Reebok Headliner Camp- Philadelphia

This past weekend Reebok held its Headliner Camp in Philadelphia on the campus of Philadelphia University. Players were competing for a spot in the Reebok All American Camp which will be held on the campus of Philadelphia University July 7th-10th.

Tyreke Duren 6'1 Pg (Neumann Goretti)
Duren has had a tremendous spring and he continued his great play this weekend at Reebok. In his first game Duren knocked down 5 3's in the first half and dished out plenty of assists. Duren is known for controlling the game and making his teammates better, but at this camp he displayed that he can also put the ball in the hole as well. Tyreke informed me that right now Umass was his leader but he was also looking at VCU, Virginia Tech, James Madison, Houston, and St. Bonaventure. Tyreke's play earned him a invite to the All American camp in July.

D.J. Newbill 6'3 G (Strawberry Mansion)
Newbill is a strong and physical guard who got to the basket at will all weekend. Although he is known for driving the ball to the basket, he also did a good job of knocking down the mid range jump shot and also getting his teammates involved. Newbill like Duren also earned a invite to the All American Camp.

Tre Bowman 6'2 G (St. Thomas Moore)
Bowman is a combo guard who can score in a variety of ways. I always knew he was known for being a shooter, but he was very impressive with his athleticism in getting to the basket and finishing at the rim. Bowman will prep next year at St. Thomas Moore, after finishing up his career at York (Pa.). He told me he has received interest from schools like Niagra, Siena, Drexel, Rider, and UMBC.

Other Players who stood out and earned invites to Reebok's Breakout Camp were:
Aquil Younger
Ky Howard
Xavier Harris
Markeith Mont

The following players also earned a invite to Reebok's Proving Ground Camp
Joey Gripper
Travis Robinson
George Harper
Eddie Mitchell
Quasim Jones
Marcus Porter
Zahir Allen
Rakeem Brookins

* Picture is of Mansion's DJ Newbill

St. Patrick's Guard Makes A Early Commitment

Kevin Boyle, the head coach at St. Pats in New Jersey is sure to have one of the best high school teams in the country next year. With Kyrie Irving and Mike Ghilcrist in the line up it will be hard for teams to take down the Celtics. However, one player you also have to look out for is 6'2 G Derrick Gordon. Gordon last weekend commited to play at Western Kentucky. Gordon becomes the first recruit in the Hilltoppers 2011 class. Gordon had been getting interest from schools such as Rutgers, Auburn, and Florida State.

Rasul Butler All City Classic Sophomore Game Pre view

The sophomore game will start immediately following the freshmen game. I think this game will be the most exciting game of the night. The class of 2011 in Philadelphia in my opinion is one of the deepest classes in terms of Division 1 talent in recent memory. When I looked at the rosters for the All City Classic this was clearly on display. Players such as Eddie Mitchell (LaSalle), Eric Copes ( Imhotep Charter), Will Wise (Abington Friends), and Ky Howard (Shipley) are not even on the roster and all will be Division 1 players before they finish high school. The rosters were also missing some big time players such as Rakeem Christmass (North Catholic), and last years MVP Trevor Cooney (Sanford, DE). Although some of these players will be missing there will still me a immense of talent on display. In this game it will be all about guard play. The class of 2011 has some of the most electrifying guards you will see in high school basketball. The player I interested to see the most play is John Johnson (Girad College), Johnson is known for his ability to put points on the board in a hurry. He is coming off a excellent high school season which ended with his team winning a state championship. However, during the spring Johnson has not played in that many big time tournaments and has not really been seen much on the AAU scene. It will also be interesting to see how Aquil Younger from West Catholic plays. Younger might be the most underrated guard in this class, two weeks ago in the Bob Gibbons TOC he dropped 30 points on 2011 Indiana commit Matt Carlino. Younger is almost impossible to keep in front but needs to work on his jump shot. Finally it looks like Team Philly will have their whole crew in attendance; Juan'ya Green (Carrol), Lamin Fulton (Neumann-Goretti), Ameen Tanksley (Prep Charter), Shawn Oakman (Penn Wood), Dave Appolon (Imhotep), and Keith Coleman (Cheltenham) will all participate. Team Philly made a name for themselves Memorial Day weekend losing to the Playaz (NJ) in the final four in the TOC. Check Back tomorrow when I will preview the class of 2010 junior game.

Rosters

TEAM ONE
Juan'ya Green, Carroll
Devin Coleman, Friends' Central
Xavier Harris, North Catholic
Isaiah Baker, Episcopal
Aquil Younger, West Catholic
Joey Gripper, Abington Friends
Keith Coleman, Cheltenham
Lamin Fulton, Neumann-Goretti
Jaylen Bond, Plymouth-Whitemarsh
Jabril Trawick, Abington Friends
TEAM TWO
John Johnson, Girard College
Ameen Tanksley, Prep Charter
Shawn Oakman, Penn Wood
Shawn Valentine, Winslow Twp.
Maurice Nelson, Chester
Rashawn Cunningham, Life Center
Aaron Brown, PennWood
Wesley Rines, Abington
Jerrell Wright, Dobbins
Dave Appolon, Imhotep

* Picture is of Carrol's Juan'ya Green

Rasul Butler All City Classic

The All City Classic is heading into it's 9th year, run by Charles Monroe, the event has produced some of Philadelphia's best players year in and year out. This year's game will be played this Thursday at the Community College of Philadelphia. This event brings together the best freshmen, sophomores, and junior from Philadelphia and its surrounding area. Some of the alumni that have participated in the All City Classic include; Kyle Lowry (NBA), Sean Singletary (NBA), Rob Kurz (NBA), Wayne Ellington (NBA), Gerald Henderson (NBA), and Tyreke Evans (NBA). This year the freshmen game will start everything off at 5:15pm, the sophomore game will begin at 6:45pm and the junior game will follow at 8:20pm. Over the next three days I will preview each game as well as provide you with the rosters for each team.

