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Top-Ranked Andrew Wiggins Commits to Kansas

2013-05-15T05:28:04Z

by Alex Schwartz

The most talented amateur basketball player in the world is headed to Kansas. In a small announcement in front of mostly family and friends at Huntington Prep (WV), Andrew Wiggins announced on Tuesday that he would be a Jayhawk, according to Grant Traylor of The Herald-Dispatch.

Wiggins, a 6-foot-7 small forward from Canada, selected Kansas over Florida State, Kentucky and North Carolina. He truly kept the public in suspense until he announced his choice, as information was hard to come by. In the end, it was KU that won out for the top-ranked player in the land.

Both of Wiggins' parents went to Florida State. His father, Mitchell, was a basketball player in Tallahassee, while his mother, Marita, rank track for the Seminoles. However, Wiggins will be instead attending college in the same state as his older brother, Nick, who plays at Wichita State.

An elite athlete who can impact the game in a variety of ways, Wiggins is the near consensus top player in the high school ranks. He was originally in the class of 2014, but made the decision to move up to 2013 several months ago.

Wiggins is regarded as one of the very best players to come through the prep ranks of late. According to a polling of recruiting experts conducted by CBSSports.com's Jeff Borzello a year ago, Wiggins is the sixth best prospect in the decade since LeBron James graduated high school in 2003. Additionally, the five players above him were all in the first four years of that span, making Wiggins the top prospect of the last half dozen years.

Bill Self's 2013 recruiting haul now ranks second behind only Kentucky. Wiggins joins 6'4 shooting guard Wayne Selden of the Tilton School (NH), 6'7 small forward Brannen Greene of Tift County (GA), 6'0 point guard Conner Frankamp of Wichita North (KS), 6'11 center Joel Embiid of The Rock School (FL), and 6'0 point guard Frank Mason of Massanutten Military Academy (VA) in the six-man class.

Note- photo of Andrew Wiggins is from http://www.usatoday.com/

2015 Standout Haanif Cheatham Has High-Major Looks

2013-04-26T15:15:00Z

by Alex Schwartz

Haanif Cheatham helped lead his Florida Vipers team to the semifinals of the U16 division at the South Beach Shootout this past weekend, despite being one of the lesser known teams on a national level.

A 6-foot-5 combo guard out of Pembroke Pines Charter (FL), Cheatham is one of the top sophomores in the state of Florida.

The class of 2015 prospect said he already has offers from two of the state’s high-major programs, listing Miami and South Florida as the schools to extend scholarship offers thus far.

“Stanford and Georgetown just recently showed interest and right now I’m just waiting to get offers this summer,” Cheatham said.

In addition to garnering looks from the Cardinal and Hoyas, Cheatham said that he is also getting interest from UCLA, Florida State, Florida, Murray State, Baylor, and Kentucky.

“No, not right now,” Cheatham said of whether he has any favorites. “I got two more years. I’ll probably know by next year.”

While he may not have any schools standing out right now, there are a couple that he mentioned who he would like to see turn up the heat.

“I’m hoping to hear more from UCLA and Baylor,” Cheatham said, “those two.”

Thus far, Cheatham has been on unofficial visits to both Miami and South Florida. He has no additional trips planned at this point in time.

In addition, to talking about his recruitment, Cheatham also spent some time discussing the type of player he is.

“My game, I would say I’m a pass-first guy,” Cheatham said. “I look always for my teammates. I’m a teammate player, and then I look for myself to score. I’m a 6-5 point guard, so it’s very easy for me to get in the paint, get in the passing lanes and everything, and finish at the basket.”

There are a few aspects of the game that Cheatham feels he especially excels at.

“My strongest part of my game right now is my height at the guard position and finishing at the basket with right or left hand and either my moves or my spin move or quickness,” Cheatham said.

He also touched on the areas of his game that need the most work.

“My weakest part, I’d say finishing with contact with my right hand,” Cheatham said. Jump shot right now [as well], I gotta get that down, and my 3-point shot.”

The Broward County prospect said that he is indeed working to improve on those areas.

“I shoot 500 jump shots every Sunday,” Cheatham said. “I gotta get better every time, every day because you know everybody’s getting better when you’re sleeping so I just gotta shoot every time and I get better every day.”

Note- photo of Hannif Cheatham is from http://247sports.com/

Darryl Reynolds Discusses Villanova Commitment

2013-04-25T15:17:24Z

by Alex Schwartz

Villanova has added a third Pennsylvania native to its roster for the 2013-14 season.

