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National High School Top 25- 3/17/10

2010-03-17T03:54:00Z

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

Kennedy Reflects on Season, Looks to Future

2010-03-17T02:54:00Z

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.

Akpejiori Excited to be at The U

2010-03-13T07:04:00Z

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.

Roberts' Future is Suddenly Uncertain

2010-03-13T03:37:00Z

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.

Brewster Academy Wins National Prep Championship

2010-03-13T03:29:00Z

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.

College Commitment Projections- March Edition, Part 2

2010-03-12T03:14:00Z

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

College Commitment Projections- March Edition, Part 1

2010-03-11T06:15:00Z

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/

National Prep Championship Set to Begin Tonight

2010-03-09T22:49:00Z

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.

2010 PIAA State Playoff Predictions

2010-03-08T05:34:00Z

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/

Joel Wright & Jamir Hanner to Stay Local

2010-03-04T05:11:00Z

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/

News & Notes

2010-03-02T07:50:00Z

by Alex Schwartz

- Neumann-Goretti defeated Archbishop Carroll for the second straight year to win the Philadelphia Catholic League title. The Saints of N-G have just one loss and are ranked #6 in my most recent National High School Top 25. According to PhillyRef.com, the score of the championship was 75-59.

- Speaking of the Philadelphia Catholic League, the PCL have been named. Courtesy of TedSilary.com, the players named as First Team selections in each division are listed below. You can view all the honorees Here.
     Red Division
     Rakeem Brookins '10, PG, Roman Catholic, Tulane (MVP)
     Troy Hockaday '10, SG, La Salle College
     Eddie Mitchell '10, PG, La Salle College
     Mike Terry '10, PG, North Catholic, Boston University
     Jaleel Mack '10, SG, North Catholic
     Joe Nardi '10, SG, St. Joseph's Prep

     Blue Division
     Tony Chennault '10, PG, Neumann-Goretti, Wake Forest (MVP)
     Juan'ya Green '11, SG, Archbishop Carroll
     Joe Getz '11, PG, Archbishop Wood
     Danny Stewart '10, PF, Neumann-Goretti, Rider
     Ike Robinson '10, SG, Conwell-Egan
     Tyreek Duren '10, PG, Neumann-Goretti, La Salle
     Fran Dougherty '10, PF, Archbishop Wood, Penn

- In other Pennsylvania basketball news, Friends Central defeated Germantown Academy to win the Independent Schools championship, per PhillyRef.com. As for New Jersey, Peddie School beat Blair Academy to claim the Prep A crown and The Pennington School knocked off Gill St. Bernard's to win the Prep B championship.

- Due to all my coverage of the Prime Time Shootout I did not have time to report two major commitments. The #24 ranked player in Northstar Basketball's Class of 2010 Terrific 125, 6'4 SG Justin Coleman of Huntington Prep (WV), committed to Louisville. The phenomenal athlete joins Russ Smith of South Kent (CT) in the Cardinals' class of 2010. Also, 6'1 combo guard Jordin Mayes of Westchester (CA) popped to Arizona. The #103 ranked player in the Terrific 125, Mayes becomes the second Wildcat commit in the class along with #72 ranked Daniel Bejarano of Phoenix North (AZ).

- Terrence Ross '10 has returned home according to numerous reports. A few weeks after decommitting from Maryland, the 6'6 small forward, who is ranked #60 in Northstar Basketball's Class of 2010 Terrific 125, left Montrose Christian (MD). He was expected to enroll at Westwind Prep (AZ), but instead has gone back to the school he spent his freshman and sophomore years at, Jefferson (OR). Ross has been declared ineligible by the state for this season. He is now one of two big-time uncommitted seniors at Jefferson, along with #20 ranked Terrence Jones.

- With the previously mentioned commitments of Coleman and Mayes, just 10 players in Northstar Basketball's Class of 2010 Terrific 125 are still on the board. Included are six of the top 30 players, all of whom are McDonald's All-Americans.
     #1 Brandon Knight, PG, 6'3, Pine Crest (FL)
     #6 Josh Selby, PG, 6'2, Lake Clifton (MD)
     #13 Doron Lamb, SG, 6'4, Oak Hill Academy (VA)
     #20 Terrence Jones, PF, 6'8, Jefferson (OR)
     #22 CJ Leslie, PF, 6'8, Word of God Academy (NC)
     #25 Cory Joseph, PG, 6'3, Findlay Prep (NV)
     #30 Ray McCallum, PG, 6'1, Detroit Country Day School (MI)
     #45 Trey Zeigler, SG, 6'4, Mount Pleasant (MI)
     #60 Terrence Ross, SF, 6'6, Jefferson (OR)
     #95 Dwayne Polee, SF, 6'7, Westchester (CA)
     #116 Jonathan Graham, PF, 6'8, Calvert Hall College HS (MD)
     #121 Jelani Hewitt, PG, 6'3, Northeast (FL)

- Of the ten aforementioned players, four of them have previously decomitted: Josh Selby (Tennessee), CJ Leslie (North Carolina State), Terrence Ross (Maryland), and Dwayne Polee (USC). Selby is the only one not still considering the school he was once committed to.