FRESHMAN GAME

TEAM ONE
Derrick Stewart, Neumann-Goretti
Amile Jefferson, Abington Friends
Daiquan Walker, Roman
Brendan Kilpatrick, Malvern
Andre Horne, Roman
Ryan Arcidiacono, Neshaminy
Montana Mayfield, Chestnut Hill
Sultan Smith, Neumann-Goretti
Jaleel Reed, West Catholic
Jordan Reed, Wissahickon
TEAM TWO
Shane Randall, Academy NC
Savon Goodman, Academy NC
Maurice Watson, Boys' Latin
Damien Williams, Plymouth-Whitemarsh
Khyree Wooten, Straw. Mansion
Richard Hoskins, Comm. Tech
Byron Whiting, Abington Friends
Josh Heyliger, Hill School
Ahkir Frazier, Prep Charter
Aaron Goodman, Council Rock

The freshmen game always gives a insight on what the future of Philadelphia basketball will look like. Some of these players established themselves this year as rising stars during their high school season. The player I am interested to see from Team One is Ryan Arcidiacono. Arcidiacono was a All-Tournament selection down at Bob Gibbons two weeks ago and I have been hearing a lot of good things about him. He will have his hands full in this game because Team Two has some very nice guards such as; Josh Heylinger (Hill School), Richard Hoskins (Comm. Tech), and Maurice Watson (Boy Latin). Another interesting match-up in this game could be between Amile Jefferson (Friends Central) and Savon Goodman (ANC). Both players are considered the top two of this class. In a game earlier this year I thought Jefferson got the best of Goodman when Friends Central played ANC, at ANC. This should be an exciting game and it will be interesting to see what players prove themselves.

* Picture is of Savon Goodman (ANC)

Local Players to Try-Out for USA Development Team

FIBA will hold the first annual under 16s championship on June 17-21 in Mendoza, Argentina. The winners will qualify for the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship. Six local players have been picked to try-out for Team USA. Try-outs will be held June 6-12 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The team will be coached by, Don Showalter of Mid-Prairie High School (Iowa). The local players who will be looking to capture one of the 12 roster spots are:

André Drummond (Capitol Preparatory Magnet School / Middletown, Conn.)

Justin Anderson (Montrose Christian School, Md. / Montross, Va.)

Quinn Cook (DeMatha H.S. / Bowie, Md.)

Kyle Anderson (Paterson Catholic/NJ.)

James McAdoo (Norfolk Christian H.S. / Norfolk, Va.)

Sterling Gibbs (Seton Hall Prep/Nj.)

Alex Schwartz of NorthStar Basketball was able to catch up with some of these players to get their thoughts on being selected to try-out for Team USA. You can read these player's thoughts by clicking here http://blog.northstarbball.com/

*Picture is of Montrose Christian freshmen Justin Anderson

TOC 16/u Recap

The 16/u division at the TOC was very competitive, with only 32 teams in this age bracket, just making it out of pool play was an accomplishment. Traditional powers such as DC Assault and Ohio Basketball Club didn't even make it out of their pools. Although there were great big guys in attendance like 6'9 Soph DaJuan Coleman from Dewitt (Jamesville-Dewitt) NY, 6'9 Soph Rakeem Christmas from Philadelphia (Northeast Catholic) PA. However, the story of thisage bracket was guard play. This is a big reason why the Playaz (NJ) led by 5'8 Myles Mack from Paterson (Catholic) NJ,6'1 Myles Davis of St. Peter's Prep (NJ), and 6'5 Kyle Anderson '12 of Paterson Catholic (NJ), were able to beat the Long Island Lighting in the championship game to take the title. The Playaz have been dominate on the AAU scene this year and they continued there dominance down in North Carolina.

Player Notes

Myles Mack 2011, Paterson Catholic (NJ)
Mack is the wheels that makes the Playaz go. He is ultra quick off the dribble and can stop on a dime and knock down the open jumper. Mack is not going to wow you with his size or strength but he flat out just gets it done and is a proven winner. Mack hit the biggest shot of the tournament when he knocked down a 18 foot fade away at the buzzer to give the Playaz a quarterfinal victory over Indiana Elite.
Aquil Younger 2011, West Catholic (NJ)
It is almost impossible for defenders to keep this kid in front of them. Younger can blow by his defender and finish strong at the rim. Almost led his Team Kobe team to the upset of the tournament over Indiana Elite in pool play. In the game he totally dominate Indiana commit Matt Carlino. Younger needs to improve his jump shot but if he gets that down he could be hard to stop.