Lower Merion High School graduate Darryl Reynolds pledged to the Wildcats on Tuesday, becoming the third member of Villanova's class of 2013.

The 6-foot-8, 225-pound power forward, who is currently in a post-graduate year at Worcester Academy (MA), told VUSports.com he picked the Wildcats over Seton Hall, South Carolina and Utah.

"After my Villanova visit I was still going to weight my options but after my last visit [to Utah] I was sure that was my best option of the schools I narrowed it down to," Reynolds said of how he decided on VU.

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

Checking in with Freshman Forward Troy Baxter

2013-04-24T22:00:00Z

by Alex Schwartz

Playing up a year with a Nike Team Florida U16 squad that features a number of talented frontcourt players, Troy Baxter still got some major playing time at the South Beach Shootout.

A 6-foot-8 freshman combo forward, Baxter is already considered a major talent nationally in the class of 2016.

A long, athletic player who some major upside, Baxter has already caught the eye of a few major colleges.

He said that he is receiving interest from Florida, George Mason, Miami, Virginia, and Virginia Tech.

Although he claims no offers yet, that is sure to change once coaches get to see him play some more.

Baxter said that he has no favorites at this point. Additionally, he has yet to make any college visits and does not have any trips planned.

He also has no specific timetable for a commitment, saying, “I’m gonna just wait it out.”

While he may be in no hurry to end his recruitment, Baxter does already know what he is looking for in a college.

“I wanna go to a big-time Division I school [with] national championships and good coaching,” Baxter said.

The Sunshine State prospect has already made one school choice though, albeit of a different nature.

After beginning his freshman year at Leon High School in Tallahasse, Fla., Baxter transferred to The Rock School in Gainesville, Fla. after the season.

“I just like the way they coach,” Baxter said of why he made the move to The Rock School. “I like their system.”

As for the type of player he is, Baxter listed his athleticism as his number one strength on the hardwood.

When asked about his primary weakness, he remarked, "I gotta work on my defense a little bit and sliding my feet.”

Baxter also talked about what he enjoys about playing up in grade level on the AAU circuit, “I like it because they can get me ready for the next level.”

Note- photo of Troy Baxter is from http://www.cityleaguehoops.net/

Elite Freshman Harry Giles Already Holding Big-Time Offers

2013-04-23T23:02:59Z

by Alex Schwartz

Harry Giles of Wesleyan Christian Academy (NC) is regarded by many as the best player in America in the class of 2016.

The talented freshman combo forward was at the South Beach Shootout in Coral Springs, Fla. for the first of the April Live Periods.

Despite being just 14 years old at the time of the event--he turned 15 this week--Giles was playing up at the U16 level with the CP3 All-Stars.

Giles actually would have been the youngest player on the CP3 U15 team if he had played with his own age group.

“It feels good,” Giles said of playing with older guys. “Good to come out here, have fun and play against very good competition. [There is] nothing to do but get better playing against guys like this.”

Standing 6-foot-9, Giles basically played the center position for CP3. Working at a different spot on the floor is something that Giles feels can aid him as a player.

“It helps me to work on another part of my game that sometimes I may [need] to work on,” Giles explained, “but during the season I play the five a lot and it helps me out with other parts of the game, not just the forward position.”

Giles went into a bit of detail about his game on the hardwood, beginning with his primary strengths as a player.

“I can take bigger players off the dribble,” Giles said, “but [also take] smaller players in the post.”

As for his chief weakness, he remarked, “I have to get my jump shot better, like long distance.”

Despite having three-plus years of high school left, Giles already has some of the nation’s top hoops programs coming after him.

Giles listed scholarship offers from Kentucky, Ohio State, Old Dominion, North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Wake Forest. He also noted that Duke is “showing a lot of interest.”

The skilled, athletic frontcourt player said that he does not have any favorites at this point.

“No, not right now,” Giles said. “I like everybody.”

Giles did say there was one school in particular he was fond of growing up.

“I was a [North] Carolina guy kind of because of my grandmother,” Giles said, “but other than that not really, I just watched it a lot.”

Asked if that will play a part in his decision, Giles replied, “Kind of, but not really, I’m trying to go with what’s best.”

With so much time left until he can even sign a Letter of Intent, Giles has yet to come up with a timetable for a decision.

“Not yet,” Giles began. “Right now [I am] just playing and trying to have fun at the time where I’m still young.”

As for the here and now, Giles talked about what he is hoping to accomplish this spring and summer.

