J.J. Moore

The 6-foot-5 senior wing from Long Island visited Providence last week and will hit Pittsburgh on Tuesday and potentially St. John’s on Thursday.

“I think J.J. was really impressed with the new coach [at Providence, Keno Davis] and what they’re trying to build over there and he’s also impressed with the financial investment that the school and community has invested into making the program top notch,” said Hunt Bresky, Moore’s advisor who is making the trips with him.

“He was really pleasantly surprised by the whole experience. He wasn’t as familiar with Providence as some of the other programs.”

They will travel to Pitt Tuesday and then potentially St. John’s before likely attending the Marquette Elite Camp later this month. (St. John’s is also expecting a visit from JayVaughn Pinkston this week.)

“We’re going to be scheduling a few more,” Bresky said. “We’re probably going to do something this week at St. John’s.”

Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel is also anxious to bring in Moore, who will play at South Kent (Conn.) for his senior year.

“Oklahoma has been reaching out to me and I haven’t been able to speak to them yet,” Bresky said. “They’re anxious to see if there’s a way J can come out there but I’m not sure if we can make that happen given the school year coming up.”

UConn, Syracuse, Louisville, Rutgers and Seton Hall are also interested.

Moore attended Rutgers elite camp earlier this summer and “he loved it,” New York Panthers coach Gary Charles said. “He said, ‘I love Rutgers.’”

But Charles added that virtually every school in the Big East is on him.

“[UConn coach Jim] Calhoun saw him and mouthed, “I love him,’” Charles said at the Reebok All-American Camp in Philly. “Marquette told me they love him. Everyone loves him.

MARQUETTE LANDS WING

Marquette added to its 2010 recruiting haul Sunday when it landed a verbal commitment from Jamail Jones, a 6-foot-6 1/2 -inch, 205-pound guard from Stone Mountain, Ga. who will play at Monteverde (Fla.) Academy this year.

Jones joins guard Aaron Bowen of Jacksonville, Fla., and junior-college forward Monterale Clark of Milwaukee.

Jones reportedly chose Marquette over Oklahoma, Xavier and Mississippi State.

“From the first time I was on campus, I started to like it,” Jones told the Journal Sentinel. “By the second time I went up there with my parents, I had pretty much locked in that I was going to commit.”

RELEFORD CUTS LIST

Trevor Releford, a 6-foot, 180-pound point guard from Shawnee Mission (KS) Bishop Miege, told Scout.com he will likely end up at Alabama or Oklahoma, although Arizona and Tennessee are still in the mix.

Releford, the younger brother of Kansas guard Travis Releford, said he likes Alabama the most because of his relationship with new head coach Anthony Grant.

“Alabama is the top because they’ve been there the longest,” Releford told me recently. “I talk to coach a lot and I was his first guy. He started recruiting me.”

Capel, the Oklahoma coach, has also worked hard to develop a relationship.

LJ Goolsby, Releford’s AAU coach, said it could come down to Alabama or Oklahoma.

“I think he likes the head coaches a lot. They’ve spent a lot of time recruiting him so far. It sounds like he’s cut it down to those two,” he said. “Arizona and Tennessee have a chance but those two sound like they are his leaders.”

Goolsby said Releford will tentatively visit Oklahoma the weekend of Sept. 11 and Alabama the following weekend.

“Right now I think they’re pretty much even,” Goolsby said. “I think he’s just wanting to get a little bit deeper into the situation and go from there.”

YACOUBOU HAS TOP 3

Achraf Yacoubou, a 6-4, 200-pound 2011 shooting guard out of Long Island Lutheran, has a slew of offers but three schools top his list.

“My top three is UConn, Villanova and Kentucky. They are showing me the most love equally,” he said Monday by phone.

He said he plans to visit Kentucky for its Midnight Madness and also plans to see UConn and Villanova again.

Yacoubou rattled off a long list that UConn, Villanova, Harvard, Xavier, Wake Forest, Kentucky, Maryland, Florida, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma and Rutgers.

I saw Yacoubou in February, when he dropped 23 points on Dominic Cheek and St. Anthony in an upset of the Friars in Bob Hurley’s gym.

