Avery Johnson, Alabama Making Own Mark at “Football School”
By MIKE McCURRY NEW YORK—Down in Tuscaloosa, Avery
By MIKE McCURRY NEW YORK—Down in Tuscaloosa, Avery
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Less than 12 hours after being spurned for the McDonald’s All-American Game, Alabama signee John Petty took it out on Naismith Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley and St. Anthony’s.
The 6-foot-6 Petty dropped a triple-double of 18 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists en route to MVP honors as Jemison (AL) handed St. Anthony’s its second straight loss, 58-52, at the Hoophall Classic. The Friars had won 41 straight games dating to March 2015 before falling to archrival St. Patrick’s on Saturday at the Dan Finn Classic.
“Yeah, I was kind of surprised, I feel like I deserved to be on there [the McDonald’s Game],” Petty told me. “But my philosophy is God always closes one door and then opens another one so I just prayed about it and stay humble.”
Asked if he will use it as motivation going forward this season, Petty said, “Most definitely. I always come out with a chip on my shoulder and [now I will] get ready for college, I guess.”
The NCAA early signing period runs Nov. 9-16 and we will begin to see more and more Class of 2017 recruits come off the board. Here’s an overview of some top recruits who are poised to announce this month. This list will be updated going forward.
11/2: Darryl Morsell, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound combo guard from Baltimore (MD) Mount Saint Joseph and the Team Melo AAU Program, committed to Maryland on Wednesday. Read more here.
Predicton: Maryland
Actual: Maryland
11/7: Troy Brown Jr., the 6-7 point guard/small forward from Centennial (NV) High School, committed to Oregon over Ohio State, Alabama, Georgetown and Kansas. Read more here.
Prediction: Oregon
Actual: Oregon
11/7: Daejon Davis, the 6-foot-3 combo guard from Garfield (WA) High School, announced his commitment to Washington. Read more here.
Prediction: Washington
Actual: Washington
11/9: Garrison Brooks, the 6-9 power forward from Auburn (AL), committed to Mississippi State over Auburn, Georgia, LSU and North Carolina. Read more here.
Prediction: UNC
Actual: Mississippi State
11/10: Collin Sexton, the 6-2 point guard from Pebblebrook (GA) High School, committed to Alabama over N.C. State, Georgia Tech, and Kansas. Read more here.
Prediction: Alabama
Actual: Alabama
