Anglin Taking Visits; Nickseron to Charlotte

6'2 junior guard Dallas Anglin from New Jersey's Seton Hall Prep, took an unofficial visit to Boston University on Friday, according to Alex Kline ( here) . Anglin, who I came away from the Eddie Griffin Challenge two weeks ago very impressed with, has two more visits scheduled for the near future. He has planned unofficial visits to two A10 schools, Richmond and Saint Joseph's.

Staying in the A10, Charlotte picked up a significant recruit Saturday when they got a verbal commitment from 6'6 senior wing E. Victor Nickerson. Nickerson chose Charlotte over DePaul, Colorado, Georgia Southern, and Wichita State. He is ranked as the 133rd best player in the 2011 class according to Rivals.com.

Eddie Griffin Challenge Sophomores

Here we go, although I know it's a week late. Last week I provided a recap of the juniors game at the Eddie Griffin Challenge. The Philadelphia team won behind a huge effort from Amile Jefferson. Since that update, one of the other PA stars, Ryan Arcidiacono, has made his college choice. The Neshaminy guard is headed to the Big East and Villanova.

In all honesty, the sophomore game was played more competitively, and at a higher level, than the junior game. It was obvious, from the get-go, that the sophomore class in Philadelphia and New Jersey is loaded with talent. Like the junior and senior games, the sophomore game was also won by the Philadelphia team. Player summaries are below:

First, from the Philadelphia side of things.

Brandon Austin- Austin, who attends Imhotep Charter in the city, has an incredible skill set for someone his size and age. The 6'6 wing is an above-average ball-handler and can hit from the perimeter. Brandon was at his best attacking the basket, where he took advantage of his size advantage over the NJ perimeter defenders. He possesses great athleticism, and a great knack for the ball on defense, which led him to his 4 steals in the game. On the offensive side of things, he poured in 14 points for PA en route to his co-MVP honors. Like Britton Lee, the other co-MVP who is up next, Austin was at his best when the game was on the line. Austin, like everyone else written about here, is only a high school sophomore, so he has plenty of time to expand his game and bulk up. The talent is certainly there, and this is a name you will likely hearing a lot of over the coming years.

Britton Lee- Lee was one of the two Roman Catholic players on the PA team. If what he displayed in this game is any indication, he will be getting plenty of minutes for Roman this year. Although Lee checks in right around 5'10, he is lightning quick and doesn't allow his height to slow him down. He was very strong taking the ball to the basket, not shying away from contact, and allowing his strength and athleticism to aid him finishing around much taller defenders. Lee scored 11 points in the contest, most of which came down the stretch in the 4th quarter, when he and Brandon Austin took over. Depending on his growth, among other factors, it will be interesting to see how his recruitment starts to pan out over the next year or so.

Johnny Davis- Davis is a 6'4 wing guard from Neumann-Goretti. Neumann lost Tony Chenault, Tyreek Duren, and Daniel Stewart to graduation in June, so Davis looks primed to log major minutes this year. He is a strong guard with some serious size. Davis dropped 11 points in a very business-like performance. As he plays this year for Neumann against a tough schedule, it will be interesting to watch how his game develops. The tools are in place for Davis to be a major figure in Philly hoops for the next three years.

Rondae Jefferson- The younger brother of current Temple sophomore Rahlir Jefferson, Rondae looks to have an equally bright future. Rondae looks to be every bit as tall as Rahlir already, as a high school sophomore. He also possesses his brother's athleticism. Rahlir had a nice freshman year for Temple last year and will probably have an expanded role this season. Although it was just a glimpse, I think that Rondae has a great high school and college career in front of him.

Yosef Yacoub- Yacoub was a pleasant surprise. Although very thin, the guard from Archbishop Carroll was crafty with the ball. Despite a strange release, he canned three treys in the game en route to 11 points. Yosef and Juan'ya Green will team up in the backcourt for Carroll this season, giving them a solid one-two punch. Based on this one game, and a number of other things, it's hard projecting the future for Yacoub. Although not always pretty, he got it done for the Philly squad.

Karon Davis- Friends' Central already boasts an amazing one-two punch with Amile Jefferson and Devin Coleman. Karon Davis looks ready to get involved for Friends' Central this year in a major way. In a game loaded with talented guards, Davis at times looked like the best guard on the court for Philly. While Lee led the comeback and Davis played a rock-solid game, Davis had 2 or 3 outbursts in this one that really impressed.

