To keep Dwight Howard, the Lakers will have to sell him on a vision for 2014 and beyond. As a result, if championships are his goal, the Rockets are the safer bet for a whole host of reasons. Read More. Written by Jonathan Tjarks on May 23, 2013
Stan Van Gundy knows his family has become comfortable living together in Orlando and has made it clear that he will not coach in the NBA next season. Read More.
The event gives front offices the opportunity to evaluate D-League players with the possibility of offering Summer League or training camp invites. Read More.
Tyus Jones, the No. 2 overall recruit for 2014 and an excellent point guard, was selected by Paul Biancardi, Adam Finkelstein and John Stovall. Read More.
Newark Memorial defeated Woodland Hills Taft 55-49 in the third place game of the 2011 Torrey Pines Holiday Classic.
Newark lost to eventual champion DeMatha in the semifinals by a score of 64-49, though the score was 41-38 at one point in the third quarter.
Casey Norris of Newark Memorial scored a game-high 23 points.
"He's a gritty, seasoned, four-year guy," said Newark head coach Craig Ashmore. "He carried us for a while when we weren't finishing as we should have been. I'm very proud of him."
Shabazz Muhammad became the leading scorer in Bishop Gorman history on Thursday.
Muhammad scored 22 points to surpass C.J. Watson's total of 1,640.
Bishop Gorman defeated Lakota East 76-38 in the Beach Ball Classic.
Mac Irvin, an influential summer hoops figure in the Chicago area, died on Saturday.
The exact cause of death was not immediately known, but Irvin had been fighting diabetes.
Duke assistant Jeff Capel was among the first to Tweet about Irvin's death.
"RIP to Mr. Mac Irvin," Capel Tweeted. "A mentor to so many. You will be missed!"
Countless elite prospects have spent summers playing for the Mac Irvin Fire. The most recent 17-and-under team featured Jabari Parker, a 6-foot-8 forward who is regarded as the nation's No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2013.
Jarnell Stokes, a five-star power forward from Memphis, announced that he would play for Cuonzo Martin at Tennessee.
Stokes is a consensus top-15 player in the incoming college class of 2012.
Stokes also considered Memphis, Kentucky, Arkansas and Florida.
"I have spent a lot of time in prayer about what to do, and I believe that the University of Tennessee is the right place for me," Stokes told ESPN. "I am excited about the future at Tennessee. I am going to work as hard as I can to fit in with my teammates and learn the system as quickly as I can to help the team."
Shabazz Muhammad is looking at Kentucky, Duke, UCLA, Arizona, Kansas and UNLV.
USC, the alma mater of Muhammad’s father, Ron Holmes, is apparently out, as is Texas A&M.
“I narrowed my list down actually to six,” he said at the City of Palms Classic. “I think it was a good thing for me to narrow them down to six because a lot of schools were calling that I wasn’t really interested in. So now I can stay grounded on the court and get ready and go through the season.”
Florida-bound Michael Frazier scored a game-high 19 points, making 8-of-11 field goals with a team-high 11 rebounds in Montverde's 92-80 win over Reserve Riverside Academy in the third place game of the State Farm City of Palms Classic.
Frazier had struggled in his previous three Classic games.
“My teammates, they kept my head up,” Frazier said. “They gave me confidence and helped me get out of my slump. The thing is, I was still rebounding and playing defense, so I wasn’t hurting my team. Defense is something I take pride in. We’re a defensive-minded team, and Coach (Kevin) Boyle is a defensive-minded coach. He has helped me raise my game.”
Mater Dei sophomore Stanley Johnson was given the assignment to guard Bishop Gorman's Shabazz Muhammad on Wednesday. Johnson is one of the top 25 members of the incoming college class of 2014.
Johnson held Muhammad to just two points in the first half.
“Shabazz is a great player,” Johnson said. “He is always moving. The coaches told me in the morning that I would be covering him, and I got a little timid. But I was just physical and tried to get him off his game.”
Muhammad finished the game with 26 points on 9-for-13 shooting, though many of those points were scored after Mater Dei had built a double-digit lead.
Nerlens Noel could reclassify and become a member of the incoming college class of 2012. Noel is currently a high school junior.
“Yeah I’ve heard that one,” Noel said of the rumor. “I’m not gonna do that though. I’m 90 percent sure that I won’t reclassify. But the fact that those coaches think I can play now, definitely gives me even more confidence on the court.”
Syracuse, Providence, Duke, Florida, Kentucky, Louisville, Georgetown and Connecticut are considered the leaders for Noel.
Nerlens Noel is averaging 7.5 blocks per game to go with 12.0 points and 10.0 rebounds for Tilton.
“I try and swat their shots even further into the stands or down the court,” said Noel. “To be honest, it makes me feel a little disrespected.”
Noel is a top-3 player in the incoming college class of 2013.
Noel blocked six shots, scored nine points, dished out six assists and snagged 17 rebounds in Tilton’s 80-50 win over Friends Central (Philadelphia) Monday.
“Nerlens is just all over the place,” said Friends Central forward Amile Jefferson, a senior who is ranked No. 24 in ESPN's Top-100. “He contests every shot and you’ve got to be aware of where he is at all times. He’s not the biggest guy on the court, but he plays like it.”
“Blocking shots is all about timing,” Noel said. “It doesn’t matter how big and strong a guy that I have to guard is, I know how to time blocks really well. You get your shot blocked a few times and you’re gonna start pump-faking. Then I’ve got you.”
The Skyline High (Oakland, CA) boys basketball team outlasted Santa Teresa (San Jose, CA) Thursday in the first round of the Granada (Livermore, CA) Holiday Classic, winning 97-94 in six overtimes.
Julius Randle says that he has discussed teaming up with some of the other top recruits from the 2013 incoming class, most notably Jabari Parker and Aaron Gordon.
Robert Smith, head coach of Simeon, didn't feel like his team played to the lofty expectations that have them ranked No. 1 in the country by several polls.