Jermaine Saunders 2011, Rice (NY)
Saunders is a knock down shooter. He reminds me of a former player at Rice, Chris Fouch who now plays for Drexel University. The only difference between the two is Saunders is a little bit bigger then Fouch which could allow him to go to a higher level. Saunders needs to work on his handle a little more, which would allow him to create his own shot, but he will have a bright future at Rice
Deon Jones 2011, Paul IV (VA)
Jones is the younger brother of Virginia player Jeff Jones. Deon is similar to his brother in terms of knocking down open shots but is a much better athlete. Jones can attack you on the wing in transition and finish strong at the rim. He has really improved from last year and seems to be more comfortable handling the ball now.
Quin Cook 2011, Dematha (MD)
Cook runs his team like a proven veteran, not someone who just got finished there sophomore year in high school. Cook is a proven winner and refuses to let his team lose. He had a great match up with Ohio Basketball Club guard Stevie Taylor on Sunday. Both players were going back an forth at another and you could tell neither was holding anything back. Cook looks to be the next great guard that will come out of the DC Assault program.

All Tournament Team
MVP - Myles Mack - Playaz Basketball Club
Quin Cook - D.C. Assault
Kenny Osse - D.C. Assault
Jermaine Sanders - New Heights
Rakeem Christmas - Team Final
Jabari Hinds - Westchester Hawks
Juna’ya Green - Team Philly
Myles Davis - Playaz Basketball Club
Vaughn Gray - Playaz Basketball Club
Devantay Grace - Long Island Lightning
Dereck Gordon - Long Island Lightning
Achraf Yaicoubou - Rich Soil
Stevie Taylor - Ohio Basketball Club
Aaron White - Ohio Basketball Club
Devin Coleman - Team Phenom


* Picture is of Myles Mack

Quinnipiac Picks Up Big Time Commitment

In news being reported first by the East Coast Basketball Report Tevin Baskin a 6'7 190 pound forward from Stamford (CT) Trinity Catholic has committed to play at Quinnipiac. Baskin in a forward with loads of athletic talent, he finishes well around the rim and should be a great addition to the Quinnipiac program. Baskin is listed as a 3 star recruit by Rivals.com which means Quinnipiac might have stole this one. According to Rivals Baskin had offers from schools like Rutgers, Seton Hall, URI, and Umass. Baskin figures to be a impact player in the NorthEast Conference.

MEAC Commitment

Howard University has been on a role as of late with picking up players in the late signing period. Already they have picked up 6'0 Tyreak Johnson from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY. And, if that weren't enough, Howard also has 6'6 Gary Lawrence from Philadelphia (Chestnut Hill Academy) PA, 6'7 Mike Phillips from Fredericksburg (Riverbend) VA, 6'8 Charles Decosta from Cherry Hill (Living Faith Christian) NJ, and 6'8 Robbie Johnson from Edison (H.S.) NJ. This past week Howard added another New York guard to the fold by signing 6'1 Anton Dickerson from Brooklyn (Boys & Girls) NY. Dickerson is a great shooter and should complement Johnson to give Howard a nice backcourt. Howard is establishing a very good pipeline to New York, most of the credit for this can be given to assistant Matt Collier. Howard is looking to improve off a season where they were 8-23, these freshmen might be called on to make a immediate impact.

Bob Gibbons TOC Recap 17/u

The Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions has been a staple of the Memorial Day on the AAU scene for many years. This year the talent level at the TOC did not disappoint. In the 17/u Division, Team Final(PA) shocked many people in attendance by defeating home town favorite CP3 All-Stars in the championship game. Team Final was led by tournament MVP Dion Waiters, a Syrcause commit and highly rated class of 2011 star Mike Gilchrist. In the final game Waiters poured in 27 points, while the do everything Gilchrist added 22. It was hard loss for CP3 to take after they were so impressive two weeks ago down at the Hoop Group Southern Inviatational. If you recall CP3 deafeated the highly ranked Boo Williams squad by 20 in the championship. However, Reggie Bullock and company didn't have enough gas in the tank for this one and they were upended by the boy's from Philadelphia.

17/u Player Notes
Kyrie Irving 6'2 2010 (St Patricks) NJ
Irving was by far the best player I seen all weekend. In a game vs Team United (NC) on Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Irving dropped in 25 points in the first half. Irving's team the NJ Roadrunners led at halftime and Irving had outscored the entire Team United team by himself. Irving has a long list of suitors but it seemed like Duke had a couple students in the crowd with signs begging for Kyrie to become a Blue Devil

Justin Coleman 6'5 2010 (Henrico) Va
Somehow HoopScoop left this kid off their top 70 players in attendance. Justin's stock blew up two weeks ago at the Southern Invitational and his stock should only continue to rise after his performance at the TOC. This athletic wing can get to the basket and knock down the open jumper. However, the best thing I like about his game is his mid range game, this will be a valuable asset to him on the next level.

JJ Moore 6'6 2010 (Brentwood) NY
Two weeks ago Dave Telep of Scout.com spotted Justin Coleman has one of the biggest sleepers of the tournament. Well Telep has done it again with JJ Moore. Moore is an athletic small forward who can get to the basket an knock down open jumpers. Playing with Gary Charles's NY Panthers will only continue to boost Moore's stock throughout the summer.

Dion Waiters 6'3 2010 (Life Center) NJ committed to Syracuse
Waiters was the MVP of the TOC. The Philadelphia native led his Team Final team all tournament long. Waiters has always been a big guard who can get into the lane and score at will. However, after watching him in Pittsburgh and here I have become impressed with the improvements he has made with his outside shot. Jim Boheim and his staff are getting a quality player in Waiters and 2010 and hopefully they will continue that Philadelphia pipeline.