Now from the New Jersey team:

Kavon Stewart- Stewart, all 5'8 of him, is an absolute jet on the court. Throughout the game, Stewart took the ball baseline to baseline in the blink of an eye. Despite being well under 6 feet, Stewart is still able to get above the rim and throw down, which tells you all you need to know about his athleticism. For 3 quarters, Stewart was the best guard on the court. In the fourth, Britton Lee took it to him. Stewart already has a number of high majors tracking him. He played for Paterson Catholic last year, and due to their closing, moved over to Hudson Catholic over the summer.

Reggie Cameron- Cameron, like Stewart, played at Paterson Catholic last year. Like Stewart, he too made the move to Hudson Catholic, giving them two of the best sophomores in the state. Cameron stands right around 6'5 and looks like he will grow more. He showed off what was probably the smoothest stroke in either game this contest. Reggie shoots the ball with confidence, and the confidence is justified. He recently attended Villanova's Midnight Madness and has the in-state schools looking too. The big if with Cameron will probably be his growth. He's not especially quick or athletic, so he looks to me a wing or face-up 4. His ability to shoot the ball will attract all sorts of schools. If he either grows a bit or improves his quickness, the sky is the limit for him.

Josh Brown- Brown was yet another player from Saint Anthony participating in the Eddie Griffin Challenge. While I had never heard of Brown before this game, he managed to stand out in a high-level game. He and Reggie Cameron both had 12 points for Jersey. Unlike Cameron, who scored primarily from the perimeter, Brown scored more around the basket. Standing right around 6'3, Brown is very athletic and active on the defensive side of the ball. He excelled in the up-and-down tempo of this contest. Brown did hit one deep jumper in the game, and that area of his game will likely determine his future. Brown will play in a super-talented backcourt alongside Myles Mack, Kyle Anderson, and Rashad Andrews this season. Look for him to start making a name for himself too.

Jaren Sina- I was excited to see Sina after hearing so much about him. Like Ryan Arcidiacono in the junior game and Reggie Cameron in this one, Jaren was hitting threes during warm-ups from 6 and 7 feet behind the three-point line. In addition to being a terrific shooter, Sina is also very crafty with the ball. He led the Jersey team with 7 assists in this game. Standing right around 6 foot, Sina is a combo guard that is fully capable of playing the point, especially considering his year. Like Stewart and Cameron, Sina has all sorts of schools involved already. He has already been on campus at Saint John's and Alabama, with plenty of other schools also looking to get involved.

Shacore Edwards (pictured above)- Shacore was another of the outstanding guards for New Jersey. The 6'4 guard from Irvington is ranked the 26th player nationally in his class by ESPN. Yes, ESPN does rank the 2013 class already. Irvington is a tough city, and Edwards truly embodies that spirit. On multiple occasions in this one, he lowered his shoulders and simply muscled his way to the rim. Edwards also drained a 3, in addition to the points he scored in attack mode. Rutgers, LSU, Arizona, West Virginia, Pitt, and Penn State are among the schools that have already begun recruiting Edwards, who claims that his dream school is West Virginia.

Austin Colbert and Jason Boswell were probably the two biggest names for NJ in this one, but neither produced much. You can see why schools have fallen in love with both, but neither really got into a groove for NJ. If they had, the result may have been different. That being said, it wouldn't surprise me to see Colbert playing in the McDonald's game a few years down the line.


Picture of Shacore Edwards is from Scout.com

Arcidiacono to Nova; Xavier Signs Two

While the junior class in Philadelphia is not especially deep, it is full of star-power at the top. Daniel Ochefu, Amile Jefferson, Savon Goodman, and Ryan Arcidiacono are all consensus top 50-75 players nationally in their class. This afternoon, Ryan Arcidiacono became the first to make his college decision. Ryan, a 6'3 guard from Neshaminy (PA) gave a verbal commitment to Villanova today, following his weekend visit to Nova for their Midnight Madness. Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog has a great piece on Ryan's commitment here .

Now switching over from the Big East to the A10, Xavier had a huge recruiting weekend as well. They picked up a verbal commitment in the 2011 class from 6'10 center Michael Chandler. Chandler is a top 75 player who was being recruited by Indiana, UConn, and Providence among others. Chandler's commitment came shortly after 2012 point guard D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera issued up his verbal commitment. Smith-Rivera is a 6'3 point guard. Both Smith-Rivera and Chandler are from Indiana and were on visits to campus for Xavier's Midnight Madness this weekend.

Eddie Griffin Challenge- Philly Juniors

On Wednesday, Hawk Hill Hardwood examined the individual games of a number of players involved in the Eddie Griffin Challenge Juniors Game, on the Jersey side of things. Now it's time to look at the winning team, the Philadelphia juniors. Specifically we will look at Amile Jefferson and Ryan Arcidiacono.

