Jefferson's Wright picks Fordham, passes on Big East

By Zachary Braziller
Fiveborosports.com

Joel (Air Jamaica) Wright dreamed of playing in the Big East one day. It seemed possible after the Thomas Jefferson boys’ basketball star broke out as one of the best sophomore forwards in the city last winter and enjoyed a breakout summer. But he wanted a memorable college experience, too.

Fordham of the Atlantic-10 guaranteed that. So he eschewed the chance to play in what many consider the best conference in the country for the Bronx school, verbally committing to the Rams Thursday afternoon despite their 3-15 record in a rebuilding year. “They loved me,” he said. “They wanted me so bad.”

Providence and St. John’s also offered Wright, 18, scholarships and West Virginia, the alma mater of Jefferson coaches Lawrence Pollard and Seldon Jefferson, was interested. But Fordham gave him the opportunity to stay close to his Brooklyn home, where he lives with his mother, Diana Wilson, and join familiar faces such as freshman Jio Fontan, formerly of St. Anthony (N.J.), and 2009 commit Lance Brown of Paterson Catholic (N.J.) who Wright played with on the Metrohawks several years ago.

“I know a couple of the guys,” he said. “It feels good. Now I don’t have pressure on me. I can really settle down and play ball. I have a college I’m going to be attending.

I can take my time and play well.” Pollard expects the dynamic 6-foot-6 forward, who is averaging 25 points and 19 rebounds this year for the 14-6 Orange Wave, to eventually turn into an all-Atlantic-10 player. “A lot of guys from New York City who went to the Big East transferred because they couldn’t make it there,” Pollard said.

“The Big East is flooded with talent. Not to say he couldn’t compete or isn’t talented enough, which he is. But the Big East isn’t for everybody.” “I told him,” the coach continued, “that at the end of the day the only advice you need is to go somewhere where they love you, not where they like you.

Fordham put in the work, they got the guy they deserved. … It’s not where you go, it’s what you do where you’re at.” Wright has blossomed into a star since coming to America at the age of 12 from Kingston, Jamaica. He got his start at Middle School 61, learning the game from Constantine Jean-Pierre, an assistant coach at Lincoln and the coach there.

He eventually landed at Jefferson and broke into the starting lineup as a freshman. He envisioned a career in the Big East, but quickly changed his mind when Fordham, particularly assistant coach Jared Grasso, kept showing up at his games.

The family atmosphere coach Dereck Whittenburg promised and the opportunity to start right away intrigued him. It was similar to why he chose Jefferson. “It felt,” he said, “like home.”

SlamFest VIII Features Nationally Ranked DeMatha and Virginia’s Premier Underclassmen

(Josh Selby Dematha)

The eighth edition of SlamFest will boast some of the premier high school basketball in the state of Virginia.

SlamFest VIII will take place January 31st on the eve of the Super Bowl at Benedictine High School in Richmond, Virginia.

The event boasts five elite match-ups featuring some of the premier talent in the state of Virginia and the nation.

1:30 pm: The Miller School vs. Christchurch School:

This game features a plethora of great talent when two of the state’s top private schools battle it out for bragging rights. Arkansas commit Marshawn Powell and elite 2010 (SF) Mychal Parker lead the charge for The Miller School, while Christchurch counters with super sophomore Michael Gbinije. Miller won the early season battle amongst these programs, and Christchurch will hope to even the score January 31st in Richmond.

3:00 pm: Norfolk Christian vs. Henrico High School:

Norfolk Christian’s James McAdoo is considered by many to be one of the premier big men in the class of 2011. Henrico’s Trey Davis is considered to be an elite underclassmen in the State of Virginia. This is a battle of two of the state’s elite sophomores, and promises to get SlamFest off on the right foot.

4:30 pm: Atlantic Shores vs. Deep Run High School:

Duke commit Andre Dawkins and Oklahoma commit Steven Pledger lead the charge for the Seahawks against Colonial District challenger Deep Run. High School Football sensation Antone Exum and Tommy Folliard lead an up and coming Deep Run team in their first ever appearance in SlamFest. Atlantic Shores hopes to even their SlamFest record hoping to avenge a loss from last year’s SlamFest to John Marshall.

6:00 pm: DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD) vs. John Marshall High School:

One of the nation’s most historical programs makes its first appearance in SlamFest when the Stags take on Central Region defending champion John Marshall in the event’s feature game. John Marshall 6’6 junior Travis McKie will have an opportunity to prove his game against a national foe for the first time on the high school stage. This contest will be a very tough test for McKie and his John Marshall squad. DeMatha features Texas A&M commit Naji Hibbert and Tennessee commit Josh Selby providing ample match-ups for McKie. Other future Division I prospects on the DeMatha team include Vic Olidipo, Jerian Grant, Quin Cook, and Mikael Hopkins. This match up could tell the Richmond area just how good this John Marshall team is on a national scale.

7:30 pm: Courtland High School vs. Benedictine:

In a game featuring another future Duke University basketball player, Courtland’s Josh Hairston leads a Courtland High School basketball team in their first appearance in SlamFest. Hairston is one the highest rated juniors participating in the Saturday showcase. Playing Benedictine on their home floor will not only be a tough test for Courtland, but it will be a very memorable contest. Benedictine counters with University of Richmond commitment Darrien Brothers and sophomore Erick Moody.

Tickets for the 5 game showcase are $10.
Parking at Benedictine is always a chore, but the Virginia Museum has now opened a large parking garage behind the gym that will alleviate any parking concerns for $3.

For questions related to the event, please contact Thomas Leachman tleachman@comcast.net

SlamFest Talent Radar:
James McAdoo (Norfolk Christian), Trey Davis (Henrico), Marshawn Powell (Arkansas, The Miller School) Mychal Parker (The Miller School), Michael Gbinije (Christchurch School), Andre Dawkins (Duke, Atlantic Shores), Steven Pledger (Oklahoma, Atlantic Shores), Antone Exum (Deep Run), Tommy Folliard (Deep Run), Travis McKie (John Marshall)

Naji Hibbert (Texas A&M, DeMatha), Josh Selby (Tennessee, DeMatha), Vic Olidipo (DeMatha), Jerian Grant (DeMatha), Quin Cook (DeMatha), and Mikael Hopkins (Dematha), Josh Hairston (Duke, Courtland), Darrien Brothers (University of Richmond, Benedictine), and Erick Moody (Benedictine).

National Tournaments to Book for your team (True Hoops)

Nathan Blue is the Editor of RealScout.net and I cover players & events from New York to California.

A weak economy, means less sponsorships for youth sports and each aau team will be cutting back. Staying closer to your state and spending less doesn't have to stifle your players growth by lack of competition.

I'm happy to inform the readers that RealScout.net will be updating you with info on some of the events to participate in as many states as we can.
Here's look at:

Atlanta, Georgia (True Hoops)

Shamus Goss of True Hoops calls ATL home. The former Bronx resident is major player in the downsouth basketball scene.

To read a list of events, Goss will be holding. Check out the site www.truehoops.org and www.5staratlanta.com Goss can be reached at coachgball@yahoo.com

You can also purchase T-shirts, Bags, Team Uniforms, and other team needed items from Goss as well.

Down goes No. 1. (Memphis Hoops News)

Written BY: Memphis Commercial Appeal

The top-ranked White Station boys team was shocked, 71-69, Tuesday night by host Southwind, which got a team-high 21 points from sophomore guard Darious Paige. The 11th-ranked Jaguars (16-6, 8-4 in District 15-AAA) avenged an 82-71 district loss to the Spartans on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at FedEx Forum. Junior Joe Jackson (pictured) 32 points led No. 1 White Station, which dropped its first district game.

Another win for Oak Hill Academy

(NYC's Dante Taylor)

By Gary Fauber
Assistant Sports Editor
gfauber@register-herald.com

Most of the highlights came courtesy of National Christian Academy. But in the end, it was another Beckley win for Oak Hill Academy.

Four players scored in double figures, led by Bryon Allen’s 18 points, in the Warriors’ 76-56 win Wednesday in Mountain State Coal Classic.

The win upped Oak Hill’s record to 27-0 with games this weekend against Veritas Christian on Friday and William Fleming (Va.) on Saturday. It also kept the Warriors undefeated at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center.

“We played pretty well,” veteran Oak Hill coach Steve Smith said. “They played zone three quarters of the game and we couldn’t quite get the tempo we wanted to get. They had a lot to do with that.”

The Eagles (17-5) found inside success early, thanks to an arsenal depending largely on 6-foot-9 senior Dante Taylor. National led 8-4 early with Taylor establishing himself around the basket. He scored six of those eight, the first two on a dunk.

Taylor was obviously the focal point of National’s offense. The Pitt signee finished with game-highs of 33 points and 11 rebounds.

“He’s probably one of the five best big men in the country,” National coach Trevor Brown said. “He’s a hard worker. He’s improved a lot over the last couple of years. From day one, over four years, it’s just been a steady improvement.

“What we’re trying to do with him is let people see that he is one of the best big men in the country.”

Oak Hill Academy certainly knows.

“The guys didn’t even realize we had a game today until 10 days ago,” Smith said. “I told them, ‘We’ve got a game in Beckley now, and (the Eagles) are pretty good.’

“I’ll tell you what, Taylor is a good player.”

“We wanted to limit his touches. One thing I wasn’t happy about was we let him catch the ball wherever he wanted to. If you do that, he’s going to hurt you.”

Taylor did just that, but the Warriors got everything else figured out. Once that happened, the Eagles had no chance.

“We always start out trying to go to him,” Brown said. “The thing with our team right now is we just don’t have the kind of talent Oak Hill has.”

The Warriors began to pull away in the second quarter. National got as close as 30-22, but a pair of three-pointers by Austin Alecxih allowed Oak Hill to close the half with a 38-25 lead.

Oak Hill maintained its cushion the entire second half. Allen scored 11 of his 18 after the break, and Keith “Tiny” Gallon, a 6-9, 320-pound forward, scored seven of his 13 in the fourth. He even nailed a three-pointer to give the Warriors a 67-49 lead with 3:05 to go.

