by Alex Schwartz

In the three weeks since the last National High School Top 25 was released, a lot has changed. The teams ranked #3 and #4 both dropped their first game of the season, making it a two-horse race for the mythical national championship. One of those teams that lost was from New Jersey, a state that has seen its rankings become a complete mess recently as the NJSIAA tournament winds down. Without further ado, here is the most up-to-date version of the National High School To 25:

Rank. School (State), Last Poll, Preseason
1. Northland (OH), LP: 1, PRE: 5
2. Yates (TX), LP: 2, PRE: 17
3. St. Benedict's (NJ), LP: 5, PRE: 4
4. Neumann-Goretti (PA), LP: 6, PRE: 41
5. Mater Dei (CA), LP: 7, PRE: 15
6. Findlay Prep (NV), LP: 8, PRE: 2
7. Ames (IA), LP: 9, PRE: 26
8. Montverde Academy (FL), LP: 10, PRE: 7
9. St. Patrick's (NJ), LP: 14, PRE: 1
10. Oak Hill Academy (VA), LP: 13, PRE: 3
11. Christ School (NC), LP: 12, PRE: 16
12. Bishop Gorman (NV), LP: 16, PRE: 25
13. Winter Park (FL), LP: 18, PRE: 23
14. Westchester (CA), LP: 19, PRE: 19
15. Paterson Catholic (NJ), LP: 3, PRE: 34
16. Mt. Lebanon (PA), LP: 17, PRE: n/a
17. Providence School (FL), LP: 15, PRE: 14
18. Melrose (TN), LP: HM, PRE: 28
19. Trenton Catholic (NJ), LP: n/a, PRE: n/a
20. St. Anthony's (NJ), LP: 23, PRE: 39
21. DeMatha (MD), LP: 24, PRE: 11
22. Half Hollow Hills West (NY), LP: HM, PRE: 46
24. Bloomington South (IN), LP: 4, PRE: 18
24. Bishop Miege (KS), LP: HM, PRE: 88
25. Milton (GA), LP: HM, PRE: 20

Honorable Mentions: Bellaire (TX), Camden Catholic (NJ), Chirst The King (NY), Gonzaga (DC), Greater Atlanta Christian Academy (GA), Orlando Christian Prep (FL), Peabody (LA), Penn Wood (PA), Rickards (FL), Ridgeway (TN)

New to Poll: Melrose (TN), Trenton Catholic (NJ), Half Hollow Hills West (NY), Bishop Miege (KS), Milton (GA)

Out of Poll: Bellaire (TX), Ridgeway (TN), Detroit Country Day School (MI), Plymouth-Whitemarsh (PA), Westlake (GA)

Note- Prep Hoops Assist used as a source for information

by Alex Schwartz

The next time Markus Kennedy '10 suits up in his school's uniform for a basketball game it will be for the Villanova Wildcats. The Philadelphia native is spending the final year of his high school career at prep power house The Winchendon School in Winchendon, Massachusetts. His senior season, and high school career for that matter, came to a close earlier this week.

"It went real good. We ended up 30-10. It was good," said Kennedy of his team's season. Winchendon played for two championships, first the NEPSAC A title and then the Prep National Championship, but neither ended the way Kennedy and his teammates would have liked. "We lost by 3 in the NEPSAC Championship [and then in the] . . . "National Prep we lost by 1 to St. Thomas More."

Asked to assess his season individually, Kennedy responded, "I did pretty well; I just focused on getting in shape and rebounding a lot. That was my main focus, I wasn't too focused on scoring, it was rebounding."

To read the rest of this article that I wrote for VUSports.com, click Here.

by Alex Schwartz

When Sunrise Christian Academy (KS) senior forward Raphael Akpejiori '10 committed to Miami in October, he was a relative unknown. After a quality season on an outstanding team, the big man is beginning to make a name for himself.

“We lost just two games this whole year,” said Akpejiori. The defeats came at the hands of nationally ranked Providence School (FL), which won the FHSAA AA state championship, and Dodge City (KS). While Akpejiori’s team does not play in the state tournament, the team did win a championship.

To read the rest of this article that I wrote for InsideTheU.com, click Here.

by Alex Schwartz

Ron Roberts '10 of St. Peter's Prep (NJ) did not expect to be in this position. When the 6'7 combo forward signed with St. John's in November, he thought the recruiting process was over. Now though, that may not be the case as Red Storm Head Coach Norm Roberts' future at the school is in doubt.

"I'm not sure what's happening right now. I know anything isn't final. At this point, I don't know," said Roberts regarding what he knows about Coach Roberts' situation. If the head coach at the embattled Big East school does not return, Roberts is not sure what he will do. "I don't know at this time. I have to talk to my coaches and parents and we'll decide."

To view the rest of this article that I wrote for RedStormReport.com, click Here.

This is the official press release from Adam Finkelstein of New England Basketball Recruiting Report on the 2010 Prep National Championship, which took place this week at Albertus Magnus College.

