Hoop Group Elite Camp Day Two Overview- July 6, 2008

Day two at The Hoop Group Elite Camp involved a nice blend of playing five-on-five games, drill work and instruction, and listening to a renowned guest speaker. Rain yet again altered the setup of the day, but that was not nearly enough to keep away throngs of college coaches from schools such as Pitt, Rutgers, St. Joe’s, Temple, UMass and Providence. These six were amongst the THREE HUNDRED or so universities represented today at the camp. Here are the players that I saw who thrived under the spotlight and had nice showings:

Ishmael Kalilou ‘10, Windsor (CT)
LeBrent Walker ‘12, Lincoln (NY)
Prince Okoroh ‘11, Eleanor Roosevelt (NY)
Jimmy Louissaint ‘09, Robeson (NY)
Trevor Cooney ‘11, Sanford (DE)
Mario Monroe ‘10, North Cambridge Catholic (MA)
Kelvin Amayo ‘10, Hillside (NJ)
Rico Winston ‘09, Jericho Christian Academy (MD)
Aaron Brown ‘10, St. Benedict’s (NJ)
Zackary O’Brien ‘09, Watchung Hills (NJ)
Jay Bowie ‘10, Tampa Prep (FL)
Naufall Folahan ‘10, Massanutten (VA)
Given Kalipinde ‘09, Episcopal Academy (VA)
Derrick Wilson ‘11, Hotchkiss School (CT)
Markus Kennedy ‘10, St. Patrick’s (NJ)
Ed DiRugeris ‘09, Pennsbury (PA)
Diyaaldin Kelley ‘09 PG, Mariana Bracetti School (PA)
Ryan Hill ‘10, Steelton Highsprire (PA)
Dalton Pepper ‘09, Pennsbury (PA)
Kyle Anderson ‘12, Paterson Catholic (NJ)
Dondre Whitmore ‘10, Trenton Catholic (NJ)
Kamil Parzch ‘10, Lindenhurst (NY)
Josiah Woodruff ‘09, Jericho Christian Academy (MD)
Blake Bozeman ‘10, Paul VI (VA)
Justin Crosgile ‘09, DePaul Catholic (NJ)
Theo Boyomo ‘10, The Kent School (CT)
Omi Ogolo ‘09, James Madison (VA)
Marcus Hebron ‘09, Laurel (MD)
Stephen Spinella ‘09 PG, The Nia School (NJ)
Nick Goff ‘09, St. Francis DeSales (OH)
Kellen Cade ‘09, Hotchkiss School (CT)
Cameron Baker ‘09, Columbus Academy (OH)

The single most impressive one-game performance I saw today was easily that of 6′0 Justin Crosgile in his team’s win during the after set of games. Although official stats aren’t kept, Justin probably dropped around 20 or 25 points in a come-from-behind victory. The Saint Joseph’s commit almost single-handedly brought his team back into the game, against a quality squad featuring Trevor Cooney. Crosgile got it done on both sides of the ball, getting steals and boards on defense, while hitting jumpers, getting to the hole, rebounding, and getting his teammates involved. Crosgile is one of the best point guards in the class of 2009, and games like he had this afternoon are proof of just that.


Some of the young guns went to work today - giving everyone a preview of the talent in the classes of 2011 and 2012. LeBrent Walker, a 6′1 rising freshman had a solid showing in his squad’s final game of the day. Walker got to the basket with ease and had some tough finishes around the rim. LeBrent’s teammate, 6′3 rising sophomore Prince Okoroh also performed well in the team’s last game on day two. Prince showed off a nice all-around game and a knack for getting to the rack. Another youngster who had a solid showing was 6′0 Derrick Wilson, a rising sophomore from out of The Hotchkiss School (CT). Despite not playing up to his potential for much of his team’s first game, Wilson came through when it mattered most. With his squad down one and only eight seconds to go, Derrick drove the length of the court for a layup to put his team out front 53-52, and it would stay that way after 6′4 Aaron Brown of St. Benedict’s missed a shot from about 14 feet out at the buzzer. Last but not least of the underclassmen who had impressive showings on Sunday was Kyle Anderson of Paterson Catholic (NJ), a 6′5 rising freshman. Anderson is one of the most highly-touted players in the class of 2012 nationally, and although he was not outstanding, Kyle more than held his own on the court. The Playaz (NJ) AAU program member showed nice court vision and stellar passing skills - his biggest asset is his fantastic basketball IQ. If these five kids are any indication, the talent level at The Hoop Group Elite Camp will not be falling off any time soon, as there are some gems in younger classes.

SCHOOL LISTS-
Derrick Wilson: Xavier, Texas, Arizona, Duke, and Stanford
Offers: Xavier
Favorites: Texas, Arizona, and Duke; those are his top three
Note- Xavier, Texas, Arizona, and Duke are “highly interested” and “are the main schools” recruiting him

Zackary O’Brien: Central Florida, Stanford, Fordham, Penn St., Niagara, Rider, Auburn, Missouri, James Madison, and St. Joseph’s
Offers: Stanford, Fordham, Niagara, James Madison, and St. Joseph’s
Favorites: Central Florida, Stanford, Niagara, and St. Joseph’s
Note- he says that Rider is “going to offer in [around] two weeks.”

Dalton Pepper: West Virginia, Villanova, Temple, Wake Forest, and Miami
Offers: All five
Favorites: None, “I’m not sure yet.”

Myles Mack ‘11, Paterson Catholic (NJ): Florida and Georgetown
Offers: Georgetown
Favorite: Florida
Note- “That’s all I know right now,” he said of the schools recruiting him, indicating that there are likely more schools involved

Russ Smith ‘10, Archbishop Malloy (NY): Jacksonville, Arkansas, Louisville, George Mason, Ohio, Rutgers, Iona, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Wright St., Miami, St. John’s, Minnesota, Virginia, and South Carolina
Offers: Iona and Rhode Island
Favorites: n/a
Note- he said that “it looks like [Virginia and South Carolina] will offer” him a scholarship

Mike McFadden ‘09, Technology (NJ): Utah, Maryland, Providence, Penn St., LSU, and George Mason
Offers: Utah
Favorites: None, “not really”

Dondre Whitmore: Rider, Iona, Fordham, Robert Morris, St. John’s, and Kent St.
Offers: Rider, Iona, Fordham, and Robert Morris
Favorites: None, “I really don’t have any.”

DeOliver Davis ‘10, Hun (NJ): Dartmouth and Yale
Offers: None
Favorites: n/a
Notes- he is being recruited by “a lot of Ivy [League schools],” has a GPA of “about 3.6,” and said, “I like American, I like Lafayette, . . . I like the Patriot League.”

Trevor Cooney: Delaware, St. Joseph’s, Villanova, Rutgers, West Virginia, Virginia, Notre Dame, and Wake Forest
Offers: Delaware, St. Joseph’s, and Rutgers
Favorites: Delaware, St. Joseph’s, Rutgers, West Virginia, Notre Dame, and Wake Forest
Notes- on his top three, he said they are “probably the ones that have offered me [a scholarship], . . . [and] probably Notre Dame is up there too.” If signing day were tomorrow, he would sign with “Notre Dame maybe,” but of the schools that have offered, he would pick “probably Delaware.”

LeBrent Walker: Arizona, Tennessee, Baylor, Fordham, and St. John’s
Offers: None
Favorites: Kansas St., North Carolina, and UCLA
Note- his favorite of the schools that he has interest from is St. John’s

Prince Okoroh: UMBC, Hood College, and he visited a “small church school” in North Carolina
Offers: None
Favorite: UMBC, “I’d like to go to UMBC out of those ones.”

Sunday was a great day at The Hoop Group Elite Camp, and Monday should bring more of the same, so make sure you check back later for more information.

For more info on Hoop Group Elite Camp, including how to register for camp, please visit: http://www.hoopgroup.com/hoopgroup/eibc_traditional.php.

For more info and updates on both this event and others from the world of high school and AAU basketball check out http://www.hoopgroup.com/hoopgroup/index.php.

Hoop Group Elite Camp Day One Overview- July 5, 2008

The Hoop Group Elite Camp kicked off today with numerous high-DI prospects, as well as many other DI, DII, and DIII players in attendance. With slightly over 700 kids, this four day camp is the biggest that The Hoop Group has ever had. I was fortunate enough to be able to see quite a few of the top players in action, and a number of ballers were kind enough to chat with me. Without further ado, here’s the overview of the first day of the The Hoop Group Elite Camp.
First off, here is a short sampling of the well-known and/or highly-regarded prospects at the event:

Tyreak Johnson ‘09, St. Raymond’s (NY)
Justin Crosgile ‘09, DePaul Catholic (NJ)
Aaron Brown ‘10, Roman Catholic (PA)
George Harper ‘10, Academy of the New Church (PA)
Rakeem Christmas ‘11, North Catholic (PA)
CJ Aiken ‘10, Abington (PA)
Tyreek Duran ‘10, Neumnn-Goretti (PA)
Adrian Satchell ‘09, Windsor (CT)
Shannon Givens ‘09, Academy of the New Church (PA)
Markus Kennedy ‘10, St. Patrick’s (NJ)
Khalif Wyatt ‘09, Norristown Area (PA)
Kyrie Irving ‘10, St. Patrick’s (NJ)
Egheosa Edomwonyi ‘09, Hun (NJ)
Andre Gillette ‘09, Neumann-Goretti (PA)
Trevor Cooney ‘11, Sanford School (DE)
Rakeem Brookins ‘10, Roman Catholic (PA)
Jayon James ‘10, Paterson Catholic (NJ)

In addition, there will be a few high-quality players who will be coming tomorrow, such as Dalton Pepper ‘09 of Pennsbury (PA) and Mike McFadden ‘09 of Technology (NJ). Despite the U-18 tryouts going on in Virginia and the Rbk U camp taking place in Pennsylvania, The Hoop Group Elite Camp is not lacking talent at all.