Oak Hill's Doron Lamb scored 16 points and Lamont Jones had 10. Gallon and Glenn Bryant each had eight rebounds, and Pe’Shon Howard had eight assists.

Ayodeji Egbeyemi finished with 14 points for the Eagles. He had a reverse dunk off an alley-oop pass from Jarrell Briggs in the third quarter.

Fairfax avoid upset against Palisades

Written by: Eric Sondheimer (LATimes)

Heavily favored Fairfax is breathing a sigh of relief after Lance Bailey made a free throw in the closing seconds to give the Lions an 84-83 victory over Palisades in a Western League game Wednesday.

A loss would have wrapped up the league title and likely No. 1 seed in the City Section Division I playoffs for Westchester. Renardo Sidney scored 37 points and had 12 rebounds for Fairfax (16-3, 5-1), which was coming off an impressive victory over San Diego in a nationally televised game last week.

Solomon Hill added 18 points and Raymond Berry 14 for Fairfax.

In another Western League game, University defeated Hamilton, 83-76, with Alex Brooks scoring 24 points and David Nwaba getting 19 points and 15 rebounds. University is 19-5 and 5-2.

In the West Valley League, Taft improved to 17-2 and 5-0 with a 66-40 win over El Camino Real. Justin Hawkins scored 16 points and Michael Williams 15.

Boyd visiting Pac-10 program

Jerry Meyer
Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting Analyst

It has been a difficult year for four-star prospect Terrence Boyd . Time is running out in the season, and Boyd is still ineligible to play for San Diego High School. Nonetheless, colleges are well aware of his ability, and he will take an official visit to his leader this weekend.

Boyd is a physically imposing perimeter player. An Oklahoma native who has been to various high schools in various locations, Boyd claims his move to San Diego is legitimate.

"My mom moved to San Diego because she had job opportunities," said Boyd, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound small forward. "Instead of going to school away from her, I wanted to go with her so I could be with her."

The California Interscholastic Federation's San Diego Section, however, has a different take on the situation, ruling Boyd and two other transfers to the school ineligible because of undue influence bringing them to the school. Boyd is waiting for another hearing on February 5.

As a rising ninth grader, Boyd burst onto the national scene playing with the 17-under DC Assault program, and this past summer he ran with the Oklahoma based Athletes First club, so college coaches are well aware of his abilities.

This weekend, Boyd will travel to Oregon State for his first official visit.

"I have a top five school list of UConn, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Oregon State and Kansas State," said Boyd. "Oregon State is my leader right now because the coaches have been spending a lot of time recruiting me and are showing me the most love."

Despite Oregon State's prominent position on his school list, Boyd said a commitment to the rising program is unlikely before he takes some other visits.

"I really want to take my time," he said. "I want to see what's out there. UConn and Pittsburgh have been staying in touch with me regularly, so I'd like to set up visit with those two schools next."

Boyd, who is the No. 50 ranked prospect in the Rivals150, is still awaiting his score from his standardized test, but he expects to qualify academically.

"The one thing now is that I'm not worried about ball," he said. "My focus right now is my academics."

Whispers: Young teammates on the radar

Jerry Meyer
Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting Analyst
A couple of top-notch, high-major prospects in the 2011 class have emerged at Weston (Fla.) Sagemont High School.

At 6 feet 6 and 180 pounds, Rod Days is a long and athletic small forward who has several offers already on the table. Miami, Louisville, Florida State, South Carolina and Delaware have all offered, and Auburn and Connecticut are tracking him closely, Sagemont coach Adam Ross said.

Class of 2011 big man Richard Peters is is already getting plenty of attention. Over the weekend, Days − who is averaging 15 points, 6.5 rebounds and three blocks − spent some time on the Miami campus during an unofficial visit.

Richard Peters , Days' teammate, is also making some waves in South Florida. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Peters is a 6-10, 230-pound power forward who is averaging 10.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and three blocks. Peters already has offers from Connecticut, Oklahoma, Louisville, Florida State and Georgia, and Auburn and South Carolina are expected to offer soon.

SENIOR ON THE RISE

Every year there are a handful of prospects who enter their senior seasons as mid-major prospects but by the end of the season find themselves being pursued by high-major schools.

Jeremy Adams of Madison (Miss.) Central High School is one of these prospects.

A number of high-majors have been tracking Adams as a potential spring signee. South Florida, which is scheduled to watch Adams play Tuesday, has offered a scholarship and has developed a strong relationship with the 6-5 shooting guard.

South Florida will likely have some stiff competition come April. Adams said that Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Baylor and Marquette are all recruiting him. Also, Ole Miss is waiting to see if it has a scholarship for him, and Nebraska, New Orleans and Wake Forest have recently watched him play. Notre Dame is expected to watch him in early February.

Adams, who is averaging 27 points and eight rebounds, has all five of his official visits at his disposal.

CROSS-COUNTRY EFFORT

Virginia could be trying to get in the mix for Renardo Sidney. It seems unlikely that top-10 prospect Renardo Sidney of Los Angeles Fairfax High School will leave L.A., but that hasn't stopped Virginia from trying.

Fairfax coach Harvey Kitani said Virginia is the one program outside local schools USC and UCLA that has watched Sidney play since Christmas. Sidney took an unofficial visit to Virginia earlier in the season.

Both USC and UCLA watched Sidney play during the past week. Sidney is scheduled to take the SAT for the first time in March.

FREE THROWS

Miami recently watched junior four-star prospect
Casey Prather put up 23 points, 10 rebounds and three steals. Memphis wathced Prather on Monday night, and head coaches from Michigan and Virginia are expected to be at his game tonight.
Vanderbilt once again watched sophomore guard Kedren Johnson over the weekend.

Terrell Vinson said he believes he was released on Monday from his letter of intent from Loyola Marymount, but he is waiting for official confirmation. The four-star prospect from Baltimore will be a priority recruit once he is released.

The NCAA Clearinghouse finally made a ruling on Memphis freshman Angel Garcia , declaring him ineligible for the rest of the season.

Elite 2010 guard Josh Selby has been suspended from the DeMatha basketball team for breaking a team rule. No timetable has yet been set for the return of the Tennessee commitment.

Leave the Hood, in the Hood or else.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The brother of a Providence basketball player who ran onto the court to confront a referee was ordered held without bail Tuesday for allegedly violating his probation from a 2005 drug conviction.

Jonathan Xavier came down the stands and jumped over the Providence bench during a nationally televised game on Jan. 17 to confront a referee.

He was upset no foul was called after his brother, Providence guard Jeff Xavier, was hit in the face by a Marquette defender's arm while he was driving to the basket. Xavier, 24, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to the disorderly conduct charge. Bail for that charge was set at $10,000.

A hearing has been scheduled Feb. 10 for a judge to decide whether he also violated probation. "I saw him on the court but that was an unfortunate situation.

I wish none of that happened," Jeff Xavier, quoted in The Providence Journal, said after the game. "I just want to move forward." State prosecutors said Xavier pleaded no contest in 2005 to three drug charges. He received a six-year sentence but had to serve only eight months, with the remainder suspended.

If a judge finds he violated the terms of probation, which required him to stay out of trouble, he could have to serve some or all of the remaining years behind bars. Providence officials said they would beef up security at games, posting uniformed police officers behind team benches. Information from

Written by the A.P. And ESPN

Mookie Jones out for year with right hip injury

Associated Press

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse freshman forward Mookie Jones will miss the rest of the season with a right hip injury.

The 6-foot-6 Jones, a top recruit from Peekskill, N.Y., is expected to have surgery in the near future, according to Syracuse athletic communications director Pete Moore. Jones had been receiving treatment for the injury, which Moore said was not related to one particular play.

Jones appeared in only nine of the 15th-ranked Orange's 21 games and had not played in the past five. He had a season-high nine points against Colgate in early December and totaled 37 points, 12 rebounds, five steals, four assists and two blocks in 89 minutes.

The university is expected to apply to the NCAA for a medical redshirt, Moore said.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

Jones the Forgotten Man (Texas Ballers)

Blue Zertuche
TexasHoops.com Recruiting Analyst

College programs from all over the country are looking to fill their roster with a quality point guard, and they are coming up empty. Colleges need to start focusing in on 6-foot-1, Cinco Ranch product,
Charlton Jones . Jones has patiently been waiting for his chance to prove to those programs that he could very well be their point guard of the future. Jones has lead his Cougars to a 22-5 record, and has scored 30 plus points in four games and has only three games in which he didn't hit double figures.

"Things are good. We are 3-0 in district (17-5A)," said Jones. "We have a new attitude and coach (Neil) King has us well conditioned and puts us through many individual drills that have personally helped me this year with my shooting and scoring."

Last season Jones averaged 16 points per contest, and has improved his total to a little over 20 points this year. His contributes his success toward coach King.

"When coach King came in, he showed me how important it was to hit the weights. During the summer it got me stronger and mentally it has helped me attack the rim against bigger players. I have been taking it to the rack and scoring."

Jones just isn't scoring, he is also recognizing his teammates ability to help with the load of the team.

"I really try to keep everyone happy. I just want to do what we need to win. And it isn't all about offense. As a team we play hard on defense. We only give up 46 points a game. Our defense is very solid."

Like everyone else at this point in the season, Jones has two things in mind.

"My outlook is to get looks as we are making a run in the playoffs. Right now we are winning and a few recruits are calling. West Point, Santa Clara, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, SMU and Paris junior college are calling."

Jones says he wants to study Business. He currently has a 3.5 gpa to go along with an 1100 SAT, which he has recently taken again.

Texas Hoops Analysis:CHARLTON is a steady floor leader, can break down the defense, sees up the floor well in transition, can knock down shots, has a smooth stroke from the 3 point line, makes good decisions with the ball, finds the open man, has a high basketball IQ, is a solid defender and works hard.

