) OH (Buckeye Ballers), 18) 6'8 Markus Kennedy from Winchendon (School) MA (New England Playaz), 19) 6'8 Lionell Gomis from Blairstown (Blair Academy) NJ (New Jersey Demons), 20) 7'0 Jr Kaleb Tarczewski from Southborough (St. Mark's) MA (New England Playaz), 21) 6'0 Chris Martin from Washington (St. John's) DC (Westchester Hawks), 22) 57 Jr Tyree Gaiter from Cleveland Heights (H.S.) OH (Friends 4 Life), 23) 6'1 Soph Jaren Sina from Gladstone (Gill St. Bernard's) NJ (Hoop Heaven), 24) 6'2 Antoine Myers from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA (Cecil Kirk), 25) 6'6 Matt Townsend from Chappaqua (Horace Greely) NY (Westchester Hawks), 26) 6'8 Jr Aaron Roundtree from Kestrell Heights (H.S.) NC (North Carolina Elite), 27) 6'9 Jr Malik London from Chillicote (H.S.) OH (Ohio Basketball Club), 28) 6'6 Jr Terry Turner from Scranton (H.S.) PA (J.B. Hoops), 29) 6'3 Jr Deshon Minnis from Egg Harbor Township (Atlantic Christian) NJ (New Jersey Demons), 30) 6'7 Tyquane Goard from Beckley (Mountain State University Academy) WV (West Virginia Wildcats), 31) 6'10 Blaise Mbaygorba from Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ (New Jersey Roadrunners), 32) 6'2 Jevon Clarke from Canton (Timken) OH (Ohio Basketball Club), 33) 6'6 Jayon James from Waynesboro (Fishburne Military) VA (Sports U-Team Izod), 34) 6'0 Eddie Mitchell from Springfield (La Salle) PA (Philly Assault), 35) 6'3 Soph Stephen Vastura from Philadelphia (St. Joseph's Prep) PA (Jersey Shore Warriors 16), 36) 6'8 Karee Watson from Baltimore (Lake Clifton) MD (Cecil Kirk), 37) 6'0 Isiah McCray from Baltimore (Milford Mill Academy) MD (Crusader Nation), 38) 6'1 Sean Grennan from Toms River (Monsignor Donovan) NJ (New Jersey Shore Shots), 39) 6'3 Ron Curry from Haddonfield (Paul VI) NJ (Jersey Shore Warriors), and 40) 6'7 Jr Brandon Taylor from Hamilton (Trenton Catholic) NJ (Team Philly).  Rubin also was at the NIKE Super Showcase on July 23rd-27th in Lake Buena Vista, FL and the much anticipated match-up between the 6'3 Austin Rivers from Winter Park (H.S.) FL and 6'3 Bradley Beal from St. Louis (Chaminade) MO was not a contest.   Rivers finished with 24 points and Beal had only 12 points.  Also chipping in with 22 points for Each One Teach One, which coasted to a 77-60 win, was 6'3 Trevor Lacey from Huntsville (Butler) AL, while 6'5 Ben McLemore from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA the led the St. Louis Eagles with 18 points.  Rubin's top 25-ranked players in the Gold Division based on performance includes 1) 6'3 Austin Rivers from Winter Park (H.S.) FL (Each One Teach One), 2) 6'3 Bradley Beal from St. Louis (Chaminade) MO (St. Louis Eagles), 3) 6'11 Jr Andre Drummond from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT (Connecticut Basketball Club), 4) 6'8 Johnny O'Bryant from Cleveland (East Side) MS (Jackson Tigers), 5) 6'6 Branden Dawson from Gary (Lew Wallace) IN (SYF Players), 6) 6'6 Robert Brown from Clermont (East Ridge) FL (Showtime Ballers), 7) 6'6 Kentavious Caldwell from Greenville (H.S.) GA (Georgia Blazers), 8) 6'5 Michael Gbinije from Richmond (Benedictine) VA (DC Team Takeover), 9) 6'10 Mikael Hopkins from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD (DC Team Takeover), 10) 6'0 Jabarie Hinds from Mt. Vernon (H.S.) NY (West Chester -Hawks), 11) 6'5 P.J. Hairston from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA (CP3 All Stars), 12) 6'9 Jr DeJuan Coleman from Dewitt (Jamesville-Dewitt) NY (Albany City Rocks), 13) 7'0 Adrian Diaz from Hialeah (Miami Lakes) FL (Gold Coast), 14) 6'6 Rodney Cooper from Phenix City (Russell County) AL (Alabama Challenge), 15) 6'0 Shane Larkin from Orlando (Dr. Phillips) AL (Showtime Ballers), 16) 6'10 Rakeem Christmas from Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA (Team Final), 17) 6'5 Levi Randolph from Madison (Bob Jones) AL (Alabama Challenge), 18) 6'8 Julian Royal from Alpharetta (Milton) GA (Georgia Blazers), 19) 6'8 Kamari Murphy from Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY (Long Island Lightning), 20) 6'8 Kadeem Jack from South Kent (Prep) CT (New York Gauchos), 21) 6'6 Nick Faust from Baltimore (City College) MD (Baltimore Elite), 22) 6'0 Trey Burke from Columbus (Northland) OH (All Ohio Red), 23) 5'10 Tevon Sledge from Dix Hills (Half Hollow Hills West) NY (Team Next NYC), 24) 6'8 Tashawn Thomas from Killeen (H.S.) TX (Houston Hoops), and 25) 6'3 Trevor Lacey from Huntsville (Butler) AL (Each One Teach One).  