by Alex Schwartz

The ESPNU game between Montverde Academy (FL) and Sagemont School (FL) was a nice tune-up between two top-tier teams, but it was the second game on Friday at FAU that was the major attraction. When Winter Park (FL) and Pine Crest (FL) took the floor for the 7:00 game to be televised on ESPN2, there was a buzz in the arena and the stands were packed with fans, including many Pine Crest students.

Winter Park, ranked #10 in my most recent National High School Top 25, came away with a hard fought 87-76 victory, but that was not the main story on the night. Rather, it was the scoring display put forth by two of the best players in the nation.

Brandon Knight '10 of Pine Crest, who is the #1 player in Northstar Basketball's Class of 2010 Terrifc 125, had a game-high 48 points, good for 63.2% of his team's offensive output. Not to be overshadowed, Florida-soft commit Austin Rivers '11 poured in 41 points for Winter Park. The top five junior accounted for 47.1% of his squad's point total.

At the start of the game, it looked like Knight would out-dual Rivers, scoring 10 points in six minutes to Rivers' two. At the end of the first quarter, Winter Park was up 20-19, while Knight led Rivers in points 12-5.

The son of the Boston Celtics' head coach, Doc Rivers, began to assert himself in the second period. Behind the play of the star junior, WP led 41-33 at the half. Through 16 minutes, Knight had 24 and Rivers had 18. For the majority of the half Knight was guarding Rivers, but the reverse could not be said.

In the third quarter, Winter Park slowly but surely began to take control of the game. By the time the period ended, it was an 11-point game, 59-48, in favor of the Wildcats. With about two minutes left in the third, Rivers overtook Knight in the points total for the first time all game, 27-26, but it did not last long. Knight had the upper hand, 30-29, entering the final eight minutes of play.

Brandon Knight did everything he could to keep the Panthers in the game in the fourth quarter, but WP continued to extend its lead. Both stud guards had their highest point totals in a quarter in the decisive one at the end. Knight had 18 in the fourth, to finish with a whopping 48, while Rivers added 12 more to end the game with 41. When it was all over, the winner was Winter Park, 87-76.

According to reports, Knight's 48 points came on 14/36 (38.9%) shooting from the field and 15/15 shooting at the line, while Rivers was 14/24 (58.3%) from the field. Rivers was clearly more efficient, hitting the same number of shots, but taking 12 less and shooting 15% better from the floor. Knight, whose 100% clip at the line was extremely impressive, is forced to take more shots than Rivers though, as his supporting cast is not quite as good.

Rivers displayed a fantastic handle and a great step-back dribble. He also demonstrated an uncanny ability to get to the rim regardless of who was defending him. Using a quick first step, good body control, and some nice moves, Rivers continuously got to the cup and finished most of the time. His shot, both from the stripe and beyond the arc, were both inconsistent, but he hit some tough threes, including two in Knight's face.

Knight won the battle between the two, but not by much. The sturdy senior guard hit two or three extremely difficult jumpers and also connected on a number of threes. He did have some trouble finishing at the rim, partially due to the contact he received nearly every time he penetrated. The uncommitted guard also needs to be commended for guarding Rivers almost the entire game, and still getting it done on the offensive end.

While Rivers and Knight were the players that every one came to see, they were not the only standouts in the game. Florida Atlantic-commit Brett Comer '11 was solid for WP, showing that he can handle the rock and run the offense in addition to shoot. He did get into some major foul trouble though. John David Swanson '10 was extremely impressive too. The junior shooter had 20+ points and hit six threes, including three in a quick span in the fourth quarter that helped seal the game. Robert Lovaglio '10 and Farifield-bound Adam Jones '10 played well too.

For Pine Crest, Traveon Henry '12 was solid, including a big-time fastbreak dunk that got the crowd into a frenzy. Henry is undersized as a two and is not a good enough shooter from now, but he is talented, has a great frame, and is still young. Matt Milk '10 and RJ Marcinkevicious '13 were stellar in the post for the Panthers. Tevin Westbrook '10 did a good job down low too, getting to the line and rebounding the ball, in addition to scoring, though he did have some trouble finishing.

I had a chance to interview Austin Rivers after the game, and I will have an article about my talk with the outstanding class of 2011 prospect coming soon.