MaxPreps Boys Basketball Xcellent 25

Peyton Siva headed to L'ville

MaxPreps.com

About the Rankings: MaxPreps already provides the most comprehensive high school sports ratings with the MaxPreps National Rankings presented by the National Guard , a computer model developed by Ned Freeman. Now, it’s time to get the human element involved.

Each Monday, senior writer Dave Krider will run down the top 25 boys basketball teams in the country – weighing record, quality wins and losses and other factors to determine the best of the best.

MaxPreps Excellent 25

1. Mater Dei ( Santa Ana , Calif. ) 20-0.
Last week: 1. With twin brother Travis sidelined by flu, 6-10 senior David Wear picked up the slack with 26 points and 11 rebounds during a 102-77 victory over Orange Lutheran. Junior guard Tyler Lamb – also ailing – contributed 23 points off the bench, while junior guard Gary Franklin and senior forward Andy Brown each had 21. Franklin and Lamb each had 14 points during an earlier 70-23 rout of Bellflower St. John Bosco.

2. Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson , Va. ) 25-0. Last week: 2. Lamont Jones had 27 points and Keith “Tiny” Gallon had 25 points and 11 rebounds in a 96-86 victory over Bearden (Knoxville, Tenn. ). Junior guard Doron Lamb was right behind with 24 points. Lamb had 21 points and Gallon 20 during an 87-79 victory against Our Savior New American (N.Y.), while Austin Alecxih had 17 points to spark a 105-41 rout of High Point Christian (N.C.).

3. St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark , N.J.) 19-0.
Last week: 3. The Gray Bees posted two more impressive wins over the weekend. They ran past previously nationally-ranked Lincoln (Brooklyn , N.Y.), 89-53, before a crowd of 5,300 with 53 percent shooting and a defense which forced 30 turnovers. Sophomore guard Myck Kabongo led five players in double figures with 23 points and junior forward Tristan Thompson added 19. They also defeated Bishop McNamara ( Forestville , Md. ), 79-70, in overtime as Lamar Patterson scored 23 points – including eight of his team’s 19 in overtime. Thompson added 15 points and 12 rebounds.

4. Montrose Christian (Rockville , Md. ) 14-1.
Last week: 4. Mouphtaou Yarou scored 24 points and Terrence Ross 23 during a 69-60 victory over Jericho Christian Academy (Landover , Md.).

5. Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 21-0.
Last week: 6. The Pilots routed Westbury Christian (Houston, Texas), 82-48, behind senior guard D.J. Richardson, who had 25 points and shot 10-for-15 from the field. Senior guard Avery Bradley chipped in 16 points and four assists.

6. Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.) 19-1.
Last week: 10. Jordin Mayes had 17 points, while Dominique O’Connor had 15 points and 10 assists during an 80-46 rout of Palisades . Junior Dwayne Polee also had 15 points, along with nine rebounds, five blocks and four assists. O’Connor sparked a 72-48 victory over Los Angeles Hamilton with 16 points, eight rebounds and four steals. DeShun McCoy added 14 points and 12 rebounds.

7. St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) 13-2.
Last week: 7. Underclassmen continue to dominate for the Celtics. Junior center Michael Gilchrist scored 17 points and junior guard Kyrie Irving – who just gained his eligibility after a transfer – added 16 during a 72-37 rout of Newark Tech. Gilchrist had 18 points and Irving had 14 to go with five steals in a 74-42 victory over East Orange. Then Gilchrist scored 19 points and Irving 17 as the Celtics defeated Blair Academy, 66-49, to conclude a 3-0 week.

8. Strake Jesuit (Houston, Texas) 25-0.
Last week: 8. Joey Brooks averaged 22 points during victories over Spring Woods (74-31) and Stratford (75-72). Steve Rogers scored 21 points and Tim Frazier dished out 10 assists against Spring Woods, while Frazier poured in 26 points against Stratford .

9. LeFlore (Mobile , Ala. ) 23-2.
Last week: 9. The Rattlers had a 3-0 week, including a 54-51 victory over previously nationally-ranked Duncanville (Texas). Senior DeMarcus Cousins dominated with 28 points and 14 rebounds. Cousins also had big numbers during a 79-62 victory over Mobile St. Paul’s Episcopal (24 points, 11 rebounds) and an 88-57 victory over Union (N.J.) (26 points and 15 rebounds).

10. Northland ( Columbus , Ohio ) 11-0.
Last week: 11. Junior J.D. Weatherspoon scored 24 points to spark an 80-45 rout of Columbus Mifflin. Dimonde Hale had 20 points, while Weatherspoon and Jared Sullinger each added 13 in a 63-48 victory over Columbus Brookhaven.

11. De La Salle (Concord , Calif.) 16-1.
Last week: 12. The defensive-minded Spartans rule northern California with an average winning margin of 27.1 points per game. They ran their winning streak to 12 games with a 75-44 decision over Danville San Ramon Valley as sophomore Joe Stein scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Point guard Brandon Smith had 14 points, 12 assists and five steals. Seniors Jefferson Powers and Beau Levesque had 16 points and 11 rebounds, respectively, while handing Danville Monte Vista its second loss, 45-34.

12. Boyd Anderson (Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.) 19-1. Last week: 5. The Cobras were outscored, 33-22, in the second half and were upset, 57-55, by Weston Cypress Bay on a layup at the buzzer. Martavious Irving and Cedric Flood each scored 16 points. They rebounded with a 75-63 victory over Deerfield Beach as Irving scored 15 points to lead four players in double figures.

13. Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.)
11-0. Last week: 13. The Yellowjackets stung Belleville , 89-52, as 6-10 sophomore Amir Williams scored 17 points and pulled down 14 rebounds. Junior guard Ray McCallum was close behind with 16 points.

14. Hopkins ( Minnetonka , Minn. ) 14-0.
Last week: 14. The balanced Royals won three times by wide margins, defeating Minneapolis Henry, 101-48, Vincent (Milwaukee, Wis.), 86-47, and Aquinas (LaCrosse, Wis.), 66-27. Royce White led five players in double figures with 17 points against Henry. White and Trent Lockett each scored 15 points against Vincent.

15. Franklin (Seattle, Wash.) 13-0. Last week: 16. Senior point guard Peyton Siva averaged 19.5 points during victories over Bellevue Eastside Catholic, 65-57, and Rainier Beach , 57-47. Chris Holmes added 19 points against Eastside Catholic. The Rainier Beach game – matching Class 3A’s No. 1 and 2 teams – drew a standing-room crowd.

16. Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) 13-2. Last week: 17. The Wildcats avenged a seven-point loss by handing Indianapolis North Central its first defeat by a decisive 66-47 margin. Senior Stephan Van Treese stood out with 16 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks, while Justin Martin scored 15 and Dominique Ferguson 13. The Wildcats shot .509 from the field and held North Central to .310.

17. Rice (Manhattan, N.Y.) 10-1. Last week: 18. James Stukes scoed 24 points to spark a 70-60 victory over Brooklyn Bishop Loughlin. Durand Scott added 12 points.

18. Pershing (Detroit, Mich.) 11-0. Last week: 19. Junior guard Keith Appling averaged 27 points during victories over Detroit opponents Kettering, 80-48, and Osborn, 91-47. Senior center Derrick Nix chipped in with 15 points and 15 rebounds against Osborn.

19. DeMatha ( Hyattsville , Md. ) 15-2.
Last week: 15. The Stags were upset by Gonzaga ( Washington , D.C. ), 86-76, before a packed house. Naji Hibbert was high with 18 points. They bounced back with a 62-53 triumph over Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) despite the suspension of leading scorer Josh Selby, a junior guard. Sophomore guard Quinn Cook stepped up with 19 points and four assists.

20. Olympia ( Orlando , Fla. ) 17-3. Last week: 25. The Titans produced a pair of major victories last week. First, they defeated previously No. 24-ranked Winter Park, 66-60, by overcoming a seven-point deficit in the final 2:43. Senior guard Dexter Fields led the way with 23 points, but playmaker Martell Buie turned the tide with a three-point play and an assist on a fast-break dunk at the end of the game. The other big win was over Orlando Christian Prep, which had won its last 33 games. Sherwood Brown scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the 71-63 triumph and the Titans forged a 35-25 advantage in rebounds.

21. Fairfax ( Los Angeles , Calif. ) 15-3.
Last week: 21. Senior Renardo Sidney (6-10) amassed 28 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks during an 86-47 rout of San Diego High and its 6-11 junior standout, Jeremy Tyler, who had 29 points and eight rebounds. Sidney had 27 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in an 84-72 win against Los Angeles University . Senior Solomon Hill added 24 points. The Lions also defeated Venice , 102-60, behind Jordan Weathers (22 points), Sidney (21 points,16 rebounds) and Hill (13 rebounds).

22. St. Anthony ( Jersey City , N.J. ) 14-2. Last week: 22. Newly-eligible transfers continued to strengthen the Friars as they defeated Wayne Passaic County Tech, 84-42, and previously nationally-ranked Whitney Young ( Chicago , Ill. ), 52-43. In the first game, Devon Collier scored 19 points, Dominic Cheek 16 and Ashton Pankey 14. The Friars shot 51 percent against Whitney Young and had a dominating 39-21 rebound advantage to offset their own 16 turnovers and 20 missed free throws. Cheek and Jamee Jackson were high with 14 points, while Collier was high rebounder with 12.

23. South Atlanta ( Atlanta , Ga. ) 17-3. Last week: 23. Senior Derrick Favors had 32 points, 17 rebounds and 10 blocks during an 88-59 victory over Spalding County . Favors had 28 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks in an 85-38 victory against Forsyth Mary Persons. Favors had 21 points, while Andre Malone and Derrick Murray each tallied 20 during a 92-45 rout of Woodland-Stockbridge.

24. Thornton ( Harvey , Ill. ) 18-1. Last week: Not ranked. The Wildcats won twice, raising their winning streak to 18 games. They rolled past Dolton Thornridge, 75-42, as Reggie Smith, Richie Thompson and Trevell Rivers each scored 12 points. Rivers set the pace with 12 rebounds and Thompson had 10. Smith had 16 points and five assists, while Rivers grabbed 12 rebounds during a 64-43 victory over Chicago Harlan.