As I walked around The College of New Jersey today surveying the games, I took the time to watch some particular players. Along the way, a handful of other kids caught my eye. Some of the top players that I saw on Saturday were the aforementioned Aaron Brown, Rakeem Christmas, Shannon Givens, Markus Kennedy, Khalif Wyatt, Rakeem Brookins, and Jayon
James. The following guys also stood out to me:

Julian Watson ‘09 PG, Arundel (MD)
Kellen Cade ‘09, Hotchkiss School (CT)
Karon Abraham ‘09, Paterson Eastside (NJ)
Azfar Kahn ‘09, East Meadow (NY)
DeOliver Davis ‘10, Hun (NJ)
Lasan Kromah ‘09, Eleanor Roosevelt (MD)
Hayden Palozej ‘09, Stafford (CT)
Reginald Lewis ‘09, Beford (OH)
Jevoy White ‘09, North Plainfield (NJ)
Paris Grant ‘09, Imhotep Charter (PA)
Chase Plummer ‘10, St. Patrick’s (NJ)
Bilal Kelly ‘09, Mariana Bracetti School (PA)
William Harrison ‘09 PG, Wadleigh (NY)
Kevin McGaughey ‘10, Broad Run (VA)
Rico Winston ‘09, Jericho Christian Academy (MD)
Aaron Brown ‘10, St. Benedict’s (NJ)
Keith Brown ‘09, Malboro (MA)
Devon Saddler ‘09, Aberdeen (MD)

SCHOOL LISTS-

William Harrison: George Mason, Binghamton, Marist, St. Joseph’s, and Stony Brook
Offers: None
Favorite: George Mason

Shannon Givens: Seton Hall, Drexel, Harvard, Stanford, Quinnipiac, LaSalle, and Rutgers
Offers: Drexel, LaSalle, Rutgers
Favorite: None

Bilal Kelly: Princeton, Rider, and UConn
Offers: None
Favorite: Rider
Note- Kelly is considering transferring to “either ANC [Academy of the New Church] or Solesbury,” both of which are in Pennsylvania

Rakeem Christmas: Memphis, Kansas, and Virginia
Offers: None
Favorite: Memphis

Rico Winston: Rutgers, St. John’s, and Clemson
Offers: None
Favorite: None
Note- Winston said that he gets “a lot of letters from Clemson.”

Khalif Wyatt: Temple, St. Joseph’s, Delaware, James Madison, New Hampshire, Siena, Niagara, and Rider
Offers: Delaware
Favorite: None, “I can’t say right now.”

Rayner Moquette ‘09, Our Savior New American: Davidson, Virginia Commonwealth, Princeton, Holy Cross, Manhattan, NJIT, and Bucknell
Offers: None, but said that Davidson and VCU contacting him the most and are “about to” offer him a scholarship
Favorites: Virginia Commonwealth and Davidson
Note- has a “3.5″ GPA

Reginald Lewis: Oregon St., Northwestern, Indiana, and Cleveland St.
Offers: None, “no one right now.”
Favorite: Oregon St.

Devon Saddler: TCU, Quinnipiac, Towson, and Drexel
Offers: TCU
Favorite: TCU

Rakeem Brookins: Georgetown, Texas, Virginia, Providence, Delaware, UPenn, Penn St., Clemson, St. Joseph’s, Temple, George Mason, George Washington, Princeton, Brown, and Buffalo
Offers: Delaware and UPenn
Favorites: Georgetown, Texas, Providence, and St. Joseph’s
Note- has a “3.5″ GPA

Keith Brown: Yale, Bucknell, Lehigh, Brown, Army, Navy, Holy Cross, and Quinnipiac Offers: None, “no one right now.”
Favorites: Navy and Quinnipiac, ”probably Navy or Quinnipiac.”

Dominique Raney ‘11, Putnam City (OK): Wichita St. and a DII school in Oklahoma
Offers: None
Favorites: n/a

The best part of the day came in the last set of games. Inclimate weather forced the NCAA (class of 2011 kids) into the main gym, where basically everyone was at that time. During one of the games, there was a roar from the far court . . . then another . . . and another . . . and so on. I made my way over to the court just in time to see Dominique Raney make a crossover, get to the hole, sky and jam. Apparently, Raney had been putting on a show. There was a massive crowd around all four sides of the court, and people were literally on that court as well as the one next to it. Raney’s display of athleticism and hops summed up the quality of this event.

The NBA East Draft was a great event. The draft took about five hours total, and despite the length was an enjoyable part of the camp for those involved. Things began with the selection of centers. The top choice at this position was a kid playing up, Rakeem Christmas, a 6′9 rising sophomore from North Catholic (PA). Massanutten (MA) 6′10 rising senior Mouphtaou Yarou went second, and was followed up by 6′8 Daryl McCoy, a rising senior from Hartford (CT). After the centers came the point guards. Another Rakeem went first in this cateogry: 5′10 rising junior Rakeem Brookins of Roman Catholic (PA). After Brookins was Notre Dame Prep (MA) rising senior, 6′1 Antoine Allen. Shannon Givens, a 5′11 rising senior from Academy of the New Church (PA) went third. After the floor generals came the small forwards, and the top choice was never in doubt, as arguably the camp’s best player is a 3. Dalton Pepper, a 6′5 rising senior from Pennsbury (PA) was selected first. Bishop O’Connell (VA) 6′5 rising senior Kevin Jones was chosen after Pepper. Rounding out the top three at the 3 was 6′6 soon-to-be post-grad Mike Burwell from South Kent (CT). The power forwards were slated to go next, and 6′6 rising senior Mike McFadden of Technology (NJ) led the way. Jordan Allen, a 6′5 rising sophomore from Bay Shore (NY) was picked in the two spot. Jamee Jackson, a 6′7 rising senior at St. Anthony’s was chosen third amongst power forwards. Last but not least were the shooting guards. The two-guard is one of the most stacked positions at the event, and 6′2 rising senior Devon Saddler of Aberdeen (MD) was the first 2 picked. Shane Southewell, a 6′5 rising junior from Rice (NY) went second, and 6′2 rising junior Jermaine Pert of Paterson Catholic (NJ) went third. The NBA East Draft may have taken a while, but it turned out well.

Stay tuned for more from The Hoop Group Elite Camp!

For more info and updates on both this event and others from the world of high school and AAU basketball, check out http://www.hoopgroup.com/hoopgroup/index.php.

News & Notes-

Here are some quick tidbits of information for you:

- Prior to the NBA Draft officially starting, I asked Jerryd Bayless if he knew where he was going to get pick, and he responded by saying, "I have no idea." It seems that the players really do have to wait in the dark.

- Duke's Greg Paulus was injured at the Steve Nash Skills Academy. He hurt his ankle and ended up on crutches. Paulus did not go to the gym for camp activities on Friday, the last day of drills and workouts.

- Dexter Strickland of St. Patrick's (NJ) apparently has a pulled hamstring. The injury, which he seems to have suffered either just before adidas Nations in Africa or during the event, kept him out of the Steve Nash Skills Academy, and he did not even come on Friday.

- The Steve Nash Skills Academy really is a "skills academy." The players do drills, work on fundamentals, get quality coaching, play some games, and work hard. Nike is doing a great job trying to help these players improve their games. As well, Steve Nash was not only at the event, but he really did do coaching. It wasn't as if the Phoenix Suns star just stood around and watched the camp go on. He took an active role in helping the kids get better. The camp was well-run an well organized. Kudos to Nike!

2008 NBA Draft My Way

Here's a rundown of how the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft would go if I were the GM of all 30 teams. Basically, I'm saying what I think the team should do with each pick.

Pick. Team: Name, Position, Grade/Age, College/Country
1. Chicago: Michael Beasley, F, Fr, Kansas St.
2. Miami: Derrick Rose, G, Fr, Memphis
3. Minnesota: Kevin Love, F, Fr, UCLA
4. Seattle: OJ Mayo, G, Fr, USC
5. Memphis: Brook Lopez, C, So, Stanford
6. New York: Jerryd Bayless, G, Fr, Arizona
7. Los Angeles Clippers: DJ Augustin, G, So, Texas
8. Milwaukee: Danilo Gallinari, F, 19, Italy
9. Charlotte: Eric Gordon, G, Fr, Indiana
10. New Jersey: Anthony Randolph, F, Fr, LSU
11. Indiana: Russell Westbrook, G, So, UCLA
12. Sacramento: Mario Chalmers, G, Jr, Kansas
13. Portland: Brandon Rush, G, Jr, Kansas
14. Golden State: Joe Alexander, F, Jr, West Virginia
15. Phoenix: Donte' Green, F, Fr, Syracuse
16. Philadelphia: DeAndre Jordan, C, Fr, Texas A&M
17. Indiana: Robin Lopez, C, So, Stanford
18. Washington: Darrell Arthur, F, So, Kansas
19. Cleveland: Kosta Koufos, C, Fr, Ohio St.
20. Charlotte: Alexis Ajinca, C, 20, France
21. New Jersey: Chris Douglas-Roberts, G, Jr, Memphis
22. Orlando: JJ Hickson, F, Fr, North Carolina St.
23. Utah: Roy Hibbert, C, Sr, Georgetown
24. Seattle: Marreese Speights, C, So, Florida
25. Houston: Jason Thompson, F, Sr, Rider
26. San Antonio: Nicolas Batum, F, 19, France
27. Portland: Nathan Jawai, F/C, 21, Australia
28. Memphis: Bill Walker, F, Fr, Kansas St.
29. Detroit: JaVale McGee, C, So, Nevada
30. Boston: Courtney Lee, G, Sr, Western Kentucky

Note- the sites I used as sources are: http://espn.go.com/, http://www.draftexpress.com/, http://hoopshype.com/, http://www.mynbadraft.com/2008-NBA-Mock-Draft, and http://nbadraft.net/

2008 NBA Mock Draft

I'm heading off to the NBA Draft soon, but before I leave, I want to just give my mock draft, of what I think will happen tonight at the WaMu Theater in New York.

