Preview: Chicago Elite Classic

The inaugural Chicago Elite Classic kicks off this Saturday featuring top teams from the Chicago area versus various top teams from throughout the country. While this event features numerous standout teams, there are also highly regarded players from the 2013-2016 classes participating (even with Jabari Parker missing the event due to an injury).

Top Match-Ups:

Whitney Young (IL) vs. Dematha (MD)

Jahlil Okafor

Chicago vs. DC. Whitney Young is rated #8 in the country by Max Preps while Dematha is one of the top teams in the DC metro area and ranked #20. The match-up of the day will also feature the most anticipated mano y mano match-up as well. A combined 500 lbs will be doing battle down low as both teams are led by their beefy big men. Whitney Young is led by one of the top juniors in the country, Jahlil Okafor (#3 – 2014), while Dematha is led by one of the top senior big-men in the country in Beejay Anya (#45 - NC State). Whitney Young also returns a top junior in Paul White (#43 – 2014) and welcomes another top junior from the state of South Carolina, LJ Peak (#46 – 2014). Last year, the 6’7” White was one of the primary ball handlers for the Dolphins as the young team was lacking in play making guards. The addition of the 6’4” Peak could provide Whitney Young with their missing piece. Dematha comes in as one of the most prestigious squads in the country and while Anya and Okafor are battling down low, future VCU commit, Jairus Lyles will look to put the pressure on the Whitney Young backcourt. 

Proviso East (IL) vs. Lone Peak (UT)

Lone Peak - Best Utah team ever?

A tough and gritty Proviso East squad will battle one of the top teams to ever come out of the state of Utah. Proviso East went 32-1 last year with their only loss coming to Simeon in the state championship game 50-48. This year Proviso East already dropped one game, but still features future SMU commit, Sterling Brown (#78 – 2013) along with the Illinois State point guard of the future in senior Paris Lee. A random observer might believe that a squad from Utah would be intimidated by a 32-1 Chicago squad, but not this one. Lone Peak went 22-3 last year while winning the 5A state championship game in a 30 point blowout. This team features three future BYU Cougars in guards Nick Emery (#81 - 2013) and T.J. Haws (#65 - 2014) along with big man Eric Mika (#72 – 2013). The Lone Peak squad also played as the Utah Reign on the Under Armour summer AAU circuit. Despite having an entire AAU team from the same high school, Emery, Haws, and Mika were extremely competitive in every tournament they played in including a top 8 finish at the NY2LA Summer Jam in Milwaukee. Lone Peak is currently ranked #6 by Max Preps, while Proviso East is ranked #13.

Don’t Forget:

·         The number 1 team in the country, Simeon, plays in the night cap against Milton from Georgia. While this game will not bring the excitement that it did last year, Simeon still features future Illinois guards Kendrick Nunn and Jaylon Tate.

·         Mater Dei faces off against St. Joseph in a legendary coaching match-up between Gary McKnight of Mater Dei and Gene Pingatore of St. Joe’s (Hoop Dreams). Mater Dei travels all over the US for basketball tournaments and this year they have made Chicago their first stop. Mater Dei features 6’7 Stanley Johnson (#25 – 2014), while St. Joe’s features junior guard Paul Turner.

·         In an early morning match-up, one of the top freshman in the country V.J. King gets to go up against junior Keita Bates-Diop (#27 - 2014), a recent Ohio State commit. V.J. King will look to show the nation that he is the new king of Akron as he plays for Lebron’s old team, St. Vincent’s / St. Mary’s.

·         Other top freshmen making their debut include M.J. Cage (Mater Dei), Jayce Johnson (Mater Dei), Joe Hampton (Dematha), and Ben Coupet (Simeon).

Big 10 / ACC challenge

The ACC dominated the first 10 years, but now it is the Big 10 looking for their 4^th victory in a row. Out of all the match-ups, every home team is favored by the Vegas oddsmakers.

Minnesota vs. Florida State (-3)

Prediction: Florida State in a grind it out game.

Iowa at Virginia Tech (-2)

Prediction: Virginia Tech and Erik Green will be too much down the stretch in a close game.

NC State at Michigan (-5.5)

Prediction: Michigan. NC State will once again show that their pre-season top 5 ranking was way too high. 

Nebraska at Wake Forest (-5)

Prediction: Wake Forest

Maryland at Northwestern (-5)

Prediction: Another upset special with Maryland getting the close win behind big Alex Len.