“Just to go out there, have fun, because last summer I didn’t play at all,” Giles said. “Just go out there and get better and just compete because it’s just fun. You can get better by playing against guys like that.”

Note- photo of Harry Giles is from http://www.scout.com/

Recruiting Notebook (4/16/13) -- Commitments Continue as Late Signing Period Nears

2013-04-17T00:00:00Z

by Alex Schwartz

Two of the top uncommitted players in the nation made their commitments while in Chicago for the McDonald’s All-American Game and numerous other 2013 prospects also pledged in the past several days.

Elite frontcourt prospect Aaron Gordon of Archbishop Mitty (CA) announced his intentions to attend Arizona for his college ball, per multiple reports. A 6-foot-8 power forward, Gordon is one of the top ranked players in America in the class of 2013. He selected the Wildcats over Kentucky, Oregon and Washington. Gordon is the second McDonald’s All-American in Arizona’s recruiting class, joining 6-foot-7 small forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson of Chester (PA).

To read the rest of this article I wrote for NBE Sports, click Here.

Darryl Reynolds Considering Four & Has Decision Date

2013-04-04T03:54:37Z

by Alex Schwartz

After graduating from Lower Merion (PA) in the class of 2012 as a relative unknown outside of the region, Darryl Reynolds went to Worcester Academy (MA) for a post-graduate year.

After a season of basketball in the NEPSAC, Reynolds has seen his stock increase to the point that he has high-major schools on his trail.

"It's down to Villanova, Seton Hall, South Carolina and Utah," Reynolds told VUSports.com. "Those are the four schools right now."

The 6-foot-8, 225-pound power forward claims offers from all four schools, but has one standing out right now.

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

Recruiting Notebook (4/1/13) -- Recruiting Trail Heating Up Once Again

2013-04-02T01:30:00Z

by Alex Schwartz

There has been a lot of news in the world of high school hoops in the past few weeks, including a few talented juniors making early commitments, an elite senior ending his recruitment and some high-profile players in setting announcement dates.

One of the best players in the nation, Julius Randle, declared his intentions to attend Kentucky. The 6-foot-9 power forward from Prestonwood Christian (TX) opted for the Wildcats over Florida, Kansas and Texas. Randle joins an absolutely loaded seven-man 2013 recruiting class for UK that many are calling the greatest group ever assembled.

To read the rest of this article I wrote for NBE Sports, click Here.

Intro to 2015 PF Tim Delaney

2013-03-07T19:12:37Z

by Alex Schwartz

Although he is just a sophomore at a one of New Jersey's smaller schools, Tim Delaney has managed to draw the attention of several high-major programs.

It is mostly local colleges that have taken notice of the 6-foot-8, 225-pound power forward, but even one school from all the way on the West Coast has made its way onto Delaney's list.

VUSports.com spoke with the Pitman (NJ) star and he said he holds offers from Penn State, St. Joe's, La Salle, Villanova, Oregon State, and Rutgers.

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

Checking in with Khadeen Carrington

2013-03-06T17:35:56Z

by Alex Schwartz

Khadeen Carrington of Bishop Loughlin (NY) is ranked as one of the top 100 players in the nation in the class of 2014 by Rivals.com.

A 6-foot-3, 185-pound shooting guard, Carrington has several high-major programs coming after him, including Villanova.

Carrington told VUSports.com that he has offers from UConn, Florida State, Dayton, Iowa State, St. John's, SMU, Cincinnati, and others. Miami and Villanova are two programs pursuing him that have yet to offer.

"No favorites," Carrington said. "I'm just weighing my options.

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

Recruiting Notebook (3/1/13) -- RIP Josh Level

2013-03-02T01:30:00Z

by Alex Schwartz

Before getting into the recruiting news, we want to send our condolences to the family and friends of Josh Level. A standout basketball player from North Carolina in the junior class, Level sadly passed away last week, far too young. The guys over at Ball is Life put together a nice “Josh Level Tribute Mix,” which can be found Here.

On the trail, one of the biggest pieces of news involved a star dual-sport athlete. Derrick Griffin of Terry (TX) committed to Miami for football, in news that looks to have been broken by Peter Ariz of of CanesInSight.com. The class of 2013 prospect, who has signed a Letter of Intent, is expected to play basketball at Miami as well.

To read the rest of this article I wrote for NBE Sports, click Here.

