HOT RECRUITING INFORMATION FOR OCTOBER 2009

Friday, October 30, 2009, & Saturday, October 31, 2009

With the Fall Signing Period set to begin in just 12 days, you'd think that things would be a little bit more exciting right now in the recruiting world.  However, the only top 100-ranked high school senior who has made a verbal commitment within the last week was 6'9 Adreian Payne from Dayton (Jefferson) OH, who yesterday picked Michigan State.  We are intrigued by the fact that that 6'3 Austin Carroll from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH picked Rutgers a couple of days ago.  And we think Carroll will be an excellent role player for the Scarlet Knights due to the fact that he has good skills, a high basketball IQ, and is capable of playing either guard spot, as he has a knack for making those around him better and can more than keep you honest with his outside shooting.  Off the court Carroll is an outstanding student (he also was considering Harvard) and a terrific young man.  He's also the son of former Boston Celtics and Duquesne University head coach John Carroll, who ironically was an assistant coach at Seton Hall during the P.J. Carlesimo era and deserves credit for playing a key role in putting all of the pieces together on the Pirates 1989 NCAA Final Four Team.  In other words, it looks like the younger Carroll is a chip off the old block and, as a result, it wouldn't surprise us one bit if he decides to follow in his father's footsteps and become a basketball coach after his playing days are over.  And a great place to start would be helping his father coach the New England Playaz club team, which is one of the top AAU teams in the East.  We also think 6'9 David Chadwick from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA is an excellent catch for Rice.  Yes, that's the same guy who originally verbally committed to Washington State a year ago, but later changed his mind after Tony Bennett took the University of Virginia job last spring.  Chadwick was ranked #254 nationally in our Final Ranking of the Top Players in the Class of 2010, but it's this face-up four-man's upside and potential that gets people excited.  He needs to get bigger and stronger physically, but has the length necessary to be an excellent shot blocker, the ability to really light it up from beyond the arc, and a great bloodline, as is event by the fact that his father played college basketball at the University of North Carolina.  There also is 6'7 Josh Huestis from Great Falls (Russell) MT, who yesterday picked Stanford over USC, Gonzaga, Harvard, Oregon State, Georgetown, Washington State, New Mexico, Yale, Oregon, Montana, and Montana State.  Our West Coast Editor Dinos Trigonis tells us that Huestis is "a big time athlete and a late bloomer," which makes him ideally suited to complement 6'6 Anthony Brown from Huntington Beach (Ocean View) CA, 5'11 Aaron Bright from Bellevue (H.S.) WA, 6'8 John Cage from Vashon (Vashon Island) WA, and 6'10 Dwight Powell from Bradenton (Pendleton School) FL in a recruiting class that is now ranked #19 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  "Huestis also has the versatility necessary to play both inside and outside," says Trigonis.  "He can score, rebound, defend, and block shots."  And he knows what it takes to win after having led his team to the Class AA state title and being named the MVP in the state tournament at the conclusion of his junior season."  It also looks like our Mississippi Editor Lavel Johnson knew what he was talking about when he told us a couple of weeks ago that he expected Southern Miss to beat USC and UAB for the services of 6'2 Trency Jackson from Jackson (Wingfield) MS.  Johnson has Jackson ranked #5 in the state's senior class and he likes the way Jackson can beat his man off the dribble.  "We're talking about a slashing athletic combo guard with nice size and the ability to defend," says Johnson.  "He also can beat you from beyond the arc when his streaky 3-point shot is going down."  Jackson joins 6'5 Rashard Perkins from Starkville (H.S.) MS to give the Golden Eagles not one, but two athletic in-state wing players who belong in the 100-200 range nationally in the senior class.  We also have confirmed that 6'8 Cady Lalanne from Orlando (Oak Ridge) FL has verbally committed to the University of Georgia.  Lalanne is a super athlete, great defender, good 3-point shooter, and legitimate sleeper, which makes him exactly what the doctor ordered for Bulldogs head coach Mark Fox, who is in the process of building a strong foundation.  Lalanne picked Georgia over George Mason, South Florida, Auburn, and Massachusetts and, although he plays post player on his high school team, he projects a wing forward down the road.  It also looks like South Carolina continues to build a strong nucleus, as the Gamecocks now have an early verbal commitment from 6'8 Jr Anthony Gill from Charlotte (Christian) NC, who is ranked #124 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  And this comes right on the heels of all of the good players - 5'10 Bruce Ellington from Monack Center (Berkeley) SC,  6'0 Eric Smith from Mullins (H.S.) SC. 6'8 R.J. Slawson from North Charleston (Ft. Dorchester) SC, 6'5 Brian Richardson from Wilson (Greenville) NC, and 6'9 Damontre Harris from Fayetteville (Trinity) NC - that the Gamecocks have in their current recruiting class, which is tied at #12, along with USC, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  Other verbal commitments that we've run across that have occurred during the last several days include 6'1 Elijah Carter from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ to St. Bonaventure, 6'2 Chris McCall from North Las Vegas (Cheyenne) NV to Montana State, 6'8 Djim Bandoumel from Monroe (JC) NY to Idaho, and 6'11 Terrance Williams from Highland (JC) IL to IPFW.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson checks in and he tells us that while the recruiting saga of 6'9 Adreian Payne from Dayton (Jefferson) OH does not have the drama of a 6'8 Harrison Barnes from Ames (H.S.) IA or a 6'3 Brandon Knight from Ft. Lauderdale (Pine Crest) FL, it is still a fascinating situation because of the lack of information on his recruitment.  "Payne has as much raw natural ability as any player in the 2010 class," says Johnson.  "With a 7'4 wing span, he has great leaping ability and runs like a deer.  But he has only been playing basketball since the 6th grade and sometimes he disappears from games."  As far as production on his All-Ohio Red AAU team, Payne is probably fifth most productive, behind 6'8 Jared Sullinger from Columbus (Northland) OH, 6'3 Jordan Sibert from Cincinnati (Princeton) OH, 5'10 Juwan Staten from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, and 6'2 Aaron Craft from Findley (Liberty-Benton) OH.  It is kind of a throwback to the 1980's when there was no internet and only a limited number of recruiting services.  If you will recall, ESPN only talked about recruiting during the McDonald's All American Game and the USA Today was the only newspaper that covered recruiting from a national perspective.  This is because Payne is a quiet introverted kid who lives with his grandmother and does not like to talk with reporters and recruiting gurus on phone.  His high school teammates say he never talks about recruiting, as do his All-Ohio Red AAU teammates and coaches.  Payne's high school coach Art Winston has talked to some people after Payne's official visits, but says nothing informative as to where Payne might be leaning.  An example of Payne's mysterious recruiting saga came at the LeBron James King City Classic in Cleveland, OH on July 8th when he gave out a list of schools, which included no in-state schools.  And when pressed, he said he had eliminated them all.  Then, the next day when some more reporters interviewed him, Payne said Ohio State, Akron, Dayton, and Xavier were on his list.   More recently he narrowed his list to a final five, which included Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan Stare and West Virginia.  Another reason I think Payne's recruitment is a throwback to the 80's is that few players do it the old-school way by taking all five official visits in the fall before selecting a college before/during the November Signing Period.  But that's what Payne has done, doing in-home visits with all five schools and officially visiting all but Kansas, which now appears to be out.  All this is important, because Payne is supposed to announce his college decision at 6:00 PM tonight.  However, as things stand now, even the coaches at the four finalist have no clue what Payne is thinking.  As for the pros and cons of the four finalists, he is very familiar with Arizona head coach Sean Miller, who recruited him hard when he was the boss at Xavier, and Arizona assistant coach Archie Miller, who did likewise when he was at Ohio State.  Arizona also is expected to play an up tempo style, which is to Payne's liking.  The downside would be distance, as Payne's coach and grandmother would have to fly to see him play.  In contrast, the other three schools are within driving distance.  Kentucky also plays an up tempo style, but what might hurt them is the fact that John Calipari is too good of a recruiter.  By that I mean, Payne might be concerned about being overshadowed/over recruited.  I've also heard that his advisors do not want Payne going to Ohio State, because he would once again be in the shadow of his AAU teammate Jared Sullinger.  The fact that Michigan State's Tom Izzo has done a great job working with post players is a positive.  But Payne could face three of his former AAU teammates who are going to Ohio State, plus more schools in that conference are drivable for road games than in Big East, SEC, and Pacific.  However, the Big-10 is not known as an up tempo conference and Payne might not want to face physical half-court defenses.  West Virginia's Bob Huggins and staff have recruited Payne as long and hard as anyone, plus he has been on campus there the most.  Huggins also has produced several post players who have played in the NBA.  The best example being Kenyon Martin, who was a raw athletic leaper when he graduated from high school.   But Martin also was a lot tougher and more aggressive than Payne is at the same stage of their career.  So, here is my guess/pecking order on one of the hardest kids to figure out what is going through his mind:  1) Michigan State, 2) West Virginia, 3) Arizona, and 4) Kentucky."  Editor's Note:  It looks like Johnson was right on the money, as Payne did indeed pick the Spartans over the Mountaineers, Wildcats, and Wildcats earlier this evening.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Over the years I've been one of the NCAA's biggest critics.   But when it comes to their proposed legislation to "clean up college basketball from within," I am in total agreement.  ESPN's Dana O'Neil addressed this topic in an article that was published earlier today, which can be found by clicking onto http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=oneal_dana&id=4601355.  Especially noteworthy are the suggestions mentioned for the recruiting reform package, which also already have received the endorsement of the conference commissioners and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. 

• "Eliminating so-called package deals, making it nearly impossible for a college program to hire any of the myriad of hangers-on associated with prospective student-athletes."

• "Disallowing college coaches to subscribe to receiving services run by people associated with prospects.  This would curtail services offered by AAU programs (and others) that charge colleges to subscribe but sometimes offer little to no information on the prospect." 

• "Preventing payment to nonprofit organizations benefiting summer-club teams, prospects or people attached to prospects."

• "Preventing coaches from hiring outsiders to work at their camps and clinics."

The article also makes note of the fact that the board of directors has the authority to enact some of the changes immediately, although most would go in effect in May 2010.  "As potentially ground-shaking as the rules are, the punishments comes with equally share teeth," says ONeil.  "Head or assistant coaches could be suspended from participation from regular-season games as well as the NCAA tournament, and the penalties would follow him to subsequent jobs.  Also, basketball players caught in the web could be rendered permanently ineligible at a school found guilty of one of these infractions."  I also thought it was interesting that we were mentioned in a favorable light under the heading Payments to recruiting services run by people associated with prospects.  "These aren't to be confused with the legit services run by people like Dave Telep, Tom Konchalski, and Clark Francis, who work independently of any team."  I also think Van Coleman, who publishes Hoopmasters.com, and Brick Oettinger, who is a columnist for the Recruiters Handbook and PrepStars.com are two of the best and most legit guys in the business and, as a result, should be held in the same esteem.  And, with the exception of Telep, who has only been in the business a dozen years, Konchalski, Coleman, Oettinger, and myself have really stood the test of time, as the four of us combined have been in the business for well over a 100 years.  Another thing that we all have in common is the fact that none of us run events or have club teams, which not only adds to our legitimacy, but also eliminates any conflict of interest, which can be a big problem, if you're trying to evaluate and rank the players who come to your event or play for you club team.  It also will be interesting to see which way a lot of the people who are doing both will decide to go.  And right at the top of the list is Dave Telep, who has a scouting service, is the National Recruiting Director for Scout.com, and is the guy who invites the players for the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp.  Now don't get me wrong.  I have a tremendous amount of respect for Telep.  He's a first class person and is one of the hardest working guys in the business.  But anybody who is inviting the players to attend a camp is "associated with prospects."  So it's a legitimate question to ask whether this applies to just AAU coaches and street agents or anybody the NCAA thinks has any type of influence over prospects.   And, if this just applies to AAU coaches and street agents, they need to be more specific.  Remember, it's how something is actually written and, not how the people who wrote it think it should be interrupted, that's going to win in court.  And, if they decide that this rule does apply to people who run events, where will they draw the line?  And will somebody like Telep fall into this category?  And, if he does, will they give him an exemption?  And, if they do, who else will get an exemption?  All these are legitimate questions and I bet you that I'm not the only one who is asking these types of questions. 

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Our North Carolina Editor Rick Lewis attended the D-One Sports Nike Combine over the weekend on the campus of High Point Westchester Academy in High Point, NC and D-One Sports owner and event organizer Brian Clifton deserves a tremendous amount of credit for putting together a very well organized and prestigious event.   The camp started with Jason Fawcett, who is the owner of Clutch Players, LLC and is a Grassroots Consultant at Reebok, leading the campers through a series of intense stations and drills.  "The effort by the campers in attendance was extremely intense and the competition for execution was at a high pace," says Lewis.  "This set the tone for the rest of the camp on Saturday.  In a unique set up, the D-One Sports Nike Combine teams consisted of five teams of five players and the games consisted  of four five-minute quarters.  This concept created a more competitive and intense atmosphere."  The camp was limited to 25 players, many of whom are high major prospects, including 6’3 J.T. Terrell from Charlotte (West Charlotte) NC, 6'8 Melvin Tabb from Raleigh (Enloe) NC, and 6'3 Jr Dezmine Wells from Raleigh (Word of God) NC.  "Terrell impressed us with his ability to score at will averaging 17.6 ppg in the three games," says Lewis.  "But his teams went 1-2 on the day.  My only knock on Terrell is he commands the ball so much that some of his teammates have a tendency to stand and watch.  But, while he fails to make his teammates better, one cannot question Terrell's ability to score at any spot or time on the floor."  Tabb, who also is bound for Wake Forest, was solid at the power forward spot, with 9.0 ppg and Wells, who recently made an early verbal commitment to Xavier, averaged 12.5 ppg and scored most of his points off transition and drives to the basket.   The top player of the camp was 6’2 Stargell Love from Winston-Salem (Quality Education Academy) NC.  "I first saw Love this summer at the Charlotte Elite Camp and I thought this young man was a high major player," says Lewis.  "And he further confirmed my earlier assessment after watching his performance at the D-One Sports Nike Combine.  We are talking about a physical and muscular 6’2 point guard with size and quickness.  He is extremely explosive and can overpower most point guards.  My only knock on Love was a consistent jump shot.  But he quickly erased those doubts in this setting.  In the two games, he scored 16 and 18 points respectively.  But it was his hot outside shooting that was the most impressive.  Even more impressive was Love's desire for his team to win, which is a rarity in exposure type settings, as his team went 2-0."  Another player who came into the camp with very little fanfare was 6’6 Jr Dom Pointer of Winston-Salem (Quality Education Academy) NC via Detroit, MI.  He averaged 16 ppg, showed how well he can run the floor, and was the surprise player of the day, along with 6’9 Kyle Wilter of Portland, OR, who averaged 12.0 ppg and was the most fundamentally sound forward in attendance.   Another surprise player was 6’6 senior DuVaughn Maxwell of Petersburg (H.S.) VA, who averaged 15.0 ppg and showed why he is an absolute steal for Longwood, as he showed toughness to go along with his power forward skills.  He also knocked down a few jump shots and was a fierce competitor on the boards.  It also looks like 6'5 Jr Andrew White from Petersburg (H.S.) VA picked up where he left off last week at the North Carolina Phenom 150 Exposure Camp by averaging 13.0 ppg.  Lewis also tells us that 6’3 Jr Quddus Bello from High Point (Westchester Academy) NC once again showed his athleticism and explosiveness, as well as why he has the nickname “Deuce Dunk on You” Bello.  He averaged 15 ppg and most of his points come off monster dunks.  And what about 6’3 Jr Damien Leonard of Greensville (J.L. Mann) SC and 5'11 Soph Tyler Lewis from Statesville (Forsyth Country Day) NC?  Leonard, who chipped in with 12.0 ppg, did his damage with his outside shooting and was solid with his ball handling and passing skills.  Lewis is a 5'11 pass first point guard who averaged 10.0 ppg and 6.5 apg and he did what he has done all summer and fall by distributing the ball and getting his teammates involved.  Other underclassman who also deserve special recognition are 6’2 Frosh Rodney Purvis from Raleigh (Upper Room Christian) NC, 6'3 8th Grader Theo Pinson from Greensboro, NC and 5'11 8th Grader Eric Johnson from Durham, NC.  "Purvis averaged 7.7 ppg, but was impressive with 15 points in the second game.  "This strong athletic combo guard is difficult to guard in a one-on-one situation," says Lewis.  "Pinson only averaged 4.5 ppg and Johnson only averaged 4.0 ppg, but Lewis was impressed with both of these players skills and potential, which are beyond their years.

Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin was at the Seventh Annual Eddie Griffin Challenge at the Fellowship House in Conshohocken, PA and he tells us that the New Jersey Team beat the Philadelphia Team in two out of the three games that featured games between the top sophomores, juniors, and seniors from these two areas.  The MVP in the Senior Game was 6'2 Kyrie Irving from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, who finished with 19 points and 12 assists and clearly was the best player on the court while matched up against the likes of 6'3 Dion Waiters from Burlington (Life Center) NJ, 6'1 Tony Chennault from Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti) PA, and 6'2 Tyrone Garland from Philadelphia (John Bartram) PA.  "Irving does everything with such ease and grace," says Rubin.  "He presents a strong argument with Brandon Knight, Joe Jackson, and Josh Selby as to who is the best point guard in the country."  The leading scorer in the game in the Senior Game was 6'5 Fuquan Edwin from Paterson (Catholic) NJ with 24 points.  Also chipping in with 18 points and seven rebounds for the New Jersey Team, which won the Senior Game, 111-103, was 6'7 Derrick Williams from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ.  The MVP for the Philadelphia Team was Garland, who finished with 17 points and four assists.  He was complemented by Waiters and Chennault, who finished with 14 and 15 points respectively.  Other participants in the Senior Game were 6'8 Devon Collier from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, 6'8 Ashton Pankey from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, 6'6 Ron Roberts from Jersey City (St. Peter's) NJ, 6'5 Jayon James from Paterson (Catholic) NJ, 6'3 Aaron Brown from Newark (St. Benedict) NJ, 6'0 Shondell Stewart from Paterson (Kennedy) NJ, 6'1 Steve Rennard from Metuchen (St. Joseph) NJ, 6'3 Franz Massenat from Trenton (Catholic) NJ, 6'10 C.J. Aiken from Plymouth Meeting (Plymouth Whitemarsh) PA, 6'1 Tyreek Duren from Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti) PA, 5'11 Rakeem Brookins from Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) PA, 6'4 Cameron Ayers from Ft. Washington (Germantown Academy) PA, 6'4 Travis Robinson from Philadelphia (Penn Charter) PA, 6'7 Jamir Hanner from Philadelphia (South Philadelphia) PA, and 6'7 Dominic Morris from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA.  The highlight of the Junior Game was watching the head-to-head battle between 6'2 Jr Myck Kabongo from Newark (St. Benedict) NJ and 6'1 Jr John Johnson from Philadelphia (Girard College) PA, who are two of the best point guards in the East.  Kabongo, who finished with 18 points and four assists, won out in the end.  However, Johnson, who also had 18 points and four assists, more than held his own.  Also helping lead the New Jersey Team to a 99-87 victory were 6'8 Jr Derrick Randall from Paterson (Catholic) NJ,  who had 16 points and seven rebounds and 6'2 Jr Myles Davis from Jersey City (St. Peter's) NJ, who had 14 points.  Also adding 16 points for the Philadelphia Team was 6'5 Jr Aaron Brown from Lansdowne (Penn Wood) PA.  Other participants in the Junior Game were 6'0 Jr Sterling Gibbs from West Orange (Seton Hall Prep) NJ, 5'8 Jr Myles Mack from Paterson (Catholic) NJ, 6'4 Jr Vaughn Gray from Ramsay (Don Bosco) NJ, 7'0 Jr Blaise Mbargorba from Newark (St. Benedict) NJ, 6'8 Jr Desmond Hubert from New Egypt (H.S.) NJ, 6'5 Jr Jarrod Davis from Lakewood (H.S.) NJ, 6'5 Jr Jarrelle Reischel from Point Pleasant Beach (H.S.) NJ, 6'2 Jr Juanya Green from Radnor (Archbishop Carroll) PA, 6'10 Jr Malcolm Gilbert from Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA, 6'4 Jr Ameen Tanksley from Philadelphia (Imhotep Charter) PA, 6'3 Jr Devin Coleman from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA, 6'5 Jr Jalen Bond from Plymouth Meeting (Plymouth Whitemarsh) PA, 5'11 Jr Aquil Younger from Philadelphia (West Catholic) PA, 5'9 Jr Eddie Mitchell from Wyndmoor (La Salle) PA, and 6'7 Jr Junior Fortunato from Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) PA.  The MVP in the Sophomore Game, which was won by the Philadelphia Team, 84-71, was 6'3 Soph Kyree Wooten from Philadelphia (Strawberry Mansion) PA, who also was the leading scorer in the game with 17 points.  He was complemented by 6'1 Soph Josh Heylinger from Pottstown (Hill School) PA with 15 points and 6'2 Soph Ryan Arciadano from Langhorne (Neshaminy) PA with 12 points and four assists.  Rubin also makes note of the fact that Arciadano did a good job of controlling the tempo of the game and, as a result, deserved some consideration for game MVP honors.  The MVP for the New Jersey Team was 6'2 Soph Tariq Carey from Newark (Eastside) NJ, who finished with 12 points.  Unfortunately the two big time prospects - 6'7 Soph Kyle Anderson from Paterson (Catholic) NJ and 6'7 Soph Amile Jefferson from Wynnewood (Friends) PA - in the Sophomore Game had sub par games.  Jefferson finished with five points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks.  Anderson had 10 points, three rebounds, and three assists.  Other participants in the Sophomore Game were 6'5 Soph Savon Goodman from Byrn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA, 5'10 Soph Montana Mayfield from Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) PA, 5'7 Soph Maurice Watson from Philadelphia (Boys Latin) PA, 6'4 Soph Brandon Kilpatrick from Malvern (Prep) PA, 6'5 Soph Derrick Stewart from Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti) PA, 5'8 Soph Korron Davis from Drexel Hill (Monsignor Bonner) PA, and 6'5 Soph Malik Gardner from Philadelphia (Chestnut Hill Academy) PA, 6'4 Soph Rashad Andrews from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, 5'10 Soph Alex Mitola from Gladstone (Gill St. Bernards) NJ, 6'2 Soph Dallas Anglin from Jersey City (St. Peter's) NJ, 6'6 Soph Dom Hoffman from Gladstone (Gill St. Bernards) NJ, 6'4 Soph Jimmie Hall from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, 6'6 Soph Jerome Frink from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, 6'5 Soph Jameel Warmley from Roselle (Catholic) NJ, and 6'5 Soph Brandon Taylor from Trenton (Catholic) NJ.

Saturday, October 24, 2009, Sunday, October, 25, 2009, & Monday, October 26, 2009

It's one of the best stories that we've heard in a long time.  We're talking about 7'0 DeWayne Dedmon from Antelope Valley (JC) CA, who was raised a Jehovah’s Witness and up until his senior year in high school had never played organized basketball.  However, after learning how to play the game last year as a Grey Shirt, which means he was a part-time student and, as a result, the clock hadn't started running yet (once a student-athlete enrolls into a college as a full-time student he has five years to play four),  it looks like Dedmon has superstar written all over him.  This 7'0, 240-pound physical specimen with huge hands, a 7'6 wing span, a size 19-shoe, and ability to run the court like a deer has grown three inches and put on 30 pounds of muscle in the last year.  “The weird thing about him is that he has no bad habits,” says Antelope Valley head coach Dieter Horton. “Because he came in with no habits at all, all of his tendencies are things we taught him to do.  Everything we taught him stuck like glue.  He didn’t know how to shoot the ball when he got here.  Now, his shot looks almost perfect because it’s exactly what we taught him.”  Horton also adds that during Dedmon’s year spent learning the game, the coaching staff would be routinely floored as they’d explain concepts and formations to Dedmon and five minutes later he’d be jumping into practice and performing them better than the players who’d been learning them for years.  All this is important right now, because Dedmon has verbally committed to USC.  However, the Trojans will have to wait two years before Dedmon enrolls into school, which means that he will be joining 6'1 Jr Gelaun Wheelwright from Corona (Centennial) CA and 6'5 Jr Byron Wesley from Etiwanda (H.S.) CA in a recruiting class that is now ranked #4 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011.  Obviously this was a case where long time USC assistant coaches Bob Cantu and Gib Arnold were able to use their strong West Coast connections to get the Trojans involved early.  But it also looks like new Southern California head coach Kevin O'Neill hasn't lost his touch, as Horton also says that O'Neill did a great job of building a relationship with his player and that he's never seen a school pursue a player as hard as the Trojans coaching staff did while recruiting Dedmon.  And to reinforce our belief even further that O'Neill and his staff are doing a great job of rebuilding the program is the fact that USC also already has five players - 6'7 Dwayne Polee from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA, 6'9 Curtis Washington from Elizabethtown (H.S.) KY, 6'5 Bryce Jones from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA, 6'7 Garrett Jackson from Portland (Westview) OR, and 5'7 Maurice Jones from Saginaw (Arthur Hill) CA - in the fold a recruiting class that is currently tied at #12, along with South Carolina, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  It also looks like Loyola-Marymount head coach Max Good has gone back to his old stamping grounds with the verbal commitment that the Lions received over the weekend from 5'10 Anthony Ireland from Winchendon (School) MA.  Ireland was a prolific scorer during his high school days at Waterbury (Crosby) CT.  But now he's the pure point guard that Winchendon head coach Mike Byrnes needs to run the show and complement 6'9 Markus Kennedy, 6'9 Soph Khem Birch, and all of other good players currently in the program.  Ireland, who also is press proof and has a knack for getting into the teeth of the defense, also promises to be the floor general who will complement all of the excellent young players - 6'4 Jr Vernon Teel, 6'3 Soph Jarred DuBois, 6'8 Soph Kevin Young, 6'5 Soph LaRon Armstead, 6'3 Frosh Given Kalipinde, 6'10 Frosh Edgar Garibay, 6'7 Frosh Ashley Hamilton, 6'6 Frosh Quincy Lawson, and 6'6 Frosh Alex Osborne - who are currently on the Loyola-Marymount roster.  And don't forget about the fact that the Lions also have 6'4 Jr Larry Davis and 6'5 Soph Drew Viney waiting in the wings after transferring from Seton Hall and the University of Oregon.  Our Texas Editor Tim Miller and our Canadian Editor Ro Russell are both telling us that 6'4 Christian Kabongo from Irving (God's Academy) TX has verbally committed to East Carolina.  And they both think this is a major steal, as well as an under the radar guy due to the fact that he was ineligible and, as a result, sat out last season at Durham (Mt. Zion Christian.  Kabongo also is originally from Toronto (Central Commerce) ON and is the cousin of 6'1 Jr Myck Kabongo from Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ.  "Kabongo is a big time player and a major steal," says Miller.  "He's a super athlete and is capable of putting up big numbers, thanks to his ability to both slash and shoot the basketball."  Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin tells us that 6'6 Daniel Stewart from Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti) PA has verbally committed to Rider and 6'6 Malik Thomas from New York (Wadleigh) NC has become Boston University's sixth recruit and its first in this year's recruiting class from someplace other than Philadelphia, PA.  "Thomas is a slasher who can do a little bit of everything," says Naclerio.  "He's also good enough to be ranked in the 200-300 range nationally and is a good kid and an excellent student (1260 SAT and 93 gpa).  Stewart, who is ranked #221 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, is an athletic power forward who rebounds, defends, and is effective offensively in the low post and out to 15-feet.  It also looks like 6'8 Rod Odom from Concord (Middlesex School) MA has reneged on the verbal commitment that he recently made to the University of Arizona and, as a result, is once again considering schools like West Virginia, Boston College, and Vanderbilt.  And what about the verbal commitment that 6'9 Marvell Waithe from Tallahassee (JC) FL has made to the University of Arkansas?  Waithe averaged 18.9 ppg and 9.0 rpg and shot 53% from the field and 39% from beyond the arc a year ago in the junior college ranks and is versatile enough to play both inside and outside.  And this is important, because Waite is exactly what the doctor ordered for Razorbacks head coach John Pelphrey, whose top priority in this year's recruiting class was to find a replacement for 6'9 Sr Michael Washington, who will graduate at the conclusion of the upcoming season.  Everybody keeps talking about how 6'5 Flavien Davis from Milwaukee (Lutheran) WI needs to expand his game.  But what Davis does best is score, rebound, block shots, and not take an prisoners in the paint and, as a result, this undersized power forward appears to be a perfect fit for Loyola-Illinois, which is the school that he picked over the weekend.  We also have confirmed that 6'1 Lavonte Dority from Chicago (Foreman) IL has verbally committed to South Florida and this appears to be a good catch for the Bulls for several reasons.  First, he's a tough hardnosed Chicago kid with a swagger and the athleticism necessary to attack the basket and lock his man up defensively.  Second, he's capable of running the show and making things happen in transition, although he needs to tone his game down a little bit at times.  "Dority is more of a scorer than a point guard," says Roy Schmidt of the Illinois Prep Bulls-eye web site.  "But that could change once he gets to college.  He's not as good as Kansas' Sherron Collins was at the same stage, but Dority's game is similar in a lot ways. We also have confirmed that 5'11 Jamison Stern from Waxachachie (H.S.) TX has verbally committed to UTEP, 6'9 Jordan Dykstra from Rock Valley (H.S.) IL has verbally committed to South Dakota State, 6'8 Kadeem Green from Creedmoor (United Faith Christian) NC has verbally committed to Missouri, 6'0 Kenyon Smith from Lincoln (JC) IL has verbally committed to Illinois State, 6'3 DeJuan Wright from Gillette (JC) WY has verbally committed to Florida International, and 6'2 Maliik Love from La Jolla (Bishops) CA has verbally committed to Cal Poly-San Louis Obispo.

Friday, October 23, 2009

While compiling our list of names that went into our Ranking of the Top Players Nationally in the Class of 2016 (6th Graders), I had a very interesting conversation with one of the people who was contributing names to our list.  Without naming names, he told me that his godson was one of the top players in this class, but got the shaft at the Junior Phenom Camp in San Diego, CA due to politics.  Well, I looked back at my notes and discovered that the player in question was on a team that featured the best player in camp, the fourth best player in camp, and a small quick point guard that I also thought was one of the better players in camp.  On the other hand, the player in question was ranked as the top player in his age group at the Junior All-American Camp and several other people have independently confirmed that this player is really good.  Thus, explains why he is ranked among the top 10 players on our list, but not ranked ahead of the to best and the fourth best players at the Junior Phenom Camp, who, by the way, also were two of the best players in the 6th Grade All-Star Game.  And this is important for several reasons.  First, if you going to blame anybody for where a player is ranked at the Junior Phenom Camp or, for that matter, any other camp or tournament that we cover, blame me.  Second, not only do I do my best not to play politics, but at this age I don't even know who 99% of the players in this age group are before I arrive at camp.  Either you can play or you can't.  Either you have a good attitude or don't.  Either you are a team player or you are not.  Either you are a great athlete or your are not.  Either you have size for position or you don't.  I'm the first to admit that there is a great deal of margin for error when watching players for the first time, especially when they are so young,.  But I will stand by my track record.  Did you know that our #2 and #3-ranked players in the 6th Grade age group five years ago at the adidas Junior Phenom Camp were on the same team this past summer at the LeBron James King City Classic in Cleveland, OH?  We're talking about 6'4 Jr Austin Rivers from Winter Park (H.S.) FL and 6'2 Jr Jamal Branch from Arlington (Grace Prep) TX, who are now two of the top players in the junior class nationally.  And 6'3 Jr Matt Carlino from Bloomington (South) IN, who was the #1-ranked player at the camp five years ago, turned out to be pretty good as well, as he already has made an early verbal commitment to Indiana University and is a legitimate 50-100 range junior nationally.  I also will never forget the 6th Grade All-Star Game battle three years at the adidas Junior Phenom Camp between 5'11 Frosh Kasey Hill from Mount Dora (Bible) FL, who is now ranked #3 nationally in the freshman class by the HOOP SCOOP and led his team to a final four appearance this past summer at the AAU 14-Under Nationals, and 5'11 Soph D.J. Griggs from Lake Jackson (Brazosport) TX, who was a top five-ranked player in the Class of 2013, but has moved up a year into the Class of 2012 and is still one of the better players nationally in his class.  And who about the battles between 5'9 7th Grader Allonzo Trier from Federal Way, WA and 5'4 8th Grader Justin Jenifer from Woodlawn, MD?  If you will recall, a lot of people thought Jenifer was the best 6th Grader in the country two years ago.  But when the dust had cleared two years ago the the adidas Junior Phenom Camp and a year ago at the Junior All-American Camp, there was little doubt that Trier was the better player.  In other words, the head start and perspective that we get by watching players this young can be invaluable in the future.  However, I also want to remind you that this is just the starting point.  And for every story like the ones mentioned above, I also can tell you one about how we're surprised that this player or that player was a junior high school phenom, but has sense fallen off the radar screen and not been heard from sense.  So I encourage everybody to take these rankings for what they are - a reflection of what we know and have seen at a very early stage.  And, if you think we've missed the boat on somebody, I also encourage you to feel free to send me your feedback to hoopscooponline.com@msn.com.  On the other hand, also remember that too many parents overdo it, as they not only create expectations that are impossible to live up to, but also put a great big target on their kid's back.  Moral to the story, sometimes it's better to let the process to evolve and let people like us figure it out on our own.  Remember, at this age we've still got six years to get it right. 

Thursday, October 22, 2009

It looks like Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff have not only landed one of the top players in the nation with tonight's verbal commitment from 6'2 Kyrie Irving from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, but they also have found the prolific scoring combo guard who can play either the one or the two spot and will be ideally suited to complement 6'4 Frosh Andre Dawkins in what should be one of the best backcourts in college basketball a year from now.  And, if they really hit the jackpot and also add 6'8 Harrison Barnes from Ames (H.S.) IA to a recruiting class that also already includes 6'8 Josh Hairston from Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD and 6'1 Tyler Thornton from Washington (Gonzaga) DC, then the Blue Devils will have the #2-ranked recruiting class in the nation on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  Or they could have the best recruiting class in the nation on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010, if they get Barnes and we include Dawkins, who decided to forego his senior of high school at Chesapeake (Atlanta Shore Christian) VA and enroll as a freshman at Duke this fall.  As for Irving, we thought he was overrated last winter after having sat out the first half of his junior season due to transfer eligibility rules in the state of New Jersey.  But then Irving was so good last spring that we had him in the discussion for top player honors nationally for the Class of 2010.  Then, he flopped at the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp and also didn't live up to expectations when we saw him at the LeBron James King City Classic.  And even more recently St Patrick head coach Kevin Boyle, who is a very credible source, told me recently that there are days when he thinks Irving is the best player in his program.  And that's saying a lot when one remembers that a lot of people, including us, think 6'8 Jr Michael Gilchrist from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ is the best player in the nation regardless of class.  Irving is best with the ball in his hands, but he also can flat out shoot the lights out and he should provide the Blue Devils with a major upgrade in speed and quickness in the backcourt.  We also find it interesting that a number of people, including our Midwest Editor Antonio Curro, who also the editor and publisher of the NY2LASports.com, have told me in the last several days how great a catch 6'3 Vander Blue from Madison (Memorial) WI was for Marquette earlier in the week.  We knew Blue was a top 100-ranked senior nationally and we suspected that he was somewhat under the radar screen when we reported this verbal commitment on Monday.  But we weren't prepared for the fact that Curro thinks Blue is one of the top 10 or 15 players in the senior class nationally.  "He's a special player," says Curro.  "He hates to lose and he attacks the rim, hits the mid-range shot, and has a lethal mix of explosiveness and athleticism.  He's also a legitimate McDonald's All-American."  We also have several other sources who think Blue is better than anybody that Marquette signed a year ago.  And that's saying a lot when one remembers that the Golden Eagles signed two top 20-ranked high school seniors (Erik Williams and Junior Cadugon), two First Team Junior College All-Americans (Dwight Buycks and Darius Johnson-Odom), one of the biggest sleepers in the nation (Jeronne Maymon), and a guy with incredible upside and potential (Youssouphe Mbao) a year ago in a recruiting class that we ranked #1 in our Final Ranking of the Top Recruiting Classes for the Class of 2009.  Curro reinforces all this even further when he tells us that Blue had close to 40 points and was the dominant player on the floor when his team beat Team Detroit, which featured 6'2 Ray McCallum from Beverly Hills (Detroit Country Day) MI and 6'5 Trey Zeigler from Mt. Pleasant (H.S.) MI, both of whom are top 40-ranked high school seniors nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  Roy Schmidt of the Illinois Prep Bulls-eye web site doesn't go quite as far as Curro and some others.  But Schmidt does think Blue is a legitimate top 30-50 range player nationally and adds that he's the multi-dimensional athlete with a great feel for the game and ability to play the one, two, and three spots, which should make him a great complement to all of the above mentioned players.  And this is important, because we suddenly have Marquette's current recruiting class, which also includes 6'10 Monterale Clark from Hill (JC) TX and 6'6 Jamail Jones from Montverde (Academy) FL, ranked #8 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  We also are impressed with the fact that Central Michigan has added a pair of big men - 6'10 Nate Van Arendonk from Grand Haven (H.S.) MI and 6'8 Jevon Harden from Detroit (Loyola) MI - to a recruiting class that already includes 6'0 Derek Jackson from Cleveland (Benedictine) OH and 6'7 Colin Voss from East Grand Rapids (H.S.) MI.  Van Arendonk is a 6'10, 255-pound physical presence inside who is ranked #193 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and Harden is a raw athlete who is best right now at the defensive end, but has a lot of upside and potential.  In other words, it looks like Chippewas head coach Ernie Zeigler and his staff are doing a great job of laying the foundation, as well as bringing two excellent back-to-back recruiting classes.  If you will recall, a year ago they landed 6'4 Jalin Thomas from Penacola (JC) FL, 6'1 Finis Craddock from Garland (H.S.) TX, 5'9 Amir Rashid from Trinity Valley (JC) TX, 6'5 K'allante Miller from Oak Park (H.S.) MI, 6'7 Tyler Brown from Eau Claire (North) WI, and 6'7 William McClure from Lake Land (JC) IL.  And the final piece to the puzzle will be 6'5 Trey Zeigler from Mt. Pleasant (H.S.) MI, if he decides he wants to stay at home, instead of picking a big time schools like UCLA, Michigan, Michigan State, Kansas, or Oklahoma.  Patrick Stanwood, who is now a National Recruiting Analyst for Nothing But Net, as well as a contributor to the HOOP SCOOP, tells us that 6'0 Jr Trey Burke from Columbus (Northland) OH made an early verbal commitment to Penn State and our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin tells us that 6'4 Jr Achraf Yacoubou from Brookville (Long Island Lutheran) NY has made an early verbal commitment to Villanova.  Yacoubou is a tough hardnosed athletic 2-guard who is ranked is currently ranked #64 nationally in the junior class and is especially lethal from beyond the arc with his outside shooting.  Burke is  ranked #224 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, but this scoring point guard not only is one of the fastest rising juniors nationally, but also led his team to the AAU 16-Under National Championship.  It also looks like 6'7 Shawn Jones from Hialeah (Miami Hialeah Lakes) FL has picked Middle Tennessee State over schools like Winthrop, James Madison, and Tulane.  We're talking about an athletic shot blocking/rebounding power forward who promises to be an excellent complement to 6'7 Melvin Baker from Odessa (JC) TX and 6'1 Jeffrey Simmons from Greenwood (H.S.) MS in a recruiting class that is now ranked #61 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  We also have confirmed that 6'8 Paul Cooper from Gulf Coast (JC) FL has picked Texas Tech, 6'7 Kyle Cain from New Hampton (Prep) NH has picked Rhode Island, 6'7 Steve Carver from Shawnee Mission (Northwest) KS has picked Holy Cross, 6'11 Nate Hicks from Panama City (Arnold) FL has picked Tulane, 6'0 Joe Harms from Belleville (Althoff Catholic) IL has picked Austin Peay, 6'6 Malcolm Rhett from Columbia (Richland Northeast) SC has picked Tennessee State.  6'5 Jr Dezmine Wells from Raleigh (Word of God) NC has made an early verbal commitment to Xavier, and 6'6 Jr Darius Singleton from Sachse (H.S.) TX has made an early verbal commitment to Texas Christian