Both Amile Jefferson and Ryan Arcidiacono are players that Saint Joseph's was involved with at a very early stage of the game. Amile, who plays for Friends' Central, participated in the Saint Joseph's Elite Camp on campus two summers ago, prior to his sophomore year of high school. Since that point, he has developed into one of the most highly coveted forwards in the country. He recently attended Duke's version of Midnight Madness, where they revealed their 2010 National Championship banner. Amile is also being recruited heavily by Georgetown, Villanova, and a plethora of other big-name programs. Amile stands right around 6'7 and is labeled by most as a combo forward at this point of his development. During the second half of Sunday's game, Amile showed why he is so well-regarded in recruiting circles. He finished with 23 points and 8 boards, the majority of both coming in the second half. Amile is still being recruited by many schools on potential, and you see these brilliant flashes. In the second half, from the left side of the bucket, he spun his man baseline and went around strong for a reverse lay-up. He showed a number of solid post moves on Sunday, and those moves will only improve as he continues to bulk up. Amile also hit a shot from three, another area of his game that continues to improve. He plays the game hard, plays it the right way, and has a special skill set.

While I had seen Amile play a number of times, this was my first time seeing 6'3 Neshaminy point guard Ryan Arcidiacono. Ryan has an offer from the Hawks, as well as offers from Temple, Villanova, Rutgers, Florida, Notre Dame, Boston College, and Georgetown. After absolutely exploding on the scene over the summer with his strong play, it seems as if a new high-major is getting involved with Ryan every day. In fact, Ryan returned from his visit to Florida's Midnight Madness the night before the Eddie Griffin Challenge. The Gators are one of many schools that have made Ryan top priority at the guard spot. He also, like Amile Jefferson, Kyle Anderson, Savon Goodman, Nick Faust, and more, attended Villanova's Midnight Madness last night. Ryan is a strong lead guard. He showed off his toughness driving into the lane on Sunday against bigger defenders time after time, unintimidated, almost seeking out, contact. I knew about his ball-handling skills and tenacity taking the ball to the hoop, but what most impressed me about Ryan's game Sunday was his perimeter shooting. His range easily extends 5 or 6 feet outside the three-point line. Although he was not entirely on his game, probably due to the Florida visit, Ryan still played a terrific game, finishing with 11 points, 7 boards, and at least 3 assists.

While neither Ryan or Amile are likely to suit up for the Hawks in 2012, they are still exciting players to watch. In addition to their tremendous basketball ability, both have a great desire to win and seem like stand-up individuals. Hawk Hill Hardwood will continue to track them this year in both their seasons and their recruitment.

Eddie Griffin Challenge- New Jersey Juniors

As promised, over the next couple of days, I will break down some of what I saw Sunday at Trenton Catholic during the Eddie Griffin Challenge. Yesterday, I posted an article about Seton Hall Prep's Dallas Anglin, who currently holds an offer from Saint Joseph's. Today, we will look at the individual games of a number of other New Jersey juniors. Tomorrow, we will look at the PA side, and then on Friday we will look at the sophomore game.

Jersey City's Saint Anthony High School has a reputation as one of the best high school basketball programs in the country, and for good reason. Coach Bob Hurley is one of the best there is at any level. The New Jersey juniors team featured three Saint Anthony players: Kyle Anderson, Jerome Frink, and Rashad Andrews. I watched those three, Dallas Anglin, Tariq Carey, and Brandon Taylor most closely, and their write-ups are below.

Kyle Anderson- Anderson, who attended Paterson Catholic prior to it's closing at the end of last year, is a newcomer this season to Saint Anthony. He will only bring one of the most well-rounded games in the country to Coach Hurley. Standing 6'8, Anderson is ranked the number 1 point guard in the country by Rivals.com. Yes, point guard. While he may not play strictly the point in college, and eventually in the NBA, Anderson possesses a great feel for the game and great ball-handling for a player his size. He is a triple-double threat every time out there, and he was close to one on Sunday. Anderson is able to shoot over smaller perimeter defenders, post up other guards, and create for his teammates with his tremendous court awareness. If there is one word to describe Anderson's game, it is smooth. Nothing ever looks forced. Nothing ever looks awkward. The one knock on Anderson by scouts is his lack of great foot-speed. While not the most fleet-footed player on the court, he more than makes up for his lack of explosive foot-speed with his size, length, and ball-handling. One particular play in the second half of Sunday's game saw Anderson grab an offensive rebound under the basket, with his back to the basket. Knowing that another NJ junior was behind him on the other side of the basket, Anderson calmly threw the ball backwards, over his head, to his teammate. He is a unique talent.

Dallas Anglin -see yesterday's article here .

