By Alex Kline

UMBC has dipped into the Northeast again, this time in Pennsylvania.

On Tuesday, the Retrievers landed a verbal commitment from 2012 6-foot-5 wing Malik Garner of Chestnut Hill Academy in Pennsylvania.

“The coaches at UMBC did everything right from the start,” Garner said. “Coach Monroe was at three of five workouts a week and even brought the entire staff down to see me play. He believes I have All-League potential and will give me the opportunity to start as a freshman next year. The guys on the team are great and the area is amazing for me as well.”

Garner, who spent his summer winning games with Team Philly, joins a long list of players from his AAU squad to commit. The Team Philly squad also sent Brandon Taylor to Penn State, Maurice Watson to Boston University, and Chazz Patterson to Mount St. Mary’s.

Garner is an exceptional athlete, who can improve on a variety of things within his game. The wing has a sturdy frame, but he must develop a much more consistent jumper if he wants to play at the two and three spots in the American East conference.

He selected UMBC over Mount St. Mary, St. Francis (PA), Canisius, Boston College, Boston University, LIU, Rider, Monmouth and Hofstra. He will be joined by current freshman and Philadelphia native, Will Wise, among other local talent.

(Photo courtesy of RecruitRecon.com)

By Alex Kline

As if Iowa State couldn’t land another talented recruit, the mayor delivered once again on Saturday night.

A weekend prepared with festivities, Iowa State had Naz Long on campus for an official visit. He was joined by 2012 Cyclones commits Nkereuwem Okoro, a 2012 guard from St. Raymond’s in New York, and Georges Niang, a 2012 forward from Tilton in New Hampshire. As Okoro celebrated his birthday on the official visit with Niang and Long, it was one specific birthday present that stood out the most.

The Canadian point guard, who attends REDA in Ontario, Canada, verbally committed on Saturday to Iowa State.

“This is home,” Long simply said. “It just feels like home.”

Along with Okoro and Niang, the guard who spent his summer with CIA Bounce on the AAU scene will play alongside Sherron Dorsey-Walker on Pershing in Michigan. As Iowa State is building around its new coach and former NBA star, Fred Hoiberg, as well as an exciting staff, the Cyclones could take over the Big-12 in no time with talented players like these.

(Photo courtesy of Big Shot Images)

By Alex Kline

Anthony Pate has only spent a few months in America, but he will be switching high schools before the season starts.

A native of Canada, Pate is a 2013 6’3 combo guard who enrolled at St. Patrick in New Jersey for his junior year. Pate has decided to transfer to Long Island Lutheran in New York, according to his father, Gabriel Pate.

“His move comes primarily for academic reasons,” said Gabriel Pate. ”Lutheran has a great pre-college prep business program that he wants to take advantage of, due to increased interest from schools like Yale, Notre Dame and others.”

In addition, Pate, who plays with Ro Russell’s Grassroots Canada squad on the AAU scene, will be immediately eligible for play from the start of Long Island Lutheran’s season. He would have had to sit at St. Patrick because international transfers, if they played high school the year before they came to America, are subject to sit for 30-days. Pate joins a highly talented cast at Lutheran where he will attempt to help them defend their 2010-11 New York state championship title under Coach John Buck.

The addition of the young Canadian will be felt after losing talented seniors Jordan Allen of Hofstra and Ash Yacoubu of Villanova to graduation.

Along with interest from Notre Dame and Yale, Pate is hearing from a number of schools including Rutgers and Seton Hall, where he took unofficial visits to last weekend.

(Photo courtesy of Canada Basketball)

By Alex Kline

Marist coach Chuck Martin needed to make sure he landed a talented 2012 class to follow up a stellar 2011 group.

On Saturday, the Red Foxes landed a huge commitment from 2012 6-foot-7 combo forward Phillip Lawrence of Mount St. Joseph in Maryland. An under-recruited, under the radar player who ran with Philly’s Finest of Pennsylvania this summer, Lawrence chose Marist over Rider, Niagara, Loyola (MD), Radford and Jacksonville.