25. Holmes ( Covington , Ky. ) 17-1. Last week: Not ranked. The Bulldogs’ winning streak reached 16 with a 69-62 triumph over Largo ( Md. ). Senior guard JaMel Riley and 6-6 Elijah Pittman – Kentucky ’s No. 1 junior – each scored 16 points.



Dropped out: No. 20 Penn Wood ( Lansdowne , Pa. ) 15-2, lost to Ardmore Lower Merion, 47-44; No. 24 Winter Park ( Fla. ) 14-6, lost to then No. 25-ranked Orlando Olympia, 66-60, and Orlando Dr. Phillips, 61-48

Academy's Fields headed to Fairfield (CAA Insider)

By JAMES ALLEN
timesunion.com

ALBANY — Jamel Fields wanted to have his future plans laid out before completing his junior year at Albany Academy.

The standout guard finalized those plans by giving Fairfield University men's basketball coach Ed Cooley his oral commitment to compete for the Stags beginning in the 2010-11 season.

Fields, who is averaging 19.5 points per game for the Cadets (15-1), selected Fairfield of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference over UMass, Rhode Island, Fordham and George Mason.

He will attend prep school next year and join the Stags in 2010.

"I give all the credit to my coaches, my family and my teammates (for this)," Fields said. "I felt more comfortable with coach Cooley. Coach Fruscio has helped me a great deal with my academics and coach Cooley reminds me of coach Fruscio."

"Jamel has worked very hard to get to this point and he wanted to have his decision made. He is going to a place where he can compete," Albany Academy coach Brian Fruscio said.

Real Scout News.... (Events)

(Pictured) SF Devin Ebanks 6'8 West Virginia (Big East) 8th Grade All-Star Alumni....

A couple of events worthy of attending or participating in are coming up soon. High School, college coaches, and media services will be in attendance at these events, so try to get invited/involved anyway you can.

+++The Milbank 8th Grade Top 40 All-Star Games will take place, Saturday Febuary 28th 2009, at Milbank Gym located at 14-32 West 118th Street New York, NY 10026. Email: NathanBlue@tmail.com for more info...

Game Times:
5:30pm: 8th Grade All-Stars I
6:45pm: 8th Grade All-Stars II

Admission $3 Adults, $1 students

*There are a limited number of spots available, most players have been already selected. NO 7TH OR 6TH GRADERS

+++Thomas "Tippy" Mcternan Big Apple Sports will be having his annual Junior College, DII, DIII, NAIA showcase on April 18th @ City College in Manhattan. There is never a price to play, but if you want to play in front of the 100+ coaches, you must email Tmcternan@hotmail.com SENIORS, GED STUDENTS, PAST GRADUATES, AND JUCO TRANSFER STUDENTS CAN APPLY...

+++ Phenom Camp is also coming to Fordham University in March. You can read up more info at www.150.nyphenom.com

NYC boys' basketball rankings: Raiders rule (Fiveborosports.com)

NYC boys' basketball rankings. Photo by Damion Reid

By Zachary Braziller
Fiveborosports.com

The high school basketball season has reached the point where almost everyone is waiting for the playoffs to begin. Legs are tired and arms are exhausted. Four of our previous top six – Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Bishop Loughlin and Bishop Ford – each lost at least once in the past seven days, three of them twice and two, three times.

The one constant, however, is No. 1 Rice. The Raiders have shown no signs of slowing down. The Harlem school blitzed No. 5 Loughlin by 10 on Sunday, a deceiving margin of victory. Christ the King moved up to No. 2 after its big win over the Lions and Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson, who were ahead of the Royals, struggling through a 3-5 week.

John F. Kennedy, meanwhile, made the biggest leap, all the way up to No. 3 after waxing borough rival Wings Academy, a mainstay in these rankings until just recently, by 23 points on Thursday.

The shakeup didn’t include only the top clubs, either. Cardozo was dropped after an inconsistent performance in the Crotty Classic, falling to St. Dominic by 12, 53-41, while Archbishop Molloy cracked the top 10 after a 3-0 week.

It’s all here and more in the latest edition of our New York City boys’ basketball rankings:



1. Rice (11-1) (Last week: 1)
What is there not to like about Rice? The star, Durand Scott, prefers to share the ball and play defense, than score. His secondary option, James Stukes, routinely shuts down big men twice his size. And the supporting cast, guards like Charles Fenner, Jermaine Sanders and Jonathan Williams, could star on just about any other team in the city. No wonder No. 2 Christ the King and No. 5 Bishop Loughlin had so much trouble with them, losing by a combined 23 points.
Next: Jan. 27 vs. Holy Cross



2. Christ the King (15-2) (4)
When Marion Smith can score like he did Friday against No. 5 Bishop Loughlin – he had 24 points in the victory – CK doesn’t have to rely on star senior Sean Johnson nearly as much. In tandem with Dominykas Milka and Maurice Barrow down low, the Royals’ attack can be diverse and tough to stop.
Next: Jan. 27 vs. St. Francis Prep



3. John F. Kennedy (16-2) (7)
Some may disagree with elevating Kennedy over No. 4 Lincoln, but there is no arguing this point: JFK proved its superiority of the Bronx with an 88-65 win Thursday over rival Wings Academy. The Knights can beat the opposition from the perimeter, in the paint, by getting out in transition and shutting down the opposition with pressure defense. There may not be better balanced team in the five boroughs.
Next: Feb. 5 vs. James Monroe



4. Lincoln (12-8) (2)
Coach Dwayne (Tiny) Morton said after Lincoln’s 36-point loss to St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.) the Railsplitters have yet to hit rock bottom. That’s a scary thought. They’ve already lost four of five, still play No. 6 Boys & Girls and No. 7 Thomas Jefferson, not to mention a nationally televised showdown at Fordham University Feb. 13 against St. Patrick’s (N.J.). On a positive note, struggling shooting guard Darwin (Buddha) Ellis did score 30 points in two losses over the weekend. Hey, there’s always something.
Next: Feb. 3 @ No. 7 Thomas Jefferson



5. Bishop Loughlin (10-6) (6)
The Lions have lost three in a row, but many other schools wouldn’t fair much better after facing Pine Crest (Fla.), No. 2 Christ the King and No. 1 Rice, in that order, over the span of six days. Loughlin does need to improve its defense and ball handling. They committed 26 turnovers against the Raiders Sunday – clearly not a recipe for success.
Next: Jan. 30 @ No. 2 Christ the King



6. Boys & Girls (16-6) (8)
As documented on our site Saturday night, Mike Taylor had a knack for putting bad nights behind him quickly. Forget his accuracy from behind the arc; that character trait may be the sophomore’s finest quality. Confidence doesn’t slump.
Next: Feb. 3 @ Robeson



7. Thomas Jefferson (14-6)
Like their Brooklyn AA brethren Lincoln, Jefferson is struggling mightily these days. Stars Keith Spellman and Joel (Air Jamaica) Wright couldn’t get into an offensive rhythm in two losses during the SNY Invitational over the weekend. Junior guard Dave Colley did return from minor knee surgery and reported no problems, so the last week – when the Orange Wave lost three of four, blowing a pair of double-digit, second-half leads – wasn’t a complete loss.
Next: Feb. 3 vs. No. 4 Lincoln



8. Bishop Ford (15-2) (6)
Against the area’s elite, the question isn’t how well Chaz Williams will play. It is about his supporting cast. In a disappointing 70-55 loss to Long Island Lutheran, the Hofstra-bound guard scored 31 points, but didn’t receive nearly enough help from his mates. The other Falcons will have to be much better next Sunday in a Class A intersectional title rematch with Iona Prep.
Next: Jan. 30 @ St. Edmund



9. St. Raymond’s (10-6) (9)
Oliver Antigua’s clubs is very young and it still shows. On Friday, the Ravens ousted No. 6 Boys & Girls in the SNY Invitational, one of their best efforts of the year. But Saturday, in the tournament’s final, St. Ray’s took a step back, barely competing against Mount Vernon (N.Y.). Go figure. Oliver, you’re not the only one scratching your head.
Next: Jan. 30 @ No. 1 Rice



10. Archbishop Molloy (11-5) (NR)
The Stanners aren’t always pretty, they often play down to the level of competition and still stand around and watch star Russ Smith too much. But Molloy has beaten No. 5 Bishop Loughlin and hung tough with No. 2 Christ the King. And Sunday, they handled Chaminade by nine, 83-74, knocking off one of the best teams Long Island has to offer handily.
Next: Jan. 30 @ Holy Cross


Dropped out: Cardozo (14-1)

New: Archbishop Molloy (11-5)

On the bubble: Xaverian (6-7), Mount St. Michael (13-6), Monsignor McClancy (16-3), Wings Academy (15-4), Wadeligh (15-4), Transit Tech (12-9) and Cardozo (14-1)

Led by Stukes, Rice cooks Bishop Loughlin

By Zachary Braziller
Fiveborosports.com

At one end of the court, James Stukes was hanging by the perimeter and dropping in soft, high-arcing jump shots. On the other end, he was nowhere near the 3-point line, but on the low blocks.

Instead of using his quickness and touch, he was relying on his beefy 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame to fend off Bishop Loughlin power forward Jayvaughn Pinkston. He fronted the 6-foot-7, 230-pound man child of a junior and bodied him in a 70-60 CHSAA Class AA victory, a score that hardly illustrated the uneven match-up, at Gaucho Gym in the Bronx.

The two different roles are nothing new to Stukes, Rice’s workmanlike forward. In fact, if anything is different, it’s his offensive repertoire. His jumpshot and ball handling is much improved. He’s spending less time underneath the hoop.

“I always could shoot,” said Stukes, who scored a game-high 24 points, “I just never showed anybody.”

