Todd Decker is the new head basketball coach at St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City.

Decker, 32, takes over for Mike Kelly, who spent five years at the parochial powerhouse before being promoted to captain in the Jersey City Police Department.

Gary Trousdale had one goal in mind when he took over Phoenix (Az.) Westwind Prep Academy four years ago. He wanted to turn the struggling program into a national basketball powerhouse.

“The idea was we want to build Oak Hill West,” Trousdale, a former college coach, said in a phone interview.

Trousdale went so far as to spend a week visiting Oak Hill, the Mouth of Wilson, Va., school that has produced 26 McDonald’s All-Americans and perennially challenges for the No. 1 national ranking under head coach Steve Smith.

“Our goal has been to develop and build the best basketball program in the country,” Trousdale said. “It’s Year 4 and we’re headed in the right direction.”

Click here to read the full story at SBNation.com.

(Photo courtesy Richard Obert/ Arizona Republic)

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Here are the players named to the Jordan Brand Classic April 16 at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte.

East Team

The Gazelle Group announced the launch of a high school boys basketball invitational tournament – the All-American Championship – which will take place annually during the Final Four weekend.

“This is an idea whose time has come,” said Rick Giles, president of The Gazelle Group. “The nation’s focus is on basketball during March and the first weekend of April and there is no better way to increase that focus than to bring the nation’s best high school basketball players to the city of the men’s collegiate basketball championship to compete in what will be one of the premier events of its kind in the country.”

ESPN traditionally runs its High School National Invitational this same weekend. (more…)

Here’s the schedule for the Planet Athlete National Invitational Holiday Basketball Showcase this week at East Orange (NJ) Campus High School.

Ticket information: Student Tickets: $5 per day (Must Enter Gym by 12 Noon each day) General Admission Tickets: $10 per day; Reserved Tickets: $20 per day; Season Pass: $25 for access for all three days.

For more info check out www.planetathlete.org. (more…)

By ALEX KLINE

They are only high school freshmen, but in just a small amount of time they have already made an impact on the basketball court.

While there is no clear-cut top prospect in the class of 2014, a number of players around the country appear destined to become stars

2014 features two top players who verbally committed to schools before they played a single game in high school.

Indiana head coach Tom Crean picked up commitments from Tre Lyles, a 6-foot-7 forward from Arsenal Technical (IN), and James Blackmon Jr., a 6-foot-2 shooting guard from Bishop Luers (IN). (more…)

If you’re a Kentucky fan, be sure to check out 2011 commit Anthony Davis of Chicago Perspectives Thursday at 5 o’clock EST on ESPNU.

St. John’s, Arizona and Texas fans can watch Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep against Yates (Texas) Thursday at 9 p.m. on ESPN.

Findlay features Amir Garrett, who has signed with St. John’s, Arizona commit Nick Johnson and Texas commit Myck Kabongo.

The Pilots are 14-1 on the season and currently ranked No. 4 by ESPN Rise and No. 5 by USA Today.   Yates is riding a 66-game win streak.

Also, Duke and Kentucky fans — and hoopsters in general — should circle Jan. 14 when Duke-bound Austin Rivers and Winter Park (Fla.) hosts Kentucky commit Michael Gilchrist and Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick. These two were scheduled to meet in August in Orlando, but Gilchrist went on vacation with his family.

Here’s the complete ESPN high school schedule for the coming season: (more…)

Every year I try to compile a list of some of the most high-profile high schools hoops tourneys. These events feature some of the top recruits and coaches in the nation and are great stops to see future Big East and other college standouts.

Here is a preliminary list; click on the name of the event for schedule and details.

If I’ve missed anything, shoot me an email at zagoria@hotmail with the tourney info and link.

CITY OF PALMS CLASSIC, Dec. 17-22, Fort Meyers, Fla.

KREUL CLASSIC, Dec. 17-21, Coral Springs, Fla.

BIG APPLE BASKETBALL CHALLENGE, Dec. 18, Baruch College (Manhattan)

HOOP GROUP TIP-OFF, Dec. 18-19, Plainfield, N.J./ South Orange, N.J. (more…)

The Hudson Catholic Boys Basketball Program has announced it will host a Tip-off Basketball Beefsteak Dinner on Friday evening, November 19, from 7:00 – 9:00 pm. This inaugural event will take place @ the Hudson Catholic Gymnasium, 790 Bergen Ave., Jersey City, NJ.

Dinner tickets are still available and proceeds from the evening dinner will benefit the Hudson Catholic boys basketball program. All friends and alumni are invited to attend.

The dinner will have an added excitement, as we will honor two all-time Hudson Catholic greats – Jim Spanarkel (’75) and Michael O’Koren (’76). (more…)

The Eddie Griffin Challenge will take place Sunday at Trenton Catholic. The address is 175 Leonard Ave., Trenton, N.J. 

Here are the game times and rosters:

Sophomore Game – 3 p.m.

Junior Game – 4:30 p.m.

Senior Game – 6 p.m.

New Jersey Seniors

LaQuinton Ross     Life Center Academy (Ohio State)

Myles Mack           St Anthony (Rutgers)

Sterling Gibbs        Seton Hall Prep (Maryland) (more…)