by Alex Schwartz

Texas Head Coach Rick Barnes has done a fantastic job recruiting over the past few years, landing numerous big-time recruits and bringing in many quality players. In the class of 09, Barnes inked Avery Bradley of Findlay Prep (NV), Jordan Hamilton of Dominguez (CA), and Shawn Williams of Duncanville (TX). Bradley, who was ranked #6 in Northstar Basketball's Class of 2009 Terrific 35, was a McDonald's All-American and passed through NCAA Clearinghouse two weeks ago. Shawn Williams, the #31 player in the Terrific 35, has been cleared too. As for Jordan Hamilton, who came in at #17, things are not looking good.

According to a source with knowledge of the situation, there is a  very strong chance that Jordan Hamilton, a 6'7 wing, will not meet NCAA Clearinghouse. As of now, he has not been cleared and is not even on campus in Austin, according to the source, who also informed me that Hamilton was the last Longhorn freshman to get a locker and nameplate. Hamilton, who was a fifth-year senior and was thus ineligible for the McD's AA Game—he was a Jordan Brand Class All-American—was not granted a fifth year of eligibility this past year, and sat out his whole senior season, despite his family's attempt to get a waiver because they claimed he repeated his freshman year due to academic struggles that he was not given enough aid in. The NCAA Clearinghouse has supposedly been in contact with the California board that declared Hamilton, who was also in the 2008 Boost Mobile Elite 24 Classic, ineligible this past year.

Most players have been cleared already, and considering that Hamilton is not even on campus, it appears he has not even been deemed a partial qualifier, which would allow him to workout with the team, something he has clearly not been doing. There still remains a chance that Hamilton will be cleared for the second semester, or possibly even sooner, but as of now, things are not looking good.

In some positive news for the Longhorns, 2008 signee J'Covan Brown of Memorial (TX), looks likely to qualify after being ineligible last year. The talented combo guard has been working out with the team, and it seems he will be a member of Rick Barnes' squad this upcoming season. This would be a huge pickup for the UT staff, as Brown would be able to take some of the scoring burden that was expected to have been on Hamilton.

Once again, in news being first reported by Northstar Basketball, Jordan Hamilton looks unlikely to qualify at Texas, while it seems J'Covan Brown will be eligible.

Note- photo is from http://scouthoops.scout.com/

by Alex Schwartz

- The first July Live Evaluation period begins on Sunday the 5th. This is easily the most hectic month of the year for scouts, and is also crazy for college coaches and the players themselves. As of now, my tentative-including non-live August—schedule is:
July 5-8: Hoop Group Elite Camp at Albright College (PA)
July 9-10: Hoop Group Elite Team Camp at Albright College (PA)
July 11-12: Reebok Summer Classic East at Hoop Group Headquarters (NJ)
July 13: Super 16 Showcase at Quinnipiac University (CT)
July 14-16: Triple S Harley Davidson Jam Fest at West Virginia University (WV) and surrounding area
July 21-27: Nike AAU Super Showcase at Disney Wide World of Sports (FL)
July 28-29 & 31: Summer in the City at St. John's University (NY)
August 2-5: Hoop Group Junior Elite Camp at Albright College (PA)
August 15: Basketball Spotlight All Star Classic at Life Center Academy (NJ)

- Frantz Massenat '10 of Trenton Catholic (NJ) has added a couple of offers in the past few weeks. The 6'3 guard picked up offers from two schools in the CAA: William & Mary and Drexel. Other schools involved in Massenat's recruitment—many have offered—include Robert Morris, Iona, Fordham, La Salle, UMass, Northeastern, Harvard, Penn State, Rider, UPenn, Brown, Boston University, and more.

- Jayon James '10 of Paterson Catholic (NJ) recently received an impressive 1550 on his SAT, to go along with his 3.8 GPA, according to a source close to the player. That same source has also informed me that James plans to reclassify to the class of 2011 and repeat his sophomore year. James is receiving interest from a host of Ivy League schools, such as Brown, Cornell, UPenn, Princeton, Columbia, and other schools too.

- Soon after a one Montgomery (NJ) baller, James Loupos '10, got his first scholarship offer, another one received his first too. Ryan McCoy '11, a 6'5 wing who can also play the 1, was offered a full ride by The Citadel this week. Clearly it was a good week for the Group IV program.

by Alex Schwartz

Gripper is a name synonymous with Philadelphia AAU basketball. Paul Gripper has coached elite players from the City of Brotherly Love and the surrounding area for years, many of whom have developed into big-time prospects, such as Michael Gilchrist '11. Sometimes, when your father is big name an you are always surrounding by other big name, you fly under the radar a bit. Meet Joey Gripper, a class of 2011 point guard at Abington Friends (PA). “I have been playing AAU ball for nine years and I feel I’m overshadowed because of my dad. I want a chance to show everybody that I am [as] good as any PG in this class.”

The 6'1 Joey Gripper has done enough in his own right to garner interest from the likes of Harvard, UPenn, La Salle, Drexel, St. Joseph’s, The Citadel, Bowling Green,Albany, St. Bonaventure, Oregon State, Drake, Maryland, and Kent State, amongst others. In fact, Joey already claims offers from two of those programs. “Drexel [and] Harvard actually offered. I talked to Drexel [recently]. They want me to work out with their college guys. Harvard is [the] most aggressive. La Salle is kind of strong too.” Gripper was invited to the Harvard Elite Camp this past weekend but instead chose to attend the St. Joseph's Elite Team Camp with his high school squad. Gripper, who said plans to make his college decision the "summer after [my] junior year," stated the following when asked what he is trying to find in his future institution: “I’m looking for a school that will let me play my game. I want a nice atmosphere and a place that can grow on me and I can grow to love.”