Note- photo is of Brandon Knight and is from http://www.maxpreps.com/national/national.htm

by Alex Schwartz

Yesterday evening i went to Florida Atlantic University for a pair of big-time high school hoops games featuring four of Florida's finest teams. The first matchup was #11 Montverde Academy against Sagemont School and was on ESPNU. The second affair, which was on ESPN2, pitted #10 Winter Park against Pine Crest (rankings are from most my recent National High School Top 25).

In game one, Sagemont School kept it close throughout and even took the lead at points, but Montvere Academy came away with a 57-52 victory. The Eagles were led by Steve Moundou-Missi '11, who had 22 points for the victors. Rod Days '11 had 28 for the Lions in defeat.

The biggest name in the game was Fab Melo '10, a Syracuse-bound 7'0 center who is ranked #10 in Northstar Basketball's Class of 2010 Terrific 125. The Brazilian struggled from start to finish though, ending with just 10 points and was saddled with foul trouble that began early on. Frank Snow '10, at 6'10, was solid in the post while Melo was out, but does not have the offensive repertoire of Melo.

Rod Days was outstanding for Sagemont though, as the 6'6 small forward showed a versatile game, scoring in a number of ways. Days hit a number of threes and also wowed the crowd with some athletic dunks. Indiana-signee Will Sheehey '10 was up and down for Adam Ross' squad, but showed a smooth stroke.

For Montverde Academy, it was all about Steve Moundou-Missi and Villanova-signee James Bell '10. Moundou-Missi came into the game as a relative unknown, but he likely will begin to garner more college interest now. He listed Vanderbilt, Stanford, Virginia Tech, Yale, Central Florida, and Florida Atlantic as the schools recruiting him. Bell struggled from beyond the arc, but his athletic ability was evident, and he also did a quality job defending Melo, depite being seven inches shorter.

Kaleb Clyburn '10, who recently decomitted from Central Connecticut State, was stellar running the point for the Eagles. Boston College-bound Papa Samba Ndao '10 played well too, displaying an inside-outside game that should work well in Al Skinner's system.

Haukur Palsson '10, from Iceland, was solid for Kevin Sutton's team too, and he is considering Maryland, South Florida (offer), Central Florida, and Wyoming according to the coach. Palsson is visiting Maryland on Sunday and it looks like he may be visiting the other three as well. That is when his offers will likely come said Sutton. The 6'6 wing said that he does not have a favorite at this time.

Check back soon for my recap of the second game, Winter Park vs. Pine Crest, which was the main attraction on the night.

Note- photo is of Rod Days and is from http://scouthoops.scout.com/

by Alex Schwartz

Florida is a hotbed for high school hoops, even though some people may not realize it. Well, the folks over at ESPN are not in that group, as they clearly do see just how much talent there is in the Sunshine State. Thus, the nation will be able to see four of the top teams in the state on live television tonight.

This evening at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, there will be two high school games shown on the ESPN family of networks. First, at 5:00pm, Montverde Academy (FL) will face Sagemont School (FL) on ESPNU and then at 7:00pm, Winter Park (FL) will take on Pine Crest (FL) on ESPN2.

These four squads were all amongst the seven Floridian teams in my National Preseason High School Top 100, all in the top third. In fact, they were four of the top five FL teams on that preseason list. Two of the teams are in my most recent National High School Top 25, in Winter Park at #10 and Montverde Academy at #11. Although those two teams are not facing one another, they will still be challenged nonetheless.

The individual players on display will be quite impressive as well. Four of the top 90 players in Northstar Basketball's Class of 2010 Terrific 125 will take the court. Two of the top 10 ranked ballers will be playing, including the one holding down the top spot. There will be other quality seniors playing too, along with one of the top 10 juniors in the nation.

In the first game, Montverde Academy will be the favorite, featuring a deep and talented roster littered with high-major talent. The Eagles defeated Findlay Prep (NV) and Montrose Christian (MD) last weekend, showing just how good they are. Leading the way for Kevin Sutton's team are Villanova-signee James Bell '10 (pictured on left), a 6'5 small forward, and Marquette-bound Jamail Jones '10, a 6'6 small forward. The pair check in at #79 and #88 respectively in Northstar Basketball's Class of 2010 Terrific 125. Boston College-signee 6'8 power forward Papa Samba Ndao '10, Harvard-commit 7'1 center Ugo Okam '10, 6'6 small forward Hakur Palsson '10, 5'9 point guard Kaleb Clyburn '10, and 6'5 shooting guard Michael Avery '12 are skilled as well. Some may remember Avery as the player who committed to Kentucky before finishing his eighth grade year, but he has since reopened his recruitment.