UNC at Indiana (-11)

Prediction: Indiana. The young and inexperienced UNC squad will not be able to handle a raucous Indiana crowd and three point shooters.

National Prep Showcase: Day 2

Day 2 of the National Prep Showcase featured competitive games all day long at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT. Huge upsets, come from behind victories, overtimes, and dominant individual performances were all seen. Let’s start with the biggest upset of this young season and what could be one of the biggest upsets of the year:

Upset of the Day:

Kiski 79 Brewster Academy 77

Spectators were eagerly awaiting Brewster’s first tournament game of the weekend to see what their star studded line-up could do featuring at least six high level Division One recruits. Top 10 junior, Chris McCullough started the show off with a few quick baskets and displayed an elite athleticism not seen in many people his size. With Brewster jumping to a quick lead, most fans were wondering how big the Brewster margin of victory would be. Senior, Rashad Richardson of Kiski had other plans. Listed as a 6’6” forward from Lafayette, IN and an IPFW commit, Richardson was soon seen dropping 3’s from all parts of the court while also finishing strong athletic drives to the basket. Brewster took a 38-34 lead to the half before a back and forth second half began. Kiski never went away and continued to come up with big shot after big shot en route to a five point lead with under a minute to play. Syracuse commit Ron Patterson had been fairly quiet for the most part before he tried to lead Brewster on a comeback in the final minutes with aggressive drives to the basket. Despite some late game heroics, Brewster missed a shot at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. Kiski escaped with an upset win and Richardson led the way with 29 points. While relatively unknown before 7pm, Richardson made sure that all of the fans and college coaches in attendance knew who he was by the time the Brewster upset ended. 

Games of the Day:

South Kent 96 Vermont Academy 90 (OT)

Rashad Richardson

It might have been tough to follow the Kiski / Brewster game, but South Kent and Vermont Academy ended a long Day 2 with a bang. South Kent led 32-16 at halftime and looked to have the game well in hand. Vermont Academy came out focused in the 2^nd half and immediately got back in the game behind the play of shooting guard Daquein McNeil (FIU), point guard Dimitri Flores (2014), and small forward Richard Williams (2013). Behind increased defensive pressure and a flurry of three pointers, Vermont Academy quickly erased the halftime deficit and even took a six point lead. South Kent did not go quietly, as guard Shane Rector (2013) took over with a team high 28 points. This game eventually went to overtime before South Kent pulled away to win by 6. Most spectators were hoping to leave this game early, but instead were treated to a late night surprise.

New Hampton 74 Hargrave Military Academy 73

Hargrave came into the game with a buzz after their Day 1 play. Led by future Louisville guards Terry Rozier and Anton Gill, Hargrave took a commanding lead into halftime. Rozier did not let down after his Day 1 exploits and got to the rim at will. Like most games in this tournament, the second half was a different story. After a quiet first half spent in foul trouble, Noah Vonleh of New Hampton came alive. Fresh off a commitment to Indiana University, Vonleh showed why he is a Top 10 player in the class of 2013. Using his power and speed, Vonleh brought his team back and finished with 27 points and 18 rebounds. Former Missouri commit, Travis Jorgenson, also played well for New Hampton as a variety of high level D-1 coaches had their eye on the Columbia, MO native.

Top Performers:

As discussed above, Rashad Richardson of Kiski and Noah Vonleh of New Hampton had the most impressive performances. Richardson led the way in the Brewster upset with seven 3’s and athletic drives to the basket. After the upset, Jeff Borzello of CBS Sports noted that Richardson has not yet signed his LOI with IPFW. 

Chris McCullough, 6’9” 2014 F Brewster Academy: Watching McCullough play left observers shaking their head in disbelief. With extremely long arms and elite athleticism, McCullough is fantastic at running in the open court and finishing with power or grace. He scored a team high 17 points for Brewster and recorded several blocked shots. Syracuse fans can expect him to wreck havoc in their 2-3 zone. McCullough took one outside shot, which missed, however he did display a nice stroke and hit several 5-10 foot jump shots. 

Martez Harrison, 5’11”, 2013 PG Brewster Academy: Harrison is stuck behind guards Kevin Zabo and Jared Terrell in the Brewster rotation, but was one of the most impressive players in the first half ageist Kiski. Harrison used his blazing speed and strength to finish in traffic and find open teammates. Currently being recruited by Missouri Valley schools, Harrison could see a bump in his stock over the next few months.