Recruiting Notebook (2/20/13): Recapping the Latest Recruiting Highlights

2013-02-20T19:59:04Z

by Alex Schwartz

While the recruiting world focused its attention on football’s National Signing Day recently, things have also been quite active on the hoops recruiting trail as well.

Rutgers landed its second commit of 2013, as JuCo prospect Craig Brown of Broward College (FL) popped to the Scarlet Knights, per Jerry Carino of NJ Hoops Haven. Brown is a 6-foot-5 class of 2013 small forward who began his college career at Lynn University, a DII school.

Travis Jorgenson of New Hampton (NH) is off the board, according to Scout.com’s Evan Daniels. A 6-foot point guard in the class of 2013, Jorgenson is a Missouri native who was originally committed to Missouri.

To read the rest of this article--it also includes links to the McDonald's All-American and Jordan Brand Classic teams--I wrote for NBE Sports, click Here.

2015 SG Prince Ali Scores 36 in State Tournament, Talks Recruiting

2013-02-17T15:15:00Z

by Alex Schwartz

PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. -- Class of 2015 shooting guard Prince Ali stole the show at Flanagan High School on Thursday night.

Ali, a 6-foot-4, 180-pounder, scored 36 points to lead Pembroke Pines Charter to an 80-71 win over Miami Northwestern in the opening round of the FHSAA Class 6A state tournament.

The sophomore was 14-of-15 at the free throw line and scored 24 of his points in the second half of the contest.

“The team in the beginning of the game, they weren’t really—we weren’t really clicking,” Ali said of his performance. “So, that’s what coach told me, he was like, ‘Hey man [you] got to step up [your] play’ and that’s what I did.”

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

Josh Hart Talks Season, Villanova Future

2013-02-13T21:00:16Z

by Alex Schwartz

Josh Hart of Sidwell Friends (DC) is part of a 2013 recruiting class for Villanova that currently includes two players.

Hart, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound shooting guard/small forward, took the time to speak with VUSports.com about his high school season, his thoughts on Villanova's season and more.

"It's going pretty good," Hart said of Sidwell Friends' season thus far. "I think we're about 17-6 right now."

The four-star prospect said that he is averaging 23 or 24 points to along with 10 rebounds per game.

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

Catching Up With Ja'Quan Newton

2013-02-12T14:00:00Z

by Alex Schwartz

As the best player in Pennsylvania in the class of 2014, Ja'Quan Newton is understandably a major target of the Villanova Wildcats.

However, there are many big-time programs from around the country who are coming after the Neumann-Goretti High School standout.

Newton told VUSports.com that he currently holds scholarship offers from Rutgers, Arizona, Pitt, Georgetown, Miami, SMU, Xavier, Temple, and Cincinnati, in addition to Villanova.

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

"Outside Shot" Now Available

2013-02-11T14:15:00Z

In 1990, Buzz Bissinger released Friday Night Lights, considered by many to be the greatest sports book ever written. The portrait of a small, football-crazed West Texas town and the high school team that served as its sole focal point, Bissinger wove together an intimate set of narratives that rose far above simple on-the-field accomplishments, setting a new storytelling standard for every sports book that followed. Keith O'Brien's OUTSIDE SHOT (St. Martin’s Press; January 15, 2013) is one of the few sports books written in the twenty-plus years since to match that standard. Chronicling the 2009-2010 season of the Scott County high school basketball team, a powerhouse squad located in a rural Kentucky town, OUTSIDE SHOT recounts one team’s quest for the 2010 state championship and its importance to a region struggling with fear, uncertainty and turmoil in the midst of the Great Recession. OUTSIDE SHOT not only captures the heart and nearly unparalleled intensity of high school basketball in

Kentucky but also reveals how much the game has changed in recent years, pulling back the curtain on a world where child-athletes call the shots, parents demand athletic greatness at almost any cost and a coach – and an entire community – long for the innocence of a not-so-distant past. As Pulitzer-Prize winning writer Ken Armstrong puts it, “What Friday Night Lights was to high-school football in Texas, OUTSIDE SHOT is to basketball in Kentucky,” and there is no doubting the narrative power of O’Brien’s absorbing story.