For Sagemont School, it is all about the man in the middle. Brazilian 7-footer Syracuse-signee Fab Melo '10 (pictured on right below) is the #9 ranked player in the Terrific 125, tops amongst centers. Melo is the best big man in the state of Florida despite not playing high school ball last year due to transfer rules. Although Fab, whose real name is Fabricio De Melo, is clearly his team's best player, he is not the only top-notch baller. Indiana-bound 6'5 shooting guard Will Sheehey '10 and 6'6 small forward are great compliments to the big man on Adam Ross' team.

Sagmeont may be able to hang with Montverde for the first half, but expect the Eagles to pull away in the second half behind the play of Bell, Jones, and Clyburn. Melo will be the best player on the floor, but Samba Ndao and Okam should be able to at least slow him down a bit. Melo does not usually face players his height, and Okam is actually an inch taller. Montverde also has a distinct edge at point guard in under-the-radar Clyburn, who has a chance to impress some people. Days and Sheehey are good on the wing for Sagemont, but Bell and Jones are even better.

My pick in the first game of the evening is Montverde Academy of Sagemont School by a score of 70-56.

Game two is the feature matchup, as it pits the top two players in Florida against one another. While the game might be Winter Park vs. Pine Crest, the matchup people are excited to see is Florida-pledge Austin Rivers '11 (WP) vs. Brandon Knight '10 (PC). Although Rivers is a year younger, he is just about as good as Knight, and the players are familiar with one another, having played together on the AAU circuit this summer with Each 1 Teach 1. Both are scoring point guards who can carry a team.

Austin Rivers (pictured on left), the son of Boston Celtics Head Coach Doc Rivers, is one of the most skilled players in America. A top 10 player in the class of 2011, the 6'4 Rivers—who is considering Duke despite his pledge to Florida—is by far the best player on his team and as goes Rivers goes Winter Park. There are a few other players worth watching though, namely Farifield-signee Adam Jones, a 6'7 power forward who played with Rivers and Knight on E1T1, as well as 6'1 shooting guard and Florida Atlantic-commit Brett Comer '11. Jones is a quality athlete in the post and Comer has some added motivation as he will be playing at his future home, FAU. Robert Lovaglio '11 is another key member of the Wildcats, who are Florida's top team. Rivers, who sprained his left ankle in mid-January, should be fully recovered by now.

Brandon Knight (pictured on right), a sturdy 6'3 floor general who is considering Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Miami, Syracuse, and UConn, is the #1 ranked player in Northstar Basketball's Class of 2010 Terrific 125. While not everyone agrees that he is #1 overall, he is the consensus pick as the best guard in the senior class and was the Gatorade National Player of the Year last year despite being a junior. New York native Matt Milk '10, a 6'8 power forward, and guard Traveon Henry '12 are other standouts on the Panthers' roster.

Knight and Rivers are a near wash in this one, though Knight may have a slight advantage, but from top to bottom, Winter Park has the better roster. It will be tough for Milk to handle Jones in the post and the same goes for Henry on Comer. There are also some other nice role players on WP, such as Lovaglio, who can pick up some slack too. Unless Knight has 35-40 points, which is not by any means out of the question, Winter Park should have this one.

In the second game, I am picking Winter Park over Pine Crest, 77-65.

As of now I am planning to be at the games and unless that changes, I will be keeping you all posted on the games—assuming you are not watching them on TV—via my Twitter account.

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

Texas-commit Myck Kabongo '11 is the go-to guy and best player on the #5 ranked team in the nation in my most recent National High School Top 25. Kabongo recently led his team to an upset of St. Patrick's (NJ), scoring the game winning bucket in the closing seconds. The lightning fast Canadian point guard checked in with his fifth player diary entry last night.

What's Going On everybody! I hope everyone's 2010 is going as good as mine is. I don't know how to tell you guys how blessed & lucky I am to be in the position I'm currently in.

