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

As the recruiting process begins early for most basketball players, it is evident that the class of 2016 is about the get noticed. Before they break out, Rob Brown of Team Final hosted the Nike PreDraft Camp at Life Center Academy in Burlington, New Jersey. The camp featured 150 of the top middle schoolers around, including the future of the Nike EYBL squad, Team Final. While they may be young, here are four players that stood out.

Terquin “Buddah” Mott – A 2016 6-foot-4 shooting guard, Mott is the son of Terquin Mott – A former standout at Coppin State and La Salle, who played for the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves. A Dion Waiters clone, Mott is a big, bulky guard who has the power to play in the post because of the size advantage for his age. Mott will play high school ball at Life Center and is running with Team Final on the AAU scene. With a solid jumper, he can also attack the basket and has a great inside-outside game where he can play in and out of the post, as well as on the wing. The rising star has the potential of being a point forward who could play high-major basketball. Similar to Waiters, a star in high school and currently at Syracuse, he is mentally inconsistent and gets frustrated as a result of his mistakes on the court. His basketball IQ needs to improve, as well as his decision making at times. Mott could grow to 6-foot-7 by the summer and is projected to potentially hit 6-foot-9. Whether he stays his size or grows, we could be looking at a Kyle Anderson type of player down the road. Buddah Mott’s dream schools are Syracuse, Ohio State and Kentucky.

Vaughn Covington – A 2016 5-foot-11 point guard, Covington was by far the best pure point guard in attendance at the camp. With a father who played professional basketball overseas, Covington has a body similar to Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics. While he lacks strength, the physicality to rebound and needs to work on his shot selection, Covington has the potential to be the real deal because of his abilities and upside. A leader and floor general, the soon to be freshman can shoot the rock and excels at passing. Covington has a high basketball IQ and is a true point guard who makes the right decisions on the court. With a dream school of Syracuse, he must make a high school decision first. The New Jersey native is looking at Neumann Goretti (PA), Roman Catholic (PA), Life Center and St. Andrew’s (DE). If he can reach his projected height of 6-foot-3, look for Covington to be one of the premier point guards to come out of the area for the class of 2016.

Marquis Collins - A 2016 6-foot-3 small forward from Chester, Pennsylvania, Collins is the cousin of one of the top players in the state. A cousin of 2014 Roman Catholic (PA) guard Shep Garner, the similarities are uncommon. At the same time, the two could end up being very different players because of size and position. Collins, who is considering Roman Catholic and Chester (PA), is projected to grow to 6-foot-8 at his climax. An excellent defender, who can alter shots and rebound well on both ends, the eighth grader has good side and ability. He can score at times but is a much better defender than an offensive threat. He has great handle, but must work on his jumpshot and get stronger to make an impact at the high school level. Depending on how tall he grows, Collins could be very good. Never the less, anyone who can play on-ball defense to his level is needed at the varsity level. Marquis Collins is leaning towards joining 2013 star Rondae Jefferson at Chester next year, but nothing is official at this time.

Tyus Battle – A 2016 6-foot-4 combo guard/wing, Battle had the most potential at the camp. For more on his evaluation and high school decision, along with some college interest, check out his Recruit Scoop feature here. A Michael Gilchrist/Penny Hardaway comparison, Battle will choose between St. Anthony (NJ), Gill St. Bernard’s (NJ) and St. Joe’s Metuchen (NJ). He is already drawing interest from Seton Hall, Rutgers and Cincinnati.

(Photos courtesy of BBallSpotlight.com and Marquis)

By Tyler Kohl – a 2015 point forward from Perkiomen (PA)

My name is Tyler Kohl. I’m a 6’5 freshman at Perkiomen Prep.

This summer was a successful summer with my AAU Team NJABC. We recently joined programs with East Coast Elite. They have some good players like Ben Bentil and Austin Tilghman, who I will be playing with this year. Even though next summer will be fun, I’m concentrating on my high school team first. We are a very good team that flies under the radar. We beat Church Farm and Phelps recently. We lost to The Hill School by 4, but I think we should have won that game.

My grades are improving in school. My AAU coach (Matt Pauls) is very strict when it comes to grades. He says if you don’t get grades then you can’t play basketball at the next level.

