By Alex Kline

Coming off an injury, the progress of Jon Severe was supposed to be slow. After tying a school-record with eight made 3-pointers, some college coaches are beginning to consider him as the best player on his loaded team.

A 2013 6-foot-3 combo guard from Christ the King in New York, Severe has emerged as arguably the best player on a team featuring UConn signee Omar Calhoun, top-100 point guard Isaiah Lewis and talented role player Jordan Fuchs, among others. One D1 assistant coach believes he may be the best player on the team – not potentially – but right now.

Severe has an excellent shot and can shoot from range. He can dribble well, but needs to improve on that if he wants to have the ball in his hands more often. Severe has the ability to drive to the basket and finish in traffic. He is also a strong defender, who continues to get better in all aspects of his game. The New York native has developed his game into a much more compete ball player, as opposed to just a shooter.

After being hurt over the summer, along with the season before that, Severe has had an unlucky history with injuries. At the same time, he is finally having his breakout year during his junior season. Because of this, the Christ the King star is now hearing from plenty of schools. He has offers from, “Houston, Xavier and Drexel,” with interest from, “Providence, Texas, Rutgers and Florida.” There are a number of other schools who are exploring the option of getting involved as his stock seems to rise every game.

 As the Long Island Lightning program is coming off of a huge year last season that featured Kareem Canty, Nkereuwem Okoro, Daniel Dingle, Kamari Murphy and Melvin Johnson, look for this year’s U17 squad to be highlighted by the rising senior with the hot shot, Jon Severe.

(Photo courtesy of the NY Post)

Press release by Alex Kline

The 2012 Mary Kline Classic in Pennington, New Jersey, will be hosted on Saturday, May 5th, 2012. The event is expected to top the first annual event last year, which featured numerous talented players, including Khalid Lewis (Delaware), John Johnson (Pittsburgh), Jerrell Wright (La Salle), Khem Birch (UNLV), Devin Coleman (Clemson), Jabril Trawick (Georgetown), Tyler Harris (NC State), Will Wise (UMBC), Jordan Allen (Hofstra), Angel Nunez (Louisville), Isaiah Williams (Marshall) and many other talented student athletes.

In the 2nd annual event, a dunk contest and three-point shootout will be highlighted by two games. The senior game featuring twenty-six of the top 2012 players from the east coast will participate in the event. A new addition has been added to the event with the underclassmen game, featuring some of the top freshmen, sophomores and juniors from around the east coast. This year’s crop at the Mary Kline Classic is anticipated to be the best yet with all players participating being of a division one basketball caliber, as well as potential professional basketball players.

All proceeds raised from the game will be donated to the National Brain Tumor Society in support of cancer research. As $7,300 was raised last year, we are currently at $3,600 for this year. If you would like to make a contribution to the 2012 Mary Kline Classic, please email Alex Kline at AlexKlineBasketball@Yahoo.com. The game is in honor of Kline’s late mother, Mary, who passed away from a brain tumor over seven years ago. Admission into the event is a $10 donation.

The Mary Kline Classic would like to thank Vincent Robinson of The Robinson School for contributing uniforms, as well as Patrick Coombs of Reebok for contributing Zigtech sneakers.

THE EVENT WILL BE HOSTED ON SATURDAY, MAY 5TH FROM 5PM-9:30PM AT THE PENNINGTON SCHOOL – 112 WEST DELAWARE AVENUE IN PENNINGTON, NEW JERSEY. PLAYERS SHOULD ARRIVE AROUND 1:45PM FOR PRACTICE, SHOOTAROUND AND A QUICK MEAL. GEAR WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO EACH PLAYER. ADMISSION IS $10 IN GENERAL, BUT VOLUNTEERS, PARENTS AND PLAYERS ARE ALLOWED IN FREE UNLESS THEY CHOOSE TO CONTRIBUTE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE THERE!

Listed below are the four different rosters for the Blue and Red Senior and Underclassmen teams.

