Roberts and JJ Moore Visit Saint John's-Roberts Decision Coming Soon?

According to Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog and other sources, Saint Peter's Prep forward Ronald Roberts is on an official visit to Saint John's University this weekend. Roberts was at Saint Joseph's two weekends ago on his official visit. As reported here around the time of his Saint Joe's visit, sources close to the situation have indicated that Roberts has narrowed his list of schools down to Saint Joseph's and Saint John's.

Roberts will not be alone at Saint John's for his visit. Also on an unofficial visit to Saint John's this weekend is South Kent small forward JJ Moore (pictured above). Moore has narrowed his list of schools to Louisville, Pitt, and Saint John's. Saint John's is clearly interested in signing a forward in the 2010 class as they are also involved with Jayvaughn Pinkston out of Brooklyn and Saint Anthony's forward Devon Collier.

While it is clear that Saint John's is in the market for a post player in the 2010 class, the player that is going to be remains to be seen. Both Moore and Roberts will be on campus this weekend.

When Roberts finishes his visit to Saint John's this weekend, he should have a great read on where he stands on the Saint John's coaching staff's priority list of forwards in the senior class. It is my belief that, shortly after this visit, Roberts will know which SJU he is going to choose.

Stay tuned.

Photo courtesy of Scout.

More From NBE Blog-SJU Names of Interest

In what is becoming a common entry on here, Jeff Borzello of NBE has more pertinent info for Hawk fans concerning 2010 and 2011 recruiting targets of the Hawks.

Juan'ya Green, Derrick Randall, and CJ Aiken (pictured above) are all discussed on the blog. The blog also lists the Hawks as having offered Justin Crosgile's former teammate at DePaul Catholic, Wally Sajimi. He is a class of 2011 5'11 lead guard with claimed offers from the Hawks, Rider, and Iona. He is receiving interest from the local Big East schools and others like Baylor and Wisconsin.

Check it out.

NBE Updates from IS8.

NBE Blog- Eddie Griffin Challenge Recap

Jeff Borzello of NBE Basketball Report has a great recap up of the Eddie Griffin Challenge. He has player evaluations of Myles Davis, Derrick Randall, Amile Jefferson, Ryan Arciadano, Jarrod Davis, Aaron Brown, and more. Well worth looking at.

EGC Recap Jeff Borzello

NJ and NYC Hoops Have IS8 and Eddie Griffin Challenge Updates

It was an eventful weekend in the tri-state area, with the IS8/Nike Tip-Off playoffs and the Eddie Griffin Challenge both taking place. I was unable to make either event, but NJHoops.com and NYC Hoops were there and have recaps up on their sites. Links to both articles are below.

A few players with SJU interest played Saturday afternoon at the IS8. Saint Peter's Prep guard Myles Davis was one of the high point men in the game with 20 points. His coach, Jerome Smart, called Davis "one of the best pure scorers and shooters in America" following the game. Davis has already been to SJU unofficially. Another 2011 target of the Hawks, and one who claims to sport an SJU offer, is Patterson Cathlic's Derrick Randall. Randall was matched up inside with one of the top 10 seniors in America, Tobias Harris. According to NYC Hoops, Randall played a very strong and impressive game on the defensive end. Myles Davis and Derrick Randall are pictured above, with Davis on the left and Randall center.

NJ Hoops also has a brief recap of the Eddie Griffin Challenge up online. NJ beat the Philly team behind an MVP effort out of Duke-bound Kyrie Irving. Irving had 19 points and 11 assists. Former SJU target and current Pitt commit John Johnson had 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists in a losing effort for the Philly team in the junior game.

2010 Hawk commit CJ Aiken played in the senior game as well as target Ronald Roberts.

Here are links to the NJ Hoops articles:

NJ Hoops Eddie Griffin Challenge

NYC Hoops IS8 Recap

Photo Courtesy of NYC Hoops

2009 Eddie Griffin Challenge (Updated Wednesday)

Next Sunday, October 25th, the annual Eddie Griffin Challenge will take place in Conshohocken, PA. Full rosters are not completely set, but this is the information that I can pass on to you at this time:

The Philly seniors team will feature Syracuse commit Dion Waiters, Virginia Tech commit Tyrone Garland, Wake Forest commit Tony Chenault, Saint Joe's commit CJ Aiken, and Tyreek Duren, who is deciding between two A10 schools in LaSalle and Temple. This is a great chance to see Aiken against some solid competition.

