By Alex Kline

Jaren Sina, a 6-foot-1 point guard from Gill St. Bernard in New Jersey, has verbally committed to Alabama.

Sina called me at 9:30pm tonight to inform me of his pledge. “I just got off the phone with Alabama and they are very excited about the news,” he said by phone. “I wanted to tell you that I just committed to Alabama.”

The 2013 star stated that he “loved everything about Alabama when I visited and I have a great relationship with the coaching staff. Coach (Anthony) Grant is a great guy. I thought it was the right time to commit.”

While Alabama inadvertently came to see Jaren Sina play, it ended up working out extremely well for the Crimson Tide staff. During AAU Nationals in Orlando, head coach Anthony Grant came to watch Trevor Lacey play. He took notice of Jaren and from there invited him to their elite camp in August. Sina excelled and earned an offer. Now, he joins the 2013 class for the Crimson Tide, along with Shannon Hale.

Jaren picked Alabama over St. John’s, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Duke, James Madison, La Salle, Cincinnati, Rhode Island and others.

A close friend of the sophomore guard added that Alabama was showing Jaren the most love. “They were up here a lot,” he said referring to Alabama. “They really got to know, not only him, but his whole team and family. I guess that family atmosphere got him.”

Whether it’s the atmosphere or the coaching staff, Jaren Sina will be expecting a lot of southern hospitality coming from the Garden State.

(Photo courtesy of ESPN)

By Alex Kline

When Paterson Catholic of New Jersey closed, freshmen duo Reggie Cameron and Kavon Stewart decided to stay together.

The two have been close friends for a number of years and do just about everything together. As AAU teammates with the New Jersey Playaz, their bond is tighter than ever.

Now at Hudson Catholic in the Garden State, the sophomore duo has led their squad to a terrific start to the season. College coaches are taking notice of the star point guard and wing.

“UMass just offered myself and Kavon,” said Cameron by text. They join the long list of schools who aren’t involved with Cameron and Stewart. This list includes Seton Hall, Cincinnati, DePaul, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Providence, Oregon State, Xavier, Villanova and Rutgers, among others.

“I know Coach Kellogg is a great coach and will definitely have UMass at the top of the A-10 soon,” said Reggie. “I plan to get up there and take a visit soon.”

Kavon agreed as he stated, “I am really excited about the new opportunity and think highly of Massachusetts.”

Massachusetts Head Coach Derek Kellogg watched the two play about a month back at Seton Hall, along with a handful of other coaches.

Could these two friends end up playing in college together? We won’t know for a few years but it is certain that a possible package deal could happen.

(Photo courtesy of Rivals & Northstar Basketball)

By Alex Kline

Junior Da’Shawn Suber of St. Patrick in New Jersey, talks with Alex Kline of The Recruit Scoop at the Hoop Group Showcase in Lawrence.

The junior point guard comes off the bench for the Celtics and contributes to the team in multiple ways. Suber, a 6-foot-1 native of the Bronx, is starting to make a name for himself as he has picked up two offers in the past couple of months. Da’Shawn talks about recruiting, how the team looks, some upcoming matchups and much more in this video.

(Photo courtesy of Da’Shawn)

By Alex Kline

After multiple months of being involved in his recruitment, getting out of it and coming back in, North Carolina has finally pulled the trigger.

Tar Heel Head Coach Roy Williams and his assistants have been watching Desmond Hubert a fair amount over the past few weeks. Now, they have finally offered the 6-foot-9 post from New Egypt High School in New Jersey.

“Yes they did,” he stated by phone. “It’s hard not to be excited about it a little bit just because it’s North Carolina.”

The Tar Heels are in the running for Desmond with one other ACC school, Maryland. Hubert has already taken an official visit there and is being recruited by his fellow Garden State native and Terp commit, Sterling Gibbs. Gibbs of Seton Hall Prep told me the two talk once a week about it but Desmond has been waiting for this final offer.

Wake Forest, Princeton and Villanova were the other schools in contention for the defensive prescense, but Hubert has officially narrowed his list down Maryland and North Carolina.

Despite the struggles of UNC this season, he still remains positive about them. “I know they are struggling this year,” he said. “But not to long ago Duke wasn’t sitting at the top so you can’t really worry about having an off year.”

Desmond added that the team next year could be, “very good” and that it “would be nice” if he ended up at North Carolina.

Currently, he is undecided between the two and is likely to make a decision after the high school basketball season.

(Photo courtesy of NJ Hoops)

By Alex Kline

Sophomore Jason Boswell of St. Patrick in New Jersey, talks with Alex Kline of The Recruit Scoop at the Hoop Group Showcase in Lawrence.

The sophomore guard comes off the bench for the Celtics and egnites them with a scoring prescense. Boswell, a 6-foot-6 native of New York, is starting to make a name for himself as he has picked up a few offers in the past couple of months. Jason talks about recruiting, how the team looks, some upcoming matchups and much more in this video.