In a game that also featured Tobias Harris, Devon Collier and Derrick Williams, Yacobou was the best player on the floor.

FREE THROWS

5-11 Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy Point guard Khalif Toombs signed with South Carolina, according to a source. Remember the name Rob Loe. The 6-11 big man from New Zealand, who will play for Dan Barto at IMG, is getting interest from Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Pitt after initial interest from Portland, Colorado, Washington State, St. Mary’s and Valpo.

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter.

JERSEY CITY – Achraf Yocoubou scored a game-high 23 points and Long Island Lutheran went into New Jersey and handed St. Anthony its first home loss in six years.

With a large contingent of Long Island fans in the CERC gym, LuHi downed the Friars 60-58 after junior forward Tobias Harris blocked a shot attempt by Derrick Williams in the final seconds.

“I knew he was going up strong,” Harris said. “I just had to get my hand on the ball without the ref calling a foul.”

St. Anthony (18-4), the defending New Jersey Tournament of Champions winners and mythical national champs, hadn’t lost in their home gym since January 2003, according to legendary coach Bob Hurley.

“Let’s not lie about it,” said LuHi coach Brian Carey, whose team lost by 17 points to the Friars last year on Long Island. “This is a really important game. You come to the gym over here and you win here, this is really important. I don’t care if you’re Long Island Lutheran or St. Pat’s or anybody. Anybody that comes in here and gets a win, it’s important for you.”

Yocoubou, a 6-4 sophomore wing who played last year alongside Tyreke Evans at American (Pa.) Christian, looked like the best player in the game. He hit two 3-pointers and scored four of LuHi’s final six points, including a knifing reverse layup that put his team up 58-54.

“I knew if we played hard, we were going to win,” Yocoubou said. “Everybody stepped up.”

Harris, a 6-8 junior with a slew of major D-1 offers, tallied 11 points and eight rebounds while sitting out much of the second half with four fouls. Kevin Johnson added 13 points for Lutheran.

Elijah Carter paced the Friars with 13 points, Devon Collier added 12 and Villanova-bound wing Dominic Cheek scored 11 points.

“We had no consistent wing play, and one of our wing players was 1-for-10 from 3-point range,” Hurley said of Cheek.

Hurley, whose team must turn around and play Linden Thursday, promised major changes in the lineup, pointing out that the JV squad is undefeated.

“One of the things that needs to be done here is we’re about time for a shakeup,” Hurley said. “There’s an undefeated JV team. That’s part of the changing here because if you look today, I think we played 10 players. We gave 10 a chance to prove…I think of the entire group today I think Elijah Carter was really the only one that really earned minutes. And I think [Ashton] Pankey will start against Linden.”

Hurley added that he might even be looking forward to next year.

“If this year is now in a freefall, we’re not used to this,” Hurley said. “It is for us, it’s a freefall. Anybody observing this sees a total lack of poise. I’m playing seniors and we’re not playing very well…This is getting a little bit mysterious. I think we’d like to start maybe working on next year.”

LuHi trailed 32-26 when Harris picked up his fourth foul with 5:46 remaining.

The Long Island school still managed to go on a 19-9 spurt to take a 45-41 lead with Harris on the sideline.

Johnson hit two big shots down the stretch, a floater in the lane and a jumper to push LuHi’s lead to 54-48.

The Friars cut it to 58-57 on a 3-pointer by Carter with 1:07 remaining.

Harris hit two clutch free throws with 46.5 seconds left to extend the lead to 60-57.

Collier made 1-of-2 free throws with 16.7 seconds left to cut it to 60-58.

Tyler and Tobias Harris missed four straight free throws in the final 24 seconds, but Tobias redeemed himself with a block of Williams in the final seconds.

“Today wasn’t my best day and Ach picked us up,” Harris said. “That’s how we got the win.”

BOX SCORE

Long Island Lutheran (13-8)

Tobias Harris 3-4-11, Kevin Johnson 5-2-13, Derek Klein 3-1-8, Achraf Yocoubou 9-3-23, Shamar Stephen 0-0-0, EJ Parry 1-0-2, Tyler Harris 1-0-3. Totals: 22-10-60.