College wise I haven’t really gotten all the attention I’ve wanted to get from the start but I did receive an offer from Wagner at the end of the live period in July, which made me very excited. Two of my teammates on my high school team are going to Wagner. This summer I’m trying to get more attention and show college coaches what I can do. NOBODY should sleep on our AAU team because we’re coming out to win every tournament.

(Photo courtesy of Lehigh Valley Live)

By Rob Ukawuba – 2013 6’3 guard from East Brunswick (NJ)

My name’s Rob Ukawuba and I’m a junior (2013) at East Brunswick high school.

Coming off a good AAU season with Team Jersey Elite I was looking forward to the high school basketball season, and although everybody assumes I play football too, I don’t; I just basketball. We have basically everybody back from last year’s team so we’re looking real good this year. We’ve started off a little slow though but hopefully we pull it together soon. We won two at home against Perth Amboy and Piscataway. Then we lost two away games against North Brunswick and St. Joseph’s Metuchen so we definitely gotta pick it up on the road. Tomorrow were on the road so were looking to pick up a win away to start a streak up.

Junior year has been pretty good though but just as hard as everyone’s said it would be. I guess it’s not that hard just a lot more work.  Basketball wise it’s been good too.  I have some interest from some schools right now like Rider, St.Peters, Fairfieldf, Monmouth, Quinnipiac, La Salle, and Oregon State. The only school I’ve visited is St.Peter’s but I plan on taking one to Quinnipiac soon.. probaby with my AAU teammate, Will Joyce. I don’t have many school preferences right now until I really start to look. I’m just real excited for this season and what’s to come.

(Photo courtesy of NJ.com)

By Dayshon Smith – 2013 6’1 combo guard from Putnam Science Academy (CT)

What’s up world it’s Dayshon Smith from the Bronx, NY.

I currently attend Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut. I’m off to a real good start up there. So far I have an 89 average & basketball wise my team and I are doing good with a 7-3 record. This year my team got the biggest win in school history beating one of the top schools in the country. Now I’m home on vacation spending time with my family who I missed so much.

If you were wondering I am getting recruited by Fairfield, Drexel, Syracuse, Quinnipiac, Providence, Miami, Penn State, St. Peter’s, Robert Morris, St. Joe’s and others. That’s it for right now. I’ll be back next time. Follow me on Twitter @scoochstackin. I’m out.

(Photo courtesy of the NY Post)

By Fergus Duke – a 2013 guard from Hun (NJ)

Whats up, Its Fergus Duke of The Hun School. I’m a 6’2″ point guard trying to make my dreams a reality. Just a humble and hungry gymrat doing what I love. I’ve been playing ball as long as I can remember and I want to play this game until the passion runs dry. I’m from Vancouver, BC, Canada, originally but now I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia, whenever I’m not at school. Even though the talent level in my town was very high, It was really hard to get exposure at the NCAA level coming out of Nova Scotia, so I had to make a move my sophomore year. I stumbled upon Hun and fell in love with the school when I came for a visit. Hun is a perfect balance of a strong basketball and athletics program and advanced academics. Thanks to my switch to the States, I’ve been gaining interest from Div 1 schools that I never have known my name had I stayed in Halifax.

Last year was my first year at Hun. The team and Coach Stone made me feel at home. I don’t think I’ve ever had a Coach care as much about his players as Coach Stone does. I was in Canada in the summer, so I had never met any of them before, but they took me in as part of the family on the first day we played. Individually, it was a tough transition at first. I had a lot of trouble adjusting from the 24 second shot clock to not having one at all. We’d come down the floor and I’d throw up the first open look I saw because I’m used to a faster paced game. It was kind of funny, I was rushing all over the place. We had a very talented team with four Div 1 commits on it, and a few very strong juniors, so I understood that floor time was somewhat limited at first. About halfway through the season though, was the turning point for me. I started to play more relaxed and with a lot more poise, which earned me more minutes.

