by Alex Schwartz

About five months ago not many people outside of the New Jersey high school basketball world knew who Kyrie Irving '10. When the 6'2 combo guard transferred from Montclair Kimberly Academy (NJ) to St. Patrick's (NJ) near the end of his sophomore year, some people began to take notice of him. When summer rolled around and Irving really settled into playing with the Celtics, many, many more people began to learn about the gifted all-around baller. Irving was fantastic throughout the summer with St. Pat's and in individual events as well, winning the Most Outstanding Prospect award at Session II of The Hoop Group Elite Camp and making the Top 20 All-Star game. I had the opportunity to catch up with Kyrie at The Hoop Group Showcase, where he would help lead the Celtics to victory.

NB: What goes into that scoring ability for you?
KI: Hard work [and] consistency. That’s first and foremost.

NB: What do you consider to be the strongest point of your game?
KI: Probably creating for my teammates, but still getting to the basket and finishing.

NB: What’s the weakest point of your game?
KI: Probably a little bit of my mid-range [game]. I got to work on that, that’s first.

NB: How are you able to be so gifted at both driving and taking a long-range jumper?
KI: Hard work, working with St. Patrick’s. . . . Yeah, just hard work basically, hard work every day.

NB: When did you actually officially transfer to St. Pat’s?
KI: I think it was around April 24^th, . . . around [the] . . . end of April, and I stayed for May and June.

NB: What schools are currently recruiting you?
KI: Wake Forest, Ohio St., Providence, Pittsburgh, Kansas, Memphis, St. John’s, Seton Hall, [and] Rutgers. There are a lot of other ones.

NB: Have all those schools offered you [a scholarship]?
KI: No, they’re highly interested, but they haven’t offered.

NB: Who do you have an offer from?
KI: Rutgers, and St. Joseph’s, and Seton Hall.

NB: Do you have a dream school?
KI: No, no, just playing . . . big-time [basketball], that’s my dream.

NB: If you had to commit tomorrow, who would you commit to?
KI: I don’t know, I don’t know.

Kyrie Irving has busted out this summer, and he will continue to turn heads next year at St. Patrick's. He will likely start at guard with class of 2009 North Carolina-commit Dexter Strickland, giving the high-powered, deep Celtics two guards who can play both guard positions. Learning under Strickland for a year, as well as getting coaching from Kevin Boyle at St. Patrick's for a couple of years will be huge for Irving, who balls with the NJ Roadrunners for AAU play. Since speaking with Irving at The Hoop Group Showcase, his college list has continued to grow, as he had 17 schools interested as of the last time I spoke with him, and added another offer, from Memphis. Next time you see St. Pat's play, tell your friends about Irving before the contest, and believe me, it will make you look smart. Kyrie is not just a summer wonder, the new St. Patrick's Celtic is the real deal.

Scouting Report on Kyrie Irving
Offensively, Kyrie Irving is the complete package. The 6'2 guard probably is better suited for the point guard, but can go off-ball if need be. He is a knock-down shooter with a nice stroke from three-point land, where he is a great shooter. Irving is a smooth player with a great handle. Kyrie is quick and is a good passer. The playmaker flashes to the hoop well and scores with contact. There isn't much that Irving cannot do on the offensive side of the game. He can shoot it, drive to the rack, dribble, and pass, which is pretty special for a player his age. Defensively, Kyrie holds his own, but does not do anything to stand out. All said, Kyrie Irving is a gifted basketball player, who will continue to improve and could become one of the top guards in his class in America.

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