St. Anthony (18-4)

Dominic Cheek 5-0-11, Jamee Jackson 0-5-5, Ashton Pankey 4-0-8, Derrick Williams 1-1-3, Elijah Carter 4-3-13, Devon Collier 5-1-12, Devone McLeod 1-0-3, D’marcus Owens 1-0-2. Totals: 21-10-58.

RECRUITING NOTES

***Among the coaches on hand were Keith Booth of Maryland, Jared Grasso of Fordham and a coach from Georgia Tech.

***Yocoubou says UConn is his favorite school.

“Georgia Tech and Maryland are recruiting me. I like UConn the most,” Yocoubou said. “I went with [Tobias Harris] one time to Midnight Madness.”

***The Harris brothers went back to UConn Saturday for the Michigan game and Tobias said they enjoyed it.

“I like UConn a lot,” he said. “I like the way they play and I like the game.”

He said UConn is the only school that has offered both brothers.

“UConn is the only school that’s offered me and him,” Tobias said.

Tobias has a long list of schools including UConn, Tennessee, Louisville, Syracuse, Rutgers, Georgetown, Virginia, Maryland, Marquette, West Virginia, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, St. John’s, Boston College, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Indiana and USC.

***Collier’s list includes UConn, Villanova, St. John’s, Wake Forest,Virginia, West Virginia, Marquette, Rutgers, Seton Hall and Fordham.

(Photos courtesy Robert White, NYHoops.com, Richard Orr)

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Bob Hurley was prowling the sidelines in the gym at Springfield College, yelling at players so loudly his voice could easily be heard above the crowd.”

“You’re supposed to guard him,” Hurley shouted at his star player, Dominic Cheek, after the opposing team’s star, Xavier Henry, scored a basket. “Where were you?”

Dressed in tan slacks, a short-sleeved maroon shirt and a black Reebok vest with “St. Anthony Friars Basketball” emblazoned on it, Hurley, 61, had to periodically sit down and towel dry his head because of all the sweat he generated.

Read the full story here.

(Photo courtesy Richard Orr)

The Friars improved to 8-1 but arent blowing out opponents like they did last year when they featured six Division I players.

“We made a lot of mistakes so it really came down to who made fewer mistakes, them or us,” St. Anthony head coach Bob Hurley told the Jersey Journal.

“We’re still young and we haven’t yet worked it all out,” said Hurley.

Villanova-bound guard Dominic Cheek scored 22 points for the Friars and Quinnipiac commit Jamee Jackson added 16.

Eastside (0-4), which features Robert Morris-bound guard Karon Abraham, has yet to win its first game after reaching the Passaic County and North 1, Group 4 finals last year.

“Starting out like this, now I’m frustrated,” Abraham told The Record (NJ) of Hackensack. “I have to be a leader now.

“So I’m coming back and finishing my senior year strong

St. Anthony will get some frontcourt help mid-January when transfers Devon Collier, Ashton Pankey and Derrick Williams become eligible.

St. Patrick, the favorite to win the Tournament of Champions, also gets guard Kyrie Irving after 30 days. He will team up with North Carolina-bound guard Dexter Strickland to form what should be the top backcourt in the Garden State.

***St. Peter’s upset Don Bosco, 57-48, behind 22 points from Miles Davis.

***St. Benedict’s and St. Patrick are No. 3 and 4, respectively, in the latest PrepNation.com poll. Dan Hurley’s St. Benedict’s club has already won the Kreul Classic in Florida and the Gatorade International Championship in Puerto Rico, while Kevin Boyle’s St Pats team won the Beach Ball Classic and reached the final of City of Palms before falling to No. 1 Mater Dei. Highly touted sophomore forward Michael Gilchrist (pictured) erupted for 31 points and 14 rebounds in the Beach Ball final against Marietta (Ga.) Wheeler.

Rice is No. 21 in the PrepNation poll, while St. Anthony and Lincoln both dropped out.

