Davon Reed Fields Calls

Yesterday marked the first day that college coaches could contact players in the class of 2013. As a result, phones across the nation were ringing off the hook throughout the day. One local player who received more than his fair share of phone calls was Princeton Day School (NJ) rising junior Davon Reed. Reed, a 6'5 shooting guard who plays his AAU ball with Team Final, has had a terrific spring. The buzz surrounding him this spring no doubt led to the volume of calls he received yesterday.

I caught up with Davon's high school coach at PDS, Paris McLean, last night about the calls that Davon fielded yesterday. Among the schools that contacted Davon yesterday, according to his coach, were Seton Hall, Rutgers, La Salle, Ohio State, DePaul, Florida, Iowa, Florida State, Cincinnati, Pitt, West Virginia, Dartmouth, Baylor, and Saint Joseph's. He also admitted that the day was so busy that he could be leaving schools off that list.

One thing is for sure though. Many of these schools will be tracking Davon during the July evaluation periods. One event that Davon and his AAU teammates will be participating in during July is the Hoop Group Summer Classic in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania on July 11th and 12th. During that event, which is open to college coaches, you can bet that Davon will draw a crowd.

Davon Reed: A First Look

The Philadelphia area constantly churns out high-level, nationally-regarded basketball talent. This season alone, New Jersey and Philadelphia players made their presence felt during the NCAA tournament; from Philadelphia natives like Rick Jackson, Scoop Jardine, the Morris twins, and Lavoy Allen to New Jersey natives Tyshawn Taylor. Kyrie Irving, and Kenny Faried.

The current sophomore class in Philadelphia and New Jersey is loaded with talent, and one of the first names mentioned in that class is Princeton Day School (NJ) sophomore guard Davon Reed. I had a chance to speak with Davon's high school coach at PDS yesterday and learn a bit about his rising star.

Princeton Day School is coached by 2000 PDS grad, and former La Salle University football player, Paris McLean. The 2010-2011 PDS team had their most successful season since the 2003-2004 campaign, and McLean and Davon Reed are the primary reasons why. According to McLean, Davon has grown since the end of his high school season, and is currently a legitimate 6'5 and around 185 pounds. For PDS, Reed utilizes his versatility on the court, playing everywhere on the court, from the point guard spot to the low block. Down the line, his coach sees him as a shooting guard with serious upside. Something of note, according to McLean, is the fact that Davon is also young for his grade, not turning 16 until June.

As a freshman at PDS, Davon was primarily an athletic slasher to the basket. During his freshman year, he showed his athletic prowess not only on the basketball court, but also on the football field. This year, he put football to the side to focus solely on basketball. This sophomore season, he demonstrated a greatly improved perimeter game and a steady jumper. That jumper from three has improved to the point where McLean described it as one of Davon's greatest strengths. Through countless hours in the gym, Davon's game has improved leaps and bounds even since the end of the high school season.

Throughout our conversation, McLean stressed how Davon was so much more than a terrific basketball player, but also an outstanding student and an even better person. After landing his offer from SJU head coach Phil Martelli, Davon individually thanked every player on his team and every coach at Princeton Day, telling them that he wouldn't be blessed with these offers if it wasn't for them. Davon's family values education above all else, including basketball, which is one of the reasons that he is playing at Princeton Day as opposed to one of the New Jersey schools with more basketball name recognition. While PDS isn't in the realm of a Saint Anthony or a Saint Patrick's, they do have a good young nucleus of players and are likely to draw some incoming talent in the coming years. Another player on PDS to keep an eye on is freshman Langston Glaude, who plays in the backcourt with Davon. Glaude's godfather is the esteemed Dr. Cornel West, who turned out for Princeton Day School's game this year against rival Rutgers Prep. Also in attendance for that game were Temple's Fran Dunphy, Saint Joseph's assistant Mark Bass, and Rutgers assistant Jimmy Martelli.

This summer, Davon will be playing with Philadelphia-based Team Final on the AAU circuit, which will gain him further exposure. Although only a sophomore, Davon already has seven scholarship offers. Those offers are from VCU, Saint Joseph's, Temple, La Salle, Rutgers, Seton Hall, and West Virginia. In addition to those seven offers, Davon also has a number of other schools expressing interest and coming on strong. Those schools, according to McLean, are Villanova, Stanford, Cincinnati, and Providence. When looking at schools, Davon will not only be looking for the best basketball program, but also the best education. He is already open about what he wants to study and has shown great interest in both sports medicine and marketing. In terms of location, McLean seemed to think that Davon was likely to value location, and prefer schools on the East Coast.

Next Tuesday, Saint Joseph's head coach Phil Martelli and assistant coach Mark Bass will be on the Princeton Day School campus paying Davon a visit. With seven offers already in hand, other schools getting involved, and a busy AAU season ahead, Princeton Day will probably get accustomed to the sight of college coaches on campus.