Blue Seniors

#33 Eric Fanning – 6’5 wing – Perkiomen (PA) – Team NJABC – Wagner signee

#22 Maurice Watson - 5’9 point guard - Boys’ Latin (PA) – Team Philly – Boston U signee

#35 Phillip Lawrence – 6’7 combo forward – Mount St. Joseph’s (MD) – Philly’s Finest – Marist signee

#30 Brandon Taylor – 6’7 combo forward – Trenton Catholic (NJ) – Team Philly – Penn State signee

#10 Charles Cooke – 6’6 wing – Trenton Catholic (NJ) – Team NJABC – James Madison signee

#44 Blaise Mbargorba – 7’0 center – Peddie (NJ) – NJ Roadrunners – SMU signee

#15 Daniel Ochefu – 6’10 power forward – Westtown (PA) – PTP – Villanova signee

#23 Daiquan Walker – 6’2 point guard – Constitution (PA) – Team Breakdown – Unsigned

#2 Anthony Gaffney – 6’1 combo guard – Taft (CT) – Team NJABC – Princeton Football signee

#14 Marcus Gilbert – 6’6 small forward – Academy of the New Church (PA) – East Coast Elite – Fairfield signee

#0 Bruce Brittingham – 6’0 point guard – Perkiomen (PA) – Team NJABC – Wagner Football signee

#24 Nizar Kapic – 6’6 wing – Perkiomen (PA) – Austria – Unsigned

Red Seniors

#42 Daniel Dingle – 6’7 combo forward – St. Raymond (NY) – Long Island Lightning – Temple signee

#12 Quenton DeCosey – 6’5 wing – St. Joe’s Metuchen (NJ) – Sports University – Temple signee

#1 Alex Mitola – 5’9 shooting guard – Gill St. Bernard’s (NJ) – Hoop Heaven – Dartmouth signee

#55 Dominic Hoffman – 6’7 power forward – Gill St. Bernard’s (NJ) – Hoop Heaven – Bucknell signee

#33 Justin Sears – 6’7 combo forward – Plainfield (NJ) – Sports University – Yale signee

#4 Chris Jones – 6’5 shooting guard – Teaneck (NJ) – NJ Playaz – Unsigned

#35 Neville Fincher – 6’9 power forward – Teaneck (NJ) – NJ Playaz – Unsigned

#25 Brandon Bolden – 6’10 power forward – Quality Education (NC) – Team Nike Florida – Georgetown signee

#2 Dallas Anglin – 6’2 point guard – Seton Hall Prep (NJ) – Sports University – Hofstra signee

#32 Melvin Johnson – 6’2 shooting guard – St. Benedict’s (NJ) – NY Gauchos – Miami signee

#5 Sekou Harris – 5’10 point guard – Plainfield (NJ) – NJ Playaz – Unsigned

#20 Georges Niang – 6’7 combo forward – Tilton (NH) – BABC – Iowa State signee

#14 Nkereuwem Okoro – 6’4 wing – St. Raymond (NY) – Long Island Lightning – Iowa State signee

Blue Underclassmen

#31 Jermaine Lawrence – 2014 6’9 combo forward – Pope John XXIII (NJ) – Positive Direction – Undecided

#11 Isaiah Briscoe – 2015 6’2 point guard – St. Benedict’s (NJ) – NJ Playaz – Undecided

#21 Chris McCullough – 2014 6’8 power forward – Salisbury (CT) – Team Scan – Undecided

#25 Davon Reed – 2013 6’5 combo guard – Princeton Day (NJ) – Team Final – Undecided

#4 Geno Thorpe – 2013 6’1 combo guard – Shaler (PA) – NJ Playaz – Penn State commit

#20 Johnnie Davis – 2013 6’4 wing – Neumann Goretti (PA) – Team Final – Undecided

#3 Conrad Chambers – 2014 6’1 point guard – Friends Central (PA) – Team Scan - Undecided

#12 Tyler Ennis – 2013 6’2 point guard – St. Benedict’s (NJ) – CIA Bounce – Undecided

#32 Jared Terrell – 2014 6’3 shooting guard – New Hampton (NH) – Expressions Elite – Undecided