Dominic Cheek officially declared his intention to attend Villanova University Friday at a press conference in Jersey City, choosing that school over defending NCAA champion Kansas.

The story was first reported by ZAGSBLOG early Friday morning.

Read the full story here.

***Check out the video above from the press conference taken by CUNY graduate students Collin Orcutt and Michael Preston.

***And see the stellar documentary on Cheek by those guys: “A Star Emerges from City Streets.”

After repeatedly powering his way to the basket and also showing his long-range shooting skills by draining a 3-pointer from two feet behind the line, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Stephenson was named MVP of the game upon making 13 of 21 from the field. He entered averaging 34.3 points per game.

“He’s got the God-given body, and he’s blessed with quickness to go with it,” Duncanville coach Phil McNeely told the Dallas Morning News prior to the game. “That’s a deadly combination.”

Coach Self sat courtside with a Diet Coke. Stephenson says he is considering Kansas, Memphis, USC and St. John’s, and Self is clearly interested. Stephenson told the Star-Telegram he intended to attend college and not play overseas like Brandon Jennings.

“That’s not an option,” Stephenson said. “I’m just taking my time, and I will decide after the season in April.”

Stephenson’s parents, Bernadette and Stretch, were in the stands and the Lincoln coaches all looked very sharp in their dark blazers and crisp blue shirts.

Oklahoma State head coach Travis Ford and assistant Butch Pierre were also on hand watching future Cowboys Roger Franklin and Reger Dowell of Duncanville. Baylor coach Scott Drew was in the house to watch Perry Jones, a 6-10 junior power forward committed to Baylor.

Lincoln guard Darwin “Buddha” Ellis also played well.

Lincoln (3-1) lost its first game, while Duncanville improved to 7-2

Lincoln, No. 6 in the ESPN Rise Fab 50, overcame a 20-4 deficit to take 36-35 halftime lead on No. 10 Duncanville behind 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting from Stephenson.

Shawn Williams had 10 points for Duncanville at the break and Franklin and Julian Washburn scored eight each.

“[Lance] is a kid who can put the ball in the basket,” Lincoln coach Dwayne “Tiny” Morton told the Dallas Morning News.

“Lance is very aggressive on the court. I think a lot coaches would love to have a kid who could put ball in the hole the way he does.”

Duncanville outscored the Railsplitters 42-21 in the second half.

ESPN analyst Jimmy Dykes summed it up pretty well at halftime when talking about Lance.

“Every coach in the country will tell you he’s as talented as anybody in the Class of ‘09,” he said. “Part of the question mark you have about Stephenson if you’re a college coach evaluating him is, How does he fit into a team setting? Sometimes a little bit selfish, maybe a little bit lackadaisical in his approach to the game.

“[Davidson coach] Bob McKillop tried to get it out of him for that USA Under 18 team. He couldn’t do it. Therefore [Lance] got cut.

“But there’s no question about it. That kid is as an elite a talent as there is in the Class of ‘09. He’s big-time.”

STARTING FIVES (COURTESY DALLAS MORNING NEWS)

DUNCANVILLE
Shawn Williams, 6-7, G/F, Sr.
Perry Jones, 6-11, C, Sr.
Reger Dowell, 6-1, G, Sr.
Julian Washburn, 6-7, F, Jr.
Roger Franklin, 6-5, F, Sr.

LINCOLN
Lance Stephenson, 6-6, G/F, Sr.
Shaquille Stokes, 6-0, PG, So.
Darwin Ellis, 5-8, G, Sr.
Davon Walls, 6-6, F, Sr.
James Padgett, 6-8, C, Sr.

**

NOTES

Neither Kentucky signee Daniel Orton of Bishop McGuinness nor Memphis commit Xavier Henry of PUtnam (Ok.) City played in the first game between because of injury…Lincoln will appear on ESPN at least twice more this year…Three of the top 10 teams in the ESPN Rise poll are from the metropolitan area….No. 3 St. Patrick, No. 4 St. Benedict’s and No. 7 Lincoln.