- On the topic of decommitments, NJHoops reported that Naofall Folahan '10 of Wilbraham & Monson Academy (MA) has decommitted from Marist. The 6'9 center would have been a great get for the Red Foxes.

Note- photo is of Terrence Ross and is from http://sports.chronicleblogs.com/

New Jersey County Tournament Results

2010-03-02T07:29:00Z

by Alex Schwartz

County tournaments might not be a big deal across the country, but in New Jersey, they are huge. There were 11 county tournaments in the Garden State this year, and interestingly a non-public school made the championship in 10 of them. Below, check out who won each county, and who the runner-up was as well.

Bergen County
Champion: Paramus Catholic
Runner-Up: Bergen Catholic

Essex County
Champion: University
Runner-Up: Seton Hall Prep

Hudson County
Champion: St. Peter's Prep
Runner-Up: North Bergen

Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Counties
Champion: Warren Hills
Runner-Up: Phillipsburg

Mercer County
Champion: The Pennington School
Runner-Up: Ewing

Middlesex County
Champion: St. Joseph's Metuchen
Runner-Up: Monroe

Morris County
Champion: Mendham
Runner-Up: Delbarton

Passaic County
Champion: Paterson Catholic
Runner-Up: Paterson Kennedy

Shore Conference (Monmouth/Ocean Counties)
Champion: Christian Brothers Academy
Runner-Up: Middletown South

Somerset County
Champion: Ridge
Runner-Up: Gill St. Bernard's

Union County
Champion: St. Patrick's
Runner-Up: Plainfield

Note- results are from http://phillyref.com/basketball/

2010 NJSIAA State Playoff Predictions

2010-03-01T00:07:00Z

by Alex Schwartz

It is state playoff time in the state of New Jersey. Tomorrow the NJSIAA sectionals will begin and hundreds of teams will be vying for a a number of different trophies, with the ultimate goal being a Tournament of Champions crown. Last year St. Patrick's was the TOC champion, defeating Science Park in the finals.

For those unfamiliar with how the NJSIAA state playoffs work, the public schools are broken down into four groups, with IV being the largest schools and I being the smallest. Within the four groups there are four sections and the sectional champions play one another--North I vs. North II, Central vs. South, then the winner meet--to determine the state champion. For the non-public schools, there are two goups, A and B, and two sections within those groups. The sectional champs within each group play each other to determine the group winner. The six teams who have won state titles then advance to the Tournament of Champions to determine the best team in New Jersey.

Prep schools and independent schools are ineligible for the NJSIAA state tournament, meaning that teams such as St. Benedict's and Life Center Academy will not participate. The Prep A champion was Peddie School, while The Pennington School was the Prep B winner. Also not participating in the NJSIAA state tournament this year is defending TOC champ St. Patrick's, due to state sanctions.

Without further ado, check out my projections for the 2010 NJSIAA state tournament. The opening round games in each bracket are not listed, but the winners of those games are the teams projected into the quarterfinals, though there are some teams with byes. To view all the brackets, click Here.

SECTIONALS

NORTH I, GROUP I
Quarterfinals
#1 Boonton over #9 Verona
#2 Cresskill over #7 Becton
#3 Palisades Park over #6 Leonia
#5 Hasbrouck Heights over #4 Wood Ridge

Semifinals
#1 Boonton over #5 Hasbrouck Heights
#2 Cresskill over #3 Palisades Park

Final
#1 Boonton over #2 Cresskill
North I, Group I Sectional Champion: Cresskill

NORTH II, GROUP I
Quarterfinals
#1 University over #8 Hoboken
#2 High Tech over #10 McNair Academic
#3 Newark Central over #6 North 13th Street
#5 Newark Vocational over #13 New Providence

Semifinals
#1 University over #5 Newark Vocational
#2 High Tech over #3 Newark Central

Final
#1 University over #2 High Tech
North II, Group I Sectional Champion: University

CENTRAL, GROUP I
Quarterfinals
#1 South Hunterdon over #9 South Amboy
#2 Academy Charter over #7 Florence
#3 Asbury Park over #6 East Brunswick Vo Tech
#5 Bound Brook over #4 Metuchen

Semifinals
#5 Bound Brook over #1 South Hunterdon
#3 Asbury Prk over #2 Academy Charter

Final
#3 Asbury Park over #5 Bound Brook
Central, Group I Sectional Champion: Asbury Park

SOUTH, GROUP I
Quarterfinals
#1 Pitman over #8 Gateway
#5 Pt. Pleasant Beach over #4 Burlington City
#3 New Egypt over #11 Salem
#7 Woodbury over #2 Paulsboro

Semifinals
#5 Pt. Pleasant Beach over #1 Pitman
#3 New Egypt over #7 Woodbury

Final
#5 Pt. Pleasant Beach over #3 New Egypt
South, Group I Sectional Champion: Pt. Pleasant Beach

