Coached by Rafer Alston of the Nets, the New York Panthers won the U17 championship at the Hoop Group Summer Classic in Neptune, N.J. with an 84-63 victory over God’s Glory.

Sterling Gibbs of Seton Hall Prep, Deshaun Wiggins of Wings Academy, Winston Graham of Lee Academy and Ryan Rhoomes of Cardozo all played well for the Panthers.

Wiggins had a team-high 20 points in the final, Graham scored 18, Gibbs tallied 15 points and Armani Cotton added 12. Rhoomes added 10 points.

The Panthers played without Rod Odom (who was in Springfield) and J.J. Moore (back injury).

“It just means were still consistent,” Panthers head Gary Charles said. “Skip [Alston] came in and  did a nice job with these kids and he’s been practicing for three weeks. We’re extremely happy to be able to win the Reebok Summer Championship.”

In the semifinals, Gibbs had 16 and Wiggins 15 as the Panthers downed Kyrie Irving and the New Jersey Roadrunners. Irving and Paterson Catholic’s Jermaine Peart scored 16 apiece.

Coaches from Duke, Indiana, Texas A&M, Seton Hall, Rutgers, West Virginia, Fordham, La Salle, George Washington, Siena, Rider and Quinnipiac all watched the Gibbs-Irving battle.

“Lost in the semifinals to ny panthers,” Irving tweeted. “Overall good tournament…a new road I’m taking and alot more steps to climb to reach my potential.”

Anybody doubt this guy’s commitment to improving? He later tweeted that he will work out on Monday at St. Patrick.

ISIAH LANDS POINT GUARD

Florida International coach Isiah Thomas has received yet another commitment, this one from point guard Phil Taylor, a 5-9, 160-pound a Brooklyn native playing at Marietta (GA) Wheeler.

“It’s a really, really good get for him [Isiah],” Dave Telep, national recruiting director of Scout, told Jeff Goodman. “He’s a small guy with quickness and toughness who has one of those personalities where he can attract other kids.”

Thomas got a comittment last week from 6-foot-10 Chris Coleman, who chose FIU over high-majors like UConn and Syracuse.

“It’s my dream to play with someone in the Hall of Fame,” Taylor told Goodman. “He does what I do and as a kid, he’s one of the guys I patterned my game after.”

Taylor  averaged 21 points and 7 assists last season while leading Wheeler to a state title. He said he was also recruited by Miami, Oregon, Xavier, Arizona and Richmond.

RECRUITING NOTES

**Gibbs, a rising junior whose older brother Ashton Gibbs is a rising sophomore at Pittsburgh, previously told me Villanova was his favorite school.

Still, he said he plans to visit Oklahoma, Pitt, Villanova, Indiana and DePaul this summer. Indiana, Rutgers, Seton Hall and Georgia Tech are also involved.

“I’m wide open with my recruitment,” he said last week. “I hope to take some visits in August and see where it goes from there.”

**The 6-8 Rhoomes has drawn interest from George Washington, Temple, Rhode Island, George Mason, Virginia Commonwealth and La Salle.

**Seton Hall and Rutgers both watched Plainfield guard Tyrone Johnson of New Jersey Elite, according to Alex Schwartz. Johnson has a lot of interest but Georgetown is thought to be the leader.

**Seton Hall assistant Scott Adubato was on hand to watch Irving and the Pirates are the only team to watch him at every one of his games so far during the July period. Head coach Bobby Gonzalez and assistants Adubato and Derm Player watched Irving in Cleveland and Adubato or Kevin Murphy has been on hand the last few days at Reebok.

**SHU’s Player is at the Peach Jam checking out a slew of talented players: Michael Gilchrist, Doron Lamb, Rakeem Christmas, Tony Wroten, Shane Southwell, Kyle Anderson, Myles Mack, Derrick Randall, Desmond Hubert, Vaughn Gray and Seton Hall commit Fuquan Edwin.

**The 6-5 Edwin had 14 points and 6 rebounds in a 60-7 Playaz win over the Oakland Soldiers.

**The 5-8 Mack, also out of Paterson (N.J.) Catholic dropped 25 points  in a loss to Mack Irvin from Chicago in the 16U bracket.

**Many coaches from the Peach Jam are raving about Gilchrist, and Kentucky’s John Calipari and Rod Strickland were also reportedly following him.

