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2024 HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS

"Five-star sophomore Jason Crowe Jr. posted one of the most explosive stat-lines of the 2023-24 high school basketball season Friday night, tallying a season-high 54 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and seven steals. Crowe shot 16-of-32 from the field, 5-of-12 from three-point range and 17-of-19 from the free throw line in a 115-76 victory for Lynwood (Calif.) over Firebaugh (Lynwood, Calif.)." - Maxpreps.com, Feb. 3

"Ranked No. 1 once again in this week's National Top 10, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) was pushed to the brink in the championship game of its own tournament last week by No. 2 Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.). The Eagles escaped with a 78-72 win in the final of the Montverde Academy Invitational to run their record to 23-0. But other top teams continue to show they have the ability to compete with the perennial powerhouse as the season hits the home stretch and positioning in the national championship tournament (formerly GEICO Nationals) is determined." - Maxpreps.com, Jan. 31

"No. 10 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) erased a 17-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat No. 5 Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) 81-75 and win the Mission League title Friday in a nationally televised contest." - Maxpreps.com, Jan. 26

"Four-star North Carolina State signee Paul McNeil Jr. of Richmond (Rockingham) broke the North Carolina High School Athletic Association single-game scoring record Tuesday, exploding for a career-high 71 points in a 118-52 win over Lee County (Sanford). The No. 62 overall prospect in the Class of 2024, according to 247Sports, eclipsed the mark set in 1950 by Bob Poole of Clayton who scored 67 points in an 88-27 victory." - Maxpreps.com, Jan. 16

"Top-ranked senior Duke signee Cooper Flagg finished one block shy of a triple-double Friday night in his return to his home state of Maine as National Top 10 No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) blew past MaxPreps Top 25 No. 2 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 93-51. Flagg posted 23 points, 10 rebounds, nine blocks and five assists in his homecoming, while his brother Ace Flagg received his first start of the season and posted six points and four rebounds in the victory." - Maxpreps.com, Jan. 5

"The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Thursday the broadcast schedule for the 2024 Spalding Hoophall Classic, an annual basketball showcase now in its 22nd year. Games will be played at Blake Arena from January 11-15 at Springfield College, the Birthplace of Basketball." - Zagsblog.com, Jan. 4

"We've made it to 2024 and Montverde Academy is still holding strong atop the rankings. The story of the week, however, is Dynamic Prep out of Irving, Texas, which jumped from unranked all the way to No. 6 in the rankings after a memorable performance at the Chick-fil-A Classic Holiday Basketball Tournament. Led by former six-time NBA All-Star Jermaine O'Neal -- whose son Jermaine Jr. plays on the team -- Dynamic Prep knocked off No. 17 Combine Academy and Dream City Christian before handing No. 7 Prolific Prep its second loss of the season in the championship game." - ESPN.com, Jan. 3

"MaxPreps Top 25 basketball rankings - 1. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.), 2. Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.), 3. Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C.), 4. Plano East (Plano, Texas), 5. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), 6. Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.), 7. Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.), 8. Columbus (Miami, Fla.), 9. Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.), 10. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)" - Maxpreps.com, Jan. 2


2023 HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS

"No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) captured its sixth City of Palms Classic championship Saturday night, defeating No. 2 Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) 73-59 in a wire-to-wire title game victory. The Eagles also won the City of Palms Classic title in 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2021." - Maxpreps.com, Dec. 23

fs "Top-10 senior Derrion Reid, one of the top uncommitted college basketball prospects in the Class of 2024, has announced his commitment to Alabama. Reid chose the Crimson Tide over Georgia and Florida State, giving coach Nate Oats his fourth five-star recruit in the past four recruiting classes." - ESPN.com, Dec. 22

On Derrion Reid: "The 6'7", 180-pound prospect is ranked as the No. 14 overall prospect on the 247Sports Composite list of class of 2024 boys basketball players. He currently stars on a Prolific Prep team ranked No. 2 overall on ESPN's list of the nation's top high school boys basketball teams." - BleacherReport.com, Dec. 22

"Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) debuts at No. 2 in the National Top 10 high school basketball rankings after previously holding the top spot in the MaxPreps Top 25 prior to making a transition due to developing circumstances around the program and state championships in New York. As a member of the EYBL Scholastic conference and a program competing for the Federation state title in New York, Long Island Lutheran was in a unique spot – a gray area, if you will – in the high school basketball landscape." - Maxpreps.com, Dec 13

"No. 1 Montverde Academy passed another big test in the early season by going 2-0 in the Nike EYBL Showcase in Las Vegas over the weekend. The Eagles opened with a 71-59 win over No. 3 Link Academy on Friday behind 20 points and nine rebounds from center Derik Queen. Texas commit Tre Johnson led Link Academy 25 points in the loss before helping his team bounce back on Saturday with a 68-33 win over Orangeville Academy." - ESPN.com, Dec. 12

"Four-star Houston signee Mercy Miller broke a school record Monday night with 68 points in a 104-44 victory for Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) over Oakwood (North Hollywood, Calif.). Miller connected on 28 of 38 field goal attempts in the contest. Junior guard Angelino Mark also broke a school record for the Knights with 20 assists in the win." - Maxpreps.com, Dec. 11

"Rutgers finally landed its man. Dylan Harper, the No. 2 overall recruit in the class of 2024, announced his commitment to his home state university during a press conference Wednesday at the Fanatics headquarters on the lower West Side of Manhattan. He is the highest-rated recruit in program history." - Zagsblog, Dec. 6

"In a dominant showing Friday night, National Top 10 No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) blew past MaxPreps Top 25 No. 8 Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 89-61 paced by a game-high 23 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals from top-ranked Duke signee Cooper Flagg. The Eagles stifled Columbus on both ends of the court from the opening whistle, jumping out to a 25-6 lead at the end of the first quarter before stretching their advantage to 47-18 at the half and 65-37 at the end of the third period." - Maxpreps.com, Dec. 1

"After earning commitments from 2024 guards Mekai Johnson and Khaafiq Myers, Kevin Kearney of South Shore High School (NY) becomes head coach Billy lange’s third recruit to commit to him. The 6-7 wing chose the Hawks over Manhattan, Seton Hall, and Norfolk St." - Zagsblog.com, Nov. 30

ESPN SCNext boys' high school basketball rankings: "Behind an impressive 4-0 start, No. 1 recruit Cooper Flagg and Montverde Academy stay atop the rankings this week. Not far behind is Link Academy (Branson, Mo.), led by No. 4 recruit and Texas recruit Tre Johnson and Kansas commit Labaron Philon (No. 35). The Lions are off to a 6-0 start in the early season." - ESPN.com, Nov. 28

Updated FAB 50 National Team Rankings per Ballislife.com: 1) Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), 2) Link Academy (Branson, Mo.), 3) Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.), 4) Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.), 5) IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.). - BallIsLife.com, Nov. 27

"The No. 8-ranked team in the National Top 10 Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) pulled off the biggest upset of early high school basketball season Saturday night, defeating MaxPreps Top 25 No. 1 Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 75-73 at Holiday Hoopsgiving in Atlanta. Five-star junior Isiah Harwell sank a pair of free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining to give the Tigers the victory. Harwell finished with 15 points and four rebounds on the night." - MaxPreps.com, Nov. 24

"Reigning MaxPreps National Player of the Year Cameron Boozer erupted for a career-high 40 points to guide No. 1 Columbus (Miami, Fla.) to an 86-59 victory over No. 9 McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) on Friday night at Holiday Hoopsgiving in Atlanta, Ga. The 6-foot-9 junior forward shot 13 of 18 from the field, 3 of 6 from 3-point range and 11 of 11 from the free throw line. He also pulled down 10 rebounds and dished out a pair of assists to help overcome the absence of brother Cayden Boozer in the contest." - MaxPreps.com, Nov. 24

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM MARCH, 2021

March 22: "Just two days after de-committing from Louisville, three-star forward Eric Van Der Heijden has made his college choice, committing to Ole Miss on Monday... Van Der Heijden, the 6-foot-9, 205-pound power forward from Millbrook (NC) High School, joins four-star guard Daeshun Ruffin and three-star guards James White and Grant Slatten as the fourth commit in the Rebels’ 2021 recruiting class." - Zagsblog.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM FEBRUARY, 2021

Feb. 25: "Bronny James suffered a torn meniscus in his knee at a practice earlier this month and had surgery to repair it, sources confirmed to ESPN on Thursday. James, the son of the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James, told followers on Twitch this week that he had suffered a knee injury. James is a sophomore at Sierra Canyon School, which hasn't played any official games this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic but has plans to play a spring basketball season." - ESPN.com

Feb. 9: "No. 4 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) held top-ranked senior Chet Holmgren to 13 points in a convincing 73-53 road win Saturday over No. 7 Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) in a battle of Top 10 high school basketball powers. Holmgren sank the opening bucket for a 2-0 lead, but that's the only lead the Red Hawks would have as the Ascenders responded with a 9-0 run and never looked back." - Maxpreps.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM DECEMBER, 2020

Dec. 22: "Class of 2021 guard Aminu Mohammed has committed to Georgetown, he announced Monday... According to 247Sports.com, Mohammed is ranked as the No. 3 shooting guard and No. 16 overall prospect in the Class of 2021." -- Zagsblog.com

Dec. 20: "Class of 2022 shooting guard Kyle Cuffe Jr. has committed to Kansas... According to 247Sports.com, Cuffe is ranked as the No. 11 shooting guard and No. 84 overall prospect in the Class of 2022. Cuffe averaged 13 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists as a sophomore at Blair Academy." -- Zagsblog.com

Dec. 1: "Class of 2021 big Mac Etienne has committed to UCLA, he announced Monday via Twitter... Ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 7 center and No. 41 overall prospect in the Class of 2021, Etienne joins five-star forward Peyton Watson and four-star guard Will McClendon in UCLA’s 2021 recruiting class." -- Zagsblog.com


HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM NOVEMBER, 2020

Nov. 29: "Sydney Curry, the 6-foot-9, 259-pound wing from John Logan College (IL), committed to Kansas on Thursday... According to 247Sports, Curry is ranked as the No. 9 JUCO player nationally." -- Zagsblog.com

Nov. 21: "Fanbo Zeng, the No. 33 prospect in the ESPN Class of 2022, has committed to play college basketball at Gonzaga, he told ESPN on Saturday. He said he will look to reclassify to 2021 and enroll at the school next summer." -- ESPN.com

Nov. 20: "The Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., one of the most prestigious high school events on the annual calendar, has been canceled due to COVID concerns. The event annually hosts the top teams and players from across the nation, and was set to do so again this year, including several New York and New Jersey teams." -- Zagsblog.com

Nov. 11: "Nobody has ever dominated the high school basketball landscape quite like Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.). The program finished No. 1 during a 2019-20 campaign abbreviated by the pandemic, capturing its fourth national title in eight seasons. The Eagles of a year ago went 25-0 and won by an average margin of nearly 40 points per contest." -- Maxpreps.com

Nov. 9: "Moussa Diabate, the 6-foot-10 five-star forward from IMG Academy (FL), committed to Michigan on Monday, via Tipton Edits... According to 247Sports, Diabate is ranked No. 20 nationally and is the No. 6 power forward." -- Zagsblog.com

Nov. 6: "Rafael Castro, the Class of 2021 forward from Dover (N.J.) High School, committed to Providence on Thursday, he told ZAGSBLOG. Ranked the No. 23 power forward in the 247Sports.com Composite, the 6-foot-10, 200-pound Castro chose the Friars over Dayton and Miami." -- Zagsblog.com



HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM OCTOBER, 2020

Oct. 27: "After initially committing to one school in the Bluegrass State, Bryce Hopkins is headed to another. The 6-foot-7, 215-pound power forward from Fenwick (IL) High School committed to Kentucky on Monday after de-committing from Louisville in August. Ranked the No. 7 power forward in the 247Sports.com Composite rankings, he told ZAGSBLOG his final top three featured Kentucky, Providence and Illinois." -- Zagsblog.com

Oct. 26: "Shane Dezonie, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound combo guard from Brewster (N.H.) Academy and the PSA Cardinals AAU program, committed to Arizona on Sunday night... Ranked the No. 20 point guard in the Class of 2021 247Sports.com Composite rankings, he also considered Kansas State, Arizona State, Clemson and Cincinnati." -- Zagsblog.com

Oct. 24: "The 6-foot-8, 215-pound power forward from Montverde (FL) Academy, chose to commit to the Flyers over Marquette, Arizona and Cal. Ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 13 power forward and No. 49 overall prospect in the Class of 2021, Holmes joins Malachi Smith in Dayton’s 2021 class." -- Zagsblog.com

Oct. 22: "Five-star junior Skyy Clark committed to Kentucky on Thursday, choosing the Wildcats over North Carolina, UCLA and Memphis... A 6-foot-2 point guard from The Ensworth School (Tennessee), Clark is ranked No. 19 in the ESPN 60 for the 2022 class." -- ESPN.com

Oct. 11: "Top-25 senior Franck Kepnang announced his commitment to Oregon on Saturday, giving Dana Altman his third ESPN 100 pledge in the past month... A 6-foot-11 center who attended Westtown School (Pennsylvania) and played for the PSA Cardinals on the grassroots circuit, Kepnang is ranked No. 22 in the ESPN 100 for the 2021 class. He's the No. 4 center." -- ESPN.com

Oct. 10: "Jabari Smith, the 6-foot-10 power forward out of Sandy Creek (GA), committed to Auburn on Friday. Ranked the No. 1 power forward in the Class of 2021, he also considered Georgia, Georgia Tech, UNC, Tennessee and LSU. He is the highest-ranked recruit ever to choose Auburn." -- Zagsblog.com

ESPN.com: "Smith averaged 24.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks last season for Sandy Creek, and also won a gold medal with USA Basketball at the 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Brazil after averaging 13.8 points and 6.2 rebounds. The ultimate inside-out forward, Smith has a legitimate jump hook that he goes to on the left block to finish in the middle of the paint."

"Smith is regarded as the No. 5 prospect in the Class of 2021 by 247Sports and projects to be a lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. He earned second team MaxPreps Junior All-American honors last season after averaging 24.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per contest to lead the Patriots to the GHSA AAAA state quarterfinals." -- Maxpreps.com

Oct. 5: "Five-star guard J.D. Davison announced his commitment to Alabama on Saturday, giving Nate Oats his first five-star recruit since taking over in Tuscaloosa... The No. 14 prospect in the Class of 2021, Davison is ranked as the No. 2 point guard in the country." -- ESPN.com

Oct. 5: "Ryan Mutombo, the son of former NBA player and Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, announced Sunday he would follow in his father's footsteps by committing to play basketball at Georgetown... A legitimate impact recruit in his own right, Mutombo is ranked No. 94 in the ESPN 100 for the 2021 class. He's the No. 15 center in the country and reportedly averaged about 24 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks last season for the Lovett School (Georgia)." -- ESPN.com

"Ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 13 center and No. 71 overall prospect in the Class of 2021, Mutombo joins three-stars Jordan Riley, Tyler Beard and Jalin Billingsley as the fourth commit in the Hoyas’ 2021 class." -- Zagsblog.com

Oct. 1: "Memphis coach Penny Hardaway and his staff continued their hot recruiting streak on Thursday with the commitment of St. Louis Christian Academy small forward Jordan Nesbitt. Ranked the No. 13 small forward in the Class of 2021 by 247Sports.com, Nesbitt chose Memphis over Illinois and Saint Louis" -- Zagsblog.com


HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM SEPTEMBER, 2020

Sept. 16: "Class of 2021 five-star center Nathan Bittle has committed to Oregon, per ESPN’s Paul Biancardi... Ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 3 center in the Class of 2021, Bittle is the first commit in Oregon’s 2021 class." -- Zagsblog.com

Sept. 5: "Zach Hicks is staying local. The 6-foot-7, 176-pound small forward from Camden (N.J.) Catholic has committed to Temple after also considering Richmond, he told ZAGSBLOG ahead of his public announcement Friday." - - Zagsblog.com

Sept. 3: "Kobe Johnson, the 6-foot-5, 170-pound shooting guard from Nicolet (WI), has committed to USC, he announced Thursday via Twitter... Ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 49 shooting guard in the Class of 2021, Johnson chose USC over Colorado State, California, Elon and Kansas State." -- Zagsblog.com

Sept. 2: "Class of 2021 forward David Jones has committed to DePaul, he announced via Instagram Monday evening... According to 247Sports.com, Jones is ranked as the No. 17 small forward and No. 82 overall prospect in the Class of 2021." -- Zagsblog.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM AUGUST, 2020

August 28: "Class of 2021 power forward KeShawn Murphy has committed to Mississippi State, per his Twitter... According to 247Sports.com, Murphy is ranked as the No. 46 power forward in the Class of 2021." -- Zagsblog.com

August 28: "Tamar Bates has committed to Texas. Bates, the 6-foot-4 combo guard from Kansas City, KS and IMG Academy (FL), announced his commitment via Instagram Live Friday... Ranked the No. 9 combo guard in the Class of 2021 per 247Sports.com, Bates chose Texas over Kansas, Iowa State, Missouri, Creighton, Oregon and Alabama." -- Zagsblog.com

August 24: "Class of 2021 guard Nolan Hickman has committed to Kentucky, per his Twitter, giving the Wildcats their first commit in the 2021 class... Hickman is ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 3 point guard and No. 30 overall player in the Class of 2021." -- Zagsblog.com

August 21: "Duke's upcoming recruiting class got a significant boost Thursday when Paolo Banchero, ESPN's No. 3-ranked prospect in 2021, committed to the Blue Devils. Banchero, the 6-foot-8 center, had been heavily pursued by both Tennessee and Kentucky. He's the second top-10 recruit for Duke, which also has received a commitment from A.J. Griffin, ESPN's No. 9 recruit in the 2021 class." -- ESPN.com

August 21: "Michigan basketball just landed one of the top point guards in the nation... With his commitment, Collins became the highest-ranked recruit in Michigan's class. He is the nation's No. 57 prospect and No. 9 point guard, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings." -- Detroit Free Press


HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM JULY, 2020

July 30: "John Butler, the 7-foot-1, 190-pound center from Christ Church (SC) Episcopal Church announced his commitment to Florida State on Wednesday... According to 247Sports, Butler is ranked as the No. 14 center and No. 78 overall player in the Class of 2021." -- Zagsblog.com

July 28: "Class of 2021 small forward Peyton Watson has committed to UCLA... According to 247Sports.com, Watson is ranked as the No. 3 small forward and No. 8 overall prospect in the Class of 2021." -- Zagsblog.com

July 23: "RJ Keene, the 6-foot-7, 190-pound small forward from Concordia Lutheran (TX), announced his commitment to Boise State on Thursday, via Twitter... According to 247Sports.com, Keene is ranked as the No. 48 small forward and No. 219 overall player in the Class of 2021." -- Zagsblog.com

July 22: "Arterio Morris, the 6-foot-3, 175-pound Class of 2022 point guard from Prolific Prep (CA), committed to Memphis on Tuesday. According to 247Sports, Morris is ranked as the No. 6 combo guard and No. 28 overall player in the Class of 2022." -- Zagsblog.com

July 20: "Kendall Brown has committed to Baylor... According to 247Sports.com, Brown is ranked as the No. 4 small forward and No. 14 overall player in the Class of 2021." -- Zagsblog.com

July 17: "Caleb Houstan, the No. 3 prospect in the ESPN class of 2022 recruiting rankings, will graduate from high school early and reclassify to 2021, he told ESPN on Friday. Houstan will now be eligible to enroll in college next summer, and he will have the option to enter the 2022 NBA draft... He has good positional size for a small forward at 6-foot-8 with a versatile offensive skill set, being considered one of the best perimeter shooters in his class." -- ESPN.com

July 17: "Caleb Houstan, the 6-foot-8 forward from Montervde (FL) Academy and the UPlay Canada AAU team, has reclassified to the Class of 2021 from 2022, his father David told ZAGSBLOG. He’s currently the No. 4 small forward in 2022 per 247Sports.com." -- Zagsblog.com

July 15: "Former University of Memphis assistant coach and NBA veteran Mike Miller will be the boys basketball head coach at Houston (Germantown, Tenn.) next season. The news was first reported Wednesday by John Varlas of the Daily Memphian." -- Maxpreps.com

July 7: "Will Tschetter, the 6-foot-8, 225-pound power forward from Stewartville Senior (MN), has committed to Michigan, per Stewartville Boys Basketball on Twitter... According to 247Sports.com, Tschetter is ranked as the No. 28 power forward and the No. 149 overall player in the Class of 2021." -- Zagsblog.com

July 5: "It seemed ambitious to try to hold AAU basketball events this month in Las Vegas, but Gary Charles and other event organizers were proceeding with plans to do so. Charles was set to host the Las Vegas Big Time event July 23-26 featuring Chet Holmgren, the No. 1 player in the Class of 2021, and his Grassroots Sizzle team, among others. But now the event has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as have all events in Las Vegas this month." -- Zagsblog.com

July 3: "Five-star senior Makur Maker announced his commitment to Howard on Friday morning, becoming the highest-ranked college basketball prospect to commit to a historically Black college or university since the ESPN recruiting database started in 2007." -- ESPN.com

July 3: "The 6-foot-11 Maker chose Howard over Kentucky, Memphis, and UCLA. He is ranked the No. 4 center in the Class of 2020, per 247Sports.com." -- Zagsblog.com

July 1: "Emoni Bates, the No. 1 college basketball prospect for the Class of 2022, announced his commitment to Michigan State... The 6-foot-9 Lincoln High School (Ypsilanti, Mich.) guard became the youngest person to win the Gatorade High School Boys Basketball National Player of the Year as a 16-year-old sophomore." -- NBCsports.com

July 1: On Emoni Bates: "The 6-foot-9 wing led Lincoln to a 19-3 record last season, averaging 32.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.2 steals per contest. He has surpassed 1,300 career points in just two seasons." -- Maxpreps.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM JUNE, 2020

June 28: "Joshua Beadle is headed to Clemson. Beadle, the 6-foot-3, 168-pound combo guard from Cardinal Newman (SC) School, committed to Clemson on Saturday over Charleston, Furman, VCU and Wake Forest... According to 247Sports.com, Beadle is ranked as the No. 12 combo guard and No. 134 overall player in the Class of 2021." -- Zagsblog.com

June 21: "The 6-foot-2, 180-pound point guard from Legacy Charter (S.C.) committed to South Carolina on Sunday, for the Class of 2021, he told ZAGSBLOG... The Gamecocks return several point guards, including freshman Trae Hannibal, sophomore Jermaine Couisnard and redshirt freshman T.J. Moss." -- Zagsblog.com

June 21: "The NCAA is unlikely to hold live recruiting periods in August, multiple sources said. The NCAA Division I Council is due to vote “within the next few weeks” after a vote was deferred this week." -- Zagsblog.com

June 17: "Daeshun Ruffin is headed to Ole Miss. According to 247Sports, Ruffin is ranked as No. 4 point guard and No. 37 overall player in the Class of 2021." -- Zagsblog.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM MAY, 2020

May 30: "Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League announced Saturday night that its 2020 season has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Peach Jam, the finals of the Nike EYBL circuit, was previously scheduled for July 8-12 in North Augusta, S.C." -- Zagsblog.com

May 5: "Adama Sanogo, the 6-foot-9, 241-pound big man from the Patrick School (N.J.), ended his recruitment Tuesday by committing to UConn... The No. 7 center in the Class of 2021 per 247Sports.com, he also considered Seton Hall, Maryland and Nebraska. " -- Zagsblog.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM APRIL, 2020

April 27: "Ernest Ross, the 6-foot-9 forward from Santa Fe (FL) and Game Elite AAU, announced his commitment to N.C. State on Sunday, a source confirms with ZAGSBLOG... According to 247Sports, he is ranked No. 38 nationally and is the No. 8 power forward." -- Zagsblog.com

April 23: "Arizona has landed a commitment from top international prospect Daniel Batcho, he told ESPN Thursday... Batcho, the 6-foot-10 power forward from France, is considered the top European big man committing to college." -- Zagsblog.com