The list of New Jersey seniors scheduled to play on Saturday has also been released now. The list is headlined by one of the top seniors in all of America, 6'2 Saint Patrick's guard Kyrie Irving. Saint Joe's 2010 target Ronald Roberts is also on the roster. Trenton Catholic guard and 2010 Drexel commit Frantz Massenat is also on the roster alongside Saint Anthony bigman and Richmond commit Derrick Williams. Fellow Saint Anthony bigmen Devon Collier and Ashton Pankey should also appear as well as 2010 Seton Hall commit Fuquan Edwin.

The New Jersey juniors team features a handful of players with SJU interest. Myles Davis (pictured above), who is teammates with Ron Roberts at Saint Peter's Prep, is one of the guards scheduled to play in the event. Two of the top big men in the state, both with offers from the Hawks, are scheduled to play. They are New Egypt's Desmond Hubert and Patterson Catholic's Derrick Randall. A trio of forwards with Hawk interest are also listed in Jarrelle Reischel, freak athlete Jarrod Davis, and Vaughn Gray. Also on the NJ juniors team are phenom Mike Gilchrist, Texas commit Myck Kabongo, and guard Sterling Gibbs.

Going against the NJ Juniors team is their Philly area counterpart. SJU target Malcolm Gilbert is on the roster. 2011 Pitt commit, and a player the Hawks recruited hard, John Johnson will get a chance to go up against the solid NJ guards. Talented guard Juan'ya Green is also on the roster. Long considered a Nova lock, Green may be looking elsewhere as Nova got a verbal from elite level 2011 guard Ashcraf Yacoubou on Wednesday. Friends Central guard and Plymouth Whitemarsh forward Jalen Bond are also on the roster.

The game will feature one SJU verbal commit in CJ Aiken and a 2010 recruiting target in Ronald Roberts. A number of 2011 targets are playing as well: Myles Davis, Malcolm Gilbert, Desmond Hubert, Derrick Randall, Juan'ya Green, Vaughn Gray, and a few others.

It should be an exciting day of basketball, with the sophomore game starting at 4, the junior game at 5:30, and the senior game at 7 pm.


NJ Hoops List of Philly Seniors

Hagan Dedication Recap

The dedication ceremony for the new Hagan Arena was full of Hawk legends past and present. Comcast Sportsnet's Neil Hartman was the MC for the evening, at times sharing the spotlight with SJU's own Joe Lunardi.

The dedication ceremony began just after 5 o'clock with a video commemorating 100 years of Hawk hoops. The video paid tribute to individual and team accomplishments of both players and coaches. From the Mighty Mites to Dr. Jack to Jameer, the video highlighted the accomplishments of the basketball programs, both men's and women's, over their time here on Hawk Hill.

Next, Hawk fans were treated to a singing/dancing spectacle courtesy of a group of local students (I believe high school). I do not foresee it replacing "The Hawk Will Never Die" any time soon.

Among the people to speak during the course of the evening were Mike Bantom, Don DiJulio, Governor Ed Rendell, and of course, Michael Hagan. Mike Bantom spoke about how Saint Joe's recruits a special type of player, and over their time here, they are molded into something even greater. Ed Rendell spoke about how he knew about the Hawks even from a young age, despite being a New York kid. He told the story about how he saw the Hawks play at Madison Square as a child and was amazed at the passion of the Hawk faithful. And something involving a mackerel. And finally Michael Hagan's speech was one of heart-felt thanks to all the others who made the new arena possible.


A number of ex Hawks were in the house for the evening, including Chet Stachitas and Tyrone Barley from the Elite Eight team of 2003-2004. Chet was introduced as the player who taught a student section how to spell.

Also in attendace were 2010 verbal commitments Langston Galloway and CJ Aiken, along with 2010 recruit Ronald Roberts. All 3 players sat together during the ceremony.

Following the festivities, attendees were given free roam of the facilities, including the Hall of Fame room, the coaches offices, the locker rooms, the players lounge, and more.