For years, he has gone up against bigger players. Last seasons, he drew the assignment of Samardo Samuels, then a 6-foot-8 space-eater for St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.). Samuels now starts at center for the University of Louisville, ranked 12 th in the nation.

“That’s what James does,” Rice coach Mo Hicks said. “He rises up to challenges.”

“I don’t care how big the guy is,” Stukes said. “If my coach wants me to do it, I’ll do it.”

His prior experiences helped him limit Pinkston to 11 points, 28 less than he produced in a 77-74 loss to Christ the King Friday night.

“He wasn’t gonna get 30 on us,” Stukes said of Pinkston. “No way. Not against Rice. That’s impossible.”

Durand Scott added 12 points, five rebounds, five steals and five assists and Jonathan Williams had 10 for Rice. Trevon Hamlet had 17 for Loughlin (10-6), which lost its third straight. Antoine Brown chipped in 14 and Branden Frazier 10.

Pinkston blamed himself for a uncharacteristically
quiet afternoon. He started the game by taking two jumpshots and was promptly sat by first-year coach Rudy King for not going to his strength. Too often he was on the perimeter and he was called for two offensive fouls and turned the ball over five times.

“I was a little frustrated because I wasn’t getting the ball early,” Pinkston said. “That was my fault. Next game I have to step up.”

He also drew a technical foul for arguing with the officials after he was stripped of the ball in the lane, a common, although usually rare, occurrence against Rice.

“I’ve never seen him complain to the refs,” Stukes said. “Once I saw that, I knew it was over.”

Loughlin has five days to prepare for the rematch against Christ the King in Middle Village. It would behoove them not to turn the ball over 25 times again and to execute offensively.

“We didn’t play at a level we know we can compete at,” King said. “Our ball control was horrible.”

The Lions started extremely slow, falling behind 18-10 midway through the opening quarter. They crawled back into the game, tying the game at 24 on a Pinkston layup. But Rice went on a 13-4 run to end the half and scored eight of the first 10 points of the third quarter to build a 15-point lead.

Rice is now 11-1 and 5-0 in league play despite missing Scott, the Miami-bound forward, for the early part of the season, and still awaiting talented All Hallows transfer Shane Southwell, who Hicks said will be back Jan. 30 and should immediately join the rotation.

The Raiders’ only loss came on Dec. 30, to Findley Prep (NV), ranked 2nd in the nation by USA Today. Many prognosticators had picked Christ the King and Bishop Loughlin as possible favorites to begin the season, yet the Harlem school has beaten each team by a considerable margin.

“This year people slept on our senior class,” Hicks said. “There are guys like Jonathan (Williams) and James and Charles (Fenner) that have stepped up to the plate.”

2011 PG picks up two new offers

Jared Shelton
DeaconsIllustrated.com

Raleigh (NC) Word of God point guard Bishop Daniels is one of the best young players in the country. Daniels recently picked up a couple of new offers from ACC schools, and he spoke with Deacons Illustrated about his recruitment.

"The season is going alright" Daniels explained. "We are 12-7 right now. I'm playing better than I did at the beginning of the season. I've been working on my jump shot and the speed of the game. At the beginning of the season I was struggling to get the ball up and down the court as fast as (5-star teammate) John Wall was. I'm doing a lot better now."

At 6-foot, 180 pounds, Daniels projects as a pure point guard at the next level, and has already attracted the attention of numerous programs across the country.

"Right now I've got offers from Wake Forest, NC State, and Memphis" Daniels said. "My newest offers are from Virginia Tech and Miami (FL). I'm also hearing from Tennessee, Clemson, Baylor, Marquette, and Boston College."

Daniels claims that his interest in the Demon Deacons is quite strong, and he was able to get over to Winston-Salem about two weeks ago to see Wake take on North Carolina.

"It was exciting" he said. "The fans were amazing down there. They had great reactions to everything going on. They didn't like Carolina at all. I've been there many times between camps and just visiting."

Daniels claims that he has built up a solid rapport with the coaching staff at Wake Forest and likes what he is hearing from them.

"Wake Forest is a good school. I'm really comfortable with the coaches and the players there. I like their style of play. Coach [Gaudio] lets his players just play the game. He has some control, but he lets him them get out and run and play."

Daniels is just a sophomore and claims that he is very far from making any type of decision.

"I'm pretty wide open to anything right now and any new teams that come my way."

Despite his wide open status, Daniels does admit that he has certain things that he will be looking for from the colleges that recruit him.

"I'll be looking for how comfortable I am with the situation I'm placing myself in. I'll look at how I feel with the coaches. I also want to have a small class size because I want that personal attention with my work."

Brookins leads Roman Catholic to victory over North Catholic

By TED SILARY
Philadelphia Daily News
silaryt@phillynews.com

RAKEEM BROOKINS said his arm felt a little tired.

Hey, he was lucky it didn't fall off. Or grow by a couple of inches.

As Brookins and other classic jump-shooters well know, the only successful basketball practice is one that's followed by another, this one of a private nature, that features shot after shot after shot after shot . . .

Better stop. Ink is expensive these days. Jumpers are free, thank goodness.

After Roman Catholic High's Thursday practice, disappointed that he'd shot poorly in a game 2 days earlier against St. Joseph's Prep, Brookins asked first-year assistant Lari Ketner, the former Roman star and NBA player, to stay around and rebound for him.

"Rebound" used loosely. Mostly, Ketner caught balls splashing through nets. "I'd bet he made about 75 percent," Ketner said.

That would put the total at 150, seeing as how Brookins said he attempted 200 over 45minutes.

"I stopped short against Bonner [last Friday] and hyperextended my left knee," he said. "It was bothering me a little, but I didn't want to use that as an excuse. I just wanted to shoot a lot and get the feeling back."

Consider it regained.

Brookins, a 5-10, 160-pound junior wing guard, last night poured in 31 points as the visiting Cahillites bested North Catholic, 70-62, in a high-energy Catholic Red classic viewed by a full-house crowd in The Pit and others who watched a closed-circuit broadcast in the cafeteria, down the hallway and around the corner.

Brookins shot 11-for-21 from the floor (2-for-5 on treys) and 7-for-9 at the line. This kid's form and lift and concentration on jumpers are so special, when he misses, the spectators are prone to turn to one another other and ask, "Geez, what happened there?"

"Rahk" - and that's his preferred spelling - provided a quick boost with Roman's first six points. And down the stretch, there he was, hitting a series of gigantic buckets.

His best? No doubt.

Trailing by 63-62, North had three opportunities to take the lead. But Jaleel Mack's original shot was unsuccessful, as were follows by Bob Makor and Woody Redding, and here came the Cahillites, roaring downcourt. Villanova-bound point guard extraordinaire Maalik Wayns, the rebounder, made penetration and whipped a pass to Brookins on the right wing.

He launched. Nailed it. And got nailed by 6-9 sophomore Rakeem Christmas, who'd gone flying toward him.

After Brookins saw the shot go in, while in a seated position within inches of front-row spectators, he roared in delight while looking upward. Then, just before he made the free throw, he looked at some Roman fans and used his right fist to twice pound his heart.

"I did see Christmas flying at me," Brookins said. "Since he'd blocked two of my earlier shots, I thought about giving him an up-fake. But I just shot it. Not even sure why."

Did he get plastered?

"Not too bad," he said, laughing. "I hit the floor harder than he hit me."

Brookins was hardly a one-trick pony. He also notched eight steals and, as always, formed a dynamite duo with Wayns (19 points, five assists).

Brookins, who lives near 76th and Elmwood in Southwest Philly, said he has known Wayns for close to half of his life, thanks to hoops. They used to bang heads on the youth-ball trail and even did so at Roman in previous seasons.

"We even had our arguments in practice," Rahk said. "Nothing bad ever happened. We've always liked each other. It's just that there's no benefit in going sweet in practice. We have to go at each other hard. That's how we become better. I mean, he's going to the Big East.

"Look how much that [approach] has helped us. We're special together."

And for the last 4 minutes of the first half, they were apart.

At 4:37, after crashing into Mack for an offensive foul, Wayns quickly got up and was called for a tech for, according to a ref, pushing against Mack's face as he did so.

He incurred his third foul 41 seconds later and had to sit down. Roman led by 32-21. North did exactly what the situation called for - sliced into the lead. The Cahillites held only two, at 33-31, at intermission, and the second half provided nonstop reasons for nail-biting.

Freshman Andre Horne had three steals and 11 points, including the clinching basket on a pass from Wayns at 19.0. Kevin Regan posted 10 points and five assists. Koron Reed, despite a left-shoulder ding that twice sidelined him in the second half, had seven rebounds.

Sub Josh Stevens led North with 14 points. Redding and Mack halved 22 points while the former added seven apiece of rebounds and assists.

Christmas totaled nine points, eight boards and as many rejections.

Shortly after the game ended, a man came walking down the hallway near Roman's locker room. It was ex-coach Dennis Seddon, who remains close to the program as a mentor for first-year boss Chris McNesby.

In his ever-present, understated way, referring to the younger half of a tremendous backcourt, Seddon simply said, "Tonight, you saw soul ."

Brandon Jennings Sends Home a Warning From Europe

Written By RAY GLIER
NYTimes.com

Perhaps white sails will one day appear on the horizon behind Brandon Jennings, a flotilla of high school basketball stars trailing him to Europe eager for a payday. But Jennings does not want anyone to get shipwrecked overseas just because he made the trip.

He issued that warning this week from Italy, where he is playing for Lottomatica Virtus Roma, a top professional team. He fears that top high school players may be seduced by visions of instant riches, fame and success in Spain, France, Italy, Greece or some other destination.

"I've gotten paid on time once this year," Jennings said in an e-mail message. "They treat me like I'm a little kid. They don't see me as a man. If you get on a good team, you might not play a lot. Some nights you'll play a lot; some nights you won't play at all. That's just how it is."

Jennings, a 6-foot-2 point guard who was regarded as the nation's best high school player at his position a year ago, signed a $1.2 million deal in salary and endorsements to head to Europe in August instead of staying in the United States to play college basketball. Some analysts suggested that other elite players would follow the same path because of the rules requiring prospects to be a year removed from high school before becoming eligible for the N.B.A. draft.