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Our North Carolina Editor Rick Lewis checks back in and he tells us that, in addition to playing against excellent competition and getting great exposure at the 5^th Annual North Carolina Adidas Phenom Camp in Lewisville, NC, the top players in the 8th and 9th Grade Divisions were playing for invitations to the Phenom Top 150 Camp, which will be held in San Diego, CA, June 24th-27th.  Without a doubt the top five freshmen in camp were 6'6 Frosh Greg McClinton from Winston-Salem (Prep) NC, 6'5 Frosh Marcus Bryan from Raleigh (Ravenscroft) NC, 6'5 Frosh Brian White from Chester (Matoaca) VA, 5'10 Frosh Andrew Rowsey from Lexington (Rockbridge) VA, and 6'3 Frosh Cody Hylton from Greensboro (Northwest Guilford) NC.  "McClinton is a long lanky athletic wing who loves to run the floor in transition," says Lewis.  "McClinton's nickname at camp might have been “Dr. Dunk” since he had at least 5-6 baskets per game via dunks.  Although, we didn’t keep track of the player with the most dunks, it would have to be McClinton hands down.  Since I know McClinton extremely well, he does sport a high mid-range game.  But he didn’t showcase this skill at camp.  He has tremendous potential and upside.  Bryan impressed me with his hustle, hardnosed play, and exceptional ball handling skills.  He has good basketball skills, a high basketball IQ, and is a throwback who likes to mix it up and get things done.  He displayed a nice mid-range game and was able to get the ball and go coast-to-coast.  He also has above average athleticism and his ball handling skills will allow him to play the wing position, if he does not grow much more.  White is a young athletic wing who displayed impeccable timing on blocking shots and was very good in transition and ran the floor extremely well.  He does need to develop a consistent mid-range jump shot in order to grow as a player, but has a tremendous upside and was one of the favorites of the young frosh at the camp.  Rowsey is a promising young prospect at the point guard position.  He has a high basketball IQ, exceptional ball handling and passing skills, and can knock down the open 3-point shot.  He also has a confidence and flair to his game that I really liked.  Hylton is a solid 6’3 shooting guard with tremendous range.  In one game over the weekend, he knocked down six 3-pointers.  He also has good basketball skills and can play either guard position.  But he's best at the shooting guard spot.  And, if he continues to develop, he could become a nice mid-major prospect.  He can stretch the defense with his long distance shooting."  Lewis also gives special mention to 6'5 Frosh Deojunique Flippin from Holly Springs (H.S.) NC, 6'5 Frosh Dustin Dodd from Concord (Hickory Grove) NC, 6'4 Frosh Troy Williams from Hampton, VA, and 5'9 Frosh James Daniel from Hampton (Phoebus) VA.  "Flippin is a strong physical wing/power forward with his final position yet to be determined," says Lewis.  "He displayed tenacity on both ends of the court during the weekend.  He has good athleticism and is a fierce competitor.  Dodd has good basketball skills, a high basketball IQ, and solid fundamentals, but he needs to improve his athleticism.  He was one of the few players at camp that boxed out on the defensive end and contested offensive shooters with a hand in their face.  His level of play will be determined by his growth and development.  Williams is another wing/power forward whose true position has not been determined.  He is strong and athletic on the boards, runs the floor extremely well, and is an above average defender.  But he is a little raw at the offensive end.  Daniel is a quick point guard who is tenacious on the defensive end, displayed good leadership as a point, and distributed the ball well in one game I watched."  Other players in the Class of 2013 who should be noted are 5’9 Frosh Demetrius Anderson from Sumter (H.S.) SC, 6’3 Frosh Tyquan Bitting from Winston-Salem (Mt. Tabor) NC, 5’10 Frosh Darius Book from Fayetteville, NC, 5’11 Frosh Dahmir Boswell from Concord (J.M. Robinson) NC, 5’8 Frosh Samuel Buckner from Clemmons (West Forsyth) NC, 5’10 Frosh Clay Byrd from Connelly Springs (East Burke) NC, 6’3 Frosh Blake Cranor from Mooresville (Lake Norman) NC, 6’1 Frosh Anthanee Doyle from Garner (H.S.) NC, 5’11 Frosh Brandon Earnhardt from High Point (Christian) NC, 6’2 Frosh Douglas Elliott from Simpsonville (J.L. Mann) SC, 6’1 Frosh Anton Gill from Raleigh (Ravenscroft) NC, 5’5 Frosh Devonte’ Graham from Raleigh (Broughton) NC, 5’8 Frosh Cameron Kirkman from Granite Falls (Heritage Christian) NC, 5’11 Frosh Andrew Lanier from Mount Holly (East Gaston) NC, 5’9 Frosh Jerrel Moore from Greensboro (Day School) NC, 6’5 Frosh Mark Pollack of Charlotte (Catholic) NC, 5’4 Frosh T.J. Robinson from Fayetteville (Christian) NC, 6’2 Frosh Shaheed Robinson from Sumter (H.S.) SC, 5’7 Frosh Shermon Sherin from Fayetteville (Trinity Christian) NC, 6’0 Frosh Joseph Stepp from Lewisville (Forsyth Country Day) NC, 5’10 Frosh Deshar Thomas from Goldsboro (Spring Creek) NC, 5’6 Frosh Avery Wilson from Simpsonville (J.L. Mann) SC, 5’8 Frosh Malik Wilson from Columbia (Spring Valley) SC, and 6’0 Frosh Brenen Wright from Hope Mills (Fayetteville Christian) NC.  Lewis tells us that two 8th Graders really stood out and he predicts that 6'3 8th Grader Theo Pinson from Greensboro, NC and 5'11 8th Grader Eric Johnson from Durham, NC will be major impact players once they arrive on their perspective high school campuses.  Pinson is ranked #12 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and it appears we were right on target.  "Pinson is already a long athletic 6’3 wing with point guard abilities," says Lewis.  "Eventually he will be an elite level point guard.  He has superb ball handling skills and sees the floor extremely well.  Although Pinson has a “flash” to his game, he is very unselfish and will make the extra pass to his open teammate.  In addition to being a superb ball handler, he is very good on the defensive end.  He is aggressive on the boards and already has an uncanny shot blocking ability for a prospect so young.  The only weakness in his game is a consistent jumper.  But he has plenty of time to perfect that."  However, we missed on Johnson, who is another high level prospect and a name to keep in your memory bank.  "Johnson is a true point guard with the ability to score and hit the outside jumper," says Lewis.  "Johnson has the blend of athleticism and basketball IQ that is rare today.  I was impressed with his leadership skills on the floor and he ran his team in the high school division like a veteran.  Johnson is also very strong in attacking the basket and has all the tools."  Some other players in this age group who deserve special mention are 6'0 8th Grader Austin Dasent from Charlotte (Southwest Middle School) NC, 6'2 8th Grader Timmy Cooper from Lewisville (Forsyth Country Day) NC, 5'8 8th Grader Colton Bishop from Lewisville (Forsyth Country Day) NC, and 6'2 8th Grader Darek Barnes from Hickory (Granite Falls Middle School) NC.  "Dasent was dominating in the middle school division and was another player we moved up to play in the high school division," says Lewis.  "Dasent was active all week as he displayed hustle plays and solid ball handling skills.  Cooper has solid fundamentals and runs the floor very well.  Already sporting a long lanky frame, it looks like he could grow to 6’6 or better.  He also has good basketball skills and a high basketball IQ.  Bishop is a true pass first point guard who makes all the right plays, is a true team player, and is always looking for his open teammate in transition.  He is also a deadly outside shooter.  Barnes is a solid big with very good basketball fundamentals and skills and was dominating all weekend rebounding and running the floor.  Other players in the Class of 2014 who played well were 5’0 8th Grader Darius Moore from Fayetteville, NC, 5’8 8th Grader Randolph Hunt from Creedmoor, NC, 5’10 8th Grader Chris Adams from Winston-Salem, NC, 5’0 8th Grader Dylan Anderson from Fayetteville, NC, 5’11 8th Grader Hanif Bilal from Winston-Salem, NC, 5’2 8th Grader Khristopher Gardin from Morganton, NC, 5’6 8th Grader Jalen Gavin from Greensboro, NC, 5’8 8th Grader DeAndrew Kellam from Bassett, VA, 5’6 8th Grader Gabriel Logan from Morganton, NC, 5’7 8th Grader Matthew Milovic from Charlotte, NC, 5’4 8th Grader John Vargo from Lewisville, NC, 5’6 8th Grader Jeremiah West from Simpsonville, SC, 5’3 8th Grader Zahir Whitfield from Charlotte, NC, and 5’7 8th Grader Daniel Wyatt from Charlotte, NC.  The two players who clearly stood out in the Class of 2015 were 5’7 7th Grader Perry Dozier from Columbia, SC and 5’7 7th Grader Julius Barnes of Raleigh, NC.  "I would have loved to see these two young prospects go head-to-head," says Lewis.  "The 5’7 Dozier comes from good stock since this father and uncle were both 6’9 standouts at the University of South Carolina.  Dozier played up in the high school division and more than held his own against the older players.  He has tremendous potential and upside.  His skill level is way beyond his years as a 7th Grader and has the blend of good genes, athleticism, and skill to be one of the top players in his class.  With regard to Barnes, he was simply dominating in the middle school division.  He has lightning quick speed, is like a jet with the ball in his hands, and was tough at the defensive end."  Other players in the Class of 2015 who deserve special mention are 5'3 7th Grader DeShawn Patterson from Lenoir (Middle School) NC, 5'5 7th Grader A.J. Fulp from Monroe (Piedmont) NC, 5'4 7th Grader Anthony Bilas from Charlotte (Latin) NC, 6'0 7th Grader Austin Burnette from Raleigh (Neuse Christian) NC, 6'0 7th Grader Tyler Crowther from Raleigh (Neuse Christian) NC, and 5'10 7th Grader Timmy Walker from Charlotte (J.M. Alexander) NC.  "Patterson is a solid point guard with good quickness and ball handling abilities," says Lewis.  Patterson's ability to handle the ball in traffic in superb for a young 7th Grader.  He has good court vision and is a very good passer.  Fulp played solid all weekend and has tremendous basketball fundamentals.  He is the ultimate team player and is extremely unselfish.  He was as happy making the assist as he was scoring, which is nice seeing today.   Bilas also comes from good stock and you can understand how fundamentally sound he is.  He does so many things well.  He is a good shooter, ball handler, passer, and solid defender.  Burnette has a good skill level for a young big player.  He also was very mobile and skilled.  Crowther is another young player with tremendous size, skills, and athleticism.  He played really well, ran the floor, and scored often in transition.  Walker was active and aggressive in all the games I saw this weekend.  At 5’10 in the 7th grade, he played more like a guard than a forward or center.  Walker had a nice blend of skills and athleticism and had a nose to find loose balls and rebounds with put backs."  Other players in the Class of 2015 who should be noted include 5'2 7th Grader Dillion Beaver from Hickory, NC, 5’2 7th Grader DJ Caldwell from Charlotte, NC, 4’8 7th Grader Christopher Clemons from Raleigh, NC, 5’9 7th Grade Felix Culmer from Hopewell, VA, 6’1 7th Grader Chris Dorrah from Gaston, SC, 5’4 7th Grader Andrew Evans from Raleigh, NC, 5’4 7th Grader Dextor Foster from Columbia, SC, 5’6 7th Grader London Johnson from Bennettsville, SC, 5’0 7th Grader Kenneth Legette from Columbia, SC, 5’3 7th Grader Emarius Logan from Blythewood, SC, 5’0 7th Grader Tyron McClveen from Darlington, SC, 5’2 7th Grader Ben Nooner from Clemmons, NC, 5’7 7th Grader Gerald Peacock from Raleigh, NC, 5’1 7th Grader Kip Peak from Asheville, NC, 5’2 7th Grader Breland Powe from Columbia, SC, 5’5 7th Grader Sadaris Rhodes from Charlotte, NC, 5’8 7th Grader Rashad Robinson from Sumter, SC, 4’9 7th Grader Montrell Tillman from Wadesboro, NC, and 5’3 7th Grader Xavier Williams from Fayetteville,  NC.  Among the players who separated themselves from all the rest in the Class of 2016 were 5'7 6th Grader Seventh Woods from Columbia (Alcorn Middle School) SC, 5'4 6th Grader Dennis Smith from Fayetteville (Reid Ross Classical Middle) NC, 4'8 6th Grader Michael Melvin from Fayetteville (Seventy-First Classical Middle School) NC, 4'10 6th Grader Caron Corpening from Lenoir (Middle School) NC, 5'6 6th Grader Jalen Isaiah from Columbia (Crossroads Middle School) NC, 4'11 6th Grader John McCrimmon from Gastonia (Gaston Day School) NC, and 4'11 6th Grader Javan McBride from Charlotte (Coulwood Middle School) NC.  "Woods is a great young player with all the tools," says Lewis.  "He was athletic, skilled, and played hard.  He also has good ball handling skills and attacked the basket at every opportunity.  Smith is a young player who does everything well.  Melvin is a savvy quick point guard with good ball handling and passing skills and exceptional court vision for a 6th Grader.  Corpening is a tough nosed point guard with poise and leadership for a young player.  He has very good ball handling skills, but I was most impressed with his defense.  You don’t find many players in the 6th Grade who play any harder on the defensive end.  Isaiah had the three key components on the offensive end.  He was a very good ball handler, passer and shooter.  McCrimmon is another player who you like having on your team.  He is highly skilled, plays great team basketball, is very unselfish, and always was looking up to find an open player.  McBride is a savvy quick point guard with very good ball handling skills.  He is also a tough defensive standout.  Other players in the Class of 2016 who deserve to mentioned are 5’8 6th Grader Yahya Bilal from Winston-Salem, NC, 4’11 6th Grader Darius Cook from Charlotte, NC, 4’7 6th Grader J.C. Culbreath from Rural Hall, NC, 5'8 6th Grader Ty Graves from Greensboro, NC, 5’2 6th Grader Andre Harrison from Parkton, NC, 5’5 6th Grader Joshua Howard from Charlotte, NC, 5’1 6th Grader Michael Hueitt Jr.from Raeford, NC, 5’6 6th Grader Jalen Isaiah from Columbia, SC, 5’0 6th Grader Justin King from Raeford, NC, 5'10 6th Grader Vincent King from Charlotte, NC, NC; 5'1 6th Grader Marcus Plair from Charlotte, NC, 5’4 6th Grader Dennis Smith from Fayetteville, NC, and 5’2 6th Grader Tommy Sokolosky from Winston-Salem, NC.  The players who separated themselves from all the rest in the Class of 2017 were 5'3 5th Grader Zachary Buttler from Roebuck (Elementary) SC, 5'0 5th Grader Alex Petrie from Midlothian (St. Christopher School) VA, 5'0 5th Grader Jamison Hunt from Riley (Elementary School) WV, 5'1 5th Grader Trey Wertz from Charlotte (Old Providence School) NC, 5'6 5th Grader Dylan James from Ripley (Inez Elementary) WA, 4'8 5th Grader Mark Billups from Charlotte (KIPP Academy) NC, 5'2 5th Grader Quan Murphy from Charlotte, NC, and 5'4 5th Grader Elijah Cuffee from Poco (Rock Branch Elementary) WV.  "Buttler has a very high skill level and good athleticism," says Lewis.  "Petrie was one of the most fundamentally sound young players in the camp.  He had a great shot with follow through and release.  Hunt was a tough nosed competitor with good skill level.  Wertz is a young 5th Grader, but displayed a good all around game.  He is highly skilled and fundamentally sound and was an excellent passer, along with knocking down threes.  James is a fundamentally sound and skilled player.  Billups was a defensive menace on the floor and a fierce competitor with good quickness.  Murphy is another player who does everything well.  He has good fundamentals and a high basketball IQ.  He also is a very solid shooter, passer, and ball handler.  Cuffe is a strong and athletic young prospect who is highly skilled.  Other top players in the Class of 2017 are 5’3 5th Grader Andreeas Fuller from Fayetteville, NC, 4'8 5th Grader Chase Praeger from Cornelius, NC, 5’2 5th Grader Tyrece Cheek from Greensboro, NC, 5’6 5th Grader Gerald Lawhorne from Ridgeway, SC, 5’0 5th Grader JustinMcCluney from Pfafftown, NC, 5’2 5th Grader Alex Michael from Greensboro, NC, 5’0 5th Grader Christopher Porter from Sandy Hook, KY, 5’1 5th Grader Jalen White from Sumter, SC, and 5th Grader Michael Worrell from Pfafftown, NC.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