Thus far, Gripper has done a commendable job in the classroom at Abington Friends, which he says is a "very tough" school. The floor general must have a true connection with AFS, as he lists two faculty members as people who will eventually help him make his college choice. "My father, Paul Gripper, and guidance counselors Mark Thompson and Peter Gaines [from Abington Friends],” replied Joey when I asked him who he would consult. Joey has already had some nice accomplishments while at AFS, some of which his lists amongst his biggest achievements on the hardwood. “My AAU team won five straight AAU Regional Championships. I have started both years at [Abington Friends, and] . . . I finally finished rated number one at Phenom 150 last year, and this year I averaged double figures for [the]entire season and made All-Friends League as a sophomore. [Also] winning the City CYO title as an eighth grader with [my stepbrother] Juan’ya [Green], Lamont[McClaurin, and] Malik [Garner]. Those would be my biggest [accomplishments] tome.” Gripper is not done yet, he still has more that he wants to take care of during his final two years of high school. "Well I, for one, want to make Reebok U next year. [This year] I’m going to Reebok Proving Grounds. I want to win to Friends League titles, I want to win Independent States, and score 1,000 points. I have 332 so far.”

A true point guard who would rather dish out a nice assist than take a J, Gripper compares his game to the Boston Celtics' Rajon Rondo and former NBA player Jerome "Pooh" Richardson. “I [have] never seen Pooh in real life, but he was my dad’s favorite player in the 80’s [and] he made me watch old tapes and sort of pattern my game like that early [on]. Pooh predominantly dribbled [with his] left [hand], even though he was right-handed [and was a] flashy passer and ball handler, but I think I mainly play like Rondo. [This is] mainly because [I have] long arms, like to pass, like to steal the ball. I love to strip people [when I’m on D]. People,mainly my high school coach and my pop, say I reach too much, but I averaged three steals a game in high school.”

Joey, a well-spoken and polite young man off the court, knows when he needs to do to become better on the court. “I’ve been told [it is] off the ball defense. I lose my man a lot once he isn’t dribbling. My jumper was a weakness, but I’ve been working crazily on it and I shot40% from [beyond] the arc in high school, but I’m still trying to get better,but I must get better with off the ball D. My dad said I have to improve ball rotation and follow-through to be a great shooter, so I’m trying to improve greatly in that area.” At the same time, though, he does recognize his strong points. “The strongest part of my game is my speed, handle, and change of direction move attacking the hoop, plus [my] court vision. I can finish in open court,too, over bigs.”

“I want people to judge my game based on me, and not because they like, or mostly don’t like my dad. I can, and will earn my way,” says the younger Gripper. Well, if he keeps putting in the effort that he is right now, Gripper might be a name associated with Philly hoops for more than one reason, as there may be two Grippers being talked about

by Alex Schwartz

- According to a source close to the situation, 6'7 power forward Mike McFadden '09 of Technology (NJ) has finally made his college choice. McFadden, who played his AAU ball with Team NJABC, has selected Iona. "My family thought it was the best pick," said Mike via text message. Before picking the MAAC school, McFadden stated that his other finalists were Cleveland State, Robert Morris, Quinnipiac, Albany, Rice, and New Orleans. The tough big man told me that he expects to play "around 20-28 minutes" again his freshman season, according to what the coaches have told him.

- Fuquan Edwin '10 of Paterson Catholic (NJ), one of the top players in the Garden State, took his name off the board in the past several days. The 6'5 wing, who runs with the Playaz for AAU ball, committed to Bobby Gonzalez and Seton Hall. Edwin's runner-up was Providence, as he had told me at the Rumble in the Bronx that he was down to SHU and PC.

- Will Regan '10 of Nichols School (NY) was at Virginia for the NBAPA Top 100 Camp, and he must have liked it there, as the 6'8 power forward pledged to the Cavaliers in the past few days. He stated that he "was [also] there in September, 2007 on an unofficial visit under the old staff," but this was his first time there during the new regime. "I decided [on Virginia] because everything was right, starting with academics to the style of play, and also how I liked the coaches and what was possible with the program," wrote Regan in a text. When I spoke to Regan at the Rumble in the Bronx, he informed me that his top five was Providence, Virginia, Arizona State, Stanford, and Maryland. Although at that point he stated that UVA was the only one not to offer, that clearly changed, as Regan, who is part of the City Rocks AAU program, is now bound for Tony Bennett and Co. "I didn't have a second choice. It was down to [UVA and] the four others, . . . all of which had their perks, but UVA stood out."  Was location a factor for the high-energy big man? "A slight factor. If two schools were dead even and one was on the East Coast and the other on the West, I probably would go East, but [it was] not a huge factor." I inquired of Regan whether he would recruit others to join him in Charlottesville, and he answered, "I won't turn people away, so I guess you can say I will because I'm clearly going to try and sell all the things UVA has to offer."

Note- photo is from http://scouthoops.scout.com/

by Alex Schwartz

- According to an article by Adam Zagoria on SNY.tv earlier today, Lance Stephenson '09 of Lincoln (NY) committed to Cincinnati in a huge coup for the Bearcats, who came out of nowhere to land the 6'5 wing. Zagoria has since posted another article on the situation, this one on ZagsBlog, which includes quotes from UC Head Coach Mick Cronin on "Born Ready" signing scholarship papers with the school. For him to have mentioned Stephenson by name, he must be off the board. So it seems that the Lance Stephenson saga has at last come to an end . . . for now at least.

- Both Scout and Rivals revealed their new class of 2011 player rankings today, and to the surprise of no one, 6'7 small forward Michael Gilchrist of St. Patrick's (NJ) came in at #1 on both lists. In fact, both sites called Gilchrist—who is also #1 on Hoop Scoop and ESPNU—the best player in the nation regardless of class, an assessment that Hoop Scoop agrees with. Also included in the top five on both Scout and Rivals are James McAdoo of Norfolk Christian (VA) and Florida-pledge Austin Rivers of Winter Park (FL). There are four other players—making it nine total—in the top 10 of both: Marquis Teague of Pike (IN), Quincy Miller of Quality Education Academy (NC), Rakeem Christmas of North Catholic (PA), Bradley Beal of Chaminade (MO), and Tony Wroten, Jr. of Garfield (WA).