All Tournament Team 17/u
MVP: Dion Waiters - Team Final
Michael Gilchrist - Team Final
Reggie Bullock - CP3
Melvin Tabb - CP3
P.J. Hairston - CP3
Ryan Harrow - Atlanta Celtics
Chris Jones - Memphis Stallions
Nate Lubick - New England Playaz
Jayvaughn Pinkston - New Heights
Kyrie Irving - NJ Roadrunners
JT Moore - New York Panthers
Isaiah Epps - Playaz
Justin Coleman - Petersburg Elite
CJ Leslie - Carolina Cobras
Josh Hairston - DC Assault
Myck Kabongo - Grassroots Canada

Tomorrow I will have a recap of the 16/u Division

Bob Gibbons TOC

Reggie Bullock of CP3 will look to lead his team to the title.


Last weekend was a slow weekend on the AAU scene. However, this weekend the schedule will heat up with the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions in North Carolina. The TOC has been a great tournament for many years. The best thing about this tournament is not any old AAU team can play, the TOC is by invite only. This type of invite only tournament ensures that there will be great competition as well as great players from all over the country in attendance. Below I have listed some of the top teams that will be participating in the 17/under and 16/under division. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top will all these great teams in attendance. I will have a full recap of tournament when I come back and you can also follow the tournament live by following on my twitter at http://twitter.com/bobjordan1.

17/under Top Teams

• CP3
• Florida Elite
• Team Final
• Dc Assault
• So Cal All Stars
• Michagan Hurricanes
• Playaz
• SYF Players

16/under Top Teams

• Indiana Elite
• Syracuse Select
• Playaz
• Team Final
• DC Assault
• Boo Williams
• Ohio Basketball Club
• Team Philly

Catching up on Commitments

With the late signing period ending today, I just wanted to update some commitments that have come my way this week. By now everyone knows that #1 recruit John Wall (Word of God) NC, has picked Kentucky over schools like Duke, Miami, Baylor, and NC State. Wall adds yet another piece to the puzzle for Coach John Calipari who has put together one of the best recruiting class in recent memory, in only a short time at Lexington. However, in this post I wanted to get you caught up on some of the under the radar players that have recently picked a school, they include:

Mark DiRugeris, (Woodbury, NJ) to Chestnut Hill
Brenden Bazilio, (Bishop McNamara, MD) to Wheeling Jesuit
Jared Washkaus, ( West Morris, NJ) to Ramapo
Jimmy Burke, (Seton Hall Prep, NJ) to MIT
Conor Ford (Gonzaga, DC) to Catholic
All these players should be great additions to these successful Division 2 and Division 3 programs

Local Players Hope To Impress Scouts at Chicago Pre-Draft Camp

Late last week the NBA released the list of players who have been invited to participate in the Chicago Pre-Draft camp. The camp will run next week from May 27-29th. Those players invited are seen as potential 1st or 2nd round selections in this years NBA Draft. However, unlike previous years where at the Pre-Draft camp players were able to compete in 5on5 games, this years camp will be devoted to workouts, interviews by teams, and measurements. The camp will have a couple local players in it trying to show off there talents with the hope of being selected on draft night.

Chicago Pre-Draft Players:

DeJuan Blair, Pitt
Dionte Christmas, Temple
Earl Clark, Louisville
Dante Cunningham, Villanova
Wayne Ellington, North Carolina
Tyreke Evans, Memphis
Jonny Flynn, Syracuse
Danny Green, North Carolina
Gerald Henderson, Duke
Ty Lawson, North Carolina
Eric Maynor, VCU
Jack McClinton, Miami
A.J. Price, Connecticut
DaJuan Summers, Georgetown
Sam Young, Pitt

* Note- All players are from up and down the East Coast. For a complete list of players that will be attending the camp check out Jeff Goodman's Blog @ http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/goodmanonfox

LaSalle Picks Up Rutgers Transfer

It did not take long for Earl Pettis to decide where he wanted to go after getting his release to transfer from Rutgers. Just day's after getting his release Pettis has decided to transfer to LaSalle and play in the Atlantic 10. There was a lot of speculation that Pettis would transfer to Rider because that is where is brother Robert Taylor played. In the end though, Pettis decided that LaSalle was the right fit for him. Pettis will join a LaSalle team that will be one of the most talented teams in the Atlantic 10 next season. However, NCAA rules stipulate Pettis must sit out next year and will be eligible to play the follwoing year. After sitting out Pettis will have two years of eligibility left.

Southern Invitational 17/u Wrap-Up

The Hoop Group never disappoints when it comes to putting on a qualityy event. The Southern Invitational was not different, the tournament was packed with quality players, competitive games, and exciting finishes. Over the next couple days I will be publishing my wrap-up in both the 17 and under and 16 and under division. The following is a breakdown of the 17 and under division.