**[Read the Rivals story I wrote on Cheek here].

Dominic Cheek will choose between Kansas and Villanova and will announce his decision Friday at a 6 o’clock press conference at the Golden Door Charter School in Jersey City, according to a report in the Jersey Journal.

“For six months I thought it was going to be Villanova or Kansas and I don’t think anything has changed,” St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley said Wednesday by phone. “The decision is being made by this kid.”

The 6-foot-5 Cheek, the No. 6 shooting guard in the Class of 2009, had initially included Memphis, Pittsburgh and Rutgers on his list but has apparently cut them.

Hurley said he plans to run a two-hour practice beginning at 3:30 on Friday and no announcement will be made until it’s over, probably around 6.

“I’m trying to take this basketball team and make sense out of it,” Hurley said. “We’re in season, we’re fighting for our lives.”

Cheek is suffering from tendonitis and is not currently practicing with the team.

Cheek has visited the Villanova campus on several occasions and is close friends with incoming freshman Maalik Wayns, who teamed with Cheek on the USA U-18 National Team that traveled last summer to Argentina.

“I’m just trying to get him to come, telling him how he’ll fit in and trying to convince him every day to come over with me,” Wayns said recently. “We talk every day, and most of the time it’s not even about ‘Nova because we’re close friends. If he decides to come, that would be a great thing.”

As for Kansas, the Jayhawks are the defending national champs and desperately need a wing player now that Xavier Henry of Oklahoma Putnam City has chosen Memphis over Kansas.

Cheek visited Kansas for “Late Night in the Phog,” when the team raised its national championship banner.

“Oh, Kansas that was a great experience,” Cheek said. “The place was sold out. Defending national champions. They put the banner up. It was crazy out there.”

HURLEY ON TAYLOR AND ROSARIO

Coach Hurley also commented on former players Tyshawn Taylor of Kansas and Mike Rosario of Rutgers.

On Taylor, the Big 12 Rookie of the Week: “I’ve seen every game because of the TV package. I talked to him on the phone the other night. He’s happy, he’s getting a chance to play. Coach [Bill] Self is kicking his behind and pushing him and he’s enjoying every minute of it.”

On Rosario, who said he was frustrated with his teammates after Sunday’s loss at home to Binghamton: “I spoke to him the other night after they lost and he’s lost more games already this year (three) than he’s lost in his last two years of high school (one) and he’ll lose more games by early January than he lost his whole high school varsity career (four), so it’s something you gotta deal with it.

“Everybody there, including him, they all have to work to get better. Everybody’s got to get better. The coaches got to get better, the players got to get better, they’ve got to get more players. They’ve got do do a million things that the teams that aren’t winning have to do.

“To watch them, they look like they’re playing hard but they’re just not there. They just need more players.”

DRUMMOND GETS RELEASES

Villanova has granted releases to Siena, Marist and Boston University to allow them to speak with Casiem Drummond about transferring. The 6-foot-10 Drummond announced his intentions to leave Villanova and will have one and a half years of eligibility remaining. He visited Marist this past weekend.

**[See the documentary on Cheek, "A Star Emerges from City Streets."]

The Dominic Cheek Sweepstakes is about to end.

Ben Gamble, the associate head coach at St. Anthony in Jersey City, said the 6-foot-5 Cheek will make his announcement on Friday at 6 o’clock at the school gym.

“Dom will announce at St. Anthony on Dec. 12,” Gamble said.

Television coverage is still being worked out.

Cheek is down to Kansas, Memphis, Villanova, PIttsburgh and Rutgers and has taken official visits to all five schools.

“All the schools are still in there. Dom will make a decision this week,” Gamble said by phone Saturday. “It will be this week.”

Gamble said Cheek would consult with St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley, Gamble, his family and some former St. Anthony players.

“It’s pretty much Dominic himself,” Gamble said. “He’s gotten advice from myself and Coach Hurley and some other people who have gone through the recruiting process. Once in a while he’ll run into a former St. Anthony player who has been through the recruiting process.”

Cheek has former St. Anthony teammates at Kansas (Tyshawn Taylor), Pittsburgh (Travon Woodall) and Rutgers (Mike Rosario).