**Alex Schwartz reports that St. Anthony guard Elijah Carter told him Richmond was his top choice.

**Dave Telep tweets that Harrison Barnes, the top prospect in the Class of 2010, “needs stitches on his non shooting hand. Could b on da shelf.”

**Jeff Goodman reports on his blog that Marquis Teague, younger brother of Jeff Teague, nearly committed to Louisville a few months ago.

“I was ready, but my dad told me to slow it down,” Teague told Goodman.

Teague’s father, Shawn, played for Louisville coach Rick Pitino when Pitino was at BU.

ED BUTLER EVENT WEDNESDAY

Ed Butler is hosting an event on Wednesday at J.P. Stevens H.S. in Edison (NJ). Free Admission. The following are some of the players participating:

Matthew Washington (6′10)…(Paterson Catholic)…Redlands (OK)
C.C…looking at Seton Hall, Manhattan, Middle Tennessee & others

Madut Bol (6′8″)…(St. Anthony/Edison Academy)

Chris Abney (6′9)…Westchester (NY) C.C.

Charlton Wilson (6′8″)…(Linden H.S.)…Sheridan (WY) C.C.

Mark Kolb (6′8″)…Bernards (NJ) H.S.

Michael Simpson (6′6″)…Winslow Twp. H.S.

Daveon Boardingham (6′6″)…Shabazz H.S.

Elvonny Poole (6′5″)…Bayonne H.S.

James Albano (6′5)…Ridgewood H.S.

Dequan Simmons (6′5″)…Englewood H.S.

Zach Anderson (6′3″)…Englewood H.S.

Djim Bandoumel (6′8″)…Monroe (NY) J.C.

Miles Beatty (6′2″)…(St. Anthony/ GWU/Blinn (TX) C.C.)

Andre Blackwood (6′1″)…Paramus Catholic

Eddie Johnson (6′0)…Paramus Catholic

Jamell Cromartie (6′0)…Monroe (NY) C.C.
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Here are some quick notes.

***UPDATE***

**Chris Coleman, a 6-9 junior center from Durham (NC) Mt. Zion (pictured), has committed to Florida International and head coach Isiah Thomas, despite my previous post to the contrary.

“I liked that [Thomas] played in the NBA, coached in the NBA and he’s got a lot of experience and stuff,” Coleman told the NBE Basketball Report. “That is where I am trying to get, so that is why I committed.”

Coleman reportedly picked FIU over UConn, West Virginia, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Texas, N.C. State and Wake Forest.

Coleman’s AAU coach, Don Marsh, previously told me had not committed.

**Paterson (N.J.) Catholic guard Jayon James is reclassifying to the Class of 2011 and is  transferring to prep school, although it is unclear which one.

“He’s definitely transferring,” said John James, Jayon’s dad. “We’re trying to get his body right and trying to get him prepared for college.”

The 6-foot-5 James is being recruited by various Ivy League schools, including Harvard, Brown and Princeton.

“It’s still wide open, though,” John James said.

**Speaking of Paterson Catholic, 6-7 rising sophomore point guard Kyle Anderson is hearing from Pitt, Georgetown, Rutgers, St. John’s, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, La Salle, Texas, Kansas, Baylor, Miami and Kentucky. Georgetown is the only school Anderson has visited unofficially. Stay tuned for more on him later.

“His basketball IQ is so high that he can really play any position on the court,” Kyle Anderson Sr. said.

**Still more Paterson Catholic. Rising junior point Myles Mack, who’s on Anderson’s team here, says DePaul, Virginia Tech, St. John’s, Virginia and VCU have entered the picture, joining schools like Georgetown, Fordham, La Salle and Drexel.

How good can PC be next year? “We’re trying to win the TOCs this year,” Mack said.

**Also stay tuned for an SNY.tv story Friday on J.J. Moore, a 6-5, 190-pound wing from Brentwood, N.Y. Moore plans to transfer from Brentwood High (which produced Seton Hall big man John Garcia) to South Kent (Conn.), where he will play alongside New York products Mike Buffalo (Wings) and Russ Smith (Archbishop Molloy). Joel “Air Jamaica” Wright (Thomas Jefferson) may also end up at South Kent, although he said he’s also considering Hargrave (Va.) Military and Winchendon (Mass.).