The top eight prep school teams from around the country met up in New Haven, Connecticut over the last two days to crown a national champion.  NEPSAC champion and second seed Brewster Academy took the title with a 79-76 overtime win over Northfield Mount Hermon in the final. 

Will Barton earned the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award after leading Brewster in scoring for all three games, including a game high 24 in the finals. 

Brewster opened the tournament with a quarterfinal win over seventh seeded Westwind Prep from Arizona 93-83, setting up a meeting with St. Thomas More after the Chancellors knocked off third seeded Winchendon with an overtime buzzer beater from Tre Bowman. 

On the other side of the bracket, top seeded Hargrave Military Academy scored a 95-82 win over defending national champions Tilton in a rematch of last year’s final as Mardracus Wade connected on nine first half three-pointers and a team high 34 points for the game.  Tilton was led by Gerard Coleman who scored a tournament high 43 points including 29 in the second half. 

Northfield Mount Hermon scored a mini upset over Notre Dame Prep in the last of the quarterfinals getting 29 points from post-graduate center Majok Majok. 

But NMH was just getting warmed up as they would return Wednesday to knock off top seeded Hargrave in the first semi-final of the day.  Hector Harold and Laurent Rivard led the way with 20 and 19 points respectively but it was Matt Brown who was clutch on both ends of the floor in the final thirty seconds to earn NMH the win and send them on to the final. 

Brewster faced a familiar foe in St. Thomas More in the other semi-final and the two teams battled it out for all 40 minutes before Brewster was finally able to advance with a 74-69 win.  Junior point guard Naadir Tharpe made the play of the game when he came off a ball screen and lofted a running floater over STM center Andre Drummond to give Brewster their final lead with just under one minute to play. 

It looked as if Cinderella would dance through the finals early on in the championship game as Northfield opened a quick double digit lead as Rivard once again caught fire from behind the three-point line.  But Brewster would gradually fight back and utilize a balanced offensive attack to tie the game with only two minutes remaining.  The two teams would strike back and forth until with just ten seconds left to play they were still deadlocked.  Barton had a chance to win it for his team on the final possession of regulation but got himself caught in the air when no good luck at the rim presented itself. 

Brewster drew first blood in the overtime and seemed to be gradually pulling away when stretching the lead to six with just one minute to play, but NMH’s Harold would hit a three-pointer to make it a single possession game.  After NMH got a defensive stop they had ten seconds left on the clock to try and even a 79-76 deficit, but Brewster was able to lock down defensively and give up only a challenged 35 foot fade away.  The ball bounced off the rim as time expired, giving Brewster Academy their first ever national title. 

Barton led four players in double figures with C.J. Fair, Melvin Ejim, and Mo Walker stepping up at various points. 

With the win Brewster finishes the season with a record of 34-5 and becomes the first team to capture both the NEPSAC Class A title and the National Prep Championship in the same year. 

This is the fourth year that the National Prep Championship has crowned an undisputed champion of the prep school season.  Notre Dame Prep took the first ever title in 2007 as Michael Beasley earned MVP honors in his hometown of Washington D.C. and Notre Dame knocked off Bridgton Academy.  In 2008 Hargrave Military Academy and MVP Dee Bost defeated Findlay College Prep in the finals at Fordham University in the Bronx of New York.  Last year the Tilton School delighted the hometown crowd as they stunned Hargrave Military Academy in the finals at a sold out Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts with Jamal Coombs-McDaniel picking up MVP honors.

by Alex Schwartz

Yesterday I projected the college destinations of the seven uncommitted McDonald's All-Americans. Those players are not the only talented seniors still on the board though. Below you will find my educated guesses on where some other class of 2010 prospects will go. For the players in Northstar Basketball's Class of 2010 Terrific 125 that I am projecting, I will explain my choices. For the others, I will just list them. For each baller I will list his name, position, height, high school, and national rank in the Terrific 125 (if applicable), along with a top three and another one or two for some of them. Check it out:

Trey Zeigler, SG, 6'4, Mount Pleasant (MI), #45
Favorite: Michigan
2nd in Line: Duke
3rd in Line: Michigan State
Watch Out for: Central Michigan, Arizona
Zeigler's college destination is hard to project at this point because he has a number of schools involved. Along with the five above, UCLA and Providence are also in the picture, as well Miami to some extent. It is probably going to come down to those five and UCLA though, as PC and UM are behind in this race. There is a strong chance that Zeigler stays in-state, but the out of state schools have good shots too. If his AAU teammate and fellow Michigander Ray McCallum opts for Arizona or UCLA then that school's chances likely increase while the other's diminishes. Duke is the out of state program with the best shot though. The Blue Devils joined the picture late after missing out on some other wing targets, but Mike Krzyzewski and Co. are making a strong push and Zeigler seems intrigued by the ACC power. At the end of the day, this may come down to Michigan and Duke. The Wolverines are pretty close to home and he would fit in well in John Beilein's system. The Big Ten power would love to add him and he would be the best player in its class. Michigan State has a shot here too, but Tom Izzo does not need Zeigler in the way that Beilein does, as his team is not only better right now, but has a top-notch class signed already. Central Michigan is the sleeper in this recruitment as Zeigler's father, Ernie Zeigler, is the head coach there. The issue is that Coach Zeigler's job security is unclear so it may not make sense for Trey to lock in with CMU and see his dad leave. I expect this to be Michigan vs. Duke and I see the Wolverines coming out on top, though if he opted for Duke it would not be a shock whatsoever.