- Living Faith (NJ) has closed down, meaning that Villanova-bound Markus Kennedy '10 is without a high school for next year. In talking to the 6'9 big man, I learned that he is considering Penn Wood (PA) and Neumann-Goretti (PA), while Academy of the New Church (PA) and St. Patrick's (NJ) may be options as well.

- James Loupos '10 of Montgomery (NJ) recently picked up his first Division I scholarship offer. Navy, a school in the Patriot League, offered the skilled 6'6 swingman this past week. "It was very exciting to hear [that] such a prestigious school [had] offered me to come there. I was honored that they have that much confidence in me," stated Loupos via text message. James added that "several other Ivy League schools and Patriot League schools, like Columbia, Cornell, Bucknell, [and] Holy Cross, as well as Davidson and Vermont" are showing interest in him. Loupos has a 3.5 GPA and scored a 1790 on the SAT and a 24 on the ACT, some impressive numbers. "I'm looking for a school with great academics, as well as a good basketball tradition."

- Two top class of 09 ballers in New Jersey are still on the board.Both Mike McFadden of Technology (NJ) and Khalil Murphy of APEXAcademies (NJ) are still undecided on what school they will attend nextyear.

Note- photo is of Lance Stephenson and is from http://scouthoops.scout.com/

by Alex Schwartz

It's going back a few weeks, but I figured better late than never for my recap of the 09 Rumble in the Bronx, which is run by the City Rocks AAU program. Mainly held at Fordham University, with games also at Iona College, Manhattan College, and Hooperstown. One of the premier AAU tournaments of the spring, the Rumble in the Bronx features top-notch squads from all over the country. Teams from states such as California, Iowa, and Florida made the trip to the Big Apple for the event. I had the chance to talk to many of the players and get school lists, which I have already posted (Part 1, Part 2). In this post I wanted to just give you a brief rundown of how the tournament played out. Take a look:

I'll start with the U16 division. The semifinals had a real Northeast feel to it, with the Playaz (NJ) facing the Metro Hawks (NY) and New Heights (NY) playing Expressions (MA). The Playaz squad, which was without arguably its two best players in Myles Mack '11 of Paterson Catholic (NJ) and Desmond Hubert '11 (NJ), had Keith Lumpkin '11 of St. Peter's Prep (NJ) at its disposal, despite the fact that he usually just runs with the U17 team. Although Mack and Hubert were at the Nike Hoop Jamboree, the Playaz—who some feel are the best U16 AAU squad in the nation—advanced to the finals. Meanwhile, the other semifinal was a matchup between the finalists at the 2009 Providence Jam Fest, which Expressions won handily. This time, New Heights had the advantage of being closer to home, and whatever the reason, the NYC squad pulled the upset of Alex Murphy '12 and Co. and made it to the championship, winning in three overtimes. That set up an NJ/NY showdown in the finale.

In a low scoring affair, New Heights held an 18-17 lead over the Playaz at halftime, with Vaughn Gray '11 of Don Bosco Prep (NJ) leading all scorers with a mere five points for the Playaz. The scoring picked up a bit in the second half, but not much. New Heights, led by Jermaine Sanders '11 of Rice (NY), led 30-28 with 8:00 to go. From there, the team slowly increased its lead, and it was 38-34 with 3:30 to play, then 47-39 with 1:15 left, as the squad began to pull away. When the final horn sounded, New Heights had a 51-44 victory over the Playaz to take the 2009 Rumble in the Bronx U17 title. Jermaine Sanders led all scorers with 17 points, almost all of which came in the second half. Chris Gayot '11 of Cardozo (NY) was named U16 tournament MVP for his play throughout the event.

At the U17 level, I will start with the Silver Bracket, which was for teams that finished in second place in their pools. Sports University (NJ), led by the play of St. Anthony's (NJ) ballers Derrick Williams '10 and Eli Carter '10 knocked off Kyrie Irving '10 of St. Patrick's (NJ) and the NJ Roadrunners, who were without Jarrod Davis '11 of Lakewood (NJ). In the other semifinal, Connecticut Basketball Club, which was led by player such as Majok Majok '10, crushed Louisiana Select, which was without almost all of its top players, including St. Joseph's-commit Langston Galloway '10, Ricardo Gathers '12, and Oklahoma State-pledge Markel Brown '10. This setup a title tilt between Sports U and CBC, which I did not get a chance to watch. The boys from Connecticut ran by the Garden State squad, and CBC won the 2009 Rumble in the Bronx U17 Silver Bracket championship.

The U17 Gold Bracket was totally loaded, to the point that big-time squads such as the Playaz (NJ) and NE Playaz did not even get past the first round. Once the teams were cut down to four, it was Nike Team Florida vs. California Supreme and Team Final (PA) vs. the City Rocks (NY) in the Final Four. I decided to watch the matchup between the two non-local teams, and it was a great contest. Nike Team Florida was lead by Florida State-pledge Okaro White '10, Anthony Lee '10, and Wilfried Yeguete '10. Cali Supreme was without three (Gary Franklin '10, UCLA-bound Tyler Lamb '10, and James Johnson '10) of its top four players (arguably its top three, period). The team, which use to also have Jeremy Tyler before he chose to go overseas, still had a number of talented players, in USC-commit Dwayne Polee '10, Keala King '10, Portland-commit Keith Shamburger '10, and Miles Cartwright '10. The game was close throughout, with Nike Team Florida holding the advantage early, before Cali Supreme took control of the game a bit. The Golden State squad led by single digits for much of the final 20 minutes, and eventually won 64-58, making it to the championship. Team Final knocked off the home team, the City Rocks, in the other semifinal. Team Final was playing without Syracuse-bound Dion Waiters '10, though Rakeem Christmas '11 played U17 ball for the first time this spring/summer, and he faired very well. The NY squad was also missing a key component, in arguably its best player, Tobias Harris '10.

