Michael Gilchrist entered the month as No. 1

ORLANDO: DAY THREE REPORT

ORLANDO — At the AAU National Championships, this was a big day for the playoffs in both the 17-Under and the 16-Under tournaments. With the 16s being (in our opinion) fairly weak in elite caliber talent, our focus today was upon the 17-Under division. We saw all or a significant part of 13 games, with the leading performers in seven of them discussed below.

In the first of St. Louis Gameface’s two victories on Thursday, blue-chip 6-3 Florissant (MO) McCluer North rising senior WG/PG B.J. Young had two crucial turnovers late in regulation play but bounced back in overtime to virtually personally defeat Alabama-based NLP 17U Ds by a 58-53 count. Read story

"DVD Release: The Class Of 2011
Sensations"

-- PrepStars Keeps Getting Better 'n Better... - Click For Details

Saddle Up!!! Join Us Along The Recruiting Trail!
Email For FREE Recruiting Updates!!!

ORLANDO: DAY TWO REPORT

ORLANDO, Fla. — With games played all day at 39 different courts, we had our hands full on day two while watching all or part of 13 pool-play games in the AAU 17U National Championships and approximately half of the round of 16 in the AAU 16U National Championships.

There were few truly outstanding performances that we witnessed, thus we’ve elected to focus below upon key players in a half-dozen of the 17U games and two of the 16U playoff games. Read story

Rankings & School Lists Select Item - Class Of - 2011 2012 2013 2010 2009 2009JC 2008 2008JC 2007 2007JC 2006 2006JC 2005 2005JC 2004 2003 2003JC 2002 2002JC 2001 2001JC      Michael Gilchrist is the pacesetter in the 2011 class. Check out our top-10 player rankings from the past. You'll recognize these names. Program Profiles Select Item HotList U      TimeTravel: 1980 Top Recruiting Classes Parade of Programs: Conference breakdown from the Recruiter's Handbook Video Exclusives Select Item NCAA Calendar      Event Calendar: PrepStars.com features a comprehensive event calendar, courtesy of the NCAA

SUPER SHOWCASE FINALE
July 28, 2010

ORLANDO, Fla. - We hit the ground running and were present for the Super Showcase 17U Gold Bracket championship game at the ESPN Wide World of Sports venue.

This game was actually a rematch between the St. Louis Eagles and Florida-based Each One Teach One (also known as Team Stat), who faced each other in mid-June on the final afternoon of the NIKE Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) session in Virginia (Hampton). Read story

VEGAS: FINAL THOUGHTS
July 27, 2010

The party is over in Las Vegas, and the Adidas Super 64 wrapped up with the Double Pump Elite team defeating the Memphis Magic Select in the championship contest.

We covered many of the prominent names throughout the week of coverage, but here are a few more points of interest as the focus now shifts toward Orlando to round out the July evaluation period. Read story

VEGAS WEEK: DAY FOUR REPORT
July 25, 2010

LAS VEGAS — Day 4 in Las Vegas was the final day of the Fab 48 and a key day for the playoffs (through the quarterfinals) at the Adidas Super 64. We viewed a total of 11 games, with five being Adidas playoff games and the other six being Fab 48 games, including three 17U Championship bracket quarterfinals and the title game in that division.

At the Fab 48, the Drew Gooden Soldiers proved to be the dominant team, only being challenged (84-80) by the New Jersey Playaz in the semifinals. Read story

VEGAS WEEK: DAY THREE REPORT
July 24, 2010

LAS VEGAS — In our third day in Las Vegas, we divided time between the Adidas Super 64 and the Las Vegas Fab 48, which each featured playoff games in the afternoon and evening. We viewed all or most of 10 different games, and the highlight performances we witnessed are discussed below.

This wasn’t a day for the faint of heart, as the games were particularly fierce and several fights and near-fights resulted. Read story

VEGAS WEEK: DAY TWO REPORT
July 23, 2010

LAS VEGAS — With only two major events (the Adidas Super 64 and Dinos Trigonis’ new Fab 48) to cover in Las Vegas this July, it’s much easier to see the players and travel teams whose progress you wish to monitor. We really got an eyeful particularly on the second day, when we viewed all or at least significant parts of eight different games at the Adidas Super 64.

Here are the guys whose stellar play especially caught our attention. Read story

VEGAS WEEK: DAY ONE REPORT
July 22, 2010

LAS VEGAS — The first day of the five-day hoops affair in Las Vegas took place on Thursday, and we spent our time at the loaded Adidas Super 64. The Super 64 has become a mainstay on the travel circuit and is joined this year by the Fab 48, which we’ll be watching extensively this week and weekend as well.

We spent most of Thursday fine-tuning some rough edges, watching teams we’d mostly seen previously this month but still had lingering questions in our own minds that needed to be answered. We also saw a couple elites who’d been out of action this month until now. Read story

INTEREST IN THOMAS PICKS UP
July 20, 2010

One of the nation’s more overlooked high-major wings is Aaron Thomas, the 6-4 WF at Cincinnati (OH) Aiken who tours the travel circuit with the Queen City Prophets.

Playing at the Peach State Showcase last week in Aiken, S.C., Thomas showcased the scoring ability that enabled him to first emerge upon the national scene this past spring. Read story

NOTES FROM THE ROAD
July 19, 2010

We’re at the midway point of the July evaluation, the first leg of which concluded late last week. The live period — defined as the stretch when college coaches are allowed to watch players perform at tournaments and camps — resumes on Thursday.