Pick. Team: Name, Position, Grade/Age, College/Country
FIRST ROUND
1. Chicago: Derrick Rose, G, Fr, Memphis
2. Miami: Michael Beasley, F, Fr, Kansas St.
3. Minnesota: OJ Mayo, G, Fr, USC
4. Seattle: Russell Westbrook, G, So, UCLA
5. Memphis: Kevin Love, F, Fr, UCLA
6. New York: Danilo Gallinari, F, 19, Italy
7. Los Angeles Clippers: Jerryd Bayless, G, Fr, Arizona
8. Milwaukee: Joe Alexander, F, Jr, West Virginia
9. Charlotte: Brook Lopez, C, So, Stanford
10. New Jersey: Eric Gordon, G, Fr, Indiana
11. Indiana: Anthony Randolph, F, Fr, LSU
12. Sacramento: DJ Augustin, G, So, Texas
13. Portland: Alexis Ajinca, C, 20, France
14. Golden State: Brandon Rush, G, Jr, Kansas
15. Phoenix: Donte' Green, F, Fr, Syracuse
16. Philadelphia: Robin Lopez, C, So, Stanford
17. Indiana: Kosta Koufos, C, Fr, Ohio St.
18. Washington: Darrell Arthur, F, So, Kansas
19. Cleveland: DeAndre Jordan, C, Fr, Texas A&M
20. Charlotte: JJ Hickson, F, Fr, North Carolina St.
21. New Jersey: Marreese Speights, C, So, Florida
22. Orlando: Courtney Lee, G, Sr, Western Kentucky
23. Utah: JaVale McGee, C, So, Nevada
24. Seattle: Roy Hibbert, C, Sr, Georgetown
25. Houston: Chris Douglas-Roberts, G, Jr, Memphis
26. San Antonio: Nicolas Batum, F, 19, France
27. Portland: Mario Chalmers, G, Jr, Kansas
28. Memphis: Ryan Anderson, F, So, Cal
29. Detroit: Jason Thompson, F, Sr, Rider
30. Boston: Nathan Jawai, F/C, 21, Australia

SECOND ROUND
1 (31). Minnesota: DeVon Hardin, C, Sr, Cal
2 (32). Seattle: Bill Walker, F, Fr, Kansas St.
3 (33). Portland: Serge Ibaka, F, 18, Spain
4 (34). Minnesota: DJ White, F, Sr, Indiana
5 (35). Los Angeles Clippers: Ante Tomic, C, 21, Croatia
6 (36). Portland: Jamont Gordon, G, Jr, Mississippi St.
7 (37). Milwaukee: Nikola Pekovic, C, 22, Serbia
8 (38). Charlotte: Kyle Weaver, G, Sr, Washington St.
9 (39). Chicago: Omer Asik, C, 21, Turkey
10 (40). New Jersey: Richard Hendrix, F, Jr, Alabama
11 (41). Indiana: Damjan Rudez, F, 22, Croatia
12 (42). Sacramento: Joey Dorsey, F, Sr, Memphis
13 (43). Sacramento: Sonny Weems, G, Sr, Arkansas
14 (44). Utah: Trent Plaisted, F/C, Jr, BYU
15 (45). San Antonio: Goran Dragic, G, 22, Slovenia
16 (46). Seattle: JR Giddens, G, Sr, New Mexico
17 (47). Washington: George Hill, G, Jr, IUPUI
18 (48). Phoenix: Gary Forbes, G/F, Sr, UMass
19 (49). Golden State: Mike Taylor, G, 22, NBDL
20 (50). Seattle: Semih Erden, C, 21, Turkey
21 (51). Dallas: Malik Hairston, G/F, Sr, Oregon
22 (52). Miami: Sasha Kaun, C, Sr, Kansas
23 (53). Utah: Bryce Taylor, G, Sr, Oregon
24 (54). Houston: James Gist, F, Sr, Maryland
25 (55). Portland: Pat Calathes, F, Sr, St. Joseph's
26 (56). Seattle: Shan Foster, G, Sr, Vanderbilt
27 (57). San Antonio: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, F, Jr, UCLA
28 (58). Los Angeles Lakers: Mantas Kalnietes, G, 21, Lithuania
29 (59). Detroit: DeMarcus Nelson, G, Sr, Duke
30 (60). Boston: Reggie Williams, G, Sr, VMI

Note- the sites I used as sources are: http://espn.go.com/, http://www.draftexpress.com/, http://hoopshype.com/, http://www.mynbadraft.com/2008-NBA-Mock-Draft, and http://nbadraft.net/

Poll- My Choice

In one of the polls last week, I asked you to pick the best program right now between the St. Anthony's Friars (NJ), the St. Benedict's Gray Bees (NJ), and the St. Patrick's Celtics (NJ). The programs, led by Bob Hurley, Danny Hurley, and Kevin Boyle respectively, are three of the best in America. Now to me, the "best program right now" would mean that overall, the program, not just the current team, is the best. That means that it's done well in the recent past and poised to do well in the not-too-distant future. All three have a rich history, so that criteria is out the window, though St. Ant's probably does have a bit of a leg up up. Anyway, it's so hard to pick between the three because of just how amazing all of them are. I'm going to rule a teams out, to start, thus narrowing the choices down to just two. I'll get rid of the Friars first. Yes, the team won the national title last year and went undefeated, but other than that it hasn't been all fun in the sun for Bob Hurley's boys. Prior to last year, St. Anthony's was certainly the third of the three in terms of how well the squads were doing, specifically during the 21st century. As well, the future doesn't look great for the Friars, as their starting lineup next year will lack a quality point guard, and whoever does start at that spot, will likely be not even close to the level of the other 14 starters the schools will have. The Friars will start Ashton Pankey '10, Devon Collier '10, and Dominic Cheek '09, all of whom are superstars. Jamee Jackson '09 will start as well, but he is not quite up to the level of the other three. I really don't even know who Bob Hurley's fifth starter will be. Let's move on to the final two, the Gray Bees and the Celtics. It's so hard to choose between the two. There is no right choice, as both of them, and St. Ant's, can have a powerful argument for the spot. I'm going to go with St. Patrick's. The Gray Bees were better than them last year, beating them at the Prime Time Shootout, and finishing with only one loss, but prior to that it was a lot of push and shove between the two, with St. Pat's usually pushing a little bit harder. As for next year, the Celtics seem to have a better roster from top to bottom. Not only will they be deeper, they will be just flat-out better. Thus, I'm putting aside the Gray Bees' better season from last year, and giving the nod to St. Patrick's.

Northstar Basketball's Top Three Programs in New Jersey Right Now:
1. St. Patrick's Celtics
2. St. Benedict's Gray Bees
3. St. Anthony's Friars

Ranking of the Top 30 Players at the Hoop Group Showcase

I'd like to provide you with a quick list of the top players at the Hoop Group Showcase based solely off their performance at the event. Many of the major superstars, such as Michael Gilchrist '11 of St. Patrick's (NJ), Tristan Thompson '10 of St. Benedict's (NJ), and Dominic Cheek '09 of St, Anthony's (NJ), were at the NBA Top 100 Camp. Nonetheless, there was still a lot of talent that did participate in the vent. Two studs from St. Patrick's lead my rankings.

Rank. Name, Height, Position, Class, High School (State)
1. Kyrie Irving, 6'1, guard, 2010, St. Patrick's (NJ)
2. Markus Kennedy, 6'8, power forward, 2010, St. Patrick's (NJ)
3. Isaiah Epps, 6'2, guard, 2010, Plainfield (NJ)
4. Tyrone Johnson, 6'3, guard, 2011, Plainfield (NJ)
5. Adrian Satchell, 6'7, forward, 2009, Windsor (CT)
6. Aaron Brown, 6'4, forward, 2010, St. Benedict's (NJ)
7. TJ Clemmings, 6'6, forward, 2010, Paterson Catholic (NJ)
8. Fuquan Edwin, 6'5, swingman, 2010, Paterson Catholic (NJ)
9. Chase Plummer, 6'5, forward, 2010, St. Patrick's (NJ)
10. Keith Lumpkin, 6'8, center, 2011, St. Peter's Prep (NJ)
11. Myles Mack, 5'9, guard, 2011, Paterson Catholic (NJ)
12. Tavon Sledge, 5'10, guard, 2011, St. Benedict's (NJ)
13. John Calcaro, 6'3, guard, 2009, New Rochelle (NY)
14. Antoine Mason, 6'3, guard, 2o10, New Rochelle (NY)
15. Tyreek Duran, 6'2, guard, 2010, Neumann-Goretti (PA)
16. Shaq Thomas, 6'7, swingman, 2010, Paterson Catholic (NJ)
17. Josh Daniell, 6'6, small forward, St. Patrick's (NJ)
18. Akeem Wilson, 6'6, forward, Susquehanna Township (PA)
19. Mike Spence, 6'10, power forward, The Nia School Blue (NJ)
20. Sterling Gibbs, 6'1, point guard, Seton Hall Prep (NJ)
21. Anthony Baskerville, 5'8, guard, Plainfield (NJ)
22. Matt O'Brien, 6'4, guard, Brick Memorial (NJ)
23. Doug Soutar, 6'3, guard, 2009, Windsor (CT)
24. Kevin Boyle, Jr., 5'7, guard, 2010, St. Patrick's (NJ)
25. Ryan Delaire, 6'6, forward, 2010, Windsor (CT)
26. Lance Brown, 6'3, guard, 2009, Paterson Catholic (NJ)
27. Jayon James, 6'6, small forward, 2010, Paterson Catholic (NJ)
28. Jarell Lane, 5'10, guard, 2011, St. Patrick's (NJ)
29. Justin Harris, 6'6, forward, 2o11, Paramus Catholic (NJ)
30. Jimmy Burke, 5'11, guard, 2009, Seton Hall Prep (NJ)

Note- rankings re based soley off this event alone, and only includes players that I either saw play and/or whose point totals I saw

Hoop Group Showcase Day Two- The Month of the Celtics

First the Boston Celtics, and now the St. Patrick's (NJ) Celtics. The men from Beantown wrapped up the NBA Championship just several days ago, while today the kids from Elizabeth took home the title at the Hoop Group Showcase. Maybe St. Patrick's Day should be moved to mid-June because it seems that the luck of the Irish is quite far-reaching around then. Today was, for the most part, about St. Pat's, though a few other teams did make some nice impressions.