With the home opener against Drexel just under four weeks away, Hawk fans were given a glimpse of the new arena. Players past, present, and future got to look back at how far this program has come in a hundred years and also look forward to a future that is just as bright.

Special Guests at the Hagan Ceremony; Ronald Roberts to SJU?

Some significant news has trickled into Hawk Hill Hardwood over the past couple of hours concerning this Saturday's Hagan Opening Ceremony and Dedication. The festivities will take place this Saturday at 5 pm on Hawk Hill.

Three future Hawks will be in the house for the festivities. Louisiana native Langston Galloway (pictured above), 6'6 small forward Daryus Quarles, and 6'9 shotblocker CJ Aiken will all be in attendance for the dedication. They will get a glimpse inside a building where they are sure to sure to create many memories over the coming years.

A possible fourth member of the 2010 recruiting class will also be on campus for the weekend. Hawk Hill Hardwood has heard from a reliable source that 6'7 Saint Peter's Prep forward Ronald Roberts will also be on campus this weekend to attend the dedication.

Roberts has long listed the Hawks as a potential college destination. That is looking like even more of a reality now. Our sources have informed us that Ronald has possibly narrowed his college list to two schools: Saint Joseph's and Saint John's. This is major news for the Hawks as Roberts would add yet another dimension to the already exceptionally talented 2010 recruiting class. Roberts does appear to be SJU-bound. Which SJU, however, still appears up in the air.

Stay tuned.

Hawk Hill Hardwood will be on hand for the ceremony Saturday which could give Hawk fans an exciting look into the future.

New 2010 Target for the Hawks?

With CJ Aiken, Daryus Quarles, and Langston Galloway set to sign with the Hawks in a little less than a month, a new name has arrived. The Hawks have long been linked with Saint Peter's Prep forward Ronald Roberts from the class of 2010. A new name in that class has come to our attention at Hawk Hill Hardwood courtesy of Matt Bracken at the Baltimore Sun. In an article from October 7th, Bracken discusses the recruitment of Baltimore shooting guard Dante Holmes.

In his article (which is linked below for you to check out) Bracken interviews Saint Frances assistant coach Nick Myles about his senior guard. Myles mentions that Providence is coming in to see Holmes and that SJU, Fordham, Temple, and Quinnipiac have also been in lately to see him.

Holmes is an athletic 2 guard who checks in right around 6'3. ESPN has evaluated him over the past couple of years and describes him as an athletic and hard-working wing guard. ESPN also cites his ability to guard the 1, 2, and 3 defensively.

This is a new name to us at HHH and probably to most Hawk fans. The level of interest either way is unknown, but it is a name to put in the back of your head for the time being.

Baltimore Sun Dante Holmes Article

Alex Schwartz's Top 45 in Jersey

Alex Schwartz of the Northstar Basketball Blog released his list of the top 45 upperclassmen in the state of New Jersey today. The names up top (Mike Gilchrist and Kyrie Irving) are no surprise at all. Many of the names on the list are of some interest to Hawk fans. And here they are:

10- Daryus Quarles (SJU verbal...can sign his LOI a month from yesterday)

15- Ronald Roberts (has been listing the Hawks as one of his top schools)

Both Quarles and Roberts are seniors and members of the 2010 class

17- Desmond Hubert (one of the big men targeted by the staff in the 2011 class)

18-Derrick Randall (another 2011 big who lists the Hawks as having offered...pictured above)

23- Myles Davis (a 2011 guard who has already visited Hawk Hill. High school and AAU teammates with Roberts)

27- Vaughn Gray (2011 small forward who claims to have an SJU offer)


Other names on there have been linked to SJU as well, but to a lesser degree. Names like Shawn Valentine and Jarrod Davis.

New Jersey, year in and year out, is a state deep in basketball talent. To be so involved with so many of the state's top players has to be viewed as a positive sign.