I think I’ve managed to keep that poise through the beginning of this season and things are looking up for us so far. Over the spring, summer, and fall, the hours my teammates and I have put in the gym are paying off. Each and every one of us has developed into a stronger player than last year. Coach Stone designed a system for our team that fits us well this season. We have very solid post players in Will Kelly, Grant MacKay and Rashid Epps, and we have a strong backcourt. Bo McKinley and I have a lot of work to do as the backcourt, but I feel we are starting to come together. I think we showed in the TCA game, where we won by 1 in double OT, that we can handle pressure well. That being said, we have more than enough to improve on as well, we’ve only had glimpses of what we can do. I’m having a lot of fun this season with the guys that we have and it’s only just the beginning. I have high hopes for the squad, I feel that we are very well capable of winning the MAPL championship and states both. But only we can determine how far we go.

Coming to Hun was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and it has opened doors up for me at the College level. I’m striving to play the best basketball I possibly can, focusing on one game at a time. Consistency is the goal for this season.

Every game we play is fun to watch, make sure to catch one if you have the chance!

*Fergus Duke is hearing from Florida Atlantic, Duquesne, Davidson and Coastal Carolina, along with most Ivy and Patriot league schools.*

(Photo courtesy of Towns Topics)

By Diamonte Zarba – a 2013 guard from St. Joseph (CT)

What’s up people, its Diamonte Zarba

I’m 6’4 207 pounds and I play guard for the St. Joseph Cadets during the winter and Exodus NYC in the summer. Right now my high school team rides high on a #1 in the state ranking. We are also 4-0 as we won our game earlier tonight at the Harboryard Arena in Bridgeport, CT against a good Archbishop Molloy team. Tomorrow we face our first true challenge when we take on Big East Bound Kris Dunn & the rest of the New London Whalers.

My favorite player in recent years also is the model for my game – Tracy McGrady. A tall guard or “point forward” were all terms to describe his game. I consider this my best attribute to my team because of my versatility. Because of my height and strength I’m a matchup problem for most defenses. 

These abilities have caught the eye of East Carolina University, Providence, St. Joes, Yale, Quinnipiac, American, Bucknell, St. John’s, Siena and a couple other schools, who are showing interest in me. That’s enough from me, but come support the Maroon and Gold and I as we continue our season.

(Photo courtesy of Diamonte)

Press release by Alex Kline

The roster for the 2012 Mary Kline Classic event is in the process of being announced with spots being filled every week. A charity high school basketball all-star game that features some of the top talent around the east coast is in its second year as Alex Kline will host the event at the Pennington School in New Jersey again.

The official date for the spring event is Saturday, May 5th at 5PM.

The newest change to the Mary Kline Classic is that it will feature two games this year, along with the dunk and three-point contest. The first game will be the underclassmen game, which features freshmen, sophomores, and juniors from the classes of 2015, 2014, and 2013. On top of that, the senior game will feature some of the top talent from the class of 2012.

There are twelve 2011 Mary Kline Classic alumni currently playing division one college basketball. They are Jordan Allen of Hofstra, Khem Birch and John Johnson of Pittsburgh, Angel Nunez of Louisville, Jabril Trawick of Georgetown, Chandler Fraser-Pauls of Lafayette, Khalid Lewis of Delaware, Devin Coleman of Clemson, Tyler Harris of NC State, Isaiah Williams of Marshall, Will Wise of UMBC and Jerrell Wright of La Salle. In the inaugural event, it was the Black team who defeated the Red team by a score of 110-87. Jabril Trawick and Jerrell Wright were named Co-MVP of the game, while Trawick won the slam dunk contest and Isaiah Williams won the three-point shootout.

Of the fifty-two expected participants in this year’s Mary Kline Classic, here are the current invites to the game. At the moment, zero spots remain open for the Senior and Underclassmen games. Players are still being taken into consideration; however, as current invites may drop out before May 5th.

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.

Underclassmen Game

Isaiah Whitehead, a 6’4 combo guard from Lincoln (NY)/Juice All-Stars (NY), who is considering Georgetown, Xavier, Seton Hall, USC, Pittsburgh, Kentucky, Syracuse, Rutgers, UConn, St. John’s, North Carolina and more.