April 22: "Akeem Odusipe has committed to Vanderbilt, he announced Wednesday, via Instagram... Odusipe is ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 51 center and No. 344 overall player in the Class of 2020." -- Zagsblog.com

April 16: "Jalen Green, the No. 3 prospect in the Class of 2020 and a guy with the potential to be the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, announced on Thursday afternoon that he has committed to … the G League? Instead of going to college, Jalen Green will be the guinea pig in the latest G League effort to keep American talent that is not interested in playing collegiately stateside. Green is the first high school player that has opted to enter the G League’s professional pathway program for prospects that want to do something other than go to college for their one-and-done season." -- NBCsports.com

April 14: "Top-10 senior Ziaire Williams committed to Stanford on Sunday, becoming the Cardinal's highest-ranked recruit since at least 2007... A 6-foot-8 small forward who played alongside Bronny James and Kentucky signee B.J. Boston for Sierra Canyon High School (California) last season, Williams is ranked No. 7 in the ESPN 100 for the 2020 class. He is the No. 2 small forward." -- ESPN.com

April 14: "Top-10 senior Josh Christopher announced his commitment to Arizona State on Monday, becoming the Sun Devils' highest-ranked ESPN 100 recruit since at least 2007... The projected 2021 first-round NBA draft pick put up big numbers on the Nike EYBL circuit last spring and summer, averaging 21.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists for Vegas Elite." -- ESPN.com

April 9: "Nike is eyeing re-formatted Elite Youth Basketball League events for June and July but the situation remains fluid amid the coronavirus pandemic, sources said. The Swoosh is considering holding either one or multiple events for all 36 17U EYBL teams in June that would determine seeding for the Peach Jam in July, sources said. The June event(s) could potentially take place at one central location or at multiple regional sites in the East, South, Midwest and West. The June event would not be a qualifier, and would only determine seeding for Peach Jam." -- Zagsblog.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM MARCH, 2020

March 29: Cliff Omoruyi, the 6-foot-11 center from Roselle Catholic (NJ), announced his commitment to Rutgers on Sunday." -- Zagsblog.com

March 27: "Malik Thomas, the 6-foot-3 guard from Damien (CA) and the Compton Magic, announced his pledge to USC on Friday... According to 247Sports, he is ranked No. 103 nationally and is the No. 8 player from California." -- Zagsblog.com

March 12: "The McDonald's All American Game, the preeminent high school basketball all-star game, and the Jordan Brand Classic, Nike's premier high school basketball all-star game, announced cancellations on Thursday. The 43rd McDonald's All American Game was scheduled to take place April 1 in Houston." -- ESPN.com

March 10: "Less than a month remains in the 2019-20 high school basketball season and playoff action continues to shake things up in the national rankings. This week, it was previous No. 2 Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) falling 60-59 to Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) AAAAAAA state championship game. The loss drops the Rams out of the MaxPreps Top 25 national high school basketball rankings while the Wildcats make their debut this season at No. 24. Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) replaced Grayson as the second-ranked team in high school basketball after the Cavaliers extended their in-state win streak to 59 games and captured their fourth consecutive state title. " -- Maxpreps.com

March 3: "Caleb Furst, the 6-foot-8 power forward from Blackhawk Christian School (IN), announced his commitment to Purdue on Monday, via Twitter. .. According to 247Sports, Furst is ranked as the No. 31 overall player in the Class of 2021 and the No. 7 ranked power forward. " -- Zagsblog.com

March 2: "Jerrell Colbert, the 6-foot-9 center from Cornerstone Christian (TX), announced his commitment to LSU on Sunday, via Twitter... Colbert is ranked as the No. 32 overall player in the Class of 2021 and the No. 6 ranked center, according to 247Sports." -- Zagsblog.com



HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM FEBRUARY, 2020

Feb. 25: "This marks the sixth consecutive week a Top 5 team in the MaxPreps Top 25 national high school basketball rankings has been upset. Previous No. 5 Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.) dropped a 93-83 overtime loss to The Rock (Gainesville, Fla.) — a defeat that likely bursts the Hawks' GEICO Nationals bubble. Unbeaten Eden Prairie (Minn.) is the biggest mover in the national rankings, ascending into the Top 10 this week after being unranked two weeks ago. The Eagles jumped 13 spots this week after a signature win over previous No. 6 Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis)." -- Maxpreps.com

Feb. 24: "An exciting week of postseason high school basketball kicked off on Sunday with the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference tournament semifinals. No. 9 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) took down St. John's (Washington, D.C.) 63-50, while No. 22 Paul VI knocked off Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 74-63 to advance to Monday's tournament championship game. Another big-time matchup on Sunday saw an upset as Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore) knocked off No. 12 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore) 76-63 in the grudge match for the MIAA Conference A title." -- Maxpreps.com

Feb. 18: "High school prospect Makur Maker will be eligible for the 2020 NBA draft if he applies as an early-entry candidate, according to a memo distributed to NBA teams by the league office. The memo also included a revised agreement to the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association regarding the draft eligibility of players similar to Maker." -- ESPN.com

Feb. 18: "The week kicked off Sunday with a Top 25 upset as No. 19 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) knocked off No. 3 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) 74-65. A Minnesota showdown Tuesday takes center stage between No. 8 Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis) and Eden Prairie. Also Tuesday, CIF Open Division Southern Section pool play continues with No. 6 Centennial (Corona) looking to rebound from last week's loss against Harvard-Westlake (Studio City) and No. 20 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) hosting St. Anthony (Long Beach)" -- Maxpreps.com

Feb. 15: "Twenty-eight of the finest high school senior boys basketball players were announced Friday to play in the 19th Jordan Brand Classic, which will be played March 27th in the Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Among the 28 were MaxPreps Player of the Year candidates Jalen Green, Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes, the latter two were selected from Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), the nation's No. 1 squad. They'll join yet a third Montverde player, 6-10 center Day'ron Sharp, on the "away" team. Green, an uncommitted 6-6 shooting guard from Prolific Prep in California, heads the "home," team." -- Maxpreps.com

Feb. 14: "Nike announced its schedule for the Elite Youth Basketball League this spring and summer, culminating in the annual Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C. New this year will be four regional sites around the country May 8-10 in New York, Dallas, Los Angeles and Chicago." -- Zagsblog.com

Feb. 13: "Three teams in the MaxPreps Top 25 national high school boys basketball rankings made a major splash with big wins over the weekend as No. 13 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore), No. 14 Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) and No. 22 Poly (Baltimore) all downed ranked opponents. No. 2 Grayson also benefited from a big win, capturing the Region 8-7A championship with a win over rival Shiloh (Snellville, Ga.). Headlining matchups this week include No. 14 Long Island Lutheran hosting Patrick School (Hillside, N.J.), No. 6 Centennial (Corona, Calif.) vs. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), No. 16 Duncanville (Texas) at Richardson (Texas) and No. 20 Sierra Canyon vs. St. John Bosco. No. 3 DeMatha faces No. 19 Paul VI on Sunday." -- Maxpreps.com

Feb. 8: "Five-star sophomore guard Dior Johnson committed to Syracuse on Friday evening... Johnson, a 6-foot-2 point guard who plays at Mayfair High School (California), is considered one of the most talented sophomores in the country. He is ranked No. 13 in the ESPN 25 for the 2022 class." -- ESPN.com

"According to 247Sports, Johnson is ranked as the No. 6 overall player in the Class of 2022 and the No. 1 ranked point guard." -- Zagsblog.com

Feb. 5: "Yet another upset-filled week of high school basketball action saw two teams drop out of the Top 5 and three new teams enter the MaxPreps Top 25 national high school basketball rankings. Top-ranked Montverde Academy capped off an unblemished regular season with a dominant showing at the St. James Invitational. The Eagles won three games in Maryland by an average of 50 points per outing over the weekend. They'll be prohibitive favorites to capture their fifth GEICO Nationals title in April." -- Maxpreps.com

"No. 4 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) and No. 5 Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) continue their rise as both programs climb inside the Top 5 after previous No. 2 Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) and No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) each lost over the weekend." - Maxpreps.com



HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM FEBRUARY, 2020

Feb. 6: "Jaylen Clark, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Etiwanda (CA), announced his commitment to UCLA on Thursday, via Twitter... According to 247Sports, Clark is ranked as the No. 104 overall player in the Class of 2020 and the No. 21 ranked shooting guard." -- Zagsblog.com



HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM JANUARY, 2020

JAN. 29: "Tyler Beard, the 6-foot-1 point guard from Whitney Young (IL), announced his pledge to Georgetown on Tuesday... According to 247Sports, Beard is a four-star prospect, ranked No. 194 nationally, and is the No. 5 prospect from Illinois." -- Zagsblog.com

JAN. 25: "Here's a look at the five best players left of this year's McDonald's All-American Game roster: 5. Devin Askew — Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 4. Andre Curbelo — Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.), 3. Reece Beekman — Scotlandville (Baton Rouge, La.), 2. Earl Timberlake Jr. — DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), 1. Cam Thomas — Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)" -- Maxpreps.com

JAN. 24: "The McDonald’s All-American Game selections are out for the April 1 game at Houston’s Toyota Center and North Carolina has the most commits with four signees selected to participate. UNC commits R.J. Davis, Walker Kessler, Caleb Love and Day’Ron Sharpe were all selected. The 6-foot-1 Davis is the first player in the history of Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) High School to be named to the game." -- Zagsblog.com

JAN. 23: "The top two prospects in the ESPN 100 will play for a West team that features seven top-10 prospects in the 43rd annual McDonald's All-American Game, while the East team will be led by Cade Cunningham, the early projected No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA draft." -- ESPN.com

JAN. 20: "The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference dominated "Monster Monday" at the 2020 Spalding Hoophall Classic, going 3-0 and defeating three ranked California opponents. After three days of exciting games, the tournament culminated on Martin Luther King Jr. Day with five games involving nationally ranked teams. The day's most entertaining game saw No. 11 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) knock off No. 14 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 70-62. The East Coast-West Coast showdown came down to the wire before the Panthers' fundamentals won out. The Trailblazers jumped out to an early lead but struggled to find a rhythm, turning the ball over 17 times while dishing out seven assists." -- Maxpreps.com

JAN. 19: "Third-ranked Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) used a balanced scoring attack to capture its fourth Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions title, knocking off No. 11 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 68-57 Saturday at JQH Arena on the campus of Missouri State University. The Warriors (26-1) remain perfect at the event with a 12-0 record, sweeping their previous three appearances in 2015, 2016 and 2018." -- Maxpreps.com

JAN. 17: "The rosters for the 2020 McDonald’s All-American game will be announced on Jan. 23 on ESPN’s The Jump." -- Zagsblog.com

JAN. 13: "One of the biggest weeks of the high school basketball season lies ahead as the Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions, Spalding Hoophall Classic and Flyin' to the Hoop Invitational take center stage. A Top 25 matchup in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference kicks off the action this week as No. 7 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) travels to No. 20 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) on Monday night. No. 6 Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) looks to avenge its only loss of the season on Tuesday as the Rams host Newton (Covington), which won the first meeting 84-80 on Dec. 10." -- Maxpreps.com

JAN. 7: "Devin Tillis, the 6-foot-6 small forward from the Windward School (CA) and the Compton Magic AAU program, has committed to UNLV, he announced via Twitter Monday."-- Zagsblog.com

JAN. 2: "Terrance Williams, the 6-foot-6 forward from Gonzaga (DC) and Team Takeover AAU, announced his pledge to Michigan on Wednesday evening... According to 247Sports, he is a four-star prospect, ranked No. 84 nationally, and is the No. 17 power forward." -- Zagsblog.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM DECEMBER, 2019

DEC. 20: "ESPN 100 center Hunter Dickinson announced his commitment to Michigan on Friday, giving first-year head coach Juwan Howard his third top-100 prospect in the 2020 class... Dickinson, a 7-foot-1 center from DeMatha Catholic High School (Maryland), is ranked No. 35 in the ESPN 100 for 2020. He's the No. 6 center in the country." -- ESPN.com

DEC. 17: "An exciting start to the high school basketball season has been filled with plenty of upsets, buzzer-beating finishes and even a seven-overtime thriller. In a game that lasted approximately four hours, No. 4 Paul VI outlasted Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) 130-128 with seven extra periods. The marathon game saw 77 fouls committed as seven starters and 10 players in total fouled out... Top-ranked Montverde Academy was dominant in a nationally televised showdown with previous No. 11 DeMatha. The Eagles took it to the Stags left zero doubt in the 76-56 blowout." -- Maxpreps.com

DEC. 13: "The nation's leading scorer, Tommy Murr of Lindsay Lane Christian Academy (Athens, Ala.), broke another Alabama record last month. The 6-foot-2 senior is averaging 45.2 points per contest for the Lions. Murr made headlines Nov. 30 at the Lighthouse Classic, hitting just above his average with 46 against New Site (Miss.) to break the AHSAA career scoring record with 4,659 points. He eclipsed the previous mark of 4,555 points set by Jeremy Monceaux of Parkway Christian, who played from 1998-2002." -- Maxpreps.com

DEC. 10: "A pair of showdowns between ranked opponents headline another intriguing week of high school basketball action, as No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) hosts No. 11 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) Dec. 12 and No. 10 McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) faces off against No. 18 Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) on Dec. 14." -- Maxpreps.com

"In a showdown heavy with storylines, No. 2 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) travels to Ohio to face St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio). The game not only features LeBron James Jr. playing against his father's alma mater, but it's a major test for the Trailblazers against the top-ranked team from the Buckeye State." -- Maxpreps.com

DEC. 5: "ESPN 100 forward Terrance Williams announced Thursday that he was decommitting from Georgetown and reopening his recruitment. Williams didn't sign a letter of intent with the Hoyas during the early signing period, but he told ESPN last month that such a letter had always been his plan." -- ESPN.com

DEC. 3: "A wild week of high school hoops saw our reigning National Player of the Year, Sharife Cooper record an insane 52-point triple double, while top-ranked Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) annihilated a pair of Lone Star State contenders. Montverde Academy throttled a quality Duncanville (Texas) 84-51, before dismantling Yates (Houston) 98-46. The Eagles looked worthy of their preseason No. 1 ranking and appear to have one of the deepest teams seen in quite some time. No. 10 McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) picked up a pair of quality wins over the weekend, taking down Mayfair (Lakewood, Calif.) and Windsor Forest (Savannah, Ga.) behind a pair of spectacular performances by Auburn pledge Cooper." -- Maxpreps.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM NOVEMBER, 2019

NOVEMBER 21: "Adam Miller, the 6-foot-3 guard from Morgan Park (IL) and the Mac Irvin Fire AAU, announced his pledge to Illinois on Thursday night... According to 247Sports, he is ranked No. 32 nationally and is the No. 2 player from Illinois." -- Zagsblog.com

NOVEMBER 18: "Five-star scorer Cameron Thomas committed to LSU on Monday, giving Will Wade and the Tigers their fourth five-star prospect in the past three classes... A 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Virginia who plays at Oak Hill Academy (Virginia), Thomas is one of the best scorers in the 2020 class. He led the Nike EYBL circuit in scoring, averaging 29.5 points during the regular season." -- ESPN.com

NOVEMBER 14: "UConn has landed its big man of the future. Javonte Brown-Ferguson, the 7-foot, 240-pound 16-year-old big man from Thornlea Secondary School in Ontario and the Under Armour Canada Elite AAU program, has committed to the Huskies, he told ZAGSBLOG." -- Zagsblog.com

NOVEMBER 10: "Arkansas landed another in-state basketball prospect on Saturday night, as top-30 senior Moses Moody announced his commitment to the Razorbacks... Moody was a prolific scorer for the Brad Beal Elite grassroots program on the Nike EYBL circuit, averaging 16.1 points last spring and summer. He also pitched in with 4.2 rebounds." -- ESPN.com

NOVEMBER 5: "Top-35 senior Earl Timberlake announced his commitment to Miami on Monday afternoon, becoming the Hurricanes' highest-ranked recruit since Lonnie Walker in the 2017 class... A 6-foot-6 small forward from DeMatha Catholic High School (Maryland), Timberlake has been considered one of the top prospects in the mid-Atlantic area throughout his high school career." -- ESPN.com

NOVEMBER 5: "Duke landed a commitment from top-10 junior A.J. Griffin on Monday morning, giving the Blue Devils the highest-ranked ESPN 60 pledge in the country." -- ESPN.com

NOVEMBER 5: "Top-35 prospect Micah Peavy committed to Texas Tech on Monday morning, giving the Red Raiders a top-50 pledge for the third consecutive recruiting class... A 6-foot-7 small forward from Duncanville, Peavy is ranked No. 32 in the ESPN 100 for 2020." -- ESPN.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM OCTOBER, 2019

OCTOBER 27: "Bradley Ezewiro, the 6-foot-9, 270-pound power forward from Oak Hill Academy (VA) and the Oakland Soldiers, announced his commitment to LSU on Saturday afternoon... According to 247Sports, Ezewiro is a three-star prospect, ranked No. 208 nationally, and is the No. 10 prospect from California." -- Zagsblog.com

OCTOBER 22: "North Carolina landed their fourth top 50 recruit in the Class of 2020 on Monday morning, as R.J. Davis, a sharpshooter from New York, committed to the Tar Heels. Davis is a prototype new-age lead guard." -- NBCsports.com

OCTOBER 19: "The rich got a little bit richer on Thursday night as five-star guard Devin Askew, the No. 10 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings for the Class of 2021, committed to the Kentucky Wildcats. Askew made visits to Louisville, Arizona and Memphis, but the Wildcats -- who offered this summer and made a spirited push for him in recent months -- won out." -- CBSsports.com

OCTOBER 19: "ESPN 100 guard Hassan Diarra committed to Texas A&M on Friday, giving new coach Buzz Williams his first top-100 recruit since taking over the program in the spring... A 6-foot-3 combo guard, Diarra is ranked No. 55 in the ESPN 100. He played for the PSA Cardinals grassroots program on the Nike EYBL circuit last spring and summer, averaging 13.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists." -- ESPN.com

OCTOBER 19: When Michigan tabbed former Fab Five star Juwan Howard as its coach to succeed John Beilein, the expectation was that he'd bring in top-end talent. And thus far, he's living up to the hype. Howard on Thursday reeled in his first five-star commitment since taking over the program, beating out Kansas and Hall of Fame coach Bill Self for blue-chip power forward prospect Isaiah Todd. -- CBSsports.com

OCTOBER 16: Scottie Barnes, the 6-foot-8 small forward from Montverde (FL) Academy, committed to Florida State on Monday. -- Zagsblog.com

OCTOBER 10: D.J. Gordon, the 6-foot-6, 175-pound shooting guard from First Love Christian Academy and Team Final, committed to Penn State on Wednesday. Ranked the No. 34 shooting guard nationally by 247Sports.com, Gordon chose Penn State over Pittsburgh, Providence, Minnesota, VCU and Iowa. -- Zagsblog.com

OCTOBER 10: The 2020 Hoophall Classic: This year’s top matchups include Paul VI High School (Va.) vs. Sierra Canyon School (Calif.), DeMatha Catholic High School (Md.) and Rancho Christian School (Calif.), Oak Hill Academy (Va.) vs. Bishop Gorman High School (Nev.), Montverde Academy (Fla.) vs. IMG Academy (Fla.) -- Zagsblog.com

OCTOBER 7: A.J. Hoggard, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Class of 2020 point guard from Huntington Prep (WV) and the PSA Cardinals, committed to Michigan State on Sunday. Ranked the No. 13 point guard in the class by 247Sports.com, Hoggard also visited Providence (Aug. 30), Ole Miss (Sept. 5), Marquette (Sept. 18) and Florida (Sept. 20). -- Zagsblog.com

OCTOBER 4: Five-star forward Jaemyn Brakefield announced his commitment to Duke on Friday, just one day after the Blue Devils extended a scholarship offer... He's ranked No. 23 overall in the 2020 class, slotting in as the No. 5 power forward. -- ESPN.com

OCTOBER 3: ESPN 100 wing Andre Jackson announced his commitment to UConn on Wednesday afternoon... A 6-foot-5 small forward from Albany Academy (New York), Jackson is ranked No. 50 in the ESPN 100 for the 2020 class. -- ESPN.com

OCTOBER 2: North Carolina added its third five-star commitment in the Class of 2020 with guard Caleb Love’s pledge to the Tar Heels with a public announcement. The 6-foot-3 Love can play either guard spot as he’s an attacking guard with a lot of upside on defense. -- NBCsports.com

Love joins Walker Kessler and Day’Ron Sharpe as the third commit in the Tar Heels’ 2020 class. They are still in the running for five-stars Cade Cunningham, Greg Brown, Ziaire Williams, Isaiah Todd, Bryce Thompson. UNC is also pursuing four-stars Puff Johnson, Hunter Dickinson, Dawson Garcia, Earl Timberlake, and R.J. Davis. -- Zagsblog.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM SEPTEMBER, 2019

SEPTEMBER 28: Sharife Cooper, the 6-foot point guard from McEachern (GA), announced his commitment to Auburn on Friday, as first reported by 247Sports. -- Zagsblog.com

SEPTEMBER 28: Henry Coleman, the 6-foot-6 power forward from Trinity Episcopal (VA) School, announced his commitment to Duke on Friday. -- Zagsblog.com

SEPTEMBER 23: Walker Kessler, the 6-foot-10 center from Woodward Academy (GA), has committed to North Carolina, per 247Sports... According to 247Sports, Kessler is ranked as the No. 15 overall player in the Class of 2020 and the No. 3 ranked center. -- Zagsblog.com

SEPTEMBER 21: Devin Askew, the 6-foot-3 point guard from Mater Dei (CA) and Team Why Not?, will remain in the Class of 2021 and won’t reclass to 2020. Askew is the No. 2-ranked combo guard in the Class of 2021 according to 247Sports.com, but had the option of reclassifying to 2020. -- Zagsblog.com

SEPTEMBER 19: Five-star shooting guard D.J. Steward committed to Duke on Wednesday, giving the Blue Devils their third five-star prospect in the 2020 class... A 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Whitney Young High School (Illinois), Steward is ranked No. 26 in the ESPN 100. He's the No. 7 player at his position in the 2020 class. -- ESPN.com

SEPTEMBER 15: Five-star guard Terrence Clarke reclassified to the class of 2020 and committed to Kentucky on Saturday, Clarke told 247Sports. Clarke is the No. 4 ranked recruit in his new class and 2020's top-ranked shooting guard, according to 247Sports rankings. -- SI.com

SEPTEMBER 14: Jamir Watkins, the 6-foot-7 small forward Trenton (N.J.) Catholic and Team Final, committed to VCU. -- Zagsblog.com

SEPTEMBER 14: Osasere Ighodaro, the 6-foot-9 forward from Desert Vista (AZ), announced his commitment to Marquette on Friday... According to 247Sports, Ighodaro is a four-star prospect, ranked No. 57 nationally, and is the No. 9 power forward.-- Zagsblog.com

SEPTEMBER 4: Matt Cross, the 6-foot-6 wing from Brewster Academy (NH) and BABC AAU, announced his pledge to Miami on Tuesday evening... According to 247Sports, he is a four-star prospect, ranked No. 78 nationally, and is the No. 1 player in New Hampshire. -- Zagsblog.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM AUGUST, 2019

AUGUST 21: Mick Cronin has reeled in his first blue chip. Five-star guard Daishen Nix verbally committed to UCLA men’s basketball Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reported. Nix was rated as the nation’s No. 1 point guard in the class of 2020 by 247Sports. -- Dailybruin.com

At 6 feet, 5 inches, Nix has been heralded as the country’s best playmaker in his class. His frame also makes him the tallest Bruin point guard since Lonzo Ball. -- Dailybruin.com

AUGUST 19: ESPN 100 guard Addison Patterson announced Sunday he planned to reclassify into the 2019 class and enroll at Oregon for the upcoming season... Patterson is ranked No. 31 in the ESPN 100 for the 2020 class, slotting in as the No 10 shooting guard. -- ESPN.com