Terrence Ross, SF, 6'6, Jefferson (OR), #60
Favorite: Washington
2nd in Line: Kentucky
3rd in Line: Kansas
Watch Out for: Oregon, Maryland
Just a few weeks after decommitting from Maryland, Ross left Montrose Christian (MD) and made his way back to his former high school Jefferson, with fellow uncommitted star Terrence Jones '10. Immediately after his decision to reopen his recruitment it looked like Ross would choose between Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and that same Maryland program. Duke has since stopped recruiting him and after moving back to the Pacific Northwest, Washington and Oregon are now in play. With Oregon expected to have a new coach next year and Maryland already filling Ross' spot, those two schools look to be a bit of a longshot for the talented wing. Kansas and Kentucky are both certainly in play to land Ross, but Washington seems to be the favorite here. The Huskies are high on the list of Terrence Jones—though Kentucky is too—and that pair would be a huge pickup for Lorenzo Romar. If he chooses to leave the Pacific Northwest, it will likely be for Kentucky or Kansas, with the Wildcats holding the upper hand.

Jelani Hewitt, PG, 6'3, Northeast (FL), #119
Favorite: Nebraska
2nd in Line: Georgia Southern
3rd in Line: Georgia
Watch Out for: James Madison, Charlotte
The Cornhuskers have been a constant on Hewitt's list for quite some time, and as long as Doc Saddler is back next year, I expect the Floridian combo guard to wind up at the Big XII program. Although Nebraska is definitely in good shape here, a pair of schools from the Peach State should not be overlooked. Georgia Southern is another school that has been involved with Hewitt for quite some time and although it is not a high-major program, first year head coach Charlton Young is a talented recruiter and he is in the process of building a nice program. Georgia came into the mix a bit later, but the Bulldogs are in the hunt for a point guard after missing out on Trae Golden '10. Hewitt could definitely play at that level and Mark Fox has already started to turn the SEC program around. James Madison and Charlotte are a couple of other schools that are in play for Hewitt, but the Dukes and 49ers look to be a bit behind the competition. Expect to see Hewitt either at Nebraska or at one of the Georgia schools, with Nebraska in the lead right now.

Maurice Walker, C, 6'10, Brewster Academy (NH)
Favorite: Pitt
2nd in Line: Georgetown
3rd in Line: Texas A&M
Watch Out for: Kansas

Enes Kanter, C, 6'9, Stone Ridge Prep (CA)
Favorite: Kentucky
2nd in Line: Washington
3rd in Line: Indiana

Kadeem Jack, PF, 6'9, Rice (NY)
Favorite: Arizona
2nd in Line: Arkansas
3rd in Line: Miami
Watch Out for: Providence, St. John's

Mike Poole, SF, 6'6, St. Benedict's (NJ)
Favorite: UConn
2nd in Line: Rhode Island
3rd in Line: Virginia
Watch Out for: Providence, Iona

Markese Tucker, PF, Trenton Catholic (NJ)
Favorite: prep school
2nd in Line: LIU
3rd in Line: St. Peter's
Watch Out for: Iona

Wayne Newsom, PF, 6'7, Piscataway (NJ)
Favorite: Norfolk State
2nd in Line: Iona
3rd in Line: Wagner
Watch Out for: St. Peter's, New Hampshire

Xavier Munford, SG, 6'2, St. Benedict's (NJ)
Favorite: prep school
2nd in Line: Fordham
3rd in Line: Marist
Watch out for: St. Peter's

Dondre Whitmore, PG, 5'8, Trenton Catholic (NJ)
Favorite: prep school
2nd in Line: Iona
3rd in Line: Central Connecticut State
Watch Out for: Rider

Note- photo of Zeigler is from http://scouthoops.scout.com/, photo of Ross is from http://www.oregonsportsphotos.com/, and photo of Hewitt is from http://www.maxpreps.com/national/national.htm

by Alex Schwartz

It has been a while since I last put out my college commitment projections. In December, I predicted the college choices of a number of unsigned players. You can view those articles Here and Here, and the former has a link back to my original projections from September. Of the 47 players I have made guesses for, 34 have already committed and over 55% of them chose either the school I had at number one or number two in the most up-to-date version.

