If you’re a hoops junkie, there’s no better place to be this week than New York City.

The World Basketball Festival whips through the Big Apple with a slew of events.

As I see it, there are basically two main components. The first involves Team USA, which begins practices Tuesday leading up to Sunday’s exhibition against France at Madison Square Garden. (Practices are not open to the public.)

The Americans then leave for exhibition games against Lithuania (Aug. 21), Spain (Aug. 22) and Greece (Aug. 25) in Madrid and Athens before the start of the FIBA World Championships Aug. 26 in Istanbul, Turkey. (more…)

ESPN RISE announced the first 12 players selected to participate in the fifth annual Boost Mobile Elite 24 event. The game will be hosted at Los Angeles’ Venice Beach Friday and Saturday, August 27 and 28.

Adonis Thomas

Amir Garrett

Austin Rivers

Bradley Beal

DaJuan Coleman

James McAdoo

Johnny O’Bryant (more…)

The July recruiting period will wind down with a one-day event known as the Summer Classic on Saturday  at Fordham University.

Among the featured teams expected are: New Heights, NJ Playaz, Long Island Lightning, Metro Hawks, Expressions, NY Panthers, Team NJABC and Juice All-Stars.

Some of the top players on hand will be Maurice Harkless, Jermaine Sanders, Sidiki Johnson (Arizona), Myles Mack, Myles Davis, Desmond Hubert, Derrick Randall, Nkereuwem Okoro and Daniel Dingle. (more…)

By ALEX KLINE

This year’s West Virginia Jam Fest presented by the Hoop Group was filled with over 200 teams from the U15, U16 and U17 divisions.

There were 144 U17s squads battling it out for the championship but only one rose to the top. With hundreds of different colleges represented, it was an amazing event. Bob Huggins of West Virginia, Florida’s Billy Donovan, Cincinnati’s Mick Cronin, Boston College’s Steve Donahue, Boston University’s Patrick Chambers, Kentucky assistant Orlando Antigua and Villanova assistant Jason Donnelly were among the coaches on hand.

In the 15′s division, the talent was through the roof. Rising sophomores such as Tyler Ennis and Aquille Carr put on shows. In the end, Expressions out of Massachussets won it all. The squad beat Boo Williams in overtime, 53-51. (more…)

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — After spending four nights here rooming with the honorable Tom Konchalski, I’m headed home to New York City today to see my wife and kids.

The semifinals are set for 9 a.m. with Kentucky-bound Michael Gilchrist and Team Final from New Jersey taking on Florida commit Bradley Beal and the St. Louis Eagles and then Duke-bound Michael Gbinije and Team Takeover meeting Kentucky commit Marquis Teague and Spiece Indy Heat.

The championship game goes off at 3 p.m. and will be shown on ESPNU at 7. The Sweet 16-and-under tournament final is at 1.

“Any time you have a chance to get on national TV and showcase your talents — that can only be a plus,” Team Takeover coach Keith Stevens, whose Washington, D.C., squad is the only one to win all six of its games so far here, told The Augusta Chronicle. (more…)

By JASON BELZER

Their eyes dart back and forth, trying in vain to keep up with the hazy bodies of the young men laboring their way up and down the court. One after another, they pull out handkerchiefs and frantically wipe away the drops of sweat that role down their foreheads and into their eyes, obscuring their vision, until they realize it is a futile effort in this scorching heat. You can catch them glancing down at their wrists more than the court, hopelessly willing the hands of their watches to move faster towards the afternoon hour and a break from the dreadfulness. One wonders why anyone would subject themselves to such circumstances, especially men of such perceived fame and stature, but alas, such is the life of the college basketball coach on the summer recruiting trail. (more…)

Here are the rosters for the Kevin Durant and Paul Pierce Nike Skills Academies in Chicago. These campers, plus those from Deron Williams and Amar’e Stoudemire, all go to the LeBron James camp July 5-7 in Akron.

KEVIN DURANT ROSTER

No. Name Hgt. Wgt. Wingspan Class High School/Hometown
1 Mychael Henry 6-6 !” 211 82 !” 2011 Orr Academy/Chicago, IL
2 Levi Randolph 6-4 !” 178 80 !” 2011 Bob Jones/Madison, AL
3 Jakarr Sampson 6-7 !” 192 82 !” 2011 St. Vincent-St. Mary’s/Akron, OH
4 Nick Faust 6-5 172 81 !” 2011 City College/Baltimore, MD
5 Mike Shaw 6-8 213 81” 2011 De La Salle Institute/Chicago, IL
6 Victor Nickerson 6-7 179 80” 2011 Norcross/Atlanta, GA
10 Tyler Harris 6-7 !” 190 81” 2011 Half Hallows/Dix Hills, NY
11 Anthony Davis 6-9 187 86” 2011 South Houston/South Houston, TX
12 Perry Ellis 6-8 212 82” 2012 Wichita Heights/Wichita, KS
13 Mike Gbinije 6-6 !” 191 78” 2011 Benedictine/Richmond, VA
14 Rodney Hood 6-8 188 79 !” 2011 Meridian/Meridian, MS (more…)

I’m headed to Fordham University tonight for the Rumble in the Bronx, one of the premier AAU events of the summer.

SNY.tv guest and New York magazine star Tom Konchalski will also be on hand to evaluate the vast reservoir of talent at the event.

Among the stars of 2011 expected to attend are Michael Gilchrist, LeBryan Nash, Myck Kabongo, Omar Calhoun, Sidiki Johnson, Mike Taylor, Naadir Tharpe, Achraf Yacoubou, Chris Coleman and Desmond Hubert.

The 2012 stars include Andre Drummond, DaJuan Coleman and Ricardo Ledo.

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There were  two key developments on the high school basketball/recruiting front today…

First, Nike on Thursday announced its Elite Youth Basketball schedule for the summer. The top players will once again be invited to attend positional Skills Academy with Utah’s Deron Williams (point guards), Boston’s Paul Pierce (wings), Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant (wings) and Phoenix’s Amar’e Stoudemire (forwards/centers) held separately over June 24-30 in Chicago, IL.

That event will once again be followed by the LeBron James Academy at the University of Akron from July 5-7.  All five Skills Academies will be closed to college coaches.

By then, LeBron could well be a New York Knick or a New Jersey Net or a Miami Heat…or a Cleveland Cavalier. The Lebron-a-thon begins July 1, so don’t be surprised to see Bron Bron working his cell phone hard at the camp.

(more…)

The players for the Jordan Brand All-America Game were announced today. The game is slated for April 17 at Madison Square Garden.

2010 Jordan Brand All-American Team
Alphabetical Roster
East Team
Name Pos Hgt Wgt High School (School Location) College
Reggie Bullock G 6-6 190 Kinston High School (Kinston, NC) North Carolina
Kyrie Irving G 6-2 172 St. Patrick High School (Elizabeth, NJ) Duke
Perry Jones C 6-11 220 Duncanville, TX (Duncanville, TX) Baylor
Jelan Kendrick F 6-7 186 Wheeler High School (Marietta, GA) Memphis
Brandon Knight G 6-3 185 Pine Crest School (Fort Lauderdale, FL) Undecided
C.J. Leslie F 6-8 205 Word of God Academy (Raleigh, NC) Undecided
Roscoe Smith F 6-8 190 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA) Connecticut
Jared Sullinger C 6-9 265 Northland High School (Columbus, OH) Ohio State
DeShaun Thomas F 6-7 220 Bishop Luers High School (Fort Wayne, IN) Ohio State (more…)