“The academics are excellent,” he stated by phone. “The coaching staff is the best. The campus is beautiful and I fit perfectly into the offense.” The Maryland native took an official visit to the campus this weekend, where he was sold on the program.

A legitimate combo forward who played alongside Amile Jefferson and Jaylen Bond this summer, Lawrence is an amazing role player who carries a team through his hard work and versatility. He does a little of everything well, but will have to put on weight before he enters his freshman year of college. If he can do this, and work on his offensive game, Lawrence could be an all-conference player in the MAAC by the time he is a junior.

(Photo courtesy of Rivals.com)

By Alex Kline

Midnight Madness kicked off the first practice for college basketball teams to start the 2011-2012 season. Events will be hosted all around the country and will be packed with crazy college basketball fans and spectators. As the first practice takes place, this is a key weekend for schools to get key recruits on campus for official and unofficial visits. With hundreds of recruits, seniors to freshmen, on campus, here is a breakdown of a number of recruits who will be attending Midnight Madness this weekend.

Currently, exactly 210 recruits are listed as attending Midnight Madness. Updates will be coming every few hours.

Rider- Yosef Yacob, Dom Reid, Amir Maddred, Amar Stukes, Johnnie Davis, Terry Turner, Derek Stewart, Bryan Rivers and Karron Davis.

Harvard – Isaiah Watkins and Pat Benzan.

North Carolina – TJ Warren and Nate Britt.

UNLV – Stephen Zimmerman and Noah Robotham.

Purdue – Derek Willis

Texas A&M – Keith Frazier, Karviar Shepard, Jordan Mickey, Elijah Thomas and Austin Grandstaff.

Kansas - Kaleb Tarczewski, Branne Greene, Allerik Freemanm, Jordan Mickey, Karviar Sheppard and Chris Walker.

Michigan State- Tyler Wideman, Demetrius Jackson, Drake Harris, Paul White and Cliff Alexander.

Syracuse- Isaiah Briscoe, Nerlens Noel, Tyler Ennis, Goodluck Okonoboh, Chinoso Obokuh and Zach Radz

DePaul – Karriem Simmons, Jordan Poydras, Tevin King, Amanzke Egezeke, Evan Boudreaux, Darius Austin, Tyler Jackson, Derreon Reddick, CJ Rivers, Glynn Watson, Prentiss Nixon, Paul Turner, Jordan Ash, Roosevelt Smart, Keita Bates-Diop, Erick Locke and Jalen Brunson.

UConn- Noah Vonleh, Chris Baldwin, Austin Colbert, Amile Jefferson, Jeremy Miller, Kuran Iverson, Kyle Washington, Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Jaylen Brantley, Cane Broome, Kahari Beaufort, Jarred Reuter, Kenton Facey and Lenny Kadisha.

Georgetown- Shep Garner, Kennedy Meeks, Tyler Jackson, Josh Hart, Rysheed Jordan and Troy Williams.

Quinnipiac – Chris McCullough

Marquette – Malik Yarbrough, Diamond Stone, Phil Nolan, Duane Wilson, Domonique Matthews, Jaquan Lyle, Dennis Williams, Charles Matthews, Kevin Looney, Juwan Parker, Toby Henger, Gavin Schilling and Monte Morris.

St. John’s- Chris Obekpa, Jason Boswell, Dayshon Smith, Isaiah Lewis, Jaquan McKennon, Tyler Wilson, Chance Ellis and Jermaine Lawrence.

Rutgers- Stanford Robinson, Anthony Pate, DeAndre Bembry, Jonathan Williams, Jared Nickens, Brandon Austin, Quadri Moore, Isaiah Still, Wade Baldwin, CJ Davis, Conrad Chambers, Horace Spencer, Kyle Williams, Reggie Cameron, Nassir Barrino, Kavon Stewart, Karl Towns, John Severe, Phil Boothe, Romelo Trimble and Mike Young.

Kentucky - Shabazz Muhammad, DaJuan Coleman, Alex Poythress, Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison and Willie Cauley.