Here are my current projections for the seven uncommitted players in the McDonald's All-American Game. It is important to keep in mind that this is merely an educated guess and this is not to say that a kid is certainly going to one school or another. For each baller I will list his name, position, height, high school, and national rank in Northstar Basketball's Class of 2010 Terrific 125, along with a top three and another one or two for some of them. Have a look:

Brandon Knight, PG, 6'3, Pine Crest (FL), #1
Favorite: Kentucky
2nd in Line: Florida
3rd in Line: Syracuse
Watch Out for: UConn, Miami
Knight, the top ranked player in the Terrific 125 and the consensus best guard in the senior class, will be making his college choice any day now. At this point it appears that Knight's decision is going to come down to a pair of SEC programs: Kentucky and Florida. After sitting strong at one point, UConn has faded and if Knight goes out of state it will likely be to Lexington. Kansas is still on the list, but the Jayhawks have a much better show with some of the other available players. The other out of state school on the list is Syracuse, which Knight apparently re-added to his list, according to a recent report from SunSentinal.com, which also stated that Miami is out of his top five. Despite that, I am leaving the Hurricanes as a possibility because the school is so close to his home and the fact that Kansas is all but out. If he stays in state, it will almost certainly be at Florida though. The Gators are very much in player here, and Knight would get to reunite with former AAU teammate Kenny Boynton, with whom he had a lot of success. Kentucky, though, is the team to beat. John Calipari's line of one-and-done top five picks at the point guard spot and a chance to compete for a national title will likely beat out the home state school and Knight will end up in Kentucky. Syracuse could be a darkhorse since the Orange were just re-added, but this looks to be an SEC showdown with Kentucky coming out on top.

Josh Selby, PG, 6'2, Lake Clifton (MD), #6
Favorite: Kansas
2nd in Line: Arizona
3rd in Line: UConn
Watch Out for: Tennessee, Kentucky
While Kentucky has focused the majority of its attention on Brandon Knight, the Kansas Jayhawks are in hit pursuit of Selby. The stud combo guard has been considered a Kansas lean for quite some time, and it does not look like that is going to change. Selby is announcing his college choice on April 17th at the Jordan Brand Classic and that should be a nice day for Bill Self. If someone is going to steal Selby away from the Big XII power, it may be Arizona. The Wildcats have come on strong and Selby seems to like the program. He took an official visit there quite soon after Sean Miller and Co. got involved. UConn and Tennessee are two other options for Selby that may have a shot. The Huskies have been on him for quite some time and are in search of an elite point guard. Selby was committed to Tennessee for a long period of time and after it at first seemed that the Volunteers were completely out of the picture, Bruce Pearl is trying to get involved again. Whether or not Selby is interested remains to be seen. Kentucky technically is still involved, but it would be areal surprise if Selby went with this edition of the Wildcats. Expect to see the Old Line State star in Lawrence when all is said and done.

Doron Lamb, SG, 6'4, Oak Hill Academy (VA), #13
Favorite: Arizona
2nd in Line: Kansas
3rd in Line: Kentucky
Watch Out for: West Virginia, UConn
Doron Lamb might be the toughest recruit to read of the seven uncommitted prospects in the McDonald's All-American Game. One day it appears Lamb is leaning one way and the next it seems different. Over the past few months he has made some changes to his list, as Oklahoma is no longer in play, while Arizona and West Virginia have joined the fold. Kansas has always been an extremely strong contender for the New York City native, but with the Jayhawks in the lead for Josh Selby and another player—keep reading to find out—Lamb may well be headed elsewhere. There is a strong chance that place is Arizona, as the Wildcats have come on very strong and look to have made up a lot of ground. Kentucky has other priorities, but Lamb is likely the main man for Arizona. Add in the fact that the Pac-10 school is also high on the list for Lamb's AAU teammate Kadeem Jack '10, and this may be a match. Kansas should not be discounted just yet, and neither should Kentucky. Also, West Virginia has really become a player here and could end up with Lamb, though that may be a bit less likely. UConn is another school that is a strong possibility, but the status of Jim Calhoun could be an issue. In fact, Lamb's high school teammate Roscoe Smith '10 is committed to the Huskies, but rumor has it that he may be looking around. It is not easy to tell where Lamb is headed, but right now it seems like he will be going west, to Pac-10 country.

Terrence Jones, PF, 6'8, Jefferson (OR), #20
Favorite: Washington
2nd in Line: Kentucky
3rd in Line: Oklahoma
Watch Out for: UCLA, Oregon
These five schools have made up Jones' list for quite some time, and although there has been some chatter that West Virginia is involved too, expect him to pick from this group. Washington seems to be in the best shape, especially with the apparent firing of Ernie Kent at Oregon. Jones has already said that if a coach is fired it would have an impact, so the Ducks could be out of the picture soon enough, though depending on the new coach, that could change. UCLA has a shot at Jones, as does Oklahoma. At one point the Sooners were thought to be in the lead for Jones, but that does not look to be the case anymore, though, like Lamb, Jones is tough to read. The Bruins would love to land Jones and have already gotten another star from the Pacific Northwest in big man Josh Smith. All said, this seems to be a two-horse race between Washington and Kentucky. It is a tough call, but I think that Jones is going to stay somewhat local and play for Lorenzo Romar. Considering that Enes Kanter '10 recently decommitted from UW and is expected to end up at none other than Kentucky, along with the fact that UK is involved with so many players, the Huskies can focus more attention on Jones. In addition, UK is the leader for another 6'8 face-up 4—see below—so that could be a factor. While John Calipari has not had an issue courting numerous high-level players, the fact that Kentucky is so much farther from home than the other schools could be what keeps Jones away from Lexington. Should he sign with the Wildcats, it would not at all be a surprise though.