I had to leave before the U17 championship game, but apparently I did not miss much, as Team Final won in a rout over the shorthanded California Supreme squad. Although the team had enough to get through its previous opponents, Team Final—arguably the best U17 team in America—proved to be just too much. Rakeem Christmas of North Catholic (PA) was the leading scorer in the finale. It was Michael Gilchrist '11 of St. Patrick's (NJ) who was named U17 tournament MVP. Gilchrist has become the consensus #1 players in the class of 2011, and some even feel he is the best player in the nation regardless of class.

In the U15 age division, the Garner Road Bulldogs (NC) met Martin Brothers Select (IA) in the championship, while the Playaz (NJ) faced off against the Westchester Hawks (NY) for the U14 crown. I left before those games were completed, and never was able to find out who the champs were, but if I do, I will update this article with the winners.

So again, here were the winners from the older age groups at the 2009 Rumble in the Bronx:

U17 Gold: Team Final (PA)
U17 Silver: Connecticut Basketball Club
U16: New Heights (NY)

In the U17 division, the two champions were actually in the same pool, and CBC gave Team Final a tough game when they squared off. The 09 Rumble in the Bronx was, as usual, a very good event with top-notch teams.

Note- photo on the left is of Jermaine Sanders and photo on the right is of Michael Gilchrist; both are from http://scouthoops.scout.com/

by Alex Schwartz

Today was the second and final day of the 2009 Hoop Group HBC Metro Summer Showcase, and it was an interesting one to say the least. I began by watching the quarterfinal matchup between Lincoln (NY) and Seton Hall Prep (NJ), while glancing over at the Elite 8 game on the next court, which featured St. Patrick's (NJ) and Westtown (PA).

SHP, behind the play of Sterling Gibbs '11, jumped on top of Lincoln in the later parts of the first half and came into the break with an 18-point advantage. That quickly became a 22-point cushion, and the tradition-rich Garden State school was in complete control of the contest. Charles Oliver '11, Connor Wujcak '11, John Caprio '10, and Stephon Mosley '12 gave aid to Gibbs, as he slowed down a bit in the second 16 minutes. Meanwhile, for four-time defending PSAL AA NYC champ Lincoln, it was a complete one-man show. The squad was totally reliant on Shaq Stokes '11, but he could not take down SHP alone. Although the Railsplitters got the lead down to single-digits, they fell 65-55. Sterling Gibbs led Seton Hall Prep with 25 points, while Shaq Stokes dropped an astounding 37 for Lincoln, for a whopping 67.3% of his team's offensive output.

St. Patrick's had to deal with a resilient Westtown team, but pulled away late and advanced to the finals. Josh Daniell '10, Jarrel Lane '11, Chase Plummer '10, Rich Dobin '10, and Kevin Boyle, Jr. '10 looked to be key pieces to the victory from what I saw. The Celtics entered the event as the defending champions, but were without their two best players, Kyrie Irving '10 and Michael Gilchrist '11.

In the other quarterfinal games, Paterson Catholic (NJ) trounced Lakewood (NJ), as Jarrod Davis '11 was limited to a mere four points by the PC defense. Neumann-Goretti (PA) defeated Christian Brothers Academy (NJ) in the last Elite 8 affair, making the semifinals, which the Saints were unable to do last year.

The semifinal contests were on adjacent courts, but most of my attention was focused on the Paterson Catholic/Neumann-Goretti matchup, which I expected to be a fantastic game. It did not turn out that way. The home-state Cougars jumped all over N-G, holding a double-digit lead for much of the first 16 minutes. The outside shooting of Myles Mack '11 (16 points, three treys), overall play of Kyle Anderson '12, and scoring ability of Seton Hall-commit Fuquan Edwin '10 (10 points, two treys) gave PC a 49-32 lead at the intermission. Wake Forest-bound Tony Chenault '10 was the primary source of offense for Neumann, as he had nine points on three triples. Danny Stewart '10 added a few dunks. When the PC/N-G game was at the half, St. Pat's—who led 37-22 through 16 minutes—was leading SHP 49-35 with 8:51 left. Soon after, though, the Celtics had run away and were up 64-37. St. Pat's would go on to get the W and advance to the championship.

In the second half of the Paterson Catholic/Neumann-Goretti game, things went back and forth, with the Cougars continuing to hold a large lead. The Saints had their main six players there, but many of their key reserves were not at the event. PC had its whole squad at its disposal, but regardless of the reason, Paterson Catholic dominated the Keystone state team. Late in the affair—which saw three technicals fouls handed out in the first half (one to PC, two to N-G)—things got out of hand. All of a sudden, a brawl broke out—it was on the far hoop from where I was sitting so I did not see exactly how it began—and punches were thrown players had to be separated. From what I'm told, it was much worse than yesterday's St. Patrick's/Newark Central (NJ) fight. Needless to say, the game was called and Paterson Catholic was declared the victor.

Due to the nature of the events that ended the semifinal contest, likely combined with the fact that a similar occurrence went down last night, The Hoop Group decided not to have a championship game. The choice made sense, as this was merely a high school basketball summer tournament, and it was not worth risking any more problems. Kudos to The Hoop Group for its hard work in handling the unfortunate events and making a tough decision.