The deal for Jennings allowed his mother and his half brother to live with him in Italy, and he said it still made economic sense. Yet he said he wanted others to know about his experience.

"I don't see too many kids doing it," his e-mail message said. "It's tough man, I'll tell you that. It can break you."

Lottomatica Virtus Roma officials did not respond to requests for comment submitted through Francesca Mei, the team's media director.

Jennings does not resemble the pioneer some envisioned when he left for Europe as a dynamic player who could create his own shots and score 20 points or more a game. In Italy, he said, he has been stifled offensively. He is averaging 8 points a game.

"My role is to play D and take open shots - that's it," he said. "And I've accepted that role."

He acknowledged that the journey had helped him mature, and he said the rigors of playing in Europe may benefit others.

An N.B.A. assistant coach who has been to Europe and has watched Jennings play said his potential draft standing had not been harmed. The coach requested anonymity because he was discussing a player currently ineligible for the draft.

"I think it is good for him," he said. "He was getting a defensive component that he needed. If I was a scout and I needed a point guard, I would be extremely impressed with what he has done over there."

Several of the top-rated players in the high school class of 2009 said they would not follow Jennings to Europe:

Derrick Favors, a 6-9 forward from South Atlanta High School in Georgia who is considered by some to be the nation's top prospect, has announced he will sign with Georgia Tech this spring. "I'm definitely going to college," he said.

DeMarcus Cousins, a 6-10 forward who plays for LeFlore Magnet High in Mobile, Ala., said he also would attend college. His father, Jessie Cousins, said the family had not had contact with European teams.

Renardo Sidney, a 6-10 forward at Fairfax High in Los Angeles, intends to play in college, said Harvey Kitani, his coach.

Lance Stephenson, a 6-5 guard at Abraham Lincoln High in Brooklyn, wants to play in college, according to his coach, Dwayne Morton.

And Xavier Henry, a 6-6 guard at Putnam City High in Oklahoma, has announced he will attend Memphis.

Bob Gibbons, a North Carolina-based recruiting analyst, said all of those players would be considered N.B.A. draft prospects this year were it not for the league's eligibility requirements. That does not mean they should rush to audition for European teams, he said.

"Myself, among others, thought there would be a revolution and players going to Europe," Gibbons said. "I'm not so sure now after what I have been hearing with Jennings and all the cultural obstacles there are."

Michael Reddick, who coaches Favors at South Atlanta, described Europe as "a man's league."

"There are a lot of things you have to consider to do something like that," Reddick said. "I played over there 12 years, and it is not easy."

Paul Hewitt, the Georgia Tech coach, said high school players needed to understand the cultural differences, including language barriers, and the challenges of being homesick and of having to manage daily affairs.

If a high school star does skip college for the pros in Europe, Hewitt said, he should negotiate for the team to pay for college in case of an injury or lack of development.

Sonny Vaccaro, the former sneaker company executive who brokered Jennings's deals with Lottomatica and the sponsor Under Armour, said he had been in contact with high school players and their parents who were interested in Europe.

But Vaccaro said there had been a change from last summer, when he worked on the deals for Jennings. Economic conditions in Europe are just as difficult as they are in the United States, and he said he underestimated the emotional strength a player needed to compete overseas.

"A less-driven kid would have come home," Vaccaro said. "They practice twice a day, and the Europeans play everybody. It is not like one of these silly college games where the same seven guys play every minute of every game. When it's over, the fact he was able to handle it is going to be more landmark than him just going over there."

Pete Babcock, the former general manager of the Atlanta Hawks and the Denver Nuggets, said high school players in the United States had grown up watching college basketball. Their dreams are to play for those programs, he said, not in obscurity in Europe.

"There is not going to be a mass exodus," said Babcock, now a scout for the Cleveland Cavaliers. "I don't see it happening."

Lincoln loses late lead, game to Paterson Catholic

By Dylan Butler
Fiveborosports.com

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Standing with his back against a brick wall in the visitor’s locker room at the Louis Brown Athletic Center, Dwayne (Tiny) Morton was searching for answers.

Still shaking his head, the Lincoln boys’ basketball coach couldn’t comprehend how his team could blow a four-point lead with less than 90 seconds left in regulation and lose to Paterson Catholic (N.J.), 57-54, in overtime at the Primetime Shootout on the campus of Rutgers University Friday night.

The Railsplitters bounced back from a brutal first half and rallied from a 14-point deficit to take a 50-46 lead on a Darwin (Buddha) Ellis layup with 1:55 left in the fourth quarter.

But Ellis and the rest of the Lincoln guards turned the ball over at an alarming rate, making uncharacteristic mistakes that allowed Paterson Catholic (12-3) to come back and eventually win in overtime.

“We have some inexperienced guys who are just not getting it done,” Morton said. “It’s stressing me out. Something has to change.”

It is Lincoln’s third loss in its last four games and the Railsplitters will face New Jersey powerhouse St. Benedict’s at the Prudential Center on Saturday night.

The most troubling aspect for Morton is that it seems like Lincoln (12-7), the three-time defending PSAL Class AA champion, is spiraling out of control.

“I wasn’t concerned yesterday, but I’m concerned now,” Morton said. “I’ve got to do something different because we can’t keep losing like this.”

Lincoln star Lance Stephenson scored 13 of his team-high 21 points in the third quarter, igniting a 19-4 run to give the Railsplitters a 40-39 lead.

A 7-0 run in the fourth quarter gave Lincoln a 50-46 lead, but Paterson Catholic rallied late. Fuquan Edwin, who scored a game-high 24 points, hit a pair of free throws with 1:05 remaining and Jayon James (14 points) slashed to the hole to tie the game at 50 with 29 seconds left in regulation.

Lincoln had a chance to win the game at the buzzer, but Stephenson’s fade-away 3-point attempt from the top of the key rimmed out.

With Paterson Catholic in front, 55-54, with 20.7 seconds left after a 3-point play by James, Stephenson had the ball in his hand with the clock winding down. But he lost his dribble and gave the ball to Ellis, hoping he’d get it right back. He didn’t, and Ellis (15 points) missed a runner in the lane with three seconds left in overtime.

“That was terrible,” Morton said. “I thought Lance was going to go one-on-one, he had his guy in front of him and I thought he was going to bust through and make a play. I didn’t expect him to pass.”

Said Stephenson: “I wanted the ball, but I gave up my dribble and I had to give it to (Ellis). I wanted it back, but it didn’t work out.”

Stephenson slumped to the court earlier in overtime, tweaking the same ankle he sprained at the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., last month. But the senior guard returned to the court on the next possession and played the final 1:18 of the extra session.

“I sprained my ankle a bit and I felt pain, but it wasn’t as much pain as I felt in Florida,” Stephenson said. “I’m fine.”

But will Lincoln be fine?

Recruiting talent to Rose Hill a time-consuming job

Written By Adam Zagoria / SNY.tv

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Jared Grasso was navigating his silver Dodge Equinox SUV early Monday morning through back roads filled with snow while chatting away on his BlackBerry .

Grasso, a 28-year old assistant coach for the Fordham men's basketball team, is constantly in motion, always multitasking.

When you're trying to recruit players capable of turning an Atlantic 10 bottom-feeder into a contender for a league championship, there's no time to rest.

On this morning, Grasso was headed to Springfield College to watch St. Anthony of Jersey City take on Putnam City in the Hoophall Classic, a high-profile event featuring more than 40 teams from 16 states and Washington, D.C.

Once in the gym, Grasso, wearing a white collared shirt and dark dress slacks, settled into a seat right under one of the baskets, the better for the St. Anthony trio of Devon Collier, Derrick Williams and Ashton Pankey to see him.

Collier, Williams and Pankey are all 6-foot-7 or 6-8 and were making their season debuts with the Friars after sitting out 30 days in the wake of transferring. Grasso is not permitted to comment on specific student-athletes because of NCAA regulations, but he did say this:

"We're trying to bring in a difference-maker. We want to bring in one more guy who can put us over the top, a Jio Fontan at a different position. We feel if we can add one more difference-maker, we can compete to be in the upper echelon of the league."

Despite the addition of Fontan, a 6-foot freshman point guard who led St. Anthony to a perfect 32-0 record and a mythical national championship last season, Fordham is currently 2-14 overall and 0-4 in the conference, so Grasso and his colleagues have their work cut out for them.

The son of Fred Grasso, a longtime high school, college and pro coach who once served as an assistant under Rick Pitino with the Knicks, Jared attended St. Anthony's High School in Huntington Station, N.Y., where he earned honorable mention All-American honors as a senior. While beating the bushes on the recruiting trail, Jared is distracted these days because his father is in the hospital in Long Island for a knee replacement.

Jared attended Quinnipiac University, where he was a four-year starter and two-year captain, finishing with 1,134 points. Grasso then followed his father into coaching, first as a graduate assistant at Hofstra, then as an assistant coach at the University of Hartford for two years and then as an assistant at his alma mater, where his responsibilities included recruiting, scouting opponents and organizing daily practices.

It was at Quinnipiac that Grasso connected with Dereck Whittenburg, who was then the head coach at Wagner and is now Grasso's boss at Fordham.

"He's a hard-working young guy who really loves what he's doing and really gets out there, and that's why he's good at what he's doing," Whittenburg said in a phone interview.

Over the holiday weekend, Grasso traveled through four states -- New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Jersey -- in an effort to find quality players.

His crazy weekend began at 5 a.m. Saturday when he awoke in The Bronx and drove to Newport, R.I.

That same day, he saw two games involving recruits -- 6-3 junior guard Denzel Britto of Lawrence (Mass.) Academy and 6-8 forward Charles Funches of Monroe (N.Y.) College; ran a film session for the Fordham team; and helped run a two-hour team practice leading up to Fordham's game Sunday at Rhode Island.

The result?

Fordham lost by 31 points.