The 5^th Annual North Carolina Adidas Phenom Camp took place over the weekend on the campus of Forsyth Country Day School in Lewisville, NC and our North Carolina Editor Rick Lewis tells us that his camp was off the hook.  "There were 240 campers and there a lot of excellent prospects," says Lewis.  He starts with 6'3 Will Saunders from Greensboro (Northwest Guilford) NC, 6'2 LaCurtis Lattimore from Holly Springs (H.S.) NC, 6'1 Issac Ryals from Freemont (Aycock) NC, and 6'4 Alberto Munoz from Mooresville (Cardinal Gibbons) NC, who were the top four-ranked seniors at the event.  "Saunders is an athletic off guard with length and hops," says Lewis.  "He's an under the radar prospect who could fine tune skills that may be helpful to a low-to-mid Division I program.  Lattimore may be a major steal for a low to mid major program.  The combo guard displayed tremendous strength and athleticism for a guard.  He attacks the basket extremely well and used his explosiveness and leaping ability to jump over smaller guards.  He also displayed a tough all around game.  Ryals has the tools to be a good Division I point guard.  He displayed very strong ball handling skills and is an average shooter.  Sometimes, he tries to over penetrate and, by doing so, created some turnovers.  But Ryals has the tools to have a good senior season.  Munoz is a strong and powerful small forward who played really hard on both ends of the court."  Next on Lewis' list are the top nine juniors at the event, which includes 6'8 Jr DaShawn Stitts from Hampton (Phoebus) VA, 6'5 Jr Andrew White from Chester (Thomas Dale) VA, 6'2 Jr Brian Darden from Hampton (Phoebus) VA, 6'2 Jr Juan Young from Pittsboro (Northwood) NC, 6'5 Jr Antonio Farmer from Pittsboro (Northwood) NC, 6'2 Jr Tabarris Hamilton from Winston-Salem (West Forsyth) NC, 6'7 Jr Kevin Hickson from Matthews (Providence) NC, 5'11 Marcus Burton from Charlotte (Butler) NC, and 6'6 Julian Sampah from Greensboro (Northwest Guilford) NC.  "Stitt is a long and active wing with very good athleticism," says Lewis.  "Outside of being a tremendous player on the court, he is an outstanding young man.  I loved the way Stitt played the game.  He played so hard on both ends of the court.  He also ran the floor extremely well.  He has a tremendous upside.  White was one of top three players at the event in the Class of 2011.  He is a solid 6’5 shooting guard who has some point guard ball handling skills.  He can attack the basket with the best of them and loves to dunk in your face.  Darden is strong and quick, but had a deadly outside shot in his Saturday games.  He can handle the ball, see the floor, and make the correct pass.  Darden loves attacking the basket, but you cannot leave him open because he will knock down the three ball.  Young may have helped his stock as much as anyone in camp.  He is extremely quick, but powerful and has tremendous athleticism.  He was explosive in attacking the basket, but also sports a nice looking jump shot and has very solid ball handling skills.  He can play point guard at the next level based upon his quickness and athleticism.  He played on the Northwood High School team that was runner-up last season at 2A.  Farmer may have one of the highest verticals in the state.  According to his high school coach, Farmer sports a 42-inch vertical jump and, after seeing him play this weekend, I would not doubt it.  Farmer has only been playing competitive basketball for the past three years, but his athleticism is off the chart.  If his skill level can catch up with his athleticism in the next year, he could develop into an outstanding player at the next level.  He just needs more time in the gym.  I’ve had plenty of opportunities to watch Hamilton in the Forsyth Country Day School Fall League and he continues to impress me.  He is another athletic combo guard who can flat fill it up.  He has a beautiful stroke and every shot looks like it is going in.  Besides being an outstanding outside shooter, he is a very solid ball handler and can play the point guard position at the high school level.  He played both ends of the floor and I like the way he defended.  Hickson will surprise you with his athleticism.  He attended my Drills and Skills Camp and I really like him as a prospect.  Basically unheard of until then, but he is a long lanky small forward who runs the floor extremely well.  He does have a nice soft touch, but needs to be more consistent on his follow up.  He is eager to learn and get better and he worked extremely hard in my stations at camp.  I really like his upside.  Burton is a well built and powerful point guard who uses his strength quite well and has a nice complement of skills.  He has good ball handling skills and can knock down the outside shots with consistently.  He is a blue collar point guard that plays hard on both ends of the floor and is more athletic than he appears.  He also is a quality young man and good student.  Sampah is another youngster I had not seen play prior to this event, but he has no trouble beating you off the dribble and slashing to the basket.  He impressed me with the way he finished around the basket."  Lewis also mentions the top four players who were at his event in the Class of 2012.  And right at the top of his list is his son - 5'11 Soph Tyler Lewis from Statesville (Forsyth Country Day) NC.  "Lewis continues to have a tremendous fall season and has excelled at every event.  He was named MVP in the North Carolina/South Carolina Battle of the Classes for the 2012 and was one of the top players at Elite 75 Camp and the Pangos All South Camp.  Lewis also teamed up with high flying Antonio Farmer for some eye catching alley oop dunks that will make our highlight film (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2Md7Gnj9uU) .  Lewis is getting better defensively and is stopping dribble penetration, which was a weakness a year ago.  If he continues to grow and get bigger and stronger, the sky is the limit." And what about 6'5 Soph T.J. Warren from Durham (Riverside) NC, 6'8 Soph Adam Coble from Greensboro (Northwest Guilford) NC, and 6'0 Soph Joshua Newkirk from Raleigh (Southeast Raleigh) NC?  When talking about Warren, Lewis says "I absolutely love this young man.  He is an outstanding player, but is also a very humble player.  Warren has a tremendous upside being 6’5 sophomore with a feather smooth outside shot.  Although his shot is a knuckleball with little to no backspin, he does have a such a soft touch.  He also can put the ball on the floor and attack the basket.  He is nifty and crafty for a player his size with the ball and has all the skill level necessary to be a very special player.  I also like him because he is such a humble young man and has a neat personality.  Coble is a kid I’ve been writing about all summer.  I really like his game.  I liken him to a young Christian Laettner and he will surprise you with his sneaky athleticism and ability to knock down open shots when left open.  He is extremely good in transition and likes to run the floor.  I probably have him ranked higher than anyone else, but I really like his potential and game.  Newkirk was another surprise player that I did not know until this event.  He is a very athletic guard who  is very quick with the ball.  He has a quick step and seemed to blow past defenders.  He attacked the basket very well.  I did not see him take many outside shots, but it's clear that he has a tremendous upside."  Lewis will also add to this report later tonight or tomorrow with comments about all of the great middle school players who attended this event.  So stay tuned! 

Our Georgia Editor Horace Neysmith was at the National Future 150 over the weekend at Parkview High School in Lilburn, GA and he tells us that the players in the Class of 2012 took center stage.  Neysmith also says you have the receipt for some great match-ups when you have the likes of 6'6 Soph Charles Mitchell from Marietta (Wheeler) GA, 6'9 Soph Jarnell Stokes from Memphis (Central) TN, 6'8 Soph Tony Parker from Lithonia (Miller Grove) GA, 6'8 Soph Devonta Pollard from DeKalb (Kemper County) MS, 6'8 Soph Shaquille Goodwin from DeKalb (Southwest DeKalb) GA, 6'7 Soph Jacory Williams from Birmingham (Minor) AL, 6'5 Soph Jordan Adams from Lawrenceville (Central Gwinnett) GA, 6'9 Soph Brandon Bolden from Sumter (H.S.) SC, and 6'1 Soph Cameron Golden from Memphis (Ridgeway) TN going head-to-head against one another.  And right the top of the list was Mitchell's afternoon match-up against Stokes.  "Mitchell, who made a strong case for a top 50 nationally ranking, came out energized and showed a wide array of offensive skills," says Neysmith.  "He knocked down the 15-foot jumper, showed his jump hook with both hands, and ran the floor very well.   In contrast, Stokes, who was coming off a recent injury, was on his second high level match-up of the day and his fatigue showed.  In an earlier game Stokes was matched up with Parker and showed his ability to finish with contact and drive the ball from 15-feet.  Parker also is coming off a recent injury, but was still able to use his size to get deep low post position and finish around the rim.  He rebounded the ball well on both ends, but his conditioning needs attention, as he ran out of gas late in games.  Pollard is another long lefty with the ability to run the floor, defend, and block shots.  He also showed the ability to step out and shoot the jumper and has the potential to be a wing on the next level.  Goodwin is a young big who scored well around the block, but also stepped out and knocked down a few jumpers on the day.  Although slightly built, Williams is not afraid to mix it up and does a good job on the offensive glass.  He also has a soft touch around the basket and makes good decisions on the break.  Adams knows how to score and he had seven threes late in the late game.  That after mostly being focused on football this fall.  Bolden is a very long athletic lefty who impressed many with his ability to block shots, run the floor, and defend the post.  Golden shot the ball well in both games and has the athleticism necessary to go along with his ability to make shots."  Neysmith also was singing the praises of 6'5 Rion Brown from Hinesville (Liberty County) GA, 6'0 K.C. Ross-Miller from Irving (God's Academy) TX, 6'1 Kevin Williams from Pearland (H.S.) TX, 6'2 Chris Davis from Stockridge (H.S.) GA, 6'9 Ryan Pierson from St. Louis (Christian Brother) MO, 6'7 Devonte Drinkard from Toccoa (Stephens County) GA, 6'7 Ishmael Hollis from Flowery Branch (H.S.) GA, who were the top seniors at this event.  "Brown's athleticism was on full display," says Neysmith.  "He knocked down quite a few deep balls and did a good job rebounding on the defensive end.  Ross-Miller has a great change of pace that kept his defenders off balance all day and he finished well in the lane due to his upper body strength.  Williams was one of the best leaders in the building on Saturday.  He knows how to set-up his teammates and can score when needed.  Davis showed his creativity off the dribble and can get into the lane and deliver the pass and the bucket.  Pierson used his size to dominate inside and does a good job facing up and knocking down the jumper from 17-feet.  Drinkard always plays with high energy, runs the floor very well, and is a very vocal leader.  He also is very physical and not one to reach in on when he secures a rebound.  You always looks for a kid to show improvement in their game and it seems like Hollis has been working on extending his shooting game.  He knocked down a few 3-pointers on the day and plays with a sense of urgency."  And when you add some talented juniors, like 6'2 Jr Cedric McAfee from Memphis (Craigmont) TN, 6'5 Jr LeAntwan Luckett from Ridgeland (H.S.) MS, 6'1 Jr Jaquez Motley from Hinesville (Faith Baptist Christian) GA, 6'4 Jr Kedron Johnson from Lewisville (Marshall County) TN, and 6'5 Jr Joshua Richardson from Edmonds (Santa Fe) OK, it's clear that this was a very good camp.  "We already knew about McAfee's athleticism and slashing ability," says Neysmith.  "But what seems to be getting better for McAfee is his jumper.  The once streaky shooter had his jumper working well today.  In one game he made six 3-pointers, which followed a game with five 3-pointers.  Luckett is a high motor guy who knows how to finish and rebound.  He was one of the better defenders on the day and scores the ball well in transition and slashing when in a half court set.  An injury kept Motley off the circuit all summer, but he now seems to be getting back into form.  He showed the speed and quickness that impressed many back at the Real Deal.  Johnson attacked  the basket well and showed no signs of the foot injury that kept him sidelined in July.  Richardson is an athletic wing who plays both ends of the floor, shot the ball well, and finished well under duress."  There also were some good young players that need to be mentioned like 6'2 Frosh Delano Spencer from Lilburn (Parkview) GA, 6'8 Frosh Desmond Ringer from McDonough (Eagles Landing) GA, and 6'7 Frosh Chris Davenport from Atlanta (Southwest Atlanta Christian) GA.  "Spencer shot the ball well all day and make plays for others," says Neysmith.  "Ringer presented himself well on the block and has good foot work.  Davenport was active on the glass and ran the floor well.  He also can knock down the mid-range jumper."  Editor's Note:  Our Georgia Editor Horace Neysmith also publishes the All-Metro Sports Web Site, which you can check out by clicking onto www.allmetrosports.com.

This past weekend our Florida Editor Rick Staudt attended the Breakdown Battle for the Rankings Camp in Orlando, FL and he got a chance to see almost 200 of the best players from Sunshine State.  “It was the best camp I have ever covered in terms of organization and quality of play,” says Staudt.  “The camp was deep in talent and for the most part the play was unselfish and spirited.”  The best player was 6’4 Jr Austin Rivers from Winter Park (HS) FL.  “He was unstoppable,” says Staudt.  “Going left, right, or pulling up in a defender’s face, the ball is going in the hoop.  His defense is also outstanding.  Michael Gilchrist may be the most productive player in the country, but Rivers is possibly the most exciting playing in the Class of 2011.”  Florida-bound 6’9 Patrick Young from Jacksonville (Providence) FL was a force on the inside and clearly was the second best performer of the weekend.  "He’s scoring much better inside with either hand and is usually the first one to get his hands on a rebound," says Staudt.  "Florida hasn’t had a player like him since Al Horford." Coming in third is future Kentucky Wildcat 6’5 Stacey Poole of Jacksonville (Providence) FL.  "Not only was Poole his usual high-flying self in getting to the basket and finishing, but he was also consistent with his outside shot," says Staudt.  "That makes him extremely effective.  He could fill the same role for Kentucky that Chris Douglas-Roberts filled for Memphis during their run to the NCAA title game."  Next on Staudt's list is Cincinnati-bound 6’7 Justin Jackson from Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL.  "While a little bit undersized and under skilled for the power forward spot, Jackson’s energy, length, athletic ability, and competitiveness more than make up for it," says Staudt.  "While not a good shooter, he’s become very effective at driving from the high post in either direction and scoring."  The last of the top five performers at the event was 6’7 John Brown from Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL.  "He’s just a smidge below Jackson on the athleticism and motor meters," says Staudt.  "But this lefty is more skilled in terms of putting the ball on the floor and scoring with the jump shot from 15-feet and in."  Staudt’s remaining Top 65 players at the camp are 6) 6’2 Jelani Hewitt from Oakland Park (Northeast) FL, 7) 6’4 Jr Robert Brown from Clermont (East Ridge) FL, 8) 6’5 Haukur Palsson from Montverde (Academy) FL, 9) 6’5 Jr Fred Landers from Fort Lauderdale (University) FL, 10) 6’4 Nick Wiggins from Tallahassee (Godby) FL, 11) 5’9 Kaleb Clyburn from Montverde (Academy) FL, 12) 7’0 Ugo Okam from Montverde (Academy) FL, 13) 6’7 Jr Wayne Martin from Jacksonville (Providence) FL, 14) 5’9 Jr Andre Smith from Tampa (Blake) FL, 15) 6’4 Vince Dillard from Altamonte Springs (Lake Brantley) FL, 16) 6’1 Ozzy Dilik of Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL, 17) 6’3 Soph Jordan Montgomery from Orlando (Christian Prep) FL, 18) 6’4 Luis Jacobo from Winter Springs (HS) FL, 19) 5’9 Ralph Williams from Rockledge (HS) FL, 20) 6’1 Hurley Johnson from Fort Lauderdale (Woodhaven) FL, 21) 6’6 Quinton Bastion from Oldsmar (Christian) FL, 22) 6’0 Jr William Cummings of Jacksonville (Providence) FL, 23) 6’4 Soph Shawn Smith from Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL, 24) 6’1 Jr Terrell Merritt from Orlando (Christian Prep) FL, 25) 6’3 Jr Daniel “T.J.” Sapp from Oakland Park (Northeast) FL, 26) 6’7 Jr Darius Andrews from Orlando (Cypress Creek) FL, 27) 6’4 Jr Dominique Williams from Haines City (HS) FL, 28) 5’11 Avery Moore from Tallahassee (Rickards) FL, 29) 6’6 Soph Paul Jones from Boca Raton (West Boca) FL, 30) 6’4 Soph Isaac Cohen from Orlando (Christian Prep) FL, 31) 6’7 Casey Oldemoppen from Stuart (Martin County) FL, 32) 6’5 Reshard Richardson from Oldsmar (Christian) FL, 33) 6’0 Soph T.J. Johnson from Orlando (Olympia) FL, 34) 6’1 Frosh Solomon Poole from Jacksonville (Providence) FL, 35) 5’11 Akii Dean from Orlando (Timber Creek) FL, 36) 6’6 Jr Steve Mondou-Missi from Montverde (Academy) FL, 37) 6’7 Jr Jonathan Holton from Miami (LaSalle) FL, 38) 6’7 Jordan Griffin from Casselberry (Lyman) FL, 39) 6’4 Jr Xavier Owens from Tampa (Wharton) FL, 40) 6’3 Mareck Legorcee-Ross from Montverde (Academy) FL, 41) 6’6 Jr Harrison Gibson from East Gasden (HS) FL, 42) 6’3 Jauhar El-Amin from St. Petersburg (Gibbs) FL, 43) 6’3 Soph Steve Avery from Montverde (Academy) FL, 44) 6’3 Ramon Mercado from Fort Lauderdale (Woodhaven) FL, 45) 6’5 Jr Desmond Gibson from East Gasden (HS) FL, 46) 6’3 Darius Hall from Port Orange (Atlantic) FL, 47) 6’2 John Washington from Tallahassee (Leon) FL, 48) 6’7 Soph Marc Norela from Apopka (HS) FL, 49) 6’3 Soph Brandon Channer from Tampa (Blake) FL, 50) 6’3 Frosh Matt Williams from Orlando (Jones) FL, 51) 6’1 Chad Donley from Baker (HS) FL, 52) 6’4 Jr Kendall Leeks from Marianna (HS) FL, 53) 6’5 Soph Corbin Jackson from Viera (HS) FL, 54) 5’9 Will Louis from Apopka (HS) FL, 55) 5’8 Soph Travis Fletcher from Citra (North Marion) FL, 56) 6’6 Lynden Davis from Fort Lauderdale (Woodhaven) FL, 57) 6’0 Jr Raphael Crump from Winter Park (International) FL, 58) 6’3 Kiplin Fowler from Fort Lauderdale (South Florida Prep) FL, 59) 6’4 Nick Mauge from Orlando (Timber Creek) FL, 60) 6’1 Jr Deandre Bullard from Orlando (Wekiva) HS, 61) 6’5 Frosh Karlos Odum from Lakeland (Tenoroc) FL, 62) 6’3 Soph Devon Walker from Winter Haven (HS) FL, 63) 6’5 Jr Jackson Trapp from Orlando (Lake Highland Prep) FL, 64) 5’8 Travis Shapiro from Orlando (Faith Christian) FL, and 65) 6’5 Soph Ian Malone from Orlando (Lake Highland Prep) FL.