Robert Champion, 6’5” 2013 SG Brewster Academy: Champion was the best jump shooter throughout the first two days of the Showcase. Sporting one of the quickest releases in high school basketball, he only needed a brief moment of daylight to launch a three that usually found the bottom of the net. Champion also added a nice two-handed dunk in the second half for good measure. Champion is currently being recruited by low D-1 schools in the Northeast. It will be surprising if mid-majors do not try to get involved in Champion’s recruitment given his height and shooting ability.

Deandre Burnett, 6’2” 2013 G Massanutten Military Academy: Burnett, a Miami native with a commitment to the U, dropped a Showcase high of 40 points. Teamed with future Kansas guard Frank Mason, Burnett was almost impossible to contain off the dribble and constantly attacked the defense.

Daquein McNeil, 6’3” 2013 G Vermont Academy: McNeil, a FIU commit had a strong game scoring 31 points in a losing overtime effort. McNeil threw down powerful dunks off of steals along with long range three’s. McNeil will bring a Baltimore toughness to Pitino’s FIU squad in the years to come. 

Dimitri Flores, 6’1” 2014 PG Vermont Academy: Flores was the sparkplug in Vermont’s second half rally scoring 18 of his 22 points in the 2^nd half. Flores loved the one dribble step back jumper throughout the game and mixed in several three pointers in the 2^nd half. He ran Vermont with minimal turnovers and constantly found teammates for open shots. 

Day 3:

Brewster Academy starts the day off with a 10am game as this star studded team looks to rebound from an opening defeat. Noah Vonleh will attempt to repeat his dominating 27 point and 18 rebound performance, while powerful small forward Wayne Seldon matches up with Rashad Richardson in an afternoon tilt.

High School Basketball Kick Off: National Prep Showcase Day 1

On Friday, November 9^th, the college basketball season kicked off with must see games in Germany, Brooklyn, and various aircraft carriers. One week later, the high school season kicked off in a small, cozy D-3 gym at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT. The National Prep Showcase kicked off its three day event with many of the top prep schools throughout the US participating. This event features talented athletes already committed to top D-1 schools (i.e. Indiana, Syracuse, and Louisville) along with a plethora of talent trying to give all of the low to mid major D-1 coaches in attendance one final viewing during the early signing period. 

Game(s) of the Day:

1A – Wilbraham & Monson 58 Putnam Science 57

Putnam Science put on an exhibition in the first half and led by double-digits. Wilbraham & Monson looked extremely disjointed early on and the game resembled five individuals playing against a cohesive team. Dayton commit, Dayshon Smith led the way for Putnam with his nifty dribble drives to the basket where he continuously found open teammates for good looks. Despite the first half struggles of W&M, transfer Goodluck Okonoboh, a former teammate of Nerlens Noel at the Tilton School, stepped up his game and controlled the paint with 8 blocked shots in the first half. While Putnam dominated the first half, W&M came out with a different intensity in the second half and quickly turned a first half deficit into a competitive game. Once the game got close, Smith put Putnam on his shoulders and scored 14 points in the second half as he was unstoppable off the dribble. Smith put his team up one with a nice floater down the late with 1:06 to go and then found a teammate for 3 to go up 55-51. Putnam could have iced the game on the free throw line, but instead some costly misses and turnovers let W&M hang around. With 11 seconds to go, Putnam turned the ball over under its own basket up one point, and Okonoboh was able to hit the game winning lay-up with 1.2 seconds left. 

1B – Fishburne Military 64 Northfield Mount Hermon 59

NMH was missing their top player in Zena Edosomwan, a Harvard commit, and did not look to be in the same class as Fishburne Military, led by Kuran Iverson, a top 40 player in the class of 2013. Despite appearances, NMH moved the ball efficiently and played solid defense to lead the majority of the game. This team featured ivy league commits Anthony Dallier (Yale) and Michael Fleming (Dartmouth), along with Skyler White (not the Breaking Bad character), and Josh Hearlihy. This group effectively shut down Iverson in the first half making him settle for contested and forced jump shots, but they had trouble containing him in the second half as he scored 15 of his 19 points. Iverson hit two free throws with 56 seconds to go to take a two point lead that would not be relinquished. It took the more athletic Fishburne school almost 31 minutes to take the lead, but they dominated the final minute and came away with a five point win.