Jermaine Lawrence, a 6’9 combo forward from Pope John XXIII (NJ)/Positive Direction (NY), who is considering Cincinnati, Florida, Fordham, Rutgers, Georgetown, Syracuse, St. John’s, Louisville, Virginia Tech, Marquette and more.

Conrad Chambers, a 6’1 point guard from Friends Central (PA)/Team Scan (NY), who is considering Providence, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Iowa State, Temple, Drexel, Villanova, UConn, West Virginia and St. John’s.

Wayne Selden, a 6’5 shooting guard from Tilton (NH)/BABC (MA), who is considering Kentucky, Duke, Boston College, Providence, UConn, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Arizona, Georgetown, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina and more.

Tyler Ennis, a 6’2 point guard from St. Benedict’s (NJ)/CIA Bounce (Canada), who is considering Arizona State, Boston College, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, NC State, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rice, Rutgers, Santa Clara, Seton Hall, Villanova, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Wake Forest and West Virginia.

Tyler Roberson, a 6’7 combo forward from Roselle Catholic (NJ)/New Jersey Roadrunners, who is considering Kansas State, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgetown, Rutgers, Kansas, Seton Hall, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Marquette, Villanova, Providence, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, St. Joseph’s and more.

Reggie Cameron, a 6’7 combo forward from Hudson Catholic (NJ)/New Jersey Playaz, who is considering Cincinnati, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Miami, Xavier, Northwestern, Providence, Tennessee, Villanova, Virginia, West Virginia, Oregon State, Pittsburgh, DePaul, UMass and more.

Johnnie Davis, a 6’5 wing from Neumann Goretti (PA)/Team Final (PA), who is considering Towson, VCU, George Mason, Temple, Delaware, La Salle, UMass, Rider, Northeastern, Seton Hall, Manhattan, Florida Atlantic, St. Peter’s, St. Joe’s, Robert Morris, Boston University, Penn State and Villanova.

Kaison Randolph, a 2014 6’2 combo guard from Pennington (NJ)/Team ECE/NJABC (DE/NJ), who is considering Boston University, Cincinnati, Wagner, Drexel, Iowa State, Seton Hall, Rutgers and VCU.

DeAndre Bembry, a 2013 6’4 wing from St. Patrick (NJ)/NJ Celtics, who is considering Central Florida, Georgetown, Auburn, VCU, South Carolina, Villanova, Seton Hall, Virginia Tech and more.

Jared Nickens, a 2013 6’6 small forward from St. Patrick (NJ)/NJ Celtics, who is considering Seton Hall, Virginia, Notre Dame, VCU, Fordham, Penn State, SMU, St. Joe’s, Rutgers and Maryland.

Lenny Kadisha, a 2015 6’3 shooting guard from Wadleigh (NY)/Real Scout Express (NY), who is considering Virginia, Providence, St. John’s, Iowa State and Memphis.

Kamar McKnight, a 2015 6’4 combo guard from St. Patrick (NJ)/Grassroots Canada, who is considering Arizona, Rutgers and Seton Hall.

Isaiah Watkins, a 2013 6’8 combo forward from St. Benedict’s (NJ)/CIA Bounce (Canada), who is considering Arkansas, Cincinnati, Harvard, Indiana, Iowa State, New Mexico State, Penn, Temple, St. Bonaventure, Providence, Rice, Santa Clara, Lafayette and more.

Jared Terrell, a 6’3 shooting guard from New Hampton (NH)/Expressions (MA), who is considering UConn, Cincinnati, Miami, Boston College, Rutgers, NC State, Virginia Tech, UMass, Temple, Iowa State, Providence, DePaul, Texas, Tennessee, Arizona and Baylor.

Abdul-Malik Abu, a 6’7 combo forward from Kimball Union (NH)/Expressions (MA), who is considering Iowa State, Rutgers, UMass, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Boston College and Missouri.

Geno Thorpe, a 2013 6’3 point guard from Shaler (PA)/New Jersey Playaz, who is commited to Penn State.

Hallice Cooke, a 2013 6’4 shooting guard from St. Anthony (NJ)/Sports University (NJ), who is considering South Florida, Seton Hall, La Salle, VCU, Richmond, St. Joe’s, San Francisco, Rice, Iona, Wagner, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Yale, Quinnipiac, Fordham, Cincinnati, Temple, Virginia, Rutgers and Villanova.