Saturday, October 17, 2009, Sunday, October 18, 2009, & Monday, October 19, 2009

I don't think that anybody had anymore players on campus over the weekend for Midnight Madness than the University of Memphis, which had 6'6 Will Barton from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'0 Joe Jackson from Memphis (White Station) TN, 6'4 Chris Crawford from Memphis (Sheffield) TN, 6'8 Hippolyte Tsafack from Charlottesville (The Miller School) VA, 6'2 Antonio Barton from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, 6'3 Jr Trevor Lacey from Huntsville (Butler) AL, 6'5 Jr Adonis Thomas from Memphis (Melrose) TN, 6'4 Jr Cedric McAfee from Memphis (Craigmont) TN, 6'7 Jr Nino Johnson from Memphis (Melrose) TN, 6'8 Soph Perry Ellis from Wichita (Heights) KS, 6'7 Soph Jerrell Stokes from Memphis (Central) TN, and 6'8 Frosh Jonathan Williams from Memphis (Southwind) TN all on campus for Memphis Madness.  And you can bet that Jackson, Crawford, and the Barton's, all of whom are apart of Memphis' #3-ranked recruiting class on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010, were using the power of persuasion to the convince each of the other eight players to follow in their footsteps and become a Tiger.  The University of Kansas also had an impressive list of recruits that included 6'8 Harrison Barnes from Ames (H.S.) IA, 6'2 Josh Selby from Baltimore (Lake Clifton) MD, 6'4 Doron Lamb from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6' 3 Royce Woolridge from Phoenix (Sunny Slope) AZ, and 6'3 Jr Josiah Turner from Sacramento (H.S.) CA on campus for Late Night in the Phog and the University of Kentucky had 6'2 Kyrie Irving from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, 6'7 Tobias Harris from Dix Hills (Half Hollow Hills West) NY, 6'9 C.J. Leslie from Raleigh (Word of God) NC, 6'5 Stacey Poole from Jacksonville (Providence School) FL, 6'8 Jr Michael Gilchrist from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, and 6'8 Jr Quincy Miller from Winston-Salem (Quality of Education Academy) NC all on campus Big Blue Madness.  There also have been a bunch of verbal commitments that have happened during the last 96 hours and this list includes 6'6 Derrick Williams from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ to Richmond, 6'3 Vander Blue from Madison (Memorial) WI to Marquette, 6'1 Soph Kyle Molock from Dublin (Coffman) OH to Purdue, 6'10 Dwight Powell from Bradenton (Pendleton School) FL to Stanford, 6'6 Duvaughn Maxwell from Petersburg (H.S.) VA to Longwood, 6'5 Frank Williams from Raytown (H.S.) MO to Detroit, 6'9 Raphael Akpejiori from Bel Aire (Sunrise Christian) KS to Miami-FL, 6'10 Jordan Threloff from DeKalb (H.S.) IL to Illinois State, 6'9 Cody Henegar from Jasper (Marion County) TN to UNC-Greensboro, 6'1 Dave Coley from Brooklyn (Thomas Jefferson) NY to Stony Brook, 6'5 Jr Byron Wesley from Etiwanda (H.S.) CA to USC, 6'5 Devin Oliver from Kalamazoo (Central) MI to Dayton, 6'6 Jordan Burris from Bakersfield (Stockdale) CA to Nevada, 6'4 Joe O'Shea from Burlington (H.S.) VT to Holy Cross, 6'5 Malcolm Lemmons from Washington (Gonzaga) DC to Robert Morris, and 6'7 Colton Christian from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA to Tulane.  Those first two will be ranked in the 75-100 range nationally when we publish our updated ranking of the top seniors nationally at the end of the month.  Williams is a good old-fashioned blue collar power forward with good hands, excellent moves, and great timing, which allows him to dominate around the basket.  He also hails from one of the premier high school basketball programs in the nation and has the both the talent and the skills necessary to step and make an immediate impact for the Spiders.  We also suspect that Williams will end up being one of the better players in the league down the road, which makes him a great addition to 6'1 Cedrick Lindsay from Washington (Gonzaga) DC and 6'3 Wayne Sparrow from Baltimore (St. Frances) MD, in a recruiting class that is now tied at #43, along with Alabama and Texas A&M, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  Blue is a big time athlete with good ball handling and passing skills, the ability to lock up his man defensively, and an excellent motor.  But he's more of a slasher than a shooter.  And making this story even more interesting is the fact that Blue originally verbally committed to the University of Wisconsin, which is the school right in his backyard.  However, Blue reneged on the Badgers five months ago and now is going to rival school in the state.  The early addition of Malock appears to be a major coup for the Boilermakers, because he's a pure point guard with the basketball IQ, athleticism, and ball handling and passing skills necessary to be the heir apparent to 5'9 Soph Lewis Jackson when the 2012-2013 season rolls around.  The commitment by Powell is important due to the fact that he has so much upside and potential.  But right now Powell just misses being ranked among our top 100 seniors nationally for several reasons.  First, he needs to get bigger and stronger physically in order to make an impact at the big time college level.  Second, he doesn't get enough done.  Third, he's soft and he'd rather play out on the perimeter, instead of taking advantage of his size and be the face-up four-man that he is.  However, it our guess that he'll be a better college player than a high school player, as we're talking about an extremely bright kid with a 4.0 gpg.  Maxwell is the thoroughbred at the power forward spot that Lancers head coach Mike Gillian was looking for to complement all of the guards and perimeter players that he's already got in the fold in this year's recruiting class, which is now ranked #34 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  If you will recall, Longwood already has received verbal commitments from 6'2 Jeremiah Bowman from Harcum (JC) PA, 6'6 Mark Parker from Benson (West Johnston) NC, 6'3 David Robinson from Richmond (Cosby) VA, and 6'3 Anthony Taylor from Egg Harbor Township (H.S.) NJ.  As for Maxwell, he's a big time athlete and a hardnosed competitor who plays with a high level of energy and a toughness on the boards.  Maxwell also has a knack for finding ways to score around the basket, as is evident by the fact that he finished with 28 points in the championship game of the Big Shots Tournament in Myrtle Beach, SC.  We also are impressed with verbal commitment by Williams, who is a terrific outside shooter with NBA range, to the Titans.  However, even more important is the fact that Detroit head coach Ray McCallum and his staff continue to build the strong nucleus that they will need to convince 6'2 Ray McCallum Jr from Beverly Hills (Detroit Country Day) MI to stay home when it comes time for him to make his college decision.   Right now appears to be a two horse race between Arizona and Detroit for the younger McCallum.  Akpejiori appears to be following in the footstep of 6'10 Soph Ismaila Dauda from Miami (Choice Learning Academy) FL, as he becomes the second Nigerian born big man to have committed to the Hurricanes.  But in this case we're talking about one of those under the radar screen guys, as Akpekjiori arrived in the country just over a year ago and missed last season with a dislocated ankle.  Threloff and Henegar are both good catches, thanks to the fact that they have good size and are ranked in the 200-250 range nationally, and Coley is a slashing athletic combo guard who will bring his Brooklyn toughness to Suffolk County.  Wesley promises to be an excellent role player for the Trojans.  Oliver is versatile enough to play either wing spot for the Flyers.  Burris can both shoot the three and slash to the basket.  O'Shea is lefty point guard with a high basketball IQ, an excellent 3-point shot, and a father (Tom O'Shea is the head coach at St. Michael's College in Vermont) and an uncle (Tim O'Shea is the head coach at Bryant College) who are both successful college coaches.  Lemmons is an all-purpose athletic wing who once again will provide an excellent complement to 6'2 Tyler Thornton and 6'1 Cedrick Lindsay on one of the best teams in the tough WCAC (Washington Catholic Athletic Conference).  Christian is a well traveled 5th Year player who averaged a double-double a year ago and led Bellevue (H.S.) WA to a third place finish in the 3A State Tournament last March.  And last, but not least, our New York City Editor Ron Naclerio tells us that 6'2 Deshaun Wiggins from Bronx (Wings) NY via North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME has verbally committed to Seton Hall.  But the Pirates will have to wait two years get this lefty 2-guard who is a true senior this year and will be a 5th Year Player next year.  "Wiggins can flat out score," says Naclerio.  "He can beat you with his jump shot, pull-up from mid-range, and go all the way to the rack."

Friday, October 16, 2009

While everybody else is getting excited about the start of the 2009-2010 College Basketball Season (Division I colleges and universities begin practicing today), I've been working on our Ranking of the Top 100 Players Nationally in the Class of 2015 (7th Graders).  And this comes right on the heels of our Ranking of the Top 200 Players Nationally in the Class of 2013 (Freshmen), which was published two weeks ago, and our Ranking of the Top 150 Players Nationally in the Class of 2014 (8th Graders), which was published a week ago.  I also am already working on our Ranking of the Top 75 6th Graders, which also will be published a week from today right here in the Members Section.  But it looks our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin still does not have his report under control and, as a result, needs more time before he can get me his updated rankings from his area.  So now we plan publish our Ranking of the Top Players Nationally in the Class of 2010 (Seniors) by the end of the month and Rubin's Report, our Ranking of the Top Players Nationally in the Class of 2011 (Juniors), and our Ranking of the Top Players Nationally in the Class of 2012 (Sophomores) during the month of November.  Getting back to our Ranking of the Top 100 Players Nationally in the Class of 2015 (7th Graders), whenever somebody tells me that there is somebody better in this class than 5'9 7th Grader Allonzo Trier from Federal Way, WA, they fall onto deaf ears.  If you will recall, I've seen Trier play at six different events over the last two years and he has never failed to be the best player in his age group.  Trier is capable of scoring in a variety of ways (he is a terrific 3-point shooter, has a knack of getting to the basket, and has a great mid-range game), is a tremendous competitor, has terrific ball handling and passing skills, and has grown to 5'9 and gotten physically stronger.  He also has the speed, quickness, and athleticism and the court savvy  necessary to evolve into the next Brandon Jennings, which means he's set the bar extremely high with regards to the #1-ranking in the Class of 2015.  However, Trier also has some serious competition in 5'7 7th Grader Perry Dozier from Columbia, SC, who has been the #1-ranked player in his age group each of the last two years at both the Junior Phenom Camp and the Junior All-American Camp, and 6'5 7th Grader Kewan Johnson from Atlanta, GA, who has a great combination of size, strength, skills, and athleticism and has dominated for years in his age group in the AAU Nationals.  As a matter of fact, all three of these players are so good that they'd be ranked among the top five 8th Graders, if they decided to move up a year in class.  There also is 6'1 7th Austin Grandstaff from Rowlett, TX, who is one of the best 3-point shooters that we've seen at any age in a long time.  And, with Grandstaff's ability to create his own shot, score in bunches, and deadly shooting range, we can see why he's already being touted as a young Pete Maravich.  And rounding out the top five players in this class is 5'10 7th Malik Newman, who has big time athleticism, a great skill set, an excellent understanding of the game, and a terrific bloodline (his father Horatio Webster was an All-Conference Player at Mississippi State).  Another player with a great bloodline is 5'9 7th Grader Malik Ellison from Voorhees, NJ, who checks in at #7 on our list and is the son of former Louisville All-American Pervis Ellison.  And what about 6'2 7th Grader Jesse Pistokache from McAllen, TX, who is extremely skilled and versatile for somebody his size and was been ranked #2 in his age group at both the Junior Phenom Camp in 2008 and this past summer at the Junior All-American Camp?  Did you also know that that 6'5 7th Grader Mickey Mitchell from Orlando, FL, who was great role player for the Texas Titans when we saw him playing up two years in the AAU 14-Under Nationals, totally dominated the AAU 12-Under AAU Nationals en route to MVP honors?  We haven't seen 5'11 7th Grader Tyler Dorsey from Pasadena (H.S.) CA since he left early from the Junior Phenom Camp in 2008, but this silky smooth multi-dimensional athletic 2-guard who can create off the dribble, is excellent at getting to the basket, and is a sensational rebounder for his size promises to be the next in a long line of great young players to come out the ARC program.  There also is 5'3 7th Grader Jerron Love from Bronx, NY, who already is a street ball legend in New York City and has a flair for spectacular and a knack for penetrating and dishing and get his shot off against taller defenders.  Are you starting to get the idea that this class is really good?  Well, stay tuned, because the players in the Class of 2015 are still five years away from being able to sign a binding National Letter-of-Intent and a lot of things are sure to happen in the meantime. 

Thursday, October 15, 2009

The next event that I am planning on attending is the 2009 National Prep Showcase, which will be held this year at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT on November 20th-22nd and will feature most of the top prep schools in the New England and the Mid-Atlantic States.  Things will tip-off on Friday, November 20th, with Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT versus Lee (Academy) ME at noon, followed by Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA versus Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA at 1:45 PM, South Kent (Prep) CT versus Charlotte (Evelyn Mack Academy) NC at 3:15 PM, Winchendon (School) MA versus Woodstock (Massanutten Military Academy) VA at 5:00 PM, Andover (Proctor Academy) NH versus Wilbraham (Wilbraham & Monson Academy) MA at 6:30 PM, and Northfield (Northfield-Mt. Hermon) MA versus Fork Union (Military) VA at 8:00 PM.  On Saturday, November 21st, things will tip-off at 9:00 AM with Lee (Academy) ME versus Woodstock (Massanutten Military Academy) VA at 9:00 AM, followed by Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT versus Fork Union (Military) VA at 10:45 PM, North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME versus Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA at 12:30 PM, Winchendon (School) MA versus Charlotte (Evelyn Mack Academy) NC at 2:15 PM, New Hampton (Prep) NH versus Newark (Nia Prep) NJ at 4:00 PM, Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA versus Montreal (Champlain St. Lambert) QU at 5:45 PM, Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH versus Worcester (Academy) MA at 7:30 PM, and Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME versus Saltsburg (Kiski School) PA at 9:00 PM.  Then, on Sunday, November 22nd, it will be Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT versus Newark (Nia Prep) NJ at 10:00 AM, North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME versus Tilton (School) NH  at 11: 45 AM, Northfield (Northfield-Mt. Hermon) MA versus Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME at 1:30 PM, South Kent (Prep) CT versus Montreal (Champlain St. Lambert) QU at 3:15 PM, New Hampton (Prep) NH versus Saltsburg (Kiski School) PA at 5:00 PM, and Barrington (St. Andrews) RI versus Blairstown (Blair Academy) NJ at 6:30 PM.  The list of top players who will be in attendance includes 6'6 Will Barton from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'4 Lorenzo Brown from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, 6'8 Markus Kennedy from Winchendon (School) MA, 6'9 Dominique Ferguson from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, 6'5 J.J. Moore from South Kent (Prep) CT, 6'9 Evan Smotrycz from New Hampton (Prep) NH, 6'6 Joel Wright from South Kent (Prep) CT, 6'4 Jesse Morgan from South Kent (Prep) CT, 5'8 Darryl Traynham from Lee (Academy) ME, 6'1 Isaiah Epps from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, 6'5 Gerard Coleman from Tilton (School) NH, 6'8 C.J. Fair from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'2 Mardracus Wade from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, 6'3 Byron Allen from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT, 6'1 Brady Heslip from New Hampton (Prep) NH, 6'7 Eric Ferguson from Winchendon (School) MA, 6'7 Max Esho from Lee (Academy) ME, 6'2 Dashaun Wiggins from North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME, 6'3 Dominique Langston from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT, 6'2 Aishon White from Newark (Nia Prep) NJ, 6'10 Maurice Walker from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'7 Dartaye Ruffin from New Hampton (Prep) NH, 6'2   from Worcester (Academy) MA, 6'6 Tyshawn Bell from Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME, 6'5 James Stukes from Winchendon (School) MA, 6'6 Melvin Ejim from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'7 Majok Majok from Northfield (Northfield-Mt. Hermon) MA, 6'11 Naofall Folahan from Wilbraham (Wilbraham & Monson Academy) MA, 6'6 Ron Gilplay from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, 6'2 Antonio Barton from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, 6'7 Hector Harold from Northfield (Northfield-Mt. Hermon) MA, 6'5 Charles Standifer from North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME, 6'1 Winston Graham from Lee (Academy) ME, 6'3 Kevin Amayo from Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ, 6'0 Hakeem Harris from Blairstown (Blair Academy) NJ, 6'7 Marvin Dominique from Winchendon (School) MA, 6'3 Austin Carroll from from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'0 Russ Smith from South Kent (Prep) CT, 6'2 Devon Saddler from Winchendon (School) MA, 6'7 Cleveland Melvin from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, 5'10 Danny Lawhorn from South Kent (Prep) CT, 5'11 Akeem Williams from Winchendon (School) MA, 5'11 Anthony Ireland from Winchendon (School) MA, 6'3 Mike Buffalo from South Kent (Prep) CT,  6'2 Jordair Jett from from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, 6'5 Jesse Pritchard from Blairstown (Blair Academy) NJ, 6'5 Laurent Rivard from Northfield (Northfield-Mt. Hermon) MA, 6'4 Vevgeniy Dyachenko from North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME, 6'5 James Frazier from Newark (Nia Prep) NJ, 6'5 Tyler McNeely from Blairstown (Blair Academy) NJ, 5'11 Jr Naadir Tharpe from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'2 Jr Aaron Cosby from Northfield (Northfield-Mt. Hermon) MA, 6'8 Jr Shaquille Thomas from Newark (Nia Prep) NJ, 6'8 Jr Tyler Olander from Worcester (Academy) MA, 6'8 Jr Angel Nunez from Winchendon (School) MA, 6'3 Jr Mike Carter Williams from Barrington (St. Andrews) RI, 6'11 Jr Vince Van Nes from Northfield (Northfield-Mt. Hermon) MA, 6'11 Jr Ryan Canty from Tilton (School) NH, 6'0 Jr Jordan Laguerre from New Hampton (Prep) NH, 6'9 Soph Khem Birch from Winchendon (School) MA, 6'11 Soph Andre Drummond from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT, 6'9 Soph Richard Peters from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'9 Soph Al Azulphar from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT, and 6'4 Soph Ricardo Ledo from Barrington (St. Andrews) RI.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The first day that a high school senior can sign a binding National Letter-of-Intent to attend a four-year Division I college or university is Wednesday, November 11th, which is exactly four weeks from today.  And, as things stand now 73 of our top 100-ranked seniors are already verbally committed.  This list currently includes 6'8 Jared Sullinger from Columbus (Northland) OH to Ohio State, 6'9 Perry Jones from Duncanville (H.S.) TX to Baylor, 6'0 Joe Jackson from Memphis (White Station) TN to Memphis, 6'7 DeShaun Thompson from Ft. Wayne (Bishop Luers) IN to Ohio State, 6'9 Tristan Thompson from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV to Texas, 6'6 Will Barton from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH to Memphis, 6'4 Kendall Marshall from Arlington (Bishop O'Connell) VA to North Carolina, 6'0 Ryan Harrow from Marietta (Walton) GA to N.C. State, 6'8 Nate Lubick from Southborough (St. Mark's) MA to Georgetown, 6'8 Patric Young from Jacksonville (Providence School) FL to Florida, 6'3 Dion Waiters from Burlington (Life Center) NJ to Syracuse, 6'8 Josh Hairston from Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD to Duke, 6'6 Reggie Bullock from Kinston (H.S.) NC to North Carolina, 6'3 Keith Appling from Detroit (Pershing) MI to Michigan State, 6'3 J.T. Terrell from Charlotte (West Charlotte) NC to Wake Forest, 6'2 Gary Franklin from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA to California, 5'8 Phil Pressey from Dallas (Episcopal School of Dallas) TX to Missouri, 5'8 Ahmad Starks from Chicago (Whitney Young) IL to Oregon State, 6'4 Jordan McRae from Hinesville (Liberty County) GA to Tennessee, 6'5 Tyler Lamb from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA to UCLA, 6'7 Travis McKie from Richmond (John Marshall) VA to Wake Forest, 6'8 Markus Kennedy from Winchendon (School) MA to Villanova, 6'7 Jereme Richmond from Waukegan (H.S.) IL to Illinois, 6'5 Cameron Clark from Sherman (H.S.) TX to Oklahoma, 6'4 Jeremy Lamb from Norcross (H.S.) GA to Connecticut, 6'9 James Johnson from Wildomar (Elsinore) CA to Virginia, 6'5 James Bell from Montverde (Academy) FL to Villanova, 6'2 Trae Golden from Powder Springs (McEachern) GA to Tennessee, 6'3 Jordan Sibert from Cincinnati (Princeton) OH to Ohio State, 6'9 Marquez "Luke" Cothron from Red Springs (Flora MacDonald Academy) NC to N.C. State, 6'7 Jarrell Eddie from Concord (Cannon School) NC to Virginia Tech, 6'8 Okaro White from Clearwater (H.S.) FL to Florida State, 6'8 Cody Larson from Sioux Falls (Roosevelt) SD to Iowa, 5'10 Bruce Ellington from Monack Center (Berkeley) SC to South Carolina, 6'9 Dominique Ferguson from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA to Florida International, 6'7 Dwayne Polee from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA to USC, 6'8 Will Regan from Buffalo (Nichols) NY to Virginia, 6'10 Alex Kirk from Los Alamos (H.S.) CA to New Mexico, 6'0 Eric Atkins from Baltimore (Mt. St. Joseph) MD to Notre Dame, 6'11 Meyers Leonard from Robinson (H.S.) IL to Illinois, 6'5 Keala King from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA to Arizona State, 6'5 Casey Prather from Jackson (Northside) TN to Florida, 6'6 Daniel Bejarano from Phoenix (North) AZ to Arizona, 6'2 Tony Chennault from Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti) PA to Wake Forest, 6'4 Crandall Head from Richton Park (Rich South) IL to Illinois, 6'5 Rion Brown from Hinesville (Liberty County) GA to Miami-FL, 6'8 Donnie Hale from New Albany (H.S.) IN to Purdue, 6'7 Matt Derenbecker from Metairie (Metairie Park Country Day) LA to LSU, 6'7 Desmond Simmons from Richmond (Salesian) CA to Washington, 6'3 Langston Galloway from Baton Rouge (Christian Life) LA to St. Joseph's, 6'11 Evan Anderson from Eau Claire (H.S.) WI to Wisconsin, 6'6 Terrance Ross from Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD to Maryland, 6'6 Ralston Turner from Florence (Shoals) AL to LSU, 7'0 Fabrico DeMelo from Weston (Sagemont) FL to Syracuse, 6'6 Anthony Brown from Huntington Beach (Ocean View) CA to Stanford, 5'11 Trevor Releford from Shawnee Mission (Bishop Miege) KS to Alabama, 6'2 Noah Cottrill from Logan (H.S.) WV to West Virginia, 6'4 Jerian Grant from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD to Notre Dame, 6'8 Tobi Oyedeji from Houston (Bellaire) TX, 6'4 Chris Crawford from Memphis (Sheffield) TN to Memphis, 5'10 Juwan Staten from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA to Dayton, 6'3 Taran Buie from Boalsburg (State College) PA to Penn State, 6'11 Carson Desrosiers from Lawrence (Central Catholic) MA to Wake Forest, 6'8 Demarco Cox from Yazoo City (H.S.) MS to Mississippi, 6'5 Mychal Parker from Charlottesville (The Miller School) VA to Maryland, 6'7 Melvin Tabb from Raleigh (Enloe) NC to Wake Forest, 6'2 Royce Woolridge from Phoenix (Sunny Slope) AZ to Kansas, 6'1 Tyler Thornton from Washington (Gonzaga) DC to Duke, 6'5 Fuquan Edwin from Paterson (Catholic) NJ to Seton Hall, 6'4 Lenzelle Smith from Zion (Zion-Benton Township) IL to Ohio State, 6'4 Anthony Johnson from Chicago (Whitney Young) IL to Purdue, 5'8 Phil Taylor from Marietta (Wheeler) GA to Florida International, and 6'3 Bacari Turner from Duncanville (H.S.) TX to Baylor.  When you also add into the equation the fact that the first day that college basketball teams can start practicing is the day after tomorrow (Friday, October 16th), it should come as no surprise that verbal commitments right now are few and far between.  Thus, explains why the only three verbal commitments that we have to pass along are 6'5 Rashad Perkins from Starkville (H.S.) MS to Southern Miss, 6'10 Michael Bradley from Chattanooga (Tyner Academy) TN, and 6'7 Anthony Horton from League City (Clear Springs) TX to Campbell.  Horton is a skilled four-man who is ranked #18 in the senior class in the Houston area by Jim Hicks of RCS sports.com.  Bradley is one of those guys who came out of nowhere this past summer and he's got the size grades, and potential necessary to be very intriguing.  Perkins is a super athlete with a nose for the ball, a knack for making things happen in transition, and a good outside shot.  Our Mississippi Editor Lavel Johnson also expects the Golden Eagles to beat USC and UAB for the services for 6'2 Trency Jackson from Jackson (Wingfield) MS.  We're talking about a slashing athletic combo guard who is especially dangerous when he gets on a role with his outside shooting. 