It seemed like every Big East coach I spoke to was there scouting Moore, who dropped a game-high 18 in a win over Joe Jackson and Allen Iverson. Moore said he plans to visit Providence, Rutgers, Louisville and Marquette and also said Syracuse has always been a favorite.

**DePaul assistant Billy Garrett is quickly making inroads in the Northeast. Moore, Mack and Anderson all mentioned him.

**Seton Hall Prep guard Sterling Gibbs is fresh off winning the gold medal with the U.S. U16 National Team in Argentina.

“It was great,” he said. “I got to visit another country and got to play with another team. I think it’s the best team I ever played with.”

Gibbs, a rising junior whose older brother Ashton Gibbs is a rising sophomore at Pittsburgh, previously told me Villanova was his favorite school.

Still, he said he plans to visit Oklahoma, Pitt, Villanova, Indiana and DePaul this summer.

“I’m wide open with my recruitment,” he said. “I hope to take some visits in August and see where it goes from there.”

**Kelvin Jefferson, who coached Omari Lawrence (St. John’s) and Kevin Parrom (Arizona) at South Kent, had thoughts on both.

“With Omari, he’s a tough, rugged kind of player. His year at South Kent he’s developed his body physically. He’s bigger, he’s stronger and he’s going to be able to take the pounding of the Big East schedule. He’s a physical slasher, but now he’s going to be able to take the pounding and finish around the rim and it’s not going to effect him so much.

“With Kevin and the Pac-10, he’s long, he can run, he can jump, he’s athletic. The nice thing about him is his diversity. He can do a lot of different things. He can handle the ball like a point forward. He can get to the rim. He’ll rebound for you. He’ll make 3’s. He does a lot of good things that will enable guys to want him to play at a lot of different positions and give him a chance to stay on the court a long time.”

**Pe’Shon Howard, a 6-3, 195-pound wing from Oak Hill (Va.) Academy, listed Harvard, Arkansas, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, Stanford and USC.

“I’ve got a lot of offers from a lot of schools,” Howard said.

He said Rutgers assistant Craig Carter has been recruiting him for the Knights.

“He’s a cool guy,” Howard said.

**Sidiki Johnson, a 6-8 junior from St. Raymond’s in the Bronx, listed Arizona, Kentucky, Providence, St. John’s, Marquette, West Virginia, Rutgers, Virginia Tech and Seton Hall.

He said he’s visited Arizona and Kentucky unofficially.

“[Arizona] was great, nice campus,” he said. ” I went to Kentucky a month ago. It was fun, lots of talented players. It was nice out there.”

“As of right now he loves [Arizona],” Bernard Bowen, Johnson’s mentor, told me recently. “He loves the coaching staff. As of right now, Arizona is the top on his list.”

Johnson averaged 11 points and 10 rebounds last season at St. Ray’s, which reached the title game of the SNY Invitational before falling to Sherrod Wright and Mount Vernon.

“I just create a mismatch wherever I’m at,” he said. “I play inside/outside, but I’ll probably be a three in college.

Johnson has modest goals for this year.

“Be Mr. Basketball in the State [of New York],” he said. “That’s my goal.”

**Head coaches on hand so far: La Salle’s Dr. John Giannini; UConn’s Jim Calhoun; St. John’s Norm Roberts; Providence’s Keno Davis; Kentucky’s John Calipari; Memphis’ Josh Pastner; Oklahoma State’s Travis Ford; Indiana’s Tom Crean; Villanova’s Jay Wright; Marquette’s Buzz Williams; Virginia Tech’s Seth Greenburg; St. Joe’s Phil Martelli; FDU’s Greg Vetrone; Alabama’s Anthony Grant; BC’s Al Skinner and Temple’s Fran Dunphy.

GARLAND TO VIRGINIA TECH

Tyrone Garland, a 6-1, 165-pound point guard from Philadelphia (PA) John Bartram, announced his college choice at the Reebok Camp in a room full of family, coaches and friends.

“The school that I will be attending is Virginia Tech,” Garland said.

“The [other] schools I was considering were La Salle, Temple, Nevada and Nebraska but what sold me was a great coaching staff. It’s kind of quiet up there so you can focus on basketball. [It has a] good campus and new practice facility, too.”