In the first game I saw, St. Patrick's manhandled Seton Hall Prep (NJ) and won by 13, 54-41. The game was not nearly as close as the score would indicate. Seton Hall's class of 2011 stud Sterling Gibbs, a 6'1 guard, struggled mightily in the loss. He had just eight points, half of which came from the free throw line, where he shot 4/6. Jimmy Burke '09, a 5'11 guard, showed off his nice shooting touch, scoring nine points, all of which came one threes. Markus Kennedy and Kyrie Irving, both class of 2010 stars, led the way for the Celtics. Kennedy, a 6'8 power forward, scored 22 points, 16 of which were first half, when he team had 30 total, giving him over half their points through the first 16 minutes. The big man was 4/5 at the line. Irving, a 6'1 guard, hit his only two free throws and knocked down two treys, finishing with 14 points in the win. After the Celtics' win, I caught the end of the final game played by Linden (NJ). The Tigers, a quality public school squad, lost the game, and finished 0-3 on the weekend.

After the Linden game came a match-up that many people were excited for: St. Patrick's against St. Benedict's (NJ). Although most of the star players on each team were not playing (Michael Gilchrist '11, Paris Bennett '09, and Dexter Strickland '09 for St. Pat's and Lamar Patterson '09, Tamir Jackson '09, Tristan Thompson '10, and Myck Kabongo '11 for St. Ben's), the game was still a drawing card. The Gray Bees, though, were thoroughly over-matched by St. Patrick's, and took a crushing defeat, losing 61-35. Aaron Brown '10, a 6'4 forward, was the standout for St. Benedict's all tournament, and the semifinals game was no different, as he led the way with 12 points, knocking down two three-balls, and went 2/5 at the line. Tavon Sledge '11, a 5'10 guard, added seven points on 4/6 shooting at the stripe and a three pointer. The Gray Bees may well have been tired after their overtime victory over Neumann-Goretti (PA) earlier in the morning in the quarterfinals. Kyrie Irving was phenomenal again for the Celtics, scoring 18 points, hitting two threes, and making all four of his free throws. Markus Kennedy added 17 points and hit his lone shot at the stripe. Kevin Boyle, Jr. '10, a 5'9 guard, scored 12 points and was 2/3 from the free throw line.

The semifinals game between Windsor (CT) and Plainfield (NJ), two powerhouse public schools, for the right to play St. Pat's in the finals was the best game of the day, and maybe of the whole event. Windsor's players had to coach themselves, as Connecticut state rules prohibit a team's coach from being on the bench. Plainfield, a squad that features two superstars in 6'3 guard Tyrone Johnson '11 and 6'2 guard Isaiah Epps '10, as well as under-the-radar Anthony Baskerville, a 5'8 guard in the class of 2009, trailed 48-35 at the half. The game got interesting, as Epps and Johnson led the charge and the Jersey boys began to eat away at the lead. At the 3:45 mark, Plainfield had stormed all the way back and had taken the lead, 80-78. After the two teams exchanged buckets, Tyrus Weaver '10, a 5'11 guard, knocked down a three with 2:10 remaining to put his Windsor team ahead. Tyrone Johnson answered with two free throws allowing his side to re-gain the lead, 84-83 with two minutes on the clock. Johnson went to the line again with 0:53 showing on the clock, and he hit the first of two shots, stretching Plainfield's narrow lead out to two points. Windsor then took a timeout with 35 seconds left. After play resumed, Windsor wasted some clock, and then class of 2010 member, 6'6 forward Ryan Delaire got to the rim and even up the score with around 12 seconds left. Plainfield was unable to score at the other end, and a long-range shot from Windsor went way off, ending regulation with the sore knotted up at 85. Plainfield won the top to start the two minute overtime period, and Isaiah Epps quickly put the ball in the hole, before 10 seconds had even gone by. Kingsley Boothe '09, a 6'3 forward, answered for Windsor, tying the score with 1:38 left. Plainfield then hit another deuce, re-taking the lead with 1:19 left on the clock. Windsor then hit one of two at the stripe with 1:11 left, cutting the lead to 89-88. Anthony Baskerville got to the line with 51 ticks left and missed the front end of a one and one. The score stayed 89-88 until there was 20 seconds remaining, when Steven Samuels '09, a 6'5 forward, scored a bucket on a drive to the rack. Plainfield then missed a shot on its attempt to get to the hole, and the rebound bounced around, until 6'7 forward Adrian Satchell '09 grabbed hold of it and got fouled with five seconds left. The big man knocked down bot hshots, putting his squad ahead 92-89. Isaiah Epps then took the inbounds pass and drove past his man along the left side of the court and passed the rock to Anthony Baskerville. The junior's three-point attempt from the left corner, rimmed in and out, and Windsor grabbed the win by a final of 92-89. Leading the way for Plainfield was Isaiah Epps, who scored just four points in the first half, but finished with 28. He hit three threes and three free throws on his way to the team high points total. A close second in that race was Tyrone Johnson, who dropped in 27 points, including nine from the line. Baskerville, whose shot was off all game long, scored 12 points. For Windsor, Adrian Satchell poured in a whopping 34 points, scoring 18 of them in the first half. He hit two threes and two free throws. Doug Soutar, a 6'3 class of 2009 guard, added 23 points, including two three pointers and four free throws. Ryan Delaire dropped 13 in his own right, with five of them coming at the stripe. Tyrus Weaver's big three near the end of regulation accounted for his lone points in the contest, but they sure were huge in the high scoring affair.

The beatdown the St. Patrick's handed St. Benedict's doesn't even compare to the one they gave Windsor in the title game. Not only did the Celtics win by even more, they did so in much more convincing fashion. The squad jumped out to a quick 10-4 lead after 3:30 of play. Markus Kennedy injured his knee at about the 10 minute mark, iced it and had it looked at by the trainer, and was then good to go. With seven minutes left in the half, the game was still somewhat close, with Windsor trailing 19-6. Three minutes later, the difference was still 13 points, 22-9. Windsor did not hit double digits until 14:40 into the game, when they hit a deuce to give them 11. At the half, the scored favored St. Patrick's 27-13. Kyrie Irving led the way for the Celtics in the half with 11 points, including a three pointer and 4/5 shooting at the line. Ryan Delaire led Windsor in the half, scoring four points. Things started to get ugly in the second half. The St. Pat's lead was 33-15 with 12 minutes to go, then 41-17 with eight minutes left. The margin had grown to 30 points, 47-17, with about 5:30 left, and that's around when the team put in many of its rarely used/JV-only players, such as 5'10 guard Richard Dobin '1o who scored two points, and 5'7 class of 2009 guard Berdy Cadet who hit a three. At the two minute mark, the Celtics were ahead 54-17, and that was the game's final score. St. Patrick's held Windsor to just four points in the second half and kept the scoreless for the final eight minutes, the equivalent of a full quarter in regulation high school ball. For St. Patrick's, Chase Plummer '10, a 6'5 forward, scored 12 points, all in the second half, and was 2/4 at the line. Kyrie Irving finished the game with 17 points, scoring three deuces in the second half. Markus Kennedy had 11 points, and was 3/5 at the line. For Windsor, Adrian Satchell was the leading scorer, finishing with six points, including 2/2 shooting at the charity stripe. Ryan Delaire had four points, and missed his only two shots at the line. Attah Agymand '09, a 5'7 guard, scored two points, and Steve Samuels had three, hitting his only free throw.

The wonderful showing that St. Patrick's had today can be summed up by going over the box scores from their three double-digit victories. They scored 50+ in all three games, while holding opponents to no more than 41. In total, they outscored their opposition 169-93, a 76-point margin. Markus Kennedy (50 points) and Kyrie Irving (49 points) outscored Seton Hall Prep, St. Benedict's, and Windsor combined. The Celtics averaged 56.3 points per game, while their opposition averaged just 31, for a wide 24.3 average scoring differential. My tournament MVP award would go to Kyrie Irving. The 6'1 rising junior guard was unstoppable, seemingly scoring at will. He hit threes, got to the rack, made the majority of his free throws, and just dominated whoever he was matched up against. Irving, a transfer from Montclair Kimberly Academy (NJ) is the real deal.

Congratulations to St. Patrick's on their win in the 2008 Hoop Group Showcase.

Note- photo on the top left is of Markus Kennedy, photo on the bottom left is of St. Patrick's (NJ), and photo on the bottom right is of Windsor (CT)

Note- photo in the middle on the right is of Isaiah Epps, and is from http://playazbasketball.org/

Hoop Group Showcase Day One- "Pandemonium in Piscataway"

It seems that Chris Carlin's call of "Pandemonium in Piscataway" does not only relate to Rutgers football. Today at the Hoop Group Showcase, there was pandemonium abound from start to finish. The madness began during the very first set of games in a match-up between The Nia School (NJ) Blue and Lakewood (NJ). The Eagles of TheNia School were coasting along, stretching their lead to 18 at one point, but Lakewood would not go away. Nia had no subs, and that may well have hurt them. Regardless of the reasoning, Lakewood stormed back to pick up a 70-69 win. Mike Spence, a senior for Nia, was one player who caught my eye during the game. I'll have a scouting report on the 6'10 senior up on the site sometime within the next few days.

At 12:30, the craziness continued on as a tournament heavyweight lost in its first game. The Linden Tigers (NJ) fell to the "other" St. Joseph's (Montevale, NJ) by 14 points. Linden's 6'10 big man--and star player--David Bruce struggled throughout. Also at 12:30, Monmouth (NJ) knocked off basketball powerhouse Bloomfield Tech (NJ) in a surprising upset. At 1:45, the first big game of the day turned into an interesting one. St. Benedict's (NJ) sans Tristan Thompson '10, Myck Kabongo '11, Lamar Patterson '09, and Tamir Jackson '10, narrowly beat PCTI (NJ). The Gray Bees led 36-22 at halftime, and seemed to be in full control of the game. PCTI, though, wouldn't die easy and made it into a game. The boys from the Passaic County evened up the score in the final 1:30 of play. Then, with less than a minute, PCTI elected to run the clock down, but not hold for the last shot, as a shot was put up with about 14 seconds to go. Tavon Sledge '11 of St. Benedict's drove the ball downcourt and missed a layup, but Aaron Brown '10 grabbed the rebound and put it back up and in with only two seconds to go, giving the Gray Bees the victory by a final score of 63-61. Brown was the superstar for his team, finishing with 24 points. The 6'4 forward was 6/9 at the charity stripe. Sledge, a 5'10 guard added 12 points and was 1/2 from the line. In an upset, Don Bosco (NJ) was defeated by Freehold Boro (NJ) during the 1:45 games. At 3:00, St. Peter's Prep (NJ) lost a tight one to Newburgh Free Academy (NY) in a contest that came down the wire.