George Washington - Kevin Zabo, Ishmail Wainright, Kris Jenkins, Aaron Young and Skye Johnson.

Louisville- Malik Price-Martin, Robert Upshaw, Greg McClinton, Anton Gill, Raekwon Harney, Jackson Davis and Derek Willis.

Auburn – Daniel Dingle, Jordan Granger, Ben Carter and LeMarcus White.

Oklahoma – Alonzo Trier, Omega Harris, Juwan Parker, Shaq Morris and Jacob Hammond-Diaz.

Maryland – Will Ferguson, Tevon Saddler, Roddy Peters, John Crosby, Andre Walker, Rodney Bullock and Sam Cassell Jr.

Manhattan- Neville Fincher, Chris Jones, Naim Thomas, Myron Hickman, Kavon Williams, Kevin Johnson, Isaiah Cousins, Jarrel Marshall, Naasir Williams, Ryan Yearwood, Josh Doughty, Tariq Carey, Paul Bayt, Shane Rector, Jerome Frink, Shavar Newkirk, Tauron Bailey, Curtis Jones and Josh James.

Memphis- Jarnell Stokes, Shaq Goodwin, Tony Parker, Deontaye Curtis, Treshawn Bolden, Nick King, Jalen Lindsey, Austin Nichols and Marquan Botley.

Duke – Matt Jones and Jaquel Richmond.

New Mexico – Winston Sheppard

Indiana - Derek Willis, Johnnie Vassar, RJ Curington, Sam Singer, Gary Harris, Trevor Bluiett, Grant Evans, D’Angelo Russell, Jackson Davis, Shane Hall, Trey Grundy, Justin Johnson and Bryant McIntosh.

Illinois- Gavin Schilling, Thomas Hamilton, Devin Williams, Kieta Bates-Diop, Darius Austin, Jordan Ash, Prentiss Jackson and Tyler Jackson.

Providence- Greg Senat, Jared Terrell, Rene Castro, Orlando Sanchez and Adrian Oliveira.

Texas – Zena Edosomwan and Julius Randle.

(Photo courtesy of NY2LA Sports and ESPN)

By Alex Kline

Bruce Brittingham will continue his career as a two-sport athlete at the next level.

The 2012 6-foot-1 point guard and running back from Perkiomen Prep in Pennsylvania verbally committed to Wagner on Tuesday night.

“When I took my visit to Wagner it just felt like the right place for me,” he said. “The campus was great. It’s not to big of a school. I feel that I fit both sports systems, as well.”

A native of Trenton, Brittingham took an unofficial visit to the Staten Island school over the weekend where he landed his first offer. Wagner offered Brittingham for football; however, he will also walk-on to the basketball team to play under Danny Hurley. He chose the Seahawks over Delaware and Temple, who were expressing major interest.

“The coaches of both sports seemed to love me as much as I loved them,” he said by phone. “I am definitely very excited to become a Seahawk and play for great coaches at Wagner.”

At the NEC school, Brittingham will join longtime friend, classmate, and teammate, Eric Fanning. A 2012 wing from Perkiomen (PA), Fanning has known Brittingham since he moved to Trenton in middle school.

“He’s been my best friend for six years so I’m looking forward to it,” said Fanning.

The two attended Trenton High in New Jersey for a few year and Fanning followed the two-sport athlete to Perkiomen. They also play with Team New Jersey ABC on the AAU scene. Now, while they may not end up rooming together, they dynamic duo will attend the same college and play on the same basketball team, yet again.

“God blessed me with talent and I took advantage of it,” he said. “I made my dream a reality. A lot of people told me I couldn’t do it but it didn’t phase me, it was only my motivation.”

(Photo courtesy of The Mercury)

By Alex Kline

Dwaun Anderson, a 2011 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Suttons Bay in Michigan, was signed and sealed to attend Michigan State this fall.