Still, Grasso was back on the road Sunday evening, making the two-hour drive to Springfield College, where he watched Ledrick Eackles, an athletic 6-3 postgraduate wing player from Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy and later saw Austin Carroll, a 6-4 shooter from Worcester (Mass.) Academy whose father, John, coached with the Celtics. Grasso had watched Carroll on several occasions and needs a player who can consistently make shots.

During the Worcester game, Grasso sat next to Adam Finkelstein, who coached with Grasso at Hartford and now runs the New England Recruiting Report. The two are friendly and Finkelstein can attest to Grasso's work ethic.

"I've been on the road with him," Finkelstein said. "He watches basketball for about 15 hours a day. He's on the phone for three. He only eats one meal a day because he doesn't want to leave the gym."

So far his hard work has paid off.

Grasso has already successfully recruited three players from St. Anthony, coached by the legendary Bob Hurley, winner of 23 state championships and a likely future Hall of Famer.

In addition to Fontan, Grasso helped recruit 6-3 freshman forward Alberto Estwick. Next year's recruiting class includes Chris Gaston, a 6-7, 205-pound forward who spent time at St. Anthony and is now at a prep school in New Hampshire. Over the summer, Gaston earned several most valuable player honors, and Grasso believes he can make an immediate impact next year.

Now Grasso is hoping to continue drawing from the St. Anthony pipeline by getting Collier, Williams or Pankey, who combined for 38 points and 20 rebounds to lift St. Anthony over Putnam City in a game nationally televised on ESPNU.

"In the process of sending kids to schools, you always factor that the assistant coach can be gone and you're sending kids to a school that you think is a good school and, secondly, that you respect what the head coach does," Hurley said.

"As much as we think Jared is terrific, Fordham University sells itself and I think Dereck Whittenburg is a fine man and I had no trouble sending kids there for those reasons."

He added: "I think Jared's one of the hardest-working young assistant coaches at the Division I level. He came in and started to recruit Alberto Estwick and, unlike many assistant coaches, he watched Jio play and kind of knew that he was a kid that they ought to be recruiting. He came back and brought Dereck Whittenburg to the gym, and then they started recruiting him.

"He's the kind of guy right now that he has his own idea of players that can a help the school and in Alberto and Jio's case individually, they're both doing very well and I think Chris Gaston's relationship with Jio and his desire to play close to home has really played into this whole thing."

Signs are encouraging for Grasso with the younger players, too. Collier, who finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds in the game, and Williams, who scored 10 points, both tell reporters that Fordham is among their top schools.

Whittenburg says the head coach must also be a "closer" in the recruiting process.

"I've been on his side, too," Whittenburg said of Grasso. "He has done a great job. If your head coach is not involved and not in the recruiting process, it's going to be very difficult for any assistant.

"By him being the soldier and me working along with him, I think he has done a great job and it's really given us an opportunity to get those kids.

"A lot of times recruiting is about relationships. I've been where he is and he's doing a great job with it."

But when you're Jared Grasso, there's no time to rest.

After watching two games on Sunday, he heads out the door, gets into his SUV and heads south on the snowy highways.

Grasso drives to Paterson, N.J., to watch Paterson Catholic meet Thomas Jefferson of Brooklyn because he's recruiting several players in that game, including Joel "Air Jamaica" Wright, a 6-6 junior forward from Thomas Jefferson in Brooklyn, and Myles Mack, a talented sophomore point guard from Paterson Catholic.

The drive took about 5 1/2 hours, but it paid off.

Grasso and Whittenburg were among the few college coaches in the gym, a fact Grasso's sure to mention in the recruiting process.

"We can tell all those guys that while all those other coaches stayed in Springfield, we drove back five and a half hours in a snowstorm to see them," Grasso said.

Adam Zagoria is a regular contributor to SNY.tv. Read his blog at ZagsBlog.com .

Classic is White Station's fourth game in five days (Introducing Memphis Phenom Joe Jackson 2010)

By Jason Smith,
Memphis Commercial Appeal

White Station boys basketball coach Jesus Patino said he and his Spartans were exhausted.

Having just returned to Memphis on Sunday following a third-place finish in the 25th annual Bass Pro Tournament of Champions in Springfield, Mo., White Station was playing its fourth game in five days Monday against district foe Southwind in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day High School Classic at FedExForum.

"We were so tired. It was kind of hectic to get here," said Patino, whose Spartans overcame a slow start in earning an 82-71 District 15-AAA victory over Southwind.

Junior sensation Joe Jackson scored a game-high 31 points and senior forward Ferrakohn Hall added 14 to lead White Station (15-5, 8-0 in 15-AAA and ranked No. 2 in The Dandy Dozen), which will play a fifth game in six nights tonight when it hosts Houston.

"We played three top-ranked teams in a row (in the Bass Pro), including two real good teams the last two days, and it took a lot out of our bodies," said Jackson, who scored 37 points Saturday to lead White Station past nationally ranked Powder Springs (Ga.) McEachern, 76-73, in the T of C's third-place game.

Jackson's Spartans trailed Southwind, 24-18, early in the second quarter before a 9-0 White Station scoring run gave the Spartans a 27-24 advantage late in the period.

Southwind guard Darious Paige's 3-pointer as time expired in the first half cut White Station's lead to 35-34, but the Spartans outscored the No. 11-ranked Jaguars, 29-14, in the third quarter en route to the victory.

Nick Mason's 20 points led Southwind (14-5, 6-3). Paige added 16.

"I thought our fans were awesome. We sold out our allotted tickets," said Southwind coach Paul Edwards, whose Jaguars still find themselves in the middle of the District 15-AAA race in their first full varsity season. "It was a good learning experience, though, playing in this environment and against a top-notch team like White Station."

Nine is fine: JFK extends streak with blowout of Wings

Photos by Damion Reid

By Zachary Braziller
Fiveborosports.com

There wasn’t one moment or performance that could accurately depict John F. Kennedy’s 88-65 dismantling of Wings Academy.

Not Naquan Pierce capping an unforgettable 24-point first half – he would finish with 33 points and eight assists – by sinking a halfcourt shot off the glass. Not Jeffrey Short’s all-around performance of 18 points and 13 rebounds or Kuashonn Kibbler’s 11 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks. Not

Jeffrey Arzu coming off the bench to add even more of a spark, tallying 11 points and six assists. Not Kennedy’s 24 assists on its 24 made baskets.

Not Kennedy bottling up Wings stars Dashaun Wiggins and Ron Baker, holding them to 33 points, almost all of which came after the result had long been decided. Not even the Knights racing out to a shocking 33-12 lead, basically running Wings off the court in a rivalry that has become one of the city’s best in years.

No, it was all of those factors combined. JFK (15-2) jumped out quick, 23-7, and never let up, putting its foot to Wings’ throat, a performance, the Knights’ ninth straight victory, that left even their counterparts in awe.

“I haven’t seen a team better than them,” Wings coach Billy Turnage said.

The first time the two clubs met, on Dec. 16 at Bronx Regional HS, Wings was the one who ran out early, sprinting to a 16-point, second-half lead. JFK came back, got even in fact, only to fall short at the end. After the loss, the Knights promised the next meeting would be different, that they had learned to not take anything for granted.

“They realized you can’t just walk into the gym and assume you’re gonna win the game,” Kennedy coach Johnny Mathis said, two days after collecting his 500th career win.

That was on full display here, the Knights running at every opportunity, beating Wings in transition, after made baskets, rebounds or turnovers, not leaving anything to chance. Every rebound was squeezed, the extra pass always made, more attention presented to each possession, at both ends of the court.

“I knew we were going to come out hard,” senior forward Shea Spence said, “but I didn’t know we were going to come out that hard.”

“Their intensity and focus and will and desire to win was greater than ours,” Turnage, the third-year coach, said.

Of course, hitting 11 3-pointers, including five by Pierce in a head-spinning first 16 minutes didn’t hurt matters. Kennedy already held a commanding 47-25 lead when it in-bounded the ball under its own basic with 1.1 seconds remaining. Pierce darted for halfcourt, caught the ball and in one motion hoisted it toward the hoop. It careened off the backboard and through the net. Kennedy celebrated at mid-court; Wings stood by its bench dazed.

“Today,” Pierce said, “was just my day.”

During the pre-game shootaround, Short bet Pierce $5 he couldn’t make a similar shot. He couldn’t. Not until it mattered at least.

“I’m gonna tell him we’re even,” Pierce said.

The final score, amazingly enough, was sugarcoating Kennedy’s thumping of Wings (14-4), which falls two games behind the Knights in the PSAL Bronx AA standings. The entire second half was garbage time, although both clubs left their starters in. It was a showcase rather than a first-place showdown, Kennedy making flashy passes, throwing down slam-dunks and draining long jumpers to please the crowd.

“If we play hard and shoot the ball well,” Pierce said, “nobody in the city can stop us.”

Mathis, who has spent over two decades as the boys’ basketball coach at JFK, was already excited about his team’s prospect before this better-than-expected effort. He has made comparisons with this group and his last championship team, back in 2005, citing both teams’ experience and versatility.

He wasn’t sure how to explain the rout. Other than, of course, this bunch has an opportunity to do something special.

“We’ve got an excellent chance,” he said. “We got as good a chance as anybody.”=

Big basketball tournaments in New Jersey this weekend

Posted by Star-Ledger Staff
Picture by fiveborosports.com

There are three top tournaments across the state this weekend. A look:


PrimeTime Shootout

WHEN: Friday at the Rutgers Athletic Center, Piscataway

SCHEDULE
Immaculata vs. St. Joseph (Met.), 5
Duncanville (Tx.) vs. LeFlore (Ala.), 6:30
Paterson Catholic vs. Lincoln (N.Y.), 8
Plainfield vs. Piscataway, 9:30

TICKETS: $25 and $15. Both prices include adults, students and senior citizens

BEST GAME: Plainfield, No. 7 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, vs. No. 11 Piscataway

PLAYERS OF NOTE: Lincoln guard Lance Stephenson (down to UCLA, Kanasas and Southern Cal); LeFlore forward DeMarcus Cousins (No. 2 overall player is undecided); Duncanville forward Shawn Williams (leaning toward Texas); Plainfield guard Isaiah Epps (headed to Pitt).