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin has a number of verbal commitments to pass along and right at the top of the list is 6'4 Jesse Morgan from South Kent (Prep) CT to Seton Hall.   Yes, that's the same guy who stepped up and finished ranked #9 overall and #1 at the 2-guard spot this past summer at the Reebok All-American Camp.  "Morgan can do it all," says Rubin.  "He's got good ball handling and passing skills for a 2-guard, plays excellent defense, and can beat you with his outside shooting and ability to get to the basket."  Rubin also makes note of the fact that Morgan was the second leading scorer in the Philadelphia Public League last season when he was a high school senior at Philadelphia (Olney) PA and he thinks Morgan is the equivalent of top 50-100 range senior nationally, which means he good enough to step in and be the heir apparent to 6'5 Jr Jeremy Hazel and 6'3 Jr Jamel Jackson, both of whom will graduate year after next, at the 2-guard spot.  Morgan also promises to be an excellent complement in this year's recruiting class to 6'5 Fuquan Edwin from Paterson (Catholic) NJ, as Pirates head coach Bobby Gonzalez and his staff continue to stockpile good talent in the program.  If you will recall, Seton Hall also landed 6'8 Ferrakohn Hall from Memphis (White Station) TN and 6'3 Jamel Jackson from Technical Career Institute (JC) NY in last year's recruiting class, plus they had 6'2 Sr Keon Lawrence, 6'8 Jr Herb Pope, 6'5 Jr Jeff Robinson, and 6'11 Soph Melvin Oliver, all of whom are good enough to push for starting spots this season, waiting in the wings last year.  Rubin also tells us that Boston University has landed three more players - 6'4 Travis Robinson from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA, 6'8 Dominique Morris from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA, and 5'9 Henry Gaskins from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA - from the City of Brotherly Love.  If you will, they already had 6'1 Mike Terry from Philadelphia (North Catholic) PA and 6'8 Anthony Mayo from Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) PA in the fold and now this recruiting class has a little bit of everything, including a strong pipeline into new Terriers head coach Patrick Chambers' old stamping grounds.  Robinson was a middle school phenom in his younger days, but he failed to grow and is now a slashing athletic wing forward who plays excellent defense and thrives in an up tempo setting.  Morris is a physical specimen who is good at posting up and rebounding and is surprisingly mobile in transition.  Gaskins is a smart heady point guard who knows how to run the show.  Rubin also makes note of the fact that 6'6 DeMon Brooks from Huntersville (Hopewell) NC has picked Howard University, 6'4 Chris Burke from Willingboro (H.S.) NJ has picked St. Peter's, 6'3 Brook Turson from Plymouth (H.S.) OH has picked Robert Morris, and 6'10 Storm Stanley from Toledo (St. Francis DeSales) OH has picked St. Francis-PA.  And, while Stanley wasn't good enough for West Virginia, which is the school he originally committed to a year ago last summer, this could turn out to be a major coup for the Red Flash.  Stanley is raw offensively and he's only a decent rebounder.  But like they say, you can't teach somebody to be 6'10.  Turson is already in the leading scorer in the history of the school with 1,437 points.  But what makes this such a good catch for the Colonials is the fact that Turson is a tremendous competitor and he's worked real hard over the summer to improve his strength and outside shooting.  Burke is a good all around player who uses his smarts to find ways to score and Brooks is strong around the basket and has good low post moves.  It also looks like Longwood has stolen another one in 6'2 Jeremiah Bowman from Harcum (JC) PA.  We're talking about true lead guard who knows how to run a team, make good decisions, play excellent defensive, and make everybody around him better.  And this is important, because Bowman will provide the perfect complement to all of the shooters and scorers - 6'6 Mark Parker from Benson (West Johnston) NC, 6'3 David Robinson from Richmond (Cosby) VA, and 6'3 Anthony Taylor from Egg Harbor Township (H.S.) NJ - who are already apart of a recruiting class that is now tied at #53, along with Kent State, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  We also have confirmed that 6'7 Colin Voss from East Grand Rapids (H.S.) MI has picked Central Michigan over Drake, Ball State, Western Michigan, Pacific, Toledo, and Wisconsin-Green Bay.  And this is a great catch for several reasons.  First, Voss is a force to be reckoned with and a physical specimen around the basket.  Second, he has an innate understanding of the game and incredible drive and determination, which is hard to find in this day and age.  Third, he has excellent skills and good hands and feet, which makes him ideally for Chippawas' head coach Ernie Zeigler's system.  There also is the verbal commitment that 6'11 John Henderson from Roanoke (Cave Springs) VA made to Vanderbilt.  Henderson needs to get bigger and stronger in order to compete in the Southeastern Conference, but he does have an excellent combination of size, length, athleticism, mobility, understanding of the game, and upside.  So don't be surprised if Henderson evolves into an excellent player down the road under the tutorage of Commodores head coach Kevin Stallings.  We also have confirmed that 6'7 Ken Moore from Midland (JC) TX has committed to St. Francis-NY, 6'2 James Walker from Los Alamitos (H.S.) CA has committed to Utah State, and 6'6 Mario Redmond from Crete (Crete-Monee) IL has committed to Western Illinois.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Our North Carolina Editor Rick Lewis and our Georgia Editor Horace Neysmith were both at the Pangos All-South Frosh/South Camp, which was held over the weekend at Parkview High School in Lilburn, GA, and they both agree that the camp was loaded with talent.  The highlight of the weekend was the Cream of the Crop Top 20 All-Star Game and the guy who stole the show was 6'5 Soph Jordan Adams from Lawrenceville (Central Gwinnett) GA.  He led the White Team to a 84-73 victory and finished with 21 points and three steals en route to game MVP honors.  "Adams has the complete package with strength, size, and athleticism," says Lewis.  "He is very strong and skilled and, although he likes to attack the basket, he also showed a soft shooting touch from mid-range, which is not often seen today."  Also chipping in with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocked shots was 6'8 Soph Gavin Ware from Starkville (H.S.) MS.  "Ware is a strong physical post player with soft hands," says Lewis.  "Ware also does an excellent job of keeping the ball high and not bringing it down.  Once he secures the rebound, he makes a beautiful outlet pass to the point guard.  He is strong around the basket and finishes well."  The White Team also got double-digit efforts from 6'6 Frosh A.J. Davis from Norcross (Greater Atlanta Christian) GA and 6'3 Soph Shaquille Johnson from Conyers (Salem) GA.  "Johnson has freaky athleticism and can jump out the gym," says Lewis.  "He has great timing on put back dunks and was the human highlight film of the camp.  Unfortunately, I didn't see him score unless it was in transition.  He has to develop a jump shot to be successful at the next level."  Lewis also points out that Davis is a very skilled lefty who comes from great genes.  " He was one of three underclassmen to make Top 20 All Star Game and finished with 11 points," says Lewis.  "Davis sports a nice shooting touch and has above average ball handling skills for such a young 6’7 prospect.  Right now Davis is more of a finesse player, but he does have the athleticism and skill to play the three at the next level."  The Black Team was led by 6'7 Soph Charles Mitchell from Marietta (Wheeler) GA, 6'8 Soph Devonta  Pollard from DeKalb (Kemper County) MS, and 5'11 Soph Tyler Lewis from Lewisville (Forsyth Country Day) NC, all whom finished with 11 points piece.  Lewis tells us that his son continues to just get better and better.  "He has gotten bigger and stronger, his quickness has increased, he continues to grow, and his high basketball IQ and ball handling and passing ability are as good as anybody in the Class of 2012."  In addition, Lewis is very efficient shooting the basketball and, as a result, has already gotten some high major offers.  "Pollard is a long lanky athletic forward," says Lewis.  "He is very aggressive on both ends of the floor and doesn’t mind mixing it up inside.  He does not back away from a challenge and has great timing on blocking shots.  He is very smooth and fluid and runs the floor extremely well.  He also has an extremey high ceiling and is a high major prospect."  Lewis also thinks Mitchell has a high upside.  "He played really hard all weekend and possessed a nice jump hook shot in the lane," says Lewis.  "He could use either hand for his jump shoot and also displayed a nice shooting touch from 10-15 feet from the basket.  He also did a nice job of posting up, which is a lost art with young players today.  Heck, who wants to play the post anymore?  Well, Mitchell was solid in the post area and called for the ball often.  It’s nice to see a big man calling for the ball."  Neysmith also thought 6'4 Soph Montay Brandon from Durham (Kestral Heights) NC,  and 6'2 Soph Jaquay Williams from Franklin (Heard County) GA both deserved special recognition.  And Lewis agrees, as he calls Williams "a strong explosive wing player who loves to attack the basket every chance he gets.  Williams also can shoot the ball rather well from the outside and chipped in eight points in the Top 20 All Star Game.  Brandon is a legit 6’4 and has good ball handling skills for a player his size.  Although, he is selfish at times and very seldom passes, you can tell he has the potential to be very good."  Lewis also tells us that 6'3 8th Grader Theo Penson from Greensboro, NC is a name you will hear a lot about in the future.  "Penson is a long athletic guard and does possess very good ball handling skills for a player so young, say Lewis.  "I was surprised how well he passed and handled the basketball and will project as a point guard at the next level.  Penson does need work on his jump shot, but has a long time to hone in on those skills."  One of the biggest surprises of the camp was 6'4 Soph John Glover from Jackson (University School) MS.  "Glover is a solid 2/3 with a tremendous basketball IQ and skill level," says Lewis.  "He was solid all weekend and was one my favorite players.  He was unselfish and had tremendous ball handling and passing skills, plus he knocked down shots from everywhere on the court.  He has average athleticism, but proved he could play with anyone on the floor."  Another major surprise was 5’11 Soph Jack Montague from Brentwood (H.S.) TN.  "Montague has a tremendous basketball IQ and is an excellent passer who also can knock down open shots," says Lewis.  "Montague was fun to watch simply because he was unselfish and played team basketball.  He has average athleticism, but is quick with the ball."  The rest of the list of players named to play in the Cream of the Crop Top 20 All-Star Game includes 6'8 Soph William "Shaq" Goodwin from Decatur (Southwest DeKalb) GA, 6'4 Soph Damien Wilson from Austel (Pebblebrook) GA, 5'9 Soph Yonel Brown from Lilburn (Berkmar) GA, 6'6 Soph Tyler Brunson from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, 6'3 Soph Christopher Bolden from Norcross (H.S.) GA, 6'5 Soph Devon Williams from Dallas (Wilson) TX, 5'9 Soph Devante "Dee" Brooks from Columbia (Spring Valley) SC, 6'7 Frosh Chris Davenport from Atlanta (Southwest Atlanta Christian) GA, and 6'7 Frosh Nick Gorski from Midlothian (Cosby) VA.  The list of players named to play in the Cream of the Crop Top 40 All-Star Game includes 6'3 Soph Winston McLeod from New York (Rice) NY, 5'10 Soph Nate Bucher from Lawrenceville (Providence Christian) GA, 5'11 Soph Clarence Reese from Atlanta (Westlake) GA, 6'4 Soph Tony Evans from Lithonia (Miller Grove) GA, 6'4 Soph Quinton Johnson from Columbia (Keenan) SC, 6'3 Soph Nate Sims from Norcross (H.S.) GA, 6'2 Soph Simeon Davis from Lawrenceville (Central Gwinnett) GA, 6'0 Soph Dajuan Graf from Charlotte (O'Berry) NC, 6'5 Soph Jevontae Miles from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, 6'3 Soph Travis Hammond from Columbia (Richland Northeast) SC, 6'2 Soph Gregory Session from Atlanta (Grady) GA, 6'1 Soph Rob Gray from Forest City (East Rutherford) NC, 6'0 Soph Keenan Williams from Atlanta (Westlake) GA, 5'10 Soph Loren Hall from Hiram (H.S.) GA, 6'1 Frosh Delano Spencer from Lilburn (Parkview) GA, 5'10 Frosh Kyle Wright from Snellville (South Gwinnett) GA, 5'7 Frosh Anthony Bagtas from Atlanta (Westlake) GA, 5'9 Frosh C.J. Wilson from Conyers (Rockdale County) GA, and 5'7 Frosh Colin Swinton from Norcross (Greater Atlanta Christian) GA, 5'8 Frosh Nick Coppola from Midlothian (Cosby) VA, 6'6 Frosh Rasheed Anthony from Cordova (Edisto) SC, 6'5 Frosh Ishmael Martin from Lilburn (Parkview) GA, 5'11 8th Grader Eric Johnson from Durham (Kestral Heights) NC, and 6'5 7th Grader Kejuan Johnson from Atlanta (Sandtown Middle) GA.