Josh Brown, a 2013 6’2 point guard from St. Anthony (NJ)/Sports University (NJ), who is committed to Temple.

Ben Bentil, a 2014 6’8 power forward from St. Andrew’s (DE)/Team ECE/NJABC (DE/NJ), who is considering Notre Dame, Penn State, Villanova, St. Joe’s, Boston University, Syracuse, Rutgers and Maryland.

Karl Towns, a 2015 6’10 combo forward from St. Joseph’s Metuchen (NJ)/Sports University (NJ), who is considering Michigan State, Kentucky, Florida, Baylor, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Louisville, Villanova, St. John’s, Temple and more.

Chris McCullough, a 2014 6’8 combo forward from Salisbury (CT)/Team Scan (NY), who is considering Arizona, Florida, Rutgers, St. John’s, Syracuse, Rutgers, Providence, Pittsburgh, UConn, West Virginia, Seton Hall, Villanova, North Carolina, Iowa State, Hofstra, Temple and more.

Isaiah Briscoe, a 2015 6’3 point guard from St. Benedict’s (NJ)/New Jersey Playaz, who is considering Syracuse, Duke, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, Baylor, Cincinnati, DePaul, Arizona, UConn, Ohio State, Georgetown, Villanova, Notre Dame and more.

Davon Reed, a 2013 6’5 combo guard from Princeton Day (NJ)/Team Final (PA), who is considering Seton Hall, Rutgers, Xavier, Harvard, Richmond, Northwestern, La Salle, St. Joe’s, Temple, West Virginia, Penn State, Drexel, Boston College, Georgetown and more.

Jaren Sina, a 2013 6’1 point guard from Gill St. Bernard’s (NJ)/Hoop Heaven (NJ), who is considering Kansas, Alabama, Virginia, Penn State, Georgetown, Miami, Seton Hall, Rutgers, St. John’s, Florida State, Michigan, Cincinnati, Clemson, Syracuse and West Virginia.

Allerik Freeman, a 2013 6’4 shooting guard from Olympic (NC)/Team Nike Florida, who is considering Florida, Villanova, South Carolina, Texas, Kansas State, Kansas, North Carolina, NC State, Marquette, Georgetown, Arizona, UCLA, UConn and Memphis.

Senior Game

Daniel Dingle, a 6’6 combo forward from St. Raymond (NY)/Long Island Lightning (NY), who has signed with Temple.

Sekou Harris, a 5’10 point guard from Plainfield (NJ)/New Jersey Playaz, who is considering New Hampshire, Florida International, San Francisco, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Colorado State, Morehead State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Rider and more.

Georges Niang, a 6’7 combo forward from Tilton (NH)/BABC (MA), who has signed with Iowa State.

Anthony Gaffney, a 6’2 combo guard from Taft (CT)/ECE/NJABC (DE/NJ), who has committed to Princeton for football.

Nkereuwem Okoro, a 6’4 wing from St. Raymond (NY)/Long Island Lightning (NY), who has signed with Iowa State.

Nizar Kapic, a 6’6 wing from Perkiomen (PA)/Austria, who is considering La Salle, Washington State, Dartmouth, St. Francis (PA), Boston College, Lehigh, Colgate, Rice and more.

Neville Fincher, a 6’9 power forward from Teaneck (NJ)/New Jersey Playaz, who is considering Hofstra, Western Kentucky, Temple, Binghamton, Manhattan, Seton Hall, Siena, Robert Morris and Monmouth.

Chris Jones, a 6’5 shooting guard from Teaneck (NJ)/New Jersey Playaz, who is considering Siena, Hofstra, La Salle, UMass and more.

Justin Sears, a 6’7 combo forward from Plainfield (NJ)/Sports University (NJ), who has signed with Yale.

Phillip Lawrence, a 6’7 combo forward from Mount St. Joseph (MD)/Philly’s Finest (PA), who has signed with Marist.

Bruce Brittingham, a 6’1 point guard from Perkiomen (PA)/Team ECE/NJABC (DE/NJ), who is committed to Wagner for football and basketball.

