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
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.
Parade announced the 2011 All-America Basketball Teams this week.
Austin Rivers (Duke), Bradley Beal (Florida), Anthony Davis (Kentucky), Chase Fischer (Wake Forest), Adonis Thomas (Memphis), Rodney Cooper (Alabama), Dantley Walker (UNLV), DJ Gardner (Mississippi State), Trevor Lacey (Undecided) and Wayne Blackshear (Louisville) were named to the First Team.
On the Second Team were D'Angelo Harrison (St. John's), Adam Smith (UNC-Wilmington), Troy Wroten (Washington), Chane Behanan (Louisville), Cody Zeller (Indiana), Trey Burke (Michigan), Kyle Caudill (Boston College), Jahil Carson (Arizona State), LeBryan Nash (Oklahoma State) and Angelo Chol (Arizona).
Receiving Third Team honors were Wesley Saunders (Harvard), Shelby Moats (Vanderbilt), Devonta Abron (Arkansas), Jarvis Threatt (Delaware), Amir Williams (Ohio State), Jordan Baker (Pepperdine), Branden Dawson (Michigan State), P.J. Hairston (North Carolina), James McAdoo (North Carolina) and Xavier Ford (Buffalo).
The Fourth Team was comprised of Julien Lewis (Texas), Jake White (Wichita State), Johnny O'Bryant (LSU), Tanner Wozniak (FIU), Myck Kabongo (Texas), Reese Morgan (Cal Poly), Michael Gilchrist (Kentucky), Colun Gruber (Northern Arizona), Ryan Spangler (Gonzaga) and Marquis Teague (Kentucky).
For the first time in Illinois history, two players shared its top basketball award.
East Aurora's Ryan Boatright and Rock Island's Chasson Randle each finished with 257 points after statewide voting by coaches and media ended March 25.
Randle, who was named Gatorade Player of the Year in Illinois, will team with Boatright on the North team this weekend in the All-American Championship games in Houston, site of the Final Four.
Morgan Park's Wayne Blackshear was third with 198 points, followed by Perspectives-MSA's Anthony Davis (120) and Benet's David Sobolewski (90).
Boatright, a senior guard who has signed with Connecticut, averaged 32 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals per game.
Randle, a senior guard who has signed with Stanford, averaged 21.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
Past winners of the award include Derrick Rose and Kevin Garnett.
The projected future stars of college basketball and the NBA will take to the biggest stage of high school hoops tonight in the 31st McDonald’s All-American game.
Scout.com’s Brian Snow was at every practice session and praised the play of future Duke guard Austin Rivers and Kentucky forward Kyle Wiltjer.
“I wouldn’t say there was one moment that wowed everyone but you certainly took notice of Austin Rivers and Kyle Wiltjer,” Snow said. “It seemed like those cats didn’t miss a shot.”
While Kentucky enjoys the success of their first Final Four bid in over a decade, the addition next season of incoming freshman Michael Gilchrist will ensure continued success regardless of how many players leave early.
"He just does it all," St. Patrick coach Kevin Boyle said. "He's one of the best guys I've seen in a long, long time."
The 6-7 Gilchrist averaged 19.4 points, 14.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists as a senior.
Gilchrist is also one of the few prep stars to play elite level defense.
"I always play hard," Gilchrist said. "I just don't like to lose."
Gilchrist picked Kentucky over Oregon, Vanderbilt, Texas and Villanova.
"He's going to a style that's good for him," Boyle said. "[Kentucky is] gonna try to get up and down."
Kyle Wiltjer won the three-point shootout at the Powerade Jam Fest, talling 17 points in the second round -- including a double-point ball at the buzzer -- to claim the shootout in the McDonald’s All-American Game festivities.
“People say that big men can’t shoot and I just like to prove them wrong,” said Wiltjer, who is from Portland, Ore.
Wiltjer said his versatility makes him a tougher player for opponents to prepare for and he likes to show off his skills in an event like the shootout.
“My shooting against players males me tougher to defend,” he said. “Teams have to respect my shot.”
Wiltjer is rated the No. 25 overall prospect in the class of 2011 by recruiting service Rivals.com.
Austin Rivers, who led Winter Park to the past two Class 6A state championships, has been chosen as Parade Magazine's Player of the Year.
Rivers joins a list of Parade top-player honorees that includes Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Love
"It's an honor,'' said Rivers, a Duke signee who averaged 28.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game last season. "It means a lot, but it just goes to show me that I have to keep working hard. It's a blessing.''
Cody Zeller won his third championship in four seasons as Washington took a 61-46 victory over Culver Academies in the Class 3A Indiana state championship.
"It's definitely fun winning it," said Zeller, who finished with 20 points and 18 rebounds. "It gets better every time. I could have never done it without my teammates and coaches."
Washington has won four state championships in seven seasons, with Cody's brothers Luke and Tyler also winning as seniors.
Washington coach Gene Miiller, in his sixth season, said it's "been a special era."
"It's a tremendous time in Washington basketball, that's for sure," Miiller said. "It's been a great ride and it's meant a lot to our community and our school. The Zellers have been great players and great people. But I think you also have to look at it and think about those other guys, too. . . . (The Zellers) had great role players around them."
Mater Dei pulled out a 43-36 victory over De La Salle in the lowest-scoring Division I final ever in California history. Gary McKnight and the Monarchs are now tied with Los Angeles Crenshaw with eight state titles, the most in California.
Katin Reinhardt, who will play for USC in 2012, had 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter for Mater Dei.
Mater Dei has just one senior among their top 10 players.
Miles Simon, D.J. Strawberry, David Wear and Travis Wear are among the more notable former Mater Dei products.
The 2011 Nike Hoop Summit will be played on April 9th at the Rose Garden in Portland.
Leading the way for the USA will be four players who helped the USA to gold at both the 2009 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship, including 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship MVP Brad Beal (Chaminade College Prep/St. Louis, Mo.), Quinn Cook (Oak Hill Academy/Bowie, Md.), James McAdoo (Norfolk Christian/ Norfolk, Va.) and Adonis Thomas (Melrose H.S./Cordova, Tenn.).
The USA Junior National Select team also features 2010 USA U17 gold medalists Michael Gilchrist (St. Patrick H.S./Somerdale, N.J.), Marquis Teague (Pike H.S./Indianapolis, Ind.) and Tony Wroten (Garfield H.S./Seattle, Wash.), as well as Austin Rivers (Winter Park H.S./Winter Park, Fla.), who helped lead the USA to a gold medal in the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship.
Rounding out the roster are USA Basketball newcomers Rakeem Christmas (Academy of the New Church/Philadelphia, Pa.) and Anthony Davis (Perspectives Charter/Chicago, Ill.).
Kyle Wiltjer, a 6’9” forward from the Jesuit High School will represent Canada on the World Select Team.
Along with Wiltjer, the other forward positions are taken by Dario Saric (6’9”, KK Zagreb CC and Croatia) and Davis Bertans (6’7”, Union Olimpija and Latvia).
Mateusz Ponitka (6’5”, Tempcold AZS and Poland), Kevin Pangos (6’1”, Dr Denison H.S., Ontario, Canada), Evan Fournier (6’6”, Union Poitiers and France) and Raul Neto (6’2”, Pitagoras/Minas and Brazil) will be featured as guards.
The global squad is currently rounded off with centers Lucas Nogueira (7’0”, Estudiantes and Brazil) and Przemyslaw Karnowski (7’0”, SMS PZKosz and Poland).
RSS Feed