CJ Leslie, PF, 6'8, Word of God Academy (NC), #22
Favorite: Kentucky
2nd in Line: North Carolina State
3rd in Line: Florida
It is coming down to three schools for CJ Leslie, two of which are in good position to land him. Florida remains in the picture, but is a definite third behind Kentucky and North Carolina State. The Gators are staying involved, but at the end of the day it seems that Leslie will either be heading to Lexington or staying in Raleigh. Leslie was committed to North Carolina State at one point, and after decommitting it looked like the Wolfpack might be out of the picture, but that has since changes. There are some strong connections to NC State and Leslie still seems to really like the ACC program, although Sidney Lowe's job safety could be a bit of an issue. Another key factor that could help the ACC school is location, as the school is located right near home for Leslie. Despite all that, Kentucky is in the driver's seat here. Leslie has been to Lexington and from all accounts enjoyed his time there. Also, his former high school teammate John Wall went there and is the likely number one pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. If Leslie opts for North Carolina State it would not be a shock, but Kentucky is certainly the odds-on favorite at this point.

Cory Joseph, PG, 6'1, Findlay Prep (NV), #25
Favorite: Texas
2nd in Line: Villanova
3rd in Line: Minnesota
Watch Out for: UConn, UNLV
John Calipari has recently gone out to Las Vegas to see Joseph, but the late push is likely not going to be enough to crack Joseph's long standing final five. Of that group, four seem to have a real shot at getting him, while UNLV seems to be a distant fifth. The Mountain West program should be commended for its efforts in getting this far, but Joseph is almost certain to chose a high-major program. The question then becomes which one it will be. The situation with Jim Calhoun may well put UConn at a bit of a disadvantage, as it is unclear for just how long he will remain in Storrs. Some players are not worried about that, so we will have to see if that is an issue for the Canadian point guard. Another school where coaching stability could be a factor is Minnesota, as Tubby Smith is a hot name for the Oregon job. If he leaves the Big Ten school, it will be a tough blow to the Golden Gophers' chances with Joseph, though the fact that his brother Devoe is there is the main appeal. Whether that family tie will be enough is hard to determine, as Joseph has said that is not what he will decide based off of. Villanova is a strong player here, and Joseph is really the only major remaining target on the board for the Wildcats. The Big East school is quite guard oriented and Joseph seems to like the program, and also, Jay Wright has done a fantastic job of relating to recruits and getting top-tier talent. Texas looks like it is the leader at this juncture though. When Daniel Bejarano '10 decommitted from UT and ended up signing with Arizona, it freed up a spot and Rick Barnes wants Joseph to fill it. His high school and AAU teammate, and fellow Canadian, Tristan Thompson '10 has signed with the Longhorns, while fellow Grassroots Canada AAU stud Myck Kabongo '11 is headed to Austin too. The appeal of playing with three teammates and countrymen could seal the deal for the Big XII program.

Ray McCallum, PG, 6'1, Detroit Country Day School (MI), #37
Favorite: Kansas
2nd in Line: Florida
3rd in Line: Detroit
Watch Out for: Arizona, UCLA
Kansas seems to be making a bit of a push here to land McCallum, and I recently heard from a source that he could be Kansas-bound. While that is who I am putting as the favorite, McCallum rivals Lamb for toughest to read among the Burger Boys. The Jayhawks had not really been mentioned with the Michigan native over the past few months, but now it looks like Bill Self and Co. are strongly in play. If he does not opt for Kansas, look for McCallum to wind up at Florida or Detroit. UF is still trying to land a point guard in this class, and if Billy Donovan cannot get Brandon Knight, then Ray McCallum would be one heck of a fall back option. The Gators are a definite possibility for the McCallum, and so is Detroit. At first glance the school looks out of place on this list, but McCallum's father, Ray McCallum, Sr. is the head coach at Detroit. He has said he would prefer to go a high-major program, but Detroit is absolutely a definite possibility. Arizona is in play too, but the Wildcats do not have much room left and have a better shot at Lamb and Selby so it would make sense that Sean Miller would focus more attention on them. Once considered the leader for McCallum, UCLA has quickly fallen almost out of the picture. Oklahoma is the other school with any shot at the floor general. This does seem to be a three-horse race between Kansas, Florida, and Detroit and at this point I am going with the Jayhawks, though it is tough to read.

Note- all photos are from http://scouthoops.scout.com/

This is the official press release for the National Prep Championship (with some minor adjustments) from Adam Finkelstein of New England Basketball Recruiting Report. Have a look:

The field has been set for the fourth annual National Prep Championship, which will begin Tuesday and Wednesday, March 9th & 10th, at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut. The single elimination tournament features the top eight post-graduate programs in the country and will culminate with the crowning of an undisputed national champion.