NORTH I, GROUP II
Quarterfinals
#1 Hopatcong over #9 Westwood
#5 River Dell over #4 Mahwah
#3 Elmwood Park over #6 Glen Rock
#2 Indian Hills over #7 New Milford

Semifinals
#1 Hopatcong over #5 River Dell
#2 Indian Hills over #3 Elmwood Park

Final
#2 Indian Hills over #1 Hopatcong
North I, Group II Sectional Champion: Indian Hills

NORTH II, GROUP II
Quarterfinals
#8 Newark Tech over #1 Madison
#5 Garfield over #4 Lodi
#3 Cliffside Park over #6 Caldwell
#2 Hanover Park over #7 Chatham

Semifinals
#5 Garfield over #8 Newark Tech
#3 Cliffside Park over #2 Hanover Park

Final
#3 Cliffside Park over #5 Garfield
North II, Group II Sectional Champion: Cliffside Park

CENTRAL, GROUP II
Quarterfinals
#1 Willingboro over #8 Snyder
#5 Manasquan over #4 Middlesex
#3 Shabazz over #11 Raritan
#2 Spotswood over #7 Rumson-Fair Haven

Semifinals
#1 Willingboro over #5 Manasquan
#3 Shabazz over #2 Spotswood

Final
#3 Shabazz over #1 Willingboro
Central, Group II Sectional Champion: Shabazz

SOUTH, GROUP II
Quarterfinals
#1 Collingswood over #8 Bridgeton
#5 Middle Township over #13 Camden
#3 Audubon over #6 Pleasantville
#2 Haddon Heights over #10 Haddonfield

Semifinals
#1 Collingswood over #5 Middle Township
#2 Haddon Heights over #3 Audubon

Final
#1 Collingswood over #2 Haddon Heights
South, Group II Sectional Champion: Collingswood

NORTH I, GROUP III
Quarterfinals
#1 Tenafly over #8 West Milford
#4 Teaneck over #5 Jefferson Township
#3 Passaic Valley over #11 Paterson Eastside
#2 NV Old Tappan over #7 Northern Highlands

Semifinals
#4 Teaneck over #1 Tenafly
#3 Passaic Valley over #2 NV Old Tappan

Final
#4 Teaneck over #3 Passaic Valley
North I, Group III Sectional Champion: Teaneck

NORTH II, GROUP III
Quarterfinals
#1 West Morris Mendham over #8 Morristown
#4 Newark Eastside over #5 Cranford
#3 Somerville over #6 East Brunswick
#2 Millburn over #7 West Morris Central

Semifinals
#4 Newark Eastside over #1 West Morris Mendham
#2 Millburn over #3 Somerville

Final
#4 Newark Eastside over #2 Millburn
North II, Group III Sectional Champion: Newark Eastside

CENTRAL, GROUP III
Quarterfinals
#1 Freehold Boro over #8 Long Branch
#4 Monmouth Regional over #5 Lakewood
#3 Middletown South over #11 Ocean Township
#2 Ewing over #7 Neptune

Semifinals
#4 Monmouth Regional over #1 Freehold Boro
#3 Middletown South over #2 Ewing

Final
#3 Middletown South over #4 Monmouth Regional
Central, Group III Sectional Champion: Middletown South

SOUTH, GROUP III
Quarterfinals
#1 Kingsway Regional over #8 Pemberton
#5 Manchester Township over #14 Westhampton Tech
#3 Pt. Pleasant Boro vs. #6 Burlington Township
#2 Lower Cape May over #7 Timber Creek

Semifinals
#1 Kingsway Regional over #5 Manchester Township
#2 Lower Cape May over #3 Pt. Pleasant Boro

Final
#2 Lower Cape May over #1 Kingsway Regional
South, Group III Sectional Champion: Lower Cape May

NORTH I, GROUP IV
Quarterfinals
#1 Passaic over #9 East Orange
#5 West Orange over #13 Montclair
#3 North Bergen over #6 Union City
#2 Paterson Kennedy over #10 Passaic Vo Tech

Semifinals
#1 Passaic over #5 West Orange
#2 Paterson Kennedy over #3 North Bergen

Final
#2 Paterson Kennedy over #1 Passaic
North I, Group IV Sectional Champion: Paterson Kennedy

NORTH II, GROUP IV
Quarterfinals
#1 Plainfield over #9 Piscataway
#4 Ridge over #5 Bayonne
#3 Linden over #6 Union
#2 Hillsborough over #7 North Hunterdon

Semifinals
#1 Plainfield over #4 Ridge
#2 Hillsborough over #3 Linden

Final
#1 Plainfield over #2 Hillsborough
North II, Group IV Sectional Champion: Plainfield

CENTRAL, GROUP IV
Quarterfinals
#1 Monroe over #9 Pennsauken
#4 Montgomery over #5 Rancocas Valley
#3 East Brunswick over #11 North Brunswick
#2 Trenton Central over #7 Sayreville War Memorial