St. Patrick's and Paterson Catholic were declared the co-champions of the 2009 Hoop Group HBC Metro Summer Showcase. For the Celtics, it was their second straight title in this event.

by Alex Schwartz

I woke up bright and early today so that I could make it out to The Hoop Group Headquarters in Neptune, New Jersey for The Hoop Group HBC Metro Summer Showcase. A high school event featuring teams from Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, the field was led by defending champ St. Patrick's (NJ), Neumann-Goretti (PA), Paterson Catholic (NJ), Lincoln (NY), and Seton Hall Prep (NJ). Here's how the first day's action went:

In the top left bracket, Middletown South (NJ) beat defending Non-Public A state champ Immaculata (NJ), and then nearly knocked off Paterson Catholic (NJ), but fell by six. Seton Hall-bound Fuquan Edwin '10 led all scorers with 31 points, while Pat O'Connell '10 had 23 for Middletown South and Rob Callori '10 added 18. Paterson Catholic will face Lakewood (NJ) in the Elite 8 tomorrow, as Jarrod Davis '11 and Co. narrowly beat Teaneck (NJ) in the first round and then topped Newark Eastside (NJ) in OT.

In the bottom left bracket, Neumann-Goretti (PA) easily ran through Amistad Academy (CT)—the showcase's only squad from CT—and Shawnee (NJ) to make the quarterfinals, while Christian Brothers Academy (NJ) upended Hillside (NJ) and Winslow Township (NJ) to make the quarters as well. Neumann was without Wake Forest-pledge Tony Chenault '10 today, but he is expected to be in attendance tomorrow.

In the top right bracket, Lincoln (NY)—the lone Empire State team in the event—cruised by Pascack Valley (NJ) and hometown Neptune (NJ) to make the Elite 8. Seton Hall Prep (NJ) beat Winslow Township (NJ)—the team filled an open spot and played again, despite losing—in the first round and then knocked off Gill St. Bernard's (NJ) in the Sweet 16. Sterling Gibbs '11 was the key to SHP's success. Despite losing in the second round, 6'6 power forward Dominic Hoffman '12 of Gill has got to be proud of his play today.

St. Patrick's (NJ) won this event last year, and although the Celtics are without their two best players in Kyrie Irving '10 and Michael Gilchrist '11, many expect the defending NJSIAA TOC champs to win again. The squad fought off a tough Westhampton Tech (NJ) team in the first round, and then defeated Newark Central (NJ)—which made it to the second round after scoring at the buzzer to upset Monmouth Regional (NJ) in round one—in a contest that ended in controversy. Although I left right before it happened, near the end of the game, apparently the two teams got into a brawl that included some punches. The contest was called with about 1:30 to play and St. Pat's up by 25+. The Celtics will take on Westtown (PA) in the quarters, as the Keystone State team defeated CBA #2 and St. Joseph's Metuchen (NJ).

Here's the rundown of the remaining squads and the matchups:
Paterson Catholic (NJ) vs. Lakewood (NJ)
Neumann-Goretti (PA) vs. Christian Brothers Academy (NJ)
Lincoln (NY) vs. Seton Hall Prep (NJ)
St. Patrick's (NJ) vs. Westtown (PA)

The Lincoln/SHP game should be the best of the four, though they all have the potential to be good contests. Five of the eight remaining teams are from the Garden State, which makes sense considering that 27 of the 32 teams entered are from NJ.

During the day I also had a chance to catch up with some of the players participating. Have a look:

Tyreek Duren '10, Neumann-Goretti (PA): Miami, UMass, La Salle, Temple, St. Bonaventure, Robert Morris, Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth, Virginia, and Houston
                            Offers: UMass, La Salle, Temple, St. Bonaventure, Virginia Commonwealth, and Houston
                            Favorites: "I like VCU, La Salle, Temple, [and] UMass."
                            Note- Duren stated, "I think Miami is going to offer later this summer. . . . The assistant coach said the head coach has to see me play."

Pat O'Connell '10, Middletown South (NJ): Stonehill (DII), Vermont, Lehigh, and Davidson
                              Offers: None
                              Favorites: "I'd like to see Vermont because I've heard it's a real nice school. Lehigh would be great too because it [offers] a great education."
                              Notes- O'Connell, who said he has a GPA "probably a little higher than 3.0," stated that he "wants to go to a school that [will be a good stepping stone] for after basketball where I can be successful, [with a] nice campus [and] nice basketball atmosphere." Pat told me that there are other schools showing interest in him at the DI, DII, and DIII levels, but that he could not remember them off the top of his head.

Jarrod Davis '11, Lakewood (NJ): Kentucky, Virginia Tech, St. Joseph's, La Salle, Rutgers, Penn State, Villanova, Georgetown, Maryland, Houston, UAB, St. John's, Marist, Rice, Texas, Syracuse, Indiana, and UConn
                           Offers: Virginia Tech, St. Joseph's, Rice, Texas, and Syracuse
                           Favorites: "No, I'm wide open."
                           Note- Davis said he "plans to visit probably Virginia Tech, Maryland, and Villanova," and stated that he "doesn't have a problem going away" for college.

Jarelle Reischel '11, Pt. Pleasant Beach (NJ): Maryland, West Virginia, Providence, Seton Hall, Kansas, Oklahoma, Rutgers, Monmouth, and Penn State
                                 Offers: Rutgers and Monmouth
                                 Favorites: None
                                 Notes- Reischel said the followingwhen I asked him if he had a dream school: "No, not really. I wouldlove to play in a high conference like [the] A-10 [or] Big East."Jarelle played just three minutes in the game I watched because hepulled his groin on Thursday. He told me he would out for about two tothree weeks.

Justin Harris '11, Paramus Catholic (NJ): St. John's, Indiana, Notre Dame, and Penn State
                          Offers: None
                          Favorites: None
                          Note- When asked if he has a dream school, Harris replied, "I want to go to UConn, but I got to wait. I got to start performing better [and] . . . I got to work on a couple things before I get to that level."

Tariq Carey '12, Newark Eastside (NJ): SMU, St. Joseph's, and Siena
                          Offers: "No, not as of yet, but I believe by the end of the summer I may have offers."
                          Favorites: "I like all three schools [and] . . . I just want to leave my options open."
                          Note- Carey, who listed Wake Forest as his dream school, informed me that he "took an unofficial [visit] to SMU" about a week ago when he was in Texas for a camp, adding that "it was really nice."