Bartram coach James Brown said Garland was a “special” person.

“I say from day one that young man is special,” Brown said. “Not only do you have a great basketball player but you have a great individual sitting right there.

“You don’t get the total package that often. He’s the total package person, personality, character. Teachers around the school say the same thing about him.

“He’s special, they love him.”

His decision behind him, Garland said he can now focus on school and basketball.

“Now  I can just focus on ball and working out and focus on the rest of the AAU season and my grades,” he said.

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GREENBURGH, N.Y.

The 6-foot-8 Harangody averaged 23.3 points and 11.8 rebounds last season as a junior and was projected as a second-round pick.

There were concerns that he was undersized for the four position and not athletic or quick enough for the three.

“First of all, we are thrilled that Luke has decided to return to Notre Dame and be a part of our program for his senior year,” Irish head coach Mike Brey said. “I believe that the past several weeks have been a great learning experience for Luke and his family. He has handled this as a man and I am very proud that he went through this whole process.

“Luke has had my full support from day one and whatever final decision he made, I was doing to support him,” Brey added. “With that being said, I am excited that he is going to be back. We have a great nucleus next year and I know one of Luke’s goals is to get back to the NCAA tournament. He also has the chance to carve a unique place in the long and storied history of the Notre Dame basketball program.”

Notre Dame lost Kyle McAlarney and Ryan Ayers to graduation, but returns point guard Tory Jackson and picks up transfers Scott Martin and Ben Hansbrough. Both are expected to start for the Irish and are considered more complete players, even if they’re not as good shooters.

**Maryland junior guard Greivis Vasquez will return to the Terps, boosting the school’s chances of getting to the NCAA Tournament.

“After a great deal of thought, consideration and research, I have decided to withdraw my name from the NBA Draft and return to the University of Maryland for my senior year,” Vasquez said. “It has always been a goal of mine to graduate from the University of Maryland and earn my degree. When I signed a scholarship to come to Maryland, I promised my family back home in Venezuela that I would graduate, and doing so in four years here at Maryland will be a great achievement. The experience that I have gained over the past few weeks has been invaluable and something that will help me to better prepare to play professional basketball after my senior season. I would like to thank my family, my coaches and all my teammates who have supported me throughout this process.”

A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Vasquez the Terrapins last season in scoring (17.5 ppg), rebounding (5.4 rpg) and assists (5.0 apg).

**UConn big man Ater Majok withdrew his name from the draft but could still play overseas. Read more on Majok here.

**6-10 DePaul junior Mac Koshwal is also returning to campus.

“That was the best decision, instead of second guessing it and not knowing where I’ll go [in the draft],” Koshwal told the Chicago Tribune.

**Wake Forest sophomore guard Jeff Teague will stay in the NBA Draft, according to FoxSports.com.

The 6-foot-2 Teague averaged 18.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists last season. He joins forward James Johnson among Wake players leaving.

**Gonzaga sophomore forward Austin Daye said he will also remain in the draft.

“We’re excited for Austin. It’s what he wants to do,” head coach Mark Few said. “He was great to coach and was a great teammate. He will be missed. We did a lot of research to provide as much information as possible so he could make an educated decision.”

This past season Daye averaged 12.7 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Zags, whose jersey I wear on the Ultimate field.

(Photos courtesy Notre Dame, Maryland)

Jerry Wainwright

First the Blue Demons went 9-24, including an 0-18 mark in the Big East.

Then his son Scott resigned last month.  Then leading scorer Dar Tucker declared for the NBA Draft. Then Mac Koshwal declared without hiring an agent.

Now both his remaining assistants,  former St. Ray’s coach Gary DeCesare and Ramon Williams, resigned.

“I would like to thank Gary and Ramon for their hard work and loyalty during the last seven years that we have been together,’’ Wainwright said in a statement. ‘‘They are outstanding coaches and even better men and role models, and I wish them nothing but the best in their future endeavors.’’

The Chicago Sun Times reported that both men were told to seek other jobs and that former DePaul and Loyola assistant Lance Irvin is an option for one of the spots.

Mac Irvin, Lance’s father, founded the Mac Irvin Fire AAU team.

DePaul athletic director Jean Lenti Ponsetto has given Wainwright a vote of confidence, but you have to wonder if he can survive another year like the last one. He is under contract through 2012.