AUGUST 13: Five-star center N'Faly Dante will reclassify into the 2019 class and play at Oregon next season... A 6-foot-11 center from Mali, Dante attended Sunrise Christian Academy (Kansas). He was one of the most dominant big men on the Nike EYBL circuit this past spring and summer, leading the MoKan Elite program to a Peach Jam title in July. -- ESPN.com

AUGUST 9: Anthony Leal, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Bloomington South (IN), announced his commitment to Indiana on Friday, via Twitter. -- Zagsblog.com

AUGUST 5: The No. 1 recruit in the nation, five-star center Evan Mobley, committed Monday to Southern California over offers from Miami, Alabama, UCLA, Washington and others. Mobley, who plays for Rancho Christian in Temecula, California, will join his older brother Isaiah and father, Eric, at USC. Eric is an assistant coach on Andy Enfield's staff and his brother, Isaiah, is an incoming freshman who signed with the Trojans in their 2019 recruiting class. -- CBSsports.com

At 6-foot-11 and 200 pounds, Mobley is everything that you look for in a big man in modern basketball. He’s long and athletic, he is mobile on the perimeter, he’s skilled with a stroke out to about 17 feet and he has a high basketball IQ. There’s a very real chance that he will end up being the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. -- NBCsports.com

AUGUST 5: Kentucky's 2020 recruiting class now has two commits after four-star prospect Cam'Ron Fletcher announced his decision to join the Wildcats Sunday. -- SI.com

AUGUST 3: Five-star recruit MarJon Beauchamp announced on Thursday that he will bypass college and train for the 2021 NBA draft. Beauchamp will train with Chaleleon BX, joining the San Francisco company's 12-month training program. He is currently ranked as the No. 24 recruit in the Class of 2020, and the No. 1 recruit in the state of Arizona, according to 247Sports. -- SI.com

Skipping college for top-end high school prospects has become en vogue in recent years, but sitting out to train is a relatively new concept. Last year, five-star Syracuse pledge Darius Bazley blazed the trail before being drafted in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft. Others -- like RJ Hampton, LaMelo Ball and Terrance Ferguson -- have chosen to skip college and play overseas before making the leap to the NBA. -- CBSsports.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM JULY, 2019

JULY 30: Terrance Williams, the 6-foot-6 forward from Gonzaga College (DC) High School, committed to Georgetown on Monday via Twitter... According to 247Sports, Williams is ranked as the No. 82 overall player in the Class of 2020 and the No. 14 ranked power forward. -- Zagsblog.com

JULY 29: Four-star 2020 recruit Marcus Bagley has committed to play at Arizona State. Bagley, the brother of Kings' forward Marvin Bagley III, announced his decision in a video posted to his Twitter account on Monday... The No. 48 overall prospect in the 247Sports rankings, Bagley averaged 19.9 points and 7.9 rebounds last season as a junior at Sheldon High in Sacramento, Calif. -- SI.com

According to 247Sports, Bagley is ranked as the No. 50 overall player in the Class of 2020 and the No. 7 player from the state of California. -- Zagsblog.com

JULY 28: Brandon Boston Jr., the 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Sierra Canyon (CA), announced his commitment to Kentucky on Saturday... According to 247Sports, Boston is a five-star prospect, ranked No. 10 nationally, and is the No. 2 shooting guard. -- Zagsblog.com

JULY 25: The wild ride that has been the last two years in Arizona basketball took another turn for the good on Monday night. Dalen Terry, a 6-foot-6 wing and a top 40 prospect in the Class of 2020, announced that he had committed to Arizona. -- NBCsports.com

JULY 24: Dalen Terry, the 6-foot-8 wing from Hillcrest Prep (AZ), announced his pledge to Arizona on Tuesday night via Twitter... According to 247Sports, Terry is a four-star prospect, ranked No. 25 nationally, and is the No. 1 player from Arizona. -- Zagsblog.com

JULY 24: Justin Lewis, the 6-foot-7 forward from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and Team Melo, committed to Marquette on Wednesday. The No. 10-ranked power forward in the Class of 2020 per 247Sports.com, Lewis also considered Tennessee, Maryland, UConn, UCF, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, West Virginia, Purdue, and Seton Hall. -- Zagsblog.com

JULY 18: Auburn landed a late commitment for the 2019-20 season on Wednesday night as three-star athletic wing Devan Cambridge pledged to the Tigers. A 6-foot-6, 215-pound wing, Cambridge had a very strong showing at the Nike Peach Jam last week as he averaged 16.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game during pool play at the event. -- NBCsports.com

JULY 17: Dajuan Harris, the 6-foot-2 point guard from Rock Bridge (MO), announced his commitment to Kansas on Tuesday night... According to 247Sports, Harris is a four-star prospect, ranked No. 101 nationally, and is the No. 1 player from Missouri. -- Zagsblog.com

JULY 16: Nick “Stretch” Ongenda, a 6-foot-10 forward from Little Rock (AR) Southwest Christian, flipped to DePaul from Western Kentucky on Monday in the wake of a coaching move... A native of South Africa, he averaged 14 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots for the Lions. -- Zagsblog.com

JULY 15: The circus that surrounded Bronny James, the oldest son of NBA legend LeBron James, during his time at the Peach Jam was unlike anything that I’ve ever seen for a player his age. Bronny is 14 years old. He has yet to take a single high school class. He played U15 on the EYBL circuit, which is the youngest group of kids that play at the Riverview Athletic Center. And yet, he was the biggest draw at an event where the gyms are always at capacity while fans – and some media members – are constantly turned away at the door so as to avoid fire code violations. -- NBCsports.com

JULY 14: Jonathan Kuminga may have come up short in his ultimate goal of leading the NY Rens to the Peach Jam championship this week, but he made a strong case that he is the best high school basketball player in the nation regardless of class. The 6-foot-9, 218-pound wing from the Congo averaged 27.4 points and 6.0 rebounds in five games before the Rens fell to Mokan Elite, 81-70, in the quarterfinals on Saturday. -- Zagsblog.com

JULY 12: Top-30 guard Jabri Abdur-Rahim announced his commitment to Virginia on Wednesday night... Abdur-Rahim, ranked No. 28 overall and No. 4 among small forwards, is the highest-ranked prospect to commit to Virginia since Kyle Guy (No. 27) pledged to the Cavaliers in 2016. He's the sixth top-50 prospect to pick the Cavaliers since head coach Tony Bennett took over in 2009. -- ESPN.com

Ranked No. 28 in the Class of 2020 by ESPN.com, Abdur-Rahim is the son of of former NBA standout and current G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim. -- Zagsblog.com

JULY 5: Five-star forward Jalen Johnson announced his commitment to Duke's 2020 recruiting class on Thursday in a video posted on his Twitter account. Johnson is the second five-star recruit to announce that he will play with the Blue Devils and join "The Brotherhood" after high school. -- SI.com

[Jalen Johnson] is the top small forward in the class. He averaged 17.0 points and 9.2 rebounds on the Nike EYBL circuit this spring and summer for Phenom University. -- ESPN.com

JULY 3: Yassine Gharram, the 6-foot-2, 183-pound point guard from Foothills Christian (CA), committed to Yale on Wednesday. -- Zagsblog.com



HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM JUNE, 2019

JUNE 28

Zach Harvey, the 6-foot-4 guard from Prolific Prep (CA), announced his pledge to Cincinnati on Thursday. -- Zagsblog.com

JUNE 24: ESPN high school basketball class of 2020 player rankings, as of June 24, 2019:
1) Evan Mobley (Rancho Christian School, C, 7-0, 205 lbs),
2) Cade Cunningham (Montverde Academy, G/F, 6-7, 215),
3) Jalen Green (Prolific Prep, SG, 6-5, 180 lbs),
4) Jalen Johnson (Nicolet High School, SF, 6-8, 215),
5) Greg Brown (Vandegrift High School, F, 6-8, 205 lbs),
6) Ziaire Williams (Notre Dame High School, 6-7, 175),
7) B.J. Boston (Norcross High School, SF, 6-6, 175),
8) Isaiah Todd (Trinity Academy, PF, 6-9, 215),
9) Scottie Barnes (NSU University School, PF, 6-8, 210),
10) Josh Christopher (Mayfair High School, SG, 6-4, 205).
JUNE 17: Paolo Banchero, the Class of 2021 forward from O’Dea (WA) and Seattle Rotary, cemented a standout spring on the EYBL circuit and lived up to his lofty national ranking with his performance all week at the NBPA Top 100 Camp on the campus of University of Virginia. -- Zagsblog.com

JUNE 12

The lone uncommitted top-100 prospect in the 2019 recruiting class has officially found a home. Four-star small forward Jalen Wilson, who decommitted from Michigan a month ago following John Beilein's exit to the NBA, committed to Kansas on Wednesday. Wilson picked the Jayhawks over North Carolina after making a recent visit to both, and was also believed to still be considering the Wolverines. -- SI.com

JUNE 7

RJ Hampton may be the biggest recruit to be playing next season overseas, but he won’t have the biggest name. Kenyon Martin, Jr., son of the former Cincinnati legend and NBA All-Star, will bypass college and immediately pursue a professional career abroad, he told 247Sports.com. -- NBCsports.com

Top-five recruit R.J. Hampton announced in late May that he was bypassing college and signed a professional contract with the New Zealand Breakers of the National Basketball League in Australia. Hampton's announcement to skip college influenced Martin's decision, sources told ESPN. -- ESPN.com

As a senior at Sierra Canyon, Martin averaged 16.4 points and nine rebounds, while helping lead the Trailblazers to a CIF Open Division championship and a 32-3 record. -- Zagsblog.com

JUNE 1

RJ Hampton surprised many earlier this week when he decided to bypass college basketball by signing with the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian pro league. Until then, Kansas, Memphis and Texas Tech had held out hope that it would land a five-star prospect late in the recruiting cycle that would provide an instant and dramatic boost to any of the program’s 2019-20 fortunes. -- NBCsports.com

Hampton, who previously reclassified from the 2020 class to 2019, considered Kansas, Memphis and Texas Tech. He announced his decision to skip a college season on Tuesday. The 6'5" Hampton, from Little Elm (Texas) High School, was No. 5 in the 247Sports composite ranking of the 2019 recruiting class. -- SI.com

According to a report Wednesday night from Tarek Fattal of the Los Angeles Daily News, the sons of the former Heat legends -- Bronny James and Zaire Wade -- will be following in their fathers footsteps by teaming up on the court next season at Sierra Canyon, a California powerhouse high school program that perennially produces college talent. -- CBSsports.com

When top-five prospect RJ Hampton announced Tuesday he would be dodging college in favor of playing professionally in New Zealand for a year, it caused predictable hand-wringing about what his decision meant for college basketball. In reality, Hampton's choice was much more an indictment of the G League, which in 2018 introduced six-figure salaries to, in part, entice high schoolers who sought to ignore college in favor of a professional track to the NBA. Hampton bypassing the G League was more damaging, and arguably more embarrassing, for that organization than it was for college hoops. -- CBSsports.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM MAY, 2019

MAY 29

Woody Newton, the 6-foot-8 forward from Mt. Zion Prep (MD) and Team Takeover AAU, announced his commitment to Syracuse on Tuesday. -- Zagsblog.com

MAY 28

When previously uncommitted five-star recruit R.J. Hampton appeared on ESPN’s Get Up on Tuesday to share what the chyron teased as his “college decision,” perhaps equally as interesting as Hampton’s announcement—that he is signing a pro contract with the New Zealand Breakers, of the largely Australia-based NBL—was the reception of his reasoning. “My dream has never been to play college basketball,” Hampton explained. -- SI.com

MAY 24

Jaden McDaniels, the 6-foot-10 small forward from Federal Way (WA), committed to Washington, as expected... He will join a strong recruiting class featuring RaeQuan Battle, Marcus Tsohonis and fellow five-star forward Isaiah Stewart. Stewart signed last month and gives Washington a potent inside presence. -- Zagsblog.com

MAY 19

Tyreek Smith, the 6-foot-8 forward from Trinity Christian School (TX), announced his commitment to Texas Tech on Saturday evening... According to 247Sports, McLeod is a three-star prospect, ranked No. 140 nationally, and is the No. 15 player from Texas. -- Zagsblog.com

MAY 18

Penny Hardaway has done it again. The Memphis coach closed on yet another big name recruit on Friday, reeling in five-star Class of 2019 talent Precious Achiuwa over UConn, Kansas, North Carolina and a slew of other programs who were in the mix late. Achiuwa, a 6-foot-9, 215 pound small forward, rates as the No. 14 player in the 247Sports Composite and the No. 4 player at his position. -- CBSsports.com

MAY 17

On Friday, Jacob Toppin, a 6-foot-8, 185-pound forward from Ossining, N.Y., signed with Rhode Island, ending his recruitment. Head coach David Cox and assistants Ty Boswell and Kevin Sutton recruited Toppin. -- Zagsblog.com

MAY 8

Kansas landed a commitment from one of the best available high school seniors on Tuesday night as top-50 Class of 2019 wing Tristan Enaruna pledged to the Jayhawks. The 6-foot-9 Enaruna is a native of The Netherlands as he’s been playing high school basketball in the United States since the middle of last season at Wasatch Academy in Utah. -- NBCsports.com

MAY 7

Georgia’s already high-powered 2019 recruiting class got a big boost Monday. Sahvir Wheeler, a four-star point guard from Houston, committed to Tom Crean and the Bulldogs, giving them a class of four four-star recruits and one five-star headliner in Anthony Edwards. -- NBCsports.com

MAY 6

Kenyon Martin Jr., the 6-foot-6 power from Sierra Canyon (CA) and the son of former NBA standout Kenyon Martin, committed to Vanderbilt and new coach Jerry Stackhouse on Sunday. -- Zagsblog.com

MAY 4

Kahlil Whitney finally realized his signing vision on Friday. The 6-foot-7 forward from Roselle (N.J.) Catholic nicknamed “The Dragon” flew in to Chicago and signed his National Letter of Intent at his grammar school, John Milton Gregory Academy. As first reported last fall by ZAGSBLOG, Whitney opted not to sign in the fall because he wanted to sign in his hometown and couldn’t make the travel logistics work in November. -- Zagsblog.com

MAY 1

Five-star combo guard RJ Hampton will reclassify to the class of 2019 and forgo his senior high school season, Hampton announced Tuesday. Hampton's father Rod told 247Sports that his son's recent performances for Team USA and on the Nike EYBL circuit prompted the decision to depart from high school a year early. Hampton played at EYBL this past weekend and dropped 41 points and six assists during one of his showcase games. -- SI.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM APRIL, 2019

APRIL 24

Cole Anthony, the 6-foot-3 point guard from Oak Hill Academy (VA) and the No. 2-ranked prospect in the Class of 2019, committed to the Tar Heels on ESPN’s “The Jump.” -- Zagsblog.com

APRIL 23

Cole Anthony, the No. 2-ranked prospect in the 2019 class and the top unsigned senior, announced his commitment to North Carolina on Tuesday morning... Ranked No. 2 in the 2019 class behind James Wiseman, Anthony is a 6-foot-3 point guard from New York who attended Oak Hill Academy (Virginia). -- ESPN.com

Anthony is the son of former NBA player Greg Anthony. The 6-foot-3 lead guard is an exceptional athlete that spent his senior season at Oak Hill Academy after playing his first three high school seasons for Archbishop Molloy in New York City. He joins five-star big man Armando Bacot and four-star guard Jeremiah Francis in North Carolina’s recruiting class. -- NBCsports.com

APRIL 22

Duke’s already monster 2019 class got even stronger Monday. Cassius Stanley, a four-star guard from California, pledged to the Blue Devils to give them their fifth recruit rated in the top-35 nationally in the class. -- NBCsports.com

APRIL 20

Matthew Hurt is headed to Duke. The 6-foot-9 forward from John Marshall High School (MN) announced for the Blue Devils on Friday over other blue bloods like Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina as well as Memphis. Hurt turns 19 on Saturday. -- Zagsblog.com

Hurt, a 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward, will join a stacked incoming class that includes 6-9 forward/center Vernon Carey Jr. of University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 6-5 wing Wendell Moore Jr. of Cox Mill (Concord, N.C.) and 6-2 combo guard Boogie Ellis of Mission Bay (San Diego, Calif.). -- Maxpreps.com

Hurt is the perfect compliment to Carey, a powerhouse low-post force, and Moore, who is a talented wing. He has size and is extremely skilled, with the ability to stretch the floor out to 25 feet and the potential to be a dangerous face-up scorer, both in the mid-post and on the perimeter. -- NBCsports.com

A 6-foot-8 power forward from John Marshall High School (Minnesota), Hurt is a skilled inside-outside scorer. He is ranked No. 10 in the ESPN 100 and slots in as the No. 2 power forward in the class. -- ESPN.com

Hurt is the third top-25 commitment for Duke in the 2019 class and the third five-star to join the fold this cycle joining center Vernon Carey (No. 3), forward Wendell Moore (No. 22) and guard Boogie Ellis (No. 34). He is ranked as the No. 2 power forward in the country, and the Rochester, Minnesota native rates out as the top prospect from his state. -- CBSsports.com

APRIL 18

Chris Harris Jr., the 6-foot-3 shooting guard from South Garland (TX) and Houston Hoops Hoops AAU, announced his pledge to Oklahoma State on Thursday afternoon. -- Zagsblog.com

APRIL 9

For the first time, IMG Academy is home to high school basketball's national champions. The Ascenders featured one of the most talented starting lineups of the past decade — boasting a record three McDonald's All-Americans and two high-major guards. Villanova signee Jeremiah Robinson-Earl made the biggest offensive impact in the GEICO Nationals title game, finishing with 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Frontcourt running mate, North Carolina signee Armando Bacot Jr., made his impact on the defensive end, anchoring the paint and holding highly touted Isaiah Stewart to 14 points and seven rebounds in the championship game. -- Maxpreps.com

APRIL 6

No. 4 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) erased a 16-point, fourth-quarter deficit and broke the hearts of defending GEICO Nationals champions, No. 3 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), 74-73 in a game the Ascenders trailed 63-47 entering the final eight minutes. -- Maxpreps.com

Jesse Edwards, the 6-foot-11 center from the Netherlands committed to Syracuse on Friday, per ESPN’s Adam Finkelstein. He took his official visit to Syracuse earlier this week (Apr. 1). -- Zagsblog.com

APRIL 3

Jalen Terry, the 5-foot-11 point guard from Beecher High School (MI) and The Family AAU program, announced his commitment to Michigan State on Tuesday night... He is the first commit for Michigan State as they continue to push for five-star Isaiah Jackson along with four-stars Cam’ron Fletcher and Carlos Johnson. -- Zagsblog.com

APRIL 1

Josh Pierre-Louis, the 6-foot-3 point guard from Roselle (N.J.) Catholic, has committed to Temple after decommitting from UNLV in the wake of the coaching change. -- Zagsblog.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM MARCH, 2019

MARCH 27

The 42nd McDonald's All American Games tipped off Wednesday night with 48 of the most talented boys and girls prospects in high school basketball taking the court at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. In the boys game the East squad took down the West 115-100 to even the series at 21-21 all-time. Point guard Cole Anthony of Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) earned MVP honors, finishing with 14 points, seven assists and five rebounds. The top unsigned senior in the country connected on 7 of 11 field goal attempts. -- Maxpreps.com

MARCH 26

Forty-eight of the top high school basketball prospects in the country will compete Wednesday in Atlanta in the McDonald's All-American games. The games will take place at State Farm Arena with the 18th annual girls game starting at 5 p.m. (Eastern time), followed by a 7 p.m. tip-off for the 42nd edition of the boys game. Both contests will be televised live on ESPN. -- Maxpreps.com

Most college basketball fans will have their eyes on five uncommitted 5-star standouts, including four on the East: Precious Achiuwa of Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), Cole Anthony of Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), Jaden McDaniels of Federal Way (Wash.) and Trendon Watford of Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Ala.). The fifth elite recruit uncommitted is Matthew Hurt of John Marshall (Rochester, Minn.). -- Maxpreps.com

MARCH 25

Arizona commits Josh Green and Nico Mannion, Illinois pledge Kofi Cockburn, West Virginia pledge Oscar Tshiebwe, and uncommitted wing Precious Achiuwa highlight the 12-member World Select Team for the 2019 Nike Hoop Summit on April 12. Zagsblog.com

MARCH 21

James Wiseman, the 7-footer from Memphis (TN) East, on Tuesday was named the 2018-2019 Gatorade National Boys Basketball... The 7-foot, 230-pound Wiseman had led Memphis East High School to a 24-8 record and a berth in the Class AAA state tournament quarterfinals at the time of his selection. Wiseman averaged 25.8 points, 14.8 rebounds, 5.5 blocks and 1.3 steals through 32 games. -- Zagsblog.com

MARCH 19

One week of basketball remains before GEICO Nationals takes center stage April 4-6. The field was announced last week, with some unprecedented circumstances surrounding one of the teams in the event. Due to disagreements within the program, top-ranked McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) dropped out of the field, putting a damper on an event that was set to feature each of the top four teams in the country. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) will replace the Indians. -- Maxpreps.com

After the dust settled, the eight-team field will feature first round match-ups of one-seed La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) vs. eight-seed Bishop Gorman, No. 2 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) vs. No. 7 University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), No. 3 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) vs. No. 6 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) and fourth-seeded Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) vs. No. 5 Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah). -- Maxpreps.com

MARCH 9

The rosters for the 2019 Jordan Brand Classic were released on Friday. The game will be played at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV on April 20. The home team is highlighted by five-star undecided point guard Cole Anthony and Duke commit Vernon Carey Jr., while the away team is highlighted by five-star Memphis commit James Wiseman and Washington commit Isaiah Stewart. -- Zagsblog.com

Las Vegas will play host to the Jordan Brand Classic for the first time in event history, where 26 of high school basketball's most talented seniors will be showcased April 20. Class of 2019 stars Anthony Edwards, Nico Mannion and James Wiseman are scheduled to flash their skills at T-Mobile Arena for the 18th edition of one of high school basketball's premiere postseason showcases -- Maxpreps.com

MARCH 8

Rasheed Wallace was named head boys basketball coach at Jordan (Durham, N.C.) on Friday morning. The 16-year NBA veteran will follow in the footsteps of other former NBA players to find success in the coaching ranks, highlighted by Penny Hardaway's rise to the Division I level after his stint at Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.). -- Maxpreps.com

MARCH 4

Corey Walker, the 6-foot-6 wing from Bishop Snyder (FL) and Game Elite, announced his commitment to Tennessee on Sunday afternoon... According to 247Sports, Walker is a five-star prospect, ranked No. 23 nationally, and is the No. 4 player in Florida. -- Zagsblog.com

MARCH 2

Jordan Mason, the 6-foor-4, 189-pound shooting guard from Brookline (MA) Dexter, committed to Wagner on Tuesday... He joins power forwards Darion Jordan-Thomas and Ja’Mier Fletcher and big man DeAndre Wilkins in Wagner’s 2019 class. -- Zagsblog.com

MARCH 1

Oumar Ballo, the 6-foot-10 center from NBA Academy (MX) Latin America, committed to Gonzaga on Saturday, per ESPN’s Jonathan Givony... At the FIBA U17 World Cup in Argentina last summer, Ballo averaged 21 points and 17 rebounds. -- Zagsblog.com



HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM FEBRUARY, 2019

The 2019 USA Nike Hoop Summit Team will feature: Cole Anthony (Oak Hill Academy, Va./New York, N.Y.), Vernon Carey Jr. (University School/Southwest Ranches, Fla.), De’Vion Harmon (John Guyer H.S./Corinth, Texas), Matthew Hurt (John Marshall H.S./Rochester, Minn.), Scottie Lewis (Ranney School/Hazlet, N.J.), Tyrese Maxey (South Garland H.S./Dallas, Texas), Justin Moore (DeMatha Catholic H.S./Accokeek, Md.), Wendell Moore Jr. (Cox Mill H.S./Charlotte, N.C.), Isaac Okoro (McEachern H.S./Powder Springs, Ga.), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (IMG Academy, Fla./Overland Park, Kan.), Isaiah Stewart (La Lumiere School, Ind./Rochester, N.Y.) and James Wiseman (East H.S./Memphis, Tenn.). -- Zagsblog.com / Feb. 14