Derrick Stewart '12, Neumann-Goretti (PA): as of now, Stewart said no one is actively recruiting him, but told me has gotten mail—presumably a questionnaire—from St. Joseph's, Temple, and Oregon
                               Offers: n/a
                               Favorites: n/a
                               Note- When I asked Stewart if he had a dream school, he replied, "Not really. I'm still looking, but I'd probably like to play with my [older] brother [Danny '10]."

Aaron Bodie '12, Newark Eastside (NJ): Bodie said he thought some colleges were showing some interest, but he wasn't sure, as his father handles all of that
                            Offers: n/a
                            Favorites: n/a
                            Note- Bodie, who used the word "aggressive" to sum up his game, listed Wake Forest as his dream school, just like teammate Tariq Carey did.

While at the event, I also took down a few scouting reports. Check them out:

Derrick Randall '11, Paterson Catholic (NJ)
A long power forward standing about 6'7.5, Randall is a very intriguing prospect who has a chance to be very special one day. Right now he is still raw, but he does a good job of manning the low post on D. Derrick does run into problems with fouls though, as he tries to block most shots down there, so he is prone to body-to-body contact while a player is going up. There were a number of times that he was called for a foul in the paint, including back-to-back possessions where the opponent was awarded an and-one. Even when he does not block a shot, the rising junior does a nice job of altering attempts. Randall has a good frame, yet it is one that he can definitely add some bulk to.

Dominic Hoffman '12, Gill St. Bernard's (NJ)
He is that well-known just yet, but Hoffman might be one day. At around 6'6, he has good size for a rising sophomore, though he will need to hit 6'8 or 6'9 to reach his full potential. Hoffman's frame is not bad, but he needs to become more chiseled. The young big man works hard in the paint at both ends of the floor, and runs hard to get up and down the court. Dominic is a stellar passer and a good rebounder. He is solid when it comes to athleticism, but needs to improve on his finishing ability. Hoffman utilizes some nice low post moves at times and is tough down low when he has the rock.

Check the Northstar Basketball Twitter page for updates from today's games and stayed tuned tomorrow for coverage of the rest of the games. Also check back here for a recap of day two's action tomorrow night.

by Alex Schwartz

The NBAPA Top 100 Camp came to a close a few days ago, so I have had some time to reflect upon it before writing this article. In addition to my previous posts on the event (Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Pac-10/SEC Commits, ACC/Big East/Big Ten Commits), I wanted to do a write-up on the camp as a whole, with a complete rundown of how it went. Take a look:

Held at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, the NBAPA Top 100 Camp was a phenomenal event, featuring just over 100 of the top players in the nation. Predominantly composed of 2010 ballers, there was also about 15 or so players in the class of 2011, and one from the class of 2013 (Jabari Parker). With around 95-100 high-major level players in attendance, Dave Telep of Scout, did a great job of loading it up. Many of the biggest names in the country came out to UVA, such as Ohio State-commit Jared Sullinger '10, Texas-bound Tristan Thompson '10, Harrison Barnes '10, Brandon Knight '10, and Michael Gilchrist '11.

A key part of the camp for the players was skill work and lectures, although there was of course game action too. The ballers were split up into 10 teams of 10 or 11 players, and each squad was coached by a high school coach (i.e. Michael Peck of Findlay Prep in NV) and an NBA player (i.e. Bobby Jackson of the Kings). The coaches really got into it, calling timeouts, working the officials, having the players foul late, etc., and that really made it fun. Though the players may not have been as concerned with winning, they did play hard and even showed effort on the defensive end. This was really a great chance for the players to learn, get coached, and get exposure.

As listed in my report on Day Two of the camp, the following players were selected to the first ever NBAPA Top 100 Camp All-Star Game:

BLUE
*Josh Selby ’10, Lake Clifton (MD), Tennessee . . . 8 points
*Jelan Kendrick ’10, Westlake (GA) . . . 4 points
*Harrison Barnes ’10, Ames (IA) . . . 4 points
CJ Leslie ’10, Word of God Academy (NC) . . . DNP
*Rakeem Christmas ’11, North Catholic (PA) . . . 6 points
Joe Jackson ’10, White Station (TN) . . . 14 points
Tyler Lamb ’10, Mater Dei (CA), UCLA . . . 4 points
Andre Dawkins ’10, Atlantic Shores Christian (VA), Duke . . . 4 points
Nate Lubick ’10, St. Mark’s (MA), Georgetown . . . 6 points
Jared Sullinger ’10, Northland (OH), Ohio State . . . 10 points
*Perry Jones ’10, Duncanville (TX), Baylor . . . 3 points

WHITE
*Brandon Knight ’10, Pine Crest (FL) . . . 6 points
Michael Gilchrist ’11, St. Patrick’s (NJ) . . . DNP
*Will Barton ’10, Lake Clifton (MD), Memphis . . . 10 points
*Jereme Richmond ’10, Waukegan (IL), Illinois . . . 4 points
*Patric Young ’10, Paxon School (FL), Florida . . .2 points
*Tristan Thompson ’10, Findlay Prep (NV), Texas . . . 2 points
Dion Waiters ’10, Life Center Academy (NJ), Syracuse . . . 4 points
Stacey Poole ’10, Jackson (FL) . . . 8 points
Justin Coleman ’10, Henrico (VA) . . . 11 points
Evan Smotrycz ’10, New Hampton Prep (NH), Michigan . . . 3 points
Fab Melo ’10, Sagemont School (FL) . . . 8 points