Saturday, October 10, 2009 & Sunday, October 11, 2009

While we were focused on publishing our Ranking of the Top 150 Players Nationally in the Class of 2014 (8th Graders), three more top 100-ranked seniors, a top 100-ranked junior, and one of the best junior college players in the nation all made verbal commitments on what was supposed to have been a slow Friday.  We start with 6'2 Gary Franklin from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, who is ranked #24 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is one of the best 3-point shooters in country.  He's also a tremendous competitor, has a great work ethic, and a knack for making the big shot and/or play.  However, we have serious doubts about whether Franklin has the point guard mentality necessary to step in next year and be the heir apparent to 5'10 Sr Jerome Randall.  Now don't get me wrong.  Franklin is one of my favorite players and I think most of our competition is missing the boat on how good this athletic 2-guard can be for the Golden Bears.  In other words, Franklin has the potential to quickly evolve into one of the best 2-guards in the league, but is nothing more than a quick fix at the point guard spot in a class where quality point guards are few and far between.  Regardless, Franklin is a great kid and winner and he hails from one of the premier high school basketball programs (Mater Dei) and club team programs (California Supreme) in the nation.  He also promises to be an excellent complement to 6'4 Allen Crabbe from Los Angeles (Price) CA, 6'5 Alex Rossi from Winnekta (New Trier) IL, and 6'8 Richard Solomon from Los Angeles (Price) CA in a recruiting class that is now ranked #9 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  There also was the verbal commitment made by 6'6 Daniel Bejarano from Phoenix (North) AZ, who is ranked #65 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is another one of the best 3-point shooters in the country.  And what he lacks in speed and quickness, Bejarano more than makes up for with his strength and competitiveness.  Bejarano also is an important catch, because he's a local kid and he reneged on the verbal commitment that he originally made to the University of Texas this past spring.  Bejarano joins 6'8 Rod Odom from Concord (Middlesex School) MA, who picked the Wildcats last week, in a recruiting class that is now ranked #39 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  And this comes on the heels of last year's recruiting class, which finished ranked #8 in our Final Ranking of the Top Recruiting Classes for the Class of 2009 and included 6'6 Solomon Hill from Los Angeles (Fairfax) CA, 6'5 Kevin Parrom from South Kent (Prep) CT, 6'0 Lamont Jones, 6'0, PG, Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'7 Derrick Williams from La Mirada (H.S.) CA, and 6'10 Kyryl Natyazhko from Bradenton (Pendleton School) FL.  We also think 6'9 Marquez "Luke" Cothron from Red Springs (Flora MacDonald) NC is another important piece to the puzzle for Wolfpack head coach Sidney Lowe and his staff who also have 6'0 Ryan Harrow from Marietta (Walton) GA and 6'4 Lorenzo Brown from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA in a recruiting class that is now ranked #4 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  If you will recall, Cothron is an athletic shot blocking big man who is ranked #48 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is just oozing with natural talent and  potential.  And this also is important, because he promises to be a perfect complement to all of the excellent front line freshmen, like 6'8 Richard Howell from Marietta (Wheeler) GA, 6'9 Frosh DeShawn Painter form Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, 6'5 Scott Wood from Marion (H.S.) IN, 6'5 Josh Davis from Raleigh (Athens Drive) NC, and 7'0 Jordan Vandenberg from Australia, who are already in the program.  It also looks like 6'10 Andre Almeida from Arizona Western (JC) AZ is a major steal for the University of Nebraska.  Did you know that this native of Sao Paulo, Brazil was a member of the Brazilian Junior National Team and he averaged 13.7 ppg and 8.0 rpg a year ago en route to Player-of-the-Year honors in the ACCAC (Arizona Community College Athletic Conference)?  And what about the fact the University of Illinois has beaten Purdue for 6'10 Jr Nnanna Egwu from Chicago (St. Ignatius) FL, who is one of the fastest rising juniors in the nation?  "Eqwu is loaded with enormous potential and is one of the fastest-rising prospects that we have seen out of the state of Illinois in recent memory, especially when one considers the fact that he hasn't played basketball for a long period of time," says Roy and Harv Schmidt on their Illinois Prep Bulls-eye web site.  "While Egwu did not quite have as productive a summer evaluation period as we originally predicted, in the end it didn't matter because his stock had already gone through the roof during the spring while playing for the Illinois Wolves traveling team and participating in private workouts and open gyms.  Although in many ways he is still scratching the surface, Egwu has already shown considerable improvement offensively.  He has great hands, is a consistent finisher, and has proven that he can face up and knock down mid-range jump shots.  Egwu has also developed a jump hook, which has started to become an effective offensive weapon as well.  Besides his offensive skills, he is also highly athletic, as he runs the floor well, is a strong rebounder at both ends, and can block and alter shots in the paint.  In many ways, we find Egwu comparable to Illini class of 2008 recruit Stan Simpson and we actually believe that Egwu is more advanced at the same stage."  We also have confirmed that 6'7 Chris Griffin from Tallahassee (Leon) FL, who we ranked #29 overall and #4 at the power forward spot at the Reebok All-American Camp, has verbally committed to Murray State University.  He picked the Racers over Coastal Carolina and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi due to their style of play and rich basketball tradition.  Last year Griffin attended Tallahassee (FAMU) FL and averaged 18.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 5.0 apg, and 3.0 bpg while compiling eight triple doubles. 

Friday, October 9, 2009

With the publication of our Ranking of the Top 150 Players Nationally in the Class of 2014 (8th Graders) earlier today exclusively in the Members Section, we're halfway home updating our rankings of the top young players who are on the horizon.  If you will recall, a week ago we published our Ranking of the Top 200 Players Nationally in the Class of 2013 (Freshmen), next week we plan to publish our updated Ranking of the Top Players Nationally in the Class of 2015 (7th Graders), and the following week we plan to publish to our updated Ranking of the Top Players Nationally in the Class of 2016 (6th Graders).  However, before I go any further, I want to point out that these rankings are a reflection of what we know at the current time.  The younger you go the more margin for error there is and there is a much greater chance that we will  miss somebody we have not to see play or who hasn't shown up yet on our radar screen.  In other words, ranking players this young is a great starting point, but it usually doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things.  And this is especially true with the Class of 2014 for several reasons.  First, this class appears to be slow developing, as the top players in the Class of 2014 are not nearly as advanced as the top players in the Class of 2013 were a year ago.  And to reinforce this point even further is our belief that a lot of the top players (i.e. 5'9 7th Grader Allonzo Trier from Federal Way, WA, 5'7 7th Grader Perry Dozier from Columbia, SC, 6'5 7th Grader Kewan Johnson from Atlanta, GA, 6'1 7th Grader Austin Grandstaff from Rowlett, TX, 5'10 7th Grader Malik Newman from Jackson, MS, 6'2 7th Grader Jesse Pictokache from McAllen, TX, 5'8 7th Grader Malik Ellison from Voorhees, NJ, 6'5 Mickey Mitchell from Bryan, TX, and 5'11 7th Grader Tyler Dorsey from Pasadena, CA) in the Class of 2015 are every bit as good as the top players in the Class of 2014 are right now.  The lone exception is 5'11 8th Grader Joel Berry from Casselberry, FL, who played up a year and was one of top five-ranked players in the tournament on a team that advanced all the way to the final four of the AAU 14-Under Nationals.  We're talking about an incredible athlete, tremendous competitor, prolific scorer, and great 3-point shooter who promises to be the next in a long line of great guards (i.e. Darius Washington in 2004, Nick Calathes in 2007, Kenny Boynton a year ago, Brandon Knight this year, Austin Rivers next year, and Kasey Hill in the Class of 2013) from the Sunshine State.  We also really like 6'3 8th Grader Tony Upchurch from Pearland, TX and 6'6 8th Grader Craig Victor from New Orleans, LA.  But neither player has shown up at any of the events that I have covered in the last year and there will be a day of reckoning, if they don't continue to grow.  Second, the race is really too close to call among a lot of the other top players in the class, like 6'5 8th Grader Micah Seaborn from Benbrook TX, 5'9 8th Grader James Blackmon from Ft. Wayne, IN, 6'4 8th Grader Trevon Bluiett from Indianapolis, IN, 6'2 8th Grader John Jackson from Tucson, AZ, 5'7 8th Grader Parker Cartwright from Van Nuys, CA, 6'4 8th Grader Joseph Burton from Houston, TX, 5'10 8th Grader TaRon Ayers from Beckley, WV, 6'3 8th Grader Theo Pinson from Greensboro, NC, and 5'9 8th Grader Anton Beard from North Little Rock, AR.  Third, there are still a lot of questions that much be answered, like just how good is 6'6 8th Grader Andrew Wiggins from Creedmoor, NC?  Our Canadian Editor Ro Russell, who also is the director of the Grassroots Canada AAU program and the new head coach at Creedmoor (Christian Faith School) NC, was right on the money several years ago when he was touting 6'8 Tristan Thompson from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV and 6'1 Jr Myck Kabongo from Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ as two of the top young up-and-coming guys before I'd ever heard of them, much less seen them play.  So we have to pay attention when he tells us that Wiggins is a good as any player he has had at this stage.  "I haven't seen a player at 13-years old any better, " says Russell.  "He is a super high major talent who played 15-Under, 16-Under, and 17-Under for me this past year.  Wiggins is a big time athlete and very skilled for his age à la Michael Gilchrist.  He's also the son of former NBA player Mitchell Wiggins." 

Thursday, October 8, 2009

With yesterday's verbal commitment by 6'8 Rod Odom from Concord (Middlesex School) MA to the University of Arizona, there can be little doubt about just how strong the new regime is when it comes time recruiting players from the New York City Metropolitan area.  If you will recall, the Wildcats landed 6'5 Kevin Parrom from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY via South Kent (Prep) CT and 6'0 Lamont Jones from New York (Rice) NY via Aston (American Christian) PA and Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA last spring and they also got an early verbal commitment from 6'7 Jr Sidiki Johnson from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY via Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ two months ago.  Odom, who is originally from Long Island, NY, picked the Wildcats over schools like West Virginia, Boston College, Vanderbilt, and Harvard.  Are you starting to get the idea that Odom, who has grown four inches in the last year and seven inches during his high school career, is a very intriguing catch for the Wildcats?  He currently just misses being ranked among our top 100 seniors nationally, but has the potential to move a lot higher, if he ever develops the toughness necessary to be a force inside or the ball handling skills necessary to complement his excellent shooting touch.  We also believe that the Wildcats are one of the co-favorites, along with the University of Detroit, for 6'2 Ray McCallum from Beverly Hills (Detroit Country Day) MI, who is ranked #34 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  The key here will be whether McCallum decides he wants to play for his father, who is the head coach of the Titans, or whether he wants to play at a big time school.  And, while this is not necessarily good news for the University of Oklahoma and UCLA, which are the other two schools believed to be right at the top of McCallum's list, we do have good news for the Bruins and more bad news for the Sooners.  The good news is that it once again looks like 6'8 Josh Smith from Covington (Kentwood) WA, who is ranked #11 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, will pick UCLA over the University of Washington.  The bad news is that Oklahoma, which made a strong push a month ago for Smith's services, is no longer in the picture.  However, before you start to feel too sorry for the Sooner, just remember that Oklahoma already has landed two of the best players in the Lone Star State in 6'5 Cameron Clark from Sherman (H.S.) TX and 6'3 T.J. Taylor from Denison (H.S.) TX; they had 6'8 Harrison Barnes from Ames (H.S.) IA and 6'4 Doron Lamb from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, who are two of the top unsigned players in the senior class nationally, on campus this past weekend; and they will be tough to beat for 6'8 Jr LeBryan Nash from Dallas (Lincoln) TX, who is one of the top five ranked juniors nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  We also are now projecting the University of Missouri as the team to beat over schools like Florida International, Georgetown, North Texas and Arizona State for 6'8 Tony Mitchell from Dallas (Pinkston) TX, who is ranked #46 nationally in the senior class.  And this makes perfect sense for several reasons.  First, with his combination of skills, athleticism, and versatility, Mitchell is a perfect fit for the Tigers head coach Mike Anderson's system.  Second, Mitchell should be exactly what the doctor ordered a year from now, as he promises to provide the perfect complement to 6'6 Kim English at the wing forward spot.  Third, we suspect that Missouri Associate Head Coach Melvin Watkins, who was the head coach at Texas A&M from 1998 to 2004, is taking advantage of his strong ties back in his old stamping grounds to get this one done.  And the fact that the Tigers already have a verbal commitment from 5'8 Phil Pressey from Dallas (Episcopal School of Dallas) TX, who is ranked #26 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, also should not hurt their chances when it comes time to get Mitchell to pull the trigger.  We also are not surprised by the fact that 6'1 Billy Baron from Worcester (Academy) MA has elected to follow in his older brother's footsteps and play for his father at the University of Rhode Island.  What Baron lacks in speed, quickness, and athleticism, he more than makes up for with his competitiveness, outside shooting, and ability to run a team.  In other words, he's like a coach on the floor and has the leadership qualities and basketball IQ necessary to make everybody around him better.  Other verbal commitments that we've confirmed within the last 48 hours include 6'2 Steve McWhorter from Racine (St. Catherine's) WI to Indiana State, 6'9 Steadman Short from Chipola (JC) FL to Marshall, 6'6 Al Rapier from Mineral Area (JC) MO to Stony Brook, 6'7 Josh Ritchart from Auburn (Forest Lake Christian) CA to UC-Davis, and 6'6 Anthony Banks from Roanoke (North Cross) VA to Chattanooga.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Our West Coast Editor Dinos Trigonis will be getting an important head start on the future with all of his All Frosh/Soph Camps that will be taking place this month.  The Fullcourt Press All-Frosh/Soph Camp was held last weekend at Lynwood High School in Lynwood, CA and the guy who stole the show was 6'7 Soph Winston Shepard from Henderson (Findlay) NV, who was named the MVP of the Camp and had a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebound in the Top 25 All-Star Game.  The MVP in the Top 25 All-Star Game and one of the best outside shooters in the camp was 6'2 Soph Gabe York from Orange (Lutheran) CA, who also was the leading scorer in the all-star game with 19 points and three treys.  It also looks like we were pretty close with our Ranking of the Top 200 Players Nationally in the Class of 2013 (Freshmen), which was published last Friday exclusively in the Members Section, as 6'2 Frosh Eric Cooper from La Verne (Lutheran) CA had 12 points, 6'6 Frosh Aaron Gordon from San Jose (Archbishop Mitty) CA had eight points, 6'3 Frosh Isaac Hamilton from Los Angeles (Price) CA had seven points, 6'5 Soph Roschon Prince from Long Beach (Poly) CA had six points, and 6'1 Frosh Chance Murray from Los Angeles (Price) CA had four points in the Top 25 All-Star Game.  Also separating themselves from all the rest and/or deserving special mention were 6'7 Soph David Andoh from San Jose (Santa Teresa) CA, who had 10 points and nine rebounds in the Top 25 All-Star Game; 6'5 Soph Xavier Johnson from Temecula (Chapparal) CA, who is currently the top ranked sophomore in the state by the HOOP SCOOP; 6'7 Soph Rosco Allen from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV, who is a pure three at 6'7, thanks to his excellent 3-point stroke and good ball handling skills; 6'3 Soph K.J. Pritchard from Lawrence (H.S.) KS, who is the son of Portland Trailblazer General Manager and former University of Kansas point guard Kevin Pritchard; 6'8 Soph Grant Jerrett from La Verne (Lutheran) CA, who was as good as anybody on the first evening of camp, but finished with only four points and three rebounds in the all-star game; and 6'5 Soph Matt Shrigley from Carlsbad (La Costa Canyon) CA, who had 10 points and six rebounds in the Top 25 All-Star Game.  Also named to play in the Top 25 All-Star Game were 5'11 Khalid Banks from North Las Vegas (Cheyenne) NV, 6'0 Soph Dalante Dunklin from San Diego (Parker) CA, 6'6 Soph Zena Edosomwan from North Hollywood (Harvard-Westlake) CA, 6'7 Soph Ben Carter from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV, 5'11 Soph Jaffar Holmes from Long Beach (Poly) CA, 6'4 Soph Parker U'u from Carmichael (Jesuit) CA, 5'9 Soph Chase Bryan from Westlake Village (Oaks Christian) CA, 5'11 Soph David Travers from Carlsbad (La Costa Canyon) CA, 6'6 Soph Ronnie Stanley from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV, 6'5 Soph Brenden Otero from Los Angeles (Palisades) CA, 6'6 Frosh Maurice Kirby from Flagstaff (H.S.) AZ, 6'5 Soph Sharif Watson from Rowland Heights (Rowland) CA, 6'1 Soph Demetrius Balark from Phoenix (Kellis) AZ, and 6'2 Frosh Darian Johnson from Elk Grove (Franklin) CA.  Clearly the best three players in the Top 50 were All-Star Game were 6'4 Frosh Rashad Muhammad from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV with 21 points, six rebounds, and 9-18 field goals, 6'3 Soph Kyi Thomas from Sacramento (Hiram Johnson) CA with 18 points, four rebounds, five steals, and 9-14 field goals, and 5'11 Frosh Ikenna Iroegbu from Elk Grove (Franklin) CA with five points and eight assists.  The rest of the list of players who played in the Top 50 All-Star Game includes 6'3 Soph Michael Washington from Oak Harbor (H.S.) WA, 5'9 Soph Isaiah Taylor from Berkeley (St. Mary's) CA, 6'3 Frosh D'erryl Williams from Sacramento (Sheldon) CA, 6'3 Soph Braiten Madrigal from Bellflower (St. John Bosco) CA, 6'3 Soph Callum Long from Flagstaff (H.S.) AZ, 5'6 Soph Dulani Robinson from Oakland (McClymonds) CA, 6'5 Soph Frankie Bamford from La Jolla (La Jolla Country Day) CA, 5'10 Soph Myles Pearson from Upland (H.S.) CA, 6'4 Soph Dion Wright from Lakewood (Mayfair) CA, 5'7 Soph Chris Croom from Long Beach (Poly) CA, 6'2 Soph Chris Cook from Las Vegas (Legacy) NV, 6'3 Frosh Dakarai Allen from Sacramento (Sheldon) CA, 6'2 Soph Jared Ponce from Chino Hills (Ayala) CA, 5'10 Soph D.J. Harris from Inglewood (Morningside) CA, 6'2 Soph Javion Watson from San Ysidro (H.S.) CA, 6'0 Soph Anthony Martinez from Cerritos (Gahr) CA, 6'6 Soph Daveon Thomas from Carson (H.S.) CA, 6'3 Soph Glenn Baral from Berkeley (St. Mary's) CA, 6'4 Soph Connor Patterson from Gilbert (Christian) AZ, 6'4 Frosh Nick Colletta from La Verne (Lutheran) CA, 6'7 Soph Taylor Millay from Caspar (Natrona County) WY, 6'3 Soph Chris Selby from Gilbert (Perry) AZ, 5'8 Soph J.R. Williams from Reseda (Cleveland) CA, 6'2 Frosh James Hadnot from Sacramento (Inderkum) CA, 6'2 Soph Michael Alvarez from Cerritos (Gahr) CA, and 6'7 Soph Zachary Hollis from Palmdale (Knight) CA.  Next on Trigonis' All-Frosh/Soph Camp tour is the Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp, which will be held this weekend at Parkview High School in Lilburn, GA.  Then, the following weekend (October 17th-18th) there will be the Pangos All-Midwest Frosh/Soph Camp at Joy of the Game in Deerfield, IL.  And finally the Pangos All-East Frosh/Soph Camp will be held in Philadelphia, PA on October 31st-November 1st.  You can find more information about all of the All-Frosh/Soph Camps by going to Trigonis' web site at Full Court Press.  Or you can email Trigonis at trigonis30@aol.com or call him at 1-(562) 223-0190. 

