By ADAM ZAGORIA & ALEX KLINE

At 6 feet 10 inches and with natural shot-blocking abilities, Nerlens Noel may well be the best defensive player in the Class of 2013.

“Nerlens has cat-like reflexes, incredible instincts, quickness, reflexes for a guy his size,” said Tilton (N.H.) School coach Markus O’Neil. “He has uncanny shot-blocking ability.

“He can do a lot just naturally on defense. He’s got a decent frame on him. He needs to continue to get stronger and build his offensive skills.” (more…)

By ALEX KLINE

When Johnnie Vassar decided to leave his home state of Illinois for prep school in Massachusetts, the state did not forget about the talented guard.

Now a freshman at Lawrence Academy, Vassar is one of the top point guards in the country. On Saturday, he returned home to take an unofficial visit and picked up his first scholarship offer.

“I just finished my visit to Illinois,” he said. “It went really well and they offered me, as well.” (more…)

NEW YORK – From the Big East to the ACC to the Big 12, freshman are already making big headlines in college basketball.

Class of 2010 stars who have looked impressive early in the season include Kyrie Irving of Duke, Harrison Barnes of North Carolina, Jared Sullinger of Ohio State, Brandon Knight, Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb of Kentucky, Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph of Texas, Jereme Richmond and Meyers Leonard of Illinois, Tobias Harris of Tennessee, C.J. Leslie of N.C. State, Joe Jackson of Memphis, Pe’Shon Howard of Maryland, Dwayne Polee of St. John’s, J.J. Moore of Pittsburgh, Sean Kilpatrick of Cincinnati, Dion Waiters of Syracuse  and Mike Poole of Rutgers.

Click here to read the full story at SNY.

(Photo courtesy Austin-American Statesman)

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Anthony Davis is ranked as the No. 2 power forward in the Class of 2011, yet hardly anyone knew who he was before this spring.

After growing seven inches in a year, Davis is now 6 feet, 9 inches and 187 pounds.

“He went through a major, major growth spurt,” said Anthony Davis Sr. “He’s eating us out of house and home, for sure. He just won’t gain the weight.”

Davis burst onto the national scene this past spring and was named Most Promising Prospect at the recent NBA Top 100 Camp in Charlottesville, Va. (more…)

Quincy Miller has plenty of college options and he’s not shutting any doors right now.

A 6-foot-10, 210-pound power forward from High Point (N.C.) Westchester Country Day ranked as the No. 3 player at his position in the Class of 2011, Miller rattled off an impressive list of college offers.

“Syracuse, Kentucky, Wake Forest, Illinois, Duke, Memphis,  Texas, Tennessee, Baylor, N.C. State and Oklahoma,” Miller said by phone from the USA U18 team trials in San Antonio, Texas.

Miller said he has no favorites and no timetable in mind. (more…)

Kyle Cain is back from his official visit to West Virginia and must now decide his next move.

The 6-foot-7 forward from New Hampton (N.H.) prep has now taken four official visits and has one remaining.

“He’s going to decide if he’s going to visit either Arizona State or Alabama with his last visit,” New Hampton coach Peter Hutchins said.

Cain visited Rhode Island and Northern Illinois before committing to Rhode Island. After decommitting he has been to Illinois and West Virginia. (more…)

One of the hottest names in recruiting right now is Kyle Cain.

The 6-foot-7 Cain is a multi-faceted forward who pulled out of his commitment to Rhode Island and is now considering West Virginia, Arizona State, Alabama and Illinois.

He’s headed on a visit to West Virginia this weekend.

“Yeah, I’m going to West Virginia this Sunday and Monday,” Cain said Friday by phone.

Cain likes West Virginia because head coach Bob Huggins has churned out a slew of NBA-caliber forwards, including Devin Ebanks and Da’Sean Butler from last year’s Final Four team. (more…)