Rubin's top 15-ranked players in the Silver Division based on performance includes 1) 6'5 Darrun Hilliard from Bethlehem (Liberty) PA (Jersey Shore Warriors), 2) 6'9 Jr Khem Birch from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA (Expressions 2011), 3) 6'7 Jaylen Bond from Plymouth Meeting (Plymouth Whitemarsh) PA (Delaware Panthers), 4) 6'5 Jr Ricardo Ledo from South Kent (Prep) CT (Expressions 2011), 5) 6'4 Patrick Connaughton from Danvers (St. John's Prep) MA (Middlesex Magic), 6) 6'7 Tony Core from Chicago (Morgan Park) IL (Old Gold), 7) 5'10 Jerrel Briggs from Ft. Washington (National Christian) MD (Maryland's Finest), 8) 6'8 Anton Grady from Cleveland (Central Catholic) OH (Friends 4 Life), 9) 6'0 Eddie Mitchell from Springfield (La Salle) PA (ECE Delaware Panthers), 10) 6'6 Andrew Smeathers from Greenwood (Center Grove) IN (Spiece All Indiana), 11) 6'5 Rob Poole from Haddonfield (Paul VI) NJ (Jersey Shore Warriors), 12) 6'9 Donnie Hale from North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME (Spiece All Indiana), 6'3 Omar Grier from Las Vegas (Impact Academy) NV (Delaware Team Takeover), 14) 6'0 Anthony Jernigan from East Hartford (H.S.) CT (Connecticut Select), and 6'4 Lee Skinner from Lombard (Glenbard East) IL (Illinois Defenders).  Next Rubin attended the Hoop Group Elite Camp, which was held on July 28th-31st at Albright College in Reading, PA and he tells us that 6'7 Isiah Williams from Newark (Robinson School) NJ was named the Camp MVP, 6'4 Omar Grier from Las Vegas (Impact Academy) NV was named the MVP of the Top 20 All-Star Game, and 6'5 Tyuan Williams from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ was named the MVP of the Top 40 All-Star Game.  Rubin also provides us with a ranking of the top 25 players in camp, which is as follows:  1) 6'7 Isiah Williams from Newark (Robinson School) NJ, 2) 6'9 Jr Dan Ochefu from Westtown (H.S.) PA, 3) 6'2 Elijah Carter from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 4) 6'0 Soph Nathaniel Britt from Washington (Gonzaga) DC, 5) 6'7 Mario Moody from East Orange (Campus) NJ, 6) 6'3 Deshon Minnis from Egg Harbor Township (Atlantic Christian) NJ, 7) 6'8 Jamir Hanner from Newark (Nia Prep) NJ, 8) 6'4 Omar Grier from Las Vegas (Impact Academy) NV, 9) 6'7 Soph Rodney Bullock from Hampton (Kecoughtan) VA, 10) 6'10 Joey De La Rosa from Montverde (Academy) FL, 11) 6'3 Davon Usher from Baltimore (Digital Harbor) MD, 12) 6'6 Soph Kristopher Jenkins from Washington (Gonzaga) DC, 13) 6'7 Jr Anthony Livingston from Washington (K.I.M.A.) DC, 14) 6'5 Jose Rodriguez from Montverde (Academy) FL, 15) 6'0 Danny Lawhorn from Newark (The Robinson School) NJ, 16) 6'7 Jr Justin Goldsborough from Alexandria (St. Stephens & St. Agnes) VA, 17) 5'7 Ronald Williams from Baltimore (St. Frances Academy) MD, 18) 6'8 Will Wise from Princeton (The Hun School) NJ, 19) 6'6 Ishmael Kalilou from Watertown (Taft School) CT, 20) 6'8 Jr Mike Aaman from Hazlet (Raritan) NJ, 21) 5'10 Lamin Fulton from Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti) PA, 22) 6'4 Dominique Raney from Oklahoma City (Putnam City) OK, 23) 6'5 Tyuan Williams from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, 24) 6'5 Jalen Cannon from Allentown (William Allen) PA, and 25) 6'7 Abdulwali Kasim from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC.  