By Alex Kline

Marcus Gilbert, a 2012 6-foot-6 wing from the Academy of the New Church in Pennsylvania, is off the board.

Gilbert verbally committed to Fairfield on Wednesday night, according to his AAU coach, Terrell Myers of East Coast Elite. “Marcus just committed to Fairfield,” he stated by text. “It came down to them, Boston University, James Madison and George Mason.”

“I like the coaching staff,” said the talented wing. “I knew coach Sydney from when he recruited by brother and he seems like a nice, straight forward guy. He want the best for me and they said I could do big things there and that I could have a great career there.”

Along with that, Gilbert wants to major in Accounting, which is a strong program at the MAAC school in Connecticut.

The younger brother of Pittsburgh freshman center Malcolm Gilbert, Marcus’ stock has improved throughout the year. After coming off the bench for most of the year with the Academy of the New Church, the rising senior had a breakout summer with East Coast Elite where he picked up plenty of scholarships and interest.

“I believe that Marcus chose Fairfield based on his comfortability with Coach Johnson, plus Fairfield is a beautiful school that fits his personality,” said Myers. “The idea that Fairfield would like to get longer and more athletic and have Marcus develop as a shooting guard is what it all came down to.”

He becomes the first commit in new Stags coach Sydney Johnson’s class of 2012.

(Photo courtesy of Mass Live)

By Alex Kline

After one of the best performances on the AAU circuit this spring and summer, Maurice Watson’s long journey has come to an end.

On Wednesday morning, the 2012 point guard out of Boys’ Latin in Pennsylvania announced his college decision. “I will be attending Boston University next fall,” he said.

“I love the city,” he said. “It felt like a home away from home. I feel like Boston is where I ultimately felt most comfortable and the new coaching staff just made me feel right at home.”

The 5-foot-9 floor general was recruited for a long time by the old Terriers staff prior to Pat Chambers’ departure to Penn State. Watson ended up generating eighteen scholarship offers in the end. He chose Boston over Niagara, La Salle, Hofstra and Virginia.

As he reflected on coming into the summer with no offers, even the confident Team Philly point guard never thought he would be in this position due to his size. “No, I didn’t think I would,” he said. “Not knowing the kind of summer I would have, I was expecting to have to wait until during the season to announce but I’ve found my fit.”

Watson will honor his late friend Halim Lindsey by wearing #10 in college.

(Photo courtesy of 24/7 Sports)

By Alex Kline

After an up and down summer full of emotional highs and lows, Dayshon Smith has ended the summer on an extremely positive note.

Coming into the summer, the 2012 guard made a splash at the Rumble in the Bronx with the New York Gauchos. The 6-foot guard won named MVP of the U16 tournament and led his squad to a championship, despite missing some key components.

From there, things went down as Smith’s high school, Rice of New York, closed down due to financial reasons. The home to Kemba Walker, Shane Southwell, Kadeem Jack, Jermaine Sanders and many others was gone. Smith, along with many other Rice players, were in need of a high school. The worst part of it was that Smith originally decided to attend St. Benedict’s in New Jersey, however, he would not have been able to reclassify and repeat his junior season.

Last week, he came to the conclusion that Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut would become his new home. The talent point guard, who can score on all cylinders, reclassified to the class of 2013 and received even bigger news a few days later.

After a strong performance at Syracuse Elite Camp, Dayshon Smith picked up his first offer from a school that had been showing the most interest from day one. Fairfield offered the talented scholar.

“It feels good,” he said. “But I feel that is only one of many to come.” The new Stags staff really likes Smith as assistant Brian Nash is intrigued and has had him on campus before.

Smith also has interest from, “Syracuse, Texas-Arlington, Iona, St. Peter’s, Manhattan and Quinnipiac.”

All and all, it’s been a long summer for the player known as “Scoochie.” But with hard work paying off, Smith just reflects on it all with a smile.

“After Rice closed, I just said to myself that AAU isn’t ending,” he said. “Even though it was a tough process finding a new home, I didn’t let it affect my game.”

Despite Rice closing, he will wears his gear to let people know where he is from. Smith will visit St. Peter’s this weekend with his AAU teammate, Josh James, and could pick up his second offer.