A link to the Schwart article is below:

Schwartz Top 45 in NJ

Quarles To Sit Out the Year

Paulsboro senior and Saint Joe's commit Daryus Quarles has been officially ruled ineligible to play this season by the New Jersey Commissioner of Education according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Phil Anastasia. Quarles had appealed the initial ruling, but this week the appeal was turned down. Daryus played for the Paulsboro Red Raiders as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to Life Center Academy last year. In March, he left LCA to return to Paulsboro. Phil Anastasia reported that Quarles will be allowed to participate in team practices. The article is linked below:


Phil Anastasia Article

Desmond Hubert Gets Another Offer

One of the top junior big men on the East Coast had a big weekend. On a visit to Maryland, 6'8 Desmond Hubert received a scholarship offer according to ESPN. Hubert has an offer from Maryland to go along with interest from Saint Joseph's, Villanova, Pitt, Providence, Xavier, Rutgers, Penn State and numerous other schools. Hubert's cousin, Brian Grant, starred at Xavier before having a successful NBA career. In a July interview with Rivals, Hubert mentioned that he thought that he favored a small school. Obviously Maryland does not quite fit that bill, so Hubert is probably open to at least looking at schools of all sizes. He also said that his family would not mind if he stayed close to home. Hubert is a long way from making a college decision. The talented junior will certainly have options big and small, near and far.

Desmond is a consensus top 75 player. Rivals ranks him 41, Scout as their 8th best center, and ESPN as #60 in his class. He is an extremely athletic and long prospect who, as of now, does not show much of a back to the basket game. He runs the court and can get way above the rim on the offensive and defensive ends.

Final Gym Rats Recap

Better late than never, here is the final recap of last Saturday night's Gym Rats Midnight Madness event at Cherry Hill East High School in New Jersey. The final two players we are going to take a closer look at are Patterson Catholic's 6'7 Kyle Anderson and the "youtube sensation" Cesar Guerrero.

Kyle Anderson(Class of 2012, undecided, pictured above): Anderson is considered by most to be one of the most intriguing and promising sophomores in the country. It's very difficult to label Anderson as a guard or a small forward or to really put a label on him at all. He is simply a tremendously talented basketball player. Although only a sophomore, Anderson displayed a calm and understanding of the game well beyond his years. At 6'7, he could project as a lead guard at the next level, a 2, or a small forward. He showed great court vision, a reliable jumpshot, and good athleticism. Anderson played on the USA Basketball Men's Developmental Team earlier this summer. As he continues to grow, both physically and skill-wise, Anderson is likely to become one of the more hotly recruited players on the East Coast. His understanding of the game and selflessness were almost easily overlooked in a game like this, but the fact that we could notice shows you just how much potential he has.

Cesar Guerrero (Class of 2011, undecided): If there is a basic polar opposite to Anderson, Guerrero is it. That is not to say at all that he doesn't have talent. He does. And plenty of it. As smooth and fluid and relaxed as Anderson is on the court, Cesar is up-tempo and flashy. Standing right around 6 foot, Cesar is basically a human highlight reel. He played in the event last year so his no-look passes and dynamic dribbling were no surprise at all. Cesar has terrific court vision and makes every pass, at the least, very entertaining to watch. He also played surprisingly good defense in this game, which is possible due to his competitive nature and quickness. The only question that colleges are likely to have is whether he can temper the And 1 style to his game for a college setting. He was one of the most entertaining players on the court and one that can electrify a crowd. He was introduced on Saturday as a "youtube sensation" because of his highlights online. For those interested, there's a link below to check them out.

Guerrero Youtube Highlights

Photo Above Courtesy of SNY

Crosgile Injured, Out 6-8 Weeks; Final Gym Rats Recap Tomorrow

Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog is reporting that Saint Joseph's freshman guard Justin Crosgile will be sidelined 6 to 8 weeks with a torn ligament in his left thumb. Zags is reporting that the thumb was injured in a pick-up game. This is tough news for the Hawks since he will likely miss some games at the beginning of the season. Justin was going to get to compete with fellow freshman Carl Jones, among others, for a possible spot in the starting lineup at lead guard. This is a story that we will continue to follow as information comes out.

See the link below for the Zagsblog article:

Justin Crosgile Injured

My final notes from last week's Gym Rats Midnight Madness will be up tomorrow. The recap will focus on Patterson Catholic sophomore Kyle Anderson and California native Cezar Guerrero.

Photo Courtesy of Rivals