Kansas and Memphis played for the national championship last season and both teams need wing players. Villanova has long been a Cheek favorite and he is close with incoming freshman Maalik Wayns of Philly. Pitt also features assistant coach Brandin Knight, a New Jersey native from Seton Hall Prep. Rutgers is the local school and would enable him to play in front of friends and family.

“I think all the schools provide tremendous support for him. Development [will be a factor],” Gamble said. “Wherever he feels comfortable and we feel he has the chance to develop into a pretty good college player.”

Cheek did not sign in the early signing period last month and will wait until April to sign.

By committing soon, he will avoid having to answer questions through his senior season, as St. Anthony seeks to defend its Tournament of Champions title. The Friars open their season Dec. 19 against CREATE Charter.

“It’s best that he does it before the season starts,” Gamble said.

“Whenever’s the right time, that’s when I’ll decide,” Cheek told me recently.

“I guess a lot of people will be asking a lot of questions, but whenever is the right time it will happen.”

]]> http://www.zagsblog.com/2008/12/06/cheek-to-decide-this-week/feed/ 12 http://www.zagsblog.com/2008/12/05/jordan-brand-classic-set/ http://www.zagsblog.com/2008/12/05/jordan-brand-classic-set/#comments Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:46:03 +0000 Adam Zagoria http://www.zagsblog.com/?p=8226 One of my favorite All-Star events after the high school season is the Jordan Brand Classic, which will take place April 18, 2009 at Madison Square Garden. The event will begin with the International Game at 3:30, followed by the Regional (City vs. Suburbs) at 5:30 and the National Game at 8.

Recent participants include NBA stars LeBron James, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Amaré Stoudemire, Dwight Howard and 2008 Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant, as well as current NCAA standouts Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), Kyle Singler (Duke), Jrue Holiday (UCLA), Tyreke Evans (Memphis) and Demar DeRozan (USC).

This year look for Lance Stephenson of Brooklyn Lincoln, the No. 1 senior in the nation according to Clark Francis of Hoop Scoop, North Carolina-bound guard Dexter Strickland of St. Patrick; Dominic Cheek of St. Anthony of Jersey City; and possibly Miami-bound Durand Scott of Rice to be invited to both the Jordan National Game and the McDonald’s All-American Game.

The participants won’t be chosen until the end of the season, but we think some of the local seniors who should be considered for the Regional game include Maryland-bound forward James Padgett of Lincoln; Fordham-bound Lance Brown of Paterson Catholic; St. John’s-bound guard Omari Lawrence of South Kent (Conn.); Xavier-bound wing Kevin Parrom of South Kent; Rice-bound Tamir Jackson of St. Benedict’s; St. Joe’s-bound guard Justin Crosgile of Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic; Robert Morris-bound Karon Abraham of Paterson Eastside; George Mason-bound Paris Bennett of St. Patrick; uncommitted guard Keith Spellman of Thomas Jefferson; and uncommitted wing Sherrod Wright of Mount Vernon.

Stephenson has said he will wait until the spring to announce his future plans. St. John’s, Kansas and USC are among the schools recruiting him, and some speculate he may also opt to follow Brandon Jennings to Europe.

Derrick Favors of South Atlanta follows at No. 2; Plantation (Fl.) American Heritage guard Kenny Boynton (Florida) is No. 3; Mobile (Al.) LeFlore center DeMarcus Cousins (UAB) is No. 4; and Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick guard Dexter Strickland (North Carolina) is No. 5.

The next five include Putnam City (Ok.) guard Xavier Henry (Memphis); Tampa (Fl.) Sickles forward John Henson (North Carolina); Tacoma (Wash.) guard Abdul Gaddy (Washington); Findlay (Nev.) Prep guard Avery Bradley (Texas); and St. Anthony (N.J.) wing Dominic Cheek.