Photo Courtesy of TownTopics.com

3/30 Odds and Ends

On Tuesday, Plymouth-Whitemarsh senior forward Jaylen Bond de-committed from Pitt and decided to reclassify into the 2012 class, attending prep school next year. The 6'7 forward chose Pitt over host of other schools such as Temple and West Virginia. RIck O'Brien's article on Jaylen's change of plans from the Philadelphia Inquirer can be found here.

The Hoop Group is in the midst of their Top 100 schedule right now. Last week, they held their Metro Top 100 at Kean University in North Jersey. A number of local players, like Princeton Day School sophomore Davon Reed, participated in the event. A highlight video from the event can be found here. Individual player highlights are toward the end of the clip. The Philadelphia Top 100 takes place today from 5:30 to 10 at Competitive Edge Sports.

The annual Donofrio Classic in Conshohocken began yesterday, and will culminate with the title game on April 19th. I will be attending and recapping several games throughout the tournament. Rosters and a schedule can be found on Ted Silary's website, which is linked here.

Weekend Rundown

Over the past two days, a number of noteworthy high school games were played in the area. A rundown on those games, a look forward, and a few recruiting notes are below.

On the recruiting front, Roman Catholic senior big Junior Fortunat attended the Seton Hall-Marquette game last night. Junior has seen a number of schools jump into his recruitment since becoming NCAA eligible last week, which I reported on here.

According to Alex Kline's Twitter, Princeton Day School (NJ) sophomore Davon Reed was in attendance at yesterday's Temple-La Salle game. Both schools have already offered the 6'4 guard. In addition to those schools, Saint Joseph's, VCU, Rutgers, and West Virginia have also extended scholarship offers Davon's way.

Temple also hosted another significant recruit this weekend, as Westtown (PA) junior center Daniel Ochefu took an unofficial visit to campus on Friday with his parents. An article from Philly.com on his visit is linked here. His final four schools are Temple, Villanova, Georgetown, and Texas.

In New Jersey playoff action yesterday, Teaneck advanced with a 20-point win over Sparta. Chris Jones, a junior wing who has interest from the Hawks, had 11 points in the win, while sophomore guard Joel Hernandez dropped 23. An article on the game can be found here.

On Friday night, another junior guard with SJU interest helped his team advance. Seton Hall Prep junior guard Dallas Anglin had a game-high 28 points to guide his team past Paramus Catholic. Anglin had interest from the Hawks, Boston University, George Washington, Rice, and many others. He has been on a tear during this playoff run, and more schools are bound to take notice.

In Philadelphia, Friday night was full of high school hoops as well. The night's premier matchup was the District 1 Class AAAA title game between Chester and Council Rock North. Maurice Nelson led the way for Chester, scoring 22 points. Chester had four double-digit scorers, and easily dispatched of Council Rock North, 66-43. RIck O'Brien's article from the Inquirer can be found here.

Philadelphia's District 12 Class AAA championship game took place Friday night at Archbishop Ryan, and featured Philadelphia Catholic League champs Neumann-Goretti and Philadelphia Electrical and Technology. Neumann took a 33-23 lead into the half, eventually winning 62-54. Two stars for Neumann were sophomore Johnny Davis, who tallied 18 points and 18 rebounds, and sophomore Derrick Stewart who had 15. PET got 19 points from Hakeem Baxter, and 9 each from Devante Chance and Carrington Ward.

Davon Reed Continues to Collect Offers

According to Alex Kline of The Recruit Scoop ( linked here)
Princeton Day School sophomore guard Davon Reed has picked up his third, fourth, and fifth scholarship offers over the course of the week. The three newest schools to offer the talented sophomore are Temple, La Salle, and Rutgers. Rutgers is the first Big East school to offer Reed. Prior to these 3 offers, Davon had already collected offers from VCU and Saint Joseph's.

I saw Reed play at the end of August and wrote about it here .

On the college front, Saint Joseph's fell on the road at Dayton last night, 65-59. They play next at Saint Louis on Saturday. The Hawks are 0-3 in Atlantic 10 play, as is Saint Louis. One team will finally get their first conference win on Saturday.

Temple hammered Saint Bonaventure by 28 to improve to 3-0 in conference play. La Salle ended a recent skid with an overtime win over Penn last night. One of the most surprising teams so far this A10 season is George Washington, who is now 3-0 in conference play after beating Fordham 72-52 last night.

Davon Reed Powers Princeton Day School Past Delran

A week or so before Christmas, Alex Kline of TheRecruitScoop reported that Saint Joseph's became the second school to offer Princeton Day School sophomore guard Davon Reed. SJU head coach Phil Martelli offered the 6'4 guard after watching him on December 18th. I got a chance to see Reed today, as his Princeton Day School team improved to 4-3.