Regarded as the No. 1 prospect in high school basketball's Class of 2019 by 247Sports, Anthony Edwards of Holy Spirit Prep (Atlanta, Ga.) committed to Georgia on Monday morning. A 6-foot-5, 215-pound guard, Edwards made his decision live on CBS Sports HQ. -- Maxpreps.com / Feb. 12

Another chapter was written into the illustrious high school athletic career of Joe Girard III on Friday night. The senior guard broke a New York Section II single-game scoring record by going for 69 points, leading Glens Falls (Glens Falls, N.Y.) to a 98-83 victory over Schuylerville. According to the Daily Gazette, Girard, a Syracuse commit, broke the record of 67 points set by Rich Campoli in 1964. -- Maxpreps.com / Feb. 10

As the regular season nears the end, La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) and McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) remain atop the MaxPreps Composite Top 25 rankings with the prospects of the No. 1 team in the land being settled only at GEICO Nationals. Of course, No. 4 and reigning national champion Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) might have something to say about that. -- Maxpreps.com / Feb. 9



HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM JANUARY, 2019

January 23

The Spalding Hoophall Classic and Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions took center stage over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend with 10 showdowns between Xcellent 25 teams featured in the two prestigious events. Top ranked La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) may have been the most impressive team at the Spalding Hoophall Classic, as its blowout win over a quality DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) team kept the Lakers at No. 1, even after No. 2 McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) had an incredible week of basketball. The Indians picked up four wins in five days, taking down No. 22 Shadow Mountain (Phoenix) and No. 9 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) before traveling to -- Maxpreps.com

January 22

The debate for No. 1 in high school basketball raged on at the Spalding Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., as each of the top two teams in the nation picked up signature victories in impressive fashion to remain unbeaten. Both No. 1 La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) and No. 2 McEachern (Powder Spring, Ga.) made their case for the top spot in the rankings as each team controlled their talented opposition wire-to-wire at Blake Arena. -- Maxpreps.com

January 20

Despite trailing for the first 26 minutes of Saturday night's final at the Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions in Springfield, Mo., No. 2 McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) emerged as the champion – and kept its record perfect on the season. The Indians (18-0) battled back for a 50-46 win over No. 15 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) in overtime though they didn't lead until the 5:55 mark in the fourth quarter. -- Maxpreps.com

January 18

If you want to film LaMelo Ball and his SPIRE Institute teammates this weekend at their event in Marshall County, Kentucky, you’ll have to pay $3,500 at the gate to do so. Those who apply for video credentials for the event receive this email which reads, “All games are free to film except for the Spire Institute games. To film either of the 2 Spire Institute games, you will have to present $3,500 at the gate as per rules of the Big Baller Brand media credential.” One source said several video outlets had agreed to pay the fee. -- Zagsblog.com

January 16

Bryan Antoine (Villanova), Khalif Battle (Butler), Dashawn Davis (Seton Hall), Al-Amir Dawes (Clemson), Joe Girard (Syracuse) Aidan Igiehon (Louisville), Alex Klatsky (Florida), Scottie Lewis (Florida), Josh Pierre-Louis (UNLV) and Kahlil Whitney (Kentucky) highlight the New York/New Jersey nominees for the 2019 McDonald’s All-American Game. -- Zagsblog.com

January 13

Scotty Pippen Jr., the son of former NBA legend Scottie Pippen, announced his pledge to Vanderbilt on Friday. “I chose Vanderbilt because I had a good relationship with the coaches,” Pippen told ZAGSBLOG Saturday. “I felt that it would be a great place for me to play and fit in.” -- Zagsblog.com

January 4

Nate Tabor, the 6-foot-5 small forward from Waterbury (CT) Sacred Heart and the NY Rens AAU program, committed to St. John’s on Wednesday, he tells 247Sports. He took his official visit to St. John’s on December 8. -- Zagsblog.com

January 2

Top 25 boys high school basketball rankings: 1) McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.), 2) La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.), 3) Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), 4) IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 5) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.),. -- Maxpreps.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM DECEMBER, 2018

December 30

Valdir Manuel, the 6-foot-9 Class forward from Harcum (PA) College and The Patrick School, has committed to St. John’s... Manuel has started 14 of 15 games for Harcum (12-3), averaging 15.9 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks while shooting 58 percent from the field. -- Zagsblog.com

December 28

Anthony Edwards, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Holy Spirit (GA) Preparatory School who recently reclassified from 2020 to the 2019 recruiting class, scored 27 points on Thursday at the Chick-Fil-A Classic. -- Zagsblog.com

December 24

Sharife Cooper won the City of Palms MVP Award after leading his McEachern (GA) team to the championship on Saturday night over Imhotep Charter (PA). Ranked the No. 2 point guard in the Class of 2020 by 247Sports.com, the 6-foot junior point guard went for 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in the 68-47 victory. -- Zagsblog.com

December 23

In a wild and unpredictable week of high school basketball, all five teams in the Top 5 in the nation lost in the City of Palms Classic or 'Iolani Classic, meaning there is a new No. 1. The Peach State reigns supreme this week as the McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.), after a dominant City of Palms Classic championship run, earns the top spot in the MaxPreps Top 25 High School Boys Basketball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard. The holiday tournaments reshaped this week's Top 25 as 14 of the Top 25 teams in the nation went down and six teams dropped out of the rankings. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia) and Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Ala.) saw the biggest jumps this week with strong showings, each picking up a resume-defining victory. -- Maxpreps.com

December 16

The City of Palms Classic has set the standard over the years, truly establishing itself as the premier high school basketball tournament in the nation. In its 46th year, the event has seen more talent than any other high school basketball event in the land with the longevity and consistent star power that truly sets this tournament apart. The City of Palms Classic has featured over 530 players who have went on to play Division I basketball, 155 McDonald's All-Americans (including nine alone last year) and 140 future NBA players. -- Maxpreps.com

December 12

Two major events shaped the second regular season MaxPreps Xcellent 25 High School Boys Basketball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard as the ARS/Rescue Rooter National Hoopfest and Hoophall West took center stage. Mansfield Timberview (Arlington, Texas), Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.), Scott County (Georgetown, Ky.) and Warren Central (Indianapolis) all make their debut in the 2018-19 rankings after strong starts to the season. Falling from the Top 25 this week were No. 13 Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.), No. 18 Gonzaga Prep (Spokane, Wash.), No. 19 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) and No. 22 Pinnacle (Phoenix), which lost twice last week. -- Maxpreps.com

December 1

Akok Akok is a five-star forward that had planned on spending a prep year at Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut, but he left the program this fall and made the decision to enroll in school during the semester break. On Saturday, he committed to UConn and head coach Dan Hurley. -- NBCsports.com

Akok, the No. 10 center in the 2019 class, is ranked No. 40 in the ESPN 100. He is the third member of the 2019 ESPN 100 to commit to Dan Hurley and UConn, joining four-star guards James Bouknight and Jalen Gaffney. -- ESPN.com

For the second year in a row, Indiana coach Archie Miller kept the state's best prospect home for college, as five-star center Trayce Jackson-Davis announced his commitment to the Hoosiers on Friday afternoon. -- ESPN.com

Playing for the Indy Heat on the Nike EYBL circuit over the spring and summer, Jackson-Davis averaged 17.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks, while shooting 53.2 percent from the field. -- ESPN.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM NOVEMBER, 2018

November 29

LaMelo Ball and his Spire Academy teammates will play at both Hoophall West and Hoophall East, sources told ZAGSBLOG. Spire will face Bella Vista Prep on Dec. 7 in Hoophall West (7:30, ESPN+), and then will meet Our Savior New American Jan. 19 at the Hoophall East at Springfield College. -- Zagsblog.com

November 27

Dashawn Davis, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound combo guard from Our Saviour Lutheran School in The Bronx and the NY Lightning AAU program, officially committed to the [Seton Hall] Pirates on Monday evening. -- Zagsblog.com

November 26

Things got heated during a high school basketball tournament on Friday in a game between Alton High School from Illinois and Riverview Gardens from St. Louis when a sucker-punch led to an all-out brawl that spilled into the stands. The scene led to the game being forfeited and both teams forfeiting the next game, the final day of the Redbird Tip-Off Classic in Alton. -- CBSsports.com

November 20

James Wiseman, the No. 1 high school basketball recruit in the country, announced his commitment to Memphis on Tuesday afternoon on ESPN. The 7-foot left-handed big man chose Penny Hardaway and the hometown Tigers over Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Wiseman is the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, per ESPN. -- Zagsblog.com

Wiseman, who has drawn some comparisons to Chris Bosh in the past, will join top 50 prospect D.J. Jefferies and four-star recruit Malcolm Dandridge in Penny’s second recruiting class... He’s a 6-foot-11 lefty with a projectable 3-point stroke and enough size and athleticism to be effective in the paint in college. -- NBCSports.com

November 18

High school basketball preseason composite team rankings: 1. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), 2. Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 3. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 4. University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 5. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), 6. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), 7. La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.), 8. Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.), 9. (tie) Guyer (Denton, Texas), 9. (tie) Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia). -- Maxpreps.com

Lester Quinones, the 6-4, 210-pound shooting guard from IMG Academy (FL), plans to sign during the spring signing period. “Yeah, I’m definitely waiting until the spring,” Quinones said Saturday at the National Prep Showcase after he had 16 points on 2-of-9 shooting in an 80-57 loss to Woodstock Academy. -- Zagsblog.com

November 16

Highly regarded basketball recruits Anthony Walker of Nottingham, Maryland, and Isaiah Wong of Trenton, New Jersey, have signed with the Miami Hurricanes. -- ESPN.com/AP

Alabama coach Avery Johnson has landed a three-player signing class for 2019. The Crimson Tide announced Wednesday the signing of ESPN's No. 55 recruit Juwan Gary, a forward, and guards Jaylen Forbes, the No. 66 overall recruit, and Jaden Shackelford, the No. 94 overall recruit. All three are from outside the state of Alabama. -- ESPN.com/AP

Chandler Lawson, the 6-foot-8, 205 pound wing from Wooddale (Tennessee) and the Bluff City Legends Elite AAU squad, committed to Oregon on Wednesday... According to 247Sports, Chandler Lawson is ranked No. 77 nationally and is the No. 14 power forward. -- Zagsblog.com

November 6

Both LaVar Ball and LaMelo Ball announced Tuesday via Twitter that LaMelo, the youngest of the basketball-playing Ball brothers, will go back to high school for his senior year. That high school, however, is Spire Prep Academy in Geneva, Ohio. -- LA Daily News

October 29

Penny Hardaway landed the first five-star prospect of his Memphis tenure on Saturday morning, as top-25 forward D.J. Jeffries announced his commitment to the Tigers... A 6-foot-7 combo forward from Olive Branch High School in Mississippi, Jeffries is ranked No. 21 in the ESPN 100 for the Class of 2019. He slots in as the No. 4 power forward in the country. -- ESPN.com

October 26

The college basketball hierarchy was shaken up on June 20th when Reid Travis announced he was heading to Kentucky. Though it had been rumored that Travis would end up in Lexington for several weeks since he announced his decision to leave Stanford as a grad transfer, it was finally official. All of a sudden, opposing coaches had to deal with the fact that John Calipari has something he has never had during his time at Kentucky: a star senior. In fact, Cal has had just five seniors average more than 20 minutes per game during his eight seasons at UK: Josh Harrellson in 2010–11, Darius Miller in 2011–12, Julius Mays in 2012–13, Alex Poythress in 2015–16 and Derek Willis in 2016–17. Only Poythress (10.2) averaged double-digit points. Travis, meanwhile, reached double figures in all but one game for Stanford last season. -- SI.com

It's crunch time for top recruits, with only three more official visit weekends before the early signing period begins. The first will occur this weekend, and there's no shortage of key trips taking place. Memphis and Miami are both hoping to keep their top target home for college, while several top-50 players are heading into their final visit or two. -- ESPN.com

October 25

Terry Armstrong, the 6-foot-6 wing from Bella Vista Prep (AZ) and The Family AAU, announced his pledge to Arizona, via Twitter. -- Zagsblog.com

Donta Scott, the 6-foot-7 forward from Imhotep Institute (PA), committed to Maryland on Wednesday. -- Zagsblog.com

October 22

Five-star center Oscar Tshiebwe announced his commitment to coach Bob Huggins and the West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday over offers from Kentucky, Baylor and Illinois. His commitment comes just two weeks after his final visit to West Virginia in early October. The 6'9" big man is a physical frontcourt prospect for West Virginia and should be an immediate interior force on the floor. He's one of the most dominant rebounders in the country and will do big things for the Mountaineers under the basket. -- SI.com

October 19

Aidan Igiehon, the 6-foot-10 center from Lawrence Woodmere (NY) Academy and the Team Rio AAU program, announced his commitment to Louisville on Friday at a press conference at his school... Lawrence Woodmere coach Jeff Weiss compares Igiehon’s body type to a young Amar’e Stoudemire or Dwight Howard. -- Zagsblog.com

October 16

Andre Gordon, the 6-foot combo guard from Huntington Prep (WV) and Ohio C2k Elite, announced his pledge to Virginia Tech, via Twitter... According to 247Sports, Gordon is a three-star prospect, ranked No. 195 nationally, and is the No. 1 player from Ohio. -- Zagsblog.com

October 6

Gregory Hammond, the 6-foot-6, 195-pound combo guard from New Orleans (LA) Sophie B. Wright, committed to Rhode Island on Friday during his official visit. Ranked the No. 31 shooting guard nationally by 247Sports.com, he also considered New Orleans, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Tulane. -- Zagsblog.com

October 4

Top-10 prospect Josh Green has committed to Arizona. Green, a native of Australia whose family now lives in Phoenix, chose the Wildcats over North Carolina... Green, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard who attends IMG Academy (Florida), is one of the elite offensive players in the 2019 class. Playing for West Coast Elite on the Under Armour Association circuit, Green averaged 20.3 points while shooting 57.3 percent from the field. He also contributed nearly five rebounds and better than two assists per game. -- ESPN.com

October 1

Jared Jones, the 6-foot-10, 235-pound center from McEachern (GA), committed to Northwestern over Wake Forest on Sunday... Jones, ranked the No. 34 center nationally by 247Sports.com, joins point guard Daniel Buie in coach Chris Collins’ 247 class. -- Zagsblog.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM SEPTEMBER, 2018

September 25

Four-star point guard Jalen Gaffney made a verbal commitment to UConn on Monday after his official visit over the weekend. He is the second ESPN 100 guard to commit to the Huskies in as many weeks after the pledge of James Bouknight, who made a similar decision almost immediately after his official visit last weekend. -- ESPN.com

September 22

Top-30 senior Rocket Watts announced his commitment to Michigan State on Saturday night. Watts chose the Spartans over Florida State, which he visited in early September. Watts canceled a visit to Missouri that had been planned for this weekend, and fellow finalist Louisville landed a commitment from ESPN 100 guard David Johnson earlier Saturday. -- ESPN.com

September 20

Five-star point guard Josiah James committed to Tennessee on Wednesday. James (6-foot-6, 200 pounds) is ranked No. 20 in the ESPN 100. He chose the Volunteers over Clemson, Duke and Michigan State. -- ESPN.com

September 19

Having committed to reigning national champion Villanova, Bryan Antoine wants other stars to join him for the 2019-20 season. The 6-foot-4 combo guard has a couple of fellow classmates in mind. “I would say Isaiah Stewart, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Matthew Hurt, those are the kids that come to mind right now,” Antoine said Tuesday during an open gym at the Ranney School (N.J.). “Yeah, I’ve been talking to them.” -- Zagsblog.com

September 16

Five-star recruit Nico Mannion has verbally committed to play at Arizona, the high school point guard announced Friday. Mannion is the nation's No. 15 recruit per the 247Sports Composite. The 6'3" point guard is the top-ranked player in the state of Arizona. He averaged 23.4 points per game during the 2017-18 season at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix. -- SI.com

On Nico Mannion: The 6-foot-3 guard from Phoenix, who is noted for his playmaking skills, tough mindedness and basketball IQ, said his relationship with Sean Miller and his staff made the difference. -- ESPN.com

September 15

Dahmir Bishop, the 6-foot-4 combo guard from Philadelphia’s Imhotep Institute, committed to Xavier Friday night. -- Zagsblog.com

September 12

The cream of the crop of American high school basketball will congregate in Colorado Springs from Oct. 5-7, as USA Basketball unveils its newly expanded Junior National Team minicamp in collaboration with the NBA, NCAA and National Basketball Players Association. A combined 87 freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors are slated to attend the minicamp, up from 54 in 2017, as the scope of the weekend has expanded significantly in the wake of many new entities participating. -- ESPN.com

More from ESPN.com: Among the 23 high school juniors, ESPN 60's top three players -- Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes and Jalen Green -- are all slated to attend. In the high school sophomore class, ESPN 25's top five ranked players -- Patrick Baldwin, Terrence Clarke, Michael Foster, Jaden Hardy and Paolo Banchero -- are among the 13 class participants for 2021. A total of 28 high school freshmen, mostly 14-15, will also be present. From this group, Emoni Bates, Jalen Duren and Chris Livingston are already beginning to draw accolades and will be watched closely in Colorado Springs.

Justin McKoy, the 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward from Cary (NC) Panther Creek and Team Loaded, committed to Penn State on Wednesday. -- Zagsblog.com

September 10

Jaelyn Withers, No. 89 overall in the ESPN 100, verbally committed to Louisville on Sunday. He chose the Cardinals over Arizona, Florida, Texas and Texas A&M. -- ESPN.com

September 8

Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery has added a new prospect to his 2019 class as Joe Toussaint, the 6-foot guard from Cardinal Hayes (NY) and the PSA Cardinals, committed to the Hawkeyes via Twitter on Tuesday... Toussaint is a talented guard who excels when the ball is in his hands. -- Zagsblog.com

September 6

Indiana reeled in their first commit for the 2019 class in Armaan Franklin, who announced his decision on Twitter. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Indianapolis and the Nike MeanStreets AAU program is currently ranked No. 133 in the Class of 2019, per 247Sports.com -- Zagsblog.com

September 4

Tyler Bertram, the 6-foot-4 guard from Vermont Academy (VT) and the NY Rens AAU program, committed to UNC-Charlotte on Tuesday and will redshirt the 2018-19 season, he told ZAGSBLOG... Charlotte will redshirt Bertram and then utilize his shooting beginning in 2019-20. -- Zagsblog.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM AUGUST, 2018

August 16

Consensus five-star center Armando Bacot has committed to coach Roy Williams and the University of North Carolina, 247Sports Evan Daniels reports. The 6'10", 244-pound Richmond, Va., native confirmed his commitment to UNC in a video on his Twitter account where he re-enacted a scene from the movie 'Juice'. He joins four-star point guard Jeremiah Francis as the second commit to the 2019 Tar Heel class. -- SI.com

Bacot, a 6-foot-10 center from Richmond, Virginia, who attends IMG Academy (Florida), is coming off an impressive July in which he cemented himself as one of the top big men in the country. He won MVP honors at the Nike Peach Jam, leading Team Takeover to a championship, then helped lead them to another title at The 8 in Las Vegas. -- ESPN.com

August 10

Kira Lewis, the 6-foot-3 point guard from Hazel Green (AL) High School, committed to Alabama on Friday for the Class of 2018. According to 247Sports, Lewis was ranked as the No. 119 overall player in the Class of 2019 and the No. 3 player from the state of Alabama. -- Zagsblog.com

August 9

Kahlil Whitney, a five-star prospect and 14th-ranked player in the 2019 ESPN 100, has verbally committed to Kentucky. -- ESPN.com

Whitney averaged 21.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game on the Nike circuit last spring, shooting 38% from the arc in Nike play. He's wildly athletic and an impressive perimiter defender. His physicality means potential as a power foward as well as a wing. -- SI.com

Jaiden Delaire , the 6-foot-9 power forward from Loomis Chaffee (CT), has committed to Stanford for the Class of 2018... Stanford is getting a high IQ player who can play multiple positions. -- Zagsblog.com

August 7

Former McDonald's All-American and Louisville commit Brian Bowen has signed a professional contract with the Sydney Kings in Australia. Bowen, the No. 14-ranked recruit in ESPN's Top 100 in 2017, is the first player signed to the NBL's Next Stars program, which was launched in March in an effort to provide alternative pathways for NBA prospects who are unable or decide not to play college basketball. -- ESPN.com

LeBron James Jr. has committed to playing high school basketball at Crossroads High School in Santa Monica, Calif., according to multiple media reports... Scottie Pippen's son, Scottie Pippen Jr., and Kenyon Martin's son, Kenyon Martin Jr., play for Sierra Canyon. -- SI.com

Shareef O’Neal, the son of NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, officially signed a grant-in-aid from to play for the UCLA men’s basketball team... O’Neal, a 6-foot-10 and 220-pound forward from Los Angeles, excelled the past two seasons at Crossroads School in Santa Monica, Calif. -- Zagsblog.com

Daniel Ramsey, the 6-foot-8 power forward from Deerfield-Windsor (GA) School, announced his commitment to Xavier on Monday, via Twitter. His commitment comes after taking his first and only official visit to Xavier last week (Aug. 1-3) -- Zagsblog.com

August 3

Jaylen Forbes, the 6-foot-5 wing from Florence (MS) ranked the No. 17 shooting guard in the Class of 2019 by 247Sports.com, committed to Alabama on Thursday. -- Zagsblog.com

Dontaie Allen, the 6-foot-6 small forward from Pendleton County (KY), committed to Kentucky during his visit on Wednesday... Allen averaged 31.8 points and 11.4 rebounds last season as a junior and was being courted by Louisville, Xavier, Vanderbilt and West Virginia before the Kentucky offer, per the Herald-Leader. -- Zagsblog.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM JULY, 2018

July 31

Five-star forward D.J. Jeffries announced Monday he was decommitting from Kentucky and reopening his recruitment... Kentucky is down to one commitment in the 2019 class, five-star guard Tyrese Maxey. At No. 7 in the ESPN 100, Maxey is the highest-ranked prospect presently committed. -- ESPN.com

July 20

Five-star recruit Nico Mannion has reclassified into the 2019 class, the high school point guard announced Friday... The 6'3" and 180 pound point guard plays at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix. During the 2017-18 season, Mannion averaged 23.4 points with 5.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. -- SI.com

July 16

When John Calipari or Mike Krzyzewski walks into a high school or grassroots game, people take notice. Lately, it's the presence of Penny Hardaway that is turning heads. The new Memphis coach has the Tigers involved with a long list of heavy hitters. The biggest target is James Wiseman, the No. 1 player in 2019. Despite Wiseman saying he plans to cut his list to eight schools, no one believes he's considering more than two. On Sunday, during the championship game of the Peach Jam event, Wiseman said Memphis and Kentucky were his top two. -- ESPN.com

July 5

Kevin McCullar, the 6-foot-6 small forward from Karen Wagner (TX) High School, has committed to Texas Tech, he announced on Twitter Thursday evening. McCullar will reclassify to 2018 and enroll mid-year. -- Zagsblog.com

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEWS FROM JUNE, 2018

June 28

Canadian star A.J. Lawson is headed to South Carolina. The 6-foot-7 Class of 2018 wing chose the Gamecocks over Creighton and Tulane on Tuesday. He also considered Oregon and SMU, but never visited them. -- Zagsblog.com

June 16

Five-star point guard Ashton Hagans will join Kentucky next season after officially reclassifying into 2018 on Friday, his AAU coach told ESPN... Hagans, a 6-foot-3 point guard from Newton High School (Georgia), was ranked No. 17 in the ESPN 60 for 2019, slotting in as the No. 3 player at his position. -- ESPN.com

The 6-foot-4 point guard from Newton (GA) had been taking four online classes with the aim of joining Kentucky this summer for their August trip to the Bahamas. -- Zagsblog.com

June 14

Top-five prospect Charles Bassey has committed to Western Kentucky and will reclassify to the 2018 class, the school announced Wednesday. Bassey is already on the Hilltoppers' campus, sources told ESPN... Bassey, a 6-foot-10 center, was ranked No. 3 in the 2019 class. -- ESPN.com