Of local interest: Glen Mills (Pa.) big man Aaric Murray is No. 19; Philly Roman Catholic point guard Maalik Wayns (Villanova) is No. 26; Rice guard Durand Scott (Miami) is No. 30; South Kent (Conn.) guard Omari Lawrence (St. John’s) is No. 61; South Kent (Conn.) wing Kevin Parrom (Xavier) is No. 64; Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s guard Tamir Jackson (Rice) is No. 71; Pennsbury (Pa.) guard Dalton Pepper (West Virginia) is No. 73; Rush-Henrietta (NY) forward Dane Miller (Rutgers) is No. 87; Brooklyn Lincoln forward James Padgett (Maryland) is No. 100; Torrington (Conn.) forward Jordan Williams (Maryland) is No. 119; Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s forward Lamar Patterson (Pittsburgh) is No. 136.

Clark also gave me his Top 10 list of 5th-year players:

1-John Wall

2-Dante Taylor (Pitt)

3-Rashanti Harris (Georgia State)

4-Jordan Hamilton (TExas)

5-Alex Oriakhi (UConn)

6-Latavious Williams

7-Karron Johnson (Oklahoma State)

8-Roscoe Davis (West Virginia)

9-Clarence Trent (Washington)

10-Chris Braswell (Charlotte)

BIG EAST BREAKDOWN

Georgetown: No. 15 WF Hollis Thompson; No. 33 C Da’Shonte Riley

Louisville: No. 52 PG Peyton Siva; No. 86 PF Rakeem Buckles; No. 115 PF Stephan Van Treese

Marquette: No. 12 PG Junior Cadougan; No. 14 WF Erik Williams; No. 23 PF Jeronne Maymon

Notre Dame: No. 108 PF Jack Cooley

Pittsburgh: No. 117 C Talib Zanna; No. 136 WF Lamar Patterson; No. 2 PF Dante Taylor (5th-year player)

Providence: No. 133 PF James Still

Rutgers: No. 87 PF Dane Miller

St. John’s: No. 61 WF Omari Lawrence

UConn: No. 5 Alex Oriakhi; No. 11 Jamal Coombs (both 5th-year players)

Villanova: No. 22 C Mouphtaou Yarou; No. 26 PG Maalik Wayns; No. 51 PF Isaiah Armwood

West Virginia: No. 72 SG Dalton Pepper; No. 102 PF Deniz Kilicli

STEPHENSON SCRIMMAGES HARRIS

By Guest Blogger Wes Harris

Lance Stephenson and his Lincoln High squad, ranked No. 3 in the USA Today Super 25 preseason rankings, made the trip out to Long Island Saturday to scrimmage an upstart Long Island Lutheran squad. The matchup featured the highly-anticipated pairing of Lance and LuHi junior standout Tobias Harris, as the two faced off for the first time since IS8 this past summer.

Harris scored 28 points on 9-of-16 shooting, added 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 assists and 2 steals.

Stephenson finished with a very efficient 36 points.

The young Lutheran team was able to more than hold their own, however, with the starters only losing to the Lincoln starters by a four point margin. This was due in large part to the play of 6-4 sophomore wing Achraf Yocoubou. The former American Christian product, who played alongside Memphis freshman Tyreke Evans and Oak Hill’s MoMo Jones (Virginia Tech) a year ago under Tony Bergeron, had 30 points and seemed to gain the respect of Stephenson, who switched off of Harris to guard him about midway through the scrimmage.

According to Lutheran assistant John Buck, Yocoubou already holds offers from Memphis, UConn, Villanova, Wake Forest and Fordham, and is garnering interest from North Carolina.

Maryland signee James Padgett and St. Pat’s transfer Shaquille Stokes both played well for Lincoln, while Harris finished with 26 for Lutheran, who play at St. Anthony Jersey City on Feb. 10.

Lance and Lincoln open this Tuesday against arch rival Grady.

Misc. Notes:
-Sat next to Xavier guard Torrel Holloway’s dad who said his son is out 2-4 weeks with a stress fracture in his foot. He’s actually been hurt since before the Puerto Rico trip but after getting through those games, Sean Miller wants to make sure he’s healthy heading into conference play.

- former Lutheran guard Jeriel Henriquez was at the scrimmage and he’s currently at prep school down in Florida and claims to have interest from St. John’s and Clemson.