Semifinals
#4 Montgomery over #1 Monroe
#2 Trenton Central over #3 East Brunswick

Final
#2 Trenton Central over #4 Montgomery
Central, Group IV Sectional Champion: Trenton Central

SOUTH, GROUP IV
Quarterfinals
#1 Cherokee over #8 Williamstown
#4 Winslow Township over #12 Lenape
#3 Washington Township over #6 Atlantic City
#10 Cherry Hill East over #15 Cherry Hill West

Semifinals
#1 Cherokee over #4 Winslow Township
#10 Cherry Hill East over #3 Washington Townshio

Final
#1 Cherokee over #10 Cherry Hill East
South, Group IV Sectional Champion: Cherokee

NON-PUBLIC NORTH A
Quarterfinals
#1 Seton Hall Prep over #9 Bergen Catholic
#4 Paramus Catholic over #5 Delbarton
#3 St. Peter's Prep over #11 Hudson Catholic
#2 St. Joseph's Montvale over #10 Don Bosco Prep

Semifinals
#1 Seton Hall Prep over #4 Paramus Catholic
#3 St. Peter's Prep over #2 St. Joseph's Montvale

Final
#3 St. Peter's Prep over #1 Seton Hall Prep
Non-Public North A Sectional Champion: St. Peter's Prep

NON-PUBLIC SOUTH A
Quarterfinals
#1 Camden Catholic over #8 Paul VI
#4 St. Joseph's Metuchen over #5 Christian Brothers Academy
#3 Bishop Ahr over #11 Notre Dame
#7 St. Augustine's over #2 Monsignor Donovan

Semifinals
#1 Camden Catholic over #4 St. Joseph's Metuchen
#7 St. Augustine's over #3 Bishop Ahr

Final
#1 Camden Catholic over #7 St. Augustine's
Non-Public South A Sectional Cahmpion: Camden Catholic

NON-PUBLIC NORTH B
Quarterfinals
#1 Paterson Catholic over #8 Morristown-Beard
#4 Marist over #5 Dwight Englewood
#6 Newark Academy over #3 Montclair Kimberley
#2 St. Anthony's over #7 Gill St. Bernard's

Semifinals
#1 Paterson Catholic over #4 Marist
#2 St. Anthony's over #6 Newark Academy

Final
#1 Paterson Catholic over #2 St. Anthony's
Non-Public North B Sectional Champion: Paterson Catholic

NON-PUBLIC SOUTH B
Quarterfinals
#1 Trenton Catholic over #9 St. Rose
#5 Timothy Christian over #4 Mater Dei
#3 Cardinal McCarrick over #6 Wildwood Catholic
#2 Gloucester Catholic over #7 St. Joseph's Hammonton

Semifinals
#1 Trenton Catholic over #5 Timothy Christian
#3 Cardinal McCarrick over #2 Gloucester Catholic

Final
#1 Trenton Catholic over #3 Cardinal McCarrick
Non-Public South B Sectional Champion: Trenton Catholic

STATES

GROUP I
Semifinals
University over Cresskill
Asbury Park over Pt. Pleasant Beach

Final
University over Asbury Park
Group I State Champion: University

GROUP II
Semifinals
Cliffside Park over Indian Hills
Shabazz over Collingswood

Final
Shabazz over Cliffside Park
Group II State Champion: Shabazz

GROUP III
Semifinals
Newark Eastside over Teaneck
Middletown South over Lower Cape May

Final
Newark Eastside over Middletown South
Group III State Champion: Newark Eastside

GROUP IV
Semifinals
Plainfield over Paterson Kennedy
Cherokee over Trenton Central

Final
Cherokee over Plainfield
Group IV State Champion: Cherokee

NON-PUBLIC A
Final
St. Peter's Prep over Camden Catholic
Non-Public A State Champion: St. Peter's Prep

NON-PUBLIC B
Final
Paterson Catholic over Trenton Catholic
Non-Public B State Champion: Paterson Catholic

TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
Quarterfinals
Paterson Catholic- BYE
St. Peter's Prep- BYE
Cherokee over Newark Eastside
Shabazz over University

Semifinals
Paterson Catholic over Shabazz
St. Peter's Prep over Cherokee

Final
Paterson Catholic over St. Peter's Prep
Tournament of Champions Champion: Paterson Catholic

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

2010 Jordan Brand Classic Rosters

2010-02-28T05:44:00Z

by Alex Schwartz

The players chosen for the 2010 Jordan Brand Classic were publicly recently. The game, which will take place on April 17th at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, will feature 20 of the best seniors in the nation. The rosters for this game are below, while you can check out the McDonald's All-American Game rosters Here.