My team has been playing exceptional. We played on national television twice & both times we didn't disappoint! We're defiantly on a roll & if we continue playing well & clicking we'll be invited to D.C. & try to capitalize on what we didn't achieve last year which was win a national championship!

The season is winding down & our season has been subtle due to the fact nobody has given us the credit we deserve with the wins we've got . We've been tested as a team on every level from playing on the road & having to deal with adversity, harsh fans & horrible officiating, lol but we've passed all of that as a team which is why I believe we will still have a chance to be #1. That's our goal & it's not far-fetched. If we continue to work hard & play as a team & what we want will be truly possible.

Hopefully at the end of the season I can hit you guys with some goooooood news so til then, God bless everybody & til next time. H&H

by Alex Schwartz

Tomorrow is a huge day for fall sport athletes across the country as they will be able to officially sign their National Letters of Intent with their future schools. The sport that gets the most attention on National Signing Day—the first Wednesday in February—each year is football. Fans of two schools got good news a day early today, picking up commitments from dual-sport standouts. Brandon Coleman '10 of Bishop McNamara (MD) committed to Rutgers according to multiple reports, and Harold Spears '10 of The Pennington School (NJ) picked New Hampshire.

Coleman, a 6'6 wide receiver, selected the Scarlet Knights over Maryland. He had previously considered schools such as Syracuse and Virginia Tech. Coleman, who is a power forward on the hardwood, is a talented basketball player as well. He likely could have gone to a low to mid Division I program had he pursued the sport. Rather, the Under Armour All-American opted to go with the sport that he is considered better at. The assumption would be that Coleman will sign his LOI tomorrow.

Spears, whose commitment to New Hampshire came about 45 minutes ago and is being first reported by Northstar Basketball, is also a quality basketball player. He had garnered some low Division I interest for hoops, but Spears said that Assumption (DII), Gettysburg (DIII), and Franklin & Marshall (DIII) were on his final list for basketball. As for football, the 6'5 WR/TE listed William & Mary, James Madison, Pace (DII), and Temple as his other finalists. At first Spears wanted to play basketball—he is a small forward—at the next level, but later changed his mind. "The more I played [football], the more I actually enjoyed it, and especially my last two games when we played our two hardest games. I just realized how much I love being out there."

How did he decide on UNH? "I went on an official visit [this past weekend] and both my parents and I just really liked the school and the coaches, and I really liked the area the school was in. Being around the players also made it easy for me to commit there." He is expected to sign his LOI tomorrow morning. His fellow basketball and football teammate at Pennington, Dontae Johnson '10, will be signing with North Carolina State to play safety.

Note- photo is of Brandon Coleman and is from http://recruiting.scout.com/

by Alex Schwartz

James Bell '10, a 6'5 small forward, was the first member of Villanova's class of 2010. As a senior at Montverde Academy (FL), Bell is showing just why Jay Wright and Co. wanted him. Bell is averaging around 17 points per game for his 20-4 squad, which is coming off of a huge win.

On Saturday night, the Eagles defeated Findlay Prep (NV), one of the nation's top three teams, in the championship of the Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament, 54-51. "It was big for us, for our program, for us as a team, for this season. Pretty much, everything we've been practicing for this season, paid off. We got what we wanted; we had a tough road to get to the championship. We had Montrose and then we had Findlay in the championship. It's just rewarding us for our hard work," said Bell.

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

by Alex Schwartz

Coming into the season, who would have thought that there would be a point where none of the consensus top three teams in the nation (St. Patrick's, Findlay Prep, and Oak Hill Academy) would be ranked in the top seven? Well, not me, but that is now the case, as all three of them have two losses. Findlay Prep (NV) fell to Montverde Academy (FL) on Saturday after already dropping one to Northland, while St. Patrick's (NJ) had already lost to Findlay Prep and St. Benedict's (NJ), and Oak Hill Academy (VA) had been bested by Northland and Westchester (CA). So, check out the revamped National Top 25, and see just how much it varies from my National Preaseason High School Top 100.