In one of the day's two craziest games, St. Patrick's (NJ) and New Rochelle (NY) met at 4:10 in a game that was changed to the main court, allowing more people to see the Celtics showcase what they had. In the first half, it was all about Kevin Boyle's squad, as the Celtics took a commanding 43-13 lead into the half, despite 6'8 power forward Markus Kennedy '10 not playing for much of the half. Chase Plummer '10, a 6'5 forward , filled the void left by Kennedy, and scored 12 points. Kyrie Irving '10, a transfer from Montclair Kimberly Academy (NJ) scored 15 points in with first 16 minutes of play, as the 6'1 guard was easily the best player on the court. Superstars Michael Gilchrist '11 and Dexter Strickland '09 were not in attendance for St. Pat's, nor were Paris Bennett '09, Derrick Gordon '11, and Shaq Stokes '11. The Celtics' 30-point lead did not stay all that big for long, as New Rochelle (NY) hit shot after shot to cut the lead all the way down to seven, 54-47, with nine minutes left in the game. Leading the way for squad from the Empire State were John Calarco '09, a 6'3 guard, and Antoine Mason '10, also a 6'3 guard, both of who were deadly shooters from beyond the arc. With the clock showing 6:50, the lead was six, 59-52. About two minutes later, with only 4:40 to go, New Rochelle had fought all the way back to within one point, and trailed 62-61. The teams then began to exchange buckets and after two more minutes had gone by, St. Patrick's led 66-64. The Celtics then began to take over, leading 73-64 with a minute left. At this point, the game seemed all but over. With the clock reading 0:10, the Celtics were ahead 75-69, and a three-ball with a few ticks left cut the lead to three. Josh Daniell '10, a 6'6 forward, used some heads-up thinking and did not inbound the ball, sealing the win for his St. Patrick's squad. Daniell also had a big block and a key bucket in the final minutes.

At 7:45, the undefeated "national champion" St. Anthony's Friars (NJ) took the floor against The Nia School (NJ) White. Bob Hurley's squad did not have its three best players: Dominic Cheek '09, Ashton Pankey '10, and Devon Collier '10. The only member of the team's core players for next season that was there was Jamee Jackson '09, a 6'7 forward. The rest of the squad was quite inexperienced. It was evident how thin the team will be next season depth-wise, as Nia knocked them off in a close, low scoring affair.

On paper, the Paterson Catholic (NJ) and Susquehanna Township (PA) contest did not look like it would be a good game at all. For the first half, that was completely true, but not in the way one would expect. The Keystone State team was ahead 41-23 at the half, despite PC jumping out to a quick 8-0 lead. The team pushed its lead up to as much as 30 points during the second 16 minutes of play before Paterson Catholic started to fight back. The game stayed in the twenties for a while, yet as time progressed, PC slowly chipped away at the lead. Fuquan Edwin '10, Shaquille Thomas '10, Jayon James '10, and Myles Mack '11 were the main members in the comeback. Before you knew it, Susquehanna's lead was in single digits. It grew back up to 10+ in the final two minutes and it seemed that PC was as good as done, but they did not give up, chopping the lead all the way down to three. With four seconds left, Susquehanna hit one of two at the stripe, making it a four point game. Myles Mack shot far to early and from from way to far away, and the shot missed, giving Susquehanna Township a huge upset win.

The day's games at the Hoop Group Showcase were crazy, and tomorrow will hopefully be just as good. Both St. Patrick's and St. Benedict's will have tough games in the quarterfinals. The Celtics will meet Seton Hall Prep (NJ) and the Gray Bees will face Neumann-Goretti (PA). If both Jersey teams do win, though, they will meet in the semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, a spot in the title game is up for grabs as both of the favorites have been eliminated. Windsor (CT) and The NIA School White will meet in one quarterfinal game, while Susquehanna Township will face the winner of tonight's Plainfield (NJ)/Christian Brothers Academy (NJ) game in the round of eight. This tournament may well have a surprise champion, it's just as matter of who that champ will be.

Note- photo on the top left is of David Bruce and the photo on the top right is of Aaron Brown; both are from http://scouthoops.scout.com/

Note- photo in the mid-right is of Jamee Jackson and is from http://www.nj.com/

Note- photo on the bottom left is of Myles Mack and is from http://hstrial-spulliam.homestead.com/

Poll- My Choice

I can't really provide you with insight on one of the poll questions, as it merely asked what conference you would want to play in if you were a big-time basketball recruit, so I'll skip that one. As for the other poll, which asked what the most important factor in an NBA Draft prospect is, I can certainly provide you with my insight and opinion. You selected basketball IQ as the key factor, and while I do think that is important, I would not put it at number one. A player may have a great IQ on the hardwood, but that can't completely make up for a lack of size, speed, or even skills for that matter. At the same time, I don think that height is one of the most overrated attributes in basketball, except when it applies to pure big men. To me, great speed is not 100% vital either, as some teams primarily use halfcourt offenses. I agree with you that defensive ability is not number one either, as you didn't even give it a vote. Who plays defense in the NBA anyway other than a few select players (Shane Battier, Bruce Bowen, Marcus Camby, etc.)? Character and leadership qualities are important, but they can't be number one, because that means you would take the player with the best character or leadership qualities the highest, but what if he isn't that talented. This leaves two options from my poll: college/overseas production and scoring ability. The latter of the two, scoring ability, is important, but the NBA already has so many scorers that to me, it's not number one. Thus, I'm saying college/overseas production is tops amongst factors to consider in NBA Draft prospects. This view is certainly debatable, as many people would argue that just because a player was successful in college or in Europe does not mean he can succeed in the League. This is certainly true, but does have great size or basketball IQ guarantee success? No, nothing does. That's why, to me, players who have produced are the guys who should be taken the highest. I'm not saying that the competition a player played against should not be factored in, and nor should physical attributes. Rather, I'm just saying that if you have produced once and been successful, you can do it again. Guys like Brandon Rush who have been completely dominant, are in my opinion, premiere prospects over players such as Anthony Randolph who have size and potential. Production is the key!

Northstar Basketball's Top Five Factors in an NBA Draft Prospect:
1. College/Overseas Production
2. Basketball IQ
3. Playmaking Ability
4. Size (for big men)
5. Potential

Poll- My Choice

In my choice on the other poll on who should be the top choice in the '08 NBA Draft, my answer was simple: Kansas St. freshman forward Michael Beasley. When I have to pick who I think will be the number one pick, though, the selection is not as easy to make. There are pros and cons to both possible choices, Beasley and Derrick Rose, a freshman point guard from Memphis. There is an issue, that may well affect the draft grade of Beasley. It is his supposed attitude problem, which is displayed by the fact that he bounced around to numerous high schools. He did keep his "attitude" in check in his single season at KSU. The Chicago Bulls, who have the top choice in the June 26th Draft, will likely just take whichever player they think will be more valuable to them. Both would add a new element to the Bulls' game, regardless of who is coaching this proud franchise. Chicago certainly needs interior firepower, as the team lacks a true post presence on offense. Right now, the squad's big men are average at best, and it's unclear what 2007 first round pick Joakim Noah will turn into. Their guard situation is interesting as the Bulls have Chris Duhon, Ben Gordon, and Kirk Hinrich already. Duhon clashed with management last year and is dispensable. The production of both Hinrich and Gordon has progressively dropped off during their time in the Windy City, and adding another guard may be useful. Reinsdorf and Co. to pass up on. My opinion on the matter may well change in the next few weeks as the draft gets closer and closer, but as of now, I'm saying Derrick Rose will be the first overall choice in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls.

Poll- My Choice

To me, the question of who should be the top pick in the 2008 NBA Draft is quite a simple one. My choice would absolutely be Kansas St. freshman forward Michael Beasley. You can tell me all you want about Memphis' freshman point guard Derrick Rose and how high-caliber floor generals are so hard to come by. I just don't think it even matters because Beasley is THAT good. The KSU superstar set the Big 12 single-game rebounding record in his first ever game as a Wildcat. "B-Easy" is a physical specimen with tremendous athleticism to go along with a quality shooting touch. His all-around game may make him best suited to play the 3 in the NBA, and that will allow him to also take advantage of smaller defenders by posting up on the blocks and also by grabbing rebounds. Beasley is a player that the Chicago Bulls could really use, especially with the inconsistency, lack of offensive ability, and recent run-in with the law of their 2007 top choice, Joakim Noah. You can bring up Beasley's "attitude problem" as a concern with the superstar, but what exactly is involved in that description of him? He is a guy who definitely had some troubles in high school, yet it's hard to pinpoint exactly what the dilemma was, and also, he was fine while playing for Frank Martin. Michael Beasley is the real deal and will be a superstar for over a decade in the NBA and will be one of the League's top five ballers within five years, and deserves to be the number one pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Beware of TCA in 2008-09

If you will recall, back in late January, I posted interviews with four members of the Trenton Catholic (NJ) basketball team, and also wrote an article on the squad. Well, I'm writing another becasue I think the Iron Mikes will be one of the surprise teams in the hoops hotbed of New Jersey/New York/Pennsylvania. Led by Head Coach Fred Falchi, TCA finished ranked #23 in the Garden State on http://www.maxpreps.com/ with a 23-7 record. The squad will not be losing any players to graduation, and its returning members will have another year of maturity under their belt. The Iron Mikes' class of 2009 includes 6'3 forward Daquan Basnight, a guy who plays well above his height and 6'5 power forward Lafayette Smith, a bruising big man. Along with these is 5'7 guard Reggie Coleman, a solid outside shooter, and two others. The team's class of 2010 is phenomenal: 5'9 guard Dondre Whitmore, 6'5 forward Markese Tucker, and 6'4 gaurd Frantz Massenat. Whitmore is a great floor leader with a nice shot from beyond the arc. If Dondre had three more inches on him, he may well be considered one of the best point guards in the class of 2010. Tucker is another kid who, if he had another few inches--two in his case--would be regarded as one of the premiere players in his class amongst forwards. Right now, Tucker can play the 3 or the 4, and although he is built like a power forward, his height and shot make him more suited for the 3. Markese is the definition of a 'tweener, yet the talent is definitely there for the star forward. As for Massenat, he has a stellar all-around game; Frantz can shoot lights-out, run the point, and has solid hops. Frantz is the type of unbreakable baller that every team needs. TCA's class of 2011 isn't too loaded, but one of its members is a star in the making: Khalid Lewis El. The 6'2 guard can shoot, get to the rack, play D, and he is vocal on the court. "Leader," as he is called by his AAU teammates on Team New Jersey ABC, is one of the best class of 2011 players in the tri-state area. Trenton Catholic has the pieces in place to finish in the top 10 in the state, and a top 15 finish is a near lock. The Iron Mikes will dominate the rest of Mercer County and will breeze through their conference schedule, much as they did in 2007-08, when they finished 9-1 in the Burlco League. The only thing the team truly lacks in a dominant big man who stands 6'7+, but Smith, Tucker, and Basnight should be able to make up for that. The team will be experienced, talented, and ready to play, so the rest of New Jersey had better watch out for the Trenton Catholic Iron Mikes.