Melvin Johnson, a 6’3 shooting guard from St. Benedict’s (NJ)/Long Island Lightning (NY), who has signed with Miami (FL).

Blaise Mbargorba, a 2012 7’0 center from Peddie (NJ)/New Jersey Roadrunners, who has signed with SMU.

Marcus Gilbert, a 2012 6’6 small forward from Academy of the New Church (PA)/Team ECE/NJABC (DE/NJ), who has signed with Fairfield.

Daiquan Walker, a 2012 6’2 point guard from Constitution (PA)/New York Gauchos, who is considering Tennessee, UConn, Temple, Central Florida, West Virginia, Seton Hall and Niagara.

Dallas Anglin, a 2012 6’2 point guard from Seton Hall Prep (NJ)/Sports University (NJ), who has signed with Hofstra.

Brandon Bolden, a 2012 6’10 power forward from Quality Education (NC)/Team Nike Florida, who has signed with Georgetown.

Charles Cooke, a 2012 6’5 wing from Trenton Catholic (NJ)/Team ECE/NJABC (DE/NJ), who has signed with James Madison.

Brandon Taylor, a 2012 6’7 power forward from Trenton Catholic (NJ)/Team Philly (PA), who has signed with Penn State.

Dominic Hoffman, a 2012 6’7 power forward from Gill St. Bernard’s (NJ)/Hoop Heaven (NJ), who has signed with Bucknell.

Quenton DeCosey, a 2012 6’5 wing from St. Joseph’s Metuchen (NJ)/Sports University (NJ), who signed with Temple.

Eric Fanning, a 2012 6’4 wing from Perkiomen (PA)/Team ECE/NJABC (DE/NJ), who has signed with Wagner.

Daniel Ochefu, a 2012 6’10 center from Westtown (PA)/PTP (PA), who has signed with Villanova.

Alex Mitola, a 2012 5’10 combo guard from Gill St. Bernard’s (NJ)/Hoop Heaven (NJ), who has signed with Dartmouth.

Maurice Watson, a 2012 5’10 point guard from Boys’ Latin (PA)/Team Philly (PA), who has signed with Boston University.

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, Marcus Gilbert, Dallas Anglin, Geno Thorpe, Johnnie Davis, Chris McCullough, Wayne Selden & Neville Fincher

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

For media and player inquiries, as well as anything else, please contact Alex Kline at AlexKlineBasketball@Yahoo.com and follow game updates by following TheRecruitScoop on Twitter.

(Photos courtesy of George Burgess, Stephen Goldsmith, ESPN, Rivals, BBall Spotlight, Hoop Group, Fun Sport, Expressions, NY2LA Sports & video courtesy of Ballin365)

By Alex Kline

Time after time, Jaylen Brantley has proved that he is a winner. Whether it was winning the Nike Peach Jam or a local tournament, the floor general continues to get it done on the court.

A 2013 5-foot-11 point guard from Wilbraham and Monson in Massachusetts, Brantley led the Titans to the Peddie Invitational Championship this weekend in Hightstown, NJ, as they knocked off Phelps (PA), Hun (NJ), and Peddie (NJ) to get the sweep. On their way to the title, the point guard played outstanding and was named MVP of the tournament with performances of 26, 20, and 22 points. WMA defeated a talented, and much improved, Peddie team led by SMU signee Blaise Mbargorba and former Penn commit Xavier Harris.

“It was a great atmosphere,” said Brantley, who captivated a crowd that did not know much about him. “We won it last year so we wanted to go out and repeat.”

Brantley, who lists offers from, “Syracuse, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Rhode Island, Virginia, Missouri, Iowa State, Hofstra and Richmond,” along with interest from, “UConn, Notre Dame, Stanford, Marshall, Washington and Virginia Tech,” was excited about repeating and being named MVP.

“I wouldn’t have gotten it without my teammates so I dedicate that to all of us for working together and playing hard as one unit.”

Despite being only a rising junior over the summer, Brantley played both U17 and U16 for a talented BABC team. He currently has no favorites within his recruitment.

(Photo courtesy of NY2LA Sports)