17/u

Going into the tournament everyone assumed Boo Williams would be the run away choice to win the championship. Boo has three players committed to play in the ACC, a top ten sophomore in the country ( James McAdoo), and a top five freshmen in Justin Anderson, and to top it all off they were playing at home in the beautiful complex that Boo Williams has built. However, the CP3 All-Stars had other ideas. CP3, led by UNC commit Reggie Bullock and Wake Forest commit Melvin Tabbs jumped out early on Boo and steam rolled there way to a 20 point victory in the championship game. Bullock and company played with a chip on their shoulder in the championship, knowing that going into the game everyone believed Boo to be the favorite. The Boo Williams squad might have been a little more fatigued then CP3 considering they had to play a hard semi final game against DC Assault. This was beyond a doubt the best game of the tournament in the 17/u bracket. The action went back and forth all game long, these two teams know each other very well and neither wanted to back down. In the end I think it was the size and length of the Boo Williams guards that disrupted Assault. CP3 had an easier road to the championship beating a tough Cecil Kirk team in the semi finals. However, unlike Boo Williams they did not have to exert as much energy in the semi finals as they won in fairly easy fashion over the boys from Baltimore. In the end though, the team that survives the longest wins and that is what CP3 did allowing them to become the 2009 Southern Invitational champions.

Team Notes

• Team Final, previously the top ranked team in our Super Seven Rankings played this weekend with out Dion Waiters and Mike Gilchrist. However, despite not having to of their best players they still advanced to the quarterfinals, showing just how much talent this team has.
• Cecil Kirk was very impressive. This was the first time I was able to watch this team all season long. The boys from Baltimore play hard every time they step on the floor and have some talent to go with it.
• Youth Interlock led by Daniel Stewart and DJ Irving is not a team that will impress you with the number of high major players they have on the roster, but they have a couple mid-major level guys who play well together. Youth Interlock is not a program that draws kids from a wide area; they take kids from in and around the city of Chester (Pa). This shows just how much talent is lurking in Chester.
• NJ ABC is one of those AAU teams I love to watch. Coach Matt Pauls runs a very good program. He gets his kids to play hard at all times and play the right way. They are not your normal AAU team that just runs up and down the floor, they are organized, play together, and play tough.

17/u Player Notes

· Reggie Bullock, CP3 (Committed to UNC) is a wing guard with great size and strength. The thing Bullock impressed me the most with was his ability to knock down the outside shot. Coach Roy Williams and his staff will lose Wayne Ellington and Danny Green this year, but help is on the way when Bullock comes to Chapel Hill in 2010.

· Kendrall Marshall, Boo Williams, (Committed to UNC) I have been hearing a lot of rumblings about how some people think Marshall cannot play for UNC or at the ACC level. These people could not be more then wrong. Marshall does a great job of setting up his teammates and putting them into a decision to succeed. At UNC when he is surrounded by guys like Reggie Bullock, it would not surprise me if he leads the ACC in assists.

· Justin Coleman, Petersburg Elite- Dave Telep from Scout.com has called Coleman “the biggest sleeper to come out of this tournament” Coleman came into the tournament unknown nationally but by the end of the tournament had scouts singing his praises. He is an athletic wing who can knock down shots and put the ball on the floor. If Coleman continues to play like this he can expect to have a lot more offers coming his way.

· Tyreke Duren, Team Final- Every time I watch Duren play the more and more I think Big East schools need to start recruiting this kid. The big reason Team Final reached the quarterfinals without Waiter and Gilchrist was Duren. Duren does a great job running the show for Team Final but also stepped up his scoring output. It will be a big summer for Duren and he might blow up onto the national scene.

· Shaq Duncan, NJ ABC- Although he is from Philadelphia, Duncan is playing with ABC. He could not be in a better situation. Duncan was always a player that had talent, but was never taught the game. Coach Matt Pauls has been able to get the production out of Duncan while teaching him the game. Duncan is an athletic forward that can score around the rim and become a presence blocking shots on the defensive end. Duncan is projected as a mid major player and it looks like he would be a good fit in the CAA.

Super Seven Week 3

In our third edition of the Super Seven there has been some major shake-ups in the rankings. The big tournament held this weekend was the Hoop Group Southern Invitational. The Southern Inviational had 3 of the top 4 teams in our Super Seven competing and some came up big and other disappointed. There is a small break in the action right now with the next tournament not being till Labor Day weekend down in North Carolina, the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions.

1.) Boo Williams
Key Players: Kendall Marshall, Andre Dawkins, Travis McKie, and James McAdoo
Notes: It was hard to move this team up to the top spot considering Team Final was without Dion Waiters and Mike Gilchrist this weekend. However, from what I seen this team was very impressive even though CP3 All-Stars (NC) pounded them in the championship of the Southern. However, they did beat DC Assualt in the Semis and were very impressive all weekend long.

2.) Team Final (Pa)
Key Players: Mike Gilchrist, Dion Waiters, Markcus Kennedy, Tyreke Duren, Trevor Cooney, Darius Quarles, and George Harper.
Notes: Team Final was without the services of Waiters and Gilchrist this weekend but still played very well. Tyreke Duren elevated his game and is looking more and more like a Big East point guard every time I watch him play. When this team is at full strength they are dangerous and I expect them to have a full cast in a couple weeks down in Gibbons

3.) Gauchos (NY)
Key Players: Doron Lamb, Shane Southwell, Kadeem Jack, and Mohammed Lee
Notes: The Gauchos did not play this weekend so there is no need to move them up or down. I am still impressed by the way they beat All-Ohio Red in the championship of the King James Shootout. It will be interesting to see if this team goes to Gibbons, a tournament the “Chos” normally don’t go to. However, either way they still need to be considered as one of the top teams.

