by Alex Schwartz

Over the weekend I was at the Hoop Group Jam Fest Spring in Neptune, New Jersey, where I watched a number of games and spoke with dozens of players. Yesterday I posted my Class of 2011 Roundup and now I will be providing you all with my class of 2012 and class of 2013 roundup, including school lists and player notes.

Most of these players, but not all, played in the U16 Division, which was won by Sports U/Team IZOD, who defeated Long Island Lighting- Dingle. Sports U won both age groups on the weekend.

School Lists

Amile Jefferson ’12, Friends Central (PA): Temple, Penn State, Villanova, Virginia Tech, Georgetown, West Virginia, Wake Forest, and St. Joseph’s
                               Offers: Temple, Penn State, West Virginia, Wake Forest, and St. Joseph’s
                               Favorites: “No, I’m wide open right now. A lot of school came to open gyms, like Texas. I don’t know how to judge [who is seriously recruiting me]. North Carolina came to an open gym. Kentucky has been in contact [with people close to me]. Those [eight schools above] I’ve had the most contact with.”
                               Notes- Jefferson said, “A coach Stanford just talked to my coach.” As for Wake Forest, he said, “The new staff [has been in contact], that’s who [we have] talked to. That was the big concern, the coach left, but the assistant stayed, Coach [Jeff] Battle.” Asked if he will be back at Friends Central next year, Jefferson replied, “Right now, I’m probably gonna stay, but I’m really not sure. I’m gonna finish out the year and get ready for summer.”

Savon Goodman ’12, Academy of the New Church (PA): Villanova, West Virginia, Penn State, Temple, Texas, Georgetown, Duke, and Pitt
                               Offers: not sure who has offered
                               Favorites: “No, ACC [and the] Big East.”
                               Note- For my full article on Goodman at VUSports.com, click Here.

Jerome Frink ’12, St. Anthony’s (NJ): USC, St. John’s, Siena, La Salle, and Penn State
                            Offers: None
                            Favorites: None
                            Dream School: None
                            Note- Frink  said that he is looking for “academics” in a college and is “gonna wait until senior year” to commit.

Brandon Taylor ’12, Trenton Catholic (NJ): Temple, Seton Hall, West Virginia, and Vanderbilt
                             Offers: None
                             Favorite: West Virginia
                             Note- For my full article on Taylor at NBE Basketball Report, click Here.

Josh Brown ’13, St. Anthony’s (NJ): Rutgers and St. Joseph’s
                         Offers: None
                         Favorite: None
                         Dream School: Georgetown
                         Notes- Brown said that he has taken “a couple of visits” to both Rutgers and St. Joseph’s. After spending much of his freshman year at Morristown-Beard (NJ), Brown transferred to St. Anthony’s “about a month ago” and discussed why he made the switch. “I saw at my old school I wasn’t able to get a state championship, wasn’t able to do it all on my own,” he explained. “Plus, playing at St. Anthony’s will get me ready for the college game, playing for Bobby Hurley.”

Rondae Jefferson ’13, Chester (PA): has been getting questions and is not sure if schools are talking to his coaches
                                  Offers: None
                                  Favorites: n/a
                                  Dream School: North Carolina
                                  Notes- Jefferson also plays quarterback and wide receiver in football, though he has yet to start being recruited in that sport and “hasn’t decided” on which sport he will play at the next level. Rondae’s older brother Rahlir Jefferson plays at Temple, and while the two would never been in school together, he said, “I wanna make my own name,” when asked if he would rather go Temple or elsewhere. Nonethless, Jefferson said of Temple, “I’ll consider it.”

Kamall Richards ’13, Pocono Mtn. East (PA): St. Joseph’s, St. John’s, Drexel, Penn State, Bucknell, Pitt, and Rhode Island
                               Offers: “St. Joe’s was trying to offer me, but we haven’t heard from them in a bit.”
                               Favorites: “My favorites would be Pitt and St. John’s. Those are my two favorites.”
                               Dream School: Georgetown
                               Note- Richards started on the varsity team at his high school as a freshman.

Jordan Forehand ’13, St. Anthony’s (NJ): USC, Providence, and Arkansas
                                 Offers: None
                                 Favorites: “I would love to go to Providence. I love the campus, I’ve been there a couple times.”
                                 Dream School: “I would have to say, when I was younger, Duke, but it changed when JWill left.”
                                 Note- On what his first season at St. Anthony’s was like, Forehand said, “It was great. Coach [Bob] Hurley has been a great help for me with my point guard skills and he said he looks forward to next year with me, so that’s good.”