#35 Abdul-Malik Abu – 2014 6’7 combo forward – Kimball Union (NH) – Expressions Elite – Undecided

#13 Lenny Kadisha – 2015 6’3 combo guard – Wadleigh (NY) – Real Scout - Undecided

#5 Reggie Cameron – 2013 6’7 small forward – Hudson Catholic (NJ) – NJ Playaz – Undecided

#1 Wayne Selden – 2014 6’5 shooting guard – Tilton (NH) – BABC – Undecided

Red Underclassmen

#15 Isaiah Whitehead – 2014 6’4 combo guard – Lincoln (NY) – Juice All-Stars – Undecided

#22 Josh Brown – 2013 6’2 point guard – St. Anthony (NJ) – Sports University – Temple commit

#24 Ben Bentil – 2014 6’8 power forward – St. Andrew’s (DE) – Team ECE/NJABC – Undecided

#30 Allerik Freeman – 2013 6’4 shooting guard – Olympic (NC) – Team Nike Florida – Undecided

#3 Hallice Cooke – 2013 6’3 shooting guard – St. Anthony (NJ) – Sports University – Undecided

#31 Jared Nickens – 2013 6’6 wing – St. Patrick (NJ) – NJ Celtics – Undecided

#0 DeAndre Bembry – 2013 6’6 wing – St. Patrick (NJ) – NJ Celtics – Undecided

#44 Karl Towns – 2015 6’10 combo forward – St. Joe’s Metuchen (NJ) – Sports University – Undecided

#23 Jaren Sina - 2013 6’1 point guard – Gill St. Bernard’s (NJ) – Hoop Heaven – Undecided

#10 Kaison Randolph – 2014 6’2 combo guard – Pennington (NJ) – Team ECE/NJABC – Undecided

#34 Isaiah Watkins – 2013 6’7 power forward – St. Benedict’s (NJ) – CIA Bounce – Undecided

#21 Tyler Roberson – 2013 6’8 combo forward – Roselle Catholic (NJ) – NJ Roadrunners - Undecided

#13 Kamar McKnight – 2015 6’4 point guard – St. Patrick (NJ) – Grassroots Canada – Undecided

Coaches

Blue Team Seniors- Matt Pauls of ECE/NJABC and Terrell Myers of ECE/NJABC

Red Team Seniors – Mergin Sina of Gill St. Bernard’s (NJ)/Hoop Heaven (NJ) and TBD

Blue Team Underclassmen - Billy Diamond of Berkley College (NJ) and Terrance “Munch” Williams of Team Scan

Red Team Underclassmen - Eric Harrield of St. Anthony (NJ)/Sports University (NJ) and a special guest coach.

Contests

Dunk Contest Participants: DeAndre Bembry, Jared Terrell, Marcus Gilbert, Dallas Anglin, Johnnie Davis, Wayne Selden & Neville Fincher

Three-Point Shootout Participants: Blaise Mbargorba, Alex Mitola, Nizar Kapic, Karl Towns, Allerik Freeman, Melvin Johnson, Hallice Cooke & Jared Nickens

The following media is expected to attend the event: SNY, CBS Sports, ScoutsFocus, Ballin 365, CourtCred, 5-Star Basketball, Recruit Recon, City League Hoops, BallasTV, Rivals, Scout, Collegiate Hoops, 24/7 Sports, NJ.com, Trenton Times, MSG Varsity, Philadelphia Inquirer, Hoop Dreams Magazine, Newark Star Ledger, Trentonian, WZBN and more.

(Photos courtesy of NJ.com and NY Post)

By Alex Kline

This weekend, a number of talented players were offered. Three big scholarships were distributed from an ACC, Big-10 and Big East school to three rising underclassmen.

After a thrilling victory over DeMatha (MD) on Friday night, 2013 6-foot-4 Paul VI (VA) guard Stanford Robinson received a long awaited offer. With Marquette, UMass, Virginia and Virginia Tech, as well as Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon in attendance, Robinson played very well in the upset victory. Maryland decided to offer the talented guard a scholarship the following day. The Terps join the Hokies, Golden Eagles, Minutemen and Cavaliers, as well as Drexel, Miami, NC State, Pittsburgh, Villanova, South Florida, Seton Hall, VCU and Xavier to offer the Team Takeover (DC) standout.