4.) DC Assualt
Key Players: Joshua Hairston, Tyler Thorton, Byron Allen, Cedric Lindsey,and Eric Atkins
Notes: Although they lost to Boo in the Semis down at the Southern Inviational, they were still impressive all weekend long. They beat a very tough NJ ABC team by 20 in the round of 16 and never looked back. I will expect to see them at Gibbons and see if they can continue there success this season.

5.) Playaz (NJ)
Key Players: Isaiah Epps, Cameron Ayers, Fuquin Edwin
Notes:The Playaz looked did not play this past weekend, but Jimmy Salmons is supposed to be running a tournament this up and coming weekend with 8 teams. It will be interesting to see which 8 teams come in and how his team plays.

6.) New Heights (NY)
Key Players: Jayvaughn Pinkston, Ashton Pankey, Devon Collier, Derrick Williams, and Jermaine Saunders.
Notes: Dropped out of the Southern at the last minute. However, they are still a talented team who has looked very good this spring. I expect to see them at Gibbons which could make or break whether they stay in the rankings or move up.

7.) Cecil Kirk
Key Players: Cleveland Melvin, Antonio Barton, and Kesse Kouassi

Notes: A team that has been a long fixture on the AAU circuit, Cecil Kirk did not disappoint anyone down the Southern Inviational. They upset Team Final by 2 in the quarterfinals, before losing to eventual champion CP3 in the semis. These boys from Baltimore play hard and fight for everything. It will be interesting to see how they perform the rest of the summer.

Outside Looking In
Albany City Rock
Team Philly
Mass Rivals
Baltimore Assault
NJ ABC
NE Playaz
God’s Glory

Pittsburgh Jam Fest All Tournament Team

The Pittsburgh Jam Fest which was hosted by the Hoop Group was the first premier event of the AAU season. I was on hand to check out the action and have picked my all tournament team for each age group. Each team consist of the ten best players at each age group.

17/u

• Mike Gilchrist/ Team Final
• Isaiah Epps/ Playaz
• Kyrie Irving/ Roadrunners
• Tobias Harris/ Unique All Stars
• Donte Thomas/Gods Glory
• Dion Waiters/ Team Final
• Javaughn Pinkston/ New Heights
• Evan Smotrycz Mass Rivals
• Tony Chenault/ Team Philly
• Frantz Massenat/ NJ ABC

16/u

• Myles Mack/ Playaz
• Myles Davis/ Playaz
• Juanya Green/ Team Philly
• Aquil Younger Team Kobe
• Quinn Cook DC Assault
• Kenny Osse/ DC Assault
• Devin Coleman/ Team Phenom
• Deon Jones/ Team Final
• Steve Taylor/ Ohio Basketball Club
• Chris Martin/ DC Assault

15/u

• Kris Jenkins/ DC Assault
• Demant McNeil/ DC Assault
• Derek Fenner/ DC Assault
• Austin Burgett/ Spiece
• Javon Thomas/ Gauchos
• Melvin Johnson/ Gauchos
• Amile Jefferson/ Team Philly
• Andre Horn/ Team Philly
• Kyle Molock/ Ohio Basketball Club
• Mikyle McIntosh/ Grass Roots

Rider Picks Up Point Guard

Just yesterday Carl Johnson a 6'0 Point Guard from St. Thomas Moore (Conn.) signed a National Letter of Intent with Rider University. Johnson is originally from the Philadelphia area, where he played his high school career at Lower Merion (Pa). Johnson went to St. Thomas Moore this year in hopes of landing a Division 1 scholarships and it looks like it has happened for him. Johnson according to Allen Rubin of HoopScoop Johnson is a 5th Year Player, who can get to the basket, score or dish, plays good defense, and his shot has really improved. Rider is already deep at the point guard position with Sophomores Matt Griffin and Justin Robinson set to return next year. It looks like Johnson will add depth to this position and give the Broncs many options at the point.

Penn Picks Up Early Commitment

According to Alex Schwartz from NorthStarbball.com Steven Rennard a 6'2 shooting guard has committed to play for Coach Glenn Miller and the University of Pennsylvania. Rennard is Coach Miller's first recruit in the Class of 2010. Rennard also consider Vermont, Iona, Brown, Robert Morris, and Princenton. Rennard is similar to current Quakers player Tyler Bernidini who will be a junior next year. Coach Miller has been building his team around young players the past couple years and Rennard will be a nice addition when he steps on campus in Philadelphia.

Late Signing Period Updates

The late signing period is always a big time for come D1 programs. At times a school can get that big time recruit they were not originally involved with. This type of signing can occur due to a coaching change, example: Kevin Parrom to Arizona or some seniors slipped through the cracks and played their way into a D1 scholarship, example Gary Lawrence to Howard. However, the late signing period is also very good time for D2 and D3 programs. I gathered a list of signings and commitments I have gotten in the past couple days of guys who will be playing at the D2 and D3 level.

East Stroudsburg (DII)
Duane Johnson of Penn Wood (PA) and Marcus Brown of Engineering and Science (PA) have signed with the Warriors.

Chestnut Hill (DII)
Andre Rivers of Girard College HS (PA) has made it official for the CACC school.