Jerome Frink (pictured above)- Frink, a 6'5 forward from Hurley's Saint Anthony program, was one of the most enjoyable players to watch on Sunday. While not the biggest player on the court or necessarily the most talented, Frink has a blue-collar approach to the game that makes him extremely likable. Right now, Frink is probably considered an undersized power forward if you need to put a label on him. Although on the smaller side for a power forward, Frink has a very wide build with broad shoulders, making him difficult to move around the hoop. He finished the game with 17 points and roughly 7 or 8 rebounds. Most of his points came on dunks, putbacks, or free throws. Down the stretch, when New Jersey made their comeback, Frink was money from the free-throw line. He would pull down offensive board after offensive board, getting fouled going back up. Jerome also had one of the highlight-reel plays of the day. On a fast break, Frink crossed his man over and then took off from deeper than he should have. His dunk shook the rim and backboard violently, causing the gym to explode in hoots and hollers. I have no idea if Frink is being looked at by the Hawks, or what schools are looking at him. He is a player that I thoroughly enjoyed watching Sunday and a player to keep an eye on, especially under the coaching of Bob Hurley. If Frink either grows or develops a bit more of a perimeter game over the next two years, he could be a very good college player.

Brandon Taylor- Taylor was the lone player in the junior game from Trenton Catholic. The 6'6 forward had a decent game for the New Jersey team. He was able to hit a shot from 3 and score twice around the basket. Although skilled, Taylor did not display the killer instinct or tenacity of Frink or Amile Jefferson on the Pennsylvania side.

Rashad Andrews- Another Saint Anthony player, the 6'4 wing had himself a decent afternoon. He scored 5 points for Jersey. Andrews projects as either a 2 guard or small forward down the line. He is long and athletic, and appeared to be an above-average defender. The physical tools are there, and with Hurley's coaching, Andrews could develop into a solid college prospect.

Tariq Carey- I was interested in seeing Carey play, since he is a name I have heard quite a bit of over the past year. Carey, a 6'2 guard from Newark, has garnered a decent amount of Big East interest over the past year, and seems to have his eyes set on a conference like the Big East or ACC. In my opinion, both Carey and Dallas Anglin were the best New Jersey guards Sunday after Kyle Anderson. Carey is very quick and strong with the ball. Due to his size, colleges probably want to see him develop into more of a pure point guard to play at the Big East or ACC level. His perimeter shot struggled a bit in this game, but he still managed to score 8 points. I can see why high-majors are keeping an eye on Carey.

Check back tomorrow for the PA side.

Picture of Jerome Frink is from here

Dallas Anglin with SJU Offer

On Sunday afternoon, at the Eddie Griffin Challenge, one of the players that stood out to me was Seton Hall Prep junior guard Dallas Anglin. It turns out that the Saint Joseph's coaching staff has had an eye on the 6'2 guard as well. According to Alex Kline's Twitter ( here ) Anglin currently holds offers from Saint Joseph's, Boston, Rice, and George Washington. After watching Anglin on Sunday, I will be shocked if that list doesn't expand, and quickly, this season.

Anglin played last season at Saint Peter's Prep. In fact, he was listed in the roster on Sunday as attending at Saint Peter's. During the summer, he transferred into Seton Hall Prep. From one prep to another. There is a connection there between Anglin and Saint Joseph's, and that connection is current SJU freshman Ronald Roberts. Roberts and Anglin were teammates last year at Saint Peter's Prep.

On Sunday, Anglin poured in 12 points for the New Jersey juniors, and threw in a couple steals, a couple assists, and a rebound. Anglin is considered a combo guard, but demonstrated on Sunday some solid point guard abilities. Playing alongside a number of talented guards, including superstar-in-the-making Kyle Anderson, Anglin showed that he has a bright future as well. Anglin electrified the crowd on at least three separate occasions with high-flying dunks. Although listed at 6'2, Anglin showed that he likes to play well above the rim, and is more than capable of doing so. It was at the rim, and driving to the rim, that Anglin impressed the most. With a solid handle and good court vision, Anglin has a bright future ahead of him. He is just one name from Sunday worth mentioning. Check back tomorrow for more.

Dave Telep on the Eddie Griffin Challenge

Yesterday I was able to attend the 8th annual Eddie Griffin Challenge at Trenton Catholic High School in New Jersey. The event ran smoothly, and during my time there for the sophomore and junior games, I saw a number of big-name players live up to their billing and some under-the-radar guys maybe start to make names for themselves.

Over the coming day or two, I will have full recaps and write-ups on the sophomore and junior games. In the meantime, here is a link to an article written by a talent-evaluator much better than myself. Dave Telep, who just switched over from Scout.com to ESPN is one of the best there is. His recap of the game is linked below and well worth reading.

Dave Telep Article