Earlier in the week, 2014 6-foot-4 guard JaQuan Lyle of Evansville Bosse (IN) attended the Ohio State-Michigan Basketball game. On Saturday, Lyle took an unofficial visit to the Buckeyes’ campus and left with a scholarship offer from Thad Matta and company. The talented sophomore guard, who has averaged a near triple-double this season, is being carted by the entire Big-10, among other schools. He took in the Wisconsin-Illinois Basketball game the weekend before – the Illini have offered – and he also has offers from Indiana, Xavier, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State and several others.

After playing his first game in front of legendary coach Jim Boeheim, Isaiah Briscoe picked up an offer from Syracuse on Sunday night. A 2015 6-foot-3 point guard from St. Benedict’s (NJ), Briscoe is the younger brother of Iasia Hemingway, a senior of the Syracuse women’s basketball team. The freshman guard already had offers from Miami, Arizona, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, DePaul and Baylor. Besides the local schools, Briscoe has been to the Syracuse campus on multiple occasions to see his sister, as well as to take in Midnight Madness last October with his teammate, Tyler Ennis, who received an offer from the Orange back in December.

(Photos courtesy of DMV Elite, Rivals and St. Benedict’s)

By Alex Kline

Coming into his freshman year of high school, the pressure and hype of Kavon Stewart was fairly high. Currently in his junior year, the talk and attention has drifted away from Stewart towards his teammates, but he remains optimistic on the court.

A 2013 5-foot-11 point guard from Hudson Catholic in New Jersey, the junior has improved upon a number of parts to his game. With a much better pull up jump shot, Stewart’s increased strength and muscle definition is evident on the court. Clearly – because of his size – he needs to continue to add muscle and be able to finish at the rim with contact. He also needs to take more of a leadership position as the floor general and get used to running plays on the court. Because of his slick speed and excellent ball handling skills, Stewart plays a street ball type of game but can be limited in certain offensive systems. This is where choosing a college will determine how successful he can be at the next level.

Currently, a few schools who have offered Stewart are in solid contention for the guard. He lists scholarships from, “Rutgers, UMass, Cincinnati and Towson,” with interest from, “Xavier, Miami, Florida International and a few others.” The Minutemen of Massachusetts are one of two schools in the Atlantic-10 who have made a strong impression on the New Jersey native.

“UMass is the school recruiting me the hardest,” he said. “I’m really cool with Coach Kellogg and think he’s a great teacher of the game.”

Stewart went on to mention another A10 program he is interested in.

“I am really waiting on an offer from Xavier,” Stewart said. “I love their offense and the freedom a guard like Tu Holloway has for them.”

The junior point guard hopes to get on a few college campuses before the summer is over, including Miami, Florida International, UMass and Xavier. Whether or not more schools offer is to be determined, but Stewart is part of a very talented Hudson Catholic team, never the less.

While he may not be the player that was as highly hyped heading into high school, Kavon Stewart has a chance to enter college in a big way as the floor general and his team has the goal of winning a county, state and TOC championship before Stewart graduates in 2013.

“As long as we’re winning, that’s what matters,” he said.

(Photo courtesy of NorthJersey.com)

By Alex Kline

Not since Danilo Galinari of the New York Knicks has a native of Italy made such a splash on the American basketball scene. While Galinari did it at the professional level, one senior is making his presence felt in the high school game.

Amedeo Della Valle is a 2012 6-foot-6 point guard attending Findlay Prep in Nevada. Right off the bat, Della Valle’s skills and size strike many suitors as he has great size and continues to grow as he came in at 6-foot-5 to begin his senior year. An import from Italy, the big guard came to Las Vegas with more than hopes of attaining his basketball dream.

“I came to America because I love the country,” he said. “It can provide me with a great opportunity and the experience itself can make me a better person.”