The National Prep Championship has been in existence since 2007 and in just three years has already featured over 100 division I college basketball players and two current NBA players in Michael Beasley and Tyreke Evans. Beasley led Notre Dame Prep to the 2007 title in his hometown of Washington D.C., while current Mississippi State guard Dee Bost earned MVP honors in 2008 in leading Hargrave Military Academy over Findlay College Prep for the title. The Tilton School made a Cinderella run to last year’s championship behind the duo of current UConn freshmen Alex Oriakhi and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel.

This year, Hargrave Military Academy enters as the top seed with a 26-0 record. Head coach Kevin Keatts’ squad will look to regain their title after falling in last year’s final. While they will be led by future NC State guard Lorenzo Brown, this is an extraordinarily deep team who has already seen 10 of their 12 players commit to division I schools for next season including Dominique Ferguson (Florida International), Isaiah Epps (Pittsburgh), Shawn Kemp (Alabama), and Mardracus Wade (Arkansas). Hargrave will face Tilton in a rematch of last year’s final in the opening round. The Rams will be led by Providence bound swingman Gerard Coleman, but have plenty of other weapons including junior big man Ryan Canty and sophomore forward George Niang.
 
Second seeded Brewster Academy features top ten ranked Will Barton (Memphis) along with C.J. Fair (Syracuse), Melvin Ejim (Iowa State), Austin Carroll (Rutgers), and Richard Peters (Oklahoma), in addition to unsigned players like Mo Walker, Ashton Khan, and junior point guard Naadir Tharpe. Brewster will face seventh seeded Westwind Prep from Arizona in the opening round, who build their attack around Tony Snell (New Mexico), Freddy Wilson (Seattle), and unsigned seniors Brandon Tuggle, Bo Barnes, and Ted Wang.

Two traditional New England powerhouses will clash in a match-up of the third and sixth seeds as Winchendon battles St. Thomas More. Winchendon has six players already committed to division I programs including Villanova bound big man Markus Kennedy and Connecticut native Anthony Ireland who will be playing in his home state for the final time before moving to Loyola Marymount in California while St. Thomas More features a slew of unsigned seniors including Bryon Allen, Tre Bowman, and Matt Conway in addition to Quinnipiac bound Dominique Langston. This game also features a match-up of two of the top post prospects in 2012 with St. Thomas More’s Andre Drummond and Winchendon’s Khem Birch.

Notre Dame Prep and Northfield Mount Hermon will meet in the 4-5 game. Notre Dame features their Big East bound frontline of Cleveland Melvin (UConn) and Ron Giplaye (Providence) in addition to a deep and talented backcourt of Antonio Barton (Memphis), Lamount Samuell Jr., and Jordair Jett. Meanwhile NMH will counter with high-major target Majok Majok in the middle surrounded by a sharp-shooting perimeter of Hector Harold (Pepperdine), Laurent Rivard (Harvard), and Aaron Cosby.

Quarterfinal action will begin on Tuesday at 2pm as Hargrave faces Tilton followed by Notre Dame and Northfield Mount Hermon at 4pm. Brewster and Westwind will take the court at 6pm while Winchendon and St. Thomas More will offer the nightcap at 8pm. Semifinal action will take place on Wednesday at 11am and 1pm with the final tipping off later that night at 7:30pm.

by Alex Schwartz

The PIAA state tournaments will begin tomorrow, and some familiar names will be atop the seed lines. Defending champs Girard College (Class A), Imhotep Charter (Class AA), and Penn Wood (Class AAAA) all won their districts and are strong contenders to grab the crown again. Class AAA defending champion Archbishop Carroll also has a shot to win yet again.

For those unfamiliar with how the PIAA seeding works, there are twelve districts in Pennsylvania, and in each classification (A is the smallest and AAAA is the largest) a certain number of teams per district qualify for states. For example, a team seeded #7-3 finished in third place in District 7. There are between 32 and 40 teams in each of the four state brackets, which include both private and public schools. Prep schools like Academy of the New Church and Friends Central are ineligible. Friends Central beat Germantown Academy in the Independent Schools Tournament.

Check out my projections for the PIAA state tournaments below. If you want to see the bracket setup, click Here.