Top Performers:

Future Louisville stud

Terry Rozier, 6’2” 2013 PG, Hargrave Military Academy: Rozier put on a clinic in his first game and should have Louisville fans extremely excited. Rozier is currently ranked #97 by CBS Sports and #84 by Scout; however he will soon be on the move and should settle closer to the #54 ranking that Hoopniks has him at. Rozier had a swagger like Florida guard Kenny Boynton, but while Boynton did his high school damage behind the three point line, Rozier did his aggressively attacking the basket. Rozier used his athleticism and toughness to get by his defender anytime he wanted and used fantastic body control to finish in the lane. Rozier knocked down a corner three in the first half to go along with a one-handed break-away dunk to end the half. Seeing his team’s lead slip away in the 2^nd half, Rozier quickly hit a driving lay-up and then on the next possession found an open teammate for three which essentially sealed the victory. 

Anton Gill, 6’4” 2013 SG Hargrave Military Academy: Gill was plagued with injuries during the July recruiting session, but looked healthy in his first Showcase game. Gill knocked down several 3’s and finished with 18 points. 

Jaylen Brantley, 5’11’ 2013 PG Notre Dame Prep: Despite not being gifted with out of this world speed or length, this crafty pg still found a way to keep ND Prep in the game against Hargrave by knocking down 6 three pointers on his way to 26 points. When Brantley wasn’t knocking down threes he was effective using the pick and roll to get to the basket. Brantley is a smart pg, doesn’t make many mistakes, and is one of the top shooters at his position.

Kuran Iverson, 6’8” 2013 SF Fishburne Military School: Iverson’s first and second half performances closely resembled his high school career: up and down. Iverson struggled in the first half with countless misses on outside jump shots. He also tried to create off the dribble, but had difficulty penetrating against the Yale bound Anthony Dallier. This all changed in the second half as Iverson was seen finishing on the break, hitting short jump shots, getting to the free throw line, and even hitting an eighteen foot step back jump shot. With the game on the line, Iverson could not be contained in isolation situations.

Daniel Dixon, 6’5 2013 SG Fishburne Military School: The former Northern Virginia All-Region selection and William and Mary commit turned some heads with his performance against NMH. With Iverson struggling in the first half, Dixon showed off his skill set by using his quickness to create jump shots for himself along with several drives to the basket. Dixon, and current Tribe guard Marcus Thornton should provide William and Mary athleticism in the backcourt that has not been seen in Williamsburg in recent years. 

Dayshon Smith, 6’2” 2013 PG Putnam Science Academy: Smith was right up there with Rozier for player of the day. Smith was unstoppable with the ball in his hands and had the crowd abuzz Friday evening. Along with his forays into the paint, Smith also threw down an impressive one handed alley-oop that got the crowd out of its seat. This would have been the dunk of the day if it were not for Aaric Armstead of La Jolla Prep (see below).

Goodluck Okonoboh, 6’9’ 2014 C Wilbraham & Monson: Okonoboh is easily compared to Nerlens Noel with his unique flat top and ability to block shots and he certainly did his best Noel impression on the first day. Okonoboh was not just blocking shots in the first half; he was almost playing volleyball with them. After a few of these monstrous blocks, Okonoboh was soon affecting shots even when they were not blocked. While he put on a dominating defensive performance, Okonoboh still showed that he is raw on the offensive end with several misses down low and a lack of a go to post move. Despite this, he has shown improvement from the previous high school and AAU seasons. Okonoboh hit a key basket in the final minute and then made the game winning lay-up.

Players to keep an eye on:

Luis David Montero, 6’5” 2015 SG Wilbraham & Monson: Montero was extremely impressive for only being a sophomore. A very long and lean, 6’5” Montero hit several three pointers and looked comfortable playing on the wing and bringing the ball up the court. He also used his length to finish in traffic. Montero picked up a technical foul while guarding Dayshon Smith and will need to work on keeping his emotions in check as he goes forward.

Mustapha Heron, 6’5” 2016 SF Wilbraham & Monson: If you didn’t know who Heron was you would probably think that he was a junior or senior. Heron played a key part during his team’s come from behind victory and even did a respectable job guarding Smith in the second half. Heron already has the athletic ability and his confidence is sure to grow over the years.

Dunk of the Day:

Aaric Armstead, 6’5” 2013 SG La Jolla Prep: Formerly a Chicago star at Hales Franciscan and an all-state selection in California as a senior, Armstead is now at La Jolla Prep and threw down the dunk of the day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p28Er1DAbR0&feature=youtu.be

Game to Watch:

New Hampton vs. Hargrave: Indiana commit Noah Vonleh goes up against the Louisville duo of Hargrave.