Note- information on the team's 2007-08 season is from http://www.maxpreps.com/

Billmeier & Nardi Skills Camp 2008

Grant Billmeier and Mike Nardi were two fine Big East basketball players in the 21st century. Nardi was a part of the Villanova team that made a fantastic run to the Elite Eight of the 2006 NCAA Tournament. Billmeier was a two-year captain at Seton Hall. The two attended St. Patrick's (NJ) at the same time and played under one of America's best high school basketball coaches, Kevin Boyle. This summer, Nardi and Billmeier will be coming together after a year of professional ball overseas to run a basketball skills camp in Pennington, New Jersey at Timberlane Middle School. The event will run from July 28 to August 1 and will take place from 9:00am to 3:00pm daily, though campers can be dropped off at 8:00am for no extra charge on top of the $275 camp fee. Grant's brother, Brad Billmeier, a former standout at Hopewell Valley (NJ) who went on to play at Gettysburg College, will also be helping out. The camp will be for boys entering grades four through nine, and food will be provided for those in attendance. There will hopefully be a number of big names that stop by the camp, as guest speakers will be a part of the event. "As of right, it’s [Villanova Head] Coach [Jay] Wright and [Rutgers Head] Fred Hill. They have said that they are going to come down for the camp. . . . I now that [St. Patrick's Head Coach] Kevin Boyle was going to [come as well]. . . . Right now, I’m working on having Randy Foye [who is currently on the Minnesota Timberwolves] come down,” said Nardi of who expects to fill the roles of guest speakers. The ex-Villanova Wildcat did say that “this stuff is not written in stone. . . . College coaches do get busy, and stuff does pop up.” Assuming Hill is able to attend the camp, Nardi expects him to talk about "a couple stories on when he watched Larry Bird work out,” amongst others things. As for Boyle: “I know Kevin will definitely talk about . . . Grant [and I] and what we did in high school.” To sum it up, Nardi told me that “everybody will talk about their experiences with basketball and their knowledge.” Despite the big names that will hopefully be in attendance at Nardi and Billmeier's camp, their goal is not for it to be a huge camp right away said Nardi, who shed some light on the camp's goals for the summer of 2008: “For this first year, we’re just trying to get kids in there, all levels of kids. . . . [There are already camps for] soccer, lacrosse [and other sports]. . . . We’re just trying to get a basketball camp going, . . . and also try to make it fun for them, because nowadays there’s not as many serious basketball players. . . . [We will be] keeping it fun and keeping it structured for the kids. . . . We have to think about the age group. we’re going from fourth to ninth grade. . . Guy that are going to come in, have fun, and also love the game.” That brings up the question of how the duo would deal with a player with little to no experience with basketball, and that is something that I asked Grant about: “We’ll just continue to work with him. Hopefully he’ll just continue to get better. . . . Hopefully by the end of the camp . . . he’ll have gone to a new level.” Grant, who went to The Pennington School (NJ) as a freshman, said that he chose to have the camp located in Pennington because he “ just thought it was a great way to give back," adding, "I know my basketball beginning started in fourth grade at the YMCA. . . . I'm not sure if there’s really a camp in this area that really works on trying to get kids better.” I inquired of Nardi how the mix between scrimmages and drills would work: “It’s going to be a mix of both [scrimmages and drills. On] a regular day we’ll probably start out with stations and drills, . . . just breaking down the game in little parts so they can get a feel for college workouts," and in addition saying, "After that, we’ll have sessions of games, . . . and [in] the afternoon we’ll have games, . . . and the teams that aren’t playing we will probably have [doing] drills, and probably mix in some knockout.” Clearly, the focus is not on having kids running around bouncing basketballs, but rather on them enhancing their skills. In fact, helping players enhance skills is something that Grant Billmeier hopes to do in the future as well: “When I’m doing playing, I definitely want to get into coaching, . . . start at the college level as an assistant and hopefully work my way up to the head coach." Nardi and Billmeier wil likely work well together, as the former said that he "and Grant, we’ve been best friends since high school." As for why the two chose to run a camp together, Nardi said this: "Basically, it’s our first year of being professional [players] and we just wanted to so some basketball stuff.” The pair will definitely involved in the basketball workouts: “[Grant and I] are basically running the camp. We’ll be interacting with the kids, running stations, . . . mainly coaching and doing drills with the kids. . . . We’re not trying to just use our names and then have guys with no experience running drills,” said Mike. Grant mentioned that for drills, the two will "definitely come up with everything [they] do together.” Billmeier, who stands 6'10, realizes that “Most kids we’ll get are generally going to be guards, [so] . . . most things we’ll do are going to be ball handling [and] breaking down a shooter." Although right now the camp is meant as a local event for kids who just want to play basketball and meet some big names along the way, I asked Nardi about whether or not he wants the camp to develop into a big-time event: “Over the years , anything can happen, . . .but for the first year we’re not trying to go out and press people . . . We’re really just focusing on keeping it simple right now. . . . If it does turn into something like that, . . . great.” Grant Billmeier and Mike Nardi, with the help of Brad Billmeier, appear to be heavily invested in this camp and really want to make it work. Thus, it should be a good experience for young ballers who want have some fun and hone their skills along the way. For more information on the Billmeier & Nardi Skills Camp 2008, either call (609)-462-8412, e-mail basketballskillcamp@gmail.com, or check out www.hopewellbasketball.net/8.html.

Note- camp and player information is from the camp's brochure

Note- photo on the left side is of Mike Nardi, and is from http://villanova.cstv.com/

Note- photo on the right is of Grant Billmeier, and is from http://www.eurobasket.com/

Poll- My Choice

When asked who the best recruiter is of all current NCAA head coaches, the answer is not easy. There are so many coaches who can make the case for that title. In the poll here at Northstar Basketball, I picked eight of the best for you to choose from: Memphis' John Calipri, Florida's Billy Donovan, UCLA's Ben Howland, Michigan St.'s Tom Izzo, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, Ohio St.'s Thad Matta, North Carolina's Roy Williams, and Villanova's Jay Wright. There are countless other head coaches that you could make a viable argument for, as well. I'll provide you with my top five right here. Number five- Jim Calhoun: The head man at UConn consistently brings in top-notch recruiting classes. This year, for example, Calhoun will be getting two of America's best ballers in Ater Majok and Kemba Walker. His eight-man class from 2006 was fabulous, and included Hasheem Thabeet, Curtis Kelly, Jerome Dyson, Stanley Robinson, and Doug Wiggins. In '04, Calhoun brought--amongst others--AJ Price and Rudy Gay to Storrs, and they were preceeded by players such as Charlie Villanueva, Josh Boone, and Marcus Williams. Coach Calhoun has also found diamonds in the rough, like in 2002 when he brought in Hilton Armstrong and Denham Brown. Other players that Calhoun has gotten include Emeka Okafor and Emeka Okafor. As well, in '05, Calhoun inked Andrew Bynum, but the big man elected to go straight to the NBA. Jim Calhoun has not only gotten quality players to come to UConn, he has gotten a lot of them, and has done so over a long period of time. Number four- John Calipari: To build a national powerhouse in a mid-major conference is quite impressive, and Coach Cal has done just that with Memphis in the C-USA. This year, Angel Garcia, Tyreke Evans, Matt Simpkins, and Wesley Witherspoon will all be taking their game to Memphis. Last year, the Memphis coach brought in Derrick Rose and Jeff Robinson. In addition, he signed Marcus and Markieff Morris, who would eventually choose to go to prep school and then Kansas. In 2005, Calipari got Shawne Williams, Antonio Anderson, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Robert Dozier, along with a few others. In '04, Cal brought in Darius Washington, Jr. Kendrick Perkins signed with the Tigers in 2003, but jumped straight to the League, and in 2002, underrecruited Rodney Carney chose the Tigers. The recruiting job that John Calipari has done at Memphis is nothing short of fantastic. Number three- Thad Matta: In ranking Ohio St.'s head coach this high, I am basically taking into consideration just the three most recent classes he has brought to Columbus. In 2006, Matta inked what some people have called the best recruiting class ever, in Greg Oden, Daequan Cook, David Lighty, Othello Hunter, and Mike Conley, Jr. Matta did not let up the next year, when he signed Kosta Koufos, Jon Diebler, Evan Turner, and Dallas Lauderdale, and a few more players as well. This year's class for the Buckeyes is also wonderful, as Matta will be getting BJ Mullens, William Buford, Walter Offutt, Anthony Crater, and a couple more for good measure. Assuming Matta keeps this up for an extended period of time, he may well develop into the NCAA's premiere recruiter. Number two- Ben Howland: UCLA's class this year may well be the best in the land, as Ben Howland has signed Jerime Anderson, Drew Gordon, Jrue Holiday, Malcolm Lee, and one-time LSU-signee J'Mison Morgan. Last year wasn't bad for Howland either, as he got Kevin Love and Chase Stanback to come to Westwood. In 2006, underrecruited Russell Westbrook landed at UCLA, as did James Keefe. Howland's signees in 2005 included Alfred Aboya, Darren Collison, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. In 2004, Coach Howland may have gotten his best class of them all, when he signed Arron Afflalo, Jordan Farmar, Lorenzo Mata, and Josh Shipp. Although, like Matta, Howland has not been bringing in top-notch classes for that long of a time, he has certainly gotten some of America's best high school basketball players to bring their talent to UCLA. Number one- Roy Williams: Dating back to his days at Kansas, Roy Williams has always been one of the NCAA's finest recruiters. In 2003, while still at KU, Williams signed JR Giddens, David Padgett, and Rodrick Stewart. After heading to Chapel Hill to take over the Tar Heels, Williams' recruiting skills were clear to everyone. In '04, Williams got Marvin Williams, Quentin Thomas, and JR Smith, although the last of the three chose to go right to the pros. UNC's class of 2005 was phenomenal: Bobby Frasor, Marcus Ginyard, Tyler Hansbrough, and Danny Green. In 2006, though, Williams went above and beyond, and inked a class that I think was even better than Matta's group at OSU the same season. That year, Roy Williams brought in Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Brandan Wright, Alex Stephenson, William Graves, and Deon Thompson. This year, UNC was the only team to sign three McDoanld's All-Americans, in Tyler Zeller, Larry Drew, and Ed Davis. Williams also signed Justin Watts from the class of '08. Roy Williams' recruiting ability is the best of all head coaches right now, and your voting shows that you agree.