CLASS A
Play-in Round
#1-3 Phil-Mont Christian Academy over #2-2 Freeland MMI
#12-2 Constitution over #3-4 Millersburg

Round of 32
#3-1 Reading Central Catholic over #6-4 Northern Cambria
#12-1 Math, Civics, & Sciences over #1-3 Phil-Mont Christian Academy
#4-2 Milville over #11-1 Marian Catholic
#1-1 Girard College over #12-2 Constitution
#4-3 Sayre over #2-1 Old Forge
#3-2 Greenwood over #1-2 School at Church Farm
#4-1 Mansfield over #11-2 Pius X
#6-2 Homer Center over #3-3 Lebanon Catholic
#7-1 Sewickley Academy over #9-4 Coudersport
#9-2 Elk County Catholic over #5-3 Forbes Road
#5-2 Tussey Mountain over #7-3 Cornell
#10-1 Rocky Grove over #9-3 Keystone
#7-4 Serra Catholic over #5-1 Southern Fulton
#7-2 Lincoln Park over #6-3 Penns Manor
#6-1 Connemaugh Valley over #10-2 Linesville
#9-1 DuBois Central Catholic over #7-5 Neshannock

Round of 16
#12-1 Math, Civics, & Sciences over #3-1 Reading Central Catholic
#1-1 Girard College over #4-1 Milville
#3-2 Greenwood over #4-3 Sayre
#4-1 Mansfield over #6-2 Homer Center
#7-1 Sewickley Academy over #9-2 Elk County Catholic
#5-2 Tussey Mountain over #10-1 Rocky Grove
#7-4 Serra Catholic over #7-2 Lincoln Park
#9-1 DuBois Central Catholic over #6-1 Connemuagh Valley

Quarterfinals
#1-1 Girard College over #12-1 Math, Civics, & Sciences
#4-1 Mansfield over #3-2 Greenwood
#7-1 Sewickley Academy over #5-2 Tussey Mountain
#7-4 Serra Catholic over #9-1 DuBois Central Catholic

Semifinals
#1-1 Girard College over #4-1 Mansfield
#7-1 Sewickley Academy over #7-4 Serra Catholic

Final
#7-1 Sewickley Academy over #1-1 Girard College
Class A State Champion: Sewickley Academy

CLASS AA
Play-in Round
#1-2 Devon Prep over #12-3 Benjamin Franklin
#6-3 Westmont Hilltop over #5-2 Chestnut Ridge
#7-8 Jeanette over #9-2 Kane

Round of 32
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #3-3 Hanover
#11-1 Notre Dame GP over #4-3 Lewisburg
#1-2 Devon Prep over #3-2 Lancaster Mennonite
#4-1 Hughesville over #4-4 Dunmore
#4-2 Loyalsock Township over #2-1 Holy Cross
#12-2 West Catholic over #11-2 Tri Valley
#1-1 Saint Pius over #2-3 Wilkes Barre GAR
#12-4 Strawberry Mansion over #3-1 Trinity
#7-1 North Catholic over #6-3 Westmont Hilltop
#7-4 Shady Side Academy over #10-2 Fairview
#7-3 South Fayette over #6-2 Cambria Heights
#9-1 Brookville over #7-5 Washington
#6-1 PennsValley over #7-7 Beaver Falls
#7-2 Rochester over #10-3 Eisenhower
#7-6 Greensburg Central over #5-1 North Star
#10-1 Mercyhurst Prep over #7-8 Jeanette

Round of 16
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #11-1 Notre Dame GP
#4-1 Hughesville over #1-2 Devon Prep
#4-2 Loyalsock Township over #12-2 West Catholic
#12-4 Strawberry Mansion over #1-1 Saint Pius
#7-1 North Catholic over #7-4 Shady Side Academy
#7-3 South Fayette over #9-1 Brookville
#7-2 Rochester over #6-1 PennsValley
#10-1 Mercyhurst Prep over #7-6 Greensburg Central Catholic

Quarterfinals
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #4-1 Hughesville
#12-4 Strawberry Mansion over #4-2 Loyalsock Township
#7-1 North Catholic over #7-3 South Fayette
#7-2 Rochester over #10-1 Mercyhurst Prep

Semifinals
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #12-4 Strawberry Mansion
#7-1 North Catholic over #7-2 Rochester

Final
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #7-1 North Catholic
Class AA State Champion: Imhotep Charter

CLASS AAA
Play-in Round
#9-2 Clearfield over #10-3 Central Tech
#8-2 Perry Traditional Academy over #7-6 Montour

Round of 32
#3-1 Eastern York over #2-3 Coughlin
#12-2 Dobbins Tech over #1-2 Springfield Delco
#11-1 Pottsville over #4-2 Mifflinburg
#2-1 Abington Heights over #3-4 East Pennsboro
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #3-5 Susquehanna Township
#2-2 Holy Redeemer over #3-3 Steelton-Highspire
#4-1 Danville over #11-2 Allentown Central Catholic
#12-3 Archbishop Carroll over #1-1 Holy Ghost Prep
#3-2 Lancaster Catholic over #1-3 Pottsgrove
#6-1 Greater Johnstown over #3-6 York Suburban
#7-1 Chartiers Valley over #9-2 Clearfield
#10-2 Hickory over #7-3 West Allegheny
#8-1 Oliver over #7-4 West Mifflin
#9-1 Bradford over #7-5 Trinity
#7-2 Hampton over #6-2 Huntingdon
#10-1 East over #8-2 Perry Traditional Academy