Bassey averaged 19.3 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots per game last season for ASPIRE Academy, an upstart independent academy. -- Maxpreps.com

June 13

ARS/Rescue Rooter National Hoopfest organizer Travis Haddock may have pulled off the biggest coup of the high school basketball offseason by getting Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) and Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) to agree to play one another in a regular season game during the 2018-19 season. -- Maxpreps.com

June 11

A.J. Lawson has a busy few weeks ahead. The 6-foot-7 Class of 2018 Canadian star who reclassified from 2019 is here playing for his home country in the FIBA Americas U18 Championship, where they hope to challenge the USA for a gold medal. Once the event ends next weekend, he will begin a slew of college visits with the aim of making a decision in late June or early July. -- Zagsblog.com

June 8, 2018

Ryan Boyce, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard from East (TN) High School, announced his commitment to Penny Hardaway and the Memphis Tigers on Thursday via Twitter... In addition to Boyce and Lomax, Memphis currently has 2018 commitments from Antwann Jones, Tyler Harris, David Wingett, Isaiah Maurice, and Jayden Hardaway. -- Zagsblog.com

June 4, 2018

Isaac Okoro, the 6-foot-5 small forward from John McEachern (GA) High School, told ZAGSBLOG on Friday at the Pangos All-American Camp that he plans on cutting down his list of schools in July... According to 247Sports, Okoro is ranked as the No. 39 overall player in the Class of 2019 and the No. 2 player from the state of Georgia. -- Zagsblog.com

June 2, 2018

Josh Nickelberry, the 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Northwood Temple (NC) Academy, announced his commitment to Louisville on Thursday per Game Elite Gold coach Chris Williams, as first reported by Evan Daniels. He is the first commit for new Louisville head coach Chris Mack. -- Zagsblog.com

May 30, 2018

Jalen Wilson, the 6-foot-6 small forward from Guyer (TX) High School, has committed to Michigan, he announced on Wednesday... According to 247Sports, Wilson is the No. 34 prospect in the class of 2019 and the No. 8 player at his position. -- Zagsblog.com

May 28, 2018

James Hampton, a 17-year-old from Team United based in Charlotte (N.C.), collapsed and died at the Nike EYBL stop in Hampton, Va., on Saturday night, according to reports. It’s unclear exactly what caused his death. “It’s hard to even explain,” Team United director Jacoby Davis told The Charlotte Observer late Saturday. -- Zagsblog.com

May 22, 2018

Romeo Weems, the 6-foot-7 power forward from New Haven (MI), committed to DePaul on Tuesday, giving a big boost to coach Dave Leitao. -- Zagsblog.com

For high school basketball fans around the state of Washington, the recruitment of Riley Sorn was a bit of a head-scratcher. At 7-foot-3, he played for one of the best programs in the state at Richland, nearly recorded a triple-double in the state tournament as a junior and was named the WIBCA Class 4A Player of the Year as a senior. Despite the mystery and seeming lack of interest by big time college programs, all ended well for Sorn as he committed Monday to Washington. -- Maxpreps.com May 20, 2018

Minnesota has picked up another scholarship player for the upcoming season, getting shooting guard Brock Stull, a graduate transfer from Milwaukee. -- AP

May 14, 2018

Five-star junior Onyeka Okongwu committed to USC on Monday, he told ESPN... Ranked No. 15 in the ESPN 60, Okongwu slots in as the No. 3 power forward in the 2019 class. He has a 7-foot-plus wingspan, and averaged 14.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks last summer for Compton Magic on the Adidas circuit. More recently, Okongwu led Chino Hills to a state title and earned Mr. Basketball in the state of California. -- ESPN.com

South Dakota graduate transfer Matt Mooney has committed to Texas Tech, making his announcement on social media... Mooney, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard, averaged 18.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists last season. He scored 30 points in a Summit League title game loss to South Dakota State, and also scored 30 or more points on five other occasions. Mooney went for 31 points against future Big 12 foe TCU in November. -- ESPN.com

May 11, 2018

Five-star recruit and McDonald's All-American Jordan Brown announced his decision to attend Nevada on Friday... Brown averaged 21.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 blocks per game at Napa's Prolific Prep. At the McDonald's All-American Game, he scored 26 points and recorded eight rebounds. -- SI.com

UCLA seemed like a likely destination until Shareef O'Neal committed to the Bruins in February. Stanford then emerged as a potential landing spot, but the Cardinal faded. Brown also officially visited St. John's and Louisiana-Lafayette, where his father played, during the course of his recruitment. -- ESPN.com

May 9, 2018

Tyrese Maxey, a five-star guard in the class of 2019, announced his commitment to Kentucky Wednesday. He joins fellow five-star prospect Ashton Hagans and four-star prospect D.J. Jeffries as the Wildcats' commits for 2019. -- SI.com

OLDER STORIES

February 4, 2018

2018 Nike EYBL Dates Set: The Nike EYBL dates are set for 2018 via D1 Circuit and look like this: Session 1: April 20-22 City: Dallas, TX. Session 2: April 27-29 City: Indianapolis, IN. Session 3: May 11-13 City: Atlanta, GA. Session 4: May 26-28 City: Hampton, VA. EYBL Finals at Peach Jam: July 11-15 City: North Augusta, SC. -- Zagsblog

Nearly 50 top high school prospects in the Class of 2018 have said thanks but no thanks to LaVar Ball’s Junior Basketball Association. -- Zagsblog

February 3, 2018

Patrick Kelly, the 6-foot-7 small forward from Virginia Episcopal (VA) School, announced his commitment to Penn State on Thursday via Twitter. He took his unofficial visit to PSU on Saturday (Jan. 27). -- Zagsblog

January 31, 2018

He's got 15 college offers, from schools such as Michigan, Louisville and Connecticut. Glens Falls (N.Y.) junior guard Joseph Girard III is rated a 3-star prospect. But as of Tuesday, Girard is ranked No. 1 in the basketball-rich state of New York. With more than a season remaining in his prep career, the 6-foot-1 standout broke the state career scoring mark previously held by current Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson. -- Maxpreps



OLDER STORIES

January 2, 2018

Zion Williamson can’t sign with a school until the spring, but says he expects to decide “soon.” Ranked the No. 2 prospect on the 2018 ESPN 100, the 6-foot-5 Williamson is considering Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, Clemson and South Carolina. Kentucky is considered a favorite by some, with Clemson as the dark horse. -- Zagsblog.com

R.J. Barrett’s latest title with Montverde (FL) Academy came Saturday at the Beach Ball Classic, where Montverde (FL) Academy defeated Long Island Lutheran, 70-44, behind Barrett’s 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists en route to MVP honors. LuHi’s Donatas Kupsas finished with 16 points in the loss. -- Zagsblog.com

January 1, 2018

Elias King, the 6-foot-7 small forward from Shiloh (GA) High School, announced his commitment to Georgia on Wednesday, via SUV TV. According to 247Sports, King is ranked as the No. 55 overall player in the Class of 2019 and the No. 3 player from the state of Georgia. He joins Ashton Hagans as the second commit in the Bulldog’s 2019 class. -- Zagsblog.com
December 14, 2017

The Culligan City of Palms Classic is, as legendary American sportscaster Keith Jackson used to say, "The Grandaddy of them all." It's truly been America's premier high school basketball tournament since it began in 1973. The annual event has produced 146 McDonald's All Americans dating back to 1988 — 79 in the last decade. There are 144 NCAA players currently competing in the top seven conferences and 33 in the ACC. Not to mention 13 percent of all current NBA players have participated in this tourney... The prestigious tournament in Fort Myers, Fla. will be held Dec. 18-23 inside the 3,300-seat Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern College. -- Maxpreps.com

December 4, 2017

The first big weekend of national basketball tournaments lived up to the billing. The sixth annual Chicago Elite Classic pitted the top teams in the state against powerhouses from Indiana, Kansas, Missouri and South Carolina this past weekend. Previous No. 11 Sunrise Christian Academy Elite (Bel Aire, Kan.) downed past No. 12 La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) 56-47 on the big stage of the University of Illinois-Chicago Pavilion. Guard Carlos Paez showed out with a game-high 14 points while going a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. It was a huge bounce-back performance for the Buffaloes after dropping a 59-55 stunner Thursday to Victory Rock (Sarasota, Fla.). -- Maxpreps.com

There have been rumors that 5-star recruit James Wiseman would be reclassifying to the 2018 class. Those talks have been shut down. In fact, he has no idea where they started. “I have no clue,” Wiseman told SEC Country. “I just looked on Twitter, and they were talking about that. It was crazy.” -- Zagsblog.com

OLDER STORIES

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October 25

Annually high school basketball's premier showcase event, the schedule for the Spalding Hoophall Classic was unveiled Tuesday. The event will be held January 11-15, 2018 at venerable Blake Arena in Springfield, Mass. -- Maxpreps.com

October 24

Anthony Nelson, the 6-foot-4, 175-pound Class of 2018 point guard from the NY Lightning and South Kent (CT), committed to Seton Hall on Tuesday night. -- Zagsblog.com

October 22

Filip Petrusev, a 6-11 big man from Serbia who is considered one of the top young prospects in European basketball, has committed to play for Gonzaga, he told ESPN on Sunday... At 225 pounds, Petrusev is a highly skilled and versatile big man who is capable of playing either power forward or center. He is an excellent shooter, passer and ball handler who showed impressive potential defensively with the Serbian national team this summer. -- ESPN.com

October 21

Darius Days , the 6-foot-7 power forward from IMG Academy (FL), committed to LSU on Friday... IMG Academy coach Sean McAloon said Days will help LSU space the floor. -- Zagsblog.com

October 19

Five-star prospect Luguentz Dort announced his commitment to the Arizona State Sun Devils on Wednesday... Dort, a powerful 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Montreal, plays his high school basketball at Athlete Institute Basketball Academy in Ontario. He was ranked in the top 25 for 2018 before transferring to Athlete Institute Basketball Academy. -- ESPN.com

October 10

Jules Bernard, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Windward (CA) School, committed to UCLA on Tuesday, per the Compton Magic’s Twitter account... According to 247Sports, Bernard is the No. 46 overall player in the class of 2018 and the No. 6 player from the state of California. -- Zagsblog.com

October 6

Junior four-star wing Patrick McCaffery, ranked No. 30 overall in the ESPN 60, made a verbal commitment to the Iowa Hawkeyes, where his father, Fran McCaffery, is the head coach. As a sophomore, Patrick was a big part of a state championship team at Iowa City West High School. -- ESPN.com

October 4

Five-star forward Nassir Little, the number nine overall player in the class of 2018 (per 247sports) and the number four small forward, announced his commitment to North Carolina on Wednesday... Little is thought to be the player Adidas officials wanted to pay $150,000 to commit to Miami over Arizona. -- SI.com

October 5

ESPN 100 prospect Jalen Carey committed to Syracuse on Wednesday night... Ranked No. 34 in the ESPN 100, Carey is a 6-foot-3 combo guard who can play on or off the ball. He averaged 18.6 points and 2.0 assists for the NJ Playaz on the Nike EYBL circuit this spring and summer. Carey also shot 43.3 percent from 3-point range in 21 games for the Playaz. -- ESPN.com

October 3

ESPN 100 prospect Andrew Nembhard announced his commitment to Florida on Monday evening. Nembhard, a 6-foot-3 point guard, chose the Gators over Ohio State, USC and Gonzaga. He took an official visit to Florida this past weekend, and also took trips to Ohio State and USC in September. -- ESPN.com

October 2

LaMelo Ball is done playing high school basketball, his father LaVar says. The youngest Ball will be home-schooled instead of attending Chino Hills High School for two more years and won’t play on the school’s basketball team, LaVar told Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times. His father intends to train him personally. “I’m going to make him the best basketball player ever,” Ball told the Times. -- SI.com

September 24

ESPN 100 point guard Mike Devoe announced his commitment to Georgia Tech on Saturday, giving Josh Pastner just the piece he was looking for in the backcourt. -- ESPN.com

September 23

John Calipari’s string of elite point guard recruits at Kentucky will grow in 2018–19. Immanuel Quickley, a 6’3,’’ 175-pound senior at The John Carroll School in Bel Air, Md., announced in a video on the media outlet Uninterrupted’s Facebook page on Friday that he will play for the Wildcats... Quickley has plus size for his position (his wingspan reportedly has been measured at 6’7’’), and he’s a sound decision-maker with good passing vision who should be able to match up with multiple perimeter positions at the next level. As a junior at John Carroll last season, he averaged 23.7 points and 7.2 assists per game. -- SI.com

Quickley is the first commitment for Calipari and Kentucky in the 2018 class, and the 33rd five-star prospect to join the Wildcats since ESPN began using the star system to rank recruits in 2010. Calipari has reeled in a top-two recruiting class in all nine years he's been in Lexington, and he's gunning for another one in 2018. -- ESPN.com

Iggy Brazdeikis, the 6-foot-8, 220-pound shooting guard from Orangeville (ON) Prep, has committed to Michigan, per his Twitter. Brazdeikis took an official visit a few weeks ago to Ann Arbor and Michigan coach John Beilein then followed with a visit to his Canadian school. -- Zagsblog.com

September 21

After a seven-year run in Chicago, the McDonald’s All-American Game is on the move to Atlanta for 2018. The news was reported by USA Today, which announced the historic game will be played on March 28 at Philips Arena. Atlanta previously hosted the Games in 1983 and 1992. -- Zagsblog.com

September 20

Jaedon LeDee, the 6-foot-7 forward from the Kinkaid School (TX), announced his commitment to Ohio State via his Twitter on Tuesday... A four-star recruit, LeDee averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds last year as junior and is considered one of the best scorers in the class of 2018. -- Zagsblog.com

Aaron Nesmith, the 6-foot-5 small forward from Porter-Gaud (SC) School, committed to Vanderbilt on Tuesday per Rivals... According to 247Sports, Nesmith is ranked as the No. 104 overall player in the Class of 2018 and the No. 2 player from the state of South Carolina. -- Zagsblog.com

September 18

Amir Harris, a 6-foot-5, 185-pound guard from St. James (MD), committed to Rhode Island during his visit Sunday... Rhody loses four senior guards after this season in E.C. Matthews, Jared Terrell, Jarvis Garrett and Stan Robinson. -- Zagsblog.com

September 15

Manny Bates, the 6-foot-9, four-star power forward from Fayetteville (N.C.) Temple Christian Academy, committed to N.C. State on Friday... “Manny is amazing shot blocker who has great timing and anticipation,” Frederick Cannon, Director of Team Felton Basketball told ZAGSBLOG. -- Zagsblog.com

September 12

Jake Forrester, the 6-foot-9 power forward from the Westtown (PA) School, committed to Indiana on Monday via Twitter... According to 247Sports, Forrester is ranked as the No. 168 overall player in the Class of 2018 and the No. 3 player from the state of Pennsylvania. -- Zagsblog.com

September 11

Aaron Henry, the 6-foot-5 forward from Ben Davis (IN) High School, committed to Tom Izzo and Michigan State Monday morning, according to Scout. Henry, a three-star recruit, took his official visit to East Lansing this weekend and only took him one day to decide where he will play spend his next four years. -- Zagsblog.com

September 8

Buddy Boeheim, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Brewster (N.H.) Academy, has committed to play for his father Jim Boeheim at Syracuse... Boeheim joins Darius Bazley as Syracuse’s second commit in 2018. -- Zagsblog.com

Josh Roberts, the 6-foot-9, 201-pound big man from Montverde (FL) Academy, committed to St. John’s on Friday following his official visit Sept. 1-3... As for his skillset, Roberts said, “I can play the 4 and the 5 and I can also play the 3 a little bit.” -- Zagsblog.com

September 1

Cameron Reddish, the No. 3-ranked senior in the ESPN 100, committed to Duke on Friday. Reddish, a 6-foot-7 small forward out of Westtown School (Penn.), chose the Blue Devils over a final five that included Kentucky, Connecticut, UCLA and Villanova. -- ESPN.com

Reddish is a 6-foot-8, 195-pound wing pegged as the No. 3 prospect in the senior class by 247Sports Director of Scouting Jerry Meyer. The future Blue Devil averaged 22.6 points per game this spring and summer on the Nike EYBL circuit for Philadelphia-based Team Final. -- MaxPreps.com

August 31, 2017

Former Syracuse forward Taurean Thompson has enrolled at Seton Hall after withdrawing from Syracuse, according to a report from the Asbury Park Press. He will have to sit out the 2017-18 season per NCAA transfer rules and would then suit up after Seton Hall loses its senior core of Angel Delgado, Ish Sanogo, Khadeen Carrington and Desi Rodriguez. -- ZagsBlog.com

August 29, 2017

Virginia landed a pledge on Tuesday night from 6-foot-7 shooting guard Kody Stattman of Australia, according to Scout.com... A pure shooter, Stattman averaged 14.5 points a game at the recent Adidas Nations event and also averaged 31 points for Australia in the FIBA U17 Oceania Championship in July, per Scout. -- ZagsBlog.com

August 28, 2017

Just six weeks after committing to Ohio State, ESPN 100 shooting guard Torrence Watson has decommitted from the Buckeyes and is reopening his recruitment. "For personal and family reasons I am re-opening my recruitment and potentially considering options closer to home," Watson announced on Twitter. -- ESPN.com

August 26, 2017

Five-star forward Jaylen Hoard announced his commitment to Wake Forest on Saturday... The 6-foot-8 France native is ranked No. 19 in the ESPN 100, slotting in as the No. 5 small forward in the 2018 class. Hoard, who plays his high school ball at Wesleyan Christian Academy (North Carolina), averaged 14.9 points and 6.4 rebounds for Team CP3 on the Nike EYBL circuit this past spring and summer. -- ESPN.com

August 22, 2017

Samba Diallo, the 6-foot-7 small forward from Pope John XXIII (NJ) High School and the New York Jayhawks, announced his commitment to UMass on Monday via Twitter. “He’s a 6-foot-7, long, ultra-athletic wing who is extremely versatile,” New York Jayhawks coach Jay David told ZAGSBLOG on Monday. -- ZagsBlog.com

August 14, 2017

Five-star point guard Tre Jones, the younger brother of former Duke star Tyus, will follow in his brother's footsteps, committing to the Blue Devils on Sunday... Jones, a 6-foot-1 Apple Valley High School (Minnesota) product, is ranked No. 19 in the ESPN 100. The No. 4 point guard in the class, Jones had a huge spring and summer on the Nike EYBL circuit with the Howard Pulley AAU program. Jones averaged 20.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists on the circuit and went for 30 points and four assists against No. 1 point guard Darius Garland at the Nike Peach Jam last month. -- ESPN.com

August 12, 2017

Rutgers continued its recent recruiting roll on Friday by landing Don Bosco Prep guard Ron Harper Jr, the son of the former NBA standout Ron Harper who won five NBA championships... Per The Star-Ledger, Harper averaged 10.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and shot 37.7 percent (23-for-61) from beyond the arc in 23 games last winter for a Don Bosco Prep team that won its first NJSIAA Non-Public A state title in 47 years last winter. -- ZagsBlog.com

August 3, 2017

Mac McClung, the 2018 6-foot-2 guard from Gate City (VA), verbally committed to Rutgers and head coach Steve Pikiell via his Twitter Thursday afternoon. -- ZagsBlog.com

July 31, 2017

The Big Ballers' run in Las Vegas ended Saturday night, with LaMelo Ball scoring 56 points in a 116-95 loss to Team Lillard at the Adidas Summer Championships. Ball scored 32 points after halftime and buried nine 3-pointers for the game. -- ESPN.com

July 28, 2017

NC State has signed former Ohio State recruit Braxton Beverly. The Wolfpack announced Beverly's addition for this fall on Friday, roughly a month after the Buckeyes granted Beverly his release. Beverly had signed under former basketball coach Thad Matta, who has since been replaced by Chris Holtmann from Butler. -- ESPN.com

Jamarko Pickett, the No. 19-ranked small forward in the Class of 2017 per 247Sports.com, verbally committed to Georgetown on Friday, Scout.com reported. “He picked them because he felt like he could go in there and contribute immediately,” Chad Myers, the coach at Massanutten Military Academy, told Scout. “Playing time along with location was the determining the factor for him. -- ZagsBlog.com

July 17, 2017

Archie Miller has his first ESPN 100 commit since taking over at Indiana, landing four-star forward Jerome Hunter on Monday afternoon. Hunter, a 6-foot-6 forward from Pickerington North High School (Ohio), recently narrowed his list of schools to five: Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan, Pittsburgh and Xavier. -- ESPN.com

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

ESPN 100 forward Darius Bazley has committed to Syracuse, he told ESPN on Monday. Bazley, a 6-foot-8 forward from Ohio, decommitted from Ohio State in late April, and a long list of schools immediately got involved. Florida, Maryland, Xavier, Illinois, Louisville and others were targeting him entering July. -- ESPN.com

Sunday, July 2, 2017

USC landed their third ESPN 100 pledge in the last week on Sunday afternoon as Kevin Porter Jr. became the latest to give his word to Andy Enfield. -- ESPN.com

Saturday, June 24, 2017

New Washington coach Mike Hopkins continues to draw from his former stomping grounds in Upstate New York to usher in a new era at the University of Washington. Hameir Wright, a 6-7 wing forward from The Albany (NY) Academy and the Albany City Rocks AAU program, committed to Washington on Saturday during his visit. -- ZagsBlog.com

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Mario Kegler, the 6-foot-7 small forward from Mississippi State, announced his transfer to Scott Drew and the Baylor Bears on Sunday via Twitter. He took a visit to Baylor this past week. Kegler will sit out the 2017-18 season and have three years of eligibility remaining. Last season with Mississippi State, Kegler averaged 9.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game during his true freshman campaign. -- ZagsBlog.com

Saturday, June 17, 2017

This week, shown all around the digital screen, spanning across the edge of the second level of the John Paul Jones Arena, are the names of some of the best players in the NBA. Five are Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, and Warriors’ Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. They’re all meant to be motivation for the NBA’s future stars, as they literally look up to those who came before them at the 24th annual NBPA Top 100 Camp for the country’s best high school basketball players. -- Top100Camp.com

Out of the top 100 players, seven are international from Angola, Argentina, Lithuania, Nigeria, Republic of Georgia and Serbia. Also, some campers are sons of former NBA players, including Rod Strickland’s son, Tai (guard; class of 2018), NBPA career development counselor Bobby Simmons’ son, Bakari (guard; class of 2018), and Greg Anthony’s son, Cole (guard; class of 2019). Anthony, after the first three days of the camp, is second in scoring (14.8 pgg) and dishing (4.5). Forward Simisola Shittu (class of 2018) is the leading scorer (21.0 ppg) and rebounder (8.0). -- Top100Camp.com

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Kentucky-bound guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Class of 2019 star R.J. Barrett are among the Canadian players who will attend the country’s U19 Men’s National Team tryouts from June 13-14 at the University of Toronto – Mississauga. Iowa State-bound guard Lindell Wigginton and Oregon signee Abu Kigab are also in the mix. “We look forward to a competitive tryout and training session as we look to field the best team to face the world in Egypt,” Canadian head coach Roy Rana said. -- ZagsBlog.com

Sunday, June 11, 2017

Nahziah Carter, the nephew of Jay Z, committed to the Washington Huskies early Saturday morning... Carter boosted his stock playing on the Nike EYBL circuit this spring with the Albany City Rocks, averaging 12.7 points and 4.0 rebounds. -- ESPN.com

A onetime Dayton commit, Carter also visited Georgetown and Boston College and considered Indiana, among others. He also considered going to prep school for 2017-18. -- ZagsBlog.com

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Bryan Trimble, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound shooting guard from Sunrise Christian (KS), committed to St. John’s during a visit Wednesday... “He is a big-time shooter an athlete,” Sunrise coach Luke Barnwell said. “He is improving at ball-handling and decision-making.” -- ZagsBlog.com