After the loss of his mother last spring, the 2011 Spartans signee decided to not enroll at Michigan State. Anderson released a personal statement through the school this summer stating that, “The last two years have been a very rough time for me as I’ve had to deal with some personal tragedies, including the sickness and death of my mother. I’ve been in counseling as I attempt to cope with these issues, and I plan to undergo further counseling. I want to get all my personal issues in order before moving on to the next stage of my life. I loved being on campus this summer, getting to know and spend time with my teammates and a lot of other great people, but it also made me realize that I need to get some other things together before dealing with the pressures that come with being a college basketball player.”

Named Mr. Basketball in the state of Michigan last year, the high-flying scorer was one of the most under looked talents heading to the Big-10. On Monday, a source close to Anderson stated that he had received his official release from Michigan State. As Anderson is now back on the market, the former MSU commit’s eligibility is unclear on when he may be able to play. As Anderson is in the process of visiting schools, and could potentially commit this month, there is a chance he could see the court as early as January once the second semester of college begins.

Among the schools involved with Dwaun Anderson are Rutgers, Drexel, Villanova, Wagner, Seton Hall, Central Michigan, Georgetown, and La Salle. Anderson, who has only setup unofficial visits at the moment, went to Rutgers on Monday. He was at Drexel on Tuesday and will make a trip to Wagner on Wednesday. Following that, he is expected to visit Georgetown on Saturday, as well as Seton Hall on Sunday. La Salle will also receive an unofficial visit from him on October 20th.

While Anderson is currently not available for comment, the Michigan native could make a decision by the end of October.

(Photo courtesy of NY2LA Sports)

By Alex Kline

The 9th annual Eddie Griffin Challenge hosted by the New Jersey Playaz Club was an outstanding event at the Haverford School in Pennsylvania. Boasting three games with loaded talent from the classes of 2012, 2013, and 2014, the event put Philadelphia up against New Jersey. The Philly Seniors and Sophomores both won their games, while the New Jersey Juniors won theirs.

The Recruit Scoop broke down the top performers from the event by class and game.

Breakout MVP Performers: Dallas Anglin with 25 points & 5 assists, Ja’Quan Newton with 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, Rashad Figures with 21 points, Reggie Cameron with 20 points and 9 rebounds, Miles Overton with 18 points, and Amile Jefferson with 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Top EGC Sophomores: Rashad Figures of Hackensack (NJ), Quadri Moore of Linden (NJ), Ja’Quan Newton of Neumann Goretti (PA), Troy Harper of Neumann Goretti (PA), Conrad Chambers of Friends Central (PA), Jahyde Gardiner of Freire Charter (PA), and Kaison Randolph of Pennington (NJ).

Top EGC Juniors: Jaren Sina of Gill St. Bernard’s (NJ), Reggie Cameron of Hudson Catholic (NJ), Kavon Stewart of Hudson Catholic (NJ), Miles Overton of St. Joseph’s Prep (PA), Davon Reed of Princeton Day (NJ), Joel Hernandez of Teaneck (NJ), and Mike Young of Hudson Catholic (NJ).

Top EGC Seniors: Boston commit Maurice Watson of Boys’ Latin (PA), Hofstra commit Dallas Anglin of Seton Hall Prep (NJ), Amile Jefferson of Friends Central (PA), Savon Goodman of Constitution (PA), Daiquan Walker of Constitution (PA), and Fairfield commit Marcus Gilbert of Academy of the New Church (PA).

Here is a recruiting rundown with recruitment lists from more than 20 players who attended.

Jaren Sina, a 2013 point guard from Gill St. Bernard’s (NJ), lists Alabama, Virginia, Penn State, Georgetown, Miami, Seton Hall, Rutgers, St. John’s, Florida State, Michigan, Cincinnati, Clemson, Syracuse and West Virginia as the schools who have reached out to him since he re-opened his recruitment from Alabama earlier in the week.

Quadri Moore, a 2014 power forward form Linden (NJ), lists an offer from Providence, with interest from Georgetown, Cincinnati, Rutgers, Seton Hall, and Temple. He has taken one unofficial visit to Temple.