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

With today's verbal commitments by 6'6 Anthony Brown from Huntington Beach (Ocean View) CA to Stanford and 6'10 Alex Kirk from Los Alamos (H.S.) NM to the University of New Mexico, 70 of our top 100-ranked seniors are now off the board.  And we think Kirk is a great catch for the Lobos for a number of reasons.  First, despite his lack of quickness and athleticism, Kirk more than held his own this past summer while playing against the top players in the nation at the LeBron James King City Classic and the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp and, as a result, is ranked #59 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  Second, Kirk not only was a top recruiting priority for the Lobos, but he's also the highest ranked player to come out the state since 6'10 Taymon Domzalski from Roswell (New Mexico Military) NM graduated from high school and went to Duke in 1995.  Third, Kirk is a perfect fit for New Mexico head coach Steve Alford's system, because he's got a blue collar work ethic, excellent skills and post moves, great hands, and a knack for being in the right place at the time and using his body to get the rebound.  Fourth, Kirk should be an excellent complement to 6'7 Jr Darington Hobson, 6'5 Soph Phillip McDonald, 6'6 Frosh Chad Adams, who will provide the Lobos with all kinds of fire power out on the perimeter for a long time to come.  Fifth, the addition of Kirk moves New Mexico's recruiting class into a tie at #43, along with Virginia Tech and Oklahoma, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  However, even more important, New Mexico's recruiting class, which also includes 6'7 Tony Snell from Phoenix (Westwind Prep) AZ, is now the highest ranked recruiting class in the league.  Brown is ranked #79 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, but it's his upside and potential that gets us excited.  We're talking about a silky smooth athletic wing player with an excellent 3-point shot and a 4.0 gpa.  And once he gets bigger and stronger physically and develops more of a killer mentality, Brown could evolve into one of the better players in the league.  The Cardinal beat schools like UCLA and California for Brown's services, plus it also gives Stanford head coach Johnny Dawkins and his staff another important link into the fertile recruiting grounds of Southern California.  If you will recall, Stanford also landed 6'8 Andy Brown from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA in last year's recruiting class.  We also are intrigued by the fact that DePaul has gotten a verbal commitment from 6'9 Walter Pitchford from Richmond (New Creations Christian) IN, who was named the Most Promising Prospect at Five-Star Basketball Camp's Lewis University session two years ago.  But Pritchard is still more of a project than a finished product, as he lacks the strength, understanding of the game, and post moves necessary to step in and make an immediate impact a year from now for the Blue Demons.  However, Pritchard does know how to finish strong, use his length and athleticism to rebound and block shots, and he does have a lot of upside and potential.  It also looks like our North Carolina Editor Rick Lewis knew what he was talking about yesterday when he told us that High Point is the favorite for 6'8 George Massada from Lewisville (Forsyth Country Day) NC.  He picked the Panthers earlier today and, as a result, new High Point head coach Scott Cherry appears to be turning the program around in a hurry with a recruiting class  that also includes 6'4 James Williams from Deerfield Beach (H.S.) FL and 6'2 Justin Cheek from Charlotte (Ardrey Kell) NC.  But this should not come as much of a surprise in light of the fact that Cherry was a player on North Carolina's 1993 NCAA Championship team and an assistant coach at George Mason when the Patriots advanced to the NCAA Final Four in 2006.  And making the Panthers' in-state connections even stronger than they already are is the fact that High Point assistant coach Wes Miller also is a former UNC player.  Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin tells us that 6'3 Ryan Hill from Steelton (Steelton-Highsphire) PA has picked Bucknell and 6'2 Miles Cartwright from Los Angeles (Loyola) CA has picked the University of Pennsylvania.  Cartwright is a cerebral combo guard who can both run the show and has a knack for finding ways to score, which makes him an excellent complement to 6'9 Kevin Panzer from Mission Viejo (Capistrano Valley) CA, 6'2 Miles Cartwright from Los Angeles (Loyola) CA, 6'4 Steve Rennard from Metuchen (St. Joseph) NJ, 6'2 Austin Kelly from North Hollywood (Harvard-Westlake) CA, 6'9 Cameron Gunter from Folsom (Ridley) PA, and 6'2 Dua Jok from Des Moines (Roosevelt) IA in a recruiting class that is now ranked #23 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  Hill is a point guard with size who, according to Rubin, is one of the fastest rising players in his area.  We also have confirmed that 6'3 Kennis White from Warren (Warren Harding) OH, who is ranked #547 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, has picked Western Michigan and 6'8 Eric Griffin from Garden City (JC) KS is following his junior college teammate - 6'10 Martell Jackson from Garden City (JC) KS - to Campbell University. 

Saturday, October 3, 2009, Sunday, October 4, 2009, & Monday, October 5, 2009

Our Mississippi Editor Lavel Johnson provides us with the scoop on 5'10 Andre Stringer from Jackson (Forest Hill) MS, who earlier this afternoon picked LSU over Marquette, USC, Tennessee, and Alabama.  Currently we don't have Stringer ranked among the top 100 seniors nationally, but Johnson thinks he should be.  He also tells us that Stringer and 5'8 Phil Pressey from Dallas (Episcopal School of Dallas) TX, who recently picked Missouri, were the top two point guard prospects that LSU head coach Trent Johnson and his staff were chasing this past summer.  We're talking about a true point guard, who can not only knows how to run the show, but also can really shoot the basketball and is capable of putting up prolific numbers and making big plays.  Stringer also is a winner, as is evident by the fact that he led his team to the 4A State Championship last spring and, as a junior, he was the player-of-the-year in the state.  He also should be an excellent complement to a recruiting class that already has a little bit of everything, except a dominating big man.  Remember, the Tigers also already have 6'6 Ralston Turner from Muscle Shoals (H.S.) AL, 6'7 Matt Derenbecker from Metairie (Metairie Park Country Day) LA, and 6'8 Jalen Courtney from Jackson (Provine) MS in a recruiting class that is now tied at #11, along with Auburn and Oklahoma State, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  Johnson also tells us that 6'1 Jeffrey Simmons from Greenwood (H.S.) MS made a verbal commitment last week to Middle Tennessee State.  And Simmons appears to be a good catch for the Blue Raiders, thanks to his jet-like speed and quickness, ability to penetrate and dish, and big upside.  Johnson also points out that this is a case where Middle Tennessee State head coach Kermit Davis has gone back to his old stamping grounds to land his second recruit in this year's recruiting class.  Did you know that Davis was born in Leakesville, MS, graduated from Mississippi State in 1982, and was the youngest head coach in the nation in the junior college ranks when he was hired at Southeast Mississippi Junior college in 1984?  Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin tells us that 6'6 Chase Plummer from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ has made it official for Maryland-Baltimore County.  Plummer is ranked #292 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, but he's ideally suited to step in and play an important role right away for the Retrievers for a number of reasons  First, Plummer is undersized power forward and a jack-of-all-trades who does a lot of things well, but nothing great.  Second, Plummer plays in one of the premier high school programs in the nation.  Third, he plays hard, has been a high basketball IQ, and has been well coached.  Fourth, Plummer promises to be an excellent complement to all of the other new players, like 6'4 Adrian Satchell from Windsor (H.S.) CT, 6'2 Nicholas Groce from Annapolis (St. Mary's) MD, 6'4 Brian Neller from Lincroft (Christian Brothers) NJ, 6'4 Jamar Wertz from Suffolk (King's Fork) VA, 5'10 Soph Chris DeLaRosa, who sat out last year after transferring from Siena, and 7'0 Soph Robbie Jackson, who sat out last year after transferring from Marshall, that are currently in the program.  Rubin also tells us that he expects 6'1 Brandon Britt from Chesapeake (Atlantic Shores Christian) VA to pick William & Mary sooner than later.  "Britt should an excellent fit for the Tribe's system," says Rubin.  "He's a skilled 2-guard and an excellent 3-point shooter.  Our North Carolina Editor Rick Lewis also checks in with a pair of verbal commitments by 6'2 Justin Cheek from Charlotte (Ardrey Kell) NC to High Point and 5'10 Brennan Wyatt from Greensboro (Dudley) NC to the United States Naval Academy and a shoe that he expects to drop sometime within the next week, as 6'8 George Massada from Lewisville (Forsyth Country Day) NC is expected to decide between High Point and UNC-Asheville.  "Massada is a strong power forward who is really good around the basket," says Lewis.  "His football and skill level have both improved tremendously since he arrived here two years ago.  I think High Point is the favorite.  Cheek was definitely a player under the radar and played extremely well at the Chris Paul Backcourt Camp.  The southpaw is a long athletic combo guard who can knock down the three ball with consistency.  He has good ball handling skills and is tough on the defensive end."  Wyatt, who is ranked #616 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, has a great basketball IQ, and is a pass first point guard.  Our Texas Editor Tim Miller tells us that 6'9 Keith Davis from De Soto (H.S.) TX has verbally to Texas A&M this morning and 6'9 Nick Shepherd from Houston (Westbury Christian) TX verbally committed to Long Beach State late last week.  The latter needs to get stronger physically, but he's long and athletic, good on the boards, and has a big upside, which makes him an excellent complement to a recruiting class that also already includes 6'5 Shelton Boykin from Long Beach (Poly) CA and 6'4 Jacob Thomas from Columbia Heights (H.S.) MO.  The former is a high energy big time athlete who blocks shots, rebounds, and finishes around the basket.  However, what really makes Davis so intriguing is the fact that he's gotten a lot better in a very short period of time and, as a result, is one of the fastest rising players in the nation.  Our New York City Editor Ron Nalcerio tells us that 6'6 Shane Southwell from New York (Rice) NY has verbally committed to Kansas State.  Currently we have Southwell ranked #99 nationally in the senior class.  However, if this multi-dimensional athlete who is capable of playing anywhere from the one to the four ever puts all the of the pieces together, he could end up being a lot better.  It also looks like the Wildcats have gotten an early verbal commitment from 6'5 Jr Nino Williams from Leavenworth (H.S.) KS and 6'1 Mike McCall from Chicago (Foreman) IL has verbally committed to Saint Louis, 6'3 Skylar Jones from Alexandria (Mt. Vernon) VA has verbally committed to Niagara, 5'10 Traven Abraham from Sacramento (H.S.) CA has verbally committed to Rice, 6'2 Tyler Johnson from Mountain View (St. Francis) NY has verbally committed to Fresno State, 6'4 Dominique Lee from Berkeley (St. Mary's) CA has verbally committed to Utah, and 6'4 Carlton Guyton from Mineral Area (JC) MO has verbally committed to Kent State. 

Friday, October 2, 2009

I've had a number of people inquire recently about when we plan to update our national player rankings.  Well, our Ranking of the Top 200 Players Nationally in the Class of 2013 (Freshmen) were published this evening exclusively in the Members Section and I'm already working on our updated Ranking of the Top 150 Players Nationally in the Class of 2014 (8th Graders), which we plan to publish next week; our updated Ranking of the Top 100 Players Nationally in the Class of 2015 (7th Graders), which we plan to publish the following week; and  updated Ranking of the Top Players Nationally in the Class of 2016 (6th Graders), which we plan to publish in about three weeks.  I also am being told by Allen Rubin that he plans to get me his updated Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Report by about the middle of the month, which means I'll have a couple of weeks to turn it around and get it published by the end of the month.  I also plan to update our Ranking of the Top Players Nationally in the Class of 2010 (Seniors), Ranking of the Top Players Nationally in the Class of 2011 (Juniors), and Ranking of the Top Players Nationally in the Class of 2012 (Sophomores) periodically during the month of November, which means we should be 100% caught up updating our national player rankings right about the time the high school basketball season is getting under way.  As for our Ranking of the Top 200 Players Nationally in the Class of 2013 (Freshmen), this is a phenomenal list for a number of reasons.  First, I've been tracking the players in this class for three-and-a-half years dating all the way back to March 21, 2006 when he published our Ranking of the Top 100 5th Graders in the Nation.  Second, thanks to the fact that most of these players have participated in the AAU 14-Under Nationals and/or attended the Junior Phenom Camp and/or the Junior All-American Camp in recent years, I have personally seen an overwhelming number of the players on this list.  As a matter of fact, the only three players who are ranked among the top 25 players on this list that I have not seen are 6'7 Frosh Jordan Washington from Queens (Pathways) NY, 6'5 Frosh Peter Jok from Des Moines (Roosevelt) IA, and 6'1 Frosh Duane Wilson from Whitefish Bay (Dominican) WI.  Third, our area and state editors have provided us with an incredible amount of input, which means we're really up-to-date with regards to whether a player has grown and where he is going to high school.  I also think it's important to put out why we have 6'5 Frosh Brian Bridgewater from Baton Rouge (Episcopal) LA ranked #1 in the class.  He may not grow a lot more and, as a result, may not have as much upside and potential as some of the other players on this list.  But right now Bridgewater is like a man among boys and is just flat out better than everybody else.  Remember, our rankings take into account upside and potential for both college and professional levels.  However, there also has to be an accountability right now.  And, if what you see is what you get, with normal development Bridgewater will be a heck of a power forward in at the big time college level.  And, if he grows three or four more inches, he'll be able to follow in the footsteps of players like Glen Davis, Kevin Love, and 6'8 Jared Sullinger from Columbus (Northland) OH, all of whom were a force to be reckoned with inside, but didn't get the respect they deserve due to the fact that the popular consensus was they are an inch or two too small and/or not athletic enough to project as a superstar at the highest level.  But I don't want to be quoted saying that due to the fact that I think it's way to early come to some kind of definitive conclusion.  Did you know that Davis, who is only 23-years-old and in only his second season in the league, averaged 7.0 ppg and 4.0 rpg during the regular season and 15.8 ppg and 5.6 rpg in the playoffs for the Boston Celtics?  And Love, who just turned 21 years old, averaged 11.1 ppg and 9.1 rpg in his first season in the league while playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves.  I also can't say enough good things about 6'3 Frosh Nigel Williams-Goss from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV, who led his team to the AAU 14-Under National Championship and is one of the smartest and most consistent players to come down the pike in a long time.  And rounding on our top five are 5'11 Frosh Kasey Hill Mount Dora (Bible) FL, 6'3 Frosh Julius Randle from Plano (Prestonwood Academy) TX, and 6'4 Frosh Aaron Harrison from Houston (Strake Jesuit) TX.  For the rest of the list click onto Ranking of the Top 200 Players Nationally in the Class of 2013 (Freshmen). 

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Believe it or not, our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin waited until today to mention that he watched 6'9 Jr LaQuinton Ross from Jackson (Murrah) MS score 41 points and knock down a bunch of 3-pointers in the top all-star game last Saturday night at Rick Barrett's 2009 Gym Rats Midnight Madness at Cherry Hill East High in Cherry Hill, NJ.  If you will recall, Ross has been ranked as one of the top five players nationally in his class since he was in the 8th Grade.  However, Ross also has never shown that he has the killer mentality necessary to achieve greatness and, after being slowed by injuries this past spring, the value of his stock had dropped dramatically.  And this is important, because, if we're going to be one of Ross' biggest critics, we also have to step up and give him the accolades that he deserves when he plays well.  Rubin also tells us that the list of schools mentioned by Ross includes Syracuse, Memphis, Connecticut, North Carolina, Baylor, and Tennessee.  And this too comes as a surprise, because we always thought two of the schools that you'd have to beat for Ross' services are Mississippi State and Kentucky.  Rubin also tells us that some of the other top individual performances at the 2009 Gym Rats Midnight Madness were turned in by 6'2 Tony Chennault from Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti) PA and 7'0 Fabrico DeMelo from Weston (Sagemont) FL, who finished with 26 and 25 points apiece, and 6'0 Tyreek Duran from Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti) PA, who did a great job of making those around him better, as is evident by the fact that he had 14 assists.  Rubin also tells us that 6'11 Jr Malcolm Grant from Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA is being recruited by schools like Ohio State, Villanova, Temple, St. Joseph's, La Salle, Pittsburgh, Maryland, Harvard, Bucknell, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Georgetown, and Rutgers and 6'5 Soph Savon Goodman from Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA has an early list of schools that includes Texas, Rutgers, Penn State, Villanova, Baylor, Fordham, St. Joseph's, and Temple.  Our Tennessee Editor Andre Whitehead and Mid-South Editor Jim Rothman are both on top of the fact that 6'4 Chris Crawford from Memphis (Sheffield) TN has picked the University of Memphis over Tennessee and Mississippi.  Crawford is ranked #84 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and was one of the biggest sleepers to emerge this summer, as he teamed with 6'0 Joe Jackson from Memphis (White Station) TN, 6'6 Jr Adonis Thomas from Memphis (Melrose) TN, 6'9 Tarik Black from Memphis (Ridgeway) TN, and 6'8 Jalen Kendrick from Marietta (Wheeler) GA on that Memphis Magic team that won the adidas Super 64 in Las Vegas, NV.  "Crawford is long and athletic and he's a great 3-point shooter," says Whitehead.  "All he needs is consistency, as he has a tendency to disappear at times."  Rothman adds that Crawford should be an excellent complement to 6'6 Will Barton from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH and 6'5 Elliott Williams, who is transferring from Duke and will be eligible to play right away for the Tigers.  Remember, Barton and Williams are both slashing athlete wing players and Crawford is a great spot-up shooter.  The addition of Crawford also solidifies the Tigers' spot even further into the #3 spot on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  And, if they also get 6'8 Tarik Black from Memphis (Ridgeway) TN, who is ranked #69 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is expected to be the next shoe to drop for the Tigers, then we would be talking about the #2-ranked recruiting class, behind Ohio State and ahead of Wake Forest.  We also have confirmed that Longwood has landed 6'3 Anthony Taylor from Egg Harbor Township (H.S.) NJ.  And this slashing athletic combo guard is exactly what the doctor ordered to complement 6'6 Mark Parker from Benson (West Johnston) NC and 6'3 David Robinson from Richmond (Cosby) VA, both of whom are terrific outside shooters and already have verbally committed to the Lancers.  And Longwood head coach Mike Gillian isn't done yet, as he's in the process of putting together the best recruiting class that he's had since taking over as head coach of the Lancers six-and-a-half years ago.  It also looks like the new regime at Virginia is doing an excellent job of putting all of the pieces together.  Their latest addition is 6'7 Akil Mitchell from Charlottesville (Christian) VA, who is somewhat under the radar, but is versatile and athletic enough to play multiple positions.  He also has a good mid-range game and can knock down the open three, which makes him ideally suited for new Cavaliers head coach Tony Bennett's system, as well as the perfect complement to 6'9 James Johnson from Wildomar (Elsinore) CA, 6'8 Will Regan from Buffalo (Nichols School) NY, 6'4 K.T. Harrell from Montgomery (Brewbaker Tech) AL, and 6'5 Joe Harris from Chelan (H.S.) WA in a recruiting class that is now ranked #7 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  It also is being reported that 6'6 Kyle Collinsworth from Provo (H.S.) UT has verbally committed to Brigham Young, 6'7 Doug McDermott from Ames (H.S.) IA has verbally committed to Northern Iowa, 6'5 Preston Purify from Conway (H.S.) AR has verbally committed to UAB.  All three of these guys are legitimate 100-200 range players nationally and all three are the first player in their respective team's current recruiting class.  McDermott also has grown five inches in the last year, which means he's got both the size and perimeter skills necessary to evolve into a big time player.  So obviously we're wondering why he didn't decide to go play for his Dad (Greg McDermott), who is the head coach at Iowa State?  On the other hand, maybe he wanted to be a big fish in a small pond or he wanted to return to his old stamping grounds.  If you will recall, the younger McDermott lived in Cedar Falls, IA for five years when his father was the head coach at Northern Iowa.  Purifoy is a slashing athletic wing forward who picked the Blazers over SMU, Ole Miss, Tulsa, and Wichita State.  Collinsworth elected to stay home and is ideally suited to fit into the Cougars' system, thanks to his high basketball IQ, excellent skills, and ability to beat you with his outside shooting.  And last, but not least, Stephen F. Austin has landed 6'2 Antonio Bostic from Neosho County (JC) KS.  We're talking about a major sleeper in the junior college ranks due to the fact that he was forced to red-shirt a year ago with an injury.  That means that Bostic will be a freshman this year and then will have three years to play at Stephen F. Austin.  Bostic has a well balanced game, is capable of playing either guard spot, and is potentially just as good as 6'5 Frosh Mark Gomillia, who was the best player in Stephen F. Austin's recruiting class a year ago and also hails from Neosho County (JC) KS.  Bostic also joins 5'9 Darius Gardner from Houston (Yates) TX, 6'5 J.J. Thomas from Baton Rouge (Scotlandville) LA, and 6'4 Amos Olatayo from Alief (Alief-Elsik) TX in a recruiting class that is now tied at #30, along with Xavier, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.

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