(Photo courtesy of Jason)

By Alex Kline

On Saturday afternoon, news came out that Braeden Anderson, a 6-foot-8 power forward from Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Massachusetts, had decommitted from DePaul. The news was confirmed to me by Anderson’s AAU Coach, Ro Russell.

Due to NCAA rules, Braeden could not discuss anything until he was released from his national letter of intent, which he signed back in November. College coaches cannot talk to him until he did that, as well. Today, however, this happened and Braeden felt relieved.

“I signed the papers today,” he stated referring to the contract that would legally release him from his letter of intent. “It’s a relief to get out of it without any problems. I really did like DePaul, though.”

While DePaul was Anderson’s first choice, he said he wanted out for two reasons. “They got a transfer, Donnavan Kirk, from Miami (FL) and I want to be closer to home.” Despite this, Braeden is getting looks from numerous teams that are farther away from home.

“California and Virginia are the main schools after me,” he said over the phone. “They have contacted my high school coach and other people who handle my recruitment. They have also heard from Oregon, Kentucky and a few others.”

At the moment, the former DePaul-signee has a clear favorite. “Cal is the favorite, I would say,” stated the Canadian. “I have a good friend on the team, my fellow Canadian, Emerson Murray. They have really nice facilities, great academics and it wouldn’t hurt living in California.” Virginia is a close second, though.

In unrelated news, the Golden Bears were recently in the mid-season transfer swing as freshman guard Gary Franklin opted to leave the program for Baylor.

Braeden likes the new opportunity that has opened up and wants to make the most of it. “I will most likely make a college decision in two-to-three weeks,” he said. “During my inital recruitment, I only took one official visit. Now I have four official visits left that I can take. The season is in full swing here but I will try and make some trips with my coach and teammates.”

Asked if playing with a fellow Canadian, Devoe Joseph, who recently transferred to Oregon, mattered to him, Anderson responded, “A little bit. It would be nice to be with Devoe.” However, it seems that California is the clear-cut favorite for Braeden Anderson.

When old opportunities close, new opportunities arise. This is the case for 6-foot-8 senior Braeden Anderson who is bound to have a bright college career.

(Photo courtesy of Crown Magazine)

By Alex Kline

Senior LaQuinton Ross of Life Center Academy in New Jersey, talks with Alex Kline of The Recruit Scoop at the Hoop Group Showcase in Lawrence.

The talented forward from Mississippi is regarded as one of the top players in the class of 2011 and has proven his case. Ross has signed to play basketball at Ohio State next fall. Before he heads to Buckeye town, Ross hopes to finish off his high school career on a high note. LaQuinton talks about his Buckeyes, how the team looks, some upcoming matchups and much more in this video.

(Photo courtesy of ESPN Rise)

By Alex Kline

Sophomore Austin Colbert of St. Patrick in New Jersey, talks with Alex Kline of The Recruit Scoop at the Hoop Group Showcase in Lawrence.

The sophomore forward is regarded as one of the top players in the class of 2013 and is already showing why. Colbert, a 6-foot-9 native of the Garden State, may have a small physique but he is very impressive on the defensive end. Offensively, he is starting to develop his game inside and has made a name for himself. Austin talks about recruiting, how the team looks, some upcoming matchups and much more in this video.

(Photo courtesy of NY2LASports.com)

By Alex Kline

After a stellar summer and an improvement over the fall, Davon Reed has emerged as one of the top sophomores in the state of New Jersey. The 6-foot-4 guard out of Princeton Day School in New Jersey is averaging around 23 points per game this season.

As he already has offers from VCU and St. Joseph’s, a third team has come into play for Reed. The Temple Owls are the latest school to offer Davon.

“Yes they did,” he said as Head Coach Fran Dunphy came to watch Reed play on Saturday and offered him. “It feels so good to get another offer. It just reminds me of how hard I have to work.”

Reed, who is being targeted by a number of schools in the Pennsylvania area, said, “I like how Temple just goes after it and plays hard.” He went on to say, “I could see myself fitting into that program.”

As he looks to improve, Davon will showcase his talents this spring and summer with Team Final as he teams up with St. Patrick (NJ) sophomore sensation Austin Colbert, along with many others. 2010 was good for Davon Reed, but 2011 could be his breakout season.

(Photo courtesy of Davon)

By Alex Kline

Freshman Dakari Johnson of St. Patrick in New Jersey, talks with Alex Kline of The Recruit Scoop at the Hoop Group Showcase in Lawrence.

The freshman center is regarded as one of the top players in the class of 2014 and is already showing why. Johnson, a 6-foot-10 native of the Bronx, is still growing and has already drawn comparisons to Shaquille O’Neal. Although he is only 15-years old, it looks like the next phenom at the Elizabeth school has been discovered. Dakari talks about recruiting, how the team looks, some upcoming matchups and much more in this video.

(Photo courtesy of the Naple News)