It seems like Herb pope is trying his best to be the Van Wilder of Seton Hall, it feels like he’s been there for about 10 seasons. His seemingly long stay is finally culminating into a All-American worthy final season. It hasn’t been an easy road but Pope has fought through adversity and become one of the better players in the country. Continue reading
One of the top big men in the 2012 class, DaJaun Coleman of Jamesville-DeWitt (NY), has decided to stay home and play for Syracuse. Coleman is the #13 player in our 2012 rankings and is a true low-post player.
His post up ability and strength are in the top tier of the class. He is a bit short at only 6’8″ and could also lose a few pounds, but overall he is one of the best bigs in the class. He will be the perfect fit for the middle of Coach Boeheim’s legendary 2-3 zone.
Coleman led Jamesville-DeWitt to the 2011 New York State Class A championship. It was the third straight state title for the Red Rams during Coleman’s prep career. As a junior he averaged 24.5 points and 14 rebounds and received the Post-Standard’s 2011 Player of the Year award.
The Scout.com has Coleman at #11 and ESPN has him ranked at #14 in the class of 2012.
Coleman just took an official visit to Syracuse this past weekend. He had visited the University of Kentucky one week earlier, taking in the Wildcats’ Big Blue Madness event. He was scheduled to visit Ohio State this weekend but due to the press conference today that went out the window.
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Preseason Big East Player of the Year Ashton Gibbs
Last season Pitt was at the head of the class during the regular season and looked poised for a deep run in the NCAA tournament. However it was UConn who had a trick up their sleeve winning five games in five days to win the Big East Tournament. (as the 9 seed) They then proceeded to continue their white-hot streak into the NCAA Tournament, on the back of Kemba Walker, winning the National Title over Butler.
This year it looks to be a two-horse race for the regular season crown between UConn and Syracuse. UConn looks poised for a repeat as they return all of their core players except their leader Kemba Walker. That loss will hurt but they are also gaining one of the best freshmen in the country in Andre Drummond. That being said there are always a couple of teams that will surprise so lets take a look at the conference. Continue reading
Yesterday we looked at five freshmen that will be key contributors this upcoming season, today we will look at the sophomore class. Everyone knows all the big names from last year such as: Jared Sullinger and Harrison Barnes so I will shed some light on some lesser known guys. Continue reading
Ever since the NBA enacted the rule to ban players straight out of high school we have seen more and more freshman having major impacts. Kevin Durant was the one that really set the bar, winning the Wooden Award in his first and only season on campus in Austin. Others that have been very impressive have been Michael Beasley, John Wall, Derrick Rose, and the list goes on. So who are some players to keep an eye on this year? Continue reading
Last year was a special season for the UConn Huskies, culminating with a third national title in the past 15 years. Going into the season everyone knew they had a special player in Kemba Walker, but it was the young players like Shabazz Napier and Jeremy Lamb who made UConn a complete team.
Nobody expected the young Huskies to win the title at the beginning of the year. But as the season went on and the young players started to develop; they gained more and more momentum, and respect.
Entering the Big East Tournament UConn was the 9th seed and weren’t considered a legit title contender by any means. However that changed quickly after they blazed through five games in five days, winning the tournament final against the 3rd seeded Louisville Cardinals. Walker put on dazzling display after dazzling display, but also had great contributions from the freshman duo Lamb and Napier. Continue reading
Few players helped their stock this summer more than Flint, Michigan’s JaVontae Hawkins. Hawkins, a 6’5” shooting guard, has continued to rise up the 2012 rankings due in large part to his performances this summer with his AAU team, the Michigan Mustangs. Hawkins is one of the most complete SGs in the class, and holds offers from a laundry list of top schools. He is one of the better athletes in the class but also is very skilled.
After spending his first three years of high school in his hometown of Flint, Michigan Hawkins decided to transfer to Huntington Prep (Huntington, WV) for his senior season. After losing two brothers in a matter of 3 years due to shootings, he has strived to make it out of Flint and to be a success. Although it is certainly something that nobody would chose to go through, it has made him a more driven and stronger person. I recently caught up with JaVontae to get the latest on his recruitment and his decision to attend Huntington Prep. Continue reading
In a surprising move our #1 ranked player in the class of 2012, Andre Drummond, has decided to enroll at UConn this year. He was expected to play a 5th year of high school hoops at a prep school therefore making him eligible for next years NBA draft.
Most people that knew of Drummond’s situation figured he would never play a game in college. Instead most saw him completing this season and then declaring for the NBA draft. So this will come as a surprise to just about everyone, especially with the timing.
Coach Calhoun and his staff have to be ecstatic, while Uconn was always considered a favorite to land Drummond , almost nobody thought they would get him this year. Coming off a National Championship last season, the Huskies just shot their way to the top 2-3 contenders for this year. Having Jeremy Lamb, Shabazz Napier, and now Andre Drummond, creates a threesome that cannot be matched by many other teams.
Kris Dunn, #3 PG in our 2012 rankings has committed to Providence. Quite the get for new head coach Ed Cooley, Dunn is an elite guard and will compete for minutes day one.
Dunn, a 6-3, 180-pound native of New London, Conn., has risen up the rankings after a very good summer. He currently is rated as the No. 1 point guard by CBS, No. 2 by ESPN and No. 4 by Rivals.com. Picking the Friars over offers from Connecticut, Louisville, Georgetown and Marquette.
“Providence is a special place for me,” Dunn told ESPN. “I have a great connection with the coaches but must importantly with (Cooley). He made my family and I feel at home and like we were wanted.
“I think (Cooley’s) a great man who will show me how to become a better player. I can’t wait to play with the players and get things rolling.”
Dunn’s commitment will certainly help Providence’s recruiting efforts. They have already received one other commit from Josh Fortune, a 3-star SG out of Virginia. Look for other players interest in Providence continue to rise. Coach Cooley is a great recruiter and will have Providence back to competing at a high level in the near future.