2010 Jordan Brand Classic
Name, Position, Height, High School (State), College, Rank*

East
Reggie Bullock, SG, 6'6, Kinston (NC), North Carolina, #4
Kyrie Irving, PG, 6'2, St. Patrick's (NJ), Duke, #5
Perry Jones, PF, 6'10, Duncanville (TX), Baylor, #7
Jelan Kendrick, SF, 6'6, Wheeler (GA), Memphis, #15
Brandon Knight, PG, 6'3, Pine Crest (FL), uncommitted, #1
CJ Leslie, PF, 6'8, Word of God Academy (NC), uncommitted, #22
Roscoe Smith, SF, 6'8, Oak Hill Academy (VA), UConn, #35
Jared Sullinger, PF, 6'8, Northland (OH), Ohio State, #2
DeShaun Thomas, SF, 6'6, Bishop Luers (IN), Ohio State, #12
Dion Waiters, SG, 6'3, Life Center Academy (NJ), Syracuse, #29

West
Harrison Barnes, SF, 6'7, Ames (IA), North Carolina, #3
Will Barton, SG, 6'6, Brewster Academy (NH), Memphis, #8
Tobias Harris, PF, 6'8, Half Hollow Hills West (NY), Tennessee, #16
Terrence Jones, PF, 6'8, Jefferson (OR), uncommitted, #20
Cory Joseph, PG, 6'1, Findlay Prep (NV), uncommitted, #25
Doron Lamb, SG, 6'4, Oak Hill Academy (VA), uncommitted, #13
Kendall Marshall, PG, 6'3, Bishop O'Connell (VA), North Carolina, #42
Josh Selby, PG, 6'2, Lake Clifton (MD), uncommitted, #6
Josh Smith, C, 6'10, Kentwood (WA), UCLA, #9
Tristan Thompson, PF, 6'9, Findlay Prep (NV), Texas, #17

* The player ranks are from Northstar Basketball's Class of 2010 Terrific 125

Notes
- The top nine players in the Terrific 125 were selected to the game
- There are three players (Will Barton, Roscoe Smith, Dion Waiters) chosen for this game that did not make the McDonald's All-American Game
- The seven players in the McDonald's All-American Game (Keith Appling, Joe Jackson, Ray McCallum, Fab Melo, Jayvaughn Pinkston, Jereme Richmond, Patric Young) that were not picked for the Jordan Brand Classic
- The only high schools with multiple players in the game are Findlay Prep (NV) and Oak Hill Academy (VA)
- There were players from fifteen states picked for the game, just four of which had multiple selections in Virginia (three), North Carolina (two), New Jersey (two), and Nevada (two)
- Six players in the game are still uncommitted
- While 10 colleges had committed players selected, only three had multiple recruits chosen, in North Carolina (three), Memphis (two), and Ohio State (two)
- Six power forwards, five point guards, four shooting guards, four small forwards, and one center made the game
- No player in the game is under 6'2, while there are two 6'10 or taller

2010 McDonald's All-American Game Rosters

2010-02-28T04:30:00Z

by Alex Schwartz

The rosters for the 2010 McDonald's All-American Game and also the Jordan Brand Classic were both recently announced. I correctly projected 21 of the 24 players named to the McDonald's All-American Game, which will be held on March 31st in Columbus, Ohio. The rosters for the game is listed below. I will be posting the Jordan Brand Classic rosters shortly.

2010 McDonald's All-American Game
Name, Position, Height, High School (State), College, Rank*

East
Reggie Bullock, SG, 6'6, Kinston (NC), North Carolina, #4
Tobias Harris, PF, 6'8, Half Hollow Hills West (NY), Tennessee, #16
Kyrie Irving, PG, 6'2, St. Patrick's (NJ), Duke, #5
Joe Jackson, PG, 5'11, White Station (TN), Memphis, #11
Perry Jones, PF, 6'10, Duncanville (TX), Baylor, #7
Jelan Kendrick, SF, 6'6, Wheeler (GA), Memphis, #15
CJ Leslie, PF, 6'8, Word of God Academy (NC), uncommitted, #22
Kendall Marshall, PG, 6'3, Bishop O'Connell (VA), North Carolina, #42
Jayvaughn Pinkston, SF, 6'5, Bishop Loughlin (NY), Villanova, #63
Josh Selby, PG, 6'2, Lake Clifton (MD), uncommitted, #6
Jared Sullinger, PF, 6'8, Northland (OH), Ohio State, #2
DeShaun Thomas, SF, 6'6, Bishop Luers (IN), Ohio State, #12

West
Keith Appling, PG, 6'2, Pershing (MI), Michigan State, #19
Harrison Barnes, SF, 6'7, Ames (IA), North Carolina, #3
Terrence Jones, PF, 6'8, Jefferson (OR), uncommitted, #20
Cory Joseph, PG, 6'1, Findlay Prep (NV), uncommitted, #25
Brandon Knight, PG, 6'3, Pine Crest (FL), uncommitted, #1
Doron Lamb, SG, 6'4, Oak Hill Academy (VA), uncommitted, #13
Ray McCallum, PG, 6'1, Detroit Country Day School (MI), uncommitted, #37
Fab Melo, C, 7'0, Sagemont School (FL), Syracuse, #10
Jereme Richmond, SF, 6'6, Waukegan (IL), #40
Josh Smith, C, 6'10, Kentwood (WA), UCLA, #9
Tristan Thompson, PF, 6'9, Findlay Prep (NV), Texas, #17
Patric Young, PF, 6'8, Providence School (FL), Florida, #14