Wade Baldwin, a 2014 point guard from Immaculata (NJ), lists an offer from Iona, with interest from Miami, St. Mary’s, Dartmouth, Oregon State, Georgia Tech, Lafayette, Lehigh, Bucknell, Richmond, Providence, and Rutgers. Baldwin will attend MidKnight Madness on October 14th at Rutgers.

Jordan Forehand, a 2014 guard from St. Anthony (NJ), lists interest from USC, Seton Hall, Central Florida, Iona, Bucknell, Drexel, and Stanford. He has visited USC and Bucknell once. Forehand will likely visit Bucknell a second time on November 5th.

Troy Harper, a 2014 point guard from Neumann Goretti (PA), lists offers from Towson and Delaware, with interest from Richmond, Robert Morris, Rutgers, and Manhattan.

Conrad Chambers, a 2014 point guard from Friends Central (PA), lists offers from Drexel, Seton Hall, Providence, Temple, Iowa State, and Rutgers, along with interest from Florida, Villanova, UConn, and West Virginia. Chambers has unofficially visited Seton Hall, Providence, Temple, Iowa State, Rutgers, Villanova, and UConn.

Ja’Quan Newton, a 2014 point guard from Neumann Goretti (PA), lists offers from Miami, Villanova, Georgetown, Rutgers, and St. Joe’s, along with interest from Syracuse, Florida, Penn State, Maryland, and Kansas. He has visited Villanova, Syracuse, and St. Joe’s. Newton may visit Georgetown on October 14th for Midnight Madness.

Shep Garner, a 2014 guard from Roman Catholic (PA), lists offers from Rutgers, Penn State, and Florida, with interest from Texas, Georgetown, Virginia, Maryland, Villanova, Pittsburgh, Kentucky, and North Carolina. He has already visited Villanova and Rutgers. Garner hopes to take visits to Virginia, Georgetown, Florida, and North Carolina in the future.

Jahyde Gardiner, a 2014 wing from Freire Charter (PA), lists interest from LSU, Washington, Stanford, Rutgers, La Salle, Drexel, Rider, Colorado, Bucknell, and Notre Dame.

Kaison Randolph, a 2014 guard from Pennington (NJ), lists offers from Wagner, Cincinnati, and Iowa State, with interest from Drexel, Seton Hall, Rutgers, VCU, and Providence.

Johnnie Davis, a 2013 shooting guard from Neumann Goretti (PA), lists offers from Towson, VCU, George Mason, Temple, Delaware, La Salle, UMass, Rider, Northeastern, Seton Hall, Manhattan, Florida Atlantic, St. Peter’s, St. Joe’s, and Robert Morris, with interest from Villanova. He has already visited Towson, St. Joe’s, and Temple. Davis hopes to visit VCU, Rider, George Mason, and Robert Morris in the future.

Miles Overton, a 2013 shooting guard from St. Joseph’s Prep (PA), lists offers from James Madison, South Florida, Drexel, Delaware, and VCU, with interest from Seton Hall, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Temple, Villanova, Kansas, Notre Dame, Arizona State, and La Salle. He has already visited Drexel and James Madison. Overton may visit Virginia in the future.

Josh Brown, a 2013 point guard from St. Anthony (NJ), lists offers from Temple, St. Joe’s, La Salle, Florida Atlantic, South Florida, San Francisco, and UMass, with interest from Seton Hall, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, VCU, Virginia, and Gonzaga. He visited St. Joe’s on Monday and hopes to visit Temple and La Salle in the near future.

Hallice Cooke, a 2013 shooting guard from St. Anthony (NJ), lists offers from South Florida, Seton Hall, La Salle, VCU, Richmond, St. Joe’s, San Francisco, Rice, Iona, and Wagner, with interest from Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Yale, Quinnipiac, Fordham, Cincinnati, Temple, Virginia, Rutgers, and Villanova. He visited St. Joe’s on Monday with Josh Brown. Cooke also hopes to make it down to the state of Virginia and take visits to Virginia Tech, VCU, and Virginia.

Rashad Figures, a 2014 guard from Hackensack (NJ), lists interest from USC, Iona, George Mason, and Rutgers.