Rubin's last stop was at the Big Shots Showcase on July 30th-31st at the Competitive Edge-King of Prussia, PA and his top 20-ranked players are as follows:  1) 6'7 Jr Amile Jefferson from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA (Team Philly), 2) 6'7 Durand Johnson from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA (Cecil Kirk), 3) 6'6 Jr Savon Goodman from Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA (Team Philly), 4) 6'5 Jabril Trawick from Jenkintown (Abington Friends) PA (Philadelphia Phenom), 5) 6'3 Jr Kechan Savage from Alexandria (Episcopal) VA (Team Takeover), 6) 6'6 Jr Arnaud Motto from Alexandria (Episcopal) VA (Team Takeover), 7) 6'6 Soph Brandon Alston from Philadelphia (Imhotep Charter) PA (Team Philly 16), 8) 6'0 Austin Tillotson from Wrightsville (Eastern York) PA (Jersey Shore Warriors), 9) 6'5 Rob Poole from Haddonfield (Paul VI) NJ (Jersey Shore Warriors), 10) 6'2 Antoine Myers from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA (Cecil Kirk), 11) 6'2 Jr Ron Curry from Haddonfield (Paul VI) NJ (Jersey Shore Warriors), 12) 6'0 Eddie Mitchell from Springfield (La Salle) PA (Philly Assault), 13) 6'8 Eric Copes from Philadelphia (Imhotep Charter) PA (Team Philly), 14) 6'5 Darrun Hilliard from Bethlehem (Liberty) PA (Jersey Shore Warriors), 15) 6'8 Jr Matt Banas from Hershey (H.S.) PA (Jersey Shore Warriors), 16) 6'3 Devin Coleman from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA (Philadelphia Phenom), 17) 6'3 Soph Javon Reed from Princeton (Day School) NJ (Move Your Feet), 18) 6'5 Ameen Tanksley from Philadelphia (Imhotep Charter) PA (Team Philly), 19) 6'1 Tyler Hubbard from Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD (DC Assault Blue), and 20) 5'9 Jr Maurice Watson form Philadelphia (Boys Latin) PA (Team Philly 16). 

Tuesday August 3, 2010

Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin tells us that the press conference is tomorrow and he expects 6'5 Darrun Hilliard from Bethlehem (Liberty) PA to pick Villanova over schools like Penn State, Boston College, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Iowa, Fairfield, and Siena.  And, assuming that Hilliard does indeed pick the Wildcats, this will be a good catch for Villanova head coach Jay Wright and his staff, because we're talking about one of the fastest rising players in the nation, as is evident by the fact that he was the MVP at the Hoop Group Summer Classic in Neptune, NJ and led his team to a runner-up finish in the Silver Division of the NIKE Super Showcase in Orlando, FL.  Rubin currently has him ranked #10 on his list of the top seniors in the area and he says that Hilliard is versatile enough to play three positions due to the fact that he has excellent skills and does a little bit of everything, including handle, pass, and rebound well for his size.  Hilliard also promises to provide the perfect complement to 6'8 Markus Kennedy from Winchendon (School) MA, 6'3 Tyrone Johnson from Plainfield (H.S.) NJ, and 6'4 Achraf Yacoubou from Brookville (Long Island Lutheran) NY in a recruiting class that will move up to #2, behind Texas and ahead of Kentucky, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011.   And, if the Wildcats coaching staff can also convince 6'7 Jr Amile Jefferson from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA, 6'5 Jr Savon Goodman from Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA, and 6'2 Jr Ryan Arcidiacono from Langhorne (Neshaminy) PA, who are the three top ranked juniors in the area, to stay home, then we'd be talking about a major coup to the level of keeping Wayne Ellington and Gerald Henderson at home.  Rubin thinks Villanova's chances of getting Arcidiacono are very good due to the fact that both of his parents graduated from Villanova.  However, getting Goodman and Jefferson to stay at home may prove to be just as difficult as it was convincing Ellington and Henderson to do likewise if schools like North Carolina and Duke make these two guys high priorities.  