The game was played at Delran High School in South Jersey, as part of the Delran Holiday Tournament. The game, which was originally scheduled to be played yesterday, pitted Princeton Day against the host, Delran, in the day's first game. The second game of the day showcased Penn Tech and Northern Burlington.

Although only a sophomore, Reed is clearly one of his team's leaders, alongside senior guard AJ Rubin and senior forward Nate Apgar. Although these totals are unofficial (very unofficial!), I had Reed finishing the game with 23 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. The majority of Davon's points came from the free throw line. His athleticism allowed him to create shots for himself off the dribble and get to the free-throw line as a result. Davon also drilled a deep three before exiting the game with a few minutes left and a 20-point lead. The highlight of the game came on a dunk by Reed, the result of a steal near halfcourt. With a defender trailing, Reed elevated and sent the crowd into a frenzy. After missing his first four free-throws of the game, Reed found his rhythm and hit most of his shots during the remainder of the game.

After trailing early, Princeton Day School went into the half resting on a 4-point lead. That lead ballooned as the second half wore on, and Princeton Day School left Delran today with a comfortable 24-point win.

Davon Reed is a player that the Saint Joseph's coaches have already identified and made a priority. Based on his play so far this season, and his incredibly high upside, it's only a matter of time before Davon begins to pile on the scholarship offers. Don't think for a moment that Saint Joseph's and VCU are the only schools that will be showing serious interest in the talented guard.

Photo of Davon Reed Courtesy of TheRecruitScoop

Davon Reed Collects SJU Offer

Day in and day out, one of the very best people in the area at breaking news is TheRecruitScoop's Alex Kline. He broke news earlier today that is of note to Saint Joseph's fans. In the article linked below, Kline talks about the scholarship offer that Princeton Day School sophomore guard Davon Reed picked up last night. SJU head coach Phil Martelli was in attendance at the game, and offered the talented sophomore after. The article below has reaction from Reed about the offer.

In the coming day or so, I will have an article on Friends' Central up, with specific focus on senior Devin Coleman, junior Amile Jefferson, and sophomore Karon Davis.

Davon Reed Gets SJU Scholarship Offer

Davon Reed Off to Strong Start

Although it's still extremely early in the recruiting process, there are a number of high school sophomores who are receiving interest from the Hawks. Over the past month or so, Hawk Hill Hardwood has reported on Newark Eastside's Will Joyce, and his visits to campus. I have also brought to light Rondae Jefferson's attendance at the Rutgers-SJU game. Another sophomore with interest from the Hawks is Princeton Day School (NJ) sophomore Davon Reed. Reed has been a target of the staff for quite some time, and was in attendance for the team's home opener against Western Kentucky.

Reed, a 6'3 combo guard, is off to a terrific start to the 2010-2011 season. In a win yesterday against the George School (PA), Reed netted 31 points, grabbed 10 boards, and had 4 steals. According to the NJ.com article linked below, Reed is averaging 26 points per game through his team's first three games this season. They play again tonight against Pennington. Reed is just one of many area players that the coaching staff is tracking this year.


NJ.com Article on Princeton Day School

Hawks Host Davon Reed (Updated)

Friday night's home opener against Western Kentucky was a rude awakening for both players and fans alike. For roughly 25 minutes, the game was within arm's reach for the Hawks, before a 12 point lead exploded into a 20-plus point lead. For nearly everyone in the Hagan, it was a night that they hope to soon forget. The young Hawks look to rebound on Tuesday at Penn State.

In attendance at the Hagan on Friday night, according to Alex Kline of TheRecruitScoop, was Princeton Day School sophomore Davon Reed. Schools often use their home openers to make a positive impression on recruits. For example, Villanova had 2012 star-in-the-making Savon Goodman in the house for their opener against Bucknell last night. The Hawks, in turn, hoped the vibrant energy of their home opener would make a positive impression on the sophomore.

According to Kline, Davon Reed was at the game as part of an unofficial visit to campus. He is a 6'4 shooting guard from Princeton that ESPN ranks as the number 35 player nationally in his class. While only a sophomore, it's nice to see the Hawks involved early with players of Reed's caliber.

Update:
In a recruiting update article on Zagsblog, which I have linked below, Adam Zagoria and Alex Kline write that the Hawks are close to offering Davon Reed. The fact that the staff is close to offering a current high school sophomore says a few things. I remember reading an article a few years back, and I apologize for not recalling exactly when or where, where Phil Martelli discussed Syracuse's signing of current freshman Dion Waiters. Waiters signed with Cuse going into his sophomore year of high school. In the article, Coach Martelli talked about how his signing represented the current climate of college recruiting. He had not even really gotten a chance to recruit Waiters, because at the time, he wasn't actively scouting or recruiting players at that age. Apparently the Saint Joseph's coaching staff is now. Although there are a few 2013 players who have been linked with Saint Joseph's, it sounds like Reed could be the first to receive an offer.

Zagsblog Recruiting Roundup