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

The state of Alabama is losing a high school basketball coaching legend as Jack Doss of Jemison (Huntsville) announced his retirement Monday. Doss led four different schools – Jemison, now-defunct Butler (Huntsville), J.O. Johnson (Huntsville) and Hayes (Birmingham) – to a total of 10 state titles. -- MaxPreps.com

Monday, June 5, 2017

Another elite freshman will walk through that door for Rick Pitino's squad next season. Brian Bowen, ESPN.com's last uncommitted five-star prospect in the 2017 class, will attend Louisville in 2017-18, the Saginaw, Michigan, native announced on Twitter Saturday. -- ESPN.com

Tremont Waters has signed with LSU after taking a recent visit... The 5-foot-11 Waters out of Notre Dame High School (CT) previously signed with Georgetown and then asked for his release in March before John Thompson III was fired and Patrick Ewing was hired. -- ZagsBlog.com

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Cormac Ryan, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Milton (MA) Academy and the NY Rens AAU program, committed to Stanford on Sunday. Northwestern, Villanova, Notre Dame and Michigan were also involved for Ryan, who is ranked the No. 27 shooting guard in the Class of 2018 by 247Sports.com. -- ZagsBlog.com

Friday, May 26, 2017

Brandon Slater, the 6-foot-6 Class of 2018 small forward from Fairfax (VA) Paul VI, committed to Villanova on Wednesday... Slater is solid inside the paint whether he’s driving in traffic to the hoop or grabbing a rebound. He also is a good athlete with a good handle. -- ZagsBlog.com

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Only four schools have been in the top 12 of recruiting class rankings in each of the past three seasons. There’s Duke and Kentucky, which have finished 1-2 in some order in the rankings in each of the past four classes. There’s Arizona, which has finished in the top seven for seven years running. The fourth? Not Kansas. Not UCLA. Not North Carolina. It’s Florida State. -- ESPN.com

And five-star senior M.J. Walker’s announcement on Wednesday that he was picking the Seminoles over UCLA, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Ohio State moved Florida State’s class to No. 8 in the country and ensured the Seminoles would once again have one of the nation’s top incoming freshman classes. -- ESPN.com

Savior Akuwovo, the 6-foot-9 Class of 2018 shot-blocking big man, will transfer to the Ranney School next year following the closing of St. Anthony’s, sources told ZAGSBLOG. Akuwovo will join forces with the Class of 2019 duo of Scottie Lewis and Bryan Antoine at Ranney. -- ZagsBlog.com

Monday, May 22, 2017

The MaxPreps Freshman of the Year is already on the move. Kyree Walker, a do-everything 6-foot-6 guard, announced on Twitter this morning he will transfer from Moreau Catholic (Hayward, Calif.) to Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.). -- MaxPreps

Saturday, May 20, 2017

Wing Sidney Wilson commits to St John's: St. John’s landed a commitment on Saturday from Sidney Wilson, a 6-foot-7 wing from The Bronx who spent last season at prep power Brewster (N.H.) Academy after transferring from St. Raymond’s High School. Wilson chose the Red Storm over UConn and Texas. He visited St. John’s and UConn last week and was slated to visit Texas at the end of the month. -- ZagsBlog

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Center Mohamed Bamba to play for Texas: The top uncommitted prospect in the 2017 class won’t be playing for one of college basketball’s blue bloods next season. Mohamed Bamba instead will forge his own path, spurning offers from Duke and Kentucky in favor of a program coming off a 22-loss campaign. In an essay published by the Player’s Tribune on Thursday morning, Bamba announced he will attend Texas. The 6-foot-11 center cited Texas’ business school and strength and conditioning program as big factors in his decision, but the main he reason he chose the Longhorns was the strong bond he forged with coach Shaka Smart last summer in Chile when he played for him on the U.S. U-18 team. Yahoo Sports / The Dagger

UConn Signs Forward Isaiah Whaley: UConn has received a signed National Letter of Intent from Isaiah Whaley, who will join the men’s basketball program for the 2017-18 season, head coach Kevin Ollie announced on Thursday. Whaley, a 6-foot-9, 195-pound forward from Gastonia, N.C., is coming from a prep school year at Mt. Zion Prep in Baltimore. He joins an incoming UConn class that includes five newcomers. -- ZagsBlog



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The 2017 Jordan Classic is Friday, April 14, 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Paul Scruggs, ranked no. 28 in ESPN 100, commits to Xavier: Top-30 prospect Paul Scruggs has committed to Xavier... A 6-foot-3 point guard from Indianapolis, Scruggs transferred to Prolific Prep (California) for his senior season. He creates matchup problems for opponents due to his size and strength, and averaged 14.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists for the Indy Hoosiers on the Under Armour Association circuit this past spring and summer. -- ESPN.com, October 15

Top-50 prospect Cody Riley commits to the Bruins: UCLA added to its top-five recruiting class on Friday, as top-50 prospect Cody Riley committed to the Bruins... Riley, a 6-foot-7 power forward from Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California, is ranked No. 45 in the ESPN 100. He does most of his work around the basket and on the offensive glass and averaged 13.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks for the Phoenix Phamily on the Nike EYBL circuit this past spring and summer. -- ESPN.com, October 15

Brandon Randolph, ranked No. 40 in ESPN 100, commits to Arizona: ESPN 100 wing Brandon Randolph has committed to the Arizona Wildcats, he told ESPN on Wednesday. Randolph, who is ranked No. 40 in the ESPN 100 for 2017, chose the Wildcats over Syracuse, Oregon and Wake Forest. He took official visits to Syracuse and Oregon in September, and he also took a trip to Arizona last weekend. -- ESPN.com, October 12

Early signing period six weeks away: With six weeks remaining until the early signing period, only five of the 25 five-star prospects in the class of 2017 are committed. -- ESPN.com, October 4

ESPN 100 SG Chaundee Brown commits to Wake Forest: Wake Forest coach Danny Manning made a huge splash in recruiting by landing ESPN No. 30 Chaundee Brown, who gave Manning his commitment Sunday on his official visit. -- ESPN.com, Oct. 3

Jordan Nwora Cuts to 12, Will Visit Georgia Tech: Jordan Nwora, the 6-foot-7 Class of 2017 small forward from Vermont Academy and the NY Rens, has trimmed his list to 12 schools and will take an official visit to Georgia Tech this weekend, his father told me. -- ZagsBlog/SNY , Oct. 3

SG Chaundee Brown commits to Wake Forest: ESPN 100 wing Chaundee Brown has committed to the Wake Forest men's basketball team. Brown chose the Demon Deacons over Kansas. He visited Wake Forest this weekend. He was at Kansas in early September. Brown, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from First Academy (Florida), is ranked No. 30 in the ESPN 100 for 2017. He slots in as the No. 9 shooting guard. - ESPN.com, Oct. 3, 2016

ESPN 100 PF Xavier Tillman picks Michigan State: ESPN 100 big man Xavier Tillman announced his verbal commitment to Michigan State and coach Tom Izzo on Friday at a ceremony at Grand Rapids Christian High School. -- ESPN.com, Sept. 30

Xavier Lands Big Man Kentrevious Jones: Kentrevious Jones, a 6-foot-11, 290-pound big man from Macon (GA) Central and the Atlanta Xpress, committed to Xavier on Sunday, giving head coach Chris Mack a huge frontcourt presence going forward. Jones also considered UCF, LSU, Oklahoma and Texas Tech. -- ZagsBlog.com, Sept 25, 2016



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The 2016 Elite 24 hoops classic game was Saturday August 20 in Brooklyn, NY.

2016 Las Vegas AAU top performers: Romeo Langford, Gary Trent Jr, Collin Sexton, Mitchell Robinson, Brian Bowen, Nick Weatherspoon, Scottie Lewis, Bryan Antoine, Billy Preston, Tremont Waters, Chuma Okeke. -- NBADraft.net, July 26, 2016

OLDER HS BBALL NEWS:

The Elite 24 game is this weekend: The 2015 Elite 24 game is Saturday, August 22 in Brooklyn and will be televised on ESPNU.

Syracuse Commit Moustapha Diagne will attend junior college: Syracuse announced Thursday that 2015 commit Moustapha Diagne won’t enroll at the school and will instead attend a two-year college. Ranked the No. 7 power forward in the Class of 2015 by 247Sports.com, Diagne helped lead Pope John XXIII to the New Jersey Tournament of Champions final in March, where they lost to Kentucky-bound point guard Isaiah Briscoe and Roselle (N.J.) Catholic. -- ZagsBlog.com, August 20

New Zealand PF Matthew Freeman commits to Oklahoma: Back in June, Rivals.com had the opportunity to watch Matthew Freeman a class of 2016 power forward prospect from New Zealand, and tabbed him a four-star prospect. At the time, the 6-foot-9 face-up four man from the Westlake Boys Club was starting to make some noise with high major college coaches in the United States. Last weekend, Rivals got another look at Freeman at the Adidas Nations event in Long Beach, Calif. where he averaged 17.8 points and 3.3 rebounds a game. Now he's ended his recruitment by making a commitment to Lon Kruger and the Oklahoma Sooners. -- Rivals.com, August 8

Class of 2016: Some top class of 2016 high school basketball stars: Josh Jackson, Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum. -- InsideHoops.com, July 30, 2015

De’Ron Davis cuts list of schools to three: De’Ron Davis, a 6-foot-9 power forward from Aurora (CO) Overland, cut his list to three high-profile programs on Wednesday. Davis Tweeted he’s considering Arizona, Indiana and Texas as his top three. He averaged 16.3 points, 11.3 rebound and 5.1 blocks last season. -- Zagsblog.com, July 30

No. 1 hoops prospect Josh Jackson leads team to Fab 48 title in Las Vegas: After leading 1 Nation to the Fab 48 title last week in Las Vegas, Josh Jackson has regained the No. 1 spot in the 247Sports Composite rankings... The 6-foot-7 shooting guard is a native of Michigan but played as a junior at Prolific Prep Academy (Napa, Calif.). Jackson has also starred for USA Basketball's youth national teams. -- MaxPreps, July 30

High school basketball star Harry Giles transferring to Oak Hill Academy: One of the nation's top high school basketball prospects announced Wednesday that he is transferring to one of the nation's top programs. Harry Giles, a 6-foot-9, 225-pound power forward regarded as the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2016 class by 247Sports, announced via Twitter that he will spend his senior season at Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.). -- MaxPreps, July 29

Josh Jackson played well in Las Vegas: Much like the 2014 NBA Draft, general managers will be very excited for what will be coming their way in the 2017 NBA Draft with all the talent coming out in the Class of 2016. Starting at the very top, Josh Jackson had another great weekend for 1 Nation. At 6-foot-7 with elite athleticism and potential to be an All-NBA defender, don't expect him to be in college long wherever he ends up. Offensively, he looks the part of the top overall prospect as well with his ability to attack the rim and make others around him better. He may not quite be Andrew Wiggins as a prospect, but he's not terribly far off. NBA GMs would have loved a front row seat at Saturday night's matchup between Mac Irvin Fire and Arkansas Wings. There were three five-star prospects on the court, and each looked like a future NBA players. Malik Monk put his elite athletic ability on display and proved that he can score with anybody in the class. Jayson Tatum, a Duke commit, has the type of length and skill level NBA scouts look for. And lastly, Miles Bridges has an NBA body right now and can dominate a game in a variety of ways. -- Rivals.com, July 28



OLDER UPDATES

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Seventeen Finalists Remain For 2015 USA Basketball Men’s U16 National Team: Following four training sessions May 28-30, which featured 29 of the USA’s top 16-and-unders, 17 finalists were selected for the 2015 USA Basketball Men’s U16 National Team. Finalists will continue training at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the final 12-member USA U16 squad will be named prior to the team departing for Bahia Blanca, Argentina, and the 2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship. Athlete selections were made by the USA Basketball Men’s Developmental National Team Committee. Scheduled for June 10-14, the U16 tournament serves as the Americas zone qualifier for the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championship, and the top four finishing nations from the FIBA Americas U16 Championship will earn a berth to the 2014 U17 Worlds. Selected as finalists from the 33-member 2015-16 USA Junior National Team roster were: Jordan Brown (Woodcreek H.S./ Roseville, Calif.); Wendell Carter Jr. (Pace Academy/Fairburn, Ga.); Carte’Are Gordon (St. John Vianney H.S./St. Louis, Mo.); Jaylen Hands (Mater Dei Catholic H.S./Chula Vista, Calif.); Elijah Hardy (Bishop O'Dowd H.S./Oakland, Calif.); Jalen Hill (Corona Centennial H.S./Corona, Calif.); Markus Howard (Findlay Prep, Nev./Chandler, Ariz.); Brandon Johns (East Lansing H.S./Lansing, Mich.); Tre Jones (Apple Valley H.S./Appel Valley, Minn.); Kevin Knox II (Tampa Catholic H.S./Tampa, Fla.); Jaylen Nowell (Garfield H.S./Seattle, Wash.); Charles O’Bannon Jr. (Bishop Gorman H.S./Las Vegas, Nev.); Ja’Vonte Smart (Scotlandville HS/Baton Rouge, La.); Gary Trent Jr. (Apple Valley H.S./Apple Valley, Minn.); Jarred Vanderbilt (Victory Prep School/Houston, Texas); Connor Vanover (Arkansas Baptist H.S./Little Rock, Ark.); and Robert Woodard (Columbus H.S./Columbus, Miss.). -- May 30, 2015



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FROM LAST YEAR:

Arizona locks up four-star guard Justin Simon: An extended recruiting roll continued Tuesday for Arizona head coach Sean Miller as elite 2015 guard Justin Simon of Temecula Valley (Temecula, Calif.) made a verbal commitment to the Wildcats... Simon, a 6-foot-5, 190-pound combo guard, is the No. 29 overall prospect in the 2015 class according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He averaged 17.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game as a junior at Temecula Valley, leading the Golden Bears to 26 wins and the Southern Section Division 1A quarterfinals. -- Maxpreps, May 6, 2014

Trey Mourning to Georgetown: Alonzo Mourning III, also known as Trey, will follow his father’s footsteps and play at Georgetown. The 6-foot-9 power forward from Ransom (FL) Everglades committed to the Hoyas on Saturday, according to the Washington Post. He averaged 29 points and 10 rebounds per game last season while leading Ransom to Florida’s Class 4A regional semifinals. -- Zagsblog, May 4, 2014

Austin Grandstaff to Ohio State: Three months after decommitting from Oklahoma State, Austin Grandstaff is off the board again. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound Team Texas guard pledged to Ohio State Sunday after a weekend official visit. Grandstaff, ranked No. 39 in the Class of 2015 by 247 Sports, also held offers from Florida, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Alabama, Arizona, Georgetown, Virginia, Washington, Iowa State, UNLV, Texas A&M, Xavier, Creighton, Marquette, UMass, Oregon and Western Kentucky. -- Zagsblog, May 4, 2014

Devonte’ Graham to Kansas: One day after losing a point guard from Brewster (N.H.) Academy, Kansas has gained another one. Devonte’ Graham picked the Jayhawks over N.C. State on Friday, Tweeting “ROCKCHALK JAYHAWK !! #KUCMB .” ... “Devonte’ can facilitate and run a team,” Brewster coach Jason Smith said. “Defensively, he’s outstanding and he’s able to shoot the ball well from the perimeter. He’s as a good as any point we’ve had at Brewster.” -- Zagsblog, May 3, 2014

Seton Hall, Minnesota, Pitt Recruiting Dupree McBrayer, Who Plans to Prep, Attend College in 2015: Dupree McBrayer, the fast-rising, left-handed guard from The Patrick School in Elizabeth, N.J., plans to spend a year at prep school before enrolling in college beginning in 2015. “I decided to go [to prep school] because I think an extra year of development [will help] for my body and for my game, too,” the 6-foot-4, 165-pound guard told SNY.tv by phone Wednesday. “I still have weaker parts of my game.” -- Zagsblog, May 1, 2014

Myles Turner Ends Suspense, Picks Texas: Myles Turner ended the suspense on Wednesday, announcing on ESPNU that he will stay in his home state and play for the Texas Longhorns. “I will be pursuing my education and I’m excited to be part of the men’s basketball program at the University of Texas, baby,” the 6-foot-11 Trinity Euless big man said as he pulled out a floppy burnt orange Longhorns hat. -- Zagsblog, April 30, 2014

Baylor lands four-star shooting guard: King McClure always said that he would make an early commitment, and now he class of 2015's No. 37 player has done just that. -- Rivals.com, April 29, 2014

Rutgers Lands 2014 Wing Ryan Johnson: As it heads into the Big Ten next season, Rutgers continues to attempt to bolster its roster for what lies ahead. The Scarlet Knights on Monday landed a commitment from Ryan Johnson, a 6-foot-6, 185-pound two-guard from New Hope Christian (N.C.). After a recent visit, Johnson chose Rutgers over James Madison and UNC-Wilmington. He said Minnesota also offered. -- Zagsblog, April 28, 2014

The 2014 Jordan Classic was at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Friday, April 18. Click the link and see what went down.

Aquille Carr Declares for the NBA Draft: Onetime Seton Hall commit Aquille Carr has officially declared for the NBA Draft. “Aquille is excited about this next chapter in his career and is excited to fulfill his lifelong dream,” his agent, Daniel Hazan, told SNY.tv... Carr was waived in January by the Delaware 87ers, the NBA D-League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers. He was averaging 10.7 points and 1.9 assists. -- Zagsblog, April 20, 2014

Major European addition for Gonzaga: It took a little longer than originally expected, but Gonzaga has gotten its man in European sensation Domantas Sabonis. -- Rivals.com, April 17, 2014

Ahmed Hill Decommits from Marquette: Ahmed Hill has decommitted from Marquette, and has reopened his recruitment. The No. 60 ranked player in the class of 2014 by 247Sports put out a tweet with a note explaining the reasoning behind his decision to decommit from Marquette. -- Zagsblog, April 16, 2014

Trevor Thompson to Ohio State: Virginia Tech transfer Trevor Thompson is headed to Ohio State, choosing the Buckeyes over Indiana and Purdue. “Well it’s official I’m a Ohio State Buckeye Show Me Love #BuckEyeNation !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” he Tweeted. The 7-foot Thompson averaged 5 points and 4.7 rebounds last season as a freshman. -- Zagsblog, April 13, 2014

USA Wins Nike Hoop Summit: The USA Junior National Select Team beat the World Select Team, 84-73, in the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit Saturday night at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore. Here are six quick thoughts on the game: Emmanuel Mudiay is going to be a problem: The 6-foot-5 SMU commit went for 20 points and 3 assists with 5 turnovers while wearing a “DR Congo” jersey. Duke is loaded: If you’re Coach K, you’re doing everything you can to keep Jabari Parker and/or Rodney Hood on campus next year to play with this loaded group. Kansas, Kentucky and Arizona, too: Once again, these three schools have stacked classes, too. Kelly Oubre (14 points, 5 rebounds) and Cliff Alexander are both strong, tough, competitive guys who will go a long way toward helping to replace Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid at Kansas. -- Zagsblog, April 12, 2014

Jabari Parker to Decide Plans by Tuesday or Wednesday: Jabari Parker will meet with Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski next week to make a decision about whether or not to enter the NBA Draft. “I’m going to make it by either Tuesday or Wednesday of next week,” Parker said on ESPN SportsNation. “It’s a very tough decision, especially potentially leaving behind my coach and the program that really helped me out this year, so I really have to keep them in consideration in this whole process,” Parker added to ESPNLA 710 Radio. -- Zagsblog, April 12, 2014

How big of a priority is 2016 guard Tyus Battle for UConn: Four days after winning the NCAA championship in Arlington, Texas, head coach Kevin Ollie was on campus Friday at Gill St. Bernard’s in Gladstone, N.J., to meet with Battle and show his level of commitment. Ollie made the 45-minute drive after speaking at a Coaches’ Clinic at Roselle Catholic, where he was the star attraction on a day where SMU’s Larry Brown, Temple’s Fran Dunphy, Cincinnati’s Mick Cronin, Miami’s Jim Larranaga and N.C. State’s Mark Gottfried also spoke. “It was really special because at the beginning of week, on Monday, our family watched KO and the hungry Huskies cut down the nets,” Gary Battle, Tyus’ father, told SNY.tv. “It was without a doubt a shining moment for Tyus and me. He showed us that Ty is a priority and that means a lot.” -- Zagsblog, April 11, 2014

Marial Shayok Gets Release From Marquette, Holds Offers: Blair Academy wing Marial Shayok has received his release from Marquette and holds offers from several schools. The 6-foot-6 Canadian wing received an offer from Indiana on Thursday, Blair coach Joe Mantegna Tweeted. Shayok also holds offers from Rutgers, Virginia, Michigan and Marquette, Mantegna told SNY.tv. But Makur Shayok, Marial’s father, told SNY.tv that no schools had reached out directly to him or his son. -- Zagsblog, April 11, 2014

Final 2013-14 high school boys basketball Top 25 composite rankings: 1. Montverde Academy (Fla.), 2. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 3. Rainier Beach (Seattle), 4. Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 5. Arsenal Technical (Indianapolis), 6. Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.), 7. Huntington St. Joseph Prep (W.Va.) -- Maxpreps, April 10, 2014

Chris Walker Returning to Florida For Sophomore Year: In a move that can only be viewed as a wise one, 6-foot-10 Florida freshman Chris Walker will return to Gainesville for his sophomore season, he announced on Twitter late Wednesday afternoon. He tweeted, “This year has been a great one, and I’m happy to say I will be joining the gatornation again for one more year!” -- Zagsblog, April 9, 2014

Chris Walker Returning to Florida For Sophomore Year: In a move that can only be viewed as a wise one, 6-foot-10 Florida freshman Chris Walker will return to Gainesville for his sophomore season, he announced on Twitter late Wednesday afternoon. He tweeted, “This year has been a great one, and I’m happy to say I will be joining the gatornation again for one more year!” -- Zagsblog, April 9, 2014

What does next season's freshman class look like for UConn, Kentucky?: UConn may have won the battle, but it appears Kentucky is still winning the war — at least when it comes to recruiting. Although this year's class isn't getting the buzz of last year's seven McDonald's All-Americans, Kentucky will once again have one of the top rated recruiting classes in the country enrolling this fall. Meanwhile national champion Connecticut has the No. 33 recruiting class according to 247Sports, but will likely return more players than Kentucky, which will undoubtedly lose a number of starters to the NBA draft. -- Maxpreps, April 8, 2014

Maryland Lands 7-Footer Cekovsky: Maryland has landed a commitment from 2014 Slovakian 7-footer Michal Cekovsky, a source with direct knowledge confirmed to SNY.tv. Cekovsky plays for Canarias Basketball Academy in Spain and head coach Rob Orellana previously told SNY.tv he had offers from Florida, Arizona, Louisville, UConn, Oregon, Florida State and Maryland. “Michal’s upside is off the charts,” Orellana said. -- Zagsblog, April 7, 2014

LSU-Bound Simmons Dominates as Montverde Academy Repeats as National Champions: To cap the DICK’S Sporting Goods High School National Tournament, Montverde Academy (FL) held off Oak Hill Academy (VA), 71-62, to repeat as champions in what was their third straight finals appearance. Playing in Madison Square Garden, the mecca of basketball, can be intimidating and cause jitters for some players, but you’d never know it by watching Ben Simmons play on Saturday. The Australian, who won the MVP of the tournament and is heading to LSU after next year, was an absolute monster on the court as he finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Flanking Simmons’ huge effort was Ohio State commit D’Angelo Russell, who finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds and Virginia Tech commit Justin Bibbs, who tallied 17 points. For Oak Hill Academy, they were led by Terrence Phillips with 15 points and N.C. State-bound Cody and Caleb Martin with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Cody also had 10 rebounds. -- Zagsblog, April 5, 2014

Oregon State lands California big man: There aren't many quality big men left in the class of 2014, but Craig Robinson and Oregon State found one in Cameron Oliver. -- Rivals.com, April 3, 2014