(Photo courtesy of NYCHoops.net)

By Alex Kline

DeJuan Marrero is off the board after taking a visit on Tuesday afternoon.

The 2012 small forward out of Bowman Academy in Indiana made a trip to DePaul. Hours later, the rebuilding Big East school landed their first commitment from the rising senior. Marrero was excited to take his talents to Chicago, where he will play for Oliver Purnell.

He had three reasons behind the decision. “Their academics are great,” he said. “DePaul is close to my mom and I feel like I can change the program around.”

Marrero chose the Blue Demons over Illinois, Iowa, Purdue, Xavier and many more. He joins a young, rebuilding DePaul team with a second-year staff that could make some noise this year with one of the top players in the Big East, Cleveland Melvin, as well as freshmen Macari Brooks and Montray Clemons, among others.

(Photo courtesy of Goinbaseline.com)

By Alex Kline

Kamari Murphy, a 2012 combo forward from IMG Academy in Florida, is off the board to Oklahoma State.

One of the premier players from New York, Murphy is a huge addition for the Cowboys and Travis Ford. For a postgrad year, he will attend IMG after he came over from Lincoln in New York. Murphy was also looking at Florida, UConn, Iowa State and more.

“Kamari Murphy has committed to Oklahoma State,” according to Dana Dingle. “Many factors played into the decision such as coaching staff, facilities, playing time and conference amongst other things. He will see time at both forward spots.”

For a few years, the Cowboys have pursuing Murphy the hardest by far. As they have had him on campus and been to his home for a visit, it is safe to say the New York forward was wanted by Travis Ford and staff.

He joins Adam Wing, a shooting guard from Kentucky, in the class of 2012.

(Photo courtesy of the NY Daily News)

By Alex Kline

Late Tuesday night, Sim Bhullar made one of the most difficult decisions anyone can make. In news first reported by Flagrant Fouls, Bhullar has parted ways with Xavier, where he committed to play back in the spring.

Instead, he has landed at New Mexico State and will enter college this fall.

A 2012 (now 2011) 7-foot-5 center from Huntington Prep in West Virginia, the Canadian native’s family and coaches from CIA Bounce came to the conclusion that it would be best to enroll a year early at a school that had a better understanding of Canadian eligibility.

“The school system is different in Canada compared to America,” stated Bhullar on Tuesday night. “I would not have been able to qualify because my grades from Canada were messed up.”

Despite having to leave high school a year early, the talented Canadian big man seemed positive and will head off to New Mexico State in a few weeks to begin classes. There he will join five other Canadian players; as well as associate head coach Paul Weir, a Toronto native.

(Photo courtesy of NY2LA Sports)

By Alex Kline

In the past few days, summer has winded down for a number of student athletes around the country. With visits coming and going, players committing and new offers on the table, recruits from the classes of 2012 and 2013 have began to cut their lists. Notably, these recruits are Ricardo Ledo, Kris Dunn, Kasey Hill, Robert Upshaw, Jake Layman, Winston Shepard, Brandon Ashley, Robert Carter and Willie Cauley. Here is a breakdown of their final lists.

Ricardo Ledo, a 2012 wing from Notre Dame Prep in Massachusetts, has narrowed his list to five schools. The former Providence commit recently checked out Syracuse with Goodluck Okonoboh and Nerlens Noel. He cut his list to Syracuse, Kentucky, UConn, Providence and West Virginia. Ledo visited UConn during the spring and has been to Providence a plethora of times. Kentucky could get him on campus soon, as well.

Kris Dunn, a 2012 point guard from Wilbraham & Monson in Massachusetts, is down to two schools. UConn and Providence are the remaining players for the guard. Dunn, who had a breakout summer with Connecticut Basketball Club, recently transferred out of New London to join Andre Drummond at W&M. Providence showed a fair amount of love to the rising senior this summer, and with Andre LaFleur on staff now, the Friars have a very good shot at landing him. However, he could try and make a package deal with Drummond to UConn.