To research the book, O’Brien moved his family into a small, poorly insulated house in the back of a Kentucky horse farm during the winter of 2009, where he became a constant fixture among the Scott County team, both in and out of school. While the scope of OUTSIDE SHOT moves well beyond basketball to paint a cultural portrait of both the school and the surrounding community, the story itself revolves around five key figures on the team: Billy Hicks, the legendary Scott County basketball coach, who preaches discipline, hard work and ethics, yet is accused of “recruiting” transfers into his program to gain a competitive edge; Dakotah Euton, once heralded as the best young basketball prospect in the entire state (and given a prized early college scholarship offer to join the hometown University of Kentucky basketball team) who has fallen short of near-impossible expectations and become the object of scorn by fans everywhere; Ge’Lawn Guyn, the team’s talented star whose determination to have a great senior season and earn a big-time scholarship offer is jeopardized by both the team’s struggles and his aching knees; Chad Jackson, a mercurial and aloof presence who emerges as the team’s leader throughout the course of the season; and Will Schu, one of the few “local boys” on a team full of outsiders and transfers, who is relegated to mop-up duty off the bench and haunted by the shadow of his late father, a former basketball legend. Through the voices of these players and coaches, O’Brien vividly brings to life the myriad hopes and fears of a small town that, like many small towns in America, finds itself caught in the throes of unwanted, unexpected change – and how the best and worst qualities of its residents are revealed through the ups-and-downs of a single basketball season.

Beautifully written, meticulously researched and already generating tremendous early acclaim (see the attached sheet of advance praise), this is a major new release for 2013, one that stands as a worthy basketball companion to Buzz Bissinger’s seminal book about prep football.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Keith O’Brien is reporter who has written for the New York Times Magazine, Boston Globe, several National Public Radio shows and the Oxford American. His work has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and won the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. He is currently a journalist in residence at the University of New Orleans.

Note- information courtesy of Keith O'Brien

Recruiting Notebook (2/5/13) -- Cincinnati Picks Up Big Commitment

2013-02-06T02:30:00Z

by Alex Schwartz

Several high-major programs landed commitments in the past week, including a couple from the Big East. That includes a program from the Midwest coming into the New York metro area to land a top 25 recruit.

Jermaine Lawrence, a New York native who attends Pope John XXIII (NJ), popped to Cincinnati, per his Tumblr account. Lawrence, a 6-foot-9 power forward, is ranked No. 24 in the NBE Sports Class of 2013 Post-July Top 125.

Lawrence selected the Bearcats over St. John’s and UNLV. He is the fifth member of Cincinnati's 2013 recruiting class and is a significant addition.

To read the rest of this article I wrote for NBE Sports, click Here.

AAU Coach Discusses Vandy Hoops Commit Darius Thompson

2013-02-04T13:45:00Z

by Alex Schwartz

Vanderbilt's 2013 recruiting class doubled in size recently, as the Commodores landed a commitment from in-state Darius Thompson.

A 6-foot-4 combo guard out of Blackman (TN) High School, Thompson joined Damian Jones of Scotlandville (LA) in Vanderbilt’s recruiting haul.

VandyMania.com caught up with Carlton Battle, who coached Thompson on the AAU circuit with Team Nashville, to discuss the senior’s commitment.

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

2014 PG Lance Tejada Discusses Season, Recruitment

2013-01-27T15:00:00Z

by Alex Schwartz

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -- Tuesday night’s Broward County showdown between Blanche Ely and Northeast came nowhere close to living up to expectations.

Playing on its home court, Blanche Ely jumped out to a 15-2 lead and never looked back. It was 48-21 at halftime and running clock started early in the third quarter.

When all was said and done, the Tigers had a dominating 74-30 victory. Class of 2014 point guard Lance Tejada felt it took the whole team to turn in that type of performance.

“I think it was an all-around [effort],” Tejada said. “We started on the defensive [end], we came out on defense aggressive and I think that’s what set the pace.”

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

Recruiting Notebook (1/25/13) -- Berry Gives UNC Head Start in 2014 & More

2013-01-25T23:26:16Z

by Alex Schwartz

While the last week or so has not been crazy on the recruiting trail, it has certainly not been as slow as the holiday season. The rundown includes a few high-major programs adding 2013 commitments, a powerhouse getting a 2014 pledge, USA Basketball releasing some big news and more.

We begin with the 2014 pledge, which came from Joel Berry, the No. 20 prospect in the NBE Sports Class of 2014 Post-July Top 75. Berry, a 6-foot-1 point guard from Lake Highland Prep (FL), has popped for North Carolina, per Alex Kline of TheRecruitScoop.com. He is a major pickup for the Tar Heels and is the highest ranked committed player in the NBE Sports 2014 rankings.

Amida Brimah, a 6-foot-11 class of 2013 center committed to UConn, per Coast 2 Coast Hoops.

To read the rest of this article I wrote for NBE Sports, click Here.