Notes
- Perry Jones, who was the next leading vote getter, replaced CJ Leslie, whowas unable to play due to injury
- Michael Gilchrist did not play due to injury
- * indicates that a player was a starter
- the campers picked for the All-Stars by voting for their top three players incamp (they were not told why they were voting)
- Brandon Knight was the leading vote getter, and Michael Gilchrist was therunner-up
- Players are listed in order of how many votes they got (i.e. Josh Selby had the most votes of the BLUE players, and Joe Jackson had the sixth most)

As listed in my report on Day Three of the event, these were the high-scorers at UVA:

Rank. Name, Team, PPG, High
1. Josh Selby, Hawks, 16.2, 21*
2. Stacey Poole, Jazz, 15.8, 24*
3. Brandon Knight, Cavs, 15.3, 24*
4. Tyler Lamb, Celtics, 14.6, 17*
5. Reggie Bullock, Jazz, 13.6, 20
6. Tobias Harris, Pistons, 13.3, 21
7. Michael Gbinije, Pistons, 13.0, 18
8. Harrison Barnes, Lakers, 12.7, 16*
9. Kyrie Irving, Celtics, 12.6, 26
t10. Keith Appling, Hawks, 12.0, 19
t10. Casey Prather, Rockets, 12.0, 19
t10. Andre Dawkins, Spurs, 12.0, 17*
13. JT Terrell, Spurs, 11.8, 26
14. Doron Lamb, Lakers, 11.7, 16
15. Patric Young, Pistons, 11.6, 14*
16. Joe Jackson, Hornets, 11.4, 16*
17. Jared Sullinger, Hornets, 11.3, 17*
18. Michael Gilchrist, Rockets, 11.2, 16*
19. Will Barton, Pistons, 11.0, 22*
20. Shaq Thomas, Lakers, 10.8, 18
21. Jarell Eddie, Spurs, 10.6, 14
t22. Jelan Kendrick, Jazz, 10.2, 15*
t22. Tristan Thompson, Magic, 10.2, 14*
t22. Gary Franklin, Pistons, 10.2, 21
t22. Noah Cottrill, Pistons, 10.2, 14
t26. Evan Smotrycz, Hornets, 10.0, 15*
t26. Justin Coleman, Magic, 10.0, 23*

Notes
- Most of the players played in six games, but the following players played ineither more or less: Tobias Harris (four), Michael Gbinije (four), CaseyPrather (seven), Joe Jackson (seven), Jared Sullinger (seven) Shaq Thomas(five)
- Michael Gilchrist played in six games, but still had a DNP in one game (histeam made the championship)
- The only player to score in double-digits in every game was Josh Selby
- The only players to score 20+ multiple times were Brandon Knight (24, 21) andReggie Bullock (20, 20)
- The single-game high point total was 26, which was scored by both JT Terrelland Kyrie Irving
- * indicates that player was selected to the All-Star Game

As I stated in my Day Three write-up, the following teams/players went the furthest in the playoffs:

Team Champion-Rockets (7-0)
Ian Miller ’10, United Faith Christian Academy (NC), Florida State (only played 2 games due to INJ)
Crandall Head ’10, Crane Tech (IL), Illinois
Kendall Marshall ’10, Bishop O’Connell (VA), North Carolina
Michael Gilchrist ’11, St. Patrick’s (NJ)
Trey Zeigler ’10, Mount Pleasant (MI)
Terrence Jones ’10, Jefferson (OR)
Casey Prather ’10, Northside (TN)
Michael Cobbins ’10, Palo Duro (TX)
Tarik Black ’10, Ridgeway (TN)
James Johnson ’10, Morse (CA)

Runner-up: Hornets
Semifinalists: Hawks and Jazz

As listed in my Day Three recap, the following ballers were the award recipients:

Most Promising Prospect: MichaelGilchrist ’11, St. Patrick’s (NJ)
Most Valuable Player: KendallMarshall ’10, Bishop O’Connell (VA), North Carolina
Leadership Award: Jared Sullinger ’10,Northland (OH), Ohio State
Most Courageous: Daniel Bejarano ’10,Phoenix North (AZ), Texas
Surprise Prospect: Justin Coleman ’10,Henrico (VA)
Workout Warriors: Harrison Barnes ’10,Ames (IA); Russell Byrd ’10, Blackhawk Christian (IN), Michigan State; JamesJohnson ’10, Morse (CA); Brandon Knight ’10, Pine Crest (FL); Ray McCallum ’10,Detroit Country Day School (MI)

Now, for a list I have yet to post, here's my list of the top performers at the NBAPA Top 100 Camp, based entirely on in-camp performance:

TERRIFIC 20
Name, Class, Position, High School (State), College (if app.), Camp Team, PPG
1. Brandon Knight, 2010, PG, Pine Crest (FL), Cavs, 15.3
2. Josh Selby, 2010, PG, Lake Clifton (MD), Tennessee, Hawks, 16.2
3. Reggie Bullock, 2010, SG, Kinston (NC), North Carolina, Jazz, 13.6
4. Michael Gilchrist, 2011, SF, St. Patrick's (NJ), Rockets, 11.2
5. Harrison Barnes, 2010, SF, Ames (IA), Lakers, 12.7
6. Michael Gbinije, 2011, SF, Benedictine (VA), Pistons, 13.0
7. Joe Jackson, 2010, PG, White Station (TN), Hornets, 11.4
8. Jared Sullinger, 2010, PF, Northland (OH), Ohio State, Hornets, 11.3
9. Casey Prather, 2010, SF, Northside (TN), Rockets, 12.0
10. Stacey Poole, 2010, Jackson (FL), Jazz, 15.8
11. Nate Lubick 2010, PF, St. Mark's (MA), Georgetown, Celtics, 9.8
12. Will Barton, 2010, SG, Lake Clifton (MD), Memphis, Pistons, 11.0
13. Tobias Harris, 2010, SF, Half Hollow Hills West (NY), Pistons, 13.3
14. Andre Dawkins, 2010, SG, Atlantic Shores Christian (VA), Duke, Spurs, 12.0
15. Patric Young, 2010, PF, Paxon School (FL), Florida, Pistons, 11.6
16. Kendall Marshall, 2010, PG, Bishop O'Connell (VA), North Carolina, Rockets, 7.0
17. JT Terrell, 2010, SG, Cummings (NC), Wake Forest, Spurs, 11.8
18. Tyler Lamb, 2010, SG, Mater Dei (CA), UCLA, Celtics, 14.6
19. Doron Lamb, 2010, SG, Oak Hill Academy (VA), Lakers, 11.7
20. Jelan Kendrick, 2010, SF, Westlake (GA), Jazz, 10.2