Merrimack (DII)
Tyler Young of Boys & Girls (NY) has committed to the Warriors but has yet to sign is NLI

Making commitments on the D3 level were:
Donny Deleo from Wildwood (NJ) to Keystone
Carl Yaffe from Walter Johnson (MD) to NYU
Two players from Pennsbury (PA) have made commitments Goran Dulac will suit up for Cabrini next season and John Ryan Wolf has decided to play for Lycoming

Hoop Group Southern Invitational

This weekend The Hoop Group will host it's third grassroots AAU tournament this spring. The Southern Invitational will be held this weekend in Hampton, Virginia. The Hoop Group has already held two great tournaments this Spring in Pittsburgh and Providence. Traditionally the Southern Invitational is one of the top tournaments of the spring season and this years tournament will be loaded with talent once again. The 17 and under division features two teams, Team Final and DC Assualt who are part of our Super Seven Rankings. The talented teams will not stop there as teams such as: CP3 All-Stars (NC), Cecil Kirk (MD), God's Glory (MD), NJ ABC, and Youth Interlock (PA) will also be in attendance.

The 16 and under age group will also feature some of the top teams on the East Coast as well. I am looking forward to watching Team Final at full strength. In Pittsburgh this talented team was without some of its big time stars like: Rakeem Christmas (North Catholic) Malcolm Gilbert (Academey New Church) and Savon Goodman (ANC). The talent in the 16 and under bracket will not stop there as other top teams such as: DC Assault, D-One Sports (NC), Westchester Hawks (NY), Cecil Kirk (MD), Richmond Squires (VA), and NJ ABC will all be in attendance.

Tournament Notes

• The Hoop Group has switched venues for the tournament this year, instead of being held on the campus of the University of Virginia , this years tournament will be held at the Boo Williams Sports Complex and surrounding high schools.
• I will have a full report after the weekend action, but you can also follow up to the minute results and player information by following me on twitter @ http://twitter.com/bobjordan1
  

Albany Picks Up Rice Forward

James Stukes a 6'6 Forward from Rice (NY) gave coach Will Brown and Albany University a verbal commitment yesterday. Stukes is a senior this year, but will spend next season at South Kent Prep (Conn). Stukes is a member of the Gauchos AAU team, who is currently ranked #3 in our Super Seven rankings. A year at South Kent will allow Stukes to get stronger and develop his game more. Stukes chose Albany over schools like Iona, LIU, Quinnipiac, and Siena.

Arizona Adds Local Recruit

Sean Miller has not wasted any time since being named the Head Coach at the University of Arizona. Since taking over for Russ Pennel, Miller has added two top 100 recruits in the class of 2009. It also looks like Miller has added a third player to that list this weekend. Kevin Parrom who formerly attended St. Raymonds in the Bronx (NY), but this year attended South Kent Prep in Connecticut is the latest to give Coach Miller a pledge to play for him on the West Coast. Parrom originally signed with Xavier but got out of his Letter of Intent when Miller made the move to Arizona. After visiting this weekend Parrom made his decision and has chosen to play in the Pac-10 for the Wildcats. Parrom joins Kyryl Natyazhko and Solomon Hill – two other Top 100 kids as those who will be in Tucson this season. Parrom is a 6'6 forward who should be able to contribute right away for the Wildcats, especially after Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger have decided to enter the NBA Draft.

Super Seven Week 2

We are back this week with the second installment of The Super Seven, the top 7 AAU teams on the East Coast. There have been some major moves since the last installment. The main move involves the Gauchos (NY), I will be the first to admit that I made a mistake in overlooking this team in our first rankings. They proved they deserved recognition by going to Ohio and winning the King James over All Ohio Red.


1.) Team Final (Pa)
Key Players: Mike Gilchrist, Dion Waiters, Markcus Kennedy, Tyreke Duren, Trevor Cooney, Darius Quarles, and George Harper.
Notes: Team Final did not compete this week so no need to move them. They will look to continue their success next weekend at the Southern Invitational
2.) Boo Williams
Key Players: Kendall Marshall, Andre Dawkins, Travis McKie, and James McAdoo
Notes: Boo had a dominating performance over our previously ranked #7 Team Philly. Looked to improve from their big pool play victory in the playoffs of the Spiece Tournament, results upcoming……
3.) Gauchos (NY)
Key Players: Doron Lamb, Shane Southwell, Kadeem Jack, and Mohammed Lee
Notes:Lamb is the driving force behind this talented team from New York. They went to Ohio for the King James Tournament and came home with a championship defeating perennial AAU power All Ohio Red. The Gauchos have been a great program on the AAU scene for many years and it looks like they have a good squad once again.
4.) DC Assualt
Key Players: Joshua Hairston, Tyler Thorton, Byron Allen, and Eric Atkins
Notes: Guards win games in AAU and this team has plenty of them, Thorton, Allen and Atkins run the show. Atkins recently committed to Notre Dame which gives this team 2 Big East guards ( Allen, Atkins) and Tyler Thorton heading to Duke.
5.) NE Playaz
Key Players: Nate Lubick, Alex Francis, and Naadir Thorpe
Notes:This team from New England came strong out of the gate winning the Playaz Spring Fling. However, they did not look as good in Providence as they have had in previous tournaments.
6.) Playaz (NJ)
Key Players: Isaiah Epps, Cameron Ayers, Fuquin Edwin
Notes:The Playaz looked real good up in Pittsburgh finishing second to #1 Team Final. A strong showing in the Southern Invitational could move this team up the rankings.
7.) New Heights (NY)
Key Players: Jayvaughn Pinkston, Ashton Pankey, Devon Collier, Derrick Williams, and Jermaine Saunders.
Notes:One of the best coached teams I have seen all spring. But they are loaded with talent and play hard from start to finish. I have not seen the official list of teams for Southern Invitational, but I would expect New Heights to be in attendance.