Yosef Yacob ’13, Archbishop Carroll (PA): Boston University, Drexel, and Delaware
                          Offers: None
                          Favorites: “No, I don’t think so.”
                          Dream School: “I just wanna go Big East. I like UConn a lot. I love the coaching there and the style.”
                          Note- Yacob said that basically he has “just been [getting] a lot of questionnaires” thus far.

Player Notes

Amile Jefferson did not have his best weekend, but the 6'6 forward is a star in the making. Even while battling a knee injury that clearly impacted him, Jefferson would show flashes here and there. He is long and versatile, and what makes it scary is that he is still in hi sophomore year.

Jerome Frink has a chance to be a star. The 6'6 forward has long arms and is very active on both ends of the floor. He runs up and down the court, makes plays on defense, and has solid athletic ability. He has great coaching at St. Anthony's, where he got legitimate minutes as a sophomore.

Josh Brown is a bouncy athlete at 6'2, but he can also knock down the outside jumpshot. He was the lone 2013 player on his team's championship roster, showing his talent level. Brown is by no means a finished product, but he is still in his freshman year and will continue to develop.

Rondae Jefferson may well end up being better than his brother Rahlir, who just finished up his freshman year at Temple. A 6'5 power forward, one would think he will continue to grow as he is only a freshman. Athletic and long, Jefferson works hard in the paint and has a solid freshman, especially for someone his age.

Kamall Richards is not a commonly known name right now, but he will be one day. A 6'5 wing from the Poconos, Richards is a talented, active freshman who was arguably the best player on his team, despite playing up a year. Already possessing a sturdy frame, Richards is a quality young prospect.

Jordan Forehand is not a player whose game will wow you, but he is a solid floor general and does a good job of playing with the ball in his hands. He has a good handle and is a smart kid who could keep growing—he is 6'0 now—and have the ability to play either guard spot.

Yosef Yacob is listed at just 5'10, but he seems much taller due to his superb length. The freshman is a quality guard who can get his shot off from beyond the arc and also get to the cup. If he grows a few more inches, with aforementioned great length, he could become an outstanding defensive player.

Now, for some guys that I did not get school lists from:
Ariel Polanco '12 of Satellite Academy (NY) might only be 5'9, but the sturdy point guard is a talented player. Though he is a score-first 1, it works well for Polanco, as he can shoot the outside J with a smooth stroke and also take the ball to the cup.

Jason Alleyne '12 of Satellite Academy (NY) is undersized as a combo forward, standing just 6'4, but he plays bigger than his height. More of a 4 right now than a 3, Alleyne does a good job of scoring the basketball down low, getting to the stripe, and rebounding.

Steven Faust '12 of Colts Neck (NJ) is quite tall for a sophomore, standing 6'10. He rebounds the ball and runs the floor and will likely play Division I basketball despite coming from a Garden State public school more known for its girls hoops than its boys basketball. The level he will play at remains to be seen, as he is still young.

Trevis Wyche '12 plays at high-powered St. Patrick's (NJ) and the 5'10 point guard is a key part of the Celtics' future. A power point guard with solid athleticism, he gets to the cup and does a nice job of finishing.

Matt Johnson '12 of St. Anthony's (NJ) has a chance to develop into an extremely good point guard. The younger brother of Jayson Johnson '11, Matt is quick, gets to the cup, has nice moves, is a solid outside shooter, and is an above-average athlete. He is one of the better sophomores in the state of New Jersey.

Matt Rennie '12 of Rutgers Prep (NJ) has really come along over the past couple of years. The 6'6 forward plays hard in the paint and can handle the rock a bit. His level is still to be determined, but he has the look of a future DI player.

Britton Lee '13 of Roman Catholic (PA) is a going to be one of the best point guards in the region—if not the nation—in his class. A sturdy, athletic floor general who can also stroke it from deep, Lee has so many of the necessary tools to be great and he is only a freshman. Watch out for him down the road, especially if he keeps growing past his current height of 5'10.

Aaron McGlawn '13 of Academy of the New Church (PA) checks in at just 5'8, but he is a talented point guard nonetheless. He plays hard, gets to the hole, and defends, all important qualities.

Dana Raysor '12 of Cardinal McCarrick (NJ) is another kid who has made some real improvements. The 6'3 guard is long and has solid athletic ability, which he uses on both ends of the floor. He can handle the ball a bit, but is more of a 2 or possibly a 3 if he grows.

Jarrett Mickens '13 of St. Patrick's (NJ) has the looks of a big-time basketball player as a 6'5 freshman. He has length and could definitely add some weight. Mickens has nice upside on the wing.

Aqeel Dallas '12 of Ramapo (NY) was on a team that did not have a great weekend, but he did what he could to make that not be the case. A 5'5 point guard, he is obviously undersized, but Dallas is a player who has a skill and can shoot the ball.

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