Rank. School (State), Last Poll, Preseason
1. Northland (OH), LP: 1, PRE: 5
2. Yates (TX), LP: 3, PRE: 17
3. Paterson Catholic (NJ), LP: 4, PRE: 34
4. Bloomington South (IN), LP: 6, PRE: 18
5. St. Benedict's (NJ), LP: 5, PRE: 4
6. Neumann-Goretti (PA), LP: 7, PRE: 41
7. Mater Dei (CA), LP: 9, PRE: 15
8. Findlay Prep (NV), LP: 2, PRE: 2
9. Ames (IA), LP: 10, PRE: 26
10. Winter Park (FL), LP: 11, PRE: 23
11. Montverde Academy (FL), LP: 24, PRE: 7
12. St. Patrick's (NJ), LP: 13, PRE: 1
13. Bellaire (TX), LP: 14, PRE: 8
14. Christ School (NC), LP: 15, PRE: 16
15. Bishop Gorman (NV), LP: 16, PRE: 25
16. Ridgeway (TN), LP: 17, PRE: 92
17. Melrose (TN), LP: 22, PRE: 28
18. Mt. Lebanon (PA), LP: 23, PRE: n/a
19. Oak Hill Academy (VA), LP: 21, PRE: 3
20. Providence School (FL), LP: 25, PRE: 14
21. Westlake (GA), LP: 19, PRE: 57
22. Westchester (CA), LP: HM, PRE: 19
23. Rice (NY), LP: 20, PRE: 31
24. Gonzaga (DC), LP: HM, PRE: 12
25. Detroit Country Day School (MI), LP: 18, PRE: 58

Honorable Mentions: Arlington Country Day School (FL), Columbia (GA), Dunbar (OH), Greater Atlanta Christian Academy (GA), Hopewell (NC), Milton (GA), Montrose Christian (MD), Muskegon Heights (IL), Orlando Christian Prep (FL), St. Anthony's (NJ), Whitney Young (IL)

New to Poll: Westchester (CA), Gonzaga (DC)

Out of Poll: Montrose Christian (MD), DeMatha (MD)

Note- Prep Hoops Assist and MaxPreps used as sources for information

by Alex Schwartz

Over the last two days I have posted the school lists of 16 uncommitted members of the class of 2010 (Part One, Part Two) and also broke the news of DJ Newbill '10 committing to Marquette. There are a few other players that I talked to whose information I have not posted yet. Some of them I found out had made under-the-radar commitments, some I only interviewed recently, and some I learned are in the class of 2011. Have a look at the "odds and ends" section, if you will, of the schools lists:

Karim Rowson ’10, Wadleigh (NY): Stony Brook, UW-Milwaukee, Robert Morris, Binghamton, Iona, and LIU
                                Offers: LIU, Binghamton, UW-Milwaukee, and Stony Brook
                                Favorites: “Not yet.”

James Herring ’10, Philips Exeter (NH): “Well, I recently got my likely letter from Dartmouth, so it looks like that’s where I will be heading.”
                               Note- Herring said that he will be playing basketball at Dartmouth, and asked if it is 100% that he is going there, replied, “I haven’t gotten a financial aid estimate, but assuming it is reasonable, yes, I will be a Big Green next year.”

Mohammed Lee ’11, West Oaks Academy (FL): Marquette, Pitt, Miami, Arkansas, Xavier, St. John’s, and Seton Hall
                                 Offers: Marquette and Pitt
                                 Favorites: Marquette, Pitt, Xavier, and Miami
                                 Note- Lee transferred to West Oaks Academy, where he reclassified.

Wayne Newsom '10, Piscataway (NJ): Wagner, Iona, Norfolk State, Caldwell (DII), New Hampshire, and St. Peter's
                                  Offers: None
                                  Favorites: None
                                  Note- Newsom directed me to his AAU coach with Team NJABC, Matt Pauls, who helped round out his complete list.

Leon Sampson ’11, Guilford Tech JC (MD): Virginia State (DII), Virginia Union (DII), and Coppin State
                                Offers: “Not yet, just talks.”
                                Favorites: None

Will Bartlett ’10, Collegiate (NY): “I’m committed to Yale.”
                          Note- Bartlett has already been accepted to the Ivy League school.

by Alex Schwartz

Marquette Head Coach Buzz Williams made it four commitments from four states in his incoming class of 2010 today. DJ Newbill '10, a 6'4 shooting guard from Strawberry Mansion (PA), committed to the Golden Eagles this morning, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

Newbill joins a class that was ranked #22 in my Class of 2010 Team Recruiting Rankings. Even with the addition of Newbill, the group will stay at #22. Newbill is the fourth member of the class, which already includes 6'3 SG Vander Blue of Memorial (WI), 6'6 SF Jamail Jones of Montverde Academy (FL), and 6'1 PG Reggie Smith of Thornton Township (IL). Blue is ranked #34 in Northstar Basketball's Class of 2010 Terrific 125, and Jones checks in at #88.