Rubin also provides us the scoop on 6'0 Aquil Younger from Lansdowne (Penn Wood) PA, who has verbally committed to Drexel, and 6'0 Eddie Mitchell from Springfield (La Salle) PA, who appears to be a steal for Rider.  The former is one the best point guards in the area, is good at scoring and dishing when he goes to the basket, and is an excellent defender.  The latter is another one of the most improved players in the area and his athleticism allows him to get to the basket and play excellent defense.  Our Florida Editor Rick Staudt has also been busy tracking verbal commitments over the weekend from players in his backyard.  The first came from 7'0 Adrian Diaz from Hialeah (Miami Lakes) FL when he picked Kansas State.  Obviously this is a case of Wildcats head coach Frank Martin taking advantage of his strong South Florida ties and this should prove to be an excellent catch for several reasons.  First, Diaz is a long lean rapidly improving big man with a huge upside and a tremendous amount of potential.  Second, Diaz has incredible athleticism and mobility for somebody his size.  The only problem is that he spends way to much time out on the perimeter and, believe it or not, he was defending the point guard on the press when we saw him play at the Rumble in the Bronx.  The next two were commitments by 6'6 Kasey Wilson from North Port (H.S.) FL and 6'6 Rod Days from Weston (Sagemont) FL, both of whom decided to stay close to home and attend Central Florida.  Days is ranked #10 in the state's senior class and this athletic wing forward who shoots the three should fit in perfectly with the way new Knights head coach Donnie Jones will want to play.  And so will Wilson, who is best described as an athletic white kid that plays with a chip on his shoulder and is very skilled around the basket.  Our New York City Editor Ron Naclerio tells us that 6'8 Derrick Randall from South Kent (Prep) CT has picked Rutgers.  And this is big for several reasons.  First, Randall is a borderline top 100-ranked senior nationally who is tough on the boards and thrives in an up tempo setting.  Second, he's a home grown kid who attended Paterson (Catholic) NJ, along with 5'8 Myles Mack from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ and 6'8 Jr Kyle Anderson from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, both of whom also are prime recruiting targets of the Scarlet Knights, prior to the closure of the school this past spring.  Third, the addition of  Randall also will give new Rutgers head coach Mike Rice and his staff an important link into one of the premier prep school programs in the nation, as he is expected to team with the likes of 6'8 Kadeem Jack, 6'7 Maurice Harkless, 6'1 Devin McMillan, and 6'5 Jr Ricardo Ledo this winter.  It also looks like 5'9 Stevie Taylor from Gahanna (Lincoln) OH has decided to stay home and attend Ohio University, where he will play for former Ohio State assistant coach John Groce.  And we think this is a great catch for the Bobcats, because all Taylor lacks is size.   He's always had a shooter's mentality, but also has developed into more of a pure point guard with his improved passing skills and excellent decision making.  We have confirmed that 6'8 Percy Gibson from Detroit (Southeastern) MI has verbally committed to the University of Detroit, 6'8 Kenny Kaminski from Medina (H.S.) OH has verbally committed to Michigan State, 6'3 Nick Kerr from San Diego (Torrey Pines) CA has verbally committed to San Diego, 511 Michael Caffey from Corona (Centennial) CA has verbally committed to Long Beach State, and 6'1 Sean Grennen from Toms River (Monsignor Donovan) NJ has verbally committed to Davidson.  That last one is especially interesting, because Grennen doesn't pass the look test, but has an uncanny ability to get his shot, incredible court savvy, and a tremendous basketball IQ.  In other words, we're talking about a legitimate top 100-ranked senior nationally, as well as perhaps the next Stephen Curry.