Dropped Out
Team Philly- Team Philly went 2-2 out in Spiece losing to Michagan Mustangs and #2 Boo Williams; they will look to bounce back at the Southern Invitational this week.

Outside Looking In
Albany City Rock
Team Philly
Mass Rivals
Baltimore Assault
NJ Roadrunners

Doron Lamb Gauchos (NY) >>>>>>>



Picture of Lamb comes from Rivals.com

Howard Picks up Commitments

In news first being report by Alex Scwartz of Northstar Basketball Howard has picked up a commitment from Tyreak Johnson of St. Raymond's (NY) has verbally committed to Howard. Johnson is a sturdy point guard who should add depth to the Bison backcourt. This commitment also comes on the heels of Gary Lawrence a 6'6 combo forward out of Chesnut Hill Academey (Pa) committing earlier this week.

Gary Lawrence (CHA)

Local Players To Enter Draft Early

Yesterday the NBA released its list of players who have decided to enter the NBA Draft before their college eligibility has run out. Growing up in Philadelphia and playing high school and college around the city I have gotten to see as well as play against some of these guys who will be testing the Draft waters this summer. Their are five early entrants in the NBA Draft from the area they are:

Wayne Ellington, 6-4, SG, Jr., North Carolina (Episcopal Academy)
Tyreke Evans, 6-5, G, Fr., Memphis (American Christian)
Gerald Henderson Jr., 6-5, SG, Jr., Duke (Episcopal Academy)
D.J. Rivera, 6-4, G, Jr., Binghamton (Neumann Goretti)
Terrence Roderick, 6-6, SF, Soph., UAB (Allentown Allen)

* Ellington, Evans, and Henderson all have a legitimate shot to be first round picks. Rivera and Roderick have little if no shot to be drafted, but might just be testing the waters to see where they stand.
* NBADraft.net 2009 mock draft has Henderson going as high as #9 and Ellington at #11, Evans is not far behind predicted to go as high as #17. By getting drafted in the first round, players are guaranteed a NBA contract. Those players drafted in the second round have no guarantee and essentially have to make the team to earn a contract.
* Link http://www.nbadraft.net/2009mock_draft

Nove Gets Area Big Man

Villanova coming off a Final Four run picked up their second commitment from the class of 2010 yesterday. Markus Kennedy, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound junior forward from Living Faith Christian Academy (N.J.). Kennedy joins James Bell from Monteverde Academy in Florida as part of Nova's 2010 class. Both players should be nice additions to Coach Jay Wright's Wildcats.

Super Seven AAU Teams This Summer

The AAU season has just gotten under way, but many top tournaments have already occurred in Virginia (Boo Williams) Pittsburgh (HoopGroup) and Providence (HoopGroup). After watching these tournaments I would like to put out the first installment of the Super Seven. This list is the Top Seven Teams on the East Coast followed by other teams that are looking to creep into the rankings.

1. Team Final (Pa)
Key Players: Mike Gilchrist, Dion Waiters, Markcus Kennedy, Tyreke Duren, Trevor Cooney, Darius Quarles, and George Harper.
Notes
Team Final has come out strong this spring winning the Hoop Group in Pittsburgh and losing in the finals of Boo Williams. This might be the most talented squad around.

2. DC Assualt
Key Players: Joshua Hairston, Tyler Thorton, Byron Allen, and Eric Atkins
Notes
Guards win games in AAU and this team has plenty of them, Thorton, Allen and Atkins run the show.

3. Boo Williams
Key Players: Kendall Marshall, Andre Dawkins, Travis McKie, and James McAdoo
Notes
Boo can rival Team Final in terms of talent but they do not always bring their A game. Had a dissapointing loss at Hoop Group Providence.

4. NE Playaz
Key Players: Nate Lubick, Alex Francis, and Naadir Thorpe
Notes
Came strong out of the gate winning the Playaz Spring Fling. They need to ride this early success into the summer.

5. Playaz (NJ)
Key Players: Isaiah Epps, Cameron Ayers, Fuquin Edwin
Notes
The Playaz looked real good up in Pittsburgh. Ayers and Epps play very well together in the backcourt.

6. New Heights (NY)
Key Players: Jayvaughn Pinkston, Ashton Pankey, Devon Collier, Derrick Williams, and Jermaine Saunders.
Notes
One of the best coached teams I have seen all spring. But they are loaded with talent and play hard from start to finish.

7. Team Philly
Key Players: Tony Chenault, CJ Aiken, Deshon Minnis, and Jamir Hanner
Notes
Team is just hitting their stride with the addition of Minnis and Hanner. They can make a big time showing this weekend at Spiece Indy.

On the Outside Looking In
Albany City Rocks
Gauchos (NY)
Baltimore Assualt
NJ Roadrunners

Welcome

Welcome, to the East Coast Basketball Report. My name is Bobby Jordan, I am a senior at Drexel University majoring in sport management. The East Coast Basketball Report will cover grassroots basketball up and down the East Coast. Throughout this blog I will look at some of the top players and teams that are competing on the AAU Circuit this spring and summer. I will be covering tournaments that I will be at as well as all-star games. I hope to provide quality assessments of these teams and players. Any questions or comments can be emailed to me at rdj24@drexel.edu