ONE MORE THING: Plainfield and Piscataway could be a preview of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4. final.

Newark Invitational

WHEN: Saturday at the Prudential Center, Newark

SCHEDULE
St. Peter's Prep vs. Pinewood Prep (S.C.), 12:30
Don Bosco Prep vs. Neumann Goretti (Pa.), 2
GIRLS: Bloomfield Tech vs. Shabazz, 3:30
St. Anthony vs. Whitney Young (Ill.), 5
St. Benedict's vs. Lincoln (N.Y.), 6:30
Union vs. LeFlore (Ala.), 8

TICKETS: Reserved seats $20. General admission $12 adults, $9 students.

BEST GAME: St. Benedict's vs. Lincoln

PLAYERS OF NOTE: In addition to LeFlore's Cousins and Lincoln's Stephenson (both noted above), there's St. Benedict's Tristan Thompson and Lamar Patterson (Pitt), St. Anthony's Dominic Cheek (Villanova) and Whitney Young's Chris Colvin (Iowa State).

ONE MORE THING: LeFlore (No. 14 in USA Today), began the week with a 67-54 triumph over Lincoln on Monday. Cousins had 17 points and 20 rebounds for LeFlore while Stephenson had 24 points and eight boards for Lincoln.


The Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless Classic

WHEN: Saturday at the Dunn Center, Elizabeth

SCHEDULE
Scotch Plains-Fanwood vs. St. Mary's (Eliz.), 5
St. Patrick vs. East Orange Campus, 6:45
Piscataway vs. Elizabeth, 8:30

TICKETS: $12 for adults, $8 for students and senior citizens

BEST GAME: Piscataway, No. 11 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, vs. No. 12 Elizabeth

PLAYERS OF NOTE: St. Patrick's senior guard Dexter Strickland (North Carolina), St. Patrick's Michael Gilchrist (just a sophomore), Piscataway swingman Tristan Benjamin and Elizabeth guard Latif Rivers.

ONE MORE THING: Two of the six teams playing in this event, Scotch Plains-Fanwood and Piscataway, were among the 12 finalists in the state public school group and non-public tournament championship games last March. Scotch Plains beat Timber Creek in the Group 3 final while Piscataway fell to Rancocas Valley in the Group 4 title game.

Philly Coach gets hit by player

Sayre coach on attacker: 'I feel for the young man'

By TED SILARY
Philadelphia Daily News
silaryt@phillynews.com

Eric Hooks spent yesterday at home, licking a wound and feeling thankful it was only of the figurative variety.

Mostly, he was in a forgiving mood.

Hooks, the second-year basketball coach at William Sayre High, on Tuesday was punched in the back of his head by a disgruntled player, senior Kelvin Johnson, after his team suffered an emotional, 71-69, Public League loss to visiting Delaware Valley Charter.

Detective Robert Conway, of Southwest Detectives, said Johnson's birth date on police records shows he will turn 19 next week. Conway said Johnson and his father, Gregory Johnson, 49, were arrested and charged with simple assault. Computerized records show Gregory Johnson also was charged with three other crimes, one of which was aggravated assault.

(A police spokesman Tuesday night had identified Kelvin Johnson as a minor.)

A spokesman for the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility said last night that Gregory Johnson was being held on $10,000 bail. An officer at the 18th District said Kelvin Johnson was released on bail last night.

Without using names, Hooks confirmed a source's original version of the incident: He was having an animated discussion with the father about the player's reduced playing time when he was punched from behind by the player.

Johnson has scored just two points all season. As a sophomore and junior, he scored a combined 61.

"I feel for the young man,'' Hooks said. "I don't look upon this as being his fault."

He added, "Generally speaking, I don't feel this young man had good adult leadership. He was led down the wrong path. If not for the actions of certain adults, I don't feel the situation would have come to that."

Elsewhere in the city yesterday, another Public League coach read about Hooks' terrible experience and cringed.

"It brought it all back. Right there ," the coach said. "You keep asking, 'What is this world coming to?' "

That coach, who prefers to remain anonymous, said he was sucker-punched last summer by a father still angered that his son had been cut from the team two seasons earlier.

The incident happened in front of the coach's house, as he was packing his car for a trip.

"He snuck me good," the coach said. "I was more embarrassed than injured; my glasses were broken."

The coach said his attacker, who lives just four blocks away, was issued a 1-year restraining order.

Hooks said the punch he received did not cause bleeding. At the advice of others, he made a trip to a nearby hospital and was told he'd suffered no ill effects.

Sayre, a former middle school, is a third-year PL member. It is located at 58th and Walnut, in West Philly.

"I'm amazed, astonished, that something like that could have happened," Hooks said. "When you're talking with someone, you don't think about it turning into an altercation . . . Just goes to show how the behavior of adults can impact kids."

The game itself was emotionally charged. The players often barked at each other and D-V's were steered directly to their locker room by Harris Sax, Sayre's athletic director, and security personnel, shortly after the game ended.

While Hooks acknowledged he should have put more energy into directing his players than complaining about referees' calls, he disputed D-V coach Tye Taylor's assertion, published in yesterday's Daily News, that he kicked a chair during the game and afterward ordered his players not to shake hands.

"Things were too heated," he said. "Rather than chance it - there would have been some big kids in close proximity; if something happens you're talking major problem - a combined decision was made to not do the handshake line and send D-V to the locker room."

Robert Coleman, director of PL sports, said he has not yet received serious incident reports from Sax and D-V's AD, Will Cambria.

Sayre today visits Communications Tech. Hooks said he intends to coach his squad and move forward.

"We want to play smart basketball and produce solid young men," he said. "We want to help as many as possible get into college. It's unfortunate that we're in the newspaper for this. "

Of the player, he said, "As he has the opportunity to think about everything, I know he'll realize that what he did was wrong."

Real Scout's Charlie Villanueva leads Bucks in rout of Mavs

Charlie Villanueva (far right) scored a season-high 32 points and the Milwaukee Bucks destroyed the Dallas Mavericks, 133-99, winning despite center Andrew Bogut sitting out his fourth straight game due to back spasms. Villanueva, who hit 12-of-17 from the field, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, also had 10 rebounds as the Bucks snapped a two-game skid.

Michael Redd went 5-of-9 from beyond the arc on the way to 27 points, and Ramon Sessions tallied 21 points and seven assists in the victory. Richard Jefferson posted 15 points, seven boards and eight assists.

"It was one of those nights when the basket opened up for us and we were able to knock them down," said Bucks coach Scott Skiles. "I thought we started the game a little bit sluggish, which is understandable considering we just came off a trip. Eight or nine minutes into the game we were able to regroup a little bit."

Dirk Nowitzki ended with 30 points to pace the Mavericks, losers in five of their last seven contests. Josh Howard added 19 points and Jason Kidd 18 for Dallas, which struggled by shooting 36.6 percent from the field. The Mavs' defense allowed the Bucks to make a season-high 57.8 percent from the floor, including a 13-of-26 mark from three-point range.

Sidney puts on a show for Fairfax

Written by: latimes.com

Renardo Sidney (Pictured), the 6-11 center from Fairfax, scored 27 points, had 10 rebounds and four blocks while contributing at least four dunks in an 84-72 Western League victory over University Wednesday.

USC-bound Solomon Hill added 24 points, including four three-pointers, and Jordan Weathers made four three-pointers in the third quarter for the Lions.

University (16-5, 2-2) put together a 13-0 run in the second quarter to close to 38-32. But Fairfax (14-3, 4-1) took charge in the third quarter, opening a 66-42 lead.

Alex Brooks scored 21 points, Andre Harris had 18 points and sophomore David Nwaba had 12 points and 16 rebounds for University. The game will be shown on LA36 on Thursday at 10 p.m.

Fairfax next plays San Diego Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the University of San Diego (Jenny Craig Pavilion). The game will be televised on ESPN2.

Kamari Murphy Athlete Of The Week (Fiveborosports.com ) NY

Kamari Murphy Birthdate: 1993-12-14
Hometown: Brooklyn , NY
Team: Bishop Ford
Height: 6' 6"
#34
Center

Athlete of the week for January, 14th 2009 Expectations were high for sophomore Kamari Murphy in his first year of varsity basketball after he helped lead Bishop Ford to the Class A freshman city championship. The 6-foot-6 dynamo averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds per game.

But the Falcons didn’t expect so much so fast. Murphy has become their secondary option next to star senior Chaz Williams. He is averaging 13 points and 11 rebounds per game, while making a difference on the defensive end as an intimidating shot blocker. Without him, Williams said, Ford wouldn’t be 11-1 and 8-0 in CHSAA ‘A’ South.

The Hofstra-bound point guard remembered watching Murphy struggle as a freshman, unable to dunk the ball against smaller players and hold his ground.

“Wow, that’s all I can say,” Williams said. “That kid works and he works and he works. I see his progress the last year until now and he’s improved drastically.”

Others have taken notice. A bevy of high profile Division I schools have reached out to Murphy, schools like Providence, St. John’s, Auburn, Hofstra, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech. But for the gangly 15-year-old, who is still learning every day, the recruitment process is still in its infant stage.

Murphy credited Williams with his seamless transition this winter. The 5-foot-9 guard took him under his wing, instilling his work ethic into the youngster. Williams always tells Murphy he has to work harder.

“Chaz helped me get adjusted,” he said. “Just running with Chaz made me a better player overall.”

While the Falcons made school history by winning their first Class A city championship a season ago, they had nobody like Murphy, who plays AAU with the Long Island Lightning. He can score in the paint, but can also shoot from the perimeter, creating mismatch problems for the opposition.

“He flashes well and he’s got great hands for a guy his size,” coach John Infortunio said. “I never expected so much this early in his career.”