2014 McDonald's boys All American Game: Jahlil Okafor leads West to victory: Jahlil Okafor has watched many games live at the United Center in Chicago. Wednesday, he stepped on the court in uniform for the very first time. The Whitney Young (Chicago) 7-foot center made a good first impression, taking home co-MVP honors at the 37th McDonald's All American Game with 17 points and seven rebounds in the West's 105-102 victory over the East before 17,116 fans. Down 102-101, Okafor took a pass from Arizona signee Stanley Johnson of Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) off a pick-and-roll play and slammed it home with 38.7 seconds left. Following an East miss, Kansas-bound Kelly Oubre of Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) sank two free throws with 19.1 seconds left to give the West a three-point cushion... Justin Jackson, a 6-7 home-schooled player from Houston and headed to North Carolina, led all players with 23 points for the East and earned co-MVP honors. He made 11 of 14 shots... The West committed just five turnovers — surely a 37-year low from the event — and also got 15 points from Emmanuel Mudiay, a 6-4 guard from Prime Prep (Dallas) headed to SMU, 14 by UNLV-bound 6-6 guard Rashad Vaughn from Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) and 11 by Oubre... D'Angelo Russell, a 6-4 guard headed to Ohio State from Montverde Academy (Fla.), added 11 points for the East, which took 21 fewer shots than the West. Tyus Jones, a 6-1 guard from Apple Valley (Minn.) headed to Duke, took just five shots, scored seven points but played a superb floor game with 10 assists. -- Maxpreps, April 2, 2014

Duke Pledge Grayson Allen Wins McDonald’s All-American Dunk Contest: Duke-bound Grayson Allen won the McDonald’s All-American Dunk Contest Monday night in Chicago when he jumped over 6-foot-10 Jahlil Okafor — his future Duke teammate -- while wearing a retro No. 22 Jay Williams Duke jersey. Allen topped Karl-Anthony Towns, Theo Pinson, A’ja Wilson, Justise Winslow, Kelly Oubre and Stanley Johnson. -- Zagsblog, March 31, 2014

Temple Transfer Anthony Lee Picks Ohio State: Temple transfer Anthony Lee is headed to Ohio State and can play right away as a fifth-year senior. “He made the decision today,” Anthony Lee Sr. told SNY.tv by phone. “It’s a tremendous program for Anthony’s desires as a basketball player.” -- Zagsblog, March 29, 2014

Anthony Lawrence to Miami: Anthony Lawrence has committed to the University of Miami. The 6-foot-6 class of 2015 wing forward from Lakewood (Fla.) announced that he had chosen the Hurricanes on Twitter Monday afternoon. -- Zagsblog, March 24, 2014

Arizona lands Serbian big man: Dusan Ristic left his home in Serbia to play his final season of high school ball in the U.S. Now, he's off the board to Arizona. -- Rivals.com, March 8, 2014

No. 9 Center Commits To Louisville: Anas Osama Mahmoud committed March 3 to Louisville. -- ESPN.com, March 6, 2014

OLDER HIGH SCHOOL NEWS

PF Reid Travis commits to Stanford (Nov. 8, 2013): Stanford landed its third ESPN 100 prospect in the Class of 2014 when Reid Travis (Minneapolis/De La Salle) announced his commitment to the Cardinal on Friday. Reid is the No. 23 overall prospect and the No. 5 power forward in the nation. Travis chose Stanford over Duke, Minnesota and Gonzaga... Travis is a pure power forward who stays near the basket to post up, rebound, screen and make short jumpers. In the paint, he creates fouls and gets to the free throw line. His combination of strength and a soft touch make him a scoring threat on every possession. -- ESPN.com

PF Trey Lyles commits to Kentucky (Nov. 6, 2013): Trey Lyles, a 6-foot-10 power forward and the No. 7 overall player in the Class of 2014, announced his commitment to Kentucky on Tuesday. The Indianapolis/Arsenal Technical High School product announced his decision at a news conference carried live on ESPNU. Lyles had been considering only Kentucky and Louisville since September after having previously dropped Florida and Butler from his list. He took an official visit to Louisville the weekend of Aug. 31 and was on hand for Kentucky's "Big Blue Madness" on Oct. 18. -- ESPN.com

SG James Blackmon Jr. picks Indiana (Nov. 6, 2013): Five-star shooting guard James Blackmon Jr. (Marion, Ind./Marion) committed to the Indiana Hoosiers on Thursday night over offers from Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State and Kansas... Blackmon, the No. 19 player in the ESPN 100, is a smart and smooth shooting guard who has a quick trigger and deep range. He also can slide over and play the point guard position flawlessly because of his ability to handle the ball, as well as his high basketball IQ and feel for the game.-- ESPN.com

SF Devin Robinson headed to Florida (Nov. 1, 2013): Florida picked up its third ESPN 100 commitment Wednesday when Devin Robinson, the 28th-ranked prospect in the Class of 2014, announced his commitment to the Gators. The Chesterfield, Va., native chose Florida over offers from Indiana, Notre Dame and Oklahoma State. Robinson joins Brandone Francis (Jacksonville, Fla./Arlington Country Day), the No. 8 shooting guard and No. 27 overall prospect, and Chris Chiozza (Memphis/White Station), the No. 9 point guard and No. 42 overall prospect... The Gators are getting a long, athletic forward who can pass and shoot well from behind the arc. He blossomed this summer and has one of the highest ceilings in his class. The 6-foot-8, 180-pound small forward still needs to develop his body and adapt to the physicality and speed of the game, but once he does, he'll be a star at the next level.-- ESPN.com

Kentucky Wildcats land SG Devin Booker (Oct. 31, 2013): Just one day after celebrating his 17th birthday, ESPN 100 shooting guard Devin Booker (Moss Point, Miss./Moss Point) announced his commitment to Kentucky in his high school gym Thursday afternoon. Booker chose the Wildcats over offers from Michigan State, Michigan and Missouri... With Julius Randle, Andrew Harrison, Willie Cauley-Stein, James Young, Alex Poythress, Dakari Johnson and Aaron Harrison all mulling potential jumps to the NBA, the Wildcats remain focused on adding to the class with Trey Lyles, Stanley Johnson, and James Blackmon Jr. being the top three remaining targets on their board. -- ESPN.com

SF Kelly Oubre commits to Kansas (October 10, 2013): Kansas landed its first commitment in the Class of 2014 when Kelly Oubre, the No. 10 player in the ESPN 100, announced his commitment on Tuesday. Spending time in Lawrence and experiencing "Late Night in the Phog" apparently sealed the deal for the third-ranked small forward, who plays for Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)... In Oubre, Self landed one of the more athletic wings in the country. Oubre's versatility at both ends of the floor -- skill on offense and length and explosiveness on defense -- will stand out in Lawrence. -- ESPN.com

UConn picks up a commitment from JuCo point guard Sam Cassell Jr. (October 9, 2013): UConn made a nice pickup on Wednesday morning as Sam Cassell Jr. announced that he had committed to Kevin Ollie and the Huskies. “Blessed to say that I have committed to the University of Connecticut,” Cassell tweeted. -- NBC Sports

The biggest recruit in the Class of 2014, Elbert Robinson, commits to LSU (October 8, 2013): Johnny Jones continued his strong work on the recruiting trail as the LSU head coach picked up a commitment from Texas native Elbert Robinson, the biggest player in the Class of 2014. Robinson, who is ranked 51st by Rivals, is listed at 7-foot-0 and 320 pounds and he knows how to use that size. -- NBC Sports

Butler lands commitment from 2014 forward Kelan Martin (October 8, 2013): Butler grabbed its second commit for its Class of 2014 on Monday evening when Ballard High (Ky.) forward Kelan Martin announced through his Twitter account that he was the newest member of the Bulldogs. The 6-foot-6 Martin is the No. 143 overall player in the Class of 2014 according to Rivals. The three-star forward was in the middle of three official visits. He was in Indianapolis this past weekend on the Butler campus. The previous weekend he was visiting Saint Louis, and he was scheduled to make a trip to Lubbock, Texas for an official visit at Texas Tech this upcoming weekend, according to Steve Jones of the Courier-Journal. -- NBC Sports

Forward K.J. Lawson commits to Memphis (October 7, 2013): K.J. Lawson, the No. 21 junior in the ESPN 60, committed to the hometown Memphis Tigers on Monday. Lawson (Memphis/Hamilton) helps coach Josh Pastner continue a trend of successful local recruiting. Pastner has been aggressive in recruiting in-state talent for years, which paid off last year when he landed the nation's No. 3 recruiting class thanks in large part to a trio of Tennessee products -- Austin Nichols, Nick King and Markel Crawford. And more could be on the way. Dedric Lawson, the No. 4 sophomore in the ESPN 25, could follow his older brother to Memphis. -- ESPN.com

6-foot-8 forward D.J. Wilson becomes Michigan’s fourth 2014 commit (October 6, 2013): Recruiting the west coast has proven to be fruitful for the Michigan basketball program, as the Wolverines have received a second commitment from that part of the country in the last week. First there was four-star forward Kameron Chatman (Portland, Ore.), and on Sunday 6-foot-8 forward D.J. Wilson (Sacramento, Calif.) announced his decision to verbally commit to the Big Ten school. Wilson took his official visit to Michigan this weekend, and the news of his commitment was first reported by Eric Bossi of Rivals.com. -- NBC Sports

SF Trevon Bluiett decommits from UCLA (October 4, 2013): Trevon Bluiett, the No. 43 player overall and No. 11 small forward in the ESPN 100, decommitted from UCLA on Thursday night, less than a month after committing to the Bruins. According to the Indianapolis Star, Bluiett (Indianapolis/Park Tudor) told his former high school coach and current UCLA assistant Ed Schilling that the school's distance from home played a role in his decision. -- ESPN.com

Center Goodluck Okonoboh chooses UNLV (October 4, 2013): UNLV picked up its second ESPN 100 commitment Thursday night, when No. 21 overall and No. 4 center Goodluck Okonoboh (Boston/Wilbraham & Monson) announced he will join the Rebels during ESPNU's broadcast of the Western Kentucky-Louisiana-Monroe football game. Okonoboh joins Dwayne Morgan (Baltimore/St. Frances Academy), the No. 34 prospect and No. 9 power forward, to give the Rebels a top, athletic, front-line tandem. -- ESPN.com

Iowa lands a commitment from three-star guard Brady Ellingson (September 25, 2013): Fran McCaffery got the Hawkeyes in the top four for Marian Catholic (Ill.) point guard Tyler Ulis, only to see him commit to Kentucky earlier this month. Two weeks later, Iowa got its first commit in the Class of 2014 in Hamilton High (Wisc.) shooting guard Brady Ellingson. -- NBC Sports

Elite 2014 forward Trey Lyles down to Kentucky and Louisville (September 25, 2013): Elite 2014 forward and former Indiana recruit Trey Lyles announced on Instagram Monday evening that he was down to rivals Kentucky and Louisville as his final two schools. In the creative Instagram announcement, the 6’10”, 245-pound Lyles used photos of what he might look like in Wildcat blue or Cardinal red in what’s sure to be a heated recruiting battle. -- NBC Sports

Creighton nabs 2014 forward Leon Gilmore (September 24, 2013): Sometimes it’s hard to remember which teams switched over to new leagues. But while we’re finally wrapping our minds around the conference alignment changes, you can sometimes forget that teams are also recruiting for the new league they’re entering. Creighton — with its move from the Missouri Valley Conference to the Big East — is facing the challenge of previously recruiting at a mid-major level and switching to a high-major level and the Bluejays are off to a solid start with Monday’s commitment of 2014 forward Leon Gilmore. -- NBC Sports

PG Jeff Newberry picks Oklahoma State (September 23, 2013): Oklahoma State appears to have found an eventual replacement for Marcus Smart. Jeff Newberry, one of the top junior college point guards in the country, told ESPN.com he has committed to Travis Ford and the Cowboys for he 2014-15 season. "It just felt like home as soon as I touched down on campus," said Newberry, who took an official visit to Stillwater last week. -- ESPN.com

SG Isaiah Whitehead to play for Seton Hall (September 19, 2013): Isaiah Whitehead, the No. 35 overall recruit and 10th-rated shooting guard in the ESPN 100, announced his commitment to Seton Hall on Thursday. Whitehead, who made his choice at Brooklyn's Lincoln High School in front of supporters, had yet to make any official visits or formally reduce his list of choices when he announced on Twitter earlier this week that he would be picking from St. John's, Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Indiana. - RecruitingNation/ESPN.com

Big man Alex Owens commits to UCF (September 17, 2013): UCF has landed a commitment from Alex Owens, one of the top big men in the Class of 2015. The 6-foot-8½, 240-pound Owens, who plays at Oak Ridge High in Orlando, is ranked 44th overall by ESPN.com. He said that Louisville's Rick Pitino and Florida's Billy Donovan had both been to see him in the last two weeks, and that Missouri, Vanderbilt, Marquette and Florida State had also expressed interest. - ESPN.com

Alex Robinson committed to A&M while ignoring negative recruiting (September 17, 2013): Alex Robinson has been a desirable prospect for several years and a priority for Texas A&M since at least the summer of 2012. Other coaches knew this, of course, because coaches know everything. And though most in the profession frown upon negative recruiting -- and almost all would tell you that they'd never use the fact that Texas A&M's Billy Kennedy is battling Parkinson's disease against him -- the truth is that that's not true. Coaches absolutely use it against Kennedy. Alex Robinson told me as much on Tuesday afternoon. "They actually did [use Kennedy's Parkinson's diagnosis against Texas A&M]," Robinson said by phone a few minutes after the top-50 prospect committed to Texas A&M just 48 hours following a weekend visit. "But I just kinda brushed it off like, 'Hey, that's part of recruiting. [The other coaches are just] trying to get me to their school.'" - CBS Sports

Top-50 prospect Terry Larrier commits to VCU (September 16, 2013): Terry Larrier, a four-star small forward from New York, has chosen VCU over Connecticut, sources told CBSSports.com. Larrier visited the Rams' campus this weekend, and then made his decision on Monday. Florida, Florida State, Miami and Seton Hall were also on his final list of six. The 6-foot-8 wing boosted his stock during the spring and summer, emerging from the AAU season as one of the top 50 prospects in the class of 2014 after playing alongside five-star big men Chris McCullough and Cheick Diallo with Team Scan. Due to his length and size, Larrier has the ability to be a nuisance on the defensive end. He should be perfect for the high-octane nature of VCU's pressure defense. On the other end of the floor, Larrier can create matchup problems for most defenders. He has deep range on his perimeter jumper, and can stretch defenses with his outside shot. - CBS Sports

Louisville loses commit from PG JaQuan Lyle (September 14, 2013): Louisville may be the defending national champion, but it hasn't helped the Cardinals hold on to recruits. ESPN 100 point guard JaQuan Lyle (Evansville, Ind./Huntington Prep) became the second point guard to decommit since July. Quentin Snider, the No. 28 prospect in the 2014 ESPN 100, had been committed to the Cards for two years, but announced his intentions to play at Illinois on Thursday. Louisville's roster, which is full of backcourt options, appears to have played a role in Lyle's decision. - ESPN.com

PG Jordan McLaughlin commits to USC (September 11, 2013): Jordan McLaughlin (Etiwanda, Calif./Etiwanda), the No. 18 player in the 2014 ESPN 100, committed to USC on Wednesday, choosing the Trojans over UCLA, Indiana and Kansas. A year ago, the nation's No. 4 point guard seemed pegged for UCLA, but that changed after the Bruins fired Ben Howland. McLaughlin should provide some much-needed momentum for the Trojans. With new coach Andy Enfield and an energetic young staff, USC is staking its claim on the local recruiting scene. - ESPN Los Angeles

Pompano Beach Ely basketball star picks East Carolina (September 3, 2013): Lance Tejada III, a throwback, pass-first point guard for reigning Class 7A state champion Pompano Beach Blanche Ely, ended his recruitment with an oral commitment to East Carolina University during an official visit Saturday. With exceptional court vision, ability to finish at the rim and yo-yo like ball-handling which allows him to keep his dribble alive until a play develops, the four-star prospect appears poised to make an immediate impact for East Carolina head coach Jeff Lebo, a former point guard for legendary North Carolina coach Dean Smith. “Coach Lebo is a great coach and great person,’’ Tejada said. Miami Herald

Wing Trevon Bluiett commits to UCLA (September 2, 2013): New UCLA coach Steve Alford has taken advantage of his Indiana ties and landed his first commitment of the Class of 2014 with top-50 wing Trevon Bluiett. "I loved the campus, and Coach Alford and his staff made me feel welcome and comfortable as soon as I stepped on campus," Bluiett told ESPN.com. The 6-foot-6 standout from Park Tudor High in Indianapolis took an official visit to UCLA this past weekend. He had already visited Xavier and Butler and was scheduled to visit Purdue this weekend. Arizona, Indiana and Michigan were also among his finalists. -- ESPN.com

Utah lands verbal commitment from 2014 forward Kyle Kuzma (August 30, 2013): Slowly but surely, Larry Krystkowiak’s Utah basketball program is taking steps back towards respectability. After winning just six games in his first season at the Pac-12 school, Krystkowiak’s team improved its win total by nine games in 2012-13 and reached the semifinals of the Pac-12 tournament. With rising sophomores Jordan Loveridge and Brandon Taylor being joined by a six-member recruiting class that includes junior guard Delon Wright, the hope is that the Utes can improve their standing within the conference (5-13 record last season) in 2013-14. -- NBC Sports

2014 forward Justin Tillman commits to attend VCU (August 30, 2013): With mainstay Juvonte Reddic and Florida State transfer Terrance Shannon both entering their senior seasons, VCU head coach Shaka Smart needed some additional bodies in the front court for the 2014 season and beyond. On Friday the Rams received a boost in that department, as 2014 forward Justin Tillman (Pershing HS, Detroit) verbally committed to attend the Atlantic 10 school. -- NBC Sports

Adonys Henriquez Decommits from Miami (August 29, 2013): On Wednesday afternoon, Miami lost one of their top recruits in the class of 2014, Adonys Henriquez. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard, and the number 46th player in the nation on ESPN out of Orlando Christian Prep (Fla.), opened up his recruiting once again to schools all across the nation, while also opening up options for Miami moving forward. -- ZagsBlog

Coach K Tells Myles Turner He’s One-and-Done (August 28, 2013): Given Duke’s reputation for keeping players in school for more than one year, it qualifies as news when Coach K tells someone he’s a one-and-done. Such is apparently the case with 6-foot-11 Texas big man Myles Turner, who wrote this in his USA Today blog: “I also like how Coach K talks to me. “He handles me like I’m a pro. He says things like: ‘Myles you’re a pro and you need to carry yourself that way. You don’t need to worry about all of this media, outside stuff you need to start training your mind now. Hopefully you’ll only be in college for a year and head off to the NBA because I can see you there.’ -- ZagsBlog

Pair of Ohio hoops showcases announced (August 28, 2013): Ohio event organizer Chas Wolfe is close to finalizing details for a pair of high school basketball showcase events slated for the 2013-14 season. The second annual Play 4 Cancer Shootout will be played Dec. 28 in Massillon. Highlights include a matchup between a pair of defending state champions in Bishop Watterson (Columbus) and Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Cleveland). See the complete lineup below. The third annual Dunk 4 Diabetes Shootout will be played Jan. 25-26, 2014 at Walsh University in North Canton. The tentative lineup for that event includes out-of-state powers Bishop Kearney (Rochester, N.Y.), Huntington Prep (W.Va.), La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) and Our Savior New American (Centereach, N.Y.). -- MaxPreps

PG Emmanuel Mudiay commits to SMU
August 24, 2013

Larry Brown scored the biggest victory in his tenure at SMU on Saturday, earning the commitment of the No. 2 point guard and No. 5 overall player in the ESPN 100, Emmanuel Mudiay (Prime Prep/Arlington, Texas). Mudiay picked SMU over Baylor, Kansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma State. He is the highest-rated player to ever choose the Mustangs... Mudiay is a big, physical guard with excellent vision and strong dribble-penetration skills. He has the potential to become a superior defender. -- RecruitingNation/ESPN.com

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PG Josh Perkins commits to Gonzaga
August 24, 2013

Class of 2014 point guard Josh Perkins committed to Gonzaga on Saturday. Perkins, who is No. 24 in the ESPN 100 and the No. 6 point guard in the nation, chose the Bulldogs over UCLA and Minnesota. He joins shooting guard Silas Melson (Portland, Ore./Jefferson) in Gonzaga's 2014 class. -- ESPN.com

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PG Kaleb Joseph commits to Syracuse
August 17, 2013

ESPN 100 point guard Kaleb Joseph (Nashua, N.H./Cushing Academy) made a verbal commitment to Syracuse on Saturday while on campus for an official visit. Joseph, ranked the No. 51 overall prospect and No. 10 point guard in the ESPN 100, has seen wide-ranging, high-major recruitment throughout the last year but trimmed his list to just Syracuse, Providence and West Virginia after the July evaluation period. He becomes the second elite prospect to commit to Syracuse in the Class of 2014, joining another New England prep school product in power forward Chris McCullough, a native of Bronx, N.Y., who attends Brewster Academy (N.H.) and is ranked No. 7 overall in the ESPN 100. -- RecruitingNation/ESPN.com

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PF Craig Victor commits to Arizona
August 17, 2013

The Arizona Wildcats secured a verbal commitment from ESPN 100 power forward Craig Victor on Saturday afternoon. The 6-foot-7, 205-pound New Orleans native -- ranked No. 31 nationally in the Class of 2014, No. 1 in Louisiana and No. 5 at his position -- picked the Wildcats over LSU, Kansas and Oklahoma State. Victor made the announcement at his travel team's season-ending banquet. "For me, it was about going to a place that could develop me for the NBA," Victor said. "I also wanted a chance to win a national championship." -- RecruitingNation/ESPN.com

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2013 Elite 24 game is August 24 in Brooklyn
August 2, 2013

The date of the 2013 Elite 24 hoops classic game is August 24, at 7pm ET. The Elite 24 game location is the Tobacco Warehouse near the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn, New York City. More info: Elite 24 Hoops Classic

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Malik Newman solidifies top spot among the class of 2015
August 1, 2013

Back in early July, Malik Newman scored 40 points at the Nike Peach Jam in front of a who's who of college basketball coaches. He then said the following: “It makes me feel good, but I'm not sure if they're watching me or watching someone else. I just try to show them I can play and that I need a scholarship.” Here's a hint, Malik: if it's a coach at a powerhouse school, they're definitely watching you. Newman is the consensus No. 1 player in the class of 2015, and he constantly attracted a steady stream of big-time coaches to his games. Whether it was at the Peach Jam playing with the Jackson Tigers or in Dallas and Las Vegas playing with Mo Williams Elite, there was a crowd. -- CBS Sports

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2014 Spalding Hoophall Classic will be loaded with star power
August 1, 2013

The nation's premier high school basketball showcase is getting close to finalizing another star-studded lineup. The 2014 Spalding Hoophall Classic – scheduled for Jan. 16-20 in Springfield, Mass. – has 37 boys and girls teams representing 16 states and Canada already on board. Organizers expect to add a couple more teams to that list. Pairings and times will be announced at a later date Fifteen of 247Sports.com's top 25 Class of 2014 prospects are expected to be on the rosters of participating teams. Center and No. 2 overall prospect Jahlil Okafor of Whitney Young (Chicago), No. 3 Emmanuel Mudiay of Prime Prep (Dallas), No. 6 Daniel Hamilton of St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), No. 7 Stanley Johnson of Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) and No. 8 Chris McCullough of Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) will be among the star attractions in Springfield. -- MaxPreps

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Power Forward Gary Clark Visits N.C. State, Has Trips Planned
August 1, 2013

Gary Clark, a 6-foot-7 power forward from Clayton (N.C.) High School, visited N.C. State Thursday and has several other visits planned. An underrated big man who can score inside and out, Clark averaged 17 points and 14 rebounds two years ago and was named to the Associated Press All-State team last season, according to HighSchoolOT.com. “He is a player who is very good but not a finished product,” Clayton coach Denny Medlin told SNY.tv. “Nobody knows what his ceiling is but he’s going to keep getting better, and he’s already very good.” -- ZagsBlog

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Shooting guard Phil Booth to Villanova
July 30, 2013