Round of 16
#3-1 Eastern York over #12-2 Dobbins Tech
#2-1 Abington Heights over #11-1 Pottsville
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #2-2 Holy Redeemer
#12-3 Archbishop Carroll over #4-1 Danville
#3-2 Lancaster Catholic over #6-1 Greater Johnstown
#7-1 Chartiers Valley over #10-2 Hickory
#9-1 Bradford over #8-1 Oliver
#7-2 Hampton over #10-1 East

Quarterfinals
#3-1 Eastern York over #2-1 Abington Heights
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #12-3 Arhcbishop Carroll
#7-1 Chartiers Valley over #3-2 Lancaster Catholic
#7-2 Hampton over #9-1 Bradford

Semifinals
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #3-1 Eastern York
#7-1 Chartiers Valley over #7-2 Hampton

Final
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #7-1 Chartiers Valley
Class AAA State Champion: Neumann-Goretti

CLASS AAAA
Play-in Round
#1-9 Council Rock North over #2-2 Hazelton Area
#6-2 State College Area over #7-5 McKeesport
#7-4 North Allegheny over #8-2 Carrick
#7-3 Upper St. Clair over #10-2 Cathedral Prep

Round of 32
#1-1 Penn Wood over #3-7 Penn Manor
#12-2 John Bartram over #1-6 Neshaminy
#2-1 Scranton over #3-6 Warwick
#3-3 Wilson over #1-5 Pennsbury
#12-1 La Salle College over #1-8 Chester
#3-2 Hempfield over #11-3 Nazareth
#11-1 Liberty over #1-7 Penncrest
#1-3 Bayard Rustin over #3-4 York
#1-2 Plymouth-Whitemarsh over #3-5 Red Land
#12-1 Frankford over #11-2 Whitehall
#3-1 Reading over #1-9 Council Rock North
#12-3 Roman Catholic over #1-4 Souderton
#7-1 Mt. Lebanon over #6-2 State College Area
#10-1 Strong Vincent over #7-4 North Allegheny
#6-1 Hollidaysburg over #7-3 Upper St. Clair
#7-2 Gateway over #8-1 Allderdice

Round of 16
#1-1 Penn Wood over #12-2 John Bartram
#2-1 Scranton over #3-3 Wilson
#3-2 Hempfield over #12-1 La Salle College
#1-3 Bayard Rustin over #11-1 Liberty
#1-2 Plymouth-Whitemarsh over #12-1 Frankford
#12-3 Roman Catholic over #3-1 Reading
#7-1 Mt. Lebanon over #10-1 Strong Vincent
#7-2 Gateway over #6-1 Hollidaysburg

Quarterfinals
#1-1 Penn Wood over #2-1 Scranton
#3-2 Hempfield over #1-3 Bayard Rustin
#1-2 Plymouth-Whitemarsh over #12-3 Roman Catholic
#7-1 Mt. Lebanon over #7-2 Gateway

Semifinals
#1-1 Penn Wood over #3-2 Hempfield
#7-1 Mt. Lebanon over #1-2 Plymouth-Whitemarsh

Final
#1-1 Penn Wood over #7-1 Mt. Lebanon
Class AAAA State Champion: Penn Wood

Note- photo is of Tony Chennault and is from http://scouthoops.scout.com/

by Alex Schwartz

On February 25th, Northstar Basketball's New Jersey Class of 2010 Fab 50 was released, featuring the top seniors in the Garden State. At that point, three of the top 15 players were uncommitted. Now there is just one and the top 13 players are all of the board. In the past few days, #9 Joel Wright  and #13 Jamir Hanner both took their names off the board.

According to reports on Wednesday—I first saw it from Ray Anczelowicz of Gotham Hoops Scouting—Joel Wright, a 6'6 combo forward from CJEOTO Academy (NJ) selected Manhattan. Wright had previously been committed to Fordham, but re-opened his recruitment after Dereck Whittenburg was fired earlier in the season. Wright was previously at Thomas Jefferson (NY), but was too old to continue playing in the PSAL this year so he transferred to Central Carolina Sports Academy (NC) for his senior year. About a month ago, Wright left for CJEOTO, a first year prep school in New Jersey. Wright is a terrific athlete, who is great on the glass and puts the ball in the hoop. Nicknamed "Air Jamaica" for his hops/athleticism and his nationality, Wright is a great pickup for the Jaspers.

Jamir Hanner is another player who came to New Jersey during his senior year. The 6'8 power forward was at South Philly (PA), but a few months ago made the move to NIA Prep (NJ). Now, he will be staying in the Garden State for his college career as the big man has committed to Seton Hall, in news first reported by Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog. Hanner has a nice all-around game, but is most comfortable in the post, though he can put the ball on the floor if need be. He is the second player from the state to commit to Seton Hall in the class of 2010, joining 6'5 combo forward Fuquan Edwin of Paterson Catholic (NJ), ranked #4 in the Fab 50.

Note- photo of left is of Jamir Hanner and is from http://www.phillyhoops.net/; photo on right is of Joel Wright and is from http://www.nydailynews.com/