Kasey Hill, a 2013 point guard from Montverde Academy in Florida, has cut his list to seven schools. Hill will consider three in-state schools in Florida, Florida State and USF, along with NC State, Louisville, Kentucky and Missouri. Surprisingly, Baylor didn’t make the cut. The rising junior recently visited South Florida with his AAU teammates and came away impressed with the facilities. As Matt McCall from Florida and Stan Jones from Florida State are battling for the young, local guard, look for Kentucky to make a run at him, as well.

Robert Upshaw, a 2012 center from San Joaquin in California, is officially considering nine schools. After a breakout spring and strong summer with Dream Vision, Upshaw received plenty of interest and offers from new schools around the country. Arizona, Fresno State, Georgetown, Kansas State, Louisville, Maryland, Oklahoma State, UNLV and USC comprise his final nine schools. Upshaw is close to 7-foot-1 and would be a perfect fit at a big man school, however, his versatility will help him. In the end, there is no clear cut destination for this special prospect with tons of talent and potential.

Jake Layman, a 2012 small forward from King Philip Regional in Massachusetts, has a top five, according to his mother, Claire. Layman has set up four official visits for the month of September. He will trip to Syracuse, Florida, Louisville and Maryland. The final school is Wake Forest, where no visits have been set up just yet. The big forward ran with BABC this summer and could be a legit threat at the next level with his long wingspan and high basketball IQ.

Winston Shepard, a 2012 power forward from Findlay Prep in Nevada, cut some big schools off of his list. Georgia, New Mexico, UTEP, San Diego State, UNLV and Oklahoma State are in the mix for the extremely talented rising senior. Shepard surprisingly passed on looks from Memphis, Louisville and others. It is extremely unclear where he could end up landing as Memphis was once considered a potential destination for him. Right now, UNLV could have the inside track as Dave Rice has put together a fantastic 2012 class and is in Shepard’s backyard in Nevada.

Brandon Ashley, another 2012 power forward from Findlay Prep in Nevada, has narrowed his list down even more. Originally at seven schools entering August, the talented Oakland product got rid of three schools. His final four are Kentucky, Arizona, Oregon and UCLA. Ashley, who left Bishop O’Dowd in California for Findlay Prep his senior year, had a huge summer to boost his stock. While he could stay local with Washington, Oregon or UCLA, look for Kentucky to continue to put on the heat for the talented forward. If he heads to Oregon, Ashley will join his former AAU teammate, Jabari Brown.

Robert Carter, a 2012 power forward from Shiloh in Georgia, is down to Kentucky, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Maryland and Rhode Island. Carter was another player who had a big boost to his summer stock. During the spring, he teamed up with Chris Walker on the AAU circuit. Kentucky, Florida, Florida State are all in play for these two so the possibilities are endless. The Georgia native could stay local, too, and join Brian Gregory at Georgia Tech, where he has already landed Marcus Smart and Chris Bolden, two local products.

Willie Cauley, a 2012 center from Olathe Northwest in Kansas, has trimmed his list to five schools. Alabama, Florida, Kansas State, Kentucky and Oklahoma State round out his top five. Cauley’s recruitment has been very quiet, however, it seems like he could stay in-state. As Kansas State coach Frank Martin makes the push for both Cauley and Perry Ellis, a 2012 power forward from Wichita Heights in Kansas, the Wildcats have a shot at landing both prospects.

(Photos courtesy of ESPN, Findlay Prep and NY2LA Sports)

By Alex Kline

As the St. John’s staff has been recruiting 2012 target Kyle Anderson extremely hard, it came as a surprise to some when they landed his AAU teammate on Saturday afternoon.

Darrick Wood, a 2012 shooting guard from NIA Prep and the New Jersey Playaz, verbally committed to St. John’s, according to Playaz club director Jimmy Salmon. Wood confirmed the news as he completed his unofficial visit to the school.

“Yes sir,” he confirmed by phone. “It was the perfect fit for me. Tough, real hardcore basketball. Just the way I like to play.”

Wood joins Ricardo Gathers as the second player to commit to St. John’s for the class of 2012. Gathers, a 6-foot-8 forward from Louisiana, committed earlier in the summer.

“The visit went great,” he exclaimed. “I had a fun time with the coaches. It just seemed like a real family.”