Again, in news being first reported by Northstar Basketball, DJ Newbill has verbally committed to Marquette.

Note- photo is from http://www.phillyhoops.net/

by Alex Schwartz

Yesterday I posted the school lists of nine uncommitted seniors. You can view that article Here. Now, check out part two of the lists below.

Ishaq Pitt ’10, St. John Vianney (NJ): Quinnipiac, St. Francis (PA), Monmouth, Elon, St. Bonaventure, Longwood, Boston University, and Robert Morris
                           Offers: None
                           Favorites: “No, not at the time.”
                           Notes- Pitt is qualified, stating, “Yes, I am. I have at least a 3.0 GPA and scored 1040 out of the 1600 on my SAT.” On why he transferred to SJV from Ridge, Pitt said, “My pops moved down here and we—as in my brother and I—were supposed to go to Ocean Academy. I found out late that I could not go because I have not graduated high school, so I had an option, either SJV or Ocean High School.”

Kareem Thomas ’10, Christ the King (NY): Cornell, Holy Cross, Quinnipiac, Lehigh, Northeastern, and Binghamton”
                                      Offers: None
                                      Favorite: Thomas said Holy Cross is his “main choice” and that he “likes the school,” but stated that his “options are still open.”

Willis Nicholson ’10, Cherokee (NJ): Xavier, Clemson, North Carolina State, Virginia Commonwealth, Rider, St. Bonaventure, Binghamton, George Washington, “and a couple more”
                                        Offers: Binghamton, St. Bonaventure, and Rider
                                        Favorites: “Not yet.”
                                        Note- Asked if all those schools are actively recruiting him, Nicholson replied, “I believe so, but for sure, Rider, Binghamton, Xavier, and VCU are, but the others called a few times.”

Phil Henry ’10, Cherokee (NJ): Farleigh Dickinson- Florham (DIII), Delaware Valley (DIII), Wesleyan (DIII), Rutgers-Newark (DIII), Neumann (DIII), Stockton (DIII), Centenary (DIII), “and more”
                             Offers: None
                             Favorites: None

Montel Walcott ’10, Hyde School (CT): Longwood, Keene State (DIII), Southern Connecticut State (DII), Canisius, Central Connecticut State, Sacred Heart, Fairfield, Quinnipiac, UMass-Lowell (DII), Manhattan, and Northeastern; “mostly NEC and MAAC schools”
                                     Offers: Longwood, Southern Connecticut State, and Canisius
                                     Favorites: “Yeah, the first four [Longwood, Keene State, Southern Connecticut State, and Canisius] are my favorites right now, but [I am] still undecided.”
                                     Note- Regarding Keene State, the lone DIII school on his list, Walcott said, “I want to be a teacher one day, and they offer a very good education program, one of the best in New England.”

Scott Arias ’10, Rice (NY): Holy Cross, LIU, and Hofstra
                            Offers: LIU
                            Favorites: “No, not yet. I’m still open.”

Ishmal Kalilou ’10, Windsor (CT): Sared Heart, Marist, Lafayette, Hartford, Army, Yale, UMBC, and Robert Morris
                                    Offers: “No, but Sacred Heart and Lafayette have been talking to me a lot and they’re close to offering me.”
                                    Favorites: “My two favorites are Sacred Heart and Lafayette. [I also like] Hartford and Robert Morris. Sacred Heart is my favorite.”
                                    Note- Kalilou informed me that there is a chance he may not be headed to college next year. “I [might be] going to Tilton [in New Hampshire] next year for a PG [year], so I will be 2011 I think.” This is not a definite. He added, “I don’t know [for sure] yet. I’m still going to wait after the season and see my college options and see if any more schools call.”

Note- photo is from www.phillyburbs.com/