Due to his size, Della Valle creates a number of mismatches on the court. At the same time, he has not had much of an opportunity to play the point guard with teammates, Nigel Williams-Goss and Oregon signee Dominic Artis, running the show at the point. He has exhibited a number of talents though, as he has great court vision and shooting ability for a big guard. In college, he could be placed at various positions, which makes his stock even higher for someone who will sign in the spring. In order to take his game to the next level, it is the off court preparation in his lifting and strength that will help him have a successful college career.

Currently, the talented guard has a number of options around the United States. He has received offers from, “UConn, Arizona, Gonzaga, St. Mary’s, California, Loyola Marymount, Portland, Utah, Oklahoma State and UCLA.” Ohio State also recently reached out to Della Valle and could be out to watch him play again after seeing him at the Hoophall Classic in Massachusetts.

With a decision looming after the season, Della Valle’s recruitment has been slow, as of now. He has only taken one visit – an unofficial to Arizona with his teammate and Wildcats signee Brandon Ashley.

“I want to wait it out a little bit,” he said. “My goal is to get as comfortable with the coaches and campuses as possible.” With Ohio State looming around his recruitment, official and unofficial visits are expected to be setup in the near future.

(Photo courtesy of Draftology.com)

By Alex Kline

After making moves to new prep schools in New Hampshire, sophomores Jared Terrell and Abdul-Malik Abu are having big years for their schools.

Terrell, a 2014 6-foot-3 shooting guard from New Hampton School, has emerged as one of the premier scorers nationally in his class. A power guard with an excellent body and athleticism, he has become an elite defender, as well. Because of his body and overall size for a guard, his aggressive style of play makes him a threat not only on the defensive side but the offensive end when he attacks the rim. Terrell can also shoot the rock as he is a key factor for a New Hampton team that also features 2014 stud Noah Vonleh, Notre Dame bound Zach Auguste and Boston College bound Olivier Hanlan.

He currently has a mass amount of college coaches calling about him. Terrell has scholarship offers from, “Providence, Cincinnati, Temple, St. John’s, DePaul, Boston College, Miami, Virginia Tech, UMass and Rutgers,” with interest from, “UConn, Tennessee, West Virginia, NC State, Iowa State, Memphis and Pittsburgh.” It is still very early in Terrell’s recruitment and there do not appear to be any favorites or schools recruiting him harder than others. Look for even more schools to get involved during the spring.

Abu, a 2014 6-foot-7 combo forward from Kimball Union, is quietly emerging on some college coaches radars and is working his way up. With a big body, as well, he may be a bit undersized in height but he makes up for it with his stature and high basketball IQ. A true team player, he tries his best to get his teammates involved. The sophomore has a similar game to Penn State bound forward Brandon Taylor, who is a similar size but is playing at a high level. Abu does not have a consistent jumper like Taylor’s, but he must work on his handle to play at the next level, especially if he wants to go high-major.

If he grows an extra inch or two, Abu’s stock could rise. He is already garnering plenty of attention from coaches, nonetheless. He currently maintains offers from, “Iowa State, New Hampshire, UMass, Wisconsin and Michigan State,” with interest from, “Rutgers, Providence, Cincinnati, Tennessee and Oklahoma.” His recruitment could certainly be bolstered by an extra inch of growth, but if not look for him to still end up playing at a very high level in college.

The natives of Massachusetts, and Expressions Elite teammates, will be playing together at the 2012 Mary Kline Classic on Saturday, May 5th at 5pm in Pennington, New Jersey.

(Photo courtesy of Rivals and Expressions)

By Alex Kline

Tyus Battle may only be in the eighth grade, yet he is already gaining the hype and exposure some of high school seniors desire to attain. While he is adjusting to this – and enjoy it at times – there was a point when the young phenom was not at all involved in the world of basketball.

The son of longtime AAU basketball coach Gary Battle, Tyus grew up as a baseball player. Until the age of six, he refused to pick up a basketball and hone what would ultimately be his future.