A native of Washington DC,  Wood may be one of the premier underrated players in his class coming from NIA Prep. Playing the wing and two spot is his speciality as he can score in a variety of ways. The 2012 future Johnny can shoot it from deep, inside and has a nice mid-range. His athleticism makes him a treat to watch on the court as he finishes with stellar moves.

As Tony Chiles was the key to landing Darrick Wood, can he, Steve Lavin and the rest of the Red Storm land his teammate, Kyle Anderson, next? That is to be seen in one month when the 2012 star from St. Anthony makes his college decision between the Red Storm, Florida, UCLA, Georgetown and Seton Hall.

(Photo courtesy of FiveStarBasketball.com)

By Alex Kline

Jordan Chatman and Jordan Loveridge have both narrowed their list down to four schools.

Chatman, a 2012 6-foot-4 guard from Skyview in Washington, narrowed his list down to, “BYU, Stanford, Utah and Washington State,” according to his father, Jeff. All of the schools has offered and he has visited them, as well.

With Utah making the move to the Pac-12, the Utes are certainly an attractive program, as is Ken Bone’s up and coming Washington State program. With Stanford’s reputation and BYU’s recent tournament success, it is no surprise why these four schools could be a good fit.

Jeff Chatman played for BYU back in the day. While the Cougars are not a lock to land him, each school makes a solid case for the talented guard with handle. According to the older Chatman, “Jordan narrowed it to those four because playing in the Pac-12 is special to him and playing BYU is special because of the story with out family.”

Loveridge, a 2012 6-foot-6 forward from West Jordan in Utah, had a breakout summer to acclimate his status. He narrowed his list down to, “Weber State, Utah, Arizona and BYU.” The Wildcats are the only school who is yet to offer.

Just as Chatman is looking at Utah and BYU, the Utes and Cougars in contention for Loveridge, as well. Along with that, Weber State is the surprise team making a run for his services. Arizona is the latest school to show interest and could offer in the coming months depending on what others players do.

“I just felt like those are the best all around fits for me over my other offers,” he said regarding his final four. The talented forward has nothing planned for the next few weeks, however, “if I do something, it will be to check out Arizona because I have never checked out the campus.” Loveridge has already seen the other schools plenty of times.

No dates have been set yet for either player to commit. The idea of a package deal is a possibility, however, it’s the last factor on everyone’s mind.

(Photos courtesy of Utah Pump N Run and the Deseret News)

By Alex Kline

For rising ninth grader Isaiah Briscoe, success on and off the court has come quickly.

A 2015 6-foot-2 point guard from Newark, New Jersey; Briscoe has developed his game by playing against his level and players who are much older. With his confidence on the court leading to wins, the young guard has accomplished a fair amount in a small amount of time.

“I believe it all started with the last three AAU games of the summer heading into my eighth grade year,” he said. “I hit two buzzer beaters and received MVP. My dad said that, “it doesn’t stop here, nobody eats for the next four years, let’s keep the pedal on.”"

During the months of June and July, the St. Benedict’s/New Jersey Playaz rising star gained verbal offers from Rutgers, Seton Hall, DePaul, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Baylor through his performances at Rutgers Team Camp and Hoop Group Elite Camp. After that, he went down to U14 Nationals in Orlando where he took care of business against his own age.

His most impressive performance, though, was not statistically, however, as he played with the U17 NJ Playaz team for their final event of the summer. Briscoe held his own on the court and played well in front of hundreds of top coaches looking on at his talented teammates.

Now, the 2015 talent is drawing early interest from UConn, Duke, Ohio State, Michigan, USC, Temple, Florida, Florida State, St. John’s and Kentucky. Phone calls have been setup and letters of interest have been sent out but the top programs around the country are trying to get in early with this future phenom.

Considered by most a top five player in his grade, Isaiah Briscoe will bring his talent to St. Benedict’s this year to team up with Tyler Ennis ’13 and Melvin Johnson ’12 in the Grey Bee’s backcourt. With workouts coming in the fall and plenty of notable games in the winter, the recruitment of the young Briscoe could soar to new levels.

“This has been the greatest two years of my life,” he said. “This is the ideal way to end my middle school journey. now it’s time for high school and more hard work.”

(Photo courtesy of The Recruit Scoop)