* The player ranks are from Northstar Basketball's Class of 2010 Terrific 125

Notes
- Sixteen of the top 17 players in the Terrific 125 were selected to the game, with the only exception being #8 6'6 Memphis-bound SG Will Barton of Brewster Academy (NH), who was ineligible for the game because he is a 5th-year senior
- The only high school with multiple players selected was Findlay Prep (NV)
- There were players from seventeen states picked for the game, just six of which had multiple selections in Florida (three), Michigan (two), North Carolina (two), Nevada (two), New York (two), and Virginia (two)
- This was the first time that no player from California was chosen for the game, while Pennsylvania is another notable state without a player selected
- Seven players in the game are still uncommitted, nearly a third of participants
- While 13 colleges had committed players selected, only three had multiple recruits chosen, in North Carolina (three), Memphis (two), and Ohio State (two)
- Eight point guards, seven power forwards, five small forwards, two centers, and two shooting guards made the game
- Only one player in the game is under 6'0, while three are 6'10 or taller

Northstar Basketball's New Jersey Class of 2010 Fab 50

2010-02-26T02:05:00Z

by Alex Schwartz

The high school careers of the members of the class of 2010 are coming to a close. Many players across the nation will play their final high school games in the coming weeks.

In New Jersey, the county tournaments are wrapping up and the state tournaments are about to begin. By the end of march, all of the Garden State's seniors will be done with high school basketball, certainly a bittersweet time for them. Now seems like a great time to post my rankings of the state's top outgoing players.

Below is Northstar Basketball's New Jersey Class of 2010 Fab 50. The top 50 players in the Garden State are listed in order, and then 25 ballers are named Honorable Mentions.Note that post-grads are not eligible for this list.