“I just didn’t like basketball,” he smiled. “I would be bribed with two scoops of ice cream from my dad. I started to try it out and began to like it. Now, I love it.”

Whether Battle’s baseball career would have panned out is another story, yet the hardwood has certainly treated him well. Coming from great genes, his father was a 2,000 point scorer at New Haven and played professionally overseas in Germany. His stepmother was a standout basketball player at Miami, as well.

Currently, Tyus Battle is 6-foot-4 and in the class of 2016. He is projected to grow to 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7 and will have a big AAU season ahead of him playing with the Team Final U14 and U16 team over the spring and summer. Before his middle school career comes to an end, though, he must make a big decision.

The lead guard who has the ability to play the 1, 2 and 3 will choose between three Garden State powers for high school. A native of Edison, New Jersey – Tyus Battle is looking at Gill St. Bernard’s, St. Joseph’s Metuchen and St. Anthony. At Gill, he will have a chance to come in and play early minutes with 2013 sensation Jaren Sina. With St. Joe’s Metuchen, he can star along with one of the 2015′s in the country in Karl Towns. At St. Anthony, he can become the next star to play for Friars’ hall of fame coach Bob Hurley and replace UCLA bound Kyle Anderson. The decision process and hype of youth basketball is new to him, but hasn’t phased the young man.

“The adjustment to high school basketball is going to be totally different to what I am used to,” he said. “I will have much more responsibility academically and athletically.”

His father keeps him grounded though.

“He has to enjoy it,” said Gary Battle. “Being ranked as the top eighth grader in New Jersey means nothing unless he enjoys it and takes advantage of the opportunity. As long as he stays level headed and works hard the sky is the limit.”

Battle has a variety of abilities as he is an impressive offensive threat. The 2016 combo guard/wing can take it to the basket and score. A team player who uses his energy to make an impact on the defensive end, Battle draws comparisons to Kentucky freshman Michael Gilchrist and former NBA standout Penny Hardaway. This is due to his length and lanky frame, as well as his intensity and energy on the court. Battle brings an amazing attitude to win while playing. He needs to get stronger and become more of a leader, however, as he is quiet on and off the court. While his play is similar to Gilchrist, he is nowhere near the rebounder that the future NBA lottery pick is. If the future superstar uses his energy on the rebounding front, he could average a double-double every game with points and rebounds.

Some colleges have already taken notice of his potential and skills as Rutgers, Seton Hall and Cincinnati are expressing interest, according to his father. Battle has already been to a basketball game at Rutgers, but keeps in mind that he is, “still a kid.”

Whether he ends up fulfilling the comparisons to Gilchrist and Hardaway is one thing, but it appears that Tyus Battle already understands the full landscape of basketball at a young age. He plays because he loves the game of basketball. He plays team ball and simply wants to win. Battle will more than likely be one of the premier players scouts and college coaches will chase after over the next few years. He may be young, but Tyus Battle is ready for it.

(Photo courtesy of BBallSpotlight)

By Alex Kline

Hidden in the state of Delaware may be two of the most talented sophomores in the northeast.

2014 duo Ben Bentil, a 6-foot-8 power forward, and Austin Tilghman, a 6-foot-1 point guard, are making the most of their impressive gym at St. Andrew’s in Delaware. Bentil – originally from Ghana – is projected to breakout this year, according to his high school and AAU coach Terrell Myers, who played professionally overseas. As Bentil has already matched up and played well against Villanova bound Daniel Ochefu, he will have to make the most of his talented, bulky point guard – Tilghman – and their newly merged AAU team, ECE/NJABC, this spring and summer.

Bentil is a high octane big man with plenty of energy, strength and athleticism. He is controlled, yet aggressive when he has to be and is a force down low. The sophomore is a strong transition player, but is also working on becoming a much better shooter and becoming an all-around talent on the offensive side of the ball.