Northstar Basketball's Top Five Current NCAA Head Coaches for Recruiting:
1. Roy Williams (North Carolina)
2. Ben Howland (UCLA)
3. Thad Matta (Ohio St.)
4. John Calipari (Memphis)
5. Jim Calhoun (UConn)

Note- recruiting information is from http://www.rivals.com/

Poll- My Choice

Who has been the best college basketball program of the 21st century? That's a tough question to answer because there have been so many dominant programs, including UCLA, North Carolina, Michigan St., Florida, and UConn. Those five as well as Duke, Kansas, and Maryland were the options for my poll asking this question. I'll give you my top five and my reasons why right here. Number five- Duke: The Blue Devils have consistently been highly seeded in the NCAA Tournament and have made the Tournament every year this century. The Blue Devils have made two Final Fours (2001, 2004). Mike Krzyzewski's squad was the National Champion in 2001. Although the teams have struggled to get past the Sweet 16 a few times despite having great teams and have had down years the past two years, the Blue Devils are always near the top of the NCAA rankings. Number four- UCLA: The Bruins are an interesting case. The boys from Westwood have not won a National Title this century, but have made three consecutive Final Fours (2006, 2007, 2008) and appeared in the Finals in 2006. The Bruins struggled prior to '06, but their trio of Final Fours is so impressive, that the team has got to be this high up, at least in my view. If UCLA had one Championship, they just might be numero uno. Number three- North Carolina: The Tar Heels have been extremely inconsistent this century, but their play from 2005 on puts them this high on the list. UNC has made three Final Fours (2000, 2005, 2008) and have had loaded rosters almost every season. UNC won the polling based off your votes, and putting them number one would not be too much of a stretch, but the team will have to be more consistent to get that high up in my book. Number two- Michigan St.: Tom Izzo is one of the best coaches in America, and his team has made the NCAA Tournament every year this century. The Spartans have made three Final Fours (2000, 2001, 2005) and won the Championship in '00. Michigan St. is almost always in the Sweet 16 and has been extremely consistent, and that's a key factor for me. Number one- Florida: The Gators have not only won back-to-back National Championships (2006, 2007), but also were the National Runner-up in 2000, giving them three Final Four appearances this century. Billy Donovan and Co. are the only repeat Champions this century and the only team since Duke (1991, 1992) to win consecutive National crowns. Although Florida had a bad year in 2008, the Gators' overall accomplishments over the past nine seasons cannot be overlooked. The Florida Gators are, thus far, the team of the century.

Northstar Basketball's Top Five NCAA Programs of the 21st Century:
1. Florida Gators
2. Michigan St. Spartans
3. North Carolina Tar Heels
4. UCLA Bruins
5. Duke Blue Devils

Note- Final Four and Championship information is from http://wikipedia.org/

Northstar Basketball's Top 15 in the Class of 2008

I would like to take some time and provide you my personal rankings of the 15 best players in the class of 2008. For this, I will be basing it solely on a player's game, and not how I project them to succeed in the NCAA or the NBA. I will not include post-grads and fifth year players such as Devin Ebanks and John Riek. Well, here it is:

Rank. Name, Position, High School (State), College
1. Brandon Jennings, PG, Oak Hill Academy (VA), Arizona
2. Samardo Samuels, PF, St. Benedict's (NJ), Louisville
3. Greg Monroe, PF, Helen Cox (LA), Georgetown
4. Tyreke Evans, G, American Christian Academy (PA), Memphis
5. Jrue Holiday, G, Campbell Hall (CA), UCLA
6. Demar DeRozan, SG, Compton (CA), USC
7. Willie Warren, G, North Crowley (TX), Oklahoma
8. Scotty Hopson, SG, University Heights (KY), Tennessee
9. Al-Farouq Aminu, SF, Norcross (GA), Wake Forest
10. BJ Mullens, C, Canal Winchester (OH), Ohio St.
11. Kemba Walker, PG, Rice (NY), UConn
12. Ed Davis, PF, Benedictine School (VA), North Carolina
13. Elliot Williams, SG, St. George's (TN), Duke
14. Jamychal Green, PF, St. Jude (AL), Alabama
15. Delvon Roe, F, St. Edward (OH), Michigan St.

Here is a summary of the players by state and NCAA conference, of those with multiple players:
CA: 2
OH: 2
VA: 2

ACC: 3
Big East: 3
Pac-10: 3
Big 10: 2
SEC: 2

I think Brandon Jennings is far and away the best player in America. Although this class does not have the major star power as the 2006 and 2007 classes, there is a nice group of talent. These 15 players are, in my opinion, the best in the nation. Look for them on a national stage in the years to come, as they have all the skills to succeed.

Note- information on high schools, positions, etc. is from http://www.rivals.com

Note- photo is of Brandon Jennings, and is from http://oakhillhoops.com/

Southern Jam Fest Recap

Over the weekend, I went to Charlottesville, Virginia for The Hoop Group's Southern Jam Fest, and was able to watch some of the east coast's best teams in action. The tournament had U-15, U-16, and U-17 age groups. Here is the list of winners and runner-ups:

U-17 Gold Champ: CP3 All-Stars (NC)
U-17 Gold Runner-up: National Christian Academy (MD)
U-17 Silver: Squash All Beefs (DC)
U-17 Silver Runner-up: PA Pride
U-16 Gold Champ: Team Final (PA)
U-16 Gold Runner-up: Boo Williams (VA)
U-16 Silver Champ: BWSL Team Virginia
U-16 Silver Runner-up: NC Raptors Select Blue
U-15 Gold Champ: Boo Williams (VA)
U-15 Gold Runner-up: Team Phenom (PA)
U-15 Silver Champ: Team New Jersey ABC
U-15 Silver Runner-up: Delaware Sharks