NEW JERSEY CLASS OF 2010 FAB 50
Rank. Name, Position, Height, High School, College
1. Kyrie Irving, PG, 6'2, St. Patrick's, Duke- the McDonald's All-American might be the most complete player in the class of 2010 nationally, he is a point guard who scores the ball, plays D, and can also distribute
2. Dion Waiters, SG, 6'2, Life Center Academy, Syracuse- a Jordan Brand Classic All-American, the combo guard is a fantastic scorer from all over the court, has a good frame and nice instincts, but is slightly undersized
3. Devon Collier, PF, 6'8, St. Anthony's, Oregon State- an intriguing player due to his length, he can really block shots and also rebounds well
4. Fuquan Edwin, SF, 6'5, Paterson Catholic, Seton Hall- the combo forward's handle needs some work, but he plays hard, is a tremendous athlete, and a good rebounder with an improving J
5. Daryus Quarles, SF, 6'7, Paulsboro, St. Joseph's- he is a nice-looking prospect due to his length on the wing, shooting ability, and overall skill set
6. Eli Carter, PG, 6'1, St. Anthony's, St. Bonaventure- a floor general with a high basketball IQ who can really score the basketball and strokes it from deep
7. Derrick Williams, PF, 6'7, St. Anthony's, Richmond- a bruising big man with a huge frame who is ferocious on the glass and scores in the paint
8. Ron Roberts, PF, 6'7, St. Peter's Prep, St. John's- an athletic big man with a nice frame, he plays hard, rebounds the basketball, and can step out and hit the J
9. Joel Wright, SF, 6'6, CJEOTO Academy, uncommitted- a spectacular athlete, the combo forward is a great scorer and a quality rebounder with a solid frame
10. Aaron Brown, SF, 6'5, St. Benedict's, Temple- an athletic wing with a high basketball IQ and a solid all-around game, his range extends beyond the arc
11. Frantz Massenat, PG, 6'4, Trenton Catholic, Drexel- a smart lead guard with good size, he can drive to the rim and finish, while his outside shot is improving
12. Gilvydas Biruta, PF, 6'8, St. Benedict's, Rutgers- a smart face-up four with a traditional European-style inside-outside game, he has a sturdy frame and stellar athletic ability
13. Jamir Hanner, PF, 6'7, NIA Prep, uncommitted- a lengthy 4 who can put the ball on the floor a bit, he rebounds well, scores, and plays hard
14. Mike Poole, SF, 6'6, St. Benedict's, uncommitted- the long, skilled wing is a quality athlete whose forte is putting the ball in the hoop from all over the floor
15. Ashton Pankey, PF, 6'8, St. Anthony's, Maryland- he needs to improve his consistency, but the post player can block shots and rebounds the ball
16. Ishaq Pitt, SF, 6'4, St. John Vianney, uncommitted- the strong and well built wing can really score the ball, as he uses his size to get past defenders and to the cup
17. JP Kambola, C, 6'10, St. Benedict's, uncommitted- a long big man who is still raw, but does have talent, the Canadian is an intriguing player
18. Jayon James, SF, 6'5, Paterson Catholic, Fordham- the wing possesses a nice all-around skill set that includes an outside shot and rebounding ability
19. Shondel Stewart, SG, 6'1, Paterson Kennedy, uncommitted- despite being undersized at the 2, he is an elite scorer who puts in the hoop in a variety of ways
20. Matt Lopez, C, 6'10, Washington Township, La Salle- the post player is not extremely skilled, but he has great size, runs the floor well, and has a solid basketball IQ
21. Xavier Munford, SG, 6'2, St. Benedict's, uncommitted- though undersized, the 2 does a good job of scoring the ball, especially off the drive
22. Daveon Boardingham, PF, 6'6, Shabazz, uncommitted- the combo forward is a fantastic athlete who uses his bulk to control the paint for rebounds
23. Dondre Whitmore, PG, 5'8, Trenton Catholic, uncommitted- although he is undersized, the combo guard can really score the ball and has a great three-point jumper
24. Hakeem Harris, PG, 6'1, Blair Academy, Brown- the combo guard has a nice feel for the game, scores the ball, and shoots it well from deep
25. Markese Tucker, PF, 6'5, Trenton Catholic, uncommitted- a strong combo forward with nice range on his J who rebounds well
26. Chris Thompson, PG, 6'2, Life Center Academy, UMass-Lowell- the combo guard distributes well, but he is also a major scoring threat, both off the dribble and from beyond the arc
27. Chase Plummer, PF, 6'6, St. Patrick's, UMBC- a hard-working combo forward with an improving outside game, he is strong and rebounds well
28. Kazembe Abif, PF, 6'5, University, uncommitted- although he is undersized for a 4, his outside game is getting better and he plays much bigger than his height, especially on the glass
29. John Golden, SF, 6'5, Peddie School, uncommitted- a long wing who can shoot the rock, he can also get to the cup and has nice athletic ability
30. Wayne Newsom, PF, 6'7, Piscataway, uncommitted- a long, athletic big man with a developing outside game, he is fierce competitor and good rebounder
31. Anthony Taylor, PG, 6'1, Egg Harbor Township, Longwood- the combo guard will not wow you, but he plays hard and has an all-around offensive game
32. Jermaine Peart, SF, 6'5, Paterson Catholic, uncommitted- an athletic wing with a sturdy frame who does a good job of scoring the ball
33. Ryan McKeaney, C, 6'9, Cherokee, Vermont- he is a pure post player who rebounds well at both ends and also can put the ball in the hoop
34. Tim Crawford, PF, 6'6, Camden Catholic, uncommitted- coming from a basketball background, he possesses a good basketball IQ and nice skill set
35. Anthony D'Orazio, PG, 6'1, Camden Catholic, Lehigh- a true point guard who competes from start to finish, he is quick, distributes well, and can score too
36. Stojan Gjuroski, SF, 6'7, Life Center Academy, uncommitted- the long wing has a smooth stroke from the outside, but he also rebounds the ball
37. Willis Nicholson, PG, 5'8, Cherokee, uncommitted- he makes up for being undersized by playing hard, driving hard to the cup, and hitting the outside shot
38. Neil Thompson, PG, 6'1, Monmouth Regional, Merrimack- a scoring combo guard who can also distribute, he has a high basketball IQ and plays hard
39. Gerry Wixted, PF, 6'7, Camden Catholic, uncommitted- a sturdy power forward who can score the ball and also does a good job on the glass
40. Chris Gebhart, C, 6'8, Cherry Hill West, uncommitted- a bulky post presence who plays hard, grabs boards, and also can score the ball
41. Harold Spears, SF, 6'5, The Pennington School, New Hampshire (football)- a dual-sport star with a great frame who can get to the cup, hit the 3, and plays good D
42. Frank Mitchell, PF, 6'6, Hillsborough, uncommitted- a forward who has great footwork, plays all-out, and is improving his perimeter game
43. Steve Rennard, PG, 6'1, St. Joseph's Metuchen, Penn- a heady combo guard who is a sharpshooter from beyond the arc, his handle and distributing skills are coming along
44. Josh Daniell, SF, 6'7, St. Patrick's, Wagner- the long combo forward is more comfortable on the perimeter and can shoot the 3, but he rebounds too
45. James Loupos, SF, 6'6, Montgomery, Navy- the sturdy and versatile wing is a hard worker who can knock down the J, but is more adept at getting to the hoop
46. John Caprio, SF, 6'6, Seton Hall Prep, uncommitted- a combo forward who does a little bit of everything, he can put the ball in the hoop and also rebounds well
47. Roy Mabrey, SG, 6'2, Christian Brothers Academy, uncommitted- a backcourt player with a high basketball IQ who has a nice overall skill set
48. Pat O'Connell, PG, 6'0, Middletown South, Caldwell- a true floor general who gets teammates involved, but is also able to score in his own right
49. Daquere Hayes, PG, 5'10, Paterson Kennedy, uncommitted- an undersized pure point guard who is an excellent distributor of the basketball
50. Phil Henry, C, 6'7, Cherokee, uncommitted- the post player is a superb rebounder, both offensively an defensively, and he scores the ball as well