Currently, he is being targeted by Indiana, Penn State, Villanova, Rutgers, La Salle, Delaware, Temple and St. Joe’s, among others. Bentil has offers but is currently not focused on the recruiting process as he continues to develop on the court. He visited Villanova unofficially for their Midnight Madness in the fall and enjoyed it. He has also been to numerous St. Joseph’s Basketball games over the course of the season. As Bentil has been to numerous college campuses, he always goes with his close friend and teammate, Austin Tilghman.

With great court vision and the ability to setup and convert the pick and roll with Bentil, the sophomore point guard is extremely gifted. Tilghman uses his bulky body to get to the hole and create matchup problems against smaller guards who are not as strong. While he lacks a jumper coming off of screens, Tilghman intends to improve upon this area before he takes his game to the next level.

The talented floor general has similar college choices to his teammate and acknowledges he has been to St. Joseph’s a lot. He has taken an interest in them and they have certainly reciprocated. On that notion; however, he has no offers at the moment and i hearing from a variety of schools ranging from the Atlantic-10 to Big East.

Together, these two could go as a package deal or go their own ways. Tilghman and Bentil are a very young, dynamic duo who has amazing chemistry and have yet to break onto the scene as national names. After this summer, that may change permanently.

(Photo courtesy of St. Andrew’s)

By Alex Kline

Lenny Kadisha is only 14-years old, yet the hard working freshman has a boatload of potential that could get him very far.

A 2015 6-foot-4 combo guard from Wadleigh High in New York, Kadisha is averaging 9 points and 10 rebounds per game during his freshman campaign as a starter for the 15-5 Manhattan PSAL AA squad. While he has not yet received the attention or hype of most players from the Big Apple, Kadisha is bound to be a hidden gem that schools have already found out about.

The strong guard goes hard to the basket as he uses his athleticism to make the impossible look easy at times. With some comparisons to NC State signee Rodney Purvis, Kadisha does his job as a combo guard by getting his teammates involved through his high basketball IQ, passing ability and the tools to score it himself. With most of the tools to succeed on the court, the freshman simply plays like a freshman at times. Kadisha gets in slumps and can be streaky at times. Being that he is a freshman, the guard will likely get out of this mental funk with more experience at the high school level. If he can do this – with his size, talent and ability to work for his goals – Kadisha is bound to be one of the top guards to come out of the tri-state area in 2015.

A number of schools have already taken a liking to the freshman. Kadisha received a scholarship offer from Arizona on Thursday. Along with the Wildcats, he has offers from Iowa State, St. John’s and Providence. Along with that, he has interest from Memphis, Rutgers and a number of other schools. Kadisha has taken an unofficial visit to St. John’s and plans on visiting Providence in the spring.

This spring and summer he will begin to receive more attention as he will be participating at the Reebok Breakout Camp, Pangos All American Camp and Mary Kline Classic.

As New York has been known for producing some of the top guards over the past few decades, Lenny Kadisha’s size and talent could determine his status as one of the better guards of the 21st century out of the state.

(Photo courtesy of Wadleigh Basketball)

By Alex Kline

After having a dominant performance with Team Loaded of Virginia this summer, Markell Lodge began to make his name known as one of the premier players in the state.

A 2014 6-foot-7 small forward from Miller School in Virginia, Lodge has been bombarded by college coaches this fall after his teammate, Andrew White, became one of the top seniors in the country. White ended up committing to Kansas, but not before the bouncy forward was seen by dozens of division one coaches. This led him to his first scholarship offer – earlier in the year – from George Mason.

An above the rim type of player, Lodge struggles with his jumper. At the same time, he makes up for it with his length and ability to get to the rim. An amazing athlete, the sophomore excels at rebounding and can also play a power game as he can post up defenders while on offense. His athleticism, though, makes him an elite player who could easily have a dozen high major offers by the end of the year.

While the Patriots are the only one to offer, Lodge says that South Carolina is recruiting him the hardest. Along with the Gamecocks, he has interest from, “Virginia, Washington State, Appalachian State, NC State, Notre Dame, Clemson and Virginia Tech.” He has not taken any visits yet; however, the bouncy forward plans on visiting NC State and George Mason in the near future.

(Photo courtesy of the Daily Progress)