Kavon Stewart, a 2013 point guard from Hudson Catholic (NJ), lists offers from UMass, Cincinnati, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Florida International, Manhattan, Quinnipiac, and Towson, with interest from Iowa, Miami, Xavier, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh.

Reggie Cameron, a 2013 small forward from Hudson Catholic (NJ), lists offers from Seton Hall, Northwestern, Rutgers, Xavier, Cincinnati, Providence, DePaul, Miami, Villanova, and UMass, with interest from Notre Dame, Marquette, West Virginia, Penn State, and Florida. He will attend Rutgers MidKnight Madness.

Mike Young, a 2013 power forward from Hudson Catholic (NJ), lists offers from Rutgers, Miami, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, and Florida, with interest from Baylor and Wake Forest. West Virginia, who is recruiting him the hardest, has already received an unofficial visit from him. Young will attend Rutgers MidKnight Madness with Reggie Cameron this weekend.

Davon Reed, a 2013 guard from Princeton Day (NJ), lists offers from Xavier, West Virginia, Harvard, Penn State, Seton Hall, St. Joe’s, Temple, La Salle, Rutgers, VCU, Northwestern, Richmond, and Drexel, with interest from Villanova, Georgetown, Iowa, Princeton, Penn, Florida State, Notre Dame, DePaul, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Marquette.

Savon Goodman, a 2012 small forward from Constitution (PA), has not formulated an official school list yet, according to his high school coach Rob Moore. Moore states that he has received phone calls from, “Texas, Oregon, UCLA, and Louisville.” Goodman, who re-opened his recruitment from Villanova in August, took unofficial visits to UCLA and USC while he was in California for the Boost Mobile Elite 24 event.

Blaise Mbargorba, a 2012 center from Peddie (NJ), doesn’t have an exact list but he has taken official visits to Northwestern, Virginia Tech, SMU, and Vanderbilt. The 7-footer says he is likely finished with taken official visits; however, George Mason is still in contention for him, according to a source. Mbargorba finished up his official visit at Virginia Tech on Sunday.

Daiquan Walker, a 2012 point guard from Constitution (PA), lists Tennessee, UConn, Temple, Central Florida, West Virginia, Seton Hall, and Niagara.

(Photo courtesy of NJ Hoops)

By Alex Kline

Less than a year ago Jaren Sina was still considered a fresh face on the high school basketball scene.

A sophomore from Gill St. Bernard’s in New Jersey at the time, the 6-foot-1 sharpshooting point guard verbally committed to Alabama and coach Anthony Grant. Citing reasons as his relationship with assistant Tony Pujols and the family feel, things were figured out way ahead of schedule. Coming from a basketball family, it seemed as if everything had worked out being that his father and coach, Mergin, a former player at Seton Hall and Rhode Island, would guide his son in the right direction.

Everything still remains excellent for the talented 2013 guard now; however, he decided to take a change of pace on Tuesday. As first reported by Adam Finkelstein of the New England Recruiting Report, Jaren Sina re-opened his recruitment from the Tide and decided to part ways.

“Alabama is still an option,” he said by phone. “I have an amazing relationship with the coaching staff and can always talk to them about anything. For me, I just wanted to make sure that Alabama was the best decision. I didn’t really have anywhere to compare it to.”

While Sina has already committed early once, he will likely wait out the process through his junior year of high school.

“I’m going to stay open and go through the process again,” he said. Sina, who spent his day at school and in the gym has seen his phone blow up with phone calls today.

“My dad has been getting calls all day long,” he said. “I’m not sure who has been calling yet but it seems like a lot of schools are interested.” Prior to his commitment to Alabama, the New Jersey guard had looks from St. John’s, Seton Hall, Cincinnati, Rutgers, and more. With all of the point guard commitments that have recently taken place, a number of other schools could become more serious like a Duke or Syracuse who showed interest while he was available during his sophomore year.

While it is unclear whether or not Sina will end up back at Alabama, one thing is certain. His father and coach, Mergin Sina, will have some exciting open gyms this year packed with college coaches drooling over his son’s skills.

(Photo courtesy of NJ.com)