Team Takeover shooting guard Phil Booth is off the board. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Baltimore Mount St. Joseph guard picked Villanova over Georgetown, Indiana, Virginia and Temple, although he told SNY.tv Georgetown was second on his list. “I really like the coaching staff they have. Villanova has a great history of producing and developing guards,” Booth told SNY.tv Tuesday. “I thought it was the best chance for me to succeed over the first year as a player.” -- ZagsBlog

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2014 PG Shavar Newkirk commits to St. Joseph’s
July 28, 2013

Phil Martelli landed a key part of his 2014 recruiting class last Friday when Shavar Newkirk, a 5-foot-10 point guard from Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, NY, committed to St. Joseph’s. Newkirk’s AAU program director Terrence “Munch” Williams had this to say of Newkirk’s decision to NYPost.com: "Great conference, Hall of Fame coach, close enough distance his family can come see him all the time, opportunity to play right away and play his natural position. He’s got a coach who extremely believes in him. He got everything he needed." -- NBC Sports

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Harry Giles, No. 1 freshman, will miss sophomore season
July 27, 2013

MaxPreps' National Freshman of the Year will be denied winning similar sophomore honors. The Greensboro News-Record reported that Harry Giles underwent left knee surgery this week and will miss his sophomore year at Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.). Giles had injured his knee while playing for the USA basketball team during the FIBA Americas U16 Championships in Uruguay. The 6-foot-9, 210-pound small forward averaged 12.5 points and 9.5 rebounds while leading his team to the NCISAA Class 3A state championship. -- Max Preps

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Summer Jam Notebook: Jalen Brunson pushing for five-star status
July 20, 2013

After yet another impressive performance from point guard Jalen Brunson, I started to think about where the 2015 prospect ranks at his position. There are several quality floor generals in the junior class, so it was difficult. Brunson wasn't about to contribute any help, either. "It's not even my job," he said, smiling. "When I play, I feel like I'm the best. But, really, that's your guys' job." Overall, Brunson's stock has been steadily rising throughout the spring and summer, as the 6-foot-2 Stevenson (Ill.) product is stringing together stellar event after stellar event. At the Peach Jam last week, Brunson struggled in the first and last game, but had 44 combined points against Houston Hoops and Texas Titans. He continued his effort at the Under Armour/NY2LA Summer Jam on Wednesday and Thursday, showing composure and savvy in a couple of signature wins. -- CBS Sports

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Jaylen Brown stepping up
July 20, 2013

Game Elite's Jaylen Brown recently earned the right to have five stars next to his name in the rankings, and he is showing why. Through two days of action at the Best of the South, he's simply been the best player in the gym. Brown, a Georgia native who attends perennial powerhouse Wheeler High School, had two strong performances on Friday. In an afternoon matchup against a local rival in the Southern Kings, Brown crossed the 20-point mark and made all the big plays down the stretch. A strong, athletic wing, Brown has a picture-perfect jumper and is not afraid to go inside to use his strength to finish over or through defenders. Friday night's matchup against Each One Teach One drew a number of college coaches, and Brown again put on a show against the depleted Nike EYBL champs. Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Maryland, N.C. State, VCU and many more have been on hand to see Brown and his Game Elite team this week. -- Rivals.com

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High school basketball recruiting
July 10, 2013

As most of the sports world enters the dog days of summer, college basketball is getting ready to enter one of its most important three-week stretches of the year. In fact, outside of the actual season, July is the most important month for college coaches. The sort of impression coaches make on potential recruits over the next few weeks could have a major impact on the short-term future of their programs -- and of their own career. The July live period is three separate four-day periods over a three-week span. It stretches from 5 p.m. Wednesday to 5 p.m. Sunday. It used to be two separate 10-day periods, but the rules changed last year. During those days, coaches will travel the country watching prospects in all different high school classes. Some coaches will be tracking players to see who they should recruit and some will babysit players who already have committed. But many coaches just need to be in attendance and be seen by their targets. -- CBS Sports

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Ole Miss nabs commitment from forward Marcanvis Hymon
July 10, 2013

While hundreds of players around the country will take the next three weeks to impress college coaches, Marcanvis Hymon won't have to be one of them. On the eve of the July recruiting period, Hymon decided to end his recruitment. He's headed to Ole Miss. Hymon, a 6-foot-8 forward from Whitehaven (Tenn.), is ranked No. 111 in the 247Sports Composite for the class of 2014 -- CBS Sports

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Some top class of 2014 high school basketball players
July 10, 2013

Jahlil Okafor: Absolutely dominant inside force is coming off a terrific performance at the U19 World Championships... Tyus Jones: The best point guard in the country, Jones is looking to play in college with Okafor... Emmanuel Mudiay: Given his size and strength, Mudiay has the ability to be one of the tougher guard matchups in the class... Cliff Alexander: Just a beast of a post player, Alexander will team with Okafor to form a ridiculous inside duo for Mac Irvin Fire... Trey Lyles: A former Indiana commit, Lyles will attract the constant attention of Rick Pitino and John Calipari. -- CBS Sports

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Some top class of 2015 high school basketball players
July 10, 2013

Malik Newman: He's essentially impossible to stop from scoring, as he can get into the lane at will and also run the show... Ivan Rabb: The next stud from the Oakland Soldiers' AAU program, Rabb is one of many dominant bigs in 2015... Stephen Zimmerman: Zimmerman staked his claim during the month of June, and the lefty big looks to continue his momentum... Ben Simmons: A native of Australia, Simmons plays his high school ball at Montverde in Florida and is surrounded by plenty of hype... Cheick Diallo: He's a force on the defensive end, with opponents intimidated to even attempt shots at the rim. Improving and active offensively. -- CBS Sports

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High school freshman D.J. Russell commits to Miami
July 10, 2013

For most players getting ready to start their freshman year of high school, recruiting hasn't even begun. For D.J. Russell, his recruitment is already over. A 6-foot-6 small forward who will attend Jacksonville (Fla.) Arlington Country Day, Russell committed to Miami on Tuesday afternoon. The decision is an early one, but it's one that he says he was ready to make. "Their style fits me and I like how they let their wings and guards do what they do," Russell told Rivals.com. "I'm not worried about it being early. It's all about hard work on my end now." -- Rivals

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Dynamic guard Derrick Jones is exploding this summer
July 9, 2013

He's a little on the spindly side. All arms, legs, elbows and wavy arm sleeves. Don't let that fool you. Derrick Jones is explosive, strong and has added a consistent jump shot to his game and is a defensive force. The 6-foot-6, 190-pound Archbishop Carroll (Radnor, Pa.) junior shooting guard is rapidly being considered one of the best players in the country. He's backed it up by showing an explosive improvement this summer. He already has the attention of Philadelphia's venerable Big 5 (Temple, Villanova, St. Joseph's, Penn and La Salle), and now the big-times, like Kentucky coach John Calipari, are calling. -- Max Preps

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Aaron Gordon named MVP as USA wins U19 basketball crown
July 9, 2013

Aaron Gordon added one final chapter to his glittering high school basketball career on Sunday when he was named MVP for the USA U19 team which defeated Serbia 82-68 to win the gold medal during the FIBA World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic. The 6-foot-8 University of Arizona-bound, former Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) superstar led the Americans in scoring (12.6) and rebounding (6.2) during the tournament and also averaged 2.0 steals while shooting a lofty 61.2 percent from the field, according to the USA Basketball website. -- Max Preps

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Report: 2014 point guard Casey Benson commits to Oregon
July 8, 2013

With Johnathan Loyd heading into his senior season, the Oregon basketball program needed another point guard to go with Dominic Artis in 2014. With the commitment of Tempe, Ariz. (Corona Del Sol HS) product Casey Benson, the Ducks have their man. The news was first reported by Josh Gershon of Scout.com. The 6-3 Benson also held offers from schools such as Creighton, Nebraska, Stanford and Arizona State according to 247Sports.com. Named Gatorade State Player of the Year after his junior season, Benson led Corona Del Sol to a Division I state title with averages of 20.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. In addition to his work on the floor, Benson also maintained a 3.93 GPA. -- NBC Sports

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Forward Rashed Anthony signs with Seton Hall
July 8, 2013

Kevin Willard and Seton Hall inked a late 2013 commitment from Rasheed Anthony, a 6-foot-8 forward from Flora Macdonald Academy in Red Springs, NC. For much of his college recruitment, Anthony was considered a fringe BCS-level player, but teams came onto him late. The one team that was with him from nearly the beginning was Seton Hall, and that paid off for Kevin Willard. Anthony rounds out Seton Hall’s 2013 recruiting class to go along with in-state product Jaren Sina out of Gill Saint Bernard’s (Travis Berry is a projected walk-on from the Kent School (CT)). -- NBC Sports

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Buzz continues to grow for elite 2014 recruit Dante Exum
July 6, 2013

This year’s crop of incoming freshmen is already receiving a tremendous amount of buzz. Between Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins, Duke’s Jabari Parker, Kentucky’s class that includes the Harrison twins and Julius Randle, and Arizona’s Aaron Gordon, there will be plenty of star power next season in the college ranks. But could another big name be joining them in college basketball this season? That appears to potentially be the case as Australia-native Dante Exum — son of former North Carolina alum and ’82 NCAA champion Cecil Exum — will graduate from his high school sometime this winter and could opt to join a program by January of 2014. A 6’6 point guard, Exum could technically enter the 2014 NBA Draft since he born in 1995 and lives outside the United States. Dante turns 18 on July 13th and according to a report from Adam Zagoria, he’s eyeing college in the United States before the draft. -- NBC Sports

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MaxPreps 2012-13 boys Team of the Year: Lone Peak basketball
July 6, 2013

Utah teams win skiing or biking or soccer national championships. But basketball? Boys basketball? Not a chance. Never. Out of the realm of possibility. But Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) unquestionably earned the mythical national championship claim in 2012-13 by going 26-1, including a 6-1 record against teams that were ranked nationally at some point in the season. The Knights had wins over teams from nine states. The lone loss came in the final of the prestigious City of Palms Classic to Montverde Academy (Fla.) – the No. 1 team in MaxPreps Academy Top 10, a team not eligible for Xcellent 25 consideration. Among the biggest statements all season included an 84-46 thrashing of 22-3 Proviso East (Maywood, Ill.) in December, ending Chester's (Pa.) 61-game win streak at the City of Palms Classic and an 81-46 spanking of two-time defending California Division II state champ Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) at the Spalding Hoophall Classic in January. -- MaxPreps

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2014 wing Vic Law becomes Chris Collins’ first commitment
July 6, 2013

The Northwestern Wildcats have never reached the NCAA tournament. Losing Drew Crawford ten games into the 2012-13 season to a shoulder injury didn’t help matters, and in the end the school decided that it needed to make a coaching change. With former Duke assistant Chris Collins replacing Bill Carmody, many wondered when (or if) the Illinois native would be able to turn the program around and make history. Well, an important step in that direction was taken Thursday as 2014 small forward Vic Law announced his decision to commit to Northwestern. Law, who attends St. Rita High School in Chicago, is a four-star prospect rated in the Top 100 by many of the major scouting services. Law’s decision to commit to Northwestern is a big one for coach Collins and his staff, not only because of his talent (Law also boasts a 3.8 GPA according to the Chicago Tribune) but also because of the possibility of landing other area prospects down the line. -- NBC Sports

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6-10 forward Tristan Etienne verbally commits to attend Washington
July 5, 2013

While July 4th is a national holiday, very rarely are there days off in the recruiting world. On Thursday, 6-10 forward Tristan Etienne has verbally committed to attend Washington. The news was first reported by Percy Allen of the Seattle Times. A native of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Etienne is the first commitment in the 2014 class for head coach Lorenzo Romar. “Growing up as a kid when I started watching the NCAA, Washington was a school that I took a liking to,” Etienne told Allen. “When I realized I had a chance to go D-1, it was the school I was shooting for and the school I was dreaming about. I’m just so happy I had the opportunity to go there and play.” Washington has just one senior in its front court rotation for the 2013-14 season, San Francisco transfer Perris Blackwell, but the Huskies can certainly use another body with Gilles Dierickx, Jernard Jarreau and Shawn Kemp Jr. rounding out the rotation. -- NBC Sports

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Malik Newman rises to top of Class of 2015
July 3, 2013

Last week, rising senior Jahlil Okafor was able to hold on to his No. 1 spot in the class of 2014 Rivals150. This week, we expand the class of 2015 rankings from a top 50 to a top 100, and there's a new No. 1 as Mississippi combo guard Malik Newman rises to the top from No. 3. When it comes to production, it's tough to beat the numbers Newman, a Jackson, Miss., native, has been putting up through the early part of the summer. The 6-foot-3 guard led Nike's prestigious Elite Youth Basketball League with 24.7 points per game, and he led USA Basketball's 16-and-under national team with 16.2 points per game as it won gold at the recent FIBA Americas tournament. Newman's production has been impressive, but it's about more than his scoring. It could be argued that Newman is the best pure scorer in the country. He scores with the jumper, he scores off the dribble, he scores in transition and he scores pretty much everywhere else. -- Rivals

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Malik Newman rises to top of Class of 2015
June 30, 2013

In the case of the boys basketball powerhouse at Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.), the rich got richer this weekend with an assist from the NBA draft. Craig Victor of St. Augustine (New Orleans, La.), who is rated the No. 1 rising senior in his state, announced that he is transferring to Findlay Prep. He also considered Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.). The 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that when former Findlay Prep star Anthony Bennett was chosen No. 1 in the NBA draft, "That really opened my eyes. They have been recruiting me for a long time. As I developed and my skills developed, more opportunities have come my way. I just want to thank God once again, because this was a great opportunity that came my way and I just took advantage of it." -- MaxPreps

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Five-star guard Brandone Francis commits to Florida
June 28, 2013

Brandone Francis is off the board to Florida, sources told CBSSports.com. Francis, a 6-foot-4 guard from Arlington Country Day (Fla.), chose the Gators over Louisville, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Illinois and others. Francis emerged as one of the best guards in the class of 2014 during the spring. -- CBS Sports

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Top hoops prospect Malik Newman received 121 recruiting texts from coaches at once
June 28, 2013

Ever wonder what would happen if you were a top-5 prep prospect and for some reason you were completely unreachable on the first day that coaches could contact you? Now we all know thanks to rising junior hoops superstar Malik Newman. Newman, the No. 3 overall prospect in the Class of 2015 Rivals 150, has played both of his first two scholastic seasons at Jackson (Miss.) Callaway High. He was out of the country on June 15, when the floodgates officially open and coaches can begin contacting prospective recruits at midnight. More specifically, Newman was competing with the rest of the U.S. U-16 national team in Uruguay at the FIBA America’s Championship, which he and his American counterparts won by epic proportions. In the process, Newman took home MVP honors and was recognized as the tournament’s breakout star. According to USA Today, when Newman returned two days later he immediately turned on his cell phone while his plane taxied toward the runway. It didn’t stop buzzing with incoming text messages for more than five minutes. "It was crazy," Newman told USA Today. "I've never gotten that many texts at one time." -- Yahoo

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JaQuan Lyle, nation's No. 26 high school basketball player, chooses Louisville
June 27, 2013

One of the nation's premier rising senior guards committed to the University of Louisville basketball program today, it was reported in the Evansville Courier & Press. Six-foot-four combo guard JaQuan Lyle, who made his original announcement on Twitter, said he chose Louisville over Indiana, Florida and Tennessee. He is the No. 26 player in the Class of 2014, according to 247 Sports. Earlier the Cardinals had received commitments from No. 14 Shaqquan Aaron of Rainier Beach (Seattle) and No. 42 Quentin Snider of Butler (Louisville, Ky.). -- MaxPreps

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JaQuan Lyle commits to Louisville
June 26, 2013

National champion Louisville secured a commitment from five-star guard JaQuan Lyle (Evansville, Ind./Bosse) on Wednesday, when the Class of 2014 standout announced he had chosen the Cardinals over Florida, Indiana and Tennessee. Lyle is ranked No. 22 overall in the ESPN 100, and his commitment moves Louisville to No. 3 in the 2014 recruiting class rankings. The combo guard averaged 27 points, 13 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game as a junior. "There was no point in waiting," Lyle said. "I wanted it over with so I could focus on my senior year." -- ESPN.com

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Mikal Bridges opens Villanova basketball's 2014 recruiting effort
June 25, 2013

Villanova's 2014 basketball recruiting class is off to a good start with a very local feel now that 6-7 wing Mikal Bridges has pledged to play for the 'Cats. The Malvern, PA native visited Villanova earlier this month, and had offers from Florida, Virginia Tech, Temple, La Salle and St. Joseph's along with Villanova. TheRecruitScoop's Alex Kline was the first to break news of the commitment. The Villanova program offered Bridges on June 4th, during an unofficial visit, but it is believed that he had a pre-existing relationship with new Villanova assistant Ashley Howard, from his time at Xavier. The consensus top-100 player has seen his stock rise on the Nike EYBL circuit earlier this Summer. -- VU Hoops

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Derrick Jones emerges as a five-star prospect in 2015
June 25, 2013

Most of the biggest stock-risers of the spring and early summer period were members of the class of 2014. Myles Turner emerged as one of the top five or 10 players in the entire country over the past few weeks, and he's not the only one. However, there's a 2015 prospect who has blossomed into a five-star prospect in nearly every ranking and service: Derrick Jones. The 6-foot-6 small forward from Archbishop Carroll (Pa.) was outstanding on the AAU circuit with We R 1, and he has been good in camp settings as well. “I'm coming out with energy every time,” Jones said. “I'm in the gym 24/7 working on my game. Getting my jump-shot better, getting my handling a lot better, getting my defense better.” -- CBS Sports

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2014 forward D.J. Foreman verbally commits to attend Rutgers
June 25, 2013

After a rough couple of months, this past week has been a good (and much-needed) one for the Rutgers basketball program. Three days after guard Jerome Seagears decided to return to the school for his junior season after originally transferring to Auburn, Rutgers landed its first commitment in the 2014 class when 6-9 forward D.J. Foreman announced his decision to join the program. Foreman, a native of Spring Valley, N.Y., committed to Rutgers while on a visit to the school according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Foreman, who attends Massanutten Military Academy in Virginia, also considered Minnesota, USC, Providence and Pittsburgh according to the report. -- NBC Sports

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2015 shooting guard Austin Grandstaff commits to Oklahoma State
June 24, 2013

With its top three scorers from last season all deciding to return for the 2013-14 season, Oklahoma State’s offseason was already off to a good start. On Sunday evening things got even better for head coach Travis Ford and his staff, as 6-5 shooting guard Austin Grandstaff (Plano, Tex.) verbally committed to attend the school. Grandstaff, a member of the Class of 2015, announced his decision to attend Oklahoma State via Twitter. -- NBC Sports

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Hakim Saintil commits to South Alabama
June 23, 2013

Highly recruited 2013 guard Hakim Saintil has committed to South Alabama, he announced via his Twitter account on Sunday morning. Saintil is a 5-foot-11 point guard hailing from Roselle Catholic High School in West Orange, NJ. There was speculation that Saintil may do a post-graduate year and reclassify to the 2014 class, but he became very comfortable with South Alabama and the direction of the program under first-year head coach Matt Graves. Saintil told Adama Zagoria, “I felt comfortable over there. They are like a family and with the new direction of the program it was hard for me not to go there.” -- NBC Sports

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Robert Johnson holds his own at NBPA Top 100 Camp
June 22, 2013

Robert Johnson wasn’t the biggest name among guards heading into the NBPA Top 100 Camp, but the Virginia-native played well throughout the camp and will be a player to watch this summer when coaches are out in full force. In fact, Johnson currently isn’t rated in Rivals’ Top 150 for the class of 2014, but he was merely concerned with playing hard at the camp and not worried about rankings. “I’ve just tried to soak everything up, there’s a lot of good guards here so I’m just trying to go out and compete on every play,” Johnson told NBC Sports. “I’m not trying to prove anything, I’m just trying to go out there and compete and show that I’m as good as any guard that’s here.” -- NBC Sports

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Kelly Oubre stands out on his own at NBPA Top 100 Camp
June 22, 2013

Kelly Oubre is one of the hottest names in recruiting circles as the small forward from Texas continues to play well going into summer. Although overshadowed a bit on the AAU circuit thanks to top-20 teammates Justin Jackson and Justise Winslow, Oubre had a chance to shine on his own at the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Virginia, as he consistently was one of the top performers on his team. Oubre, ranked No. 27 in Rivals’ 2014 class, enjoyed the camp experience and made it a point to come out hard every time he stepped on the floor. “This camp has been great, if you look around you see all of these guys that have the potential to be great someday,” Oubre told NBC Sports. “If you want to stand out you have to do something different than all of these guys because they can all really play. You have to come out and play to the best of your ability, warm up hard and show out.” -- NBC Sports

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Rodney Purvis, Shaq Goodwin among 10 cuts for U19 men's team
June 17, 2013

Memphis big man Shaq Goodwin and Connecticut transfer Rodney Purvis, who played last summer for the team that qualified the United States for the FIBA U19 World Championships, were the most notable players among the 10 cut after three days of trials at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. The omission of each player was slightly surprising, albeit for different reasons. Releasing Goodwin, who is 6-9, 245, along with Georgia Tech’s Robert Carter and Arizona’s Brandon Ashley left the team with only four true big men—plus versatile 6-8 Arizona recruit Aaron Gordon—with still 10 days before competition at the Worlds begins June 27 in Prague. Goodwin played with good energy and his customary upbeat attitude during the trials; he appeared unlikely to make the squad but keeping him around would have provided cover in case of injury to one of the other bigs. -- Sporting News

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2013 McDonald's All-American game player rosters announced
Feb. 14, 2013

The 2013 McDonald's All-American Basketball Game location is the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The date of the 2013 McDonald's All-American game is April 3. Player rosters were announced today.

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OLDER HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL INFO

Elite 24 Hoops Classic
-- August 27, 2011, in Venice Beach, Los Angeles CA
McDonald's All-American Basketball
-- March 31, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio
Hoop Summit
-- April 10, 2010 in Portland, Oregonian
Jordan All-american Classic
-- April 17, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina

- PSAL (New York City) basketball news
- CHSAA (New York City) basketball news
- AAU basketball

IS8 touranment 2011 highlights
May 21, 2011

The IS8 basketball tournament is the top NYC high school tournament. Here's a video mix from the 2011 edition:



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Jordan All-Americans revealed
Feb. 18, 2010

The 2010 Jordan Classic players list has been revealed. Check out which players made the cut and more info on this year's game, which will take place April 17 in New York City's Madison Square Garden.

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McDonalds All-Americans revealed
Feb. 11, 2010

The 2010 McDonalds All-Americans list has been revealed. Check out which players made the cut and more info on this year's game, which will take place March 31 in Columbus, Ohio.

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LINKS:

Share high school basketball opinions with other prep hoops fans and HS players on the InsideHoops high school basketball message board
Nike Hoop Summit . McDonalds All-American basketball game . Jordan All-American Classic . Prime Time Shootout .

August 22, 2008: Check a new Chauncey Billups interview where the NBA star talks quickly about his high school basketball days.

May 10, 2006

King James Shooting Stars Classic -- The King James Shooting Stars Classic, featuring high school basketball stars, took place last week, and InsideHoops.com's main man Santosh was in the house to tell you about an amazing O.J. Mayo-Tyreke Evans battle that went down.

April 22, 2006

Paul Harris interview and profile -- Interview, profile and analysis of Paul Harris, one of the country's top high school basketball players. Harris is a guard, yet built like a power forward. Story by Patrick Stevens.

April 9, 2006

Roundball Classic -- The 2006 Roundball Classic was April 9th in Chicago. Greg Oden and Daequan Cook rocked the house. InsideHoops.com was there and presents a full recap.

More on the Classic: practice report.

Malcolm Pope Interview
[High School Players] Meet this Blair Academy (NJ) point guard. [Oct 4]

Taj Gibson Interview
[High School] InsideHoops.com talks with a California forward who put up 21 points, 15 rebounds and nine blocks per game last season. [Aug 16]

Greg Oden Interview
[High School] A talk with the best high school big man in the country, from the Reebok ABCD camp. [July 8]