Sunday, August 1, 2010, & Monday, August 2, 2010

Now that the Summer Evaluation Period is over we have taken a few days and put together our HOOP SCOOP All-American Teams, which include our ranking of the top 100 players nationally regardless of class and position.  And, as usual, there are some surprises and we hope to generate a little bit of controversy.  We start with the fact that the race is really too close to call between 6'8 Michael Gilchrist from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ and 6'9 Anthony Davis from Chicago (Perspectives Christian) IL for our #1-ranking.  Gilchrist is the better player right now, but Davis has a much bigger ceiling and upside and, as result, we've decided to make it a tie and let it play out in the future.  It also should be noted that 6'5 Jr Shabazz Muhammad from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV joins 6'8 Michael Gilchrist from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ and 6'9 Anthony Davis from Chicago (Perspectives Christian) IL 6'3 Austin Rivers from Winter Park (H.S.) FL, and 6'2 Marquis Teague from Indianapolis (Pike) IN on the First Team; 6'10 Soph Nerlens Noel from Everett (H.S.) MA was named to the Fourth Team; and 6'0 Frosh Joel Berry from Orlando (Lake Highland Prep) FL was named to the Twentieth Team.  And this is important, because you now have a sneak preview as to who will be the #1-ranked player nationally in each class when we update our ranking of the top players in each of these classes later this month.  We also suspect that we've got players like 6'6 Branden Dawson from Gary (Lew Wallace) IN, 6'6 Amir Garrett from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV, 6'4 Kevin Ware from Conyers (Rockdale) GA, 6'9 Jr Cameron Ridley from Richmond (Ft. Bend Bush) TX, 5'11 Naadir Tharpe from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'9 Dejehi Baru from Chester (Steward School) VA, 6'3 DeAngelo Harrison from Missouri City (Ft. Bend Dulles) TX, 6'8 Jr Alex Murphy from Southborough (St. Mark's) MA, 6'3 Trevor Lacey from Huntsville (Butler) AL, 5'9 Tavon Sledge from Dix Hill (Half Hollow Hills West) NY, 6'0 Sterling Gibbs from West Orange (Seton Hall Prep) NJ, 6'9 Kevin Johnson from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA, 6'11 Kaleb Tarczewswki from Southborough (St. Mark's) MA, and 5'11 Jr Tyler Lewis from Lewisville (Forsyth Country Day) NC ranked a lot higher than some people might expect.  We also have some players, like 6'8 LeBryan Nash from Dallas (Lincoln) TX, 6'11 Jr Andre Drummond from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT, 6'8 Johnny O'Bryant from Cleveland (Eastside) MS, 6'6 Kentavious Caldwell from Greenville (H.S.) GA, 6'4 Ben McLemore from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, and 6'11 Jr Isaiah Austin from Arlington (Grace Prep) TX, ranked lower than one might expect.   However, it is the editorial policy of the HOOP SCOOP to state the obvious before it becomes obvious.  We also find it interesting that the state with the most players represented on our list of 20 five-man teams is Virginia with 6'8 James McAdoo from Norfolk (Christian) VA, 6'6 Samuel "P.J. Hairston from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, 6'0 Quinn Cook from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'9 Dejehi Baru from Chester (Steward School) VA, 6'6 Michael Gbinije from Richmond (Benedictine) VA, 5'9 Chris Jones from Oak Ridge (Military) VA, 6'7 C.J. Barksdale from Danville (George Washington) VA, 6'4 Ben McLemore from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, and  6'5 Jr Jordan Adams from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA.  But five of the nine aforementioned players are carpetbaggers who transferred from schools in other states to play at basketball factories this winter.  And the same can be said about Nevada, which has six players from two schools on the list in 6'5 Jr Shabazz Muhammad from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV, 6'2 Myck Kabongo from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV, 6'6 Amir Garrett from Henderson Findlay Prep) NV, 6'8 Jr Rosco Allen from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV, 6'3 Nick Johnson from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV, and 6'3 Soph Nigel Williams-Goss from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV.  Or to look at this in another way, Nevada checks in right behind Virginia with nine players and Texas with seven players in a tie at #3, along with North Carolina, California, Georgia, and Connecticut, all of which have six players apiece on our HOOP SCOOP All-American Teams.  We also attempted to rank each player at his best position and came up with 19 centers, 16 power forwards, 21 wing forwards, 29 2-guards, and 15 point guards.  And a perfect example of the difficulty of the task is 6'8 Jr Kyle Anderson from Jersey City (St Anthony) NJ, who is like a point/ forward.  However, despite his excellent ball handling and passing skills and tremendous court vision, we list Anderson as a power forward due to the fact that he's also one of the best rebounders in the nation and defensively he's not going to defend smaller and quicker players out on the perimeter.  But, while we can debate Anderson's position all day, there is no debate how good a player he is, as he checks in on our Second Team and is the second highest ranked junior nationally on our HOOP SCOOP All-American Teams.