Honorable Mentions (alphabetical order)
Ryan Adams, SF, 6'5, Hun School, uncommitted
Kevin Boyle, Jr., PG, 5'10, St. Patrick's, uncommitted
Jamere Briggs, SG, 5'11, Timber Creek, uncommitted
Chris Burke, SF, 6'5, Willingboro, St. Peter's
Sherard Cadogan, SF, 6'3, Camden Catholic, Wisconsin (football)
Davon Daniels, SF, 6'4, Paterson Catholic, uncommitted
Jack Dennehy, SG, 6'3, West Windsor-Plainsboro South, uncommitted
Sahid Dortch, SG, 6'3, University, uncommitted
Andre Flanagan, SG, 6'0, Newark Eastside
Nathan Grant-DeWitt, SF, 6'4, Plainfield, uncommitted
John Greenwald, SF, 6'4, High Tech, uncommitted
Dontae Johnson, SF, 6'3, The Pennington School, North Carolina State (football)
Christian Jordan, PG, 5'10, Cherokee, uncommitted
Tyre Lockhart, SF, 6'7, Shabazz, uncommitted
Ryan Lubreski, SG, 6'3, Blair Academy, uncommitted
Andrew Madlinger, SG, 6'4, Ridge, Bowdoin
CJ Meyer, PF, 6'5, Lenape, uncommitted
Nick Moore, PF, 6'5, Paul VI, uncommitted
Tshyrad Oates, SF, 6'6, St. Anthony's, uncommitted
D'Marcus Owens, PG, 5'6, St. Anthony's, uncommitted
Daniel Pitter, C, 6'9, Life Center academy, uncommitted
Mike Price, SG, 6'2, Plainfield, uncommitted
Matt Rista, SG, 6'2, St. Anthony's, uncommitted
Alex Rosenberg, SF, 6'5, Millburn, uncommitted
Jamar Small, SG, 6'3, Asbury Park, uncommitted

Note- photo is of Kyrie Irving and is from http://www.nj.com/

National High School Top 25- 2/24/10

2010-02-24T06:14:00Z

by Alex Schwartz

Due to my extensive coverage of the 2010 Prime Time Shootout, I have not been able to post a National High School Top 25 since February 9th. Despite the two-plus weeks in between my last top 25 and this one, there are actually not that many changes, as the top nine remains in the same order for the third consecutive time.

Rank. School (State), Last Poll, Preseason
1. Northland (OH), LP: 1, PRE: 5
2. Yates (TX), LP: 2, PRE: 17
3. Paterson Catholic (NJ), LP: 3, PRE: 34
4. Bloomington South (IN), LP: 4, 18
5. St. Benedict's (NJ), LP: 5, PRE: 4
6. Neumann-Goretti (PA), LP: 6, PRE: 41
7. Mater Dei (CA), LP: 7, PRE: 15
8. Findlay Prep (NV), LP: 8, PRE: 2
9. Ames (IA), LP: 9, PRE: 26
10. Montverde Academy (FL), LP: 11, PRE: 7
11. Bellaire (TX), LP: 13, PRE: 8
12. Christ School (NC), LP: 14, PRE: 16
13. Oak Hill Academy (VA), LP: 16, PRE: 3
14. St. Patrick's (NJ), LP: 12, PRE: 1
15. Providence School (FL), LP: 18, PRE: 14
16. Bishop Gorman (NV), LP: 19, PRE: 25
17. Mt. Lebanon (PA), LP: 17, PRE: n/a
18. Winter Park (FL), LP: 10, PRE: 23
19. Westchester (CA), LP: 20, PRE: 19
20. Ridgeway (TN), LP: 15, PRE: 92
21. Detroit Country Day School (MI), LP: 22, PRE: 58
22. Plymouth-Whitemarsh (PA), LP: 23, PRE: n/a
23. St. Anthony's (NJ), LP: HM, PRE: 39
24. DeMatha (MD), LP: HM, PRE: 11
25. Westlake (GA), LP: 21, PRE: 57

Honorable Mentions: Arlington Country Day School (FL), Bishop Miege (KS), Christ the King (NY), Gonzaga (DC), Greater Atlanta Christian Academy (GA), Half Hollow Hills West (NY), Melrose (TN), Milton (GA), Orlando Christian Prep (FL), Petersburg (VA), St. Peter's Prep (NJ), White Station (TN)

New to Poll: St. Anthony's (NJ), DeMatha (MD)

Out of Poll: Gonzaga (DC), White Station (TN)

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

2010 Prime Time Shootout Index

2010-02-24T02:53:00Z