HONORABLE MENTIONS (listed alphabetically)
Keith Appling, 2010, PG/SG, Pershing (MI), Michigan State, Hawks, 12.0
Tarik Black, 2010, PF, Ridgeway (TN), Rockets, 7.4
Rakeem Christmas, 2011, C, North Catholic (PA), Cavs, 6.6
Justin Coleman, 2010, SF, Henrico (VA), Magic, 10.0
Noah Cottrill, 2010, PG, Mountain State Academy (WV), West Virginia, Pistons, 10.2
Jarell Eddie, 2010, SF, Cannon School (NC), Spurs, 10.6
Gary Franklin, 2010, PG, Mater Dei (CA), Pistons, 10.2
Kyrie Irving, 2010, PG, St. Patrick's (NJ), Celtics, 12.6
Travis McKie, 2010, SF, John Marshall (VA), Wake Forest, Pistons, 9.8
Fab Melo, 2010, C, Sagemont School (FL), Spurs, 8.7
Baye Moussa Kieta, 2010, C, Oak Hill Academy (VA), Syracuse, Hawks, 8.3
LeBryan Nash, 2011, SF/PF, Lincoln (TX), Cavs, 9.0
Evan Smotrycz, 2010, SF, New Hampton Prep (NH), Michigan, Lakers, 10.0
Shaq Thomas, 2010, SF, Mountain State Academy (WV), Lakers, 10.8
Tristan Thompson, 2010, PF, Findlay Prep (NV), Magic, 10.2

OTHER NOTABLES (listed alphabetically)
Russell Byrd, 2010, SG, Blackhawk Christian (IN), Michigan State, Hornets, 9.1
Jason Morris, 2010, SF, Hotchkiss School (CT), Celtics, 9.8
Perry Jones, 2010, PF, Duncanville (TX), Baylor, Lakers, 7.7
Terrence Jones, 2010, Jefferson (CA), Rockets, 9.1
Cory Joseph, 2010, PG, Findlay Prep (NV), Lakers, 6.0
Ray McCallum, 2010, PG, Detroit Country Day School (MI), Magic, 5.8
Jordan McRae, 2010, Liberty County (GA), Tennessee, Hornets, 8.7
Jayvaughn Pinkston, 2010, SF, Bishop Loughlin (NY), Magic/Rockets, 9.8
Will Regan, 2010, PF, Nichols School (NY), Virginia, Hornets, 6.7
Desmond Simmons, 2010, SF, Salesian (CA), Washington, Hawks, 6.5
Richard Solomon, 2010, C, Price (CA), Jazz, 6.6
Markel Starks, 2010, PG, Georgetown Prep (MD), Georgetown, Hornets, 8.1
Juwan Staten, 2010, PG, Marshall (OH), Dayton, Celtics, 7.6
Trey Zeigler, 2010, SG, Mount Pleasant (MI), Rockets, 9.6
Mardracus Wade, 2010, SG, Mitchell Road (TN), Hornets, 8.6

Note- photo on left is of Brandon Knight and photo on the right is of Nate Lubick; both are from http://scouthoops.scout.com/

by Alex Schwartz

According to numerous reports, Lamont "MoMo" Jones '09 of Oak Hill Academy (VA) has committed to Arizona. The 6'1 point guard had signed with USC, but re-opened his recruitment after Tim Floyd resigned as head coach. The Trojans, who have since hired Kevin O'Neill, will have to face Jones for the next four years instead of having him on the squad. Ironically, O'Neill's last gig as a head coach was at Arizona, where he was Interim Head Coach two seasons ago. "MoMo" originally pledged to Louisville, and was committed there for well over a year, but re-opened his recruitment midway through his junior season. Jones then committed to Virginia Tech, but did not sign a Letter of Intent, then de-committed and  inked with Southern Cal. In addition to switching college commitments quite frequently, Jones moved around for high school a lot. He began his career at Rice (NY), before transferring to American Christian Academy (PA) for two years, and when ACA shut down, he went to Oak Hill to finish his high school days. After his junior year, Jones was involved with four different high schools, as he finished the year at ACA, was rumored to be headed back to Rice, decided on St. Anthony's (NJ), but Head Coach Bob Hurley changed his mind, per school policy of not accepting senior transfers, and then he wound up at OHA when Tommy Mason Griffin '09 elected to stay at Madison (TX). Despite his switches—not all of which can truly be blamed on the player himself, as there were some extenuating circumstances—Jones is an extremely talented player, and a big-time scoring point guard.

In other news, over the weekend, Noel Johnson '09 of Fayette County (GA) selected Clemson, as a source confirmed the reports. Northstar Basketball previously broke the news that Johnson was asking for a release from his Letter of Intent at USC. Although my source originally old me Johnson would consider LSU, Georgia Tech, UNLV, and UConn—another source then told me Memphis was making a play—the Tigers have landed the gifted wing. Noel, who is the son of former Wichita State star and NBA player Lynbert  "Cheese" Johnson, will team with Devin Booker of Union Comprehensive (SC), Donte Hill of Norfolk Collegiate (VA), and McDonald's All-American Milton Jennings of Pinewood Prep (SC) to former a powerful 09 recruiting class for Oliver Purnell.

Note- http://scouthoops.scout.com/ used as a source for information