The second half of July largely consists of action in Las Vegas and Orlando, but before shifting focus to those major events, let’s take a look at some of the lessons learned thus far. Read story

PEACH JAM: FINAL REPORT
July 15, 2010

Team Takeover won the prestigious Peach Jam Classic on Thursday, defeating the St. Louis Eagles in the final. Takeover wasn’t the most talented team at the event but played consistent, disciplined basketball to survive and advance, triumphing in Nike’s first ever Elite Youth Basketball League.

We spent our final time in the Augusta area actually split between the Peach Jam and the competing Peach State Summer Showcase, a non-shoe event held in nearby Aiken, S.C. Read story

PEACH JAM: STUDS EDITION
July 14, 2010

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — The completion of pool play at the Peach Jam welcomed the return of Nike’s circuit’s elite players, and their presence on the court definitely was felt. For one thing we witnessed one of the 2010 travel circuit’s signature performances, as delivered by No. 1 senior prospect Michael Gilchrist.

Gilchrist essentially jumped off a plane that arrived from Germany — where he’d been competing international for USA Basketball — and turned a 9:00 a.m. tip into a personal highlight reel. Read story

PEACH JAM: DAY ONE REPORT
July 12, 2010

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — No tournament taking place this summer can boast the build-up and organization of the Peach Jam. Representing the culmination of Nike’s grassroots circuit, The Elite Young Basketball League, the Peach Jam is a four-day event featuring 24 of Nike’s best teams, five rounds of pool play and playoff rounds beginning on Wednesday evening.

While there is much to report from the first day of action, things will intesify as the week progresses into the playoff rounds. Read story

BRICK'S CORNER: CLEVELAND RECAP
July 12, 2010

At the Nike-sponsored King City Classic in Cleveland, we eyeballed a full slate of games while also viewing two afternoon sessions of the Super Soph Camp, also in Cleveland. Below are our choices as the most impressive nine players at the King City Classic, with the top four being big men, including a pair of precocious rising juniors.

We've examined these four players in rank order. Read story

BRICK'S CORNER: ADIDAS RECAP
July 12, 2010

Last week we watched two days of play at the Adidas Invitational in Indianapolis, two days at the Nike-sponsored King City Classic in Cleveland, and two sessions of Clay Dade’s Super Soph All American Camp, also in Cleveland.

Below are capsules on those responsible for eight of the most impressive game performances we viewed at the Adidas Invitational, whose 17 Under Platinum division was won by the Dallas Mustangs over the New Heights NYC aggregation. Read story

ADIDAS INVITATIONAL: DAY TWO REPORT
July 7, 2010

INDIANAPOLIS —The second day of action at the Adidas Invitational was affected by an NCAA rule, and in a positive manner. Because teams can play only five times in consecutive days and due to the fact that most 17-under clubs played three games on the first day, that opened up more time slots to watch underclassmen.

And watch them we did. The Class of 2012 continues to impress us with its abundance of frontcourt high-majors, and we were able to add to that mix of players. Read story

ADIDAS INVITATIONAL: DAY ONE REPORT
July 6, 2010

INDIANAPOLIS — The inaugural Adidas Invitational features a combination of players who in years past had been scattered between the It Takes 5ive tournament in Cincinnati and the Reebok All-American Camp. But with the demise of Reebok’s event, some of those would-have-been campers now are competing with Reebok’s sister company Adidas.

Day one was high in talent and also high in uniqueness. Each pool was only three-teams deep, and playoffs actually began on the first day of action! In order to conclude the event at a reasonable time on the 8th, Adidas had to stuff a great deal of action into the opening day. Read story

UPDATED RANKINGS!

Just prior to the opening of the summer evaluation period for college coaches (on July 6), we wanted to update our rankings and school lists for each of the most relevant classes. The obvious focus for many will be on the rising senior Class of 2011, where Michael Gilchrist retains his place atop the national chart. Meanwhile, Andre Drummond leads the way in the 2012 class.

Just click on the links below or follow the rankings and school lists link on the left sidebar to see the latest! Class of 2011; Class of 2012; Class of 2013

JULY HOOPS SIZZLE
July 5, 2010

THE RECRUITING TRAIL - College basketball recruiting grabs the spotlight during the next few weeks at showcase events throughout the country. During the vital time frame, PrepStars.com will continue to monitor prospect performances to help our readership make sense of the recruiting game.

Heading into the crucial evaluation period, two Class of 2011 prospects have caught our eye. Dealing from the perimiter, backcourt floor general Quinn Cook, 6-0 PG Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill, and Ivory Coast 6-9 C Adjehi Baru will continue to be tracked on radar. Catch them in action in our video exclusive. Read story

FINAL TEAM RANKINGS FOR 2010 CLASS
June 28, 2010

Though there are a small handful of decisions from the incoming freshman class of 2010, for the most part the team rankings are finalized for the upcoming season. The one caveat to that is the inevitable attrition due to academic problems, but we won’t have those answers until late summer.

At the top, Kentucky’s dynamic spring under John Calipari vaulted the Wildcats into first place. Read story

POYTHRESS READY FOR JULY
June 24, 2010

We first saw rising junior Alex Poythress at the Tournament of Champions over Memorial Day. Word had it he was a major talent, and certainly our assessment of him there agreed with those early reports. Playing with the Nashville Celtics, the 6-7 WF/BF at Clarksville (TN) Northeast was a dominant factor against the strong CP3 All-Stars.

Poythress made his next national stop at the NBAPA Top 100 Camp, which took place last weekend. His scoring output there wasn’t up to the pace he’d set for himself at the TOC, but he did contribute as a rebounder and defender, and his offense improved as the camp progressed. Read story

Recruiting News | Exclusive Features | Rankings & Lists | Program Profiles | Event Coverage | Archives | Home

© 2010 Sports Letter, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Read Terms Of Use under which this service is provided to you.
Contact us.