I'll and fill you in on the 12 squads that made finals appearances team by team, and I will also give you some other information from the event. I'll begin with the U-17 winners, the CP3 All-Stars, a bunch that features 6'5 Reggie Bullock '10, a North Carolina commit. The standout sophomore lead his squad in scoring against Playaz Gold (NJ) in the quarterfinals, yet managed a measly four points in the title game and grabbed only six rebounds. Meanwhile, 6'5 senior Wendell "CJ" Williams, a North Carolina St.-signee--who for some reason was allowed to play in the event, despite not being recruitable for the 2009 season--had a solid game in the championship, scoring 10 points, to go along with two boards, a steal, an assist, and a block. As for the boys from National Christian Academy, who were defeated byCP3 by a score of 70-50, their big name is Dante Taylor, a 6'9 forward. He had a rough outing in the title game, finishing with six points and five boards. Wilbur O'Neal, a 6'7For those of you that do not know, the Gold division is for teams the finished first in their pools, while the Silver division is for those that came in second place in their pools. It bears mentioning that of the six championship games, Boo Williams had a team in three of them, both U-16 games and the U-15 Gold game. The program from Virginia may well be the best in America, when senior, had a tremendous showing against CP3, shooting 5/7 from the field and 4/5 at the line to total 14 points. In addition, the uncommitted senior had 14 rebounds, two assists, and three steals, though he did pick up five fouls. In the U-17 Silver championship, 6'8 junior Thomas Robinson dropped 19 points on 9/10 shooting from the field, while hitting his only free throw and also had 11 boards for Squash All Beefs. Phillip Wood, a 6'3 junior who plays at basketball powerhouse Montrose Christian (MD), had 10 points and eight rebounds in the title game, as well as two assists and three steal for the DC-based AAU program. As for the PA Pride, who lost 71-58, 6'0 junior Nick Novak had 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Junior Paul Weatherly, who checks in at 6'4, had 14 points, four boards, and two blocks for his team.
Moving right along to the U-16 level, the championship game was one for the ages. Team Final (PA) and Boo Williams (VA) are two of the most highly regarded AAU programs in America, and for good reason. Both are loaded with talent, and the U-16 title game was a fantastic battle. In the semis, Boo defeated the Westchester Hawks (NY) by two points, while Team Final beat Team New Jersey ABC by 13. In the finals, Boo Williams was in control throughout the first half, but in the second 16 minutes, Team Final battled back. The Pennsylvanian group climbed on the back up its superstar, freshman phenom Michael Gilchrist, a 6'7 forward from St. Patrick's (NJ), who would finish the game with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals. Gilchrist shot 11/18 from the field, though did not connect on any of his three attempts from beyond the arc. In addition, the class of 2011 stud was 7/13 at the stripe. Gilchrist, despite scoring nine more points, did not shoot as well against Boo Williams, as he did against NJABC in the semis, when he was 7/11 from the floor, 2/2 on three pointers, and 4/6 at the line. American Christian Academy (PA) 6'6 sophomore forward George Harper also had a stellar performance in the finals, scoring 13 points on 5/8 shooting from the field and 3/4 at the line, grabbing 10 boarding, and blocking a shot. The most apparent thing about Harper was his attitude problem, though. The talent is clearly there for the linebacker-esque big man, as he can jump, shoot, score, board, etc., but he is just not at the same level with his attitude. Harper talks a lot of trash, even to people watching the game. In fact, George was jawing with some Boo Williams fans while on the blocks during a free throw. In addition, Harper was called for a technical foul during the game for hanging on the rim after a dunk. The ACA baller has the game to play high major ball, but until he puts it all together mentally and attitude-wise, he may not be much of a success. Trevor Cooney, a 6'4 freshman guard also had a stellar game for Team Final, notching 16 points on 5/9 shooting from the floor, including 1/3 on threes, and went 5/7 at the charity stripe. Cooney, a terrific shooter, also had two boards, an assist, and a steal. DJ Irving, a 5'10 sophomore guard, added 10 points, shooting 3/6 on threes, and not attempting a deuce. Irving also knocked in his only free throw. For Boo Williams, 6'5 sophomore Travis McKie was one of the standouts, dropping 17 points on 7/15 shooting, and also had six rebounds. Dadrian Collins, a 6'5 junior, had 17 points on 7/13 shooting, including 2/3 beyond the arc, though he hit just one of four at the line. Collins also added a half dozen rebounds. Sophomore Brandon Britt, who stands 5'9, had 13 points on 5/9 shooting, with seven of his shots--three of which he made--being from three point land. Britt also had a board, an assist, and a steal. Team Final pulled away in the end, knocking down key free throws, including icers by Cooney, and won the game 76-72. The fans packed the sidelines to watch the game, and it was well worth it, as the contest was phenomenal. In the U-16 Silver title game, BWSL Team Virginia defeated the NC Raptors Select Blue squad 61-46. BWSL, a Boo Williams team, was led by 6'7 sophomore Davante Gardner's 16 points. He shot 8/8 at the line and 4/9 from the floor. Derek Wright, a 6'1 sophomore, scored 12 points, had three assists, and grabbed seven rebounds. Sophomore Jay Copeland, who is 6'6, added 11 points on 5/7 shooting from the floor and 1/2 shooting at the line. He also had four boards and two steals.
Going to the U-15 level now, Boo Williams (VA) knocked off Team Phenom (PA) in the Gold championship. Leading the way for Boo were 6'9 freshman James McAdoo and 6'5 eighth grader Justin Anderson, who had 11 points, and displayed amazing athleticism and hops. For Team Phenom, two freshmen led the way: Aaron Brown had 17 points, Devin Coleman had 17, including three threes. In the U-15 Silver contest, NJABC 6'0 freshman Anthony Gaffney had 24 points on 10/15 shooting from the floor and 4/6 shooting at the stripe. Bruce Brittingham, a 6'0 freshman, added 14 points on 7/10 shooting, and also pulled down five boards and dished out two assists. Freshman Khalid Lewis El, who is 6'2, had 12 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Chandler Fraser-Pauls, a 5'11 freshman, had 12 points and six assists. For the Delaware Sharks, who fought back from a late 15-point deficit and forced overtime only to lose 83-80, Devon Dorsey had 17 points on 5/10 shooting from the field, 1/2 on threes, and a nice 6/7 on free throws. Dorsey also grabbed 11 boards and had two blocks. Freshman Andrew Merlo, who is 5'10, had 16 points on 6/10 shooting, 3/6 beyond the arc, and 1/3 on free throws. He also had six rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Harold Hayes, a freshman who checks in at 5'7, fouled out with 11 points on on 5/8 shooting from the floor, hitting his lone free throw. He also had an assist and a steal. The Sharks as a team were an impressive 80% from the free line in the game, going 12/15.
An interesting tidbit is that Chris Braswell, a Georgetown commit, played on the Triple Threat (DC) U-17 squad, and appears to be headed to the post-grad route, rather than to John Thompson III's team. Playaz Gold (NJ) was yet again bounced early in a tournament, losing in the the quarterfinals of the Gold bracket to the eventual champion CP3 All-Stars. Team Jersey Elite (NJ) had a less than stellar showing by their standards, not winning their pool, and then being defeated by the PA Pride in the opening round of the Silver bracket. The Petersburg 14U (VA) team made a nice run to the Gold semifinals, before being ousted by Boo Williams. All in all it was a quality tournament that was well run by The Hoop Group.

In 08-09, Who Will Be New Jersey's Best?

The logical choice for the best team in New Jersey next season would seem to be the St. Anthony's Friars, the consensus national champions this year. Yet, when you looker closely at Bob Hurley Sr.'s squad for next year, the selection is not that simple. The Friars will lose the core of their team to graduation: Rutgers-bound McDonald's All-American 6'3 guard Michael Rosario, Pitt-signee 6'0 guard Travon Woodall, soon-to-be Kansas Jayhawk 6'4 guard Tyshawn Taylor, Fordham-bound 5'10 guard Jio Fontan and 6'4 guard Alberto Eastwick, and St. Joseph's-commit 6'6 power forward AJ Rogers. The squad will also lose three other seniors to graduation, meaning that only seven of the 16 varsity players will return. The Friars do have two transfers coming in next year, as http://njmg.typepad.com/zagsblog/ reported, in 6'8 Ashton Pankey and 6'7 Devon Collier. Their height will be a huge boost, but it won't be enough to keep St. Anthony's atop the Jersey standings. Seniors-to-be 6'6 guard Dominic Cheek and 6'6 power forward will have to pick up a lot of the slack left by the departures of this year's seniors. Cheek is one of America's best players, but he can only do so much. Meanwhile, St. Benedict's, which is coached by Danny Hurely, Bob's son, is primed for another big year. The Gray Bees had just one loss last year, and were ranked number two in America by most polls. Although the team will lose McDonald's All-American 6'9 power forward Samardo Samuels to graduation, he is one of just three departing seniors. Senior-to-be 6'9 center Greg Echenique, a Rutgers-commit, has the talent to fill the void left by Samuels. The squad has a strong class of 2011 in 5'8 guard Tavon Sledge, 6'0 guard Myck Kabongo, and 6'0 guard Myles Davis, all of whom have the talent to contribute quite a bit next year. UAB-pledge 6'2 guard Tamir "Pop" Jackson, a member of the class of 2009, and 6'8 forward, Tristan Thompson, a Texas-bound 2010 hotshot will play prominent roles on the team as well. The Gray Bees will not suffer much of a drop-off. The St. Patrick's Celtics had a down year by their standards, but Head Coach Kevin Boyle won't let that happen again next year. Jermel Jenkins, a 5'9 guard, and Kansas-signee 6'8 forward Quintrell 6'0 Thomas are the team's only main losses to graduation. Jamin Shumate, a 6'7 forward, and Marcus Charles, a 5'10 guard, will also be lost to graduation, along with three others, but none of these five had particularly major roles on the team. Chase Plummer, a 6'5 junior-to-be forward, and fellow class of 2010 members, 6'9 forward Markus Kennedy and 5'9 guard Kevin Boyle, Jr. will all be major contributors next season. Class of 2011 superstar Michael Gilchrist, a 6'5 forward, and Kennedy will be able to replace Thomas. Shaq Stokes, a 5'10 guard, and Derrick Gordon, a 6'1 guard, are two freshman who will help to cover up the hole left by Jenkins and Charles. Class of 2009 members 6'6 swingman Paris Bennett and North Carolina-commit 6'3 guard Dexter Strickland will be key to the Celtics, as will 5'8 junior guard Dean Kowalski. St. Patrick's will be near the top of the national rankings again next year. The major question mark in New Jersey will be the Paterson Catholic Cougars. Head Coach Damon Wright has a fantastic squad on his hands, led by some of the best players in the class of 2010 in America: 6'6 swingman Shaquille Thomas, 6'2 swingman Jermaine Peart, 6'5 swingman Fuquan Edwin, 6'5 swingman Jayon James, and 6'8 power forward TJ Clemmings. Along with these five are sophomores-to-be 5'8 guards Myles Mack and Jhamir White, and the lone class of 2009 member 6'3 swingman Lance Brown. In addition, the team will bring in a highly touted player from the class of 2012, in 6'5 swingman Kyle Anderson. The team will be losing Seton Hall-bound 6'0 guard Jordan Theodore, 7'0 center Ian Chiles, 5'9 guard Wayne Mack, and two others to graduation. Next year's Cougars should be even better than this year's, and that's saying something, as the team throttled ultra-talented Montrose Christian (MD) at the Prime Time Shootout. Now, to my rankings. It's clear to me that these are "Fab Four" teams in the Garden State, yet all three are so good, that it's hard to rank them. One thing that I can conclude quickly is that defending national champion St. Anthony's, will come in at number four on my list due to the mass exodus of seniors. From there, it gets quite tricky. Paterson Catholic has the potential to be number one, but until they start knocking off the other New Jersey powerhouses, it will be hard to put them at number one. I'll put the Cougars at number three on my list. The decision between St. Patrick's and St. Benedict's for number one is tough to make. This year at the Prime Time Shootout, the Celtics lost a close one to the Gray Bees, and I think the game next season will be extremely close as well. I have to go with St. Patrick's at number one and St. Benedict's at number two. A lot may depend on the play of Markus Kennedy and Kevin Boyle, Jr. for the Celtics as they step into bigger role. Much of the pressure for St. Benedict's may be on Greg Echenique--who will to take on many more double teams down low--and Myck Kabongo, who may well end up running the point for the Gray Bees. I'm picking St. Pat's due to its fantastic depth, but either one of these teams has a shot at number one, both in New Jersey and in America.

Northstar Basketball's "Fab Four" in 08-09:

1. St. Patrick's

2. St. Benedict's

3. Paterson Catholic

4. St. Anthony's

Note- photo in the middle on the left is of Kyle Anderson, and is from http://www.bballspotlight.com/

Note- photo on the top right is of Michael Gilchrist, the photo on the bottom right is of Tristan Thompson, and the photo on the top left is of Devon Collier, all of which are from http://scouthoops.scout.com/

Note- photo